Romancing the Heiress(32)
Author: Darcy Burke

 

Perhaps it was more than a hint. And he deserved that. But marriage? Why would she even want him to marry her? She’d left Marrywell and found happiness as a companion. Did she not want that anymore?

 

He was so confused. About a great many things. “Mercer grates on my nerves,” Phin grumbled.

 

“I am not surprised. He just interrogated me about the gardens. May we walk for a moment? I can’t be too long. Mrs. Selkirk is expecting me back.”

 

“Isn’t she always?” Phin muttered. He gestured for Leah to precede him, then fell into step beside her. He didn’t bother offering his arm. He doubted she would take it.

 

“Yes. Mercer pointed out—correctly—that the gardens are not up to their usual…glory. I hadn’t noticed this until he told me, then I realized it was true.” She looked over at him as they walked. “Phin, what’s wrong? It isn’t like you to let things slide.”

 

“That isn’t what’s happening. The weather was devastating last year.” Just tell her the truth. She would understand. She would sympathize. She would help if she could.

 

“It’s more than that, and I think you know it.” She pursed her lips in frustration. “Why won’t you tell me?”

 

“There is nothing to tell. The last year has been difficult, and I am working to correct matters.” Phin didn’t want to look in her eyes for fear of what he might see there. But he couldn’t help himself, and sure enough, he saw confusion and…disappointment.

 

“I suppose seven years is a long time apart,” she said quietly. “The Phin I used to know would have shared his troubles with me. At least, I thought he would have.”

 

“He did. Remember the time I lost my grandfather’s favorite shears? I was so distraught, and you helped me find them.”

 

A faint smile lifted one side of her mouth. “Yes, I did. You’d left them in the kitchen garden.” Her expression sobered. “And I would help you now. If I could.”

 

How he wished it were as simple as finding a lost item. “If I thought you could help me now as you did then, I would ask.”

 

A shadow passed over her features, and she glanced away. “It seems we are not as close as I thought.” Squaring her shoulders, she schooled her features once more until she was practically unrecognizable to him. This was the distinguished companion from London. “You should go see Genevieve. She’s making her decision about whom to wed this evening, and apparently, someone asked to call on her tomorrow morning to propose. Was that you?”

 

Phin wanted to lie. Wasn’t that what he was already doing? Telling Leah that he’d only kissed her because he’d been lost in memories? While that was true, he’d also done it because he simply couldn’t not do it. And he was on the verge of committing himself to a woman he didn’t love and wasn’t sure he ever would. While that wasn’t a necessarily a lie, it wasn’t being honest either.

 

What could he say to Leah? He could explain why he wanted to marry Genevieve, which would also reveal why the gardens were in their current state.

 

But the words stalled in his mouth. He didn’t want to tell her those things. He didn’t want her to know what his father had done and what Phin was willing to compromise to fix his mess.

 

“Fine, don’t answer,” she said. “I need to get back.” Spinning on her heel, she started toward the picnic area.

 

Phin hurried to walk with her. “Yes, that was me. Though, I suppose there could be more than one of us who wishes to propose.”

 

“Perhaps. I imagine they’ll only invite one of you to call in the morning. However. I wish you luck in your quest.”

 

“I know you won’t understand,” he said softly, “but I need to marry her. For the gardens. You weren’t wrong. Please don’t ask me to explain more than that.” There. He’d said what he could, and that had been bloody hard enough.

 

She stopped to look at him, her gaze soft and sympathetic. “I do understand. At least, I want to. But I wish you would tell me everything. You can trust me.” When he said nothing, she looked away. “At least it makes sense to me now. I hope she chooses you. For the gardens. I’ll do what I can to advocate for you, though if it is up to Genevieve, she’ll choose you.”

 

“Is it not up to her?”

 

Leah shook her head. “Mrs. Selkirk has some sort of plan. She wanted Mercer, but he’s not an option.”

 

“Why would she want him?”

 

“Perhaps because he lives in London, and you live here? I don’t know. The other suitors live in a variety of places, and at least one of them also calls London home. For all I know, Mrs. Selkirk may end up drawing a name out of a hat.”

 

“I hope not.” Phin saw that the Selkirks were seated on a blanket up ahead.

 

“Then do your best to be her choice,” Leah said. She smiled tightly as they reached the blanket. “Look who I found on his way to come see Genevieve.”

 

“Splendid,” Mrs. Selkirk said.

 

Genevieve’s face brightened. “I worried that you’d forgotten about me this afternoon.”

 

“I could never do that.” Phin was having difficulty playing the attentive swain. All he wanted to do was take Leah aside and make sure she didn’t hate him for what he was doing. But of course, he couldn’t do that. Instead, he helped Genevieve to her feet and suggested they observe the lawn bowling.

 

“Lovely,” she responded with a smile.

 

Phin watched Leah lower herself to the blanket. She kept her gaze from him, acting as if he’d already departed.

 

He offered Genevieve his arm and did just that.

 

 

 

 

 

Leah had spent the brief hours since the Grand Picnic stewing over Phin’s revelation. He needed to marry Genevieve. For the gardens. But why?

 

It had to be a financial reason. He was in need of Genevieve’s dowry. What had happened to put him in that position? Or had supporting the botanical gardens always been a hardship for the Radford family? Perhaps it had become that way as the festival had grown over the past decade.

 

“Being a maiden fair is so taxing!” Genevieve’s whine interrupted Leah’s thoughts.

 

Leah stood from the wooden chair in the corner of their bedchamber as she realized Genevieve was nearly ready to depart for the evening’s activities. “It seems a demanding role. I’m sorry you find it troublesome.”