Wicked Heart (Brazen Bluestockings #1)

Chapter 27: Can't Hold It Back Anymore

One would think there would come a day when she would not have to chase her dog through the mud and dirt. Today was not that day. Ivy cursed under her breath as she increased her pace to catch up with the wayward dog. At least she was fairly certain where Darcy had gone. With his fondness for water, he was likely to have run down to the small lake on the estate again. It hadn't taken many days after they arrived for their visit at Lady Wycliffe's friend's home before Darcy had disappeared for an hour only to return soaking wet. If there was a body of water nearby, Ivy's dog was sure to find it.

Finally, she could see the lake in the distance, but her steps slowed as she realised a horse was grazing near the area Darcy usually visited. She wasn't exactly the most presentable after having run through a muddy patch in the forest. The hem of her dress was soggy and stained. Strands of hair had come undone and she quickly tried to smooth it back for some semblance of propriety. Who was at the lake? In the weeks since she'd arrived, she had yet to meet anyone down here. Even with spring finally arriving, the weather wasn't warm enough that people seemed inclined to visit the lake.

Her heart skipped a beat when she caught sight of Darcy's black fur next to a man with dark auburn hair. It couldn't be. Her jaw dropped. Sam. Here. How was that possible? And how cruel was fate to throw him in her path again? She had done her best to forget about him after leaving—nay, fleeing—Winterbourne Hall, even as she questioned her decision nearly every day.

There were days she had wanted to abandon her reservations and seek him out in London. Finding him shouldn't be too difficult since she knew the name of his employer. But she had held back. Because in the end, she did think she made the right decision. She didn't want him to be with her because he felt he had to. Didn't want him to spend his life feeling like he had somehow robbed her of a better life. If he couldn't get passed that, then neither could she.

Which was why it was so incredibly painful to see him again.

He was stroking Darcy's black fur as she approached, and his hand froze when he caught sight of her. Darcy was not impressed, and the dog nudged Sam's hand to make him resume petting. He gave the dog another quick scratch behind the ear, before scrambling to his feet, using the tree trunk as leverage.

"Ivy..." He shook his head as if he couldn't quite believe he was seeing her. "I cannot believe you're here. Of all the places."

After everything that had transpired between them, she wasn't quite sure how to act around him. She couldn't tell whether he was happy or shocked to see her. Bending her knees slightly in a curtsy, she murmured, "Mr Hemsworth."

A shadow passed over his face at her formal tone. "I..." He trailed off before starting again. "What are you doing here?"

"Lady Wycliffe is visiting with her friend and brought me along. I think a combination of wanting me to practice speaking to people of the ton and getting me to stop fretting about the approaching season in London."

"Lady Wycliffe is friends with Lady Bodine?" He chuckled quietly while shaking his head. Why was that so amusing?

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes. What are you doing here?"

"Lord Bodine is my father."

Whatever she had expected him to say, it wasn't that. Maybe she had hoped he had come to find her. Instead, she had somehow ended up visiting with his father. She had seen very little of Lord Bodine these weeks, but she hadn't noticed any similarities between them. Sam must be taking after his mother.

"Are you here because of Lord Bodine's ill health?"

"In a manner of speaking." There was a strange tone in the cryptic answer she couldn't quite place, and when she gave Sam a questioning look, he sighed. "It's a long story."