Her Sister's Fiancé - Book #1

Chapter 19

"We should go back." Ethan looked down at Lavinia, wishing the words weren't true. Lavinia sighed softly.

"I know." Her voice was quiet, and she looked away from his searching gaze. Ethan pressed his lips to hers again.

"Nothing will change." He whispered. Her large eyes found his, and she bit her lip, nodding gently.

Stepping backwards, he released her. Without her in his arms, the chill in the air was suddenly more biting, and he wondered if she were feeling the same as he. He took her hand in his own, and she looked up at him with a small smile touching her lips. She was nervous, he could tell, but he couldn't hide his ecstasy. It didn't matter what happened now as long as this small portion of his life remained the same. He felt like he could face the world at her side.

Mounting the still quivering horse, he held out his hand to her and pulled her up beside him. Turning the animal about he headed back towards the church. For half a moment, wild thoughts ran through his head, and he considered not going back at all. Surely, it would be easier to just leave. They could go to Scotland and get married there without having to face any scandal or cruelty, but no, that was ridiculous. Lavinia would never want that. Her parents deserved to know his intentions, and he knew she wanted to talk to Cassandra.

The rain had stopped, and a portion of the dark clouds had moved aside until a patch of blue sky was visible. Ethan smiled to himself and placed hand on Lavinia's waist. She looked up at him, and he shared his smile with her. She leaned into him, laying her head against his chest and taking his hand in her own. Oh, yes, he could get used to this without any trouble.

The church loomed into sight, but it was changed from the last time Ethan had seen it. All the carriages and horses were gone, and the churchyard was almost empty. Standing in the middle was Lord Antrucha. Taking a deep breath, Ethan urged his horse forward, nudging Lavinia so that she looked up. She squeezed his hand and sighed softly as they drew nearer her father, knowing, no doubt, that this would be the first of many encounters, and although it might be difficult, it would be far more pleasant than the others they had ahead of them.

Ethan pulled his horse to a stop when they were a few feet in front of Lord Antrucha and dismounted. With a nod in Ezra's direction, he reached up to take Lavinia down. She was shivering slightly from the cold, and her lips were half blue, but she gripped his hand tightly as she turned to face her father, unsure what to expect. Lord Antrucha remained silent, his gaze going from Ethan to Lavinia, taking in every detail.

"I sent them all away." He finally said. "I thought you might come back, and I expected it would be easier not to face them all at once."

"I would like to talk to you, sir." Ethan said firmly.

"The feelings are mutual, Ethan, but first, I'm going to take my daughter home, and if you want to discuss things with me, you'd best follow." Ezra reached out a hand for his daughter, and Lavinia went to him, slowly releasing Ethan's hand as she did.

"I don't expect I'd be able to do anything else since you are taking her." Lord Antrucha shot him a piercing glance at the words as though he were trying to decide if Ethan was really speaking the truth.

The ride to the Antrucha Manor was not as slow as it might have been. Lord Antrucha, obviously eager to get his younger daughter warm and dry, hurried his animals, and Ethan followed suit. There was no chill for him in the air anymore; he felt warm and content, because no matter what came to him in the future, Lavinia had agreed to be his wife. Ethan smiled at the thought.

All was silent at the manor when they rode up. One of the stable hands came out to meet them, but he apparently knew something of what had happened and remained silent. Ethan wondered where Cassandra was, knowing that at some point he needed to talk to her. She must feel so hurt and betrayed.