“You have my word as a gentleman. That’s the last thing I wish to do.” He shrugged. “If you still have concerns, come with us. You and I can fish or laze about before we return to Ipswich.”
“That idea holds merit, for London life is beginning to chafe, no matter how good it was to see my family again.”
*
“A moment ofyour time, Hadleigh,” John asked later that night when the Storme family had gathered in the drawing room once dinner had concluded. Inspector Storme as well as Doctor Marsden—er, rather, the Earl of Worchester—were also in attendance. Before they’d all arrived, he’d pulled Caroline aside and asked if she’d be of a mind for a short holiday away from London.
Her eyes had sparkled, and the tiny smile of excitement she’d given had warmed him from the inside.
Yes, this was the right decision. Now he merely needed to convince her cousin.
When the earl turned away from speaking with Finn, he nodded. “What’s bothering you, Mr. Butler? I can see it in your expression.”
“Uh…” Would his courage hold? A few days in the country would do Caroline so much good. There was nothing for it except to get to the meat of the matter. “I would like to take your cousin Caroline to my father’s estate in Surrey for a few days.”
Shock lined the earl’s face. “Whyever for?” He looked at his wife, who frowned as she gently patted the baby’s back.
“If you’ve had cause to notice, Caroline is miserable in London. It’s too much stimulation on all fronts, and she’s quite sensitive to such things.” Again, he glanced at her. She stared back with round eyes and her sketch pad resting on her lap. “I believe that giving her a change of scenery and perspective would do worlds of good.”
The earl’s frown deepened. “Why Surrey?”
“Why not?” John shrugged. “No one is there this time of year and it’s close enough to London to make the trip in one day.” The hairs on his nape prickled. Both Finn and Brand stared, but he refused to turn around. He didn’t want more opposition.
For long moments, Hadleigh regarded him with slightly narrowed eyes. He took a sip of brandy and finally shook his head. “I’m afraid I cannot allow that. If you were betrothed, perhaps, but as it is, it’s simply too scandalous.”
Cold disappointment snaked through John’s gut. “Her creativity is stunted here, as is her inspiration.” He threw a glance to Caroline, who sat riveted as she watched the proceedings. “She has so much talent with painting and drawing, that she needs greater scope for her subjects. Once she builds up a professional collection, perhaps we could see about selling them to private collectors.”
“Oh!” Her whole body brightened as if someone had lit her from within.
“Indeed.” He didn’t know why but everything he was screamed at him to keep fighting. This would give Caroline so much joy, and she’d had precious little of that already. If he could give her that then potentially angering her family was worth it. Someone needed to champion for her.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Butler. My answer is still no.” When the earl made to maneuver around him, John stepped into his path, staying his movement.
That was unacceptable. “Then let me have Caroline’s hand.”
Hadleigh gawked. The men behind him gasped. The countess stared while Caroline slowly rose to her feet. Her siblings outright protested. “You wish to marry my cousin.”
Did he? Perhaps he did, for it didn’t change the motivation behind getting her to Surrey. “If it gains me the permission I seek, then yes.”
The earl scoffed. “You have no idea what’s best for my cousin.”
“No?” His pulse pounded loud in his ears. Every person in the room stared at him. Caroline looked as if he’d hung the moon, and a wave of heat went through him. Sweat plastered his lawn shirt to his back. John cleared his throat and straightened his spine. Perhaps what she needed in this moment was a hero like she adored reading about, and he didn’t mind playing the part. “Frankly, Lord Hadleigh, I don’t have the confidence that any of you know what’s best for her, but at least I’d like to try and discover those answers for myself. For her.”
Finn rolled over to their location. His eyes were full of skepticism. “Surely you can’t possibly mean what you’ve just said. Caroline requires special handling.”
“No, she needs understanding.” Why couldn’t these stubborn Stormes recognize that she wasn’t as incapable or deficient as they assumed? “And I certainly can’t do any worse than you have as a collective since Christmastide.” Silence met his statement, but he warmed to his subject. “Consider this. Last December, Hadleigh had Caroline released from the asylum where she’d resided for over twenty years. But what strides has she been allowed to make since that time?” He met the gazes of each person present. “Little to none. You all coddle her, wrap her in your insecurities and fears regarding her instead of learning to know her for the woman she is.”
A red flush stained the earl’s cheeks. “You’ve only just met her.”
“Not quite. I’ve become reacquainted with her, for I met her in Derbyshire.” When he looked her way, she clutched her sketchbook to her chest with a faint smile curving her lips. Backlit by a candle, the light cast her in gold, made her eyes twinkle, sent faint caramel highlights into her dark hair. What secrets were behind those eyes? Where would she go if given the chance?
“Now see here—”
“Hold, Drew.” Brand quickly inserted himself between the earl and John. “Perhaps John’s concerns are valid.”
“How so?” The earl set down his glass and then crossed his arms at his chest.
“If you object to Surrey, why not give them the use of Hadleigh Hall? I shall travel to Derbyshire a week after them once the last of my business has concluded in London.” Brand met John’s gaze and nodded. “In that way, I can keep an eye on them, but I rather doubt mischief will occur.”