I stepped closer to the tree, pretending to study the markings. Any moment now I would hear Dr. Pembroke’s screech of terror. I pressed down my grin, flattening my palm against the mottled bark, hoping it would wipe away a bit of the slime on my hand. My stomach heaved in disgust.
“A butterfly,” Juliana whispered.
My gaze focused on the intricate carvings in front of me. Two wings spread in flight. Deep and shallow cuts in the wood giving dimension to the picture. I paused as the realization of where the carving had come from struck me. It could only have been the butterfly Juliana had said Gilbert carved for her.
I met her eyes over my shoulder, and she looked away fast. I walked to her side, a stinging sensation entering my heart. She refused to look at me.
I dared a glance at Dr. Pembroke, who had yet to notice the lazy creature in his hat. To my delight, he began lifting his top hat, as if to place it on his head. I held the hinges of my jaw tight, although I was tempted to gape at him.
Yes, just a little farther, I mentally urged his arm to move faster.
Juliana looked up, the open side of the hat facing her. She shrieked, pointing at it. “What is that?” The moment the words escaped her, the toad leaped out of the hat and onto Dr. Pembroke’s arm.
I acted shocked, backing away. I covered my mouth with one hand before remembering the slime. I grimaced, wiping my lips with the back of my arm, sputtering. My heel collided with Dr. Pembroke’s boot, and I tripped, falling backward with a tremendous splash into the pond.
I emerged from the water, gagging as the putrid water dripped down my face and hair. My ankle throbbed with pain. Through my blurry vision, I saw Dr. Pembroke, every bit the picture of a calm gentleman, toss the toad back into the water. Even more vexing, he hurried into the pond and took my hand, pulling me out.
“Eliza!” Juliana was bent halfway over, holding one hand to her cheek in shock.
Dr. Pembroke released my hand before fishing my bonnet out of the pond and handing it to me. Water stung at my eyes, plastering my hair to my face. Where Dr. Pembroke stood, turned away from Juliana, only I could see the amusement twinkling in his eyes and the quiver on his chin.
I dared him with a look; I dared him to laugh.
“Eliza, are you hurt?” Juliana rushed to my side, touching my wet, smelly arm.
Dr. Pembroke’s expression transformed to a serious one the moment Juliana could see him.
Clever, clever man.
In truth, I was hurt. My ankle throbbed inside my boot, and I could hardly put any weight on it. I clenched my teeth against the pain, not willing to show Dr. Pembroke any sign of my injury.
“You are hurt.” Juliana turned to Dr. Pembroke. “Can you help her?”
I shook my head. “I am fine. I am perfectly fine.” I tried to take a step, but my foot could not bear the weight. My limp on the walk home would reveal the truth, and Dr. Pembroke would only tease me about lying again.
“Is it your ankle?” Dr. Pembroke looked down at me with concern, and only then did I realize how wet he was. Had he really waded back into the pond to fetch my bonnet?
I groaned, closing my eyes. “Yes. The left.”
“Sit,” he said, taking hold of my upper arm. He lowered me to the ground with ease before kneeling in front of my foot. He gently removed my boot, revealing my muddy, wet stocking. His fingers probed my ankle bone, and I flinched. His eyes flicked up to mine. “It is not broken, but it has already begun swelling.”
“How fortunate that you are a physician,” Juliana said. “I would not have known what to do.”
I closed my eyes. Not only had my plan failed, but I had created the opposite reaction in Juliana than what I had hoped for. I had painted Dr. Pembroke as the hero, not as the niddicock I had intended.
Dr. Pembroke straightened, his expression filled with charming humility. “I am glad to be of service.”
My lower jaw jutted out in irritation, but not before Dr. Pembroke noticed. He threw me an inquisitive glance.
“We must get her home and resting as soon as possible,” Juliana said. Her worry over me reminded me of our mother, how she had always taken every injury of one of her daughters, no matter how minor, with the greatest seriousness. What would Mother think of the injury Juliana was inflicting on her own heart? I had seen the pain in her eyes as she had looked at Gilbert’s butterfly.
Dr. Pembroke extended his hand to pull me up. I took it grudgingly, avoiding his eyes.
“Will you allow me to carry you home?” he asked, keeping hold of my hand to steady me. Without my boot, I had little choice in the matter. I could not have possibly been more humiliated. Muddy water still dribbled down my cheeks and hair, and I could smell the stench of the pond all over my soaked black dress. I bit my tongue, nodding.
“Wrap one arm around my shoulders,” he instructed.
I obeyed, my lungs constricting with the awkwardness of the situation. I hated being so reliant on him. He slid one arm around my waist and the other under my knees, lifting me off the ground without so much as a grunt of exertion.
“I will lead the way,” Dr. Pembroke said, regarding Juliana.
She followed closely behind as he walked back toward the path, ducking under the trees that surrounded the clearing. I listened to his heavy footfalls, keeping my eyes fixed on the passing trees rather than dare look up at his face, which I knew full well was only inches from my own. I couldn’t bear to see the victory in his features. Not today. Not after Gilbert’s butterfly carving had broken Juliana’s heart all over again.
“How high do you suppose toads can leap?” Dr. Pembroke’s voice was quiet enough to evade Juliana’s ears, the sound sending uncalled for shivers over my skin.
I gulped, wishing to distance myself from him. To my dismay, of course, that was entirely impossible at the moment. “I have read that they can leap many feet into the air.”
“Many feet?”
“Many.” I pinched my lips together.
“I have never seen a toad jump such a great vertical distance.”
“Oh? It seems that toad was quite talented to have leaped all the way into your hat.”
Dr. Pembroke was silent for a long moment. “Quite, indeed.”
We walked for another minute at least before Dr. Pembroke spoke again, his voice even lower this time, almost a whisper. “I wonder if our toad enjoyed his brief stay in your bonnet.”
My gaze jerked to his. How did he know?
His eyes sparked with a challenge, even as his dark lashes fell innocently over them. “A toad with such talent ought to be served with the greatest hospitality.”
His breath brushed my neck as he spoke, causing my heart to thud against my ribs. I had never been this close to a man before. I had not expected Dr. Pembroke to have such an effect on me, but I could not deny the fact that I found him attractive. That did not make him any less of an opponent, however. It only made him a more difficult one.
I quickly looked away from his eyes. Could Juliana not walk a little faster? I could not blame her for falling slightly behind. As she had said, it was imperative that I arrive home as soon as possible. By moving so quickly with his long strides, Dr. Pembroke was winning her favor in yet another way.
So this was a game to him? He took pleasure in seeing me uncomfortable. All I could do was show him just how unphased I was by his cleverness. “If you must know, I had my bonnet lined at the milliner’s just this morning, with only the finest silk, of course, so as to make the toad’s visit as comfortable as possible.” I did not bother to hide the sardonic tone in my voice. I stole another glance at his face, noting the smiling creases that marked the sides of his mouth, tracing down toward his chin.
He quickly amended his expression to a serious one. “How considerate of you.”
I picked a wet reed off my skirt. “Thank you.”
“Have you and this toad been long acquainted?”
My response came smoothly, without hesitation. “Yes, indeed. We have be
en the dearest of friends since my infancy. I visit him every morning on my walk—past Oakley Manor, of course—and let him rest in my bonnet each day, nestled among my hair. He finds the curls quite comfortable.” Only after I finished speaking did I fully understand the ridiculousness of my words. I fought against my smile.
Dr. Pembroke seemed to be losing his own fight. His lips pulled, the creases in his cheeks flickering in and out of view like the sunlight above us. “I regret to say that my hat was not lined in fine silk, nor could my hair be as comfortable as yours.”
“That must be why the toad leapt out of your hat shortly after leaping into it.”
“Yes, using his immense talents.”
“Correct.” I dipped my chin, my face growing warm with Dr. Pembroke’s intense study of it.
His eyes were a mixture of laughter, exasperation, and disbelief. The exasperation won out. “I cannot help but wonder what your aim was in placing that toad in my hat. Did you expect me to fall in the pond out of fright?”
When he said it, my whole scheme suddenly sounded very amateur. My desperation had caused me to rush hastily into action, without thinking of the possible consequences. “I had hoped that you would.” I clamped my mouth shut, throwing him an apologetic look.
He regarded me firmly, his grey eyes reclaiming their piercing quality. “What would that have accomplished?”
“It would have entertained me at the very least.” My voice was little more than a mutter. I did not need to tell him that I had hoped Juliana would find his clumsiness repellant, and perhaps even come to the conclusion that he was unfit to manage Brookhaven.
“I believe the fates are against those who seek to harm others. You, Miss Elizabeth, came away with an injured ankle and bruised pride. I have come away with nothing more than a set of wet clothes and I must admit, a great deal of entertainment.”
I shifted in his arms, still appalled by the fact that he was carrying me home. “You enjoyed watching me fall into the pond?”
“I enjoy the memory more now that I know what your intentions were. Call it justice, if you will.”
I grimaced, my words lodging in my throat.
His gaze collided with mine with a tangible weight. “Please stop hurting yourself, Miss Elizabeth. This courtship is not your concern.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Your future will be much better if you allow this to happen.”
I stared at the opening in the trees ahead. “It is not my future I am concerned with.”
“Do you think I am acting only for myself?” His voice recalled my eyes. I was surprised to see the sincerity in his features.
I studied him, my stomach twisting and my heart lurching. Dr. Pembroke was not the man I had first estimated him to be. He was not cruel and conniving and selfish, at least not any more than I was.
He sighed. “Your sister will learn to be happy with me. In any case, marriage is a business settlement. If love is included, then that is an unexpected gift. But that need not determine the happiness of a person.”
My disagreement could not be kept silent. “Love is happiness. Life is dull without it. Your marriage may have affection, devotion, or even fondness, but there will always be something missing.”
We approached the edge of the trees, and I could see the rooftop of Brookhaven in the distance. Dr. Pembroke’s demeanor became contemplative. “It doesn’t have to be missing. Juliana and I have a month to come to love one another, even our entire lives after we are married.”
I wanted to tell him how difficult that would be. It was not easy to claim a heart when it belonged to someone else. Juliana would live her entire life with regret, longing for another man. Dr. Pembroke did not deserve that, no matter how infuriating he could be.
“I do not think Juliana could love a man that enjoys watching innocent young ladies fall into ponds.”
Dr. Pembroke scrunched his nose, looking down at me with a smirk. I much preferred this side of him, the one that did not seem genuine and serious and thoughtful and made me feel guilty for what I was plotting against him. His smirks had a way of banishing my guilt.
“I do not enjoy watching innocent young ladies fall into ponds, only the conniving ones.”
I ignored the gooseflesh that erupted on my arms at his voice, deep and rich, far too close to my ear. Despite the surge of annoyance that rose in my chest, I couldn’t stop my smile. “It is not over yet, doctor.”
“Are you threatening me?”
I shrugged. “Perhaps.” A laugh burst out of my chest, the shaking of my body causing a sharp pain in my ankle. My cheeks ached from repressing my smile. Dr. Pembroke stared down at me, his gaze part frustration, part mystery, and altogether unsettling. The frustration I was accustomed to; it was the mystery that held my attention, that made my heart pound a little harder against my chest.
Dr. Pembroke stopped walking, turning around to face Juliana as she approached, several feet behind us. Her brow tightened with concern as she examined me.
We walked inside the house, where Juliana led Dr. Pembroke to my room on the second floor. He carried me up the stairs, a feat which seemed unfairly easy for him. He set me on my bed, propping pillows under my foot. He prodded my ankle with his fingers again. Juliana held my hand, sitting on the edge of my bed. “Will she recover quickly?”
Dr. Pembroke nodded. “Yes.”
I could almost see an additional word flash across his mind. Unfortunately.
I touched Juliana’s hand. “I will be able to continue chaperoning for you quite soon then.” I looked up innocently at Dr. Pembroke. “Is that correct, doctor?”
He pressed his lips together, a muscle clenching along his jaw. “I believe so.” Unfortunately.
Despite the embarrassment of the entire situation, the warmth on my cheeks had little to do with shame. Even at that moment, as Dr. Pembroke watched me with masked frustration, there was that other thing in his gaze—that weighted mystery I had yet to solve. It set my heart skipping far more than I cared to admit.
When Juliana turned away, I raised my eyebrows at him, and he gave up a reluctant smile.
If he weren’t standing directly between Juliana and Gilbert, then I might have found the expression endearing. As matters currently stood between us, finding him endearing in any way simply would not do. But, I couldn’t stop myself from grinning. My amusement with the entire situation was certainly strange—it could have been caused by the pain and shock of what had occurred that day. I was trying to accept my failure with some form of dignity, but I could not deny the truth: someone had been made an utter fool, and it had not been Dr. Pembroke.
Chapter 10
“Luke is taking me for another ride tomorrow morning.” Juliana pulled her needle through the fabric on which she was embroidering. “I suggested he come early enough to avoid the heat of the day. Martha, will you be my chaperone again?”
I finished my crooked row of stitching, ending the stem of a peony. Juliana had been guarding her project, holding the hoop in an upright position so neither Martha nor I could see the front. When she turned to Martha, she lowered it slightly. I stole a glance.
A butterfly.
Martha sighed. “I thought Eliza’s ankle was well enough now.”
Juliana snapped her hand back up, continuing her stitching. I pretended I hadn’t seen her project, fixing my eyes on my own needle. A thread of ache seemed to stitch its way through my heart as I watched Juliana’s nimble fingers, the crease between her eyebrows, and the hidden sadness, and longing in her eyes as she worked. I had seen that face before. I had seen it six years prior as she folded up her ballgowns, the ones that had been made for her season, and packed them away in a trunk. I had seen it when she stayed home with Martha and me rather than attend balls and parties. I had seen it as she rejected the interest of gentlemen, all so she would not marry and be parted from us when we needed her most.
I circled my ankle in front of me, testing the level of pain. It was just a dull tinge n
ow. I could walk up and down the stairs without crutches, and I was happy to abandon them after a week of constant use. Though Juliana and Dr. Pembroke had been on two rides since my unfortunate accident, I had not been allowed to chaperone, as Juliana insisted I stay home and rest. Time was running low for my plan to take effect, and I was running out of ideas. Dr. Pembroke was not easily fooled, I had learned.
Infuriating man. He thought I had given up. I raised my needle through my fabric, yelping when I pricked my finger. Both Juliana and Martha glanced up in alarm. I pressed my thumb to the droplet of blood. Juliana paled. “Oh, dear, Eliza.”
“It is just a small puncture, not to worry.”
She stared at the drop of blood, which was now a small trickle. “Does it hurt?”
“It is nothing we need to call our favorite physician about, I assure you. At any rate, you have a romantic ride to take with him this afternoon, do you not? I wonder at his creativity, considering that all he does is take you for rides.” I dabbed at my fingertip with the corner of my embroidery cloth. “I would venture to call him dull if he does not plan something different soon.” Had Juliana seen the side of him that I had seen? From my interactions with him, I knew him to be far from dull. He shared his opinions readily, he had quick wit, and his rare smiles gave depth to his character, as well as making him much more handsome. Each occasion I witnessed his interactions with Juliana, both seemed stiff and serious, as if they feared saying the wrong thing.
Juliana set her embroidery face down on her lap, covering the back of it with one arm. “He is not dull. He is simply…unimaginative. I see nothing wrong with a bit of practicality in a man.”
If she knew the questions he had asked me about the toad, she would not think him quite so unimaginative.
“And I am certain our ride will not be romantic.” Her cheeks colored. “We are just coming to know each other. He is not one to offer frequent compliments or flattery. If he did, I would believe it to be the most honest offering a person could give, for he is nothing if not sincere.”
Sincere, clever, mysterious, and infuriating. The list of Dr. Pembroke’s qualities was growing longer in my mind. Unimaginative, determined…unprepared for the moment I will claim my victory.
An Unwelcome Suitor (Entangled Inheritance Book 4) Page 8
