Lady In Distress (The Langley Sisters Book 3)

by Vella, Wendy

  “You, Luke Fletcher, are a wonderful, brave man, and I can only say how glad I am that it is our lives you are part of. Had you not been there, I—”

  “Sssh, Olivia, please. There is no need for you to think about that. Isabella is safe here with you.”

  Bella swallowed back the rush of emotion as Luke spoke gently to Livvy. She had often seen this side of him, the man who was filled with so much goodness.

  “Yes.” Livvy turned to look at Bella, as if to reassure herself, and then, climbing to her toes, she kissed Luke on the cheek. “Thank you.”

  They talked about the clinic after that. She told them what she had done and what she still needed to do. They caught up on news and laughed and did what they did best— enjoyed each other’s company.

  “I have sent both yours and Thea’s measurements to Hannah. She and Alex are in London still, and they will start getting materials and patterns organized for you both,” Phoebe said.

  “So soon?” Bella felt nerves flutter in her stomach. Luke’s face did not betray what she was sure he felt at the mention of her upcoming season.

  “Two months is not a long time, Bella. And there will be much to do when you arrive.”

  Bella studied Phoebe, who was blossoming through her pregnancy. She was a woman men looked at, even with her round stomach. Finn often said being married to Phoebe had taught him control, as so many men admired her that he had given up glaring at each, and now simply smiled, safe in the knowledge that it was he that she was married to. Unlike Livvy, who was also beautiful, but now as she was nearing the end of her pregnancy looked tired and worn down, Phoebe still glowed.

  “I will come to London with you all. Livvy will have had a few weeks to recover from the birth by your departure, but she will still be tired, so it’s best I come too, just to ensure your foray into society runs smoothly. I would hate for you to appear at your first ball in mustard and feathers.”

  “You’ll be six months along, though, Phoebe. Surely it will prove tiring for you to be in London?” Bella felt she had to point this out, as one look at Finn told her he was not pleased.

  “Thank you, Bella. That’s exactly what I have been saying.”

  Phoebe poked her tongue out at him. “I don’t intend to horrify society by entering any of their hallowed walls in my delicate condition. I merely wish to come to London to see how my business fares, and to ensure myself that you and Thea are turned out to my liking.”

  “If you’re sure?”

  “She is,” Finn sighed.

  “And I would not miss this for anything, Bella. This is what you have always dreamed of, after all.”

  Not everything, Bella thought, struggling not to look to where Luke stood. She hoped that one day he was her future; the one thing she had always wished for was him.

  “We shall also see how Livvy recovers before making any firm plans with regards to travel dates, as I have stated many times. You and our child will be fully fit before we make the journey to London,” Will added.

  Livvy waved her hand about, as she often did when she didn’t like what someone was saying, and then rested it on her large belly.

  “And now we have imposed upon Jenny and Freddy long enough, sisters. We will return home,” Livvy added.

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you, Bella. Finn and I are buying a property near to Livvy and Will, but as it is not yet ready, so we are staying with them until we leave for London.”

  Bella’s smile was genuine. She had no wish to be parted from either Finn or Phoebe, nor her niece or nephew when they came along. “That’s wonderful news.” Bella hugged her sister before turning to face Will and Livvy. “If Jenny and Freddy do not mind, can I stay here for one night?”

  All eyes turned to Bella as she spoke.

  “I just want to visit our parents’ graves in the morning, and see Thea, and then perhaps walk into the village before I leave.”

  They understood; she saw it on their faces. This was something she had wanted to do often without assistance. The villagers knew her as the lame Langley, the one who they pitied, but she wanted to show them she no longer needed that pity.

  “Of course you can stay, Miss Bella. Freddy and I would love it above all things.” Jenny’s smile was genuine, as was her husband’s.

  “Are you sure? After what you went through tonight, I’m not sure if I should leave you.”

  Bella smiled as she moved to give her sisters a hug. “I am well, Livvy, don’t fret. I may have a few bruises, but the rest of me is fine, I promise. You and Phoebe have the night with your husbands and I shall have Freddy return me tomorrow.”

  “Luke can bring you back as he is staying here to visit with his family, and will bring my carriage back tomorrow,” Will added. “He likes to keep his hand in driving, for some reason.”

  “I enjoy driving, as you very well know, Ryder.”

  Her smile didn’t slip as she nodded. At least he would be driving, and that would mean they would not share the carriage for a tense drive to Will’s home. “Wonderful. There, you see, Livvy? It is all sorted, and I shall arrive at your home tomorrow.”

  “Are you sure you’re all right, Bella?” Will gave her a hug.

  “I promise, and thank you for coming to Scotland to get me.”

  Bella watched as her eldest sister waddled down the path to the carriage on her husband’s arm, while her other sister glided. Bella guessed that even when Phoebe was in the advanced stages of pregnancy, she would never waddle. They were all so different, the Langley sisters. Livvy was the oldest, with red-gold curls and soft brown eyes, and after losing their parents, she had taken up the reins as head of their family. Phoebe was the middle sister and the most outspoken; she had golden brown curls and cognac colored eyes that with just a flutter could drop a man to his knees.

  “Are you sure, love?” Phoebe called before she climbed into the carriage.

  “Yes, Phoebe. Now you go ahead, and tomorrow we will catch up on everything.” Bella gave her family a final wave.

  For so long she had been the quiet sister, the weak one who everyone looked after, and Bella knew it would take some time for them to get used to the idea that she was no longer that person.

  “Good night, all.”

  Bella lifted her hand again as Luke left. She watched his tall, straight form disappear down the road and then, with a sigh, went back into the house she was born in.

  After a meal and long chat with Jenny and Freddy, she went up to her old room and undressed. Slipping beneath the covers, she blew out her candles.

  Luke had saved her tonight. But for him, she could right now be in the hands of those men, and she did not want to dwell on what they would have done to her. She thought of his arms holding her, of the desperation in his words when he’d reached her. For those precious seconds she had felt his warmth, reveled in his strength. Was it wrong to want one season? Would it make her want more? How would she feel about turning her back on society after she had walked amongst it?

  She didn’t doubt her love for him, but what of his love for her? Would he sit by while she went to London and attended parties and balls? She knew were their positions reversed, she could not tolerate the thought of him doing the same thing. There were so many thoughts swirling around inside her head. She needed this season, but she also needed Luke. She wanted to walk into society just once and know that she could dance and go to parties because she was now whole. Did that make her shallow? He said he’d understood why she wanted this, but did he really?

  Bella had had plenty of time to think while she was in the clinic and she believed that she was not the only one who needed to do this. She needed to step out from the shadow of her family and she believed Luke needed to see her do it, too. She wanted him to know she was no longer that injured girl who rarely made decisions for herself. She wanted him to see that she was now strong, and could stand up for herself. Bella wanted a life with him, but she also wanted him to see she could stand beside him in that life, someone he coul
d depend on as she had always depended on him.

  Closing her eyes, she felt the weight of exhaustion pull her towards sleep. She would take each day as it came, but for now, she needed to rest. Closing her eyes, she blew Luke a kiss, as she did every night, and let sleep pull her under.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The morning was gray and cold, but there was no sign of rain or snow which Bella was grateful for. After breakfast, she pulled on her sturdy boots, and then, buttoning up her warm coat, she pulled on the gloves Jenny insisted she wear. Holding the flowers she had picked, Bella then made her way slowly down the hill, ignoring the small twinge of pain in her thigh as she traversed the small slope and walked through the gate at the bottom of the garden. She was stiff from her fall, and she knew her limitations, as Doctor Abernathy had taught her how to realize when she had reached them. Pushing herself too hard often resulted in her spending the following few days in discomfort.

  Humming to herself, she blew out a loud breath that produced a plume of white before her as she walked through the forest. Normally, walking these paths Bella would have a cane and often a maid at her side, while her eyes remained down, looking for any obstacle that may trip her up. But not this time; this time, she looked around her, enjoying the colors of the forest and surrounding countryside. Inhaling, Bella felt a rush of pleasure as the familiar smells embraced her, the earthy scents of the forest and countryside that surround Willow Hall. She climbed slowly and once she reached the top of the small hill, made her way through the entrance and down the rows to where her parents were buried. Standing between their graves, she touched each and placed the flowers evenly on both before beginning to tell them what had taken place in her life over the past few months.

  She loved to sit here and talk. She had walked many slow, painful treks up here to find the peace that being near her parents’ graves gave her. She had talked of the Langley sisters’ struggle to survive, and the pain and hopelessness she felt because her leg stopped her from helping. She had told them about Will and Livvy, and finally, before she had left for the clinic, of her joy and hope for the journey she was about to take. Up here, she unburdened herself. This was the place she had always felt free to say what she wished.

  When she had given all her news, Bella returned to the hill and for the pure joy of being here alone without her cane, she put out her arms and turned in a slow circle. It was freedom to be able to do this, to be able to move without a hand supporting her or a sympathetic word. This would be here life now, she vowed. She would never again rely on something or someone to walk. She was finally free!

  Luke walked up the hill slowly, enjoying the view of his village below. Even the gray day could not dim his pleasure at being home. He had left more times than he could count, but it always drew him back. Cresting the hill, he looked back down the path he had walked to where his father, two of his sibling and grandparents were buried. They would be happy there, like he. This was the place they had called home. Pausing to look below to the village, as he always did, he then turned to make his way along the path that would take him down the hill and through the forest, to where his family lived.

  He saw Bella as he was about halfway along and stopped, stunned, as he watched her twirl in circles. She was laughing, her arms spread wide, head thrown back, and he’d never seen anything so beautiful in his life before. His heart thudded hard in his chest as he studied her. She looked happy, her movements free of pain. The motion pressed her skirts to her legs and he felt the familiar pull of need as he watched. God, she was sweet.

  Pulling his eyes from the beautiful picture she presented, he looked to the path she had just climbed. He thought about walking down it and avoiding her, but he couldn’t. If she was close, he was drawn to her. Did she want his assistance to return to his house? Was her leg hurting her? How could he serve her today? It had always been that way for him. He could not stand to see her suffer, nor be alone. Her pain had often made him ache; even though she had stoically tried to hide it, he had known when she was hurting.

  Moving silently down the path, he drew near as she stopped turning. As if sensing him, she stumbled, but quickly righted herself as he reached to steady her.

  “Luke! Why are you here? Were you following me?”

  She had been back in his life only a few days, but Luke had noted many differences in her and not just in her leg. From his earliest memory of Isabella Langley, he remembered her as sweet natured and selfless. Yes, she could be mischievous, but rarely outspoken, however he had a feeling that was about to change.

  “I was visiting my family’s graves which are, as I’m sure you know, below the hill, and saw you as I was walking back.”

  “You say that as if I am to blame for the location of your family’s graves, Luke.”

  Luke ground his teeth together. She had declared her love for him the day she had left the clinic and yesterday she had clung to him after she’d fallen from that horse, but today he saw the wariness was back in her eyes.

  “Bella—”

  “I am sure, as you are wont to tell me frequently, that I will never forget your birth. As for your family, I am aware they are buried here as I have visited them often.”

  “You were the one who put the flowers on?” Often when he visited the graves of his brother and sister, he had found a fresh bouquet of colorful blooms there. He’d questioned his family, but they had denied it. “You should not have gone down there with your injured leg, Bella. It was too dangerous.”

  She lifted her chin and looked down her nose at him, which was really quite some feat as he was a head taller.

  “I managed and, as you can see, I am now quite able to traverse that slope with ease. I am also grateful that you have always watched over me, Luke, but it is no longer necessary. You must see I am changed and no longer in need of your assistance every time I set foot from the house.”

  “I will always watch over you.”

  “But I don’t want you to. I want you to see me as a woman, not a wounded little girl!” Anger darkened her eyes to emerald.

  She had the most beautiful skin of any woman he knew. Soft and unblemished, it was like rich cream and he knew it felt like satin to touch.

  “I will see you as I always have, the woman who needs my care and attention.”

  “But not your equal, not someone you can share your thoughts, good or bad, with? Not someone you will ever allow to do anything other than dress in nice clothes and sit inside the house doing needlework?”

  Where the hell had that come from?

  They hadn’t sparred with each other verbally for many years. Since his return from India, in fact, as she had been in constant pain, and his only thought had ever been to comfort her, so it surprised him to hear her speak this way.

  “Would you rather muck out the pigs?”

  “Don’t make fun of me, Luke Fletcher.” Her eyes were bright and clear as they glared at him.

  “I’m not sure what you want me to say, Bella. You are the woman I care for and always have been. And yes, I have always protected you, and I cannot see that will change in the future.”

  “But you see me only as the girl I was, hurting and pitiful, not the woman I want you to see, the woman I now am.”

  Luke blew out a frustrated breath. “I don’t understand what you want from me, Bella. I see you as I always have.”

  Her teeth snapped together and Luke realized he’d made her angrier with his words. How was he supposed to answer when he’d only known this new Bella for a few days? Surely, she had not changed that much?

  “You said you loved me, and that is all that matters.” His words were flat and without emotion, because that was how Luke had always dealt with feelings; he hid behind cool detachment.

  “And you? Do you love me or am I to believe you feel nothing for me?”

  She knew how he felt, because it had been there in every look and gesture they’d shared for years. He just wasn’t good at saying the words. His anger began to rise at her
words; she was taunting him, trying to get him to react. Well, she’d reached her objective.

  “Nothing?” He reached for her, his fingers wrapping around her arm, just above her elbow. “I have made sure you were safe for more years than I care to count, followed you in case you needed my assistance. Carried you, led you about on my arm. Don’t you dare say I feel nothing. I have spent my life loving you, and yesterday I stabbed a man who dared to harm you, without hesitation, and would do so again in a heartbeat. Believe me when I say that was not nothing.”

  Only she could make him lose control. With her, his emotions were always in turmoil. He struggled to lock them away when she was near, hide what he really thought or felt, but she laid them bare.

  “And yet I never asked you to do so, Luke. I never told you to be there for me, you just were, and after you came back from India, it was as if nothing had changed, only now I needed you more. Why? It is a question I have always wanted to ask you. Why were you always there for me when you returned, when you did not have to be?”

  “In the beginning, I was doing my duty,” he growled out. “To you and your family.” She tried to wriggle from his grasp but he simply grabbed her other arm and hauled her closer. “Doing my duty to ensure you were safe.”

  “I never asked you to!”

  “No, but your father did.” He shouldn’t have said the words, but she’d pushed him. He’d always vowed not to do so, but now he could not unsay them.

  “My father died when you were out of England. How could he have asked that of you?” Her face had leeched of color; all fight had gone from her body as she looked at him, as if begging him to take back the words. But he could not. Luke would not lie to her, not about this.

  “Your father gave Jenny a letter to pass to me in the case of his death.”

  “No!” The word was ripped from her. “H-he would not have done that. He had no reason to do so.” She was pleading with him to refute his words. “He was not in his right mind at the end.”