His Perfect Game (24 page)

“I apologize. In my absence from Merrick, many issues have arisen. I spent the majority of the day working on them, but I suppose they are not ready to release me.”

“I see. If you are too busy to share dinner with me, you only need to say so.” Her expression didn’t change as her tone berated him.

“It will not happen again. You have my full attention now.”

Instead of talking to him, she shrugged and turned back to her meal. He didn’t complain. He deserved her disinterest. Although “Abigail” was his wife, he’d had no business kissing or spending time with her as a maid. He knew he should expend the same effort on the woman before him, but he couldn’t get the vision of those fiery red curls from his mind.

In her disguise, she’d become someone different. Lady Merrick was closed from him. Unattainable. Whereas Abigail was open and oh so accessible. He knew the logic made little sense, but as she’d started the whole charade, he would play his part.

After dinner they sat in the drawing room. His wife sewed quietly, but he caught her glancing at him. Half of the glances were in anger, whereas the other half held an entirely different emotion.

“Have you been enjoying your time back at Merrick, in spite of all the work, that is?” she asked.

“When I can.” He wondered if she would confront him. Despite admitting he knew the truth, he wasn’t sure how to defend himself.

“I heard you were able to spend quite some time in the garden earlier today.”

“I have always benefited from a good walk through the garden. Today, I found the place to be pleasant.”

“Oh.” Her lips pinched as she dropped her needlework in her lap.

“Is something amiss?” He had not intended to insinuate his time with her, but he suspected she wanted to make him feel guilty, and he could not bring himself to regret his choice of words.

“No. I suppose I’m simply tired.” She yawned, emphasizing her words. “Perhaps it would be better if I spend tomorrow in my bedchamber.”

“If you are feeling unwell, remaining abed may be the best course of action.”

He wanted to shout in triumph, but remained still. Although her anger at him had not dissipated, her anxiousness to be a maid again had obviously prevailed. He flattered himself to think he had been a factor in her decision. In any case, it didn’t matter, for he didn’t intend to see her tomorrow. He would give her time to miss him before he sought her out again.

Later that night as he prepared for bed, he could not stop the memories of their shared kiss from invading his thoughts. Reliving those moments kept him awake all night, and in the morning, his eyes felt itchy and irritated from the lack of sleep. He rubbed his head, hoping the day would improve as the hours passed.

As he sat in his study that afternoon, Greyson decided he detested waiting. He’d always considered himself to be a patient man, but something about his wife was changing truths about himself.

Refusing to give in to his desire and go outside, he crossed the room to gaze out the window again. He wanted to catch a glimpse of her but, with all the twists and turns of the garden, he had no chance. Was she sitting out there right now waiting for him to come? The thought almost sent him to the door.

Knowing he would be unable to concentrate on anything else today, he compromised with himself. He would go out in the garden, but he would not approach her or allow her to see his preoccupation. With his plan set, he pushed his chair back and went outside.

Much to his dismay Joshua crossed his path, not Abigail. Remembering his earlier intention of speaking with him, Greyson changed his course and approached the gardener.

“Good morning, Joshua.”

“Morning, my lord.” Joshua’s words were cordial, but his tone clearly stated he wasn’t pleased to see him.

“I wonder if I may have a word with you.”

Joshua grudgingly set his shovel down, then scratched his head. “Of course. Would you care to follow me to the shed?”

Greyson nodded, extending his hand for Joshua to lead the way. He had no idea why the old man would treat him with such disrespect, but he would find out.

When they entered the worn building, Joshua faced him with an expectant look on his face. “What can I do for you, my lord?”

“I want to discuss your helper, Abigail.”

Joshua’s mouth stretched into a thin line, but he didn’t comment.

“She will be spending some time with me, so you need not worry over her absences. If you need help while she is gone, speak with Matthews.”

“I know it’s none of my business, but what is your interest in the girl?”

“You are right, it is none of your concern.”

Greyson didn’t like having his decisions questioned. Joshua was nothing to her, and he had no right to speak on her behalf. He wanted to put the man in his place but held himself back.

Joshua removed his hat and faced the ground. “I’m sorry for my abrupt tone and impertinent question, but she speaks of no family. In the last weeks, she has taken hold of my old heart, and I’ve become protective of her.”

Immediately, Greyson’s thoughts on the old man changed. He felt genuine gratitude that someone cared enough to protect her in his absence. In doing so, Greyson believed the man had earned the right to know the facts. He needed to know the true identity of his helper.

“I appreciate you keeping her safe, and I’ll ask that you continue.”

“I intend to.” Joshua looked at him directly in the eyes. “I think you should know that when she returned from giving you a tour yesterday, she was upset.”

“Yes, and I’m sorry for that. I had no intention of causing her distress. However, I’ll continue to see her regardless.”

“My lord, Abigail is—”

“My wife.”

“I beg your pardon.”

“Lady Merrick has been disguising herself as a maid, as Abigail, for several weeks. I’m entrusting you with her secret only so that you may be better equipped to protect and aid her.”

“That can’t be possible.” Joshua’s eyes were wide as if terrified by the knowledge. “Lady Merrick is a sickly woman and does not remotely resemble Abigail. I don’t know that I can believe this.”

“Then ask her yourself, or you may confront Sandra if you are more comfortable. Regardless, as my wife would prefer to keep this secret, you will tell no one else under any circumstances. Do you understand?”

“I’ll do what I feel is in her best interests. You don’t need to worry on that account,” Joshua assured him, still appearing skeptical.

“Then we understand each other. If she needs anything, I expect you to take care of it or notify me immediately.”

“Certainly, my lord.”

Feeling assured of his wife’s safety, Greyson left the man in the shed. Joshua would protect her and contact him if any trouble arose. Greyson simply hoped the man intended to verify the information soon. If the gardener thought to deny him access to Abigail, the attempt would not do well for him.

Chapter 14

“We are running low on powder again,” Sandra complained as she pushed aside the basin of black water.

“Then we shall have to buy more.” Abigail knew her maid felt embarrassed purchasing the powder, but she didn’t see the problem.

“You would not use so much if we only had to apply it once a day.”

“We have been over this.” Abigail sighed as she tossed the wet towel aside. “Lord Merrick suspects nothing, so why should I give this up?”

“I’m not suggesting you do so this time, although it’s an option. I just thought it would be easier for you to spend the whole morning as one person, then the whole evening as another.”

“Everyone would be more suspicious if Lady Merrick only came out at night. I don’t want to give anyone more reasons to suspect me of wrongdoings as either person.”

“That reminds me, they discovered the identity of the real thief. I heard several of the stable hands talking about your innocence last night.”

“How? Who was it?” Abigail turned to face Sandra. She had not heard any word of this. She’d been keeping to herself since her husband’s return to limit the chances of her secret being exposed.

“The new stable hand. Alexander, I believe. He got away before they could catch him, but apparently they found all the missing items hidden in his room.”

Abigail’s mouth dropped. “It can’t be.”

From their brief encounters Abigail didn’t believe Alexander capable of something like this. He’d always acted with kindness and friendliness.

“I spoke with Matthews earlier, and he confirmed it.” Sandra turned her around to put the finishing touches to her hair.

“I suppose I’m not a very good judge of character.”

Abigail studied herself in the mirror. She judged her husband wrong as well. She’d never thought he would be capable of hurting her so badly. Almost a week had passed since he’d arrived at Merrick, and he hardly spent any time in her company.

She had not set eyes upon him as a maid since sharing the mind-altering kiss in the garden. And their other interactions had only occurred at mealtimes. Even her plan to ignore him as his wife had backfired as he’d paid little to no attention to her. She had plotted her scheme so well. Considering he had every right to his wife, her disinterest should have disturbed him. Then as a maid, she had hoped to flirt incessantly with him, only increasing his frustration. But he’d never appeared in the garden again.

“You’re thinking about
him
, aren’t you?”

Abigail cringed, wishing she had not told Sandra what had occurred with Lord Merrick. At the time, she had been too upset to keep the knowledge to herself. Her friend didn’t see her dilemma as Lord Merrick had done nothing but kiss his wife. The problem existed because he didn’t know that.

“I’m thinking about a number of things.” Abigail refused to admit Sandra had the right of it.

“If you want to see him again as the charming rake, why not seek him out yourself? Find out why he has not done as he promised.”

“I can’t barge into the lord’s study and demand he tell me. Promise or no promise, I have no right.”

“Do you know nothing about men? When a man kisses a woman like that he’s admitting she has all the power.”

“Regardless, I can’t. This might sound strange, but I don’t want to coerce him to be with me. He is required to spend time with me as his wife, so I can’t force him with this persona too.”

“I guarantee he wouldn’t see the situation like that.” Sandra shook her head. “I probably should not be telling you this, especially after how you reacted to the kiss, but he spends most of his days in the garden. I don’t believe he is going there for the foliage.”

“He must be, for I haven’t seen him anywhere I have been.”

“Try looking for him today. You will see I’m right.”

As they left the room, Abigail couldn’t stop thinking about what Sandra said. Could her husband really be going to the garden to see her? She wasn’t sure if the thought pleased her or not. Everything was too complicated. Maybe Sandra was right. Maybe she should stop this charade.

Pushing the decision from her mind to contemplate later, she approached the shed. Joshua stood there as if waiting for her. With a smile and a nod, she went past him to collect her tools, and wasn’t surprised when he followed her inside. Seeing the grim expression on his face, she knew this would not be good. What would she do if he released her?

“I think it’s past time we talked . . . my lady.”

Abigail sucked in her breath as her hand flew up to her mouth. She wanted to deny the accusation, but she saw the confidence in his eyes. He didn’t
suspect
. He
knew
.

“How long have you known?” she asked in a small voice.

“A few days, but I wasn’t sure until last night. I saw Abigail walk into her quarters with Sandra but Lady Merrick emerged. When I knocked, Sandra was the only one in the room.”

“Have you told Lord Merrick?” Her throat seized up. She wasn’t ready for him to find out. Not only had she not exacted her revenge, but she longed to see if he would flirt with her again.

“It isn’t my place to talk to your husband.”

Her body sagged in relief. “I appreciate that.” She grabbed her gloves.

“What are you doing?” He held out his hands as if to stop her from touching anything.

“Gathering my tools. Yesterday I believe you said the west paths need to have the weeds removed. They still need tending, do they not?”

“Yes, but I can’t have the lady of the house pulling weeds any longer.”

“Why not?” Tears began to burn the back of her eyes. “I have tended to the garden many times before.”

He winced, then looked at her with a torn expression. She realized he had not believed his own claims until her concurrence. He had no plan of action to enact against her. She needed to think quickly to secure her position.

“I enjoy gardening,” she assured him. “Just give me another chance. You are only one of two people who know the truth. Nothing has changed. Besides, what harm could arise now that didn’t show itself over the past weeks?”

“I don’t like this.” Joshua took off his hat and scratched his head.

“Please. This way you will not have to train a new helper.”

“I hope you know what you are getting yourself into.” He jammed his hat back on his head and stomped out of the shed.

Abigail fell back against the wall and sighed. If Joshua had found out so quickly, she would have to take more care to ensure no one else was around when she changed. Although this charade wasn’t easy, the benefits far outweighed the troubles.

Thinking of troubles brought Lord Merrick back to her mind. She would be forced to seek him out as Sandra suggested if he didn’t come to her today. Then if he treated her as cold and unfeeling as he treated his wife, she could easily forget about him. However, if he acted with the same charm and warmth as before, she could flirt and tease him with no repercussions. The idea made her shiver with delight.

He had gotten away with his unfaithfulness for too long.

“What is your decision, my lord?”

“What?” Greyson blinked and looked at Barry, his steward, blankly. His absent mind once again wandered to the garden with his wife. He’d spent a portion of every day outside searching for her. Each time, he’d prevented himself from approaching. Although he knew any attention bestowed upon her wasn’t wrong, she didn’t know that.