Pricing The Heart

Chapter 32

He would much rather keep her safe than he would her secret, Alfred Miles decided as he bade farewell to Mrs Taylor that evening. The next morning, he packed a bag for an impromptu trip to Cheshire. There, he would inform Lord David of the details of what he had witnessed in Mrs Taylor's home. It mattered not to him that Mrs Taylor would be displeased by his decision to betray her confidence, only that she be kept safe, secured from the hoodlum who posed a threat to her safety.

Alfred didn't know what it was about Mrs Taylor that attracted him so. All he knew was in the entirety of his thirty-five years, he never encountered a woman he enjoyed spending time with as much as he did with her. He thought it a plus that she was pleasant to behold, intelligent, and industrious. She would make a fine wife for any lucky gentleman. He just needed to convince her he was that gentleman. But how was he to achieve such a feat when she seemed blind to his affection? Something, perhaps someone distracted her. Was she in love with someone else? Alfred shook his head, certain he hadn't seen her with any man other than Lord David. And David was her cousin, was he not? He vaguely remembered David saying something about Mrs Taylor being his distant cousin. He had never seen the two interact, but there appeared to only exist a platonic sort of relationship between them.

The second man Alfred saw Mrs Taylor with was the strange man at her door. While he knew nothing of the man's identity, he thought it impossible that she might be in love with him. If anything, she seemed terrified of him.

As far as Alfred knew, Mrs Taylor's heart remained unoccupied, leaving room for him to win her over. Women liked to be wooed, did they not? He would begin by buying her presents after he returned from Cheshire, and once he was certain he had her approval, he would offer a much more romantic proposal of marriage than his pathetic attempt earlier.

Shaking his head, he scoffed at the memory of his proposal. It was foolish to have skipped a courtship to a proposal, but he had panicked. Right after Mrs Taylor questioned his invitation to move in with him, he panicked. He was afraid she might think him a libertine, and in his desperation to salvage the situation, blurted out a proposal. Then he went ahead to give a half-baked speech about his feelings for her, further worsening the situation. From the look of utter discomfort on her face, he might as well have taken his shirt off before her.

Sighing, he closed his eyes as the journey progressed. By the time he reached Oakham Hall four days later, his plan to woo Mrs Taylor was fully developed. He was ushered into the drawing room by an unenthusiastic butler, who appeared displeased by Alfred's decision to call on them in the early hours of the morning unannounced.

"My lord is still asleep at this time, Mr. Miles. But please, make yourself comfortable. I shall ring for tea."

Alfred nodded his understanding, mentally kicking himself for not sending a missive ahead. He had been so occupied with thoughts of Mrs Taylor; he had forgotten his manners.

A maid brought in tea nearly ten minutes later, and after an hour, Mrs Edward arrived with a breakfast tray. Once he had murmured his thanks and was left alone, he dug into the generous serving of bacon, scrambled eggs, and chicken sandwiches. The meal was in brilliant contrast with the tasteless breakfasts he had endured in the inns on his way to Cheshire, but it was nothing like the meals Mrs Taylor had placed before him. Here was yet another reason to marry Mrs Taylor; she was an excellent cook. He, on the other hand, was terrible at cooking and could not afford the exorbitant fee of hiring a cook. In marrying Mrs Taylor, he wouldn't only be gaining a woman to bear his children, he would gain a lifetime of flavorful meals. A smile touched his lips at the thought.

After breakfast, the butler returned to usher him into David's study. He must've sat there for over an hour before the door opened behind him. Alfred rose to his feet and turned around. David entered the room, dressed in gray trousers and a brown waistcoat worn over a white shirt. Alfred was slightly taken aback, not only by David's casual attire, but by the way his clothes appeared to hang loosely over his form.