Page 83 of A Necessary Wife

She soon realized there were more in a line, remnants of the former garden still there, waiting to be tended. Under the long grass was a gravel path, too, and stone borders of a long-forgotten garden bed.

She worked to clear away a small patch around the roses, discovering the wreckage of a woven fence, quite deteriorated, and she lost track of the time trying to reveal it.

When she finally stood, she easily stepped out the perimeter of the cottage garden, impressed by the size it must have been once. And the potential of restoring this abandoned refuge in the woods filled her with excitement.

When she gardened, she could always push her problems aside for a while, and now she would do it to rid herself of her disturbing love she had for her husband.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Milo finally found Amelia in the garden, hurrying toward the manor, looking devilishly attractive to him in the afternoon sunlight. He had been looking for her all day, and the woman had proved frustratingly elusive. He had just started to worry something had happened to her.

But she appeared whole and safe, and he watched her for a few moments—cataloguing all of her qualities as if for the first time.

She was, in a word, perfection. Understatedly elegant. Sturdy and yet so very gentle. A lady in every sense of the word by day, but also a vixen who stole his breath and sanity when they were alone.

He glanced around to confirm the children were still following, then headed in her direction. He would have to delay his confession of love until after the children were out of earshot. He could not, however, control his own limbs in his eagerness to reach her.

He captured Amelia in his arms from behind and kissed her cheek soundly. “There you are. Have you been outside all this time?”

“Yes,” she said, then held out her hands for him to see. There was dirt under her nails once more, and that made him smile. “I couldn’t help myself.”

He laughed softly, delighted that she had done something that made her happy. He glanced around the nearby garden bed, but saw no soil disturbed anywhere close by. “Where on earth were you gardening?”

“At the cottage your brother is rebuilding.”

He nodded, glad she had not been alone or lost, the way he had started to fear. “You were with Samuel?”

“Not in the way the last Lady Chatham tried,” Amelia promised quickly.

Milo winced. “He told you about that, did he?”

“Yes.” She winced, too. “Samuel returned to his repairs soon after we spoke, but he said he’d welcome any help with the weeding. I didn’t think I would be missed…and you had Lady Ashcroft to entertain you.”

He tried to catch her eye, but she kept her gaze on the distant view. “Conversation with Lady Ashcroft is never time well spent.”

She glanced at him sharply, then noticed the children were with him.

Adam hurried over and wrapped himself around her legs. “Papa feared you must be lost!”

“No, I wasn’t lost,” she promised him, ruffling his hair. “I would never leave you. Either of you.”

Milo’s chest swelled to see the bond growing between Amelia and their young son.

Lucy was looking down at Amelia’s skirts, at the dirt and grass stains on her gown.

Amelia also noticed, and she lifted her chin higher. The action reminded him of the day he’d proposed the marriage between them. She was expecting disapproval, but Milo had been charmed even then. Her manner that day matched his memories of all the times they’d met before that. She was no wilting wallflower but a strong, resourceful lady.

Though today, she did look a bit weary, and he led her to a stone bench to rest. She must have spent a good few hours clearing those weeds away, and it would take many more hours of labor to even call it a garden.

Next time, she must have servants to help her, as well. He could spend a few hours helping her with that garden if she’d let him as well. The children could help too.

“We missed you,” Milo said.

Amelia’s gaze flickered to Lucy before she looked down at her hands. She curled her fingers into her palms to hide the dirt under her nails. “I’m sorry if my disappearance inconvenienced anyone.”

“Never an inconvenience,” he assured. “Time alone does provide valuable enlightenment, though.”

“Yes, it does,” she said, then squared her shoulders. She glanced at Lucy again. “Are those flowers for the duchess, Lucy?”