Page 52 of Reforming Lord Neil

Or Neil. Teresa’s heart swelled with gratitude for all he had done for her. And for the countess including him in the invitation to Ipswich. Teresa could not have asked him to come, though she wished to, without sounding incredibly forward. But there was no one she wanted by her side more. She drew in a breath, bolstering her strength, and left her room.

Chapter Twenty-One

Everything Neil possessed was in his satchel, and it amused him. Never in his life would he have called himself poor. But now… Now he owned but two shirts. He wore the same one he had when the Earl of Inglewood had shown up, the other had been too dirty, but he hoped to have it washed at an inn. His work boots were on his feet and the shoes he had worn when cast out of his father’s home were in the bag. As was his dinner jacket, ruined gloves, and crumpled cravat. His hat was on his lap. Truthfully, Teresa appeared far more like a lady sitting on the seat next to the countess than Neil looked like a gentleman.

But then, she always appeared lovely to him.

When she looked up and met his gaze, she smiled. The warmth in the expression went right to his heart.

He shifted and dropped his eyes. She had told him clearly enough, several times over, that they could not be anything more than friends. At last, he began to realize why.

Lady Inglewood had a husband, of course, but had still treated him kindly when his wooing of her had failed. He had decided she behaved that way to be morally superior, and her friendship was valuable given her place in Society. Lady Fox, whom he had first known as Miss Millicent Wedgewood, had been too young to be of interest to him. Yet she had offered her friendship when he’d performed a few small kindnesses for her.

Something about him apparently made it quite easy to make friends with ladies but never attain anything more. Perhaps because his sister, Olivia, had been his only companion for years.

Lady Inglewood had engaged Teresa in conversation for most of their trip. Neil had said almost nothing, and Lord Inglewood had pretended that Neil was not even in the seat directly next to him.

Were it not for Teresa, Neil might have enjoyed antagonizing the earl throughout the journey. But he owed the other noble his good will, and more, for assisting Teresa to such an extent.

There remained two hours of road between them and Ipswich when the sun began to disappear in the west.

“We will have to stop at an inn for the night,” Lord Inglewood announced. “There is a large old house in the next village that has been converted into an inn. I have had occasion to stay there before. It will be suitable enough for us.”

Teresa fiddled with her gloves. “Thank you, my lord, for thinking of such things.”

Neil folded his arms and glowered out the window. It was childish of him, he knew. But why couldn’t Neil have done more for her? Not that he wished for Teresa’s gratitude. Merely her attention.

I am a complete idiot. He sighed with the thought.

When the carriage stopped, Lord Inglewood climbed out first and then held his hand out first to his wife, then to Teresa. Neil followed, satchel in hand. Teresa put her arm through his as soon as he stepped onto the ground. He looked down at her, raising his eyebrows.

“Are you cross with me?” she asked softly, her eyebrows drawn together. “I did not realize it at first, but Lady Inglewood is the woman you had a tenderness for, is she not? Riding in that carriage all these hours—I hope it did not cause you pain.”

After assuring himself that the earl and countess were too far ahead to overhear, Neil bent his head to whisper his response. “It was an idle flirtation, Teresa. My heart was not at stake when she spurned my advances. I am not upset with you, or with them. But Lord Inglewood and I have never been friends, and things were only made more complicated by my indiscretion. It was easier to remain quiet today than to risk his irritation. As he is currently assisting you, I would rather not remind him that I am involved at all.”

Teresa smiled, then pressed her lips together as though to try to hide it. “I really should not be amused by what you did to earn his ire. It was wrong of you.”

He prepared a flippant statement, ready to make light of the situation, but Teresa had already faced forward again. They entered the old house, now an inn. The innkeeper, a rather rotund fellow with a cheery smile, was speaking to the earl.

“Ah, we have three rooms available at present.” He looked over at Neil and Teresa, then back to the earl. “I am afraid not enough for the gentlemen and ladies to each have their own. Perhaps only the two rooms?”

Teresa’s cheeks turned red and her lips parted, but Inglewood was already explaining.

“My wife and I will take one room, but I will need the other two for Lord Neil Duncan and Mrs. Clapham.”

How strange. His stomach tightened, then warmed as he thought on what it would mean to claim Teresa as his wife. In an instant, he found he could imagine how it would be to introduce her at an inn, to keep her by his side. He swallowed, and when he looked again at her blush, he realized the worst of it.

He wanted to claim her. Not as a friend, or a brief infatuation. But as they followed the innkeeper up the stairs of what had once been a manor house, Neil’s eyes upon the way Lord and Lady Inglewood spoke to one another, then disappeared into a room together, it was like a cog clicked into place in his mind.

They came to the first floor and turned down a hall without Neil really taking anything in.

If anyone ever dared to trifle with Teresa’s feelings, Neil would call the fellow out. As much as he abhorred violence, nothing would stop him from taking such a scoundrel to task for so much as daring to take advantage of her.

Why hadn’t the Earl of Inglewood given Neil a facer when he realized what Neil had been attempting with the countess? Neil had deserved that and worse.

Teresa released Neil’s arm, stepping into the room the innkeeper had given to her, key in hand. She had a cheerful light in her eye, but it dimmed when she looked up at him. “Neil, is something amiss? You look upset.”

He shook himself free of his thoughts. How had things changed so drastically from the moment they entered the building to now? Not more than five minutes had passed, and yet his perspective had altered severely. He stared at her, then looked to where the innkeeper stood down the hall at another door, waiting.