Nine Steps to Sara (38 page)

“Something to think about at any rate.  But for the moment I’d better get back to earning my keep,” Will launched himself to his feet.  “See you at dinner?”

“It’s a date,” Sara smiled, turning her face up to be kissed.  The future stretched out in front of her with too many possibilities to map out, and for once, she didn’t feel railroaded towards any particular path.  With a happy sigh, she picked up the scraper and got back to work. 

*
*
*

Will slid into the booth at the pub, nodding in a friendly passing manner to half a dozen men under his employ at
Darling
Park
, but his insides felt like they were twisted into a snarled tangle as he signaled for a beer.  It felt strange to be meeting out in the open, but he supposed it would draw less suspicion and the topic absolutely could not be breached back at the mansion.  The thought of Sara waiting there for him, all trusting and the like, was enough to make him down half the beer as soon as it was set in front of him.  Like as not he’d end up with an ulcer before all was said and done. 

“Slow down there or I’ll be the one driving us home myself,” Thomas slapped him on the shoulder with an easy grin as he took the seat across from him.  

“I’d rather take my chances with me behind the wheel pissed than you driving,” Will snorted, taking another healthy swig.  “Will you tell me now why the need for the cloak and dagger business?  You can see well enough the progress I’m making.” 

“That’s exactly why we called for this meet.  You’re doing a piss poor job of it,” Thomas’ voice dropped to a growl.  “Why haven’t you tupped the girl yet?”

“I'm
trying!
  I told her I loved her for chrissakes.  You can’t rush a thing like this; she’s getting closer to accepting me.”

“You know your old man will be out of a job and half the people in the county stand to lose a pretty penny if she up and leaves.”

“She’s not going to leave, I’ve seen to that.  Didn’t Eleanor tell you about the gypsy tart I brought up to the house?  Took care of the problem you haven’t had the stones to your entire life.”

“You watch your mouth,” Thomas raised a threatening hand.  “It’s not enough, I tell you.  We’ve got to be absolutely certain she won’t leave like the last one.  None of us can afford to go through another thirty years of lean, remember that.”

“You don’t know that, she might want to keep the place up to snuff even if she were to move back to
America
.”  Sara seemed genuinely interested in restoring the house to its former glory.  “I still think you’re getting your knickers in a knot over nothing.  She’s keen on staying, I tell you.” 

“If you expect to earn a single penny you’ll have to get her to accept a proposal within the next fortnight.”

“You didn’t say I had to get her to agree to
marry
me so soon,” Will balked, the word sticking in his throat. 

“How else do you expect her to cement her ties to the area, you daft bugger?” Thomas gave him a withering glance. 

“But marriage by the next two weeks? It’s not that easy, she’s a Lady.”  Even though Sara had never pulled the class card with him before, it was hard to ignore years of conditioned thinking.  Romance her, sure, bed her, maybe, but marriage?  He had a hard time believing she’d accept him in such a short time.

“She’s American.”

As if that changed everything, and Will supposed in a way it did.  If she’d been born in his country he’d never have thought of approaching the subject of marriage in a million years, even with the pressure from
Poole
.  “Exactly, she’s American.  And she’s been married before.  She’s definitely a look before you leap type of woman, not like these bored country girls who’ll lift their skirts for a few pretty words.”  Even as he said the words, Will couldn’t help but think; could he really marry Sara?  Have the manor house and the instant family? 

“Better you figure out a way to get her to take the leap or we’ll bring in someone else who can.”

“What do you mean someone else?” Will scoffed at the empty threat.  “You can’t switch me out and expect her to roll with it.  I’m the one who’s laid the groundwork, she won’t shift gears that fast, mark my words.”

“Not if the new bloke breaks the ice by exposing you for the blackguard you are.  I imagine that would make great strides in cozying up to her, you reckon?” Positively gleeful in the question, Thomas took his first sip of beer with relish. 

“You wouldn’t dare…”  The idea of Sara finding out about his paid arrangement to woo her left a sour taste in his mouth.  Imagining the look on her face… he couldn’t do that to her, not for all the money in the world.  “Look here, Sara’s a real person, with feelings and…”

“Watch it there, Will, you’re starting to sound like you’re the one who’s come over all romantic,” Thomas chuckled.  “Make no mistake.  We’re on a timetable, but you aren’t the only game in town by a long shot.  Get the job done, or you might find yourself relocated.”

“Like you relocated Cole?”  He’d never come out and asked if
Poole
was responsible for the developer’s sudden disappearance, but the look on the man’s face was confirmation enough.

“Best you never have to find out.”

“I have something I want to ask you.” 

“Okay, shoot.”  They sat on a rise that overlooked the rolling hills below, fragrant and green with enough heat of the day to make them shed their shoes and squinch their toes in the grass.  Laying with her head on Will’s lap, Sara held a pile of daisies on her stomach, linking them into a long chain. 

“You mightn’t like it right away, but hear me out,” Will began, and Sara shielded her eyes against the sun to see him.

“Uh oh, why do I not like the sound of that?”

“It’s not bad exactly; you just have to promise to keep an open mind.”

“Alright…”  The daisies forgotten, Sara craned her neck to get a better look at him. 

“I know I haven’t got any right to ask, I don’t come from money or a title…”

“I don’t care about that stuff, Will.  I wasn’t raised with those things either.”  What was he getting around to?  Did he need a loan?

“But if it counts at all with you, I’ve never even thought I’d ask for something like this.”

Definitely a loan.
  “Well, what is it?”

“Marry me.”

Sara stared up at him, convinced she’d heard him wrong.  “What?”

“Marry me.”

“That’s not a question.”

“All right then, will you marry me?”  He looked more like he was in line to get a root canal than deliver a proposal of marriage.  When he’d suggested a drive in the country she’d readily taken him up on it, an escape from the hustle and bustle of construction a welcome one and eager to spend a little alone time with Will.  But never in a zillion years had she anticipated a marriage proposal. 

“Are you serious?”

“I’ve never been more serious.”

“I can’t marry you,” Sara sat up, daisies falling in a shower of petals.  “I’ve only known you for a few weeks.”

“What’s time to do with love?” he gave her that lopsided she loved so much, but did she love him?  Will hadn’t brought the subject up again since the on the spot declaration the night of the ritual.  There were certainly thing
s
she loved about him, but Sara wasn’t sure she was ready to love anyone. 

“Will… it’s not that I don’t appreciate the offer, but it’s pretty sudden, don’t you think?  I’m not in a place in my life where I want to even think about marriage.” 

“Come on, Sara, we’d be great together, you know that don’t you?  Tell me you don’t feel it when I kiss you.”  To illustrate his point, he leaned forward, covering her mouth with his.  His hand cupped the back of her neck, binding her to him and Sara lost herself in the power of that kiss. 

“I feel plenty,” she admitted, dragging in a shaky breath.  “But that’s not enough to base a marriage on, believe me.” 

Will leaned back on the blanket, hands pressed to his eyes, and Sara wasn’t sure what to say.  “It doesn’t mean I don’t still want to keep seeing you.  Why can’t we go on like we have been?”

“Yes, we can do that,” he replied, his voice dull.  “That makes excellent sense, of course.”

A pall fell over them, and Sara didn’t know what to say, fingers absently pulling apart the chain she’d been assembling.  Will sat up suddenly, a look of wonderment on his face, as if he’d had an epiphany.

“Let’s go away together.”

“Go away?  You mean take a trip somewhere?”  It was summer, probably a good time for vacation.  “But what about all the work going on back at the house?”

“
Bugger
the house,” he shook his head decisively.  “I mean go away and not come back.”

Sara stared at him, dumbstruck for the second time in a row.  Where was it coming from?  “I can’t do that, I signed papers, I need to make
Darling
Park
my home.”

“You don’t need all of that, Sara, money can’t bring you happiness.”

“Well no, but…”

“I can earn a living.  We won’t have much but we’ll be away from here and we’ll have Jack.”

The sudden back and forth made her head spin.  Did he want her to stay and marry him or run away with him and leave it all behind?  “I don’t understand where this is all coming from.”

“I know you care about me.”

“Of course I do.”

“And you know I love you.  You do, don’t you?” he searched her face carefully.  “I know it’s been fast…”

“That’s it exactly, Will.  What’s the rush?  Why the sudden need to make all of these snap decisions?” she pleaded with him to make her understand. 

“Because none of it matters, not the money, the house, the title, not if it’s going to change things between us.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, you’ve completely lost me.  You’re the one that’s trying to change things between us.”

“I only want to make them better, and I can’t help but think this place…
Darling
Park
has a very sad history of tearing people apart.”

“But it’s my ancestral home.”

“Ancestors you didn’t
care
a
fig
about a few months ago.”

“Only because I didn’t know about them.  I like the idea of knowing more about my roots, of Jack growing up here in a community that cares about him.”

“They’re not all as caring as you might think,” Will muttered, tearing up a handful of grass.

“I’m not naïve enough to think everybody worships the ground we walk on, that’s not what I want.”

“What
do
you want?”

Sara hesitated; she hardly knew.  “I want… to be happy, to have a life with Jack and you too.”

“That’s all I want as well,” Will picked up her hand, cradling it in his.  “Please… tell me you’ll think about it?  Before it’s too late?”

“What do you mean before it’s too late?   Will, what’s going on?
”  The entire conversation was
getting stranger and stranger.

“Nothing,” he shook his head and she got the feeling he hadn’t meant to say that.  “It’s just… well, I might have to move on soon, and I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving you behind.”

“You’re leaving?” her brows climbed skyward and he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.

“Possibly…”

“Where?  To school in
London
?  Will, that’s not all that far.  Like I said, we can still see each other; we don’t have to get married because you’re going back to school.”