“No, there is most certainly not. Perhaps you have conjured those reasons up. I am not aware of any of them,” Emma glared down at William’s hand grasping her arm.
“Are you always this stubborn? I offer my assistance not out of guilt, but out of—”
“I do not require your assistance,” Emma huffed, and managed to break free from his grasp. “I am fully capable of caring for myself.”
“And what a fine job you did,” William muttered.
“Why do you insist on intruding in my life in such a manner? Was it not humiliating enough when I refused to marry you, or are you simply a martyr for rejection?” Emma inquired angrily, her face flushing red.
“You can publicly humiliate me, my lady, and I would still offer my assistance to you,” William answered.
“You don’t know what you’re saying,” Emma scoffed. “It is most certainly a good thing I will not be around to see it first-hand.”
“What does that mean?” William inquired, suddenly filled with even more concern.
Emma’s gaze grew shuttered. “I should not have said a word.”
“Tell me,” William insisted.
“It is not your place to demand things of me. I am in control of my life and my decisions, and leaving Somerset is the best thing I can do for myself,” Emma said and turned away.
“You are leaving? For good?” William managed to sputter, though the panic rose up inside him and he stepped towards Emma.
“Perhaps. I am not certain when I will return,” Emma answered.
“When will you leave?”
“Soon.”
Her evasive answers frustrated William immensely, but still he asked, “Where are you going?”
“I am certainly not telling you that. I do not wish to be followed, or have someone sent out to spy on me. I simply wish to be alone,” Emma said.
“But you’re meant to be here,” William insisted, a lump forming in his throat. “With me.”
Emma’s eyes began filling up with tears, and she lowered her gaze. “I must go, William. Take care.”
With her eyes cast downward, she turned away and made her way down the pathway, where her father’s coach and the coachman waited for her.
He watched as the coachman assisted her in climbing into the vehicle and as it moved away, his heart sank into his chest. A fiery and rather peculiar ache erupted in his heart as the coach disappeared from sight.
He couldn’t breathe.
“My lord,” he heard a voice behind him. He slowly turned around, unable to respond accordingly as Carson Wallace approached him. “You are as pale as a sheet. Is everything all right?”
“She is leaving,” William whispered, still in shock.
“To whom are you referring, Will?” Carson asked.
“Emma. She is leaving Somerset, perhaps for good, and there is not a single thing I can do or say that will make her stay,” William whispered and raked his fingers through his hair.
“I heard.”
“From whom?”
“From the lady herself,” Mr. Wallace answered. “Earlier, she was in the apothecary purchasing oil of amber. We spoke briefly and she informed me that her father was permitting her to visit Edinburgh.”
“Edinburgh? That is a very long journey.” William sighed.
“Indeed,” Carson agreed with a sigh. “William, may I give you a bit of advice—as a friend?”
“It would be most welcome, since I have not an inkling what to do to make her stay,” he answered.
“Perhaps it is not your place to ask her to stay. It seems as though it is something Lady Emma has been wishing to do for a long while, and now, amid all this chaos, is the perfect time to go,” Carson answered.
“But it means that she would leave,” he said, still shocked by the day’s events.
“Perhaps you should not ask her to stay, but go with her,” Carson pointed out.
His words made William ponder for a few moments, but the more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed to him.
Emma would most certainly never allow him to accompany her, despite his heart desperately wishing otherwise. She would surely be safe if he was in Edinburgh with her, and he knew of many places to visit.
Places he had visited alone, and knew would be perfect to share with Emma. However, William was well aware Emma had once again had made it perfectly clear she did not wish him to come anywhere near her.
“I cannot do such a thing,” William finally answered and turned to his friend. “I have overstepped my bounds with Emma too often. She deserves to spend time away from Somerset, as well as from me. I have been the cause of all the terrible things that have come over her, and I merely wish for her to be happy.”
“Even if that means that she carries on without you?” Carson asked and stared at William as though he were daft.
He glanced in the direction Emma’s coach had disappeared and sighed, his heart heavy. “Especially then.”
“You are a selfless martyr,” Carson pointed out, inclining his head in a semi-nod.
William snorted at the irony, then nodded. “As are you.”
Chapter Seventeen
Emma’s bedchamber was littered with items of clothing. From an outsider’s perspective it must look like a garment explosion had occurred inside the room.
Kitty glanced around as Emma continued to choose the items she wished to pack.
“I cannot believe you are leaving tomorrow, Emma,” Kitty sighed.
She turned towards her friend and nodded. “Nor can I. And despite leaving and not being able to spend time with you, I am truly excited about this trip.”
“You deserve some peace, Emma. The past few weeks have not been easy for you. I can understand why you wish to distance yourself from Somerset,” Kitty said, her expression filled with concern.
“What is the matter, Kitty?” Emma asked, placing one of her favorite coats inside the large trunk beside her.
“I am worried that you are perhaps being a tad rash. Running away from your problems is not going to solve them, Emma,” Kitty answered. “In fact, it will only make matters worse.”
“Worse than they already are? I doubt that is possible,” Emma scoffed. “And