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“Indeed.” He rubbed a hand along his jaw. “For your own purposes connected with the boxing salon or to move your father’s patients to the new location?”

“I haven’t decided since the idea has only recently taken root.” She shrugged and again pulled at her wet skirting. “Before I do anything, I will need to talk to my father, for I’ll need his assistance with the real estate.”

“It would be a delight to have you so close.” Which meant that he would need to stay at the salon in some fashion.

“That’s what I was thinking too.” Briefly, she bit her bottom lip as she looked up at him. “You wouldn’t mind, would you?”

“Not at all, though the temptation to fall into scandal will be high.” Unless they were to marry… He shook his head. Don’t rush your fences, Wexley. She’s far too skittish about that.

“What is life without something to look forward to?” When she stood up from the bench, she shook out her skirting as best she could, but it was apparently a hopeless cause to keep the wet fabric from sticking to her legs. “I think my father will be pleased.”

“How can you know that?” He didn’t offer a protest when she put her palms on his chest and drew them upward to rest her wrists on his shoulders.

“I prefer to take a hopeful approach because I know the goals I wish to reach.”

“Hmm.” His gaze dropped to her mouth. “Am I one of them?”

“We shall see.” Then she raised onto her toes and fit her lips to his.

Several moments went by as they exchanged gentle kisses, and within that embrace, he had a few glimpses of an amazing future that might prove his if he was as patient as he’d told her he was a couple of days ago.

Eventually, Alexander pulled away. “Have you ever considered not being a doctor or becoming a physician?”

“Absolutely not. I knew that from a young age, and quite honestly, I won’t stop until that is what I am.

” Nothing but truth reflected in her eyes.

“I’ll tell you this, also. If you aren’t part of that plan, if you aren’t willing to walk that difficult path beside me, I will need to go ahead by myself, for I have already experienced having a man in my life who is at counterpoint to my vision. ”

His respect for her continued to rise. “You humble me with your determination, push me to working harder in boxing… or the management of the salon.”

“Does that bother you?”

“Oddly enough, it does not.” The grin he offered widened. “I think that insistent push is what I’ve needed all along, especially with Lewis not being present as much as he used to be.” Then he really looked at her. “How do you feel about all this?”

“I am… cautiously optimistic, and I know that I’m a managing baggage and quite bossy at times.

” Worry shadowed her eyes. “While I realize that men don’t like women to behave in this way, I can’t, in good conscience, act like all the others because I have this passion inside me that tells me not to give up. ”

“Good Lord, don’t change yourself to be more like what society says a woman should be, because I will tell you another truth.” He put his lips to the shell of her ear. “The best men are not searching for perfect society women. We will go quite happily mad for a woman with spirit and fight in her.”

That was something he’d come to believe in himself over the past few years, and perhaps that was one of the reasons why he’d never found just the right one who could prove a helpmeet.

The relief and pleasure in her expression was all the reward he needed for speaking the truth. “The more time I spend with you, the more I’m convinced you are something special indeed, Lord Wexley, and that is quite a feat, for men don’t tend to impress me.”

“So I have seen.” With a laugh, he tugged on her hand and led her from the folly. “We should head back while there is a slight break in the rain.”

“I rather hope there is tea waiting for us somewhere, laced heavily with a good Scottish whisky.”

What had her childhood been like? He didn’t know but was desperate to hear the stories. Perhaps he should make strides to meet her father.

They were halfway into the journey back to the opposite side of the park when a large man stood in the middle of the bridal path with his arms crossed at his chest, standing there with a glare that seemed focused clearly on Lydia.

“Who the devil is that?”

She gasped beside him. “My former fiancé, Colin MacIntosh.” Before he could do anything else, Lydia marched up the path to confront the other man. “What are you doing here, Colin? If you think to bully me, I’ll need to disabuse you of that notion.”

Easily, the big Scot stepped around her in order to close the distance between him and Alexander. “ This is who ye’ve replaced me with?”

A snort of annoyance escaped her as she trailed behind him. “That is the Viscount Wexley, so mind your manners.”

“Ha! A title doesn’t make a man.” The bigger fellow shook his head. “He is a scrap of a man and not even Scottish!”

“Nowhere is it written that I need to find myself engaged to a Scot!” Frustration clearly rang in her voice, but Mr. MacIntosh ignored her.

No wonder she broke their engagement.

“Oh, ye’ll still marry me, mark my words, but first, I’m going to put Lord Wexley in his place and show him he has no right to you.”

Alexander glanced at Lydia, who glowered back. “I rather think it’s you who have no right to her, Mr. MacIntosh. The lady has already declared that you are unfit by breaking the engagement between the two of you. Now do the honorable thing and leave her be.”

“Listen to the viscount, Colin,” Lydia said as she laid a staying hand on one of his large arms. “I am not going back with you. It’s been over a year. Enough already.”

“You don’t get to make that decision!” In the process of shaking off her touch, Colin also gave her a shove, and she stumbled off the bridal path.

“You’ll pay for that,” Alexander said in a low, controlled voice that rumbled with the anger he felt. Without missing a beat, he lunged and threw a punch, catching the other man on the chin.

Unfortunately, Colin only grunted before swinging a meaty paw in retaliation. The fist connected with Alexander’s shoulder with enough force that it spun him about.

“You damned oaf.” The man needed a lesson.

Though Lydia implored him from the side of the path, he flew at the Scotsman in a fury of fists.

An uppercut landed in the bigger man’s temple and while he worked through the disorientation, he jabbed a fist into Colin’s breadbasket, which winded him.

“Stay away from her, Mr. MacIntosh. Miss Tetford has soundly rejected you.”

That apparently enraged the other man, for Colin came at Alexander with a roar.

He wasn’t as slow as he appeared, for when the right hook came, Alex wasn’t ready for the impact.

It caught him on the chin with enough force to crash his teeth together and send him sailing onto his back, where he landed hard on the ground.

“Wexley!” Lydia’s cry sounded overly loud in the rain and the hush of the wooded area.

Colin wiped at the sweat on his forehead.

“This isn’t over between us, my lord.” He pointed a thick finger at Alexander.

“The woman is mine. When next we meet, I won’t stop until you are broken and bleeding.

” Then, with a rude gesture at Lydia, he loped away.

Seconds later, he vanished around the curve of the path.

“Are you hurt?” Lydia asked as she reached his side and fell to her knees. Before he could answer, she rushed onward. “You’re an idiot, Alexander.” She skimmed her gloved hands over his person, no doubt checking for injuries. “You should have walked away.”

“Stop.” He captured one of her hands, stilling it as he struggled into a sitting position.

The whole of his backside was covered in mud.

“I refuse to let him boss you or me. Frankly, Lydia, you are not an object to be owned and are worth more than he thinks. Therefore, I will defend such a treasure.” What a nodcock thing to say, Wexley.

His chest tightened for waxing poetic and perhaps showing too much of his budding feelings.

“At least my clock wasn’t cleaned. It was only a couple of punches.

” Yes, they hurt like the devil, but he’d gotten off jabs of his own.

“Oh.” As she sucked in a breath, she stared at him with rounded eyes as if seeing him for the first time. “That is so sweet.” Unexpectedly, she launched herself into his arms.

“Oomph!” They both tumbled onto the wet, muddy ground to one side of the bridal path. “Lydia!”

“I can’t help it,” she said in between kissing his lips. “As I said, you have managed to impress me, and you continue to do so. It is quite an aphrodisiac.”

Who was he to bid her nay, then?

Some time later, he finally encouraged her off him so that he could gain his feet. “My dear, your skirting is hopelessly stained, and the dress ruined. Such a scandal.”

“As if you are walking the straight and narrow, Mr. Muddy Arse?” She flashed a smile. “I don’t mind if you don’t.”

“I do not. In for a penny, in for a pound, heh?” He tugged her back onto the path so they could finally make their way out of the rain. “Well, I am all in, Miss Tetford, so you’d best square with that.”

All in all, it had been a successful outing even if he would feel those new bruises like hell on the morrow. But his spirits soared, for it seemed likely the independent thinking doctor’s daughter was coming ’round to the idea that a courtship between them would indeed work.