Fate's Intervention (33 page)

“
How do you do, sir?
”
He said, approaching Stanharbor.
“
My name is Mark Daragh, and who might you be?
”

“
My name is Clifford Stanharbor, and this is my daughter, Elizabeth.
”
Stanharbor shook the proffered hand and then motioned to his daughter. Mark turned his attention toward the two ladies seated on the couch and sized them up instantaneously. The young lady introduced as
Elizabeth
, appeared much older than her apparent
years,
and would probably provide him decent sport while he was in town. He
’
d have to call on her tomorrow.

The other seemed younger and too easily addlepated, but she also seemed eager to please. Yes, he
’
d have to call on her as well. His gaze lifted to
meet
Marcelle
’
s gaze
.
Now th
ere
was a woman that could heat his blood. Too bad the other two didn
’
t have her full figure.

He wondered whether his brother had managed to bypass her cold exterior and get a taste
of that succulent flesh. He most certainly wanted to, but she didn
’
t seem to care for him
particularly
. He wondered if she was still pure like the other two girls.
Probably not
, he thought. Not at her age.

“
It
’
s a
pleasure
to make your acquaintance, sir,
”
Elizabeth
cooed, lifting her hand. Mark took the petite appendage and placed his lips on the back, allowing his tongue to flick out and tickle the skin ever so slightly. He looked up and saw her eyes widen, and a delightful blush tint her cheeks. She smiled shyly and lowered her eyes, but when she lifted them a moment later, he saw a definite invitation in their depths.

M
m
m
, he thought,
a willing virgin
. He winked at her and then turned toward Carol
Ann
, who looked as if she was about to keel over from embarrassment. He lifted her hand and placed a light kiss on it as well, but kept his tongue in his mouth. If he read her correctly, any overt display on his part and she
’
d probably collapse in a heap at his feet. He
’
d have to woo her a little more than the other, but something told him the chase would be worth the reward when he finally got her in his bed.

Marcelle passed around the drinks and rolled her eyes when Mark deliberately caressed her fingers while accepting his.
S
he was glad to see him seated between Elizabeth and Carol
Ann
, obviously pleased to be receiving the adoring attention. It appeared to her that his taste varied widely enough that she needn
’
t be overly concerned that he would monopolize her time.

When Nancy called them into dinner, Mark raised his elbows to escort Elizabeth and Carol
Ann
in
to the dining room.
T
he men motioned for Marcelle to precede them from the room, but her
father
pulled her up short,
“
We
’
ll be along in a moment,
”
he said, and practically slammed the door in their faces.

“
The
y
’
re not here for Matthew,
”
he said immediately.
“
The
y
’
ve already got their sights set on Mark. They knew about him before they got here tonight.
”

“
A
h, the gossip train worked quickly. So much for our theories.
”

“
Well, I
’
ll tell you something
–
that man worries me.
”

“
I knew he annoyed you, but what are you worried about?
”

“
First, when you showed up dressed in this, I wasn
’
t concerned . . . ,
”

“
. . .
b
ecause
you didn
’
t think he
’
d show for dinner,
”
Marcelle said,
completing
her
father
’
s thought.
“
S
ame here.
”

“
However
,
he did, and the way he was drooling all over you . . . ,
”

“
. . . h
ad me worried as well, I must confess.
”

“
T
hen . . . ,
”

“
. . .
h
e
turned his attentions toward Elizabeth and Carol
Ann
. . . ,
”

“
. . . an
d
you seem to fade from his memory for a moment. Truth be told, I didn
’
t think the other two stood a chance at snaring him, but it would appear that the man will take women wherever he can get them.
”

Something in his tone caused Marcelle to pause,
“
I noticed that as well, but why would that concern you overly much?
A
fter
all, if his focus shifts away from me, even momentarily, I
’
ll be extremely relieved.
”

“
The
problem is,
Marcelle
, it won
’
t stay diverted. He
’
s only increased his potential targets to three instead of one.
”

“
I
’
m not sure I follow you,
Father
.
”

“
When that man leaves, I fear there will be two less virgins in Riverton and two new broken hearts, and as determined as he appears to be to win your affections, I worry he may try and increase his list of conquests to include you as well.
”

“
Sure
ly you don
’
t think he
’
d be that crass.
”

“
Yes, I do.
”

“
S
houldn
’
t we tell Charles and Clifford about your suspicions?
”

“
My observations aren
’
t proof positive, dear. Besides, right now
,
his money and societal standing appear to have
blinded
our guests, and they wouldn
’
t
believe us. Who knows? He may not have to take their daughters
’
virginities secretly.
As
eager as their
father
s are for one of them to wed Mark, they may offer those poor girls up themselves on silver platters.
”

Marcelle rubbed her temples, trying to ward off the ache that
threatened
to consume her entire head. She closed the front door and glanced at the mantle clock
–
one in the morning. Good Lord! She should have been in bed hours ago, but
father
’
s illness
made it necessary for her to continue to
entertain the guests so that he could retire early.

The men, minus her
father
, had retired to her
father
’
s study after dinner to drink more bourbon and discuss whatever men discuss,
which forced her
to endure hours of whiny banter between Elizabeth and Carol
Ann
who all but ignored her for the duration. In all fairness to Carol
Ann
, she
’
d attempted to draw Marcelle into the conversation, but
Elizabeth
continually warded off every attempt. Marcelle smiled at Carol
Ann
to show her appreciation and then retrieved a book to read.

She hadn
’
t really minded so much, preferring to read than force herself into conversation with two girls who found every little thing something to giggle over or complain about. By eleven, she was so absorbed in her book that she
’
d all but tuned out their annoying dialogue.

As
the hour crept closer to one, however, she found it more difficult to keep her heavy eyelids from drooping.
A
quick glance at Elizabeth and Carol
Ann
told her they were having the same problem, so when she heard the men
’
s voices in the foyer, she eagerly tossed her book aside and leapt from her chair with alacrity.

Now, the guests were gone and a quick glance around told her that Mark had apparently retired while she was seeing them off.
Good
, she thought. She retrieved the book she
’
d cast aside from the parlor and headed for her
father
’
s study to return it to the shelf. The hours she
’
d
sat
to
entertain
presented her
the opportunity to finish
, and she was eager to being another book
.

Using the light that filtered in from the foyer and feeling along the bookshelf, she found the empty space and slid the book back in place,
and
then ran her fingers along the
leather
-bound spines of the others tucked there, silently reading off the titles in her mind. She couldn
’
t see the wording in the dim light, but she
’
d read them all at least five times and the location of each one was as familiar to her as the scent of
leather
and oil that permeated the
area near the shelving
.
She
’
d just finished
rereading Jane Austin
’
s
Sense and Sensibility
,
so
was in the mood to reread
Pride and Prejudice
. She stopped when she was certain she
’
d reached the preferred volume and slid it from its place.

The light from the foyer suddenly vanished with the sound of a door closing.

Marcelle jumped, startled.
She dropped the book, but didn
’
t readily retrieve it in her confusion.
How had
it
happened? It had certainly never done that before. She shut her eyes against the blackness and took several calming breaths. The dark wasn
’
t her favorite place to be.
When she opened them again, she allowed herself a moment to adjust to the near blackness,
and
then slowly maneuvered along the wall toward the draperies. It was a closer walk than the door or
attempting to locate the wall sconce. In her mind, she
reason
ed that if she could pull open the drapes and allow the moonlight to filter in, she
’
d have a better chance of making it across a darkened room to the study door without panicking.

Lord, but she hated the dark. Her
father
had taught her since she was a child, that nothing good ever happened after dark. She believed him. She believed him so much, in fact, that she refused to go outside once the sun set unless
he escorted her
.

Her hand reached for the drapery, but another noise reached her hearing halting her in mid-reach. She strained toward the sound, craning her head, trying to locate the source, but nothing else sounded in the growing silence, except the loud pounding of her heart.

She turned again and reached up. Grabbing a handful of the heavy material, she pulled it open with a viciousness that would have startled an observer. She
breathed
deeply as the moonlight penetrated the darkness,
and
then laid a hand on her breastbone and felt the rapid beating of her heart. She closed her eyes and laid her forehead against the cool
pane of
glass, thankful that the fearful moment had passed.