His Obsession (21 page)

“Really?” Kate asked. “The Stallion. No doubt
because of his mane of dark hair?”

Richard grinned at Kate’s retort, but Claudia
wasn’t amused.

“No, my dear. For his prowess in bed,”
Claudia patiently explained.

Kate crimsoned and Richard could no longer
remain silent.

“Lady Drummond, if you cannot or will not
maintain polite conversation at this table, I must ask you to
leave. You’re embarrassing my wife,” Richard growled.

“Am I?” Claudia innocently asked, batting her
long lashes. “Oh, dear. Please forgive me.”

“Perhaps I am a little embarrassed, Lady
Drummond,” Kate softly acknowledged. “Forgive me, but I am a bit of
a country mouse.”

Claudia smiled aloofly.

“Still, if it will put your mind at ease,”
Kate continued. “Rest assured that my husband’s title remains
unchallenged. I believe he holds the name of such a magnificent
male animal for some very
large
reasons.”

Richard grinned at Kate’s retort.

“I believe that I speak from personal
experience when I say that no woman could spend any time in my
husband’s company and find his – performance – lacking,” Kate
firmly declared.

Claudia paled visibly as Kate glibly returned
her attention to the food on her plate.

Richard was absolutely delighted that his
little bride had not only defended him, but had definitely put the
meddling Lady Drummond in her place. Claudia, however, recovered
quickly enough.

“I never doubted it,” Claudia haughtily
acknowledged. “But if you need any pointers, you can always ask me.
Richard and I were once close, you see. Very close.”

Richard looked murderous.

“We used to play such wicked games together,”
Claudia laughed delightedly. “You remember, don’t you, darling? Oh,
but perhaps you haven’t had time to teach your little wife such
delightful diversions.”

“Claudia -” Richard warned, half rising from
his chair.

“It’s all right, Richard,” Kate assured him,
laying a calming hand on his arm. “Forgive me, Lady Drummond, but I
believe that it isn’t customary to discuss intimate matters with a
complete stranger. I find your words both inappropriate and
embarrassing.”

Richard rose to stand behind his wife. Kate
felt his large, reassuring presence at her back and suddenly felt
much stronger.

“My wife is quite right. What goes on between
Kate and me behind closed doors is not open for discussion, here or
anywhere else,” Richard firmly informed her.

Taking her husband’s lead, Kate gracefully
slid from her chair and walked to the other end of the table.

“It really was very kind of you to call,”
Kate informed their guest. “I’m sure that Richard appreciates a
visit from such an
old
friend.”

Richard firmly pulled Claudia’s chair away
from the table, with her still seated. Somehow, Claudia maintained
a death grip on her fork and knife, but her plate of food was now
completely out of reach.

“Yes, quite, but -” Claudia protested.

“I’m sorry, but we do have a rather busy
schedule today,” Kate informed her.

Richard linked his arm through Claudia’s and
dragged her to her feet.

“Yes, of course,” Claudia admitted
doubtfully.

Claudia stared at Richard, hoping that he
would object to her dismissal, but he did not. Drat the man! He was
acting as though he actually had some affection for the little
chit.

Kate smiled sweetly and took Lady Drummond’s
arm to lead her from the room.

“We certainly wouldn’t want to keep you from
your duties,” Kate added.

“Oh, but I haven’t many engagements today,”
Claudia informed her.

“Send my regards to Reggie,” Richard added,
following the women down the hall.

“I will,” Claudia promised. “But I really
didn’t -”

“It was good of you to call, but I hope that
you’ll excuse us today,” Kate bid her.

As if on cue, Jeffries appeared from the
parlor and reached for the knob on the front door.

“Jeffries will see you out,” Kate assured
her. “It was very nice to meet you, Lady Drummond.”

“Yes, I -”

“Lady Drummond,” Richard acknowledged, bowing
over her hand.

The blonde woman held onto Richard’s fingers
so intently that his knuckles showed white.

“Richard! You always were such a terrible
flirt,” Claudia giggled, smiling broadly. “And such a bad little
boy.”

Jeffries loudly cleared his throat. “This
way, my lady.”

“Goodbye,” Richard bid her, extricating
himself from her grasp.

Claudia glanced from one of them to the
other, but found no support from any of those in the room. Kate
smiled sweetly at her, but it was clear that inside, the young
woman was made of iron. Even Jeffries’ gaze was barely civil and
Richard looked as though he would happily throw Claudia out on her
ample behind rather than suffer her company another moment.

“Well!” Claudia cried in a huff, sweeping
through the portal. “I’ve never been treated so appallingly in my
life.”

“And a good day to you, Lady Drummond,” Kate
called after her.

Richard and Kate returned to the dining room
in silence, each absorbed in his own thoughts. Kate collapsed back
into her chair at the breakfast table, a little appalled by her own
actions. Never had she behaved so abominably toward another human
being. Gracious, what must Richard think of her?

Kate heard Richard’s footfalls behind her and
attempted to brace herself for the upcoming confrontation.
Nevertheless, she still jumped as her husband closed his large
tanned hands over her narrow shoulders.

“You -,” Richard growled.

Kate closed her eyes and her heart sank.
Obviously, Richard was very angry with her.

“Were magnificent!” Richard laughed.

Kate’s eyes flew open. Richard rounded the
side of Kate’s chair and lifted her small hand from her lap.
Gallantly, he bowed to her and raised her fingers to his warm
lips.

“I salute you, madam,” Richard murmured.

“What on earth?” Kate gasped.

“Only on the battlefield have I seen a better
display of tactics,” Warwick crowed in triumph. “You should have
been a general.”

Kate flushed at his praise.

“I think that in some way, my father would
have agreed with you,” Kate agreed. “He always wanted a son.”

At the mere mention of Edgar Overton,
Richard’s levity vanished and he returned to his chair.

“Your education is somewhat remarkable,”
Richard noted. “Is that why?”

“I suppose so. I love to learn,” Kate
explained. “My sisters never really understood languages or
mathematics the way that I did. I believe Dorothea’s idea of
geography was making sure she knew the way to the dressmaker’s
shop.”

Richard chuckled.

“Helen should make Frederick Winslow a
wonderful wife, though,” Kate added.

“Let us hope so.”

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?” Kate
inquired.

A shadow briefly crossed Richard’s features.
“I had a sister and a brother once, an older brother, but he died
in the war.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Kate softly
murmured.

“My father never got over Adam’s death. He
was his favorite son, you see,” Richard grimly admitted. “Adam
always wanted the title.”

“And you did not?”

Richard nodded slightly. “You’re very
perceptive. My sister, Eunice, would have borne the position well,
had she been born male.”

“May I meet her some day?” Kate hopefully
asked.

Already Kate could imagine holding in depth
conversations with Richard’s sister, hopefully learning more about
him in those exchanges than he would ever divulge.

“I’m afraid not,” Richard replied at
last.

“Where is she now? What happened to her?”
Kate asked fearfully.

“At peace, I hope,” Richard solemnly prayed.
“She died in a carriage accident eight years ago.”

“How sad. So much tragedy.”

“Indeed. Our mother didn’t take the news
well,” Richard softly explained. “I think she’d hoped that Eunice
would marry well. She spent a fortune on tutors and the best
finishing schools. Then the silly girl ran off with Lord Banbridge.
They were both killed when their carriage rolled on a muddy
road.”

Kate lowered her head as the sad tidings
washed over her.

“Are you the only one left then?” Kate
inquired.

Richard nodded. “Yes. Isn’t it ironic? I was
always the black sheep of the family, always the one involved in
one scrape or another. Yet, I survived.”

“But it made you stronger,” Kate pointed out.
“It made you who you are today.”

“Ah, yes,” Richard loftily stated. “A
deranged cynic with no social graces and a bad temper?”

Kate smiled at his attempt to lighten the
mood.

“I would hardly say that,” she objected, a
smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “I find you mature and
well-polished. If your manners are a little rough from time to
time, I’m sure that you have your reasons. You have a sharp wit and
your laughter transforms you. You should laugh more often, my lord.
How could anyone not admire and respect you?”

“You have a lofty opinion of me, my dear,”
Richard chuckled. “Why don’t you just be done with it and strew
flowers at my feet?”

“If you think it would help,” Kate glibly
offered.

The earl shook his head and rose from the
table. Slowly, he walked to the window and stared out at the
gardens outside. Richard’s hands were clasped behind his back and
his legs braced wide, as though he were standing on the deck of a
ship.

The image suited him, Kate decided. She could
easily envision Richard Warwick as the captain of a sleek frigate,
plying the waters off the English coast with effortless ease. In a
fight, however, Richard would command with absolute authority.
Somehow, Kate was certain of that. Every sailor aboard his ship
would count himself lucky to be in his service.

“Don’t put me up on a pedestal, Kate,”
Richard softly interjected. “I don’t deserve it.”

“That’s a matter of opinion,” Kate
objected.

“However, I do admire and appreciate your
faith in me,” Richard admitted. “But you really don’t know much
about me or my past.”

“Does it matter?” Kate inquired.

“It might.”

“I judge you by what you are today,” Kate
reasoned.

Richard’s lips curled up as he smiled.

“A profound error in judgment. I wouldn’t
have expected that of you, Kate,” Richard chuckled.

“You believe I should think ill of you?” Kate
inquired.

“Well, I’m hardly a candidate for Heaven,”
Richard quipped.

“Show me that you’re a wretch, a rogue and a
scoundrel,” Kate requested. “I’m not a stupid woman, my lord. I can
form my own opinions. Show me your gaming hells, your favorite
brothels and --”

“Brothels?” Richard gasped, whirling on
her.

“Yes, if it will help you to prove your
point,” Kate agreed. “You can also show me where you fell off your
horse when you were a boy or the room where you first cheated at
cards. Why, you might even be able to take me to White’s.”

“No women are allowed inside those hallowed
walls!” Richard growled.

“All the more reason that you should show
me,” Kate argued. “If you really are such a disreputable character,
you wouldn’t hesitate.”

Richard plowed his fingers through his hair
as he struggled to frame a suitable response to her outlandish
idea.

“Well?” Kate prodded. “Do you agree or
not?”

Suddenly, Richard’s face brightened. “Very
well. I accept your challenge, but only on one condition.”

“And that is?”

“For every proof I provide that I am a rake
and a scoundrel, you must grant me one favor in return,” Richard
proposed.

“Such as?” Kate inquired.

“That is up to me.”

“It’s preposterous!” Kate gasped, erupting
from her chair.

Kate glanced at Richard doubtfully. He’d
certainly thrown down the gauntlet this time. Richard challenged
Kate as though she were a man. Perhaps she was right about him
after all. Any battle between them certainly wouldn’t be one-sided.
Composing her features, Kate finally approached Richard at the
window.

“Very well. I accept,” Kate offered.

“Good.”

“However, I have a condition, as well,” she
added.

Richard frowned. He should have expected
this. Like many of her sex, Kate apparently wouldn’t grant him any
ground without a price. Crossing his long arms across his broad
chest, Richard braced himself for her demands.

“And that is?” Richard asked.

“Every time that I prove you are wrong, that
you are really a gentleman, you’ll give me a – a – a kiss,” Kate
proposed.

Dear Lord, where had those words come from?
Immediately, Kate wanted to take them back and offer something else
as her reward. Unfortunately, Richard was already grinning like the
Devil himself.

“Very well. Agreed,” Richard agreed. “Shall
we shake on it?”

Richard held out his large hand to her and
waited. Reluctantly, Kate frowned at the earl’s long, tapered
fingers. What had started out as a delightful little game had
suddenly gotten out of hand.

“Well, my lady?” Richard prodded. “Has your
courage deserted you?”

“Certainly not!” Kate insisted.

Bravely, Kate extended her hand toward him
and Richard wrapped his warm fingers around hers. With one tug,
Richard pulled Kate into his arms. Immediately, Kate flattened her
palms against Richard’s chest in an effort to maintain some
distance between them.

“What are you doing?” Kate protested.

“I believe that I owe you a kiss,” Richard
proposed.

“Why?”

“I believe we’ve just made a gentleman’s
agreement. You’ve won the first round. Congratulations, my lady,”
Richard told her. “Now, for your reward.”