Regency Rumours/A Scandalous Mistress/Dishonour And Desire (45 page)

If Millie was surprised by this development, she concealed it well.

Studying herself in the mirror over the mantelshelf, she wondered how one tackled the unique experience of thanking someone for saving one’s life. He had walked away afterwards as if to show that the two of them were quite unconnected until she chose of her own volition to make that connection willingly and in person. Either he was very sure of her, and himself, or he minded little which way she decided—in which case, she reminded herself, he would hardly have taken the trouble to follow her to Brighton or to watch what she did that morning. Would he? Well, whatever his shortcomings, he could never be accused of not trying hard enough to win his wager, though it was hard for her to understand why he should be feeling any sympathy for her father’s predicament.

Millie returned, smiling. ‘I met Sir Chase downstairs,’ she said, ‘just about to enter his private parlour. So I gave him your message. He’s waiting for you.’

‘But I cannot be seen knocking on the door of his private …’

‘Outside
here,
’ said Millie, pointing to the door, ‘in the passage.’

Caterina’s hand flew to her breast to quell the sudden pounding. He had seen her as good as naked in a clinging wet linen shift. He had held it bundled around her middle, using it as a handle to lift her like a rag doll into the cabin. She owed him an explanation.

The hand moved to her cheek, touching a tiny pearl earring. ‘Am I …?’

Millie prinked at the fine frill of blue muslin around her mistress’s neck. ‘You look amazing, Miss Caterina,’ she whispered, lifting the paisley shawl a little higher. ‘He was glad to get your message, I could tell.’ She opened the door.

The narrow passageway had windows along one side and three steps down to his level, and when she laid her hands in his, she could feel again the rock hardness of his support and the shakiness in her legs as she descended. His hair was still damp, roughly raked back, but already springing onto his forehead, his skin fresh and healthily glowing, his changeable gemstone eyes filled with concern and relief. As always, his attire was immaculate, as if he’d spent hours with his valet choosing, fitting, arranging and polishing.

She hesitated on the bottom step while she was still above herself yet not above him. ‘Sir Chase,’ she whispered, ‘I owe you an explanation.’ Fascinated, she saw his eyes wander in admiration over her new fashionable hairstyle and return to her face. She was paler than usual, her voice pitched to a more husky tone, and they were on the brink of presenting quite a different picture to each other, a new side to their characters and a new phase to their relationship.

His hands pulled, gently, his eyes unable to hide his triumph. Their lips met, comforting each other briefly for the hazard they had shared. She could not begrudge him that. ‘You do indeed, Miss Chester,’ he said. ‘Shall we go down? Will you take my arm? We’ll go slowly.’

He might, she thought, have been referring to their future dealings together. ‘Yes. Thank you.’ Not a word of censure from him. No frowns of disapproval at her latest mutinous expression of independence.

‘Shall I send for some tea … chocolate?’ he said, closing the door of the parlour. ‘Have you taken food since …?’

‘Since my swim? Yes, some soup. But I didn’t taste it.’ She sank gratefully into the chair to which he led her, smiling inwardly as he placed a soft chenille rug over her knees. ‘A cup of chocolate would be good.’

He rang the bell. ‘A day of rest, I think. Don’t you agree? Perhaps a gentle stroll later on to keep the legs moving, then a good night’s rest.’ Requesting a pot of chocolate and some cakes, he placed himself opposite her in a high-winged armchair, looking for all the world as if a fast sprint, an exhausting swim and the rescue of a maiden in distress were his daily diet.

‘Sir Chase,’ she said, finding that the words flowed quite easily, after all, ‘I owe you my thanks as well as an explanation. I would never have made it back to the shore without you. I feel very foolish. I was not trying to … well … I was simply enjoying myself, you see, not thinking of anything … much.’ It was not strictly true. She had been thinking of him. She had thought of him ever since. ‘If you had not been there, I’m sure I would not have been able to manage alone.’

‘My dear Miss Chester,’ he replied, ‘I think you need say no more about it. Had I not been there, you
would
have done it alone. Your love of life is stronger than you think at such times. You might have been a few minutes slower—’ he smiled ‘—but then, I have a tendency to hurry where you’re concerned, don’t I? Now, shall we put it to the back of our minds for good? We have more interesting developments to discuss, I believe.’

‘Well,’ she said, hoarsely, ‘you may be able to banish it to the back of your mind, Sir Chase, but I shall find it harder to do so. I have not had my life saved before. It’s a novelty to me.’

‘Of course. I quite understand. I hope it remains a novelty. But I am in a similar position regarding marriage proposals, which are a novelty to me but not to you. May we discuss that, if only to put me out of my misery? Come in!’ he called to the tap on the door.

The door opened, and soon the table was covered with cups and pots, plates of cakes and biscuits as big as cartwheels, the distribution of which gave Caterina time to take in what Sir Chase had just admitted to her. Replacing her cup on the side-table, she said, ‘You’ve never offered for anyone before?’

‘Never. Believe me, I’m an utter novice.’

‘Then you may be wishing you had not. There’s still time to change your mind.’

‘Ah,’ he said, looking at her over the rim of his cup, ‘that sounds rather like a hope that I might. Or even that you regret what you said to your father on Tuesday evening. So, my dear lady, I have to tell you that it
is
too late. I am not so charitable. I shall not allow you to change your mind.’

‘That was not my intention,’ she whispered. ‘You misunderstand me, sir.’

Leaning forward, he reached out to take her hands in his, making her look at him. ‘Do I?’ he said, softly.
‘I understand that you are still angry with me, and with your father. Am I correct?’

‘Yes.’

He nodded. ‘But you will become my wife, for his sake?’

‘Is that what he told you?’

‘Yes, that you are a dutiful daughter, if somewhat headstrong.’

‘Then he has misled you. I am not dutiful. I am doing this for my sister’s sake. I left him in no doubt of that.’

‘Well, you know,’ he said, ‘I was never one for filial duty in all things either, especially in affairs of the heart, and I’d much rather you married me for love of your sister than out of any sense of duty. Perhaps one day you’ll discover an even better reason, but meanwhile I’ll accept that. Were there angry words? Is that why you left so suddenly?’

‘No angry words. I had already decided before …’

‘At Sevrington Hall?’

‘Yes.’ It was too late to take the admission back. Now he would know what had persuaded her, apart from Sara.

‘Then you still have a choice, and I shall not insist on spoiling it.’

‘A choice, sir?’

‘Your father seemed quite convinced that you would want to seek the advice of your governess, and now we’ve met again in the most
unusual
circumstances and you’re probably fearing that I shall not let you out of my sight.’

‘Yes, I suppose I had thought that.’

‘No. You must choose whether to keep your own company while we’re here, or whether to share your time with me. Do you have a preference?’

Her croaky reply came with a convincing readiness. ‘Oh, yes, I would prefer to share it with you, Sir Chase, if I may. So far, I have not been too much at ease here on my own. My plans have gone rather askew, and now Millie is far from well, so I cannot take her out with me.’

‘Reasons I shall have to be satisfied with, but better than I feared.’

‘Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to sound quite like that. Yes, to be perfectly honest, when I first discovered you were here I was about to return at once in that horrendous pink post-chaise.’

‘But you resisted the temptation. Very courageous.’

‘Then I realised that you were perhaps allowing me … er … giving me …’

‘Giving you your head, lass?’ he said, tenderly. ‘I was warned you might make a dash for it, but one doesn’t cure a filly of bolting by keeping her in the stable, you know. You’re free to run until we’re married, and even then you’ll not be confined. You have nothing to fear there.’

‘Then you’ll be leaving me to my own devices while you go away?’

‘I didn’t say that. You’ll certainly
not
be left to your own devices.’

‘Oh.’ Her hands remained in his as unspoken queries advanced and retreated in both their minds, too delicate, too contentious to be spoken. ‘There is one thing,’ she said, ‘which concerns my stay here at the Castle. I would not mention it except that it’s been a source of concern to me.’

‘I can help. What is it?’

‘I expected to stay with Miss Vincent, you see, and I brought only small funds with me. So I may have to return sooner than I intended.’

‘I have a confession to make,’ Sir Chase said, keeping a very straight face. ‘I intercepted your message to Lady Dorna. You will not be travelling home in four days’ time in that appalling conveyance again. No—’ he held up a hand ‘—I’m sorry, but no future wife of mine is going to be seen in that vulgar monstrosity with its tassels and twiddly bits everywhere. You will be returning with me, and I shall be settling all bills for accommodation, so there’s no need to concern yourself on that score.’

‘Sir Chase, I cannot possibly allow you to do that. I have no objection to travelling back to Richmond with you, but all I need is a loan to be sure that I can—’

‘Miss Chester, have you formally accepted me, or not?’

She blinked. ‘Er … yes, I think so.’

‘That’s what I thought.’ Stretching an arm across the tray of cups, he collected a small package wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. Placing it on her lap, he continued, ‘Then perhaps you would oblige me by wearing that, just to remind yourself in case of further misunderstandings about who pays for what. I do like to have these matters clarified so that we all know what we’re about. You’ll not be leaving
me
at the altar, my girl.’ When she sat gazing at it, he nudged it with one finger. ‘Come on, open it. It won’t bite.’

Knowing what it would be, she pulled open the bow and peeled back the paper to reveal a small polished wooden box with a mother-of-pearl rose set into the lid. Inside, resting on a white satin cushion, was a gold ring set with a large emerald surrounded by diamonds flashing with rainbow fires. It was almost too precious to touch.

Seeing her reluctance, Sir Chase removed it from its
bed and, taking hold of her left hand, slid it on to her finger. ‘There,’ he whispered, ‘I think that makes it official. Did the other two get this far?’

‘No, sir, they didn’t.’ He had already gone further than they had in other directions. Even so, she sensed that there might be an element of competition in his needing to know, in his references to her previous engagements.

‘Good. This is yours, whatever happens. Will you wear it, to please me?’

‘If it will please you, sir, I will wear it. Thank you.’

‘But?’ he said, lifting her chin with his knuckle.

‘It’s very precious and beautiful.’ It was not what she had wanted to say.

‘So you can see now why I encouraged you to stay afloat this morning. It would have been such a pity to have missed the chance to wear it, don’t you think? Was it worth swimming for?’

She had to smile at his banter. ‘I didn’t realise it really
was
you by my side. I heard you somewhere inside my head, but I thought it was a … oh, dear … what am I saying?’ A rosy pink blushed over her cheeks at the memory of what had happened, her reference to his exact whereabouts in her mind giving away more than she had intended.

It appeared to please him, however. ‘That’s as good a place as any, for the time being. But now we shall hear no more about the funds and loans, because that is my department, and yours is to grace my side, as you do so perfectly.’

She sat very still, gazing at the magnificent jewels against her skin, suddenly subdued and, for once, unsure of how to proceed. She had been betrothed twice before, on neither occasion with rings or mentions of
escape. This time was quite different, and irrevocable for all the wrong reasons. ‘I have nothing to give you, Sir Chase,’ she said, ‘but you need not fear I shall change my mind at the last moment as I have done before. Things have gone too far for that.’

‘Caterina, listen to me. I know what’s gnawing at you. This was not the way you wanted it. You feel helpless, and thwarted, and deceived, too. But despite the circumstances, I feel we should be able to get on tolerably well together once things have settled down. Domestic things, I mean. As soon as we’ve tied the knot we can be away from Richmond within days. Leave it to me.’

‘Marriage, so soon?’ ‘Oh, yes. I want you out of that place.’
Not, then, I want you in my arms, Caterina. I cannot wait another moment for you. Nothing to do with the emotions. Businesslike. Efficient. So that we all know what we’re about.

Shivering, she reached for her cup and saucer, taking a sip of cool chocolate before answering him. ‘That is soon, sir, but Hannah will be relieved to hear it. She needs my room rather urgently.’

‘That was tactful of her, and no mistake.’ ‘Not really. She and my father expect an addition.’ There was the slightest pause before he let out a slow breath. ‘Then I’d say our timing was near perfect. Now, is there any other matter you need reassurance about? We can talk over the details when you’re feeling more yourself, perhaps?’

Near the front of her mind had lurked the secret hope that he might seal their betrothal with a kiss. A man like Sir Chase could not be expected to miss an opportunity like that without a very good reason. But he did not, and
she could only assume that it was because she was not quite herself. Or because he did not care to.