Sally James (3 page)

She breathed deeply as Mrs Greenlow led her downstairs to the next floor, and after a discreet tap opened the door into a huge bedroom overlooking the Square.

Kate had a fleeting impression of far too much dark, heavy and old fashioned furniture, curtains drawn almost completely across the windows to exclude the failing daylight, a blazing fire which provided the only brightness while making the room oppressively hot, and several people standing about in the shadows, before her fascinated gaze turned towards the vast bed in the centre.

A pale, almost bald, and incredibly wizened old man lay propped on pillows, one skeletal hand lying on the sheets clutching a small but ornate, diamond-encrusted quizzing glass. As she took a faltering step towards the bed the old man, her grandfather, tremblingly raised the glass and inspected her through it for what seemed an hour.

Kate's emotions were in a turmoil. There was anger at what this man had done to her mother, curiosity at seeing him at last, an unexpected pity for his great age and clearly desperate condition, and nervousness at the strangeness of her situation. She swallowed hard and tried to control the sudden fit of trembling which had attacked her legs.

'Come here child!' the man in the bed ordered in a faint, querulous tone. Kate moved slowly towards him until she was no more than a foot away from the side of the bed.

'Grandfather?' she breathed softly. 'How do you do, sir?'

He showed no sign of having heard her but inspected her slowly, and she bore it with what fortitude she could. Then he nodded, lowered the quizzing glass and sighed, seeming to sink further into his pillows.

'So you are Caroline's brat. Not much like her, but you'll do,' he murmured, his voice scarcely audible, his eyes closing and his breathing becoming less rapid.

Kate felt a touch on her arm and permitted Mrs Greenlow to lead her from the room. As the door closed she released the breath she had not been conscious of holding in a gusty sigh, blinked rapidly, and looked about her curiously as if she had just awoken from a deep sleep.

'Dinner will be served in the small dining room,' Mrs Greenlow said briskly. 'This way, if you please.'

She led the way downstairs, and Kate found her aunt already waiting for her in a small room which seemed musty and rarely used.

'I understand that since his lordship has been ill the drawing room and the large dining room have been closed,' she explained as Kate looked about her with a puzzled frown on her face. 'This was a breakfast room when I knew it, but it seems to have been shut up for years.'

As she spoke the footman who had admitted them came in.

'Mrs Rhydd and Mr Adam will be here directly,' he announced, and smoothly withdrew.

'Mrs Rhydd?' Kate demanded of her aunt. 'Who is she? And who is Mr Adam?'

Miss Byford looked puzzled. 'I thought he was still in the army. Perhaps he has sold out since Napoleon was defeated last year,' she said almost to herself.

'Who?' Kate demanded impatiently.

'Your grandfather's heir. The Earl had a brother Frederick, and his son, John, who died many years ago, was Adam's father. So Adam is your grandfather's great nephew, and inherits the title when the Earl dies. He and his mother lived with your grandfather after John died, until Adam joined the army and went to the Peninsula.'

'Mama never mentioned him, nor did you,' Kate exclaimed indignantly, and was about to demand more details of this newly discovered cousin when they heard hurried footsteps approaching.

The door to the room must have been left slightly ajar, for the voices outside could easily be heard. A somewhat breathless female was talking in urgent, plaintive tones.

'Adam, you can't go out now! It would be most impolite! Besides, I will not be left to deal with them on my own. I can't, Adam!'

A deep, vibrant masculine tone answered her, impatience throbbing in every syllable. 'It's insupportable! He asks too much!'

Kate stiffened, and signalling to her aunt to be quiet, slipped from her seat and crept across to the door as the woman murmured in reply. The deep musical voice came again.

'Mama, how can you expect me to agree to such a ridiculous scheme? He's lost his wits! A vapid schoolroom miss!'

'But Adam,' his mother almost wailed, 'if you don't agree he'll cut you out of his will. None of the property is entailed, and we would be destitute! Once he's dead no one would hold you to such a promise, extorted on his deathbed!'

Adam snorted in disgust. 'I keep my promises, Mama. But in any event you have your jointure, which is perfectly adequate. You would not starve,' he said brusquely. 'And I have enough for my needs. Even if I hadn't I would rather rejoin the army, even in peacetime! But come, I suppose I must meet them. We ought not to keep them waiting any longer. We'll talk about it again tomorrow.'

The door opened fully and Kate sprang back and faced him as he entered. Her brows contracted fiercely, for she had no doubt that the vapid schoolroom miss he had referred to was herself, and she'd heard that angry voice before. She stared defiantly at the newcomers.

Mrs Rhydd, several years older than Aunt Sophie, but so elegant of form and fashionable in dress that at first glance she appeared younger, was of medium height, plump and light haired. She wore a magnificent emerald necklace with matching eardrops and bracelets, and a huge emerald and diamond ring. Fleetingly Kate, though ignorant both of the value of such jewels, and the income a lady of fashion thought essential, wondered how such a woman could ever be worried about lack of money. Mrs Rhydd glanced at her, smiled distractedly, and then moved towards Miss Byford, her hands outstretched.

'Sophie, my dear, it's been such an age since I saw you. Come and tell me everything.'

Kate was not interested in Mrs Rhydd, however. All her attention was concentrated on the man who followed her into the room, and who had made such uncomplimentary remarks about herself. This time, without his riding coat, she saw him more clearly. He was tall, broad shouldered and muscular, his superfine coat and pantaloons superbly cut.

Suddenly Kate felt dowdy in her ill fitting gown, and had great difficulty in maintaining the defiant stare she had greeted him with. Angrily she felt her cheeks flushing, and recollected the kiss. Her gaze seemed fixed on those firm, smooth lips. With a tremendous effort she looked away and forced herself to catalogue the rest of him. His features were regular, his profile good, and Kate knew she had never before looked at so classically handsome a man. Then she saw a slight scar near his left eye which caused the skin to pucker slightly, and she was relieved and meanly pleased that his incredible good looks were flawed.

The scar may have added to the disdainful expression on his face, and it could have been shock at seeing her which held him silent, but Kate was in no state to make allowances. He had forced her to kiss him that morning, and now, without knowing her, and for no apparent reason, he had spoken slightingly of her. She would demonstrate to this overbearing, self opinionated man that she was no mere child to be scorned.

Mrs Rhydd was talking to Aunt Sophie, a polite but strained smile on her face. Almost before greetings had been exchanged and Kate introduced the footman was back announcing that dinner was served.

'Come, Sophie dear, and Kate. We will be informal tonight,' Mrs Rhydd exclaimed, and ushered Aunt Sophie from the room.

Adam, who had nodded curt greetings to Kate and her aunt, without vouchsafing a word to either of them, offered Kate his arm.  With a defiant lift of her chin she pointedly ignored it and began to sweep from the room in the wake of the other ladies.

To her astonished fury she felt Adam's hand on her shoulder, and despite her furious attempts to free herself was held back.

'Let me go!' she hissed.

'I will, when you tell me why you were playing goatherd this morning,' he snapped. 'Just why was the Earl of Malvern's granddaughter making such a spectacle of herself in a gown fit only for a peasant?'

'Laying myself open to insults from the gentry?' Kate retorted, and grinned at his fleeting look of embarrassment.

He recovered swiftly, though. 'That too,' he agreed suavely. 'However, we must leave that discussion for now and attempt to behave politely at dinner. Afterwards, you may be sure, I intend to have an explanation.'

Kate, indignant, opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment Mrs Rhydd called out to ask why they were dawdling. Adam placed a warm finger on Kate’s lips, and with a faint chuckle which to Kate sounded oddly menacing, pulled her arm through his and led her into the dining room.

Chapter Three

Dinner was a decidedly uncomfortable meal. Kate had suddenly lost her appetite, especially when the footman placed a dish of roast pork in front of Adam.

'Not sucking piglets?' he asked as he picked up the carving knife, and looked quizzically at Kate. 'I wonder where this animal came from? A cottage garden, perhaps. How many - I mean how much will you take?'

'None, thank you,' she replied through gritted teeth.

'Do you live a very retired life in the country?' he continued, turning to Miss Byford on his other side.

'We don't go out in company a great deal, and there is a lot to do, looking after a house and garden.'

'Do you keep any livestock?'

'Only chickens,' Miss Byford replied innocently. 'We like our own fresh eggs.'

'But we don't keep geese,' Kate said, glowering at Adam. 'We don't have any truck with foolish creatures who enjoy dabbling in puddles.'

'I've always wanted to be able to keep chickens,' Mrs Rhydd intervened.

'Pigs and goats too, no doubt, Mama.'

She wrinkled up her nose. 'No, I think not. They are smelly, unpredictable creatures.'

'Inclined to attack unwary town dwellers,' Kate said maliciously.

After placing the other dishes on the table the footmen withdrew, as it was an informal meal. Mrs Rhydd did her best to persuade Kate to talk of her home and her interests, but was rewarded with the briefest possible replies, and turned with some relief to Miss Byford.

Fortunately the two ladies, despite the dozen years separating them in age, had moved in the same circles as girls and had a great many acquaintances in common. Determined to ignore Kate's fierce mood, her aunt gave her attention to discovering news of old friends with whom she had lost touch since going to live with the newly widowed Mrs Byford and the infant Kate.

Adam spoke to Kate in a low tone the others could not hear. 'I believe goat's cheese is reckoned a delicacy. Kate, have you, amongst your other rural accomplishments, been taught how to milk goats?'

'Even you would find it difficult to milk a Billy goat,' Kate snapped, and Adam bit back a shout of laughter.

'Cows, then. You would make a delightful milkmaid. I saw a charming milkmaid today, but unfortunately she was aping her betters in a deplorably made muslin gown.'

Kate fumed. 'No doubt it was clean, to start with, and better a milkmaid in muslin than the muslin company in silks and satins!'

'What do you know about the muslin company?' he asked sharply.

'Only that they are frequented by rakes.'

'Garden rakes?' he asked, his eyebrows raised, a disdainful expression on his face. 'I think we had better confine our conversation to matters which you understand. Farm animals, for example.'

Kate flushed at the rebuke. She was well aware that her anger at Adam's remarks had led her into impropriety. Miss Byford had always answered her questions, and as they subscribed to a circulating library and had similar tastes for highly-coloured tales of romance and adventure, there had been many questions about society Kate had wanted answered. 

She had also been great friends with the Squire's daughter, despite the five years which separated them. After Diana's marriage she had heard many tales about London Society, several of which would have shocked even Miss Byford.

But Kate had also been taught there were some matters which were never spoken of in polite company, and certainly not introduced by a young unmarried girl at a dinner table. However, she was not about to be intimidated by Adam Rhydd.

'I suppose you are referring to foolish creatures like geese and donkeys,' she retorted. 'Though I understand that donkeys are easy to ride, and as they don't take fright easily they might be safer for poor riders instead of them aping Corinthians on horses they can't control.'

She saw with some satisfaction that Adam's skin darkened as he flushed and pursed his lips. Abruptly he turned to Miss Byford, and Kate was left to Mrs Rhydd's questions once more.

'I heard you say you rode, I believe?'

'No, not properly,' Kate stammered. 'I borrow a pony occasionally, as we cannot afford to keep horses, not even a pony and trap.'

'Adam's a very good rider, and he drives excellently,' Mrs Rhydd said, casting a fond look at her son. 'Tell me, Kate, are there many eligible country squires in your part of the country?'

'Eligible?' Kate asked.

Mrs Rhydd smiled encouragingly at her. 'Suitable matches, my dear. I'm certain there must be some country gentlemen languishing now you've been summoned to Town. I wonder if any of them will have the initiative to follow you?'

Kate laughed. 'Oh, you mean do I have any swains?'

'I'm sure there are some hopeful young gentlemen.'

Kate shook her head. 'We don't meet any. There's only Thomas, the Vicar's son, and he's only a year older than me. He doesn't count. We can't afford even to go to the local Assemblies, so I don't see how I would come to know any others, if they exist.'

'Adam has had the pick of young debutantes for several years, but has so far found no one to meet his very exacting standards. He needs a suitable wife, one who will support him, especially when he inherits the title. He needs a girl from the highest ranks, one accustomed to moving in the best circles, who will know how to go on and be a credit to him.'

'Is there anyone good enough?' Kate asked, her expression bland, and her eyes limpidly innocent.