The Pursuit (19 page)

“You’re not going to get away,” he said when she glanced toward the door. “I won’t let you.”

“I’m angry at you. Don’t speak to me.”

“It’s not talking I want to do.”

Again she bit her lip to squelch a smile and looked around for ways to avoid him. It was a terrible joke on his part, and she was not going to reward him with a kiss or anything else.

Tate made his move while Cassandra was trying to gauge her distance to the door. One moment she was standing alone, and the next moment he’d manacled her wrist with one large hand.

“Let go of me, Tate,” she commanded.

He ignored her, scooped her into his arms, and returned to the front of the davenport to sit down, neatly placing her next to him. His arms around her, her hands against his chest, Cassandra looked up at him.

“Can I have that kiss?” he asked.

“Are you going to lie to me again?”

“Not until the next time,” he said, taking her so by surprise that she laughed before she remembered she was supposed to be angry.

Tate smiled down at her, his eyes alight with love.

“Will you forgive me?”

“Yes.” She smiled back, unable to help herself.

Cassandra’s hands moved from his chest to his face, her small hands warm against his cheeks as they kissed. “I’m glad you don’t have a headache,” she said after a time, her heart too tender to bear a grudge.

“I shouldn’t have done that, but you never play for me, and I do enjoy it.”

Cassandra made a face. Tate shook his head.

“I’m never going to convince you, am I? I
like
the way you play, Cassie.”

“I’ll work on it,” she granted for the moment, but he could see that her heart was not in it.

Tate didn’t comment before kissing her again. In the midst of their embrace, Cassandra thought he might be using the wrong tactic: If he promised to hold and kiss her, she just might want to play.

Newcomb Park

“What did you find?” Henry asked of Edward as soon as he arrived home from town.

“I’ll show you,” Edward said, leading the way to the round table that sat in the middle of the foyer. Pushing the flower arrangement aside, he set a wooden box down, flipped the catch, and opened it to reveal a geologist’s kit.

Henry bent over the box and inspected the rocks, guide book, and various tools. It appeared to be a very complete and well-made set.

“Do you think he’ll like it?” the younger brother asked.

“Yes, very much,” Henry said, his eyes still on the items in the box. “Even Lizzy will like it,” he added, referring to the sister who had married Thomas Morland less than a year before.

Edward looked pleased. He had spent a generous amount but knew the gift could be from both of them.

“I think I’ll ask Cassie to wrap it. She’s good at that.”

“That’s a good idea; then you can check on her too.”

“Why would I need to do that?”

Henry’s brows rose.

“Did I not mention to you that I thought she looked pale and tired on Sunday?”

“No, you didn’t.”

Henry frowned again. He was not a man who spoke every thought—he knew there was no need—but at times communication was important. This was just such a time. For several days his youngest sister, Cassandra, had been in his thoughts, but he’d not mentioned it to Edward when he meant to.

“I’ll go and see her and Tate later today,” Edward filled in, feeling as though Henry needed to be rescued. “Don’t give it another thought.”

Henry nodded. “When I take my ride in the morning, I may head to Pembroke too, but do let me know if you see Cassie.”

Edward agreed and watched Henry move on his way. He was a different man from a year ago. Henry Steele, the oldest of the family, had always cared about his family, but no one had been able to tell. Now he was much more verbal, and all of his family knew of his deep love for them.

Still reflecting on his brother’s positive changes, Edward tucked the geologist’s kit into a safe place and went in search of lunch. Ready to relax with the newspaper, he would take his time over the meal, but he’d head to Pembroke as soon as he was done.

Pembroke

“Did I just see Edward leaving?” Tate asked Cassandra as he joined her in the garden that afternoon.

“Yes. He came by to say hello.”

Tate studied his wife’s face.

“Is everything all right?”

“I think so.” Cassandra looked a little confused. “He confessed to being concerned about me.”

“In what way?”

“My health. He wondered if I was feeling all right.”

“And are you?”

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m just not certain what Henry might be seeing.”

“How did Henry get into this?”

Cassandra explained the conversation her brothers had shared earlier that day. Tate looked surprised but also watchful. His wife’s brothers had known her a good deal longer than he had. It was true that they no longer lived with her, but as her husband he’d be foolish to ignore something they might have seen.

“What’s this?” Tate asked, spotting the wooden box at her feet.

“Oh, a gift for Morland’s birthday. Edward asked me to wrap it.”

“I’ll take it inside for you.”

“Thank you.”

Tate went on his way with a smile from his wife. Cassandra went back to the flowers she was inspecting, but her heart wasn’t in it. Edward’s visit had been kind but also unsettling. Cassandra moved among the flowers for a while longer but soon gave up, went inside, and tried to bury herself in a book.

Thornton Hall

Marianne Jennings shifted the infant at her breast, bouncing him slightly so he would go back to eating, her eyes studying his dark hair and soft, beautiful skin.

William Jennings II was one month old. Arriving on time and with little fuss, he was nothing short of miraculous to his parents and greatly loved by his four older siblings. The three oldest children in the family were not technically his siblings; they were wards of her husband, William Jennings I, but from her heart’s standpoint, Thomas, James, and Penny had never been anything but family.

Catherine Anne Jennings, who would enjoy her second birthday during the summer, was William’s full sister. Talking nonstop and dropping to her stomach to take the stairs at lightning speed, she often seemed to be in two places at once, and when she wasn’t making them laugh, she was making them tired.

With five children in a 16-year age range, life was busy. Marianne looked forward to times when she could feed little William just to gain a few minutes of peace and quiet.

This afternoon he was done all too soon. Marianne had no more put him back in his cradle when Thomas came looking for her. He wanted to go riding with friends, and Catherine, who had trailed him, wished to go along as well. Thomas reached down to take her in his arms.

“If you go with me, who will be here to play with William when he wakes up?”

Catherine looked at him with wide eyes.

“You’d better stay and help with the baby,” Thomas suggested.

Catherine nodded in compliance and wanted down. When she toddled on ahead of them, Marianne looked to Thomas with amused eyes.

“That was swift thinking.”

Thomas, tall now and very grown-up, grinned at her before heading downstairs. Catherine’s nanny, Sophie, had followed after her young charge, but Marianne still followed everyone down to the main floor, wanting to check on James’ and Penny’s plans for the afternoon.

A conversation with Jennings from the night before suddenly came to mind. He’d asked why she seemed tired lately. Marianne smiled and thought that he’d have to follow her around someday to find out.

Sunday morning saw Henry and Edward in the carriage headed to church. Henry’s eyes were trained out the window on this sunny March morning, but Edward was studying his Bible.

At times Henry glanced at his brother and wondered whether he was memorizing a verse. The younger Steele would study a page and then look away. He did it all the way to the church building and even in the pew before the sermon began. Henry, who was very happy with quiet and his own thoughts, didn’t think to ask him about it until after the service was over.

Edward explained, “I’m working on some verses in Ephesians.”

“Have you got them down yet?” Henry asked as the men walked outside.

“Just about. I enjoyed the fact that Pastor Hurst referred to Ephesians 6:13.”

“Which verse was that?”

“It ends with ‘having done all, to stand.’ That verse is the one right before Paul lists the armor of God.”

“I recall it now.”

The men were well onto the gravel yard that spread out in front of the church. They squinted against the sunlight and heard small voices.

“It’s Edward!”

Leaving Henry for the moment, Edward walked toward the voices, smiling hugely when he saw Christopher and Richard coming his way, both dressed up for church but not in matching outfits.

“Hello, Christopher; hello, Richard. How are you?”

“You’re not wearing your boots,” Christopher mentioned, his brow furrowed a bit.

“No, not today. Shall I wear them tomorrow?”

Both boys nodded, thinking this a grand idea.

“We still don’t have any,” Richard told him, his face showing his woe.

“You have a nice suit of clothing on today, though,” Edward encouraged, and watched Richard look down at his jacket as though seeing himself for the first time.

Christopher launched into the fun things they were enjoying at Blackburn Manor, James Walker’s home, telling Edward about rides with the pony, reading with Aunt Mary, and playing on the veranda when it rained. Edward was laughing over their descriptions when the boys’ mother approached. Edward looked up and saw Niki, everything inside of him freezing for long seconds and making him breathless.

“Mama!” the boys began at once. “It’s Edward. He has Hessian boots like we want.”

“He didn’t wear them!”

“Boys,” Niki said in a soft voice that wasn’t nearly as deep as he remembered. “We’re speaking English today.”

“We forgot” were the next words from them, and Edward stood by, unable to stop staring at this woman.

This was not a Niki Bettencourt he’d ever imagined. This Niki was soft and feminine, and her hair was blond and beautiful, just like the boys’. Edward was still staring like an idiot when the boys took off, leaving them on their own.