Yorkshire (10 page)

He lifted my hand to his lips, kissing it softly and watching my reaction. His small gesture sent shivers through me. I said nothing while I frantically tried to bring myself back down to earth and collect my thoughts.

“Julia said I must be delirious from my injuries, but I insisted upon it, and she promised me she would think about it.” There was no emotion at all in his voice when he referred to his affianced wife.

“Will you say the same to me in a few months?” Was this the way his affair with Miss Cartwright had started?

I couldn’t mistake the fierceness in his expression. “No. I swear it. I have no fond feelings for her.” He gazed at me as if I held all he wanted. “I was a fool. Love is possible, you’ve already showed me that. I feel everything for you that I never felt for Julia. Or any other woman.”

I found my voice at last in dealing with the practical. I needed time to think, to assess this terrifying, wonderful turn of events. “You shouldn’t be out of your bed, sir. You lost a great deal of blood, you must be weak still.”

He wouldn’t let me change the subject. “I came to find you. I wanted to know if I should stay here any longer, if there was any hope for me. If you won’t consider me, I’ll take myself off to York. I spoiled it by kissing you. I had no intention of it, but you looked so vulnerable, so adorable I couldn’t help myself. Please tell me, can I hope? Or should I leave you in peace?”

My words came with difficulty. “I’m sorry, sir. I must be very stupid, but I don’t understand. You have the pick of society, you can have anyone you please. Unless you want to seduce me. I won’t allow that.” His physical closeness bemused me, didn’t help me one bit.

“My poor love,” he said, a warmth in his voice that previously I would never have imagined in him. “This is all very sudden isn’t it? Do you think I’m in the habit of seducing respectable unmarried females?” He smiled at my expression, which betrayed my thoughts. That was exactly what I was thinking. A man of society seducing a relatively innocent country girl. My status might have changed in the last day, but my character had not. “My reputation is bad, but not that bad, I can assure you. I kept my philandering for those in a position to welcome it.”

“Oh.” I was uncertain what he meant. Perhaps I didn’t want to understand. I sat quietly for a while, my hand in his, and he let me be. He must have known I needed time to absorb this. “To be frank, I approached women tired of their marriages, or women who sold their favours. At a very high price, but that kind of bargain was often more honest than the other. I never lost myself so thoroughly as to try to seduce young women of good family.”

At least he was honest, but one thing still puzzled me. “I’m sorry to be so obtuse. I don’t understand why you offered for Miss Cartwright in the first place.”

He grimaced. “No more do I, now.” I let my hand lie in his, luxuriating in his warmth, allowing myself this small indulgence. “At the time, it seemed the sensible thing to do. I found no sign of a woman I wanted to share my life with— I didn’t look for love, you understand, but an agreement with a sensible, attractive woman with whom I could be friends. I’m the heir, and I have a duty, if not to my family, then to the estate and the prosperity of everyone working on it. I’m thirty, and my mother never ceases to remind me that it is time I began the tasks allotted to me by birth, so I settled on a woman who would make few demands of me, one who didn’t repel me physically. One I thought would accept my way of life without asking too many questions.” His expression was so sincere, it was hard to doubt him. “Then you came along and I saw what I had been looking for all this time. And more.” He said it in such a matter-of-fact way that I almost believed him.

My heart lifted, despite my caution. “How could you know? You don’t know me, knew even less of me two days ago. You said it yourself.”

“I think it’s something referred to as a
coup de foudre,
a clap of thunder. Love at first sight. The instant I saw you, I knew you were the person my lonely soul had been looking for. How it happened, why, is a complete mystery to me, but I knew. My brother knew, too.”

“You don’t mean…” I began, appalled.

“No, no. He knew how I felt, that’s all.” He grimaced, looking away. “After all these years apart, we still have the ability to read each others’ thoughts.” He turned his head to me again. “You suspected nothing? You saw
nothing
of how I felt about you?” He seemed incredulous.

“No, how could I? All I know of you is what I’ve read and been told. I still don’t know what to believe. And I was too busy trying to cope with my own feelings.” He had been honest with me, as far as I could tell, so I should take a turn now. However shy or reserved I was I owed him that much. “I’ve never felt anything like this before. I don’t know where it came from, what it means. I don’t know what to call it or what to do with it. At least—” I looked into his eyes again, and tried to be honest, “—I didn’t. I think I love you too.”

He drew me close and kissed me again. The desperate desire I had felt in him when first he held me was back in his control. We were sealing some sort of bargain now, having given ourselves a little time to recover from the shock. I could now return his kisses with a little more safety. In any case I couldn’t think what else to do. Well bred young ladies were not supposed to think of love, at least, not until they were safely married, and I’d thought that particular fate had passed me by.

Completely content in his embrace, everything stopped for me. He pushed his fingers into my hair to cradle my scalp, murmured, “I knew I was right,” and he kissed me again. His mouth was warm and gently demanding on mine. I could think of nothing I’d rather be doing. He pressed against my lips, encouraging me to open my mouth for him and when I did so, he slipped his tongue inside, tasted me as I absorbed his unique flavour, his passion and his need.

The sound of a horse as it walked past outside brought me back to my senses. “My lord, we should go.”

He touched my mouth with another kiss, soft and gentle. “Never ‘my lord.’ Never again, when we are private. Richard, my name is Richard. Say it.”

“Richard.”

“How do you do that? It never sounded so sweet before.” He kissed me again, another bargain sealed.

I smiled, saying, “My name is Rose. Rosalind, actually, but nobody calls me that.”

“I can’t imagine why. It suits you charmingly. Rose.” His lips relaxed into a smile that threatened to melt me into a puddle at his feet.

When I saw the coach looming before us, hiding us from onlookers but reminding us of the terrible events of the day before, I remembered why we were here and pulled away. “What about the coach strap? What should we do about that?”

His face settled into a serious expression again while he considered what I had asked, but he drew me back into his arms and I was too weak to pull away again. “It’s been cut. Only on one side, so the coach would lurch when the strap gave way but the other was too worn to hold the weight on its own. It amounts to murder, but if it becomes known it could cause trouble for you and your family.” He studied my face, frowning in concentration. “Will you leave it with me for now? I need a clear head to think and when I look at you, I have anything but a clear head.”

I agreed at once. “Of course.” I knew I could trust him in this matter. We gazed at each other, hands linked, his good arm around my shoulders, holding me close to his heat.

“We should go.”

He agreed, his innate good manners coming to the fore. “Indeed we should. Though I’d prefer to stay here all day, with you. Getting to know you. Confirming what I already feel in my heart.” He got to his feet and helped me up. “One more kiss, to take with me?” When I granted him that gladly, he released me.

He held out his good arm. I took it gratefully, needing support.

Passing by the ruined coach, I asked, “What will you do?”

He thought. “Nothing, for the present. There’s too much for us to take in, now. We should give it a day or two. I’ll have some enquiries put in hand, and we’ll see what that turns up.” He smiled at me. “And the investigation will give us more time to accustom ourselves to our new discovery.”

I didn’t flush when I met his gaze. It was almost as if we’d been fated to meet. Although fate had terrible timing.

Chapter Seven

We entered by the side door. Martha, passing by, saw us come in, and stopped, looking at us quizzically. I hoped my new feelings didn’t show, but knew better than to take my hand hastily away from his arm.

Martha faced us squarely, disapproval clear on her face. “How are you today, my lord?”

“Much better, ma’am. My valet sent me out for some fresh air. My good nurse kindly offered to accompany me.” He glanced at me and I smiled timorously back.

Martha gave me a look full of censure and warning. Lord Strang bowed and went upstairs, while I tried to assuage Martha’s suspicions. “We didn’t go out of sight of the house.”

She pursed her lips, shaking her head. “You should be more careful. That man has a bad reputation.”

“I know, Martha. I’ll take care.” Who would know better than I how well he’d earned his reputation?

We walked to the breakfast room.

I sat as far from Lord Strang—Richard—as I could during the meal, feeling stunned and unreal. Thoughts chased through my head, making no sense at all, but I couldn’t bear to be near him in public in case I betrayed my feelings.

Fortunately, most of the household came in to eat so there were a lot of reasons not to look in his direction. Lizzie watched us surreptitiously, probably because of what I’d told her last night. Presently, she began to converse with Mr. Kerre, getting along famously with my lord’s brother. I wondered why I wasn’t more taken with him. They were so alike, and yet to me a world of difference existed behind those faces.

The crisp, white cloth on the large table complemented the clean cutlery and the fresh, hot food. The kitchen staff and the housekeeper had felt the presence of a competent manager, and had responded to the call.

When Steven arrived, he mentioned he’d been to see the vicar in the village. There would be a double funeral for the late earls the next day, Thursday. It would take place in the private chapel here in the Abbey, but all who wished to attend would be welcome.

James declared himself happy with the arrangements, asking Steven to inform Mr. Pritheroe.

Steven bowed. “Yes, my lord.”

James looked at him, his eyes wide with startlement. Sir James had become Lord Hareton overnight, but it would take some time for him to grow used to the idea. I grinned at my brother, and he grinned back. The ten years difference in our ages made little difference to our closeness. “At least I’m still Miss Golightly.”

“I thought you’d be a ladyship,” James said, frowning.

“No, I’m the sister of an earl. Not the daughter of one. I don’t understand it completely myself, but I daresay someone will explain it to us.”

“Oh.” James’s brow cleared. He wasn’t the quickest person on the uptake.

Lizzie shook out her napkin with a snap of well-starched linen. “We can be ladies if we wish. There are plenty of precedents for us to use the title.”

“Not,” Martha said firmly, “until we are certain. After all, Lady Hareton may still be enceinte.”

Steven tried to catch my attention. I avoided him, but I knew he wouldn’t give up. I would have to face him sooner or later, but not today. No, not today. I risked glancing across the table to Richard, currently engrossed in conversation with James, and took comfort from his presence, although he didn’t look my way. Perhaps it was just as well, because I knew I would have given myself away if our eyes met. I looked away to see Steven watching me closely. I forced myself to smile at him.

“I’ve asked the housekeeper to take me round the house after breakfast,” Martha said. “If anyone would care to accompany us, they would be more than welcome.”

Most of us agreed to go. We were all very curious to see the state of the house, especially in the light of the recent revelations about the ready availability of money. It raised the question of why all this had happened even more starkly than before. I had agreed to help Martha, so I must go. It would give me something to chase out the thoughts rambling in my restless mind.

To my dismay, Miss Cartwright said, “I’d love to come. I feel so useless. Carier looks after Strang so well there is hardly any need for me to be here.” She turned to her fiancé. “Have you the strength to come with us?”

“Of course.” He regarded her with a level stare.

“You know, you must let us know if you feel too weak to continue,” she said solicitously. “I can send for Carier in an instant.” But not help him yourself, I thought, savagely. Whatever his feelings for me, he deserved better than Julia Cartwright.

Richard docilely agreed to accompany his betrothed. Why should she want him with us? I noticed he was paler than earlier, and after such severe blood loss, he needed to rest. “You lost a great deal of blood.”

He looked at me, and everything else went away. It could have been the two of us alone in that room. I hated my weakness, marvelling that it should be so, but had enough control left to keep it hidden. I was concerned for him, else I’d have remained silent.

“My good nurse.” I wouldn’t have thought him capable of such soft tones on Monday. “I promise not to get overtired. I’ve already promised Carier.”