Yorkshire (15 page)

“You’ve signed your marriage contract. You’re to be married in a few weeks.”

It was his turn to grimace. “That was true madness. I just didn’t think properly, didn’t work it out, what it would mean. I can’t go through with something so heartless. Most couples have a small degree of liking for each other, but Julia doesn’t think of me in that way. Do you know, I’ve kissed you more often than I’ve kissed her? Once, I think, when I proposed to her. But if I break the contract, the consequences for my family and for yours could be dire. You know that, don’t you?”

I swallowed. “Yes.”

“They will put the greatest pressure on me to go through with it, but I’ve never been more grateful that I inherited the family temper.” He grinned. “It’s a vile thing. It’s led me into more scrapes than I care to remember, but at least I’ll be able to stand up to my father. His wrath, like the Lord’s, is terrible.”

“I thought you cold.” I still did, when I saw him with others present, but I was beginning to understand the attitude he told me about, his society face that kept him aloof and aristocratically disdainful. “I don’t like to be on show. I never have. Certain things…I assume you know about Gervase’s troubles?” I nodded. “Certain things enhance my disguise. The maquillage, the clothes, all help to keep me private.” He paused, smiling self-deprecatingly. “There’s proof, if you require it. You’re the first person to whom I’ve explained myself. I don’t care what other people think of me, but your opinion is very important. I want you to know you can trust me, that I’ll care for you, always put your needs first.”

This open statement took my breath away. No one could say such things and not be sincere. It would be easier to take the path of least resistance, and let Richard move away, marry the woman he was betrothed to, and look for a different suitor but I knew that my life would lose meaning if I allowed that to happen.

We watched one another. I wanted to learn every line of his face, every shade of blue in his eyes, so if he left me alone, I could remember it whenever I wanted to.

“My first stepmother used to say love had little to do with marriage.” He let me talk. Perhaps he realised I needed the time. “That is, the lady who brought me up. She said it was based on respect and friendship. But after her death, my father married again. A woman his own age, whom he told us he’d loved since boyhood, but had not been allowed to marry. When my stepmother died, she was also a widow. They married, this time to suit themselves. Smallpox carried them off eventually, both of them in a week. I’m not sure he would have cared to live without her. Sometimes we children felt like interlopers in our own house, they were so happy together.”

“We’ll be luckier than that.” He sighed, looking at the polished floor, as though discovering answers there. “But it won’t come without a struggle. I spoke to Julia again. I assured her I was of the same mind and I thought we would not suit. When she asked why, I said I’d been considering it for some time. When I found myself near to death—forgive me the exaggeration—thanks to your prompt help, I was nowhere near it—I felt I should speak. I told her she could pretend a quarrel, or say she had found me
in flagrante
with a parlourmaid. I don’t care what she says, as long as it does the trick, as long as you’re not compromised from my side.” His next words made my mood plummet. “She still refuses to consider it. She said I must be mad to think she would do such a thing. I said I’d help her find the proper man, but I wasn’t that man. She laughed at me, and said I would do.” He gathered my hands, held them warmly between his. “If Julia brings a breach of promise suit, it will ruin us, my family and everybody associated with me. Do you understand?” Concern etched his features.

I thought of what that would mean. Not to me, but to all the other people. Richard’s younger sister, making her debut in society. My sisters, making theirs, too. There’d be no money for them after such a court case. Julia Cartwright would win, hands down. Richard had signed the marriage contract, as binding a contract as any other under law. “It’s hard.”

He nodded.

“I can do it, but I’d hate to see those I love compromised. I can’t see any other way. We must face it, and hope it’s not too bad. Are you sure she’ll take you to court?”

“She’s vengeful. She won’t let such an insult pass. I can try to persuade her that such an act would hold her up to public ridicule, but that is our only chance.”

I couldn’t think of any way to avoid the scandal. “I’ll face it with you.”

His response was prompt, unhesitating. “No. I’ll face it on my own, so you’re not compromised. Any scandal is mine.” When I opened my mouth, he gripped my hands harder to stop me protesting. “After this matter is cleared up and when you’re out of black, I’ll come a-courting properly, and prove to you I mean what I say. I will not marry Julia now, whatever pressure people bring to bear on me.”

My heart raced. To spend time with him, have it as my right, was more than I hoped for. He tried to shrug, wincing at pain in his injured arm. I put my hand up to it in an instinctive gesture of concern, and he caught it, and held it with his uninjured one. He didn’t appear to feel the pain any more. “I should have told Julia I’ve lost my position in society, that I was ruined. She might have reacted to that.” He smiled sardonically. I looked at our linked hands, now resting on his leg.

“We may have to give up.” I met his gaze. With the threatening scandal, I didn’t know if we could weather it. “You might have to marry Miss Cartwright.” I didn’t want to use her name, didn’t want any indication at familiarity so I kept my reference to her the more distant, formal term.

He drew a sharp breath. “No, I’ll never do that. Julia accepted my offer because she wanted a man with a certain position in society. It could have been any man. This is her first season, my twelfth. When she ensnared me, she dined out for weeks on the triumph. Even if I hadn’t found you, I would have come to this in the end. I can’t stand much more of her vacuity, her vanity, her selfishness. I decided to offer for her out of respect for my parents.” He laughed. “I don’t care if they hate you. I will have you.”

He released my hand to draw me closer. I went to him willingly. I couldn’t believe he could say all these things and not mean them, though I had very little experience of men and what they could say or do. Perhaps that naïveté saved me, the lack of cynicism that steers people away from the truth. I made my mind up. “I will trust you, I do.”

We kissed again, this time so deep and longing, I never wanted it to end. He opened my mouth with a flick of his tongue and explored me deeply, invited me to taste him. Delicious, addictive. His hands, until now merely holding me for his kisses, became more adventurous, caressing my back, lifting my fichu in search of the bare skin underneath. I shivered, wanting more.

He pulled away, begging my forgiveness. “I should leave such loving until a more appropriate time. You are very desirable, my sweet, but that’s something I will not do. Not to you.” When I shook my head and pulled him closer, he gently pushed me away and stood.

He held out his hand to help me to my feet.

“That was wrong, but I promise, it won’t always be.”

I blushed, ashamed at my sudden surge of passion. He kissed my hand. “This will be more difficult than I thought. I suspect you of something of which proper single ladies should be innocent. It makes me all the more eager to claim you for my own.”

This only made me blush deeper than ever, tongue-tied. I couldn’t think of anything to say which seemed appropriate. He held me, as well as he could with only one good arm. I leaned against his shoulder. I loved to feel his warmth. “And we’ll have to keep this secret,” he reminded me. “If Julia gets an inkling how I feel about you, she’ll slam the door on any negotiations and ensure the gossip that will spread about you. There’ll be scandal and the courts. If she won’t break it off, I will, but I don’t want you involved in that part. I want the public to see us meet formally after I’ve dealt with the nastiness. I don’t want to see you hurt.”

I smiled to reassure him. “I won’t be hurt, not if I’m with you.”

“I’m very much afraid you will. This isn’t the first scandal my family has been involved in recently and this might be one too many. Your family, too, is vulnerable. You’re new to society. The old cats will look for something. The coach accident, then my involvement with you will give them all the ammunition they need. That’s another reason why we must keep the other matter secret.” He paused. “No.
Nil desperandum
. We’ll see this through.” He gave me a quizzical look. “And you thought I wanted all this?” He laughed.

“Not exactly. But I thought you might be trying to seduce me, especially after the reports I read about you, and what Lizzie told me about you.”

“Don’t believe everything you read.” He took me to the door. “I fear we must go now, or we’ll be missed.”

“Richard—” He met my gaze. It had its usual effect and I lost myself in him once more.

“Rose,” he said and kissed me. “Now we really must go. You leave first, and I’ll follow in a few moments.”

I opened the door and peered out, before I stepped out of the room. Catching my hand again, he pulled me back. “Once more,” he whispered, and gave me one more kiss, sweet and long. Then I went back to reality, back up the corridor to my breakfast, feeling lighter at heart than I could ever remember.

I had, once and for all, made my mind up. I would have him.

Chapter Ten

Martha had asked me to help her after breakfast, but Richard waylaid me before I reached my room. “Pritheroe wants to see us.”

I blinked, startled, but he shook his head. “I don’t know what he wants, but we’d better go and find out. The man’s a nuisance, but it can’t be helped. Don’t worry.” He smiled warmly. “There’s little he can do. Perhaps he wants to tell us something about the accident.”

“Perhaps he’s seen us together—” I gasped out, but he smiled and shook his head.

“With his leg in that condition? I doubt he’s nimble enough to spy. He might just want to sermonise us. He’s in the small parlour.” He took my hand. “Don’t worry. If anyone does see us, I’ll make it clear there’s nothing wrong in it.” He kissed my hand and dropped it, after a warm smile.

We went to the parlour, and found James and Lizzie already there. Mr. Pritheroe sat in state in a hard, wooden chair, and the man Ellis stood beside him. The fire was still cold and the room stark, a contrast to the comforts Martha had introduced to the other rooms we used. A crude crutch was propped up by his chair. He sat completely still.

Richard saw me to a chair, remaining on his feet, close by. I felt better for his presence. Mr. Pritheroe made me feel as though I had done something wrong, and was now about to face retribution.

Pritheroe rubbed his large hands together. “Earlier today, this good man, Ellis, took an early morning constitutional.” He paused so we could take in the implications of his words. So perhaps he had seen us through the window, and reported us. But why were James and Lizzie here? The tension rose in my stomach.

Pritheroe cleared his throat, never taking his gaze from us where we stood or sat, waiting, in front of him. He would read nothing in Richard’s face, and I tried to school my features into something resembling calm interest.

“He came back, and saw something he thought unusual. He saw you leave the coach house.” I silently breathed out in relief. “When you’d gone, he went to look himself. You know what he found, do you not?”

“Do tell,” his lordship drawled. He had stationed himself so I could see him. He had his hand on the back of my chair, but he withdrew it, and took his snuffbox out of his pocket. It gave us a pause, broke Pritheroe’s impetus.

Pritheroe cleared his throat again, but Richard merely took his time, restored the box to his pocket when he had done, and looked up questioningly. “Do go on. You had no need to stop.”

“I require your full attention,” Pritheroe said.

Richard’s brows snapped together in a frown. “The last person to say that to me was my last tutor. He never saw me again after that.”

Pritheroe looked down, then rallied. He didn’t apologise for his cutting remark. “Tell them what you saw, Ellis.”

The manservant strutted forward. “I inspected the coach. You appeared concerned when you left the stables, so I thought there must be something there. I found it. That strap, the one at the back. It’s been cut, hasn’t it?”

“Are you sure?” asked Strang after the horrified silence that followed the servant’s revelations.

“Completely, my lord. The cut is fresh and clean.”

His lordship sighed. “That’s what I thought. And perhaps you could explain what business it is of yours?”

“That’s rich, since I see no reason why you should be involved.” Pritheroe answered.

James took a breath and looked around. “I’ve asked Lord Strang to use his influence to discover who might have done this.”

Richard looked down at the sling on his injured arm. “Besides, I didn’t come out of this unmarked myself.”

“So what have you discovered?” demanded the obnoxious man.

“In the few hours that have elapsed since your creature saw us?” Richard received a daggers look from Ellis for his pains. He ignored the servant.

“I expect,” Pritheroe continued doggedly, “to be informed of any developments that occur.”

“Expect all you like,” said James, truly riled now. He shifted uncomfortably in his hard, wooden chair. “I’ll tell you what I see fit.”