“I wandered quite afield and into a small copse of trees. I was fine, of course, but apparently a panic went up when I disappeared and a search party was arranged. Ten lords who were visiting the park deserted their companions to help search for me.”
Kerrick couldn’t contain his laughter as he pictured the scene. “I find it difficult to believe Louisa or Nicholas would have raised the alarm when they found you’d wandered off.”
“You know me too well,” she said, affecting an expression of chagrin. “However, I was with Lord Thornton. He doesn’t know of my fondness for plants and gardens. We were having a leisurely stroll when he stopped to greet a friend of his. When he realized that I’d disappeared, he assumed I’d been abducted and raised the alarm.”
She expected him to laugh, of course. The corners of her mouth had tilted up with unrepentant mirth and it was with great difficulty that he returned her smile. But her admission had wiped away his amusement. Why was he surprised that men were paying her court? Thornton was young and seemed innocuous, but he hated the very thought of the two of them together. They had made a striking pair when they were dancing, with their youth and blond-haired, blue-eyed good looks. He didn’t know the man enough to do more than greet him in passing, but he found himself hating him.
Her head tilted with curiosity when he didn’t reply right away, and he knew she was going to prod. Before she could do so, he said, “I hope your experiences so far have lived up to your expectations. I remember how much you were looking forward to your season.”
She sighed. The sound seemed so forlorn and unlike her.
“I admit I’ve been a little bored.”
Her admission surprised him. “I don’t have much experience with young women entering society, but I don’t think I’ve heard any of them describe the social whirlwind as boring.”
“Oh no,” she said, rushing to correct him. “Well, not precisely. There is much to do, and I have enjoyed many aspects of life in town, especially the theater. But how many balls and routs can one be expected to attend before they all blend into one another? I only wish…”
When she didn’t continue, he prodded. “You only wish…?”
She shook her head. “It’s nothing. I’ve been reading about how the gardens at Richmond Palace and Kew have recently been united, and apparently they’ve acquired plants from various naval expeditions around the world. Plants that cannot be found anywhere else in England.” She sighed again. “I was hoping to visit the gardens, but given Louisa’s condition she has been so tired of late and doesn’t want to commit to doing that much walking. And I hesitate to ask Nicholas since he spends much of his time these days hovering over my sister. I know he’d hate to be away from her for so long.”
It only took him a moment to realize what she was implying. “Louisa is increasing?”
“Oh no,” she said, a look of horror on her face. “I wasn’t supposed to say anything. It is still very early and they don’t wish to announce it yet.”
He leaned a little closer as he swept her across the ballroom floor and spoke in a low voice. “Your secret is safe with me.” Their eyes caught and held, and Kerrick had the odd sensation that he was drowning in the blue depths of her gaze.
It was then that he noticed the scent she’d chosen to wear. He’d so often seen her at the conservatory during his stay at Overlea Manor that he’d come to associate the scent of tropical flowers with her. Here, though, there could be no attributing her perfume to her surroundings. It was a light scent, yet still exotic and so completely her. It seemed to reach out and envelop him, and for several long moments the rest of the room fell away as he looked down at her.
He gave himself a quick mental shake of his head as he tried to remember what else he’d wanted to say. Oh yes, Kew Gardens. “As for the other, I’d be honored to escort you to the gardens. I even know someone who should be willing to act as your chaperone.”
Catherine’s face lit with excitement and her obvious joy made him feel as though he were ten feet tall.
“I knew everything would be better with you here.”
ooOoo
Catherine had already met the Duke of Clarington, a longtime friend of both Nicholas and himself, and his new duchess of less than a year. He wasn’t certain how she’d accomplished it, but the duchess had managed to turn Clarington’s head with relative ease during the past season. At the time, Kerrick had been amused by his friend’s torment when she’d seemed to favor another over him, but it had all turned out well in the end, and the two were as happy a couple as Nicholas and Louisa. Which, given the state of most marriages among members of society, was quite an anomaly.
The duke and duchess were deep in conversation with Louisa and Nicholas when they returned from their waltz. The duchess was taller than most of the women present, and her height, coupled with her red hair, made her stand out in any crowd. She was undeniably beautiful, but it was Catherine who held his attention as she informed everyone, with great enthusiasm, of their planned trip to Kew Gardens.
He dragged his gaze away from Catherine, the task more difficult than he would have previously thought, and turned to the new duchess. “Miss Evans mentioned that Lady Overlea would be unable to join us, so I thought I’d ask you to accompany us. She hoped to visit tomorrow, but we can make arrangements for another day if that would better suit your schedule.”
Louisa’s relief at not being asked to attend was clear, and he didn’t miss the glance the sisters exchanged. No doubt she was wondering if Catherine had told him about her newly expectant state.
“Tomorrow would be perfect,” the duchess said. “I’ve heard the gardens are lovely.”
Kerrick ignored the knowing smirk on Clarington’s face. He found he was actually looking forward to the outing. Not because he was particularly interested in plants or gardens—he’d never really paid much attention to them—but because it meant he would get to spend more time with Catherine. That thought should have worried him, but it didn’t.
“I know I wasn’t invited,” Clarington said, “but I think I’ll join you. Wouldn’t want to leave you outnumbered by women.” The gleam in his eye spoke of less noble reasons for wanting to join their party, and at that moment Kerrick regretted having teased his friend the previous year when he was finding it hard to resist the duchess’s charms.
Chapter Two
Kerrick dismounted and handed the reins of his horse to the stable boy waiting outside Overlea’s town house. It was just past eleven, and in his quest to ensure Catherine enjoyed her day, he’d already been to Kew and back. He wasn’t sure why it was so important to him that he make her happy, but he had no doubt she’d be excited when she learned he’d arranged to have the head gardener himself conduct their tour.
She deserved no less. When he’d stayed at Nicholas’s estate the previous fall, Catherine had been a new resident to Overlea Manor. She had taken it upon herself to conduct an inventory of the plants Nicholas’s grandmother had collected and displayed at the manor’s conservatory. He’d seen firsthand how she would disappear for hours at a time, only surfacing from her quest to catalog the unnamed plants when dinner was announced.
A large, lacquered black carriage bearing Clarington’s crest was already stationed outside the house. When he entered, he found everyone gathered in the drawing room. Catherine was seated on the settee next to the duchess, the two deep in conversation. Louisa, looking as though she hadn’t slept at all the night before, sat in a chair placed at a right angle to them. Clarington and Overlea were conversing by the window, but it was impossible to miss the concern on the latter’s face as he glanced at his wife.
Kerrick accepted everyone’s welcome before joining the men. “Nicholas,” he said, greeting Overlea by his Christian name. Nicholas had never expected to inherit the title, and having lost both his father and older brother only recently, he preferred to be addressed informally by his close friends.
Kerrick saw the anticipation on Clarington’s face when
he turned his attention to him. “Behave this afternoon,” he said, keeping his voice low so the women wouldn’t overhear him.
“Of course.” Clarington gave him a calculating look before adding, “After all, it’s the least I can do after you declined to poke fun at me last year about Charlotte every chance you got.”
Kerrick swore softly and Clarington laughed with glee. He turned to Nicholas, but his glib plea for sympathy died before the words were spoken. The look on his friend’s face almost had him taking a step back.
“You’re not courting Catherine,” Nicholas said, his voice laced with menace.
Kerrick was speechless, but only for a moment. “Who told you I was? She and I are merely friends.”
Nicholas shifted so his back was to the women who, fortunately, hadn’t taken note of their heated exchange. “Louisa’s worried that Catherine hopes otherwise. You would do well to disabuse her of that notion. Especially since everyone appears to be under the impression that you are all but formally engaged to Worthington’s daughter.”
A spark of anger, swift and hot, shot through him. “Everyone is wrong,” he said, not bothering to hide his annoyance. “Make no mistake, if such a travesty were to happen, you would know about it. You, above all people, should know that I would never take advantage of an innocent—even when others demand I do so.”
The flare of annoyance on Nicholas’s face told him they were both thinking of what they’d gone through the previous fall when Nicholas had enlisted Kerrick’s help. At the time, Nicholas had thought he was suffering from the same illness that had already taken his brother and father, and he had asked Kerrick to father a child with Louisa to keep the marquisate from falling into his unscrupulous cousin’s grasp. Kerrick had been reluctant to agree to the plan from the beginning and had decided he wouldn’t go through with it when he realized, not long after meeting her, that Louisa was very much in love with her new husband.
It also hadn’t taken him long to discover that Nicholas, even though he tried to deny it, very much wanted his wife only for himself. A lesser man would have taken advantage of the opportunity provided by Nicholas’s scheme. Louisa was a beautiful woman, after all, and at the time she’d been trapped in a marriage with a man who went to great lengths to distance himself from her. But despite her seeming fragility, Nicholas’s wife had a core of steel, and he’d known right away that she wouldn’t be swayed by any efforts on his part to seduce her. And he’d respected his friend’s feelings too much to even attempt it. He was only glad that everything had worked out in the end.
“What am I missing?” Clarington asked, breaking into the heavy silence.
Nicholas was the first to look away. “Nothing,” he said, his jaw tight. “Ancient history.”
Kerrick didn’t elaborate. One of the reasons Nicholas had chosen to approach him about fathering his heir was the knowledge that Kerrick would take the secret of his insane plan to the grave. Clarington had been away on his honeymoon at the time and hadn’t even learned of Nicholas’s marriage until the whole situation had been resolved.
“We should go, then. An afternoon of investigating greenery awaits us,” Clarington said in an obvious attempt to lighten the atmosphere.
The four who made up their party for the outing exited the house amidst a chorus of good-byes and general chatter. Clarington helped first his wife, then Catherine, into the waiting carriage before following, leaving Kerrick to enter last. When he did, he found himself seated opposite Catherine.
He kept his tone casual as he revealed that the head gardener would lead them through their tour. The look on Catherine’s face—a mix of happiness, excitement, anticipation—more than made up for the extra effort he’d already gone through that morning.
ooOoo
Catherine could barely contain her excitement at the prospect of seeing in person many of the plants she’d only seen pictures of in books. She’d found it tedious when, shortly after arriving in London for the start of the season, she’d discovered that every member of the ton seemed content to limit their enjoyment of nature to afternoon rides in Hyde Park during the fashionable hour, or to visiting the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens for its famed evening entertainments. Much to her disappointment, she’d learned that when it came to plant life, there was nothing truly of note in either place.
She only half listened as Clarington informed Kerrick of what he’d missed during his absence from town. She wasn’t surprised to discover that men were only too happy to take part in gossiping, though she suspected they would take umbrage at her using that term. They probably considered it keeping abreast of current events.
She tried not to stare, but Kerrick was seated directly opposite her and it was only natural for her to look at him. If it were possible, he was even more handsome than when she’d last seen him the previous fall. His dark hair was shorter than she remembered, but she liked the stark haircut on him. The sharp planes of his face were more noticeable now. And how had she forgotten the way his deep blue eyes crinkled when he smiled? Her eyes were drawn again and again to his mouth, and she found herself wondering just what it would feel like to kiss him.
She remembered, again, how he had held her in his strong arms as he’d waltzed with her the night before, and indulged in a daydream wherein he’d stopped and, his eyes never leaving hers, pulled her to his chest and kissed her. She couldn’t hold back her sigh at the fantasy. Kerrick’s gaze swung to her face, and for a moment she had the mortifying notion that he knew what she’d been thinking.
Their eyes met and held. There was something in his she didn’t recognize, but it had every nerve in her body tingling with anticipation. Her breath hitched and she found she had to remind herself to continue to breathe. She noticed the way his jaw tightened just before he tore his gaze from hers and turned to face Clarington. The air between them seemed to crackle with a new sense of awareness. At first she thought that increased awareness was only on her part, but the way he seemed to hesitate slightly before turning to look at her whenever she spoke told her that he, too, felt it.
That knowledge was almost enough to make her forget the reason for their trip, but all too soon they arrived at Kew. Kerrick almost leapt from the carriage when it came to a stop outside the main gates. She wasn’t sure if she should be insulted by his seeming haste to be out of her presence, but she felt marginally better when he handed her out of the carriage, holding on to her hand a beat too long as he looked down at her. When the duchess gave a delicate little cough, he re-collected himself and released her to assist the other woman.
Clarington appeared to be amused when he stepped down, but Catherine couldn’t say why. She didn’t miss the frown Kerrick aimed at his friend, though.
“Where should we go first?” the duchess asked.
Kerrick pointed south. “Clifton said we’d find him near the temple of Bellona.”
“The Roman goddess of war,” Catherine said.
Kerrick didn’t hide his surprise. “You know your mythology.”
“It probably comes as a great shock to you, but I do know a few things aside from the names of plants.”
In response to the mock censure in her voice, Kerrick sketched a formal bow. “I’ll have to remember not to underestimate you in future.”
The duchess moved to stand next to Catherine and looked at the two men. “It doesn’t appear that Mr. Clifton heard our carriage arrive. Why don’t the two of you check to see if he’s at the temple while Catherine and I wait here to make sure we don’t miss him?”
Clarington gave his wife a little salute, which earned him a light slap on the arm, before the two men headed toward the small building.
Catherine turned to the duchess, who was only a few years older than herself. “I wanted to thank you again, Your Grace, for agreeing to come today. I know most people would find such an outing very dull.”
The duchess waved a hand in dismissal. “I’m very glad for the opportunity to get to know you better. Speaking of which, I think
we can drop the formalities here. I insist you call me Charlotte when we are away from the inflexibility of society.”
“I would like that very much,” Catherine said.
“Good. Now that we’ve settled that matter, tell me about Kerrick and yourself. I can see that you like him.”
Catherine wondered if the entire world could tell how much she cared for Kerrick. Nevertheless, she tried to act nonchalant. “He’s a friend of Nicholas’s and spent some time with us last fall. We became friendly during that time.”
Charlotte made a soft tsking sound. “Don’t be coy. You know that’s not what I meant.”
Catherine sighed. “You are correct. However, I don’t think he feels the same way about me.” She hesitated before sharing a further confidence. “He seemed quite close to Louisa when he visited. I thought he might have feelings for her.”
“I’m not sure I believe that,” Charlotte said after giving her statement consideration. “From what I’ve seen, his behavior with her is every bit as friendly but circumspect as his behavior toward me. He’s different when he looks at you, though.”
Her pulse leaped. “Do you think so? I find it impossible to tell sometimes if a gentleman is just being kind or if there’s something more behind that kindness.”
“I was in the same predicament just last year.”
“You and His Grace?”
Charlotte nodded. “I’ve known him for years, but I feared he always considered me his sister’s annoying friend.”
“Surely not.” Seeing the way the duke doted on his wife, it was hard to believe he’d ever considered her annoying.
Charlotte nodded with gravity. “I’m afraid so. I made quite a nuisance of myself when I was younger.”
“What changed?” Catherine asked, eager to learn how the other woman had finally managed to capture the interest of the man she loved.
“Well, first there were a few years when we didn’t see one another, and during that time I grew up. Both in maturity and in physical appearance. You, however,” she said, turning a critical eye to Catherine, “are already very beautiful.”
Beguiling the Earl Page 2