by Claudy Conn
Harry moved closer to her, and their eyes locked in a gaze that actually held Kitty captive. They were perfect together. Did they see that? Did they know it? She hoped so.
Harry said as though she were the only woman in the world, “You know, don’t you, my dear, Henrietta, I spoke only the truth.”
Clay made a face at the two, strode over towards Kitty and the earl, and took up a position beside Kitty to ask if he could fetch her a sherry.
She smiled and declined. He stared at her as though he couldn’t take his gaze away and said, “I am your obedient servant in all things, Kitty … you have but to wiggle your finger, and whatever you want, I shall make it my purpose to achieve it for you.”
She laughed. “You boys have been drinking deep.”
He grinned sheepishly. “That we have … but, even so, do believe me. I am your—”
“Yes, my obedient servant. I quite understand,” Kitty returned on a laugh. She felt the earl’s eyes on hers, met his gaze, and thought, If only he were my obedient—stop! What are you thinking, you wretched woman, you?
“You will take London by storm,” Clay continued.
“Will I?” Kitty teased sweetly. She looked at the earl, “My lord does not think so.”
“Quite out there. Perhaps I did not think so when we first met, but I have changed my mind,” the earl said, evidently throwing in the towel and allowing her yet another compliment.
Kitty laughed, but Clay said gallantly, “I cannot believe anyone could ever not think you would—”
Kitty interrupted him. “Ah … what say you, my lord?”
“I think I shall refrain from commenting further,” he said.
Ah, thought Kitty. He was backtracking. He did not wish to appear too forward in her regard. Intriguing. He had a way about him. He wasn’t rude at all, as she’d first thought him. He sidestepped any issue that he did not mean to utter an opinion on, and he did it most skillfully. She found she liked that about him.
“Ah,” Kit said with a twinkle, “we are all saved from ourselves. Here is dear Nanny.”
The earl’s eyes glittered appreciatively as he turned and was the first to welcome Nanny to join them.
Kitty also went forward and took Nanny’s arm. “I haven’t seen much of you today, dear. Whatever have you been at?”
“Packing … so hard to decide which of my favorite things I should bring … which I should put into storage.”
The earl frowned. “Storage? You needn’t put a thing into storage. Your rooms for the time being remain your rooms. You are only to pack what you need immediately. Upon your arrival in London, my grandmother will take you both shopping for wardrobes.”
Nanny started to object, but the earl put up his hand. “I don’t want to hear anything more about it. Both of you ladies must be clothed in a manner befitting them.” He grinned broadly, evidently well pleased with himself.
Nanny blushed and fidgeted, but Kitty could see she was both flattered and excited about the prospect of some new clothes. She had adored her Uncle Edwin, but he was ever frugal.
Kitty watched the earl. She couldn’t help but watch him. He was a mystery to her. Who was this man she was beginning to know? Where had that bad-tempered, disagreeable man she had first met gone?
Nanny smiled and said, “Oh, I almost forgot … dinner is served. Withers is busy helping your Max, my lord, so I said I would announce dinner.”
The earl’s brow went up. “What? Max? What is wrong with Max?”
“He got kicked proper when he was inspecting the wheel to make certain it wouldn’t come off again. One of the horses got out, and when he went after him, the animal put up an argument, and Max wouldn’t back down. Took a hoof to his thigh.” Nanny sniffed. “I have Max in the kitchen, and both Withers and Cook are putting on one of my cooling poultices. He’ll do.”
“Thank you, Nanny, that was very kind of you. As it happens, Max is a favorite of mine.”
“I should think so, my lord,” Nanny replied making both the earl and Kitty exchange glances and chuckle.
“Dear Nanny, I don’t know what any of us would do without you,” Kitty said.
Nanny blushed deeply and made some unintelligible sound as she led them all towards the dining room.
Kit was pleased to see Harry oust Clayton for Henrietta’s arm. She smiled to herself and then discovered the earl offering her his bent arm.
She was aware of a rush of sensation as she placed her fingers on his forearm. He took her hand and linked it through, saying, “In the face of our new relationship.”
She couldn’t breathe, so she didn’t try to respond, but instead minded her steps, very sure that her sudden dizziness would trip her up.
~ Seventeen ~
Nanny was occupied with the problem of situating herself. She patted the leather squabs of the fashionable barouche and found just the spot she wanted, snuggled into it, and sighed heavily. She wasn’t used to long carriage rides, and traveling to London was bound to be long and tedious, Kitty thought, as she put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “There, there, Nanny. The earl told me we should be stopping as much as need be. There is no rush, after all.”
It didn’t take long for Nanny to doze off, and Kitty smiled and then jumped out of her seat when the woman snorted loudly in her sleep. She stuffed a pillow behind the woman’s neck and then contemplated the passing scenery. She had never been out of the New Forest. This was all new and exciting.
It wasn’t even eight o’clock yet, and they had been on the road for nearly two hours. She hadn’t minded the early rising and found herself excited about the new prospect of traveling. Had only two days passed since their little dinner party?
Time seemed to have just whizzed by with all the things she had had to do. The thing that worried her was doing without her two dearest friends. She would miss Harry and her dearest Henrietta and wasn’t sure how she would go on without them.
When the carriage had come to fetch Henrietta home that evening, she had clung to her, taking a promise that Ree must at least visit her in London.
Another twenty minutes passed, and Kitty needed to stretch her legs and ride. Her horse was at the boot of the fine barouche, and if she could catch the attention of the driver, Max, she would have him stop so that she could throw a saddle on her mare and just jog along in the crisp fresh air.
She had donned her new riding habit in anticipation of this. She pinned her matching top hat at the top of her golden mass of curls and was getting ready to call to the driver when she felt the coach slow to a halt.
She scrambled unceremoniously out of the carriage while Nanny slept on and looked up at the young driver to ask, “Is everything all right, Max? Is your leg giving you trouble?”
He smiled shyly at her and said, “Ah … m’leg? No. Mrs. Diddles did it up right and tight last evening, aye, that she did.” He shook his head and added, “It be old Star, miss. Oi’m thinking he is about to lose a shoe. It has the sound of it. Thought Oi’d jest have a look see.”
“Right then, while you do that, I’ll saddle my mare.”
“Oh, but Oi can so that for ye, miss,” Max offered immediately.
“No, need … the saddle is handy enough and at my height … ah yes,” she said as she undid its tethers and lifted it off the boot.
He rushed at her and took it from her, saying in an aside, “Not sure his lordship will be happy with me letting ye ride off on yer own. This is a pike, aye, that it is, miss.”
“Oh, I’ll just veer off onto the first bridle path for a bit, stretch my legs, and bring her right back. After all, my poor mare has been jogging along now for more than two hours. I am very certain she will soon need a respite and some water.”
“Aye, they all will. His lordship said he was going up ahead to secure a dining room for ye and Mrs. Diddles, and we’ll see to the horses then.”
“Wonderful. You can just bring the coach along then, for I am sure I shall catch up to him,” Kitty said brightly.
“I’ll find him,” Kit said merrily.
He scratched his stubbled chin. “Oi suppose …?”
Kitty trotted her horse sedately, though she dearly wanted to run. She wouldn’t, couldn’t do that to her mare, though, who had a long day ahead of her. She patted her horse’s supple neck and wondered at Max, who she had noticed held the earl in great affection. She was learning more and more about the earl, it seemed, every minute of every single day.
And there was something else, something troubling her beyond her understanding. She knew she was more than a little attracted to him. She had to fight the fact that her daydreams were all of him taking her with wild abandon into his arms. Oh, she had to get that under control, or she would find her heart undone.
* * *
The earl had been riding at an easy pace. He had quite made up his mind before they set off that he would spend as little time in the barouche as he could. Sitting across from Kitty, with her infectious laughter and her warm, absolutely brilliant smile, was not something he needed to do.
He was drawn to her not just as a man was drawn to a woman; he was drawn to the person he was learning to know. She was a refreshing breath of air. She was full of new and delightful opinions about nearly everything, and a great deal of what she said made such good common sense.
Yes, he liked who she was, which complicated everything … because his manhood was at attention in her company. His fingers itched to touch her … fondle those full, luscious breasts … take her butt into his grip and pull her in close for a kiss so he could taste her tongue.
At that moment he found himself salivating at the thought … and his body tensed with need. What the hell was he going to do? She wasn’t an experienced widow or an unhappy wife. She was but a maid. He was in hell.
This was all impossible. His job was to keep her safe from rogues like himself, and that was exactly what he was going to do. Thus, though he should be in the coach with Nanny and Kitty, perfectly safe with Nanny there to oversee them, he found the notion of being so near to her and not being able to take her into his arms pure torture.
He would gain control over this. He simply had no choice.
She was a kind-hearted, unselfish creature. He knew she’d wanted a ride first thing this morning, but when Nanny patted a place beside her, she didn’t give one sign of disappointment but climbed right into his barouche and immediately began chattering away and setting the shy Mrs. Diddles at ease about their journey.
Ah, yes, he liked Kitty Kingsley … too much to hurt her with a passionate dalliance. Could he hurt her? She probably wasn’t even attracted to him after their initial encounter.
Their dinner party had opened his eyes the other night. Clayton Bickwerth wanted Kitty. That much was obvious, but the young man had also been sending lures out to Henrietta. No doubt the man’s pockets were to let and he had to marry well. Sad that. He felt for both parties in a marriage of convenience. Awful arrangements. He wondered at Clayton, though. Was Henrietta’s inheritance so much greater than Kitty’s?
He watched Kitty flit about and saw that was all she did. Indeed, she flirted during her jesting with their guests, but any dolt could see she was not romantically interested in either Clayton or Harry.
He liked Harry, a great deal, and Harry he found to be a perfect gentleman who divided his attention between Henrietta and Kitty equally. Even so, the earl was aware of a certain expression that came over Harry’s face when his gaze rested on Henrietta’s face. Interesting.
He shook his head at himself. Since when did he ever become involved or intrigued by the romantic affairs of others? This was all so new to him. Odd. So very odd.
* * *
“Hallo!” Kitty called as she spotted the earl atop his horse and managing a sedate pace. She thought, indeed, he too, was concerned for his horse’s welfare. Oh, but he was getting harder and harder to dislike. She couldn’t even remember why she had disliked him at all.
She saw the earl spin round, astonishment on his face, and realized she had disturbed him from his reverie. “Would you mind some company?”
“Very prettily said,” he answered. “How could any man say no?”
She laughed. “A compliment, my lord? Oh, but I am enjoying our truce.”
He laughed. “I should lecture you on the hazards of a young, unattended woman riding the open road alone, but seeing that you are now in my company, I shall leave that lecture for another day.”
She beamed and saw his eyes flash. Was that interest? Why should she care? She did, though. He looked … oh, she didn’t know what that look was. She shouldn’t place too much importance on such things. She was just a green girl, not quite up to snuff. “Nanny fell asleep,” she told him. “So I thought I would just take a little bit of a ride. I honestly did not mean to be—”
He chuckled as he cut her off. “No harm, child … no harm.”
She smiled and then peeped a look at his handsome face. “I am not a child, though. You should remember that. After all, am I not to be paraded for all the eligible bucks to ogle?”
He frowned. “Well, I wouldn’t put it that way.”
“How would you put it?”
His eyes glittered. “I suppose you have a point. It is the way of our world, though … for young ladies to attend functions where young gentlemen may be introduced to them.”
“Indeed, that should be fun, actually, though I am not certain … if I find them attractive, do I let them kiss me?” She eyed him naughtily. What had gotten into her? She knew she was being outrageous, but something about him made her want to pursue this.
He was momentarily shocked and spluttered out an unintelligible sound before he said, “Certainly not.”
“Why not? Men go about kissing women all the time. How am I supposed to know who is good at kissing and who is not? After all, I wouldn’t want to marry someone who was not very good … at the sport, so I think a young woman should sample as many men as she likes.” Kitty couldn’t keep a straight face at this and burst out laughing.
He visibly relaxed and said, “Ah, so you were making a May game of me, were you? Price to pay for that.”
“Oh, but it wasn’t all just a tease. I think I would like to be kissed … by someone who knows how to do it well.”
“Kitty, you can’t go about saying things like that.”
“Oh, I know, but I am not saying them to a stranger, but to you. You have a world of experience, so I am told, and I would like to know a few things—”
He cut her off. “Kitty! The fact is you are a beautiful woman—stunning actually—and I must tell you a great many men will want to kiss you. I think you should be on guard against this, not looking for it.” He shook his head. “In fact, don’t go around kissing anyone unless your heart is in it.”
“Oh, stuff and nonsense,” she answered on a laugh. “Kissing should be for fun. At any rate, how is one to know if one’s heart is in it? I have been kissed, and all I knew was that it was very exciting, though both young men were not very good at it—I don’t think.”
He looked astonished but finally said on a rueful smile, “Don’t go about telling people that you have been kissed.” He eyed her. “How many times—two times, did you say?”
“Oh, I said by two men, but I didn’t say how many kisses I allowed each,” she bantered and giggled. “I don’t think I should tell you that, quite yet. And, yes, I quite see that I shouldn’t go about telling people I have been kissed, but you and I, well, I think we are about to become very close. In fact, I have revised my first impression of you considerably.”
“Have you? Was my first impression so very bad?”
“It was. I thought you arrogant and cruel,” she said without hesitation. “I now see you are quite good at bottom.”
He seemed to choke and said, “Don’t go about using cant like that either. Good at bottom. No doubt learned f
rom Harry.”
She smiled. “Nothing wrong with it that I can see, but I should like to continue our discussion about kissing …”
“Should you?” he said with twinkling eyes.
“I know that you have done your fair share of kissing—well, that stands to reason … a man of your stamp. So you should know the answers to what I am asking,” she said brightly. What was she doing? She had meant to have just a bit of fun with him, and yet, this was turning into something else. She knew it. She had gone from thinking him an ogre to thinking him most fascinating, and now she wanted desperately for him to see her as desirable. Dangerous. She was playing a dangerous game, and she knew it but couldn’t stop herself.
“How did we get on this very delicate subject?”
“Because it is a delicate subject, and I should like to know more about it …” She eyed him flirtatiously. “I think you are the one to teach me.”
He squeaked out, “Teach you?”
“Indeed, none of the kisses I received made me swoon, and I think I should like to—swoon, that is.” She eyed him and laughed. “Don’t be so shocked, my lord. Contrary to the opinions of the male population, girls do not always enjoy a staid life. They want a man to sweep them up and take them away … they want to—”
“Never mind,” he said quickly. And then his lordship’s mirth took over. He laughed, and then he roared, and finally he ended by saying, “Kitty, you are the most delightful good company.”
“Thank you … ah, here is the posting house … oh, it is called the Green Horse. What a funny name.” She eyed him saucily. “Shall I race you the short distance …?”
“No, my spitfire, you shall not. It won’t do your reputation or your horse any good to sweat her up just before she is watered.”
She drooped. “I suppose you are right. Oh … do but look, what a lovely inn … with gardens. Oh, but it will be so good to take a walk around the grounds.”
He eyed her and said softly, “Indeed, we will order up a private room and have the horses rested for an hour or so in that paddock there. I am certain Nanny will be happy for the respite as well.”