“I’ll retrieve Killer,” Devin said curtly. “Wait here.”
Lowering his voice, Tristan leaned toward Kate. “You deserved that little dip, even if you did save my hide at that inn. After leading me on, I have a mind to give you another cool bath.”
Kate’s eyes narrowed. “Try it, your lordship, and I shall scream until the entire countryside comes to my aid.”
Tristan raised his finger and flicked a string of wet hair from her eyes. “Try that, sweetheart, and we may be wed by tomorrow. A scandal, you know. Come to think of it, if anyone knew of your little escapade at the inn, traveling alone and being with me...” He tapped his finger to his chin, “Who knows what circumstances may develop?”
Kate’s eyes widened. He was blackmailing her. “You wouldn’t dare?”
“You tried those words once before on me, sweetheart, don’t ever try them again or you might get more than you bargained for. A wedding would be just what you need to settle you down. Not that I’m interested, mind you.” He gave her a saucy wink.
Kate stomped her bare feet. He raised a flirtatious brow as he glanced downward. She scowled. But before she could say another word, her cousin swiftly moved in and pulled them apart. Devin gripped Kate’s elbow in a protective hold and skirted her around Tristan, shooting his friend an icy glare.
Devin pointed Kate in the direction of the dappled gray mare he rode in on. “You may ride that horse back. I’ll retrieve your hat and flute case.”
Kate backed up slowly, sensing a war beginning to brew. She had seen this side of Devin before. He didn’t take insubordination lightly.
The man was rather like Matthew, she thought glumly as she noted the vein in Devin’s neck pulsing while he walked toward the water to collect her belongings. That was always a dangerous sign with Matthew, and she knew she had to withdraw quietly.
“Tristan, I need a little help over here!” Devin’s tone was more of a reprimand than a call for help.
Tristan took a final glimpse of Kate’s ankles and walked toward Devin. Kate gave the conceited earl a glare that could freeze water. The man had the gall to wink at her.
“Glad to help, Devin.” With a teasing smile, the earl jerked the stockings and boots from his friend’s hands.
Grimacing, Devin clutched his cousin’s hat and flute, pulling Killer behind him.
Tristan rested his hand on Devin’s shoulder. “What do you think? Should I help your cousin put her stockings and boots on as well?”
Devin’s face turned red. With Kate out of hearing distance, his finger thumped against Tristan’s chest. “I’m willing to guess that it wasn’t the horse that threw her in that lake. And it doesn’t take an idiot to figure out what was going on here. You’re wet up to your knees. You may be my friend, but this time, there’s no flip of the coin. Understand? She’s not my cousin by blood. Which wouldn’t matter to most, but to me it does. She’s mine."
Tristan glanced back at Kate, his brows creasing into a frown. “You fool yourself, friend. I always get what I want.”
“Oh, do tell?” Devin said with indignation. “What about that blasted diamond? Or are you as daft as your father?”
Tristan snatched hold of Devin’s shirt. “That was uncalled for.”
Devin whipped Tristan’s hand away, and the fighting began.
The sound of tearing cloth turned Kate from her own plans.
“Stop it!” She ran and threw herself into the battling men. “Stop it, you two!”
An unintentional hit to her shoulder sent her flying to the ground. Both men stopped instantly, shirts torn, blood dripping from their faces, their mouths dropping open in shock.
Kate rubbed her backside with the palm of her hand and stood. England was becoming a nightmare. In unison, the men moved to comfort her.
“I’m quite all right. Go wash yourselves up in the lake,” she commanded, pointing to the edge of the water. “You both look dreadful. Acting like ruffians! I can’t believe you two!”
Wordlessly, like obedient children, the gentlemen moved toward the water. Kate played on their guilt. A true Englishman never hit a woman, but she didn’t give them time to apologize, not those two scatterbrains. She had her plans set in motion and nothing was going to stop her.
She followed them to the edge of the lake. As they bent down, she gave them a quick push from behind, one after another. There was more splash in their words than the water. Tristan’s coal black hair glistened in the sunlight, and her stomached turned as he glared at her, saying nothing, but the threat in his eyes told her everything.
Devin whipped his head out of the water. “Blast it, Katherine. Why the devil did you do that?”
“Because I wanted to.” She laughed until the merciless stare Tristan shot her way penetrated her facade, forcing her to rethink her foolish action. She lifted her nose and grabbed Killer, quickly making her way back to the two horses waiting beneath the towering oaks. Hopping onto a very familiar tree stump, she mounted Devin’s magnificent stallion. They could bring back her things.
“Katherine!” Devin glared as he stood on the edge of the lake dripping in the sun. “Come back here!”
Tristan’s face hardened into a mask of rage as he realized his fate. Kate thought the day all too fitting. Her heart bubbled with glee. She waved them a grand farewell and grabbed the reins of the other stallion and the mare. “Have a good day, gentlemen.”
Her echoing laughter bounced off the trees, leaving the two men staring in awe as the last bit of pink disappeared from sight.
Chapter Nine
Clad in a gray waistcoat and dark blue breeches, Tristan sat in the Lancewood library, stretching his legs toward the hearth and sipping a glass of Madeira. A slow smile spread over his face as he lifted one Hessian boot across the other.
The day had been an enlightening experience. All in three weeks time the scrawny girl from the inn had become a dazzling, twenty-year-old woman. He had been worrying about Kate for weeks, and here she was, living in the lap of luxury with the Duke and Duchess of Ridgewater.
Tristan glanced at the papers about the diamond and decided to dismiss the quest for the evening, his mind only able to center on Kate. If memory served him correctly, Devin had told him that she was from a wealthy family. Her father, a rich shipping merchant, had been lost at sea. So, what had she been doing traveling alone?
Tristan flinched at the nine rings from the grandfather clock. He stood up, placed his glass upon the mahogany end table, and strode toward the dining room.
As soon as he took a seat at the table, clapping footsteps echoed down the hall. He lifted a surprise gaze as Edward flew into the room, skidded to a halt, and sat down.
“Evening, Trist.”
“Running a bit late?” Tristan spread out his napkin, hiding his grin.
“I’m on time. No need to get stuffy about it.”
“Mother having a tray sent up again?"
Edward frowned. “Thought you talked to her this morning."
“Haven’t seen her all day.”
“I told you she wanted to talk to you."
Tristan tried to disguise the annoyance. “Probably wants more pin money."
“She does like to shop, you know.”
Tristan looked up as the butler passed the doorway. “Perkins, have you seen my mother about?”
“Indeed, my lord. She seemed in quite a hurry to make it to Town for the Season. Left straight away this afternoon.”
Tristan turned toward Edward. “Must have been in a wretched hurry if she traveled to London without an extra allowance.” But in actuality, Tristan was relieved to have missed another tense encounter.
“Would say so.” Edward stuffed a piece of roasted goose in his mouth. “Mmmm. Rather tasty today. I believe Cook must have known that Mother had taken her leave. You know how she abhors any type of fowl.” His bright blue eyes gleamed with pleasure.
Tristan laughed. “I believe she hates Cook as well.”
Edward leaned bac
k on his armrests and smiled. “Why, we will have a feast tonight. Look, its peas in cream sauce. I do believe this is going to be a splendid evening. And I won’t even speak of crop rotation and the price of wheat.”
Tristan chuckled as he picked up his fork. “I imagine you may not want to go to London after all. It looks like you’ll be served a good meal here every day. We may live like kings if we stay."
Edward cleared his throat. “No. I have other ideas for the Season."
Tristan raised a questioning brow. “Something, or someone, particular in mind? Or did you suddenly recall your obligation to Devin’s cousin?”
Edward peered up from his plate. “I’m not going to tell you. And I’m not going to flip a coin like you do with Devin. I mean business with this lady."
“Ah, so a lady now, is it?" Tristan sat back in his chair. He hoped that it was not the same lady he had set his cap for during the Season. “Perhaps I can help?”
Edward snorted. “Ha. I know how you would help me.”
Tristan smiled. “I’m only after one thing.”
“And I know that one thing,” Edward said, clanking his fork against his plate. “But someday, you’ll be after the ladies, too, and it won’t be mine. You’re searching for that deuced diamond. You certainly cannot be serious about anything else. Father believed that diamond would bring some kind of luck to our family, and we would be doomed if it wasn’t returned. Was he right do you think? Do you think the same?”
In grim silence, Tristan sat back and stared at his brother.
“Is that why you search endlessly for that cursed gem? Dash it, Trist, whatever your reason, I won’t have you trifling with my lady’s affections like that deuced diamond or the other women you’re accustomed to. Do you understand?”
Tristan resumed his eating, wishing the diamond had never been part of his life. “Quite a speech, Edward. However, you don’t understand. This is something I must do.”
Edward frowned. “Forgive me. I should not have said anything at all.”
Tristan’s face softened. He loved Edward and had no intention of including him in the quest. There was a danger that lingered in the air, one that was made more evident the night at the inn. And now Kate could be involved as well if the enemy knew her whereabouts. It made him all the more determined to keep her in his sights.
“And as long as you’re not after my lady, you have nothing to worry about.”
Edward choked on his goose. “Your lady? When did this come about?”
“About three weeks ago,” Tristan answered calmly.
“Three weeks ago? Where the blazes were you three weeks ago?”
“The Hunting Fox Inn.”
Edward’s brows shot up. “That girl?”
“Indeed, and I would rather you kept it to yourself.”
A smile twisted Edward’s lips. “Robbing the cradle?”
“No. The female in question is Devin’s cousin, Miss Katherine Wilcox. She’s twenty-years-old.”
Edward’s expression turned from surprise to complete shock. “Thunderation! The homely chit from America?"
“She is not a homely chit.”
“But what about Devin’s description? I thought that female was the same one who maimed you years ago.”
A smile spread over Tristan’s face. “For one thing, that is the same female, and for another thing, Devin is going to be a problem.”
“Devin?” Edward replied, clearly aghast.
“Yes. It seems our good and faithful friend has set his eyes on his cousin as well.”
Tristan felt an awakening of his soul. The missing diamond was a hefty quest. Yet he decided to begin another quest. He would seek Miss Katherine Wilcox’s hand in marriage. She was different from any other lady he knew.
He assured himself that he could handle both quests at once. He would eventually find that diamond and everything would eventually fall into place.
Edward’s chest rumbled with hysterical laughter. “I fancy this is a fight to the finish then?”
“It is not a fight,” Tristan said, waving the dessert tray away. “Enough about me, tell me about your lady? Who is she?"
“Lady Charlotte,” Edward said with pride, picking a tart from the platter.
Tristan stared at Edward in astonishment. “I take it Devin has no notions of your intentions? Or His Grace, for that matter?
“Not yet. However, by the end of the Season, they shall warm to the idea.”
“Warm to the idea? Devin will be a raving lunatic. He thinks of Charlotte as a baby.”
Edward lifted his gaze and grinned. “Raving lunatic is correct. But why should I worry? It seems to me that Devin will have his hands full trying to woo this American chit. You, dear brother, are the one to worry. You have just made my life all the more easier. Devin will not give up.”
“Have you no faith in me?”
“Faith is not the question here,” Edward said. “It’s the facts that concern me.”
“And pray tell, what are the facts?”
Edward shrugged, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his waistcoat. “Isn’t it obvious? My competition isn’t living with my lady...yours is.”
Kate lifted her eyes to the duke’s London residence located in the luxurious neighborhood of Grosvenor Square. Though it was not a vast estate like Ridgewater Manor, the multi-story brick townhouse was just as exquisite.
An abundance of immense windows faced the cobblestone street, ornamented by two stone sphinxes guarding the front door, giving the appearance of a very fashionable home. Horses neighed, carriages rattled, and people bustled about the street, reminding her of Boston.
Her spirits would have lifted at the sight of the wonderful mansion and its grand façade if the ride to Town hadn’t been so nerve-wracking.
It wasn’t so much the bumpy road that caused her stomach to turn as much as it was Devin who had kept his eyes attached to her person almost the entire ride. Returning to Wilcox Manor was one option she didn’t have for at least another month.
She berated herself for her melancholy mood and walked purposefully up the steps. She was still inspecting the sphinxes when she stumbled and literally fell into Devin’s arms.
“Katherine, are you hurt?” The marquess’s words were a sweet caress against her ear and heat seeped into her face. Her cousin was going to be harder to control than she had thought.
“No, no. I’m quite all right.” She pushed herself away and forced a smile. “Stupid of me. I was staring at your stone guards here. But I believe I can stand on my own two feet now.”
“Of course, forgive me.” With a frown, Devin emptied his hands. She nodded, straightened her cloak and scurried ahead.
Charlotte glanced back at Kate and grinned. “I see Devin is still vying for your affection. Never seen him act that way, you know. He’s very well-known among the ladies here.”
“Charlotte, please.” Kate dismissed the teasing comment and proceeded into the townhouse. Her gaze lifted to the top of the banister where a small wooden dragon’s head proudly sat as a lookout, as if watching her every move.
“Good afternoon, ladies.” Webster bowed, hurrying past them, the birdcage swinging in his hand.
Kate smiled to herself. Webster had been in the second carriage with Handsome and looked as if he had been at war with France. His coat was askew, one button was missing, and his meticulously polished shoes were scuffed.
Handsome barked, rushing forward, jumping on the back of Webster, almost knocking the elderly man down. “I say!”
“Handsome,” Kate cried out. “Stop that this instant!”
The dog moved away and whimpered.
Webster raised his bushy brows in disgust as he brushed his pants with a couple of firm whacks. “Beast,” he mumbled.
“It’s divine, simply divine.” The parrot flapped its wings.
The butler’s lips spread into a thin line of defeat.
Kate tried to suppress her giggle. “Webster, I cannot tell you how
much I appreciate you taking Handsome and Mr. Divine in the carriage. I know they will always be safe with you.”
“Yes, well, the beast seems to be hungry.” Webster scowled as he took the dog by its collar, leading Handsome down the hall and holding the birdcage in his other arm.
Kate let out a small laugh. “Oh, Charlotte, I do believe your butler has a soft heart where my animals are concerned.”
Charlotte’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “He doesn’t have to like them. He simply has to feed them. Poor, dear Webster.”
“Good day, Lady Charlotte.”
“Mrs. Pennyweather,” Charlotte cried, taking the plump lady’s hands in hers. “Kate, this is our housekeeper Mrs. Pennyweather. Mrs. Pennyweather, this is Miss Katherine Wilcox, my cousin.”
Greetings were exchanged, and the housekeeper beamed with pleasure. “The dressmaker delivered your new clothes yesterday. I took the liberty of having the chambermaids unpack them for you in your rooms. Heaven be praised, you two ladies will be the belles of the balls. They are some of the most beautiful gowns I’ve ever seen.”
Moments later Kate was ushered into a sumptuous room, and after a soothing bath, she dressed in a pale blue muslin gown for the evening meal. A soft tap at the door startled her.
“Come in.”
Charlotte stepped into the room. “It’s only me. Who did you think it was, my brother?”
Kate frowned. “Have a care, Charlotte. He could be listening.”
Charlotte shrugged as she headed for Kate’s wardrobe. “Did you inspect your new gowns? Mother says that Madame Riveaux is the best dressmaker in all of London. After all that pinning, tucking, and measuring at the last minute, I thought you would faint. But I’m certain it was all worth it. My gowns are gorgeous.”
Charlotte’s eyes were bursting with excitement as she opened the door to the large wardrobe. “Ooooh, I daresay, these are fit for a queen.”
Kate’s jaw dropped. Rows of silk and lace stared back at her. A palette of pastels and whites filled her gaze. These were some of the most beautiful clothes she had ever seen.
Once Upon A Diamond (A sweet Regency Historical Romance) Page 13