by Rue Allyn
“Aha!”
Audra was triumphant. She raised a shoulder to Crispin, the corners of her mouth stretched from ear to ear.
“Either way,” Thayne continued, “I would suggest putting the lady’s wishes ahead of the race.”
“Is that so?” Crispin returned, riding his horse up to Audra’s and pausing closely beside her. “Well, brother, I think you are not the only one who can give advice on how a man ought to treat a lady.”
With that, he leaned over and gave Audra a kiss on the cheek before his horse broke into a full gallop. Audra chased after him.
“My brother is shameless,” Thayne commented to Rhianna.
Feeling surprisingly more relaxed, Rhianna was glad to have this moment alone, though to what point and purpose she could hardly say. Even still, as Audra and Crispin continued happily in the far lead, neither Desmond Kingsley nor Austine Leighart could interrupt them here.
“Before this morning, I had never seen Audra in such anticipation,” she admitted. “Twelve months seems a long time not to see one’s neighbors.”
“Yes,” Thayne admitted. “Well, Lydia Kingsley is not particularly fond of my mother — or anyone, I believe.” He smiled. “And, of course, Crispin and Miss Kingsley could use a few more years apart.”
“I had no idea they were so fond of each other.”
“Yes, they are.” He paused suddenly, before quickly blurting, “May I … be so bold as to ask who you are fond of, Miss Braden?”
Rhianna could hardly believe the words that had escaped his lips and she suspected he was feeling the same, though she could not look at him after this.
“Forgive me,” he hurried. “That was entirely inappropriate.”
With his sudden apology, she smiled, and stole a quick glance at him. He looked disconcerted and she decided to engage him with witticism.
“If I were to say to you Desmond Kingsley, would you believe me?”
“No,” he admitted with a chuckle. Seeming to find further courage, he added, “But surely, there must be someone? If not here, then in France?”
The thought of Philippe erased her smile and Thayne was quick to notice.
“So, it is France, then?”
Rhianna let out a quick sigh and wondered at the odd turn their conversation had taken. “No, not, exactly.”
He watched her closely, and she felt him trying to read her expressions.
“Philippe and I,” she told him, surrendering, “practically grew up together. The only son of the family I lived with these last years, he proposed before I left France.”
Why she was sharing this with him, she hardly knew.
“Proposed?” he repeated, nauseously. “Are you engaged?”
She shook her head. “I am not.”
Thayne allowed her a moment to elaborate, but she did not.
“So you have refused him?” he asked.
Rhianna hesitated. “I … have not. Though, he and his sister are to visit me shortly and I suspect the matter will be settled at that time.”
Rhianna felt a tinge ill. In over a year’s time, she had not convinced herself of the appropriate response to Philippe. The one thing she knew for certain was that she could not always be guaranteed employment at Kingsley Manor. It was a subject she wished very much to avoid thinking about.
“Well, it ought to be a simple matter, ought it not? Are you in love with this Philippe? Because if you are at all uncertain of it, you ought not to accept.”
“And what of you, Lord Brighton?” she asked, turning the subject on him. “Who are you fond of?”
She dared to steal another glance at him, but panicked as his eyes alone seemed to betray him — or were her own eyes deceiving her? Of course, Thayne Brighton could have no feelings for her, as much as she was beginning to wish it.
“Austine Leighart, no doubt,” she declared, before he could answer.
Thayne laughed. “Ah, Miss Leighart. Miss Leighart is not happy unless she is the loveliest, most accomplished, most admired girl in a room. She rather dislikes you, I imagine.”
“She can have no reason,” Rhianna declared vehemently. “First of all, we weren’t even introduced. And I daresay, from what I could tell that night at the ball, she was everything you just described.”
“That can only be your feeling because you were not at an advantage to see yourself. If you ask me, Miss Leighart had every possible reason in the world to have a miserable evening.” Rhianna could hardly breathe, as he concluded, “Miss Braden, do you believe in love at first sight?”
She was surprised to find that with such a question, her first thoughts turned, not to Philippe, but to Thayne Brighton. She thought of the first time she saw him in the Kingsley woods, and how she despised him.
“No,” she declared.
In his face, she saw the man she was falling in love with, the love she knew to be the only kind one should marry for, if one’s circumstances would only allow. Suddenly wrestling against the ache in her heart, she fought such hopeless emotions fruitlessly.
“Perhaps,” she added, boldly, “at second sight.”
With this, she rode on ahead of him toward the children. He followed shortly after, his last words lingering in the air for some minutes until their small party was reunited.
“The two of you seem to have gotten on well without us,” announced Thayne to Audra and Crispin.
“Without you?” replied Crispin. “Were you not right behind all along?”
With a raised eyebrow, Thayne said, “Had you not noticed? Miss Braden and I have only just caught up.”
“A fine joke, Lord Brighton,” injected Audra. “We heard you the whole time.”
“Heard us?” Rhianna asked her young pupil. “Whatever do you mean?”
“Your horses,” she responded.
Instinctively, both Thayne and Rhianna looked about them and her heartbeat began to pick up. Obviously, Audra and Crispin had not heard them, so whom had they heard?
“Both horses, or only one?” asked Thayne, glancing suspiciously toward the woods on their left.
“Both,” they replied together.
“You’re certain? You heard more than one horse?”
Both girl and boy turned white as they realized he was not in jest and remained silent to stand by their claim. Each giving a glance to the south woods, only the nods of their heads followed this last query.
“You really weren’t right behind us, were you?” Crispin affirmed.
“No,” answered Thayne. “We had best return to Ravensleigh.”
No argument succeeded this. The four riders about-faced and headed toward the house with no amount of sluggishness.
• • •
Crispin and Audra darted into the drawing room to meet with Lady Brighton. Meanwhile, Thayne requested a moment to speak with Rhianna outside.
With a concerned gaze, he took her hands and addressed her, saying, “Miss Braden, have you any reason to believe or, rather, to suspect you are being watched?”
He stood very close to her and she could not but admire from her advantageous line of view both his height and the square shape of his jaw. It was becoming more and more difficult not to catch her breath each and every time she met his gaze — and had he shown a thinly veiled attraction to her? Or was her heart misleading her yet again? Her eyes fell to the hands that enveloped hers and she could not deny that such a liberty as he had taken there was odd, indeed. Yet, she felt no inclination to widen the space between them.
Suddenly, she realized what he had asked her.
“Watched?” she repeated.
“My intent, Miss Braden, as your friend, is not to frighten you, of course. It is only — the fact that Pierson was at the scene of your accident …”
“That is quite a theory, Lord Brighton,” she returned, not at all convinced. “Mr. Pierson may have been in the area, but there is nothing he could possibly want with me.”
Thayne examined her for a moment.
“Lord Brigh
ton, I have no doubt that there were, not one, but two persons in the woods back there, but it was smugglers more than likely. Men who no doubt want nothing to do with us so long as we want nothing to do with them.”
Thayne shook his head. “I am going to make arrangements for you and Audra to return to Kingsley Manor shortly. In the interest of your safety, I will personally join you on the trip and speak to Lord Kingsley when we arrive.”
“My goodness, I am sure we will arrive safely at Kingsley Manor without an escort.”
“Miss Braden,” he entreated, “do you think me able to allow such a thing? Do you imagine I could be at rest without any confirmation of your security?”
Before she could reply, Thayne pulled her gently forward and kissed her cheek, catching just the corner of her mouth. He lingered, and Rhianna was suddenly conscious of the scent of his skin and the feel of his breath upon her own.
“I beg you would think better of me,” he said.
• • •
The following day, Austine Leighart and her mother came to pay a visit to Ravensleigh. The sight of the Leighart family carriage revealed their call to Thayne, who, unable to sleep the previous night, had gone out for an early ride. It was now a few days since the ball and he imagined they had come in search of a few, last compliments before returning to Norwich.
Thayne, far from pleased by the visit, wished they had come one day previous. He would have enjoyed seeing Austine’s face at the sight of Rhianna. The thought of such an encounter was highly amusing and it helped put on a smile on his face as he entered his home.
Thayne entered his drawing room to find Austine alone. The unexpected situation left him, for a moment, confused. She noticed this at once and did not hesitate to explain.
“What an unexpected pleasure to see you, Lord Brighton!”
“Is it unexpected to find me in my own home?” he questioned dryly.
“Oh, you see, when your mother explained you had gone riding, we feared we would not cross paths. I say we, you must be wondering whom I mean.”
“I am,” he responded.
She was dressed to the nines, but Thayne was not impressed. Although she was stunning, her vanity was undeniable. Her very presence aggravated him and he wondered what excuse she contrived to create the situation he now found himself in.
“My mother has accompanied yours to the garden. I started with them, but as you can see, I’ve come back for my muff. The grounds are breathtaking in any season, but it is far too cold to be walking about without the proper attire.”
“I find it incredulous that you forgot it to begin with.”
Austine smiled. She had not forgotten the muff. He always saw right through her.
“You blame me for wanting to see you?” she asked, with an inflection of innocence. “I thought perhaps without company we could speak openly.”
Thayne watched as she seated herself in a corner chair. She intended this meeting to last longer than he did.
“There is nothing I have to say to you that I cannot say in the company of others,” he told her, bluntly.
“Are you quite sure?” she urged, playfully fingering the arm of her seat. “You are an amazing dancer, my lord. I had a mind to tell you how skillfully you handled the waltz.”
“Did you?”
“Yes. I suppose you must have had a great deal of practice to make a woman feel as comfortable as I did. The dance floor can be such a daunting place, with great room for embarrassment. Almost as if one were standing before the crowd with no clothes on.”
“It never crossed my mind.”
Miss Leighart rose from the corner chair and approached him. Stroking the lapel of his coat, she continued, “No, I suppose it wouldn’t have. But women are such timorous creatures. It’s the very reason that a man like yourself, who has the skill to make his partner feel at ease, is so appreciated.”
“Forgive me, I do not see the timidity in you, Miss Leighart.”
Saying nothing in immediate reply, Austine held her eye contact. A moment passed before she responded to this last blow.
“What must I do, Lord Brighton?” she asked, flirtatiously. “Surely, I am attractive enough for you?”
Thayne removed her hand from his chest and stepped toward the door. Opening it for her, he said, “My heart is full of another. The best I can offer you is an escort to the garden.”
A rage flushed over her with his words. “Full of another?” she cried, all efforts at cordiality gone. “I have to demand you tell me who this woman is!”
“On what basis?” he returned.
“Are we not intended for each other? Do we not have an excellent future together? Between my fortune and yours, how very influential we could be! Think of how everyone will look up to us. Surely, this is not something you intend to give up.”
Thayne remained steadfast. “Our families might have encouraged the match, Miss Leighart, but I have certainly never hinted at its fruition. I intend to marry for love and no amount of money or prominence can change my position on the matter. The truth is, I do not love you, nor could I ever love you.”
“You are cruel to me, Lord Brighton!”
“It would be cruel of me if you loved me. You, though, love only my position, my fortune, and my name. That is why I say these things to you without remorse. Were not you the one who suggested we speak openly? To lose me would mean disappointment for you on account of my wealth, not heartache on account of my person.”
“No, my lord, you are entirely mistaken. What can have made you come to this unbelievable conclusion? Surely, these cannot be your true thoughts of me. I love you madly, as I could never love anyone.”
Tears arose in Austine’s eyes as she spoke, but Thayne was not deceived.
“I imagine you told Lord Cosworth the same, no doubt from the comfort of his bed, until he lost his riches.”
In an instant, the vision of a victimized and desperate woman in love that stood before him transformed into the repugnant, gain-seeker that she was. Her open hand met his cheek with great energy.
“How dare you speak to a lady in this manner! Such ill-bred behavior I have never seen! You shame yourself and your family. What woman would ever find you a prize?”
Thayne extended his arm toward the door. “Good day, Miss Leighart.”
A servant was sent for her mother at once. She met Austine in the carriage and they left Ravensleigh immediately.
• • •
Soleil’s last letter was quickly followed by a second. It read, in part:
“… we can no longer bear the separation. We must come and see you. Besides, I have been keeping a bit of good news with the hope of telling you in person. As you are reading this, we are already on our way …”
Rhianna dropped Soleil’s letter to her side and gazed listlessly out her chamber window overlooking the rotunda. She so wanted to be happy at the prospect of seeing them, but she knew what lay ahead. During the last year Rhianna had become rather deft at putting the matter out of her head. Presently, though, it weighed heavily upon her mind. Now that her mourning period was past, there was no escaping Philippe’s request for an answer.
Of course, she began to reason, perhaps there was hope. After all, it had been more than a year. It was not altogether impossible that Philippe’s feelings had changed. He had not seen her in some time. He’d had plenty of opportunity to reconsider his choice and her absence surely contributed to his being of a clear mind. She imagined him in social settings, introduced to various ladies, and finding one he admired and loved, and who admired and loved him in return.
The thought stopped her. Was that what she wanted? Philippe had loved her as well as any woman could ever hope to be loved. And though Rhianna knew she did not feel a passion for him as she imagined she would feel for the man she would marry, she did love him in return, as well as his family. How she would love to truly be a sister to Soleil! Not only that, but Philippe had the equivalent of five thousand pounds a year. She would never wa
nt for anything. France felt very much her home. Perhaps Mauvreen would even come with her.
Rhianna found herself battling the fear she had so desperately repressed. If Philippe no longer loved her, what did her future hold? Immediately, she had a place to live, a position she loved, a friend or two, but beyond that was uncertain. Suddenly, she felt guilty. When she hoped Philippe would still marry her, was it because she really, deeply wanted to be married to him? Or was it when she eliminated Philippe as a marriageable option, she simply eliminated her security? Above all, could one ever know the right reasons to marry?
Thayne Brighton inevitably penetrated her thoughts. He had been something of a fixture there since the ball, but even more consistently did she find herself drifting off because of him since their outing the previous day. It was not only his physical attractiveness, nor their unexpectedly intimate conversation, but hardly could she believe he had actually kissed her. How often she relived that moment! His lips, cold from the chilled air, warmed quickly against her cheek, the faintest hint of whiskers brushing against her smooth skin. She knew not what to make of it. Although she could not accuse him of the schemes she attributed to Desmond Kingsley, she also could not imagine him acting on any feelings he might have for her.
She heard a rap at the door.
“Yes, Katie?”
The servant curtseyed. “Lord Kingsley wishes to speak with you in his study, Miss Braden.”
Grateful for any distraction from her thoughts, she responded to the summons without a moment’s delay. Especially did she appreciate this particular interruption; Lord Kingsley had a calming manner that was contagious and Rhianna so wished to feel calm.
It was unnecessary for Katie to guide her. Rhianna knew her way around the manor well by now, even the upper floors seldom traveled by her, and had memorized every hallway, every door.
And one door in particular.
It was on the first floor, and she passed it whenever she could. The handle would never turn, for the room was always locked. She checked it as often as she had reason to pass it, or as often as she made up reason to do so, as she did on her way to Lord Kingsley that afternoon. As she expected, that day was as any other and she wondered what lay beyond the door. It was not infrequent for her to lie awake at night, pondering the potential contents of this room, situated just beyond the family chambers.