“Indeed, a woman who would slap a man might not hesitate to shoot him.”
“It’s a chance you might not wish to take.”
He leaned closer and wondered if he was indeed taking his life in his hands. “I suspect it’s a chance worth taking for the right woman.” He straightened. “Good day then.” He nodded, turned and strode back toward the house.
The woman was impossible. Charming and vulnerable and altogether delicious one moment and prickly and distrustful and infuriating the next. One minute he wished to thrash her and the next take her in his arms. And that too was annoying.
He had to admit he had never felt this strongly about any woman before and certainly not as quickly as this. It was almost as if forces beyond his control were at work. Fate perhaps or destiny or…or what? Magic? That was it. His jaw clenched. She had bewitched him. Cast some sort of Scottish spell over him. Enchanted him when he wasn’t looking.
His step slowed. What utter nonsense. How could he possibly even consider such a thing? It was no more than his mother’s silly talk about curses that had put the idea in his head in the first place.
Still, magic made just about as much sense as any other answer to explain his feelings. It certainly wasn’t anything as absurd as love at first sight. Not that he didn’t suspect such things existed. And yes, he had always thought he would know the very moment he met the woman he would spend the rest of his life with. But when he had first seen Kate she had been unconscious, which scarcely counted. It wasn’t until he had looked into her eyes that he had felt…desire? Yes, of course. Discovered the pull of attraction? Without question. Experienced curiosity? Who wouldn’t be curious?
Glimpsed his future?
No, that was ridiculous. He absolutely refused to so much as consider the possibility. He would accept desire and attraction but anything more was absurd. He would help Kate recover her memory but that would be that. What he was feeling was nothing more than the kind of ordinary lust any man would feel for a lovely, mysterious woman and there was nothing to be done about it. Given all that he didn’t know about her, all that she didn’t know about herself, it would be wrong, morally, ethically wrong to pursue her in any manner whatsoever. Utterly irresponsible on his part. Not at all the sort of thing he would do.
And why not?
The thought pulled him up short. Why, he had always done everything expected of him. He more than lived up to the responsibilities of his title, of caring for his mother and his tenants. He was cautious and practical and sane—especially when compared to his friends. Friends who had always looked to him for rational advice, assistance, and occasional rescue. Wasn’t it time he did something completely irresponsible that might well require rescue? Didn’t he now and again deserve to not think about the consequences of his actions, to throw caution to the winds?
Didn’t he deserve an adventure?
As for Kate, she was certainly not a child and her character was obviously anything but weak. He didn’t have a doubt in his mind that she would never allow anything to happen between them that she didn’t wish to happen. But seduction simmered in the air and had since the moment she had opened her eyes. She was as cognizant of it as he. It was as powerful a lure as adventure.
Oliver would pursue Kate as he did any woman that he wanted. No, he would pursue her as he had never pursued any woman before. And if that pursuit led ultimately to seduction—hers or his—so be it.
Kate would be his adventure even if he never again mentioned the word to her. And if he, well, if he lost his heart in the process, wasn’t that the risk one ran for adventure?
It was however, disconcerting to realize that the thought of his heart had reared its head at all.
Chapter 9
As much as Kate wanted to know everything about herself, some discoveries weren’t as comforting as others. It was gratifying to learn she was skilled with a bow and not at all pleasant to realize she had a somewhat quick temper, an impatient nature and she found men who acted as if she did not exist most annoying. Certainly one could argue that a man who feared he might well end up with an arrow imbedded in a vulnerable part of his body would be wise to avoid the woman in question. Still, the fact that his avoidance was prudent made it no less irritating. Kate sat across the dinner table from Oliver and tried not to glare at him.
From the moment he had left her two days ago, Oliver had been polite and cordial, the perfect host, but if he was not actually avoiding her presence he was doing nothing to be in her company either. She had the oddest feeling he was not merely staying away from her but somehow biding his time, considering his options, even devising a plan of battle which made no sense at all and was probably no more than her imagination run amok.
Kate was equally polite and every bit as cordial, but for the moment, she too kept her distance. She told herself she preferred her own company to his, but if truth were told the man scared her. Oh, not that Oliver was frightening in and of himself, but her feelings when she was in his presence were anything but cordial, cool, and aloof.
It was odd that he was not married by now. The man was amusing and clever, generous and kind. The type of man who would give coins to a stranger on the street simply because it looked as if she would need them whereas Oliver did not. He insisted they had never met but Kate felt more and more certain that somehow she knew him.
“And then there is Dr. Miller, charming man, but of course you have met him,” Lady Norcroft continued apparently unaware that neither Kate nor Oliver was responding with more than cursory interest.
It had been remarkably easy to avoid each other. Oliver had spent much of the last two days visiting with tenants. Today he had met with his estate manager and then had spent the rest of the day riding. Kate would have liked to have felt a horse beneath her—she suspected she rode well—but he had not invited her to join him and she had not invited herself. No, it was better not to be alone with him.
Kate had used her time in exploration of the greenhouse and the library. She’d found Lady Norcroft had a passion for filling her home with the flowers of spring. Her gardeners were skilled at forcing the blooms of tulips, daffodils, and a profusion of other flowers, as well as growing a variety of small fruit trees kept in pots. The greenhouse smelled of spring and hope and provided a fresh and delightful escape.
In the library, she had discovered she was indeed well read. She had found copies of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights—Lady Norcroft’s no doubt—and it was as though she had discovered old friends. Indeed, while she had intended simply to page through Jane Eyre, she had soon found herself immersed in the familiar story of the passionate governess. Jane’s turbulent life took Kate’s mind off her own precarious situation.
As did archery. Kate had spent hours with bow and arrow yesterday afternoon and again today. The concentration required to aim and shoot accurately eased her mind and provided a respite from both dwelling on Oliver and trying to recall anything pertinent about her life. Unfortunately she had had no new revelations since realizing her parents were dead although she had discovered she was not an especially patient person. Surely there was something she should be doing to recover her lost memory other than waiting.
“Oliver, I should think you would…”
Dinner tonight was no less awkward than last night or the night before. Kate was grateful to Lady Norcroft, who carried the conversation, oblivious to the tension in the air whenever her son and her guest were in the same room. Kate certainly felt it and was sure Oliver felt it as well. On his part it might well be that his suspicions about her had not abated although she had thought they had. She would catch him looking at her, studying her as if by doing so he could learn the truth. Her jaw clenched in impatience. She hoped he would and soon. As comfortable and pleasant as Norcroft Manor was, it was not her home and she did long to know where home was. Where she belonged.
And the sooner that happened, the better. The growing attraction she felt for Oliver was as irresistible as it was impossible. Sh
e had no right to feel anything whatsoever for the man. No right to lie awake at night thinking about the feel of his lips on hers. And certainly no right to wonder what course their relationship might have taken if they had met under normal circumstances.
“And then I said to her…”
Lady Norcroft had sent off a flurry of letters apparently to anyone she had ever met in an effort to learn Kate’s identity. It was too early for them to have produced results but Lady Norcroft was confident they would. She had also sent for Madame DuBois to come from London. The seamstress was expected tomorrow. Kate had protested once again, given the no doubt exorbitant cost involved but Lady Norcroft had waved aside her objections. In this, even Oliver had agreed with his mother.
Lady Norcroft’s nieces were expected tomorrow as well, and with more guests in the house it would be next to impossible to be alone with Oliver. Which was, of course, for the best.
“Excellent suggestion, Mother,” Oliver said with enthusiasm. “What do you say, Kate?”
Oliver’s voice jerked her attention back to the table. “Well, yes, certainly, if Lady Norcroft thinks it’s a good idea.” She smiled weakly.
“As it was my idea, I think it’s excellent.” Lady Norcroft beamed. “Oliver, I suggest you precede us and make certain everything is prepared.”
He laughed. “I don’t see that any particular preparation is necessary but as you so obviously wish to speak to Kate alone, I shall take my leave.” He rose to his feet then stepped behind Kate’s chair, leaned close, and lowered his voice. “Dancing, Kate. My mother thinks it’s a good idea if we make certain you are proficient on the dance floor. Although I have no fears in that quarter, practice is always beneficial.” His breath was warm against her ear and she shivered with delight and sheer desire. The man simply melted something inside her. “And I can think of nothing I’d rather do than have you in my arms.”
Oliver straightened. “I shall meet you in the ballroom then.” He cast his mother a firm glance. “Do not take too long. I am looking forward to this.”
“I am certain you are.” Lady Norcroft favored her son with an affectionate smile. Her gaze followed him from the room. “He is a good man, Kate. Not perfect by any means, but a good man.”
Kate smiled but said nothing. Oliver did seem to be a good man, which made everything all the more difficult.
“Might I ask where your thoughts were this evening? They were certainly not here.”
“My apologies.” Kate grimaced. “My thoughts are where they always are. On a hundred unanswered questions. A thousand unknown possibilities.” And one annoying man.
Lady Norcroft studied her for a long moment. “This is difficult for you, isn’t it?”
“I imagine it would be difficult for anyone.”
“But most especially for someone like you.”
Kate pulled her brows together. “What do you mean, someone like me?”
“My dear Kate, it is obvious to me that you are a very strong and intelligent woman. The kind of female who never doubts her purpose, her place in the world, who accepts the responsibilities life hands her without fail.”
Kate stared. “That is obvious to you?”
The older woman laughed. “It is indeed.” She paused. “You should know I was not always the frivolous creature you see now.”
“I don’t think you’re at all frivolous,” Kate said staunchly.
“Oh, but I am and I quite enjoy being frivolous. I have earned it,” she said firmly. “When Oliver’s father died, a great deal of responsibility fell upon my shoulders. We had no other family to speak of. Charles left it to me to take care of our son and his future. I ran the estate, I managed the family finances and I made certain when Oliver was old enough to take over the responsibilities of his position there would be something left to take over. So you see my dear I am well aware of the strength inherent in women. Enough so to recognize it when I see it.”
Kate stared.
Sympathy shone in Lady Norcroft’s blue eyes. “I am sorry this is so hard for you.”
Impulsively Kate reached over and laid her hand on the older woman’s. “Thank you for being so kind.”
“It’s I who should thank you.” Lady Norcroft shook her head. “I don’t believe I have ever seen Oliver quite so taken with a woman before.”
“Taken?” Kate scoffed. “I think he’s more inconvenienced and annoyed than taken.”
“Nonsense.” Lady Norcroft waved off Kate’s comment. “The inconvenience is temporary and I daresay any annoyance is more with the situation than with you. Besides, annoying a man is an excellent way to begin. Why, I annoyed my husband no end when we first met.”
“Yes, but he knew your name.” Kate shook her head. “Oliver knows nothing about me. Regardless of how he might feel, or think he feels, it’s nothing more than the…adventure, if you will, of the circumstances.”
“Do not discount the benefit of adventure. It can be quite,” a wicked light sparked in Lady Norcroft’s eye, “stimulating and most romantic.”
Kate choked back a gasp.
“Oliver always has had a romantic side,” his mother said more to herself than to Kate. “And he could certainly use an adventure—”
“I beg your pardon, Lady Norcroft, but this is not an adventure for me. It is an ordeal. As for your son, we are in an impossible situation.” Kate stared at the older woman. “I have no right to feel anything at all until I know who I am nor does Lord Norcroft.”
“Quite right, my dear. I expected nothing less from you.” Lady Norcroft smiled with satisfaction and rose to her feet. “Now then, shall we join my son?”
Lady Norcroft led the way from the dining room, down the corridor into the ballroom chattering all the while about the upcoming ball, leaving Kate entirely to her own thoughts.
So his mother thought Oliver was taken with her. It was, as Kate had said, an impossible situation yet the idea that he was as drawn to her as she was to him warmed her heart. Dear Lord, she hoped she was free but until she knew there should be—there could be—no more double entendres or stolen kisses or longings deep in the night for something she might never have. Lady Norcroft thought Kate was a strong woman. She drew a deep breath and resolved to draw on that strength.
Lady Norcroft left Kate at the top of a short flight of steps to take her place at the piano. The steps led down to the ballroom and to Oliver, waiting below. He smiled up at her and her breath caught. She stared down at him, and wondered how anyone could make her feel this way and wondered as well if anyone ever had. She started down the steps and scarcely noticed the first strains of a waltz played on a piano drifting from somewhere above her.
She moved into his arms as if she were meant to be there. His gaze locked with hers and without a word they began to dance. He led her around the ballroom with an easy grace and she followed his every step without effort as if they had danced together before or always. For this one moment, here in his arms, she could forget all that she didn’t know and revel in the feel of his body close to hers, the music washing through her soul and the overwhelming sensation that this was indeed where she was supposed to be.
“I knew you could dance.” He grinned and the spell was broken.
“As did I,” she said in a lofty manner that belied her relief. If she wasn’t careful, she could easily fall in love with this man if she hadn’t already. She brushed the thought away. Strength, she reminded herself, strength would see her through.
“I have been giving the question of you and I a great deal of thought, Kate,” Oliver began.
“I didn’t realize there was a you and I,” she said lightly but her pulse raced nonetheless.
“Oh but there is and you know it as well as I,” he said firmly.
“If indeed there is a you and I, and I don’t see how there can be given the circumstances, should we be discussing this in front of your mother?”
He laughed. “First of all, my mother would be delighted at the very thought of a you a
nd I. She quite likes you, you know. Secondly, as she is not dancing between us but is at the keys of the piano, she can’t hear a word we say.”
“Where is the piano?” Kate glanced around the ballroom.
“Above us.” He nodded at a mezzanine that wrapped around three sides of the ballroom and overlooked the dance floor below. Lady Norcroft sat at a grand piano tucked into an alcove suitable for a large group of musicians. “So you see we are practically alone.” Oliver executed a complicated turn and she followed his lead smoothly. “I think we have a great deal in common, Kate.”
“Do we, Oliver?”
“I think you have as much a sense of responsibility as I do.”
“How can you possibly think so?”
“I am an astute judge of human nature,” he said firmly.
She laughed. “Thus far I have seen no evidence of that.”
“I hide it admirably.” He grinned then sobered. “It’s some of the things you’ve said unexpectedly. There is as well a presence about you that reminds me, regrettably, of myself.”
“Oh dear.”
“I think as well that you are as sadly lacking in adventures as I am.”
She stared into his blue eyes. “Why on earth would you think that?”
“I’m not sure.” He shrugged. “It’s no more than a feeling but it’s a very strong feeling.”
“Feelings can be misleading,” she said primly. “And certainly should not be acted upon in a rash and impetuous manner.”
“I have never acted in a rash and impetuous manner, not once that I can recall, but I think it might well be past time that I do.” He nodded. “Furthermore, I have a confession to make to you.”
“My, that is rash and impetuous,” she teased but her heart skipped a beat.
“I want you, Kate.”
“You…” It was all she could do not to stumble over her own feet. “I…I don’t know what to say.”
He chuckled. “Come now, Kate. I find that hard to believe.”
“I suppose your comment is not completely unexpected.” She chose her words with care. “But I never imagined you to be so blunt.”
Seduction of a Proper Gentleman (Last Man Standing) Page 11