“My mistake, Gray.” Samuel’s voice was firm. “It must have been some other shepherdess. Someone who was indeed . . .” His gaze locked with Delilah’s. “Unforgettable.”
“No doubt,” she said and pointedly looked away.
Camille’s curious gaze slid between Samuel and her sister. “Well then, as we have this settled, do sit down, gentlemen, and join us.”
The ladies retook their seats; Grayson pulled up a chair to sit beside Camille, Samuel selected another and seated himself between Grayson and Teddy. Delilah breathed a sigh of relief that he did not choose to sit beside her. Unfortunately, he was directly across the table where it was impossible to avoid his gaze. Blasted man. Why hadn’t he stayed in America where he belonged?
Camille signaled to the butler and requested more cakes and tea and sandwiches for the gentlemen.
“Do tell me, Sam.” Camille turned to the American. “We are delighted to have you here but I was under the impression you would not be able to join us for the wedding.”
“I must confess, I did not plan on coming but business brought me to Europe and, as I have business in England as well, it seemed the hand of fate insisting that I attend your wedding.” Samuel chuckled. “And I would hate to defy fate.” His gaze met Delilah’s briefly then moved on.
“Wouldn’t we all,” Teddy said.
“Then I am most grateful to fate.” Grayson nodded. “I should hate to have one of my closest friends not be by my side on the most important day of my life.” He cast an affectionate smile at his fiancée then returned his attention to his friend. “Besides, regardless of any plans I might have, I would never miss your wedding, should you venture down that path again.”
“Again?” Teddy asked.
“Sorry.” Grayson grimaced. “My apologies. I wasn’t thinking. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“Nothing to apologize for, Gray,” Samuel said in an offhand manner. “My ill-fated attempt to reach the altar is common knowledge at home. But, given the joyful circumstances of your impending nuptials, this is perhaps not the time to discuss it.”
“How very thoughtful of you, Sam.” Camille smiled. “Although I should warn you, there is nothing a group of women like better than to discuss scandal of any sort. Dare I hope there was scandal involved?”
“Camille.” Delilah slanted her sister a quelling look. Regardless of whether she wished Samuel to be here or not, this was no doubt something he didn’t want to talk about. At least not to virtual strangers. “I must agree with Mr.—Samuel, this is not the time.”
“At this point, I can look back on it with a certain amount of amusement.” Samuel offered a wry smile. “And yes, Camille, I imagine there is always scandal when a wedding does not occur as planned.”
“Have you met Grayson’s cousin yet?” A wicked twinkle shone in Camille’s eyes. “I suspect you and Winfield might have a great deal in common.”
Grayson chuckled. “He was engaged three times before he finally made it to the altar.”
“Those are footsteps I do not intend to follow.” Samuel shook his head. “No, I have learned my lesson and I try not to make the same mistake twice.” His gaze briefly flicked to Delilah. “But we all make mistakes, don’t we?”
“I know I have.” Teddy wrinkled her nose.
“Once is a mistake,” Delilah said primly. “Three times is nothing less than a habit.”
“You strike me as the kind of woman who rarely makes mistakes,” Samuel said.
“It is only human to make mistakes.” Delilah shrugged. And with any luck, those mistakes don’t return to sit across the table and make comments with underlying meanings. Although, given the mess with Phillip’s legacy, luck was apparently in short supply at the moment. “But I too never make the same mistake twice.”
“I didn’t say I haven’t made the same mistake twice,” Samuel continued. “I simply said I try.”
“Perhaps you need to try harder.” Delilah smiled pleasantly.
“The problem with mistakes is that one doesn’t always realize they are mistakes at the time.” Samuel’s eyes narrowed slightly. “It isn’t until later reflection that one realizes one might have made a mistake.”
Grayson nodded. “True enough.”
“And then, as it happens, what one person sees as a mistake another might see as a stroke of good fortune.” Samuel’s gaze pinned hers. “Don’t you agree, Delilah?”
A shiver skated down her spine at his use of her name. She ignored it.
“Not at all,” she said coolly.
“Nonsense, I agree completely,” Camille said. “Why I should think that sort of thing happens all the time in business. One man’s mistake is to another man’s benefit.” She refilled her cup. “You do realize, Sam, you may have made a grave mistake arriving when the wedding is still nearly three weeks away.”
“Have I?” Samuel’s brow rose.
“Indeed.” Camille nodded. “You will most certainly be called upon to render your assistance should it be needed.”
“There will be a great deal of decorating and rearranging to be accomplished.” Teddy thought for a moment. “Of course, none of that will need to be done until the days just before the wedding and I do have workers arranged for but another hand is always useful. In addition, there will be errands to be run—”
“Quite a bit of fetching and delivering,” Camille added. “From the village and from London as well.”
“And, as Camille has planned several events before the wedding,” Teddy began.
“It’s not so much a wedding as a festival,” Grayson said in an aside to his friend.
“You will be expected to do your part.” Teddy smiled at Samuel. “There are never enough gentlemen at these things, so we will count on you to converse with the ladies and charm the dowagers.”
“That should be no problem.” Grayson chuckled. “I can attest to that.”
“I’ll do my best.” Samuel grinned at Teddy. “I have been told I can be most charming.”
Delilah choked on her tea.
Camille’s forehead furrowed in concern. “Are you all right?”
“Quite.” Delilah coughed. “I must have swallowed something that didn’t go down well.”
“Understandable,” Samuel murmured.
Delilah resisted the urge to glare.
“Although, as Delilah does not remember you,” Grayson said, “perhaps you should put more effort into your ability to charm and not depend entirely on those roguish American good looks of yours.”
Samuel laughed.
“Nonsense, Grayson,” Camille chided. “I find Sam most charming and I daresay I shall continue to do so the better I get to know him.”
“I for one would never forget meeting you.” Teddy flashed Samuel a brilliant smile. “Therefore, the fault must lie with Dee for doing so.”
“As I said, it was probably another shepherdess I met. Therefore the mistake . . .” Samuel’s gaze caught Delilah’s. “Was mine.”
“One of many, no doubt,” Delilah said before she could stop herself.
“But rarely the same one twice.” The look in Samuel’s eyes belied the polite smile on his lips.
“Ah, well, rarely is not the same as never but the trick is in the rarely.” Delilah smiled. “Isn’t it?”
Samuel chuckled. “It usually is.”
“Is this your first trip to England, Sam?” Camille said, steering the conversation in a far less dangerous direction.
“Actually, this is my third visit,” Samuel said. “Although I’ve never seen anything of the country outside of London.”
“We shall have to change that,” Teddy said. “You simply must see . . .”
The conversation erupted into a spirited debate on which of England’s sights the American absolutely had to see from the ruins of Whitby Abbey to the ancient Stonehenge to the scenic lake district with Camille, Teddy, and Grayson each lobbying for their favorite. Good. Perhaps the man would spend these weeks before the
wedding traveling the country.
There was nothing she could do about him really unless she intended to shove him out the door. And that would be rude. Tempting but rude. Still, as long as he was here, she would have to avoid him as much as possible. His presence might well ruin everything. The man seemed intent on baiting her. And it was exceptionally hard not to rise to that bait. Sooner or later, someone was bound to notice if they hadn’t already. Why, every time she glanced in his direction, his gaze was on her.
The last thing she wanted was for anyone to know about her adventure or mistake or whatever it was. Teddy would keep her secret but Camille would never be able to resist telling Beryl. And if Beryl didn’t tell anyone, although there was nothing Beryl loved more than being the bearer of juicy gossip, the simple fact that she knew was bad enough. Beryl would love knowing about Delilah’s indiscretion. Delilah could practically hear her chortling about it now. Camille would certainly tell Grayson as well, who would no doubt feel it his duty to say something to Samuel. And who knew what would happen then.
Besides, Delilah fully intended to narrow down the possibilities for her next husband in these last weeks before the wedding. It was her plan and an excellent plan at that. But it would not do for any of her candidates to think she was unsuitable. A woman of loose moral values. A tart. Her gaze met Samuel’s once again and she’d had quite enough.
“If you will all excuse me, I have some pressing correspondence to attend to.” Delilah rose to her feet, the men standing at once. “Grayson, I may need to call on you later for advice of a legal nature.”
“Of course.” Grayson nodded.
“If there is anything I can do,” Samuel offered.
“You?” Delilah stared at him with as pleasant an expression as she could muster. “Are you well versed in the complexities of the legal system in this county then?”
“No, I’m afraid not.” He shook his head. “However, I do have well-respected solicitors in London who are.”
“I am certain Grayson can provide the assistance I need.” She waved off his comment. “But I do thank you for the offer.” She forced a polite smile. “Samuel.”
“Sam.” Again that annoying spark of amusement shone in his eye. The man was obviously trying to ruin her life.
“My apologies but I simply cannot call you Sam,” Delilah said. Let the others call him Sam and be his friend. She had no desire to do so. He did not belong here! “And I . . . I once had a dog named Sam.”
“I don’t remember a dog.” Camille frowned.
“I daresay there are any number of things about my youth that you don’t remember,” Delilah said.
“Probably.” Camille smiled apologetically.
It wasn’t at all fair of Delilah to remind Camille how she and Beryl had behaved toward their younger sister in the past as Camille was sincerely trying to mend that rift. Still, Delilah had spent most of her life with sisters who barely acknowledged her existence and this effort of making amends and forging a new relationship was as difficult for Delilah as it was for Camille.
“I am sorry. It’s all water under the bridge now really.” Delilah smiled at her sister then turned to Samuel. “But my Sam was a loyal and faithful companion. I adored him and he adored me.”
“Perhaps you simply need to prove to Delilah that you too can be a loyal and faithful companion,” Grayson said mildly.
“I can indeed and even better.” Samuel smirked. “I can’t remember the last time I bit anyone and I hardly ever bark.”
“You should be very proud.” Delilah smiled politely, nodded at the others, and took her leave. Good Lord, that wasn’t at all like her. What was she thinking?
“My apologies for my sister, Sam,” Camille said behind her. “She is not usually so—”
“Rude?” Grayson said.
Rude? She cringed. She was never rude. It was his fault. Bloody American. Look at what he had done to her and he had only just arrived.
“I was going to say curt . . .”
Curt was the best Delilah could manage right now. Certainly, an hour from now or tonight or years from today she might be able to come face to face with her adventure without so much as twitching a brow. And indeed, she had wondered what her reaction might be should she ever encounter him. But as she had expected to never lay eyes on him again, she had not planned on how to handle such a meeting. As it turned out, she should have. And wasn’t disaster to be expected when one didn’t have a plan?
She drew a deep breath and continued toward the library. Writing to her solicitor would take her mind off the American, at least for a few minutes. She’d made every effort to curb her impatience at the incredibly slow manner in which her legal difficulties were being resolved. Why, she scarcely wrote for the latest news more than twice a week now.
“Dee!” Teddy’s voice sounded behind her.
Delilah turned back. “Yes?”
“What was that all about?”
“What do you mean? What was what all about?” she asked as if she hadn’t the faintest idea what Teddy was talking about.
“You know exactly what I mean.” Teddy’s brow furrowed in annoyance. “You were positively rude to Mr. Russell—Sam.”
“Don’t be absurd.” She waved off the charge. “I wasn’t at all rude. I might have been a bit, oh . . . sharp.”
“You were far more than sharp.”
“Just because you and Camille have taken to this American doesn’t mean I have to.” Delilah sighed. “Haven’t you ever met someone you simply took an instant aversion to?”
“Outside of a villain in a melodrama, no. And never when the person in question is a guest. That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard you say. In truth, I’ve never seen you be less than unfailingly polite to someone you’ve just met.” Teddy studied her closely then realization washed across her face. “Good Lord, of course. I should have realized it at once.”
Delilah braced herself. No one knew her better than Teddy and if anyone could discern the truth it would be her oldest and dearest friend. “Realized what?”
“My dear friend, I do apologize. I should have seen it sooner. It’s obvious to me now why you’re not being at all your usual self.”
“Is it?” Delilah held her breath.
“You may be able to fool your sister, but then she doesn’t know you as well as I do. And you’ve never been able to fool me.”
“No, I suppose I haven’t.” Delilah sighed in surrender. She had never kept anything quite this significant from her friend before and Teddy had always seen right through her. “It’s just so, well, awkward and embarrassing.”
“Nonsense,” Teddy said staunchly. “It’s not your fault and you have nothing to feel awkward or embarrassed about.”
“I don’t?” Still, one might think it was at least partially her fault. The man hadn’t forced himself on her after all. She had been a more than willing participant. Eager really.
“Of course not.” Teddy laid her hand on Delilah’s arm. “It’s this business about the claim to Phillip’s estates, isn’t it? You’re much more concerned than you’re letting on, aren’t you?”
Relief swept through Delilah. What a perfect excuse for her behavior. She should have thought of it herself. “Well, yes. I am worried.”
“I know better than most how financial difficulties can make anyone a bit surly.” Sympathy shone in Teddy’s eyes. “You’ve been keeping it to yourself, and while I can understand that, it is always better to share your concerns.”
“Perhaps,” Delilah said in a weak voice.
“There is no perhaps about it. While there is nothing we can do to help, we can at the very least offer you our unflinching support and affection. And you do have that, you know. Besides, the load always seems a bit lighter when shared.”
“Indeed it does.” Delilah cast her friend a grateful smile.
“With all you have on your mind, it stands to reason that you might be a bit less than gracious.”
“It d
oes, doesn’t it?” And really, when she thought about it, the feeling of doom in the pit of her stomach did seem much heavier now with Samuel’s arrival.
“Still, I know it’s hard, but you mustn’t take it out on others. Sam is Grayson’s good friend and the poor man has done nothing to deserve your being less than pleasant to him.”
“You’re right, of course. I was dreadful, simply dreadful.” Delilah rubbed her forehead. “All that talk about my not remembering him, and, well . . . My head is pounding . . .” She sighed in a helpless manner. “I will apologize to him at the first opportunity.”
Which wasn’t a bad idea. She could apologize and then ask him to keep his mouth shut. And point out to him how it would be best if they avoided one another as much as possible. And perhaps suggest that he might want to spend the time before the wedding traveling England as it would be a pity to miss this opportunity.
“Excellent.” Teddy paused. “You are certain you didn’t meet him in New York?”
“Come now, Teddy.” Delilah scoffed. “I don’t doubt he was most memorable as a pirate. Can you imagine anyone would forget meeting him?”
“I know I never will.” Teddy smiled in a wicked manner. “He’s quite handsome and I found him most amusing.”
“If you like that sort.” She shrugged.
“Apparently, you’re the only one who doesn’t.” Teddy thought for a moment. “You know, aside from the fact that apologizing is the proper thing to do, I suspect he has any number of resources, in addition to his London solicitors, that might be of assistance to you. He could prove to be a valuable friend.”
“I hadn’t thought of that but you’re absolutely right.” Delilah cast her friend a brilliant smile that belied a momentary stab of guilt. She’d rather lose everything she had before she asked the American for help. But she’d never lied to Teddy before nor had she ever practiced any kind of serious deception before. At least not until she had decided to experience adventure and had met Samuel Russell. “I shall make amends to Mr.—Samuel—at the first opportunity.”
“I suspect he’s a much more enjoyable friend than sparring partner.”
“I don’t know. I was rather enjoying myself.” The moment the words left her mouth she realized they were true. Dear Lord! What a disturbing thought. “Now, I really must finish the letter that I started this morning. I’m not sure my letters make a difference but at least they remind my solicitors that I do want to know the moment this is resolved.”
The Scandalous Adventures of the Sister of the Bride Page 6