by Monica Burns
“Careful now, we don’t want you to end up on the sidewalk,” the stranger said cheerfully as he helped Rhea regain her balance. As she brushed aside a wisp of hair that had fallen into her eyes, Rhea turned to face her good Samaritan.
“Thank you,” she replied as she regained her composure. “I’m afraid I wasn’t paying attention.”
“I think you’re being too kind to the boor who pushed his way past you a moment ago.” The man suddenly grinned. “However, I shall be eternally grateful for his rude behavior as it presented me with the opportunity to introduce myself. Colonel Dewhurst, at your service—miss?”
“Rhea Bennett,” she said with a restrained smile at his jovial temperament. He repeated her name as if testing the sound of it on his tongue. He directed another broad grin at her as a pretty woman appeared at his side.
“Really, George, must you accost every young woman you meet?” The words were uttered with affectionate exasperation. Dewhurst turned his head toward the woman before looking back at Rhea.
“You must forgive my sister. She thinks I am too forward.” Dewhurst waggled his eyebrows at her as he turned his head toward his sister. “Matilda, this is Miss Bennett, who I saved from falling.”
“How do you do, Miss Bennett. I take it you are unharmed.” Matilda Dewhurst nodded in Rhea’s direction as her expression indicated sisterly surprise at her brother’s gallantry.
“Thanks to the colonel’s quick action I am quite free of injury.” Rhea smiled at the woman before casting a glance in Dewhurst’s direction. “I am quite grateful for his assistance.”
The sound of someone calling her name made Rhea look over her shoulder. Blake was pushing through a stream of theatergoers in his effort to reach her. She waved to her brother-in-law then returned her attention back to her new acquaintances.
“I must be going. Thank you again for your help, Colonel Dewhurst. I am truly grateful.” Rhea extended her hand and the gentleman brushed his lips over her fingertips.
“It was my pleasure.” His grip firm, he refused to let go of her hand. “Would you allow me to call on you tomorrow?”
“I’m not certain —”
“The day after then, unless of course the gentleman approaching will object.”
“Blake?” Rhea looked at the colonel with puzzlement before she laughed. With another glance over her shoulder, Rhea shook her head. “No, the viscount is my brother-in-law.”
“Then say you will allow me to call on you.”
“I really don’t think —”
“Surely you’ll not deny your rescuer the chance to ensure you are fully recovered from your harrowing experience.” The playful plea made her laugh again.
“Very well, tomorrow morning. Sherrington House.” Rhea pulled her hand free of Colonel Dewhurst’s grasp, and he bowed slightly.
“I shall count the hours,” he quipped. Rhea laughed at his roguish manner. Still smiling, she said goodbye and turned to make her way through the crowd. A few seconds later, she reached her brother-in-law.
“We were worried about you.” Blake’s voice held the slightest note of rebuke, and Rhea touched his arm in an apologetic manner.
“I’m sorry, Blake. The crowd was so thick, and I almost fell. Colonel Dewhurst saved me.” At her explanation, she looked over her shoulder in the direction of the colonel who was already guiding his sister in the opposite direction. As Blake’s gaze followed hers, an apologetic expression swept over the viscount’s face.
“Forgive me for chastising you, Rhea. It was simply that Arianna was frantic when we reached the carriage and you were no longer with us.”
“I’m sorry I worried you both.”
“All is well,” he said as relief eased his frown into a pleasant smile.
In moments they reached the carriage, and with Blake’s assistance, Rhea climbed into the coach to see Arianna’s cheeks were wet with tears. Appalled she’d upset her sister, Rhea sat opposite her and caught Arianna’s hands in hers.
“I’m sorry I made you worry so, dearest.”
“What happened to you? One minute you were with us and the next…”
“I almost took a tumble,” she said with a frown as she studied her sister’s ashen features. It was unlike Arianna to exhibit such distraught behavior. “A Colonel Dewhurst rescued me from harm.”
“Colonel Dewhurst?” Arianna turned to her husband as Blake closed the carriage door and tapped on the ceiling of the vehicle to notify the driver to head home. “Do you know him, Blake?”
“Not that I recall,” her brother-in-law shrugged as he met his wife’s panicked gaze. The Viscount wrapped his arm around Arianna and pulled her close. “What’s wrong, sweetheart? This is not like you at all.”
Arianna didn’t answer him, and simply buried her face in her husband’s chest. Over his wife’s head, Blake stared helplessly at Rhea. With a shake of her head, she indicated she had no explanation for his wife’s behavior. Her brother-in-law turned his attention back to his wife, his voice inaudible as he sought to comfort Arianna. Rhea stared at the couple for a long moment before she looked out the carriage window.
No doubt she was to blame for her sister’s anguish. If she’d not gone to Melton Park last night she wouldn’t have needed to tell Arianna about Percy. Arianna hadn’t said it out loud, but Rhea knew her sister well enough to know she was worried Percy Rockwood would lead Ruckley right to them. Rhea closed her eyes for a moment. She would have done anything to spare her sister pain. This morning when she’d shared her news, Rhea had expected Arianna to be upset. But her sister’s reaction was far more extreme than she’d expected, and it worried Rhea.
Arianna had been in such a state of sheer panic this morning she’d nearly fainted. Rhea could recall only one other time when her sister had been so irrational and emotional. Tension streaked through her body, and her muscles locked up in a painful manner. Pregnant—Arianna was pregnant. It was the only explanation for sister’s excitable state and wan appearance.
It was apparent she’d not told Blake yet, and the fact troubled Rhea. Why hadn’t her sister told her husband she was with child? As the carriage rolled to a halt, Arianna straightened upright and accepted Blake’s handkerchief to dry her tears. Moments later, they were inside the house. In silence, Rhea watched her brother-in-law help Arianna up the stairs. At the earliest opportunity, Rhea intended to ask her sister to explain why she’d not told Blake she was carrying his child.
Chapter 4
The next morning, the quiet murmur of conversation reached Rhea as she walked down the hallway and halted just outside the dining room. Arianna and Blake sat at the table, their heads together in a moment of tender affection. Feeling like an intruder, Rhea was about to retreat when Blake saw her standing in the doorway.
“Good morning,” Blake exclaimed with an expression of excitement on his handsome face. “Congratulate me, Rhea. Your sister has informed me that I am to be a father.”
Relief swept through Rhea as she took in the viscount’s jubilation. He grinned broadly as she quickly circled the table to hug her sister and kiss her brother-in-law’s cheek. Delighted for them both, Rhea couldn’t stop smiling as she took a seat across the table from her sister. The flush of excitement and joy on Arianna ’s face warmed Rhea’s heart. She loved seeing her sister so happy. It was as if the news she’d brought yesterday and their painful past had never touched Arianna.
“I had planned on telling Blake sooner,” Arianna said. “But I never found an opportunity to do so until last night.”
“It explains her overwrought behavior last night at the theater.” Blake smiled at his wife with such adoration that it made Rhea want to kiss the man again for caring so deeply for her sister. Arianna took her husband’s hand in hers as Blake shook his head in happy bemusement. “I should have guessed her condition sooner. She’s been quite irritable and prone to tears of late.”
“And I should have recognized the signs more than a month ago. It’s not as if—”
<
br /> Arianna flinched as her voice broke off in mid-sentence. Rhea saw the flash of fear and panic in her sister’s gaze. As Blake eyed his wife in puzzlement, Rhea quickly filled the breach to allow Arianna time to regain her composure.
“I’m surprised I didn’t recognize the signs myself when I arrived yesterday,” she said with a smile. “We shall have to watch you closely to ensure you don’t overtax yourself.”
“Agreed,” Blake nodded his head in concurrence. “I’ll have Marston send for the doctor immediately.”
“Is that really necessary?” Panic flitted across Arianna’s face again.
“I must insist, my darling,” Blake said with a slight frown.
Fear darkened Arianna’s blue eyes as her gaze locked with Rhea’s. Her sister’s obvious trepidation made Rhea stiffen. Arianna was afraid a doctor would know she’d already borne a child, and might tell Blake. Rhea leaned forward slightly in a silent effort to comfort and calm her sister’s fears.
“Will it make you feel less anxious if I’m present during the doctor’s visit?”
At Rhea’s offer, relief swept across her sister’s face. They both knew Rhea would ensure the doctor would not report any evidence of Arianna’s previous pregnancy. Although relief lightened her features, Arianna still clung to her desire to avoid the doctor paying a house call. A stubborn expression on her lovely features, Arianna shook her head as she looked at her husband with a look of pleading.
“What can a doctor do other than to tell me what we already know?”
“He’ll offer advice as to what you should or shouldn’t do to ensure you and the babe come to no harm.” Arianna opened her mouth to argue, her husband eyed her sternly. “This is one battle you will not win, my love. I indulge you far too much as it is.”
Something silent passed between the two, and Arianna blushed. When her sister didn’t speak or protest, the viscount looked at Rhea with a wicked glint of mischief in his eyes. The man clearly knew he’d won the argument. Arianna blew out a breath of aggravation to which Blake simply raised an eyebrow. Frustrated, Arianna glared at her husband. Her reaction made both Rhea and the viscount laugh at his wife’s disgruntled frown. With a small sound of disgust, Arianna reached for a piece of toast and buttered it as she cast looks of exasperation at her husband and sister.
The remainder of the meal was filled with laughter as Arianna’s rebellious manner quickly evaporated, and the discussion focused on preparations for the baby. Blake mentioned his desire to see his old nurse come to care for the baby, and a haunted look crossed her sister’s face. Arianna had hesitated at the suggestion, but when she’d seen her husband’s disappointment she quickly ended her protest. Although she made it clear she wouldn’t allow their child to be raised by others. There was a soft shimmer of pain in Arianna’s eyes, and Rhea knew her sister was thinking of Lucy and her inability to raise her daughter.
Breakfast finished, Blake left them to attend to several business matters, while Arianna and Rhea moved to the morning room. With her sister occupied with responding to daily correspondence, Rhea wrote a quick letter to their aunt then retrieved a book from the small library across the hall. Engrossed in her book, Rhea jumped as Arianna touched her arm more than an hour later.
“You have company.” At her sister’s words, Rhea’s heart skipped a beat.
Percy. Anticipation spiraled through her and her mouth went dry. A second later, when Arianna said Colonel Dewhurst’s name, the disappointment Rhea experienced made her stiffen. She knew it was inevitable Percy would arrive on her sister’s doorstep, but she didn’t like the fact that she found the prospect a pleasurable one. The man posed a danger to her loved ones, but an even greater danger to her sensibilities. As she met Arianna’s gaze, she nodded her understanding and rose to her feet to greet her caller.
Colonel Dewhurst proved to be an entertaining visitor with the stories of his military service in Egypt. Rhea and Arianna were laughing heartily more than an hour later when Marston entered the room to announce Percy’s arrival. Until she heard his name, Rhea hadn’t realized how on edge she’d been anticipating his arrival. Every part of her grew rigid, and she wasn’t sure if it was from alarm or anticipation. She refused to answer her own question as a mixture of emotions swept through her.
The delight she’d experienced earlier at the sound of his name had returned. It was a reckless emotion. Even her heart was pounding as if she’d run a long distance, and she berated herself for it. Percy Rockwood had come here to continue a conversation she had no intention of finishing. She’d said all she had to say on the subject of Ruckley and her past. But if there was one thing she’d already learned about Percy, it was his determination to have his own way.
Beside her on the sofa, Arianna grew still, and without thinking Rhea reached out to touch her sister’s hand. Across from them, Colonel Dewhurst noted Arianna’s consternation and Rhea’s protective gesture. The man’s eyebrows arched upward as he eyed her with curiosity and concern. Rhea forced a smile to her lips as her sister instructed Marston to show Percy into the room.
“As you can tell, my sister is a bit unsettled by Mr. Rockwood’s arrival. The last time they saw each other there were unpleasantries exchanged.” Rhea looked at Arianna as she squeezed her sister’s hand again. “I’ve told her that Percy bears neither of us ill will.”
“As if anyone could be unforgiving of you or the viscountess,” Dewhurst said with a sympathetic smile.
Before she could reply, fire danced across her skin. She didn’t need anyone to tell her that Percy had entered the room. Tension pulsated through her, and her heartbeat quickened to a frantic pace. It was disconcerting how easily his presence could throw her into a state of confusion simply by entering the room. A shiver skimmed down Rhea’s spine as she rose to her feet and faced him.
Arianna made a small sound, and Rhea touched her sister’s shoulder in a gesture of reassurance. Satisfied Arianna’s composure was intact, she moved toward Percy with her hands outstretched in an effort to ensure Colonel Dewhurst’s curiosity didn’t deepen. She didn’t know the colonel well enough to know whether he was prone to talking out of hand. While it was unlikely any gossip about her or Arianna would reach Ruckley’s ears, she wasn’t willing to risk the possibility.
“Percy, how lovely to see you.” Her enthused greeting made him arch his eyebrows slightly before his sensual mouth quirked upward slightly.
“When your aunt told me where you were, I decided I’d have to call on you as soon as I arrived in town.” His words made Rhea’s heart skip a beat. She’d been right to think he would call at Green Hill House after the Melton Park affair.
In the light of day, he seemed even taller than she remembered. A knot formed in her throat the instant her gaze focused on his mouth. The memory of his kiss sent her heart skittering out of control. Almost as if he could read her mind, an unreadable emotion darkened his brown eyes. His gaze narrowed as he studied her with an intensity that only heightened the unexpected excitement suddenly streaking through her.
Amusement curved Percy’s mouth upward slightly, and she swallowed hard as his smile broadened. He wore the expression of a man accustomed to convincing others to do his bidding before they realized what had happened. She refused to be one of those people. But Rhea was forced to admit that she could easily succumb to his persuasive manner if she didn’t take care. With his height and penetrating gaze, the man projected a powerful strength that was as comforting as it was intimidating.
The instant Rhea placed her hands in his, an electric shock of awareness made every inch of her tingle. Shaken by her reaction, she drew in a sharp breath. Rhea tried to draw her hands free from his, but Percy tightened his grip. He bent his head to kiss her cheek as one might an old friend, and she barely managed to suppress the tremor threatening to sail through her.
“I can easily forgive your efforts to avoid me, when your sweet lips utter such a warm welcome,” he murmured for her ears alone.
The sinfull
y husky note in his voice caused a vibration of something hot and enticing to slide across her skin. As he drew back from her, heat flushed her cheeks at the laughter she saw dancing in his eyes. It reminded her of the warmth and comfort of his embrace when he’d reassured her that he had no intention of turning her over to Scotland Yard. Flustered and fighting to control the sensations engulfing her, Rhea choked out a laugh.
“I’m glad you came. I’m having difficulty convincing Arianna that you’re no longer put out with either of us. You must reassure her.”
She bit down on her bottom lip as she heard how breathless she sounded. Percy studied her for a moment longer then slowly released her hands. His strong fingers gently gripping her elbow, he escorted her across the room to where Arianna stood. With a smile, he nodded at Rhea’s sister as Arianna offered her hand to him.
“What Rhea says is true, my lady,” he said quietly and kissed Arianna’s hand. “I’m happy to say that all is well between us.”
“I’m happy and relieved to hear you say so, Mr. Rockwood. I’m very pleased that we can put the past behind us.” At Arianna’s soft greeting, Percy smiled reassuringly at her sister, and Rhea saw her sister’s anxiety ease slightly.
“As am I, my lady. My friendship with your husband would be in jeopardy if I allowed any discord to continue between us.”
“Have you met Colonel Dewhurst?” Arianna gestured toward the other man in the room.
“I have. Dewhurst and I met at a museum benefit several months ago.” Percy turned toward the man and nodded a polite greeting. Although his tone was pleasant, something about his manner made Rhea think he was far from happy to see the colonel. “His contributions to the Egyptian wing had just been put on display.”