No Ordinary Groom

by Gayle Callen

  He heard the plea in his voice, felt uneasy at his desperation, but he couldn’t regret it. Lovemaking would bind her to him in a way she couldn’t imagine.

  Her hesitation stretched out, until she finally sighed and pushed herself away from him. Turning her back, she covered herself and straightened her clothing.

  “I’ll leave you to your game,” she whispered.

  He caught her arm as she turned away. “As if I could continue after I’ve held you in my arms. Is that your answer to my question, Jane?”

  She searched his face. “We can’t do this. Thank you for showing the common sense I seem to have lost.”

  He released her. “Sweet dreams.”

  Looking confused, she murmured, “Good night,” and left the room.

  Through the night Jane had cried into her pillow over her conflicting passions, but in the morning she could not forget that William was still injured. Before dawn she knocked on his door, carrying bandages and a basin of hot water. He looked stunned to see her, but he let her in and obligingly bared his arm for her, all without saying a word.

  Was he just as unsure as she was? She couldn’t stop thinking about him, couldn’t forget the hot impression of his hands on her body. Even now her skin tingled with awareness, and she ached with a restlessness she couldn’t assuage.

  But the wound was healing well, so she tied on fresh bandages and tried not to notice how she trembled when she touched him, how her mind betrayed her with passionate memories.

  He said her name softly, but she only smiled and backed away.

  “I’ll see you when you’re finished dressing,” she said before escaping.

  Jane hurried down to the breakfast parlor and found that Julia had also joined the men. The two women came together with a smile and light conversation about how lovely the day promised to be, only to find several men vying for the chance to bring them food. William must have come down from his bedchamber almost immediately, because he and the duke crowded the other men away. Kelthorpe escorted Julia to the sideboard to assist her, while William led Jane to a chair.

  “I can serve myself,” she said, not yet daring to meet his eyes for fear of riotous blushing.

  “Don’t forget—I have memorized your favorite selections. I’ll return with the perfect meal.”

  She glanced up, but he’d been waiting for that. Their gazes met and held, and even his smile died as they both thought about what had occurred between them in the dark of the night.

  How could she want him so, when everything he wanted in a marriage was so opposite of her dreams? Yet she was drawn to him when he entered a room, could not stop kissing him once they started. She had even forgotten to write in her journal every night, as if she no longer wanted her father to put aside this marriage bargain.

  Jane forced a smile. “I’ll take you up on your offer.” When William’s eyebrows rose, she quickly added, “Of breakfast!”

  He grinned and bent over her hand, pressing a kiss to her fingers. “I’ll return in a moment.”

  She had to be stronger than these…these feelings between them. Desiring him did not mean she had to marry him. She had only to remember the role he planned for her—the perfect society wife, like her mother—to make her heart harden against desire and her frightening lack of control.

  Jane was thankful when Julia sat down at her table. As they chatted about their plans for the day, Jane discovered that the men were heading off to hunt pheasant for dinner, and that Julia would be going as well.

  “Would you like to come too?” Julia added.

  “Will there be time to change my clothing?”

  “Of course.”

  “Change your clothing for what?” William asked as he sat down on the other side of Jane.

  She glanced at him. “I’m going riding with the hunting party. So is Julia.”

  He frowned, then shot a strange look at Julia. “Seeing that I’m going, too, I cannot much complain.”

  “What happened to your insistence that you don’t hunt?” Jane asked skeptically.

  “Kelthorpe has decided that since we hunt for pheasant, and we’ll be eating our catch for dinner, that should overcome my distaste for hunting for mere sport.”

  From his nearby table, Lord Dudley suddenly leaned toward them, hands spread wide. “You’re hunting, Chadwick? I knew you couldn’t resist the urge to try your rat against a champion dog.”

  Jane waited for William to laugh, but instead he only said, “You’re pressing your luck, Dudley. Surely you don’t want me to prove how important heart is in a dog?”

  Lord Dudley shook his head and straightened. “Go ahead and try. Tag along with old Yates—you might need his expertise.”

  The sarcasm was evident to all within hearing range. Jane saw that Mr. Yates, who’d been dozing over his plate, perked up when he heard his name. He gave a bleary grin, and her heart softened with pity as she remembered what a marksman he’d been considered in his day. Now he could barely hold a fork steady to reach his mouth.

  William’s eyes flashed with a coldness that startled her. “I would consider it an honor to hunt with Mr. Yates.”

  She looked at William thoughtfully, knowing she could not fault his kindness. More and more she thought she understood her father’s motivation in choosing him as her husband. But it still wasn’t right for her father not to consult her about her own future.

  “Suit yourself,” Lord Dudley said, striding out of the breakfast parlor.

  Grumbles and dark looks followed in his wake, but he ignored them.

  Julia leaned over and whispered to Jane, “Hurry and change! You won’t want to miss what might happen between your betrothed and Lord Dudley.”

  Jane eyed William, trying to imagine him deliberately provoking a fight. He didn’t seem the sort—but then he was full of surprises lately.

  Chapter 16

  Jane rode at Julia’s side at the rear of the hunting party. The weather was unseasonably cool for August, reminding her of the approaching autumn. But the sun was out, and as they rode along a ridge on the lip of a hollow and looked out over the green countryside cut with hedgerows, she felt at peace.

  Well, as much peace as she could feel with William turning around regularly to check up on her. He had Killer tucked in the crook of his arm, and Jane swore that if she were closer, she would hear the dog growling at her.

  “That is an interesting…creature your Lord Chadwick has,” Julia said in an amused voice. “Not the usual sort of pet for a man.”

  “He’s not your usual man,” Jane said dryly.

  “Why of course you would say that—you’re in love with him.”

  Jane glanced at Julia. “I’m engaged to him. There’s a difference.”

  Julia’s smile was good-natured as she directed her horse with an ease Jane could only envy. “There is something between you, even if you don’t wish to give it a name. How did you come to be engaged?”

  Jane told the story briefly, knowing it reflected the fate of many of her friends.

  “But you just didn’t think it would happen to you,” Julia said with sympathy.

  “And you are so very in love?” Jane immediately regretted her words. “It is none of my business. I do apologize.”

  “I was being direct with you—it’s only right that you question me. No, Kelthorpe and I do not have a love match, but we are…interested in each other. It is more than I could have hoped for, considering my negligent dowry.”

  Jane glanced away, embarrassed for her friend, knowing such things were not normally discussed.

  “I think Kelthorpe is closer to love than I am,” Julia continued softly. “But he is a good man, and I am certain I will someday feel the same for him.” When Jane met her gaze, Julia grinned. “So your father chose Lord Chadwick for you. Are they good friends?”

  Jane shrugged, quieting her mount as the first gunshots sounded and the dogs were released to run barking down into the fields to fetch the dead birds.

  “
Apparently our estates are neighboring in Yorkshire, but I did not know it.”

  “Could they know each other because of something else?”

  “I’m not sure how—my father has spent much of the last twenty years in India, as you know.”

  “And Lord Chadwick has never traveled there?” Julia said thoughtfully.

  “He says he doesn’t like to travel.”

  “But that is not a true answer, is it?”

  Jane hesitated, frowning, unsure of what to say. Julia was right—had William ever claimed exactly where he’d traveled? He said he knew the flowers of India from a book. But that didn’t mean he hadn’t traveled.

  Kelthorpe called Julia’s name, and she excused herself with a smile. Jane noticed that this time when William turned around, his impassive gaze followed Julia instead of her. How strange.

  Jane rode toward him and saw with surprise that Lord Dudley was not far away, as if it was truly a contest. She watched his retriever lay another pheasant at his feet, noticing that Killer was nowhere to be seen. Mr. Yates stood nearby, trying to aim a shotgun with hands that trembled uncontrollably. She was well impressed by his courage, and sad that even war heroes had to grow old.

  She dismounted, holding her horse’s reins as she stood at William’s side. A pouch hanging from his shoulders seemed heavy with his catch.

  “Where’s Killer?” she asked.

  Before he answered, the little dog came bounding up, carrying a rather large bird in its mouth. He dropped the carcass at William’s feet, earning him a “Good dog!” and a pat on the head. Together they watched as the high grass was being beaten on the far side of the field, startling hundreds of birds into the air.

  “Too bad, you missed it again,” said a nasty voice.

  Both Jane and William turned to see Lord Dudley standing beside them at Mr. Yates’s back. The old man lowered his gun as if it were too heavy for him, his face confused and resigned. Jane felt a surge of anger, and when she would have stepped forward to confront the cruel Lord Dudley, William caught her wrist.

  “Don’t worry,” he murmured against her ear.

  The brush of his skin startled a shiver out of her. But she waited, wondering what he would do for Mr. Yates.

  When another flock soared into the air, all three men aimed, but there were few birds to hit, and they were quickly flying too high. Lord Dudley lowered his gun, but Mr. Yates and William fired.

  William gave a cheerful scowl. “I missed—but your aim was incredible, Mr. Yates. I’ll send Killer for your bird.”

  Mr. Yates looked befuddled but happy; Lord Dudley arched a brow with suspicion and walked away. Jane felt an overwhelming tenderness as she gazed at William. He had taken the precise shot not for himself but to make an old man proud again. Confusion at her feelings made her look away, but as they waited for Killer to return, she put a hand on William’s arm and squeezed.

  He glanced at her, smiling enigmatically, then leaned nearer. “So do I receive a kiss as a reward?”

  She failed to withhold a smile. “Haven’t you received enough of those lately?”

  “I can never have too much of the sweetness of your lips.”

  She looked into his warm, serious eyes and felt a strange tightening in her chest. She couldn’t look away, could barely breathe, and didn’t even care that they were standing in the middle of an open field full of people.

  Mr. Yates cleared his throat. “I may tremble now and again, but the hearing’s just fine. Should I leave you two alone?”

  Jane blushed and looked away as William shot a grin at the old man.

  “Mr. Yates,” he said, “we promise to control ourselves. We’re to be married, you know.”

  Mr. Yates rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Who doesn’t know? You’re a sign for eagerness, boy.”

  Will glanced at Jane, who met his gaze with determination, though her cheeks were red.

  “I say!” Dudley suddenly yelled in an angry voice.

  With a sigh, Will turned to see what the commotion was about, and he found Dudley’s prize retriever lowering herself for Killer to mount her. Laughter broke out all around them, and Will barely stopped himself from cheering Killer on.

  Dudley himself was on the far side of the field, and he started running toward them. “Stop that rat! Princess is a champion breeder!”

  “Princess?” Will echoed. “What a name for a hunting dog.” He walked to the dogs. “Down, Killer.”

  Dudley swiped Killer off onto his back before the dog could even obey the command. Killer gave a high-pitched yip, then flipped onto his feet and started growling.

  “Hey!” Will called.

  Jane cried out a warning too late as Lord Dudley threw his arms around William and dragged him to the ground. The men quickly gathered to call out their opinions and their offerings of bets. Jane pushed her way through.

  Lord Dudley was a much taller, heavier man than William, who was hardly a fighter. She remembered how clumsy he’d been when Mr. Roderick had drunkenly fought with him at her mother’s dinner party. She didn’t know if she should try to stop this foolishness or allow William to be beaten in front of all these men he so wanted to impress.

  There was a moment of grappling between the two opponents, and then Lord Dudley seemed to flip in the air and land on his back past William’s head. He lay dazed as William scrambled to his feet.

  “So sorry, Dudley. I was just trying to get you off me. Didn’t mean to knock the wind out of you, old boy.”

  Dudley almost growled as he staggered to his feet. Jane wanted to cry out for someone to take hold of him, but she knew William wouldn’t appreciate her interference. She cringed as Dudley charged again, but at the last second William seemed to stumble aside. Dudley landed flat on his face in a patch of mud.

  A roar of laughter ensued, but Jane could not join in. She felt as if she were reliving an event all over again. This exact thing had happened with Mr. Roderick. William had made himself look incompetent, yet he’d kept his opponent from landing a blow.

  Her doubts mounted as she realized that William’s movements were too precise, hardly accidental. He knew just how to make it seem like he wasn’t fighting—when he really was, albeit with his own methods.

  Suspicion and confusion warred within Jane as she watched William try to help Lord Dudley to his feet. The man pushed William away and stalked through the crowd. He called for Princess, who gave Killer one last, regretful look before dutifully following her master as he rode off toward the manor.

  Jane studied William as he accepted hearty congratulations. She realized none of them took him as a threat because he’d shown his supposed incompetence. While most men wanted to display their manliness, he took pains to sometimes appear otherwise. And it hadn’t hurt him. He’d made friends among the nobility—including her father—and had landed a wealthy bride. But what true purpose did it all serve? He was hiding much from her, but she didn’t know how to make him confess if he refused to.

  And why was he so interested in Julia Reed? Not only had Jane caught him watching Julia but he had also once or twice steered their conversations toward her.

  Jane told herself that jealousy was not motivating her curiosity. William had behaved in an unusual fashion, and she just wanted the truth. After all, he did not watch Julia with the same intent, smoldering eyes with which he watched Jane.

  Yet…she tried to distance herself from her emotions and think logically. Could she really be…jealous?

  William shook the last hand thrust at him, then watched as the men returned to their shooting. For several minutes he basked in the satisfaction of having made Dudley look like a fool. The day was better with the man’s absence, and at least he’d taken away his dog, the famous purebred who flinched every time a gun went off.

  He glanced at Jane and noticed that she was studying him with an intensity that made him uncomfortable. She’d already been suspicious of his secrets, and he realized that today’s behavior probably hadn’t helped.


  But there was nothing to be done now, and it was time to refocus on his mission. He glanced around for Julia Reed but didn’t see her immediately.

  Masking a frown, he tramped through the high grass, pretending to admire the marksmanship of Kelthorpe and his guests. He still didn’t see Julia. He looked back to where the horses were held by grooms.

  She was nowhere to be found.

  A cold sweat chilled his back, but he made himself stroll slowly back to Jane. With her hands on her hips, she was frowning down at Killer, who held a bird in his mouth as if he was waiting for her to take it.

  Will smiled at her. “So, you’re the last brave female remaining? I’m proud.”

  “Julia is”—she looked about and frowned—“gone, I see.”

  So Jane didn’t know anything about her disappearance. Surely if Julia were simply returning to the manor, she would have said something to her new dear friend.

  “She must have gone back already,” Will said. “Did you want to return with her? I could escort you, if you’d like.” He waited, hoping for her agreement.

  Jane sighed. “All right. I’ve seen as many dead birds as I need to. Are you sure you don’t mind leaving?”

  “I can return. Killer is already in the lead where bird retrieval is concerned. Such a shame Dudley left before we could do a count.” When Jane stared suspiciously at him, he quickly said, “Did you see where Killer went?”

  He looked about for the dog, only to find him in the midst of the pack, trying to get another female to notice as he pranced with his fluffy head in the air.

  Will sighed. “He’s not going to want to stay in the bedroom tonight.”

  William escorted Jane back to Langley Manor, made sure Julia hadn’t returned to the house or the grounds, then went back to the hunt. He dismounted and moved silently through the woods surrounding the field, but nowhere could he find evidence that Julia had passed this way. If she’d simply ridden away across the field, surely he would have seen her. He didn’t believe she would have left permanently without a formal farewell to the duke.