The Offer

by Catherine Coulter

  “No, not yet. If she’s with the kittens, I’ll look them over for possible racing potential. Who says I have to be sanctioned by the trainers? Given time perhaps I could even figure out some of their strategies.”

  Phillip took the earl’s hands once again into his and pressed them slightly. “I thank you, sir. Sabrina is mine now. I haven’t done well by her since our marriage. However, I will take very good care of her from now on. And I will tie her down if I have to. She will listen to me.”

  “Perhaps she will,” the old earl said and waved the viscount off. “Good luck. You will need it.”

  “I bid you good-bye, sir, for both your granddaughter and myself. We shall come—together—in a couple of weeks to see you again.” He grinned. “No, I won’t kill Trevor, if he doesn’t push me, that is. It’s just that even thinking about the rotter pushes me.”

  Phillip met Ribble downstairs. “You have her ladyship’s portmanteau all packed?” He had no intention of spending this night beneath the same roof with her brother-in-law.

  “Yes, my lord.”

  But she wasn’t in the orchard. Nor was she in the stables, playing with Miss Pixel’s kittens. He didn’t take the time to see if there could possibly be a potential racing cat among the litter.

  She was gone, damn her beautiful eyes. Phillip yelled to the rafters.

  It was the head stable lad, Elbert, who came running. He said, “Lady Sabrina ain’t here, m’lord. She told me to give ye a message.”

  The man stopped, shuffled his feet, and looked like he wanted to sink into the hay. Phillip was on the edge of strangling him. “What, damn you? Connect your brain and your mouth.’

  “She said, m’lord, to tell ye that she’s left the Abbey and that she won’t be back until ye take yer leave. She said she didn’t want to see ye, that ye had to leave her be.”

  “Did she tell you where she was going?” Phillip asked, his voice furiously calm. The man shook his head. “Did she take a horse?”

  “The brown mare.”

  “What sort of brown mare?”

  “Jest yer average sort, m’lord. Nothing here, nothing there, jest a brown mare. I don’t know no more, m’lord. None of us know no more.”

  He knew then that he was in the middle of a conspiracy. He wanted to knock their heads together, but time was of the essence. He had to find her. He honestly doubted she’d told them where she’d gone because she knew he’d probably intimidate them. Well, if he believed they knew anything, he’d threaten to gullet them. “Well, hell,” he said, turned on his heel, and left the stable.

  42

  Dinwitty Manor

  “Hello, my dear, You must be Phillip’s new wife, Sabrina. That’s a lovely name and you have very seductive eyes. The color, it’s violet? Yes, how unique, not a boring blue like mine. I will teach you to use those eyes to good effect. You’re very young. You have a long time to learn, but you will have to apply yourself. I’m Charlotte Carrington, of course. Rohan’s mother.”

  “You can really teach me how to use my eyes to make men wild?”

  “That is the point, my dear. One begins, naturally, with one’s husband.”

  “That could pose a problem, Charlotte.”

  Sabrina took a step back and the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen in her life floated into the house like a fairy princess wearing golden slippers. Cotter, the Mercerault butler, was staring as well. She saw from the corner of her eyes that three footmen were all stacked upon each other to see her. She was a goddess, her beautiful thick blond hair piled artfully on her perfect head, her eyes a brilliant blue, not boring as she claimed, but mesmerizing. Just the purity of her features was enough to make any breathing person come to a full stop and stare at her.

  Sabrina stuck out her hand. “How do you do, Charlotte? I’m sorry that the viscount isn’t here. Actually I don’t know where he is. Why are you here? May I assist you with something? Perhaps if you have time, you could give me a lesson in using one’s eyes?”

  “Hmmm. I adore those Moorish arches, I always have. I believe a seventeenth-century Mercerault had them built.”

  “Oh yes, Dinwitty Manor is one of the strangest houses I’ve ever seen. Phillip told me I might just take one look and double over laughing, but I didn’t. Perhaps it was because I was a mite unhappy, but I don’t think so. The house and grounds are charming. They feel right. I’m sorry, please come into the drawing room. I’m just standing here staring at you, forgetting my manners, because you’re so incredibly beautiful. It’s hard to believe that you’re Rohan’s mother.”

  “I know, but it’s true. I understand that my sweet son was Phillip’s best man at your wedding in London?”

  “Yes, he was. Unfortunately, his wife couldn’t come. Why didn’t you come, ma’am?”

  “I was in Paris, my dear. I just arrived at Mountvale Hall two days ago. Augustus and I have just returned from Moscow, a fascinating place. Fortunately everyone speaks French. Isn’t that odd? There are more people living in that country than you can begin to imagine and yet all the aristocrats and all the royals, of course, speak French.”

  “Ho, Mother, are you rolling over poor Sabrina?”

  It was Rohan Carrington, smiling brilliantly, coming to stand behind the vision, who surely couldn’t be his mother.

  “She is truly your mother, Rohan? I know it must be true in theory, but seeing her, it surely isn’t possible.”

  “Yes. Amazing, isn’t it? Toby, he’s my brother-in-law, he swore he believed her to be my younger sister. Now, here’s my own glorious wife, Susannah. Susannah, my love, this is Phillip’s new wife, Sabrina.”

  Sabrina, who’d been utterly blinded by Charlotte, had to shake her head. She shook hands with a very pretty young woman who appeared to be just a bit older than herself. She invited everyone into the drawing room.

  “Have you gained flesh yet, Sabrina?” Susannah asked, grinning like an unrepentant sinner as she stripped off her gloves.

  “So, you’ve been here before then. Oh, goodness, it’s so difficult, isn’t it? Cook took one look at me and vowed I couldn’t leave until she had me bursting out of my gowns.” Suddenly, embarrassed, she stopped talking. Cotter, fond of his new mistress not really because she was sweet and lost and rather pathetic, but fond of her because she would doubtless settle the master, if they would only speak to each other again, was absolutely delighted to see Baron Mountvale and his reinforcements. Things would happen now. He began to rub his hands together.

  He stepped forward and assisted their guests with their cloaks, handing them off to two silent footmen who couldn’t take their eyes off Charlotte Carrington. He then said in a very gentle voice, “My lady, would you like Cook to send tea to the drawing room?”

  “Oh yes, thank you, Cotter.” She led them into the drawing room. They all sat. Suddenly Sabrina dropped her head. Her shoulders slumped. Then she blurted out to Rohan, “I’m sorry, my lord. Phillip isn’t here. Actually, I don’t know where he is. I don’t know why I’m here, really, but it seemed the only place to come. You see, I ran away from Monmouth Abbey when he arrived there. I’ve been here three days now, but Phillip hasn’t come. Everything is a mess and I don’t know what to do.”

  “I thrive on messes,” Rohan said, and kissed her fingers. “Listen, undoubtedly Phillip knows what he’s doing. He usually does.” He turned to his wife. “My dear, how is your belly at this particular moment in time?”

  Susannah appeared to consult her innards. “Fine, really. It’s so amazing,” she said to Sabrina. “Rohan had to stop the carriage just an hour ago. I was so ill. That was why I couldn’t come to your wedding. Do forgive me.”

  Charlotte, dowager Lady Mountvale, smiled at Sabrina and said, “I believe I must inspect the Tudor wing. It’s been a good half-dozen years since I’ve seen it. Phillip, the dear boy, told me he was going to make some changes.”

  “Well, ma’am,” Sabrina said, “I believe Phillip is more interested in the medieval period.”

/>   “Ah, yes, his crenelated tower,” Rohan said. “He said it bored him and so he stopped with his plans late last summer, after we all got back from Scotland.”

  Charlotte waved at them. “Cotter, bring two of those lovely footmen and take me to the Tudors. The four of us can rattle through those magnificent corridors and avoid Cook’s apple tarts.” She turned to Sabrina. “You and I will become friends. Ah, those eyes of yours. It will be a pleasure to take you in hand.”

  “She’s so beautiful,” Sabrina said, staring after her. “It must be difficult to be her daughter-in-law.”

  “Yes, it is, particularly when it’s just the two of us and we’re walking together and all the gentlemen stop in their tracks and swoon,” Susannah said. “You know, Charlotte’s never said anything about taking me under her wing. That’s hardly fair.”

  “Well, this man only swoons when he sees you. Don’t be jealous of my mother. It’s disheartening. She doesn’t tutor you because she knows it wouldn’t please me if you began to attract the gentlemen like leeches.”

  Susannah laughed and poked his arm.

  “I’m sorry that Phillip isn’t here, Rohan.”

  “Ah well, I suspect that it shouldn’t be too long before he discovers your whereabouts.”

  “He might discover where I am, but that doesn’t mean he’ll come here. Trust me.”

  Rohan and Susannah Carrington just smiled. As one, they turned toward the open doorway. There, with no warning at all, stood Phillip. He nodded to them, then said easily, “That’s bloody nonsense and you know it, Sabrina. If you hadn’t run away from Monmouth Abbey like a racing cat, then you would have seen me raving around and tearing out my hair because you weren’t there.”

  “Phillip!” She jumped to her feet, a hand outstretched toward him. Then she didn’t move. She just stood there, so thin and pale that it smote him.

  “Actually, let me tell you the truth now. I enlisted Rohan and Susannah and Charlotte. They’re my protectors, my witnesses, my frontal force. They were to get themselves through the door, perhaps soften you up a bit, then I could make my grand entrance. What do you think? Was this a good strategy?”

  She stared at each of them in turn as if she’d lost her wits.

  “Promising,” Phillip said, nodding. “Yes, they came just ahead of me. That was the plan. I was afraid that you’d run away again if it was just me. You do understand, don’t you, that you can’t leave our guests in the lurch? It wouldn’t be the done thing. And they are our guests and they deserve a hostess.”

  She was still just standing there, her hands bunching and unbunching the soft muslin of her gown. “Won’t you at least say hello to me, Sabrina?”

  “Hello, my lord. I’ve been here three days. All your people have been very kind to me. When I arrived and told them who I was, they immediately accepted me. I was worried because I had to walk from the village. I was cold and dirty, but still they took me in without hesitation and Cook’s tried to fatten me up. I was very grateful, but it’s been so cold and there’s been no sun and all one can do is just wander through the Moorish arches, walk beneath the Ionic columns, and dream about medieval towers that could possibly be built beside the suite of Italian music rooms at the corner of the east wing.”

  “Was that an attempt at humor?”

  “Yes, it was. I’m very sorry I ran, Phillip, but I didn’t know what else to do. Don’t worry that I didn’t have enough money, I did. I would have hired a carriage to bring me here, but there wasn’t time. I thought you’d track me down, so I took the stage.”

  A spasm crossed his face. “Yes, I know you took a stage, but by the time I found out, it was too late. You’d nearly arrived here.”

  “I left you wanting to strangle me.”

  “What makes you think I still don’t?”

  “I don’t blame you. I’d probably still want to strangle me if I were you.” She turned to Rohan and Susannah, who were sitting very quietly side by side on a lovely pale blue settee, holding hands. “Don’t you see? I kicked him in the groin because I found him with his mistress—”

  “Yes, that’s true, but I wasn’t doing anything with her. I was, in fact, on the point of telling her that I’d decided to become like Rohan. I was going to design medieval towers, Rohan was going to design his gardens, and the two of us would forever tread the straight and narrow. I was also going to promise you that I wouldn’t gain flesh from Cook’s incredible cooking.”

  “But I hurt you dreadfully, Phillip.” She turned wild eyes to Rohan. “After I kicked him, he fell to his knees and moaned. I thought he was dying.” Then to her husband, she said, “When you came back to the house, I thought you would strangle me then, or beat me, but you didn’t.”

  “What I did was worse. I left you. I’m sorry for that, Sabrina, but I honestly didn’t know what was going on in my brain, if anything. My wits were roiling about like bat’s wings and lizard’s toes in a witch’s cauldron.”

  “Cook is now serving, so all conversation must come to a halt,” Cotter said, motioning in two footmen, different ones from those who’d taken everyone’s cloaks and gloves, and gone off with Charlotte Carrington. They carried in trays piled high with food.

  “I thought you went with my mother, Cotter,” Rohan said.

  “Her ladyship is currently in the protective company of three stable lads, two footmen, two maids, the tweenie, and the pug, Orion. I deemed it proper to see if everything was going as planned here.”

  “Planned?” Sabrina said.

  Smells began to waft outward. Susannah groaned. “You’re thin, Sabrina. You can afford to stuff yourself, but I suggest you don’t do it for longer than a week. You might get in the habit, then I firmly believe you’d be lost. You’d become the fattest lady in all of England. Is that a bilberry tart I see, Phillip? Oh, goodness, just smell it. Hand it to me, please.”

  “Yes, Susannah,” he said even while he took a big bite of gooseberry tansy. He closed his eyes as he chewed, groaned, then said, “Do you swear you won’t run away from me again, Sabrina? That you’ll stay with me and together we’ll figure out what we want to do?”

  “But you don’t love me. What is that, Cotter?”

  “It’s a damson tart. Cook is rather consumed by all things fruit this week.”

  Susannah, her mouth full, actually stopped chewing. This was getting very personal. She looked at her husband, but he just nodded, making no move. He said out of the corner of his mouth, “Just be a piece of furniture, Susannah. That’s all that’s necessary right now. Phillip will tell us if he needs more or wants us to leave. Sabrina is talking. We’re succeeding.”

  Phillip said, “Why don’t you think I love you? Don’t you think you’re worthy of being loved?”

  “But your freedom, Phillip. I tried, really, I tried, but you want to have mistresses and I just can’t do it.”

  “Then why did you come here, to Dinwitty Manor? You don’t think I could bring mistresses here if I wished to?”

  She took the blow, then straightened, those thin shoulders back. “No, if you ever take another mistress, I’ll do you in.”

  Phillip, relieved to his toes at that show of possessiveness, said to Susannah and Rohan, “See, I wasn’t wrong. She hasn’t forgotten that she adores me. She worships me. She’s very protective of me. Do you think she’d really do me in if I dared bed another woman? Yes, she would, I can see the blood in her eyes. She wants me all to herself. So many ladies want me, but she won’t allow it. She’s a greedy wench.”

  Sabrina threw a quince comfit at him.

  Susannah gasped, not because she was horrified that it would strike Phillip, but because she’d wanted that comfit for herself. Only the Dinwitty cook still made the old-fashioned treat. Phillip, now used to her bombardments, handily caught the comfit and immediately gave it to Susannah. “No, just one. Remember, Rohan, my vow to never let Cook make me fat? Just two goodies a day, never more. Now, Sabrina, do you love me? Are you willing to say it in front of the
se two fine upstanding witnesses?”

  43

  Sabrina knew she should be embarrassed to the toes of her slippers that two people were watching this very strange confrontation between them, but oddly, she wasn’t. But she didn’t know what was in Phillip’s head. She’d never known. She looked at him helplessly, her hands splayed in front of her. “You know that I love you. I’ll promise that to anyone who wants to listen to me. But I’m not the one who wants mistresses, Phillip.”

  “A lover for you, Sabrina? No, never. Forget it. Not in this lifetime.”

  “But you know that was always only in your own mind. I told you that lovemaking was utterly miserable, that no woman could possible enjoy herself doing that. It was unpleasant, it was—” She stopped. Phillip was flushed, two spots of color high on his cheekbones.

  Rohan choked on his apple Charlotte. Susannah thumped him on his back. He sucked in enough breath to blurt out, “Phillip, I don’t believe this. You? You left your wife unsatisfied? You were so rotten that she doesn’t want anything more to do with you? Good God, you never told me this! This may be insurmountable. I don’t know if I should encourage her to take you back if you can’t do things right. It’s a repellent thought. It’s unacceptable.”

  “Now, just calm yourself and think back for a moment. I believed the same thing she did, Rohan,” Susannah said with alarming candor. “It was Charlotte—no, not the apple Charlotte—who kept talking about her precious Rohan, how he could make a toad sing with pleasure if he but put his mind to it, his mind and all the skills his dear papa saw to it he learned from his own mistresses beginning when Rohan was only fourteen years old.”

  “That’s quite enough, Susannah. The fact is that you were quickly disabused of your silly beliefs. All I needed was a very short time in our bed to change your mind, don’t you remember? Not more than two minutes or so, very little so.”