‘It would be so jolly if Luke decides to marry his cousin,’ she said, ‘then there will be more opportunities for us to meet.’
‘I doubt it,’ Flora said. ‘He is a soldier so I suppose he must go wherever his regiment sends him.’
‘He told me that he intends to resign his commission.’
‘What will he do instead?’ Lady Emma asked absently, fussing with her lists. ‘Does he have anything to live on?’
‘Oh, I dare say so. It was not a question that I could ask though. He probably intends to take up a gentlemanly occupation of some sort. The law perhaps.’
It was worse than Flora had supposed. The wretched man had already worked his charm upon the impressionable girl. But she could hardly criticise Lady Mary’s lack of judgement when she herself had been taken in by him.
‘I wonder who Luke will choose as his partner,’ Lady Emma said in an aside to Flora, chuckling as they watched the hopefuls pretending disinterest and finding various items of their attire that required their complete attention. ‘Treasure hunts are wonderful opportunities for couples to spend a few minutes away from the watchful eyes of chaperones,’ she added. ‘So whoever Luke asks to partner him will imagine she is…well, to be his partner in other respects, too.’
‘I see.’
Flora watched Miss Carlton making extravagant and unnecessary adjustments to the angle of her hat, but it was obvious that she also kept a weather eye on the earl from beneath its brim. Her face stained an unbecoming red when the earl walked past her without sparing her a glance and bowed before Miss Wood, one of the plainest and shyest girls in attendance—and also, Flora had reason to know, because she had conversed with her on several occasions, one of the most intelligent. She looked shocked to have been selected but accepted gracefully and didn’t find it necessary to preen, or cast triumphant glances at her rivals, as Flora was sure Miss Carlton would have done in her shoes.
Ten couples were finally assembled, Emma gave them their written instructions and they disappeared into different parts of the estate in pursuit of their first clues. The chaperones, temporarily relieved of their duties, sat in the shade of the terrace, chatting amongst themselves, and were served with tea.
‘I have sent them all different ways, so that they can’t follow one another and cheat,’ Lady Emma explained.
‘And to allow them a little privacy, I shouldn’t wonder,’ Flora added with a wry smile.
‘Well yes, that too.’ Lady Emma beamed. ‘Do you mind patrolling the area behind the kitchen garden, Miss Latimer, just in case anyone gets lost?’
‘Not at all, but of course they might want to get lost and will not appreciate my presence.’
Lady Emma laughed. ‘We are not quite that liberally-minded.’
Flora strolled in the direction of her favourite part of the grounds, encountering various couples poring over the clues as she went. One or two begged her for hints but she laughingly shook her head and told them to work it out for themselves. She didn’t reach any conscious decision to head in the direction of the pavilion but found herself wandering that way and so allowed instinct to guide her. There was a clue in this area but no one should have got to it quite yet. Even so, her senses were on high alert. Something wasn’t right. She increased her pace and experienced a feeling of déjà vu when she again heard voices coming from within the pavilion, although this time they were not raised in anger.
She thought of her comment to Lady Emma a little earlier when, only half-joking, she had suggested that some of the contestants might invent excuses to get lost. She dithered, unsure whether to make her presence felt or allow the enterprising couple a little longer to enjoy their accidental assignation. Then she recognised Lady Mary’s voice and her heartbeat escalated. What to do? Captain Carlton would not take liberties, he wouldn’t dare compromise the earl’s sister, and if Flora interrupted them then Mary would probably take exception to her interference. She had no first-hand knowledge to call upon, but she was well aware that young girls receiving attention from a handsome man for the first time seldom thought rationally.
Once again she compromised by leaning against the back wall of the pavilion and listening.
‘I was right, Captain Carlton. Our next clue must be down by the stream. I don’t think this is where we should be.’
‘And yet there is nowhere else I would prefer to be,’ he said in a smoky, provocative tone. ‘I have wanted to be alone with you since I first set eyes on you.’
‘Really?’ Flora was relieved to hear surprise rather than encouragement in Lady Mary’s tone. Despite her youth, perhaps she was not as easily swayed by the persuasive attentions of a handsome and desirable man as Flora had feared. Flora should have credited her with more sense. Even so, she would not leave here until she was satisfied that Lady Mary was not in danger.
‘Have my attentions been so very lacking?’ he asked, still sounding supremely sure of himself.
‘I fail to understand you. You escorted me into dinner last night and took me out on the lake. That is as far as your attentions have gone.’
‘Perhaps, but one must be circumspect at these affairs. You surely sensed my interest in you?’
‘I cannot say that I did.’
‘Your modesty does you credit, my dear.’
‘Really, Captain, I am not comfortable with this conversation. We should carry on with the treasure hunt.’
‘We might never have another opportunity for private discourse.’
‘I cannot think what you might have to say to me that cannot be said in public.’
‘You silly goose!’
Everything went quiet for a moment. Filled with foreboding, Flora reminded herself that on this occasion she had a legitimate reason to be near the pavilion. She strode round to the front porch, making as much noise as possible, and glanced through the window. Carlton and Lady Mary were engaged in a struggle. He had attempted to pull her into his arms. She was resisting, but losing the battle.
‘I mean you no harm, my dear. I simply want to impress upon you how ardently I admire you.’
‘By inflicting yourself upon me. That is hardly gentlemanly behaviour.’
‘You must excuse me if passion briefly overcame me.’ Flora breathed more easily when he slackened his hold on the younger woman. ‘I have not known you for long, it’s true, but one instantly knows when one has met one’s heart’s desire.’
Lady Mary laughed. ‘Don’t be ridiculous!’
‘Ridiculous, am I?’
Flora now knew that he had a quick temper and a great deal of vanity. Lady Mary had insulted him, injured his pride, and Flora could see the fury in his eyes as he again tightened his grasp upon her forearms and shook her hard. Mary looked scared now and Flora knew the time had come to intervene.
‘Let her go,’ she said in a mordant tone, standing in the open doorway.
Captain Carlton was so shocked to see her there that he complied. Lady Mary ran to Flora, tears running down her face, her hair falling from beneath her hat which had slipped to one side during the tussle with Carlton. She looked dishevelled, distraught and very angry. Flora knew it would be a matter of minutes before other treasure hunters invaded the area and that Lady Mary could not be seen in such a state. Her reputation would never recover. Carlton must have known it, too. He had become desperate to secure the affections of a wealthy young woman and had been unsure whether Lady Mary would accept him, rather as her sister had seen through his oleaginous charm. Flora was the only one of them who had not—not at first—but then she had never considered herself to be on the marriage mart and naively assumed that Carlton simply enjoyed her company.
‘Miss Latimer,’ the captain said in an urbane tone. ‘How charming.’
‘Go back to the house by the kitchen garden,’ Flora said to Lady Mary, giving her a swift hug. ‘No one will see you if you take that path. You can slip up the back stairs and reach your room that way. Take a moment to tidy yourself and regain your composure. I wi
ll join you as soon as I can, and we can talk then.’
‘What about you?’ Her voice trembled. ‘I will not leave you here with…with him.’
‘Don’t worry. I will say that I came upon you and that you felt unwell. I shall not linger here and anyway, he will not attempt to compromise me.’
He very well might attempt it, Flora knew. She could see blind fury radiating in his eyes. But fortunately, others would soon be here and there would be no time.
‘Very well.’ Lady Mary wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘If you’re sure.’
‘Completely. Now go. I will come and see you as soon as I can.’
‘Thank you.’ Lady Mary gave her another hug and slipped from the pavilion.
‘I was going to propose to her,’ Carlton said in a deceptively calm tone that made Flora’s hackles rise. Where were the others? At least one couple should have found their way to this part of the grounds by now. Her clues were not that difficult to interpret. All the gentlemen had had classical educations, for goodness sake. Put them to good use, she silently implored. But she suspected that at least some of them were enjoying the opportunity to indulge in a little harmless flirting and felt no pressing need to rush through the afternoon.
‘She would not have accepted you,’ Flora replied in a commendably calm tone. ‘Besides, should you not have had the good manners to ask her brother’s permission to address her first?’
‘I was overcome by the strength of my feelings and decided to seize the moment.’
Flora’s pulse raced when she saw the predatory look in his eye. He realised she knew he had no feelings for Lady Mary and was defying her to say as much. He took a step closer and reached out a hand to touch her face. She slapped it away, which made him laugh.
‘You’re jealous, my sweet, but I can assure you there is no need for you to be. There is plenty of me to go around.’
‘Come along, Captain,’ she said in a brisk tone. ‘We shall be missed.’
She knew as she said it that he didn’t have the least intention of allowing her to leave the pavilion. He was good at concealing his anger, but its power almost overwhelmed her senses. She had prevented him from persuading Lady Mary to accept his offer of marriage. Or quite possibly he had feared that she would not. He had brought her here with the deliberate intention of being caught in a compromising position with her, leaving her with no option but to accept him, or risk irreparable damage to her reputation. The vile snake! But of more immediate concern was Flora’s own situation. His desire for revenge hung heavy in the air, polluting the atmosphere.
Don’t allow him to see that you are afraid.
Even as the thought passed through her brain, she couldn’t seem to help glancing over her shoulder, hoping to glimpse reinforcements approaching. Infuriatingly, the clues they had set must be proving more testing than Flora had anticipated, and no one had yet ventured as far as the pavilion.
‘Clearly you are no longer able to participate in the treasure hunt, Captain Carlton, unless you wish to do so without a partner. Either way, I shall leave you to your reflections.’ She turned towards the door, attempting to project a confidence she did not feel. It didn’t deceive him, and his strong hand grasped her upper arm, preventing her from leaving.
‘Not just yet, my dear,’ he said in a smooth voice that was probably supposed to reassure. It made Flora feel nauseous.
Part of her still marvelled at her inability to have sensed…well, something about his disreputable intentions. Of course, she had never been in a situation in which a supposed gentleman had planned to compromise her before now. Her father had made sure of that. Anyway, she was obviously a shallow creature at heart and had been flattered by his interest in her. She was paying a heavy price for that shallowness now, she thought, shuddering. He was considerably larger and stronger than she was. A trained soldier who knew how to fight. She didn’t stand a prayer of winning such an uneven contest.
‘Let go of me!’ She slapped at his hand, but he laughed and increased the pressure. She would have a bruise, but that was the least of her worries. There was still no sound of approaching voices. Where were they!
He grabbed her other arm and pulled her towards him, rough and demanding. She dug her toes in and attempted to bring her knee up into his groin.
‘Ah, so you like those sorts of games, do you?’ He chuckled. ‘Quite the little wild cat. I knew you would be. The quiet ones always are.’
His lips hovered over hers. Flora wanted to scream with frustration. Less than two weeks into her new position and she would be sent home in disgrace, her father would have the satisfaction of thinking he had been right about her and she would be forced to marry the odious Mr Bolton. That prospect lent her superhuman strength. She struggled, clawed and bit but her efforts only seemed to increase his determination.
Flora realised with a sinking heart that help would not arrive in time, and even if it did she would be ruined. Filled with despair, she sank to the floor, feigning a swoon. It was the only thing she could think of to do. Better a ruined reputation that actual ruin.
*
Luke felt glad that he’d chosen Miss Wood as his partner. She was quick-witted and made fast work of deciphering the clues.
‘You are very good at this,’ he told her. Probably better than him, truth be told, because he was too distracted to concentrate.
‘I like puzzles, and these are not terribly difficult once you understand the mindset of the person who set the clues.’
She spoke to him without a trace of flirtation in her voice, seemingly unconcerned about making a favourable impression. It was a relief, given all the blatant attempts at winning his affections that he’d been obliged to fend off during the course of the party. With the exception of Miss Latimer, who was in his employ and not an invited guest, every single unattached female seemed determined to wear down his resistance. Miss Wood’s attitude felt like a breath of fresh air so he relaxed and found himself enjoying the game.
‘My sister and my grandmother’s companion are jointly responsible, although I suspect the latter set most of these fiendish clues.’
‘Ah yes, Miss Latimer. I have spoken with her several times. She has a very lively imagination. I am not surprised to hear you say that she came up with things like…’ Miss Wood paused to consult their latest clue. ‘Also for a woman with a vicious tongue.’ She smiled at him. ‘Come along, my lord. We are heading for your stable yard.’
‘Of course!’ Luke laughed. ‘A scold’s bridle.’
‘Precisely.’
‘Are you enjoying the party, Miss Wood,’ Luke asked as they collected the required token to show they had solved that particular clue and headed towards the wilderness in pursuit of the next answer. They had already overtaken two couples who seemed stumped by Miss Latimer’s obscure clues.
‘Damn it, Luke,’ his brother Sam said, as Luke and Miss Wood waved and sailed past them. ‘You’re not supposed to win. You’re the host. It’s bad form. You’d best let us take your answers.’
‘Not a chance,’ Luke replied, laughing. ‘I had the good sense to select Miss Wood for a partner, and I fully intend to win for her sake. I’m sorry,’ he added to Miss Wood as they moved on. ‘That sounded as though I only chose you because I thought you would be good at the game. In actual fact, I—’
‘Don’t worry, my lord.’ She offered him a wry smile. ‘I understand better than you imagine. You required a respite from all the attention, for which I cannot blame you, and thought you would be safe with me.’
‘Now you have made me feel even worse about myself.’ He countered her smile with a self-effacing grimace. ‘But you have not got it entirely right. I did want an opportunity to speak with you, but every time I try we are interrupted.’
‘By one of your admirers who doesn’t look upon me as a threat.’ She nodded. ‘It cannot be easy for you, but please don’t expect my sympathy.’
He laughed, comfortable with her again. ‘Don’t worry, I don�
��t want anyone’s sympathy.’
‘You must feel rather like a prize stallion.’ She covered her mouth with her hand but failed to hide her flaming red cheeks. ‘Sorry, that sounded rather vulgar.’
‘Even so, you’re in the right of it.’ He smiled, hoping to ease her discomfort. ‘Anyway, you did not answer my question. Are you enjoying yourself?’
‘Frankly, no.’
Luke blinked. He hadn’t expected her to gush or flatter, but an outright denial… ‘I beg your pardon.’
‘You asked, my lord, and I should have thought that an hour in my company would be sufficient for you to realise that I always speak as I find. Mama despairs of my ever finding a husband.’ She lifted one shoulder. ‘As if I didn’t have enough disadvantages without willingly adding to them. She fails to comprehend that I have no interest in matrimony and insists upon dragging me to events such as this. Anyhow, as I say, an hour in my company usually disavows anyone from supposing that I possess anything in the way of subtlety. Few endure my society for that long. A polite ten minutes of banal conversation, duty done and they move on with a speed that borders on the insulting. Oh, and in case you were wondering,’ she added, flashing a genuine smile, ‘I was not attempting to turn the tables on you by invoking your sympathy.’
‘Appearances can be deceptive, can’t they?’ He slowed his pace because they had outstripped the rest of the field and he was enjoying their frank exchange. ‘I could look like the back end of a horse, have a vile temper and halitosis, but that would not deter those wishing to become my countess. I have a title and money, so my popularity is guaranteed.’
She nodded. ‘Much as people like Miss Carlton simply assume that they will be feted and accepted wherever they go, simply because they are fair of face. In Miss Carlton’s case, she has little money and even less intelligence, but that doesn’t seem to make any difference. Oh, excuse me.’ She chuckled. ‘There I go again. I expect you intend to marry her and I’ve just insulted your future bride.’
A Sense of Belonging (Perceptions Book 1) Page 16