by Jane Goodger
“Younger or older?”
“Younger.”
Clearly, his limited responses were frustrating her, for she gave him an expression of exasperation. “And your parents?”
“Both dead. My mother died when I was quite young. I don’t remember her at all. But my father . . .” He paused, bracing himself for the pain he always felt when he thought of his father. “My father was a great man,” he said, softly. “He died fourteen years ago, when I was nineteen.”
“You’re as old as all that?” Katy said.
“Quite middle-aged,” he said lightly, and she laughed.
As they got closer to the hotel, he felt her slow her pace.
“We leave in three days,” Katy said. “And we shall never see one another again.”
He didn’t like that thought, not at all, but he was intelligent enough to realize how foolish he was acting, pursuing a girl he could never have. If he married, and it seemed almost certain that he would be forced to do so quite soon, he would have to marry someone who came with a large settlement. “Are you trying to delicately tell me how foolish it would be to spend more time together?”
She looked at him, giving him a grin. “It would be foolish. You already are quite smitten, and this can only end in your heart being badly broken.”
He knew she was teasing, and was rather irritated that her words were far closer to the truth than he cared to admit. It wasn’t as if she was sophisticated and classically beautiful. If he had to describe her, he might use words more like adorable or charming. She was a maid, for God’s sake, and yet she drew him, and he didn’t know why. Graham didn’t like feeling so at odds with himself. “I had no idea my heart was so visibly on my sleeve,” he said sardonically, and she frowned.
“I was only teasing.”
“I’m not used to such teasing,” he said honestly, sounding very much like the marquess he was, not the carefree valet he was pretending to be. It was almost comforting to remind himself of who he truly was.
He looked up and found himself at the edge of the light emanating from the hotel. He stopped, stepping away from her. “I supposed you expected romance and kisses,” he said.
She looked up at him, confusion clear in her eyes at his abrupt tone. She shook her head. “I don’t know what I expected, but certainly not the man standing in front of me.”
He let out a harsh breath through his nose, frustrated and angry, though he truly didn’t know why. “You should not have come.”
“I’m fully aware of that,” Katy said, her cheeks flushed. “Believe me, I will not be so foolish again.”
Graham took a step toward her and stopped abruptly. “Good night,” he said, but neither moved.
“Good night.”
“Did you expect me to kiss you?” he demanded harshly.
“I . . . I don’t know.”
“Do you want me to kiss you?” he asked, far more quietly.
She shook her head, looking at him warily, as if he’d gone quite mad. He supposed he had. “No, I don’t.”
“Can I see you tomorrow then? At one? By the West Pier?”
Her eyes widened, as if she were quite surprised he’d even bothered to ask. “I don’t think that is a good idea.”
Bloody hell. What had he done?
“But . . .” she said, and paused. “I haven’t thought very well since coming to Brighton.”
He grinned when he realized she’d changed her mind.
“But you mustn’t be so quarrelsome,” she said with a warning note.
“I cannot guarantee that. I’m rather a quarrelsome person.”
The sound of men’s loud voices distracted him, and when he realized who it was, he grabbed Katy’s arm and pulled her farther into the shadows.
“What is wrong?” she said, struggling to keep up with his long strides.
“Someone I know walked out of the Grand. He’s an acquaintance. Of Lord Avonleigh’s. I’d rather not have him see me, if you don’t mind.” That was all he needed, for Charles Lynch to see him and call out to him. If she was leaving in three days, he had but two full days left with Katy, and he’d be damned if they ended now. He stopped near the edge of the water and stood still, Katy in front of him, facing the sea but close enough that he could feel her warmth, breathe in her soft floral scent. Behind him, he could hear the sound of footsteps in the sand, and the men’s voices getting louder. He drew her closer, one hand on each shoulder, his thumbs just grazing the soft skin on her neck. He wondered what she would do if he bent and pressed his mouth against her neck. Graham Spencer was not an impulsive man, but he was finding it rather difficult to resist that delectable bit of flesh just inches away. And so, he pulled her toward him and bent his head and tasted her.
At her sharp intake of breath, he stilled.
“Oh, do go on,” she whispered.
He didn’t like thinking about how those words made him so damned happy. “If you insist.”
Chapter 4
Do go on? Had she gone quite mad? Oh, but it was so delicious to have his hands on her shoulders, his mouth on her neck. She wouldn’t have thought such a simple thing would make her insides feel as if she were dissolving. She could feel his breath, warm against her neck, as he slowly made his way to the soft skin where her jaw nearly touched her ear. If these simple kisses made her feel like this, what would a real kiss do? She wondered what would happen if she turned now and let him kiss her mouth.
Such a dangerous thought from a girl who’d never truly been kissed.
He let out a ragged breath, and Katherine had the heady realization that he was as affected by the kiss as she was. “You, my dear, have the softest skin,” he said, before trailing his mouth from her ear to the back of her neck. The flood of sensation she felt made her breath catch and her knees nearly buckle.
Male voices nearby made her stiffen, and Gray pulled away, but kept his hands upon her shoulders.
“Poor chap. I’d feel sorry for him if he wasn’t such an arrogant bastard,” a man said. His words caused his companion to chuckle.
“I’m afraid Avonleigh’s not going to get much sympathy if what you’re saying is true. He’s not a favorite in the ton, is he?”
Katherine felt Gray’s hands jerk a bit and knew it was because the men were obviously talking about his employer.
“Hardly. And mark my words, it is true. Heard it from Henley.”
“Henley, you say? I’d hardly put much stock in it, then. Henley’s just a rumormonger, you know that.”
The men moved away, still chatting about Avonleigh and his finances, and Gray dropped his hands as Katherine turned.
“What a nasty pair,” she said, searching Gray’s expression for his reaction. But his face was impassive, as if the men had been talking about someone else entirely.
“This week has been rather enlightening in regards to my employer’s reputation,” he said thoughtfully. “No heart and no money, it would seem.”
Katherine let out a small, uncertain laugh. “You weren’t aware of his reputation?”
He shook his head. “Not entirely.” He inhaled deeply, his eyes on the men who were now quite far down the beach. “Let me escort you to the hotel.” He held up his arm gallantly, and Katherine took it, settling her hand naturally into the crook of his elbow.
He stopped at the edge of the light again and turned to face her, looking stern and almost angry, as he had before. “I would like to see you again,” he said. “Tomorrow afternoon. And tomorrow evening.” What a strange, commanding nature he had for a valet. Then again, perhaps when on equal footing, this was how all valets acted. Certainly, if he knew she was an American heiress, he wouldn’t be quite so . . . haughty.
And then something shifted in his face, and he said, “You did agree.” For a fleeting moment she saw a vulnerability that made her heart squeeze just a bit.
“Of course. If I can.”
He stared at her grimly for a long moment before shaking his head. And then her heart nearly
stilled completely, because he smiled. He was quite stunning when he smiled.
“Good night, Gray,” she said, grinning back at him like a fool. He bent quickly and kissed her cheek, and she turned and hurried into the hotel, her entire body singing. She made the trip to her room more slowly this time, as the joy she was feeling started to dim with the realization that this was just a fleeting thing. She’d be gone in just three days.
Katherine tiptoed into her room carefully and silently closed the door behind her.
“There’s no need for your skulking about, Miss Katherine.” Clara stood in her room, her nightcap askew, her expression filled with exasperation. “Where on earth were you? I nearly had a fit when I saw your bed empty—and my coat gone. You were with him, weren’t you? I know you are bored and I know you are a good girl, but to go out at night and—”
Katherine held her hand up, stopping her maid in mid-sentence. “I’m in love,” she said, grinning widely, and Clara squealed and gave a small clap. Then, as if it suddenly occurred to her how ridiculous that statement was, she frowned.
“Oh, posh,” she said, waving a hand at her employer.
“I am in love,” Katherine said, throwing out her arms and twirling back onto her bed.
“You’re no more in love than I am.”
Katherine sat up and propped herself on her elbows, lifting one brow. “You have become jaded and bitter.”
“Taking care of you has done that to me,” Clara said, pulling out her button hook and attacking one of Katherine’s boots.
“Here, I’ll do that.”
“Well, if you’re going to marry a valet, you’d better get used to doing for yourself, I suppose,” Clara said, and handed over the button hook, then watched as Katherine loosened her boots until they both landed with a thud on the floor. A good lady’s maid would have immediately pounced on the boots, given them a quick polish, and put them away. Clara kicked them aside and went to fetch Katherine’s nightdress.
Katherine pulled a face. “I’m not in love.”
“You don’t say.”
“I’m infatuated. And a bit sad. He is very wonderful, in a dark, brooding sort of way.”
“Heathcliff,” Clara muttered under her breath. Katherine had read the book aloud with Clara some years ago, and the two of them had nearly swooned at the thought of Heathcliff.
“If he’s Heathcliff, I’m certainly not like that Catherine. I’m Katherine with a K and we are a much nicer sort.”
“Is he like Heathcliff?”
Katherine thought about it. “Well, he looks like I imagined Heathcliff would look. Gray is very handsome. Probably the most handsome man I’ve met. But he’s not quite as broodingly angry as Heathcliff. Then again, he hasn’t fallen in love with me yet. And he doesn’t know I’m completely unattainable.” She threw the back of one hand against her forehead and collapsed back onto the bed. “So tragic.”
Clara plopped down next to her, very unlady’s-maid-like. “What if he does fall in love with you?”
“Oh. He won’t. We’re leaving in three days. He hasn’t the time. We’ve only two nights left, and who knows if I’ll be able to see him at all. Mother cannot have a permanent headache, can she?”
Clara muttered something about headaches, but Katherine ignored her. “He wants to see me again.” Katherine could see Clara turn her head toward her, but kept her own eyes on the smooth, white ceiling.
“Do you think you should?”
“Absolutely. When will I ever have such an adventure again?”
Tucked in Graham’s jacket was a dog-eared copy of a book the concierge at his hotel loaned to him—Life Beneath the Waves and a Description of Brighton Aquarium—when he’d informed the man of his plans. He’d wanted to tour the aquarium, opened just one year, ever since his arrival. And now, the prospect of touring it with Katy made him nearly giddy. Graham was a tad frightened by his obsession with the American girl, and thought perhaps it was because she was so completely unattainable. It gave him a bit of freedom to let down his guard, to be the man he perhaps would have been had he not been shouldered with such backbreaking responsibility.
Whatever the reason for this madness, he found himself grinning as he walked toward the Chain Pier, where he knew Katy would be waiting. He knew, because he’d spied her walking toward the pier, which was not far from the Albion where he stayed, her bright blue plume bobbing with every step. He couldn’t wait to see her face when she looked at the creatures featured in the aquarium. No doubt it would be a new experience for her. He’d been to the Fish House in London, of course, but Brighton’s aquarium was touted as both an architectural and scientific wonder.
The sun was a milky globe in a grayish sky as he approached the pier, immediately spying Katy among the others promenading near the pier. Of course, she wore the same hat she’d been wearing the first time they met, and the sight of it made him smile. If he were her beau, he would buy her more hats than she could ever wear in a lifetime, one more outrageous than the next.
He stood for a time, watching her watch the passersby, and vowed he would keep his title and his arrogance well hidden. He’d been an ass the night before and nearly frightened her away. He could still hear that breathy “do go on” and was amazed that he hadn’t “gone on” nearly as far as he’d wanted to. He could not remember wanting a woman as much as he wanted Katy, but was not foolish enough to act on that desire.
“I could spot you in a crowd anywhere with that hat,” he said, a smile in his voice and on his face.
She turned, grinning. “I do love hats,” she said.
“Perhaps you should have been a milliner instead of a maid.”
She looked away, and he thought for a moment he’d insulted her, but she recovered quickly from whatever insult he’d apparently given. “I have absolutely no artistic skill, but I do know how to recognize a piece of art.”
Graham held out his arm for her to take. “Shall we? I thought we would visit the aquarium today.” He pulled out the book, its pebbled black cover showing signs of wear. “Have you ever been to an aquarium before?”
“When I was a very little girl, my mother took me to the Barnum Museum. It was filled with all sorts of frightening things, and had a small aquarium. I was happy when it burned down, but I did feel sorry for the poor animals that were kept there. I remember seeing that glow in the sky and knowing something terrible had happened downtown. We found out the next day the museum had burned. It had the most gruesome exhibits.” She shuddered slightly. “I was perhaps too small to have gone to such a place—I couldn’t have been more than eight or nine—but it was all the rage and my father was quite enthusiastic about going.”
He squeezed her hand, which rested in the crook of his right arm. “There is nothing gruesome about this aquarium. It’s all sea creatures. But . . .” he said, gazing down at her lovely upturned face, “it is a bit dark, so you’ll have to stay very close or risk getting lost.”
She narrowed her eyes. “It seems you are always conspiring to keep me close, sir,” she said, and attempted to maintain her stern countenance before breaking into laughter.
“You have found me out.” They stopped, for there was quite a line of people waiting to go into the aquarium.
“It must not be a very large aquarium,” Katy said, looking at the small building in front of them.
“The aquarium is below us,” Graham said, and tapped his boot on the brick walkway.
After obtaining their tickets, they walked down a wide set of granite stairs that led to an open-air courtyard below street level. It was one of the grandest public buildings Graham had even seen, with a tall, arched ceiling that made the interior look more like a cathedral than a place of amusement. Ornate columns stretched from the gleaming marble floor to the ceiling, which was below the street; it was quite spectacular.
“Oh look,” Katy said, pointing to one of the arches. “A mermaid. How charming.” Indeed, every keystone in each arch was decorated with mermaids. “Woul
dn’t it be great fun if mermaids did exist?”
“You mean you don’t believe in mermaids?”
“Nor fairies or goblins, either. I fear I’m quite practical.”
Katy looked about the expansive room in wonder. Light from the street level, in addition to gaslight, made the cavernous room bright and airy. “It’s a wonder that this entire place is beneath the ground. I never would have thought to visit the aquarium had you not brought me here.”
As they left the courtyard and entered the exhibit areas, they suddenly found themselves in darkness, the only light emanating from the exhibits themselves. Graham felt Katy squeeze a bit closer to him, and he smiled. He leaned toward her ear and said, “Afraid of the dark, are you?” She looked up at him, her eyes wide, her face only inches from him. The darkness gave Graham a false sense of privacy, and he felt himself lean toward her, his eyes drifting down to her lips. He heard her short intake of breath, and was about to press his mouth against hers when a small child, pursued by his harried mother, brushed by, breaking the spell.
Graham stepped back, appalled by what he’d been about to do. He realized, now that his eyes had adjusted to the gloom, that anyone could have easily seen them had he been insane enough to actually kiss her. It would have been disastrous for both of them if someone he knew—which was entirely possible as this was a very popular exhibit—had seen him.
“That would have been a terrible mistake,” he said, his voice low.
“Terrible,” she said, her voice breathy and causing a spike of desire so strong, Graham took another step away from her.
Katherine felt as if she’d been drugged. Imagine wanting to kiss him in a public place. While it was quite unlikely that she would know someone in the aquarium, she still felt an odd thrill about the danger she was putting herself in. She was unchaperoned and walking about with a man who could not be more inappropriate. Why, it would be like going on an outing with her father’s valet, Mr. Brock. Just the thought of that made her giggle, for Mr. Brock was nearly as old as her father and completely unappealing. She didn’t know why she was acting this way, but every time that wave of anxiety flooded her, she pushed it away. She had a devil on her shoulder, whispering in her ear that no harm could come from walking on the arm of a handsome man. No harm could come because, after this week, she would never see him again. No harm because she would return home to America and he would return to his duties as a valet.