“I overheard at dinner that Andrew – ”
“The footman Andrew or the stable boy Andrew?” Kate held up a hand, interrupting to ask.
“The footman Andrew,” Janice clarified before continuing, “Andrew overheard Lord Harrowby in a conversation with his sister that Master Nathan has spoken to you.”
Go, go rumor mill, Kate thought wryly. “He did and, yes, he’s a very sweet little boy.”
Kate could tell there were a million questions chasing each other through Janice’s mind, but the nanny just finally smiled. “I will be in to wake you in the morning and help you dress. I also want to warn you that Andrew also overheard Harrowby’s mother saying that she would be insisting on meeting you in the morning, so…” A little shudder of dread shook the woman’s delicate frame.
“That bad, huh?” Pushing away a shiver that might have exactly mirrored Janice’s reaction to the idea, Kate offered a tight smile instead. “I appreciate the warning, Janice. I really do. I should wear something nice then, shouldn’t I?”
“Yes, miss. A well-armed soldier always fares better on the field of battle.”
“Very funny.” Kate turned and considered the wardrobe that still stood wide open awaiting her. Well-armed, she thought. If Brand were the CEO of this particular company, what did one wear when meeting the Chairman of the Board?
Chapter Eighteen
“You abandoned the Season before I had even had an opportunity to join you in London.”
Kate stopped short in the dark shadows outside Brand’s office later that night listening guiltily to the conversation within.
It had seemed to Kate that Brand had been about to say something very interesting before they were interrupted that afternoon. When Brand had made no effort to cross paths with her again as she’d hoped he might, Kate had decided to take it upon herself to make the first move… or second move or third or wherever they stood at that point.
Simple fact was, if she wanted to see him – and she knew she did – it would have to be up to her to make it happen. It was obvious Brand lived his life bound by rules and one of those was that an earl did not spend leisure time with his employees.
She’d never known anyone who was such a die-hard for policy before. Everyone usually had an exception and perhaps Brand did. As much as she might want it to be, that exception didn’t seem to be her. Conversely, Kate was of the opinion that Brand had the potential to be the exception to any rule she might come across.
This magnetic pull he had on her was unlike anything Kate had ever known. He was unlike anyone she’d ever known. Starchier than Dr. Broyles, the head of her research project at ISIS, more somber than the octogenarian priest of her childhood church.
Even in that form she liked Brand but when that shell of containment around the earl cracked, Brand shone through like a ray of golden light that hypnotized her, drawing her to him in a way that was beyond resistance. She craved his company, his presence even if he didn’t want hers.
So she’d snuck down to his office only to come upon the earl arguing with his mother. Or rather, coming as close to it as two well bred people could. There was no heat in their words, no anger. They didn’t raise their voices at all. Actually, it seemed to Kate that their words grew colder and more clipped with each passing moment.
Mrs. Ryder’s strident voice continued, “I cannot understand why you did so when I made it clear I intended to indulge in the Season, to act as your hostess while you search for a wife.”
“Perhaps that is why I left, Mother,” came Brand’s bitter reply. “The London Season is still yours to indulge in should you return to town. I can have a carriage for you within the hour if you like.”
“I do not care for this attitude of yours, Harrowby.”
“I don’t care if you like it, Mother,” Brand responded. “I’m not going to back to London this Season. I have said as much already.”
“You can put much in a letter, Harrowby, that doesn’t make it a fact.”
“Then perhaps you should have come to Town and received the answer directly from my lips,” he snapped back and Kate shivered at the icy tones.
“You’ll never find a wife here in the country when everyone is in Town.”
“Precisely, Mother. I’m glad you finally understand.”
Silence reigned for a few moments leaving Kate to wonder if the pair were staring each other down. She wondered who would win.
“Anticipating such a disrespectful response from you, you should know that I’ve decided to have a house party here then,” she announced. “There are any number of families with eligible daughters who would be willing to escape Town for a chance to gain an introduction with you.”
Kate could almost hear Brand’s weary sigh in the pause that followed. “Mother, when are you going to accept that I will not wed simply for the sake of producing an heir? For the sake of the earldom?”
“It is your duty.”
“Marriage and fatherhood should never be a duty.” There was a creaking of hinges that led Kate to believe that Brand was now sitting at his desk. She could picture him there just staring at his mother wondering how they had ever reached such a point. “I will marry where it pleases me and when it pleases me and only then. Until then, I have an heir, Mother. A very fine heir in Nathan. That should be enough for you.”
“You cannot simply…” Mrs. Ryder’s words cut off and Kate was tempted to peek around the corner of the door to see what was happening. “A house party then, Harrowby. If you won’t return to London, I must bring the Season to you.”
“Feel free to enjoy the Season in London, Mother,” he muttered under his breath. “A house party would hardly be appropriate when this house is in mourning.”
“No one expects you to mourn the passing of the previous earl when the Season is upon us and you stand without an heir,” she argued.
“For Ralston then,” Brand returned. “It’s been just six months since he died.”
“Susan needn’t attend,” was his mother’s quick reply.
“I can see there will be no end to this until I make some concession to you. Perhaps near the end of the Season then.” Kate heard the ice in Brand’s voice. “But I want it small and somber for I must make some acknowledgment to the mourning this family is officially under.”
“The Henley Regatta is coming up in a soon providing ample entertainment.”
“The Regatta is at the week’s end, Mother,” Brand pointed out.
“Which is why I sent the invitations last week.” Mrs. Ryder threw down her trump card with triumph evident in her voice but in the silence that followed, Kate could nearly feel the tension in the room pouring out the door.
“When might I expect this happy gathering to take place?” The question came with a low growl of displeasure.
“Two days hence.”
The silence that followed spoke volumes to the earl’s exasperation.
“Very well, Mother, but be warned, having no advance notice do not expect me to change my plans already set for the week to give way to yours.”
Even his mother must have been able to hear the uncompromising tone of the words, for after a moment, she replied, “As you wish, Harrowby. Good night.”
“Good night.”
Hearing those not-so-warm wishes, Kate ducked back into the shadows as Mrs. Ryder sailed regally from the room. Even thinking she was alone in the darkened hall, Kate could see no change in the woman’s demeanor. There was no sigh, no shake of the head in regret, just a jaw set tightly as she strode toward the stairs.
***
Kate released a sigh and shook her head instead. She just didn’t get it. Even if a person wasn’t close to their parents – and Kate knew not everyone was – they didn’t speak like that to each other. Oh, sure, she knew that some families ended up with irreconcilable differences and spent a lifetime not speaking, but that was usually the result of some major argument or event. From the gossip at the dinner table that night, Kate knew that w
asn’t the case.
Most of the senior staff had known Mrs. Ryder as a young bride early in her marriage. Though there had been disagreements between her and her in-laws, there had been nothing witnessed which might have led to her permanent abandonment of Ramble House. Her lady’s maid at the time had passed on that Mrs. Ryder simply didn’t wish to be in their presence any longer and so she hadn’t in all the years in between. Her icy manner toward her children was nothing new as well. Most recalled that, even when Brand was a small child, Mrs. Ryder had had nothing to do with her son beyond a daily inspection. She had always been cold and distant with her children.
It made a person wonder why but, to Kate, the bigger issue was in hoping that Brand might find a future brighter than that dismal past. She couldn’t bear to watch things like this happen every day knowing that there was a better person in him. A man with a lifetime of untapped love inside of him. She had seen glimpses of his potential underneath that austere exterior. She wondered what he might be like if he ever let it flow freely.
But even as she asked herself the question, Kate knew. He would be devastating and impossible to resist if it ever happened.
“You may come in, Miss Kallastad,” Brand’s voice called from the study. “I know you’re out there somewhere.”
Kate lifted her head and waltzed into the office as if she hadn’t just been eavesdropping on his private conversation to find the earl leaning with his elbows on the desk, his nose pinched between two fingers. “How did you know I was out there?”
“I saw you pass as you came down the stairs.”
Harrowby sat back in his chair and watched Kate stroll in looking much as she had that first night in the library. The dark blue velvet dressing gown she donned over a white nightgown with matching slippers on her feet was modest and covered more than most day gowns but they were still nightclothes. It was one thing for her to be in such a dishabille when she didn’t anticipate company but it was surprising, almost shocking, to have her purposely appear so in his presence. He could think of no other woman besides his former mistress who would receive him in such a state.
She might have been bundled up to her chin, but with her dark hair loose and flowing around her shoulders, she looked positively lovely and seductive in the dim light cast from the lamp on his desk. He felt his blood rush hotly in his veins and his body tense against the desire that suddenly flowed through him. This would never do. He thrust the wanting ruthlessly aside. “What brings you down so late?”
Kate tore her curious gaze away from him and glanced at a clock on the mantle. It was after midnight. Late, yes, but he was up late as well. “The nursery gets a little quiet after Nate falls asleep and I wasn’t tired yet so I thought I’d come down and see what you were up to.”
“I gather you received your answer.”
“I guess so.” Taking a chair in front of the desk, Kate matched his pose, relaxing back in the chair with her elbows on the arms and her fingers threaded together across her stomach. “How can you live like that? No, don’t get angry. I’m just curious.”
Harrowby sighed and ran a hand through his neat hair. Though it was indeed late, he was still dressed as he’d been that afternoon with his tie still tight and every button done up leading Kate to wonder how rare moments of true relaxation were for him. “Avoidance,” was his answer. “For the past couple of years, I’ve managed to keep our interaction confined to letters. She wasn’t even at Susan’s for Ralston’s funeral… which was surprising since she has been living there for quite some time.”
“So what brings them here now if you’ve managed to avoid your mom for so long?” Kate asked curiously. “Ahh, let me guess…”
“The earldom,” they said together and met each other’s eyes.
“Just so,” Harrowby allowed with a slight smile. “Mother was determined to spend the Season in London with her new status as the mother of a noble to elevate her standing in Society. I fear I quite ruined her plans by leaving Town.”
“Not to mention her apparent desire to get you a wife,” Kate added inquisitively but Harrowby waved off her hint.
“That has been the subject of every letter she has written to me for years,” he told her. “Though, yes, the conferring of the title has put a new urgency to that desire.”
“Why?” Kate asked curiously. “I hate to say it so bluntly but I can’t imagine it’s because she wants more grandchildren to dote so lovingly on.”
Harrowby felt his lips twitch and pressed them together to stifle the smile. Ahh, Kate, he chuckled internally, relaxing into the chair then. She had a way about her, didn’t she? Though her question was a serious one, her approach to the topic and her unique phrasing made the whole situation seem so much more humorous than it had moments ago. He never would have thought that just a bit of sarcasm might lighten a situation so. “You are correct. What Mother is looking for is a reason to socialize with those of a higher rank and, through my marriage, gain more social power and influence for herself. I gather she believes I might land her the daughter of a duke… or a marquis at the very least.”
“Well, those are truly excellent reasons to get married.”
There was that sarcasm again and Harrowby couldn’t stop the smile that parted his lips that time. “I believe she truly thinks so.”
“And what do you think?” she asked.
“I think you probably heard my response to that,” he answered briskly.
Kate softened at his retort. She had heard him, but it was nice to know that it hadn’t just been a way for him to lash out at his mother. So Brand wanted to marry for affection if not love, not merely for standing and social position. Given what she’d gathered so far, that was probably unusual in his class.
Too bad it wouldn’t be her. The thought snaked through her mind, surprising Kate. Where did that thought come from? She didn’t want to marry Brand. She barely even knew him! Oh, she was attracted to him. God knew she was magnetically, irresistibly attracted to him but, surely, there wasn’t anything more to it than that. She was a career woman, Kate argued with herself. There were tons of things she wanted to accomplish in life before she settled down. Even though her sister had settled into a happy homemaker state after she’d married five years ago and was content to stay home with Nathan and the baby she had on the way, Kate couldn’t yet imagine herself in that place.
And she would have to be willing to go there for someone like Brand, Kate knew. As a man in this time period – a man of his standing – he would want a wife just like all the others. The same kind of woman David Fergusson was looking for as well. A little woman to keep his home and family. To rub his feet after a long day’s work.
Kate grimaced. Although in Brand’s case, maybe his valet might be expected to do the rubbing instead.
Then there was the fact that Brand was Harrowby and she was nobody. For that reason alone, Kate knew such a scenario would never happen. This wasn’t the twenty-first century when a prince might marry a commoner. Brand was too much a stickler for the rules for such a thing… and, if he wasn’t, his mother certainly was.
Feeling better knowing that, even if in a delusional state Kate decided she wanted to be Brand’s wife, it would never happen, she let it go and changed the subject. “What is this Henley Regatta your mother mentioned? Rowing, right? There is a growing interest in that back home these days. Adult teams, youth teams and, of course, MIT has a rowing club. Is this one a big deal?”
“A very big deal,” Brand answered feeling the phrase roll awkwardly off his tongue. “It’s now the Henley Royal Regatta since Prince Albert first offered his patronage twenty-five years ago. The Queen continues to do so since his death fifteen years ago. It has become quite a mainstay of the social calendar. Mother is right in thinking that no one would mind leaving London to attend a house party here during that time. Membership to the Stewards’ Enclosure is limited and is, therefore, a very prestigious viewpoint to watch the racing.”
“Some things never chang
e.” Kate quirked her lips acknowledging that through time people always wanted to go where few were allowed. “Are you a member? Of course you are,” she mumbled even while he nodded. “Do you row?”
Kate watched as Brand shifted in his seat. “You do, don’t you?”
“I do, though not many in my position do so.”
“But you weren’t always in this position,” she reminded.
“True enough. I was on the teams at Oxford and, though I hadn’t had the luxury of a convenient setting in many a year, the location of Ramble House allows me opportunity to put a boat out now and then,” he said. “I recently joined the Leander Club as well which is a local team based in Henley.”
“Oh, for fun. Are you going to race in this Regatta then?” Kate asked, thinking that at least now she knew how Brand had gotten that deep, muscular chest and heavy thighs. There was nothing like rowing for a well-toned body. She could just imagine the sight of him on the water, slick with sweat, muscles pulling and bunching.
“Of course not.”
“Why not?” she asked in surprised, her mind banishing the lovely image she’d built up. “You should! I’d love to watch.” Man, would I love to watch, her mind drawled in agreement.
Harrowby looked at Kate seeing the heat in her gaze and somehow knew what she was thinking, how she was imagining him. An answering heat spread through his groin. If she blessed him with such a look again, he thought that he might like to have her watch him as well. And if he were to win… he could imagine seeing her admiration there as well. Feeling it warm him. When he made it to shore, he might sweep her into his arms and… Harrowby cleared his throat. “Perhaps I will consider the possibility but first I must worry about this house party and the position my mother is determined to put me in.”
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