by Hatch, Donna
Charlotte’s smile turned mysterious. “One can be both responsible and a bit unpredictable. Charles manages to do it.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s always here for me when I need him, and he’s as attentive as I’d hoped. Yet, there is still an aura of mystery about him, and he manages to surprise me on occasion.” Charlotte leaned back against the settee, smiling.
Perhaps Jared had more in common with Charles Greymore than Elise had previously realized. Could it be possible Jared would be a steady and faithful companion the way Charles Greymore was to Charlotte?
Elise imagined herself married to Jared. The ways he’d make her laugh. The times he’d play with Colin, guiding him as he grew into adulthood. The unrestrained passion they’d share.
It was not an unwelcome thought.
****
Luncheon at the Bradford home took place at the edge of a lake spanning the border between the Bradford’s land and the Berkley’s land, the same lake Edward and Mr. Bradford had good-naturedly argued over who owned what percentage of the lake.
After greeting the host and his sister, Elise accepted lemonade from a passing tray and scanned for Colin. She found him skipping rocks. Several servants hovered nearby, keeping a sharp eye out on the children near the water.
“Elise, I’m so glad to see you.” Charlotte Greymore clasped her hand. Her china blue eyes shone.
Elise noted with relief that her friend’s face had more color than the last time they’d visited a few days’ past. “How are you feeling?”
“Never better.” She smiled and put a hand over her abdomen.
Mr. Greymore came to her side, and greeted them both. “Mrs. Berkley, how lovely you look. Is that a new gown?”
Elise looked down. “Yes.” She’d had new gowns made now that she’d officially come out of mourning, a step which had a liberating effect on her spirits. She wondered if Jared had a favorite color.
Lord Druesdale greeted them all cordially. His eyes rested longer on Elise. “What a fetching bonnet, Mrs. Berkley. It’s fitting for such a beautiful lady.”
Elise couldn’t remember when she’d had so many compliments all in the same day. Yet a compliment from Lord Druesdale sounded empty. She looked away and murmured an appropriate reply. They spoke of trivialities and exclaimed over the uncommonly fine weather and then she politely asked about his interest in Egyptian artifacts just to get him talking. As he talked, he required minimal input from her.
Each time a new person arrived, Elise looked for Jared. She chided herself. He’d made no effort to contact her in the week since he’d come to her grieving for his father and kissed her in a way that brought heat to her face each time she recalled it.
Perhaps Jared had merely needed the companionship of another person to comfort him that night. His kiss may have meant nothing more. Yes, he’d kissed her the first moment they met, and again after he’d had dinner with her and Colin but he probably kissed any female within reach. She’d been foolish to believe his heart had been engaged. A hollow ache sank deep inside, weighting her until she could hardly lift her head.
Jared arrived. He drew her gaze like a magnetic pull. Her breath stilled. Was it possible he’d actually grown more handsome since she’d seen him last?
Jared’s gaze slid first to hers, then to Lord Druesdale standing next to her. Jared’s eyes narrowed. Then he returned his focus to Mr. Bradford and whatever anger she thought she’d seen vanished. All that remained was calm aloofness. Disappointment flooded her.
Hers was a foolish, wayward heart!
“Good day, Mrs. Berkley.” Lord Druesdale withdrew.
With embarrassment, she realized she’d been rudely neglecting Lord Druesdale. She made a vague reply and immediately, like the fool she was, sought Jared again. Wearing a black mourning armband, he spoke at length with Mr. Bradford. As Jared posed questions and listened to the replies, his intensity gave Elise the impression he remained completely focused on the speaker. Then, in fleeting instances, his gaze would flick about. Though his stance appeared casual, watchfulness remained just below the surface.
She drifted toward him, trying to appear merely strolling rather than being so unladylike as to approach a gentleman. When Jared glanced at her a second time, her heart fluttered in response. He nodded to her once impassively, and returned his attention to Mr. Bradford.
Stung, she swallowed against the hurt swirling inside and drifted away as if he had not been her goal.
Mr. Bradford called to his guests. He welcomed them again and bid them be seated at the long tables set up near the terrace.
“Mrs. Berkley, please join me.” Mr. Bradford offered his arm and seated Elise at his right. She faltered. Seating her so close to him could be viewed as an announcement, yet to refuse would be an insult. She murmured her thanks and lowered herself into a chair. Jared sat across the table from her and further down.
An ice carving of a swan graced the table in an impressive centerpiece. Crystal and silver sparkled in the sunlight.
Elise turned to Mr. Bradford. “This is beautiful.”
He smiled. “I admit I imposed upon my sister a great deal to help me prepare.”
To his other side, his sister beamed. “It was a pleasure.”
He turned back to Elise and touched her hand. “I’m so glad you like it.”
Startled at the familiarity, Elise looked up, but he only smiled benignly, no hint of the suggestiveness or rakishness Jared often displayed. Mr. Bradford was the picture of propriety. Comfortable. Familiar. Safe.
At the moment, the prospect of spending her life with a man such as he seemed empty instead of comforting.
She shook her head at her own loss of reason. When did she begin to like danger and the unexpected?
Since they came in the form of a grinning, impertinent man of passion. Her gaze moved down the table to Jared who conversed animatedly with his dinner companions, generously flashing that lethal smile.
As the first course arrived, Elise removed her gloves and draped them over her lap. The men discussed hawking and the races. Lord Von Barondy admitted to an enjoyment of cock fighting, which made Elise shiver. Mr. Bradford described a recent trip to Scotland where distant relatives introduced him to a game called golf. His dry humor, as he described his rather unimpressive game, kept Elise and the others laughing.
Time and time again, her eyes moved to Jared’s. He often met her gaze briefly but his expression could not be deciphered.
She swallowed against the lump in her throat. He regretted his kiss. He regretted coming to her. He regretted the way he’d bared his emotions that night.
She looked farther down the table toward Lord Druesdale. He caught her gaze and lifted his glass to her with promise smoldering in his eyes, a promise which failed to incite a physical reaction.
She’d always prided herself on her ladylike reserve, her lack of immoral desires. Now she knew her restraint sprang from the lack of a man capable of inspiring passion, not from her self-control.
Stunned by that revelation, Elise stilled. Even her breath froze. Perhaps here lay the real reason she’d chosen not to remarry. Yet, she’d been happy with Edward. Hadn’t she?
“Mrs. Berkley?”
Her eyes shot to Mr. Bradford who watched her in polite concern. She forced her lips into a semblance of a smile and took a bite of her lemon ice. Forcing air into her lungs, she glanced at Jared and found him watching her.
Perhaps there was still hope. Perhaps the kiss was not entirely meaningless. He broke eye contact and returned his attention to the lady at his side.
Perhaps she was a fool.
After a superb luncheon, Mr. Bradford stood and announced a game of bowls on the south lawn. Cricket for the children would be held on the east lawn.
Again Jared met her stare. Uncertainty glimmered around the edges of his façade.
She knew it! He regretted kissing her. Too bad she didn’t share the sentiment. Once again, she’d proven herself
an idiot. She bit the inside of her lip.
“Do you care to play, Mrs. Berkley?” Mr. Bradford bestowed a winsome smile upon her that did little to lift her spirits.
She tried to muster a modicum of enthusiasm. “I’d love to.”
Gentlemen and a few ladies called wagers. Jared stood talking with Lord Von Barondy, his focus intense.
Elise glanced toward the east lawn where the children were choosing teams. Colin darted away from his friends to Jared and grabbed his hand. Jared grinned at Colin, and after another quick word with Lord Von Barondy, allowed Colin to lead him to the cricket field. The children danced around Jared who laughed and called out taunts to the other team.
Soon, other men joined the children at cricket, shedding their frockcoats to allow greater freedom of movement. Some of the older, more proper adults criticized this lack of decorum.
Elise managed to play a respectable game of bowls, despite dividing her attention between her own game and cricket played on the next lawn.
Several spectators wandered over to watch the animated cricket players. Mrs. Carson watched raptly and Elise realized it was Jared, not the game, that Mrs. Carson watched with such enthusiasm. Elise couldn’t blame her. His athletic grace mocked all the other men present.
His smile flashed, brightening his stunning face, and his easy laugh rang out. He heckled the other players, and accepted their jeers in return with equanimity.
“Your son is a fine player,” Mr. Bradford said, mistaking her interest in the game.
Guiltily, Elise dragged her gaze off Jared and found Colin among the players. “He does love to play that game.”
“He’s a delightful child. My girls adore him.” The game ended amid cheers and groans. Mr. Amesbury hefted Colin on one shoulder and another boy on the other. The rest clamored around him.
“The younger set appears to have fully accepted Mr. Amesbury.”
Elise hoped her expression betrayed nothing. “Indeed.”
“He seems a decent sort, despite his lack of restraint.”
A brief flash of annoyance surged at the unintended word of censure toward Jared. Then shame flooded her cheeks with warmth as she realized she’d recently echoed those same sentiments—especially his lack of restraint. But now she welcomed those endearing qualities.
“Lady Standwich thinks highly of him,” Elise replied calmly. “As do Mr. and Mrs. Greymore.”
Lord Druesdale sauntered up. “A fine afternoon, Mr. Bradford. Even the weather cooperated.”
“Nice of it to be so obliging.” Mr. Bradford’s voice remained cordial, but his stance stiffened.
With Colin perched on one shoulder, another boy on the other, and a third hanging down his back, Jared staggered to Elise, exaggerating every motion, drawing squeals from his passengers and the boys who danced around him. Jared swung the boys from his shoulders to the ground.
Colin’s hair was mussed and his cheek smudged, but the happy glow in his face dissuaded any scolding. He threw his arms around Elise. “Mother, did you see my winning hit?”
“A fine showing, my love.” Elise gave him a squeeze.
Jared shooed the boys off in search of drinks. They scattered, followed by a cluster of giggling little girls.
Mr. Bradford winced. “I must speak with my daughters about not chasing boys.”
Elise laughed. “I don’t think you need be concerned yet.”
Grinning, Jared pushed his hand through his tousled hair, but failed to arrange it into any sort of order. A light sheen of sweat shone on his forehead, dampening a few strands that clung together around his face. His cravat lay in sad creases. He looked wholly male and thoroughly pleased with himself. No man had ever looked so blatantly desirable.
He accepted his coat from a footman and donned it. The muscles in his chest and arms flexed as he pulled on his frockcoat over his shirt and waistcoat. He glanced at the men flanking her with one eyebrow raised slightly in amusement. Despite his lazy grin, a brief flash of annoyance appeared in his eyes as he looked at the others. Tension crackled in the air as the three men squared their shoulders and shifted to wider stances.
Elise nearly choked. Could it be possible they were posturing over her?
Charlotte Greymore and her husband arrived. “What a lovely party, Mr. Bradford,” Charlotte said. “How kind of you to invite us.”
Mr. Bradford replied appropriately as the Greymores made their excuses and made ready to depart. With one hand tucked in the crook of her husband’s arm, Charlotte smiled at Elise in farewell.
Elise called to Colin, who came reluctantly. They both bid their host a good day.
Mr. Bradford held Elise’s hand a moment longer than necessary. “I’m so glad you came.”
“I had a lovely time. Thank you for the invitation.” Elise gently extracted her hand and glanced at the other men nearby. “Lord Druesdale. Mr. Amesbury.”
They answered with perfect civility and shot deadly glares at one another.
Mr. Greymore extended his free arm. “Shall we escort you to your carriage, Mrs. Berkley?”
Elise nodded and linked her arm through his. Holding onto Colin with her free hand, she walked with them toward the carriages lined up along the drive.
“I thought they were going to come to blows.” Smiling, Charlotte glanced back. “They still might.”
“Quite a competition is lining up for you, Mrs. Berkley,” Mr. Greymore said.
Elise focused on the ground, secretly glad that Jared had shown animosity toward the other men. Surely that meant interest in her at some level. “It was rather awkward, I’m afraid.”
Charlotte’s smile broadened. “I realize that you are unaccustomed to such attention, but you cannot be entirely surprised by it. They are all attractive men. Are you going to choose one?”
“I’m not sure what it is they want.”
Greymore chuckled softly. “I believe they all want your favor, Mrs. Berkley. The question is, to what degree? That may vary from man to man.”
Elise had no answer. Lord Druesdale’s interest no doubt involved nothing more than an empty affair. She wondered if Jared and Mr. Bradford wanted her for a wife, or a lover, or merely a friend.
No. She was certain none merely wanted her friendship, more’s the pity. Friendship would be so much more convenient.
Colin sighed dramatically. “I wish Mr. Amesbury could play with me every day. He makes me feel like I do everything good!”
“As though you do everything well,” Elise corrected.
“That, too.”
Elise moved toward her carriage further down the line. A hand appeared under her elbow and a familiar presence awakened her senses. She turned to face Jared.
He offered a brief smile, but his eyes slid over her almost as a caress. “I went home.”
She blinked. “Oh.”
“For the funeral. I should have sent you word. I meant to. That’s why I’ve been gone so long.”
She looked down. “You owe me no explanation.”
“I felt that I did after—” he glanced at Colin “—after your aid the last time I called upon you. I didn’t want you to think it meant nothing to me.”
The warmth from his gloved hand seeped through her afternoon gown into her arm. It continued to spread until his touch bathed her in warmth. She met his gaze and fell into his aquamarine eyes.
“It meant more to me than you can know. You saved me.” His voice, hardly more than a whisper, brushed against her very soul.
She wanted to ask which part of the night meant so much to him. The things he confided to her? The way they held each other? The kiss? All of it? It suddenly mattered a great deal.
And worse, she wanted nothing more than to be back in his arms, needed and desirable as no man before him had made her feel. Unable to drag her eyes away, she remained captured by his gaze and tried to look deeply enough into his eyes to see all the way to his heart, not even caring if he saw hers. Not caring if he saw that she did, indeed, love him.
She stilled. She loved him. Her heart turned warm and liquid.
His lashes hid his eyes as he ruffled Colin’s already disheveled hair. “Well done today, Young Master Colin.”
Colin threw his arms around one of Jared’s thighs and hugged him. “Thank you for playing with us. You made it so fun.”
Jared patted Colin’s back. “Glad to be of service.”
She loved him. She swallowed hard.
He helped them into the carriage. For another lingering moment, his gaze held hers. In that instant, his shields lowered and she saw uncertainty, desire, and determination all warring inside. She wondered what he wished he could tell her, what he feared to reveal.
“Good day, Mrs. Berkley. Master Colin.” He shut the door and stepped back.
Elise leaned back against the seat. She bit her lip and wondered if she had the courage to piece together the puzzle of Jared Amesbury.
She had no doubt the finished picture would be worth the trouble, the picture of the man she loved.
CHAPTER 15
Jared bid a good evening to the Greymore’s after enjoying a delightful dinner with them, and climbed into the curricle. They’d managed to bring up the subject of Elise Berkley during every course. He’d feigned disinterest at first, but finally gave in and listened to anything they would tell him. Secretly, he was flattered that the elegant Charlotte Greymore thought him worthy of her friend. Still grinning, he glanced at José perched behind the seat in his role as tiger.
Jared waved him over. “Come sit up here on the seat with me.”
The lad clamored over and settled in next to him. Jared snapped the reins and guided the curricle down the moonlight-bathed road. José remained silent for so long that Jared glanced at him to see if he’d fallen asleep.
“Captain?” José asked in Portuguese, his young face solemn.
“What is it, lad?” Jared replied in the same tongue.
“Are we going back to the ship soon?”
Jared looked down at him. “Do you miss the sea?”