by Boom, Naomi
“Who knows.” It was very interesting news though. Eleanor typically did not care about the actions of other ladies, unless—“It is possible Eleanor sees Miss Farris as competition.”
“In that case, poor Miss Farris.”
“Yes, indeed. Hopefully, she knows how to fend for herself.”
****
Gavin once again found himself in the library with Lord Collins, Miss Ashford, and Mrs. Westfield. He stood by the window with scotch in hand. From his vantage point, he could see Laura walking with Miss Somers. They appeared to be deep in conversation while touring the gardens. He turned and caught Lord Collins analyzing him and raised an eyebrow in answer.
“Miss Ashford,” Lord Collins intoned. “Would you be kind enough to play some music for us?”
“Of course, my lord. Shall we adjourn to the drawing room?” Eleanor appeared more than eager to play for them and was soon seated at the pianoforte while Mrs. Westfield turned the pages.
“That was very smoothly done,” Gavin said to Lord Collins. “We are basically alone without having to actually leave the ladies.”
“Yes, sometimes I have quite the clever tricks up my sleeves,” Lord Collins responded drily. “Now tell me of this heroic rescue you performed this morning. The one you forgot to mention earlier.”
Bloody hell. It was bad enough that Gavin could not get the encounter out of his thoughts, but now even Lord Collins knew of it. He had often fantasized about an experience just like the one with Laura, albeit the day’s version had been a very tame version of his dream.
“It was nothing. Everyone is enlarging the tale. Give it a week, and I will have slain a dragon to rescue the lady.”
“Hmm. My main question is why you never mentioned it to me. No one will judge you if you have taken a liking to the chit,” Lord Collins said as he focused on Eleanor playing before them.
“It is just the boredom of the house party. Once we leave, I see no reason ever to talk to her again.” Gavin’s heart skipped a beat as he said those words. He was not sure if he would stop talking to her as easily as he made it sound. “I just need to visit Lady Robbins again.” He had an understanding with the woman, which unfortunately had not been understood for too long.
“Just so you know what you are doing,” Lord Collins cautioned. “Lady Laura is Miss Ashford’s cousin. I will not stand for you ruining her.”
“I would never ruin an innocent,” Gavin said, clearly offended, “and even if I did, we both know I would do the honorable thing and marry her.”
“Very good,” Lord Collins responded skeptically.
Gavin sighed and effectively ended the conversation by turning to listen to the music. Someday he would marry, but it would be an ideal marriage of convenience where he did not have to worry if he was being cuckolded. Laura may act like she would be the perfect choice for such a marriage, but he knew only too well that once wives grew bored, they quickly forgot their vows. Granted, husbands were no better, but Gavin wanted his offspring to be his.
****
Laura and Allison ended their walk, and Laura returned to her room to read. Her novel was extremely engrossing, with a love triangle, which even involved a peer of the realm masquerading as a pirate. Before she knew it, dinner time was at hand, and she found her way down for more sumptuous fare. She sat watching Eleanor with Lord Collins, and Allison with Lord Deering, and felt a surge of jealousy. Oh, how she wanted to have what those couples had!
She surreptitiously glanced over to Lord Farris and found him staring at her with a hungry look that made Laura’s insides clench tightly. Exciting as Lord Farris’s attentions were, those attentions promised nothing but disaster for Laura in the form of ruined spinsterhood. Frustration welled within her. She longed to spend time with him but needed it to stop if she was to move past him. She looked away but could still feel his eyes on her throughout the remainder of dinner. Her dessert finished, Laura gratefully departed with Allison and the rest of the ladies to the drawing room.
The women enjoyed a rousing discussion of the latest fashions until the gentlemen decided to join them. Once all members of the party were together in the drawing room, Lady Songfeld announced they were to play a game of charades, much to the crowd’s delight. Everyone was to draw a number to be randomly placed onto teams. Laura’s gratitude was almost palpable at the turn of events, as she was confident she would not have to be on a team with Lord Farris. Her head had started to pound, and if she had been paired with Lord Farris, she would have begged off using her headache as an excuse. Now, she would not have to.
A footman walked around the room, stopping at each member of the party so he could choose his number. Laura drew number two, which also happened to be the group Eleanor was in. Neither Lord Collins, nor Lord Farris were on their team, and Laura knew the night would be a pleasant one.
Eleanor and Laura were joined by a married older lady named Lady Foster and an older gentleman named Sir Archist. The game passed quickly, with Eleanor commandeering the attention of the crowd, which left Laura to sit back and enjoy watching everyone else play. Allison kept sneaking suggestive smiles to her Lord Deering, while Lord Farris doted on an elderly woman named Lady Chadwick, who Laura learned was some sort of relation. It was endearing that he would show so much consideration to her. Before she realized it, the game was over, and it was time to go to bed.
Laura’s mind drifted as she made her way to her chambers. The way Eleanor acted with Lord Collins and the way Allison acted with Lord Deering led Laura to wonder if her feelings were not a bit more advanced than she was acknowledging to herself. She truly hated the idea that she might have fallen for a rake, but the simple truth was she had. She thrilled every time he was around her, and every part of her detested the thought that he would leave her.
Laura entered her room and appreciated the warmth of the fireplace as she changed into her nightgown. She had been unusually cold all night, but the fireplace was soothing so she stepped toward it. She stared into the fire, watching its flames dance about merrily. No, she was truthfully in love with Lord Farris, tragically, regrettably, in love with him. She got into bed, snagged her book, and fell asleep to tales of high tides and pirate treasure. She remembered thinking it strange how the pirate looked similar to Lord Farris as she drifted off.
Chapter 7
The morning was a bit overcast, but this was England, and an overcast sky was entirely too normal. They had been experiencing unusually good weather lately, but Laura wished it had lasted one more day for this particular excursion. Today was her most highly anticipated event: a visit to an old castle ruin. Everyone was gathered in the courtyard when Laura emerged from the house.
She normally was not the last one to arrive at assemblies, but her head had been pounding that morning. She had tried several different methods to lessen the pain in her skull, but none had worked. Finally, she had given up and ventured downstairs to find her mare. There were several carriages assembled, and she could have ridden in one, but a carriage ride would only ruin her outing and aggravate her headache.
Lady Songfeld stood in one of the open carriages, and announced, “We are to go to the old castle ruins. Once there, we will have time to explore, and then luncheon will be served. Everyone prepare to leave. Those on horses please follow the carriages.”
“Oh no,” Laura muttered. She had not planned on being trapped in a slow ride behind the carriages. She observed the carriages and was dismayed to see Allison and Lord Deering seated in one. She had hoped to ride with Allison.
Not many guests had chosen to ride, only a couple of married gentlemen, Eleanor, Lord Collins, and of course Lord Farris. Laura grinned as Eleanor tried to hide her disdain for her mount, but Eleanor was a good actress and would easily hide her dislike from Lord Collins. She suppressed a giggle as Eleanor’s mare tossed her head in an attempt to bite Eleanor. Apparently, the horse felt the same way for Eleanor as Eleanor felt for the mare.
Her attention was diverted as Lord Farr
is rode to her side. Maybe following the carriages was not such a bad idea after all, as they would be assured of a constant chaperone. House parties were wonderful events, but chaperones were sometimes more lax in their duties than at other events.
“I was worried about you last night. You disappeared quite suddenly after charades,” he smoothly said to Laura, as if he had not been the reason she had departed.
“Why yes, there was something that quite disagreed with me last night.” Now let us see if he was smart enough to figure out what that something was. She knew she should be nicer, but niceness did not convince people to leave them be.
Lord Farris narrowed his eyes. “Interesting how you enjoyed that particular, shall we say, dish, earlier that morning.”
“I believe I was forced to endure the disagreeable ‘dish’ and avoided it as much as possible on both occasions.” She blushed, despite her annoyance, and decided innuendos would not work best for her. Instead, she would try to bore him. “The weather looks quite dreadful.” She actually was feeling a bit chilled, and that chill had added a stiffness to her joints that was typically absent.
He gazed at the sky melodramatically. He raised an eyebrow, and responded very seriously, “Yes, the weather does look inclement. Should you have any needs at all, please let me know. I do enjoy rescuing the damsel in distress.”
The infuriating man made talk of the weather exciting even! She could not help herself. “You will be the last to know of any needs I might have, my lord.”
He smiled slowly, a smile of a predatory nature. As if he was just waiting in anticipation for his next meal, namely her. “I do believe that is twice now,” he informed her seductively.
The thought sprang to her mind, as she intentionally let my lord slip out, that she would have been much smarter to not goad him. Avoiding him would work better if he was not purposefully seeking her out.
She focused back on the party. After a few moments, the group began its slow ride to the ruins. Laura wished she could redo her morning and avoid Lord Farris altogether. She was sure she could have found a different riding partner. She sighed. Did she actually wish that? Her heart would prefer to be with him, but her rational side told her to stay far, far away.
The group travelled at a sedate pace until they reached the ruins. Laura looked about with awe as they approached. There was one tower still intact, with half of a wall extending from its base. The rest of the ruins were an extensive, crumbling mess and could potentially take hours to investigate. She could not help but wonder what remained of the corridors underground. She knew they would not actually venture below, but sometimes these castles had impressive underbellies. They rode into what must have been the outer courtyard, which would serve as their picnic area.
Lord Farris helped her dismount, despite her frown of disapproval, and she swiftly went to stand by Allison. Lady Songfeld had another announcement, so everyone quieted down to listen.
“I have a surprise for everyone! Please break up into couples, as we are to enjoy a treasure hunt! Every pair will receive a map with an X marking the spot. Find the landmarks to pinpoint the location of the X!”
Dread filled Laura as Lord Farris came to stand next to her. “I thought I would partner with that gentleman.” Pointing at Lord Harding, she fervently hoped he would believe her. She had to at least try to avoid Lord Farris.
He leaned in to her and said, “Two times, darling. There is no way you can escape me now.”
That was precisely what she had figured. A footman handed Lord Farris their map, and they began to look for landmarks. The ruins were much larger than Laura had anticipated, and she was not sure how much they should explore, as some areas looked about ready to cave in. The castle must have been huge in its prime, but the elements, and possibly a battle or two, had broken it down to a giant pile of rubble.
They strolled about for a bit, Lord Farris appearing lost in thought, and Laura distracted by his presence. Her headache was slowly growing worse, and she could not have focused if she had wished to. Both were relying on the other to play the game. After several minutes, Laura decided they should have reached their first landmark, and asked him about it.
“I have not been paying attention, darling,” he replied honestly.
Well, that is frustrating, Laura thought, and turned to retrace their steps.
“Forgive me for frustrating you,” Lord Farris replied with a speculative gleam in his eye.
Laura was annoyed. First off, she had spoken out loud again when she had not intended, and secondly, he had to turn innocent things into suggestive, inappropriate remarks. She let go of his arm, took a step away from him, and passionately told him exactly what she was thinking, this time on purpose. “You, Gavin, are no gentleman. You may rescue me and act nicely, but you are a bloody cad.” She felt much better now.
“Now what did I do to deserve that?” he asked as he took an intimidating step toward her.
She took another step away from him and found herself backed up to a wall in the ruins. The palpable tension swirled around them, building up until it reached its breaking point. She responded acidly, “You should know. Every time I am around you, you find an excuse to kiss me, and I have had enough. I do not want any more of your kisses.” He raised a skeptical eyebrow as she added, “No more. Just stop.”
Gavin took the last step toward her, thoroughly trapping her against the wall. Escape was possible through him, of course, but that was the only way out. “Why the sudden change of heart? I thought you appreciated my attention?”
Now was the time for honesty, if she wanted any peace at the rest of the house party. “I told you before you are a waste of time for me, Lord Farris. I need to focus on finding a gentleman to marry.” Despair swept over her. If only he was that gentleman.
“We have a problem then, my dear. I cannot seem to stay away from you, and we cannot marry. So what do you suggest we do?”
Laura was growing more and more agitated. How could he be this hard headed? “I suggest you leave me be, my lord. I cannot handle you kissing me every chance you get.” Suddenly the skies opened up, and large, cold raindrops began to pelt them.
“You are just so hard to resist.”
He leaned toward her, but she pushed him away and said, “You have your choice of any woman. In fact, I doubt I am the only one you have been kissing at this house party. So, please, just leave me be.” The icy cold of the rain drenched her with its unforgiving chill, but she ignored it.
Gavin reached for a lock of her chestnut hair and began to wind it around his finger without actually looking at her. “You truly believe that?” he murmured quietly before bringing his dark, piercing eyes to meet hers.
“Why would I not?” she exclaimed loudly. “You are the one that admitted to using me to relieve your own boredom.”
“What other excuse should I have used to spend time with you?” he asked calmly.
“If you had been interested in marriage, then you could have used matrimony as your excuse. Instead, you plague me with your incessant presence when you should not even bother with me. I do not act shrewish, as you put it, to entice you. I do it to ward you off, as I know you will never be a marriage candidate.”
“The fact that I have appeared to court you should bolster your popularity for the next season. You will not have a problem finding a gentleman to marry at that point.”
Dismay hit her, hard. “You should use your magic to help Miss Cannis then. In fact, use it on any one, other than myself.”
He chuckled in disbelief and lowered his mouth to hers. His lips met hers briefly in the whisper of a kiss.
“Stop!” Laura commanded, striking his face with a ringing slap. “I am being serious. There is no reason for me to kiss a man I cannot marry, and we both know you will not marry me.” A tear escaped her eye, luckily blending in with the rain quickly drenching her. She was getting colder, and her lips were starting to grow numb.
Lord Farris responded bluntly. “I would no
t make a good husband, and you deserve much better than I.”
“Then leave me be, so I can find him,” she begged in anguish. She felt like she was breaking into a million little pieces. If this was what love entailed, then she would be happier without it. She could not look at him right now. The pain was too great. Startled by the sound of thunder, she eyed the darkly foreboding sky. The rain was falling harder and was strangely calming to her furious thoughts. It felt cooling on her skin, and she closed her eyes. Her head was pounding, and she was so very tired. Every ounce of her energy had been used up in her confrontation with Lord Farris, so she leaned back against the wall. What else could he possibly want from her, now?
****
Gavin was feeling like the most insensitive cad in all of England. He had not known she was so affected by him, aside from physically of course. This was precisely why he did not dally with innocents. Their hearts were too easily involved. He was sorry for hurting her, but he could not seem to resist her.
She had tried valiantly to hide her pain, but Gavin had seen the evidence in the tear drop commingling with the rain.
He decided to respect her wishes and whispered softly, “Just one more kiss for good-bye. After that, I promise to leave you alone.” He bowed to her level and looked into her eyes. For once, he did not try to hide the emotion he was experiencing. All he knew was he wished to erase her sadness with his one final kiss. Placing his lips to hers, he sensed something was not right. Her skin was much too warm.
Gavin cursed as he realized she had a fever and was even now shivering uncontrollably against him. He scooped her slight form into his arms and raced back to the party. No one was around. They must have left at the first sign of rain. He did not trust Laura to stand, so he slung her over his shoulder, tied her horse to his, and mounted his horse. He held her tightly to him as he tried to shield her as much as he could from the rain. Gavin kicked his horse into a gallop and raced back to the manor.
His sense of urgency had overtaken all thought at this point. Laura mumbled something about practicing holding hands, and he knew she was delirious. Her fever had come on quite suddenly. Hopefully, she would be fine once she was in her warm bed.