Harlequin Historical July 2021--Box Set 2 of 2

by Madeline Martin

‘Unlikely. To her there is no such thing. Just pretend it is a sleight of hand with words and it means nothing more. Which is the best way to approach it,’ he said,

  He paused, then continued, ‘I remember recently, the strangest thing happened to me. I was out and about in the early hours of the morning returning a woman home. And even though her words seemed to say otherwise, I suspected she might wish to meet me again. Was I right?’

  ‘Yes. That is, if I was the woman you were returning home. If not, then I think she would likely wish to never, ever be near you again.’

  ‘Do we remain friends then?’ The words almost hurt him to ask. In the past, when someone became a friend after lovemaking, it meant they were about to travel different directions.

  ‘I hope always.’

  ‘So, Rachael, if I were to visit tonight, would you open the door for me?’

  ‘You must promise to be careful not to be seen.’

  ‘I will. But few things can remain secret for ever. If romances are kept private, and unacknowledged in the light of day, they are respected as such when only two people are involved.’

  ‘So, everyone will become aware if we continue to meet?’

  ‘Yes. We are all animals with instincts. And people sense when something changes in actions between two people. As much as we might try to continue to act as we always have, it’s nearly impossible to do so.’

  ‘If we continue on, do you think everyone will notice?’

  ‘Just the ones who matter to us and the ones that like to spread rumours. So, yes, except for a rare few. You have made another step forward into society. To be recognised enough that other people are concerned about your actions.’

  ‘Mother thinks I am working here so you and I will have a place to meet.’

  ‘You can never let society know that you are toiling and expect to be welcomed at the finest houses. It could destroy your efforts and do the opposite of what you wish. It would be better for you to take the ledgers to your home.’

  ‘I will be careful,’ she said. ‘But I need Grimsley’s help and I need to school myself on as much of the merchandise and transactions as I can. I need to be able to understand what the notes in the ledgers refer to.’

  ‘You aren’t planning to give this up? If the business turns around and Grimsley can handle it?’

  She shook her head.

  He thought of the impact that could make on her life. On his life and he chose his direction.

  ‘I want to call on you at your home and I believe it should be in the day, and at the front door. I think it is important to you. To both of us. I will be at your house tomorrow afternoon if that will suit you.’

  A romance would have to stand the light of day if it were to proceed.

  Indecision raced across her face. He saw her thoughts plainly. She would be risking another chance of her private life being discussed publicly.

  ‘I will just stop in briefly, if that’s what you wish. I considered your suggestion that I get a dog and one was whining near my house last night. I sent my staff to search it out in the morning and now we have found the right pet for me. I want to introduce the two of you.’

  ‘You want to introduce me to your dog?’

  Then, just before he left, the words that had been settling in his brain and absorbing him fell from his lips. ‘Yes. I thought if we were to marry, you’d best meet the newest member of my family. There’s no one else for me but you.’

  Her eyes widened and he deemed she would have taken rejection easier.

  ‘It’s just an idea for you to tumble around in your thoughts. Not a question, you understand. Just a consideration.’

  ‘For both of us?’ Her expression hadn’t softened.

  ‘I would wait for six years for you,’ he said. ‘But you do not have to wait for me.’

  He walked to the urn and ran his fingers over the cool silver. ‘Before, I thought I loved someone and when she rejected me, I looked around me and decided love wasn’t worth it. It wasn’t needed. It didn’t matter. I would always be surrounded by people I could make happy with a smile and jest. And then I believed myself complete. I don’t want to be complete any more—can’t be—unless you are at my side.’

  He held the urn so he could see his reflection in it. ‘I have to become the man who can make you happy in marriage.’

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  The butler let Devlin into the sitting room and left to fetch Rachael. At his side stood, or wobbled, his new pet. He reached down to pat his head and was rewarded with a whine and a distinctly dog scent.

  ‘The butler said you have brought a friend with you?’

  She looked at his feet.

  A half-growl or half-sputter greeted her.

  She gasped. ‘That’s your dog?’

  He viewed the bulldog with half of one ear missing and a rather droopy eye. The dog limped two steps, knees stiff, and gave Rachael a puzzled glance.

  ‘Yes. He’s worn, but not entirely worn out,’ he said.

  ‘Is he injured?’ She put her knuckles to her chin.

  This wasn’t the praise he expected to be heaped upon him for his commitment. But he inspected the beast. He liked Scamp.

  ‘My stableman found him limping near my house. The dog needs a lot of care. I had to carry him from my carriage. He’s not the steadiest of dogs, but he can rush when food is prepared.’

  ‘He’s definitely not a puppy.’

  ‘No. I thought an older dog would be prudent, particularly as he didn’t have a home. But then I saw that he’s not in as good a condition as you’d expect. It is hard for him to navigate the stairs. I think he gets confused halfway and forgets which direction he planned. He needs someone to carry him. The butler has enlisted a stable boy to help. The stable boy is pleased with his new duties. He sees this as an advancement.’

  He reached down and rubbed the dog’s head. ‘He’s a bit dotty, I think.’

  ‘You could have had a puppy.’

  ‘Perhaps later. But after I saw Scamp, then it seemed unlikely anyone else would want him. I didn’t want someone to think him more a problem than a pet. They could select a puppy and where would that leave Scamp?’

  ‘Does he do any tricks?’

  ‘Just walking and barking.’ He looked at her. ‘And those are not always easy for him, but you cannot discount barking. It’s much better than whining.’

  ‘You have taken on a commitment to him. And you chose an animal that is in advanced years and you have added staff to care for him.’

  ‘I thought you’d be pleased.’ He scratched Scamp under his chins and the dog grumbled again. ‘That’s his most pleasant noise.’

  ‘You have a companion that hardly demands anything of you at all. Just staff.’ She laughed.

  He frowned. ‘Scamp is a good dog. I knew instantly that he was right for me.’ He reached down again, patting the dog. ‘He’s got a hint of a rattle in his bark and I suppose his bite isn’t that trustworthy. He’s lost his teeth.’

  ‘Can he see?’ She bent closer.

  ‘Seems to.’

  ‘That’s fortunate.’

  Silence grew between them and he reached down, picking up Scamp.

  ‘He’s unwieldy,’ she said.

  ‘Yes. He hates to walk. Even if you don’t consider Scamp much of a pet, I do.’

  ‘It is good that you took him in.’

  ‘He needed a home at the same time you’d suggested I needed a pet. I thought it a happy accident.’

  Rachael’s mother walked into the room. ‘I thought I heard a dog bark.’ She scrutinised Scamp. ‘And I did. Poor thing. How old is he?’ she asked.

  ‘I’m not certain.’

  ‘Have you had him long?’

  ‘Not at all.’

  ‘You took in an elderly dog. How noble.’ Mrs Albright cla
pped her hands together. ‘A kind gesture. Devlin, your generous spirit amazes me. I’m so thankful that we’ve had the privilege to know your family.’

  With those words, she left.

  Devlin shot Rachael a glance, telling her wordlessly that her mother understood.

  But it didn’t matter to her. Her mother was kind and all the things a mother should be, but she’d been married to a man who truly understood commitment to a family, though he didn’t understand anything about business.

  Devlin knew more than he let on about the intricacies of making money, but less about creating a true family.

  She’d thought him getting a pet might bring them closer, as he learned to care for it and she shared his joy in the new closeness he’d discover, but now she saw that it demonstrated the truth of a relationship to him. What she saw as commitment, he saw as a need for additional staff.

  A wife would be an extra person in the house, mostly cared for by the servants. A family member needed to supply needed family members. Again, mostly cared for by the servants.

  She couldn’t step into such a role.

  ‘Are you thinking of obtaining a wife in a similar fashion?’ she asked, her jaw tight. ‘Perhaps one a little older than all the rest and whom your servants will care for?’

  ‘No. I like Scamp.’ He cared for Scamp even though he was drooling on his hand. That ought to prove something.

  ‘Maybe she will expect more than to be liked. I would. And she might expect to love you. I would expect to do that with my husband. And if I did, I would not want it to distance us.’

  ‘I’m sure it would not.’

  ‘Are you?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘I was in love with Meg once, or so I thought,’ he said. ‘Truly.’

  ‘Are you still in love with her?’

  ‘No. My first romance and the one I would never repeat. I planned to marry her with all a young man’s fervour. I rarely even kissed her. She was too precious. I expected to surprise her on her birthday with a proposal. But the day before that, I received a note. Oddly, within days of the Duke’s wife dying, Meg found she didn’t love me. She hoped I understood.’ He raised a brow. ‘I did. Eventually.’

  ‘Are you sure you don’t still have feelings for her?’

  ‘Within a year, I knew I’d been in love with love. Not her. I found out she was fascinated with the peerage. When the Duke’s wife had died suddenly, within a few days, she offered him her condolences but had to wait until his mourning was over to make it permanent. When I discovered that, I was thankful my father was an earl.’

  ‘But she seems so happy and perfect.’

  ‘I’m sure she’s happy and she’s perfect for the Duke.’

  Scamp growled. Devlin agreed. ‘Well, I’d best be getting Scamp home, I don’t think he can handle much more excitement today.’

  ‘Will you be returning later tonight?’ She heard the longing in her voice and cursed herself for it. She planned to spend the evening studying ledgers, but she would be home before dark.

  His eyes took her in. ‘Would you like that?’

  ‘Of course.’ She stepped closer to him. The dog growled again, forgetting he didn’t have teeth.

  ‘Quiet, Scamp,’ he commanded and, with one additional yap of displeasure, the dog obeyed.

  Devlin put Scamp on the floor and closed the distance between Rachael and himself, removing her from the dog’s line of vision.

  He lowered his voice, smiled and tried the charm that had worked so many times to get him what he wanted. ‘But not if you’re certain that you don’t wish to wed. I think I’m going to wait until I get a ring on my finger.’ He held his head high.

  He already had a ring on his finger.

  Scamp barked.

  ‘You dog,’ she said.

  He blinked. ‘Were you talking to me?’ He lifted Scamp. ‘I hope you were because my pet doesn’t like to be called names.’

  She didn’t answer.

  He turned sideways, holding Scamp’s head so he wouldn’t nip at her, and dropped a kiss on her lips before leaving. ‘I’m sure you were.’

  * * *

  The simple kiss ignited desire within her, but in moments he was gone.

  The emptiness that followed, plunging deep, shocked her.

  Suddenly, she felt more abandoned and smaller and less strong than she could remember ever being before.

  She wanted to accept Devlin’s proposal. She did. But she couldn’t. What if she did and later he changed towards her as Tenney had done? Her feelings were so much stronger for Devlin in just a few days and seemed stronger every time she saw him.

  Instantly, she ignored those feelings, reminding herself that he was walking out of her life.

  Devlin might have given her the courage, but it was she who’d scrambled forward, grabbing purchase where she could.

  She headed for the stairs.

  ‘I apologise,’ she called after them.

  Devlin stopped and turned, the ever-present smile in his eyes.

  ‘Then perhaps I will call on you again before too long.’

  ‘Perhaps. Perhaps tonight if you wish.’

  ‘Yes.’

  Scamp growled.

  Apparently, he’d not accepted her apology as easily as Devlin had.

  ‘I’ll see you then,’ Devlin said. ‘Scamp is hoping you don’t wait until the last minute to decide.’

  Then he stopped moving.

  ‘I want you to think about whether you like me because of who I am, or because I can make people happy so easily. I know you don’t want to change your path and I understand that. But I don’t want us to marry if you don’t wish to try to make me happy. I’ve spent my life putting smiles on other peoples’ faces and smoothing things over for them. I don’t want to wed unless it is someone who considers me worthy of the same treatment.’

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Rachael felt as if someone had raked a cold, sharp diamond over her skin. She raised her eyes from the bracelet she’d just tried on and listened, returning the other jewels they’d received that day to the bag.

  Her name. She heard her name spoken from beyond the door. Her first name. And it was Tenney’s voice. He’d always called her Miss Albright. Never Rachael. His voice rose.

  Ambrose was just beyond the curtain. She could smell his soap.

  She stood, still clasping the bag, and walked to the door, pulling it open. The curtain fluttered against her as she forced her way through it and into the now-tainted air.

  Rachael appraised him objectively before he discerned she’d entered the room. Overall, he had a genteel handsomeness. A dimple in one cheek when he smiled might have been the key to that. But he was bland. Exceptionally blank, as if he had toiled at it and it had been more fruitful than usual.

  In fact, she could not understand how she’d ever found him fascinating.

  ‘I know she’s here,’ Tenney said, his voice slithering into the air.

  ‘I can’t say, sir,’ Grimsley said. ‘If you’ll give me the candlestick, I’ll return it to the shelf and you can leave.’

  ‘Not until after—’

  Grimsley’s eyes had flickered to her and his arm rose in a halting motion, waving her not to step forward.

  ‘Can I help you?’ she asked, her voice stumbling. ‘Mr Tenney?’ This didn’t seem like the same man she’d sat for hours and hours with.

  He whirled around and Grimsley used the distraction to retrieve the candlestick from Tenney’s grasp.

  Still clutching the bag in one hand, she reached her other hand out to Tenney in greeting.

  Tenney started as if he felt the same brush of cold diamond that had chilled her. Then he grasped her hand, the wintery contact jarring her. She’d not expected any reaction to him.

  He brought her fingers near hi
s lips and kissed the air before releasing her.

  She let her hand fall, absently brushing the folds of her skirt, wanting to free herself of the feel of him.

  They had touched so little when they had been betrothed and she now understood why. It meant nothing to either of them.

  ‘Rachael. So good that we meet again.’ He sniffed. ‘I’d heard rumours that you’d been seen here and I thought you might be in your father’s little diversions...with the help.’

  ‘Mr Grimsley is my father’s man of affairs and extremely experienced.’

  ‘So.’ He shot a quick glance at Grimsley. ‘He is responsible for your father’s losses.’

  ‘No. The shops are doing well and it isn’t any of your concern.’

  ‘I’m sure. You always had a good eye for beauty,’ Tenney said. ‘When we went on those carriage rides and visited Somerset House, the curator thought you a natural at selecting the best pieces.’

  ‘He was kind,’ she said. ‘It was no chore to admire the paintings.’ She indicated the wares around her. ‘And when I am here, I feel I’m in an art display that my own family has collected.’

  She took off the bracelet and handed it to Grimsley. ‘I think this will suit me. Can you ask Abernathy to design a matching necklace?’

  ‘Let me see it,’ Tenney said.

  She did as he requested, making sure their hands didn’t touch a second time.

  ‘It is stunning.’ He took the bauble and held it to the light, examining it, one eye squinted. ‘I like it.’

  ‘Are you sure you wouldn’t like a different one?’ she asked.

  ‘No. This one is perfect for her.’ He handed it to the shopkeeper with a flourish. ‘Wrap it up for me.’

  ‘It is a perfect gem,’ she agreed. ‘But we have a large selection.’ A large selection that hadn’t been on her arm first. ‘Today we received three from one of my best suppliers, Mr Abernathy.’

  She opened the bag and took out one with a small pearl which was half circled by three diamonds and let him examine it. Then next was a sapphire sparkling against its gold filigree band. She also took out one with rubies set in the silver circle—the stones reminded her of blazing coals.