Читать книгу Regency High Society Vol 3: Beloved Virago / Lord Trenchard's Choice / The Unruly Chaperon / Colonel Ancroft's Love - Elizabeth Rolls, Anne Ashley - Страница 13

Katherine awoke to find herself in unfamiliar surroundings yet again. Having had little choice but to lie on a dirt floor, with a thin pile of leaves beneath her, she had passed possibly the most uncomfortable night of her entire life. Yet she clearly remembered that, when they had quite by chance stumbled upon the woodcutter’s rustic shelter, she had been too tired to care where she had bedded down, and had fallen asleep almost from the moment her head had touched the ground.

Easing herself into a sitting position, she glanced about the rough wooden structure, which, boasting three sides only, was open to the elements at the front, and was surprised to discover herself quite alone. She immediately experienced a moment’s unease, not because Daniel was no longer propped in the adjacent corner, where he had settled himself the night before, but because she suddenly recalled that he had seemed strangely quiet, subdued almost, after they had left the small market town the evening before.

They had been obliged to walk quite some distance before they had chanced upon this shelter, nestling in the wood. Throughout the lengthy trek Daniel had not uttered above a dozen words. At first she had put his unusually subdued state down to the fact that he had been compelled to put a period to their stalker’s existence in order to effect an escape. That, however, could not account for the fact that he had seemed disinclined to be near her, to so much as touch her. Why, not once had he offered a helping hand over the rougher ground, which he had not hesitated to do earlier in the day. Furthermore, when they had finally discovered this shelter, he had settled himself as far away as possible from her, when it would have made more sense to have lain side by side in order to share bodily warmth.

Sweeping her hair back from her face, Katherine stared through the wide opening at the surrounding woodland, wondering now if his odd behaviour was not a means to an end: an attempt to protect himself. Perhaps he had no intention of placing himself in a position whereby he would feel obliged to offer her the protection of his name?

She recalled with embarrassing clarity the passionate interlude outside the inn. She hadn’t found kissing him, or holding his strong body next to her own, in the least distasteful. In fact, the opposite was all too embarrassingly true. Perhaps Daniel had sensed this and it had put him on his guard? Perhaps, also, he was afraid that she would expect him to do the honourable thing by marrying her once this venture was over? If so, she would swiftly disabuse him, she decided, experiencing a resurgence of that ever-present fear. She had made up her mind years before that marriage was not for her. She had no intention of ever putting any man’s life at risk, especially one of whom she had grown so inordinately fond. It had possibly been a grave mistake on her part to become so friendly with Daniel, though she failed to see how she might have prevented herself from doing so. Nevertheless, it might help to ease his mind a little if she followed his recent example and attempted to remain a little aloof herself from now on.

Hurriedly rising to her feet, Katherine went outside to scan the surrounding woodland more intently, but worryingly could detect no sign of him. Where on earth had he got to? Surely he hadn’t left her to fend for herself?

The instant the idea entered her mind, she dismissed it at once, ashamed for having had the mere thought. He would never do such an unchivalrous thing! Heaven only knew he could be the most irritating man on occasions—arrogant, overbearing and downright rude! But Major Daniel Ross was no coward. He was an exceptionally brave man who could be quite touchingly considerate on occasions. So where in the name of heaven had he taken himself off to?

Fortunately Katherine wasn’t left worrying unnecessarily for very long. A minute or so later she detected the sound of hoof beats, and turned to see Daniel, astride a large bay and leading a second mount, negotiating a safe passage between the trees.

Instantly forgetting her resolve, she ran to meet him, her expression clearly betraying delight, and it was only as she reached his side that she recalled her resolution. His returning smile was just too spontaneous not to be perfectly genuine, and she couldn’t help wondering whether she had merely read too much into his strange behaviour and that his former reserve might have stemmed from nothing more than mere fatigue.

‘Well, sweetheart?’ Looking very well pleased with himself, Daniel drew the horses to a halt. ‘What do you think of our latest acquisitions? Not precisely high-stepping thoroughbreds, but I believe they’ll serve their purpose by speeding up our journey.’

‘Sturdy and, yes, capable of doing the job,’ she announced, after a brief examination of both mounts, where she betrayed once more the knowledge she had gained from her father. ‘How on earth did you manage to acquire them?’

‘You might not have observed those two men propping up the counter at that inn. I, on the other hand, overheard one of them saying he would be bringing two horses to the market held in the town on Friday, and that there was no need for him to make an early start as he lived in a small village just four miles east of the town. That is why I came this way last night. The village is about half a mile away, just beyond the wood.’

Katherine couldn’t help admiring his superb sense of direction. Even at night he never seemed to get himself lost. He was immensely capable, equal to any challenge. Why, not only had he managed to acquire horses, but saddles and bridles too!

When he apologised for not having been able to provide her with a side-saddle, Katherine dismissed it with a wave of her hand. ‘Don’t give it another thought,’ she urged him, easily mounting without assistance. ‘I frequently rode astride as a girl, and much preferred it. Unfortunately, when I reached a certain age Mama objected, and I was obliged thereafter to ride like a lady. Believe me, I shall enjoy the experience again.’

It took Daniel a few minutes only to appreciate her skill in the saddle. She was an extremely accomplished horsewoman who handled her mount with ease. ‘Your father taught you well, Katherine,’ he remarked, not reticent to voice his admiration, but could not resist adding, ‘His only fault, I strongly suspect, was a reluctance to beat you often enough.’

Katherine wasn’t slow to detect the provocative gleam in dark eyes. ‘It might surprise you to know, Major Ross, that my father never once laid a violent hand on me. It might also surprise you to know he never felt that he needed to.’ Her smile faded. ‘He had a certain way of looking at me whenever I had displeased him, which always made me feel so guilty that I promised never to do it again.’

Anyone of the meanest intelligence couldn’t have failed to appreciate how deeply she had cared for her father. But was a desire to avenge his death the only reason why she had agreed to involve herself in Sir Giles Osborne’s machinations? Daniel couldn’t resist asking.

‘Good heavens, no! I did it as much for myself as anything else, I suppose,’ she was honest enough to admit. ‘I have become increasingly disenchanted with the life I have been leading in Bath. I am feeling increasingly restrained … suffocated, almost.’

Katherine released her breath in a resentful sigh, which matched quite beautifully the fleeting glance she cast him. ‘It’s all very well for you men. You can come and go as you please, but for a female it is quite different. I have inherited a companion who’s a dear person, but faintly scatty, and on occasions something of a trial. And then, of course, there’s Bridie, who will insist on treating me just as though I were still a child.’

Although he was smiling, he betrayed genuine sympathy as he said, ‘There’s one course of action which will enable you to sever those restraining ties. You could wed. Married women enjoy far more freedom.’

‘True,’ she agreed, ‘but I do not consider a desire for freedom reason enough to take the matrimonial plunge, at least not in my case. Besides which,’ she added, suddenly remembering her determination to put his mind at rest, ‘I am resolved never to marry. Remember, I’m a curse, Daniel. I could never reconcile it with my conscience if I were to shorten any man’s life.’

If she had expected this declaration to reassure him, and bring about a return of the wonderful camaraderie that had been surprisingly increasing between them, she was swiftly to discover her mistake.

‘Don’t talk such rubbish, girl!’ he snapped, his expression no less harsh than his tone. ‘You’re no more a curse than I am. Your parents’ deaths were tragic, but had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with you. And how you can suppose you were responsible for your grandfather’s heart attack when you were in Bath at the time beggars belief. And as for your aunt Augusta,’ he went on, without granting her the opportunity to edge in a word, ‘she was an elderly spinster who died of old age, and would have done so had you lived in the house or not. It is much more likely that you made her last years much happier with your presence.’

His expression, if anything, darkened. ‘So I want to hear no more of such foolishness, understand? Otherwise I shan’t hesitate to shake some sense into you!’

Stunned by the vehemence of the outburst, it was as much as Katherine could do to watch him steer a path through the last few yards of woodland towards the open countryside. By the time she had gathered her scattered wits together sufficiently to formulate a response, he was already some distance ahead.

She quickly discovered that, although her own mount was both healthy and strong, the gelding possessed a decidedly stubborn streak and was determined to progress at his own pace. Consequently she found herself always trailing those few yards behind, a circumstance which didn’t appear to bother Daniel to any great extent, for apart from taking the trouble to inform her that they would stop somewhere for luncheon, and would risk putting up for the night at a village inn, he continued to ride on ahead, and remained in an unusually quiet mood for the remainder of the day.

The following morning, after the sheer joy of sleeping on a horsehair mattress, Katherine awoke feeling wonderfully refreshed. As she swung her feet to the floor, and padded across to the washstand, she couldn’t help smiling to herself as she recalled the expressions on the faces of the landlord and landlady when she and Daniel had walked into their inn the previous evening, without an item of baggage between them, and looking travel-stained and altogether dishevelled, just like a couple of vagrants.

Daniel, once again proving himself equal to any situation, and improvising quite beautifully, had explained that they had been set upon by rogues who had deprived them of all their belongings, except for several items of jewellery which his sister had cunningly hidden in the lining of her cloak, and which they had subsequently been forced to sell to purchase mounts in order to get home. From that moment the landlord and landlady’s attitudes had changed dramatically and they simply couldn’t do enough for the poor, unfortunate siblings.

Katherine would have been the first to admit that she had grown increasingly impatient of her dear Bridie’s incessant cosseting in recent months, but she had to own that she had been immensely grateful for the landlady’s thoughtful attentions. Not only had the kindly woman provided her with a few basic necessities, including the loan of a night-gown, but she had also taken the trouble to wash and dry all Katherine’s clothes. It felt wonderful being attired in freshly laundered garments once more, and no less satisfying being able to brush and arrange one’s hair.

Once Katherine had completed this task to her satisfaction, she went downstairs to join Daniel for breakfast. She hadn’t seen him since he had accompanied her upstairs as far as her bedchamber door the evening before, where he had informed her, prior to disappearing into the chamber opposite, that he had arranged for her dinner to be brought up on a tray. Just why he had taken it upon himself to organise this she had no way of knowing. Nor had she any idea how he had spent the evening. None the less, one glance was sufficient to convince her that he too had received the landlady’s kindly attentions. His linen had been laundered, his coat had been sponged and pressed, and he had made excellent use of mine host’s razor. The only thing that hadn’t improved, she swiftly discovered, was his morose state of mind, for although he rose to his feet as she joined him at the table, and did not fail to ask if she had slept well, he displayed yet again a marked disinclination to indulge in small talk.

Throughout breakfast and later, after they had set off on the last leg of their journey to Normandy, Katherine racked her brains, trying to think of what might have brought about Daniel’s strangely subdued state. She would have been the first to admit that there was much she still had to learn about him, but she wouldn’t have thought that he was a man prone to brood unnecessarily. So she could only imagine that he was concerned that there might still be pursuers hot on their trail. It would be foolish to advise him not to worry. Besides which, she clearly recalled her mother saying once that gentlemen would share their troubles only if they wished to do so; if not, they were best left alone to resolve their concerns in their own way, for eventually they would return to normal.

And how right her mother had been! As the morning wore on Daniel began to betray definite signs of shaking off his strangely subdued mood, and by mid-afternoon, as they arrived at the town where his friend resided, his spirits had lifted noticeably.

‘Except for crossing the Channel, the most arduous part of our journey, sweetheart, is now over,’ he announced, sounding relieved.

‘Are we so close to the coast?’ Katherine asked, surprised that they had managed to cover so many miles.

‘We’re about ten miles away. We’ll have no difficulty reaching it from here. The problem besetting us now is finding someone to take us across to England. And that is where I’m hoping my friend can help. At the very least we’ll be offered a bed for the night.’

The certainty that he could rely on his friend ought to have offered some comfort, and to a certain extent Katherine didn’t doubt that it had. So she couldn’t quite understand what lay behind the troubled look he cast her before he swiftly turned his mount off the busy main street and into a fashionable thoroughfare, lined with large dwellings set a little way back from the road.

Drawing his horse to a halt in front of the last dwelling but one, he dismounted, and then helped Katherine to do so, before securing their mounts to the railings and leading the way towards the front door. Once again Katherine detected that fleeting look of concern before he raised the polished door-knocker and administered several short, sharp raps. They were forced to kick their heels for several minutes before the summons was eventually answered by a middle-aged woman, built on generous lines, who bore all the appearance of a housekeeper.

Grim-faced, she cast disapproving grey eyes over Daniel, before betraying surprise as she glanced in Kath-erine’s direction. ‘Yes, what is it that you want?’

Her openly hostile tone didn’t deter Daniel from demanding to see the lady of the house. ‘She’ll see me,’ he interrupted, when the woman attempted to inform him that her mistress did not receive callers at this time of day. ‘Have the goodness to inform her that Major Daniel Ross is here and wishes to speak with her immediately.’

It was quite evident that the woman had never set eyes on Daniel before, but she certainly recognised the name, for her demeanour changed immediately, and she became almost reverential as she stood to one side and bade them enter.

‘Madame usually does her accounts at this time of day, monsieur, but I’m sure she will see you. If you’d care to make yourselves comfortable, I’ll inform her that you’re here.’

Unlike Daniel, Katherine availed herself of one of the gilt chairs positioned against the wall, and looked about with interest. Directly ahead was an ornately carved wooden staircase that swept upwards in a graceful arc, and to the left was a wide archway, surrounded by plasterwork cupids, by which one gained access to a large, crimson-carpeted salon. There were several low tables dotted about the very spacious room, surrounded by numerous chairs and several chaise-longues, all of which were upholstered in the same shade of dull yellow velvet. The walls were covered with gilt mirrors and paintings of females in various states of undress, or wearing absolutely nothing at all, between which sconces in the shape of cupids held their candles aloft.

The furnishings were undoubtedly expensive, but far too ornate and faintly vulgar. The strong odour of perfume about the place was a trifle overpowering too, Katherine decided, before the door on her right, through which the housekeeper had disappeared a few minutes before, opened. A moment later a woman of about Daniel’s age entered the hall, uttered a squeal of delight, and then cast herself upon his chest, planting full red lips upon his mouth.

After recovering from the shock of witnessing such wanton behaviour in a member of her sex, Katherine felt herself in the grip of an emotion quite foreign to her nature, before anger and acute resentment won control. For almost two days she had been forced to endure the humiliation of being virtually ignored for most of the time. But be damned if she would be overlooked yet again whilst he enjoyed an amorous woman’s embrace! she decided, inwardly seething, and drew immediate attention to her presence by clearing her throat quite pointedly.

Large brown eyes, clearly betraying surprise, peered above Daniel’s left shoulder. ‘But what have we here, mon cher Daniel?’ the woman enquired in a voice that was both silky smooth and seductively husky.

Suddenly appearing highly embarrassed, Daniel disengaged the slender arms from about his neck and held her away. ‘Josephine, may I present Miss O’Malley … Katherine, this is my good friend Madame Carre.’

Katherine swiftly discovered that dark eyes could glint with seductive invitation one moment and become quite disconcertingly direct in the next, when Madame looked her over from head to toe, her gaze openly assessing and remarkably astute.

Her full lips curling into a provocative smile, Madame then returned her attention to Daniel. ‘You naughty, naughty man! What have you been doing that you must bring this girl to me?’

‘Not what you might suppose, Josephine,’ he hurriedly assured her before she could give voice to further outrageous assumptions. ‘But I do require your help. Katherine and I need somewhere to stay tonight. And, more importantly, we need to find someone who’ll be willing to take us across to England as swiftly as possible. I shall explain everything to you presently. But first, have you a room where Katherine may go … where she’ll be safe and—er—left quite undisturbed?’

A look clearly betraying immediate understanding flickered over the Frenchwoman’s expressive features. ‘Of course, my friend,’ she assured him as she reached for the tiny silver bell on the table by her elbow.

Quite some time later, after having been plied with refreshments, and having experienced the sheer luxury of bathing and washing her hair in rose-scented water, Katherine’s opinion of the formidable housekeeper had undergone something of a change. From the moment Madame Carre had instructed her servant to take good care of their unexpected guest, the housekeeper could not possibly have done more to oblige, and was even now taking the trouble to groom the long red hair which she had patiently dried on a fluffy towel.

‘Your hair is beautiful, mademoiselle,’ she remarked, at last setting the brush aside. ‘Many women would give much to call it their own.’

Maybe, Katherine mused, smiling up at the surprisingly kindly servant through the dressing-table mirror. She knew, however, of at least one person who didn’t hold her auburn mane in the highest regard.

‘There will be time for you to rest a while before dinner, mademoiselle. I shall return presently to dress your hair and shall bring some suitable garments for you to wear. Your own clothes will be freshly laundered and will be returned to you by morning.’

Surprisingly light on her feet for a woman of her size, the housekeeper went over to the door, her expression clearly troubled as she turned back to add, ‘Should you require anything further, please do not hesitate to make use of the bell-pull. But I beg of you, mademoiselle, under no circumstances leave this room. The house is large, and I should hate for you to lose yourself.’

Puzzled, Katherine watched the housekeeper withdraw. How on earth was she supposed to take that strange warning? she wondered. Was the woman truly concerned over her safety, or was she perhaps afraid that the unexpected guest might be tempted to purloin the family’s silver?

What an odd creature the housekeeper was, to be sure! Bemused, Katherine shook her head, sending her long hair floating about her shoulders like a swathe of silk. It was almost as if the woman had a dual personality, not unlike the house in which she worked. One half totally at variance with the other, Katherine mused, as she gazed with renewed interest about the apartments into which she had been escorted some little time before. In stark contrast with the vibrant colours in the ground-floor salon, the bedchamber was charmingly decorated in subtle shades of primrose and cream. Foolish though it might be, it was hard to believe that she was in the same house.

Rising to her feet, she went over to the window, which offered a view of an enclosed garden. Madame Carre too, like her house and devoted servant, was something of an enigma. Who was she? More importantly, what part had she played—did she continue to play—in Daniel’s life? The way she had greeted him in that over-familiar fashion suggested strongly that at some point they had been rather more than mere friends.

The cruelly stabbing thorns of that unfamiliar emotion once again made themselves felt, but Katherine steadfastly refused not to face the very real possibility that at some period in the past the vivacious Madame Carre had been Daniel’s mistress. But if that was the case, what had become of Monsieur Carre? Had there in truth ever been such a person and, if so, where was he now? More importantly, where was Daniel himself? And why had he left her here alone with only strangers?

A blessed surge of anger began to protect her from those wickedly stabbing barbs, and she swung away from the window, as bored with the restricted view as she was with the confines of this bedchamber. But what could she do? Her clothes had been removed for laundering, and she had been given the flimsiest of dressing robes to cover her modesty.

Suddenly feeling weary, Katherine glanced across at the four-poster bed, and after a moment’s indecision decided to avail herself of its comfort. A book lay open on the bedside table, and she decided to make use of that too. Fortunately she could read and understand the French language far better than she could speak it, and was able therefore to follow the story of a pair of star-crossed lovers reasonably well. Eventually, though, the effort of translation became too much, and her eyelids grew increasingly heavy.

* * *

Katherine would have sworn she had dozed for a few minutes only. Be that as it may, when she opened her eyes it was to discover the drapes drawn across the window, the bedchamber bathed in soft candlelight, and to see a pile of clothes neatly placed at the bottom of the bed.

The position of the hands on the mantel-clock confirmed that she had, surprisingly, slept soundly for more than two hours. Hurriedly slipping her feet to the floor, she wasted no time in scrambling into the clothes, which were a perfect fit, and exactly to her taste, except for the slightly immodest neckline on the pretty muslin gown. This minor defect was immediately remedied by the donning of a silk shawl, which she arranged carefully about her shoulders as she crossed to the bell-pull.

She raised her arm, but her reaching fingers were stilled for a second or two by a disquieting sound, somewhere between a scream and a squeal. Then, clasping the velvet cord and tugging sharply, Katherine momentarily wondered what the noise might have been—the wind, whistling about the eaves, or perhaps two cats at odds in the garden? Then she clearly detected the noise again, clearer and more shrill this time, and definitely coming from somewhere inside the house.

Certain that someone must be hurt, and perhaps in need of help, she conveniently forgot the housekeeper’s warning and immediately went to investigate. The long passageway outside the room had doors leading off at intervals on both left and right, but she judged the odd cry must have come from behind that single closed door at the very end. Beneath her guiding fingers its key turned easily in the lock and the wooden barrier swung wide to reveal the continuation of the passageway in a dazzling blaze of light, its floor, walls and ceiling decorated in the same garish colours as were to be found in the main salon below, its atmosphere heavy, too, with the aroma of cheap perfume.

For a few moments it was as much as Katherine could do to gape in wonder, in disbelief. It was like suddenly finding oneself in another world, a totally alien place—intriguing but unnerving, and undoubtedly littered with unseen snares primed to entrap the unwary. Faint-hearted she had never been, and yet some sixth sense kept her rooted to the spot, as that cautionary little voice in her head gave clear warning not to venture further.

Prudence won the day and Katherine was on the point of retracing her steps to find the housekeeper, when a door suddenly burst open, and a squealing female, dressed only in a pair of frilly pantalettes, erupted into the passageway, quickly followed by a balding, middle-aged man, sporting only a pair of under-breeches, and brandishing something suspiciously resembling a feather duster.

As the ribald pair disappeared round the corner of the passageway, the woman squealing with delight as she received a thwack with the feather-ended stick across the buttocks, stark reality hit Katherine with all the force of a physical blow, and was no less disconcerting than the fingers which suddenly grasped her arm and hauled her backwards. The door was then firmly closed and re-locked and she found herself confronted by the highly disapproving housekeeper.

‘I warned you not to go wandering about, mademoiselle!’ Her tone was scolding, like that of a governess reprimanding a disobedient child. ‘Come, dinner is almost ready, and I have yet to dress your hair.’

In something of a daze, Katherine allowed herself to be led back into the bedchamber, and made no demur when requested to sit before the dressing-table. The housekeeper’s demeanour changed the instant she began to set about the task of arranging the auburn curls, and she became once again that very obliging woman who had willingly catered for her unexpected guest’s every need. Would that Katherine could summon up one ounce of gratitude now for all the care and attention she’d received!

A house of ill repute! A surge of anger swiftly mastered Katherine’s searing sense of shame. It beggared belief that any man purporting to be a gentleman would ever think of housing a virtuous young woman in a brothel, let alone leaving her there to fend for herself. Yet her so-called protector, the unprincipled wretch, had done precisely that!

Like a bottle of warm champagne, vigorously shaken, Katherine was ready to explode. Had Daniel been present she would not have been responsible for her actions. Yet she somehow retained sufficient control and good manners enough to thank the housekeeper for the trouble she had taken over the arrangement of her hair, before obediently following her down to a room on the ground floor where a table had been set for just two persons.

She was conscious of a stab of disappointment only to find Madame Carre present, and did her utmost to convince herself that this was purely the result of being denied the sweet satisfaction of subjecting Major Ross to a blistering tirade.

‘Ah, Katherine! I may call you Katherine, may I not?’ Madame Carre greeted her with every evidence of delight, before she subjected her guest’s attire to a swift scrutiny. ‘I see the dress fits you very well. I was sure that it would.’

Until that moment Katherine hadn’t given a thought as to whose apparel she had donned. She was fairly certain that it had not been taken from the wardrobe of the woman who was now patting that portion of the chaise-longue beside her invitingly. Blessed with womanly curves, Madame Carre was below average height, and several inches shorter than Katherine. It was quite possible, however, that the flimsy garment belonged to one of those females working in this disgraceful establishment.

Cosseted and protected throughout her life Katherine might have been, but she was not completely ignorant of the ways of the world. She had been aware for quite some time that younger men were wont to seek the company of a certain type of female, and it was not unheard of for a married man to satisfy his carnal desires outside marriage either. She wasn’t so bigoted as to condemn those poor unfortunates who, through no fault of their own, were forced to sell themselves in order to survive. Madame Carre, however, didn’t appear to be undernourished. And neither had that brazen hussy whom she had seen romping along the passageway been a half-starved waif!

Something in her expression must have betrayed her thoughts, and the fact that she was no longer ignorant of the nature of the establishment in which she had been temporarily housed, for Madame Carre, after a moment’s thoughtful silence, lowered her deceptively dreamy brown eyes and smiled wryly.

‘Oh, dear,’ she muttered. ‘My darling Daniel will not be best pleased with his little Josephine when he discovers that you know.’

Major Ross’s views on the matter were of absolutely no interest whatsoever to Katherine. After all it was he, the unconscionable wretch, who had brought her here in the first place! she decided, at last availing herself of the invitation to sit beside her hostess on the chaise-longue. Outraged though she was, she was still not prepared to allow the housekeeper to be blamed for what had been in effect her own misdeeds, and didn’t hesitate to make this point very clear, before casually enquiring the present whereabouts of the man who had plummeted in her estimation.

‘After we returned in the carriage, he went into the town to see if he could find a buyer for your horses. I no longer enjoy that form of exercise and have no need for hacks. Furthermore, my stable is not sufficiently large to house them. He said he doubted he would be back in time to join us for dinner. But I am certain we can manage to entertain ourselves well enough without him.’ Again there was a suspicion of a wry smile. ‘As you might imagine, it is not often that I find myself in the company of such a refined and charming young lady.’

Striving not to allow lingering resentment or prejudice to cloud her judgement, Katherine attempted to view her hostess dispassionately as she watched her rise gracefully to her feet and move across to the table on which several decanters stood.

Madame Carre might not have been universally considered a beauty. Yet, blessed with a riot of dusky curls, a flawless ivory complexion, and a pair of sparkling dark eyes, she was certainly most attractive. She was not short on charm or sportiveness, traits which would undoubtedly appeal to the vast majority of the opposite sex, and for all her provocative smiles and dreamy-eyed glances, she was not lacking in intelligence either.

It was only when she accepted the wine held out to her that Katherine realised that, since entering the room, the conversation had been conducted in English and, intrigued, she didn’t hesitate to discover where Madame had learned to speak the language so well.

‘Josephine, please,’ Madame insisted before subjecting Katherine to yet another of those swift and acutely penetrating glances. ‘My parents were prosperous enough to afford the services of a governess for both my sister and myself.’ Once again a flicker of a wry smile tugged at the corners of the full-lipped mouth. ‘The dress you are wearing is a present for my widowed sister. I intend to pay her a visit in the not too distant future. Needless to say, I cannot invite her or my little niece to stay here with me, though I do try to help her as much as I can. Her husband died in Spain, and she does not find it easy to manage on the little she makes from taking in sewing. I help as much as I’m allowed, but she is very proud. One day I shall buy my house by the Seine, and invite them to live with me.’

Clearly detecting the slightly sombre, almost wistful, note in her voice, Katherine couldn’t help thinking that Madame Carre was not altogether happy with her present situation. So why had she chosen such a profession in the first place when she was more than capable of earning herself a living in some genteel occupation? And where did Monsieur Carre fit into the scheme of things?

‘And you, Madame … Josephine, have you ever been married?’ Katherine found herself asking, curiosity having got the better of her a second time, and she quickly discovered that eyes which could twinkle with a wickedly teasing sparkle could harden in an instant and glint like chips of ice.

‘Oh, yes, petite. Unfortunately I was once married. Both my sister and I married soldiers, the only difference being my sister chose wisely. My brother-in-law was a charming man, courageous and noble, not unlike your Major Ross in many ways; whereas Henri Carre, although possessing all the outward trappings of a gentleman, was a callous, manipulative blackguard who cared for nothing and no one except himself.’

Josephine’s eyes, dimmed by bitter regrets, focused on a spot somewhere on the wall opposite. ‘Young and foolish, I was beguiled by a handsome face and the silver tongue of an inveterate gamester. And not a very skilled one at that! It did not take me very long to realise the mistake I had made, but I was too proud to return to my family. When he had gambled away my dowry and our home, I had little choice but to accompany him out to the Peninsula, where I swiftly discovered just how vile and contemptible he could be, when he forced me to retrieve his IOUs from his friends and fellow officers in a way that only a woman can.’

Utterly appalled, Katherine was as powerless to prevent the gasp that rose in her throat from passing her lips as she was to conceal the heartfelt sympathy which sprang into her eyes. Yet surprisingly Josephine raised one hand in a dismissive gesture and, more amazingly still, even managed to smile.

‘I do not deserve your pity, ma chère. I was too proud to return to seek assistance from my family and admit the mistake I had made. And my pride cost me my self-respect. Nevertheless, it also taught me something too. I know the depths to which men can plummet. But I have also been blessed to experience how honourable and chivalrous some quite exceptional men can be.’

The self-deprecating smile which had clung to her lips suddenly became very tender, as did her whole expression. ‘When my husband was killed at Badajoz, it was not a Frenchman who came to my aid, but an English captain.’

Katherine gazed at her companion in dawning wonder, clearly remembering at least part of the conversation she had had with her cousin on that wet February day. So it was true! She had been foolish ever to doubt it.

‘Yes, petite,’ Josephine confirmed, expertly judging her companion’s expression. ‘It was your Major Ross who saved my life, who spared me the humiliation of being violated by several of Wellington’s troops, little realising at the time that suffering painful humiliations was nothing new to me. His noble act very nearly cost him his own life. I remained in the British camp and nursed him back to health.’ There was a suspicion of tears in the dark brown eyes as they lowered and focused on the contents of her glass. ‘He demanded nothing from me during the time I remained with him. He gave me money so that I might return home and even went so far as to escort me as close as he dared to the French lines.’

She paused for a moment to sample the contents of her glass. ‘My return to France was not altogether happy. On reaching Paris I discovered that my mother had died just a few weeks before. I didn’t choose to live with my brother and his wife, who I had always considered a shrew, and I refused to be an added burden to my dear sister, whose husband had died at Talavera. So I came here to Normandy to take care of an ailing maiden aunt. She had little money, but she did leave me this house which, after my experiences in Spain, I was more than capable of putting to good use.’

Half an hour earlier Katherine would have found such a bold admission deplorable, but this was no longer the case. Now she could understand perfectly, and felt ashamed of herself for having been so naively judgmental as to stigmatise the woman sitting beside her as nothing more than an immoral trollop.

She didn’t believe she could feel more conscience-stricken, but she was wrong. Her sense of shame spiralled when Josephine unexpectedly announced, ‘Although I would never betray my country, I do not forget my friends. When I first settled here in Normandy I did write a letter to Daniel, which eventually reached him. He paid me an unexpected visit last year, in the summer, before finally returning home. Naturally, after Napoleon’s abdication, we assumed the conflict between our two countries had finally come to an end. Sadly, this increasingly seems not to be the case. But I told Daniel once that if ever he should be in need of my help in the future, he had only to contact me.’

Slender fingers reached out to give Katherine’s hand a reassuring squeeze. ‘He brought you here, petite, because he knew you would be safe. And for no other reason.’

As the door opened and a servant entered, bearing a tray, Madame Carre rose to her feet. ‘That, I think, should satisfy your curiosity about me. And now, while we eat our dinner, you must satisfy my curiosity and tell me all about yourself.’