Читать книгу Regency Pleasures and Sins Part 1 - Louise Allen, Christine Merrill - Страница 48

‘And her ladyship’s allowance,’ Mr Wilkinson continued, unaware that one of his audience was fighting a battle with her conscience just the other side of his desk. ‘I have made arrangements with Coutt’s bank as you directed, my lord. I have a portion of the first quarter here, my lady, and I have put in a note with details of how you may draw on the balance at your convenience.’ He handed a fat packet to Katherine, who took it with an automatic murmur of thanks.

Conscience won. Katherine pushed the thought of children with Nick’s eyes out of her mind with a pang and thought about the money instead. Another debt. Her instinct was to hand it back to Nick the moment they were alone. Common sense told her that she must pay Jenny and John and that was more important than her pride. She must buy some clothes for the time she was here, for she could not fail to present a seemly appearance in a ducal household. And when she left she must leave vails for the servants. None of this common sense made the slightest difference to the way she was feeling. Katherine realised she was angry, but who with—herself, Philip or Nick—she could not analyse.

Finally Nick was standing, thanking the steward again, holding the door for her. Katherine said all that was proper, managed a pleasant smile and swept out into the passage. The moment the door closed behind them she rounded on Nick.

‘You have paid Phil’s debts! How could you do such a thing?’ Her voice broke and she fought to get a grip on her feelings. ‘And a settlement! The marriage is going to be annulled—why is there a settlement?’

‘We cannot speak out here.’ Nick took her arm and guided her through a door into an empty room, which appeared to be part of the estate office, for stacks of dusty ledgers stood on the tables and shelves of dockets and bundles of papers lined the walls.

‘I had not intended telling you about your brother’s debts yet,’ he admitted.

‘Indeed?’ Katherine managed to instil a certain icy quality into her voice. ‘Did you ever intend telling me?’ He opened his mouth to speak and she swept on, ‘I know why you feel you must pay them, of course: the embarrassment of a debtor as a brother-in-law. Please do not think I do not understand. Do you think I am not as ashamed of it as you, to know that I risk bringing scandal to a household such as this?’ Her anger began to fail her and her voice shook. ‘I think that perhaps I could have borne anything, even his deceit over the loan, better than the humiliation of this.’

Nick stared at her, his face appalled. ‘Kat, never say that. Sweetheart …’ Then she was held against his chest and he was stroking her hair. ‘Kat, think. He does not know who you married—no one in London knows my true identity. I have no need to protect the family against the small scandal he might evoke, even when the connection is known. For goodness’ sake, Cousin Hereward has been in debtors’ prison three times, my great-uncle believes himself to be the Tsar of all the Russias, and I have earned my bread playing cards and taken the King’s shilling as an outcast. And that is just a sample of our family scandals. Your brother’s foolishness is nothing against that.’

It was seductively pleasant to be held by strong arms against a broad chest and to be reassured. Katherine tried to tell herself that under the circumstances anyone offering comfort would be welcome but she could not deceive herself. This was the man she loved holding her, resting his cheek against her hair, gently stroking the nape of her neck. All she wanted was to turn up her face to his, to kiss and be kissed.

Resolutely she disentangled herself from his arms and moved away. ‘What is a scandal in a family of lower degree is merely eccentricity in a ducal household, I understand that,’ she pointed out. ‘But I feel so ashamed.’

‘But why? To be angry and disappointed with him, that I can understand, but to be ashamed?’

‘I am his elder sister,’ Katherine said helplessly, recalling the hours she had spent agonising over how to help Philip break away from his self-indulgence, make him face up to reality and his obligations. ‘I should have been able to influence him for good.’

‘Impossible,’ Nick said firmly. ‘Nothing you could have said or done would have helped. An elder brother might have been able to steer him right.’ He stopped abruptly and Katherine saw his eyes darken. ‘I should have been here for Robert; it is my good fortune that he has a goodness of character I never had.’

Arguing against that was not going to help, Katherine saw quite clearly. Nick was going to have to deal with his guilt at staying away so long in his own way. ‘He had your father,’ she said encouragingly.

‘Er, yes.’ Nick grinned. ‘Fortunately Robert appears to have exhibited none of the tendencies that would cause our father to deal with him as he did me.’

‘Do you mind very much?’ she asked, distracted from her own preoccupations.

‘No, if you mean do I resent it. I was hot at hand, thoroughly wild, thought I was in love—which, coming on top of a fairly convincing showing as a rakehell, must have seemed highly improbable. Father, not unreasonably, put his foot down and I was in no mood to accept it.’ He shrugged. ‘It was an interesting six years. Now, shall we go riding?’

‘Not until you explain these settlements,’ Katherine said firmly, planting herself between Nick and the door.

‘Well, Wilkinson will explain them better than I—’

‘I do not mean that and you know it, Nick! Why have you settled anything on me when we are getting the marriage annulled?’

‘We are doing no such thing. You may be if I cannot persuade you otherwise. And what would happen if I fell off my horse and broke my neck?’

‘Exactly what would have happened if you had fallen off a scaffold and broken it,’ Katherine said crisply. ‘I will go and earn my own way in the world.’ She regarded his rueful expression and fought against letting her feelings show on her face. ‘But I suppose I need the pin money at the moment, so I will simply add the allowance to the amount I already owe you.’

She expected a fight the moment she mentioned repayment, but her infuriating husband merely nodded amiably and reached round her to open the door. ‘I think, if you come with me, you will find that your new bedchamber is ready and that you will be able to change so we can have your first riding lesson.’

Katherine meekly allowed herself to be shown the way to her new rooms, refraining from pointing out her lack of suitable garments. She tried to pay careful attention to the route. Some paintings and a large Chinese vase looked familiar. ‘Is this near your rooms?’

‘Yes, Kat, next door.’

Her gasp was cut off as he flung open a panelled door and let her step through. ‘Less modern than the lakeside wing where you were before; this is an older part of the house and you should be more comfortable here until we can move into the Dower House.’

Restrained by the discovery that not only Jenny but another maid were in the room, Katherine could not retort that neither sleeping next door to him nor the prospect of moving into the Dower House made her feel the slightest bit comfortable.

Both young women were sitting on the bed, a garment with long flowing skirts spread out between them. The unknown maid was industriously whipping stitches along the hem and Jenny was just biting off her cotton, having done something to the waist.

They both jumped to their feet and Jenny said, ‘I think it will be a very tolerable fit, my lord, now we have taken the skirt up an inch and narrowed the waist.’

Not only was a very handsome riding habit being shaken out before her eyes, but a pair of boots and a dashing veiled tricorne hat were also on display.

‘And where did these come from?’ Katherine enquired dangerously.

‘Cousin Augusta. I thought there was sure to be something somewhere in the house, but I did not expect anything quite so à la mode.’ Nick flicked the intricate frogging with one finger. ‘Gussie apparently had this made, convinced that, even after presenting Lord Pickforth with a petit pacquet six months ago, she would still retain exactly the same waist measurement. Apparently this was not the case and she discarded it while visiting last month. The boots might be a little large, but nothing to worry about. I will see you in the front hall in an hour.’

It was tempting to pick up the boots and throw them at his retreating back. Instead Katherine smiled pleasantly at the maid. ‘I am sorry, I do not yet know your name.’

‘Eliza, my lady.’

‘Well, thank you, Eliza, it seems that you and Jenny have done an excellent job. You may go now.’

The minute the girl had shut the door behind her Katherine swept across the room, tossed the tricorne off the dressing table stool on to the bed and sat down with a thump. ‘Oh … bother the man!’

‘Who, Miss Katherine?’ Jenny caught Katherine’s smouldering eye. ‘Ah, the master.’

‘Everything I want to do he forestalls and everything I don’t want him to do he just goes ahead and does,’ Katherine grumbled. ‘He has paid my debt, and Philip’s debts and given me an allowance. At least I can pay you and John. And now he says I must learn to ride, if you please.’

‘That’ll be nice, Miss Katherine,’ Jenny said, a quaver of what sounded suspiciously like laughter in her voice. ‘You’ll see John then, I expect he’s down at the stables.’

Katherine allowed herself to be buttoned into the habit, which, although a little large over the bust, was a tolerable fit. It was certainly a flattering colour. The boots, as Nick had predicted, were slightly large, but the hat was delightful. Jenny bundled her hair into a coarse net at the nape, set the tricorne at a rakish angle, secured it with a large pin and lowered the veil.

Katherine stood up and practised walking up and down with the long skirt looped over her arm. ‘Cousin Augusta, whoever she is, certainly has excellent taste.’ She was looking forward to discovering what Nick thought of this fine outfit; it was almost enough to distract her from thinking about having to get on to a horse.

He was certainly appreciative as she walked down the great staircase. ‘You look very dashing, Kat.’ He walked round her, studying the effect, which made her blush. ‘Come along and meet your new mount.’

The stable block was magnificent with carriage houses, rows of loose boxes, its own farrier’s shop and numerous open doors through which Katherine could glimpse racks of saddles and bales of hay. Horses were standing looking over the doors of many of the boxes and Nick stopped at one of them.

‘My father’s new bay hunter, if I’m not mistaken.’

‘Aye, my lord, and his Grace’s pride and joy,’ the groom who was just sliding the bolt across the door confirmed.

‘He always had a good eye for a horse.’ Nick leaned on the door for a moment, running his eye over the animal. ‘What have you got for me and her ladyship, Durren?’

‘Lightning for her ladyship.’ Katherine swallowed hard. ‘Her ladyship’s man is saddling him up. His Grace thought you might like to try Xerxes, my lord. He’s a bit of a handful.’ He nodded towards a large grey in the middle of the yard, which was attempting to bite the unfortunate stable lad who was holding him. ‘He likes to see how far he can go with a rider,’ he added laconically.

‘Hmm.’ Nick eyed the animal, who was now rolling his eyes and lashing out with his hind legs at the stable cat who was crossing the yard. ‘I see his Grace has not lost his sense of humour. This looks like your mount, Kat.’

John was leading out a middling-sized blue roan, which, much to her relief, appeared to be content to follow him placidly. ‘John!’

‘Miss Katherine—your ladyship, I should say.’ He waited until she reached his side, then added quietly, ‘You all right, Miss Katherine? Jenny says you’re in clover, but I wanted to ask you myself.’

‘I am fine, at least for a week or two. How are you? Have they given you a comfortable room? And I have your wages at last.’

‘I’m suited fine, don’t you be worrying about me. Now, what’s all this about you learning to ride?’

‘His lordship is set on teaching me, so I thought it churlish to refuse.’

‘You’ll be all right with this beast, then.’ John slapped the roan on its neck. ‘It’s like a sofa with legs.’

‘Good,’ Katherine breathed, then followed John’s gaze to where Nick had mounted the grey, which was doing its level best to unseat him. ‘He’s a good rider, isn’t he, John?’

‘That’s an understatement,’ the groom agreed. ‘Bloody hell … sorry, Miss Katherine, but did you see what that brute just tried?’ They watched in silence until the grey subsided and stood, its neck flecked with sweat, its ears flicking back to listen to what Nick was saying to it.

This appeared to be a lively description of its habits and character, delivered in a style that had the audience of grooms cackling in appreciation. Katherine closed her ears firmly to the several choice adjectives that her husband was employing and waited patiently. Hopefully he would feel he had had sufficient challenges for the day and would decide against teaching her to ride. But no. Nick swung down, tossed the reins back to the reluctant stable boy and walked over.

‘John.’

‘My lord.’

‘Will you have a word with Durren and get me something else saddled up? That’s not a safe animal to take out with her ladyship.’ He watched the groom make his way across the yard and remarked, ‘Good man, that. Now, then, we’ll get you up.’

Katherine managed a bright smile. ‘How?’

‘I’ll give you a leg up. Now, stand like this, and hold the reins like that …’ He patiently sorted the reins out for her, then cupped his hands. ‘Right foot in here. One, two, three, up.’

Katherine found herself seated sideways on a moving, slippery surface. ‘Now, then, you put this foot in the stirrup. Hold on, just let me lengthen it a little.’ Competent hands moved against her leg, doing something, then her foot was pushed into a stirrup. ‘Now, the other leg goes here, over one pommel and under the other. Yes, like that. Now shift so you are sitting square on the saddle: from the back it ought to look as though you could have a leg on each side.’

How she was remaining on top of the horse and not on her back on the cobbles Katherine had no idea. The horse was moving, just a little, but enough to make her feel quite unsettled; the saddle was slippery under the folds of cloth and the position Nick’s hands were turning her into felt completely unnatural.

‘Is the habit smooth between you and the saddle? It will be uncomfortable otherwise. Just stand in the stirrup and let me tug at the skirt. Good.’ He broke off and looked at her face. ‘Kat, what is it? You are stiff as a board. Is it that I am touching you? I’m sorry, I did not mean to put you to the blush, only it is very difficult to explain without doing so.’

‘No, not that. Oh!’ The horse shifted, apparently taking the weight off one hind leg and Katherine lurched. Nick grabbed her and thumped the horse, which straightened up with an affronted snort. ‘It is so high up,’ she finished lamely.

‘High up? We’ve got beds that are higher up than this.’ Realisation dawned and Katherine saw his face relax into rueful apology. ‘Kat, are you scared of horses?’

‘Yes. I am very sorry.’

‘Why did you not say?’

‘I thought you would think me very feeble.’ If only he would stop looking like that: so understanding and gentle and …

‘I know how brave you are, Kat, I would never think you feeble. Would you like to get down now and I will have a carriage put to instead?’

Suddenly that was the last thing she wanted. ‘No. Not if you think I can do this.’

‘Very well. Now sit up straight, hold the reins as I showed you, keep your heel down and off we go.’ He was leading the horse around the yard. Katherine held her breath, but it did not break into a gallop, rear, buck or do anything that the grey had done. In fact, it plodded. ‘Good. You see? Quite safe. Now just wait there and I’ll see what Durren has found for me.’ Nick let go of the bridle and strode off to where the head groom was waiting with a leggy black gelding.

Katherine gave a squeak of alarm, but the misnamed Lightning merely stood where he had been left.

‘Lift your hands a little,’ Nick said, bringing the black up alongside. ‘Just so you can feel his mouth and he knows you are in charge.’ He spoke without any apparent irony. ‘Then press your heel back into his flank and say “walk on”.’

Convinced that the horse was about to bolt, Katherine tentatively did as she was told and to her amazement the roan began to walk sedately forward. ‘Oh,’ she said, pleased, then ‘Oh!’ as she began to slip sideways.

‘Press down in the stirrup, sit up straight—there, good girl!’

They walked out of the yard and down the carriage drive, Nick maintaining a steady flow of reassuring comment and instruction. Katherine had expected him to be demanding, perhaps critical of her lack of skill, but his good-humoured encouragement reminded her of the way he had dealt with her in the prison cell.

She risked looking at him and met his eyes. He was smiling and it suddenly seemed the most natural thing in the world to smile back.

‘Enjoying yourself, Kat?’

‘Why, yes,’ she admitted, surprised. ‘I thought I would be terrified—for the three seconds it took me to fall off. We are not going to go any faster, are we?’

‘Not unless you want to,’ Nick said.

‘Doesn’t your horse want to?’ Katherine eyed the twitching ears and the playful sidle the black kept employing.

‘He wants to gallop and it will do him good to learn to walk when he’s told to.’

Just how Nick was managing to stop the animal taking off and doing exactly what it wanted seemed a mystery. Katherine watched him, seeing the almost invisible shifts of leg, tightening of thigh muscle, movements of long fingers that appeared to work this magic. ‘Did you ride in the army?’ she asked, greatly daring.

‘Yes.’ He seemed to think better of his abruptness and added, ‘Yes, I was a trooper. You get all sorts to ride. On a battlefield you can pick up some good beasts whose owners have no further use for them.’

Katherine shivered. ‘And you rode at Waterloo?’

‘Yes.’ This time he showed no inclination to expand on that curt response.

‘Your father will be very proud when he learns you fought there,’ Katherine ventured.

‘We have not discussed it. I mentioned it in passing, that is all.’ Nick’s voice was quite dispassionate, but his body betrayed him. The black tossed its head and broke into a trot for a few strides before its rider could rein back. Obediently the roan started to trot too. Katherine grabbed for the pommel, the mane, her reins, missed them all and found herself tumbling over the horse’s shoulder. It seemed a very long way down, and the ground, when she met it, much harder than she could have imagined.

‘Ough!’ she gasped inelegantly.

‘Well done!’ Nick had swung down and was kneeling beside her, helping her to sit up.

Katherine took a painful whoop of breath. ‘Well done?’

‘You are still holding the reins. That is very important.’

‘It is?’

‘Of course. You don’t want to fall off miles from home and see your horse vanishing into the next county. Now, just wriggle everything, make sure nothing is strained—’

He broke off. Katherine found herself supported against his knee. Nick had one arm around her shoulders, the other was resting on her ankle. She was cradled in such a way that their faces were very close, close enough for her to see the gold flecks in his eyes, the sweep of his lashes, the scar over his eye, the way his pupils contracted seconds before his mouth covered hers.

The kiss was leisurely, exploratory, quite undemanding. Katherine was well aware that she only had to move away and to push against his chest for him to stop. But she did not want this to stop. She summoned all her small experience and kissed him back, fighting to keep herself from betraying everything she felt for him with the pressure of her mouth, the way her fingers moved restlessly through his hair. With a sigh she closed her fists on the linen of his shirt and surrendered to the heat that his knowing mouth was evoking.

How long that sensuous caress would have gone on she had no idea. She had not the slightest idea how long it had already lasted when a wet, warm, soft muzzle pushed firmly against her ear.