Heartless Lord Harry

by Marjorie Farrell

  After the dance he bowed and thanked her, and left to join a group of his friends, leaving Kate both glad that he had not asked for another dance and disappointed for the same reason.

  * * *

  Chapter 29

  The next morning James called at Harry’s just as he was coming downstairs, dressed for riding.

  “May I join you, Harry?”

  “Of course, James, you are always welcome.”

  James noticed that his friend’s limp was a bit more pronounced than usual as they walked down the front steps.

  “Is your knee troubling you again, Harry?”

  “It just stiffens up after an evening of dancing, James.”

  “Should you be riding, then?”

  “Yes, James, I should be riding and dancing,” observed Harry with exaggerated patience.

  “No need to get up in the boughs, Harry. I just worry about you sometimes.”

  Harry took a deep breath. “I know, James. You are a good friend. It is just that I want to ignore it myself. I am in no real pain, I assure you.”

  They mounted and made their way through the early morning traffic to the park.

  “How about letting them out, James? I need to blow some cobwebs out of my head.”

  James, who was usually a quieter rider, grinned, and kicking his gelding, was off before Harry could signal his own.

  “Oho, if that’s the way you want it,” he called.

  Harry’s bay was part Arabian, and he caught up with James and passed him easily. He pulled up under a huge old beech tree and turned and waited.

  “You are both too heavy, James,” he teased.

  “That may be so, but you would never beat us on the hunting field.”

  “You are right,” Harry admitted. “Your gray is a magnificent jumper, while Cinnabar is best on the flat. You seem in good spirits,” he added, as they walked their horses to cool them out.

  “I am. Mr. Richmond approved my suit and Miss Richmond is willing at least to consider the possibility at some time in the future.”

  “Congratulations, James.”

  “You are sure you don’t mind?”

  “Not at all. I suspect that I saw Miss Richmond as more of a challenge than as a possible fiancée, James. I wish you all the best. I do envy you, though.”

  “How so?”

  “Because you so obviously love her. I am just beginning to realize that I may be incapable of any strong feelings for a woman.”

  “I don’t believe that,” protested James. “You have seemed driven this year, I admit. But I know you, Harry. You are capable of great love and devotion.”

  “Perhaps only in friendship, James. Perhaps not with women.”

  Harry was very happy when James spied Lord and Lady Thorne riding toward them, accompanied by Miss Kate Richmond. He had no desire to continue such a conversation, because the topic only depressed him. He let his friend ride forward and make their hellos and then joined the group himself.

  “Does Miss Richmond not ride?” he heard James ask her brother.

  “She does, but usually later in the afternoon, and not every day. She is a very competent, but not wildly enthusiastic rider.”

  “And are you the enthusiastic one, Miss Kate?” Sidmouth asked.

  “I am fond of all sorts of exercise including riding, Lord Sidmouth. And I miss the opportunity for a good gallop now and then. Lynette is perfectly content with an easy canter.”

  “Have you been to Richmond yet, Miss Kate?” James asked.

  “Why no, we have not, Lord Clitheroe, although it would seem apropos for a family named Richmond,” she said with a smile.

  “We must organize a picnic, Harry,” exclaimed James, turning to his friend. “Lord and Lady Thorne must join us of course, and the Richmonds. What do you say?”

  Harry could hardly refuse, given James’s enthusiasm, although, because of the company, he would likely be paired with Kate. They might be on better terms now, but there was something about Kate Richmond that disturbed him. Perhaps it was that she had only seen him at his worst: the violent soldier and the heartless charmer. She knew him a little too well, and he didn’t like it.

  The Thornes agreed it was a lovely idea, and it was decided that they would go in two days’ time.

  “For Lynnie and Father will be preparing for their trip to Padstow,” explained Gareth.

  “What about the rest of the family?” inquired James.

  “Mother and I have not decided yet,” Kate told him. “But I admit, I am tempted for I have never been to Cornwall and hear it is very beautiful.”

  * * * *

  “You are very quiet, Harry,” observed James as they rode home. “I hope you do not mind my springing that picnic on you?”

  “No, James. You need time with Miss Richmond, after all, to succeed in your courtship.”

  “Yes, and if she is going to Cornwall, I won’t be seeing her for over a week.”

  “I am very sympathetic, James,” said Harry with mock seriousness.

  “Oh, go on, Harry! And ask Mrs. Brownlee to pack some of her Dundee cake for us.”

  “Mrs. Brownlee! This picnic was your idea, James. Why should my cook be doing the work?”

  “I know, but Mrs. Brownlee is far superior to my own chef for this kind of occasion and you know it.”

  “All right, James, I will wheedle her into it. I shall see you at the Whitfields’ musicale?”

  “Yes. And Harry…”

  “Yes, James?”

  “Thank you.”

  “Anything for true love, Jamie.” Harry watched his friend ride down the street and smiled to himself. James was a dear fellow, and his open-heartedness was what drew Harry to him. And what made him feel sad and envious sometimes when he was with him, he had to admit. He only wished that he himself were as uncomplicated.

  * * *

  Chapter 30

  The day of the picnic was clear and quite warm, and all were glad that they had decided to leave early and make it more of a country picnic and not leave it to a more fashionable hour. Harry had ordered his carriage to hold the hampers of food, and he informed the ladies that if any one of them felt the heat, she could take refuge in it.

  Although they proceeded out of London in no particular order, with riders adjusting position according to traffic, by the time they were out of the city, they were paired up just as Harry had foreseen. He and Kate were in front, with James and Lynette behind them, and the Thornes bringing up the rear. As good chaperons should, he thought, smiling to himself.

  Kate felt a little uncomfortable. She should have foreseen she would be spending time with Sidmouth while James made progress with Lynette, and now that she was riding with him, she had nothing to say. She stole a few quick glances and had to admit that he appeared as well on a horse as he did on the dance floor. He was very handsome, with his black hair and tanned face. Different in build from her father and brother, who were a bit short and very solid. Lord Sidmouth was slim, although certainly not lacking in muscles, she thought, as she saw the way his thighs filled out his buckskins. And his hands… Kate shook her head as though to clear it. Whatever was she doing, enumerating all his “points!”

  “You are very quiet, Miss Kate.”

  “I was admiring the beauty of the day, Lord Sidmouth. It is delightful to get out of the city.”

  “Yes, after Yorkshire, the city feels even dirtier and more crowded. Do you miss Sedbusk?”

  “Yes, but not as much as I feared. The Season has been quite pleasant.”

  “And has it been productive?”

  “I am not sure what you mean, my lord.”

  “You have gathered your own group of admirers around you, Miss Kate. Does any one of them look like he will come up to scratch?”

  “That is a rather vulgar question, my lord.”

  “Merely realistic, my dear Miss Kate. After all, that is what the whole rigmarole is about.”

  “Then I shall turn it on you. Have you fixed your i
nterest on anyone yet, my lord? You told us in Yorkshire that you were aware of your duty to your title.”

  “Touché, Miss Kate. Oh, by next year I will undoubtedly have found someone to suit me.”

  “Was your interest in my sister at all genuine, or was I right about that?” Kate’s tone had shifted from teasing to quietly earnest. “Would you have thought of offering for her if she had been attracted to you?”

  Harry looked sideways at Kate, who was fooling around with her reins and avoiding his eyes.

  “No, I admit that you were right. I had no real feeling for your sister, not as James does. It was her beauty and that aura of remoteness that attracted me.”

  “And the other young ladies, my lord?”

  “I felt less desire for them than for your sister.”

  “Is there real pleasure in that kind of pursuit, Lord Sidmouth? Truly, I am not trying to insult you. I am just very curious.”

  “A very unladylike curiosity, I might add,” said Harry tartly. “But since we seem to be committed to frankness, yes, there is a certain kind of pleasure in the chase itself, Miss Kate.”

  Kate blushed. “How will you decide upon a wife, my lord? Will it be the young woman who demands the most determined pursuit, or one who throws herself at you?”

  “I haven’t given it as much thought as you seem to, Miss Kate. I suppose I will make my choice based on the usual criteria, given my title and position. I rather think my heartbreaking days are over, anyway. The incident with your sister cured me of that, anyway,” admitted Harry.

  “I am glad I do not have to marry,” said Kate thoughtfully. “I never thought I’d be grateful for my family’s eccentricities, but because we are so far away from society, I can lead a happy and useful life in Yorkshire. You, on the other hand, because of your title, must marry. It is odd, but in this particular situation, as a woman, I have a little more freedom.”

  “Are you sure you would be happy living out your days on a Yorkshire sheep farm, Miss Kate? Particularly if your sister marries, and you are the only one at home with your parents?”

  “It is such an odd idea to me, Lynnie getting married,” said Kate, sidestepping his question. “Do you think she would be happy if she accepted Lord Clitheroe?”

  “James is a good, solid man and will make an excellent husband. And I think, despite the differences in temperament, or perhaps because of them, they could be very happy together.”

  Kate looked ahead and watched James and Lynette chatting comfortably with one another. Her sister was more at ease with Lord Clitheroe than with any man she’d encountered.

  “You may well be right, Lord Sidmouth. I hope you are.”

  When they reached Richmond, Harry had his coachman and groom set up the picnic in the shade of a huge oak tree. They were all delighted to be out of the sun, and Harry had lemonade served before the food was completely set out. And when they did sit down to eat, there was not a lot of conversation, for they were all hungry after the ride.

  “Harry, please thank Mrs. Brownlee for her efforts,” said James, brandishing a chicken leg.

  “Save some room, James, for the Dundee cake.”

  “Strawberry tarts and Dundee cake,” said Lady Thorne. “I will never be able to climb back on my horse.”

  “We will have plenty of time to rest or take slow, digestive walks, my dear,” replied her husband with a grin.

  After a few minutes of relaxation, James got them moving. “If we don’t walk, I will disgrace myself by nodding off right here,” he announced. And so they formed a walking party, this time with Kate and Sidmouth in front and James and Lynette bringing up the rear.

  The path was wide and well-tended, and it was, therefore, a complete surprise to Harry when his boot caught in a protruding tree root, pitching him forward. He kept himself from falling only by putting all his weight on his bad leg.

  “Bloody hell,” he muttered, as he felt the knee protest.

  “Are you all right, my lord?” Kate asked solicitously.

  “Yes,” he answered through clenched teeth. “Damnation…I am sorry, Miss Kate, I can’t seem to keep from swearing.”

  “Don’t worry, I have heard worse from our shepherds,” she said with a grin. “Is your knee all right?”

  “Oh, yes, I suppose so,” Harry replied, flexing it with a grimace. “It will just be a little stiffer tomorrow, that’s all.”

  “Can you walk on it?”

  Harry took a few steps. “Yes, it is fine, Miss Kate. I am sorry to make such a fuss. I just get furious when I realize I don’t have the mobility I used to have.”

  “Perhaps we should turn around? We seem to be far ahead of the others anyway.”

  They turned and started back slowly. Kate noticed that Sidmouth was limping and wondered if he was in pain and not admitting it.

  “Why don’t you take my arm, my lord,” she offered. “It would take some of the weight off your leg.”

  Harry was not in great pain, as a matter of fact. The limp was more from stiffness than anything, but he decided he would take Miss Kate Richmond’s arm anyway.

  “Does that feel better, my lord?”

  “Much, thank you.”

  Kate found herself feeling a bit warm, and she did not think it was the sun. It was disconcerting to have Sidmouth so close. It was also strange to have him in need of her assistance. He didn’t strike her as a man who enjoyed being dependent on anyone for anything, particularly a woman.

  Harry was very conscious of Kate’s arm beneath his. He kept his weight off his knee as much as he could and found himself responding to the combined slenderness and strength of her arm. She wore a light flower scent that he had not noticed before. He realized he had not noticed a lot about Miss Kate Richmond, glancing over at her profile. He had never noticed, for instance, the way her brown curls clustered around her face. Or the length of her eyelashes. He realized he didn’t even remember what color her eyes were.

  “I am not too much of a burden, Miss Kate?”

  “Not at all, my lord,” said Kate, looking up to reassure him.

  Gray. Her eyes were gray. A steady, clear gray, with a slight hint of blue.

  Kate immediately looked down to avoid Harry’s gaze.

  “Does your knee still hurt, my lord?”

  “Hardly at all, Miss Kate.”

  Both were so absorbed in their response to one another’s closeness that they were almost upon Gareth and Arden before they were aware of it.

  Gareth fumed when he saw his sister’s arm in Sidmouth’s. Then he realized it was Sidmouth’s arm on hers, and that the marquess was limping.

  “Are you all right, Sidmouth?”

  Harry removed his arm from Kate’s and took a step on his own. “Yes, quite. I stumbled back there and landed all the weight on my bad knee. Your sister was kind enough to offer her support.” He turned to Kate. “Thank you, my dear. I am all right on my own now.”

  Gareth stepped in between the marquess and his sister, and they continued back down the path. When they caught up with James and Lynette, Gareth almost laughed out loud, for Lynette’s arm was drawn through James’s, and they were walking back to the picnic site, oblivious to the others. Gareth stepped over to his wife and muttered, “I am a terrible chaperon, Arden. Both my sisters arm in arm with a man!”

  “That is because you were paying too much attention to me, Gareth. Stealing kisses instead of watching your sisters!” she teased.

  “Next time we bring Aunt Kate,” he declared.

  * * *

  Chapter 31

  When they reached the picnic site, they found everything packed and back in the coach.

  “There is room inside for two of the ladies, my lord,” Harry’s groom informed him.

  None of the ladies was interested, however, and so they set off. This time, Gareth made sure he was next to Kate, while Arden’s companion was Lord Sidmouth.

  When they reached the Thorne town house, James realized that the family would be on the
ir way to Cornwall the day after tomorrow and that he would not be seeing Lynette again for well over a week. He said his good-byes and wondered how he would survive the next ten days.

  “Harry, where are you off to now?” he asked.

  “Home to change, James.”

  “May I come back with you for a drink?”

  “Of course,” replied his friend, wondering what was in James’s mind. It was not like him to go visiting before changing out of dusty riding clothes. He guessed it must have something to do with Miss Richmond.

  He was right. As soon as they reached the house, Harry ushered James into the library and asked him what was on his mind.

  “I have no feeling of progress in my courtship of Miss Richmond,” he replied.

  “But there you were today, walking arm in arm with her, James. Surely she wouldn’t allow that if she didn’t take you seriously?”

  “Oh, I think she is beginning to see me as a friend. But I don’t feel a…physical response from her, if you know what I mean, Harry. And I am afraid to attempt a kiss after your fiasco.”

  “Perhaps Miss Richmond is not capable of a physical response, James. Have you thought of that? Although it would be a shame, wouldn’t it,” Harry continued almost to himself, “for that amazing beauty to go to waste.”

  “She is not a cold woman, Harry, I am sure.”

  “No, I didn’t mean that. There are some women who are just more interested in affection than in sensuality, James. Would you still want to marry her if that were so?”

  “I think so. You see, I love her very much. And there is something about her that makes me want to protect her,” James answered. “Do you suppose her lack of response has to do with me, Harry? I have not had the success with women you have had. Maybe I just don’t inspire her to passion?”

  “Don’t be so envious of my so-called success, Jamie! Of course, with the right woman, you will spark passion. I am wondering if you have been too careful with Miss Richmond? You need more time with her.”