To Catch a Husband...

by Sarah Mallory

  ‘Yes, of course,’ she said quietly. ‘I feel much better now.’

  Silently she took the hand he held out to her and allowed him to pull her up. He walked her over to the grey mare and without ceremony he put his hands about her waist and threw her up lightly into the saddle. She looked down at him, a slight frown creasing her brow as he adjusted her stirrup. His face was stern, almost forbidding, but as if aware of her gaze he glanced up.

  ‘Do not look so anxious,’ he said gently. ‘You will be back at Kirkleigh soon after midnight.’

  ‘Yes, of course. It is very good of you to give up your time for me like this.’

  His brows rose.

  ‘Would you have preferred to find your way alone?’

  ‘No, of course not, but the others…’

  ‘They were all shaken by what they had witnessed. Miss Camber especially was very distressed. I thought it best they should return together. Besides, Marnie was by far the fastest horse, so it was logical for me to come after you.’

  His answer was so matter of fact she felt quite daunted and did not venture to speak again. He scrambled into the saddle and led the way across the heath towards the road that could be seen snaking through the valley below them. As they rode Kitty watched a line of thick grey cloud bubbling up in the west. As soon as the path widened she brought Bianca alongside Daniel’s black mare.

  ‘When the sun drops behind that cloud it will very soon grow too dark to go on.’

  He nodded. ‘We have a little time yet: we will head for the road. It will be easier to find shelter down there. I doubt you had anticipated such an adventurous day’s ride, Miss Wythenshawe.’

  ‘Certainly not!’ She tried to match his bantering tone. ‘I expected the most exciting part of the day would be a short gallop.’

  ‘Lord Harworth will take care not to let you go out alone in future.’

  ‘Will he be very angry, do you think?’

  ‘No, no. He will be anxious, of course, but you may have noticed that his sister can wind him around her finger.’ A smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. ‘My own sister is just such a minx!’ He paused. ‘Harworth is a good man at heart, and a responsible landlord. However, there is a lot he has to learn about running a mill.’

  ‘And can you teach him that?’ she asked, turning her head to look at him.

  ‘I shall try. It is something I have grown up with.’

  ‘Has your family always been involved in spinning?’

  ‘With cloth, certainly. My grandfather was a merchant. He was obliged to travel widely throughout the north, collecting pieces—woven sections of cloth—from the weavers who lived in the little villages throughout the area. He traded in all sorts of cloth, calimancoes, serges, camlets and so on. Grandfather encouraged his younger sons to build a mill, just over the Pennines in Lancashire. Using Arkwright’s new cotton machines they soon had a thriving business. My uncle still owns that mill, but my father wanted to return to Hestonroyd so he built his first mill there. I grew up with the business. I have worked beside my father in each new venture.’

  ‘It must be very rewarding.’

  ‘It is, but it is not to be undertaken lightly.’

  Daniel began to explain to her about the responsibilities of a mill owner and she listened, fascinated as he told her how his father had built sturdy new cottages for the workers, schools for the children, about the doctor he employed to make regular visits to his mills. She put in questions occasionally, but they were hardly necessary: he was eager to talk.

  ‘Why are you telling me all this, Mr Blackwood?’ she asked him, when at last he fell silent. ‘Do you explain your business to everyone in such detail?’

  He did not answer her immediately, but kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead of them.

  ‘Lord Harworth has excellent intentions,’ he said at last. ‘But I fear that he may not understand that a mill requires constant supervision. It is easy to be tempted into cutting costs and making short-term profits at the expense of the workers. I believe that you will be in a position to remind him of his duties, when other interests distract him.’

  ‘I—I fear I do not understand,’ she stammered.

  ‘You will be able to look after the welfare of your people, when you are Lady Harworth.’

  The sudden disappearance of the sun made Kitty aware of the chill breeze cutting through her riding jacket.

  ‘I…I think you are mistaken,’ she muttered. ‘L-Lord Harworth has not made me an offer.’

  ‘Perhaps not, but it is his intention to do so.’ He glanced at her, his face shuttered. ‘It is what you want, is it not?’

  ‘I—’ Kitty swallowed. ‘Why…yes, I suppose…’

  ‘As Lady Harworth you will be in a position of influence,’ he said. ‘You will be able to ensure your mill-workers are treated well. Yours will be a very important role.’

  Kitty was silent. So Daniel, too, thought Lord Harworth would offer for her. She bit her lip. Surely she should be happier than this at the prospect, but all she felt was confusion. The darkness that was enveloping them seemed to enter her very being, weighing her down.

  ‘We will have to stop soon.’ He pointed to a rocky out-crop looming over them. It had been quarried away to form a large semi-circular space beside the road. ‘We could shelter there for an hour or so, or we could go on; there should be an inn somewhere along this road…’

  ‘Let us stop here,’ Kitty begged, exhausted as much by the tumult raging within as by her ordeal.

  They moved into the shelter of the rocks and Daniel lifted Kitty from her horse. This time he released her almost before her feet touched the ground, increasing her feeling of desolation.

  While Daniel saw to the horses she walked over to sit on a low ledge that formed a natural bench, the stone rising smooth and sheer at her back. Night fell rapidly. Bianca became a vague grey shape and she could not make out the black horse at all. When Daniel turned and walked towards her she could see only the pale blur of his face and his white neckcloth.

  ‘What if the cloud moves in to cover the sky?’ she asked him, a slight edge of panic in her voice. ‘What if there is no moonlight?’

  ‘There will be. The cloud is breaking up already.’ He sat down beside her and they both leaned back against the hard stone. Kitty was very conscious of the gap between them. It was only a few inches but it was as if Daniel had put up a barrier between them. He continued, ‘The moon will rise in a couple of hours. As soon as it is high enough to light our way we will move on.’

  ‘Until then we must sit here.’

  ‘Yes.’

  Kitty shivered.

  ‘Are you cold?’

  ‘A little.’ She put out her hand, saying quickly, ‘No, I would not take your jacket! If we could sit a little closer…’

  He put his arms around her.

  ‘Is that better?’

  ‘Yes, thank you.’

  She leaned into him, resting her head on his chest. Would any other man make her feel so comfortable? she wondered.

  ‘You are always coming to my rescue, Daniel,’ she said sleepily. ‘In another life you would have been a knight, I think. A knight in armour. Rescuing damsels.’

  There is only one damsel I would ever wish to rescue.

  Daniel glanced down. He could see very little in the darkness but he felt her curls tickling his chin. Desire stirred within him and he cursed silently. Damnation, did she not realise the temptation she presented?

  ‘I am not as chivalrous as you think me,’ he muttered.

  She raised her head.

  ‘Why do you say that?’

  Her face was very close, a pale blur in the darkness. He could feel her warm breath on his cheek.

  ‘Because being here with you in my arms, I want to…’

  He turned his head slightly and his mouth brushed her soft lips, as he had known it would. She trembled but did not recoil and he kissed her gently, savouring the taste of her, the scent of fresh flowers that clu
ng to her skin. Her lips parted beneath his even as she melted against him, the movement slight but deliciously inviting. Slowly and with great care he lowered her down on to the ledge, half-hoping, half-dreading that she would protest and he would be obliged to draw back. Instead she gave a little moan and clutched at his coat, pulling him down with her. They were stretched out together and Daniel thought he would never want a more comfortable bed than this stone ledge with Kitty nestled against him. Passion threatened to consume him. By sheer force of will he contained it. With infinite tenderness he kissed her eyes, her cheek. He had no idea when she had removed her gloves but he felt her fingers driving through his hair, tormenting him with thoughts of how it would feel to have those same hands on his skin, stroking his chest, the fingers raking down his back. He sought her mouth again and while he kissed her he smoothed his hand over the tightly fitted riding jacket, following the curve of her waist up to the swell of her breast. Kitty shivered and arched towards his hand. His pulse leaping, Daniel unbuttoned the jacket. He gently pulled aside her neckcloth and opened the mannish shirt she wore beneath. It was too dark to see anything but shadows so he lowered his head and pressed his lips to the bare flesh of her neck. Kitty moaned as his fingers slipped beneath the shirt and found her breast. She shifted restlessly against his hand, her body arching when his mouth slid downwards, his tongue circling and teasing one erect nipple while his fingers caressed the other. Kitty gasped. Her hands clutched at his hair but she did not try to pull him away, rather she held him closer. She moaned and writhed beneath him, every movement an invitation for him to go further. If only she knew it.

  Daniel’s hand stilled. Her responses were instinctive; she had no idea how she inflamed him. Any man could be excused for taking this to its natural conclusion.

  But he was not any man.

  ‘Daniel?’

  She whispered his name, her hand reaching out. He caught it and pressed a kiss into its palm, trying to control his ragged breathing.

  ‘We must stop now, my dear, before we do something we will regret.’ It was too dark to read her face but he sensed her confusion. He leaned down to kiss her one last time. ‘You are too, too alluring.’ He spoke lightly, not wanting to embarrass her. ‘I confess this is a delightful way to pass the time but it will not do. You are as good as promised to another man.’

  He waited for her to contradict him. When she remained silent his disappointment was bitter as gall. She struggled to sit up.

  ‘We—we are destined to bring out the worst in each other, are we not?’ There was a catch in her voice, as if she was trying not to cry.

  The worst? Is that what she thought of his love-making? He was aware of her every move as she sat beside him, re-tying her neckcloth and fastening her jacket. His senses were heightened so much that when she touched his arm he flinched.

  ‘Do you mind if we sit like this?’ Her tone was hesitant, anxious. ‘I am not comfortable, alone in the dark, but if it disturbs you…’

  He put his hand over her fingers.

  ‘There is nothing to be afraid of here.’

  ‘You are not angry with me?’

  ‘Angry with you? No, never.’

  ‘Then you will let me sit here, beside you?’

  He signalled his acquiescence by squeezing her hand.

  ‘It will not be long now.’ He stared up at the sky, a vast velvet curtain studded with diamonds. ‘Look, the cloud has dispersed. As soon as the moon rises we will move on.’

  Daniel settled back on the ledge and beside him Kitty made herself comfortable. When her head dropped to his shoulder he did not move away. Nothing stirred. The starlight was sufficient to see a faint line where the land ended and the sky began but little else. A few feet away the horses stood quietly, Kitty’s grey mare a paler blur in the darkness.

  Daniel did not sleep. His senses remained alert to the sounds of the night, the distant call of a night bird, the rustle of some animal in the bushes. A sigh escaped him. He could wish for nothing more than to be allowed to sit here for ever with this girl-woman beside him, but all too soon they would have to return to their worlds—very different worlds, for she was destined to be Lady Harworth. It was her wish, her dream, was it not? Sometimes he thought she cared for him and when she returned his kisses he was aware of the passion within her, but that was for her husband to awaken, not him. She snuggled closer and he had to grit his teeth to keep his desire for her under control, to sit perfectly still when he really wanted to pull her into his arms and cover her face with kisses.

  Why did he not do just that? Why not keep her here all night? She would have given herself to him earlier this evening, so why did he not kiss her again, re-awaken her desire and make love to her? If they did not return to Kirkleigh until morning her reputation would be ruined—there could be no question of Harworth marrying her then. He gazed up at the stars but although they winked and twinkled at him they gave him no encouragement.

  Daniel closed his eyes. If he took advantage of her, what future could there be for them? He would make her his wife, but would she always resent him for forcing her into marriage? With sudden, blinding clarity he knew what he wanted: he wanted Kitty to choose him and only him. But it had to be her free choice; he did not want to force the decision on her.

  So he would ask her to marry him. Not now of course, when she might think he was only doing it to save her reputation, but once they were back at Kirkleigh. He would make her an offer; present himself as a suitor to rival Bertram Harworth. A silent laugh shook him. He had never made any great show of his family’s wealth but perhaps it was time to puff himself off a little. Even without the land and mills he would inherit from his father, his own fortune was comparable with Harworth’s. He would tell Kitty as much: she should choose her own future.

  And his.

  The decision made, Daniel was impatient to be moving. Beside him, Kitty’s regular breathing told him she was sleeping and he turned his head to press a light kiss on her tumbled curls before settling back to watch the horizon for the first signs of the rising moon.

  Kitty heard Daniel’s voice calling her. As she awoke she realised her head was resting on his shoulder, the soft wool of his jacket pressing against her cheek. She was reluctant to open her eyes: it was so comfortable to be snuggled up beside Daniel, just the two of them alone together. She really did not want to think about anything else. He spoke her name again and reluctantly she sat up, yawning.

  ‘Oh!’ A fat, butter-yellow moon was resting on the rim of the far hills. ‘Is it time to go?’

  ‘Very soon. You have been asleep for some time: perhaps you would like to stretch your legs a little before we begin our long ride back?’

  He stood up and held out his hand to her. She allowed him to pull her to her feet.

  ‘Daniel, what happened here, earlier—I was too forward, I must apologise…’

  He put a finger to her lips.

  ‘Hush. There is no need to say anything.’

  ‘But I want to—’

  ‘Once we are back at Kirkleigh this will all be forgotten.’

  She gazed up at him, trying to pierce the shadows that masked his face. Did he mean that he wanted to forget? She wanted to talk about it, to know if he too felt that irresistible tug of attraction whenever they were together. That he desired her she had no doubt, but Mr Ashley had desired her, and she knew that did not mean he really liked her. She wanted to ask him to explain himself but Daniel was already leading her across to Bianca. Silently she allowed him to throw her up into the saddle. Then, with the moon climbing in the night sky and turning the world from black to silver-blue, they set off along the road to Kirkleigh.

  Kitty had never been on a horse for more than an hour before today and now her body ached, but that was nothing compared to the pain inside. When she thought of Daniel kissing her she found herself melting all over again. She could not deny that she had wanted him to kiss her. Once again she had offered herself to him and once again he had been t
he one to break away. She thought that he must indeed care for her to be so protective, but that was small consolation and the heavy cloud settled more firmly around her heart. He did not desire her sufficiently to declare the world well lost when she was in his arms. She glanced across at him as he rode beside her. There was no sign of fatigue in his upright figure; his face in the moonlight was unsmiling, as still and inscrutable as stone. He might have been hewn from the quarry where they had taken shelter.

  ‘Is anything amiss, Miss Wythenshawe?’ He looked across at her.

  Kitty hesitated. Should she ask him why he had not taken advantage of her? Perhaps she had disgusted him. Her godmother had talked with contempt of the forward behaviour of some of the young ladies in Town, and had not Mama told her that on no account was she to allow a gentleman to go any further than kissing the tips of her fingers? She had allowed Daniel to do a lot more than that!

  ‘I am very tired,’ she managed at last. ‘I have never ridden so far before.’

  ‘And you have done very well. Look, there is Kirkleigh village ahead of us. Another half-hour and this nightmare will be over. You will be home.’

  She nodded, too miserable to speak. So he thought of this whole episode with horror. For her, once the danger was past she had thought of it as a glorious adventure: the elation of successfully jumping the hedge, galloping headlong across the heath, kissing Daniel. Especially kissing Daniel.

  I am undoubtedly a very wanton young woman, she told herself miserably. And after tonight I should not be surprised if Godmama sends me back to Mama and wishes to have nothing further to do with me!

  Chapter Eleven

  Her unhappy thoughts kept Kitty occupied until at last they clattered into the stableyard at Kirkleigh. She was surprised to see so many torches burning. Selby came running out to meet them.

  ‘Right glad I am to see you, Mr Blackwood, and you, miss! When t’others returned and said what had happened I was that put out. His lordship was all for setting out immediately but Lord Leaconham said as how you had gone after her, sir, so we decided we should wait ’til morning before getting up a search party. I should never have saddled up Bianca for you, miss, whatever the young mistress said. If that mare runs away with you then there’s no stopping her. I was that afraid you had been thrown.’