He thought as he spoke that by the time they left Lord d’ Arcy Armitage, he would have been able to tell Ilitta how much he loved her and learn what her response would be.
But looking at her he knew that she had not the slightest idea what his feelings for her were and she was in fact treating him exactly as if he was still her brother.
It was a somewhat sobering thought that for the first time in his life the Duke found himself questioning a woman’s feelings for him.
Always before, he had known by the sparkle of desire in their eyes, the provocative twist to their lips and the way in which their hands instinctively went out towards him, that they were his for the asking.
But Ilitta treated him as she had from the very first, as somebody she could trust who would protect her and save her from being frightened, but otherwise was as impersonal as if he really was her brother – or even her father.
‘I have to make her love me,’ the Duke determined.
He knew that even if it was as difficult as climbing Mount Everest or diving down to the depths of the Atlantic it was a goal he must ultimately achieve.
In the meantime he was aware that because she was so young he would have to approach her very carefully.
He had always thought to himself that one could not anticipate or demand trust. It was something two people gave each other and it came from the heart.
But if it was once abused or damaged, it was impossible to repair.
‘She trusts me,’ the Duke said to himself, ‘and I swear that I will never fail her!’
The sun came through the window and turned Ilitta’s hair to gold and he thought with it flowing on each side of her face and over her shoulders she looked so young that it seemed almost wrong and unnatural that he should want her as a woman and as his wife.
And yet he had known when she lay close to him last night that she excited him wildly.
At the same time he had a respect and reverence for her because she was different, because, as his mother would have thought, she had belonged to him through millions of years and would be his for all eternity.
He knew that before he claimed her he had to awaken her to the realisation of what love between a man and a woman meant.
It would be the most thrilling and exciting adventure he would ever undertake in his life, although it would doubtless prove the most difficult.
He was thinking so deeply of Ilitta that it was quite a surprise when she asked,
“You are quite certain you really – want me to come with you? I would not wish to be an encumbrance. After all, as you know, I did force myself upon you.”
“Very much to my advantage,” the Duke replied. “If you had not been there and told me very clearly that Daltry and his friends were crooks, I might have been stupid enough to – agree to his ‘proposition’ as he called it.”
“Fox! Ferret! Baboon!” Ilitta recited. “I am glad that I was not mistaken in seeing them as they really were!”
“Well one good thing is that they will not trouble us again,” the Duke said. “I can only hope that our host tonight will not turn out to be a man-eating tiger!”
“I think that is unlikely,” Ilitta laughed, “but if he is, I will certainly warn you.”
They lingered a little longer in the farmhouse and talking to Ilitta made the Duke laugh in a whole-hearted way that was different from the sophisticated laughter with which in the past he had greeted the innuendos that were so much part of his conversations with women in London.
After Ilitta had tidied herself and washed her hands, she came downstairs to find the farmer’s daughter red-faced with delight at the generous manner that the Duke had paid for their breakfast.
The horses were waiting for them outside and they set off with Hanson behind them, not hurrying, but enjoying the autumn sunshine and talking on all sorts of different topics.
The Duke told Ilitta of a journey across a desert and how once he was lost in a sandstorm.
He related too the story of a long trek to the Caucasus, finding its mountains, forests and gorges very different from any other part of the world.
“You are so lucky,” she sighed. “You have done so many things I have longed to do and met people I have only read about in books.”
“There is plenty of time,” the Duke said, “and perhaps your husband, when you have one, will take you to all the places in the world you want to see.”
To his surprise Ilitta stiffened and said sharply,
“I have no wish to be married!”
“Why not?” the Duke asked.
“For reasons of my own and I don’t want to talk about it!”
She made her horse, as she spoke, go faster and it took a minute or two for the Duke to catch up with her.
Then he said,
“I am interested. Tell me why you do not wish to get married. All women should be married.”
“That is a man’s point of view!”
“And most women’s,” the Duke replied, speaking from experience.
“I want to study painting and be myself.”
“Alone?”
She did not answer and he saw the colour come into her face and knew that she was thinking of the dangers of being alone.
He had the feeling, although she had not said anything, that she was not as keen on going to London as she had been, and certainly for the moment did not wish to leave him.
It was a start in the right direction, he thought, but he was not certain what the next step should be and he told himself that he must proceed very slowly and not rush his fences.
Because the Duke had broken in many young horses he was aware that they had to be handled with care, kindness, forethought and most of all with understanding!
The same, he thought, might apply to Ilitta and while he was prepared to give her all those things he also realised that every moment they were together his love for her was increasing.
He could hardly believe what he was feeling, knowing it was so unlike his usual approach to a woman he desired but infinitely more exciting and more marvellous.
His mother had told him that for her love had come at first sight.
That was not literally true in his case, except that he thought now that, when she came into the room and he had known that he must help her and protect her, it was love, although he had not recognised it.
There could be no doubt, however, that what he now felt was a love that he had never known before, except in his dreams. When he had seen Ilitta looking down at him through the trapdoor he had thought that she was an angel peeping through the clouds.
‘I love her!’ he almost said aloud, as he looked at her riding beside him with her golden hair flowing over her shoulders.
She was exquisitely graceful and, because she was happy, the sun seemed to have been caught in her eyes and was not only on her face but coming from it.
Because they had lingered on the way it was approaching luncheontime, which the Duke thought was a respectable hour at which to arrive, when they saw Lord d’Arcy Armitage’s house ahead of them.
It was a fine example of Georgian architecture and impressive so that Ilitta was immediately conscious of how inadequately dressed she was and with nothing to change into.
As if once again the Duke was reading her thoughts, he said,
“Don’t worry! Armitage is a widower, and I don’t suppose he will have a big party for me.”
“Perhaps you can think of a reasonable excuse as to why I have no luggage,” Ilitta suggested. “Your brake should be there by this time, so you will have plenty of fresh clothes.”
The Duke thought for a moment.
Then he said,
“I could say that you were travelling with me for only part of the journey and your luggage had gone ahead to where you were to stay with friends. When we were caught in the fog, we stayed together in the only place we could find shelter.”
Ilitta gave a little cry.
“You are wonderful! You can think up
plausible explanations for everything and, of course, that is a very credible story. Then I can look pathetic and borrow from somebody, if there is anybody to borrow from.”
“I am sure there will be. I cannot remember, as I have never stayed with d’Arcy Armitage before, but I think he has some daughters and one of them should be about your age.”
“I can only keep my fingers crossed,” Ilitta smiled.
As she spoke, she was hoping that she could borrow some clothes in which she would look attractive for the Duke.
She was very conscious that the gown she was wearing and had crawled about in in the attics looked very much the worse for wear.
‘Perhaps he will not notice,’ she thought. ‘Equally, because he is so handsome himself, I want to look as if I really was his sister.’
They rode up to the house where grooms appeared as if they had been waiting for them and two footmen came down the steps from the front door.
Then, as they reached the hall, a jovial middle-aged man appeared.
“Welcome, my dear Duke!” he exclaimed. “I am delighted to see you!”
Only as Lord d’Arcy Armitage spoke did the Duke remember that, although they had talked about so many things, including the story they were going to tell, he had not revealed to Ilitta his real identity.
He had completely forgotten about it until this moment when Lord Armitage addressed him by his correct title.
It was too late to do anything about it now and, having shaken his host by the hand and seeing him glance enquiringly at Ilitta, he could only say,
“I am sorry I was unable to let you know in advance, but owing to the fog which upset all my plans and those of my sister, Georgina, I have been obliged to bring her here with me.”
“And I am delighted you should do so.” Lord d’Arcy Armitage said. “How do you do, Lady Georgina. It is a great pleasure to meet you.”
The Duke was aware that Ilitta had given a little gasp when Lord Armitage had addressed him as ‘Duke’, but with a control he admired she dropped his Lordship a graceful curtsey before she replied in a voice that had only a slight tremor in it,
“Thank you – very much for – having me!”
“I was taking my sister to stay with friends of hers,” the Duke said, “but owing to the fog we were obliged to stay the night in a most uncomfortable posting inn.”
He smiled before he added,
“You will hardly believe it, Armitage, but I had a slight accident with my phaeton and therefore had to leave it behind.”
“I don’t believe it!” Lord d’Arcy Armitage exclaimed. “As the champion driver who has won every contest in Britain, how could you, of all people, have an accident?”
“I can only blame the fog,” the Duke replied.
“I heard it was very bad North of here,” Lord d’Arcy Armitage admitted.
“It was and because of it my sister’s luggage is mislaid as it went ahead of her to where she is to stay.”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry! My daughters can provide whatever is required. One of them who is about the same size is unfortunately away at the moment, but Harriet is here and looking forward to meeting you.”
Taking command of the situation, Lord d’Arcy Armitage sent the butler upstairs to hand Ilitta over to the housekeeper, then took the Duke into the drawing room where his daughter Harriet was waiting for them.
As if the Duke had not had enough surprises for one day, Harriet was certainly something he had not expected.
Lord d’Arcy Armitage’s elder daughter, who was married to the Comte de Soisson and lived in Paris, was on a visit to her father.
She looked like an exotic orchid and seemed very out of place in an English country house. Having been married when she was eighteen, nine years in France had given her all the poise, sophistication and allure of the French, which the Duke had found very fascinating in the past.
But now, with his new feelings for Ilitta, he merely thought that the Comtesse was overdoing the very obvious manner by which she set out to attract him.
He thought with a twinkle in his eyes that he knew every move she would make, almost every word she would utter and could anticipate all the innuendos she mouthed so beguilingly.
He told himself he was far more interested in talking about horses with his host, but in actual fact he was waiting for Ilitta to come down the stairs.
He hoped that she would not be overawed or embarrassed by the grandeur of the house and the number of servants that appeared to be everywhere.
Footmen with powdered hair and a very elaborate livery brought in the champagne.
The Duke had noticed there were six of them waiting in the hall and he had a feeling that Ilitta would find the housekeeper in rustling black silk, a silver chatelaine at her waist, somewhat awe-inspiring.
It was the sort of thing that had never troubled him before, but now he worried because she was away for so long before she came into the room.
When she did so, he realised that she had taken advantage of Lord d’Arcy Armitage’s promise that she could borrow anything she required and was wearing a very attractive gown.
Of pale blue it was a perfect frame for her golden hair, clear white skin and large eyes.
Her hair still fell over her shoulders, but now the ribbons had been changed to match her gown and, as she walked towards the Duke, he felt as if she radiated a special light that came from the Celestial Spheres.
“I see we have managed to fit you up, Lady Georgia,” Lord d’Arcy Armitage remarked.
“Yes, thank you. I am very grateful. My brother and I had to ride, although I did not even have a riding habit with me!”
“I am sure that our troubles are now over,” the Duke said reassuringly.
He thought as he spoke that Ilitta would turn to smile at him and they would share a secret that no one else in the room would understand.
But to his surprise she did not look at him and he felt sure that it was because she had learnt he was a Duke and was perhaps either annoyed or shy because he had deceived her.
Then Lord d’Arcy Armitage was introducing her as the Duke’s sister and he was aware that the Comtesse with an almost perfunctory nod was bored by the idea of a schoolgirl being in the party.
“I have heard so much about you, Duke,” she was saying in a soft voice that was like the cooing of a dove.
“I hope it was to my advantage.”
“Of course, even in France you are a hero, especially after you beat the French champion swordsman.”
“That was some years ago!”
“But they still talk about it, just as they talk about you,” the Comtesse purred.
She set out to flatter him and to make sure that he spoke to no one else all through luncheon.
“Not knowing what time you would be arriving, but taking into consideration that you were coming,” Lord d’Arcy Armitage said, “I have arranged a party for tonight, as quite a number of people are anxious to meet you.”
He gave a short abrupt laugh before he added,
“Need I add that they are all keen racegoers and I imagine that the conversation will be about horses, horses and more horses?”
It was what the Duke had expected when he had asked if he could stay with Lord d’Arcy Armitage, but now a soft voice in his ear said,
“Not if I can help it! There are so many more interesting subjects I can tell you about!”
The Duke thought a little cynically that he knew them all, had heard them all and the Comtesse would be merely a repetition of what he had sampled before and always found disappointing.
But, while he made some obvious remark, he was glancing across the table at Ilitta, wondering what she thought of the Comtesse and wishing he could be alone with her.
When luncheon was over, they moved out of the dining room to make inevitably for the stables.
Ilitta went with them but the Comtesse made some excuse to stay in the house.
The Duke was sure it was because horses bored
her, although she must have ridden before she was married.
Ilitta, he thought, was as eager as he was to see Lord d’Arcy Armitage’s extremely fine horses, many of which he had bred himself.
At the same time, as they went from stall to stall and were shown breeding mares and their foals, all of which took a long time, the Duke sensed that there was a barrier between himself and Ilitta which had not been there before and which made him very apprehensive.
He was aware that she never once looked at him and, although she answered when he spoke directly to her, the closeness there had been when they had breakfast together had vanished.
By the time they returned to the house the Duke had the despairing feeling that Ilitta was slipping away from him and he was losing her.
Then he told himself he was being imaginative.
After all, tomorrow they would be alone together and he was quite certain that he would be able to explain away his change of name and persuade her it made no difference what he was called.
Also that as a man he was somebody very significant in her life.
Chapter Six
The Duke planned that he would try to get Ilitta to himself after tea.
It was the usual elaborate meal in the drawing room with a multitude of cakes, sandwiches and hot scones and the Comtesse looked very elegant as she poured from a silver teapot.
As they talked around the table, the Duke kept glancing towards Ilitta, feeling that if he could only catch her eye she would understand that he wished to speak to her alone.
But she was obviously determined to remain aloof from him and he felt that to announce deliberately that he wished to speak to his sister might cause comment.
The Comtesse made it very clear that she wished to talk to him and, as they both knew Paris well and had a number of mutual friends in London, it was not difficult for her to monopolise the conversation.
The Duke however managed to say to Lord d’Arcy Armitage,
“One thing I must do before I leave is to send a note to the Marquis of Buxworth apologising for my non-appearance, although I suspect he will guess that it was the fog which prevented me from reaching him.”
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