A Lady for Lord Randall

by Sarah Mallory

  ‘No,’ she murmured. ‘Although I have no idea what it was we found to discuss.’

  ‘Nor I. You must remember that I am a soldier, Mary, so you will forgive me if I refuse to give you up without one last battle. We have our differences, but I do not believe they are irreconcilable. I believe we can be happy together, and I know I am asking you to risk a great deal more than I, but I am willing to spend my life trying to make you happy. The world is changing, Mary, and I must change, too. I am going back to England, to take up my responsibilities at Chalfont Abbey. It is time I looked after my family. Gideon is dead, Hattie and Gussie are happily settled, but there are the boys, who have not yet left school. And Sarah, of course. You pointed out to me that she is no longer a child. She will go her own way, with or without my blessing, but I want her to know I shall always be here to support her, whatever she does.

  ‘I have left the running of the estates in Mama’s hands for too long. She believes in the old order but I believe in a new one, so it will not be easy, there will be battles along the way. I cannot change the world overnight, but I can give my people education and better housing. I also want to make some form of reparation to my father’s natural children. Flint has an independence—’

  ‘I think he will need it,’ put in Mary meditatively, ‘when he settles down.’

  ‘Flint, settle down?’ Randall frowned at her. ‘What makes you think he will do that?’

  ‘Oh, something Lady Sarah said. And I saw someone at his lodgings. A lady. Softly spoken, but there was steel in her, I thought.’ She flushed a little, trying to hide a smile. ‘It is just a feeling. Female intuition, perhaps.’

  ‘I thought you did not believe in such things?’

  Her gaze slid away from the teasing light in his eyes.

  ‘I am a little less certain now of my beliefs.’

  She was relieved that he did not question her, he merely nodded.

  ‘If it is so I wish Flint good fortune. He no longer needs my help, but many of my father’s natural children have been sadly neglected. I shall do what I can for them. And I shall take my seat in the House. Perhaps I can make a difference on a larger scale.’ He turned and reached for her hands. ‘It would be much easier if I had you beside me, Mary, helping me to do the right thing.’

  She saw the love shining in his eyes and looked away.

  ‘Don’t, Randall. How can I resist you when you look at me like that?’

  ‘You are far too strong-minded to be swayed by any argument I might make, my dearest love, but I thought perhaps that you might be able work with me, to advise me on the best ways to improve the lives of my people.’

  ‘Unfair, my lord,’ she exclaimed, caught between laughter and tears. ‘You promised not to try to persuade me!’

  ‘With your excellent education, my love, you must know the playwright John Lyly wrote that rules of fair play do not apply in love and war.’ He pulled her into his arms. ‘Your parents married to protect you and your sister, knowing the world is a cruel and unforgiving place for those born out of wedlock. I want to marry you, Mary, to give you the protection of my name and my fortune, but if your conscience will not allow it, then I will live without a countess. I have two more brothers to carry on the succession so it is not imperative that I marry. You and I will live together in a union of love and common interests, if you prefer. Only, don’t leave me, Mary, not like this. I want you to stay, whether as my wife, my mistress or merely a friend.’ His arms tightened. ‘So tell me, do you think you might be able to help me, in any one of those guises?’

  She put her hands on the lapels of his coat, suddenly shy.

  ‘If it were possible, I would like to be all three,’ she said, addressing the folds of his neckcloth. ‘I would like to be your wife, your mistress and your friend.’

  He gave a triumphant laugh.

  ‘What an excellent answer, my indomitable Mary. I should have known that you would confound me.’

  His lips sought hers and she clung to him, all the doubts and uncertainties swept aside as she returned his sizzling kiss with all the fervour she could muster. At last he raised his head.

  ‘Does this mean you will marry me?’ he asked, gazing down at her.

  ‘I think it does.’ She smiled up at him mistily, but even through her tears his relief and happiness were evident. ‘I will marry you, Randall, because I want to bind you to me in every way possible, because I have discovered these past weeks how much I have grown to love you. And for another reason, too.’ She put her hands on her stomach. ‘For the sake of our baby. It is very early days, but my courses have not begun.’ She saw he was staring at her and she gave a tremulous smile. ‘Yes, Randall—Justin, I am afraid we were not as careful as we thought.’

  ‘Oh, my dearest girl, if you are carrying our child then you will make me the happiest man on earth.’

  He drew her to him again. This time the kiss was longer, deeper and when Mary next opened her eyes she found herself lying against the arm of the sofa, head thrown back while Randall pressed delicate kisses along the line of her throat. She gave a sigh.

  ‘I cannot believe it will be so easy,’ she murmured, shivering deliciously as his lips caressed her collar bone. ‘Your mother will be horrified by my beliefs.’

  ‘She already loves you for saving my life and will love you even more for your strong principles,’ he replied, nibbling her ear. ‘And I am convinced she will be only too delighted that I am marrying a respectable woman. And I intend to marry you as soon as we get to England.’

  ‘England.’ Mary sighed, then gave a little gasp. ‘We will have to return on your yacht. Randall, I refuse to be manhandled again—’

  He put his finger against her lips.

  ‘You may relax, dearest, there will be no need for me to do so. You shall wear a pair of sailor’s trousers. Jack the cabin boy is about your size.’

  ‘W-wear trousers? That would be scandalous!’

  ‘You will look adorable.’ He kissed her again, heating the blood in her veins.

  ‘Is this wise?’ she protested half-heartedly. ‘Randall, you have only just recovered.’

  ‘Be quiet,’ he ordered, pushing her back down on the sofa. ‘I am going to show you just how well I am recovered!’

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from A DANCE WITH DANGER by Jeannie Lin.

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  Chapter One

  Tang Dynasty China—AD 848

  ‘The mountains are high and the Emperor is far away.’

  Bao Yang had always been fond of that particular proverb. It certainly held true in Fujian province where rugged mountains enclosed them to the north, west and south. To the east was the ocean fed by a lattice of streams and rivers. This was a land set apart from the heart of the empire, away from the eyes and ears of imperial authority. This was a land where a person with determination and a little cleverness could carve his own destiny, regardless of his birth.

  Even a man with a price on his head.

  Yang should have been afraid to return to the city where not long ago he’d tried to have a powerful warlord as
sassinated, but he had connections. He knew who would turn a blind eye and who could be bribed.

  It wasn’t that there was no law in Fujian. Imperially appointed bureaucrats still oversaw the administration of the cities, but it was the merchants who dominated the rivers and ports. The surrounding mountains were inhabited by bandits and smugglers. Wealth and commerce were the forces that truly ruled this province.

  He was approaching the city of Minzhou now by river, where there was very likely a warrant out for his arrest for attempted murder. Or at least for someone who looked like him. To his knowledge, his name was still unknown—for now, although he didn’t know for how much longer. His connections had bought him some valuable time.

  The fisherman at the crossing was willing to take him down the river for a few copper coins. Yang hid beneath the wide brim of his hat as the tiny boat drifted into the city, joining the fleet of merchant vessels and ferries that fed the bustling markets.

  As the fishing boat crossed beneath one of the main bridges, Yang kept his gaze directed forward. There was a guardsman in the lookout tower, but his bow remained slack in his hands as he scanned the water. The arrows rested soundly in their quiver.

  ‘The city guards have been wary of strangers lately,’ the fisherman said as he dragged a long pole along the river bottom, propelling them forward. ‘It’s best that you find your friend quickly and seek shelter before curfew so you aren’t hassled by the night watch.’

  ‘Is the city unsafe?’

  ‘There was some unrest a while back. Bandits, I hear.’

  ‘Thank you, Uncle.’

  Three months had passed since he’d broken out of Minzhou’s prison house along with his co-conspirators. It was dangerous to return now, but not as much as one might think. Any thief-catchers searching for him would expect him to be in hiding. It was the regions to the north where there was price on his head. The regions that General Wang Shizhen had taken over with his army.

  The fisherman steered clear of the busier docks to set Yang ashore at the edge of the market. From there, he moved quickly to a more secluded part of the city, slipping into a public park. A small stream ran through it, branching off from the main river. The walkways appeared empty and the broad canopy of the banyan trees provided cover.

  Moving quickly, Yang set about tracking down his associate. He’d built up a wide network of associates over the years of which this particular official was the most powerful. If there was ever a time Yang needed to rely on calling in favours, it was now. He’d been working in the shadows before, seeding disruption and rebellion, but now this was war.

  Yang needed the city magistrate’s allegiance which was going to require some craftiness on his part. Magistrate Tan was, after all, the same man who was responsible for throwing him into prison in the first place.

  * * *

  Jin-mei dabbed at her forehead with a handkerchief and adjusted the angle of her parasol to block the sun. As they neared the height of summer, there were fewer people enjoying the park in the midday heat, but her daily stroll along the river was one of the few opportunities she had to escape the house.

  She had set out with her amah, but the old nursemaid only made it ten steps into the park before she sank down on to one of the benches in a viewing pavilion.

  ‘Don’t go too far!’ Amah warned, waving her on.

  The woman had been considered elderly when Jin-mei was only a child. Now that Jin-mei was nineteen, Amah was ancient and could be forgiven for not wanting to exert herself. The dear old servant had also become less strict with age.

  Jin-mei was wearing the lightest robe she owned, a finely woven silk in a peach-blossom pattern, but still the late summer heat was getting to her. She wiped at her face again, this time using the edge of her sleeve. When she lowered her arm, she could see a man crossing the bridge over to her side of the river. Given the man was a stranger and she was alone, Jin-mei slowed her step so they would have no reason to encounter one another.

  Unfortunately, he’d seen her as well. He halted at the centre of the bridge before striding towards her with purpose. She should have ducked beneath the shadow of her parasol to avoid his gaze, but she found herself caught in it. Now that he was close enough, she understood why.

  Her heart pounded. She knew him.

  Most of her father’s visitors were grey-haired and uninteresting, but the young Bao Yang had seemed so dashing and full of mystery. He had a gleam in his eye and a half-smile that had always made her stomach flutter. That had been four years ago.

  She’d only seen him from behind a screen while listening in on conversations she wasn’t supposed to be hearing. There was the one time when she’d attempted to stumble ‘accidentally’ into the hallway. She had fallen in hopes that Mister Bao might catch her and, well, become immediately smitten with her. Instead, her father had sternly told her to go to her room while the handsome young gentleman had watched her pick herself off the floor.

  How odd to see him after all these years! She remembered that arch in the shape of his left eyebrow which gave him an inquisitive look. His nose was slightly off centre and she’d always wondered if it had been broken or was it naturally so. All of these little flaws, yet when put together, they created a face that was inexplicably intriguing. She had been convinced he was the handsomest man she’d ever seen.

  Jin-mei wasn’t nearly as foolish now, but seeing Yang again brought back a little ache in her chest. That gleam in his eye was still there, even though they were supposed to be only strangers in passing.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ she asked when they were finally close enough to engage in conversation.

  He gave her a startled look at being addressed so directly. Only then did she realise how impetuous she had sounded. ‘I apologise. It’s just that I—’

  Yang laughed and the easy sound of it banished her moment of discomfort. ‘It is I who should apologise. I must have startled you. I am here to seek the magistrate.’

  He didn’t recognise her. Some demon inside of her awoke at the opportunity. Here was a chance for her to make an impression on him. A more favourable one than she had at fifteen, picking herself off the floor in a tangle of silk.

  ‘I know where the magistrate can be found,’ she said.

  ‘Then I am fortunate fate has brought us together.’

  ‘Are you flirting with me?’ she asked incredulously. She realised only after the words had left her mouth that such directness would be considered rude. ‘Sir,’ she added after a pause.

  His smile didn’t waver. ‘Miss,’ he began, a counterpoint to her delayed honorific, ‘are you always so outspoken?’

  ‘It’s just that I know you. Well, I don’t know you,’ she amended, ‘but I feel as if I do.’

  ‘I feel as if I know you as well,’ he replied smoothly. He glanced at something over his shoulder, before returning his attention to her. ‘Will you accompany me?’

  He flashed her a crooked smile and then they were walking side by side along the river, shielded by the shade of her parasol.

  Bao Yang was flirting. No man had ever treated her with such charm. Her mother had been slender and tall and long-limbed, as graceful as a willow in the breeze. Unfortunately, Jin-mei took after her father’s side. Father was short with rounded features, moon-faced and on the plump side.

  She was no great beauty to take hold of men’s hearts upon a glance. Jin-mei hadn’t expected any man to ever flirt with her. In her dreams, she had always impressed potential suitors with intelligent conversation and astute sensibilities.

  ‘What is a proper young miss doing walking alone in this park?’ he asked. ‘There might be questionable men about with evil intentions.’

  ‘What men are these? I see no one but yourself.’ She attempted a coy look, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. An uncomfortable silence descended as B
ao Yang regarded her thoughtfully. She was no good at this at all. Her original plan would have to suffice. ‘Minzhou is probably the safest city in the province. There are guards on every street, patrolling day and night.’

  ‘Every street,’ he echoed contemplatively.

  They had almost reached the final bridge that marked the boundary of the park. Once they crossed over it, they would be in the main market area. Jin-mei tried to think of some way to prolong their time together.

  ‘How was your journey?’ she asked. ‘You seem to have come from far away.’

  ‘Not far at all.’ Yang glanced once more behind him and then to other side of the river. ‘I live in a small village, only two days from here.’

  ‘Small village?’ she asked with a raised eyebrow.

  He nodded. ‘Héjin Crossing, near the foothills.’

  She absolutely knew that for a lie. Bao Yang lived far to the north-west in Taining County, the same place her family had lived before Father was transferred to Minzhou prefecture. She started to question him about it, but his step had quickened. He continued along the water towards the base of the bridge rather than over it.

  ‘How curious,’ he remarked under his breath. ‘Is that a dragon carved into the stone?’

  ‘Where?’ She drew closer, but saw nothing of the sort in the foundation.

  He turned to her and took her wrist gently. The gesture sent her pulse racing.

  ‘Let us get out of the sun where we can speak more privately,’ he suggested, setting his hand lightly against the small of her back.

  As courtship went, his ploy wasn’t particularly clever, but Bao Yang’s touch was subtly insistent without being demanding. There was a quiet urgency in his voice that both puzzled and intrigued her. In her confusion, they were already to the bridge before she found her voice.