‘I’m dreading it.’
‘I’m not exactly looking forward to it myself, but we’ll get through it together.’
She smiled wanly. ‘Aside from the annual harvest dinner for the tenants, I’ve never hosted a party before. What if it’s a disaster?’
‘The only disaster I can think of would be a sudden cloudburst, but I reckon Shropshire is all rained out for the moment.’
‘What if no one comes?’
‘Ah, that is the one thing we needn’t worry about. The first party hosted by any Lord Elmswood in—what? Fifteen years? It’s bound to be a massive draw.’
‘More like twenty. Your father had already withdrawn from society some years before his death.’
‘They’ll also be curious to see the restored gardens. You know how nosy folk can be.’
‘You know that’s not true, Daniel. They are coming because of you.’
‘We shall both be on display and under scrutiny. But we’ll be together—don’t forget that.’
‘Specimens in a jar...’ she murmured.
‘Very toned and agile specimens, thanks to our daily practice.’
‘“A demonstration by Lord and Lady Elmswood of the ancient practice of yoga will be held in the music room. The couple will be attired in silk nightclothes. Those of a sensitive disposition would be advised not to attend,”’ she said.
‘That would certainly ensure that word of our party reached Sir Marcus’s ears.’
‘Oh, I have made sure he knows about the party. I sent him an invitation, knowing he can’t possibly accept it—for how would he explain his presence to our neighbours? Who are, as you have already pointed out, an inquisitive bunch.’
‘As the sponsor of my next exploratory trip?’ he suggested.
‘Would that be to Peru, to explore the source of guano?’
Daniel gave a bark of laughter. ‘Don’t tempt me.’ He poured her second cup of tea. ‘It has required a lot of hard work over these last few weeks, but once today’s party is over we can relax.’
It was the kind of bland remark that anyone would make in the course of a conversation, but under the circumstances it seemed to Kate that Daniel was being deliberately obtuse.
‘Once it’s over we will have nothing to distract us.’
He made no pretence of misunderstanding her meaning. ‘We are almost halfway through the three months. We can do this, Kate.’
‘I am not sure that I can. I have not your ability to delude yourself.’
‘I am not deluded. I am determined.’
‘Determined to deny how you feel! I know you want me.’
‘Don’t do this—not now, not today of all days.’
‘And I haven’t stopped wanting you either.’
‘Kate, for pity’s sake.’
He leaned over to touch her hand, but she snatched it away.
‘If not now, when? This halfway house is torture for both of us—and I know it is the same for both of us, so don’t deny it. After today I think it might be best if we put an embargo on any contact at all between us. Do you agree?’
‘I’ve told you, this is not the time to discuss it.’
‘Fine.’
Furious, frustrated, knowing perfectly well that she couldn’t possibly have chosen a worse moment, Kate pushed back her chair, getting to her feet.
‘I have a hundred things to do today. I’d better make a start.’
She was at the door when he caught her.
‘You’re right. It’s the same for me.’
‘Oh, Daniel, I know that. It’s one of the things that makes it so—so damned hard to bear! Do you think it would be easier if we simply gave in to our feelings?’
‘All that would happen is that we’d become addicted to each other—and how would that help make it easier to part at the end of it?’
‘You don’t think that we’d grow tired of each other, then?’
Daniel groaned. ‘What is the point in us discussing this?’
But the last two weeks had been such an endurance test of restraint that Kate couldn’t stop herself. ‘So you don’t think that? How long, then, do you think it would take? Six months? A year?’
‘What the hell does it matter?’
Shocked, Kate took a step back. Daniel, white-faced, fists clenched, was staring at her as if he hated her.
She knew why it mattered—she had known for two weeks why it mattered. Though she’d never permitted herself to admit to it, and she most certainly wasn’t going to do so now.
‘You’re right,’ she said, her voice not much above a whisper. ‘We shouldn’t be discussing this now. I’m sorry. I’m very nervous about the party.’
He drew a shuddering breath. ‘I apologise. If you will excuse me? I’ll go and make sure that everything is in hand at the stables.’
* * *
Kate had spent the last two hours bathing and dressing—an inordinate amount of time for her, which she wasn’t entirely convinced had been well-spent.
Her hair was curled and pinned, threaded with a wide turquoise ribbon acting as a bandeau. The underdress of her gown was the same turquoise colour, with an overdress of white dotted Swiss cotton. It had a round neck, and the full sleeves which were currently in fashion, and was trimmed with white cotton lace. It was new, freshly arrived from a London modiste, thanks to Eloise, who had included a pair of turquoise slippers and a pair of long white gloves with the gown.
With only fifteen minutes before their guests were due to start arriving, she had no option but seek Daniel out.
She found him in the morning room, standing at the window, watching the buffet being set out on the terrace, supervised by Mrs Chester. He was dressed formally, in a dark blue tail coat and fawn trousers. His hair was closely cropped at the back, an effect she knew now was achieved with a tiny pair of scissors and two mirrors.
The scissors were silver. He had bought them in a bazaar in Arabia, in a country whose name she couldn’t recall, where he had met Lord Henry Armstrong’s oldest daughter, who was married to an Arabian prince. Daniel had liked Lady Celia. He’d said that Kate reminded him of her.
He’d told her all this one morning when they had been resting after their yoga practice—the only times in the last fortnight when they had been relaxed in each other’s company. They hadn’t practised this morning. She was trying very hard not to see this as significant.
She mustn’t think about that conversation at breakfast this morning. She mustn’t think about all the implications and the heartbreaking consequences. Today’s party was vital to Daniel. It would make Sir Marcus happy, that they were seen to be obeying his instructions, and if Sir Marcus was satisfied he would permit Daniel to return to foreign service. And that was all Daniel wanted.
So Kate closed the door, allowing the latch to click, alerting him to her presence. He turned. His waistcoat was fawn-coloured, to match his trousers. His necktie was white, and tied in a very elaborate knot. The high points of his starched collar showed off his tanned face.
His illness had etched fresh lines in his face, but otherwise he was the picture of health. The weight he had lost due to his illness was still making his cheekbones sharper, but he had lost that initial gauntness, and was now quite simply a very striking, very masculine and slightly intimidating man.
Kate hovered in the doorway, unsure of her welcome. ‘I have run out of things to check. I think we might be ready for our first guest. You look extremely smart. I don’t think I’ve seen that coat before.’
‘I have definitely not seen that dress before.’
To her relief, Daniel smiled, holding out his hand.
‘Let me take a closer look.’
She joined him, making a self-conscious twirl. ‘Do you like it?’
‘You look lovely, Kate.’
‘Eloise organ
ised it for me, but I specified the colour.’ She smiled shyly. ‘To match your amulet.’
Daniel took the turquoise stone from his pocket and held it against the ribbons at her neckline. ‘It’s a perfect match. Are you planning to be my lucky charm for the afternoon?’
‘I was rather hoping that we could share this one,’ she said, daring to touch the stone.
‘It will be here, in my trouser pocket. Any time you feel the need to touch it...’
‘I will ask you if I feel the need.’
‘I was going to suggest you slip your hand in...’
‘Daniel!’
‘Do you want to try it out, as a sort of rehearsal?’
She had almost forgotten what it was like to tease like this, to see that wicked glint in his eye.
‘Let me see,’ Kate said, rising to the challenge. ‘I think it would be easier if I stood behind you, like this, and that will be my signal for you to make sure your arm is in front of you...’
‘Like this?’
‘Just like that, to cover the fact that my hand is slipping into your pocket.’
‘Oh, dear God.’
Daniel whirled around so quickly that she was thrown off-balance. He caught her hand as she pulled it back out of his pocket and crushed her against him. Their lips met in a starving kiss that left both of them breathless. Then slowly, he released her.
‘Probably best if you ask,’ he said, his voice not quite steady.
‘As long as I know it’s there,’ she answered, following his lead, though what she wanted was to hurl herself back into his arms and kiss him until neither of them could resist. ‘I’ve been dying to ask where you got it and what its significance is ever since I first saw it, but I didn’t want to pry.’
‘The stone was given to me by Joseph Banks, from his own collection.’ Daniel had moved over to the mantel and was checking his necktie in the mirror.
‘The famous botanist who sponsored the expedition you sailed with?’
‘He was an old man when I met him. He invited me to his home when I returned. There had been an incident when we were at sea. One of the men fell overboard and I went in after him. It was nothing—the sort of thing that happens all the time—but the man turned out to be some sort of cousin of Banks.’
‘So the turquoise was a thank-you.’
‘No. He’d had a silver cup engraved, which he presented me with. The turquoise was something I took a fancy to in one of his cabinets, and he gave it to me. It’s not worth anything, but I’ve always thought of it as a—a symbol.’
‘Of your new life?’
‘And the new me. Of which there have been many versions since,’ he added wryly, turning away from the mirror. ‘I reckon it’s time for me to put this latest incarnation on display. Are you ready to face our guests, my lady?’
* * *
‘Nice little mare...she’ll do as a hack—though of course you’ll want something with more range when it comes to the hunting season.’
‘As I was saying to Wycham only the other day, you’ll be rightly taking your time to find your feet before plunging in to society. Good to see a man finally back in the Elmswood saddle, so to speak. With the greatest of respect to Lady Elmswood, all this modernisation lark has given your tenants some very peculiar ideas. Time they were reined in a bit. We’re very glad to have you back in the fold.’
‘Surprised to see some of the lower orders here today, mind. Thought at first you was as radical as your good wife, but I can see now it’s a subtle way of teaching them their place. Look at them—couldn’t get any more uncomfortable.’
‘Glad to have the chance to have a word, Elmswood. Wanted to let you know about a little club we have. Meet up once a month, play some cards...you know the kind of thing.’
‘If I might just have a word in your shell-like, Elmswood? We’ve been looking for another man to sit on the board of the workhouse in...’
‘Good to see a man’s hand on the tiller here at Elmswood again. You’ll be keen to make your mark on the county, no doubt. Luckily we’ve a free governor’s position on the board of the boys’ school at...’
‘Nothing onerous. All you have to do is attend a meeting once a quarter. It’s more of a social event than anything...’
Daniel’s head was spinning as he stood at the window of his bedchamber, gazing down at the throng of people in the gardens below. Almost three hours since the first batch of arrivals. Three hours of tedium, of being importuned, of having unwanted invitations pressed upon him.
In despair, he’d tried to drag the conversation around to his travels, only to discover that the only stories they were interested in, once separated from their women folk, were warm tales of exotic women and their habits.
From the beginning there had, it seemed to him, been a concerted effort by each new arrival to separate him from Kate. Looking down at the throng on the south lawn now, he could see that it wasn’t a singular attack, though that was how it felt. The sexes were clearly delineated and, looking closer, he saw that it was clear that within each group the classes were equally clearly separated.
As an exercise in levelling, the garden party had failed, but in every other aspect it was a triumph. Save that it was one he and Kate had been forced to endure apart.
He couldn’t see her. She was doubtless taking yet another party of women on a tour of the rose garden. Or perhaps, like him, she was hiding in her bedchamber. He wasn’t hiding. He was having a respite from being Lord Elmswood. A much-needed one. His head really was aching, and he had at least another two hours of this torture to endure.
It shouldn’t be difficult. All he had to do was return to the fray, find Kate, and pin her to his side. Then he’d be spared the male camaraderie and false bonhomie.
He’d made an attempt to mingle with the tenants. He’d played men both high and low-born in the past. He had the knack of fitting in and a habit of seeing others in terms of those who were useful to his current goal and those who were irrelevant. But he’d forgotten just how ingrained was the habit of sticking to one’s own here in England.
Standing in the midst of a group of farmers, trying desperately to engage them in a conversation to alleviate his monologue, he’d been reminded, horribly, of those early days at school. He didn’t know the rules. He didn’t understand the customs, the terminology, the in-jokes. He didn’t want to belong to the county group who claimed him as one of their own. But the group he was attempting to infiltrate didn’t want him.
His necktie was too tight. He was sweating. His eyes were gritty. And his head! The last thing he needed was a recurrence of the ague.
He rummaged in his travelling case for a glass vial, mixed and then swallowed a dose of the precious bark, then wiped his face with a cold flannel and quit his bedchamber. This was a mission, like every other. He’d see it through to the end and, even though he felt as if one more hour as Lord Elmswood would kill him, he knew better. Besides, somewhere out there was Kate, lady to his lord, in need of him.
* * *
‘Daniel!’ Kate hurried up the stairs to meet him on the half-landing. ‘I’ve been looking for you everywhere. We have an unexpected guest, and—Are you feeling quite well?’
‘Why? What do you mean? I’m fine.’
‘You are quite flushed.’
She tried to put her hand on his forehead, but he brushed her away. ‘A headache, that’s all, nothing to worry about. Who is this unexpected guest?’
‘Sir Marcus. I left him in the drawing room, but—’
‘Ah, you have found him, Lady Elmswood. I was beginning to think you had deserted your own garden party, Fairfax. That wouldn’t do, now, would it?’
To Kate’s utter relief, Daniel tucked her arm into his, cast her a quick smile, and led the way down the stairs.
‘This is an honour, sir. How do you do?’
‘I
am very well. Bigger question is how do you do, Fairfax? You look a little hot under the collar.’
‘Too much sun. I should have worn a hat. Shall we retire to the drawing room?’
‘No, no. This is a garden party, is it not? Excellent. Then I’d appreciate a little tour of the garden, if you would oblige. Will you be so good as to lead the way, Lady Elmswood?’
‘I shall be honoured,’ Kate said, her heart sinking. ‘We are very proud of our gardens here at Elmswood. I can offer you a walled garden and a rose garden. We can also take a walk down to the lake. Or, if you would like to see a more practical aspect, we have an excellent kitchen garden.’
‘Roses,’ Sir Marcus said decisively.
‘That is the most popular part of the garden—it will be very busy.’
‘Yes, that’s what I thought. Lead on, Lady Elmswood.’
She did—out through the drawing room and onto the terrace, where Sir Marcus was happy to embroil them in a discussion about the disgraceful state of country roads before moving on.
He was inspecting them, testing them in their roles.
Fixing a smile on her face, and throwing in the preposterous suggestion that the new railways would very soon make the state of the roads irrelevant, she edged closer to Daniel.
‘Don’t forget the turquoise,’ he whispered to her. ‘Do you want to check that it’s still there?’
Kate spluttered.
‘You find the subject of transport amusing, Lady Elmswood?’ Sir Marcus asked.
‘It was my suggestion that in addition to a horseless carriage there might one day be a horseless plough that my wife found amusing.’
‘Really? And yet you have quite a reputation for advocating all that is modern in farming,’ Sir Marcus said. ‘I have been hearing a great deal about your innovative methods.’
‘You have?’
‘Shall we continue on to the rose garden? If you will excuse us...ladies, gentlemen?’
The Inconvenient Elmswood Marriage (Penniless Brides 0f Convenience Book 4) Page 17
