A Sense of Misgiving (Perceptions Book 3)

by Wendy Soliman

  Paul simply flashed an enigmatic smile and said nothing more on the subject.

  Mary, breathless and smiling, dipped a curtsey when the jig came to an end. ‘Thank you, Paul. That was the best possible fun.’

  ‘The pleasure was all mine.’ He proffered his arm and Mary placed her hand on it. ‘Where would you like me to take you now? Back to your captain?’ he asked, an edge to his voice.

  ‘Heavens, no, I don’t want to look too enthusiastic.’ Paul sent her a probing look, which she found hard to interpret. ‘You really don’t approve of the captain? she asked.

  ‘He isn’t nearly good enough for you.’

  Mary laughed. ‘You are as bad as my brothers. Well, I suppose that’s how you look upon me. As a sister in need of protection, I mean.’

  ‘You are entirely wrong about that,’ Paul replied, in a manner that caused Mary to send him another speculative glance. He looked so dark and brooding, as though there was something he wanted to say but couldn’t find the words. It was an oddity, but she shrugged off his strange behaviour and turned to face him with a sunny smile.

  ‘I like the captain. He makes me laugh and doesn’t take life too seriously,’ Mary said. ‘He talks to me about interesting things, and doesn’t treat me like a child.’

  ‘Is that what you think we do?’

  ‘I have grown up, you know.’

  ‘As it happens,’ Paul replied, ‘I had noticed.’

  ‘Well then, I am entitled to have some fun. Promise me that you won’t frighten Captain Redfern away by scowling at him. Luke has perfected the severe older-brother expression anyway, so it will be a terrible waste of energy on your part if you try to intimidate him too.’

  Paul smiled at her, but the gesture appeared strained. ‘I wouldn’t knowingly curtail any pleasure of yours. But,’ he added, squeezing the fingers of the hand that rested on his arm as they strolled the length of the room, ‘I will not apologise for having your best interests at heart, so I hope you won’t accuse me of interfering if I continue to look out for you.’

  ‘Do you know something to the captain’s detriment?’ she asked sharply.

  ‘No, but I am naturally suspicious by nature.’

  Mary laughed. ‘As I say, you are as bad as Luke. Come along, let’s go and join Emma and Alvin.’

  ‘With pleasure.’

  *

  Flora conducted the countess to a card table set up in an ante-room with a clear view of the dancing. Mrs Pearson joined her there, as did Lord Hardwick and another gentleman, and a noisy game of whist resulted. Flora could see that the countess was in her element, partnering Lord Hardwick, with whom she flirted outrageously. That gentleman was just as bad, and encouraged her. Flora ensured that her charge had everything she needed close at hand and then drifted away, intent upon watching the dancing.

  ‘Come along, Flora.’ She smiled at Sam when he insisted upon her taking to the floor with him. ‘Shall we show them how it’s done?’

  ‘I cannot leave your grandmother for long.’

  Sam laughed. ‘She won’t budge now that she has geese to fleece,’ he said, nodding towards the card table. ‘You don’t need to worry about her.’

  ‘Oh, I have long since stopped worrying about anything your grandmother does. Although I think it wise of the countess to partner Lord Hardwick rather than play against him. I very much doubt if she would get the better of him.’

  ‘Which goes to prove what you constantly insist upon as being fact,’ Sam said, as they joined the dance. ‘Grandmamma is far from senile.’

  ‘Precisely.’ Flora grinned. ‘She will probably outlive us all, just to be awkward.’

  Sam laughed. ‘Very likely.’

  Sam proved to be a lively and irreverent partner and Flora enjoyed being swung round by him.

  ‘Don’t look so worried,’ he said, raising his voice to be heard above all the noise, when another couple barged into them and Flora almost lost her balance. ‘I won’t let you fall.’

  ‘I didn’t suppose that you would. It’s just that I’m not accustomed to such…well, gay abandon.’

  ‘That’s the trouble with religion, if you don’t mind my saying. It makes one feel guilty about anything the least bit fun.’

  ‘I don’t mind you speaking the truth. Since coming here I have discovered at first hand just what I have been missing all these years.’ She smiled up at Sam. ‘Does that make me very wicked?’

  ‘No, my dear, it makes you human. There is nothing the slightest bit amoral about taking pleasure from dancing.’

  Flora wanted to respond but the dance was so energetic that she had no breath to spare for words. And so instead she took Sam’s advice and simply enjoyed herself. At the same time, she watched the other couples and was glad to see Mary in Paul’s arms. Captain Redfern stood at the side of the room, not looking especially pleased to have been deserted. Flora wondered what else he could have expected. He was lame, and therefore incapable of dancing a lively jig. Did he expect Mary, in whose honour this party was being held, to sit the dancing out as well? Most likely he did, Flora decided, glad that Paul had taken the initiative and that Mary seemed to be enjoying his company. Not that it was any of her affair, but if consulted she would not hesitate to suggest that Paul’s interest in Mary, which was plainly obvious, should be encouraged. Aware of the sacrifices Paul had made for Archie Hardwick, it seemed only fitting that he should now have the freedom to follow his heart.

  The dance finished and her meandering speculations came to an end along with it.

  ‘There. No harm done.’ Sam grinned at her. ‘Now admit that you enjoyed dancing and that no thunderbolts of disapproval have smitten you down.’

  ‘I do admit it,’ she replied, taking his arm. ‘Forbidden fruit is always more tempting, as poor Eve discovered to her cost.’

  ‘Well, I thoroughly approve of her rebellious nature. She reminds me of you.’

  ‘Who does?’ They had been walking together in the direction of the countess’s card table, but encountered Luke before they reached it.

  ‘Your brother seems to think that Eve and I have a lot in common,’ Flora said, with a capricious smile. ‘I can’t decide whether I should feel flattered or insulted, although I do enjoy the taste of a ripe apple.’

  ‘Oh, it was definitely meant as a compliment,’ Sam replied, grinning as Luke laughed openly at Flora’s comment. ‘Why aren’t you dancing?’ he added, turning to Luke. ‘You’re supposed to set an example.’

  ‘Perhaps the earl thinks he can do as he pleases in his own house. Besides, at least he hasn’t followed Lord Hardwick’s example and sat down to cards with your grandmother.’

  ‘Credit me with a little sense,’ Luke replied, smiling.

  A loud guffaw of laughter had them all looking towards the card table, where the countess appeared to be counting her winnings.

  ‘Oh dear,’ Sam said, failing to smother a smile. ‘Grandmamma has yet to master the art of winning graciously.’

  ‘Did my clumsy brother trample on your toes?’ Luke asked Flora.

  ‘Not a bit of it. He’s very light on his feet.’

  Luke snorted, grinning at Sam’s back as he excused himself and sauntered away.

  ‘I should return to her ladyship.’

  ‘There’s no need. As you have seen for yourself, she and Archie are fleecing their opponents and having a high old time of it.’

  Flora grinned. ‘I suspect that’s one of the reasons why she pretends to be a bird brain. Everyone is duped into supposing she will be easy to outwit.’ The old lady gave another cackle as she trumped a trick. ‘Seriously though, Sam is right. You should be dancing.’

  ‘With her?’ He glanced at Lucy Arnold, who loitered close by like a predatory spider. ‘I’d prefer to sprain an ankle.’ He offered Flora his arm. ‘Come on. It’s hot in here. Let’s stroll outside. Grandmamma isn’t going anywhere, and anyway I need to talk to you.’

  Flora could think of a dozen good reasons why she sho
uld decline, but she placed her arm on his sleeve and allowed herself to be led past Lucy Arnold and out onto the terrace. A shiver trickled down her spine when she sensed the woman’s vindictive gaze boring into her back. A prelude to the coming winter in the form of a cool breeze touched her cheek and rustled the shrubs immediately below the terrace. Flora leaned on the balustrade and gazed up at a clear sky in which the stars and a moon that was almost full put on a magnificent show. She breathed deeply of the fresh country air, wanting to bottle the moment. Being here in this elegant house, surrounded by sophisticated people who for the most part both accepted and embraced her, was like nothing she had ever expected to experience.

  Being alone with her handsome employer at his invitation only increased her sense of wellbeing.

  ‘What did you want to talk to me about?’ she asked, still staring up at the sky.

  ‘Your father’s threat. I’m sorry. I know this is neither the time nor the place, but there hasn’t been another opportunity for me to share my thoughts with you.’

  Luke was now assured of her full attention, and she met his gaze with equanimity, all foolish romantic notions pushed from her head by the reality of the situation. Of course Luke had not brought her out here with seduction in mind.

  ‘Have you discovered anything new?’

  ‘No—at least not precisely—but I am highly suspicious of Lucy Arnold and her brother intruding upon our lives again at a time when a serious threat to my reputation has materialised. A buried secret that centres around their family and mine suddenly coming to light cannot be a coincidence.’

  ‘I would agree with you, but for the fact that Captain Redfern seems very interested in Mary…’

  Luke snorted. ‘The man’s a fortune hunter, I’m absolutely sure of it, which makes this threat harder to fathom—always assuming your father gained his intelligence from Redfern.’

  ‘I have thought about that too, but don’t see how their paths could have crossed,’ Flora said, lifting one shoulder. ‘And even if they had, Redfern wouldn’t have known about my situation here. I did not meet him until after you received the threat. Besides, if he has aspirations regarding Mary, why threaten the respectability of her family?’

  ‘I don’t know.’ Luke threw back his head and sighed. ‘I keep trying to think…’

  ‘This is really worrying you, isn’t it?’ She impulsively touched his hand. ‘Well, of course it is. I wish I could help. I feel it’s all my fault. I am such a trial to you.’

  He grasped the hand still resting on his forearm and gave her fingers a squeeze. ‘You are never that.’

  Flora fell into momentary contemplation, trying to ignore the distracting pleasure of Luke’s touch. ‘I could write to Mr Bolton, I suppose.’

  ‘Out of the question! I don’t want you encouraging the rogue.’

  Flora was a little taken aback by the strength of Luke’s objection. ‘Mr Bolton is aware that I will never agree to marry him, and I honestly believe that he will help me if he can.’

  ‘Even so, if he and your father are now part of rival factions within the church, Bolton won’t know if Redfern and your father have been in contact.’ Luke released her fingers and braced his arms against the balustrade as he gazed out at his dark gardens. ‘It simply occurred to me that you might know of a way in which they could have come into contact with one another. Your father and Redfern, that is, but it’s of no consequence.’

  ‘Rather than looking at Redfern as the villain, I would suggest concentrating on his sister.’

  ‘Lucy?’ Luke’s brows shot up. ‘Good heavens. Why?’

  ‘Oh, you men don’t always see what’s in front of your noses,’ Flora replied, losing patience. ‘Lucy is unhappy in her marriage, blames you because she waited so long for your declaration that she became desperate and accepted the first eligible offer that came her way. She now expects you to compensate her.’

  ‘Financially?’

  ‘No, Luke.’ Flora rolled her eyes. ‘She wants you. Surely you have observed how she has spent the evening devouring you with her eyes.’

  Luke looked startled. ‘No. I can honestly say that I have not. Perhaps because I have gone out of my way not to look at her at all. I have no interest in Lucy, but anyway, the same situation applies. If she wants me, why try to exact revenge before she has failed to attract me?’ Luke shook his head. ‘It makes no sense.’

  ‘An act of not-so-subtle coercion, perhaps. Mrs Arnold is not confident of her success, which must rankle, since I suspect she generally gets what she wants. However, if she gets close enough to you to have a private conversation, she will find a way to suggest that the threat might go away, should you see your way to…well, you know.’

  Luke chuckled, although there was little humour in the situation. ‘You are charming when you try to pretend you are a woman of the world.’

  ‘Instead of an ignorant spinster, I suppose you mean. Well that’s as maybe, but I have worked for your grandmother for long enough to have had my eyes opened.’

  Luke smiled at her. ‘I don’t mean to embarrass you.’

  Flora felt breathless when he concentrated the full weight of his gaze upon her face. ‘You are not.’

  ‘Well anyway, your theory might be right but for the fact that if Lucy entrusted the family scandal to your father, she cannot then control what he does with that intelligence. That makes me suppose that she isn’t the guilty party since the Lucy I remember always wanted to be in control. It was a trait I didn’t admire and one of the reasons why I never thought of her as a suitable wife.’

  ‘Hmm.’ Flora thought he underestimated the determination of a vengeful female. ‘Then the brother and sister are innocent of anything more sinister than wanting to get their hooks into you and Mary. My father’s duties bring all sorts of people to his attention, and he wields a fair amount of power within ecclesiastical circles, so he could have gained his intelligence from any number of sources.’

  They fell into momentary silence, with only the sounds of music and laughter drifting through the open French doors intruding upon their privacy. An owl hooted somewhere in the distance, marking its territory with a haunting sound.

  ‘Mary tells me that Redfern is unlikely to return to his regiment. His injuries preclude it, and he plans a career in the law instead.’

  ‘Ha!’ Luke’s expression turned fierce. ‘Now I know he’s a fortune hunter.’

  ‘Because he went straight from school into the military so does not have a degree and therefore isn’t qualified to take that step?’

  An approving smile touched Luke’s lips. ‘The same thought immediately occurred to us both, but clearly not to Mary.’ He abstractedly ran a hand through his hair. ‘Is Mary very smitten?’

  Flora considered the question. ‘I think she likes him and enjoys his attentions. She’s flattered by them. But if you are asking me to tell you whether she will be heartbroken if you separate them, I honestly cannot say.’ Flora lifted both shoulders. ‘A young girl in the throes of her first love affair is likely to have her head turned. Even one as sensible as Mary. But she is also aware that she is likely to be targeted for her fortune, especially after what happened in the spring.’

  Luke gave a grim nod. ‘When Peter Carlton tried to win her affections for the sake of her fortune. He was a soldier, too. I hope Mary hasn’t taken it into her silly head to fall only for men in red coats.’

  Flora playfully tapped his arm. ‘Now who is being silly?’

  ‘Well, I’ve instigated enquiries at Horse Guards. If Redfern has something to hide, we shall soon know.’

  ‘As for the other business, don’t forget that my grandmother’s lawyer is coming to see me on Monday. Once I know what I stand to inherit, we might get a clearer picture of why my father is so keen to have me back.’

  ‘Yes, I had not forgotten.’

  ‘Talking of Monday, Redfern has invited Mary to join him and his sister for an excursion to Swallow Hill.’

  Luke’s bo
dy jerked upright. ‘I hope she did not accept.’

  ‘Not immediately. She told him she would have to seek your permission, but I cannot see any real harm in it. Lucy will be there, but could easily accidently lose herself and leave the two would-be lovers alone. Even so, if Mary’s determined to go I think you should allow it, otherwise it will create difficulties between the two of you. She will think you are curtailing her pleasures and feel hard done by. But if you give your permission providing she takes her maid with her, then the proprieties will have to be observed and neither party can object.’

  Luke smiled and gently touched her cheek. ‘What would I do without your sound common sense to guide me?’

  ‘Oh, I dare say you would manage perfectly well.’ She shivered as a gust of cool air touched her bare shoulders.

  ‘You’re cold. What am I thinking, keeping you out here in this chill wind?’

  ‘I’m not cold,’ she insisted, reluctant to conclude their private moment.

  He took her hand as the musicians struck up a waltz and pulled her into his arms.

  ‘We can’t dance out here,’ she protested half-heartedly, laughing as her feet fell into step with his.

  ‘I don’t see why not. Sam chastised me just now for not dancing.’

  ‘I think he meant you were supposed to dance with your guests, not with a glorified servant.’

  ‘I will dance with whomever I like, and it just so happens that I like dancing with you.’

  Flora threw her head back and laughed. ‘I wonder what my father would say if he could see me now. He would be scandalised, of course, although I fail to see what’s so scandalous about dancing.’

  Luke responding laugh vibrated through his body as the arm supporting her waist held her a little closer. ‘Perhaps in this instance he would be right. I am a very scandalous chap, you know.’

  Feeling breathless for reasons that had nothing to do with the exercise, Flora surrendered herself to the moment, feel secure in the strong circle of Luke’s arms.

  ‘I suppose you feel safe dancing with me because there’s no one to upbraid you for your impropriety.’