A Thin Line (9 page)

“What?”

“You keep appearing wherever I am.
 
I just thought perhaps you were reading my thoughts.”

“Don’t be absurd.
 
Where is your chaperone?”

“He was with us earlier.”
 
Kala turned in her saddle and looked around.
 
“That’s odd.”

“If you didn’t behave like such a hoyden, you wouldn’t have lost him.”

“Now see here,” Southerby began, but Kala placed a hand on his arm halting him.

“And you, Your Grace, are being an obstinate ass.
 
You know that is a character flaw that you dearly need to work on.
 
Only my brother, father or husband could ever tell me what to do, and even then I will continue to do as I see fit.”
 
Gabe stiffened even more if that were possible.
 
“And by the by, I do not see you in any of those roles, do you?”
 
He wheeled his horse, a fine black gelding, the complete opposite of her white filly, and left without a word.

The man beside her let out a low whistle.
 
“Did you hear a growl right before he left?
 
I think he would have gladly strangled you if there had been no witnesses.
 
Perhaps you should be nicer to him.”

“Please.
 
I’ve known him forever and he really has become an obstinate ass.”
 
Southerby’s laugh startled her.
 
“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, it’s just that you are the first person that I’ve heard of to leave the Duke of Hawkescliffe speechless.”

“Well, you know what the Duke of Hawkescliffe can do with his title?”

Justin held up a hand to ward her off.
 
A smile still spread across his face.
 
“Please, no more.
 
Let’s head back and see if we can’t find that groom.”
 
All the way back to the house, the two laughed and talked.
 
Justin felt like an old, dear friend and she hated that.
 
Why couldn’t she feel the heart racing flutters she felt when Gabe came near?
 
They met the groom halfway to the house.

“Miss Kala, I’m so glad you’re all right.
 
My horse took a stumble in a rabbit hole and began limping.
 
I had to walk him back.”

“Will he be all right?”

“The stable master thinks he will be fine.
 
I tried to call after you, but you didn’t hear me.”

“No, I didn’t, I’m sorry.
 
But everything is fine,” she answered, attempting to ease his concern.
 
She pulled up in front of the house.
 
Southerby had already dismounted and stood beside her.
 
He reached up to help her down.
 
When he held her a little longer than necessary, she didn’t pull away.
 
He bent down and brushed firm lips across hers when she heard a deep voice clearing behind her.
 
She whipped around to see Gabe staring at them from the doorway.

“You truly are following me, aren’t you?”

“Do you want all of London to know the type of woman you are?
 
Do you have any idea that you are the latest topic in the betting books?
 
And the more time you spend with him,” he nodded pointedly at Justin, “the worse it is.”
 

“Excuse me?”

“What the hell?”

Kala and Justin spoke in unison, both shocked at the implication Gabe had just made.

He looked at her a moment longer, ignoring Southerby altogether, then stormed over to his horse.
 
Gabe mounted, and took off towards his house, which, unfortunately happened to be across the square from Dru and Richard’s.
 
When he arrived they could hear the slam of his front door across the way.

“You lost your hat,” Justin commented trying to take her mind off her surly neighbor.

“Oh well.”
 
He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek.

“I’m sorry if I have made the whole of London think ill of you.”

“No, don’t feel bad about one particular man,” she gave the house Gabe had disappeared into a mutinous look.

“I’ll see you Saturday evening for the masquerade?”

“Of course.”
 
Kala waved at him as he rode off then entered the house.
 
She went into the sitting room hoping to find Dru.
 
She sat there quietly knitting.
 
“I’m really going to have to gather the nerve to tell him that I think of him only as a friend.”

“Who?”

“Justin.”
 
Kala saw Dru’s arched eyebrow and clarified, “Lord Southerby.”

“Oh.
 
What happened to the groom?”

“Pardon?”
 
Dru gave Kala a look that bordered between motherly and impish.
 
“You mean to tell me that
he
came over here to tattle on
me
?
 
The nerve of that man.
 
I tried to call a truce last night for Clarissa’s sake.
 
Wish him happy and all that, and now he does this?
 
What is he thinking?”
 
Dru refused to respond.
 
“Are you going to say anything?”

“You really should make sure your groom is with you next time.”

“Unexpected accident.”

“And you really shouldn’t allow gentlemen to take such liberties on the front steps.”

“You were spying on me.”

“Perhaps.
 
Gabe is just worried about you.
 
He told me something about Dewhurst that you should know.”

“Justin already told me.”

“Good.
 
You just need to be more aware, and that’s all I’m going to say on the subject.”
 
A few minutes of silence passed.
 
“So how was the kiss?”

“Nice.”

“Just nice?”

“You sound almost disappointed.”

“Perhaps.”

“I’m going to change and take a bath.”
 
Dru nodded and kept knitting.
 
She went upstairs and called for a bath.
 
Kala paced her room and became angrier the more she thought about Gabe’s interference.
 
How dare he try to dictate to her through her family?
 
He should be more concerned with his own well-being.
 
If she knew of his nefarious activities, how many other people did?

She stormed over to her writing table, and pulled together her journal, pen, and ink.
 
Furiously she scribbled down everything that she had witnessed the night before.
 
She had been going to destroy the previous information, but not now.
 
After sanding the ink, she closed the book and stuffed it deep into the back of a drawer.
 
Just getting the information down on paper made her feel somewhat better.
 
Once the maid indicated her bath awaited her, she removed her clothes and lowered herself into the hot, jasmine scented water.
 
Both the scent and water soothed her body as well as her nerves and emotions.

Chapter 7

The next afternoon, Justin stopped by unexpectedly.
 

“This is a pleasant surprise,” Kala greeted him with a warm, friendly hug.

“I felt bad about the trouble I caused for you yesterday with Hawkescliffe.”
 
Dru had joined them and rang for tea and refreshments.

“Don’t.
 
We did nothing wrong and he should not have interfered.
 
Perhaps I should have paid more attention to the groom.
 
I must admit, I do tend to be a bit reckless.”

“Perhaps that is why I like you so much,” Justin teased.

“Justin, I. . .” she was cut off by a knock and Thompson entering the room.
 

“For you, Miss Kala.
 
Just came by messenger.”

“Messenger?”

“What is it Kala?”

“A letter from Papa,” she sounded both shocked and concerned.
 
She tore into the missive and became as still as a statue as she read it.
 
“That bastard,” she said through clenched teeth.

“Kala,” Drucilla admonished.
 
Both Dru and Justin watched as she paced the room in anger.
 
All of a sudden she turned and faced Southerby.

“Do not leave, I will be back in a moment,” she dashed out of the room.
 
She could be heard running up the stairs and Dru grabbed the forgotten note and quickly scanned it.
 
“Oh Gabe, what have you done?”

In a moment, Kala flew back down the stairs, a sealed envelope in her hand.
 
Justin had an almost comical look on his face when he read her hastily scrawled script.

“Kala, what the bloody hell is going on?
 
Oh, pardon me, Your Grace,” he ended almost as an afterthought.

“No, I couldn’t agree more.
 
Kala, what is going on?
 
Perhaps you should do as Michael said and return home,” she suggested.

“No.
 
Papa only suggested it because Derek bullied him.
 
He more than likely forgot he wrote the letter ten minutes after sending it off.
 
Derek only wrote to Papa in the first place because Gabe bullied him.
 
I will allow no one to bully me.
 
But for Gabe to interfere and think he has a right to write my father as well, the man has gone too far.
 
I will be staying until the season is over.
 
Then I will leave on my terms and go where I choose.
 
Justin, I would greatly appreciate it if you would see the message delivered.”

“I do not know if that is wise.”

“If you do not do it for me, I will see it done myself.”

“Kala, are you certain?”

“I have never been more certain of anything in my life.”
 
I will not forgive Gabe’s interference in my life.
 
He expects me to trust his word, but gives no trust in return.
 
I will see this through and do what must be done and may God have mercy on his treacherous soul.

***

Several days passed since the letter arrived from her father, and she found herself to be no calmer.
 
At least she managed to master a happy façade for those around her.
 
She refused to feel guilty about the delivery of the short missive.
 
Many people in her life had more than adequate opportunity to tell her the truth if they in fact knew it themselves.
 
Gabe should not have presumed to take control of her life.
 

He gave up that right long ago
, she thought a bit sadly before shaking herself out of her stupor.
 
She turned her thoughts to preparing for the meeting that would take place at the masquerade.
 
Both she and the other person would be anonymous to each other, only recognizable by a white rose each would carry.
 
Kala tapped a well-manicured finger against her lip as she worked out the logistics in her mind at maintaining her disguise.
 
Everyone would have seen her as Diana, so she would somehow have to have two disguises and if one looked to be more masculine, then all the better.
 
A knock on her bedroom door disturbed her musings.
 

“Yes?”

“Miss Kala, you have a visitor.”

“Isn’t it a little early?”

“Well, no miss.
 
You’ve been up here an awful long time.”

“Oh.
 
Very well,” halfway down the stairs she remembered to ask who had come to call.

“Lord Dewhurst, miss.”

Kala inwardly groaned at the thought of having to entertain Dewhurst for even the smallest amount of time.
 
She very seriously considered feigning illness when she glimpsed him waiting for her in the doorway of the salon.
 
She mumbled a very unladylike word, but smiled as she greeted him.

“I had hoped to coax you to join me for a ride.
 
I brought my new stallion.”

“Oh, Lord Dewhurst, what a lovely idea, but there is the masquerade I have to get ready for.
 
I have a last fitting for my costume this afternoon,” she twisted the truth, because her costume already hung in her wardrobe.
 
Kala hoped she put just enough sweetness in her words to convince him otherwise.

“I see,” he clipped out.

“Will you be going to the masquerade?” She knew she would regret asking this question, but she wanted him gone.
 

“Indeed I will.
 
Who will you be disguised as, so that I might ask you for a dance?”

“Diana.”