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"At this time," she hurried to correct herself. When would she quit making stupid mistakes?

Chapter Six

"Mr. Mason Edwardson and his daughter, Miss Lycinda," Selkirk intoned from the doorway, and the moment with Jaci vanished.

Nicholas would have liked a few more minutes with her before their guests arrived. He had an innate feeling she had made a slip of the tongue when they spoke of her origins, but he couldn't quite figure it out. He only recognized the flash of anxiety which crossed her face before Selkirk interrupted. With a sigh, he pasted on a smile and strolled towards his guests.

"Lycinda, it's always a pleasure when you grace my home." He lifted her hand and placed a kiss on the back. "Mason, good of you to come." He shook the older gentleman's hand.

Lycinda smiled demurely and swept him a curtsey. Always the lady, Nicholas thought idly before he glanced towards Jaci. She must have mistook his look, for she scurried towards the door.

"I'll leave you to your guests, Mr. Westbrooke." She whipped past him and he almost missed snagging her wrist to keep her from leaving.

"Oh, no, you don't," he whispered before adding aloud, "Nonsense, Miss Eastman. You must stay and allow me to introduce you." He tightened his grip as she tried unsuccessfully to get away.

"By all means, young lady, don't deprive us of your lovely company," Thomas Stillwell added from the doorway as he handed his coat to Selkirk and joined the group.

"Thomas, I didn't think you would make it." Nicholas greeted the doctor with enthusiasm. Perhaps things would remain manageable now. Even though they were close to the same age, Thomas had always been much more the social creature than Nicholas. "What happened to that assembly you planned to attend?"

"Alas, the Women's Christian Temperance Union decided not to allow any men at their meeting. Imagine! And with the outspoken Mrs. Annie Wittenmyer as their President, I fear we shall see all sorts of drastic measures being taken against the evils of liquor," Thomas finished with a flourish.

"She would be right to do so," Jaci spoke up, then looked shocked that she had voiced her thoughts out loud.

Nicholas grinned and shook his head, adding outspoken to her list of attributes. Recalling his manners, he finished the introductions.

"I'm sorry, Miss Eastman. I was in the midst of introducing you. You remember Dr. Stillwell?" Nicholas nodded in Thomas's direction.

Thomas bowed slightly. "Very nice to see you up and around, Miss Eastman. You had us quite worried for a while."

Damn,
Nicholas thought, not consciously wanting Lycinda or her father to know Jaci had been here for any length of time, or that she was anything other than a governess. He hurried on before Thomas said anything else.

"Mason, Lycinda, I would like you to meet Miss Jaci Eastman, Amanda's new governess." Lycinda's eyes widened slightly before she shuttered her gaze, but Mason openly scrutinized Jaci from head to toe, and back, like the vulture he was. Nicholas almost wished he had allowed her to leave when she wanted.

"I must compliment you on your taste, Nicholas." Mason managed to keep his voice low, but leered in Jaci's direction. "At least you thought to hire a young one this time." The older man's insinuations galled Nicholas but he refused to be baited.

"Yes, she is very young, indeed," Lycinda added.

Nicholas thought he heard a note of envy. Though Lycinda was truly lovely at the age of twenty-nine, Nicholas knew she worried about being considered on the shelf.

"Good evening, Mr. Edwardson. It's a pleasure to meet you. Miss Edwardson, you're spoken of quite...often...here at Wildwood." Jaci's soft drawl cast a spell over Nicholas, but he wondered at her words. How much did she know about his relationship with Lycinda?

"Can I get anyone a drink?" He moved towards the decanters set against the wall. Even if no one else wanted one, he needed a refresher.

"Thanks, my boy. I certainly need one. The roads are becoming quite a mess; took twice the time to get here. Don't see why you can't move to town and let your manager handle things here. Too damn far for my girl to have to go to see her intended, and it'll be too far later--"

"Papa, please." Lycinda interrupted her father's rather blunt remarks.

Nicholas felt his face and neck warm with embarrassment. In addition to being short, squat and balding, Mason Edwardson was an obnoxious bore. However, he was also the only banker who had enough clout to be able to help Wildwood in the days when his father had been financially unstable.

Even now, the man held notes on Wildwood, which Nicholas had used as collateral for Cameron's shipping venture five years ago. The spring races and yearling sale would clear his indebtedness, but until that time, Nicholas knew better than to alienate the man. Even so, his comments didn't rest easy.

He handed Mason a snifter of brandy, filled well past the half way mark. The banker became more tolerable only when he was sotted, so Nicholas might as well see to it. He then passed a stemmed glass of sherry to Lycinda.

"Miss Eastman?" he asked, even though he knew the answer before she spoke.

"No, thank you." She gave him a smile but her tone cut like a knife. When he glanced her way, he realized she understood all the references perfectly well. What a cad she must think him, taking advantage of her when he was intended for another.

"Perhaps Miss Eastman has other things to attend to--such as Amanda. That is what she's paid to do, is it not?" Lycinda's voice held a cattiness that surprised Nicholas.

"You are right," Jaci replied, a mischief-making twinkle in her eye. "But you will be delighted to know Mister Westbrooke has given permission for Amanda to dine with the adults tonight. As her governess, I must be present, also."

He glanced from one woman to the other. "Perhaps tonight wouldn't be the best time to start Amanda's lessons."

"Of course it would. What better way to learn than from several older people conversing." Jaci's gaze included all the occupants in the room, but lingered on Lycinda. She swept past him on the way to collect Amanda, leaving Lycinda open-mouthed and Thomas choking on his brandy.

"I never thought to see a cat fight at a horse breeder's," Thomas chuckled quietly behind Nicholas. When he turned to his friend, Thomas added softly, "I like a woman with spirit, and it appears Miss Eastman has quite a bit of it. I'm glad you kept her on as Amanda's governess. It will give me an excuse to come out more often." He lifted his glass in mock salute and Nicholas ground his teeth.

"Since when did you need an excuse to womanize, Thomas?" Nicholas questioned, hoping any sound of jealousy was covered in sarcasm. They had both done a fair share of skirt chasing in their younger years, until Nicholas had been jerked to an abrupt halt when his parents died and he inherited Wildwood.

He would have to warn Jaci about Thomas Stillwell, he thought. Only because she was his responsibility, he added to convince himself. He also knew full well he would eventually have to straighten out any mess caused by having Jaci in his house. From the sounds of Thomas's obvious humor and the looks exchanged by the two women, at least it would make dinner entertaining. Anything was better than listening to Mason complain about having to foreclose on another farmer.

* * *

Nicholas confessed to a slight disappointment, for both Lycinda and Jaci decided to behave and the meal was relatively uneventful. At least from all outward appearances.

Amanda had politely introduced herself and followed all the proper etiquette; speaking when spoken to, using the proper utensil, and not talking with her mouth full. Nicholas was pleased that Jaci had requested the child's presence, for Amanda glowed with happiness when Thomas asked her a question. At the moment, she was sharing her tale of Sir Lancelot and the kittens, to which Thomas laughed with encouragement.

Thomas seemed quite in his element entertaining all the ladies. It appeared his friend's gaze lingered overlong on Jaci whenever he answered a question she posed about his medical practice. And Jaci seemed to be asking a lot of questions.

He scrutinized his friend. What was it about the fair-haired doctor that women found appealing? Was Jaci attracted to Thomas, or was she merely being polite? He scowled.

Since no one needed his guidance as host to keep the conversation flowing, he blocked it out and focused on the two lovely women who graced his dinner table.

There was a wholesome quality to Jaci that made her skin glow and her eyes sparkle with mischief. Her lush curves, though, had been created by the devil himself, enough to send any man's soul plummeting over the edge of control and desire. Her blonde hair was in direct contrast to Lycinda's dark curls.

She argued with him and had very outspoken ideas about Amanda's education, all of which did not lend themselves to being attributes of a fashionable young lady. She was anything but retiring, Nicholas thought, as Jaci laughed out loud at some remark Thomas made.

Yet, every time she put her fork to her mouth, Nicholas swallowed convulsively, recalling the taste of her when they had kissed. Her dress, though demure, didn't conceal enough of her to make him quit thinking about the scene in the barn, her breasts heaving with exertion, glistening with sweat.

How in the world was he supposed to forget that she existed?

He would have to spend more time outside the house, or she would have to keep to the nursery. Either solution would not get her out of his mind.

His gaze moved to Lycinda, who also hung avidly on Thomas's every word, although she shot him a shy smile when she glanced up and caught him watching her. Her mother had raised her to be the ideal wife for a gentleman of his caliber. She was soft- spoken and retiring, and would never consider raising her voice to her husband.

Lycinda had competently run the Edwardson's home since her mother died ten years before, and he knew she had all the skills necessary for a lady of the manor. He found her attractive enough: petite in stature with dark hair and eyes. Her coloring would combine with his own to make beautiful children.

Nicholas ached for a family and children of his own. So why had he become hesitant to proclaim himself and finally ask for her hand in marriage? Why did his groin ache with the memory of a single kiss shared with Jaci, and yet he could conjure up no similar feelings at the thought of making love to Lycinda.

It makes no difference, he told himself. Marriages were made for business reasons every day, and his would be no different. He must marry soon for the sake of Westbrooke tradition, since it appeared Cameron would never remarry. He was comfortable with Lycinda, and they had been friends for a long time. It seemed a reasonable enough basis to begin a marriage.

That reasoning, however, didn't eliminate the acute feeling of disappointment he experienced when Jaci excused herself and Amanda and told their guests good night. It took Thomas sliding his chair back to stand politely at their exit before Nicholas broke from his musings. He jerked upright as Jaci stood.

"Good night, Uncle Nicholas. Thank you so much for a lovely evening." The five-year- old tried to sound grown up, but ruined the effect by grabbing his leg in a hug.

"If you will excuse me for a moment...." Nicholas nodded to his guests as he scooped her up and kissed her cheek. He walked out the door of the dining room and over to the stairs.

"Thank you for coming to dine, Miss Westbrooke. It would please me immensely if you would share your company with me more often." He tried to remain solemn as he spoke to the now wiggling bundle in his arms.

Amanda giggled. "Oh, Uncle Nicholas, you sound funny." She hugged his neck and gave him a wet kiss. As he set her down on the first step, she asked, "Doesn't Miss Eastman look beautiful tonight?"

Nicholas turned to where Jaci had come up behind them. "Yes," he softly answered, his gaze capturing Jaci's. "Miss Eastman is by far the loveliest woman I know."

Her cheeks glowed pink with embarrassment and her lips were pursed as she tried not to smile, but the sparkle of her eyes gave her away. God, he wanted to kiss her.

"Nicholas, what do you say to a table of whist?" Thomas popped his head out the door to interrupt the moment.

Nicholas considered asking Jaci to join them, but knew it would not appear at all proper.

Still, he hesitated before answering, trying to convey his feelings to her without speaking. She dropped her own gaze to the floor before he could read her intent.

"Yes, I'll be right there. Tell Selkirk we'll retire to the parlor for coffee. I believe he has a fire going." He gave Amanda one more kiss before he turned away. As he walked towards the parlor, the soft rustle of Jaci's dress and petticoats mixed with Amanda's chatter.

* * *

Jaci rushed up the stairs with Amanda, thinking she would die from heat stroke if she didn't get away from Nicholas. For a brief moment at the foot of the stairs, his look of seduction had seared her, and she had held her breath in dread--or anticipation?

When she thought back on the entire evening, she had been aware of his constant scrutiny, and although she had tried to ignore it, she had found herself glancing his way more and more as the meal progressed. His dark, almost brooding gaze had shocked her with its intensity, making her recall the times when they had crossed the boundaries of employer-employee.

Only that morning, when she had exercised in the barn, she had become fully aware of his desire for her, and her body had reacted similarly. Regardless of what he had said about her not being a lady, his gaze told her that he wanted her.

The scary part about it--she wouldn't have stopped his advances. From what she read in his dark gaze, she had no doubt she would have gotten much more than she anticipated.

Amanda chatted gaily while Jaci readied her for bed, but she paid scant attention to the child's words until Lycinda Edwardson's name came up. From the very beginning, she had felt a stab of jealousy at her appearance in Nicholas's home. The gorgeous woman was tiny and dark-haired, and she reminded Jaci of a Barbie doll.