Kay Springsteen (16 page)

****

Water beaded on the stretch of tanned skin in front of her. Though the morning was balmy, gooseflesh had risen on his arms, but his sho
ulders and back remained
smooth and
warm beneath her cheek. She lay flung over his shoulder like a sack of dry goods, head down, backside up. Below, only inches from her face, water sloshed and undulated around the top of Seabrook
’
s tight, fles
h-colored dr
awers — 
also a meager few inches from Annabella
’
s face. Her heart began a heavy
thud-thud, thud-thud
in her chest. The beat quickly spread in tight ripples through her veins until she felt it in her neck, her ears, even down to her fingers.

His arms tightened around her.

Safe,
whispered her heart.
He caught you. You
’
re safe.

In his arms.

In Seabrook
’
s arms. Again.

“
No!
”
she screeched, pushing against his back and kicking with her feet. The muscles heaved and surged beneath her hands as he staggered sideways.
“
Put me down, you insufferable lout!
”

“
Hold on and let me get you—
”

“
Unhand her this instant!
”
roared a man
’
s voice from the shore.

Beneath her, Seabrook
’
s body tensed and he spun around, dropping his arms. Annabella slid forward along his wet skin. The
bubbling water reached for her.
No!
She kicked, scrabbling with her legs for purchase of any sort but to no avail. Splashes kissed her face. The water closed over her head,
stinging
her nose, rushing into her mouth.
I
’
m going to drown!

Then a pair of hands grabbed her about the waist and hauled her upward. Outlined against the glare of the sun, Seabrook grinned and then dropped her onto her feet.

The
hard
landing forced the air from her lungs with a loud
“
umph.
”
Annabella glared at the infuriating lout in f
ront of her and pulled a hand down her face, brushing off the pond water.
I
’
ll kill him. I
’
ll twist his neck until his head pops off.
She tried to lunge for him but found herself frozen in place. Soaked through, her dress clung to her body and twisted abou
t her legs so she couldn
’
t even take one step.

“
Oh, goodness! Lady Annabella! Let me help you out of there.
”

Before she could right herself, Vicar Hamilton wrapped his pudgy fingers ar
ound her arms and hauled her up
,
out of the pool.

As her feet found solid purchase on the bank, Annabella instantly turned and sought Seabrook. His dark eyes bore into the vicar. Faint redness crept into his face.
Annabella
couldn
’
t help but relish in his discomfort and obvious embarrassment at being discovered soaking wet in just his unmentionables.

Without a word, he scooped his wet clothing from the pond and tossed it onto the bank. Then he retrieved the boot she
’
d thrown at him. Keeping his eyes locked on her, he tipped it over. Water streamed out and splashed into the pool. When the boot was empty, he tossed it onto the shore with his clothing.

His lips rose in a one-sided smile as he stepped dripping from the pool. His pantaloons clung to him, had become nearly transparent. Nothing was left to the imagination!

And he didn
’
t seem to care!

Annabella
’
s breath caught and she quickly looked away, her face heating. Fluttering her eyelashes, she peered up at her rescuer instead.
“
Thank heavens you happened along when you did, Vicar Hamilton, or who knows what that madman might have done to me.
”
Dropping
her head in her hands
,
she
let out as mournful a cry as she could muster without laughing.

She couldn
’
t resist stealing a peek through her fingers as Seabrook stepped into his trousers and jerked them up without a word. With a sneer of distaste, he snatched up his shirt and twisted, wringing enough water from it for a spring rain. Finally, he shook it out and drew it over his head. The wet fabric embraced his body, clinging to the muscles she
’
d admired earlier.

Her throat went dry.

H
e left his coat in its heap on the ground, turned to face them, and cast a wicked grin in her direction — one that said she
’
d pay, and pay well, for her actions. Then he cocked his head slightly to the left.
“
Aren
’
t you going to introduce me to your friend
…
Lady Annabella
?
”

No!
He
’
d heard Vicar Hamilton call her by name. She no longer had a glimmer of hope that he
’
d go away and leave her in peace.
Annabella
moaned again and swayed as though she might swoon.

The vicar clicked his tongue and shook his head. Then he placed one beefy arm around her in a half hug, gently patting her shoulder with the other.
“
There, there, Lady Annabella. You
’
re safe now. I won
’
t let him subject you to any more of his unwanted advances.
”

She lifted her head and smiled at Seabrook, confident she had bested him.

He raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest, meeting the vicar
’
s stunned gaze.
“
Since the lady appears to have been stricken with shyness, allow me to introduce myself.
Jonathan Durham, Earl of Seabrook, currently a guest of the Duke of Wyndham, at your service.
”

Annabella
stiffened. A knot lodged in her throat.

Vicar Hamilton loosened his hold and stepped back, eyebrows furrowed.
“
Lady Annabella, do you know this man?
”

Heat worked its way across
her
face and down her chest, forcing her to take shallow breaths.
“
I… I… I…
”

Seabrook stepped closer.
“
I
’
d say she knows me
quite
well… especially after—
”

“
Seaside!
”
Annabella blurted out before she could stop herself. She pressed her fingers to her lips as though she might somehow push the outburst back in.

Vicar Hamilton
’
s eyes widened and his gaze darted between Annabella and Seabrook, finally settling on her.
“
Is that
true
, Lady Annabella?
”

Humiliation exploded inside her. Her tongue seemed to swell, doubling in size, making speech impossible. The first chance she got, Seabrook would be sor—

“
Come now, my love, don
’
t be modest. We
’
ve been found out. Tell the good vicar how we
’
ve been living together in Rose Cottage, and how you shared my bed last ni—
”

“
You lie!
”
erupted Vicar Hamilton, crimson suffusing his face. He pushed himself between the two of them.
“
Lady Annabella would never— Why, if I weren
’
t a man of the cloth, I
’
d—
”

“
Indeed… she announced only last night that she was quite weary of her virginity,
”
said Seabrook with an exaggerated shrug.
“
What else is a gentleman to do?
”

“
Oh!
”
someone shrieked. It took Annabella a moment to realize it had been her.

“
I — but — that is — I do not believe you, sir!
”

Seabrook
retreated
a step, though not for one moment did Annabel
la believe he felt threatened by the vicar.
“
Don
’
t take my word for it. By all means,
ask
the
lady
.
”

The vicar faced her.
“
Does this man speak the truth? Did you—
”
He swallowed hard and lowered his voice.
“
Did you share his bed last night, my lady?
”

Shame washed over her and her throat tightened. Everything started spinning and her knees went weak.
“
I…
”

Seabrook lifted one eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest.
“
The good vicar is waiting for your answer, Annabella.
”

“
Yes,
”
she hissed through gritted teeth. Squeezing his neck until his head popped off was too good for him. If she had her way, he
’
d die a slow death choking on syrupy lemonade.

“
I… see.
”
Vicar Hamilton stumbled back a step and stared at her. His face had gone ashen.
“
And am I to take it that you regret your… er, unfortunate course, Lady Annabella?
”

“
Oh, I do, Vicar. I want only for — for Lord Seabrook to leave.
”
Why had Seaside confessed what had happened the night before? If the wretched man had kept his mouth shut, she could have convinced the vicar that what he
’
d witnessed had all been perfectly innocent.

“
—honorable thing and marry you.
”
His hungry grey eyes slid over her body
. Crimson seeped into his already ruddy cheeks,
and
he quickly averted his gaze
.
“
Nothing would make me happier than to make you my bride and keep your good name from being tarnished.
”

What? Oh, no! No, no, no!
The vicar was suggesting she marry
him?
Frantic, Annabella glanced around, tensed for flight. Surely there had to be another option.
This can
’
t possibly be happening.

Seabrook pushed past the vicar and settled his arm across her shoulders. Heat radiated off him and sent darts of awareness shooting through her.
“
I might have a strong objection to that, vicar, given the circumstances. You can
’
t think, after I shared a bed with Lady Annabella last night, that I
’
d allow her to marry anyone but me.
”

Annabella jerked away, glaring at him. He couldn
’
t be serious. She wouldn
’
t marry him if he were the last man alive. His glittering eyes suggested he might be very serious indeed. Annabella struggled for breath against the grip of panic squeezing the air from her lungs.

The vicar
’
s chest heaved up and down and his nostrils flared.
“
I
will not
let you force Lady Annabella into a marriage she doesn
’
t want.
”

Oh, heavens! She
didn
’
t
want
either of them! Annabella stole a glance at the vicar
’
s carriage. Dared she hope if she ran off they would cease their arguing over which one of them she would marry and just leave her in peace? She shuddered at the recollection of her mother
’
s
threat to accept Hamilton
’
s offer. Intolerable, the thought of being wed to
him
for the rest of her life.

And Seabrook?
Her heart stuttered.

“
My good man, that isn
’
t for
you
to decide,
”
Seabrook said, his voice smooth but quite chilly.
“
Whether she realiz
ed it or not, you and I both know the lady made her choice when she shared my bed. And you are bound by that knowledge to do the honorable thing and marry us so her reputation isn
’
t tarnished.
”