The Elusive Heiress (14 page)

‘Ah, I know the house you mean.’ Randal replied without taking his eyes from his team as he negotiated a narrow space between another carriage and a stationary wagon full of barrels. ‘There’s a story to it.

‘Will you tell me?’

Bright interest animated her face and he thought she looked even lovelier than usual.

‘As you can imagine, an old city like this one with its narrow airless streets and tightly-packed dwellings has often been subject to terrible outbreaks of disease. Certain parts of the town are still unhealthily crowded, but in 1605 there was a particularly virulent attack of plague. Only one house was spared.’

‘That one?’

‘Aye. In gratitude, the owner had that legend carved into the front of his house.’

‘A charming story, sir.’ Kate smiled to herself. Maybe she should take it as a reminder to look on the bright side even when there seemed no grounds for hope.

‘You mentioned that you were out walking yesterday,’ Randal changed the subject as they neared the end of Bridge Street. ‘Didn’t Alicia object to the exercise?’

‘Oh I didn’t go out with Lady Edgeworth.’ Kate heard the amusement in his deep voice. ‘She likes to stay at home by the fire when it is raining. Mary accompanied me.’

‘I salute your fortitude.’

‘You are gammoning me again!’ Kate laughed. ‘Actually, I might not have ventured forth had I not wanted to post a letter.’

‘You need not have troubled. I would have franked it for you.’

‘Thank you, I shall remember your kind offer next time,’ Kate replied easily, although her pulse quivered at the thought of letting him see her correspondence to Ned. Hardly a suitable acquaintance for the respectable Miss Nixon!

They had reached Castle Street and the conversation lapsed while Randal manoeuvred the curricle through the confusion that surrounded the building works.

‘Let’s find a good view point. Ah, over there, I think,’ he announced and once he had brought the carriage to a halt, Kate began to fire a stream of questions at him.

‘What is that central block constructed of?’

‘An ashlared Manley stone,’ he replied, happy to satisfy her boundless curiosity.

‘It is very handsome. And you say those wings contain a barracks and an armoury?’ Kate stared at the workmen scurrying to and fro. ‘What are they working on now?’

‘The gateway. It was begun last year. I understand that Harrison intends it to be of the Doric order with two pedimented lodges. He said he was inspired by the Propylaea at Athens.’ Randal saw her eyes widen and grinned. ‘Impressive, ain’t it? But if you have seen enough, I think we should move on.’

‘Oh yes, of course. We shouldn’t keep your horses standing too long,’ Kate said quickly, hoping she hadn’t chattered too much.

Randal announced that he would drive her home a different way. ‘If we go via Nuns Lane we shall avoid the congestion in Bridge Street and it is a prettier route,’ he explained.

It was also a much longer way home, as Kate discovered.

‘I hope this lengthier journey will not convenience you, sir,’ she murmured, gazing out at the greenery of Nuns Gardens without really seeing it.

Could he have wanted to prolong their outing? Worried she had bored him back there at the Castle, she hardly dared hope her conjecture might be right.

‘I wish it was twice as long.’

There was a note of sincerity in his deep voice which sent a ripple of excitement fluttering along Kate’s nerves.

‘Then you didn’t mind answering all those questions?’ she asked shyly. ‘I thought you must be wishing me at Jericho.’

‘Goose!’ Randal shot her a quick smile. ‘This outing has been more enjoyable than any I’ve undertaken in a long while.’ He returned his gaze to the road, but his voice was full of warmth as he continued. ‘You are very good company, cousin.’

Kate decided that he wasn’t just being polite. He meant what he said. A feeling of happiness welled up in her. She had been apprehensive about being alone with him, but they hadn’t exchanged a single cross word all afternoon. In fact, she’d experienced a harmony she had never known before with a man, not even with an old friend like Ned Gillman.

An inner voice warned her not to be harebrained. She had no business encouraging him to form any kind of friendship with her. Her deception, no matter how innocent, made close acquaintance dangerous.

Relaxing your guard might lead to the discovery that you are a fraud, she scolded herself silently. The consequences would be disastrous. Not only herself and Kitty would suffer. There was Alicia to consider and how would Randal feel to realise that he had given his trust to a liar?

Kate glanced across at him. It wasn’t fair on either of them to let herself become involved. She liked him too much already.

A sensible woman would avoid his company. But how was she to be sensible when her self-control splintered as soon as he came near? For years she had wrapped her feelings in ice and now it seemed that Nature was having her revenge.

It was so hard to resist the appeal he held for her! It wasn’t just his looks or his deliciously dry humour. On some deeper level, she had felt drawn to him from their very first meeting.

If she had been inclined to fanciful extravagance, she might have claimed that they were destined to be soul mates. As it was, she couldn’t explain the phenomenon. All she was certain of was that it wasn’t infatuation. She had suffered that kind of mindless obsession with Francis and her feelings for Randal were totally different.

The only similarity was Randal’s physical effect on her. He had the power to awaken her senses and the feeling of being alive again after so many barren years was intoxicating!

I can’t seem to help myself
, she thought.
I want to control my emotions, but my willpower simply isn’t strong enough
.

Just then, becoming aware of her regard, Randal turned his head and their eyes locked.

Unable to tear her gaze away, Kate could feel the colour blooming in her cheeks and knew that her thoughts must be showing on her face. Desperately, she sought to protect herself by raising a polite mask, but her acting skills had deserted her.

Slowly, Randal reached out a hand towards her and gently touched one of the sable ringlets which curled upon her neck. ‘Do you know how beautiful you are?’ he asked softly, his deep voice unsteady.

Kate managed to force a trill of laughter. ‘You are too kind, sir,’ she replied lightly.

‘I wish you would call me Randal,’ he exclaimed impatiently, letting his hand fall away.

‘I don’t think that would be appropriate,’ she murmured. Her attempt to defuse the moment had failed miserably. She might have known that he would guess she was trying to fend him off!

‘Why not? I stopped calling you ma’am days ago.’

Acknowledging this hit, Kate reluctantly agreed to his request. ‘But I would rather you didn’t call me Kitty,’ she added sharply.

It was irrational, but she didn’t want him to call her by another woman’s name. It was bad enough to have to deceive him about everything else. At least let her have one tiny crumb of honesty to assuage her guilt!

Randal’s brows drew together in a frown and she realised her demand had sounded unwittingly churlish.

‘It is a name I no longer like,’ she blurted in swift explanation. ‘I think it sounds childish. Unfortunately, it is difficult to shake off old family nicknames.’

‘What would you prefer me to call you?’ Randal’s frown eased.

‘Katharine.’ It was her real name, but no one used it nowadays. Francis had christened her Kate and the company had followed his lead. ‘I should like you to call me Katharine.’

There was a note of passionate sincerity in her rich contralto voice which startled Randal. For an instant he wondered if he had inadvertently stumbled upon a clue to her real identity before he swiftly crushed suspicion into oblivion.

‘If that is your wish, then I am happy to comply…Katharine.’

His reward was a smile so dazzling that, thinking of nothing but his need to kiss her, he allowed his hands to drop preparatory to drawing her into his embrace.

Instantly his greys shot forward and he bit off a curse as he steadied them.

Opening his mouth to apology for this alarm, he spotted a glint of amusement in her dark velvet eyes. Good God, he was behaving like a veritable schoolboy! ‘You must think my approach lacks finesse,’ he murmured with a rueful chuckle. ‘I ought to know better than to attempt to make love to a lady in whilst in charge of a curricle!’

Kate caught her breath. ‘Am I to assume that you want to kiss me, my lord?’ she asked, recovering. The urge to flirt with him was irresistible!

The laughter died in his bright eyes and was replaced by an altogether different emotion. ‘I don’t think there is any doubt about that.’

Kate shivered deliciously as she watched him set the carriage in motion again.

‘Does this mean that my virtue is safe for the moment?’ she teased wickedly as they bowled away.

Randal nodded. ‘For the moment, sweet Katharine.’ His gaze flicked across to meet hers and there was a steely determination in his smile. ‘But I will make you no promises for the future.’

* * * *

The rest of the week flew by on swift wings. Lady Edgeworth’s determination to introduce her protégé to her friends kept Kate so busy she scarcely had time to draw breath. Everywhere she went she was feted and, although she told herself that the Nixon fortune was responsible for this flattering reception, she was human enough to enjoy all the attention.

Her only disappointment was a failure to encounter Lord Redesmere at any of these functions. Telling herself it didn’t matter was no use. She missed him and could hardly wait for Friday, the day of Lady Massey’s rout, which he had promised to attend.

‘It is to be quite a grand affair,’ Alicia informed her as they partook of a dish of tea on their return from a shopping expedition to buy an ell of gold embroidered ribbon, with which Kate intended to dress her hair that evening. ‘Some two hundred guests have been invited and you may be sure that Lord Massey will serve only the best champagne.’

A pleasurable shudder shook her ample frame as she contemplated the astronomical costs of holding such a large party. ‘I dare say it will be a shocking squeeze, but you will enjoy it, especially if Eliza Massey throws open her garden again. Last year it was turned into a positive fairyland with hundreds of coloured lanterns and she invited anyone who wanted to do so to enjoy a refreshing stroll after supper.’

A little chuckle escaped Lady Edgeworth. ‘A few high sticklers thought it a shocking idea, but it was a great success, particularly with you young ones.’

‘It sounds delightful, ma’am,’ Kate murmured, trying to ignore the wicked voice in her head which whispered that a moonlit garden would make a perfect setting for Randal to fulfil his vow and kiss her.

‘Indeed it was.’ Alicia smiled reminiscently for a moment and then added briskly, ‘tonight, of course, any repetition will depend on the rain keeping off.’

The weather had been as unsettled as Kate’s heart.

Sunshine one minute, showers the next, her rioting emotions caused her spirits to see-saw giddily as she struggled to knock some sense into her reluctant head. Knowing she ought to behave sensibly, she had even tried to persuade Alicia that she did not want to go to the rout, but Alicia had been horrified at her refusal and Kate had hastily relented.

She was still in two minds about whether she could claim to have developed a last-minute headache when she went upstairs to dress for the evening.

Mary was waiting for her. A hip bath filled with hot water steamed before a newly-lit fire and her clothes had been laid out in readiness on the bed.

Taking one look at the ivory spider-gauze which Alicia had insisted on buying for her Kate came to a sudden halt. ‘I don’t think I can go through with this,’ she announced shakily.

Mary stared at her in surprise. ‘Why ever not? You had no trouble handling that drum last week. I know there will be a lot more people there tonight, but you’ve no reason to think anyone will doubt you.’

‘It’s not my ability to carry off my role that is bothering me,’ Kate confessed, sinking into the velvet upholstered elbow chair by the window.

‘It’s Crawford, isn’t it?’ Mary shook her greying head. ‘I thought you had more sense, lass.’

Kate shrugged wearily. ‘I don’t think I’ve got any sense at all where he is concerned, which is why I ought to try and keep away from him.’

‘Aye, you should, but you can’t cry off from this party,’ Mary said emphatically. ‘You can’t afford to. If you do, you’ll offend Lady Edgeworth.’

‘She will forgive me if I apologise hard enough.’

‘It ain’t like you to be cynical, Kate,’ Mary frowned and then relented as she saw the look of misery on her young friend’s face. ‘He’s a very attractive man,’ she sympathised, ‘but he ain’t for you. Keep on like this and you’re bound to get hurt.’

Kate’s hands clenched together convulsively in her lap. ‘I know,’ she said bleakly.

Sensing that further sympathy might provoke a storm of tears, Mary changed tack. ‘Anyhow, it ain’t just her ladyship you’ve got to worry about,’ she said firmly. ‘We don’t need to set tongues wagging about the pair of you.’

Kate shuddered. ‘Please, you’ve said enough. I swear I will try harder to ignore him, but don’t ask me to go out and playact tonight, Mary. I don’t think I’ve got the strength.’

‘Damn it, Kate, the whole town must know you are promised to the Masseys after the way her ladyship has been puffing you off.’ Mary balled her fists on her hips and stared at her friend, shock evident in every curve of her sturdy body.

If she hadn’t heard it from her own lips, she would never have believed that Kate Devlin would run from a challenge. Why, the lass had dealt with every blow that Fate had dealt over these last seven years with the courage of a lioness! It must be the fault of that blasted man! His effect on Kate was greater than she had realised. He had made her want to be a lady again, to belong to the world she had lost, but all the time the poor girl knew her fantasy could only be temporary. The conflict within her was ruining her usual confidence and ability to concentrate on her work.