The Elusive Heiress (15 page)

Anger at her own blindness in failing to spot what was happening made Mary’s voice sharp. ‘You can’t skulk at home. You’ve got to show your face or they’ll wonder at your absence. You owe it to Kitty.’

‘I wish I’d never laid eyes on the wretched girl!’ Kate shouted, perilously close to losing her temper.

‘It’s a bit late for that,’ Mary retorted laconically.

Kate glared at her and then slowly a faint smile appeared to curl up the corners of her generous mouth. ‘I suppose so.’

Realising that they both needed a moment to calm down, Mary moved away and began to needlessly rearrange the towels she had put out earlier.

Kate remained as she was, staring blankly into the fire. At length Mary turned back to her.

‘Come on, lass,’ she encouraged softly. ‘Never say die.’

Kate’s hands clenched together so tightly that her knuckles showed white ‘I don’t know if I’m up to it any more, Mary,’ she whispered. ‘I didn’t expect to have to play the role for more than a few days. And now…well, now it’s even more complicated.’

Her voice trailed away, but Mary understood. She too had felt the strain of sustaining her own part in this charade. It must be a hundred times worse for Kate. And the poor lass hadn’t bargained on Randal Crawford messing up her concentration. No wonder she was having second thoughts!

‘I know you’re scared, but you can do it if you try,’ she said gently. ‘You’re a bloody good actress and, besides, what other choice have you got, eh? We’ve both got to carry on as normal or give the game up. There’s no road betwixt.’

‘All right, all right.’ Kate threw up her palms in weary surrender. ‘I’ll go to the Masseys.’

She had been through the same arguments in her own mind and she knew that it was essential she behave in the manner society expected of Kitty, who had no reason to be afraid.

Rising to her feet, Kate began to remove her clothes.

‘Maybe there is a way to solve the problem,’ Mary suggested hopefully as Kate got into the bath. ‘You must convince him you are indifferent to him. Crawford is a proud man and I reckon his pride will make him leave you alone if you pretend you don’t find him attractive any more.’

Kate threw her a look of despair. ‘I’m not that good an actress, dear friend!’ she muttered and, reaching for the cake of rose-scented soap, scrubbed at her skin as if her life depended on it.

Chapter Six

One cause for satisfaction was granted to Kate later that evening. When she entered the Masseys’ drawing room on Tom Egerton’s arm, heads swivelled in their direction as if pulled round on a puppeteer’s strings.

‘Said you’d be the belle of the ball,’ Tom declared smugly.

He had encountered Lady Edgeworth’s party as they had been making their way into the house and had begged the favour of being allowed to join them. Sir Richard Fitton, an elderly admirer of Alicia’s, was their escort tonight, but Lady Edgeworth cheerfully consented to Tom’s request.

Kate scarcely heard Tom’s comment. Randal was already here and he was coming towards them!

She was tempted to whirl around and pretend she hadn’t seen him, but taking a deep breath, she stood her ground.

‘Good evening, Katharine.’

Kate’s pulse bumped unevenly. How lovely her name sounded when spoken in those deep velvety tones!

‘Evening, Redesmere.’ Tom’s hand tightened possessively on Kate’s.

Randal acknowledged him with a brief nod, his gaze returning instantly to Kate.

Putting aside the impulse to snatch her hand away from Tom’s grip, Kate summoned a bright smile. ‘Hello, Randal. Are you enjoying the party? We’ve only just arrived.’

‘I know.’ Randal continued to smile, but a flicker of irritation tensed his broad shoulders. Why the devil didn’t she send that young puppy to the right-about instead of letting him paw her arm?

‘Tom met us on the way in,’ Kate said in the same frivolous tone. ‘Particularly fortunate, don’t you think, seeing as he is my partner for the first dance.’ She patted Tom’s arm with her free hand and gave a tinkling little laugh. ‘It might have taken him an age to find me in this crush.’ She fluttered her gold-spangled fan. ‘I swear I never saw so many people all together in my life!’

Randal’s brows lifted in surprise. For the first time in their acquaintance she was behaving like one of the empty-headed young women he found so boring.

‘If you’ll excuse us, Redesmere,’ Tom broke in portentously. ‘I think we ought to make our way to the ballroom, Miss Nixon.’

‘Oh yes, of course.’ Kate forced a note of careless gaiety in her tone. ‘I shall see you later, Randal.’

She allowed Tom to lead her away, firmly resisting the temptation to look back.

Randal stared after her, a frown creasing his brow.

Was he imagining it or had her manner towards him cooled?

Randal’s suspicion grew as the evening progressed. Far from seeming pleased to see him, his elusive heiress fluttered out of reach whenever he tried to get near.

By the time the country dance she had promised him arrived, Randal’s patience was wearing thin.

‘Have I offended you?’ he demanded abruptly as they walked onto the gleaming floor of the Massey’s resplendent gold and white ballroom.

Kate opened her eyes wide and denied it, but her heart was hammering.

Experience had taught Lord Redesmere not to pursue any subject worthy of serious discussion on a dance floor. However, the moment the music ceased and they were embarked upon their journey to find her chaperon he renewed his attack.

‘Is something wrong, Katharine? Have I upset you in some way?’

‘No!’ Kate shook her head so hard that the glittering golden ribbons entwined in her high-dressed curls trembled.

‘I wish you would tell me the truth,’ he replied in a low voice.

Kate’s footsteps faltered. How she longed to do so!

‘You are imagining things, my lord.’

Rebuffed, Randal gazed at her feeling half perplexed, half irritated by her denials.

In that delicate, fairy-tale gown she was as lovely as a dream and Randal felt something stir in his heart beyond mere desire.

He had told her the truth when he had confessed he had never liked any girl enough to think of marriage. He knew that his unknown bride must possess qualities beyond a pretty face and charming ways. Such attributes would soon pall, but exactly what it was he was looking for in his life’s companion he didn’t know.

Then, a few days ago during their drive out to the castle, his blithe conviction that he was destined to remain a bachelor like his Uncle Godwin had undergone a severe disturbance. Telling himself that he was too old to be caught by a pair of laughing eyes, he had nonetheless been unable to shake off a feeling that he had might have met the right woman at last.

The whole idea was absurd, of course. He didn’t know a thing about her life before she had turned up here claiming to be his long-lost cousin. She could be anybody! Her manners were those of a lady, but that was no guarantee of good blood. He didn’t give a fig about seeking out a rich wife and he was more interested in a woman’s character than her pedigree, but he owed it to his father not to bring disgrace upon their name.

None of these sensible reflections had succeeded in banishing Katharine’s image from his mind and he had hurried here tonight, arriving early for once, full of an excitement he couldn’t suppress. But the girl he had longed to see had vanished into thin air. Instead, he was faced with a stranger. There was no spark of animation in her midnight eyes, no hint of wicked amusement in her alluring voice.

‘No doubt you are right. My imagination is to blame.’

Kate detected a faint note of bitterness in his reply and cast him a worried look before she could stop herself.

It was a difficult tight rope she was attempting to walk. She wanted to prevent their relationship from developing, but she couldn’t afford to alienate him and lose his support.

‘Don’t look so alarmed. I have no intention of forcing a quarrel on you.’ Aware of numerous eyes watching them, Randal decided a strategic retreat was in order.

His cool reply made Kate’s heart sink like a stone.

Idiot! This is what you wanted, she scolded herself silently. Remember, you are Kitty, his little cousin! It was a mistake to give free rein to your own feelings and be yourself the other day.

Even leaving aside the problem of her impersonation, Kate knew the situation was hopeless. The gulf between an impecunious widowed actress and a peer of the realm was too vast to be breached. She had no right to dream!

They found Alicia in one of the salons.

‘Ah Kitty, there you are. Young Tom Egerton has been tormenting me the last ten minutes past!’ A flick of her ivory fan indicated that young man, hovering a few yards away. ‘You are promised to him for the next dance he tells me.’

Kate nodded, but offered to forego the pleasure if Alicia required her company.

‘Lud, child, you don’t want to be sitting out one single dance at your age!’ Alicia chuckled at the very idea. ‘Besides, my love, Godwin has asked me to partner him in a game of whist.’

She signalled to Tom, who came bounding forward.

Kate forced a warmly welcoming smile to her lips and took a few steps forward to meet him.

Jealousy raised its ugly head for an instant in Randal. He crushed it quickly. ‘Pray excuse me, Lady Alicia. I am engaged to partner Miss Legh for the next dance,’ he remarked stiffly.

‘Of course, but don’t forget you are promised to us later,’ Alicia reminded him with a roguish smile as he bowed farewell.

‘I shall look forward to it, ma’am.’

He nodded curtly to Kate and Tom and moved away, but not before Kate had caught the glint of annoyance burning in his blue eyes.

* * * *

No one observing Miss Nixon as she danced indefatigably until the supper interval would have guessed how little she was relishing her evening.

‘You are looking quite pale, my dear,’ Alicia announced as Kate rejoined them. ‘Don’t you think so, Richard?’

Sir Richard, a notoriously shy man, murmured an evasive reply.

Alicia persisted. ‘Are you feeling fagged, Kitty? We can go home if you have the headache.’

Kate denied it and declared her enthusiasm for the party, but Lord Redesmere also noted that she seemed subdued when he entered the long salon where supper was being served.

There was a place reserved for him next to hers and he slipped into it.

‘We meet again at last, fair Katharine,’ Randal said with deliberate cheerfulness. ‘How are you enjoying the evening?’

Kate managed a convincing smile. ‘Very well, everyone is so kind!’

A footman appeared at her elbow and poured wine for her. Kate took a large sip, hoping for Dutch courage.

‘Have you ventured into the yellow drawing room yet?’ Randal enquired. ‘There is a very fine Canaletto above the mantelpiece, a view of the Doge’s Palace in Venice.’

She had told him that she admired Italian art, but to Randal’s amazement she merely gazed at him in a bored fashion and murmured that, no, she hadn’t seen it and would he be so good as to pass her that dish of green peas. ‘I do so adore them when they are fresh and tender.’

Nonplussed, Randal addressed himself to his own wineglass.

Supper progressed and Kate skilfully deflected his lordship’s further attempts to draw her into meaningful conversation. The moment he attempted a remark which strayed beyond the bounds of trivial politeness she withdrew, treating him to a display of monosyllabic insipidity.

His dark brows had tugged together in a frown by the time Lady Massey’s well-trained servants brought in the last of the refreshments and Kate felt sick. As a rule, after all that dancing, she would have had a good appetite and enjoyed her supper, but tonight even the almond cheesecake, a particular favourite of hers, tasted like dust in her mouth.

Randal was struggling to contain his rising temper. Why the devil wouldn’t she talk to him! Even when he tried to pay her a compliment she quickly changed the subject, making it very clear she had no desire to flirt. She had denied she was annoyed with him, but he couldn’t think of any other reason for her abrupt
volte-face
.

After supper ended he asked her if she would stand up with him again.

‘I’m afraid I cannot. My card is full,’ she murmured.

‘In that case, may I escort you for a short turn about the garden before the dancing resumes? It is warm evening and Lady Massey has had the grounds prepared.’ A persuasive note entered his deep voice. ‘I think you would enjoy it.’

Kate shook her dark head. There was nothing she wanted more, but she knew she had to resist the temptation. She didn’t trust herself to keep up her pretence of indifference alone with him in the moonlight. ‘I’m sure it is a very pretty garden, but I think I shall wait for an opportunity to view it in daylight.’

‘Katharine, I want to—’ Randal bit off what he had been about to say and cursed in silence as a very foppishly-dressed dark-haired young man came up to them, hesitant admiration written all over his thin face.

‘Pray don’t apologise, Mr Hewitt,’ Kate said gaily in reply to his murmur that he was sorry for interrupting them. ‘We weren’t discussing anything important, were we, Randal?’

Good manners forced Randal to agree.

Jack Hewitt glanced at the taller man uneasily. For some reason he couldn’t quite name, he felt sure that Lord Redesmere could cheerfully strangle him!

‘I know our dance isn’t due to start for some time yet, Miss Nixon, but would you do me the honour of coming to meet my sister?’ Nervousness shook Jack’s voice, reminding his listeners that he was still several months short of his majority. ‘She’s just over there.’ He turned to indicate a plump brunette in a white dress on the other side of the room.

‘I shall be happy to make her acquaintance,’ Kate agreed with a glowing smile. ‘Excuse me, Randal.’ Dismissing him with a cavalier haste, she allowed her youthful admirer to whisk her away.

Randal stared after her retreating figure, anger overcoming his puzzlement.

Perhaps he had been wrong to think she was attracted to him. She could have been pretending to like him merely because she needed his blessing. Now that he had given her his word not to express his doubts to Alicia and they had been seen together several times in public she might have decided her position was secure enough to dispense with his sponsorship.