The Housemaid's Scandalous Secret (15 page)

Lisette faced him squarely, meeting his gaze, even now feeling prey to that hawkish stare. ‘Then will you behave?’

‘Although your nearness tests me sorely, I promise I will try.’

‘Thank you. That is kind of you.’

‘Contrary to what you may think of me, I have been known to be kind on occasion.’ Laugh lines appeared at the corners of his eyes, though he did not smile. ‘But I confess I am not being kind just now.’

‘Yes, I know, and it is not going to work.’

He tried to look innocent. ‘What isn’t going to work?’

‘This blatant attempt to charm me into yielding another kiss—and other such tactics.’

‘I know you are far too intelligent to be fooled by charm and trickery, Miss Napier. I use the only weapon I have.’

‘Persuasion?’

‘Temptation—if I can.’

For all her annoyance with him, Lisette knew it wouldn’t be too difficult for him to tempt her into his arms. She was very much aware of everything about him, of the long, strong lines of his body, of the skin of his exposed neck, tanned and healthy. She tried to change her thoughts, finding her emotions unsettling. The dog that accompanied him bounded up and whimpered and sniffed about her feet. ‘What a lovely animal,’ she said, bending down. There was a note of affection in her voice as she patted the dog’s head, fondling its ears.

Carelessly her hand brushed his when he grasped the dog’s collar to drag him back. She felt a sudden stillness envelop them. Vividly aware of the damp scent of the wet grass, she was still overwhelmingly conscious of the man facing her. Confused, she straightened and looked away. She was irritated by the way in which he had skilfully cut through her superior attitude, the artificial posturing she had assumed to save herself from him. But the magnetic attraction still remained beneath all the irritation.

He cocked an eye at her; a sudden burst of light through the clouds flickered over his thick black hair outlining his devilishly attractive face. Then a full smile touched his lips. ‘I imagine you are cross with me, Miss Napier—for taking advantage of you yesterday.’

‘And the time before that,’ she said with sudden impudent defiance as she tried to fight the power of his charm. He seemed amused as he studied her. She saw the twinkle in his eye, the twist of humour about his beautiful mouth.

‘I don’t recall you raising any objections to my kissing you at the time. There are more discomforting and less civilised experiences than kissing, Miss Napier.’

‘And you would know that, would you, Colonel Montague?’

‘I know that in a smart gathering of civilised beings, there run many dangerous and treacherous undercurrents, like dark, bottomless pools. The women, with their little jealousies and intrigues, have much warmongering amongst them, weaving webs of deceit.’

‘And what are the gentlemen doing while the ladies are warmongering, Colonel?’

‘Trying to better the next man, with their pious, self-righteous condemnation.’

Lisette was surprised at his speech, at the cynicism of its content, then, seeing the teasing expression in his startling blue eyes, allowed the rich peals of laughter to escape from her throat.

‘I do believe you jest with me, Colonel—quite an unexpected pleasure from one of such rank as yourself.’

He stared at her, liking the sound of her laughter. ‘I am glad you see it as a pleasure, Miss Napier. You see I am not an ogre. You should know that by now.’

‘I never thought you were.’

‘And good manners would prevent you from saying so.’

‘No, sir. The fact that you are my employer,’ she replied candidly. ‘Should I verbally abuse you in such a manner, I would find myself without a job, which is why, where you are concerned, I must tread with caution—even if you are unmannerly at times,’ she added, the little smile playing about her lips mischievous.

Quite undaunted, a dazzling smile broke the determined line of his mouth and he stepped closer to her, looking down into her lovely, upturned face and capturing her eyes. ‘Why? Because I stole a kiss or two? I never pretend to be anything other than what I am, but you, Miss Napier, are indeed a most attractive woman.’

Vividly conscious of her proximity to him, Lisette again placed a hand on his chest to hold him back before he could realise just how much he affected her. ‘You’re not going to kiss me again, are you, Colonel?’

Ross glanced down at the small, delicate hand laid upon his chest—heat was seeping through his clothes, desire already tightening his loins—and that with only her hand upon his chest. ‘Reluctantly no—not unless you want me to. If so, I would willingly oblige.’

She sent him an admonishing look and dropped her hand. ‘I have no doubt that you would, but no. It is not appropriate. Besides, it has almost stopped raining. I really should be getting back. Your sister will wonder where I have got to.’

‘I will walk with you.’

‘No—I would prefer it if you didn’t.’ She was quick to reply. ‘Should we be seen together by any one of the servants, they would assume that I have caught your eye and that I dally where I should not.’ She straightened her bonnet and stepped into the open. ‘Now, I must be on my way so I will bid you good day, sir.’

* * *

Araminta was in a frenzied state of excitement as she paced her room waiting for the reply to her letter to Antony Bennington. It was just before luncheon when the reply was delivered directly to her. Tearing it open she held her breath as she read her beloved’s words.

‘Well?’ Lisette asked, unable to bear the suspense a moment longer. ‘What does he say?’

‘Oh, Lisette, he wants to meet me tomorrow.’

‘Where? Is he to come here?’

‘Oh, no, that would never do. He asks me to meet him at the Dog and Partridge Inn on the Manchester Road.’

Lisette was more than a little scandalised to think that Lord Bennington should have suggested such a thing. ‘And how far is that?’

‘About five miles.’

‘But you can’t possibly. And anyway, it’s out of the question that you go alone.’

‘Of course I must. I refuse to have a groom tagging along watching everything I do and reporting back to Ross.’ Araminta held the note to her breast and closed her eyes, whirling and twirling around the room. ‘Oh, Lisette, just think. This time tomorrow Antony and I will be together. I can’t wait to see him.’ On seeing Lisette’s frown of disapproval she scowled. ‘I’m going, Lisette, and nothing you can say will put me off.’

Seeing the stubborn set of Araminta’s chin, Lisette switched her tactics. ‘Miss Araminta, please—think of your brother. What will he say if he finds out?’

Araminta hesitated, feeling the force of her brother’s unwaveringly cold stare as if it were this minute focused upon her. She drew a long breath, then expelled it slowly. ‘I am going, Lisette, and that is that. Not a word to anyone. I shall be back long before dinner. This morning’s ride has given me an appetite. After luncheon I want you to get your bonnet and we will take a walk. I’m far too excited to remain cooped up in the house all day.’

Often when Araminta was on edge, irritable over nothing, bored and inclined to sigh with tedious regularity, Lisette would get their coats and bonnets and together they would walk into nearby Castonbury village to browse in the shops or climb the hills to take in the breathtaking views.

The terrain on the hillsides was often difficult, hostile to those unused to it, but Lisette loved it and felt the weight of her spirits lighten. She loved the freedom, the wind blowing off the moors and the scattered sheep and the rain that came from the west, the clouds breaking above the peaks that separated Derbyshire from Yorkshire.

The morning’s rain had blown away, so it was windy but warm and sunny when they set out for their walk that afternoon. It had been Lisette’s turn to choose the direction they would take today and she had chosen to walk round the lake. Araminta was in blue, the colour of speedwell, her bonnet perched on the back of her head, allowing the arrangement of her ringlets to be seen.

While they remained in full view of the house they walked as sedately as possible, but with the precincts of the house behind them, the decorum was thrown off. Picking up their skirts, they ran along the path before leaving it and winding their way through the trees. At one point, quite breathless, they stopped with their backs leaning against a tree and looked up through the branches that showed a spattering of blue.

‘How lovely,’ Araminta remarked, her eyes shining and her face flushed from her exertions.

‘Why is it that running is considered most unladylike?’ Lisette said. ‘Men run, so why not women?’

‘I don’t know, but it’s fun. Come along, Lisette, I’ll race you to the bridge.’

It was their girlish laughter ringing out from across the lake that drew the attention of the two riders. They were completely unaware that they were being watched by two gentleman on horseback who had been checking on the work being done in the park and paused on their way back to the stables to observe the two girls.

‘That girl with Araminta, Ross. Who is she?’ Giles enquired with a curious frown.

‘Lisette Napier. Araminta’s maid.’

‘The girl from India?’

Ross glanced at him. ‘You know?’

Giles gave him a wry look. ‘This is Castonbury, Ross. Nothing is secret, as you know. Araminta tells me you both arrived at the same time in London.’

‘True. We sailed from India with the East India fleet. She was on the
Portland
. Miss Napier’s parents died of the cholera out there. Without means she was forced to seek employment.’

‘She’s an attractive girl. I expect there isn’t a male servant either indoors or out who wouldn’t like to get to know her better. By the way, I think you should know that Father received a letter from Alicia.’

Ross turned and looked at him. ‘I see. Have you communicated with her since I saw her?’

‘No. I meant to, but with Father being like he is, he forbade it until he has given the matter more thought. I’ve told him that we can’t go on avoiding the issue forever. She isn’t going to go away and something has to be done about the child.’

‘What does she want?’

Giles gave him a wry look. ‘Money. What else? She states that she is quite destitute and she will soon have to move out of her lodgings unless her situation changes for the better. Of course, she put great emphasis on the child, stressing that it isn’t right that Jamie’s son is being kept in abject poverty when he is heir to such a vast estate as Castonbury Park.’

‘If she is indeed Jamie’s widow, then she does have a point. On the other hand, until we hear from Harry you might be wise to stall her a while longer.’

‘I know. And until Father agrees to it, I cannot give her a penny piece.’

They fell silent and continued to watch as Araminta and Miss Napier headed for the bridge that spanned the narrow part of the upper and lower lakes. Suddenly the wind gusted strongly, loosening the bow that kept Miss Napier’s purple bonnet in place and whipping it from her head.

‘Oh, my goodness,’ Lisette shrieked, decorum forgotten as she watched it soar into the air and be carried by the wind towards the lake. Indeed, even if decorum had been remembered it would have been ignored, for the sheer joy of running had her in its grip as she sprinted like a whippet towards the bridge with Araminta in pursuit of her bonnet.

The two girls paused in the middle of the bridge to look down with variable degrees of interest at the cascade of water that flowed from one lake to the next. The bonnet was bobbing about on the swirling water. Without thought, and certainly with no concern for what she was about to do, with the agility of a mountain goat, Lisette ran off the bridge to the water’s edge. Kicking off her shoes and bunching up her skirts, she waded into the water towards the bonnet. Araminta followed, her face split into a huge grin of enjoyment, shouting her encouragement in a most unladylike way, wishing it were she who had the pluck to kick off her shoes to forge into the lake.

Ross and Giles stared in astonishment. Giles’s face was a study of mixed emotions—incredulity and amusement, indicating that he’d never seen the like before. But as Ross watched Lisette wade towards the swirling water beneath the fast-flowing cascade, his expression turned rock hard as a suspended memory broke free and he recalled another time, another place and a raging river.

‘Oh, my God! The little fool!’

His breath left his body and immediately he vaulted out of the saddle, already stripping off his jacket as he broke into a run, racing towards the bridge, more frightened than he had ever been in his life. In the space of one second, rage replaced his fear—rage that she had terrified him with her stupid recklessness.

Reaching out for her precious bonnet, the water from the cascade sprayed up in a shimmer into Lisette’s face. As her fingers made contact with it, the wind was loosening the pins that held her hair in place, and she stumbled. Regaining her balance she turned to laugh in dismay as her skirts slipped from her clutching fingers, trailing in the water, her plait snaking loose and falling down her back.

‘Goodness, it’s cold,’ she gasped. Reaching the bank she stumbled and slithered on the smooth mossy stones beneath the water. From nowhere a shadow appeared or so it seemed. She looked up, her eyes like stars in her face flushed with joyful laughter.

‘What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ Ross demanded. With long, powerful strides he swooped down on her like Satan in his entire frightening wrath. The sound of her voice broke his angry reasoning, and with it went the terrible speculation, which for several moments had filled him with panic. It was as though something infinitely precious had been restored to him.

‘You little fool! You stupid girl! You could have drowned.’ Lisette lifted her head and blithely looked at him with that long, unblinking stare of hers, seeing the concern in his eyes. A smile was on her soft mouth, her colour gloriously high. But what Ross noticed, as he gazed at her, was the look in those liquid amber eyes. They were imploring him to soften, to smile at her. His mindless terror gave way and his expression softened.

Lisette stepped from the water, letting her skirts fall and slipping her wet stocking feet into her shoes. ‘I’m sorry if I frightened you. I only went in to retrieve my bonnet. I wasn’t in any danger.’