Lord Melvedere's Ghost (13 page)

Cecily
thought about that for a moment. “There was no love for us, you
understand. Any agreement my father made on our behalf was only
done for his own financial gain. The man he had lined up for me was
twice my age, but one of his oldest business associates, so I can
only assume that an agreement was reached because my father had
something to gain for his business, which in turn would improve his
finances.”

“
I agree with that. Did you object when he told you about his
plans?” Jamie didn’t know why that particular question had popped
out. It had nothing to do with the work of the Star Elite, but it
was too late now. He wanted to withdraw the question, and pulled on
all of his years of training to remain perfectly still and
outwardly unaffected by the careful study she was giving
him.

“
Of course I objected,” Cecily replied carefully. “Not only do
I object to being married at all, let alone to a man twice my age,
but I do not expect to be sold like chattel to the highest
bidder.”

“
I’m sorry, Cecily, I didn’t mean to overset you,” Jamie
sighed, warily sitting back in his chair when she jumped to her
feet and turned toward him.

“
I am not overset, I am angry,” she snapped, stepping carefully
over Basil on her way to the window. “My father was the coldest man
at the best of times, but of late, with the orders he gave us to
marry old men, he had sunk to a new low.”

“
Do you think he was hard up for money and was really trying to
put on a show for his friends?”

“
What do you mean?”

“
That he wasn’t as wealthy as he liked to think he was, or had
some sort of financial commitment that took all of his available
funds.”

Cecily
turned to stare blankly at him. “He always lived frugally, although
managed to afford the finest brandies and foods for himself and his
associates, you understand.” Her lips twisted wryly. Now that she
was away from her father’s wrath, she felt that, for the first time
in her life, she could form her own thoughts. That she could really
and truly be herself. It was liberating as much as it was
terrifying. She knew she shouldn’t be saying half of these things
to anyone, let alone someone like Jamie, but the words couldn’t
stop flowing. For some reason she felt compelled to tell him
everything. After all, it wasn’t as though his opinion mattered to
her and, if the Star Elite were investigating her father, wasn’t it
her moral duty to tell them everything she knew?

“
You were investigating him when you came to the Tissington
ball,” Cecily stated after several long moments of thoughtful
silence.

Jamie
rose and moved to stand beside her. “I am afraid we were and have
been ever since. There are things he was involved in that make him
a very guilty man indeed.”

“
Is he likely to go to prison?”

Jamie
hesitated and gave her a searching look. Her comment about her
reluctance to marry was like a thorn in his side and he couldn’t
allow it to simply go unnoticed, or uncommented upon.

“
I think that you are not likely to be going back to
Tissington,” Jamie sighed. “Whatever the future holds, your father
has been involved in things far beyond his control, and he has now
run out of options.” He remarked quietly, studying her face for any
sign of distress.

“
Good.”

Jamie’s
brows flew upward. “Good? He is your father.” He applauded her
common sense but wondered if it was a spur of the moment thing
rather than deep sentiment.

“
He was a tyrant, and a bully. I have no idea what he has been
involved in, please believe that.”

“
I do,” Jamie declared softly.

“
If he has been involved in any criminal activities, then it is
only right that he should face justice. He made it perfectly clear
to both Portia and I that we were there under sufferance. Our
mother wanted us, not him. He had to marry and was obliged to have
a family. We were a disappointment because we were daughters, not
sons.”

“
Whatever his reasons for having you, you are still his
children. However, because you are daughters, our investigation
will mean that you and Portia will be on your own for a while, away
from your father’s protection. If your father was involved in
illegal activities, it will be some time before the estate will be
released and, even when it is, there will be wills to take into
consideration. Given your father’s aversion to his daughters, there
is little likelihood of either of you being bequeathed
anything.”

“
I know,” Cecily sighed, uncertain if she was glad to be rid of
Tissington, or not. Although her future was now out of her father’s
hands, it was still very much out of her hands as well. As far as
she could see, she only had one viable option worth considering,
and it would mean a life of drudgery and hard labour. “I have only
one option to take, but if that is what has to happen then so be
it.”

Jamie
frowned at her retreating back as she moved back toward the fire
and poured the tea.

“
You aren’t going to seriously consider marriage to any of
those old men, are you?”

“
Good God, no,” Cecily snorted, dropping sugar into her tea and
stirring rapidly. She didn’t usually drink tea or, have the luxury
of sugar, but right now she needed both. The entire morning had
been unsettling, and so many confusing thoughts and emotions were
swirling around in her mind that she didn’t know where to begin to
sort them all out.

“
So?”

Cecily
sighed and glanced at Jamie warily as he resumed his seat. “So
what?”

“
What do you plan to do once you are free of here?”

“
That’s my decision,” she replied warily, hating to acknowledge
the last option open to her, but resolutely realising that there
was little else for it. A small part of her broke free inside and
began to crumble. Staring thoughtfully into the fire, she wondered
if she would be better going back to Tissington to marry an old
man. At least he wouldn’t live very long, and she could spend the
rest of her days as a widow, but she immediately discounted the
notion with a shudder of revulsion.

“
Do you plan to marry, is that it?” Jamie asked boldly. “If I
know Archie, Portia’s days as a single woman are limited. Not that
he would do anything untoward before marriage, you understand, but
his affections are engaged you know.”

“
I know. You would have to be blind to miss it,” Cecily replied
with a smile. “I am pleased for them, Archie seems
nice.”

“
He is one of the best. You should have no concerns there. He
will most probably want to take some leave for a honeymoon when
they marry, and I am sure the boss will be more than happy to allow
him to do so.” Jamie knew she understood his meaning when she met
his gaze directly.

“
I have no intention of imposing myself of my sister and her
new husband, if that is what you think. I am going to use the time
I have here to enjoy my last taste of freedom and then, when I am
allowed to go, I shall venture my own way in this
world.”

“
Where is that going to be?” Jamie muttered, watching her
carefully pluck Basil’s tail out of the fire for a second time.
This time, rather than resume her seat, she continued to stand and
stare thoughtfully down into the glowing embers.

Jamie
scowled, knowing she had absolutely no idea what she was going to
do. Biting back a curse of frustration he leaned forward in his
seat. “It is a dangerous world for a single lady like you, Cecily.
This is no game here. Any decisions you make could have significant
consequences for your future welfare. Why don’t you allow me to
help you?”

“
Excuse me?” Cecily turned to stare at him, not sure if she had
heard him correctly.

“
I said, I will help you,” Jamie suggested. “There are cottages
around here, and I am sure there are things you could do to keep
yourself busy.”

“
You mean, like a kept woman?” Cecily’s voice quivered with
suppressed emotion. She wasn’t sure whether to stalk out, throw her
tea cup at him, or both.

“
Well, no, not really,” Jamie cautioned, realising far too late
what connotation she had put on his offer. “I don’t expect anything
in return, if that is what you are thinking,” he declared
defensively, wondering how the conversation could turn against him
so quickly. Foot. Mouth. Mentally wincing, he wondered how much
grovelling he would have to do before she forgave him his wayward
mouth.

Cecily
slammed her cup down on the table. She was furious at the slightly
condescending glanced he had dismissively run over her. She might
not be the belle of the ball, but she had never scared children and
was passably pretty. His dismissive glance irked more than she
cared to admit, and that annoyed her more than anything
else.

Unable
to form the words she desperately wanted to use to put him in his
place, she merely straightened her shoulders, stiffened her spine
and glared down at him haughtily. “If that is all for now, I shall
be in my room.”

“
Cecily,” Jamie sighed, watching her stomp across the room. “I
need to ask you some more questions.”

“
Later,” Cecily snapped, stalking toward the door.

She
yanked her elbow out of his firm grasp when he moved to stop her
from leaving.

“
Look, I am sorry for offending you. It was a genuine offer of
a place to stay while you consider your options that is all. Archie
is one of my best and oldest friends,” Jamie smiled gently. “He
will want some time to be with Portia for a while, and although I
know he would want you with them, I think you need a bit of time to
decide for yourself what you want to do with your future. You are
more than welcome to stay here for as long as you like but, if you
find the house a bit forbidding, then I was rather clumsy at
offering the use of one of the estate houses for as long as you
want it. I am sorry if my lack of manners offended you.”

Cecily
felt the fight drain out of her, and felt foolish for her wildly
swinging emotions. “It’s all right. It is just that things have
been very trying of late.”

“
I know. There is a lot happening and even more that I simply
cannot tell you about, but please believe me that I will tell you
everything as soon as I can. Right now, I am just as much in the
dark about some things as you are and I cannot contact the people I
need to because of betraying our hiding place. Just be patient,
everything will work out.”

Cecily
felt her lip tremble. She swallowed against the sting of tears. “I
am sorry. It is just that I am so worried about Portia.”

“
Portia is with one of the Star Elite’s best men. Archie cares
about her, so has more than enough reason to want to keep her
alive. Even if you ignore Pie, one of our most highly skilled
fighters, she is in safe hands. As soon as I receive word then I
will let you know, I promise.”

Cecily
smiled carefully at him, unsure what to say. The atmosphere in the
study sharpened slightly and she was at a loss to know
why.

A single
tear trickled slowly out of the corner of her eye and slowly
meandered down her face.

“
What are these for?” He asked gently, wiping the drop of
moisture off her alabaster chin carefully.

“
I am just so very tired of not understanding much of anything
that is going on about me, that’s all,” she sighed, thinking about
the strange events with the bedroom door, and the unfamiliar
emotions coursing through her right now. She wasn’t sure what she
wanted to happen. A part of her wanted to lean against him and seek
the comfort of his embrace, if only for a little while, but then
another part of her wanted to run and keep running, away from the
house, away from him, away from her father, away from all of
it.

She
looked so very fragile, so very lost and alone that he simply could
not stand there and do nothing.

“
Come here,” he murmured, relieved when she made no attempt to
evade him and instead moved into the shelter of his arms. He could
understand her confusion. If he was honest, he was more than a
little confused with the latest events that had transpired in
Tissington himself, but he couldn’t tell her that
either.

She felt
so very right in his arms. The top of her head came to just beneath
his jaw, and he took the moment to rest his chin on the silken
curls of her hair and simply breathe in her essence while savouring
the feel of her in his arms.

“
I am sorry,” Cecily whispered several moments later. She felt
so relaxed, so warm and comforted that she knew she could stay
there all day. But, this was a brief moment of respite in a stormy
sea that was wild and unpredictable. It was wonderful to just be
able to take a few moments out of the madness and simply enjoy
being with someone like Jamie. She knew that he had no intentions
toward her, and saw her as nothing more than a weak and helpless
female who needed help. He was chivalrous enough to offer her a
port in her own personal storm, and for that she was very grateful.
If only she could ignore the tiny, yet growing pang of hurt that
began to unfurl deep within her that someone like her could never
attract the attentions of a man like Jamie.