Regina Scott (8 page)

He put his hand to his neck and grimaced. “Fustian! Ah, well. A small price to pay for a glorious morning.”

But when they’d made their way back to the carriage, Lady Phoebe and her horse were nowhere in sight. His groom, who had been walking the carriage horses along the shore, was surprised to find her gone, as well.

“Confound the girl!” Chase climbed onto the carriage step and craned his neck to look in all directions. “Phoebe! Phoebe Dearborn, answer me!”

Gulls rocketed up from the sands, but nothing else moved along the shore. Where was Lady Phoebe?

“She can’t have gone far,” Meredee reasoned. “Perhaps if you go north and I go south, we’ll find her faster.”

“Excellent plan. Perkins, stay here in case she returns.” Chase jumped down from the carriage and strode off up the beach, his shouts echoing back to her.

Did he have cause for such concern? They’d seen no one all morning except a few fishermen heading out to sea. Was it truly more dangerous here than she’d thought? Then why agree to let her set off alone?

Keeping her stick close, she headed to the south, calling the girl’s name. She heard no answer, but soon
she saw the clear indentation of a horseshoe in the sand at the edge of the bush where the cliff broke in a wooded ravine. Why had Lady Phoebe gone that way? Had something piqued her curiosity?

Glancing back, Meredee found that she could no longer see Perkins or Chase. Perhaps she should simply find Lady Phoebe and return as soon as possible.

The bush was broken and trampled as if a horse had recently come through it. She easily followed the trail along a little creek that bubbled down the bed of the ravine. Trees crowded on either side, cutting off the sun and wrapping Meredee in twilight. She was glad when, a moment later, the path opened into a small clearing. As Meredee ducked under tree limbs into the space, Lady Phoebe wheeled her horse to face her.

“Oh, Meredee,” she cried, eyes wide. “You gave me such a fright!”

“And you gave your brother a fright by disappearing like this,” Meredee countered, straightening.

“I’m sorry, but it was the only way.” She beamed at Meredee. “You see, he does return my affections!”

For a moment, Meredee could only stare at her, confused, then the girl’s meaning burst upon her. Phoebe wasn’t alone. She hadn’t come to the clearing out of curiosity. She’d come to meet a man.

The man Chase Dearborn had dragged his sister to Scarborough to escape was here, now. Meredee took
a step away and felt the bush at her back. The fellow had to be watching her. Her muscles tensed, demanding that she run, escape.

She put out a hand. “Come with me, Phoebe. Please. There must be a better way.”

“But you needn’t be afraid,” Phoebe assured her. “He’d never hurt you of all people.”

The bushes rustled behind the girl, and Meredee clutched her staff. A tall fellow with an impossibly red coat and purple trousers stepped into the clearing, his cravat tied in a complicated fold.

“Hello, sister,” Algernon said.

“A
lgernon!” Meredee cried, taking a step toward him. “What have you done!”

“Nothing terrible!” Lady Phoebe protested before Meredee’s stepbrother could respond. “He followed me here. Don’t you see? He loves me!”

Algernon had the good sense to look abashed. “I fear it’s bellows to mend. One look at my lass, and I was lost.”

Meredee wanted to grab her stepbrother by the arm and drag him fully into the light. “Then why run away to Scarborough? Why not speak to Lord Allyndale, and tell him your intentions are honorable?”

“I did!”

“And?” Meredee challenged.

Algernon hung his head. “And that’s when he told me if he ever saw my face again, I could expect a call from his seconds.”

“You see what a bully my brother has become, Meredee?” Lady Phoebe cried.

Meredee wasn’t sure what she saw. Was this why Chase kept his sister so close? Did he expect Algernon to follow her, to sneak behind his back in this detestable manner? What did that say for her stepbrother?

“I still believe your brother has your best interests at heart, Lady Phoebe,” she insisted. “Can you say the same, Algernon?”

Her stepbrother clapped a hand to the chest of his crimson jacket. Even in subterfuge he remained true to his fashion sense. It was a wonder they hadn’t spotted him following them!

“Me?” he protested. “I have the very best of intentions, I promise you! I’d like nothing better than to marry the girl!”

Lady Phoebe squealed, then had to spend a moment getting her horse back under control, as Algernon clucked in obvious admiration.

Dear Lord, neither of them has the sense of a cricket! Give me the words to dissuade them.

In the distance, Meredee heard Chase’s voice. He still called his sister’s name, but now it alternated with hers.

“We must go,” she said. “Algernon, return to the inn. I cannot imagine that Lord Allyndale would want to discuss anything with you now. Lady Phoebe, come with me.”

“You will ask me to marry you again properly, won’t you, Algernon?” the girl begged as he started back to where his horse was evidently waiting.

“I’d like to see anyone stop me,” he proclaimed, then winced as Chase yelled, close at hand. “Think of me often?”

“Every moment,” Lady Phoebe pledged, eyes shining with fervor.

“Go!” Meredee ordered, pointing to the bush. Algernon scrambled out of the clearing.

Lady Phoebe heaved a maidenly sigh but showed no interest in budging beyond the spot where she could watch Algernon’s retreating back. Meredee snatched the reins from her hands and pulled the horse forward. “This way. Now.”

“You begin to sound like my brother,” Lady Phoebe complained, but she suffered herself to be led to the beach.

Chase met them at the edge of the ravine. Sweat shone along his face, dampening his hair to brown. “What’s happened?” he demanded, taking Lady Phoebe’s reins from Meredee. “Phoebe, are you all right?”

His sister waved a hand. “I’m fine. I was merely looking for some fresh water for my horse. It is terribly hot out here.”

“You should have told us or Perkins,” Chase replied, and Meredee could see a muscle working in
his jaw as if he were clamping his teeth between comments. “It isn’t safe for you to wander off.”

Lady Phoebe sighed and sagged in her seat. “Oh, I know. I shudder to think what would have happened if Meredee hadn’t come upon me. I might never have found my way back to the carriage.”

Chase paled at that, but Meredee shook her head. “Nonsense. You’d merely have turned your horse and followed your own trail back to the beach.”

Lady Phoebe perked up. “Oh, of course! How silly of me. Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Why indeed?” Chase muttered between clenched teeth. He handed the reins back to her and pointed to the north. “There’s a deeper stream of water coming from the cliffs along there. I suggest you see to your horse and then return to the coach. That is, if you think you can find it.”

Meredee cringed at the sarcastic tone, but his sister peered down the shore. “Oh, yes. I should be able to see you from there. Back in a bit.” She clucked to her horse and started down the sand.

What was wrong with the girl? Meredee could not believe she was so scatterbrained. Was it all a performance for Chase? But why? Surely Lady Phoebe knew that the more helpless she seemed, the more her brother worked at protecting her.

“We should start back,” he said with a frown toward the trees. Meredee glanced that way as well, afraid she’d see a telltale red coat among the green.
But Algernon had apparently decamped, for all she saw were the trees waving in the breeze.

“I believe you’re right, my lord,” she said, then turned to follow him back toward the coach. It was not until they’d reached the carriage that she realized he hadn’t protested the use of his title over his name.

She put away her things as Perkins watered the carriage horses and Chase collected his sister. Then they set off back up the draw to the main road.

“I regret we couldn’t find your shell,” Chase said to Meredee as the carriage bumped over the rough road. “Thank you for understanding about Phoebe.”

But she didn’t understand—not completely. She could certainly see that if his sister refused to show any good sense, he had little choice but to try to save her from herself. The burden was obvious, even for him, yet Phoebe made no move to correct his impression and ease his concerns. Even now she seemed oblivious to the fact that she had distressed him.

“Why must we hurry?” Phoebe complained from her saddle as they rolled along the main road. “It’s a lovely day, and everything is so delightful! There’s not another soul for miles! We could be the only people in the Empire.”

“Nonsense,” Chase called back. “There’s a fellow on the road ahead of us. I’ve spotted his red coat twice on a straightaway.”

Meredee glanced over to Lady Phoebe and saw
the same alarm on her face. The girl shook herself and reined in. “Well, I’m not going another step,” she called after the retreating carriage. “You promised me a picnic!”

Chase pulled his horses to a stop. He sat perfectly still for a moment as if putting a similar rein on his temper, then turned to meet Meredee’s concerned gaze. “Do you mind?”

He looked so tight and overdrawn she would have one anything to return him to the eager fellow who had hunted shells with her that morning. “Not at all,” she assured him. “A picnic would be delightful, and it would be a shame to waste the food you brought. An old friend of the family, Mr. Openshaw, owns a field up ahead on the right. I’m sure he won’t mind if we use it.”

“Perfect!” Lady Phoebe said, sunny mood miraculously restored. “I’ll meet you there.” With a cry, she urged her horse into a gallop and shot past them.

Chase’s face was grim as he turned toward the front of the carriage again. “I must apologize for my sister,” he said as they started off. “She frequently acts without thinking.”

“The trait can be endearing,” Meredee offered.

“Or annoying.” He cast her a quick glance. “Forgive me for forcing you from the shore, Meredee. You are the one bright spot in this day.”

Her heart lightened inside her. The feeling only
strengthened as he brought the carriage to a gentle stop beside the grassy field.

They were high enough above Scarborough that she could see over the fields and out into the North Sea. Clouds floated on the horizon, their puffs like the billowing sails of ships plying the waters of the bay. Somewhere in the distance a cow lowed, and closer at hand swallows dipped and chirped. Lady Phoebe wandered the grass, plucking daisies.

“I fear I have no fine table at which to seat you, my lady,” Chase said, as Perkins set down the hamper at Meredee’s feet. Chase pulled a blue wool blanket from the top, shook it out and spread it on the grass.

“At least you’re not asking me to eat off your cloak, gallant sir,” she replied, kneeling beside him.

The hamper was compartmented so that one end was lined with metal and filled with ice to keep the rest cool. There was broccoli salad with pickled nasturtium buds and bright flowers nestled among the greens, cold chicken rubbed with herbs, loaves of crisp-crusted bread, gingerbread cakes and tart lemonade.

“How lovely!” Lady Phoebe cried as she joined them. She toppled her daisies into Meredee’s lap and collapsed onto the blanket. Chase snatched up the bottle of lemonade before it fell and shook his head at his sister in pure exasperation.

Conversation flowed easily, warm as the sunlight that blessed the meadow. Chase leaned back on his
elbows and gazed off into the distance, one hand toying with the stem of one of Phoebe’s daisies. The breeze caressed his hair, sweeping a lock away from his face.

“The world is far bigger than we believe,” he murmured. “The amount of life in those tiny tidal pools you showed me today amazes me. What more could we see if we but looked?”

This was the man she was coming to respect, to admire. “I’ve often thought that it’s true that all creation sings His praise,” Meredee replied. “We just need to listen.”

Lady Phoebe stretched like a cat. “Well, I am quite ready to listen. In fact, I’m so contented I’m certain I haven’t the strength to ride back.”

Chase chuckled, straightening and tossing down the flower. “A shame, my girl, but you would bring your horse.”

Phoebe shrugged. “I could just tie Belle to the coach and climb inside.”

Chase eyed her. “And where do you suggest Miss Price sit?”

“Up on the bench, with me, of course,” she said with an airy wave of her hand. “And that means you can ride Belle back.” She turned to Meredee, oblivious to the frown growing on her brother’s face. “You don’t mind, do you, dear Meredee? I’m certain you must be tired of my brother’s company by now.”

“Phoebe,” Chase started warningly.

Meredee glanced between them. “I’m delighted to keep either of you company while you drive. But I’m certain I’ll never tire of your brother’s company.”

As soon as she said it, she realized that she sounded far too forward and dropped her gaze. He’d think she was as giddy as Phoebe!

“I assure you, Meredee,” he murmured, “I feel the same way.”

She dared to glance up at him. A smile was once again playing on his lips, and a light brightened the blue of his eyes.

“Oh,” Lady Phoebe said knowingly, delicate brows arched. “Well, I know when I’m
de trop.
I suppose I’ll have to ride back after all.”

“Yes,” Chase said, gaze on Meredee’s. “You will.”

Meredee found it difficult to focus on packing up the leftovers. Her hands kept clasping together as if to hold tight to the feelings tumbling through her. She had to get over this unreasonable fear! Just because the one man she’d chosen to love as a girl had left her didn’t mean that Chase would do the same. If God was kind enough to give her another chance at love, she should take it. She placed the last plate into the hamper and shut the lid on it and on her feelings.

Chase didn’t seem to notice her agitation. While Perkins stowed the hamper, Chase helped his sister into the sidesaddle, then came around to help Meredee into the curricle. This time the touch at her waist as
he lifted her set her pulse to pounding, and her hands trembled as she arranged her skirts.

As Chase reached for the reins, Lady Phoebe took up position as their outrider again. Her head was high, her focus on the horizon. Sunlight glowed in her complexion, highlighted her lashes.

“She looks like an angel leading the heavenly forces into battle,” Meredee said as Chase clucked to the horses and they started back.

“You still say that after what you’ve seen today?” Chase asked. “Sometimes I despair of her.”

“Surely she has more sense than you give her credit for,” she suggested.

“If she has, I’ve yet to be shown evidence of it.”

“She’s young,” Meredee offered. “Not even twenty, I imagine.”

“She’s all of nineteen. But age is no excuse. Were you this giddy at that age?”

She’d almost have liked to have been. But at nineteen, she’d ready known heartache, from losing the man she thought she might love. “I didn’t have the luxury of being giddy,” she told him. “My father had taken ill by then, and I was busy nursing him. Picnics and parties seem far away from a sickroom.”

He gave his attention to the horses for a moment, guiding them down the hill toward the edges of Scarborough. “Your stepmother could not care for him?”

There was more concern than censure in the ques
tion. “Oh, she was right beside me. She urged me to rest, but I didn’t wish to leave him. It was clear that he wouldn’t be with us much longer. Every moment was precious.”

“My father died when I was twelve,” he said, gaze out over his horses’ heads. “Hunting accident. I was away at school at the time. I never had the opportunity to say goodbye, to ask his advice. I envy you that.”

Twelve. Then he’d been the head of the family for many years. Lady Phoebe could have been no more than one or two. Neither of the Dearborns had mentioned a mother alive and waiting for them, so it seemed the only family Lady Phoebe had known was Chase. Small wonder he felt responsible for her.

“That must have been a burden, taking on responsibilities so young,” she told him.

He quirked a smile. “I was born to those responsibilities. If they became mine sooner than expected, it was only a question of timing, never of duty.”

“You wear them well.”

His smile broadened. “In truth, I enjoy them. Ensuring that the estate flourishes, keeping government working during these trying times, those are challenges a man can relish.”

She could see him standing before Parliament, hand upraised, arguing for a better way. “And yet here you are, in Scarborough.”

He gave the horses their heads as if to speed them toward a greater goal. “Only for a time. I have every
hope of leaving before summer’s end and returning to my duties. But what of you? The day you saved Phoebe, you mentioned you didn’t know when you’d leave Scarborough. How long will your stepmother be willing to bathe in the sea and drink the waters?”

Meredee laughed. “I have never heard anyone talk about the Scarborough waters with exactly that tone. Do you find them so noxious?”