He collapsed on the blanket and brought his
arm around her to draw her close. He kissed her forehead, her nose,
and her lips. He whispered words of admiration and satisfaction and
she waited. She waited to hear him say he loved her, but that one
word never escaped his lips.
Was she disappointed he had not said it, she
asked herself?
Not exactly
. Why, she asked herself. Because,
he damn well does love me and I am going to hear it from his
lips…soon, very soon.
Chapter Sixteen
STAR WAS AWARE of him in a way she couldn’t
explain, even to herself. He seemed to hold a key and that key
opened a new and wonderful world for her.
He helped her dress, even as he stood naked
in the sun and she saw his manhood, still hard and erect.
She smiled at him and he took her fingers to
his lips and said, “Star, there are so many things I want to say to
you, but more importantly, I want to get you safely home.”
An answer to this was something she couldn’t
seem to form either on her lips or in her mind. She never wanted
him to leave her or be far from her, but that was what was
happening.
She did the only thing she could. She smiled
and he helped her with the buttons down the side of her gown, and
set her to rights.
When she turned, he had on his breeches and
was pulling on his boots and their eyes met and locked. Life now
would be forever changed. She wondered what he was thinking for the
expression on his face was inscrutable.
It didn’t take them long to ride the distance
to Berkley after that and he created an atmosphere where she was
not uncomfortable. He teased and challenged her to a race and then
they took their fence flying, laughing and jesting about
nonsense—all instigated by him.
She would be forever thankful for the manner
in which he treated her after their love-making. If she had not won
his heart, if he broke hers by leaving without giving her his, she
would always remember this time with him and how perfect he had
been in every imaginable way.
They dropped off her horse at Berkley stable.
With her hand in his, he walked her front courtyard, where he
tethered his horse to the hitching post. He took her elbow to lead
her to her front door.
She opened the door and turned to him, hoping
her smile told him how she felt, and asked, “Do you come in?”
“No, not now, love. I must return to
Stamford…”
“Oh, perhaps you and Jules would like to join
us for dinner?”
“Minx, my minx. Are you sure your brother
will be up to it?”
“I am,” she said quite unsure.
“Then I shall extend your invitation to
Jules. I, however, cannot, though it pains me for I would like
nothing better. I have business in Hastings that may take a good
part of the day and some of the evening.” He touched her cheek.
“But…it pains me to say no, for I would enjoy dining with you.
She lowered her eyes, “You know, you
don’t…owe…me anything…It was not your fault. It was what I
wanted.”
He frowned, “Don’t talk like that, Star.” He
bent and brushed her lips with his own. “You never stood a chance
once I decided you were mine!”
A moment later, he had turned to walk the
distance to his horse, and another moment took him hurriedly away.
* * *
Georgie knocked on Vern’s door and waited for
him to call out a welcome before she opened it and stuck her head
in. “Good morning, or is it nearly afternoon?” she said
brightly.
He was up and standing by the window. He wore
a maroon brocade dressing gown, cinched by a black silk belt. His
fair hair fell about his head in the windswept fashion. When he
turned to her, Georgie saw that his color had returned a bit and
that he was looking much better.
He took his hand out of his pocket and went
forward, reaching for hers as he said, “Georgie, love, do come in
and have a cup of coffee with me.”
She smiled at him and went inside and as she
had not opened the door widely enough gravity shut it. She didn’t
give it a thought and went to take his hand amiably. “Oh Vern, you
are looking well this morning.” She waved away at the coffee
though, “I have already had a cup and will have another when Star
returns.”
“Returns?” Vern interrupted. “Where has she
gone?”
“Dilly tells me she went off on Butch for a
ride, which is just as well, as I do want to have a private word
with you, Vern.” She sat on a nearby chair and motioned for him to
sit beside her.
He smiled and as he pulled up the chair
closer to her he said, “Georgie…your hair with the sunlight shining
through it—so lovely.”
“Stuff and nonsense, now stop Vern. I want to
talk to you,” Georgie replied putting an end to any flirtation he
might have had in mind. “You and I have been friends for a very
long time and I have not wanted to pry, but I feel as your friend,
I now must.”
“Don’t Georgie,” he said regarding the
darkly woven rug at his feet.
“Yes, but Vern, it is drawing Star into
something that is beyond her capacity to repair. So, whereas I may
not be the one to meddle in your life, I must do so in regards to
Star’s life.” Her tone was meant to indicate that she had quite
made up her mind. “Now, if you please. Why did you come charging in
at the Sefton Ball last night? I am not a fool and laudanum in the
dosage you were taking would not have made you do so and you were
not, I believe fevered and delirious.”
He eyed her appraisingly and she wagged a
finger to add, “That’s right, you decide if you think me fool
enough to believe a farradiddle.”
He eyed her and sighed heavily, “I won’t try
and bamboozle you, ‘ole girl. I was under the misguided impression
that a robbery was afoot. Something I remembered.”
She frowned, “You said you would not try to
bamboozle me. So, shall we try again?”
“I was at the Mermaid Inn some nights ago and
overheard some brutes…then it hit me last evening that it was the
Sefton Ball they were talking about.”
“Oh Vern, I do wish you would tell me the
truth. The lie is there, on your face, in your eyes…how can
you?”
He shrugged and looked away from her. “As it
happens, nothing of the sort occurred so I was wrong. End of a bad
tale.”
Georgie went to him then and sympathetically
put a hand to the wide black silk lapel of his gown. He put his
hand over hers and both sighed together.
* * *
Jules gave his big hunter over to Jeffries
with a wink and a coin before he made his way to the Berkley’s
front door.
Dilly greeted him shyly and bobbed a curtsy.
“Why Mr. Stamford, how nice.” She stepped aside and added, “His
lordship is still abovestairs having his coffee. Ye can join him
there and I’ll bring up another cup, I will.”
“Thank you, Dilly, but is Miss Star
about?”
Dilly smiled and shook her head, “She is out
having a late morning ride, she is. No doubt she’ll be back by the
time ye finish yer cup of coffee with his lordship.”
Jules smiled and thanked her, saying that he
knew the way. At the stairs he stopped, turned and asked Dilly who
had already started down the hall to the kitchen, “I say, Dilly is
Miss Madison riding with Miss Star?”
“No, no she is up, but truth is I don’t know
which direction she took this morning. Do ye wish me to fetch her
to ye?”
“No, no, don’t bother her. I’ll just go visit
with his lordship, then.”
A moment later he was opening Vern’s door a
wide crack and received quite a jolt at what he witnessed. What he
believed he saw was a private moment of a great deal of affection
at the least and a modicum of passion. His merry mood faded and
transgressed into doubt as he stammered, “Oh, I am sorry…I seem to
be intruding.” He started backward feeling for no apparent reason,
but quite betrayed. “Please do excuse me.”
Vern laughed and waved him inside. Georgie
felt her cheeks grow hot for it was evident to her just what Jules
was thinking.
Vern called out as Jules stood there frozen,
“Come in Jules. Come on, don’t be a bottle-head…in with you.”
Jules was convinced that he had disturbed a
tête á tête between lovers. He felt ridiculously sick inside. Why
this should so disturb him he could not say. He couldn’t think and
as he stepped inside was only able to manage a half smile toward
his lordship.
He turned to Georgie and said curtly, “Good
morning, Georgina.”
His coolness brought her eyebrow up and
she gave him an arched look. He wondered at it and as she glared at
him, he wondered some more before she said, “Ah, since when have I
slipped from Georgie to Georgina?”
“I…er…did not wish to…take a liberty…”
“You could not take what I would not allow,”
Georgie said, her eyes twinkling.
Vern laughed out loud and Georgie frowned at
him as Jules said, “Allow me to start over. Good morning,
Georgie.”
“Is it?” she returned her eyes twinkling.
He was surprised into a short laugh, “Isn’t
it?”
Vern laughed at both of them, but they
ignored him as Georgie continued, “Why should it be after the night
we spent?” She started for the door.
“Georgie…don’t go…” Vern called. “What the
devil is wrong?”
“I am going to go down and see if your sister
has returned, as I should like a few words with her before I return
home.”
Jules watched her go and he was suddenly
aware of an empty feeling. What the hell was wrong with him? He
asked himself.
* * *
The afternoon sun arrived through a maze of
wispy clouds, sure and warm. The breeze spun a summer magic of
scent and sound as brother and sister strolled near their roses and
attempted to make sense of the problem they faced.
Star linked her arm through his and said,
“Vern, I have something to tell you.” She looked up at his dear
face and sighed.
“That…” he said mockingly. “Sounds deuced
serious.”
“It is, very,” she professed, frowning up at
him. “Earlier…just before lunch I went out for a ride. Farley
intercepted me and made some horrible threats.”
Vern stopped dead and turned to look down at
her, “What? Farley bothered you?” He shook his head, “I will kill
him…” He looked at her, “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I couldn’t, not with both Georgie and Jules
there, could I?” They had just walked the two down to the stables
and waved them off. “Vern, he must have been lying in wait for
me…waiting to follow and get me alone.”
Vern did a spin in place and raked his head
with both hands. “I will kill him, but slowly…very slowly.”
“Stop, Vern, do hush. I had my ladies pistol
and meant to do just that if he laid a hand on me, but I didn’t
have to.”
“What do you mean? Damn the scoundrel to
hell. I’ll have his skin before I take out his insides and feed
them to the buzzards.”
“While I should like to help you do just
that, allow me to tell you all of it.”
“Yes, yes…sorry sis, go on.”
“Sir Edward happened upon us and sent him off
like a mewling baby,” she smiled at the memory of how her Edward
had handled the blackguard.”
Vern beamed. “Good sort, Sir Edward, but I
still mean to run the blackguard through.” He frowned at her, “What
did he want with you?”
“He wanted me to know he knew it had been me
at the Mermaid and not some male relative.”
“Drat the night I sent you there and may I
forever rot in hell for putting you through this.” Vern was once
again attacking his head.
“Stop that,” she said pulling his hand away
and kissing his fingers. “Never mind all that now. This is not the
time for recriminations and regrets. What is done is done. We must
move forward and muddle through,” she admonished her brother in
severe accents.
“Yes, yes, of course, you are quite right,
younger and so much wiser sister,” he managed a smile. “Tell me all
of it, don’t leave anything out.”
She had to leave a great deal out and felt
the blush creep into her cheeks, “There isn’t much more. He wants
something from you, and I don’t think he means to stop till he gets
it, even though I could see that Sir Edward had put some fear into
him.”
“Star, I can’t have you hurt in this. I may
have to give him what he wants,” her brother said gloomily.
“Oh no you don’t! For if you do, he will
never give up until you end up in a gaol or worse.” She wagged a
finger at him. “I don’t know what it is you are hiding from me, but
you shan’t deal with Farley even one more time.”
“Yes, but Star…”
“What then—shall we buckle like cowards to a
common thief?
No,
he is more horrible than a thief, for he
has no soul. Farley is the worst of his kind. You and I shall
manage. We won’t give in to this scoundrel and eventually he will
move on to greener pastures,” she told him.
“Star? What about Georgie?”
“Whatever do you mean?” She eyed him. “I
didn’t tell her anything about all this, though she nearly ran me
through,” Star said and giggled.
“She accepted?”
“I told her it wasn’t my story to
divulge.”
He grinned, “I mean to marry her, you
know.”
“She won’t have you. There, I have said it
plainly so that you must heed me. Georgie loves you like a brother.
She won’t marry you.” She eyed him and saw from his thoughtful
frown that he wasn’t at all hurt. “I take it your affection for
Georgie is not the passionate sort?”
He laughed, “What do you know of
passion?”
“I know you haven’t a passion for Georgie. It
is the same for you both. You love her like a sister. She loves you
like a brother. Marriage would be absurd.” She laughed and added,
“Probably even a bit incestuous.”
“Star!” he returned in shocked accents.
She laughed and then sighed. “You knew that
right? That you didn’t stand a chance with Georgie?”