‘What can I say? You are inviting me to a party, but I cannot even dance!’
‘That doesn’t matter in the least. We can talk to a few people and admire the house and garden, but we need not stay long. You can view it as the final act of our agreement. And when your sister hears of it, she will be furious.’
She still looked doubtful, and that was the exact moment when a chunk of Hercules crashed to the ground close to Miss Summerby’s feet. She looked down at it, then at him. ‘Why,’ she said, ‘are you demolishing this statue?’
‘It’s unsafe. Dangerous, maybe. As you see.’
She nodded, but she still looked doubtful, and he wondered if she realised that the real danger she faced was from him. He tried to tell himself that his offer of another outing was chivalry, nothing more—but that was rubbish because, quite simply, he had missed her.
An idea struck him. ‘What,’ he said suddenly, ‘do you think your aunt would have advised? She would have wanted you to enjoy yourself living at Clematis Villa, wouldn’t she?’
‘I’m sure of it.’
‘Then imagine she was here, right now. I had the privilege of knowing her a little and I think she would urge you to have fun. She would tell you, I’m certain, to show your sister and anyone else that you just do not care what they think.’
She was watching him with eyes that were suddenly shadowed. ‘Are you quite sure that you aren’t doing this to make a fool of me? To get your own back because I insulted you in the past?’
‘On my honour. I am merely to be your convenient route to total acceptance in local Society.’
She appeared to be thinking a moment. He liked the way her smooth brow always puckered slightly when she did that. At last, she looked up at him again.
‘Then let us,’ she said defiantly, ‘surprise the gossips one more time, shall we? And there is no danger of anyone taking our friendship too seriously, because they all know you will return to London when the summer ends.’
He found he didn’t particularly want to think about that yet. Instead, he said, ‘Exactly! I shall be in and out of your life before you know it.’
‘Excellent.’ She nodded firmly. ‘That suits me perfectly.’
He almost laughed. Miss Summerby was proving to be an excellent remedy for his vanity. ‘Very well. On Friday evening, I shall call for you at eight.’
‘I shall be ready. Thank you and goodbye for now, my lord! Oh—and by the way, I expect the guests will be in formal evening wear?’
‘Yes. Even me,’ he said solemnly.
He watched her walking off, noticing how defiantly she carried herself despite that slight limp. In fact, he watched her too long for safety’s sake, because he was thinking that with her fair hair and in that delicate, gauzy gown she could almost have been a wood nymph come to tempt a mere mortal like himself—and he was tempted, badly. He sincerely hoped she had no idea of the sensations she was currently arousing in him, because she would be running for home.
Except that she couldn’t run, of course. How cruel life could be.
He lifted his pickaxe again to hack off another piece of Hercules, but he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Quite apart from her feminine allure he liked a lot of things about her, such as the way she faced up to him when he challenged her and the fact that she was intelligent and clearly saw through the pretences adopted by many of thehaut ton.Life had been unkind to her, but she had fought on with determination and often humour too.
He was realising that he felt a better man in her company, but she still wasn’t sure in the least about him; she had made that quite clear. And beneath the cool exterior she tried to hide behind, he wondered if she maybe had secret dreams of her own that she had learned, from bitter experience, to cast aside.
She had said she didn’t enjoy dancing. But he guessed that if he swept her up in his arms and whirled her around a ballroom, she would adore it—which led him, dangerously, to think that there were surely many other things she could be taught to enjoy. Kisses, caresses and much more…
Alarmed by the way his pulse had speeded up, he ordered himself back to common sense. Miss Summerby would never fall for a man who hosted drunken parties and fell asleep during concerts. He went back to work with such force that Hercules stood no chance at all, and twenty minutes later, the statue was nothing but a pile of rubble.
Kate walked slowly back to Clematis Villa, every so often kicking disconsolately at pebbles on the path. She had told Harriet she was going to see the Earl but hadn’t said why and predictably, Harriet was waiting by the open door to find out. ‘Well? What happened?’
Kate tugged off her straw sun hat. ‘I’m going to a party with him. On Friday evening.’
She headed into the parlour to flop down on the sofa and Harriet flew after her. ‘A party! But I thought you said…’
‘I know. No more outings, I said! But—well, he persuaded me and I think he is right. You see, Harriet, my sister is threatening to visit. She’s worried about me and the Earl.’ She pulled the letter from her pocket and handed it over.
As Harriet read it, she grew pale. ‘Your sister is cominghere?’ Harriet peered closer. ‘She says you are courting scandal, Kate! But won’t going to a party with His Lordship make her even more worried?’
‘The Earl thinks she needs to be defied, and I’m inclined to agree. This party is a respectable one, he says, and of course I am quite safe, because he isnotcourting me. After this there will be no more outings, I am sure.’
‘You said that last time.’
