“Captain John Calder,” Papa said the moment they reached us. “I’d like you to meet my daughter, Evelyn Blackwell,” he nodded toward me, “and my niece, Miss Harriet Pryor.”
Hattie and I gave the captain short nods, but I kept my head down, not ready to see those intense eyes on me again. Thiswould go down in history as the most ridiculous situation ever to have happened at a house party.
“Actually,” Captain Calder’s voice was low but calculated, “we’ve met.”
A rushing sound filled my ears, quieting the humming sounds of voices in the room. Hadn’t he been the one to insist we tell no one? He wouldn’t dare. My eyes flew to his, only to find him still looking at Hattie.
Hattie. I released my breath. Of course, he was speaking of Hattie. She’d only just mentioned they knew each other. The murmurs around us returned. We were not about to be found out. I didn’t care if Mama and Papa heard about our adventure together, especially now that I knew who the man in front of me was. Papa had such a high regard for the man, he would have full faith in him keeping my honor intact.
But if word got out among these guests, and then from these guests back to London, it would be a disaster, especially since our family was actively trying to buoy up Hattie’s family’s reputation this season.
“Yes we have,” Hattie nodded to my parents but gave Captain Calder her sweet double dimpled smile. “Although it has been many years, and at the time you were not yet a Captain.”
Captain Calder straightened. “I was not even a lieutenant.”
“So,” Papa said with a grin. “You have known our captain longer than I have. I assume he was just as impressive then as he was when he served under me.”
Hattie laughed softly and Captain Calder’s eyes sparked in response. “I knew him as a kind and good man. It is wonderful to see you again, Captain Calder. I’m happy to hear of your success.”
What exactly was happening? I’d been expecting him to at least acknowledge or look at me after our introduction, but he only had eyes for Hattie.
WhowasCaptain Calder, really? Practically engaged to a woman named May even though no one knew of it, ensconced in a croft overnight with me, and what…what had happened between him and Hattie?
And if something had happened between Harriet and the Captain, why hadn’t she told me about him? We told each other everything.
Well, except that one time. But that had been me keeping Matilda’s secrets from her and everyone else. Hattie had never kept secrets from me, had she? Based on the way she was smiling at Captain Calder, it was possible she had.
Was everyone who met Captain Calder enraptured by him? Mama looked as taken with him as Hattie did, and I’d…
Well . . .
Even I had been swept under his spell that night. And not only that night. How many times had my thoughts turned to him over the past several days? More often than I could count.
Papa had spoken of him as if kindness and control were his specialties, but what if Papa was wrong? What if casting spells over the people around him to think he was those things was his true specialty?
I knew somewhere out there was a woman named May he was, well, perhaps not in love with, but was passionate for, and now he was looking at Hattie as if she might already own a piece of his heart. Add to that the fact that he’dkissedme, and Captain Calder’s upstanding reputation was unraveling right before my eyes.
And the way he kissed? It had been soft, but thorough. I’d thought enough about that fleeting moment to know there had been a certain skill to his hands and mouth. Exactly how practiced was he?
Too practiced for an unmarried military man. Who had he been practicing on? Not Hattie, I hope. She would have been only—heavens—seventeen at the time.
Impossible.
The great Captain Calder was not the man Papa thought him to be. He wasn’t even the man I’d thought him to be. I’d believed him so completely when he’d worried over my honor, even offering to marry me while simultaneously sneaking out of the croft before anyone could identify him. He’d never given me his name. In fact, he’d offered me protection only with his words while his actions were self-serving.
I’d been worried he would demand to uphold my honor. I had to hold back a snort.
Casting spells indeed.
I took a deep and calming breath, schooling my face into the bland features of someone who was not at all interested in the man in front of her. When I was finally composed enough to look up, I found that the Captain had turned his gaze toward me.
I let my smile blossom as naturally as possible, as if I was delighted to be introduced to him. “I’m so very pleased to meet you, Captain Calder. I’ve heard so much about you, it is almost,” I raised an eyebrow, “as if we have met before.”
The captain’s smile faltered, then quickly recovered. “You’ve heard of me?” His eyes flashed toward Hattie. “From whom?”
I narrowed my eyes on him.No, not from Hattie. You managed to convince her to keep your secrets just as you did me.“My father, of course. He’s been very impressed by your career.”
“That I have.” Papa clapped a hand onto Captain Calder’s shoulder. “He well earned his lieutenancy under me in Walcheren, rallying even the sickest of soldiers, and I have only heard the best of reports about his deeds in Waterloo just this year.”
