“I’ll ask our butler to fetch your key when we get in the house.”
The two servants were only about twenty-five yards away. They would be upon us any moment, and I was determined to get the key before that happened. “Why would you do that when you could simply give it to me now?”
Her eyes met mine, and I knew exactly why. Because then she would have to admit she was caught, and in her mind, that would be losing to me again. For heaven’s sake.
“As I said, I’ll make certain you get your key as soon as we return.”
I stepped closer to her. I’d had enough games. She kept her hand behind her back.
“I consider myself a gentleman?—”
“Do you?”
What did she mean by that?
“I do. But I will forcefully remove that glove of yours and take my key.” It turns out I didn’t like to lose either.
“I’d like to see you try.”
I took one menacing step toward her. She held her ground, unwavering. There was only room for another half-step. I took it.
“Do youreallywant me to try?” I asked, my voice so low I didn’t recognize it.
Her eyes dropped to my mouth and my mind went blank. If it weren’t for the fact that I could see every freckle, every trace of rain on Miss Blackwell’s face, I would have thought I was lightheaded again. My hand snaked around her left side, but she turned away, and I only grazed her waist, missing her hand completely. Her eyes flashed and then at the sound of marching footsteps on the wet grass she turned.
The servants had arrived.
Just in time to stop me from doing something completely foolish. What did I think I was going to do? Wrap my arms around her and force that glove off her hand? In full view of the house?
“Captain Calder, Miss Blackwell,” one of them said, as each of them placed an umbrella over our heads. “Mrs. Blackwell sent us to fetch you.”
“Thank you,” I said. And I meant it. These two men had saved me from sabotaging my own goals and perhaps hurting Harriet.
I took one of the umbrellas from the servants and held it over Miss Blackwell’s head. We practically marched back to the house. When we were halfway there, she stopped to inspect her shoes. Other than being damp from the rain, they looked fine. Her gray eyes flashed up to me in quick assessment.
If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought she was slowing the pace on purpose for my sake.
She stopped again only twenty feet closer to the house, this time to adjust her gloves.
Shewasslowing our pace for my sake. I’d never met a more confusing woman. I took her arm, wet and cold from the rain, and we strode the rest of the way at marching speed. I’d recovered completely. She didn’t need to coddle me.
Just before we reached the house, I felt a slight pressure against my side. I looked down. Miss Blackwell held my key in her hand. I glanced up quickly at the windows and doors of the house, but it was hard to make out through the rain if anyone was watching. As surreptitiously as possible, I slipped the key from her hand and into my pocket.
For a woman who didn’t like to keep secrets, Miss Blackwell had a bad habit of finding herself in situations that demanded them.
13
CAPTAIN JOHN CALDER
Evelyn Blackwell wasa menace for the next three days. I awoke on the sixth day of the house party no closer to understanding Harriet’s heart than I had been when I’d arrived. Actually, I was worse off than when I’d arrived, because at least then I hadn’t been confused.
Harriet treated me with respect, even laughed over a few shared memories when the subject of our time together at Eastmoor was broached by her parents. But we were never alone. Miss Blackwell hadn’t locked me in my room again, but she’d stayed either by my side or Harriet’s any time I was in Harriet’s company.
The gall of that woman.
But this morning would be different. I could feel it. Three dreary days of rain had confined us to the house, but now the skies were clear, and the house party was finally going to be moving outdoors.
Every private moment Harriet and I had enjoyed at Eastmoor happened outside on long walks, often just after breakfast. Hopefully she remembered our patterns as well as I had, and she would be able to escape the clutches of herdearcousin and meet me in the extensive Blackwell gardens. Afterdoing a cursory search of the house, which oddly produced no one, I quietly slipped out one of the back doors.
