Page 54 of A Lady in Name

“I was going to send you to the Dower House,” he said, only half aware of the deadness of his tone.

Lucy was staring at him, blankness in her face. “I cannot live in your mother’s intended dwelling.”

“I was not proposing to have you live there alone. It is already occupied, but —”

He was interrupted, Lucy’s eyes flashing fire. “I will not suffer you to turn out your tenant for me.”

He was nettled. “A fine opinion you have of me, by God! If you will allow me to finish before making premature judgements, we may be able to get somewhere.”

Lucy bit her lip, cursing her hasty tongue. She was in the wrong yet again. Her heart cried out at the constant clashing of swords with him, but the churn of emotion too readily got the better of her. “I beg your pardon,” she said, aware of stiffness in her tone. “Pray continue.”

“I thank you,” he returned, and she winced at the ironic twist. “The house is occupied by my great-aunt, Lady Dorothea Ankerville. She is very elderly, quite as eccentric as Corisande and at least twice as scatterbrained.”

Lucy’s interest was fairly caught. “You mean me to care for her?”

He shifted his shoulders in a half shrug. “Not precisely. She is sprightly for her years, and she has her maid who is fiercely loyal, as well as servants.” Stefan threw up his hands. “Well, let us be honest. She needs a guardian. I have been increasingly troubled for her. It had not occurred to me until we were upon our travels, but I believe it would answer perfectly.”

Forgetting caution, Lucy moved closer, intrigued. “How so? What would you have me do?”

Stefan wafted a vague hand. “You will know better than I, believe me. Keep an eye on her. Prevent her from doing herself a mischief. As things stand, I have enjoined her maid to watch her, but the woman cannot be forever at her side.”

It sounded ideal to Lucy. Provided it was far enough away from Pennington to be safe from too many incursions. “Where is the Dower House?”

“Within an hour’s journey from here.”

Not far enough. But an hour might discourage too frequent visits. On the other hand, her heart whispered, it was yet within reach of him. She would not be quite parted from him — until he married.

A knock at the door brought the butler, bearing a tray which he set down on the desk. Pouring a measure of golden liquid from a decanter into two glasses, he laid them on a small silver salver which he brought over to proffer to Lucy. She took one of the glasses and sipped cautiously. The liquid stung sharply on her tongue, burning as it slipped down her throat.

Stefan took his glass. “Thank you, Hawkesbury.”

The butler bowed and quietly withdrew. Stefan raised his glass to his lips and drank. Feeling fortified, he looked again at Lucy. “I will pay you a salary, of course,” he said, and smiled at her look of surprise. “Lucy, I do appreciate your wish for independence. It is a point of honour with you not to be beholden, is it not? To me, or anyone.”

At last he was rewarded as her eyes lit and a perfectly spontaneous smile curved her mouth. The warmth which spread in his chest owed little to the brandy.

“I cannot sufficiently thank you,” she said, and he thought there was a tremor in her voice. “I had not the remotest guess you would think of something so much in tune with my feelings.”

“Do you think I have not learned to know you, Lucy?”

His tone was soft, and lulling to Lucy’s senses. She felt cradled and comforted, despite the few feet of distance standing between them. At the back of her mind she knew this was dangerous, but the change was so welcome she pushed it away. “I had not supposed it,” she said.

“Evidently.”

She sipped again at the golden liquid, feeling its sting less this time. A sensation of intimacy began to overtake her. Caution fled away.

“What else had you in mind? You spoke of more than one projected solution.”

Stefan’s lip curled in the old ironic way. “Best to keep my own counsel on those, I think.”

Lucy giggled. “Why, would I dislike them?”

“Let us say I have more regard for my skin than to try you with them.”

She opened her eyes at him. “You are piquing my curiosity.”

He moved and Lucy found herself looking up directly into his face.

“Then I fear I must keep you guessing,” he said softly. “Having pleased you once, it is scarcely in my interests to provoke a less welcome response.”