Page 13 of Indecently Daring

“I tried the front door but there was no answer, so I came around and heard that terrific rendition from Ivanhoe—he really was splendid, wasn’t he? — and I simply couldn’t resist finding out what was happening. Irresistibly nosey, as I warned you,” she said ruefully, the words accompanied by a charmingly sheepish smile which only irritated him more. What business had she poking her nose into his school and being charming?

“And did you come on the off chance of seeing a theatrical production, or was there another reason?” Harry asked, immediately guilty for sounding so snappish and impatient.

He was supposed to set an example of kindness and patience, and usually he did a reasonable job of it. He took a breath, intending to apologise, but it was too late. The lady’s eyes flashed.

“There was another reason, yes, but I’m beginning to regret the impulse to come at all. Apologising is not one of my favourite pastimes, but apologising to pompous vicars ranks very low on the list of things I wish to waste my time on.”

She folded her arms, those disturbing sea blue-green eyes glinting with a look that dared him to make things worse.

Sadly, there was a devil in Harry, a devil that would rather die than walk away from a dare. He had spent much of his life fighting that particular devil, and for the past five years he’d thought himself successful. Yet that look in her eyes called to the wicked bit of his soul that he had tried so very hard to tame, and made the blasted thing rattle its chains for the first time since he’d been ordained. And really… pompous? Him? Now that was too much.

“Miss Cadogan, I am not the least bit pompous, but when ramshackle females insist on turning up at my house unescorted, it puts me in a difficult position. Bearing in mind I explained this particular difficulty to you only yesterday, your behaviour rather confounds me. Not to mention the fact I ought to be teaching, and you have disturbed a lesson which had been going very nicely until you turned up and got the boys all overexcited.”

Her beautiful face flushed, which ought to have looked unattractive, he was certain. It wasn’t. Drat the woman.

“I am not unescorted!” she retorted. “I was with Lady Catherine.”

“Ah, a marvellous escort, another unmarried female. And where is the lady at present?” Harry made a show of looking about him for the missing young woman, even opening the front door and looking about outside, which was undoubtedly childish but satisfying.

“She’s at the church, tending to Miss Dudley.”

“Tending to her?” Harry said in alarm. “Why, what’s wrong, is she unwell?”

“No,” Miss Cadogan said with a sigh. “She stabbed her finger on a holly bush. Not fatal, I think, but Cat takes such things seriously and insisted it was properly cleaned and bandaged.”

“Quite right, too. A sensible young woman,” Harry said, having seen firsthand how a minor wound could cause a fatal fever in a matter of days.

“Unlike me, I suppose,” Miss Cadogan said, a challenging glint in her eyes.

Harry decided silence was the better part of valour. Miss Cadogan did not agree, judging by the glittering look she bestowed upon him. Without another word, she turned on her heel and left through the open doorway.

“Wait!” Harry said, seized with indignation that she would come here, cause havoc, and then go without telling him why she’d come in the first place. Had she mentioned an apology? He’d been too annoyed to pay much mind. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Never mind,” she said, not turning to look at him. It rather sounded as if she was gritting her teeth.

Harry hurried after her. “Well, you’ve come all this way, you may as well.”

“No. I don’t think so.”

Definitely gritted teeth, he decided.

“Don’t be ridiculous, what did you want with me?”

She swung about then, causing Harry to grind to a halt before he ploughed into her.

“I didn’t want anything with you, Reverend Martin. I only wanted to apologise for being rude to you yesterday, but right at this moment, I’m not sorry at all!”

With that, she stuck her nose in the air, and stalked off.

Chapter 5

Dearest Torie,

Thank you so much for your letter. How happy you sound, and how wonderful your description of your new home. I cannot wait to come and visit you and Barnaby. Do give him my best wishes.

As delighted as I am for your marital bliss, I wish you were here. I am sitting upon the horns of a dilemma, and I do not know what to do. I know what I wish to do, what my heart tells me to do, but we both know my heart is a fickle creature, and two weeks from now I might realise I’ve made the most awful mistake. Yet if I do not act, I am afraid of what might happen, just how deep my regret would be if anything—But I cannot write more, and I ought not to worry you so, only I must say something to someone. I could tell Evie of course, but since she’s become pregnant, she’s the most dreadful worrier and weeps at the slightest upset. I cannot disturb her peace of mind and fear she will tell mama.

Never mind. I shall figure this out and decide for myself what to do. I have a brain in my head and it is about time I used it for a purpose. Perhaps there is another solution I have not seen yet. I just need to put my mind to it.