Page 13 of A Daring Desire

“Oh,” Cat said, sniffing. “That’s Mr Berrycloth.”

“Then it’s true,” Perry said, paling. “Kilbane is here.”

Cat nodded. “Oh, give me a handkerchief,” she said, snatching it from Perry and blowing her nose with vigour. “Yes, he’s here.”

“And… And does he want to, er…?” Perry hesitated, eyeing Berrycloth with alarm, as well he might as Cat now perceived that Gilbert was regarding him with undisguised hostility.

“Lord Kilbane is in no fit state to call you out, you goose,” Cat said impatiently. “He’s so terribly sick and… Oh, Perry, I’m so f-frightened.”

“Sick?” Perry said, instantly forgetting Gilbert and taking Cat’s hands in his. “My dear, I’m so sorry. What can I do? I’m yours to command.”

“That’s sweet of you, Perry, and I’m so very glad to see you,” Cat said, striving to keep her voice steady. “But there’s nothing you can do.”

“He can stay away,” Gilbert said darkly, and then flushed as Cat turned to look at him in surprise. “I beg your pardon. I have no right… none at all,” he said hurriedly, and excused himself, heading for the door.

Perry intercepted him, blocking his path. “I say, old chap, I think you’ve got the wrong end of the stick,” he said gently, but with a steely glint in his eyes Cat had never seen before.

“Yes, I’m quite sure I have, Mr Bancroft,” Gilbert said with icy civility.

“Oh!” Cat exclaimed, as the penny dropped. “Oh, Gilbert, no! You read the gossip sheets, but you don’t understand. I made Perry do it, to make the gossips chatter about us, for he didn’t want to, not in the least, but it was all a hum. I swear it was.”

Gilbert turned to look at her, searching her face.

Cat blushed a far deeper colour than he had managed and stammered. “It’s t-true. I made Perry do it. I know it was foolish of me but… but I hoped to—”

“To make Kilbane jealous and bring him back home,” Gilbert said, his lips quirking up at the corners.

“It was very bad of me, I know,” she admitted, wondering what on earth he must think of her.

“Did the trick though, didn’t it?” he observed, the prickly reserve that had come over him falling away as he smiled kindly at her.

Cat blinked. “Is that… is that why he came?” she asked, hardly daring to believe it.

Gilbert shrugged. “Truthfully, I don’t know, but I know he took great interest in the scandal sheets the moment your letters stopped coming. Sadly, it was not until he was—” Gilbert shot a look at Perry and prevaricated. “—staying elsewhere, that I realised he had not only read every one of your letters, but he had kept them too.”

Cat gave a startled little hiccough, somewhere between a sob and a laugh, and all at once her legs seemed quite unable to hold her.

“Steady there, pet,” Perry said, reaching for her as Gilbert did the same.

Between them, they guided her back to her chair and sat her down. Gilbert returned the forgotten cup of tea to her hands and scolded her into drinking every drop, whilst Perry piled a plate with sandwiches and cakes and threatened to keep her prisoner in the room until she ate every bite.

Too stunned by the heartening news Gilbert had given her, and utterly exhausted, she obeyed meekly while they fretted and scolded her for not having taken better care of herself.

“For how are you to nurse your husband if you make yourself ill?” Perry demanded, immediately finding an ally in Gilbert.

“I’ve been telling her the same thing for the past two days, but she won’t listen to me,” he said, shaking his head.

“She’s a stubborn little minx, Mr Berrycloth, I’m afraid, but I am so glad to see she has been in such capable hands as yours.”

Gilbert blushed under such fulsome praise as Perry sent one of his most dazzling smiles in the man’s direction. “Oh, well, I don’t know about that,” he murmured.

“Oh, but I do,” Perry said, holding Gilbert’s eye for a fraction too long.

Cat cleared her throat. “Gilbert. Please check on Lord Kilbane for me, I don’t like to leave him for so long with only poor Jefferies. I shall be up directly once I have had a private word with Mr Bancroft.”

“Of course. I’ll go at once,” Gilbert said, glancing at Perry, who was watching him with open interest. “A pleasure, Mr Bancroft.”

“Oh, pleasure is all mine, my dear fellow, I assure you,” Perry said warmly.