Page 19 of Almost a Countess

“Else I might have had toresort to Gretna myself.” Lord Trevor sauntered into the drawingroom, his commanding presence immediately becoming the focus of thechamber.

Even though Dora had willinglyreleased him from his promise of marriage, her heart stillstuttered at the sound of his voice and the sight of his darklyhandsome face.

“So good to see you again,my dear.” He came toward Dora and dropped a chaste kiss on hercheek. No spark sizzled between them, which was as it shouldbe.

Never had there been anything morethan a friendly feeling for her from Tris. Even so, had theyactually married, she would likely have fallen in love with himrather quickly—with a kind, handsome, dashing man that would beeasy enough to do—but she’d managed to escape a marriage where theaffection would have been unrequited and therefore disastrous. Andin the end, Tris had married the woman he truly adored.

If only she could find a man who feltthat way about her.

“And to see you as well,Tris.” She smiled up at him. He was much taller than LordAberfoyle, and older. Staid instead of impulsive. Altogether a verydifferent man from the one she might now fancy.

“Is anything wrong?”Tris’s piercing blue eyes were hawklike in their ability to pickout the smallest differences in her manner.

“No, nothing save mysurprise at your appearance in Yorkshire.” She needed to change thesubject before things got awkward. “And my astonishment that Violetis increasing. Congratulations to both of you.”

If she knew Tristan at all, they wouldnow converse about Violet and their expected progeny for theremainder of the visit.

True to form, Tris beamed at her thenat Violet, the light in his eyes changing when he gazed at his wifeto an intensity and depth of love that was almost palpable. Thatwas the look Dora wanted from a man more than anything else in theworld. It was the look that had made her break their betrothal, forshe’d understood immediately that Tris would never look at her,never look at any other woman, exactly that way. So now Violet wasLady Trevor and about to have the family Dora longed for. Howstrange so much could turn on a single look.

Tris went on about Violet, their hopesfor an heir, for an easy birth, for a skilled midwife. “Had I knownof this before Dalbury left, I could have asked for the name of thewoman who attended Kat, although I suppose I could write to Juliet,his sister. She was confined about the same time and as theyarranged to lie in together, they employed the samewoman.”

“Do you think she wouldtravel so far north, my dear?” Violet took his hand and drew herhusband to her. “Gloucestershire is quite a journey.”

“If I paid her handsomelyenough and arranged for comfortable travel for her and a companion,I believe she would think it a boon. By December, the countrysidewill be recovered from the excitement once again.” Tris took a sipof his tea, his brows drawn down.

“What excitement, Tris?”An inkling of foreboding shivered down Dora’s spine. “I haven’theard of any excitement recently.”

Tris’s frown deepened. “Surely you’veheard of the soldiers searching the area for an escaped prisoner?They may be at Bromley this very minute.”

****

Controlling his breathing to keep itshallow gave Finn something to concentrate on as he pulled himselffurther into the little stand of prickly bushes. He prayed he’dhave the urge neither to cough nor sneeze and gave thanks theground was somewhat moist beneath him. Drawing his knees up so hislegs wouldn’t give him away, Finn settled into a slight depressionin the ground and listened to the approaching hooves. If his luckhad truly changed, they’d continue along the burn and bypass himcompletely. Perhaps they’d go to Miss Harper’s estate, find no oneat home, poke around a bit, and leave before either of themreturned. A lot to ask of luck that had been capricious at best,but he was surely due a smidgeon of good fortune.

The sound of hooves increased, comingfrom further up the stream, the way he’d been headed. Now thejingling of bits and spurs reached him as the troop came almostabreast him on the opposite bank. They could as easily stopsomewhere else as here. The burn went on for miles. Surely theywould continue…

“Halt!” The unmistakablevoice of Lieutenant Scarlet forced a muted curse out of Finn. Couldthis day get worse? “Dismount. Water your horses andyourselves.”

“We makin’ camp heretonight, Lieutenant?”

Finn held his breath and prayed asnever before. If they camped here, it would be hours before he’d beable to crawl out of the bushes undetected. And a mile or more trekin the darkness, with a gammy ankle, when he didn’t know the wayback to the estate would stretch his luck past bearing. He’d likelydo better waiting here until the soldiers moved on tomorrowmorning.

“No, we’ve more farms tocheck before nightfall. I’ve secured us lodgings at The Golden Lionin Northallerton for the night. After a week on the road, I wantedsome decent food and an actual bed.”

“And some soft company togo with it, I’ll wager?”

The group laughed then quietedabruptly.

“I won’t condemn suchbehavior.” Scarlet’s stern voice made Finn cringe. “However, you’ddamn well better be ready to move at first light so we can findthis bloody Scotsman and go home.”

“We moving on to Yorktomorrow, Lieutenant?”

Finn’s ears pricked up.

“We’ve one more estate inthe area to search. From what I’ve gathered, it belongs to aviscount who is from home, though his daughter has been inresidence about four months. No one’s been able to tell me muchabout her, saving she keeps to herself.”

“Maybe she needs a bit o’companionship, eh, Lieutenant?” The eagerness in the soldier’s tonesent flames of outrage licking through Finn’s veins. He wanted totear out of the bushes, leap into the middle of the soldiers, andthrottle the coarse bugger who’d said that about Miss Harper. Hemust get away and return to the estate to warn her.

“Tempting idea, Hopkins,but we’ve no time for dalliances of that sort.” Scarlet’s voice hadhardened in a blink. It cut through the ribald chattering that hadbroken out among the soldiers. “Unless, of course, she’s beenharboring the blackguard. In that case, do what you will to her andher household.”