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That should keep him occupied, away from the school—and the tantalising Miss Branwell.
Though even as he resolved it, he doubted he’d stay away long.
Chapter Nine
Two days later, the afternoon turning fair, Dom toted the volume of Herodotus to the bench in his mother’s rose garden. An agreeable hour of reading later, a footman trotted up to inform him Miss Branwell had called.
Surprise, pleasure—and a bit of alarm—filled him. He thought at their last encounter they’d settled, regrettably, the fact that propriety forestalled her from calling on him again.
It might be wiser to send her away unseen, but it took him only an instant to conclude he’d not be able to force himself to do that. Curiosity alone demanded he discover what was so urgent that she felt moved to disregard the irksome rules of proper conduct and come to Bildenstone.
While he debated whether it would be better to receive her inside, in the parlour, where there would be fewer prying eyes to observe them, or out in the garden, in the open, where the many household staff could witness nothing improper was transpiring, the lady herself walked over.
‘Good day, Mr Ransleigh,’ she said with a smile.
It was certainly not prudent, but Dom couldn’t help himself—he had to walk forward and take her hand, just to see if the tingling connection fired between them again.
He felt it immediately as he touched her—shock, then a force surging through him, flooding his senses. Without further thought, instead of shaking her hand as he had before, he turned the hand palm up and kissed it, fiercely resenting the buttons that prevented him from moving his lips to taste the bare skin at her wrist.
After a moment of savouring her warmth and an intoxicating violet scent that made his senses swim like strong brandy, he made himself release her. Straightening, he saw her gazing down at her still-extended hand, eyes wide, lips parted, her breathing quick and shallow.
Ah, she’d felt the connection just as strongly! he thought, triumphant. Desire ignited, sending awareness and need flaming through him. Had she leaned even infinitesimally closer, he could not have stopped himself from kissing her. Fortunately, more discreet than he, she took a wobbly step backward. He had a moment of furious regret before reason returned to make him glad she’d halted the encounter before it flared ever further out of control.
It took him a moment to reassemble his scorched wits.
‘Good day to you, Miss Branwell,’ he managed to say at last. ‘I’m very happy to see you—though I am surprised you called, given the conclusion of our last conversation on the matter. Nothing alarming has happened, I trust?’
She gave a shaky laugh, further defusing the sensual tension. ‘No, nothing alarming. Encouraging developments, actually. Not only am I emboldened to call on you, I believe you can offer me tea with impunity. Which, in fact, I should very much like. The day seems to have become suddenly over-warm.’
He could sympathise; his cravat—not to mention his breeches—now seemed over-tight. ‘Let’s walk back to the house, then. I’ll order tea, and you can explain.’
He offered his good arm, and to his delight, she took it. Though as a result, he scarcely heard what she was saying, too distracted by her body so near his and that elusive violet scent, which seemed to emanate from her glossy brown hair—or perhaps from behind her ear. His mouth watered as he envisioned tasting her there, before his gaze drifted down to focus on the glimpse of tongue behind soft lips as she spoke. Wind-loosened wisps escaped from the braided tangle beneath her hat, and he itched to pull the hair fully free of its pins.
In short, he wanted her more than ever. It took all his will-power to force back that need and focus on her words.
‘...probably not wise to visit too often,’ she was saying as he guided her to the large receiving room, ‘but I did need to call just this once, to warn you. I’m afraid you may be angry when I confess the rather presumptuous statements I made to Lady Wentworth, whom I called on this morning.’
‘Presumptuous?’ he echoed, amused. With so outspoken a girl, he couldn’t imagine what outrageousness she’d uttered—and to Lady Wentworth! ‘So you bearded the lioness in her den? I’m impressed by your courage,’ he said as he waved her to a chair and sent a footman off for tea.
‘Papa always said it’s best to take initiative and confront your adversary on ground of your choice, rather than wait and wonder when and where you’re going to be attacked. If Lady Wentworth intended to be an impediment to my establishing the school, I needed to know sooner rather than later.’
‘Will she be an impediment?’
Her grin looked almost—smug. ‘I think I’ve defused the problem, for the present, at least.’
‘Have you, now?’ he said, dubious. ‘She seemed rather strongly opposed to it when she and the Squire called on me, and she didn’t strike me as a person who is easily persuaded to change her opinions.’
‘Quite true. But Papa also said one must learn everything one can about one’s adversary before facing him, so I preceded my visit with a call on the local solicitor, Mr Scarsdale. I wanted to thank him anyway for his efforts in helping me staff Thornfield Place and discover from him which were the most influential members of the community, whose approval I must obtain if the school is to succeed. ‘
‘Your father is right—that was good tactics,’ he said approvingly. ‘I’m sure Mr Scarsdale was gratified to be consulted.’
‘I believe he was. Solicitors seem to me akin to sergeants in the army, performing many useful functions, knowing everything about everyone in their community, yet too often undervalued by those outranking them.’
Struck by the comparison, Dom nodded. ‘I expect you are right. So, what did you discover?’
‘After describing the most important families in the area—Squire Marlowe, Baron Southwick, and the Ransleighs—’ She halted as Dom groaned.
‘I hope he didn’t recount too many adventures of my misspent youth.’
She shook her head, regarding him seriously. ‘You must know how very highly you are regarded here, both your reputation before you entered the army, and for your valour in serving. He merely repeated what you yourself already told me—your ability with horses, your family’s growing interest in breeding foxhounds and hunters, which led to their removal from Suffolk, to the great disappointment of all in the county. But he also provided the information I needed about Lady Wentworth.’
‘Such as?’
‘An only daughter doted upon by her father, she was the most beautiful and the most richly dowered maiden in the county in her début Season. Which makes it more understandable that she is accustomed to pronouncing judgements that permit no opposition, expressing desires that must be swiftly accommodated, and having others defer to her. I discovered the local charitable organisation of which she is now the head was established by her father, which she carries on in his honour. So naturally, in our conversation, I emphasised how the greatest wish of my late father, one of the heroes of Waterloo, was to establish a home and school for orphans of the soldiers he’d led into battle. That after his death, I felt it my solemn duty to carry out his wishes.’
Dom lifted an eyebrow. ‘Was it his greatest wish?’
‘Well, he never said it wasn’t,’ Miss Branwell said, with a twinkle in her eyes that made him laugh. ‘To be fair, he had a war to win before he figured out what was to be done with the orphans we’d begun to accumulate. It’s quite possible he would have decided to establish a home for them.’
‘I begin to believe you incorrigible, Miss Branwell,’ he said severely, his amused expression belaying the censorious comment.
‘Determined, certainly,’ she allowed, seeming not at all apologetic about manipulating her adversary.
After a break while Wilton brought in the tea tray, she continued. ‘Mr Scarsdale said her father was a man of strict morals. So I emphasised that children brought up around an army are instilled with discipline from their earliest years, which makes them more amenable to following directions in moral training and improvement—moral improvement being something else her late father felt quite important.’
‘I never noticed that strict discipline had any morally improving effect on soldiers.’
‘As adults they have grown too set in their ways,’ she countered. ‘In any event, I ended by begging that she avail me of the experience she’s garnered in running her own establishment. Which is quite true—I would appreciate her recommendations in staffing the school, and I certainly can’t obtain the calibre of employee I want or find positions for the students later, if she sets the neighbourhood against me.’
‘Very true. Well done, Miss Branwell!’
She nodded, her cheeks pinking at his praise. After draining her cup, she set it down and lifted her chin. Taking a deep breath and looking for the first time a bit uncomfortable, she said, ‘I’m afraid I haven’t yet confessed the truly incorrigible bit.’
