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‘But I have sold up everything and it is completely paid off and I have just enough to relocate and leave all this behind me. I hope to find employment where my name is not known. I’m not afraid of honest hard work, you see.’ He smiled at her, suddenly shy. ‘I’m sorry, I have embarrassed you, storming on about my ghastly family troubles, And money, which makes it all worse.’
He’s young, she thought. My age, but inexperienced and not worldly-wise.
Suddenly she felt at ease with him. ‘I do not think money makes anything worse, Mr Pickford. Clearly embezzling someone else’s money does, but it sounds as though you have acted in great good faith and with energy. I produce port and I certainly do not find discussing matters of trade embarrassing.’
‘Port?’ He sat up even more alertly. ‘I am exceedingly interested in wine.’ Before she knew it she was immersed in a blizzard of questions about young growths and vintages and bottle maturation.
* * *
Gray settled back in his chair, drank tea and let them talk. He liked his mother’s nephew Henry, who had been faced with a hideous situation when his father had shot himself. The only hint of a silver lining to the cloud was that Mr Pickford’s wife had died many years before and Henry had no brothers or sisters, so he had only himself to extricate from the mire his parent had left behind for him.
Henry had refused offers of financial help, but had clutched gratefully at advice and moral support. Gray could wish that he had not been quite so open-handed in his invitations to come and stay at any time, for as long as Henry needed. Tea and biscuits were absolutely no help at all in combatting intense sexual frustration.
It might be for the best, of course. It had been passion and impulse that had brought them there and his own anger at his godmother’s blatant attempt at matchmaking. He found himself thoroughly in sympathy with Gabrielle’s resistance to Lady Orford’s schemes now, when before he had felt that she was right and that Gabrielle’s life needed organising in a way that reflected what society expected of a young lady.
Having the tables turned so that he was being manoeuvred into doing what society expected of an unmarried earl, however... That was something else entirely. Gabrielle was right, Miss Henderson was an innocent little chick and utterly unsuitable for him in every way. Just as he would make her a dreadful husband.
That said, it was something of a turnaround to find himself shifting from advocating a respectable marriage for Gabrielle to taking the young lady in question as a lover. Contact with Miss Frost was beginning to turn his view of the world on its head and he was struggling to find his balance. Was he doing what he wanted because he could, or was he doing what they both wanted and it was something that would do neither of them harm, might even enrich their lives for a short while?
He did not know, all he did know was that once before when he had been faced with understanding what a woman wanted, truly needed, he had offered what had seemed right and proper without thinking it through. Then he had turned away, left for the army again, avoided the issue by simply not being there.
There was nothing he could do about Portia now, but Gabrielle was his responsibility for the moment, although he could imagine what she would have to say if he told her that was how he regarded her.
He watched now as she talked to Henry, completely immersed in the conversation, listening intently to his mixture of confidences, questions and plans. She was beautiful, desirable and yet not, he would have said a few weeks ago, his type. He had always favoured blondes, sweetness. Intelligence, yes, but not challenge.
Gabrielle’s dark eyes challenged with every look. They offered debate on every topic and disagreement with his opinions, his observations, his desires. She wanted to lock horns with him because she could, because she enjoyed sparring with him. And he enjoyed being challenged, which was a surprise to him. Cavalry officers, especially those raised as heirs to earldoms, did not, as a general rule, find themselves flouted and defied very often, let alone teased.
It was refreshing as well as arousing. He ate a biscuit, then another, and applied himself to convincing his body that it was getting no satisfaction that day and probably not until Gabrielle was established in her own house. By that time she would probably have thought better of it.
He doubted he would be having second thoughts. Gabrielle was unlike any woman he had ever encountered and he feared that she was becoming increasingly addictive. Perhaps making love to her would satisfy both of them, satisfy their curiosity, remove the mystery. That would be best.
‘My lord?’ Fredericks had come in without Gray noticing, in itself an indication that he needed to get his brain disentangled from thoughts of smooth skin, strong limbs, the haunting scent of jasmine-scented woman and back to the present.
‘Yes?’
The butler was offering a salver with one unfranked letter in the middle. ‘Lady Orford’s footman brought this, my lord. He is waiting for a reply.’
Gray broke the seal, read, mentally rolled his eyes and coughed. Th
e two deep in conversation broke off and looked up. ‘Miss Frost, your aunt has sent a note to say that should you wish to attend Lady Altringworth’s soirée this evening, her dear friend is only too pleased to welcome you and that she and George are at your disposal as escorts.’
‘I do not have anything fashionable to wear for evening yet, not by London standards.’ Gabrielle bit her lip in thought. ‘I could be Portuguese and eccentric, I suppose. I would certainly like to go. Will you accompany me? I can write and thank her and say I would not dream of taking them out of their way to collect me, but I will be most grateful for her chaperonage at the soirée.’ She smiled mischievously at him. ‘That sounds suitably dutiful, doesn’t it? Then we can escape if it is too tiresome.’
‘It sounds like a good compromise. I have no doubt of being acceptable as your escort at the Altringworths’ house, even uninvited. They’re a hospitable family. The footman is waiting and the writing desk is over there if you want to pen a note.’
He strolled over to take the seat next to Henry. ‘How are the plans shaping up?’
‘Well, I thank you. It really is exceedingly helpful having this house as a base in London because I have several possible contacts here and having such a good address is a great help. Meeting Miss Frost is a stroke of good fortune.’ Henry sat forward, hands clasped between his knees. ‘I was interested in the wine trade, but had no focus for that. Now I am wondering if I can find an opening in Boston, which was the city I most favoured trying my fortune in. Miss Frost is being most generous with advice, but there is so much I would like to ask her. She has promised me a letter of introduction to someone she corresponds with in Boston, you know.’
‘Has she agents in America?’
‘Apparently not. There are issues about shipping port such distances, apparently, but Miss Frost says—’
‘You must tell me later. Now I must take Miss Frost back to her hotel and return here to change.’
* * *
Gabrielle eyed Gray ruefully across the width of the carriage. By unspoken consent they had taken opposite corners, sitting with the utmost decorum in almost laughable contrast to the way they had arrived, flushed and tumbled and aching to strip the clothing from each other.
