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e requesting her presence for any noble reason.”
“Nobody ever believes me when I try to do good.” He sniffed. “I was so sure if I could get Katherine here so soon after I’d told Jack that she loved him, then her presence would change everything.”
“But George, Jack knows Katherine loves him. That’s not the problem.” Lady Quamby spoke to him as if he were a child. “And Jack loves Katherine. But Jack is too much a man of honour to renege on the promise he’s made Odette. And I’m sure I don’t know how to overcome that obstacle. Not with Derry and Odette refusing to cooperate and properly fall in love with one another.”
George closed his eyes, thinking, then opened them to see Jack put his arm about Odette’s shoulders as if he were comforting her. A hero could be the most insufferable of all human beings, yet hadn’t George always wanted to be like Jack? Not just because he wanted to be the recipient of Katherine’s love.
“Katherine would come if she thought Jack was in danger,” he said.
“Really, George. That’s too dramatic. In danger…at Patmore Farm? With his own parents?”
“Or if she were told Jack had had an accident.”
“So, now you’re proposing to set upon Jack so Katherine can be told he was wounded in a brazen attack by footpads?”
George frowned at his mother. “You’re so ready to dismiss my every idea, aren’t you, Mama?”
“Really, that’s not fair, George.” Lady Quamby bridled. “But you do tend to run on without thinking matters out to their final consequences.”
“I’d suggest that’s just what you did when you clearly had to marry Quamby. But that’s hardly done you any harm.”
Ignoring his mother’s gasp of outrage, George went on, returning to the subject at hand, as he outlined the plan he’d recently devised in a hurried whisper. “Nothing will progress if Katherine isn’t here, Mama. We both know that, I’m sure. And Katherine won’t listen to me. But what if you wrote to Katherine and told her Jack had suffered a severe fall from his horse and was asking for her. Of course, it would be a lie, but it would bring her here if she recognised your handwriting. She’d come then, wouldn’t she? I mean, nothing would keep her away if she heard that from you.”
Lady Quamby regarded her only son with approval. “Why, George dearest, I think that’s the cleverest plan you’ve ever come up with. Bertram and I have already paved the way. As have you. I feel sure it will only take the vision of Katherine bursting through the doors of Patmore Farm and crying out her deepest distress to learn that Jack lies in mortal danger of succumbing to his injuries, for everyone to understand there really is no other reasonable outcome than for Jack and Katherine to be together.”
Chapter 29
What a dreary day, thought Katherine as she strolled through the gardens of Quamby House the following morning.
The drizzling rain would soon have her drenched to the skin. Perhaps she’d catch a chill, but what did it matter? It would make her mother be even more displeased with her, of course. Or was her mother displeased at something else? Did Katherine really care?
Did Katherine really care about anything other than the fact that Jack had made it clear he returned her feelings, except his loyalties towards Odette were greater than they were to Katherine? She tried to hate him for ruining her life but couldn’t.
At the bottom of the hill, she stopped to look up at the fine old Queen Anne building. It looked sad and lonely beneath the grey sky. A gravel path wound its way from a side door, cutting through the grass towards the small lake around which Katherine was now meandering slowly, her heart a sad, empty vessel.
But now a figure had emerged from the side door and was poised upon the threshold, scanning the surroundings before locating Katherine and hurrying with more than usual haste towards her.
“Katherine! You told no one you were going out! I’ve not known where to find you these last ten minutes!” Her mother sounded panicked, which was unlike her.
Katherine’s heart began to pound, and she picked up her skirts and ran towards Lady Fenton who was waving a letter in the air.
“Your aunt has just written to say that Jack had a bad accident this morning. He’s asking for you!”
“Jack’s hurt?” The back of Katherine’s legs felt cold. A terrible malaise seemed to grip her from the inside before she was able to throw off her panic. “Is he going to be all right?” She put her hand to her mouth as her breath came in short, staccato breaths. She closed her eyes. Jack was hurt? Jack was asking for her?
“I don’t know!” Her mother sounded as afraid as Katherine felt. “Antoinette doesn’t say.”
“I have to go to him!” Katherine scanned the lawn and the house as if she might gain inspiration for what she needed to do.
“The carriage is here,” her mother said. “I’ll have it brought round.”
“The carriage will take three hours, Mama!” Katherine cried. “Three hours when I have no idea how bad Jack’s injuries are. I can ride the distance in an hour.”
“On horseback? Heavens, you can’t possibly do that, darling,” her mother responded with firm conviction. “No, must arrive by carriage looking a vision of loveliness and Jack—”
“Oh, stop saying such things! What do I care what I look like when Jack’s life is hanging in the balance?” Katherine cried, her voice breaking as her fear increased. “I’m taking Stargazer.” Already she was striding towards the house, saying over her shoulder, “Ask Tom to saddle him up for me while I change into my habit. And please tell Betsy I’m leaving immediately. You’ll see to Diana, won’t you?”
“I won’t let you go alone, Katherine! You can’t possibly! Even if Jack’s life is in danger, you can’t thumb your nose at convention and set tongues wagging at your latest antics, for that’s what they’ll do.”
