Never Trust a Rebel(10)

‘Trying to bamboozle me, Miss Salforde?’

The look in his eyes dared her to try and she had to resist the temptation to look away.

‘Not at all, but surely the journey would pass much more quickly if we were not at odds with one another. Besides, it behoves me to be on good terms with my guardian.’



There was no guile in those velvet-brown eyes but Drew was cautious. He was too old and too experienced to be ensnared by a pretty face.

The devil of it was that Elyse Salforde was not just a pretty face. She was intelligent, too. And spirited. A damned attractive package that brought out the rake in him. He had feigned sleep for most of the day to avoid making any more remarks like the one that had slipped out at the start of their journey. It had upset her, and shown him what a dangerous line he was treading. But it now appeared that his attempts to keep the attraction at bay had resulted in her thinking he was angry with her. She was offering to make peace and he could not bring himself to snub her.

‘I agree with you,’ he said at last. ‘It will make life much more comfortable for both of us.’

She handed him a glass and raised her own. ‘I hope we can be friends from now on, sir.’

A scratching at the door announced dinner and he escorted Elyse to the little table where they took their places and waited while an array of dishes was spread before them. Drew had to admit that the food was good and the company even better. Elyse had been well educated and conversed easily on any number of subjects. Time passed quickly and he barely noticed the servant coming in to light the candles and build up the fire. He did notice, however, that unlike the previous evening, Elyse was in no hurry to dash off to her bed. When the covers had been removed and they had only their wine and a dish of sweetmeats on the table between them Drew sat back in his chair, smiling.

‘I have enjoyed this evening, Miss Salforde, very much.’

‘And do you still pity my husband?’

He laughed.

‘So that rankled, did it?’

‘Of course.’ A rueful smile lit her eyes and hovered on her full lips. ‘No woman likes to be thought unattractive.’

‘I meant merely that your husband will need his wits about him, if you are not to lead him a merry dance.’

She looked down, the dark sweep of her lashes shielding her eyes but he heard the wistful note in her voice when she replied.

‘I will have to learn to be a biddable, conformable wife.’

‘That would be a pity.’ Immediately her eyes flew to his face and he added quickly, ‘I am sure it was your liveliness that attracted Reverson in the first place.’

‘Yes, but married ladies have to be much more responsible, do they not? And I mean to be a very good wife to William. I shall give him no cause to regret his choice.’

Her words and the look that accompanied them were very earnest. Drew did not doubt her sincerity but he could not help wondering about Reverson’s intentions. From what she had told him he guessed the man was an infrequent correspondent and he could not discover that he had visited his fiancée at all in the past three years. To Drew’s mind that did not augur well for their future happiness. But then, what did he know of such matters? He had reached six-and-twenty without ever once finding anyone he wished to marry. The unsettling thought occurred to him that he might have felt differently if he had not spent the past ten years living as an outcast with a price on his head. As such he was in no position to consider taking a wife. And never would be.

Elyse was watching him and Drew shifted in his chair. He had made his choice and he must take the consequences. No regrets. He filled the ensuing silence by recharging their glasses then he picked up his own and held it out.

‘I shall give you a toast, now, Miss Salforde. To your future happiness.’

She looked a little surprised by the gesture, but followed his lead and raised her own glass, taking a little sip before placing it carefully back upon the table.

‘Thank you.’ She selected a sugared almond. ‘Why did my father appoint you as my guardian?’

He did not reply immediately. What was it Harry had said?

I can rely on you to bring Whittlewood and his boy up to scratch.

‘I suppose he thought you needed a man’s protection until you married.’

‘Odd that he should think that now.’

‘It was very natural, since he would no longer be there to protect you.’

‘My father was never there to protect me.’

The words were spoken thoughtfully, no hint of blame, but they made Drew raise his brows.

‘He cared for you a great deal,’ he said cautiously.

‘Yes, but he was never there. He brought Mama to England soon after I was born and set her up in a little house near Dover, but he could not be still. At first he went off for only a few months at a time, but gradually his journeys became longer until he was only with us for a few weeks of the year. Mama said he was bougeotte—restless. She understood him and never complained. She died when I was eight years old and I was put into the care of Aunt Matthews. She was already a widow and I suppose Scarborough was even more difficult to reach than Dover, for I saw even less of Papa after that.’

‘That does not mean he did not think of you,’ said Drew. ‘He spoke of you often. His reason for continuing with his way of life was to provide you with an inheritance.’

She gave him a straight look.

‘Perhaps I would have preferred him to provide me with a father.’ She bit her lip. ‘I hardly knew him, you see. It could take months to receive a reply to my letters. That is why I wonder at his appointing you.’

‘He thought I could ensure your safety on your journey to your new family.’

A shadow flickered over her face and he heard her sigh.

‘I had hoped that William might come to fetch me, but his last letter did say that his father keeps him very busy.’

‘He writes to you regularly?’

‘Oh, yes… Sometimes.’ Again that hesitation, as if she were trying to convince herself. ‘When he first left Scarborough he wrote to me often, but it is more than three years since we last met, so I suppose we have said all there is to say.’

Her unaccustomed air of sadness disturbed him and he said, trying to give her thoughts a happier turn, ‘Tell me about Reverson. Where did you meet him?’

There was no doubt he had said the right thing. She smiled and the soft glow in her eyes winded him, like a blow to the body.

‘At the assembly in Scarborough, just after my seventeenth birthday. Lord and Lady Whittlewood had come to take the waters and William was with them. It coincided with one of Papa’s rare visits, which was most fortuitous, because he and Lord Whittlewood agreed the betrothal between them. No one was more surprised than I when William made me an offer. It was like a fairy tale. We had fallen head over heels in love, but I never imagined—’ She broke off, blushing. ‘It never occurred to me that the viscount would agree to it, and after so short a time, too, just a couple of months! I am very conscious of my good fortune.’

Good fortune indeed, to be marrying into a noble family. Drew sipped his wine and wondered if he should tell her that the marriage had been arranged in payment of a debt. Looking into Elyse’s frank, shyly smiling eyes Drew could not bring himself to do so. But could the young couple be happy, could the pair of them really be in love? They had not seen each other for three years and it seemed unlikely that such a youthful infatuation could last. But perhaps he had grown too cynical. And there was no denying that Elyse Salforde was a most delightful companion. She would make any man a good wife.

‘Now it is your turn.’

Her voice, rich with laughter, captured his attention.

‘I beg your pardon?’

She was regarding him over the rim of her wineglass.

‘So far we have only spoken about me. I am curious to learn about you, Mr Andrew Bastion.’

The ease that had been growing within him withered. What should he tell her, that he was a soldier of fortune? A gambler? A traitor?

Drew was glad to be distracted by the opening of the door. A cheerful-looking maid with rosy cheeks came in and bobbed a curtsy.

‘The master said I was to come and see you, sir, to accompany the young leddy up t’bed.’

He took out his pocket watch.

‘I had not realised it was so late.’ He bent a smile upon Elyse. ‘We have another early start tomorrow.’

‘Then I shall retire and save my questions for another night.’

He rose and walked with her to the door where she stopped. Only inches separated them, so close he could see how flawless her creamy skin was, smell the faint scent of summer blossoms that hung about her. He wanted to reach out and loosen her hair, watch it cascade in dark waves down her back. Then he would drive his hands into it and pull her close, breathing in that elusive flowery perfume…

He heard the soft, musical cadence of her voice and he blinked, bringing her face into focus. She was gazing up at him, smiling slightly.

‘I really am very grateful to you, sir, for taking me to William.’

It took a moment for the words to register.

‘Yes, well,’ he said gruffly. ‘I hope Reverson appreciates you.’





Chapter Three

Another long day’s travel followed, but unlike the previous days Elyse found her companion was in a sociable mood. He no longer slept in the corner but engaged her in conversation. The topics were unexceptional, but he was well read and very knowledgeable. Elyse told him something of her life in Scarborough, but while he was happy to describe to her the cities he had visited, he refused to be drawn on his own history. She did not press him, for she did not want to risk damaging their burgeoning friendship.