Silk and Shadows(60)

Sara's silk gown was rumpled and a loosened strand of lustrous dark gold hair had fallen over her bare shoulder, but she had not lost a shred of her aristocratic dignity. It was hard to decide which of his feelings was stronger: admiration for her stoic courage, or desire.

Peregrine was troubled in a way very rare to him. Yet even so, it was a complete surprise when he heard his own voice saying, "If Lady Sara needs a husband, I would be happy to volunteer for the position."

The stunned silence that followed rivaled the one that had occurred when he and Sara had been discovered. All three of the Britons stared at him in blank astonishment.

As startled as the others, Peregrine swiftly reviewed his rash statement. Usually he weighed decisions carefully, but sometimes he acted on pure impulse, as when he had decided to take Jenny Miller from the brothel.

Now impulse had struck again, skipping his brain entirely and going direct to his lips.

Yet even after fast, furious thought, he found that he did not regret his offer. A wife had never been part of his plans, but a wise man altered plans to suit unexpected circumstances. Marriage would help atone for what he had done to Sara, and as he watched the startled rise and fall of her breasts, he knew that marrying her would be no sacrifice.

He raised his brows, a little amused by the expressions of the other three. "When you said that Lady Sara needed a respectable marriage, Your Grace, you meant to a wellborn Englishman. While I am not that, I am very rich, which should counter some of my other failings."

The duke scrutinized his face before saying grudgingly, "I suppose you would do. If the marriage takes place soon, the gossip will die down quickly."

Ross said, a hard edge in his voice, "Is this what you've wanted all along, Mikahl?"

"No, the idea just occurred to me," Peregrine said blandly. "But now that I've thought of it, I find it appealing. Sara?"

Her voice rich with sarcasm, she said, "Your powerfully romantic proposal leaves me speechless."

Peregrine grinned in appreciation, but the duke said roughly, "You're not going to do any better, Sara. Accept him quickly, before he changes his mind."

"Better a scandal than a disastrous marriage," Ross snapped.

"It would be a mistake to decide anything tonight," Peregrine said soothingly. "Sara and I need to talk when she's had a chance to rest."

"That is the first sensible thing anyone has said," Sara replied, her tone brittle.

"May I call on you at eleven o'clock tomorrow morning?" Peregrine asked.

"Very well." She stood, tugging the gaudy engagement ring from her finger. Handing it to her father, she said, "Will you see that this is returned to Charles?" After he nodded, Sara continued, "I'm going up to my room, Ross, and I don't want to talk to anyone else tonight. Not anyone. " Her limp was more pronounced than usual as she crossed the library, but her spine was erect. She left without looking back.

"Uncle Miles, will you please ask my mother to take care of the guests on my behalf?" Ross asked. "I have a few things I wish to discuss with my esteemed friend."

Seeming grateful to have something to do, Haddonfield agreed, then left the room.

"You arranged that nasty little scene deliberately, didn't you?" Ross growled as soon as the door closed behind the duke. "If I didn't owe you my life, I would have already wrung your neck. Just what kind of game are you playing, Mikahl?"

"You are very quick to assume the worst. Isn't it possible that it was an accident of passion, that Sara and I were overcome by our feelings and lost track of the time?" Peregrine seemed totally at his ease, faint amusement visible on his dark face.

"No," Ross said flatly, fighting the urge to wipe the amusement off the other man's face. "That kind of accident doesn't happen to you. I've always known that you were devious, but I thought that in your own way, you were honorable. Instead you betrayed my trust and deceived me so that I became the instrument of injuring Sara. If that is your idea of friendship, may God preserve me from any more such friends."

"But the goal has been achieved," Peregrine said, refusing to be drawn. "Lady Sara is now free of a dangerous man."

"I've never liked Weldon, even less so after tonight, but I'd trust Sara to him sooner than to a scheming bastard like you." Ross took a firm hold on his raveling temper. "What you did to her tonight was unforgivable."

"It is Sara's choice to give or withhold forgiveness, not yours." Peregrine's expression grew thoughtful. "I wonder whether she will accept my offer of honorable matrimony. My guess is that the odds are about even. What do you think?"