Chapter Eleven
Guy leaned his arm along the mantelshelf and rested his head against it, his lips moving with a silent flow of curses. By heaven, what was it about the woman that beguiled him so? Was it the flame-red hair that attracted him like some hapless moth? She undermined his control, but he would swear it was unwittingly done and he was ashamed of his reactions. He was no better than the oaf he had seen off earlier that evening. It was pure lust, of course, and perfectly understandable; she was a very beautiful woman, with her glorious hair and those dark, liquid eyes that melted his soul. Desire stirred at the very thought of her standing before him. With something like a growl he lounged across to the side table and picked up the decanter. He would have a couple of glasses of brandy and go to bed, although heaven knew how he would sleep, knowing that she was lying just feet away from him in the next room.
When Beth awoke the next morning it took her a few moments to remember just where she was, but once memory returned she dressed hurriedly and made her way to the dining room, where she found the earl already breaking his fast. He stood as she came in and greeted her politely. She responded in kind and took her seat at the table.
'Fitton and your maid have gone below for their meal,' he told her, handing her a cup of coffee. 'They would not be comfortable eating with us.'
'No, of course not.' She wondered if she, too, might be more comfortable downstairs. However, the earl said nothing untoward and she began to relax.
She was finishing her small meal when shouts and calls from the roadside informed them that the mail was about to depart. Beth went over to the window to watch it pull away. She could even smile a little when she looked at the outside passengers and saw the lanky man pull out his hipflask. He had obviously found time to refill it.
'I hope you are not regretting your decision to come with me.'
She came back to the table. 'No,' she said carefully. 'As long as you remember your promise to treat me like your sister.'
He grinned at that and she quickly raised a hand to her kerchief, almost expecting to feel her heart had escaped and was caught like a fluttering bird in its folds.
'If that is the case, I must snap and growl at you and tell you that if you are not ready on time I shall leave without you.'
Beth relaxed and warmed to the amusement in his voice. 'Goodness, if that is the case I had best go and pack up immediately!'
'No, no, there is not such a rush,' he said, laughing. 'Stay and take another cup of coffee with me.'
They remained at the table in perfect harmony. Beth could not remember what they discussed, but she was aware of a faint disappointment when Fitton and Tilly returned and the earl said it was time they were leaving. She accompanied him out to the carriage and allowed him to tuck a rug around her knees.
'I am glad it is a fine day,' she said, as he climbed in beside her. 'I do not like to think of poor Tilly and your valet sitting up behind, exposed to all weathers.'
'Is that why you bought your maid a seat inside on the mail?' he asked.
'In part. I was also glad to have her beside me for company.'
'Well, now you have me. Tell me how I may entertain you, Mrs Forrester?'
She disclaimed, flustered, 'You must not think I am in constant need of amusement, my lord.'
'Of course not. Perhaps, then, you would tell me something of yourself.'
'There is not much to tell,' she said, shyly. 'I grew up at the Priory, married, was widowed and returned to Malpass.'
'Was it an arranged marriage?'
'Yes. Papa had known Mr Forrester for many years. We married when I was nineteen, but he died within the year. His heart was weak.'
'I am very sorry. And you returned to the Priory?'
'Yes. Mr Forrester's estate was entailed and passed to a distant cousin. I have a small annuity, but I was very happy to return to my old home.'
'I have never understood how you came to inherit the Priory,' he remarked, shifting his position so that he could look at her. 'Should it not have passed to your brother?'
Beth folded her hands in her lap. 'It should, of course, but Papa changed his will when he heard that Simon was lost at sea.'
'Surely that was a little premature.'
She sighed as the memories came back to her. 'I know. When Miles came to Malpass with the news that Simon had been drowned, Papa was so ill I thought he should not be told. It could only distress him. Unfortunately, Miles called while I was out one day and Papa asked to see him. Miles tells me Papa guessed something was amiss and demanded the truth. Once he knew what had occurred, Papa immediately altered his will in my favour. He was afraid that if Simon's body was never found then there might be … complications in the Priory passing to me, so he changed his will, disinheriting Simon and making everything over to me.'
'Very convenient for Radworth.'
Her head came up at that. 'Miles had no idea that Papa would do such a thing!'
'And did your father know that your brother was accused of murder?'
She shook her head. 'I made Miles promise that he would not tell him, or Grandmama. She doted on Simon and I wanted to keep her memories of him unsullied. I was determined to clear Simon's name, if I could, so I wrote to Mr Spalding, our lawyer in London, and asked him to begin enquiries to find the French couple who had been attacked. I discussed that with Miles. He thought it a good scheme.'
'I know I have asked you this before, but if Radworth knows so much about the family, why have you not told him Simon is alive?' Beth had been dreading that question. She did not have a satisfactory explanation, even for herself. When she did not answer the earl said slowly, 'It seems to me, Mrs Forrester, that you trust your fiancé even less than you trust me.'
'I have no choice but to trust you,' she retorted. 'And believe me, Lord Darrington, I like Miles Radworth a great deal more than I like you!'
Beth maintained an icy politeness towards her travelling companion for the remainder of the journey. He was not noticeably dashed and treated her with such courtesy that by the time they stopped at Hatfield for their dinner she was feeling quite guilty and would have been ashamed of her behaviour towards him if she had not reminded herself that she had not asked the earl to convey her to town-in fact, he had almost forced his company upon her. However, she was honest enough to admit, when they sat down to eat in the private dining room with its cheerful fire and a sumptuous array of dishes on the table, that travelling with Lord Darrington was a great deal more agreeable than on a public coach. She therefore made an effort to engage him in civil, if rather inane, conversation while they dined. At the end of the meal the earl took out his watch.
'It will be dark in an hour,' he told her. 'Perhaps you would like to put up here for the night and finish our journey tomorrow?'
Beth shook her head. 'Thank you, but I do not wish to impose upon your hospitality any longer than is necessary, my lord. If you are agreeable, I would like to press on.'
'As you wish.' His polite acquiescence pricked at her conscience and she felt compelled to try to explain.
'I want to see Mr Spalding as soon as possible. After all, I have no idea how long the de Beaunes will be in England.' She hesitated. 'I hope you do not mind pressing on to London tonight?'
She did not add that she was unwilling to spend another night in his company, but from the look he gave her she was sure he had guessed. In fact, she was uncomfortably aware that the earl was far too good at reading her thoughts.
A combination of poor horses and an overturned vegetable cart blocking the road hindered progress on the final leg of their journey and it was gone ten o'clock when they eventually pulled up outside the offices of Spalding, Spalding and Grooch in Cheapside. Unsurprisingly, the building was in darkness and Fitton's knocking brought no response at all, save for a neighbour throwing up the window and demanding who the devil was making so much noise at that time of night. A civil enquiry from the earl elicited the information that none of the partners lived on the premises and that everyone had gone home a good hour since.
'It seems we are too late,' remarked the earl, climbing back into the carriage. 'I am very sorry.'
'Even had we not been delayed on the road we might not have been in time,' Beth responded. 'I must find somewhere to put up for the night, my lord. Perhaps you would advise me.'
The earl hesitated. 'I do not think I can do that.'
Beth froze. In the gloomy interior of the carriage she could not see his face and was not at all sure that his apologetic tone was sincere.
'And just why might that be?' she enquired in arctic tones.