Dark Rider (31 page)

Cassie felt a rush of relief. She had not realized until this moment how much she had dreaded Josette’s condemnation. “Thank you. You’re being very generous.”

“Not as generous as you think.” Josette’s eyes were suddenly twinkling. “There’s a price to pay. When can I ride Kapu?”

Cassie shook her head. The girl was impossible. “He’d kill you.”

“Maybe not. I told you, I’m good with horses.” She jumped down from the fence and moved forward to open the gate. “Come on. I’ll help you put him up.”

Cassie felt bewildered. She had feared this encounter since she had discovered the girl’s identity, and Josette was being almost casual about it.

Josette’s gaze narrowed on her face. “It’s not so strange,” she said as if she had read her thoughts. “I
was very young when my parents were killed. Jared and Bradford are the only family I remember. Did you know that after his father was killed, Jared brought me to England himself?”

“No.”

“He was holding me when they murdered his father. His wrists were bound, but he managed to slip into the underbrush and hide in the forest for three days. Then he made his way to the ship his father had arranged to meet them. He wasn’t able to get the ropes off, and his wrists were still tied and bloody when he reached the coast.”

I hate to be bound
.

No wonder. He must have felt terribly helpless and frustrated, bound, bereaved, with a small child to tend. The experience would have scarred anyone.

“So you wouldn’t find me understanding if you or your father did something to hurt Jared.” Josette closed the gate behind Cassie. “But you’re very interesting. I can’t stand those ninnies at school. I believe I’ll enjoy your stay here at Morland. You can tell me all about that odd place where you lived, and we’ll ride and have great fun.”

“Indeed? Jared regards me as a hostage, you know.”

Josette made a face. “A very peculiar hostage, who’s permitted to ride freely over the estate. I don’t see that as a problem.” She opened the stable door. “Now, what about this Lani? Is she really your father’s mistress?”

Cassie stiffened. “Yes.”

Josette didn’t seem to notice the change in her demeanor. “Many of Jared’s friends have mistresses, but they don’t usually let me meet them. Once at one of
Jared’s house parties I saw one of his lady birds slip into his room.”

“Lady birds?”

“Light of loves, cyprians.” When Cassie still looked at her blankly, she said baldly, “Whores.”

Heat stung Cassie’s cheeks. “Lani is not a whore. Don’t you dare compare her to one. She’s as respectable as—”

“I didn’t know,” Josette interrupted. “My apologies. Here in England mistresses are not considered—” She broke off and gave a deep sigh. “I always say the wrong thing. I meant no offense.”

The girl was so clearly penitent that Cassie’s anger ebbed away. “She’s my friend.”

“Will I like her?”

“Maybe.” Cassie thought back to those first days after Lani had come to the cottage. Cassie had been rebellious and full of jealousy and resentment, and it had taken time for Lani to win her over. Josette was not as young as Cassie had been then but was just as independent and proud. “Perhaps not at once, but then you’ll love her.”

“Oh, she’s like Jared.” Josette nodded in understanding. “Sometimes I want to throttle him. He’s always so right about everything.” She smiled. “But then he does something absolutely splendid, and you forget all the rest.”

Clearly the girl adored Jared even when she wanted to do him injury, Cassie thought. What had he done to deserve such affection? “Jared’s not at all like Lani,” she said dryly as she dismounted.

Morgana was already in her stall, and as Cassie led Kapu past her, she watched closely for the sidelong glances Jared had mentioned.

Blast it!

How had he noticed something almost imperceptible? She could fully sympathize with Josette’s annoyance over Jared’s disgusting habit of being right.

“You’re frowning. Are you still angry with me?” Josette asked anxiously.

She smiled. “No, I’m not angry.”

“Then after we get Kapu comfortable, will you introduce me to your Lani?”

Cassie nodded. “Very well. We’ll go to the library when we finish.”

As soon as Cassie and Josette left the stable and started across the courtyard, they spied the handsome carriage pulled up before the front entrance of the castle.

“Oh, no!” Josette’s eyes widened in alarm. “She’s here!”

“Who is here?” Cassie asked.

“Lady Carradine.” Josette grabbed Cassie by the arm and pulled her away. “I didn’t think she’d be here this soon. She could at least let me have a few days before she pounced.”

“What difference does it make? You said Jared had promised to let you stay.”

“It’s not that simple. I had to convince him it wouldn’t hurt my reputation to come back. I thought everything would be fine, but she didn’t give me time enough to—Listen, this is the way it is.” She spoke quickly. “You’re my second cousin, Cassandra Deville. Your father left France to go to Tahiti years ago, and he became a farmer. He grew …” She searched wildly. “Rum.”

“Rum’s a drink made of sugar cane.”

“Well, then he grew sugar cane. They grow sugar cane in Tahiti, don’t they?”

“I don’t know, I’m from Hawaii.”

“I keep forgetting. Jared was going to Tahiti. Well, it won’t matter. Who ever heard of Hawaii, anyway? Well, maybe that Captain Cook, but—”

“I don’t know what on earth you’re talking about.”

“I need a chaperon, or Jared won’t let me stay.”

Cassie looked at her dazedly. “I’m supposed to be a chaperon as well as a hostage?”

“Well, you’re not really old enough to be a chaperon, but I thought your Lani would do. Of course, she can’t be your father’s mistress, she has to be his widow.” She half pushed Cassie up the stairs. “But she’s old enough to be considered past her prime.”

Cassie remembered her last glimpse of Lani in the library—youthful, vibrant, gloriously beautiful. “It won’t work,” she said flatly.

“We can try.” She stopped outside the library door and gazed pleadingly at Cassie. “Please try. I don’t want to go back with her.”

Cassie hesitated. The entire scheme was mad, but Josette’s desperation was hard to resist. As long as she was forced to be here anyway, it would be cruel to deny Josette her freedom, “Jared agreed to this?”

“He thought the plan had possibilities. He had to have a reason for your presence here.” She drew a deep breath. “You don’t owe me anything, but I’m asking you for a favor. Don’t make me go away.” She turned the knob and flung open the door. “Lady Carradine, I didn’t expect you.”

The woman to whom Jared was talking turned at Josette’s words. Lady Carradine was small of stature and exquisitely fair, and the cool perfection of her features reminded Cassie of a lady on a cameo. “I
didn’t expect to have to run after you. I have better things to do with my time, Josette.” Her glance disapprovingly ran over the young girl. “And you’re wearing those terrible trousers again. I told you they weren’t acceptable.” Her attention shifted to Cassie. “Who is this?”

“Lady Carradine, may I present my cousin, Cassandra Deville?” Josette’s grasp tightened on Cassie’s arm as if she were afraid Cassie would flee. “My
older
cousin.”

“Evidently not old enough to know decorum.” The woman’s gaze went over Cassie’s worn habit. “A divided skirt? Good heavens, such conduct must be a family trait. That garment is little better than those hideous trousers.”

Cassie felt a flare of anger. “It’s served me well. I don’t see—”

“Clothes are hardly important, Carolyn,” Jared said quickly as he stepped between them. “I do appreciate your coming to make sure this urchin of mine is safe, but you can see all is well.”

“I see nothing of the sort,” Carolyn Carradine said. She took a step closer to Jared and placed her hand on his arm, smiling sweetly up at him. “Jared, be guided by me in this. We must be very careful of Josette. Let me take her back to Carradine Hall, where no breath of scandal will touch her.”

“No scandal will touch her here.”

She shook her head and her smile became arch. “We’ve discussed this before. You’ve been too much a rake for anyone to believe you’ve reformed. Not while you’re still unmarried.”

“But I have a chaperon.” Josette turned to Jared. “Did you tell her about Madam Deville?”

“Since you weren’t here, I had that privilege,” he said dryly.

“A widow.” Josette added for good measure. “And old. Almost thirty.”

Lady Carradine, whom Cassie judged to be over thirty, was not pleased. Her lips tightened. “I’d like to meet Madam Deville.”

“She’s ill and not able to receive visitors,” Jared said. “She’s a fragile creature, and the journey was too much for her.”

“Then she should not have the custody of two young girls.”

“She’ll be better in a day or two,” Cassie said. The words tumbled from her lips unbidden. She had not meant to involve herself any more than she was forced. “Lani has a strong constitution.”

“Lani?” Carolyn Carradine’s tone became speculative. “What a strange name.”

“Not as lovely as ‘Carolyn,’ certainly,” Jared said with a warm smile. “You can meet Madam Deville at a later time.”

“I’d like to meet her now. Isn’t it—” She met Jared’s gaze and accurately read the inflexibility of his expression. She surrendered at once and gave him another brilliant smile. “Of course, if she’s not well, I’ll not disturb her. But I feel it necessary to make sure dear Josette is in safe hands. I’m giving a small ball in six weeks’ time. If Madam Deville’s as resilient as you say, I should be able to meet her then. You’ll make sure she’s there?”

“Who would dare miss one of your soirees?” Jared lifted her gloved hand to his lips. “Of course we’ll be there.”

She lingeringly removed her hand and patted his cheek. “Splendid.” She turned and moved brusquely
toward the door. “And I want to hear no more of these trousers.
You
must exercise some control over your ward, Jared.”

Jared gave Josette a barbed glance. “You’re probably right. I’ve noticed she’s been somewhat out of control lately.” He followed Carolyn to the door. “Let me escort you to your carriage.”

Josette gave an explosive sigh as the door closed behind them. She plopped down onto a chair. “Thank heaven that’s over.”

“I’m not sure it’s over. It sounded like a postponement to me.”

“Well, at least it was a good beginning.” She threw one leg over the arm of the chair and began to swing it. “I was afraid it would go much worse.”

“She seems quite … determined. I’m surprised she gave up so easily.”

“She didn’t want to cross Jared when she saw he wouldn’t bend. She wants to be a duchess.” She raised her brows when she saw Cassie’s expression. “Why are you surprised? Half the women in England want to marry Jared.”

She shouldn’t be shocked. She had thought of Jared in connection with mistresses but not marriage. She tried to make her tone casual. “Have they known each other for a long time?”

“Over seven years. She was married to a friend of Jared’s, Lord Marcus Carradine. When his horse threw him and he was killed, she was left with nothing but a few pounds and Carradine Hall. She turned it into a school for young ladies.”

Cassie tried to be fair. “Very commendable.”

“Ambitious,” Josette corrected. “She’s insinuated her way into the most powerful houses in England through their daughters. She’s now looked upon as
the standard setter for decorum in the county. She’d like nothing better than to extend her influence to Prinny’s court through Jared.”

“Prinny?” Cassie asked.

“The king’s son, of course.”

“I see.” She remembered the seductive smile Jared had bestowed on Carolyn Carradine. “And how does Jared feel?”

“Well, he won’t tolerate my insulting her. I don’t know if it’s because he wants to encourage respect and keep the peace, or if he likes her.” She started to swing her other booted foot. “Is your Lani as comely as Joseph said?”

“She’s truly lovely.”

“Then I’m glad she wasn’t here. The gargoyle doesn’t like beautiful women around Jared, and it would have caused endless trouble.” She grinned. “It’s just as well you’re looking so plain and frumpy today. She paid little attention to you.”

“Very fortunate,” she said with irony.

“Oh, I didn’t mean—I told you my tongue runs away from me.”

“At full speed,” Jared said dryly from the doorway. “What indiscretion have you committed now?”

“Is she gone?” Josette asked.

“Yes.” He shut the door and came toward them. “And none too soon. I felt as if I were going to trip any second on one of those lies you concocted.”

“You’re much too clever to do that.” Josette grinned. “You did very well.”

He bowed mockingly. “Thank you. But it would have been more clever of you to change before running in here. You know she hates those trousers.”

Cassie frowned. “You’re not going to forbid her to wear them?”

Josette chuckled. “Why would he do that? Jared gave me my first pair of trousers when I was four years old.”

“Fashion is all very well, but riding sidesaddle is a death trap if a horse falls,” Jared said. “That divided skirt you wear is safer, but there’s still too much material. You’ll wear trousers, too, while you’re here.”

She did not question the intense pleasure she received at his small defiance of Josette’s “gargoyle.”

“Then you deceived Lady Carradine.”

He smiled crookedly. “On any number of issues. There’s usually a price to pay for deceit. I hope it doesn’t prove too high.”

“Well, I think everything is proceeding splendidly,” Josette said. “And the only price would be for Lady Carradine to expel me from school, and that’s no price at all.”

His smile disappeared. “It’s a very great price, and one I won’t have you pay. Carolyn can have you ostracized from the ton with two sentences. I won’t have her say those words.”

Josette made a disgusted snort. “You care little for your own reputation. It’s not fair to make me—”

“Hush.” His hand gently covered her lips. “A woman is different, the consequences are heavier.” He smiled warmly as he coaxed. “Trust me in this. Have I ever done anything that wasn’t for your good?”