“I don’t think that Sir Robert—” she
started, uncertain of what was to come or what she could say.
“The magistrate—” the Englishman cut her
off, “—strikes me as an understanding man. Indeed, he knows that
accidents
do
happen. The fact is, sir, I pushed open the
upper half of one of the stable doors, not knowing Miss Purefoy was
approaching on the other side. It was a grievous mistake, but she
has been
very
gracious in not embarrassing me before her
family.”
“Do you mean to tell me that
you
…?”
“I mean exactly what I have told you.”
Spencer turned to Jane, who was having some
difficulty hiding her surprise. The tingling warmth that spread
through her as his blue eyes met hers briefly did nothing to help,
either.
The magistrate yanked at his mount’s bridle.
“It would appear, sir, that you had an
exceedingly
busy day
yesterday. Single handedly rescuing a clergyman from a horde of
outlaws, unhorsing their leader, and then this extensive damage. I
just wonder what are the chances of…” The words trailed off, but
the suggestion hung in the air.
With deliberate slowness, Spencer removed
one of his gloves. “From the tone of your words, sir, it would
appear that you have some difficulty accepting statements that are
conveyed to you. I
hope
I am mistaken.”
The magistrate’s stare locked with that of
the baronet for a long, tense moment.
“My deepest apologies to you and to Miss
Purefoy,” Musgrave said finally, bowing with cool courtesy. “One’s
duty to the Crown can make one jump at shadows sometimes, I’m
afraid. My best to your family, Miss Jane.”
“Thank you.”
The words were just whisper in the wind, but
Nicholas heard them nonetheless.
As they topped the next hill, leaving the
river valley—and the magistrate—behind them, he glanced over at
Jane but did not respond. His anger still gnawed at him, but he was
pleased to have her finally riding with him, rather than leading
him all over the countryside in another merry game of “fox and
hounds.”
“Is he always so insolent?”
“Each time I meet him, it seems to get
worse.” It was obvious that she was still feeling the effects of
the exchange. “But I understand that many of the English gentry
find him quite accommodating.”
“So he is impudent only when he chooses to
be.”
“And when he has considered the social rank
of the person he is dealing with.” She gave him a pleased look. “I
believe you intimidated him.”
Nicholas didn’t say it, but he wished he’d
done more.
He had felt Sir Robert’s eyes on their backs
as they rode away from Buttevant. Not that he particularly gave a
damn. By ‘sblood, he’d come damned close to challenging the
unprincipled dog for his treatment of her.
“I admire your restraint,” he said. The
simply spoken compliment earned him a warm smile. “Despite your
agitation, you never lost your temper.” Or cursed at him in Gaelic,
he silently finished.
“It might sound like cowardice, but it is
not. I prefer not to draw any undue attention to myself, especially
from someone like him.”
She didn’t have to explain more, for
Nicholas understood her. Her practiced self-restraint was due to
her covert activities with the Shanavests.
She moved in front of him through a narrow
passage at the crest of a hill. Talking with Jane was already
settling his frame of mind. He hoped that he had the same effect
for her.
“I should have insisted on coming along on
your visit to your friend.”
She half turned in the saddle. “I don’t
believe she is one whom you might generally find in your circle of
acquaintances.”
“I shan’t correct you on what you do not
know. But I will say that anything would have been preferable to
hanging about Buttevant and consorting with some bloody government
official.”
“Better you than I, sir.”
He smiled and noticed for the first time the
ragged wrap she had around her shoulders. “I see you have found a
scarf to replace your long lost hat.”
She touched the wool on her shoulder as he
came alongside her. “Very observant. It is a gift, and it came from
a woman who, I know, valued it highly. Aside from her children, it
may have been her most prized possession.”
He watched the way she touched the wool
again as if it were made of the finest silk. The simple gesture
revealed another layer of this woman whom he was finding most
fascinating.
They rode along for a few moments, both lost
in their own thoughts. Nicholas broke the silence.
“Despite the little unpleasantness at the
bridge, this has been a most enjoyable day. I owe you my sincere
thanks for your insistence to have me come along.”
When she turned her gaze on him again,
Nicholas was amazed at the jolt of awareness that ran through
him.
She stared at him for another lengthy moment
and then a bubble of laughter escaped her. Delighted by the
transformation in her, he joined in. When she laughed, Jane Purefoy
threw off the sadness that hung over her like a cloud. Something
else took its place. Something free and full of life. She was
attractive to the point of being truly stunning.
“
Insistence
that you come along?” She
shook her head, repeating what he’d said. “Sir Nicholas, you speak
as if you heard not a word that passed between my sister and
me.”
“I admit hearing nothing of what was a
private conversation. But you
must
have been agreeable,
otherwise I’m sure I would not be riding with you at this
moment.”
She shook her head good-naturedly. “Sir, you
know quite well that I was not given a choice. But now that you
mention it, I believe you must have been in on this entire
scheme.”
“Cut me as you please, Miss Purefoy, but do
not wrongfully accuse me.” He added as an afterthought. “But tell
me, isn’t this much more pleasant than our little disagreement in
the woods yesterday?”
This was a subject that neither had
broached, yet. A flicker of shared knowledge passed between them.
Nicholas couldn’t help but notice the gentle blush that crept into
her face.
“We are late,” she finally replied quietly,
spurring her horse into a canter.
He fell in beside her and looked at his
timepiece. “We have plenty of time. The sun is not yet high, and my
watch tells me we have more than enough time to keep our
appointment with the good Parson Adams. Do you have some other
reason to rush?”
“Sir, you came out today to spend the day
with my sister. I have already taken you from her needlessly. It is
my responsibility to return you to her as expeditiously as
possible.”
“Allow me to correct this misunderstanding.”
He watched her carefully to gauge her reaction. “I came out today
with the hope of spending time in
your
company. I have been
looking to find an opportunity when we could speak.”
Her face immediately sobered. “It was an
unfortunate thing that we had to run into each other yesterday as
we did. There must be many questions…concerns that you have.” She
gradually slowed her mare to a walk. “I assure you that Clara takes
no part in anything inappropriate. She is a perfectly well-bred
daughter and subject of the Crown. She is totally innocent of
my…well, my interests…and always has been.”
“I don’t care to speak about Clara.”
“And you should not allow that scene
yesterday affect your marriage plans,” Jane insisted. “You should
not blame her for what I do…or hold my family responsible for
my
actions. Believe me, for years I have lived with the
certain knowledge that if my parents ever found me out, they would
be the first to hand me over to the magistrate and his
executioner.”
There was a sadness in her tone, and
Nicholas wished he could dispute her words. But based on the little
that he’d seen himself of Sir Thomas and his wife, he didn’t doubt
her in the slightest.
“And now…suddenly…I find I am at the mercy
of a stranger,” she added a moment later.
Nicholas knew he should assure her that he
had not revealed her secret to anyone and he had no plans of doing
it in the future, either. Whatever motivated her to act as she did
was her own concern. He didn’t give a damn, personally, about the
possibility of scandal. And in spite of Bishop Russell’s
unrelenting condemnation yesterday, Nicholas himself had seen her
cut the ropes binding the hands of the clergyman. But he wasn’t
ready to admit anything that would set her mind at ease. He wasn’t
ready to have her totally disregard him.
“All I can assure you so far is that my
answers to those who have questioned me about yesterday have been—”
He searched for the right word. “—imprecise.”
“And why
is
that?” Her eyes were
sharp as she awaited his answer.
“Because I have seen how we Englishmen tend
to treat those whom we conquer and colonize.” Unconsciously, he
tightened his grip on the reins. “I make it my business not to
judge others based on so little information. I make it a habit not
to intervene unless there is a sound reason.”
“Although he didn’t deserve it, I set that
bishop free yesterday. Then what was your reason for pulling me off
my horse?”
“I was desperate for an introduction. I
apologize. I
am
trying to improve my methods of meeting
people.”
Her laughter this time was full and lingered
in his ear like the prettiest of songs. He gazed at her, wondering
if she had any idea about her power to charm. Her dark and
enchanting eyes turned on him, and he felt the undeniable pull in
his gut.
“Then I can assume that you said nothing
about our earlier
meeting
to the magistrate?”
“You are perfectly safe in making that
assumption.”
“How about revealing anything in the future
meetings with the man?”
“You are quite persistent,” he remarked,
enjoying this undivided attention. “As things stand now, Sir Robert
and I seem to have developed an immediate aversion toward each
other. Unless something changes, I doubt we would have future
discussions on the topic, either.”
Mischief danced in her eyes as she pressed
him further. “Of course, this vague assurance is only good until I
stab you in the arm again.”
“You shall not have that opportunity again,
Miss Jane.” He gave her a meaningful glance. “I don’t believe next
time I shall allow you off your back so quickly.”
This time the blush was deeper—the awareness
between them potent. Nicholas realized the edginess was starting to
take charge by the way her hands tightened around the rein of the
horse. He was quick to change the subject, as he had no wish to
shorten their time together.
“In any case, I assure you that I would not
be choosing Musgrave as a confidante. If any questions or
misunderstandings arise, my inclination would be to seek
explanations and answers from
you
.”
She studied him more closely, and Nicholas
found himself hoping that she would approve of what she saw.
“You are far more open-minded than I
expected—and far more candid. Clearly, we do great wrong in judging
a person purely on their station in life.”
“You are too hard on yourself.”
“I think not,” she said matter-of-factly.
“Though I can think of no other Englishman I have ever met who
would not have seen it as his duty to expose me—an outlaw
and
a woman—if not to the magistrate, then certainly to my
father.”
“I can see that you do not think too highly
of my brethren.”
“I fear you are correct in that
observation.” She gave him a half smile. “But of course, there are
always exceptions. Parson Adams is a man who places decency and
compassion above greed and class and colonial domination.”
Even the mention of the minister’s name
managed to irk Nicholas. He was enjoying the feeling of ease that
was developing with this woman, and the thought of a possible
competitor rankled somewhat.
“And may I ask if you have formed any firm
plans regarding your marriage to the good Parson Adams?”
The look of incredulity she directed at him
was as pleasurable as it was unexpected.
“What in heaven’s name should cause you to
say something like that? Marriage? Henry Adams and I? That is
simply preposterous!”
“Is it?”
“Absolutely. We are no more than old and
trusted friends.”
“A relationship that most couples can only
hope to achieve…in the
best
of marriages.”
She shook her head adamantly. “I fear you
haven’t been around a sufficient length of time to understand what
things are like around here, sir.”
“Perhaps you’d be kind enough to enlighten
me.”
Jane took her time to answer, and he watched
with some interest the internal battle was all too openly reflected
in her fair face.
“He…Reverend Adams is a respected clergyman.
And I…well, I have a reputation that I managed to ruin in my youth.
And my transgression was such that, no matter how many decades go
by, no one shall ever forget.” Her cheeks were flushed when she
faced him fully, but her eyes were clear and steady. “It is just as
well, though, that this topic has come up. And it is best that you
should hear the truth from me, for sooner or later you are bound to
hear it from someone else. And, frankly, I don’t want any
embellished version of
my
life to ruin my sister’s future
happiness.”
“So this is ‘what things are like’ here? You
and the good parson are kept apart by gossip and—what I assume to
be—some ancient transgression against what are probably vague and
outdated standards of respectability?”
“No.”
“What did you do, Miss Jane? Participate in
this…this steeple-chasing race I was just hearing about from the
innkeeper in Buttevant? You must have given the bishop’s horse and
rider a sound thrashing before they found you out. Is that it?”