Chapter Five
W
here was that dratted book? The
previous evening Emily had seen Nigel sniffing about the drawing room, and that
was exactly where she found herself this morning. She was lifting pillows from
the sofa, yanking curtains from their holdbacks, and hoisting skirts from the
wing chairs.
Sleep
had not come easy for her. Her back ached, and Jared's looming presence at
Hemmingly unnerved her to no end. But she would die before she let him know how
much that book meant to her.
For a
long time she had told herself that Felicia Fairlow had coerced him into the
marriage. Yet when there were no letters from him those first few weeks, she
began to wonder. And when she visited Hemmingly and met Jane, only to discover
that Jared had kept his guardianship of Jane a secret to her, did she begin to
believe that he could be capable of deceit.
The
light tap of footsteps jerked Emily from her crawling position. She abruptly
rose and turned to peer out the window, acting as if nothing were wrong.
Jane
strode into the room, her blond hair curling daintily around a heart-shaped
face, her concerned gaze focusing on Emily. "Morning, dear. We missed you
at breakfast. Are you feeling better?"
Emily
smiled warmly. Jane was one of her dearest friends. "Good morning, and
yes, I am feeling much better, thank you."
They talked
of their trip to the vicarage and how Emily got lost in the maze. Emily laughed
and made light of the situation, purposely avoiding any comments about Jane's
arrogant guardian and his odious dog. Eventually, Jane pulled out her
needlepoint and took a seat by the hearth while Emily began to write a letter
to her mother. After a few minutes Emily casually asked Jane if she had seen
her book anywhere.
Jane
looked up. "Wordsworth? You were reading it yesterday, on your morning
stroll, were you not? Perhaps you left it in your bedchambers."
"Well,
I did have it yesterday, but somehow I misplaced it." Emily gazed out the
window, her brows furrowing into a stern "V." For there was Nigel
romping about the grounds with her book in his mouth. The knave!
"What
do you see?" Jane asked, rising from her place beside the hearth, starting
to move toward the window.
"Oh,
nothing," Emily said, waving her hand and laughing. "So silly of me.
I just remembered I must have left it on my nightstand after all."
She
hated to lie to Jane, but her pride was about all she had left at the moment,
especially since Nigel had just disappeared from view like the thief that he
was.
"Are
you certain?" Jane asked, taking her seat. "Perhaps if you asked one
of the servants to check for you."
"No,
no, no. It must be there. I'm just a silly widgeon this morning, Jane. You know
how I am when I miss my morning walk."
Jane
lifted a delicate brow in Emily's direction. "Dearest, you must not exert
yourself after yesterday."
"Ah,
there you are girls." Agatha's voice bounced off the walls as she strode
into the room, her parasol close to her side. "La, this is to be a grand
day. There's a fair in the village, and we are all going to join in the festivities.
What say you to that?"
Jane
smiled, dropping her needlepoint. "A fair?"
"Yes,
and we are all going to make a day of it. There will be jugglers, musicians,
flame throwers. Bakers and their wares. And, oh, those meat pies are simply my
favorite!"
Agatha
paused and turned a concerned gaze upon Emily. "If you are still feeling
under the weather, my dear, I certainly would understand. Indeed, I thought you
would still be abed. You missed breakfast. And just the thought of you lost in
that nasty maze makes me cringe." Tears filled the older woman's eyes.
"I declare, I should have done away with it years ago. Forgive me,
child."
"Oh,
no," Emily said. "It was an enlightening experience, Agatha. I am
quite fine."
The
older lady squeezed Emily's shoulders in an affectionate hug. "I am so
grateful that dear Nigel was here to find you. He is the most magnificent of
God's creatures, is he not?"
"Magnificent."
Emily forced a smile on her lips. Magnificent fraud!
At that
moment Nigel peeked into the room, then disappeared into the hall. Drat that
dog!
"Emily,"
Jane said, twirling around. "A fair! Goodness, I have not attended one
since I was ten."
Emily
smiled, but her thoughts were on her book. She decided that staying home would
be best.
"I
heard my nephew was a bit harsh yesterday," Agatha said, "and I
apologize. He was not always that way."
"But
he has much to do with his tenants, Aunt Agatha," Jane said lovingly.
"He is quite busy with his new earldom, you know."
Emily
was saved from making a reply when Agatha answered. "And he will be busy
escorting us to the fair later this afternoon as well."
Escorting
them? Emily was suddenly anxious to avoid the earl at all costs. "Perhaps
I should stay home. I fear yesterday did take a toll on me, and I would not
want to ruin your day if I came along."
Jane
frowned, her blue eyes shadowed with sympathy. "Then you must rest,
dearest, if you need to, but we won't enjoy the fair knowing you will be at
home."
Agatha
sighed. "Indeed, we will not. No, we will stay home with you, Emily."
"Yes,"
Jane said. "We will stay here."
Emily
cringed at the sacrifice they were making for her, and she could not let Jane
miss out on something that would give her friend such happiness. "Perhaps
the fresh air will do me some good after all," she said, smiling.
But she
promised herself that before she departed for the village, she would retrieve
that book from Nigel and put it in a safe place before it fell into Jared's
hands.
Jane's
blue eyes sparkled like that of a child's on Christmas morning. "Are you
quite certain?"
Emily nodded,
knowing that there was no way of avoiding the earl while she resided at
Hemmingly, but she could make an effort to distance herself from him. It was
only the carriage ride that might cause her undue embarrassment, being so close
to the man, but she was determined to show him that he meant nothing to her
anymore. Nothing at all.
Agatha
took a seat on the sofa. "There, that is settled, and Jared will escort us
to the fair."
"I
will do what?"
Emily
stiffened when Lord Stonebridge stepped into the room. His brown riding coat
and fawn-colored breeches molded to his athletic frame, making her all too
aware of his commanding presence—a presence that would not be easy to ignore.
Dark
amber eyes took a swift accounting of her person, and Emily's face tingled with
heat. Her vulnerability to this man vexed her to no end.
Agatha
raised her parasol, obviously missing the encounter. "Jared, you are a
delightfully obedient boy coming so soon after I called for you." She took
in his riding boots and gloves and shook her head. "You won't have much
time to ride, but do as you wish, only I believe I have changed my mind, we
will be leaving for the fair in one hour. And pray, do not keep us
waiting."
One
wretched hour!
It was
not enough time. After Emily changed her clothes for the fair, she realized she
had barely ten minutes at most to retrieve her book before Jared returned from
riding, and she knew exactly where that book was, too. In Jared's
bedchamber—with the devious Nigel. The hateful creature had padded past her only
a minute ago, easing his way past Jared's open door, which had obviously been
left ajar after the morning cleaning.
Taking a
deep breath, Emily scurried into the hall like a thief in the night, her pale
yellow gown flapping against her legs. She bit her lips and gave a swift glance
up and down the corridor. The scent of fresh lemon wove through the air as she
rapped her knuckles lightly against Jared's bedchamber door. Her heart thudded
against her chest.
No
answer. Thank heaven.
She slid
into the room and carefully closed the door behind her. Pressing her back
against the wall, she held her breath, her gaze traveling to the small fire
that burned in the hearth. After a few wary seconds, she breathed a sigh of
relief.
Now,
where was that wretched beast?
Jared
sat on the window seat at the far end of his bedchambers, half-hidden behind
folds of the light blue curtains that draped across the panes of glass behind
him. He rubbed a hand across Nigel's back while the dog curled up in a lump
beside him.
With one
boot raised against a footstool, Jared balanced the little black book of
Wordsworth's poems Nigel had been slopping in his mouth but a minute ago. Jared
intended to return the book to Emily, but found himself thumbing over the
well-worn pages, recalling his blissful days in Hyde Park and his dances at
Almack's with the raven-haired beauty by his side.
But that
innocent girl he had loved so long ago had changed into a stubborn, independent
woman who could lure any man into her web of desire with a mere flash of those
violet-blue eyes. This Lady Emily who veiled herself with a will as strong as
iron and a tongue as sharp as a knife was even more tempting than the one he
had known before. Still, he could have wrung her slender white neck for
trekking into that maze without a guide, especially in such inclement weather.
He
closed his eyes and leaned his head against the cool windowpane. He wanted
Emily more than he had ever wanted a woman in his life, and yet he could never
have her. Now they were two totally different people with a past too painful to
forget. Their love had died an agonizing death three years ago and so had their
future.
"Blast
it, Nigel, what the devil am I going to do?"
The next
moment there was a scratch upon his door. Before Jared could respond, the door
creaked open. Nigel lifted his head and wagged his tail.
Must be
the maid, Jared thought, resting back against the window, wondering how long it
would take Roderick to find a decent husband for Emily. The notion of another
man touching her made his blood run cold. But he had no right to her now. Honor
demanded he guard her, and she hated him anyway. Too much time had passed. Too
much had happened. Love was not for him. There was no going back. Besides, he
was close to announcing his engagement. He could not hurt Emily again.
Soft
footsteps treaded lightly across the floor, and Jared flinched when Nigel
jumped from the ledge, obviously curious about the maid.
"Oh,
Nigel, it's you. I wondered where you had gone, you silly dog."
Jared
blinked in awe. What the blazes was Emily doing in his bedchambers?
"Now,
Nigel, dearest, you must be very quiet for Emily. Can you do that,
sweeting?"
Sweeting?
No one ever called his dog sweeting and lived to tell about it, and why the
blazes was Nigel not barking at the intruder, though lovely she may be?
"I
need to look through a few things here, Nigel. Of course, if you could possibly
see to helping me, I would consider it a wondrous favor. And don't look at me
like some angel from heaven, you know exactly what I'm talking about."
Jared
froze, afraid to breathe. Why his dog would allow some simpering miss to
rummage through his chambers like a French spy was beyond him. The very idea of
Nigel turning traitor rattled his senses.
"I
cannot seem to find it anywhere, Nigel. Aha. Did you put it under the
bed?"
What was
she about now?
Jared
dared to glimpse from behind the curtain, swallowing the amusement that bubbled
up in his throat when he saw two dainty slippers peeking beneath his
Tudor-style bed. What was she doing under there? Even Nigel had joined the lady
in the precarious position.
Jared
smiled as Nigel's tail wagged against Lady Emily's gown. The rustling of yellow
muslin and dog fur sent the bed frame shaking as if it were a ship sailing on
the high seas.
"Oh,
I beg you, Nigel, do have a care. I have but a few minutes to find it. Where is
that dratted book? Come now, sweeting, show Emily where it is."
Realization
finally dawned. So, the little spitfire came back for her book, did she?
Smiling devilishly, Jared settled the book on the window seat and narrowed his
gaze on two slender legs wiggling up and down like a scissors beneath his bed.
How long
Jared sat there watching the maddening scene was anyone's guess, but what he
did know was the way his blood surged through his veins. His head pounded like
thunder. His hands clenched at his sides. All five senses went into alert mode.
Emily was too comely by far to be caught beneath his bed. And confound the
woman, he wanted her! If Roderick could pick his brain now, the duke would kill
him.
Nigel
snarled and padded his paws against the lady's gown.
Jared's
lips parted in amusement at Emily's tenacity to continue to battle with his dog
while she was still trapped beneath the bed.