Twice the Temptation (22 page)

Lydia was slender and of average height like her sister but possessed brown hair and eyes the color of evergreen. She was just as lovely as her older sister but in a quieter, tempered way. 

“Lucas has called with his sisters. Caroline and Lydia, I’d like to introduce you to my sister Catherine.”

“So lovely to see you again, Miss Rutherford,” Caroline said smiling and performed a curtsey.

Catherine laughed nervously, much too aware of Lucas’s presence to be at ease enough to converse as she normally would with his sisters. “Truly, such formalities are quite unnecessary.”

Lydia, who appeared ready to sink into a curtsey of her own, straightened awkwardly. “Nice to see you again, Miss Rutherford. I wish we could have spoken longer at the ball. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you.”

For a brief instant, Caroline gave her sister a hard stare but it vanished as quickly as it came, and she was all smiles again.

“That is, Caroline told me how kind you were to her—you know with that whole business of Lord Billings.”

This time the look Caroline sent her sister couldn’t be mistaken for the cast of a shadow or the rays of the sun hitting the glass of the window just so. It was the kind of fervid glare that told her in no uncertain terms to shut her mouth.

From their silent exchange, Catherine could only conclude that Caroline must have confided in her sister about the testing of the baron.

Guilt flashed in Lydia’s eyes while a passive-faced Lucas said not a word. Where was his turmoil? Why did he not appear the least bit dispirited or heartsick? She didn’t like this cool reserve of his.

“Well it’s nice to see you both again. Pray, what brings you to Reading today?” Catherine asked.

“We came to see Charlotte and the children,” Caroline answered.

The familiarity of their address indicated they must know her sister very well. But of course they would, their brother had intended to marry her. The knowledge rubbed her raw but she willed away the pain it caused.

“The girls were eager to see Nicholas again and meet Rose,” Charlotte said.

“Where is Alex?” Catherine asked.

“Off to London this morning,” her sister replied.

Catherine did not think that a coincidence.

Her heartbeat increased in velocity and intensity when she reluctantly turned to address the man who had the power to create that sort of havoc within her. “Lucas, I hope you are enjoying your stay in England.” She couldn’t very well ignore him even if he chose not to speak.

He smiled but his expression remained inscrutable. “My sisters are keeping me occupied.”

“Yes, I’m sure they are,” Catherine replied and could think of nothing else to say. Not that she desired to converse with him. She was trying to act normally. He was not making it easy.

An awkward silence fell then, his sisters going silent as if they too could sense the tension between them.

“Caroline, Lydia, would you like to go upstairs to the nursery to see Rose? She should be up from her nap by now and Jillian and Nicholas should be home from the shop before long.”

Excited nods greeted that question.

Charlotte looked at her. “Wonderful, then you can entertain Lucas until our return.”

Her sister wasn’t attempting to be the least bit subtle. She need only have brought a mallet and knocked her and Lucas on the head, tied them to a chair and locked the door on her way out.

“I should love to see her again,” Lucas said.

Her sister looked confounded. Struck dumb.

Catherine bit down hard on her bottom lip to prevent it from trembling.

Had he stood in the middle of the room and proclaimed,
Charlotte, please cease your interfering. It is over between us,
he couldn’t have made his feelings clearer.

Catherine took a breath and said in as normal a voice as she could manage, “In any case, I should begin packing as I’ll be going home today.” It was clear she and her sister wouldn’t be spending the day together as planned.

Charlotte swung back to her, a quiet desperation in her expression. “You’ll still be attending the Willoughby ball tomorrow evening?”

Catherine’s gaze flitted to where Lucas stood silently watching her. Impassive as ever.

“Yes, of course,” she replied.

“Girls, would you like to attend a ball?” her sister asked, her tone all cheerful indulgence.

Once again, her question was met by fervent
yeses
and furious nodding.

“Does one not require an invitation for such affairs?” Lucas’s voice of reason cut his sisters’ excited chatter.

“Lady Willoughby is a dear friend and when I knew you’d be in town on the night of the ball, I took the liberty of speaking to her about it. She is well acquainted with Lady Bailey and said she was most eager to meet her nieces.”

When her sister set her mind to something, she refused to be swayed. Lucas and his sisters were going to attend Lady Willoughby’s ball. Resisting her efforts would be futile.

“Unfortunately, my sisters didn’t travel with the kind of dresses one wears to a ball.”

“Then it’s a good thing I have such gowns. The gowns will only need to be shortened an inch or so. I don’t think they’ll even need to be taken in all that much,” she stated smoothly, looking altogether too pleased with herself.

“Well, then I shall leave them in your capable hands,” he said with a slight bow of his head. He knew when he was bested.

“Wonderful. Then it is all set. We’ll all have a grand time at the ball. Come girls, let us see if Rose is awake and then we’ll find you both something to wear to the ball.”

Catherine watched as her sister and the girls bustled from the room. Lucas held back and only turned to her when they were out of earshot.

“It was not my intention to intrude on your evening,” he said stiffly.

“Believe me, I know this was all Charlotte’s doing.”

“You needn’t worry that I will pester you anymore. I have accepted your decision. I hope meetings such as this won’t be uncomfortable for you.”

For several long seconds, Catherine couldn’t speak. Truly could not say a word. Her heart felt as if it had sunk to the pit of her stomach. Her lungs felt as if it couldn’t produce enough oxygen for her body to function properly.

“No—I mean of course not,” she said, her stammer and the sudden scratchiness of her voice indicating the exact opposite.

“And the ball? You don’t mind that we’ll be attending? I could make an excuse and tell Charlotte we must return to London.”

Why was he being so—so polite and—and calm about the whole situation while her nerves felt stretched tighter than a drum? To look at him, distractingly handsome in a dark green suit that did incredible things to his hazel eyes, he didn’t appear as affected by her company as she was his.

“No you must come. Your sisters will be disappointed if you don’t,” she replied, somehow managing to get the words out.

“Good.” He gave a curt nod. “No doubt I shall see you tomorrow evening then?” he queried, his gaze dipping to her mouth for an instant. Was it the play of light from the sun streaming through the window or was that desire she’d seen in his eyes. More likely it was a product of her own wishful thinking.

“No doubt you shall.” Her voice was soft, low, almost breathy.

“Well, I won’t keep you any longer. I know you must return home and I would like to see your beautiful niece again. Good day, Miss Rutherford.”

With that parting remark and the barest inclination of his head, he exited the drawing room.

C
HAPTER
F
OURTEEN

“A
re you very angry with me?”

Catherine looked up from where she lay curled on her bed to see her sister standing framed in the doorway. Charlotte slowly advanced in, briefly stopping to close the door.

Lucas and his sisters had departed a quarter hour ago. Catherine had retreated to her room more than an hour before then. They had, after all, come to see her sister not her. And being in a room, chatting with Lucas as if nothing had passed between them, was something she simply couldn’t manage.

Catherine pulled herself up to a seated position and began absently smoothing her skirts, refusing to make eye contact with her twin. “How long did you have this planned?”

The mattress depressed beside her as her sister sat on the edge of the bed. “The girls desperately wanted to see me and the children. Lucas had promised them. And I wanted to see them too.” She shook her head and turned to stare at Catherine’s profile. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that I didn’t manufacture a situation to bring the two of you together. But when one was presented, I used it to my advantage.”

“But what advantage is it really, for you to see us together.” Turning to her sister, Catherine said, “It is done, Lottie. Why can’t you understand that?”

Charlotte laughed bitterly, which was most unlike her. “Why can’t I understand it? Why? Because your insecurities are allowing you to throw away your greatest chance at happiness. And as someone who loves you and will love you until I take my last breath, I would be failing you if I permitted such a travesty to occur.”

Catherine reared back, surprised at her sister’s vehemence and stung by the sentiment expressed by her words.

Your insecurities. Your insecurities.

The two words played over and over again in her mind.

“You say it as if I have no cause to think it?” she retorted, her defenses now raised.

Her sister’s expression immediately became contrite. “No, Katie. That’s not what I meant. My frustration is obviously getting the best of me.” She inhaled a deep breath and angled her body toward hers. Grasping her hand, Charlotte looked her directly in the eyes, her gaze brilliantly blue and unwavering. “You know I love you dearly. I would do anything in my power to make you happy and if there’s one thing I know for certain, Lucas makes you happy and he loves you. I simply cannot sit idly by while you throw that away.”

A lump of despair formed in her throat. Tears stung the backs of her eyes and she blinked rapidly to will them away. “Lottie, it is not only about his feelings for you,” she said, her voice choked with emotion. “I’ve seen what all of this has done to you and Alex. Even if I were assured his love for me is real, I would never sacrifice your happiness for my own. Not—not after everything.”

“Oh my darling, there is absolutely nothing wrong with my marriage,” she cried. “My husband is just being stubborn. But you know Alex, his bark is much worse than his bite. He will come around because in the end, he wants me to be happy. And he knows I won’t be happy if you are not. I wager, in less than a year they’ll be getting on just fine.”

Catherine let out a humorless laugh.

“Oh, I’m not saying he and Lucas will ever be close,” Charlotte hastened to add. “But I do believe they will learn to get along well enough.”

“But Alex is so set against him.”

“Don’t you worry about Alex. I know exactly how to deal with my husband,” she assured her, a sly sort of smile on her face. “He knows that nothing can come between us now. We’ve been through too much and love each other too deeply. He claims his objection to a match between the two of you stems from your own fears that Lucas is using you as a substitute for me. Well once he is convinced that is not the case, he’ll have no reason to object. And nor will you,” she added softly.

“Yes, but I truly believe Lucas believes what he says. How am I to know for certain if he doesn’t know himself?”

Charlotte briefly dropped her gaze to their entwined hands and cleared her throat. “Well, I have been discussing the matter with Olivia and Meghan.”

A strangled sound emerged from Catherine’s throat, choking off her next breath. She jerked her hands from her sister’s. “Why on earth would you do that?”

“Well, something had to be done,” she snapped.

“Am I to presume they told you of the scheme they cooked up?”

“As schemes go, I think it’s quite brilliant. It will put all of your fears to rest. Yours as well as Alex’s.”

“You would tell him?” she squeaked.

Her sister chuckled. “But of course. But after the deed is done.”

Catherine laughed despite herself. “You are that certain Lucas will rebuff me—I mean you? I will not be able to seduce him?”

“Katie, I’ve not been more certain of anything in my life.”

Life would be so much easier if she possessed the same faith in Lucas as her sister apparently did.

In silence, Catherine vacillated between what her heart urged her to do and what her brain cautioned her against. Then there was her conscience.

Knowing her struggle, Charlotte recaptured her hand and held onto it tight. “Katie, you must forgive yourself,” she said, staring at her as if she could see inside her mind. “You mustn’t continue to punish yourself so.”

Instinctively, Catherine opened her mouth to deny that that was what she was doing, but the intensity of her sister’s gaze stopped her short. They both knew what she was saying was the truth. She herself had as much as admitted it to Charlotte the year past. So she remained silent.