Chapter Ten #3
Oh, no. Kate dashed to the mirror and saw exactly what Harriet meant.
She hauled up her dress, smoothed down her hair and tried to say lightly, ‘I must have left my shawl at the Darrows’ house, because it was very warm in there!
And yes, for a while we were out in the garden, where there was a light breeze. ’
‘You were out in the garden? With Lord Rivington?’
‘Oh, it was a popular spot for cooling down. I told you the house was warm.’
Harriet looked disbelieving. ‘I’ll make a pot of tea,’ she said.
Kate stood there a moment after she’d gone, because she certainly needed to cool down now.
She had loved being with the Earl tonight.
She had loved the way he’d silenced that fool Jack Spencer, and when they’d danced outside, she had felt exhilarated and free.
Then he’d gazed down at her and kissed her, which bore no comparison to that cruel kiss from the Viscount’s son; because it was better, a thousand times better than she could ever have imagined, and at long last she felt able to banish the sordid memory of that early humiliation.
There had been yet more, because in Dan’s carriage she had led him into a wanton embrace—yes, she had actually taken the lead in kissing him, and when he’d kissed her back, she had allowed him to fondle her intimately.
As she stood there in the hallway, she felt the blood rush to her cheeks again and she folded her arms across her still-tender breasts.
His caresses and his teasing touch had—oh, God—led to a scandalous rush of pleasure that was still secretly rippling through her and she had realised—how could she not?
—that he too was aroused. She had been warned years ago by Monica that if you allowed a man liberties—yes, that was her sister’s term, ‘liberties’—then you were in trouble.
But she hadn’t realised how quickly she too could feel such a desperate longing, and Dan, experienced as he was in such matters, must have known it.
What had she done? What must he think of her?
‘I’ve made tea!’ Harriet called from the kitchen, and Kate went slowly to join her. ‘Are you quite all right?’ Harriet asked curiously. ‘Did you drink too much champagne, perhaps?’
‘Yes!’ Kate seized desperately on the excuse. ‘I had—oh, at least two glasses!’ She sipped furiously at her tea and almost burned her mouth.
‘Will you be seeing him again?’ asked Harriet.
‘The Earl? It’s possible, I suppose. We are neighbours, after all. Now, will you come upstairs and help me to get this dress off, please? Then I really must get to bed.’ Kate tried to laugh. ‘I’m not used to late nights.’
Harriet helped her and refrained from asking any more questions. But when she had gone, Kate went to her window and gazed out at the starlit sky.
It was all too likely that what had happened tonight would have meant very little to Dan.
His reputation for attracting women was well-known, but she had foolishly ignored all the warnings, even those that came directly from him.
And yet she still felt that deep down, he was honourable.
She did not think he would talk to anyone about this; she felt she could trust him to keep silent about tonight.
Besides, by the end of summer he would be out of her life for good.
But did that make her feel any better? No. In fact it made her feel quite wretched. ‘Kate Summerby,’ she told herself aloud, ‘you are twenty-six years old. Be sensible!’
Yet she couldn’t help those stupid hopes springing to life once more.
Maybe they would see one another again? After all, he hadn’t really had a chance to suggest anything, because Harriet had come rushing out of the house the minute the carriage stopped.
Perhaps tomorrow he might send a note, or he might even call.
But the following morning her hopes were dashed by, of all people, Harriet.
Harriet had gone to the market in town, and Kate could tell the minute she saw her that something was wrong. ‘Kate,’ she began a little hesitantly as she put down her basket of purchases in the kitchen, ‘Some people were talking about the Earl this morning.’
Kate felt an instant throb of alarm, but said, ‘I imagine that he is quite a regular topic of conversation.’
‘Yes. But they were saying that he set off for London this morning, to see that woman he was going to marry. Lady Cecily.’
Somehow Kate managed to act as if her world hadn’t fallen to pieces. Somehow, she calmly said, ‘I see. What else did you buy in the market, Harriet?’
They unpacked the basket and put everything away as normal, then Harriet made a pot of tea and they discussed what jobs were to be done that day around the house. But later that morning a groom rode up with a letter for her.
Miss Summerby, Dan had written. I have gone to London on urgent business. When I return, we need to talk.
She had taken the letter to her bedroom to read, because for a few brief moments she’d hoped the gossips were wrong and this letter would tell her so. But now the weight of reality all but crushed her.
His ‘urgent business’ was Cecily. Why hadn’t he told her that his former fiancée was still in his life?
How could last night have happened if he was intending, the very next day, to go back to her?
Hadn’t Cecily been unfaithful to him, confirming his belief that trust was a weakness he refused to risk?
Whatever the answers, Kate realised she had been an utter fool.
When—if he returned from London, it sounded as if he might indeed pay her a call, maybe to apologise, maybe to explain that Cecily had always been on his mind.
Kate resolved to be polite and calm if that were the case.
After all, she had decided long ago that her youthful dreams of love were a fantasy—until last night.
Until Dan danced with her and kissed her and showed her what rapture she could experience in the arms of a man like him.
She went downstairs again to tell Harriet she was going to weed the rose garden, and Harriet was startled. ‘Are you sure? Joseph said he would do that tomorrow!’
Kate was already donning her sun hat and some thick gloves. ‘The weather is quite perfect for the task, so I’m going to get on with it straight away.’
‘Then I shall help you,’ said Harriet staunchly. ‘And Kate?’
Kate was on her way out, but she stopped. ‘Yes?’
‘Just remember, won’t you? that all this—’ and she gestured around ‘—is far better than living with your sister and her family. Really it is!’
Kate forced a smile. ‘Exactly,’ she said.
But last night had changed everything, because she feared that she had laid herself open to more hurt than she’d believed possible.