Company Of Rogues: A Shocking Delight Part 42

"It's years old, but one of my favorites. I couldn't bear to make it fas.h.i.+onable with lace and flounces, so I found I couldn't wear it."

"But it's suitable for Devons.h.i.+re yokels."

She slapped his chest. "I wanted to look pretty for you, but yes, I hoped it would also fit in with a simpler life."

He dropped a b.u.t.terfly kiss on her lips. "You succeed at both, my Lucy-love."

She smiled but pushed him away before they undid all their dressing. "Put on your coat. I have stockings and shoes to find. And then you have to tell me all your secrets."

He returned to the bedroom but left the door open. "I need to take you down to the manor now or they truly will be up here to see what's going on."

"They'll suspect?" Lucy asked, rolling a clean stocking up her leg. Scandalously, she didn't much care.

"Our wickedness? Probably not. They'll just be curious. I should have taken you there first."

She fixed her garter in place. "Why didn't you?"

After a moment he said, "I wanted to get rid of you. The manor might seem too welcoming, so I dragged you up here."

Wanted.

"How often careful planning goes amiss," she said lightly as she tied the other garter. "And then you settled it by carelessly showing me these rooms."

He appeared in the doorway, dressed apart from the lack of cravat. "Remember the rest."

"I do, but truly, David, what you've done here can be done all through the house."

"It will cost a lot of money."

"I have a lot of money."

"Which you intend to tie up in a trust."

She put on a half boot. "Only so it won't be squandered."

He came to kneel and tie the laces. She tried to read his expression. "Will you mind my keeping control of some?" she asked.

He picked up her other boot and eased it onto her foot. "I note that you aren't offering to remove all constraints."

His touch could melt her mind like wax, but she recognized a dangerous moment. Above all, she must be honest. "Why should I? You'll get ten thousand clear to do with as you wish. The rest I'll happily spend on us, our home, our land, and our children. But I won't see it go on gaming tables or worse, other women."

Still kneeling, he looked up at her. "You don't think highly of me."

"I adore you, but that's all the more reason to cling by my nails to sense. David, I drew up this plan of marriage with some anonymous man in mind. Now that it's you, it is different, but I see no reason to change my plan. It makes sense."

He stood in such a way that she feared she'd misjudged him disastrously. If he couldn't tolerate such a situation, would she have to surrender all? Could she, even ruled by love?

"Is your father as inflexible?" he asked.

"What in heaven has my father to do with this? If you think to get him to persuade me to give it all to you, you're mad on all counts."

"No, not that . . ."

"Are you saying you couldn't bear my keeping some control of my money?"

She waited, breath held, but he looked at her blankly. "Not at all, though my aunt and uncle disapprove."

Lucy didn't know what was going on. "You discussed me with them?"

"They seem able to read me like an open book. Come to the mirror in my room to tidy your hair."

"But . . ."

Then Lucy decided it would be better not to push too much for now. He'd said he didn't mind the financial arrangements, and he'd meant it.

Just as he'd meant it when he'd once said that he didn't intend to marry her.

"Secrets?" she said as she went into the room and applied a comb to her hair, which had turned riotous in the steamy bath. "This is such a mess."

"It's delightful. A golden halo."

"An angel now, am I?"

She saw his grin in the mirror. "No."

She hadn't wanted to bother with extra hatboxes, but that meant she had only the plain brown bonnet, which didn't go with this gown. What had she been thinking? The thought of meeting David's family, his possibly disapproving family, improperly dressed, finally had her in a twitch.

"There's no need to fuss," he said impatiently. "Come on."

She gave up, found the large Norwich shawl she'd brought, and closed her valise. He picked it up and she set off with him, feeling a complete mess.

He took her down the normal stairs to the great hall. A well-built young man was crossing it.

"Ah, my dear, I introduce you to my secretary, Chumley."

Fred, Lucy remembered as she greeted him. She liked the look of him-steady, clever, and amiable. But then she remembered him saying he'd threatened, no promised, to break a bully's ribs, and sensed that in him.

Another dragon? Did they breed them in these parts, or was it the country way to be strong and ready for violence? That should give a sensible lady pause, but she was beyond that sort of sense.

As she and David left the house, she asked, "Is he the sort of secretary you can discuss everything with?"

"He's a friend as well, yes."

"I a.s.sume he has clerks."

"He, like me, must make do."

"He, like you, will be better off once we're married."

He gave her a look. "You steal my chance to beg for your hand and heart?"

"You mind?" she teased, and was shocked when he said, "Yes. But only that we've done things inside out. It must be the d.a.m.ned house," he added, looking back at the Crag.

"I don't mind any of it," she said, linking arms with him and turning him away. But when they came to the steep path down, she said, "I wish I had a rope."

"You have me, and I've never so much as slipped."

"Yes," she said happily. "I have you."

She remembered then that they never had talked about secrets, but she could wait a little longer. This moment was too pleasant to shadow in any way.

Chapter 32.

They paused at the fork in the path to look out to sea again. The s.h.i.+p was still in sight.

"Don't they have anything better to do?" she asked.

"Alas, no. The government's reluctant to reduce the navy for fear of new trouble from France, so those based in British ports patrol the coasts like sharks."

"The navy are our national heroes, and they're trying to prevent a criminal trade. I wish you weren't so indulgent of the smugglers."

"I told you, Lucy, smuggling is like the sea. I can disapprove as much as I want, but that won't stop it coming in and out with the tides, or slamming destructively against the cliffs in a storm. I have to live with it, and if we marry, so will you."

"If?" she echoed, staring at him.

"When. The aif' is in case you're thinking better of it."

How close they'd come to an edge. "There is no better without you. I'll do my best to understand."

"Don't pretend regular trade is any more blessed. Think what happens around the world so that goods can be brought here for our pleasure and indulgence. Natives tricked, bullied, and sometimes slaughtered. . . ."

She put a hand over his. "Don't. Don't let's fight these wars, not now at least. I understand what you're saying."

"I'm sorry, love, but it angers me that the crimes of the common people are crushed whilst those of the rich and t.i.tled are winked at."

"Never say you're a republican?"

"A republican earl?"

"Perhaps one step up from the Peasant Earl," she replied, relieved to have moved onto lighter ground. There were serious issues to discuss, but not yet, when they still had so many minor tests to endure. He obviously thought the same way, for they came together easily for a kiss.

Crunching footsteps moved them apart.

A man came up the path from the sea, a heavy-shouldered man who moved ponderously like an ox, whose face turned surly when he saw them. He touched his forelock, however, as he pa.s.sed, muttering, "M'lord."

"Saul," David said sharply.

The man turned back.

"I hear Lovey suffered an injury."

Saul. The man who'd cracked his wife's ribs and was in the habit of beating her.

"Aye, m'lord. She fell."

"You need to take more care of her." It was calmly said, but the man flinched.

"She's clumsy-like, m'lord!" the man protested, but then hastily added, "But I will take better care of her, m'lord."

David merely nodded.

The man hurried on, stumbling for a moment in his haste.

Lucy had never thought that modern peers needed to be dragons in ruling their territories, but perhaps it was so, particularly in the wilder parts of the country. She remembered that David's secretary had threatened to break that beefy man's ribs if he harmed his wife again and seemed confident of being able to do it. David had said he'd do the same, and just now silently threatened it. The man, Applin, had believed it and hurried away, afraid. Really, she shouldn't be so delighted by the idea of violent retribution, but she'd always known she wasn't a lady in the proper sense.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

"That you're an unusual earl, but that I'm an unusual lady, so we're well matched."

Lucy enjoyed the return to the more normal village and felt cheered when a woman in a garden called out a good-day. But then she said, "Oh, dear."

"What?" he asked.

"I went up the hill in one outfit and I'm returning in another."

"h.e.l.l. You've addled my wits."

"I like that, except-will your aunt be terribly shocked?"

"Don't worry. She'll blame me, and she'll be appeased by news of our imminent wedding."

"You haven't begged for my hand and heart yet."

"You didn't give me a chance. You can't have it both ways."

"I can try," she said with a smile.

He laughed and kissed her. "I'll get a license."