Devil's Embrace (3 page)

After Cassie left the library, Eliott turned to Edward in some embarrassment. “She is ever forthright to a fault, but of course you know that.” He tugged a moment at his collar. “You did not, that is, Cassie did not—”

Edward blinked in surprise, and said in an amused voice, “She was wearing a shift, Eliott, a very wet but quite modest shift. My intentions are honorable, you know, so there is no need to call me out. I want to marry her, but I must
admit I am uncertain what to do about her London Season. She flatly refuses now even to consider it. As well as being forthright, she is headstrong.”

“Stubborn as a mule once her mind is made up.”

“True. Still, if you insist that she spend the Season in London, then between the two of us, we should be able to rein her in.”

“She has never wavered in her affection for you, Edward, though I believed for some years that it was naught save hero worship for a brave—and absent—military man. If you wish to wed her now, I’ll not cast a rub in your way.”

“Such support will likely result in Cassie naming our first son after you.”

“Cassie a mother.” Eliott shook his head, bemused. “It seems but yesterday that she was a child herself, intent only upon learning how to bait her hook. Yet I remember the time I crammed my horse over a fence and broke my leg. She was motherly, bullying me and forcing all manner of vile potions down my throat.”

“I am glad that I did not return to England when I was laid up with my shoulder wound.” Edward smiled gently at the still-bemused Eliott. “What do you say, Eliott, can we arrange a wedding in, say, two months?”

“Captain Lord Delford moves quickly once he is on the attack, I see. I can see no problem. Becky will take charge and see that everything comes off aright. Speaking of Miss Petersham, it is better that I deal with her myself.”

“As you will, Eliott. Now, my friend, there is much I wish to discuss with you. How has Eliott Brougham found life as the fourth Baron Tinnsdale?”

E
liott Brougham smiled down at the agitated Miss Petersham. “Come now, Becky, Edward Lyndhurst is one of my oldest friends and a man of honor. If Cassie wants him, I’ll not kick up a ruckus.”

“She just turned eighteen, Eliott. She’s but a girl and can’t know her own mind. Her dashing viscount comes galloping home, dripping with countless stories of his exploits, no doubt, and practically begs her to fall into his arms.”

“You’re off the mark there, Becky. If I know Cassie, it is she who very likely encouraged Edward to fall into her arms. It’s certainly not as if Edward were a stranger—after all, they’ve written to each other for the past three years.”

“They have what?” Miss Petersham drew in an appalled breath.

Eliott had the grace to look sheepish. “Now, Becky, Cassie and I decided not to tell you, for you’d have disapproved.”

“You mean that Cassie decided not to tell me and you, you wretched boy, fell in with her. You are four years her senior, and her guardian since his lordship’s death.” Miss Petersham groaned and took several perturbed steps about the room. “Promise me, Eliott, that you will not let her wed him until after her Season in London.”

Eliott shook his head. “I cannot understand why you are not content that Cass is making a love match. Lord knows that there are few enough of them nowadays. And you must admit, Becky, that she has shown nothing but indifference to all the young pups who have gathered about her like bees to a honeypot. All she would find in London, I
daresay, is more of the same. I have given my approval and they want to marry in two months.”

“Two months. Oh no, surely not.”

Eliott set about soothing her. “It’s not as if you’re going to lose her to some gallant who lives God knows where. Delford Manor is but two miles away and I fancy that all of us will continue much as we always have.”

Miss Petersham drew a deep breath to calm herself. “I suppose what’s done is done. I only wish that I had known sooner.”

Eliott patted her plump shoulder, not without affection. “You know when Cass gets the bit between her teeth there’s no stopping her. I daresay with your genius for preparations, we shall be able to pull off the wedding as if we had had six months to plan it.” Eliott beamed at her, thankful that the weight of all responsibility was to be on Miss Petersham’s capable shoulders.

Miss Petersham gave him a thin smile. How many times she had thought that Eliott should have been the girl and Cassie the boy. While Cassie was strong, quick-witted, and an expert in getting what she wanted, Eliott was guileless and malleable, clay in his sister’s hands.

“Spare the rod and spoil the child,” she said obliquely. She tugged at her lacy cap and left the drawing room, her black skirts swishing with each brisk step.

Eliott drew a sigh of relief and looked up to see his sister peep her head around the door.

“Is it done? You have told her, Eliott?”

“Yes, minx, and I can tell you that she is none too happy about it.”

“I know. I heard her rustling skirts and hid myself behind the urn until she flounced upstairs.” Cassie walked to her brother and gave him a quick hug. “Thank you, my love, for bearding the lion. You do not really believe that she wanted me to marry some paunchy old German duke, do you?”

“Lord knows. Perhaps she wanted the London Season for herself.” He looked down at his shapely white hands. “Unfortunately, I let slip that you and Edward have been corresponding for the past three years.”

Cassie tugged at the long, thick curl that fell habitually over her shoulder. “Well, I shall just have to let her batter at me for a while. Then we shall send in Edward and let him charm her out of her sullens.”

“She’s convinced that Edward dazzled you with all of his military exploits.”

“I shall have to tell her that rather than dazzle me, Edward refuses to tell me much of anything about his experiences. It is too bad of him.”

Eliott thought of some of the more gruesome tales Edward had recounted, and held his tongue. He looked up to see Cassie chewing on her lower lip, a habit from childhood.

“I suppose,” she said, “that I will have sufficient years to convince him that our sons belong in the Royal Navy and not in the army. It would seem to me to be a far more exciting career. Can you imagine anyone preferring the land to the sea?”

Eliott laughed and gave her a light buffet on her shoulder. “Take care, Cass, for Edward is a man of strong principles and even stronger notions of what is proper for young English ladies. He might well beach your sailboat and clip your mermaid’s tail.”

Cassie tossed her head. “That is nonsense, Eliott. Edward knows my love for the sea, and I cannot imagine that once we are married he will try to give me orders.”

Eliott imagined that Edward would not only give her orders, he would also expect them to be obeyed, but, for now, he merely smiled and said, more to himself than to his sister, “I suppose that Becky will live with you at Delford Manor.”

“If you would not miss her too much, Eliott. She has been much like a mother to both of us. I, for one, cannot imagine her not sitting across the breakfast table from me, tutoring me in darning sheets and ensuring that the pantry has enough haunches of ham.”

Eliott gave her a rather sad, resigned smile. “I will lose both you and Becky. Hemphill Hall will hardly seem the same.”

“I shall feel its loss sadly, my love, but do not think that
just because I shall reside at Delford Manor, I shall never darken your door again.” She gave him a quick hug. “Oh, Eliott, I am so happy. And not just because of Edward. We shall all be together—even our children will grow up together.”

“Viscount Delford, my lord.”

Brother and sister turned at Menkle’s announcement.

Edward Lyndhurst stepped into the drawing room and stood for a moment, staring at Cassie. It was not her face and figure that held him, but the joyful expression that lit her eyes as she looked at him. She took a quick step toward him, as if impatient of any distance between them.

Eliott cleared his throat. “Lord, Edward, you’ll have all your life to stare at her.”

“Wretch. Don’t mind Eliott—he has so little in his head that he must needs forever tease me.”

“Do come in, Edward. Cass and I were just discussing the advantages of the Royal Navy over the army. I suppose the two of you want to be alone, so I’ll take my leave.”

“To see Miss Pennworthy, Eliott?”

“I don’t know why the devil not. With you and Edward staring at each other with sheep’s eyes, I have a fancy to try it myself.”

“Miss Pennworthy has such great brown eyes, I think she will do it quite nicely. Eliza already hangs on his every word, Edward, as if he were some sort of Greek god, bestowing gems of wisdom on us mortals.”

Eliott gave his sister a crooked grin and Edward a quick salute. “Beat her, my lord, that’s my advice.”

Once they were alone, Edward held out his hand to her. “Come here, love.”

“Will you beat me, my lord?”

“There are too many other things to do with you that first require my attention.”

She shyly took his hand. “I trust that we will always be in such perfect agreement. I do not believe, my lord, that I have told you how much I love you since last evening.”

“Do you mean you love me today as well?” he asked, his fingers tracing over her parted lips.

“I suppose that I have no choice,” she said, as she
rubbed her cheek lightly along his palm, “else you would think me a fallen woman, for just thinking about you brings all sorts of very physical thoughts to mind.”

She kissed his palm, then stepped into the circle of his arms and pressed her cheek against his shoulder.

“There can be no more fortunate man than I,” he said, and drew her tightly against him. He felt an awakening shudder pass through her body as he lightly kissed her mouth, and knew with certainty that her passion would rival his own. He kissed her small white ears and reluctantly pulled her away.

“Come, Cass, Old Winslow has put up a hunter for sale and I have promised to see her this afternoon. May I have the pleasure of your company?”

“Indeed you may, my lord. If we must spend the afternoon looking at a hunter, I would far rather do it now than after we are married.”

“D
rat you, Miss Cassie. Hold still, else you’ll have your buttons all askew.”

“Oh, do hurry, Dolly, our guests will arrive at any moment.”

Dolly Mintlow shook her head fondly at her fidgeting mistress and curled her arthritic fingers to fasten the tiny buttons on the back of Cassie’s ivory satin gown. “There, Miss, all done now. But look at your hair, you’ve already shook loose a curl.”

Cassie sighed and forced herself to sit quietly as Dolly put her hair to rights again. She frowned at herself in the mirror.

“I wish we didn’t have to bother with all this nonsense. Why can’t I just look like me? All that powder, it makes me feel like an old woman.”

“You’re no longer a girl, Miss Cassie, and young ladies powder their hair. If only you had more vanity. With the way you’re always bouncing about, I wager you’ll have white powder all over your gown.”

“At least the gown is white.”

“Dolly is right, Cassandra. A little more decorum on your part would not be at all amiss. There are many important guests coming tonight, and I don’t want them to think you a hoyden.”

Cassie assumed a docile expression, lowered her head, and began to twiddle her thumbs. “Now do I have your approval, Becky?”

Miss Petersham merely grunted, and patted several errant strands of pepper-colored hair primly into place beneath her lacy cap. “No need to play off your tricks with
me, Cassie. Now stand up and let me see how the gown fits.”

Cassie rose and obligingly performed a slow pirouette in front of Miss Petersham.

“You’ll do. Come along now, you must needs greet the guests with Eliott and the viscount.”

“Oh, Becky, why must you always refer to Edward as the viscount? It’s so terribly impersonal, as though he is nothing more than a casual guest in this house.”

Miss Petersham merely gave her an austere look, and said, “And you treat him with far too much familiarity.”

“Very well, my beloved dragon, I shall be most circumspect—at least for the next week. But after Edward and I are married, I vow I shall become very sinful.”

“You look like an angel, Miss Cassie,” Dolly said, unaware that she had interrupted at an opportune moment.

“With all this white powder, I even feel like an angel. You will help me brush it all out later, Dolly?”

“Of course, Miss Cassandra. I’ll be waiting up for you.”

Cassie gave her maid a quick hug and followed Miss Petersham from the bedchamber. As she trailed after her companion down the wide, winding stairs, she felt a delicious shudder. Just one more week and she would be the Viscountess Delford. She smiled at Miss Petersham’s straight back, knowing that her thoughts would bring a shocked squeal from that lady. Only that afternoon, Becky had called Cassie to her room and, after some roundabout conversation, had stiffly inquired if Cassie understood what would be demanded of her on her wedding night.

Cassie stifled a laugh and displayed what she hoped was maidenly shock. “I believe I do have a very general idea, Becky.”

Miss Petersham breathed an audible sigh of relief. “A very general idea is all that is necessary. Your husband will see to the specifics.”

“I daresay Edward does have sufficient experience to be able to carry everything off smoothly.” She gazed up apprehensively at Miss Petersham after her unthinking comment, and saw that she was regarding her oddly, her expression serious and her hazel eyes narrowed in concern.

“I am sorry, Becky, to tease you so,” Cassie said quickly, her hand on her companion’s arm.

“No, child, you are not teasing me.” She looked as if she would have said more. Quickly, she was behaving in much her old way, briskly reminding Cassie not to chew on her thumbnail like some peasant child.

“You look beautiful, Cassie.”

Cassie looked up to see Edward standing at the foot of the stairway, dressed elegantly, without affectation, in black and silver, his chestnut hair powdered like hers and drawn back with a black ribbon at the nape of his neck.