No Choice but Seduction (25 page)

“I didn’t really plan my trip around the weather,” Katey admitted. “But I do want my own coach. Depending on hired ones has already become tiresome. But I am not going to remain in England to have one made. I was told that would take three weeks.”

“Or longer.” Georgina chuckled. “The last one I ordered took over two months to build.”

“Only because you tried to turn it into a bedroom, George,” James remarked.

“I did not!” Georgina said indignantly.

“Those special seats you designed certainly felt like mattresses,” he rejoined.

“Oh, stop.” She snorted even as she gave her husband a wicked grin. “What better place to add extra comfort than where you’ll be sitting for long durations. That coach was designed for our trips to Haverston, if you’ll recall.” Then she returned her glance to Katey. “But I’ve thought of a way of eliminating that delay for you.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, my sister-in-law Roslynn just had a new coach delivered. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if she would offer it to you.”

“I couldn’t,” Katey said.

“She would insist, I know she would,” Georgina replied. “Believe me, she complains constantly that she has nothing to spend her money on. She didn’t even need this coach, yet she ordered it anyway. And I saw the other night how upset she was over the way you were mistreated after helping Judy.” Georgina spared a glare at Boyd for having been responsible for that upset. “I’ll wager it would delight her to do this small favor for you.”

“Really, I couldn’t. Judith’s family owes me nothing for my help.” Katey turned a look on Boyd, just as his sister had. “You, on the other hand—”

“I know,” he cut in. “Believe me, Katey, I wouldn’t be putting my ship at your disposal if I didn’t have a very big hole to crawl out of.”

“Well, let me just find out how Roslynn feels about it,” Georgina said. “If I’m right, the coach can be delivered to
The Oceanus
later today. Then you could skip France for the time being and travel somewhere warmer—unless you like the cold, of course.”

Katey grinned. “I don’t mind the cold, but I hadn’t really thought about some of the difficulties of traveling in it. I would insist on reimbursing Roslynn for the coach, however—if she’s agreeable to the idea.”

“Wherever you’d like to go is fine with me, Katey,” Boyd added. “But Georgina’s suggestion has some merit. You’d probably enjoy seeing the European countries much better in the springtime and summer. And there are many warmer destinations to choose from for the winter months. Then we could return this way next year.”

“You’re quite right. There’s no reason not to see the countries with milder climates first, then return north later.”

“How long did you actually plan on traveling, Katey?” James asked curiously.

“As long as it takes to see the world.”

Such a remarkable statement, but, damn, that was sounding nice to Boyd. This trip of hers could take years. And he’d either be in sublime heaven, or she’d drive him positively insane.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

D
UG YOURSELF A BIG HOLE, DID YOU?”

Boyd had just returned from the wharfs where he’d spent most of the afternoon with his captain, Tyrus Reynolds, getting
The Oceanus
ready to cast off tomorrow.

The remark, coming from James, had probably been uttered because Boyd looked a bit downtrodden. He hadn’t been having second thoughts. He’d been having miserable thoughts with
positively insane
remaining in his mind, while the
sublime heaven
had slipped away because it was so unlikely that it should never have occurred to him.

The trouble was, Katey Tyler wasn’t the least bit like other women her age, so he didn’t quite know how to approach her. Instead of thinking about settling down and starting a family of her own, she was flitting about the world. Instead of getting married, she claimed she already was, so men would keep their distance from her. Hell, she should already
be
married at her age, but she wasn’t and didn’t appear to have marriage anywhere in her future plans.

If Boyd weren’t so distracted, he would never have entered a room with just James and Anthony Malory in it. He wasn’t sure if he could stomach any of James’s derogatory remarks today, much less any that Anthony might add. The two brothers could easily go at each other’s throats verbally and delight in doing so—unless a common enemy was around. Then they joined forces. Nicholas Eden, who had married their favorite niece, was frequently one of their targets. So was every Anderson other than Georgina.

But Boyd needed someone to talk to about his predicament. And none of his brothers were currently in England, so he couldn’t bend their ears about it. Nor was it a subject he could comfortably discuss with his sister. But these two—two of London’s most notorious rakes in their day—well, if anyone would understand, they would. They’d probably bedded more women, and in all varieties, than most men could even dream about.

So Boyd dropped down on the nearest sofa and said, “You can’t imagine how big a hole. She nearly drove me mad with lust on that last voyage with her aboard.”

Anthony had already heard about Boyd’s “rental agreement” with Katey and said drily, “And now you’re putting yourself back on a ship with her? Smart move.”

“Rather impulsive even for a Yank,” James added.

“What choice do I have? I don’t just owe her for that mistake I made in Northampton. I want her.”

“That, dear boy, has been painfully obvious,” said James. “You behave like a bloody fool around her.”

Boyd flinched, his defenses rising. “You think I’m not aware of that? You think I wouldn’t rein it in if I could? That’s why I made such a blunder in the first place. I couldn’t trust my own instincts about her innocence that day, when all I could think about was bedding her.”

“Sounds like a man in love, don’t it?” Anthony said to his brother.

“No, in
lust
is more like it,” James disagreed.

“
Do
you love her?” Anthony persisted.

Boyd felt like pulling his hair out. “How the hell would I know? The intense desire I feel for her when I get near her leaves no room to explore any other feelings.”

“Then what exactly
are
your intentions?” Anthony continued with a slight frown. “I don’t think I’d care to hear about her getting hurt by you, or anyone else for that matter. She’s a remarkable chit.”

“Agreed,” James said. “There’s much about her to admire. There aren’t many who would have done what she did to rescue Judy. Most people, women especially, would have ignored the situation or just gone for help, and then it would have been two adults’ words against a child’s, and you know bloody well the child wouldn’t be believed.”

“And they were mistreating my baby,” Anthony said, getting worked up again about it. “The bastards hadn’t even fed her! But Katey Tyler saw a child tied to the floor and didn’t fob off the rescue to someone else.
She
got Judy out of there without giving it another thought.”

“I think what my brother is getting at is, don’t let this lust of yours burn the wench. She might be traveling around the world, but she doesn’t strike me as being very worldly, if you catch my drift.”

Boyd sighed. “You’re both off the mark. I’ve been thinking of settling down for a while now, including getting married.”

“Back in Connecticut I hope?” James quickly remarked.

Boyd snorted. “When my entire family spends more time here now? No, I was thinking of running the Skylark office in London on a permanent basis.”

James groaned. Anthony chuckled. Boyd ignored the dramatics and continued, “So I could use some advice on how to win the wench to my favor.”

Anthony glanced behind him, then at James, then exclaimed to Boyd, “You’re asking
us
?”

James did the chuckling this time and said to his brother, “Come now, dear boy, who better should he ask for advice of this sort? And she’s not one of ours where we’d have grounds to object because we don’t want any more Andersons in the family. He’d probably even make a good husband. Warren did, and who in their right mind would have predicted that?”

Anthony shrugged. “Well, if you’re game for this, old man, I suppose I can chip in.” And to Boyd, he said, “Let’s start with the basics, shall we? Has she ever given you any indication that she even likes you? All I’ve seen is her running in the opposite direction from you.”

“She blushes a lot in my presence,” Boyd answered. “I used to think that was a good indication with a wench, but I’m not so sure anymore.”

Anthony laughed. “That’s no indication a’tall. Could be you just embarrass her with that rampant lust you’ve owned up to.”

“Put a lid on it, puppy, and help the boy out,” James admonished.

“But it’s obvious, ain’t it?” Anthony rejoined. “He’s going to have to resort to seduction.”

“My thoughts exactly,” James agreed.

“That sounds—underhanded,” Boyd remarked.

“Well, you might be accustomed to a straightforward approach with women, but do you really think that would work with this one when you have so many marks against you already?” Anthony said.

“You need to sneak up on her emotions, dear boy. Catch her off guard,” James added.

Anthony hooted at his brother. “That’s how
you
had to operate, old man. I preferred charm. Worked every time, you know.”

“I don’t believe barbarians possess any of that,” James put in.

“Now who’s
not
being helpful?” Anthony quipped.

James sighed. “Quite right. Habit, you know.” Then he said to Boyd, “Sorry, Yank.”

Boyd grinned slightly. “I’m used to it.”

“Down to particulars then,” James said. “Once you ascertain that she has some sort of feelings for you other than murderous ones, then you progress to slowly whittling down her barriers, and she’ll likely have a lot of them in your case. So don’t rush it. Remember, subtlety.”

“And eye contact,” Anthony added. “It’s amazing what you can achieve with your eyes. They are your first line of expression, you know. Dozens of things can be said with a sensual look that words might otherwise muck up.”

“But keep your eyes above water, if you know what I mean,” James said next. “A woman doesn’t like catching you staring at her breasts. Insults them for some reason.”

“Never understood that m’self, but he’s quite right,” Anthony put in.

Boyd was beginning to wonder if he should be taking notes about all of this, but then James said, “Let’s see a demonstration, lad.”

“Of?”

“What you’re capable of expressing to a woman with a look. And remember, keep it subtle.”

Boyd felt distinctly uncomfortable with the suggestion, but he gave it a try—and bowled both Malorys over with laughter. Serious laughter that had him feeling as if he were the brunt of a joke. He started to get up to leave before his hot temper kicked in. He’d asked for their help, but he should have known better.

But James wound down first and said, “Show him how it’s done, Tony.”

“He’s not my type,” Anthony replied. But that got him one of his brother’s unbending looks, so he amended, “Oh, very well.”