Promise Me (21 page)

“
You’ve nowhere to run, Goddess.”

She spun around. Chase had almost closed the distance between them, and she would soon run out of platform. “I can swim.”

He paid no attention to her weak attempt at bravado. Instead, he backed her to the very edge of the pier then reached out and tugged the last remaining pins from her hair. Her locks fell in a jumbled mass over her shoulders.

Avoiding his gaze, Leah combed her fingers through her mud-speckled hair.

He nudged her hand aside and wound a strand gently around his finger. “You must think me a cad.”

“
I might,” she smarted. “If I thought of you at all.”

She’d intended to push past him but slipped on the wet surface and stumbled backward. Had he not caught her around the waist, she would’ve fallen into the lake. Humiliated, she shoved against his chest. “Let go of me.”

Briefly, his attention shifted to the murky water behind her. “Are you certain that’s what you want?”

“
I am.”

He loosened his grip.

Immediately Leah lost her balance and frantically clutched at his shirt, her dirty hands soiling the few unmarred areas.

Chase steadied her and held her so close she could smell the scented soap on his skin.

“
Before I release you,” he stated calmly, “you’ll swear two promises.”

“
I’ll do no such thing.”

He tipped her chin up. “Yes, you will.”

Her precarious position forced a concession. “What do you want?”

“
The first promise concerns my Bal Masque invitation.”

“
I’ll send it by servant this afternoon.”

“
No, that will not do, but it brings me to the second promise. You will deliver my invitation personally when you and your family join me for dinner this evening. No headaches,” he warned. “No mysterious or unexpected maladies. Or I’ll come for you myself.”

Leah had no doubt he would.

“
Do we understand one another?” he prompted.

She nodded.

“
Excellent.” Chase wiped the mud from one corner of her mouth. “Miss Sheridan, you must understand...I’ll do whatever it takes to see that Edwin’s future is secure, but I need your help.”

She almost reached up to touch his face.

The duke drew her away from the edge of the pier before releasing her. “Will you be my fiancée for the next few weeks? For Edwin’s sake?”

His tone had once again grown tender…pleading. And she did not possess the willpower to deny him. “For Edwin, yes.”

Relief settled in his eyes, and he kissed her brow. “Thank you.”

Leah slipped past him. If she did not distance herself from this man, her heart would never be safe.

“
Oh, Miss Sheridan?”

She halted at the end of the pier but did not turn.

“
We dine at seven,” he added in a lighthearted tone.

###

Irma glanced around the solarium. “Margaret, this room is lovely, but didn’t his lordship complain once about you spending too much time here?”

“
You’ve forgotten that Bartholomew was prone to exaggeration.” Lady Chase poured the tea and slid one cup across the table. “My, but it’s been a long time, has it not, Louise?”

“
Forty-two years.”

“
Half a lifetime.”

“
I’m afraid so, Margaret.”

And half a lifetime since anyone had referred to Irma as Louise Westwood. That lady belonged to a different world. A different time. Things had changed.
She
had changed. The young girl who’d left England behind so many years ago wouldn’t even recognize the heartbroken old woman who’d finally returned.

“
You must tell me about your time in America,” Lady Chase insisted.

“
I’m afraid you’d find the details rather boring.”

“
Nonsense. I’ve been told you have a grandson, so I assume you remarried?”

“
Yes, but I’m a widow again.”

“
Oh, I’m terribly sorry, my dear. You’ve children?”

“
A daughter.” Irma sipped her tea. “She died in childbirth, and that no-good husband of hers took off before they put her in the ground. Left me and Godfrey to raise his son.”

“
Forgive my intrusion into your private affairs, Louise. I didn’t mean to dredge up sad memories.”

Irma touched the locket resting at the base of her throat. “They weren’t all sad.”

“
I’m glad then. What’s become of your brother?”

“
In regards to business, William has done well for himself. It’s a shame he never found a wife. Margaret, didn’t you tell me you had three older brothers.”

“
Four, but they’re all dead now. Most of their children are scattered about England and Scotland, but the granddaughter of my eldest brother, she’s Lady Ashburn now, she lives here in Kent.”

“
How nice. Who heads the clan?”

“
My second brother’s son. He’s writes occasionally.” Lady Chase sighed. “You know, Louise, growing up I never understood my parent’s devotion to that island. I wanted nothing more than to leave it behind and never return. After Bartholomew died, I found myself wishing I could return to Dragon’s Breath, if only for a brief visit.”

Irma felt a prick of conscience. The dowager Duchess of Chase wasn’t like her haughty peers, and she did not deserve a gossipmonger for a friend. “Margaret, William told me about your son and his wife. I’m sorry.”

“
Yes, it was dreadful. If not for Bartholomew, Nicolas, and Adrian...that’s my son’s two boys...I could not have endured it.” Her eyes misted. “But then Adrian...”

“
An accident, was it?”

Lady Chase nodded and skillfully changed the subject. “I’m so pleased you dropped by, Louise. I had intended to pay you a visit later this afternoon, but you must have read my mind.”

“
I couldn’t very well pass Chase Manor and miss an opportunity to visit with my dearest friend. But how did you know of my plans to return to Westwood Hall?”

“
Miss Sheridan told me. She’s the Earl of Greyson’s eldest daughter.”

“
Yes, of course. Trinity mentioned Lord Greyson and his daughter were extremely hospitable to him. We’ve even been invited to something called a Bal Masque.”

“
It’s a costume ball. Oh, you’ll have a splendid time, my dear. There’s a little shop in Dover that carries all sorts of costumes.”

“
Trinity often derives great pleasure in poking fun at my attire, so I’m fairly certain I can find something suitable in my wardrobe.”

“
Louise, I’ve a splendid idea. Why not come to dinner this evening, and I’ll introduce you to Nicolas?”

“
That would be Bartholomew’s heir?”

“
Yes, that’s correct.”

“
I wouldn’t wish to impose.”

“
Not at all. We’ve nothing elaborate planned.”

“
Well…” Irma hesitated just long enough. “I’d love to meet the duke.”

“
It’s settled then.”

“
You’ve not changed one bit, Margaret.” Irma brushed a speck of lint from her expensive gown. “When I married Lord Westwood, most of the nobility shunned us. But you were the kindest lady I’d ever met and the one person I could always turn to no matter what. I never forgot that.”

“
My mother taught me to ignore pompous fools who have nothing better to do than speak ill of others. Louise, when you left England all those years ago--”

A scream from the foyer interrupted the conversation.

“
Oh, dear.” Her ladyship stood. “Pardon me, Lady Westwood, but this sounds rather serious.”

“
Of course.”

After her friend departed the solarium, Irma quietly followed.

“
Nicolas!” Lady Chase exclaimed. “What on earth..?”

“
This was not my doing, Gran. I had no idea the servants were so skittish.”

Irma peered around the corner, hugging the wall so she wouldn’t be seen.

The Duke of Chase stood in the middle of the foyer with what appeared to be an oversized sketchpad under one arm and his jacket draped over the other. Mud streaked his hair and face, spattering his white shirt and dark breeches. At his feet several red roses lay among the scattered remains of a crystal vase.

“
I’m sorry, your Grace,” a young maid stammered. “I didn’t recognize you.”

“
It’s all right, my dear,” Lady Chase told her. “You may return to your duties.”

“
Yes, milady. I’ll just clean this up first.”

“
And deprive his Grace of the pleasure?”

“
Gran--”

“
Need I remind you, Nicky, that you caused this mess? And just look at your boots. I shudder to think of the damage you’ll do to the carpets.”

“
If it pleases you, my lady,” he grumbled, “I’ll get down on my hands and knees with a bucket and scrub brush, but would you mind if I ordered a bath first?”

“
Oh, I was merely teasing, dearest, but you cannot blame that poor girl for not recognizing you. Why are you covered in mud?”

He handed her the pad.

“
What’s this?” she asked.

“
A sketchbook.”

“
I can see that. To whom does it belong?”

“
Miss Sheridan.”

“
Then why, pray tell, is it in your possession?”

“
She left it on the pier below Greyson Manor, and I took it because I didn’t wish the rain to ruin it.”

“
How thoughtful, but why didn’t you return it?”

“
Because the lady and I...” He hesitated. “We had a slight disagreement.”

Irma’s ears perked up.

“
What sort of disagreement?” his grandmother inquired.

“
She slipped in the mud, and I offered to assist her.”

“
That does not sound like a disagreement.”

“
She refused my help.”

“
I’m not sure I understand, dear.”

The duke lowered his voice. “I may have called her childish.”

“
May have?”

“
As I said, Gran, we had a bit of a disagreement. Next thing I know, she’s slinging mud at my back.”

Irma slapped her hand across her mouth to keep from cackling out loud.

“
Nonsense,” Lady Chase said. “Miss Sheridan would never do such a thing.”

He held his arms out to the side. “Then I suppose I picked a mud fight with myself?”

“
This is not amusing, Nicky. What did you do when she..? Good heavens, surely you did not--”

“
Throw mud at her? Yes, Grandmother, I most certainly did. And I rather enjoyed the shocked expression on her lovely face.”

“
That’s what I feared. Well, there’s only one thing to do now. You’ll have to apologize.”

“
Did you hear what I said?
She
threw mud at
me.
”

“
Yes, but
you
are going to be a gentleman and apologize to
her
.”

For several seconds they continued to stare at one another. Irma had little doubt which warrior would win this battle.

The duke sighed. “Very well.”

“
You’ll apologize?”

“
Yes.”

“
When?”

“
This evening. I’ve invited Lord Greyson and his daughters to dine with us. I’ll swallow my pride and beg her forgiveness then.”

“
You expect Miss Sheridan to accept a dinner invitation after the dreadful way you treated her?”

“
I think you’re still confused, love.
She
abused
me
.”

“
Well, whatever happened, I doubt she will wish to endure your hostile glare over dinner.”

“
Oh, she’ll be here, Gran. One way or another.” Chase headed up the stairs, whistling a light tune beneath his breath.

Irma retraced her steps to the solarium, chuckling beneath her breath. There would be fireworks at Chase Manor this evening, and she couldn’t wait to light the fuse.

Chapter Fourteen

As Leah waited for her father to assist Katrina into the lighted carriage, a cool breeze drifted aimlessly through the night. She pulled her shawl close about her shoulders. In a matter of weeks, September would be gone, and she hadn’t given much thought to bringing out her watercolors.

Her father turned and assisted her into the vehicle. She settled in beside her sister, and his lordship spoke briefly with Mister Davies before joining them.

“
What a lovely evening,” he declared as the carriage jerked into motion. “Do you not agree, daughters?”

Katrina sighed. “It saddens me that summer must always fade into winter.”

“
Summer fades into autumn, my love. Autumn into winter.”

She shrugged. “I prefer the warmer months.”