Shades of Truth (The Summerlynn Secrets) (15 page)

“We are only newly engaged.” The jovial man of moments before tightened into a watchful, careful man.

“Then I assume your parents are unaware they stand to gain a daughter?” The dark brown of Bennett’s eyes belied the light tone of his voice.

“Do not rob us of the pleasure of informing them.” A warning look flashed between them. Obviously, they were talking about much more than a sham engagement. Had they known each other before today?

“I eagerly await the official announcement, then.” Bennett turned back to me. “Cadie, though I wish things were different, know there will always be a place for you in my home, should you so desire.” He raised my hand to his mouth for a kiss. Besides us, Colton stiffened.

“Careful, Bennett. I dislike men being so free with what is mine.”

“Then do a better job claiming her. Good day.” Bennett nodded, and left.

“Now see what you’ve done!” I turned to glare at Colton, hands on hip. The man looked entirely too pleased with himself and had the gall to smile at me.

“I did you a favor. The man was on the verge of proposing.” Colton correctly read the tenor of my expression and his smile disappeared.

“Which would have nicely removed me from your company!” I threw my hands in the air. “Why not let him propose?” Not that I would have accepted. But it was nice to be able to needle Colton with a concrete reason.

“You should be thanking me for saving your relationship with Bennett from the awkwardness of a refused marriage proposal.”

“I would not have refused.” The lies were growing easier.

“Please. Bennett’s a bore. He’s always been a bore. He’s not the man for you.” He nudged me with his shoulder as he began leading Brutus again.

“Don’t presume to lecture me about the men in my life.” I thought briefly of attempting to disappear in the crowd but I learned the hard way Colton was faster, stronger, and more determined than I.

“Why not? Remember, you must be very careful in whom you chose to marry, sweetheart. If you mess this up, it will ruin your entire life.”

“Should you really be talking? Aren’t you the one scared witless by marriage?”

“Scared isn’t the right word. I prefer cautious or apprehensive.” When Colton extended his hand backwards toward me, I surprised us both by taking it.

“I like scared.” I focused on the market stalls and not the sensations growing in strength from our entwined hands.

“I begin to believe you’ve had more than your share of that word.” Brutus sidestepped in front of Colton, forcing him into me. I nearly fell, only I didn’t, because Colton’s arm was already around my waist. For a moment, we were locked in a wordless stare. His eyes were full of laughter, possibly at my expense.

I poked him in the chest. “You do realize he will tell everyone he knows that I am engaged. How’s it going to look when I resume life as an unmarried woman?”

“You might well be married the next you see Bennett.” Carefully, he set me back on my feet. One last glance to ensure I was
stable and he resumed threading our way through the farmer’s market.

I rolled my eyes. Such a stupid remark deserved no response.

“While you were busy collecting marriage proposals, I made a few inquiries. The man you met in Lisbon came and went this morning. We must have just missed him. He headed south.”

“I suppose this means we’re going south as well.” He nodded. I wasn’t overly familiar with Goran geography, but I did know south was the opposite direction of the bay. I already knew I wasn’t going home but couldn’t he at least leave me some hope my life would eventually become normal?

Around us, the crowd had thinned, and the stalls were entirely absent. Without the cloaking protection of other people, I felt strangely exposed. Not that I had anything to hide. Well, except a pendant and that was safely out of sight below the neckline of my shirt.

Pulling Brutus to a stop, Colton began making all those adjustments necessary for riding. I assumed this meant we would once again ride off into the sunset together.

When I only glared at his offered hand, he said, “Your life would be very dull without me.”

“I like dull,” I lied, fitting my foot into his hands for a leg up into the saddle. Brutus shifted beneath me as I rubbed a hand along his neck.

“Nobody likes dull,” he countered, swinging into the saddle behind me. A moment passed while we situated ourselves. A thrill ran up my spine from the feel of his hard thigh muscles resting next to my own, more slender thighs. His arms came around me, his forearms resting a little bit above my hips.

With a cluck, he urged Brutus forward. I continued our conversation, “That’s not true. Plenty of people like dull. My mother loved dull.” Mother hated the unexpected and did her best to guard against it by sticking to a tight schedule. Breakfast was served precisely at nine, followed by an hour spent sewing or mending, another hour spent writing letters, then assembling household matters with our housekeeper until lunch at 12:30. After lunch, an hour nap, followed by two hours of running errands and paying calls, then dressing for dinner and beyond.

With her death, I’d kept the schedule myself. I hadn’t realized how much I depended upon her schedules for my own sense of reality. I felt out of control and longed to indulge in a dull day at home. Anything would be better than living hand to mouth.

Speaking of mouths, Colton was talking. “That’s because older adults are allowed to settle into dullness but young ladies such as yourself are not allowed to be dull.”

“Why are we even discussing this?” I allowed my body to relax against Colton’s. Why I always initially fought him when surrender was much more comfortable, I didn’t know.

“Because it’s important you don’t become dull.”

“Why?”

“Because dull is what gets you killed where we’re going.” He blew a breath against my neck.

“Where are we going? And if you give me some flippant answer, I’ll scream.” It was a bluff and he knew it.

“You’re not a screamer, although I daresay if I gave it enough effort, I could make you one.” His voice dropped deliciously low.

“Enough, Colton. You are already on dangerous ground after that little show back there.”

“I don’t know to what you refer.” I heard the smile in his voice.

“Liar. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“We’ve been over this. Bennett’s not for you.” It was his turn to shift in the saddle.

“So you’ve said.” My eye roll was wasted on the cows grazing along the road. “Kindly remember it is my decision.” Muckford now behind us, fields were scattered between thick woods until we were back in the forest.

It was cooler among the trees. Daylight filtered down through the trees growing progressively dimmer the closer it got to the ground. I eventually relaxed completely against him, propping my head against his shoulder. For being such a difficult man, Colton made for a comfortable leaning post.

“It is my duty to protect you in all matters, including the deflection of unwanted marriage proposals.” He paused. “Unless you truly wanted his, in which case, my estimation of your intellect would fall significantly.”

I sighed. “No.”

“Then why complain?”

“I simply want you to understand you cannot go around making decisions for me. I am—“

“So if I were to see you walking off a cliff, I should not stop you, but rather respect your ability to make the correct decision?”

“Since I do not plan to walk off a cliff anytime soon, this is a pointless discussion.”

“Answer the question.” Against my back, I felt Colton take a deep breath.

“I suppose if I were in danger, I would want your h
elp. But that does not—“

“Marrying Bennett would place you in danger, so I am entirely justified in interfering.”

“Marrying Lord Bennett is not dangerous in the least.” I rolled my eyes.

“You would either die of boredom or murder him within the week.”

“At least I’d be a rich widow.” The flippant answer was out before I could stop it.

“If you are after money, there are better marriage prospects.” There was a strange tone in his voice. I thought for a moment, wondering why marrying for money elicited such a reaction.

Of course! Colton’s father was very powerful and, I assumed, rich. That meant Colton was probably the target of mercenary females. I laughed, picturing Colton ducking behind other people, potted plants and other assorted ballroom accessories in his quest to elude gold digging women.

“You find marrying for money funny?” Colton’s voice sounded normal. Whatever strange hiccup caused by my remark had been smoothed. “Or is it marriage proposals?”

“Both. My mother would turn in her grave if she knew I turned down an almost proposal from Lord Bennett.” Though I couldn’t stand the man, the offer would be sweetened by his title, the family fortune and numerous estates. I believe I’d also be related to the royal family, though that connection had never been fully explained.

“She’ll never know.”

“I know.” The knowledge was sour in my stomach. She’d been gone nearly a year, but her absence was still fresh.

Silence settled upon us like a favorite blanket. Being continuously in each other’s company had revealed more than words ever could. For instance, I learned Colton appreciated silence. He hated idle chitchat (at least my chitchat) and preferred only to speak when he had something to say.

So I allowed the hours to melt past as I wrestled with my own thoughts. I hadn’t thought much beyond the present. If Colton did release me, where would I go? My closest family was Uncle Brett in Chester, and that was easily a four-day journey from here. Having no money or protection, I did not like my chances in crossing the country alone. Perhaps it was best to stay with Colton as long as he allowed.

Restless, I began toying with the front hem of my shirt. It had come untucked and I hadn’t bothered to correct it.
Really I was a disgrace. Not only was I in breeches, but with shirt untucked, and dust from head to toe. At least Lord Bennett hadn’t run screaming in the opposite direction.

I stifled a giggle, thinking about the man’s reaction to seeing me in breeches. Men could be disturbingly transparent.

“Did I miss a joke?” Colton wanted to know. His voice was a little husky from disuse. We’d been quiet a long time.

“I was thinking about Bennett.”

He chewed that over for a moment. “Why?”

“I never realized how much he cared for me.” Not that it changed anything. I thought the man was merely being stubborn in regards to me, but his spirited defense indicated otherwise.

“Do not mistake lust for deeper emotion, sweetheart.”

“I resent the implication men only lust after me. “ I sniffed.

“I’m not implying anything. You are a prickly little thing.” His hand grazed my hip on the way to rub at his beard.

I heard the crinkle of the wiry beard hairs against his skin and abruptly said, “That beard does you no favors. Do you have any idea what might be growing in it?” Given that we were in the forest, it wasn’t a far leap to imagine all kinds of little creatures might be living in it.

“There is no need to snipe because you’re hungry.”

“I thought you were going to buy bread,” I complained.

“I thought you were going to buy fruit,” he countered.

If he hadn’t gone to buy bread, where had he been? I remembered seeing him walk toward the bakery, but hadn’t watched him go inside. Then Bennett waylaid me, and I’d forgotten all about lunch or dinner or whatever it was.

“If you didn’t buy bread, what were you doing?” I may as well ask. The worst he could do is lie or ask me a question in return.

“I told you. Making inquiries.” His tone was carefully neutral. I wished I could see his face to get a better read on his sincerity.

“In the bakery?” Then it clicked. I’d made contact with one of my father’s colleagues in a bakery. “Whom did you meet with?”

“Nobody you know.”

“Do not be so certain.” Perhaps I didn’t want to play this game. The idea was to keep him thinking I was innocent, not hand him opportunities to question it. “Name?”

“Not important.”

“It is. Tell me.”

“No.”

“If I know this person, I might be able to supply you with important information.”

“Make up your mind whether you are innocent or guilty. You cannot switch between the two according to mood.”

I ignored him. “What were you doing?”

“You can be sure I wasn’t collecting marriage proposals.”

“That’s unfair. If anyone proposed, it was you.”

“What an imagination you have, sweetheart.” He chuckled.

“It’s not funny,” I huffed, feeling my temper fraying. Why could we not have a single conversation without arguing? “I do not even like you.”

“Love
blooms in the most unexpected places.”

“Love is not a flower. You’ve been reading too much poetry, or spending too much time in the sun.” Which would be hard, considering we’d spent the majority of three days in the forest.