A Taste of Honey (15 page)

Rather than waiting for a response from his dance partner Victor had continued without pausing.  “One of the residences that I own is just outside of London and has beautiful grounds for horseback riding.  I've invited your sister to join me on the next trip I take out there.  London starts to get under my skin with all of the people so close together.  I usually take trips to my other residence for a week to relax and get away from everyone here.”

His dashing smile flashed at her as he twirled her just a bit too fast around a corner, nearly causing her to lose her balance with his unpredictable changes in the dance pattern.  But before she could fall he had caught her again, and shifted to a new direction.  “Besides I can only handle London's high society for so long.” Victor seemed unwilling to hide his contempt for the people around them as he glanced off in the distance at some foe in his mind and nearly snarled at them.

His face quickly lightened again when his attention was caught by a burst of laughter from one corner of the room and Katherine followed his gaze to find that he was watching her sister.  “It is lucky that I met Robin,” he told her, “I rarely attend the dances that I am invited to.  I am not particularly fond of most of the women and men who attend these events, but it is clear that both of you are quite different from the other birds and neither of you really fit in with them.”

Again he had meant it as some sort of compliment, but Katherine didn't like the idea that she and Robin might be seen as so different from all of the other women.  Lords and dukes wouldn't like unique women, and being so closely compared with her sister did not feel like a comfortable fit either.

“I will be inviting your sponsor as well,” he assured her, going back to the topic of his party.  “It's just for one week and I promise to snare a few titled bachelors that I know.  Your sister told me that you were looking to marry into this society, Lord knows why.” He smiled handsomely at the end to hide some of his obvious contempt for those around him.

It was unlikely that any men Katherine was interested in would be attending such an event, despite his promise.  For her sister's sake she smiled warmly up at the large bulking man.  “I would love to.”  She wondered if Mrs. Brentley would ever allow such a visit and if Robin had already discussed the idea with her.

Taking one final twirl Katherine grimaced as she felt his hand slip a little in his support and her ankle twist painfully beneath her.  Tentatively she placed some weight on her foot and felt pain shooting up her leg as she did so.  She tried to hide it from Victor, just wanting to get away from him, Robin and everyone else for awhile.

With the song over Katherine motioned for Robin to come closer.

Robin noticed her limp.  “Are you hurt?”

“I'll be fine, just help me over to that hallway so that I can sit down.” Katherine told her, motioning to some chairs that led down a hall not far away.  As they carefully hobbled over to the area Katherine tried to use her ankle again but was blinded by the tears that sprang up into her eyes.  Setting her sister against the hallway wall Robin searched her face.

Robin looked apologetic.  “I'd stay but I'm supposed to dance the next one with Victor.”  Over her shoulder Katherine could make out the distinct sign of a frown on Victor's face, indicating that he did not think that Robin should be away from him.  “Will you be all right if I leave you here?”

Katherine nodded and watched as her sister raced over to him, instantly cooling his hurt pride by setting a small kiss on his cheek and blushing up at him.  Robin seemed to love the excitement of him.

But how much of that was just for show?  Had Victor really stolen Robin's heart, or was she only interested in his money still?  Unable to fix the entire world in her one lifetime, Katherine sighed and decided to worry about her ankle instead of her sister's future.

She hopped on her one good foot down the hall until she found any empty room.  She entered the light mauve sitting room and rested against one of the plush looking chairs.  After removing her shoes she touched the sore spot on her ankle that had already started to swell and  grimaced at the pain that came when she put any pressure on it.  She couldn't dance again tonight and perhaps a few other nights would be ruined if the swelling didn't stop.

“Are you hurt?”

Katherine heard a deep voice behind her and she turned to see the man who had tried to interrupt her dance with Oliver just days before.  He was not as tall as Victor or Garrett, but he was more classically handsome than either of them.  His dark black hair reflected almost blue in some spots that brought out the bright green of his eyes.  Leaning against the door frame he straightened and moved toward her.  Looking down at her he noticed her bare foot and swollen ankle.  Without asking he bent down and lightly touched the red spot on her foot.  The feel of his warm finger against her skin caused her to jump and quickly she hid the foot beneath her skirts once more.

“You should let me rub that for you,” he told her as he knelt down further and reached his hand out for her to place her foot in.

“No, but thank you Mr...”

Instead of answering her question his hand slipped under her skirts to pull her foot back out.  Katherine winced at the pain as his finger brushed against the swollen spot and he heard the sharp intake of her breath.  “You should have told the oaf that he was hurting you this badly,” he gently lectured before rolling the ankle in his hands to inspect the sores and bruises.  “Victor Sullivan is the worst dancer out there tonight.  I'm surprised that your sister doesn't have a broken leg yet.”

Katherine might not know who he was but it was clear that he did not lack the same knowledge about her.  She was sure that he hadn't approached her except for the one time.  She was so caught up in watching his face and trying to remember if she had seen him anywhere else that she didn't notice when he let go of her foot and reached into her skirts for the other one.

“Let me see if it's bruised too,” he told her after placing his hand under the hem of her skirt to look for the second one.

She thought about refusing him and reminding him how improper it was for him to stick his hands under her skirts.  “The other one doesn't hurt,” Katherine told him.

“I don't care, I need to inspect it,” he told her firmly but with a tiny smirk in the corner of his mouth.

She knew that he would
not
give up groping inside of her skirts until she offered it, so she relented, quickly producing her other foot for further inspection.  He looked almost disappointed that she had given in that easily without needing more persuasion.  His mouth crooked in a large grin.

The man undid the laces carefully and slipped the shoe off of her foot.  It was a relief to have her toes freed from the tight shoes and his light touches did feel good against her sore ankles.  She was almost thankful that he had forced her to let him see them.  She marveled at the fact that she was again alone with a stranger whose name she didn't even know.  Maybe she wasn't as pure as she had always been told that she was.  Or maybe she just attracted that kind of man to her.

“You won't be able to dance again tonight,” he told her after looking over the damage of her first ankle again, which had ballooned to nearly twice its normal size in the short time that she had been sitting there.  Smiling brilliantly up at her with his green eyes flashing he added huskily, “I will have to wait until later for our first dance.”

Giving him a weak smile Katherine reached for one of her shoes only to have him retrieve it for her.  “I can't promise you a dance,” she said as primly as she could manage considering the odd position she was in of having a man caressing her ankles.  “Unless you tell me your name.”  She recognized the flirtatious tone in her voice as she said it.  It was easy to flirt with him like this in such a casual manner without everything needing to feel so serious the way it was with Garrett.  This man's character was warm and a bit devil-may-care, which somehow calmed and excited her all at once.

“Fair enough I suppose.  Lord Franklin Kent, at your rescue.” After a short mocking bow his eyes met hers once more.  “Just Kent to my closer acquaintances, and those I would like to be closer to, such as you.”  The velvet sound of his voice engulfed her like a warm blanket and she felt a horrible blush creep up her legs and torso until it shown on her face.

There seemed to be bells filling the air as Katherine realized that she had found the perfect man.  He was very handsome, clearly not a doddering old man searching for his second or third wife, and he met the qualifications of being titled.  She almost wanted Garrett to be there just so that she could show him that she had been able to find the man that she wanted to marry.  “It is very nice to meet you.  I'm...”

“Katherine Wellings,” he said interrupting her.  “I know.  I've heard much about you and your sister.”

That he had mentioned Robin as well made her a little less easy and she wondered how much of what he had heard was something that she would have liked.  Seeming to read her mind he smiled.  “You've been described as the refined sister.”  Leaning in closer he whispered, “What everyone failed to mention is that you are the prettier one as well.”

She found it hard to believe that he could see much of a difference between them.  But then again Garrett had known right away when Robin had tried to trick him.  Maybe some men who cared to get to know their differences could tell them apart and others, like Victor and Oliver, could not.

“Thank you for your help with my ankles, they feel much better,” she told him after her shoes were back on, but his hands still held onto one of her ankles gently.  His fingers slipped slightly higher as he rubbed, inching slowly up her calves.

“Your legs feel stiff and must be sore, you should rub them more often,” he told her. “It also helps for dancing.  You might not have gotten hurt tonight if you let someone rub your legs every day,” he told her, the laughter in his voice bordered on devilish.  “I would be happy to help whenever you have need of my assistance.”

Katherine flushed at the offer before hearing a soft growl behind her and she felt a familiar presence in the room with them.  Striding in from the doorway Garrett didn't pause to say hello before pushing the man away from her.

“Her legs are none of your concern, Kent.” Garrett turned back to Katherine and grasped her arm, pulling her up into a standing position that put strain on her sore ankle again.  She cried out in pain as she tried to sit back down.

Garrett caught the sound and instinctively pulled her closer against his body so that most of her weight rested on him.  “Are you hurt?”

By then she was sick of having people ask her that.  Had he not looked so concerned she would have bit back a retort.  Or at least that was her excuse for not being able to speak as her body pressed against his.

Kent also moved in to offer his assistance.  “I didn't do it,” he said to ward off any new attacks.  “That oaf, Victor Sullivan, threw her around the floor until her feet nearly bled and her ankle twisted.”  Still there was a murderous glint in Garrett's eyes and Kent seemed to take another step back.  “I saw her limp into this room and I came to make sure that she wasn't hurt too badly.  I was helping Ms. Wellings when you entered.”

Removing her arm from Garrett's grasp Katherine tried to stand on her own with all of her weight resting on the one good foot.  The last thing that she needed right now was the confusion that always came whenever she was pressed so closely to Garrett.

“I am quite fine,” she told him as he reached for her again and she moved to brush him away and keep her balance.  Still trying to take the opportunity to lure Kent in, she smiled up at him while ignoring Garrett's possessive nature that seemed to flare up between the two men.  “Please Kent, call me Katherine,” she insisted with her best smile.

Kent smiled triumphantly as he reached to offer her his arm, when she had just refused Garrett's assistance.  Katherine grasped it quickly as her stance began to weaken.  She threw Garrett a look that pleaded him to leave them alone but she could tell that he wasn't about to be reasonable.

“Let me take you back to Mrs. Brentley so that we can get you home.”  Kent took up the role of the caring beau with ease and charm.  He seemed to relish the fact that Garrett was scowling at them.

Garrett blocked their way out.  “I can handle my mother's charge.  I was heading to the house anyway and could easily see her home.”

Katherine didn't like the idea of being his to 'handle' and didn't hesitate to make it known.  “I would like Kent to take me back,” she told him, catching his eye once more and daring him to argue with her.  However she had stood too long on one ankle and when she gently shifted the pressure to the other one she winced and nearly fell from the pain that shot through her body.

Garrett scooped her up into his arms before she could finish falling.  “Get my coach,” he growled at Kent before turning to the large windows of the room to find a way out of the house without interrupting the dance outside.  While some women would have wanted to cause such a commotion Garrett seemed to understand that she wasn't one who would enjoy causing a scene.

“I told you that I'm fine,” she hissed while hitting one of his arms that pinned her tightly against him.  Garrett showed little interest in letting her down and her weight hardly seemed to be a burden for him as Katherine wiggled in his grasp to get free.

“Your ankle is probably sprained,” he warned her, unwilling to let her down as he waited for Kent to return.  When she struggled again he looked down into her face, his hazel eyes deepening with concern. “I'm not releasing you, you could injure it further,” he said firmly, barely feeling her attempts at stopping him.