Improper Pleasures (The Pleasure Series #1) (4 page)

In her concern for her own future and that of her
daughter’s, Astra hadn’t specifically thought of what a change in residence
would do to Lady Phillina. She feared it could be her death sentence. Did this
American, with his different ways, truly understand the effect his decisions
would have on them all? She feared he didn’t.

“I have no intention of asking anyone to leave Eastlan.
And if you would have let me finish last night, I would have assured you of
that. It’s all been rather a surprise for me, but now that I’m here I have to
admit I had been expecting more from my inheritance.”

“More?” Astra stopped herself from lashing out at him, and
did her best to hide her shock. She realized he had no idea what he had
inherited, what a fine estate Eastlan was. Astra’s sweeping gaze took in the
lush green landscape, the stately grey mansion solid in the background.
“Forgive me, but I love Eastlan. Every bit of it.”

“I can see that. I find the openness of the sea more to my
liking. It’s more what I’m used to.” His gaze followed hers, but it seemed to
bounce over the landscape.  She noted a hint of bewilderment when she glanced
at his face. That would explain at least some of his demeanor. He didn’t have
the love of land like she did.

“But, before I forget,” he said, “the cook needs a menu
for next week. Apparently she goes to market in the village today.” He
shrugged. “She was very insistent. The other reason I was looking for you this
morning.”

Astra squelched a smug grin, but she relished this little
victory. He had revealed quite clearly that he needed her, which she intended
to use to her advantage. “Our cook is excellent and she knows it. She just
needs a bit of direction. She will become perturbed if you don’t tell her your
preferences, I assure you.”

“I got that impression,” he said, grinning. “Well, I
definitely want to keep her happy. I don’t know anything about meal preparation
beyond sea rations. I’ve eaten enough brined beef and hard tack in my lifetime.
I assume planning the menu is a role you had?”

“I used to,” she said, adding, “before your arrival.” She
paused a moment, studying him. “The staff knows as well as we all do that
things have changed, but I would be glad to be of assistance.” In her desire to
distract herself with the gardening, Astra had completely forgotten that this
was Cook’s day at market. Still, she had not even considered that ignoring
their menu would trouble him when he could have simply waved off the cook.

What she
had
considered was the fact she most
definitely did not want to contemplate him bringing another woman in to take
over the duties of lady of the house. No, she needed to swallow her pride and
help him master this simple task. “I suppose you will need to learn how to
handle these details yourself.”

He nodded, then spread his mouth into a thin line as
though thinking about what he was next going to say. His blue eyes grew
troubled, then relaxed as though he’d made a difficult decision.

“Astra, I will be honest and say that I didn’t try to find
you this morning to only talk about menus and flowers.” His use of her given
name caused her to catch her breath though she wished she felt some sense of
ire instead of an unwanted thrill of pleasure. “I’ve been thinking throughout
the night and I hope there might be a mutually satisfying way we can reconcile
our differences without you having to vacate your home.”

His direct stare caught her off guard as much as his
words. She searched his gaze, wanting to believe his offer genuine. Something
significant sparked between them and her heart raced. She licked her lips
before she could stop herself. Nor could she look away from him.

“I don’t honestly see how that will be possible. I
imagined you would wish to set up your own household and, in time, I would have
no proper place in it. I am no longer the lady of the estate, nor is it
appropriate for me to become a…servant.” The heat in his scrutiny caused a
flutter in her stomach. Her traitorous body began to hum with the memory of a
more erotic encounter, the vision of which had kept
her
awake most of
the night. His tryst with the maid had garnered her attention far more than
their rather heated verbal encounter of the evening before. What must he truly
think of her? Especially after her threat of legal action.

“As far as I’m concerned, your place need not change at
all.” His gaze didn’t waver, but held hers with a spark of what she could only
describe as banked desire. Her heart seized at the idea, then fluttered back to
life with a giddiness that disturbed her.

She toyed with the neckline of her gown, sure she had
misinterpreted his interest. “Though I am a widow, I am of an age…well, it is
not unreasonable that I could remarry. And you are what one might call
eligible.” She stopped herself from adding handsome. “I am sure your intentions
are noble, but others might think differently with both of us here.”

“I don’t intend to stay at Eastlan. We won’t be under the
same roof for long,” he said perhaps a little too quickly.

“But where would you live? Certainly not London.” As
desperately as she wished him gone, the idea that he would take up the public
debauchery of his cousin, Trent, deflated her. The Keanes needed no more
scandal to ruin their once-respected name, but, to her, the new lord had proven
himself worthy of it in the first hour of his arrival. Given the fact he was a
young American with a war record—against Great Britain—and frighteningly
handsome on top of all that, there was bound to be brutal scrutiny. And along
with it, whispers of scandal wouldn’t be far behind.

“I don’t intend to stay in England at all. I need to
return to America by early summer. I have other obligations.”

“Oh.” She didn’t know what to say. It never occurred to
her that he had a life outside of ruining her own.

“You’d be doing me a service by remaining at Eastlan and
seeing to things while I’m away, which will be a majority of the time. Eastlan
is your home, not mine. And since we have a mutual interest in her success, I
couldn’t imagine a better caretaker on my behalf.”

“Until you find a wife and settle down.” Could all her
worry have been for naught? She could remain to raise her daughter, nurse the
frail Lady Phillina and tend her dying garden for years on end. Suddenly her
fondest dream made her unbearably sad.

“There’s no danger of that,” he said with a cocky chuckle that
reminded Astra that he fancied himself quite the libertine.

“I am quite sure you are a man of the world, but you are
still rather young. A bit of maturity might lead you to a change of heart.”
Surely he didn’t intend to remain a bachelor all his life.

He eyed her rudely at that comment before he seemed to
catch himself. He changed his stance, coming to his full height. Astra’s gaze
bounced from the flex of his thighs to the broadness of his now squared
shoulders.

“I can assure you that I’ve experienced circumstances
beyond my years and am sure of my own mind. But since I’m a stranger and you
have no reason to trust me, I’ll let practicality persuade you on my behalf.
Neither of us wants a costly lawsuit. If we could agree not to be enemies, I’m
sure we could reach an arrangement that would benefit us both.”

She studied him, not wanting to agree too quickly. Despite
her outburst and threat of bringing a lawsuit against him, she had realized
that public exposure of their dispute would be far more damaging for her than
him. The scandal alone might ruin Lark’s chances of a decent match and a stable
future. The truth was, an outsider though he might be, he was a man and more
likely to find a jury of his peers in England than she ever would. A lawsuit
would be unpleasant and costly for them both, practicality not passion stood
behind his offer. Astra felt old beyond her twenty-nine years and foolish to
think otherwise.

“Perhaps I would trust you if I hadn’t a greater
responsibility to protect my daughter’s interests.” Astra forced herself to
hold his gaze. She could hardly believe she was bold enough to question his
generosity. This very morning, when she’d finally been honest with herself of
the dire straits she and Lark were in, she would have kissed his knuckles not
to be thrown out on the streets.

“If things work as I hope, I can triple Eastlan’s income.
England still refuses to trade with America, though it hurts us both.” James
shrugged as if the rest didn’t matter, but the gleam in his eyes hinted
differently. “If I’m seen by the locals as an Englishman, well, let’s say it
would help both our lots.”

“And you want my help?” Once again, he took Astra
completely by surprise. Still, by the sounds of it, he had some kind of plan.
“I know nothing of commerce, or any such thing.”

“But you know about appearances, don’t you?” His slow grin
flustered Astra and sent her heart racing anew. When she continued to stare,
waiting for his next blow, he laughed. “Come on. I might be a bit rough around
the edges but I’ll get the knack of it. All you have to do is support my claim
as Eastlan’s baron and do everything in your power to ensure that I’m accepted
as a long lost Keane instead of a stranger.”

“Maintaining the dignity of the Keane name is important to
me,” she said. Which was true despite the fact that she had contributed to its
ruin. She quickly weighed her options. Her mind raced with the few
possibilities open to her and Lark. The conclusion was clear.

“Have we an agreement, Lady Keane?”

“Indeed we do.” She held out her hand. “And I trust you
understand the meaning of discretion. The walls have ears, and for obvious
reasons I prefer our agreement to remain private.” Would he be able to promise
her that he would be discreet? Could he?

“And eyes as well. Your secrets are safe with me, as I
trust my interests are with you.” He shook her hand in a matter-of-fact fashion
but the mischievous warning in his gaze had her wondering exactly what she had
just agreed to.

***

Astra stood in front of James’s rooms that very afternoon.
She supported Lady Phillina on one side while Astra’s mother flanked the other.
Lady Lynette Seabrook made no pretense for her sudden visit to Eastlan, her
curiosity about the American too overwhelming to ignore. The first challenge to
Astra’s secret pact with James had arrived along with luggage for an extended
stay.

“Give me my bloody boots!” she heard James yell from
behind the closed door. “And what have you done with the rest of my clothes?”

“Oh my! That sounds promising,” Lynette Seabrook crooned.

“Perhaps we should wait for a more appropriate time to
make introductions.” Astra attempted to steer Lady Phillina back down the long
hall to her waiting wheeled chair, but the frail lady remained firmly planted.

“My nephew will assume I am unpardonably rude if I don’t
welcome him at once. I should have been informed the moment he arrived.”

Lady Phillina’s grip on Astra’s arm tightened. Astra had
not expected the elder Lady Keane to last the length of the walk to Eastlan’s
guest wing, or she would have tried a bit harder to persuade her from her
notion of seeking out James. Surely, he wasn’t having another tryst. She’d
noticed Melva downstairs polishing the silver.

Heavy footfalls followed by a thud hinted at some kind of
struggle. “Get over here right now. If you force me to chase you around my own
damned quarters, I’ll have no mercy once I catch you. I can promise you that.”
James’s angry words caused Astra to stiffen. She’d not suspected him to be
violent as well as lecherous.

“I think we must intervene. Our dear boy might be in
danger.” Her mother reached for the door handle.

“Mother, do not dare impose upon Lord Keane’s privacy.”
While still supporting Lady Phillina, Astra tried to block her mother’s intent,
but she overcompensated in her desperation, swinging the door open herself.

James stood barefoot and bare-chested, ready to lunge at a
foe. He resembled a Greek contestant in an Olympiad wrestling match, but
thankfully wearing breeches, as low-slung as they were.

“Excuse us, my lord.” Astra reached for the brass door
handle. “I didn’t realize you were indisposed.” Astra suspected her face was as
red as it felt. So far James was a horrible student of English propriety, with
evidence of it at every turn. Her work was definitely cut out for her.

“James, my dear nephew. Oh, Astra, he not only resembles
Trent, they could be brothers.” Lady Phillina’s breathless voice penetrated
Astra’s perusal of James’s breathtaking physique.

Her mother swished past them, leaving the support of Lady
Phillina to Astra as she sauntered toward James.  “Lynette Seabrook, my lord.
Astra’s mother. I rushed from London the moment I heard word of your arrival. A
sheer delight to finally make your acquaintance in the flesh.” Her mother
curtsied, tipping the mounds of her powdered breasts under James’s nose. “Oh,
yes, a sheer delight.”

James took her extended hand and bowed slightly, his
questioning gaze on Astra rather than her mother’s prized attributes.

“Mother, please! Is it not obvious Lord Keane is in no
state to receive us?”

James tried to disengage his hand from her mother’s grasp
but she appeared to have no intention of cooperating. She remained in her
extended curtsy, a testament to her life-long devotion to vigorous activity.

James bowed and kissed the back of Lady Seabrook’s hand.
“How’s that? You’ll have to forgive me because I’m not sure exactly what’s
expected of me.”

“Expected of you?” Her mother artfully unfolded from her
curtsy without releasing her grip on James. “You are the Master of Eastlan.
Your every wish is to be obeyed and relished.”

Astra settled Lady Phillina to a sturdy upholstered chair
striped in gold and cream silk. She must intervene before her mother ruined her
bargain with James. If he suspected that he could behave however he pleased
given his gender and rank, all would be lost. Though he wasn’t aware of it, he
truly didn’t need her to provide the information he sought. He could garner
this from any number of sources. But it was certain she desperately needed him.
And the sooner she could start playing the part he wished, the better.