Snowbound With the Notorious Rake (15 page)

With everyone in good spirits the little party set off again.

‘It is like riding on the top of the world,’ cried Sam, sitting up in the saddle and gazing across the moor to the wooded hills beyond.

Lawrence laughed. His glance slid to Rose.

‘Well, are you glad you came?’

Meeting his eyes, she could not help but return his smile.

‘Very glad, thank you.’

‘Mama, Evans says that path leads to the mine at Hades Cove.’ Sam was pointing towards an overgrown
track leading away to a wooded combe. ‘Can we ride down there? Please.’ He added the last word plaintively after reading a refusal on his mother’s face.

Sir Lawrence consulted his watch.

‘We
do
have time. And I, too, should like to go down there. We saw the mine when we were rowing back from Sealham Point.’

Rose demurred. ‘I cannot think it would be of interest.’

‘But, Mama!’

Lawrence put up his hand, saying quietly, ‘We shall not go there if your mama objects, Sam.’

‘I do not
object
, exactly,’ said Rose, ‘but there is nothing to see. I have not been there for years, but I believe it is boarded up now and wildly overgrown, with only ruined buildings, spoil heaps and the remains of a few rusted wagons to be seen.’

‘I can think of nothing more likely to appeal to a child.’

Lawrence’s boyish grin made her chuckle.

‘Children of all ages, perhaps! Very well, if you wish to ride down to Hades Cove, let us do so!’

They wound their way down into the combe, leaving behind them the bracken and stunted gorse bushes and plunging into dense woodland, their path carpeted with fallen leaves. At one point the track took them through a wide clearing and they could look down on Mersecombe spread below them, before dropping down into the trees again.

‘Someone has been this way recently,’ observed
Lawrence, who was following Evans along the narrow track. ‘The grass has been trampled down in places.’

‘That may have been Magnus; he visited the mine not long ago,’ said Rose.

‘Is he in the habit of coming here?’

‘No, we rode here once, shortly after we met.’ She added ruefully, ‘I was out of reason cross with him when I learned of this last visit. It was very foolish of me; after all, it will all become his once we are married.’

‘Did he say why he had come?’

She waved one hand in a dismissive gesture.

‘He believes Hades Mine could still be profitable. I do not. When my husband was alive we paid for the best surveyors and engineers to report, but Magnus thinks he knows better.’ She stopped. To air such opinions was disloyal to her future husband. With a faint, apologetic smile she relapsed into silence.

Finally they emerged from the trees and followed the path onto a windswept promontory. Rose brought her horse to a stand.

‘Here we are. And, as you can see, it is nothing but a ruin.’

She looked about her sadly. They were on a narrow, grassy shelf of land near the bottom of a steep, wooded combe. Below them was nothing but bare grey rock leading down to an equally grey sea, which tossed and eddied in the narrow cove at the mouth of the combe. The small promontory had once been a hive of industry, but only a few bleak ruins remained. The walls of a small hut were still standing, but its roof and windows
had long since disappeared. Spoil heaps were now green mounds and the entrance to the mine shaft was covered by heavy planks. An overgrown track ran down steeply to the cove, where an old jetty was still visible, but near the mine the track ran along the edge of the shelf with a sheer drop to the churning grey sea below. Rose called to Sam to be careful and Evans said gruffly, ‘Don’t ’ee worry, ma’am, I’ll look after him.’

She watched for a moment as her groom followed Sam towards a wooden truck that lay at a drunken angle, one wheel broken off and the rails that had carried it lost beneath the weeds. The only sound was the cry of gulls overhead and the faint rush of the sea.

‘A desolate place,’ remarked Lawrence, dismounting and coming over to lift her down.

She dropped into his arms, trying not to think of his hands on her waist, the familiar fresh scent of his skin. Her heart thumped so loud and erratically she was sure he must hear it.

‘And dangerous,’ she said, referring not only to the physical hazards of the area. Flushing, she stepped out of his grasp, struggling to control her wayward thoughts. ‘Thankfully it is some distance from all the main byways, and no one comes here. I should never forgive myself if a child should be injured in the mine.’

‘Unlikely,’ said Lawrence. ‘It appears to be well boarded up.’ He went across to the opening for a closer inspection. ‘Yes, it is remarkably well secured.’

‘I am pleased to hear it.’

‘You say your husband bought the mine?’

Sir Lawrence came back and proffered his arm. With
only a slight hesitation Rose placed her fingers on his sleeve.

‘Harry could never resist a bargain. He thought Hades Mine would bring us wealth beyond our dreams. He won it from a man in Barnstaple. They had been playing at dice and his partner offered Harry the mine in lieu of the money he owed him. Harry was so pleased with himself when he came home with the deeds.’

‘You were not so happy?’

Rose did not answer immediately, but at length she said in a low voice, ‘I had only recently given birth to Sam; I knew very little about mines, but I thought it odd that a man should part with something supposedly worth a fortune for a gambling debt of a hundred pounds.’ She turned her frank gaze upon him. ‘What would you do if someone offered you such an exchange?’

‘That depends upon who was offering it.’

‘A fool, a spendthrift…almost as big a wastrel as my husband—I beg your pardon.’ She began to hunt for her handkerchief. ‘I should not have spoken so. I should be over this by now.’

Lawrence took her shoulders and turned her to him. Cupping her face in his hands, he smoothed his thumbs gently over her cheeks to wipe away the tears.

‘You are angry and rightly so. From the little I have learned—not from you, you have been very discreet, but to be left thus, with a young son to raise—it must be very hard for you.’

‘It is.’ She moved away from him and finished wiping her eyes. ‘I only want what is best for Sam.’

‘And you think marrying Magnus Emsleigh is the best you can do?’

‘He is a good man and will provide Sam with the father he needs.’

His blue eyes were fixed on her face, holding her gaze. Rose’s pulse quickened; she felt again the strength of the bond between them. It was much more than the hot, urgent desire stirring inside her: it was a sense of meeting a kindred spirit, someone to share her hopes, her fears—someone to laugh with. If it were not for Sam, would she take a chance and throw in her lot with Sir Lawrence Daunton? Would she give in to the temptation to enjoy his company and his lovemaking, until some other woman caught his attention? All this ran through her mind in the space of a moment, swiftly followed by the memory of the pain she had suffered with her husband. Not merely physical, that had been minor compared to the torture of knowing she was no longer first in his affections. Even in her company his mind had been elsewhere, longing to be back with the laughing beauties who would pander to his every whim and not burden him with the day-to-day responsibilities of looking after his family. That had been bad enough, but she was shocked now to find that the affection she had felt for her husband was nothing to the love she felt for the man now standing before her.

Lawrence watched the play of emotion crossing Rose’s face. He guessed something of her confusion and was tempted to tell her his suspicions about Magnus Emsleigh, but he knew how it would sound. She would think it merely the accusations of a jealous rival. She
still did not trust him. A shudder ran through her and she stepped away from him, dropping the lashes to veil her thoughts.

Stifling a sigh, he let her go; it seemed a year of living blamelessly was not enough to convince her that he was in earnest. She pulled up the collar of her riding jacket.

‘It grows colder. I do not want to keep Sam out in this wind for too long.’

Confidences were at an end. Accepting that, Lawrence nodded.

‘Very well. Stay here with the horses while I persuade Master Sam we have to go back. It may not be easy; he has found an exciting world to explore.’

He was rewarded with a faint smile; until he could prove that it was Emsleigh who was not the fit-and-proper person he appeared to be, Lawrence realised he would have to content himself with that.

Rose and Sam returned from their outing much refreshed, but although Sam was eager to recount everything to his grandmother, Rose was more reticent. She had seen the speculative look in her mother’s eye when she had announced she was going riding with Sir Lawrence; she would not add to the conjecture by admitting how much she had enjoyed herself, and instead turned her mother’s thoughts to what they should wear to Emsleigh House that evening.

As she made her preparations for the ball, Rose was increasingly thankful that she had refused to allow
Magnus to send his carriage for them. She did not want to be under any more of an obligation to him and since her ride out that morning this feeling had intensified. On the journey back from the mine she and Lawrence had talked only of commonplace subjects, but she had rarely enjoyed herself more, and it was not until he had taken his leave of her that she realised she had never thanked him properly for bringing Sam back from Sealham Point. She considered writing to him, then decided she would seek him out at the ball that evening. The little surge of pleasure she experienced at the thought gave her pause, and she began to question whether she could really marry Magnus, knowing she could never love him. If not, then she must tell him, and soon. And she thought it would be easier to make a decision if she was not enjoying the comfort of his elegant chaise.

In the end they were taken up by Farmer Finch and his wife in their ancient but stately carriage. The good-natured farmer and his lady were very vocal in their excitement at being invited to Emsleigh for the Winter Ball.

‘Very good of Emsleigh, it is,’ pronounced Mr Finch in his lazy, rolling drawl. ‘Once a year he invites all his neighbours to Emsleigh House to eat, drink, dance and be merry until the morning!’

‘Aye,’ chuckled his wife. ‘Not at all high in the instep is Mr Emsleigh, for all his money. And he dresses as fine as any London beau, don’t you agree, Mrs Westerhill?’ She gave Rose a playful dig in the ribs. ‘He’ll make you a fine husband, my dear, you mark my words. And don’t
you go putting him off for another year, else you might find some other lady will come along and snabble him up.’

‘Just what I have been telling Rose myself, ma’am,’ agreed Mrs Molland. ‘She needs to make up her mind and stick to it.’

Rose peered through the darkness, trying to see her mother’s expression. The words were more than a casual remark, she was sure. Mrs Molland had never tried to influence Rose about her marriage, saying that she would be happy to have her daughter and grandson live with her for ever, but now Rose wondered if Mama was anxious to see her settled.

‘Aye, and then p’raps you’ll set yourself to finding a husband for that sister of his,’ put in Mr Finch. ‘Not that
that
will be so easy, since she thinks herself so far above her company.’ He laughed. ‘Lord, but this ball must be a sad trial for her, poor woman. She’ll be worrying all evening that one of her brother’s clodhopping guests will walk mud onto their carpets!’

They laughed at this, but Rose could not be comfortable at talking in such a way of Althea, even though she might share their opinions. She was relieved when her mother neatly turned the subject, asking Mrs Finch about the health of her latest grandchild, and they finished the journey listening to the harrowing story of little Jacob’s continuing bouts of croup.

At Emsleigh House Rose and her mother alighted and followed the Finches into the hall, which was already crowded with laughing, chattering guests. They made their way up the wide curving stairs to the first land
ing, where the partition doors between the two reception rooms had been folded back to make one huge ballroom heated by roaring fires in the two hearths and hundreds of candles burning in the glittering chandeliers. Althea came up to greet them.

‘So glad you are come,’ she said, laying her hand on Rose’s arm. ‘You are amongst the very few people here that I can bear to talk to!’ She leaned closer. ‘I really do not know why Magnus insists upon inviting so many
common
people—even his tenants!’

‘But it has always been the custom for the foremost landowner in the area to hold the Winter Ball,’ explained Mrs Molland. ‘And who should do it, if not Mr Emsleigh?’

‘Well, there is
that
,’ agreed Althea, somewhat mollified, ‘but why should we have them all in the house—could he not hold a dance in the barn?’

‘That would avoid having clodhopping farmers in your house,’ murmured Rose, sharing a mischievous look with her mother.

‘Yes, it would,’ agreed Althea. ‘But there it is; Magnus wishes to be thought generous.’ She added, brightening. ‘At least we have more gentlemen here this year, including Captain Morris, who has just arrived.’ She dropped her voice. ‘He was captain of the
Sealark
on her last journey, you know, but such good manners, no one would think him a sailor!’

Althea tripped away as more guests arrived, leaving Mrs Molland to shake her head after her. Rose soon spotted Lawrence talking with a group of gentlemen in one far corner. She wanted to go immediately to speak
to him, but the music started and Magnus came to claim her hand for the first dance.

No matter
, she told herself.
Before the night is out I will thank him for rescuing Sam.

And I will tell him I misjudged him.

Rose blinked. That had not been her original intention at all, but suddenly it was important to set things right with Lawrence.

The ball was noisy but good-natured. Magnus strutted around the room full of cheerful goodwill, reminding Rose of a genial monarch with his subjects. Althea was more regal, but less genial, except when she stood up to dance with Lawrence. Then she was all smiles. Rose tried not to allow her eyes to follow them around the room. Her body was still singing from the morning ride. During the day she had relived every look, every word they had shared. She felt so alive, her skin tingling with the anticipation of being close to Lawrence again. However, as the evening wore on it became clear that Lawrence was not going to ask her to dance with him.