The American Bride (14 page)

"I - I tripped over it," she stammered.

Taking in the drops of blood on her skirt Julian found his heart quickening in concern. He ignored the trap and placed his hands on the embarrassed girl's shoulders.

"Are you hurt?" Julian's voice held a caressing tone as his hands massaged her shoulders.

As he tipped her face up toward his, a shiver coursed through Cara's body and she felt the heat of his hands through the material of her dress.

"No. No. I just bruised my ankle," Cara exclaimed in a shaky voice. "It's nothing."

"Let me have a look at it," Julian barked, kneeling on the leafy ground.

"Please, Lord Wilton. It's fine." Cara's face flamed with embarrassment and mortification.

"Your foot, Miss Farraday, if you please."

Knowing there was no way to put off the inevitable, Cara raised the hem of her skirt. There, beside her feet, lay the bloodied bodies of the rabbits. Her humiliation was so great that she could only stare blankly at the trees in front of her.

"Busy day, Miss Farraday?" Julian asked.

A groan was his only answer. Cara raised her injured foot for his inspection. Julian sucked in his breath as he noted the angry bruise on the swollen ankle. His fingers were gentle as he tested the bones for any further damage. He placed her foot on the ground and stood up, towering over the dainty governess.

"Come," he said. "Tyrr can carry us both."

"Thank you very much, Lord Wilton," Cara ground out in frustration. "But I would prefer walking. The exercise will keep my ankle from stiffening up."

Cara limped back to the path where the great hunter stood waiting. The horse tossed his head as Julian reached for the reins. He vaulted easily into the saddle, staring down at the disheveled girl beside the trail. Before she could protest further he leaned sideways and scooped her up, placing her on the stallion in front of him.

"Miss Farraday, you are the most stubborn woman I have ever had the misfortune to come across." There was a trace of hurt puzzlement in his tone as he looked down at the girl. "You can not find me so repulsive that you would refuse my assistance."

"It is not fitting, Lord Wilton," Cara answered primly.

Snorting in disgust at her missish ways, Julian nudged Tyrr in a gentle walk toward the Hall. Cara kept her backbone ramrod straight, avoiding as well as she could any contact with Julian. She dug her hands into Tyrr's mane to keep herself from bumping against her companion's chest but remained agonizingly conscious of their intimate position. Each time her shoulder grazed his hard muscled body, Cara felt scorched by the heat. It took all of her will power not to nestle into the curve of Julian's body, succumbing to the physical draw of his personality.

Wilton hummed under his breath apparently unaware of the turmoil going on in the girl. However he too was conscious of the presence of tension between them. He was possessed with a maddening desire to crush the girl against his chest, caressing her until she relaxed in his arms. Shaking his head to clear it of his lustful thoughts, Julian breathed in the fresh summer air. His brows drew down in bafflement and he inhaled again. Looking down at the girl holding herself so aloof, he took in again the bloodstains on her dress. As the smell of gin once again rose to assail his nostrils, Julian nodded in understanding.

"Your pardon, Miss Farraday, but do you generally start drinking gin so early in the day?"

Eyes flying open at the amused tone of voice, Cara summoned as much dignity as she could and snapped back her answer.

"I did not realize gin was forbidden to a governess, Lord Wilton."

Cara bristled at Julian's chuckle. The Hall came into sight and she relaxed, relieved that her forced proximity to her husband's disturbing presence would soon be at an end. Julian pulled Tyrr to a halt at the back entrance to the children's wing. Dismounting he reached up and encircled Cara's waist, swinging her to the ground.

"May I suggest, Miss Farraday, that in the future you confine your walks to the paths rather than risk another bruised ankle."

With a gasp of outrage Cara skewered Wilton with a flash of scorn. Flags of color flamed high on her cheeks as she drew herself erect. Julian thought she resembled nothing so much as a ruffled hen.

"And may I suggest, Lord Wilton, that in future you forbid the use of those poaching traps. Richard and Belin are always afoot in those woods and it very well could have been one of them in the trap today." With that parting shot, Cara turned and limped into the Hall.

Damn the girl, Julian cursed as he leaped into the saddle. The unmitigated gall of the chit to chastise him for following the local practices.

He drummed his heels into Tyrr's sides and the startled horse snorted in annoyance.

Racing up through the woods, Julian's anger abated and he thought about the governess' last words. It was apparent from her begrimed appearance that she had helped someone out of the trap. It was immaterial who it had been. What mattered most to Julian was that it might very well have been Richard or Belin. The mere thought of the tiny girl with a leg mangled by the iron teeth of the trap gave Julian a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. It wouldn't hurt to put the word to Clemson, the gamekeeper, to dismantle the traps. As long as everyone believed they were still in use they would act as a deterrent to poachers.

Julian puzzled over the perverse little governess as he rode back to the Hall. The Duchess and his, as yet unseen, bride had saddled him with a surprise package. He thought he had hired a passive obedient servant, but the contrary wench turned into a fire-breather whenever she was crossed. Perhaps if this trait had been used to benefit herself, Julian could dismiss her from his mind. It appeared that the little American only fought in others defense, never in her own. She was both intriguing and fascinating. He would definitely have to spend more time with the children in the schoolroom.

Cara hobbled into the Hall. Muttering maledictions over her misfortune in running into Lord Wilton, she reached the safety of her room. When she glanced at herself in the mirror she shuddered. What a hoyden Julian must think her. She was forever covered with dirt, dust or perspiration. He mingled with powdered and scented ladies who combined beauty and grace to present a soothing picture. Every time she ran into him she was filthy and presented the image of a viperous tongued shrew.

"Miss Farraday?"

Hearing Richard's whispered voice Cara scrubbed her face briskly and then crossed to let in the anxious boy.

"Will Pennyfeather be all right, Miss Farraday?" There was a slight quiver to the boy's chin as he stared up at his governess.

"Don't worry, Richard," Cara said placing a steadying hand on his shoulder. "He'll be out after rabbits in no time at all."

"Topping good!" His face glowed with relief then he flushed as he remembered her own injuries. "And how is your ankle? I could get some liniment from Mrs. Clayton for you."

"I'd appreciate that, Richard. It's a bit sore but I'm sure it will be fine by tomorrow."

Cara smiled as the boy scampered down the corridor, whistling now that all was right with his world. For the remainder of the evening Cara's ankle was propped up on pillows while the children entertained her. As she listened to the songs and the stories her mind only occasionally wandered to a dark haired man with brooding brown eyes.

Chapter Eight

"Stroke with your arms, Richard," Cara shouted to the boy thrashing wildly in the water. "That's right. Now you've got it."

Holding her skirt up out of the water, Cara leaned over and splashed cool water on her perspiring face. The hot muggy summer day had only an occasional puffy cloud to obscure the punishing rays of the sun. Cara unbuttoned the collar of her dress and cursed the rough cotton material that clung in damp folds to her body. She knew Mrs. Clayton would scold her if the housekeeper saw her with the bright sun shining on her face. A lady of fashion was supposed to have skin the color of white magnolias. Fashion be hanged, Cara thought, relishing the heated warmth that invaded her body. She wriggled her toes in the soft bottom of the lake.

Smiling, Cara shaded her eyes against the glare and watched Belin bouncing up and down in the water. Lots of outside activities had done wonders for both Richard and Belin. They were thriving with the exercise and the fresh air. Cara's heart swelled with pride as she acknowledged the transformation that had taken place in the children. Belin was taking pride in her appearance even though she had not given up many of her wilder ways. Richard had lost the unhealthy pallor, replaced by a hearty tan from his outdoor activities. His face no longer held its habitual withdrawn expression but was now more often wreathed in smiles.

"Watch, Miss Farraday," Richard shouted.

Applauding and laughing at the boy's antics, Cara's mind wandered to Julian. Much to the mystification of the household he had begun a week of social calls, ostensibly to get better acquainted with the other landowners. From Glum, Cara learned the real reason behind the sudden flurry of visits. According to the worried headgroom, Julian was hunting for the girl he had seen in the woods. For safety's sake Cara had given up her morning ride and now chaffed at the inactivity. Eventually he would lose interest and then she could continue her riding.

As if she had conjured up the man, Cara sensed Julian's presence even before she saw him. Although he approached her and stood quietly beside her, she ignored him. Groaning inwardly at his intrusion, Cara fought to control the tranquil expression on her face. She concentrated on Richard as he swam across the water.

"Well done, Richard," Julian shouted to the puffing boy.

Startled by his uncle's unexpected presence, Richard gulped a mouthful of water and rose coughing in the waist deep water. When Richard stopped choking, he stood red-faced, his expression setting in the sullen look that Cara dreaded. She waited for Julian's caustic comment.

"How's the water, Belin?" Julian asked, ignoring the sulking boy. "Do you suppose I'd freeze to death if I came in?"

Richard stood transfixed, eyes widening in disbelief as Julian pulled off his boots and threw his jacket onto the sandy shore. Belin squealed with delight as her uncle's lithe body cut the water beside her. Julian swam out to the center of the lake, then turned and swam back to stand beside his nephew whose expression was one of dazed awe. Cara, as amazed as the children by the man's behavior, sank down on the towels with her back against a tree trunk. A smile of pure happiness flitted across her face as she watched Julian work with one child, and then the other.

Her eyes roamed over the muscular body of the man who was her husband. His wet shirt clung to his chest, molding and rippling with his every move as he showed Richard how to stroke with his arms to best advantage. As her eyes dropped to the flat stomach and lean shanks of the man in the water, Cara blushed. She had to admit that Julian was a magnificent specimen with the agile grace of a sleek animal. Leaning against the rough bark, Cara watched the frolics of the threesome in the water.

This was a totally different Julian. In her first interview with the man, he had been sarcastic, arrogant and condescending. There was little evidence of these traits now as he played with the children. He was gentle but firm with Belin, coaxing her out into deeper water then swooping her up in his arms when she faltered. Watching the adoration on Richard's face Cara prayed that this was not just a momentary whim of Julian's. The boy needed his guardian's companionship, needed a person of his own class to act as role model. If only Julian's interest in the boy would last, Richard's life would be substantially more stable.

Conscious that Julian would safeguard the children, Cara's thoughts slipped backwards in time to her own childhood. The summer had always been wonderful, full of long hours outside. Her parents had given her a great deal of freedom, she realized now, although at the time she took it all for granted. She swam and rode almost every day, falling asleep at night contented with her active days. One summer her father had tried to teach her to sail. Rigging a sail in a little dinghy, he stood on shore shouting instructions to her. But she was wholly inept, perhaps due to her lack of concentration and general joy in being on the water in any capacity.

"Those must be very happy thoughts."

At the sound of Julian's voice, Cara's eyes flew open to stare up at his towering figure. Her hands flew to her headdress to be sure it was in place. Reassured, she sat up straighter and tucked her bare feet under the hem of her skirt.

"I was thinking about summer when I was a child," Cara answered.

"And was it a happy experience?" Julian asked, interested in her reply.

"Yes," she purred. "Very."

Julian was touched by the wealth of emotion in such few words. He threw himself down on the grass and studied the young woman with interest. Although she kept her eyes cast down, Julian liked the feathery eyelashes that lay against her creamy skin. There was a spattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose that accentuated the youthful quality of the petite girl. By the rapid heartbeat visible on the side of her neck, Julian sensed that she was less than comfortable in his presence. But unlike most young women of his acquaintance she did not chatter away in her nervousness. Even though tense, there was a restful quality about her that bespoke a certain assurance of self.

"I have come to offer an apology, Miss Farraday."

"An apology? For what?" Cara asked in surprise.

"You were right to be angry with me. I was wholly ignorant about the children. And being ignorant I have done and said things that must have appeared needlessly cruel. Believe me it was unintentional."

From his tone of voice and the pained look on his face Cara could not doubt the sincerity of his words. Her attitude toward him softened but she was puzzled by his guilty admission. Noticing her bewilderment Julian continued.

"It seems, Miss Farraday, that I must find out from others what I should have discovered for myself. In the last week I have had some very informative conversations with the members of my household. All of them, you may be assured, are singing your praises," Julian said, grinning when Cara squirmed at his compliment.