The Rake Enraptured (17 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY

The stables were a bustle of activity when they arrived there, golden lamplight shining out against the gray day as grooms ran back and forth and horses were led out. Julia tried not to cringe as first one then a host of curious faces turned their way, and motion gradually halted. Mr Carstairs stepped out of the stable with the reins of his sturdy hunter grasped in his fist. When he saw them his face went very still, his eyes narrowed.

"I've found her." Colin declared, calm and level.

"So I see," said Mr Carstairs, his tone noncommittal.

"She had lost her way and taken shelter in a cow byre."

"Very sensible." He handed his reins to the nearest groom, who turned the horse to take it back into the stable, head tilted back to catch this fascinating conversation. "Mrs Carstairs will be relieved." Mr Carstairs came closer, and Colin shifted her weight and suddenly the clasp of his body was gone from around Julia as he sprang lightly to the ground. She was bereft, the chill instantly penetrating.

Her employer came to stand close,
and while his stance and tone of voice seemed casual, there was a hard undertone to his voice when he spoke to her. "I am glad you came to no harm.” Somehow it was a question.

She lifted her chin. "No harm at all, thank you, sir."

"It was not wise of you to wander off alone in a snowstorm." His gaze was very direct, his eyes penetrating, and she felt the heat of a betraying blush rise in her cheeks. The choice was hers, how she handled this moment. The knowledge of that choice stood between them.

"Extraordi
narily foolish. Beyond belief, in fact." Her pause answered him. "I count myself very fortunate Mr Holbrook discovered me not an hour past. Cows do not make the most fortunate of acquaintances. Not in close quarters, at least."

"I imagine not." He accepted
her choice, but the look he turned on Mr Holbrook seemed to her empty of friendship. "I must think myself indebted to you for your care for the children's governess. A great kindness."

"Please think nothing of it."

"If you insist," he said without hesitation, and Julia was certain he had known of their mutual disappearance before the snow began to fall. Could she mend this? Should she? He did not seem angry at her, though compassion was a rare thing when it came to questions of female virtue.

She swayed in
the saddle and he stepped forward to assist her down, moving at the same moment as Colin, who checked himself and turned away, brushed himself down and then took the reins to hold his horse steady.

It was not necessary. The well-trained beast stood firm a
s a rock as Mr Carstairs hands settled around her waist, lifted her and put her on the ground.

"Are you comfortable walking?"

"I'm sure I'll be fine," she said, embarrassed by his solicitousness. She slanted a glance at Colin and found him watching her, a peculiar tightness around his mouth. She looked away and moved towards the house, eager to be gone from the awkwardness of the moment.

"You must stay the night of course, Mr
Holbrook." Mr Carstair's voice was loud enough to carry to her. She paused, waited. "The road to Hazelwood will be completely snowed under. We can send a servant for your baggage in the morning." Julia held her breath.

"You are very kind. That is an excellent idea," said Colin, and Julia walked on without looking back. Under the same
roof again tonight. Would he seek her out, thinking she was his to claim? His morals were so lax, really he might do anything at all.

The instant she was i
nside and within the domains of the housekeeper she was fussed over, bundled in a warm rug and hurried up to her bedroom. One of the serving girls - firmly commanded by the housekeeper - brought a bowl of warm soup and a cup of sweet, milky tea on a tray. Julia was tucked into bed, with injunctions to get warmed up interspersed with leading comments about rescues by handsome young men and the heart palpitations that must surely follow.

Julia stayed silent, allowed her stained dress to be unbuttoned and put
aside, the blankets snugged around her, and waited for her unwanted attendant to leave. The slender woman lingered on, fussing about the small chamber.

"Dreadful business. Dreadful. You must have been so frightened.
All alone. Waiting for someone to come, someone to find you."

Julia slid her eyes closed and prayed the woman would leave her to the silence of her own thoughts, and the soup she longed to quaff. It smelled heavenly.

"Where did you say Mr Holbrook found you?"

Julia breathed in deep, slow breath
s, then released the faintest hint of a snore.

The housekeeper waited a few seconds, then sighed in frustrated curiosity and let herself out of the room. The moment the latch caught, Julia was upright and reaching for the bowl of soup, still warm despite i
ts long journey up from the kitchen. She slurped it up with an ungraceful haste that would have shocked her young charges, and finished off the tea in three long swallows, the liquids forming a warm ball in the empty core of her.

The soft bed accepted her
back into the hollow of it, and she lay and looked at the bleak sky out of the window, trying to think past a confused cacophony of fear and excitement to what tomorrow might bring. After several minutes she got out of bed again and crossed the small room to the door, and flicked the latch to lock it. Then she got back into her bed and curled up into a tight ball.

Married. She was to be married. To Colin
Holbrook. Oh heavens.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Everywhere there were whispers and sideways looks. The entire household knew of her adventure, knew of the official version of the story, and doubted it. She could only thank God she had accepted Colin's proposal. News of their impending marriage would whitewash everything else.

She had set the children a ra
nge of mathematical equations as complicated as their individual abilities would allow, with instructions for the elder to help the younger if need be. Then she escaped, unable to bear the suspense of waiting.

What would he say? How would he make the annou
ncement? What of the marriage itself?

The hallway to the breakfast room had altogether too many servants for her comfort, hurrying with serving platters. Mr and Mrs Carstairs must have only just come down to breakfast. And their guest, Mr
Holbrook?

Her pal
ms were sweating. It felt a kind of insanity to charge into the unknown like this, but she would not wait to discover her fate. She could see the sideways glances, the faces tilted her way, hear whispers behind her. She ignored them all, as if her conscience was clear.

What, she the victim of scandalous abduction by an acknowledged rake of the ton, alone in his nefarious company for hours on end while he worked his wicked wiles on her, seducing in some depraved way?

Never.

Innocent. Pure. Blameless. That must be her pretense.

Also in love, in all sweetness of trust and folly. That was allowable.

At the door to the breakfast room she hesitated, gazing at the ornately over-sized knob, polished and gleaming, luminous and terrif
ying.

The plump girl beside and a little behind her huffed with impatience, shifted her tray to a single forearm an
d came forward to open the door then swept through it without hesitation, her skirts whisking like a briskly wielded broom.

Julia followed si
lently in her wake, watchful and wary.

The Carstairs and Mr
Holbrook were there, sitting stiffly at attention, the air between them heavy with interrupted conversation as they waited for the servants to be done.

"Such a lovely morning. Remarkable
when you consider yesterday's storm," said Mrs Carstairs, her eyes on the tall windows. Sunlight streamed through them, harsh after the dimness of the hall, with the brilliance of snow reflection.

"Very changeable weather," Colin agreed, his gaze on his water glass
. His hand was over the base of it, laid almost flat on the table, and his face in profile. She felt heat unfurl within her to look at him outlined in light; masculine perfection in an elegant morning suit.

Hers. He was hers, and soon it would be known. S
omething fierce moved in her heart, so it was hard to be sedate and come forward with ladylike small steps, unobtrusive and light when she wanted to announce her claim.

She knew the moment he realized she was there, saw the sharp turn of his head and the w
armth that came into his eyes. There. He was glad to see her. He did not regret his words yesterday, or her decision. He might not love her forever but for now he imagined he did, and she took strength from it.

He stood, as did Mr Carstairs when he saw her
standing there. Looking away from Colin, Julia aimed for cool poise, inclined her head respectfully to Mrs Carstairs and then Mr Carstairs.

"Miss Preston, please join us for breakfast." Mrs Carstairs waved a peremptory hand, a smile on her pretty face tha
t did not quite reach her eyes. "Cummins, lay another place please. Are you feeling well this morning? You look in good spirits."

"Thank you. Yes, I'm quite recovered, I think."

"We can be glad you took no lasting harm. All credit to Mr Holbrook?"

Julia he
ard the faint question, a repeat of Mr Carstairs tactful enquiry the day before. She met Mrs Carstair's blue-eyed gaze with apparent calm, carefully refusing to consider the undercurrents and squirm with the embarrassment she truly felt.

"So kind of him to
trouble himself," she said, as if he had done no more than fetch her shawl from the next room.

"I could hardly do otherwise, of course," said Colin, his tone meaningful, and she shot him a startled look. What had he said to them? Had he made the announcem
ent already?

But no, they too seemed surprised, looking from her to him with eyebrows raised.

"I take the greatest pleasure in telling you Miss Preston is to make me the happiest of men."

His announcement adhered her to the chair she had just taken. Her mo
uth fell open. So. It was done.

Mrs Carstairs was the first to speak, as she stood, the two men immediately standing also again. Mrs Carstairs hurried around the table, her hands outstretched to take Julia's, her eyes wide and worried though her lips curve
d.

"Oh, such a great, a very great decision to make. With such substantial consequences. Not to be hurried into of course, with a lifetime to consider. And marriage is of course a blessed state, but only with the greatest of affection present." Her words t
ripped over themselves, anxiety bubbling visibly beneath the smiling surface of her face.

"I agree absolutely," said Julia, and gave her a smile that also pretended to be calm.

Mr Carstairs said something jovial and loud, and clapped Mr Holbrook on the shoulder then drew him away and to one side, talking at him without pause.

Mrs Carstairs inspected her face, her eyes narrowing. "We had thought," she began carefully, "your affections might be engaged elsewhere. And very naturally of course, with such a wort
hy object."

How could she answer that charge? Julia hesitated, smiled again uncomfortably, and felt her hands sympathetically squeezed. It gave her the courage to say quietly - at a volume she hoped would escape the servant's straining ears - "I can't ima
gine anyone would disregard the kindness and attentions I have received from- from various quarters. I certainly do not. Yet I find a separation of some months from Mr Holbrook has not made our- in short, I do not- I am happy with my choice, Ma'am."

"You must know nothing compels you, Julia," murmured Mrs Carstairs, barely louder than a whisper. "With our support, no one need hear anymore of this adventure of yours than has already been spoken of. Or if you prefer, you may break the engagement at a l
ater time and we will put about that you discovered you did not suit. Marriage is for a lifetime. I do not believe in imprisoning a young woman where she will suffer."

"Suffer?" said Julia, just as softly, and let a little of her feelings onto her face, the
simmering excitement and terror. "I do not think suffering is the correct word. Not at all."

"Oh my dear," breathed Mrs Carstairs, and squeezed her hands again. "Oh m
y dear, his reputation is very bad. Are you sure?"

"I shall not change my mind. I am determined."

"Then I wish you well. I trust that- Oh, be happy. I pray you will be happy."

In Mrs Carstairs' face Julia recognized
the same sick uncertainty that roiled inside her when she thought too hard about Colin's past, about his perfection set against her own flaws. Mrs Carstairs saw the impossibility of it too.

Julia shut her eyes, took another deep breath and then opened them, a bright smile fixed on her face. "I
am determined," she repeated, clinging to the words, the purpose behind them.

"Then I can only offer you my warmest blessings."

Julia tried not to see the pity at the back of the woman's eyes.