Who Brings Forth the Wind (Kensington Chronicles) (21 page)

Stacy put it down but looked longingly at the remains.

mer thought she'd had enough so he urged her away from

ie table. However, Stacy reached forward at the last minute

id grabbed her half-eaten roll. It was all Tanner could do not

|ito shout with laughter as he led his beautiful, graceful, and

p usually dignified wife away from the party munching on a

biscuit.

Once upstairs Tanner debated turning Stacy over to Rayna,

f but Stacy had become very preoccupied with the doors that

led off of their room, and before she put herself back out in the

hall or landed in a closet, he decided to put Stacy to bed

I himself. All went well until Tanner got to her shift, whereupon

there was a gentle tug-of-war. Stacy had decided she wanted

to sleep in it.

Tanner eventually let her have her way, and the moment

she lay down, she curled on her side, happy as a child, and

went to sleep. Tanner stood watching her for quite some time.

He was certain that she wasn't even aware of the other man at

the table, and he knew with a certainty that the drunkenness

was an accident, but it was all so reminiscent of Leslie.

Tanner stood silently, knowing he was going to have to

deal with this or ruin the entire weekend. As he stood still he

remembered the way she had thrown her arms around him

and with a loud declaration of 'I love you, Tanner,' given him a

long, loving kiss. The only problem was that she had missed

his mouth by a good inch.

Tanner began to undress himself, finally deciding not to

rejoin the party. Most of the guests had been on their way to

getting far more drunk than Stacy, and Tanner had no desire to

join them. He slipped beneath the bedcovers and pulled Stacy

against him. As sleep crowded in, his thoughts turned to Leslie

one last time. Tanner pushed them away with anticipation of

the hunt on Sunday.

149

the next morning Stacy squinted up into Tanner's grinning

face, groaned, and pulled the covers over her head She

heard the laughter in his voice as he spoke.

"Aren't you going to come out and kiss me good morning?"

"My mouth tastes terrible, Tanner; you don't want me

kissing you."

He laughed out loud then, and Stacy burrowed a little

deeper into the mattress. Tanner sat down beside her on the

edge of the bed.

"I promise not to say a word about your breath."

Stacy remained silent.

"Or the fact that you're sleeping away a beautiful morning."

Again Tanner was met with silence.

"Rayna brought you a pot of tea and toast."

The covers were slowly lowered until Stacy's eyes were

peeking out.

"Did you say tea?"

In answer Tanner poured a cup and held it for her. Stacy

shifted herself up against the headboard and took the cup

from his waiting hand. Her first taste was a sip, but when she

found the temperature to be perfect, she took a long drink

before setting the cup back in the saucer with a sigh.

"I needed that."

"And I still need that kiss."

Stacy smiled and they leaned toward each other simul-nisly.

After they'd kissed, Tanner invited Stacy to go

Eliding.

"I thought you were going to hunt."

"The hunt is tomorrow morning."

Stacy hid her disappointment. She had hoped that the

hunt would be today and after Tanner returned, he would be

ready to head home. She knew she'd made a fool of herself in

front of the other guests last night, eating everything in sight

and then drinking champagne as though it were water. If

Tanner had gone hunting this morning, Stacy could have

stayed out of sight until they were ready to leave for home.

But Tanner was already in riding clothes. Stacy mentally

shrugged. At least going riding would get her away for a time.

Maybe they would be alone and Stacy would have some time

away from this group of strangers with whom she had yet to

find something in common.

An hour later, Stacy got her wish. She and Tanner rode out,

Tanner on his own horse and Stacy on a bay. They stayed away

until lunchtime. To hear Jeremy Cradwell talk, Cradwell horses

were the finest in the country. Stacy was not sure she believed

that, but the horse she'd been given to ride was a good mount.

Stacy was more pleased over having Tanner to herself than

anything else.

They were just coming out into some open land when two

riders approached--a man and a woman. As they neared it

became obvious that one of the guests was out riding with a

groom.

Tanner greeted the woman politely but impersonally.

Stacy smiled at her but looked to Tanner in confusion when he

let her pass with so little exchange.

"Tanner, why didn't you speak to her?"

"I did speak to her," he told his wife. "I said good morning."

"But beyond that? Why didn't you ask how she was doing?"

"Why would I do that?"

150

Stacy bit her lip, having a hard time believing that Tanner

could be so cold to a friend.

"Stacy," Tanner went on patiently when he saw her face. "I

don't even know that woman. She looks familiar, but I'm sure

we've never met. Why would I speak to her?"

"Oh," Stacy said softly, wondering how she could have

been so wrong. "I'm sorry. I thought she was the woman who

was with you at the Royal Gardens."

It took a moment, but Tanner's eyes suddenly lit with

amusement. "I'm sure you did see her at the Royal Gardens,

but she wasn't with me."

"But I saw you," Stacy said softly, wanting desperately to

understand.

"Yes you did, sweetheart. You saw both of us, but we were

not together. I let you assume that we were, but I guarantee

you we were not. I followed you to the Royal Gardens that day,

and I can assure you I was quite alone."

Stacy's eyes rounded, but her mouth curled at the corners.

"I wouldn't have thought you capable of such duplicity, my

lord." Stacy's voice was dry.

"At least I don't jump to conclusions," Tanner reminded

her just as dryly, and Stacy was suddenly very glad. She had

thought of the woman from the garden on several occasions,

hoping that she had not been painfully in love with Tanner but

unable to feel sorry that she, Stacy Daniels, had been the one

to marry him.

"What does that smile mean?"

"I'm not sure I should tell."

"Of course you should"

"I don't know, I read somewhere that a woman should

always keep a few secrets."

Stacy heeled her mount forward on those words, so she

missed the frown that momentarily covered Tanner's face

before he kicked his own horse forward to join her.

151

After lunch, Tanner joined an afternoon round of cards

ile Stacy took herself off to the Cradwell gardens. Some of

.. l were designed as mazes, and though they were interest,

Stacy soon tired of the high shrubbery walls. On her way

:k toward the house, she spotted what appeared to be a

servatory. Stacy walked to it with a sense of anticipation.

__ie opened the door and called a greeting, but no one stirred lot answered. Stacy went inside and closed the door, not at all I unhappy to have the building to herself.

The conservatory was lavishly filled with plants and

flowers. The day was cool, and the warm temperature inside

felt lovely. Stacy had wandered around for the better part of 20

minutes when she heard someone enter.

"Hello," a voice called, and Stacy came out from behind a

huge fern to find Lord Nigel Stanley. She couldn't remember

his name but smiled kindly anyway.

"Hello."

"Having a look around?"

"Yes. Lady Cradwell has a wonderful array of plants. She

even has them labeled. It's a help to me; I've never seen some

of these varieties before."

Stacy spoke with her eyes on the foliage, but Nigel Stanley

had eyes only for Stacy. It had taken quite a bit of following her

and bolstered courage to get this close, but now that he had,

he saw that she was even lovelier in the daylight than she had

been the night before.

"I'm sorry," Stacy said, finally looking at the man beside

her. "I can't remember your name."

Nigel hid his disappointment. "That's quite all right. I'm

Lord Nigel Stanley."

"Of course. I'm sorry, Lord Stanley. I'm Lady Stacy Richardson.

Are you having a nice time?"

"Yes," he returned, smiling secretly and wanting to laugh

over the fact that he might not know her name. With his eyes

intent on her face, he continued.

"My weekend seems to be getting better all the time. I was

hoping I'd see--"

152

A gong rang out just then and anything else Nigel might

have added was cut off.

"What was that bell?" Stacy asked

"Oh, that's just the gong for the forage Jeremy has planned."

Nigel's voice was bored, dismissive even. "I'm sure you're not

interested in--"

"The forage?" Stacy spoke with surprise and started for

the door. "I had no idea it was so late. I hope you enjoy the

plants, Lord Stanley." Stacy added this last thought from the

doorway, only just remembering her manners, amid worry

that Tanner would be looking for her. In her hasty exit she

never saw the way Nigel's hands balled into fists as frustration

turned to rage.

Tanner was in his third garden and had just about given up

locating Stacy when he heard voices on the other side of the

hedge. He didn't recognize Stacy's voice or the voices of the

two speaking, and was about to move off when he heard his

wife's name mentioned.

"Lady Richardson?"

"Yes. I tell you Lord Stanley is smitten with her."

"Nigel? Who told you?"

"No one had to tell me. I could see it with my own eyes.

Nigel is nice looking, but Lady Richardson would be a fool to

leave a man like Tanner."

"I wouldn't mind," the other voice giggled. "If she did, I

might try to hook Tanner myself."

Tanner, telling himself not to overreact, moved away to

the sound of their high-pitched laughter. He came out of the

hedged-in garden just as Nigel was leaving the conservatory.

Tanner stood and watched him, suddenly remembering the

way he'd held Stacy's waist the night before. Tanner was in

the mood for a confrontation, but Nigel, without having seen

the angry duke, turned and walked the other way.

153

Just as well, Tanner thought to himself, logic returning. / \dorit think I could talk to either one of them right now.

With that Tanner headed back to the stable. He ordered

his horse and less than ten minutes later, set out on a ride,

hoping to clear his head of the black thoughts that persisted

Stacy sat in her room long after she was dressed, not going

down to dinner even when she knew everyone would be

sitting down at the tables. She had not seen Tanner since he

| went to play cards and she had gone to the gardens and the

conservatory.

In truth she was now starving, but her worry of Tanner

overrode her physical needs. Stacy had dismissed Rayna and

was pacing on her own when he walked in. Stacy couldn't

disguise her delight.

"They told me at the stables that you'd gone for a ride. Did

you have a good time?"

Had Tanner not been wearing dusty riding clothes, he'd

have crushed her in his arms. It had taken many miles, but

Tanner had finally seen himself for a fool. It was none of

Stacy's doing if a besotted young pup gawked at her. And since

Stacy was as lovely as she could be, Tanner told himself he

better get used to it.

"Yes," Tanner finally answered, "I did have a good ride."

Stacy stood staring up at him, her heart in her eyes.

"I'm late. Why don't you go down for dinner?"

Hungry as she was, Stacy declined "I've waited for you."

Tanner tenderly stroked her cheek with one long finger

before calling for Price. Stacy talked with Tanner as he enjoyed

a quick bath and questioned her about her day.

"I didn't really care for the gardens, but the conservatory

was lovely."

Tanner tried to push down the alarm he felt rising within

him. "The conservatory? You were in there?"

154

^stssz^^zsss

"Were you alone?"

^'SffSESXteEZSi

wasn't able to talk to him very long "Y l

Shall we go to dinner?"

he 'ssssfssss*** -

IT

WAS WITH A GREAT DEAL OF PRIDE that the Duchess Of

Cambridge saw her duke off on the hunt the next morning.

Talk around the dinner table the night before had been

about the hunt. Not one man, not even those jealous of Tanner's

position, could find a single fault in Tanner's expertise as

a hunter. Stacy had had no idea. He was, from all accounts, one

of the finest shots for miles around.

Tanner took all the comments in stride, but Stacy could

tell that he was pleased, and when she took time to think

about it, she wasn't surprised at his skill. Stacy was starting to

see that Tanner excelled at each thing he did.

With her new knowledge of Tanner's ability, and knowing

that he was going to lead the hunt, Stacy wondered if the

buttons on her dress would hold as she watched him ride away

at the front of the pack.

Stacy felt a little lonely when all the riders had gone and

the dust had died down. She glanced around at some of the

women talking among themselves, but felt no warmth or

effort on their part to include her. She thought about the

conservatory but was, in reality, in a mood to be alone with

her thoughts. After a trip to the library, she made her way up to

her room and settled in with a book until lunch.

Over lunch Stacy sat with four women she didn't know and

Nigel Stanley. The women talked constantly of the things they

156

read in the London social papers, and Stacy, being in compk

ignorance, stayed quiet. She noticed Nigel's eyes on her fro

time to time, but he was across the table and quiet himself, s

Stacy finished and left the dining room as soon as it wj

politely possible.5

She had decided on a walk, but as soon as she was outside!

and spotted the conservatory, she changed her mind. With

everyone else still at lunch, she knew she would find it empty.

Her step quickened with anticipation, even as she hoped

Tanner would be returning soon and they could leave for

Winslow.

Nigel could barely hold his seat or his tongue once Stacy

rose and left the table. The remaining women, vulgar cows in

his estimation, began to talk of her in scathing tones. They

started by declaring that she was a giant, was socially inept,

and wouldn't hold the duke's attention for more than six

months. Nigel secretly hoped they were right about the last

item.

He knew that this was his last day to declare himself. Nigel

sincerely doubted they could meet at length before the party

was over, but if he could only tell her he was available, she

would certainly jump at the chance to meet him later. He

knew very well how busy most dukes were. It was just a matter

of time before Tanner began to neglect his bride, and when

Stacy began to look for attention elsewhere, Nigel determined

that he would be in view.

With a move as casual as he could manage, Nigel rose from

the table. He would go right now and find Stacy in order to tell

her of his feelings. As Nigel made his way toward the door, he

deliberately pushed away all he'd seen of Stacy and her husband

over the weekend--every tender glance and every

157

touch. He staunchly refused to believe that the duke

achess might genuinely care for one another.

Stacy walked slowly through the glass building, amazed at