knew her to be little more than a frightened,
proud girl cast into a harsh world without guidance. Perhaps the gossip had
reached her ears, and she did not dare face the guests below.
The door closed behind him. Merrick turned to correct that
impropriety, but Cassandra fell against him, and he was forced to catch her up
in his arms.
“Cassie? For pity’s sake, Cassie, what is wrong? Where is your
aunt? Let me fetch her.”
She clung to him, and Merrick felt her slightness in his
arms. She was more slender than any reed, and she smelled of some heavenly
scent that clouded his thoughts. He was aware of her silken hair tickling his
cheek, her breasts pressing against his waistcoat, and he tried to remember
another woman feeling so comfortable in his arms.
She was tall, taller than most, but there was nothing boyish
about her figure. She had the slender curves of a woman full grown but not yet
ripe. Wyatt had the sudden nonsensical desire to see her ripen and become the
sensuous woman every man dreams of.
“Cassie, answer me. You are giving me the fright of my life.
What is wrong?”
She pushed back from his embrace then, her face glowing up
at him through the darkness. She had such lovely, liquid skin, he wished to
stroke it, but he settled for catching her chin between his thumb and
forefinger. “Speak, Cassandra, or I will choke it out of you.”
She smiled then, an easy smile of friendship. “I am trusting
you not to strangle me, my lord. You may wish to shortly, but I have put all my
confidence in your integrity. Duncan will almost certainly beat me, but you
will not, will you?”
The confidence in her glittering blue eyes stirred
uneasiness. His desire to protect her had astonished him from the first, but
now he had reason to remember her mischievousness. It would be better did he
look to protect himself.
He grasped her hair in a firm hold so he could keep her gaze
on his. “What are you plotting, Medusa? I’ll not hand you over to be beaten by
your brother, but I am not averse to spanking some sense into you.”
The smile disappeared and she grimaced. “I had hoped you
were one who would not lift a hand in anger, but I suppose that really was too
much to ask. I deserve whatever you mete out, I daresay, and I will not
complain of it, but you will find me much more compliant should you show me
gentleness.”
“What the deuce are you talking about?” Merrick practically
yelled, although he had a sudden suspicion. Dropping his hold on her, he
reached for the door.
Cassandra raced to the opposite end of the room, to the
window opened to a cool evening. As Wyatt discovered the locked portal, she
dropped the key into the shrubbery below.
Chapter 5
Wyatt swung around in time to catch her treachery. With a
hissing intake of breath, he strode across the room. Catching Cassandra by the
waist, he glanced out the window to study the distance to the ground. They were
on the third floor.
He turned a furious gaze to the conniving brat. Briefly, he
contemplated shaking her until her teeth rattled, but that was obviously what
she expected. Her air of patience and resignation quelled his impulse. She had
to be desperate to do this.
Wyatt flung his hands from the temptation of Cassandra’s tempting
curves. He found a lamp and lit it with the candle. Unless he thought quickly
they would be caught in a scandal of enormous magnitude, and he could be
looking at his future wife.
“Why, Cass? Why me? I’m nearly old enough to be your father.
I cut no dash about town. I harbor no misconceptions about my looks. Except for
the title, I am little more than a staid old country squire. And I cannot think
the daughter of a marquess is much impressed by titles.”
Cassandra clasped her robe as if prepared for fury or worse.
She obviously had not expected his reaction, and her mouth dropped open in
surprise.
“I shall be nineteen in a month and you cannot have become
thirty yet. You would have had to have been an extremely
proud girl cast into a harsh world without guidance. Perhaps the gossip had
reached her ears, and she did not dare face the guests below.
The door closed behind him. Merrick turned to correct that
impropriety, but Cassandra fell against him, and he was forced to catch her up
in his arms.
“Cassie? For pity’s sake, Cassie, what is wrong? Where is your
aunt? Let me fetch her.”
She clung to him, and Merrick felt her slightness in his
arms. She was more slender than any reed, and she smelled of some heavenly
scent that clouded his thoughts. He was aware of her silken hair tickling his
cheek, her breasts pressing against his waistcoat, and he tried to remember
another woman feeling so comfortable in his arms.
She was tall, taller than most, but there was nothing boyish
about her figure. She had the slender curves of a woman full grown but not yet
ripe. Wyatt had the sudden nonsensical desire to see her ripen and become the
sensuous woman every man dreams of.
“Cassie, answer me. You are giving me the fright of my life.
What is wrong?”
She pushed back from his embrace then, her face glowing up
at him through the darkness. She had such lovely, liquid skin, he wished to
stroke it, but he settled for catching her chin between his thumb and
forefinger. “Speak, Cassandra, or I will choke it out of you.”
She smiled then, an easy smile of friendship. “I am trusting
you not to strangle me, my lord. You may wish to shortly, but I have put all my
confidence in your integrity. Duncan will almost certainly beat me, but you
will not, will you?”
The confidence in her glittering blue eyes stirred
uneasiness. His desire to protect her had astonished him from the first, but
now he had reason to remember her mischievousness. It would be better did he
look to protect himself.
He grasped her hair in a firm hold so he could keep her gaze
on his. “What are you plotting, Medusa? I’ll not hand you over to be beaten by
your brother, but I am not averse to spanking some sense into you.”
The smile disappeared and she grimaced. “I had hoped you
were one who would not lift a hand in anger, but I suppose that really was too
much to ask. I deserve whatever you mete out, I daresay, and I will not
complain of it, but you will find me much more compliant should you show me
gentleness.”
“What the deuce are you talking about?” Merrick practically
yelled, although he had a sudden suspicion. Dropping his hold on her, he
reached for the door.
Cassandra raced to the opposite end of the room, to the
window opened to a cool evening. As Wyatt discovered the locked portal, she
dropped the key into the shrubbery below.
Chapter 5
Wyatt swung around in time to catch her treachery. With a
hissing intake of breath, he strode across the room. Catching Cassandra by the
waist, he glanced out the window to study the distance to the ground. They were
on the third floor.
He turned a furious gaze to the conniving brat. Briefly, he
contemplated shaking her until her teeth rattled, but that was obviously what
she expected. Her air of patience and resignation quelled his impulse. She had
to be desperate to do this.
Wyatt flung his hands from the temptation of Cassandra’s tempting
curves. He found a lamp and lit it with the candle. Unless he thought quickly
they would be caught in a scandal of enormous magnitude, and he could be
looking at his future wife.
“Why, Cass? Why me? I’m nearly old enough to be your father.
I cut no dash about town. I harbor no misconceptions about my looks. Except for
the title, I am little more than a staid old country squire. And I cannot think
the daughter of a marquess is much impressed by titles.”
Cassandra clasped her robe as if prepared for fury or worse.
She obviously had not expected his reaction, and her mouth dropped open in
surprise.
“I shall be nineteen in a month and you cannot have become
thirty yet. You would have had to have been an extremely
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