behind her, felt the cool, soothing touch of her hands on her neck.
“Luke is going to kill him.” She leaned forward and let her forehead rest against the sun-warmed glass of the window.
Catherine touched her cheek and leaned over her. Kissed the top of her head. “You will have to stop him. This is not the usual witless idiot. Lord Durnham strikes me as a man who is very dangerous. Maybe as dangerous as Luke. And he has powerful connections.”
“The way Luke is now …” She shuddered. “I’m not sure that won’t make him more eager. He seems to want to die.”
“No.” Catherine stepped back. “He thinks if he is rash enough, you will offer yourself up to stop him.”
Charlotte flinched, and turned slowly. Was that what he was doing? He had certainly done it before, and she had been young enough to fall for it. To be manipulated. “I should leave,” she said, and stood. “I should leave to go somewhere else. I would like to go to Italy, or France, but with the war, that’s obviously impossible. Perhaps the Lake District, or Scotland?”
“You think that will stop him?” Catherine tapped a long, slender finger to her lip. “Would he leave Lord Durnham alone?”
Charlotte shook her head. “No. He would still kill him. If I could get a promise from him not to, though, maybe I should leave.”
“You would trust his promise?”
Charlotte looked across to Catherine and nearly wept. “I would once have said yes. Now … I don’t know.” She wanted to run, or ride, there was so much boiling inside her. Shehugged herself. “His injury is worse. He could barely walk to me last night without crying out. His lips were almost white with pain. I wonder how much of his rage is fueled by agony. Bitterness.”
“You sure it isn’t a play for sympathy?”
She shook her head. She knew why Catherine asked but she had seen Luke when he’d come back from the Hulks. She knew this was all too real. And one more thing that lay between them that he would not talk about.
There was a furtive knock at the door, and Charlotte turned. Saw Betsy standing, flushed and flustered, in the doorway. “Kit couldn’t find Luke. He’s not at Tothill Road. No one would say where he’s gone.”
“Did they refuse to say, or don’t they know?” It would make a big difference, because there were some she could force to speak.
Betsy’s eyes went wide. “Kit didn’t say.”
“Thank you.” Charlotte watched her walk away, dread sinking deep, sharp claws into her chest; they curled inward, holding her close.
“What will you do?” Catherine sat still and afraid. Afraid for her.
“Keep Lord Durnham close to my side.” She glanced out the door, the way he had gone. “Until we find Luke, until I can talk to him, it’s the only way I can keep him alive.”
10
“W here are you going, my lord?” Charlotte Raven stepped in his way, a slim green-and-white-clad obstacle to a quick escape. He could not get into his phaeton unless he moved her bodily.
His fingers twitched.
“Home.” He took a step closer, to crowd her. “Not that it is any of your business.”
She said nothing to his rudeness, simply stared at him for a moment and then turned her head to the stables. One of the stablehands was watching them from just within a stall.
Another, older man stepped out of a small room to one side, and he saw her shoulders relax a little. “Gary.” She kept her eyes away from his. “Lord Durnham will be staying with us for a few days, to visit with his sister. Would you have his horses stabled and his carriage put away until they are needed?” At last she turned to look at him. “Or would yourather have Gary return them to your own stables, and we can take you home when your visit is over?”
He could not help that his mouth fell open. He closed it with a snap.
“Ah, your horses are most likely fussy.” The smallest spark of humor lit her eyes and was gone. “Gary, rather arrange for his lordship’s horses
“Luke is going to kill him.” She leaned forward and let her forehead rest against the sun-warmed glass of the window.
Catherine touched her cheek and leaned over her. Kissed the top of her head. “You will have to stop him. This is not the usual witless idiot. Lord Durnham strikes me as a man who is very dangerous. Maybe as dangerous as Luke. And he has powerful connections.”
“The way Luke is now …” She shuddered. “I’m not sure that won’t make him more eager. He seems to want to die.”
“No.” Catherine stepped back. “He thinks if he is rash enough, you will offer yourself up to stop him.”
Charlotte flinched, and turned slowly. Was that what he was doing? He had certainly done it before, and she had been young enough to fall for it. To be manipulated. “I should leave,” she said, and stood. “I should leave to go somewhere else. I would like to go to Italy, or France, but with the war, that’s obviously impossible. Perhaps the Lake District, or Scotland?”
“You think that will stop him?” Catherine tapped a long, slender finger to her lip. “Would he leave Lord Durnham alone?”
Charlotte shook her head. “No. He would still kill him. If I could get a promise from him not to, though, maybe I should leave.”
“You would trust his promise?”
Charlotte looked across to Catherine and nearly wept. “I would once have said yes. Now … I don’t know.” She wanted to run, or ride, there was so much boiling inside her. Shehugged herself. “His injury is worse. He could barely walk to me last night without crying out. His lips were almost white with pain. I wonder how much of his rage is fueled by agony. Bitterness.”
“You sure it isn’t a play for sympathy?”
She shook her head. She knew why Catherine asked but she had seen Luke when he’d come back from the Hulks. She knew this was all too real. And one more thing that lay between them that he would not talk about.
There was a furtive knock at the door, and Charlotte turned. Saw Betsy standing, flushed and flustered, in the doorway. “Kit couldn’t find Luke. He’s not at Tothill Road. No one would say where he’s gone.”
“Did they refuse to say, or don’t they know?” It would make a big difference, because there were some she could force to speak.
Betsy’s eyes went wide. “Kit didn’t say.”
“Thank you.” Charlotte watched her walk away, dread sinking deep, sharp claws into her chest; they curled inward, holding her close.
“What will you do?” Catherine sat still and afraid. Afraid for her.
“Keep Lord Durnham close to my side.” She glanced out the door, the way he had gone. “Until we find Luke, until I can talk to him, it’s the only way I can keep him alive.”
10
“W here are you going, my lord?” Charlotte Raven stepped in his way, a slim green-and-white-clad obstacle to a quick escape. He could not get into his phaeton unless he moved her bodily.
His fingers twitched.
“Home.” He took a step closer, to crowd her. “Not that it is any of your business.”
She said nothing to his rudeness, simply stared at him for a moment and then turned her head to the stables. One of the stablehands was watching them from just within a stall.
Another, older man stepped out of a small room to one side, and he saw her shoulders relax a little. “Gary.” She kept her eyes away from his. “Lord Durnham will be staying with us for a few days, to visit with his sister. Would you have his horses stabled and his carriage put away until they are needed?” At last she turned to look at him. “Or would yourather have Gary return them to your own stables, and we can take you home when your visit is over?”
He could not help that his mouth fell open. He closed it with a snap.
“Ah, your horses are most likely fussy.” The smallest spark of humor lit her eyes and was gone. “Gary, rather arrange for his lordship’s horses
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