Lord Exmouth's Intentions

If Robina had not felt as if she were being slowly throttled she would quite happily have betrayed her feelings by giving vent to a loud and protracted groan. She had forced herself to come to terms with the fact that sooner or later the subject of a marriage between them would be raised, but she had hoped that the occasion would arise later rather than sooner, thereby permitting her to enjoy a brief period in Brighton without encumbrance. His lordship began speaking again, and she forced herself to listen.

‘We both know why our respective mothers wished us to spend the summer together. They are both hoping that I shall—to resort to the modern-day vulgar parlance—come up to scratch. Well, let me assure you, Miss Perceval, that at this present moment in time I have not the slightest intention of making you an offer of marriage.’

Turning his head, Daniel discovered a look of such utter bewilderment on her sweet face that he was forced to exert every ounce of control he possessed not to take her into his arms and totally confound her by kissing her breathless.

‘You look slightly stunned, Miss Perceval.’ An understatement if ever there was one. The poor girl looked as if she were about to swoon! ‘I’m sorry if my plain speaking has offended you.’

‘Er—no, not at all, sir,’ she responded so softly that he had a little difficulty in catching the words.

‘But I think we would rub along much more comfortably if we cleared up one or two matters at the outset.’ Again he was forced to exert the utmost control, only this time to stop himself from laughing. She was regarding him much as defenceless rabbit might a snake which was about to strike for a second time. ‘I think you must realise, Miss Perceval, that I have grown quite partial to your company during our time in London. I should like to think that we have become…friends.’

‘Er—yes,’ she responded guardedly.

‘And as such, I think we can be honest with each other without causing offence.’

‘It—er—would be nice to think we could, certainly,’ she agreed, in a voice that was growing progressively stronger, though remaining slightly wary at the same time.

‘As you may have gathered by now, my darling mother, together with most of my friends, has decided that it is high time I consider a second marriage.’

No response was forthcoming this time, so he continued undeterred. ‘It seems that most are in agreement that you would make me the ideal wife.’

Again there was no response.

‘They may possibly be correct, but I reserve the right to decide for myself. Just as I believe that you deserve the chance to make up your mind about me, without the least pressure being brought to bear upon you. That could be difficult in the present circumstances, with a certain person watching our every move, waiting with bated breath for us to announce our betrothal, unless we both work together to turn the situation in which we now find ourselves to our mutual advantage.’

She appeared merely bewildered now as she said, ‘And how do you propose that we do that, my lord?’

‘Simply by just being ourselves, and doing precisely what we wish to do. It would be foolish to attempt to avoid one another, as we’ll be residing in the same house, don’t you agree?’

‘Most assuredly.’

‘So what I suggest is that we keep the world guessing by being seen in each other’s company quite frequently, while at the same time not denying ourselves the pleasure of other people’s.’ He continued to hold her full attention. ‘Then, if by the end of the summer, when we have come to know each other a good deal better, we both decide that we should suit, all well and good, and if not…’

He reached for one of her hands and felt those slender, tapering fingers momentarily tremble in his clasp. ‘Either way, child, I want the decision to be ours, yours and mine. Not your mother’s, or mine, or anyone else’s, understand?’

It took a monumental effort, but Robina forced herself to meet his concerned and kindly gaze, and made a rather startling discovery. His eyes were not just a deep, warm brown but were flecked rather attractively with gold.

‘Yes, my lord, I do understand…And—and thank you,’ she said softly, blissfully ignorant of the fact that it had cost him dearly to suggest what he had, that the last thing in the world he had wanted was to release her from any obligations she might feel to marry him.

‘For what, silly child?’ His expressive brows rose. ‘For suggesting something that will benefit us both? Well, if you wish to show your appreciation, you can kindly stop calling me my lord. My name is Daniel.’

‘Oh, I couldn’t possibly address you like that, sir!’ She was genuinely shocked. ‘Mama would never approve.’

‘I’m not particularly interested whether she would or not,’ he returned bluntly. ‘You’ll be residing under my roof for the next few weeks, my girl, so you’ll do what I tell you, especially if you know what’s good for you.’

She gave an uncertain laugh. By repute he was a kind-hearted, considerate man, and yet some inner feminine wisdom warned her that there might be a less agreeable side to him if he was ever crossed. She had already discovered that he was not afraid to speak his mind, and couldn’t help wondering what other interesting facets to his character would emerge before this day was out.

‘Very well, little bird, we’ll compromise. When in private I insist you call me Daniel, and when in public you may call me what ever you like…’ white teeth flashed in a playful smile ‘…providing it is polite, of course.’

Giving the little hand a last reassuring squeeze, Daniel turned his attention back to the greys. ‘We had better catch up with my darling mama, otherwise she might imagine we’ve eloped.’

‘Oh, how excessively romantic!’ Robina exclaimed without thinking, and then turned a glowing crimson when she discovered herself on the receiving end of a startled glance.

‘Excessively uncomfortable, I would have thought,’ he contradicted, slowing his team down as they approached a busy little village, ‘especially if undertaken in an equipage such as this one, and it should come on to rain.’

‘People in love would not consider such a mundane thing as the weather, if they were considering running away together,’ she pointed out, rather enjoying his teasing banter, and liking too the way his eyes were brightened by that wickedly provocative glint.

‘I should,’ he argued, ‘but then I’m a practical sort of person, not given to mad starts. Besides which, having attained the great age of almost six-and-thirty, I enjoy my creature comforts and am far too old to go careering about the country. So I can tell you now, I shall never consider eloping with you.’

‘In that case, I think you were very wise to have second thoughts about making me an offer,’ she informed him quite deliberately, knowing that even half an hour ago she would never have considered saying such a thing to him. Now, however, she felt as if a very close friendship was on the verge of springing up between them. ‘It is quite evident to me at least that we would not have suited. I should very much like a gentleman to go careering about the country with me.’

‘I never said that I had had second thoughts about making you an offer, my girl,’ he corrected. ‘I merely said—What the devil!’

For a moment Robina was startled, then she saw it too—a great brute of a man beating a donkey with a stout stick, and very much appearing as if he was enjoying the exercise, while a woman, with two children frantically clutching at the folds of her skirts, was alternately shouting and pleading with him to stop.

Without a second thought Robina accepted the reins Daniel tossed into her hands, and then watched him stalk across the road. Easily capturing the stick, he proceeded to lay it about the bully’s shoulders before calmly knocking him to the ground with one superbly aimed blow to the jaw.

She was a little too far away to hear clearly what was being said, but a great deal of gesticulating, and swearing, she suspected, especially on the part of the felled bully, followed as Daniel calmly took something from inside his right boot. A moment later the pile of pots and pans which had been tied to the donkey’s back fell to the ground with a clatter, and a further heated altercation between the man and the woman ensued, before Daniel stepped into the breach once again.

Robina was only vaguely aware of what followed, for her attention was taken up with calming the greys, which had taken exception to the noise of the pots and pans clattering on the road. By the time she had them well under control again, the unkempt rogue was trudging off up the village street, carrying his wares on his own back, the two children, no longer sobbing, were leading the donkey into a paddock, and Daniel was accompanying the woman into a charming thatched cottage.

He reappeared a few minutes later, the woman at his heels this time, desperately striving to keep up with his long-striding gait, while attempting to offer her grateful thanks.

‘Not at all, my good woman. Only too pleased to be of assistance,’ Robina heard him say, before he doffed his hat, and came hurriedly across the road towards her.

‘My dear girl, I cannot apologise enough!’ There was an unmistakable flicker of concern in his eyes as he clambered up on the seat and relieved her of the reins. ‘What on earth must you think of me, deserting you in such a fashion! I sincerely trust you weren’t too nervous at being left in charge of the greys?’

‘Not at all,’ she assured him. ‘I frequently tool Papa’s one-horse gig when at home.’ She caught the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, but didn’t attempt to enquire precisely what he had found so amusing, and merely asked for an account of what had taken place.

‘You saw what happened, I am ashamed to say, but there was little I could do to avoid your witnessing that unfortunate encounter.’ He gave the greys the office to start, once again handling the spirited pair with effortless ease. ‘I am not accounted a violent man, and yet I would be the first to admit that I have an almost pathological hatred for persons who inflict needless cruelty. It wasn’t sufficient for that oaf to pass by the gate of the donkey’s former, caring owners each day, he must needs stop to torment those children further by abusing a creature they both love, and had looked upon as a pet.’

‘How dreadful! I’m very glad we happened along. And now the donkey, I assume, has been restored to its former owners.’

‘Not quite.’ His smile was decidedly rueful. ‘He now belongs to me. I decided, all things considered, that it would be for the best.’

Robina managed to keep her countenance, but it was an effort. It was quite evident that he wasn’t precisely enthusiastic over this latest acquisition, and she could not resist the temptation to tease him a little.

‘I have observed during my weeks in London that it is not unusual for a gentleman of—how shall I phrase it?—an eccentric nature to indulge in rather queer starts from time to time. I suppose you suddenly discovered that you had need of a beast of burden?’

‘I am beginning to discover that there is a strong teasing element in your nature, my girl!’ The swift, narrow-eyed glance he cast her managed to betray both amusement and faint exasperation. ‘No, you provoking little baggage! I did not suddenly take it into my head that I wished to own such a creature. And if you dare to tell another living soul, you’ll regret it! I would become a laughingstock, and the talk of the clubs for weeks!’

She did not suppose for a moment that he would care a jot what the world at large said or thought about him, but she gave her solemn promise none the less, before demanding to know why he had taken it upon himself to make such an odd purchase.

‘Because I discovered that it was in fact that poor woman’s idle husband who sold the beast, before calmly going off and leaving her and their children to fend for themselves. She hasn’t seen him since and doesn’t expect to. There is, however, always the chance that he’ll turn up again, like the proverbial bad penny, and repeat the procedure, leaving her without the means to transport her goods to market, and depriving the children of their pet. So to overcome this possibility, I have given her a letter which states that, on condition she takes good care of the animal, she has my full permission, as its owner, to use the donkey to transport her goods to the local market, but on no account must my property be sold without my written consent.’

How exceedingly kind and considerate he was! Robina decided, as they rejoined the post road and she caught sight of her ladyship’s carriage in the distance. He had been generous to three perfect strangers and no less generous towards her.

By demanding only friendship, he had now made it possible for her to enjoy the weeks ahead without fear that at the end of her stay she would be asked for recompense.

So why then, she wondered, a frown of puzzlement creasing her brow, wasn’t she feeling deliriously happy at this precise moment? Furthermore, why had she suddenly developed this peculiar hollow feeling deep inside?

Chapter Three

Robina, still very much enjoying the novel experience of having her hair expertly dressed each day by Lady Exmouth’s skilful abigail, sat quietly before the dressing-table mirror, contemplating yet again how much her life had changed since she had left rural Northamptonshire behind her on that cold day in early March.

For a simple country girl, accustomed to comfort rather than luxury, and to lengthy periods of solitude, given to quiet reflection, or the pursuit of some useful occupation whereby she might be of some benefit to her fellow man, it was quite surprising the ease with which she had conformed to a hectic and purely social life, where the pursuit of personal pleasure was the only thing that need concern her to any degree. Her mother’s presence, understandably, had been a steadying influence during those heady weeks in London. Since her arrival in Brighton no restrictions had been placed upon her whatsoever. In fact, not to put too fine a point on it, she was being thoroughly spoilt by the darling Dowager and her no less considerate son. And she was shamefully loving every moment of it!

‘It’s simply no good at all. It must stop!’ she announced, with as much determination as she could muster, and without really realising that she had spoken her guilty thoughts aloud until she happened to glance up and noticed the middle-aged abigail’s slightly puzzled expression in the dressing-table mirror.

‘What’s the matter, miss? Don’t you care for this style any longer? We can always try something different if you’d prefer.’

‘I have no fault to find with the way you dress my hair, Pinner,’ Robina hurriedly assured her.

‘Well, that’s a blessing, miss!’ One could almost sense that the highly skilled and conscientious servant was suppressing a sigh of relief. ‘For one dreadful moment there I thought you were going to ask me to cut it. And that I would never willingly do,’ she announced, easing the brush almost reverently through the long shiny dark strands. ‘Beautiful, it is, and a sheer delight to dress, miss, just like the rest of you. There aren’t too many blessed with such a perfect figure as yours. You’re an abigail’s dream, Miss Robina, so you are! You’d look wonderfully turned out in a scullery-maid’s apron!’

‘You’re the one who deserves the credit, not I,’ Robina countered, desperately striving not to allow this fulsome praise go to her head.

As her father, the Reverend William Perceval, had always considered vanity amongst the very worst of sins, compliments were rarely uttered back at the vicarage in Abbot Quincey, and yet Robina, who had been taught to consider inner beauty far more meaningful than any shallow outward trappings, could not help but feel gratified by the compliment.

‘It is no good, Pinner,’ she announced, rising to her feet when the last curls had been carefully pinned into place. ‘I must face the fact that, unless I begin to exert a deal of self-control, I stand in the gravest danger of becoming thoroughly corrupted whilst I continue to reside under this roof. Why, I shall be of no earthly use to man or beast when the time comes for me to return to Abbot Quincey! I never used to think twice about mending a tear in a gown, or dressing my own hair. Now I wouldn’t even contemplate doing such a thing, and am more than content to sit back and allow others to do everything for me. Thoroughly indulged, I am, and loving it! What would dear Papa say?’

It was all very well to make light of it, Robina decided, as the bedchamber resounded with Pinner’s highly amused chuckles, but really it was no laughing matter. She had adapted to this life of ease, this life of pure self-indulgence, as though she had been born to it, which of course was far from the truth. Although life at the vicarage could never have been described as one of drudgery, she had been expected to undertake a variety of light duties, which had included a certain amount of time given to the entertainment of her three younger sisters, ensuring that they didn’t get into mischief by setting a good example herself.

And a fine example she would set for them now! she mused, unable to suppress a rueful half-smile. There was no denying that the highly complaisant and faintly indolent Dowager was an appalling influence. To be fair, though, she ought to accept the lion’s share of the blame herself for not displaying more strength of character and halting her meteoric descent into that wicked pit of dissipation. On the other hand, it had to be said in her own defence that she had been battling against tremendous odds during these past days. Why, even his lordship had actively encouraged her to do precisely as she wished!

Although Daniel had made his feelings on the matter perfectly clear at the outset by announcing that friendship was all he demanded from her at this present moment in time, since their arrival in Brighton he had been unfailingly thoughtful, touchingly attentive to her every possible need.

She paused as she reached the bottom of the stairs, and stared thoughtfully in the direction of the breakfast-parlour door, unaware that her expression had been softened by a quite spontaneous, tender little smile.

She found it hard to believe now, but it was true none the less that, although she had readily agreed to the suggestion when it had first been made, she had, surprisingly, not found it easy to look upon Daniel merely as a friend. Which was all the more curious because she had never found it in the least daunting to converse with him, not even when they had first met in London.

Her father’s particular calling had ensured that throughout her life she had, on a fairly regular basis, come into contact with people who had suffered recent bereavement. Consequently she had known precisely what to say to Daniel from the first, and had never experienced the least awkwardness in his presence. A slightly closer relationship had initially, she was forced to own, proved a different matter entirely, however.

Not having been blessed with any brothers had, she supposed, substantially limited her experience of the opposite sex, and although her Perceval cousins, Hugo and Lowell, had been frequent visitors to the vicarage, she had acquired precious little knowledge of the workings of the male mind from either of them. During childhood she had been inclined to look upon Hugo, some ten years her senior, as a most superior being, sophisticated, charming, and slightly unapproachable; Lowell, being some six years his brother’s junior, had always seemed to her, and still did for that matter, little more than an endearing scamp, always ripe for any lark. Consequently, living under the same roof as Lord Exmouth had turned out to be something of a revelation.

Daniel, she had swiftly discovered, possessed the most wonderful sense of humour. He certainly appeared to enjoy indulging in bouts of light-hearted banter, and the frequent exchange of the swift repartee, but there was nothing of the mischievous schoolboy in his nature. Far from it, in fact! He was every inch the fashionable gentleman, accomplished and refined, and yet not remotely high in the instep. This was perhaps why she had managed eventually to dispense with those last barriers of reserve, and had come to feel so completely relaxed in his company, more so, surprisingly, than in her own father’s.

No one would have supposed for a moment that Robina held her new-found friend in such high esteem when she entered the breakfast-parlour a moment later to discover him, as expected, already seated at the table; least of all Daniel himself, who was not slow to perceive the slightly troubled look in her strikingly pretty, clear blue eyes.

‘What’s the matter, my little bird?’ Ever the polite gentleman, he rose to his feet and waited until she had slipped into the chair beside his own before resuming his repast. ‘Did you have trouble sleeping last night?’

‘How could I possibly have trouble sleeping, Daniel, when I have been given, I do not doubt, the most comfortable bed in the house?’ Without the least show of reticence, Robina began to help herself to coffee and a delicious hot buttered roll. ‘And that is precisely what concerns me. If I’m not very careful, I’m likely to be ruined by both you and your mother.’

‘Now there’s a tempting thought!’ he muttered before he could stop himself, but fortunately she appeared not to have heard. ‘How precisely have Mama and I fallen from grace?’

‘You both spoil me shamefully. Yes, you do,’ she reiterated when he looked about to refute this. ‘You have been so kind, giving up so much of your time in order to keep me entertained. And as for your mother…Oh, Daniel! She came to my bedchamber after we had retired last night, bringing the box containing that lovely garnet necklace of hers and matching earrings.’ There was no mistaking the agitation in her voice. ‘She insisted on making me a present of them, and I found myself in the position whereby to have refused would have made me appear so very ungrateful. And that I assure you I am not! But she really ought not to give me such things.’

‘I couldn’t agree more!’ he announced, surprising her somewhat, for he sounded genuinely annoyed.

‘Then—then, you’ll have a word with her on—on my behalf?’ she ventured, fervently hoping that she would not be causing trouble between mother and son. ‘Suggesting kindly, I hope, that she ought not to—to give me such things?’

‘Most assuredly I shall, child. You may rely upon it,’ he responded, frowning dourly as the door opened. ‘And there’s no time like the present,’ he added as the object of his evident displeasure, joining them early for once, entered the breakfast-parlour.

‘What’s this I’ve been hearing, Mama!’ he demanded the instant she had seated herself in the chair opposite. ‘What do you mean by presenting Robin with that set of garnets, may I ask?’

‘Why shouldn’t I, dear?’ the Dowager replied, betraying no obvious signs of resentment at the faintly dictatorial tone. ‘They were mine to dispose of as I saw fit, and they will look much prettier displayed against young skin.’ Glancing across the table, she was not slow to notice the twinkling mischief in his dark eyes. ‘What is the matter, my son? Do you disapprove of my giving Robina such a gift?’

‘Most assuredly! Why didn’t you present her with the rubies?’ Daniel almost burst out laughing as Robina’s knife fell from her fingers to land on her plate with a clatter. ‘I’ve always considered garnets trumpery gauds, as well you know.’

‘Well, dear, I couldn’t give her the ruby set, now could I?’ the Dowager pointed out in her defence. ‘They are amongst the family jewels, and are kept safely locked away at Courtney Place. Besides which, they are not mine to give.’

Ignoring the flashing look of reproach from a certain highly disgruntled quarter, Daniel leaned back in his chair, looking for all the world as if he were giving the matter due consideration. ‘I do not think I would give Robin the ruby set in any case, not unless she had her heart set on them, that is. No, I would be more inclined, with her delicate colouring, to deck her out in sapphires. What do you think, Mama?’