she dared. It seemed that she intended to confront whoever was inside the house and beg shelter for the night.
“I was summoned to you,” he reminded her, keeping up with her pace. “And I will find out why.”
She stopped suddenly and spun to face him. “Do as you wish, Mr. Thorgrim. But stay away from me.”
He had no intention of doing so. Yet, before she could break free of him again, he heard an older woman call out from near the house, “Juliana, is that you? Come here, girl.”
Juliana had gone utterly motionless. “How on earth did she find me?” From the fear on her face, Arik suspected it was an unwanted visitor.
He leaned in, muttering, “Do I need to kill this woman?”
“You may want to, before she leaves. But no, it’s only my grandmother.”
CHAPTER FIVE
N ow then,” Olivia Pickford, the Baroness of Traveston, crossed her arms and regarded Juliana. Behind the woman stood her maid and a footman. “Juliana, would you care to explain why you are skulking around the gardens with this man? What have you to say for yourself?”
Words failed her, and Juliana had no idea what to say to her grandmother. If she admitted that she had been traveling with Arik, her grandmother would believe she was little better than a common trollop.
Instead, she straightened and faced down the woman, braving a smile. “It’s good to see you, Grandmama. Are you planning to stay the night at Hawthorne House?” Stalling her was the best way to avoid answering questions, she decided.
“Well, I wasn’t about to spend the night in that hovel your father gave you.” The baroness shuddered at the thought. “It’s hardly fit for anyone.” Her gaze passed over Arik, and she pressed her lips together. “Who are you, young man, and what, pray tell, are you doing with my granddaughter?”
Don’t answer her, Juliana wanted to plead. She had no idea what sort of tale Mr. Thorgrim would spin, and she dreaded his answer.
But he stepped forward, regarding her grandmother. He crossed his arms and stared at her as if trying to decide what to say.
“Wait a moment,” Lady Traveston interrupted, before he could utter a word. “I do know who you are. Your father’s lands adjoin these, don’t they? You’re the Duke of Somerford’s son.”
Before Arik could answer, the baroness smiled as if she’d suddenly put the pieces together. “Lord Thorgraham, I believe. I suppose you are out walking with my granddaughter, is that it?”
“I did go walking with her, yes.”
Juliana breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn’t told her grandmother any strange stories. There were problems enough with the arrival of Lady Traveston. She didn’t want to make matters worse.
“We all believed you’d drowned at sea.” Her grandmother stepped forward, peering closer. “Your father must have been delighted at your return.”
When he glanced at her, Juliana nodded. Yes, lie. Tell her what she wants to hear.
“I only saw him today,” Arik answered. It was strange to hear him speaking English. His voice was stilted, as if he didn’t trust what he was saying.
He is not who he says he is, she reminded herself. But regardless of his identity, the fact remained that she had allowed him to seduce her. And whether he was the duke’s lost son or a bastard son who resembled him, she had to maintain her distance.
She had only seen the true Lord Thorgraham once, when she and her husband had attended a party at the duke’s house. But William had prevented her from speaking to anyone there. He’d tried to hide her, as if she embarrassed him. And shortly afterward, she’d become pregnant with Harry and had gone into seclusion. There was no way to tell who this man really was.
“Hmm,” her grandmother remarked. “Well, Lord Thorgraham, I am glad to hear that you survived your misfortunes at sea.” The baroness eyed him as if she could not understand why he had not changed his clothing. Although Juliana had offered Arik more of her
“I was summoned to you,” he reminded her, keeping up with her pace. “And I will find out why.”
She stopped suddenly and spun to face him. “Do as you wish, Mr. Thorgrim. But stay away from me.”
He had no intention of doing so. Yet, before she could break free of him again, he heard an older woman call out from near the house, “Juliana, is that you? Come here, girl.”
Juliana had gone utterly motionless. “How on earth did she find me?” From the fear on her face, Arik suspected it was an unwanted visitor.
He leaned in, muttering, “Do I need to kill this woman?”
“You may want to, before she leaves. But no, it’s only my grandmother.”
CHAPTER FIVE
N ow then,” Olivia Pickford, the Baroness of Traveston, crossed her arms and regarded Juliana. Behind the woman stood her maid and a footman. “Juliana, would you care to explain why you are skulking around the gardens with this man? What have you to say for yourself?”
Words failed her, and Juliana had no idea what to say to her grandmother. If she admitted that she had been traveling with Arik, her grandmother would believe she was little better than a common trollop.
Instead, she straightened and faced down the woman, braving a smile. “It’s good to see you, Grandmama. Are you planning to stay the night at Hawthorne House?” Stalling her was the best way to avoid answering questions, she decided.
“Well, I wasn’t about to spend the night in that hovel your father gave you.” The baroness shuddered at the thought. “It’s hardly fit for anyone.” Her gaze passed over Arik, and she pressed her lips together. “Who are you, young man, and what, pray tell, are you doing with my granddaughter?”
Don’t answer her, Juliana wanted to plead. She had no idea what sort of tale Mr. Thorgrim would spin, and she dreaded his answer.
But he stepped forward, regarding her grandmother. He crossed his arms and stared at her as if trying to decide what to say.
“Wait a moment,” Lady Traveston interrupted, before he could utter a word. “I do know who you are. Your father’s lands adjoin these, don’t they? You’re the Duke of Somerford’s son.”
Before Arik could answer, the baroness smiled as if she’d suddenly put the pieces together. “Lord Thorgraham, I believe. I suppose you are out walking with my granddaughter, is that it?”
“I did go walking with her, yes.”
Juliana breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn’t told her grandmother any strange stories. There were problems enough with the arrival of Lady Traveston. She didn’t want to make matters worse.
“We all believed you’d drowned at sea.” Her grandmother stepped forward, peering closer. “Your father must have been delighted at your return.”
When he glanced at her, Juliana nodded. Yes, lie. Tell her what she wants to hear.
“I only saw him today,” Arik answered. It was strange to hear him speaking English. His voice was stilted, as if he didn’t trust what he was saying.
He is not who he says he is, she reminded herself. But regardless of his identity, the fact remained that she had allowed him to seduce her. And whether he was the duke’s lost son or a bastard son who resembled him, she had to maintain her distance.
She had only seen the true Lord Thorgraham once, when she and her husband had attended a party at the duke’s house. But William had prevented her from speaking to anyone there. He’d tried to hide her, as if she embarrassed him. And shortly afterward, she’d become pregnant with Harry and had gone into seclusion. There was no way to tell who this man really was.
“Hmm,” her grandmother remarked. “Well, Lord Thorgraham, I am glad to hear that you survived your misfortunes at sea.” The baroness eyed him as if she could not understand why he had not changed his clothing. Although Juliana had offered Arik more of her
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