fate. She didn’t want to go and now she wouldn’t have to.
“It’s too bad,” Jessica Grier said. “I feel awful there isn’t room for all of us to go.” The look on her face said volumes. In fact, it looked akin to delight.
“It’s no bother,” Katherine said to the group. “I’m happy to stay behind. I had a touch of a headache this morning anyway.”
“Nonsense,” Geoff interrupted. “Mrs. Seymour, you take my place on the carriage. I will take my phaeton. And Ms. Dubois, you can ride with me if you’re not too frightened,” he offered in his most gracious manner.
Kat almost refused. She was frightened. Not because she was going to ride in a speeding carriage, but she didn’t want to be alone with Geoff. What if he rejected her? She was about to decline his offer when she spotted the expression on Jessica’s face again, which resembled a cross between murderous rage and implosion. Kat gladly accepted. “I would be happy to ride with you, Your Grace. Thank you for the generous offer.”
Ten minutes later with everyone rearranged, Kat and Geoff were rolling down a country road in his phaeton. Neither said a word. Kat had never been so awkward in her life.
Geoff was probably trying to think of the kindest way to reject her proposal. He would have his reasons. Maybe it was too scandalous for a gentleman, even one with a reputation for being skilled with women, to accept. Possibly he didn’t believe her and thought, like everyone else, that Luke was dead. Perchance he didn’t want to share her bed.
She would not cry. Kat would say she really hadn’t meant it. She simply had too many glasses of champagne last night.
“I believe I had too much to drink last night…” Kat broke the silence.
Geoff interrupted, “I accept your proposition, Katherine.”
“You do?” she asked in honest surprise.
“Yes, I will help you find Luke.”
“In exchange for…”
“In exchange for you, Katherine. But I should warn you. I won’t take my payment all at once.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m going to accept your offer in installments. I will have my way with you as I wish.”
“That wasn’t part of the original bargain,” Kat protested.
“Those are my terms. I will help you find your brother today in exchange for taking you whenever and however I want, Katherine.”
Those words he was using—she wasn’t even sure exactly what he meant, but she became scared and excited all at once. “But how… I mean when…”
“Don’t worry, I will be discreet. No one will ever need to know. But I will have you, Kat.”
Kat thought about Geoff’s terms. Anytime, anywhere. She would be at his whim. He could take her next time they met in the portrait gallery. Or on this picnic. He could take her right now.
“I accept,” she said.
“Excellent.”
Geoff’s leg brushed hers on the phaeton bench again, a hot poker branding into her leg. Was anytime now? He said he’d be discreet. The others were in front of them, but not too far ahead. If one of them should turn around to wave or if they should stop to let the horses rest, they would be seen. Geoff promised to make sure they were not discovered.
She glanced at Geoff to see if she could read his thoughts. He smiled back at her, making her stomach do flip-flops. For a moment, she thought he might kiss her. Instead, he turned his eyes back towards the road and flicked the horses’ reins. “We’re almost there, Katherine,” he said. Kat wondered if he meant almost to the picnic or the time when he would ravish her. She wasn’t sure. How was it she found herself hoping for the latter?
The horses slowed and she noticed the other carriages had stopped along the side of the road. Geoff jumped off first and turned to lift Kat down. He put his hands on her waist and lifted her up and away from the carriage as if she weighed no more than a child, and then slowly lowered her to the ground. Every place their skin touched blazed like an internal
“It’s too bad,” Jessica Grier said. “I feel awful there isn’t room for all of us to go.” The look on her face said volumes. In fact, it looked akin to delight.
“It’s no bother,” Katherine said to the group. “I’m happy to stay behind. I had a touch of a headache this morning anyway.”
“Nonsense,” Geoff interrupted. “Mrs. Seymour, you take my place on the carriage. I will take my phaeton. And Ms. Dubois, you can ride with me if you’re not too frightened,” he offered in his most gracious manner.
Kat almost refused. She was frightened. Not because she was going to ride in a speeding carriage, but she didn’t want to be alone with Geoff. What if he rejected her? She was about to decline his offer when she spotted the expression on Jessica’s face again, which resembled a cross between murderous rage and implosion. Kat gladly accepted. “I would be happy to ride with you, Your Grace. Thank you for the generous offer.”
Ten minutes later with everyone rearranged, Kat and Geoff were rolling down a country road in his phaeton. Neither said a word. Kat had never been so awkward in her life.
Geoff was probably trying to think of the kindest way to reject her proposal. He would have his reasons. Maybe it was too scandalous for a gentleman, even one with a reputation for being skilled with women, to accept. Possibly he didn’t believe her and thought, like everyone else, that Luke was dead. Perchance he didn’t want to share her bed.
She would not cry. Kat would say she really hadn’t meant it. She simply had too many glasses of champagne last night.
“I believe I had too much to drink last night…” Kat broke the silence.
Geoff interrupted, “I accept your proposition, Katherine.”
“You do?” she asked in honest surprise.
“Yes, I will help you find Luke.”
“In exchange for…”
“In exchange for you, Katherine. But I should warn you. I won’t take my payment all at once.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m going to accept your offer in installments. I will have my way with you as I wish.”
“That wasn’t part of the original bargain,” Kat protested.
“Those are my terms. I will help you find your brother today in exchange for taking you whenever and however I want, Katherine.”
Those words he was using—she wasn’t even sure exactly what he meant, but she became scared and excited all at once. “But how… I mean when…”
“Don’t worry, I will be discreet. No one will ever need to know. But I will have you, Kat.”
Kat thought about Geoff’s terms. Anytime, anywhere. She would be at his whim. He could take her next time they met in the portrait gallery. Or on this picnic. He could take her right now.
“I accept,” she said.
“Excellent.”
Geoff’s leg brushed hers on the phaeton bench again, a hot poker branding into her leg. Was anytime now? He said he’d be discreet. The others were in front of them, but not too far ahead. If one of them should turn around to wave or if they should stop to let the horses rest, they would be seen. Geoff promised to make sure they were not discovered.
She glanced at Geoff to see if she could read his thoughts. He smiled back at her, making her stomach do flip-flops. For a moment, she thought he might kiss her. Instead, he turned his eyes back towards the road and flicked the horses’ reins. “We’re almost there, Katherine,” he said. Kat wondered if he meant almost to the picnic or the time when he would ravish her. She wasn’t sure. How was it she found herself hoping for the latter?
The horses slowed and she noticed the other carriages had stopped along the side of the road. Geoff jumped off first and turned to lift Kat down. He put his hands on her waist and lifted her up and away from the carriage as if she weighed no more than a child, and then slowly lowered her to the ground. Every place their skin touched blazed like an internal
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