obviously,” Ramsey remarked. “It wasn’t until we came here that I realized you were so superstitious.”
“It pays to be careful,” Hannigan said righteously. “I’ve heard stories all my life about that cove. There’s unfinished business down there. Lost souls looking for peace.”
“Hannigan comes from this part of the world originally,” Ramsey confided to Juliette. “He still has family all about. They’re probably the ones who filled his head full of ghost stories.”
“I know what I know,” Hannigan said mysteriously.
“I’m sure you do, old friend. In the meantime, I’m off to see my lady-wife.” His voice was deeply ironic. “Unless you have something of import to tell me.”
Hannigan glanced at Juliette, who’d made no effort to disguise her interest. “It can keep.”
“Come along, lad,” Ramsey murmured. “You’re probably famished.”
Actually, she’d finally eaten enough that day, but she had no intention of telling him so. She scampered after him, uneasily aware of Hannigan’s troubled gaze as it followed their progress into the dim, cool exterior of the house.
Ramsey turned and dumped the picnic basket into Juliette’s waiting arms. She staggered for a moment beneath the weight of it, and once more was impressed by Ramsey’s agile strength. He kept hold of his sketchbook, however, something she considered a great pity. She would have liked to take a closer look at some of his drawings. Particularly the flattering, disturbing one of her.
She’d never considered herself possessed of vanity. Perhapsit was just the enforced nature of her disguise that made her suddenly want to see her image looking lovelier than she’d ever imagined. She needed to control that impulse. That way lay disaster.
“Go on to the kitchen, lad,” he told her. “I intend to closet myself with my wife for a good long time.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, not liking the idea at all. “Are you going to make love to her?” She stopped, horrified at herself for asking what was definitely, troublingly, on her mind.
He gave a shout of laughter. “What an impertinent question,” he said. “And I’m certainly not about to answer it. Why do you ask?”
“Beg pardon, sir,” she said, feeling the blush mount to her face and this time not hiding it.
“Any more rude questions before I leave you?” he asked, still amused.
She looked at him. He was a very handsome man, though not in the most usual way of it. She’d tended to think of handsome men as blond and broad-shouldered, with full pink lips and blue eyes and too many teeth.
This man was lean and dark and almost menacing on occasion, with a narrow, cynical face, dangerous gray eyes, and a thin, mocking mouth that was unaccountably erotic. She’d been fascinated by him since she’d first set eyes on him, and she imagined she’d remember him long after she made her escape from England.
“Just one,” she said, determined not to be cowed.
“Fire away, young Julian,” he said pleasantly enough.
“Why did Hannigan refer to you as ‘my lord’?”
The shot hit home. Ramsey’s face darkened for a moment, and his mouth thinned. “An old joke between the twoof us,” he said with no hesitation whatsoever. “Hannigan’s always been full of himself, and I used to tease him that he ought to be taking care of a royal duke at the very least. In return, he started calling me ‘your lordship’ from the time I was ten. Indeed, I imagine I was a very lordly little boy.”
“Indeed,” she said, imagining it herself.
“And now you can answer an impertinent question for me, young Julian,” he said, and she recognized the menace in his voice immediately.
She refused to quail. “Of course.”
“You can tell me who you’re running away from.”
CHAPTER SIX
Sutter’s Head was an old building, rambling, with ells and gables and additions every which way. The outbuildings were in sorry repair; only the stable possessed a solid roof.
“It pays to be careful,” Hannigan said righteously. “I’ve heard stories all my life about that cove. There’s unfinished business down there. Lost souls looking for peace.”
“Hannigan comes from this part of the world originally,” Ramsey confided to Juliette. “He still has family all about. They’re probably the ones who filled his head full of ghost stories.”
“I know what I know,” Hannigan said mysteriously.
“I’m sure you do, old friend. In the meantime, I’m off to see my lady-wife.” His voice was deeply ironic. “Unless you have something of import to tell me.”
Hannigan glanced at Juliette, who’d made no effort to disguise her interest. “It can keep.”
“Come along, lad,” Ramsey murmured. “You’re probably famished.”
Actually, she’d finally eaten enough that day, but she had no intention of telling him so. She scampered after him, uneasily aware of Hannigan’s troubled gaze as it followed their progress into the dim, cool exterior of the house.
Ramsey turned and dumped the picnic basket into Juliette’s waiting arms. She staggered for a moment beneath the weight of it, and once more was impressed by Ramsey’s agile strength. He kept hold of his sketchbook, however, something she considered a great pity. She would have liked to take a closer look at some of his drawings. Particularly the flattering, disturbing one of her.
She’d never considered herself possessed of vanity. Perhapsit was just the enforced nature of her disguise that made her suddenly want to see her image looking lovelier than she’d ever imagined. She needed to control that impulse. That way lay disaster.
“Go on to the kitchen, lad,” he told her. “I intend to closet myself with my wife for a good long time.”
“Yes, sir,” she said, not liking the idea at all. “Are you going to make love to her?” She stopped, horrified at herself for asking what was definitely, troublingly, on her mind.
He gave a shout of laughter. “What an impertinent question,” he said. “And I’m certainly not about to answer it. Why do you ask?”
“Beg pardon, sir,” she said, feeling the blush mount to her face and this time not hiding it.
“Any more rude questions before I leave you?” he asked, still amused.
She looked at him. He was a very handsome man, though not in the most usual way of it. She’d tended to think of handsome men as blond and broad-shouldered, with full pink lips and blue eyes and too many teeth.
This man was lean and dark and almost menacing on occasion, with a narrow, cynical face, dangerous gray eyes, and a thin, mocking mouth that was unaccountably erotic. She’d been fascinated by him since she’d first set eyes on him, and she imagined she’d remember him long after she made her escape from England.
“Just one,” she said, determined not to be cowed.
“Fire away, young Julian,” he said pleasantly enough.
“Why did Hannigan refer to you as ‘my lord’?”
The shot hit home. Ramsey’s face darkened for a moment, and his mouth thinned. “An old joke between the twoof us,” he said with no hesitation whatsoever. “Hannigan’s always been full of himself, and I used to tease him that he ought to be taking care of a royal duke at the very least. In return, he started calling me ‘your lordship’ from the time I was ten. Indeed, I imagine I was a very lordly little boy.”
“Indeed,” she said, imagining it herself.
“And now you can answer an impertinent question for me, young Julian,” he said, and she recognized the menace in his voice immediately.
She refused to quail. “Of course.”
“You can tell me who you’re running away from.”
CHAPTER SIX
Sutter’s Head was an old building, rambling, with ells and gables and additions every which way. The outbuildings were in sorry repair; only the stable possessed a solid roof.
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