The Random Gentleman by Elizabeth Chater Page B

minutes the man said, “I shall be putting up for a few days at The Climbing Man, Miss Oliphant. When I have—uh—brought my costume into conformity with the polite mode, may I have the honor of calling upon you at Sayre Court?”
    Belinda’s gaze flashed up to the smiling countenance of the soi-disant Peregrine Random. “Why, yes! That is—no! I am not sure . . .” she hesitated, estimating the amount of conniving and explaining she would have to do to bring Dittisham and especially Mrs. Mayo to accept the grimy, enigmatic character beside her with any degree of equanimity.
    The Duke, fully aware of Belinda’s dilemma, took an unholy delight in the situation she had landed herself in. “I see what it is,” he said, in tones of chagrin. “You are not allowed, in your position as distant connection of the family, to invite a guest. Are the Sayres so high-in-the-instep?”
    “Of course they are not!” cried the Honorable Belinda.
    “Then it must be myself who is an unworthy guest?” prodded the Duke, trying to look wistful and put-upon. He must have succeeded, for Miss Sayre was understood to say that, for her part, she would be very pleased to welcome Mr. Random to Sayre Court whenever he chose to present himself.
    The Duke hastened to secure the territory he had won. “Then I may do myself the honor of waiting upon you as soon as I can correct the deficiencies of my wardrobe?”
    “Yes, of course!” said the beleaguered Belinda, with the feeling she had been outmaneuvered.
    Once again, the irritating creature grinned at her. “Thank you! At that time I shall endeavor to explain to you the rather odd circumstances in which you found me—”
    “That will be quite unnecessary,” interrupted Belinda. She was already fabricating plans for explaining his presence to Dittisham, but took time to raise her brown eyes to his face with a smile that would have done credit to a dowager hostess of the ton . “Why do you not bring your fiancée with you, sir?” she asked graciously. “She resides, I collect, in the district?”
    The Duke, becoming momentarily more enchanted with his future wife, was at pains to admit that, yes, his fiancée resided in the district, and that he hoped indeed that she would be with him when he called at Sayre Court.
    These civilities concluded, the couple found strangely little to say to one another as they approached the boundary of the Home Woods. Belinda was hoping that no employee of the Earl would see her with her raffish companion, for they had all known her from a child, and felt privileged to make impudent inquiries into her actions. The Duke, for his part, had begun to wonder just how long it would take to get his portmanteaux and his valet down from London. What with one thing and another, the abstracted pair walked so slowly that Ben, a most sagacious and long-suffering beast, was finally constrained to nudge his master quite sharply. Since he nudged him toward Belinda, the gentleman blundered against the lady and was compelled to throw his arms around her to prevent her from falling. This position was found to be unexpectedly comfortable by both parties, and after a long moment of staring rather foolishly into one another’s eyes at close range, it seemed the most natural thing in the world that they should place their lips together.
    A satisfying interval later, the Duke lifted his head. He was feeling dazed. He had kissed some of the most beautiful women in Europe, and been kissed by them in return, but not one of those admittedly pleasurable embraces had had the effect upon him of this simple pressure of lips. He had never experienced this tingling of every nerve in his body, this swelling sense of joy, this really remarkable hunger for more of the same pleasure. By God! thought the Duke joyfully, I had no idea how soft and sweet a woman’s lips could be! And he looked at the soft red mouth, lost in wonder.
    Under that bemused stare Belinda felt color rising in her