Regency High Society Vol 3: Beloved Virago / Lord Trenchard's Choice / The Unruly Chaperon / Colonel Ancroft's Love

Evidently he was not in the least reticent to allude to the incident, but Katherine wasn’t so certain whether the memory of those more tender moments was one that he found difficult to forget, or simply did not wish to do so, for his expression was quite unreadable as he handed her the hat that he had acquired to complete her disguise.

‘Yes, very neat,’ he approved, after watching her secure her hair beneath the rim, and scrutinising her overall appearance. ‘Providing no one looks at you too closely, you’d pass for a lad. Now, if you’re ready, we’d best be on our way. Josephine has kindly put her carriage at our disposal. But first, she wishes to make her farewells.’

They discovered both the carriage and its owner awaiting them in the courtyard at the front of the house. None of them chose to linger long over the leave-taking, although Katherine did promise, before finally clambering into the carriage, to visit Paris again when Josephine had acquired her house overlooking the Seine.

‘You sounded as if you genuinely meant that,’ Daniel remarked as he made himself comfortable in the seat opposite, and they commenced the last stage of their journey through France.

‘I did,’ she assured him. ‘Although I might not wholeheartedly approve of the way Madame Carre earns a living, I cannot help but admire her spirit and determination. What she was forced to endure during her marriage would have destroyed a lesser woman.’

‘Possibly,’ he agreed.

‘Furthermore, it does not necessarily follow that, just because she runs a bawdy house, she need participate in any of the activities that take place beneath its roof. In fact, I gained the distinct impression last night that she spends most of her evenings entertaining guests in the card-room, though I do not suppose for a moment that she would refuse to be—er—private with a gentleman if he should appeal to her.’

Thankful now that he had spent the night alone on the couch, Daniel was able to return that penetrating turquoise-eyed gaze. No, Katherine was certainly no fool, he mused. She possibly did suspect that he and Josephine had enjoyed a closer relationship at one time. But that had taken place in the past, long before he had met her. How he conducted himself from now on was all that need concern her.

Katherine was not slow to note his look of smug satisfaction. ‘Why are you smiling? Have I a smudge on my nose?’

‘No, but it might be better if you had. You make a damnable pretty boy, my darling,’ he informed her before, much to her intense surprise, he leaned back against the squabs and closed his eyes.

‘Heavens above! Surely you don’t propose to sleep?’

The indignant tone brought a further smile to his lips. ‘You might have enjoyed a good night’s repose. But I most certainly did not. I spent the whole night with my legs dangling over the end of that confounded chaise-longue in the parlour. And damnably uncomfortable it was too!’

Katherine hurriedly turned her head away to stare out of the window, thereby concealing an expression of unbridled satisfaction. It ought not to matter a whit to her where he had spent the night, but it did, and she couldn’t deny the intense pleasure it gave her knowing that he had spent the night alone.

By the time Madame Carre’s coachman had set them down in the centre of a small habitation on the coast, and they had visited several of the inns in a vain attempt to find the man who was supposed to be taking them across the Channel, Katherine’s feelings towards Daniel were far less charitable. He had been highly critical over her behaviour from the moment she had stepped down from the carriage and she was fast coming to the end of her tether.

‘I have not got a mincing walk. I’ll have you know that I have frequently been complimented on the elegance of my carriage. And I do not simper like an idiot, either!’

‘But you’re speaking in English again, you infuriating little baggage!’ he snapped, grasping her elbow, thereby forcing her to halt in the middle of the street. ‘Go and await me on the quayside! And here …’ delving into his pocket he handed her a few coins ‘ … go buy yourself a pasty from the street hawker we just passed. If anyone should attempt to hold you in conversation you can start munching it, then with any luck they won’t take too much notice of your deplorable accent.’

Satisfying herself with casting him a dagger-look, Katherine did as bidden, buying a pie before settling herself on the wall by the quay. Although the afternoon was dry and reasonably sunny, there was a stiff breeze coming off the sea, and it wasn’t too long before she began to feel decidedly chilled. The rough woollen cloak he had purchased for her was nowhere near as warm as the totally feminine, fur-lined garment she had been forced to leave behind at Josephine’s house.

But of course the wretched man wouldn’t have considered that, not when he’s no doubt swigging down wine or brandy in some comfortable inn! she thought angrily, following the progress of a boat leaving the small harbour, before her attention was captured by a troupe of acrobats performing wondrous feats as they progressed along the street. So enthralled did she become that she didn’t even notice a tall figure positioning himself on the wall beside her.

‘You’ve been well entertained during my absence, I see,’ that unmistakable voice remarked, thereby alerting Katherine to Daniel’s presence at last. ‘You’ll no doubt be pleased to hear I was successful in my search, and we’ll soon be leaving these shores.’

Katherine watched him glance about him. Ever vigilant, he was always on the lookout for any possible danger. ‘You sound relieved,’ she remarked, before taking a further bite out of her pie. ‘Do you suppose there are people here searching for us?’

‘Unlikely. But I shan’t be completely easy in my mind until we’ve set foot again on English soil. Ah! And here’s the very person who’ll be making that eventuality possible.’

Katherine raised her eyes to see a man of about Daniel’s age and build bearing down upon them. The breeze caught his long blond hair, whipping it back to reveal a face which was both bronzed and handsome. He nodded at Daniel before turning his striking blue eyes in her direction. Then he smiled faintly.

‘Your nephew, monsieur, is ready to leave? Let us hope that—er—he is a good sailor, hein?’ He raised his eyes and glanced out to sea. ‘The wind is getting up. I fear the crossing will not be a smooth one,’ he warned, before returning his gaze to Daniel, who was now looking decidedly thoughtful. ‘I ask no questions, monsieur. I have been paid well to take you. Come, my boat is moored a little further along the quay, and my men are ready to set sail.’

‘How on earth did you manage to pay him, Daniel?’ Katherine whispered, as they followed the man whom she imagined pirates of old would have strongly resembled. ‘Surely the money I gave you was not sufficient?’

‘It is Josephine we must thank for his services,’ Daniel didn’t hesitate to reveal. ‘He is a—er—close friend of hers. Even so, she was forced to dig deep into her purse before he would agree to her request.’ His worried frown grew more pronounced. ‘I do not doubt that he’ll keep to his part of the bargain. But what does concern me is that he has already guessed your sex. Stay close by me, Kate.’

She hardly required the warning. It was an effort, but she did just manage to resist the temptation to cling again to that reassuring hand, once Daniel had helped her negotiate the narrow gangplank, and her feet were safely planted on the wooden deck. All the same, she followed him like an adoring puppy to the stern of the boat, where she settled herself as near as she dared beside him on a thick coil of rope, well away from those members of the crew who resembled nothing so much as a band of cut-throats as they continued about their duties.

Katherine experienced a tiny thrill of excitement as the vessel began to move away from the quayside. Unfortunately the pleasure was short-lived, for no sooner had they left the calm waters of the small harbour behind them than she realised that the captain’s warning of a rough crossing had not been in jest. The wind grew very much stronger, and it wasn’t long before she began to feel a little queasy at the constant rolling of the boat.

At first she tried to ignore the feeling of nausea, reminding herself that she had travelled by water on numerous occasions when, as a child, she had made frequent visits to England, and had never suffered any ill effects. Furthermore, when she had travelled over to France on the packet just a few short weeks before she had felt perfectly comfortable. None the less, she was eventually forced to face the fact that she wasn’t going to be all right this time. Her head had started to throb, and she was beginning to feel hot and sticky, even with the chill wind full in her face.

‘What’s the matter?’ Daniel had not been slow to note that she had become increasingly withdrawn. ‘Do you feel unwell?’

She saw little point in trying to deny it. ‘Yes, terrible. In fact, I think—’

She got no further, and made a frantic dive for the side of the boat, hanging her head over, while at the same time striving to keep a hold on her hat. Daniel was beside her in an instant, his firm clasp on her shoulders steadying her, before promptly handing her his handkerchief.

‘Oh, you poor darling,’ she thought she heard him mutter, as he very gently guided her back to their makeshift seat. ‘Wait there. I’ll not be a moment.’

Through streaming eyes, Katherine watched him making his way with amazing agility along the rolling deck to where the captain stood issuing instructions to his crew. She saw those striking blue orbs turn in her direction, before she closed her own in an attempt to stem the flow of tears rolling down her face. She felt so ashamed for succumbing to a feminine weakness that she had always despised, but she just didn’t seem able to stop herself. She felt as helpless as a baby, and couldn’t even summon enough strength to shake off the hand which suddenly grasped her arm just above the elbow, urging her to rise, when all she wanted was to be left alone to curl up and die.

‘Come,’ Daniel coaxed, when she managed to put up a feeble show of resistance at being led across the deck. He would willingly have carried her had he not needed one free hand to steady himself and prevent them both from stumbling. The Channel seemed to be growing rougher with every passing minute, but he somehow managed to maintain his balance and succeeded in getting them both down the few wooden stairs which led to the captain’s private quarters, without either coming to grief.

Once safely inside the cabin, Daniel wasted no time in removing Katherine’s outer garments. Which was perhaps just as well, for no sooner had he helped her on to the narrow cot-bed than he found himself having to snatch up a bowl.

‘You’ll feel better soon,’ he tried to assure her, once she had made use of the receptacle, though he was far from certain himself. She looked deathly pale, even though her forehead felt clammy to the touch, but there was little more he could do for her except bathe her face with the fresh water he had discovered in a bottle, and then cover her with a blanket.

He very much feared that she wasn’t over the worst quite yet, and his prediction proved all too accurate. Unfortunately he wasn’t quick enough with the bowl the second time, and Katherine succeeded in badly soiling the front of her shirt.

It took him a few moments only to come to a decision. The captain, although undoubtedly a rogue of the highest order, had been generous enough to put his cabin and its contents at their disposal. Consequently Daniel didn’t hesitate to rifle through a large chest, and take out a clean shirt. Whether Katherine felt too weak to put up any resistance, or simply in the throes of sleep was unaware of what he was doing, Daniel wasn’t quite sure. However, she didn’t attempt to open her eyes or voice any protest when he peeled the shirt over her head, gently sponged her body and then hurriedly dressed her in the clean linen.

He then wasted not a moment in taking himself back up on deck in order to empty the two bowls over the side, and to take some deep steadying breaths, before seating himself on the coiled rope and marvelling at his powers of restraint. He was certainly no stranger to feminine charms, but he couldn’t recall setting eyes on a female form more perfect than that.

With a decidedly rueful grin on his lips, he gazed beyond the starboard side of the boat into the darkness. He could only hope that when she discovered what he had done, which assuredly she would, she would understand that his actions had been prompted by the purest motives, though he could not deny that it had been difficult to resist the temptation to look his fill.

‘Your young friend is feeling better, I trust?’

Daniel raised his eyes in time to catch a roguish grin on their captain’s lips. He had guessed at once, when Josephine had introduced them the previous evening, precisely in which profession her friend was engaged. A smuggler and out-and-out scoundrel the man might be, but he wasn’t lacking sympathy, and he was certainly no fool.

‘It didn’t take you very long to guess my companion’s a female,’ he remarked as the captain appeared inclined to linger.

He received a shout of laughter in response. ‘I am a Frenchman, monsieur. You no doubt had your reasons for attempting to conceal her sex. But she is far too enchanting to be a boy.’

Lovelier than you imagine, Daniel mused, as the tantalising image of that perfect, naked torso appeared before his mind’s eye to torment him.

‘I’ve been paid well by our mutual friend to take you across to England. I’ve always made a practice of minding my own business. It is safer that way.’ The captain raised his blond head to stare out across the sea. ‘The wind is dropping. We’ve made good time. You shall see your homeland again at dawn.’

Relieved by this assurance, Daniel settled himself more comfortably on the coil of rope. ‘You do not envisage having any difficulty in landing us at the location requested?’

‘I know your coastline as well as I know my own,’ the captain assured him. ‘And I’m a master at avoiding your patrolling vessels. No, I do not envisage any trouble. Why do you not go below and get some rest? You shall not be disturbed.’

A further rueful smile tugged at the corners of Daniel’s mouth. ‘I think it might be wise if I remain on deck, I thank you. I’m in need of a little air.’ He chose not to add that he knew his limitations. He was a man, after all, and he didn’t wish to be tempted into doing something of which afterwards he might well feel very ashamed.

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