"Be careful!" he said suddenly. "The bank is very uneven here. It is easy to stumble."
He took her firmly by the elbow at the exact moment that Jane did indeed stumble awkwardly on a stone hidden in the long grass. She fell against him and both his arms went about her in a reflex action.
"Oh!" Jane said, looking up at him, startled. His eyes looked very blue from so close.
There was a silence that stretched perhaps a second too long for comfort. Jane blushed hotly, her breasts registering instantly the hardness of his chest, her thighs the firmness of his. It did not occur to her in that moment to push away from him. His head bent toward hers before he straightened suddenly and moved his hands to her shoulders.
"My apologies, Jane," he said. "I should have warned you sooner. Are you hurt?"
The sound of his voice released her from the spell that had gripped her momentarily. She stood away from him. "Oh no," she said a little breathlessly, "I just twisted my foot a little. I should have seen the stone."
He frowned in some concern. "Is your ankle sprained?" he asked, kneeling beside her and reaching out to test her ankle with his hands.
"No, not at all," she said, hastily withdrawing her foot."Really it is nothing, my lord. The pain has already gone from it."
"Let us turn back anyway," he said. "Take my arm. And do not be afraid to lean on me."
Jane felt embarrassed, but she took his arm. She had thought he was going to kiss her. What an absurd thought! It had probably been the last thing on his mind. And she had wanted him to kiss her. In fact, for one moment the bottom had seemed to fall out of her stomach. It was a terrible admission to make toherself. She was being dreadfully disloyal to Joseph.
She should not have come to Templeton Hall. She realized that now. She had given in with very little struggle. And she had to admit, if she was to be strictly honest with herself, that she had come because she wanted to be close to Fairfax. She had wanted to see him in his home setting. She had wanted to meet his children. She was being very unfair. She was clinging to the security of a betrothal to one gentleman while indulging in an infatuation for another. She was trying to get the best out of both worlds. And she was being unfair to Joseph. Even now her body was soaking up the pleasurable sensation of being close to Fairfax. Her hand and arm were very aware of the firm muscles ofhis ownarm. She could feel the heat of him along her left side.
"I am happy that Sedge has found himself a wife worthy of him," Fairfax said as they approached the beach again. "I have always been very fond of him, you know. We made our Grand Tour together when we were young pups. And he has been a great comfort to me in the last year since my wife died—first by letter and then in person. He never intended to marry, as he has probably told you. But he has met you, and I believe he will be happy with your companionship."
"Yes," was all she could think of tosay.And then she added, "I think perhaps I am the fortunate one."
"Will he continue to travel indefinitely?" he asked. "Or will you persuade him to settle down after a year or two? Will you have a family, Jane? You should, you know. You are good with children."
Jane could feel herself flushing. The topic she was too shy to broach with her betrothed was being raised in a quite matter-of-fact manner by Fairfax.
He turned to look at her when she did not reply. His hand came across to cover hers briefly. "I am sorry," he said. "I have embarrassed you. I did not mean to. Of course, your plans are none of my business. In my very narrow-minded way, you see, I was expressing my view that no one should be denied the pleasures of parenthood. I am quite besotted with my girls, as I am sure you have noticed." He grinned in thatveryunexpected way again.
"They are lovely," she said. "I might well decide to kidnap Claire when I leave here. I believe Amy takes some getting to know. She is solemn and reserved for so young a child, is she not?"
He was serious again. "Yes," he said. "She was at an impressionable age when her mother died. For Claire it was not so bad. She was still very much a baby. Amy needs a great deal of love and attention. I intend to give her both. I had hoped to give her a new mother."
He closed his eyes tightly for a moment and shook his head. He flushed quite noticeably. "Pardon me," he said. "Oh, pardon me, Jane. I had not meant to refer to the subject. Have I embarrassed you terribly? Please forgive me."
Jane dropped her head so that he would not see her face. She felt a raw pain in the back of her throat that she knew was the prelude to tears. She fought a silent battle with herself as they skirted the folly until they reached the grassy bank from which they had started their walk.
"I have embarrassed you," he said. "I am sorry, Jane. And I do wish you well. Sedge is a lucky man. You will make him happy. And you deserve better than to be tied to a man who has already had a wife and two children whom you did not bear. Forgive me for making you such an arrogant proposal in London. I do not blame you for becoming angry with me. You are a very special person and deserve more than a marriage of convenience."
They had stopped walking. He laid his hands lightly on her shoulders and stopped to look into her downcast face. "I have not made you cry, have I?" he asked softly.
She shook her head and raised her eyes to his. "No," she said. "And thank you. I mean for inviting me here and accepting me as Joseph's betrothed. I… I hope your life here will turn out well. Perhaps soon you will meet another lady whom you can love, and then your daughters will have a mother. But I think at the moment their father is quite enough for their needs." She blushed at her own temerity.
He smiled into her eyes and leaned forward to kiss her gently on the cheek. "Thank you, Jane," he said. "Will you call me Michael, since you are soon to be the wife of my best friend?"
She nodded. "Yes, Michael."
He looked across to where his horse was still tethered. "I cannot lead Prince through the trees," he said. "I shall have to take him around. Shall I take you before me on the saddle?"
She shook her head. "No," she said. "I shall walk back. Thank you."
"I shall see you at breakfast, then," he said. "I wonder if anyone else is up yet."
Someone was,Jane saw as soon as she emerged from the trees.Sedgeworthwas wandering in the formal gardens that stretched before the house. He waved when he saw her coming.
"Gracious!" he called when she came within earshot. "Are you up already, Jane? I thought you would be in bed for hours yet. I believed I was first up. Have you been to the lake? Lovely, is it not? Come and look at the flowers with me. And take a good long sniff of them. You know you are in England when you smell that particular fragrance."
