He sounded socasualabout a sentence of death! “Obviously you survived. You lived up to your resolution?”
“Yes, that’s how I took up my present line of work. I find solutions for people who don’t have the means to solve certain problems themselves.”
“That sounds admirable,” she said. “And so you are here, rescuing a prodigal widow on behalf of a very rich man.”
He laughed a little. “The work is worthy and the pay is very good. But as I said, since reaching the great age of thirty, I’ve started to think there must be something more. I just haven’t figured out quite what.”
“Marriage, family, and a manor house?” she suggested. “As I recall, you had an inheritance from your godfather. Might that be enough to become a country gentleman?”
“I imagine it would be, though contacting the family lawyer would mean the risk of actually meeting my father or brothers,” he said without enthusiasm. “My interactions with the noble Audleys have consisted of occasionally sending a note to the family lawyer saying something like, ‘Sorry to inform you that I’m still alive!’”
She laughed out loud. “I see you haven’t entirely outgrown your desire to irritate your relations.”
“No, so it’s just as well I don’t see them,” he said without regret. “If I ever do become a country squire, I’m unlikely to run into my grand relations since they’re such snobs and prefer to avoid the lower orders. Personally, I find the lower orders so much more interesting than most members of the beau monde.”
“You’re Lord George Gordon Richard Augustus Audley, third son of the Marquess of Kingston,” she said with a smile. “Not precisely one of the lower orders.”
“My father would disagree,” he said dryly.
“Your father is hopeless, but it might be possible to become friends with your brothers. Surely one or two of them are worth knowing?”
“Perhaps,” he allowed. “It would have to be one of the younger brothers since the two older ones are deeply unpleasant. I prefer friends to family because we get to choose our friends.”
“If you decide to marry and settle down, your wit, handsome face, title, and a moderate fortune will make it easy to find a wife who can be both friend and lover.”
“Finding a good mate is the most difficult thing on earth, I suspect,” he said pensively. “My title isn’t much use since it’s merely courtesy. You didn’t seem to be very impressed by becoming Lady George Audley.”
She chuckled. “I was too surprised to be impressed. Besides, I don’t like the name Lady George any more than I liked you being Lord George.”
“With luck, you won’t have to pretend to be Lady George again.” He took her hand casually, his fingers lacing through hers. “We should be able to get another hour or two of rest before facing the new day, which is apt to be a busy one.”
She covered a yawn. “That’s a good plan. Sleep well, Richard. And dream of a suitable wife who is a friend, along with a happy, uneventful life.”
As she drifted off, she heard him murmur, “I don’t know if that’s possible, Catkin. Because the only woman I’ve ever come close to marrying is you.”
Chapter 9
Morning had arrived when Gordon woke up, though the soft light said it was still early. The odor of burned wood was in the air, but the temperature was relatively cool for the moment.
Callie had moved during the night and rolled into him, her head tilted against his upper arm and her soft curves pressed along his side. She looked much younger and thoroughly irresistible in the pearly light. A few strands of apricot hair had curled loose against her fair skin. He felt a surge of pure, mindless desire, a need to bend over for a kiss and caress her into joyful morning passion....
Except that he damned well had to resist for more reasons than he had fingers and toes to count on. Reasons that started with “war zone” and continued to Callie currently having zero interest in him or any other man. Maybe later, when she was safe and her life sorted out, she’d be more open to dalliance. Or maybe that would never happen. She seemed quite determined to keep men out of her life, and he understood why. The men in her life had not done well by her.
Thinking of all she’d endured produced a deep tenderness shadowed by past, present, and future. The past was bright memories of playfulness and long conversations right up till they’d been wrenched apart and sent into different forms of exile. The present was delight, danger, and an absolute duty to get her safely away from this cursed city and reunited with the children who gave her life meaning.
The future was a mystery—except that he knew Callie had to be part of it. What that meant for him, he couldn’t guess, but no matter. He’d work it out as it came along. Today, escape to Baltimore, collect her family, then off to England posthaste.
He knew in his bones it wouldn’t be that easy.
Callie stirred and her eyes snapped open as she remembered where she was. Her hazel gaze was golden in the dawn, and the intimacy between them stabbed with rapier depth and intensity. He wanted to bolt from the bed like a scalded cat.
He didn’t have to because Callie beat him to it. She scrambled along the wall and off the end of the bed. When she stood, the coverlet fell away to reveal her body backlit by a shaft of sunshine that turned her shift translucent. Desire stirred again, but it was no match for his panic. Where the devil did that reaction come from?
He’d think about it later. For now, he slammed the door on his wildly veering thoughts and swung his feet to the floor. “How much needs to be done before we can leave? I presume you want to say good-bye to Mrs. Turner. Do you have any possessions in this cottage to carry away?”
“I do want to say good-bye to Edith, but otherwise I’ll be traveling very light,” she said ruefully. She pulled her blue gown from the clothespress. “All I have is the clothes I wore and my pistol. Luckily the skirt on this gown is full enough for me to ride astride behind you without being too indecent.”
“I have a better solution.” He stepped into the sitting room and opened one of the saddlebags he’d left by the door the night before, then removed two neatly folded garments. He handed them to Callie, then extracted a flattened hat, which he shaped into a wide-brimmed sun shade suitable for gardening or field work. “Wear these clothes. They’ll be loose, but not as loose as anything of mine.”
