Garrett pondered her words. She had obviously given this subject a great deal of thought.
“I amgladyou did not let yourself be trapped and bound to a woman you did not wish to wed,” she continued. “I do not care if that is why you have been labeled a rake.”
Moments passed, and then he let out a deep sigh. “But what of the girl? You do not have sympathy for her?” He was not convinced. He’d been a cad.
“Well…” She paused as though working out a mathematical equation. “You did not ruin her? In truth?”
He nuzzled her again, just below her chin, ever so softly.But he needed to answer her question—somehow it mattered, her opinion of him. “I did not. We kissed open-mouthed. We were, um, embracing. When her aunt burst into the room with some cousins, the girl somehow managed to rip the bodice of her dress.” He held himself very still, his mouth still resting against her skin.
“She must have been very ambitious indeed.” The words escaped her with a hint of awe. “To expose oneself intentionally! I don’t blame you for not offering for her. She ought not to have acted with such coldhearted motivation.”
“I did compromise her. I didnotruin her—contrary to rumors spun in that direction.” His chin rested upon her shoulder. “I do not like to be toyed with or manipulated. I suppose I am more sensitive to both, having the Earl of Hawthorne for a father.”
“And yet you were discovered and ordered to marry the girl, am I right?” Natalie must have learned interrogation techniques from her father.
Garrett was almost amused at the accuracy of her line of questioning. And yet disgust sounded in his voice. He wouldn’t sugarcoat his actions. “I refused. I flat out refused.”
They sat silently for a few minutes, staring back at the manor, candlelight shining from within. “And now, would you ever marry a woman you…well…merely to salvage her reputation? Even if you did not find her to be compatible?”
“The women I keep company with pose no threat to my bachelor status. Under normal circumstances.” He nearly laughed at the irony of this very moment. “Would you ever marry a man to salvageyourreputation?”
She shook her head side to side adamantly. “I have just been released from an unwanted engagement. I am in no hurry to place myself in another one.”
“You would allow yourself to be ruined in the eyes of society?”
“There are other ways to smooth these things over—ways that do not require two reluctant people to tie themselves together for a lifetime.”
Garrett’s hands rested just below the thrust of her breasts. He could not help but move one up until he felt the ridge where her stays ended and plump softness began. Drawing light circles, he felt her skin tighten beneath his fingers through the light cover of her dress. His mouth resumed trailing kisses along her chin. He continued thusly, and Natalie turned her head so he could access her neck more easily. Good God, he must be foxed.
Trifling with this lady was beyond reckless. They sat in plain sight of the house. Admittedly, they enjoyed the cover of darkness, but their absence would be noticed soon. Allowing himself one more taste of her skin, he dropped his hands and leaned back against the tree. She turned her head and gazed at him in a leisurely fashion. She, apparently, was quite comfortable and unperturbed at the possibility of their imminent discovery.
“And now you have realized you are once again tempting fate,” she goaded him, still not moving. He was beginning to understand that at times, she donned a sophistication she did not own. He’d better watch himself.Shecould not be relied upon to bring any restraint to their…What was this between the two of them? He must not continue this dalliance.
“You ought not to make yourself so…available to me,” he said. “I might allow myself to be seduced by your innocence one of these days, and that would put us both in a scrape.”
Her eyes flashed in the moonlight as his words sank in. “Ah, well, apparently neither of us knows what it is that we want.” She scrambled away and stood abruptly. After brushing the grass from her skirts, she glared at him. “And don’t be thinking I’mavailableto you,my lord.” Her attempt at sounding scornful was ruined when her voice caught. Nonetheless, with a veryfeminine flourish, she twirled about and marched away. She held her head high as she fled. Garrett watched as she avoided the terrace and disappeared around the side of the house. She would not return to the other guests. She would be in no mood to play charades.
Ah, so, he had hurt her.
Garrett hardened himself against a niggling remorse. Lady Natalie Spencer was an unwanted complication. He lay back upon the grass and stared up at the sky. It would be best to avoid spending any more time alone with her. He wished he could offer her more. He wished he could be the type of man she needed, a romantic white knight in shining armor. Being caught between honor and dishonor was one of the most uncomfortable situations he’d ever experienced.
NATALIE WISHED SHE’D NEVER…
Natalie wished she’d never laid eyes upon Garrett Castleton!
How could a person,a man, make a girl feel beautiful and lovable one minute and then like a pitiful piece of unwanted baggage the next? And then why would that girl allow herself to care whatthat manthought of her after he behaved so despicably? Natalie pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped at a few stupid tears she’d lost control of. And then she stopped. In between her sniffles, she thought she’d heard a small cry from within the trees. After a moment, the sound came again.
Not considering her safety, she slowly, so as not to make a great deal of noise, stepped into the trees before pausing to follow the sound again. Sure enough, the small cry grew louder. She stepped cautiously on the leaves and pine needles until she heard the sound right in front of her. And then, pulling a branch aside, she revealed a tiny creature huddled in the shimmering moonlight.
Was it a bear? No! A puppy! He must be no more than a few months old and lay curled around himself crying pitifully.
Natalie knelt and reached out her hand. A tiny tongue licked at her fingers. “Oh, you poor baby, where’s your momma?” She reached her other hand around to grasp the small body of the dog and pull him into her chest. He sported floppy ears, a longer than normal body, and very short legs. He must have been a runt that had somehow managed to escape an ignoble fate.
And he was near starved! Forgetting Hawthorne’s insults for the moment, Natalie carried him back to the house and entered through the kitchen door. In the light, she could see the black puppy had tan spots on his spindly neck and paws. Poor baby. His tiny black eyes gazed up at her adoringly. How could anybody abandon such a precious little life? Ah, well, it was their loss. She’d always wanted a dog. She was going to keep him, by Jove.
When she entered the busy kitchen, filled with warmth from the ovens and mingled aromas of both savories and sweets, his ears perked up at attention. Natalie ignored the curious and disapproving glances she received from some of the kitchen help and peeked into a pantry in search of a bowl for some milk. Seeing Cook approach with a deep scowl on her face, Natalie cuddled the pup close to her.
“Cook, what do we have that I can feed this poor pup? Some horrible person abandoned him in the trees near the house. Can you help me find some cream or milk and a small bowl? The poor dear is near starving.” Seeing disapproval on Cook’s face, Natalie turned the pitiful pup toward her. “This is Cook, little one. She will help me see you to rights. Cook’s a fine one. Cookie just loves animals.”
