Laura thought of the noises she heard at night. She shivered. “Might they still?”
“No chance of that.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t be uneasy, Laura. Customs are onto them. We’ll let the law deal with them.”
“So, that’s the end of it?” She prayed that it was. She hated to see him so tired anddefeated.
“It had better be. If this isn’t quickly solved, my standing in the Lords will be worth nothing. And my plans for change will lie in ashes.”
Laura leaned forward, yearning to comfort him. “How did you discover the contraband?”
“Hugh found boxes containing tobacco and other items in one of the estate cottages. They’d brought them in under the cover of darkness.” He rubbed the back of his head where his black hair tapered neatly to his collar. “When it happened over two years ago, I was involved with other pressing matters. I let Mallory get away without questioning him further.”
“Why haven’t you told me any of this?”
She caught a flash of doubt in his eyes. “I wanted to deal with it first. I didn’t want you to be worried.” He shrugged. “And I don’t like the idea of seeing disappointment in your eyes when you look at me. I promised you a good life here, Laura. It has not been quite what you hoped for, has it?”
Did he refer to Wolfram or to their marriage? She drew in a breath, deeply moved by his need for her to respect him. “You could never disappoint me.” She reached for his hand and entwined her fingers in his long, warm ones. “I shall always believe in you.”
Nathaniel squeezed her hand with a grateful smile. “There may be times when you find that difficult, sweetheart.”
He withdrew his hand and rose to pour himself another brandy from the decanter. He was a measured man in many ways and always stopped at two brandies after dinner. His actions showed how upset he was. Her breath caught insympathy.
“Darling, you’re a good man. I know that.”
“Thank you, sweetheart. Let’s not talk about it anymore tonight. I’m a little tired.” He held his hands out to help her rise. “Shall we go up?”
“I’ve selected the menu for your birthday dinner,” Laura said, attempting to lighten the atmosphere as they climbed thestairs.
“It’s sweet of you to do this for me, Laura, but I don’t want a lot of fuss.”
“Oh,” she said in a small voice. “Everyone has been invited. I asked Cilla this afternoon.”
“Very well. If you must.” At the top of the stairs, he pulled her against him. “I’ll tell you what I’d like for my birthday,” he murmured, his cheek against her hair. “To take you out in my boat. I planned to before this, but somehow I haven’t gotten around to it. Winter will be closing in soon enough.”
“I’ve only been on the water once,” Laura said, her voice sounding strained. “That was in your rowboat.” Her heart sank at the memory. “I can’t swim.”
He stroked her chin with his knuckles. “A landlubber, eh? I’ll look after you, never fear. You’ll grow to love it. There’s nothing like the rush of waves as the sailboat speeds across the water driven by the wind.” His eyes took on a faraway look as if he imagined himself there. “Sailing gives you a wonderful sense of freedom. You don’t know you’re alive until you’re out on the ocean.”
Unconvinced, she fought for a way to delay it. “But I have so much to do for your birthday dinner.”
“You have a few weeks, and Rudge will take care of everything.”
That was exactly what she did not intend to happen. “Despite Rudge, I will still have much to do. And these affairs require time to organize.”
He arched a black brow, his eyes warm and knowing. “You don’t wish old Rudge to get the upper hand, eh?” It was like the sun coming out from behind a rain cloud. Nathaniel understood her feelings. He was getting to know her, as she washim.
She grinned. “It’s my first dinner party. I would like to arrange it.”
“Then do so, sweetheart. We’ll sail tomorrow for just a few hours. I’ll take you around Wolfram and along the coast. You can’t fully appreciate the beauty of Cornwall unless you see it from the water.”
“I’d like that.” It was a concession of sorts. He would allow her to organize her party and she would go out in the boat with him, although she dreadedit.
When Nathaniel came to her bedroom, Laura hoped to continue their conversation before they lost themselves in each other. In her dressing gown, her hair loose over her shoulders, she greeted him with a light kiss. “I can imagine you sailing around the coast as a youth. I want to hear more about your boyhood.”
He settled beside her on the bed, toying with her long tresses, which always seemed to fascinate him. “My parents were busy people. I wasn’t disciplined much in those days. Left to my own devices. When I wasn’t with my tutor, I roamed free with the other village children. I swam, rode my pony and fished.”
“Did it all end when you were sent away to school?”
“Everything changed after that.” A guarded note strained his voice.
