“Rotridge.” She spoke the word as if it were the missing piece she needed to complete a puzzle. “He wants to humiliate me—to destroy my reputation completely.”
“He will never succeed. Of that I can assure you, Mary.” The fierce determination with which Richard spoke gave Mary hope, even as she saw her downfall in vivid displays of color and detail.
“How?” was all she could ask. “How do you suppose we stop this catastrophe?”
Richard began to pace, the soles of his boots kicking up clumps of grass as he did so, due to frustration. “You can say that you are unwell. That you have a sore throat and cannot perform. Surely that will—”
“Mr.Taylor will not hear of it. Not when most of England’s elite is gathered here at Thorncliff. Good lord! Do have any idea of the sort of earnings he plans to make from my performance? Granted, I receive a large sum too, but Mr.Taylor, the theatre as a whole... it would likely secure the salaries for all the other employees for the duration of the coming year!”
“But if Mr.Taylor is unable to find Lucia Cavalani, then how is she to perform in the first place?”
“Therein lies the problem,” Mary told him grimly. “Mr.Taylor knows exactly where to find me. It is part of the agreement that he and I have with each other.” She watched as Richard stopped before her, his face drawn in tight lines as he took her hands between his own. “In fact, I suspect that there is a letter waiting for me in my bedchamber, informing me that Lucia Cavalani is expected to perform at Thorncliff Manor as soon as possible.”
“And if you do not?” Richard asked, his voice grave.
She looked askance, her eyes settling on the slim branch of a tree as it bobbed up and down in the breeze. “Mr.Taylor has always been reasonable with me, but he is also a business man, so I would prefer not to take any chances.”
“You think he might threaten to reveal who you really are just to make you sing?”
Stalwartly, Mary stared back at the man whom she’d come to love, increasingly aware of something dangerous simmering beneath the surface of his seemingly calm façade. His eyes shifted and it struck her then that he was furious. Not so much with her, though she wagered he might be a little angry that she had allowed herself to get into such a muddle in the first place, but rather on her behalf. “There is no telling what a man might do for money.” She spoke softly but with precision. “Is there?”
“You would be a fool not to expect the worst,” he murmured, mirroring her thoughts.
“Precisely.”
He nodded at that and, with a quick glance around, led her to the side of the folly. The grass was slightly taller there. It tickled Mary’s ankles as Richard pulled her into his arms, the palm of his hand pressing comfortably against her back as he simply held her. A long, drawn-out moment passed until she heard him whisper in her ear, “Rotridge means to unveil you.”
“Yes,” she whispered back.
“But what if he does not manage to unveil Lady Mary, but someone else entirely?” Stepping back a little, he nudged her chin just enough for their eyes to meet. “He would lose all credibility and probably embarrass himself in the process too.”
It took a moment for Mary to figure out what Richard was plotting. Once she did, however, she knew that she’d found yet another reason to love him. “That’s a brilliant idea, Richard. And I know exactly who we can turn to for help.” Closing the distance between them once more, she wound her arms around his neck, her chest pressed flat against his. Settling her cheek against his shoulder, she inhaled deeply, allowing the scent of him to travel through her, invigorating her and giving her hope. Whatever happened, she had him. He knew the truth about her and he accepted it, was willing to stand by her and help her fight for it.
Slowly, she allowed one hand to trail down over the front of his jacket while he in turn traced circles along the length of her spine. His touch was gentle, feather light, and oh so very tempting. “I miss this closeness between us,” she said as a hot shiver swam through her.
“Me too.” His hand found her cheek, turning her head and angling it just so... The kiss that followed was delicious, filled with the flavor of tea and the chocolate they’d had on the picnic. A sigh of appreciation rose from Mary’s throat and in the next instant she found herself pressed up hard against the cool stone of the folly with Richard standing over her, his eyes slightly hooded and his breath coming fast. For a long moment, he said nothing at all, but then, ever so slowly, he leaned back, adding distance. “Forgive me, Mary, but this is not like the stolen kisses that you and I have shared in the dark. People talk. If someone were to see us... Please forgive me.”
It took a second for her dazed self to return to solid ground. Blinking, she looked back at him, saw the self-deprecation in the tight lines of his face and expelled a deep breath. “There is absolutely nothing to forgive. You and I are engaged to be married now and—”
“Even so, I would like to ensure that your reputation remains intact.”
Forcing a smile, she nodded before accepting the arm he offered her so that he could escort her back to the house. They had almost reached the steps leading up to the terrace before he murmured, “Believe me, there is nothing that I look forward to more than our wedding night, Mary. I hope that you are aware of that.”
This time, when she looked up at him, her smile was genuine. “Would it trouble you, Sir, if I were to tell you that I feel precisely the same way?”
The look he gave her was darker now and filled with something secret that Mary didn’t quite understand. Yet somehow, she knew that she desperately wanted to understand. Especially when he said, “Nothing would please me more.” His voice was low, rippling along her nerves and sending frissons down her spine.
Shuddering slightly, she steadied herself against him as they made their way up the steps. “I will write to Mr.Taylor as soon as I return to my bedchamber, informing him that Lucia Cavalani will be happy to perform at Thorncliff.” Reaching the top of the steps, she drew Richard to a halt. “You were right to ask me to tell my aunt about this. The fact that she knows makes this ordeal a little less terrifying, no matter how disappointed she is with me for deceiving her.”
“She will recover and she will forgive you for it.” The smile he gave her was slightly crooked, puckering the skin on his left cheek a little more than usual. “That is what one does when one loves someone as much as she clearly loves you.”
Her chest tightened with affection for him, for how good and kind and honorable he was. Continuing their progress, he led her back inside the house and toward the grand staircase. “She is Papa’s only sibling. The two of them have always been very close so it was natural for her to have a large presence in my life. When Papa accepted the position in India and he and Mama began preparing for their journey, Aunt Eugenia was thrilled with the prospect of sponsoring me for my Seasons and acting as my temporary guardian.”
“When do you expect your parents to return?”
“In another year, according to the most recent letter that I received from Mama.” Her voice hitched a little. “I miss them very much, but the things that they have described to me in their correspondences are truly incredible. There is no doubt that their journey to such a distant location has been a memorable experience for them.”
Inclining his head, he escorted her up the stairs. “I have heard that people ride elephants there.”
