Devlin had knownhe would not be welcomed with open arms when he arrived at Clearview. What he hadn’t anticipated was how amusing it would be to see Cassandra, who was ordinarily so composed, lose her temper. Because of him.
While his brain had told him he ought to be insulted by some of the things she’d said and the way she’d said them, he’d also been strangely pleased by her reaction. It meant he was able to get a fiery response out of her, which wasn’t the worst thing a man could incite in a woman. Least of all in one as desirable as she.
Rogue that he was, he made no effort to stop himself from admiring the sway of her hips or the alluring way her muslin gown moved over her backside as she walked. She was, after all, to be his wife, even if she’d not yet agreed. But she would. Of that he was certain. Because he had every intention of doing his utmost in order to convince her. Funny thing that, he reflected as he took his seat at the table. Four days ago he’d been completely opposed to marriage. Now there was no longer any doubt he wanted to be a husband – Cassandra’s husband. Not after weighing all of the pros and cons during his ride to Clearview.
“I didn’t know you had returned to England, Devlin,” Penelope said with the familiarity of a child who’d known him so long she treated him like a blood relation. He liked that. “Did you, Mama?”
Cassandra kept her gaze carefully averted from Devlin’s while helping Katherine serve the food. “Yes,” she said. “I was aware.”
“And you chose not to tell me,” Penelope said with a hint of accusation in her young voice.
“Maybe it was supposed to be a secret,” Rosemary said.
William, Clyde, and Henry all nodded. Sarah took a big gulp of milk from her glass, her large round eyes fixed on Devlin in an almost disconcerting sort of way. Jamie, the oldest of the boys, proceeded to wolf down his food with the gusto of a growing youth.
Penelope scrunched her nose in thought. She watched her mother pour tea and waited until she’d filled Devlin’s cup before saying, “I find it odd that you would come here without your brothers. I mean, what could possibly be your incentive?”
“Perhaps he longs for a peaceful sojourn in the country,” Cassandra suggested.
Penelope’s fork stabbed at a piece of egg and then made its way to her mouth. She chewed. Her eyes narrowed with the sort of unrelenting inquisitiveness only a child can possess. And then she asked, “Why have you come to Clearview, Devlin?”
He smiled at her. This twelve-year-old girl had just given him the perfect opportunity to swing things in his favor. Penelope had always seemed to like him, and over the years he’d become quite fond of her. So with this in mind, he ignored Cassandra. He didn’t have to look at her to know she was silently begging him to keep quiet.
Instead, he directed all of his focus at Penelope and said, “Why, to ask your mother to marry me, of course.”
A clatter came from Cassandra’s vicinity, along with some guttural utterance that wasn’t the least bit feminine. He chuckled inwardly. If he listened hard enough, he’d probably be able to hear her grinding her teeth. And if he dared glance her way…
For the sake of self-preservation he avoided doing so, his attention fixed solely upon Penelope, whose lips were stretching into the widest smile he’d ever seen. His heart thumped with excitement.
“That is the best thing I’ve ever heard,” Penelope said. “Oh, Mama, you must say yes, you simply—”
“Stop it,” Cassandra snapped. Everyone stilled. Penelope’s mouth moved but no words escaped. Eventually, she dropped her gaze to her food.
Katherine cleared her throat. “Go ahead and eat,” she told the children gently.
Spurred into motion at the sound of her voice, the youngsters resumed eating; forks and knives began to scrape across plates. Chewing noises followed, only occasionally interspersed by the soft gurgling sounds produced whenever someone took a sip of milk or tea.
Between two bites of toast, Devlin hazarded a look at Cassandra. She appearedto be staring at the opposite edge of the table with eyes that seemed to see too much without seeing anything at all. Jaw tight, she ate with mechanical movements, her mind clearly preoccupied by an intricate puzzle, like figuring out how to kill him and get away with it.
He considered the sweep of her jawline, the angle at which it connected with her ear, and the elegant slope of her nose. Her lips, wide and full, were a bold shade of pink - an unusually bright color for anyone to have naturally and, Devlin reflected, deserving the envy of every pale-lipped woman in England.
It was curious really. He’d known Cassandra for years and during that time he’d recognized she was comely - the sort of woman who could easily stir his desire. He’d sensed an attraction, at least on his part, but he’d never taken the time to figure out what it was based on.
Now, looking at her, he saw she was more than a family friend whom he’d gotten used to, and certainly more than pleasant to look at. She was, in fact, stunning, and while her mouth was set in a rigid line at the moment,Devlin could not stop from imagining what it might be like to kiss it.
Which was yet another reason to marry, he mused.
Slowly, he took a sip of his tea. It was wonderfully hot and soothing. It also allowed him a brief moment of reflection in which to decide on the best strategy. He needed to get Cassandra alone so they could talk, and since gaining her compliance would likely be easier with witnesses present, he took one more sip of tea and said, “Perhaps the two of us can go for a walk after breakfast and discuss the matter?”
She turned her head very slowly and speared him with the sharpest stare he’d ever been subjected to. “As far as I am concerned, there is nothing to discuss. So please stop trying to force an issue in which I have no interest in playing a part.”
Devlin took another bite of his toast and chewed on it while wondering how to proceed from here. Some men, he mused, might give up at this point. Few would bother trying to convince a woman as stubborn as Cassandra. Especially since he hadn’t wanted to get married either until he’d learned she’d run off.
Apparently, her attempt to escape him and then try to send him packing had made him all the more determined to gain her agreement. Sneaking a peek at her while he mulled this over, he figured his own bull-headed nature must be to blame. Because the more she resisted, the more he wanted to win this strange battle of wills. Hell, it was almost a matter of pride at this point.
That, and the fact that he’d started to ponder the benefits of having her as his wife. He allowed himself a smug smile. If she kissed and made love with the same kind of passion she argued, then he’d be a fortunate man indeed.
“I think you should listen to what Devlin has to say.”
