Page 25 of A Momentary Marriage

Laura drew in a sharp breath. “Oh, James! It’s perfect.” She turned to him, her face glowing.

He smiled. “I thought you would like it.” His eyes moved over her face, and something in the set of his mouth, the look of his eyes, changed subtly. He still held her hand, and now his fingers slipped between hers, their palms pressed together. “Laura . . .”

She was very aware of the pulse hammering in her throat, the rise and fall of the breath in her chest, the touch of his skin against hers.

Suddenly there was a loud thrashing in the brush on the other side of the fountain. They swung around, startled, as Demosthenes burst into view. He loped up to Laura, ears flopping and tongue lolling from one side of his mouth, looking so comical that Laura laughed. She feared for a moment that he was about to throw himself against her in greeting, but James raised a hand, saying sharply, “Down,” and Dem stopped short and leaned his head against her.

“I can see you’ve added another de Vere to your collection,” James said lightly. “First me, then Walter, now Dem . . .”

“Dem would be glad to see anyone if they’d fed him soup bones.”

“That might be true,” James said. “Would you care to sit? Or would you rather I show you the ruins?”

“I think I’d prefer to just admire the view from here today.” Laura would have liked to see the fallen castle; she had intended to walk down to it. But she had learned enough of James to know that he would accompany her even if the climb was too taxing.

“What is that place? The de Vere ancestral home?”

“Not ours. It was the original owners’ castle. It was tumbled down long before the estate came into de Vere hands. The fact that they built their stronghold at the base instead of using the natural defense of the hilltop will give you some idea why they lost the property.”

Laura laughed. “Something a de Vere would never do.”

“I wouldn’t, at least.”

“Dem seems happy to be home,” Laura commented.

“Mm. It’s easy to be happy here.”

“I’m not so sure your sister is happy.” She thought it better not to mention Claude’s attitude.

“Patricia?” He cut his eyes toward her. “Why? What did she say to you?”

“She was in the hall crying this morning. Your mother was trying to console her.”

He cursed softly. “No doubt I’ll have them in my study this afternoon, wailing and tearing their hair.”

“Why?”

“I tossed Salstone out.”

“What?” Laura stared. “Are you serious?”

He shrugged. “Well, not literally, though that was a near thing. But I told him to leave, yes.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s a bloody fool. Worse, he insists on exposing that fact to everyone.”

“James . . .” When he didn’t look at her, she slid forward, turning so that he would have to look in her face. “Was it something to do with me?”

“I don’t know why you should assume that.”

“Because I am not a bloody fool, that’s why. Besides, Patricia told me it was all my fault.”

His mouth tightened. “I’ll talk to her.”

“No. I didn’t tell you so you would fight my battles for me. I just want to know what happened.”

“Leave it. It’s nothing you need worry about.”