But Drew was waiting for them in the front hall, and when she raised a brow at him, he explained, “One of the twins is sick. A nasty cold apparently, but you know how mothers are. Georgie won’t leave his side, so she asked me to fill in as your escort today. She didn’t think you’d mind. She said something about me being a much better intimidator than she is, if the lawyer gives you any trouble.”
“She told you what the problem might be?”
“That you didn’t follow the fellow’s advice?”
“It wasn’t advice. He was actually going to hand me over to a known reprobate who was supposedly going to act as my guardian, when I told him my father was alive and that I didn’t require a guardian. The man wouldn’t listen to reason, though.”
“So you simply left England?”
“Well, what would you have done under the same circumstances?” she countered.
He actually smiled. “Probably the same thing. Shall we go?”
It wouldn’t have taken long to reach William Bates’s office if Margery hadn’t spotted one of her old friends on the street and asked to be let out of the coach for a few minutes. They waited for her, but it didn’t look as if Margery wanted to end her reunion quickly.
“Are you always this impatient when you visit solicitors?” Drew asked her. He’d noticed her tapping her foot.
“I’ve only ever visited one, this one, and—” She paused to sigh. “Bates was my mother’s solicitor. As a child, I recall him always being quite rude when my mother would go to see him and take me with her. He was so condescending, it was like he was treating her like a child.”
“My oldest brother, Clinton, who handles most of the business of my family’s shipping line, has told me about arrogant, rude lawyers, but also that they’re not all like that. Why didn’t she hire a different lawyer?”
Gabrielle smiled. “That’s a good question. Probably because she never even thought to. He was her father’s man, too. Loyalty, I suppose, was why she tolerated him, and because she didn’t have to deal with him often. But I’m just guessing. She never seemed to mind him, or even notice how rude he was. I did, though, and I never liked him, ever, which is possibly why I’m nervous.”
“Then let’s get it over with. You don’t need your servant for this. As the brother of your sponsor, I am an acceptable chaperone for you, you know. Let her enjoy some time with her friend.”
Gabrielle didn’t even have to think twice about it. Having Drew alone to herself, even if she did have some business to take care of first, was an unexpected boon. It would be a nice chance to get to know him a little better. And he was being amiable for a change. Not one insult or questionable tease—so far. Had last night made a difference to him, too? Was he finally ready to call a truce?
She called out to Margery that she could take her time and enjoy a nice visit with her friend, that she’d meet her at home later. She then told the driver to continue on.
They turned a corner and the morning sun entered the coach and caught the tips of Drew’s hair. Such lovely hair he had, and just now, it seemed sprinkled with golden dewdrops…God, he was so handsome, and she suddenly had an overwhelming urge to touch him. He wasn’t even looking at her, was glancing out the window. Would he feel it if she leaned forward and touched him? Of course he would, and how could she explain that? She couldn’t. She’d be caught red-handed and embarrassed. Or he’d sweep her into his arms and kiss her…
“We’re here,” he said.
“Where?” she said.
He gave her a knowing look and one of his sensual smiles. Oh, good grief, he couldn’t know that she’d been thinking about touching him, could he?
He helped her down from the coach, taking her hand in his, putting his other hand to her waist to make sure she didn’t fall. Such an ordinary thing for him to do, and yet she felt his hands on her so keenly. She didn’t want to move on, didn’t want to lose that touch. They were standing so close. She wondered if he realized that she wanted him to kiss her. Such yearning she felt, it must have been reflected in her expression. But having arrived at their destination, Drew was all business now and simply ushered her straight into the building and upstairs to Bates’s office.
She was disappointed, especially after Drew had given her that knowing look and smile. Then to so dismiss her from his mind that he wouldn’t even glance at her. That was why she was a bit sharp when she gave Bates’s clerk her name. And she probably would have been quite sharp with Bates as well if she’d been shown right in to him. But she was asked to wait, to take a seat, that he would see her shortly.
She didn’t sit down. She paced. Drew, watching her for a moment, started pacing with her. When she realized what he was doing, she stopped and chuckled. The tension left her. She even sat in one of the chairs lining the wall.
She wasn’t kept waiting long, but the clerk said, “Your companion, unless he is a relative, will have to wait out here.”
Drew simply ignored the fellow and led her into the office. William Bates was sitting behind his desk. He didn’t rise at her entrance. A big man who overindulged in food, nearly bald and with florid cheeks, he hadn’t changed at all. He was even wearing the same scowl he’d worn at their last meeting.
“Do you realize I could have had you declared dead, Miss Brooks?”
She stared at him in amazement, not because he was trying to intimidate her again, but because he didn’t intimidate her at all now. Good grief, she couldn’t believe how formidable he’d seemed when she was younger. It was a wonder she’d had the nerve to defy him and leave the country like she did. But he was just a large man who liked to pretend he was more important than he was.
“Nonsense,” Gabrielle replied. “I sent you a letter, informing you that I was leaving England to live with my father.”
“And merely assumed that I received it?”
“Whether you did or not is irrelevant. I left because you tried to deliver me into the hands of a man who was unfit to be anyone’s guardian.”
“You were underage!”
“I was not without a living relative!”
“A relative who did not live in England!”
She leaned forward, her hands placed on his desk, and gave him a tight little smile. “There is no need for us to argue, Mr. Bates. I’ve returned to England, which is all that matters. And I’m old enough to receive my inheritance, so if you have documents for me to sign, produce them now. Otherwise, begin immediately the transfer of my mother’s estate to me.” Gabrielle took a card out of her reticule and laid it on the solicitor’s desk, “This is the name of the bank to which you can transfer my funds.”
“Now see here—”
“Just do as the lady says and transfer her funds,” Drew said.
“Who are you, sir?” Bates demanded.
“Drew Anderson, a relative of the Malorys,” Drew replied. “Do I need to mention titles?”
William cleared his throat. “No. No, indeed. That family is well known in this town. This matter will be expedited with all due haste. Good day, Miss Brooks.” He nodded, and then stood respectfully as she rose and left the office with Drew close behind her.
Outside, as Drew helped her back into the coach, she thanked him for his assistance. He chuckled at her.
“You’re joking, right?” he said. “The way Georgie made it sound, I thought I was going to have to slam a few heads together today. But you didn’t need any help in there. You handled the situation as if you deal with lawyers every day.”
She blushed at the compliment. “He just wasn’t as frightening as I remembered him being.”
“Nonsense. He still tried to cow you, but you didn’t let him. I wouldn’t have said anything, but I just love throwing around that word ‘titles.’ It gets no reaction back home, but here it can produce some really amusing results. Now how about a ride down the Mall in Hyde Park before we return home, since we finished here early? Or maybe even a boat ride? What’s the name of that lake one of your kings created in
the park?”
“It was Queen Caroline, wife to George II in the last century, who had the Serpentine created. And that’s a rather nice idea, actually, though it looks like it will be raining soon. Are you sure?”
“As long as it doesn’t downpour, we won’t melt.”
That giddiness was returning. What an unexpected delight. She’d come downstairs this morning dreading the confrontation with William Bates, and not only did that go surprisingly well, but she was getting to spend the day with Drew as well.
They rode to the lake in Hyde Park. There were no boats available to rent when they got there, so they walked along the shore instead.
“I take it you’re rich now?” Drew asked when they stopped to feed some ducks.
“Not at all,” she replied, watching the way his jacket stretched taut as he bent over toward the ducks. “My mother’s inheritance leaves me quite comfortable, though, and there’s the cottage that’s mine now.”
“Cottage?” He seemed surprised as he glanced back at her. “Why did I picture you growing up in a mansion?”
She laughed. “Perhaps because I did. A cottage here doesn’t necessarily denote size. My mother’s house was quite large with extensive grounds.”
“You liked living here?” he asked. “Or did you prefer the Caribbean?”
“I much prefer the warmer climate in the islands.”
He hooked her arm through his to continue the walk, very proper, and yet that was the only warmth she was thinking of. It was very hard to concentrate on conversing with him when their shoulders brushed together and she could feel the heat of his body so close to hers.
“Then why come here for a husband?”
“My father wanted me to have this coming out because it’s what my mother would have arranged for me had she lived. But why do you find it unusual? I am English, after all.”
“What sort of man are you looking for? Give me a few clues and I’ll keep an eye out for candidates.”
He help her to find a husband? She almost laughed. He was probably teasing, so she replied in a light tone, “I probably want what most girls want. I’d like a husband who is tall, and handsome, and witty. Oh, and it would be nice if he enjoys traveling.”
She’d just described him. She wondered if he’d noticed. It didn’t sound like it when he chuckled.
“I think that has to be the first time I’ve ever heard that as criteria for a husband,” he said. “Why traveling?”
“Because I enjoy it.”
He raised a brow. “Do you really?”
“Why does that surprise you?”
“Because most women I know don’t like going to sea. They either find it frightening, or just don’t want to go far from the comforts of home.”
“Then they’ve never manned the wheel!”
His look said he was sure she was teasing now. “Well, you’ll have to strike old Wilbur as a contender for your hand, then. He seems a man who’ll never set foot aboard a ship.”
“Nonsense. What makes you say so?”
“I’ve seen him dance with you,” he replied. “He’s got two left feet. Can’t maintain a good balance aboard a ship with two left feet, now, can you?”
She did laugh at his teasing this time. He just grinned and tossed a pebble into the water. Hyde Park was still in glorious full bloom and the lake was beautiful at this time of the year, but she noticed only vaguely, since her eyes barely moved off of Drew. She still found the breeze off the water a little chilling whenever he stepped away from her, but she wasn’t about to mention that she was cold and risk ending their outing, or, actually…No, she wasn’t going to make him think about keeping her warm. She couldn’t be that bold; well, she could, but they were in a public place.
“What about you?” she asked. “Do you often come to England?”
“My brothers and I try to get here at least once a year, ever since my sister took up residence here. We opened a Skylark office in London after Georgie married, so England is once again one of our regular trade routes.”
“Where do your normal routes take you?”
“The Caribbean. I’ll be returning there when I leave England. I was going home to Bridgeport, but only because I was going to meet Boyd there. Since he showed up here instead, I’ll be returning to business as usual.”
She grinned. “You favor the Caribbean, too?”
He grinned as well and admitted, “Yes, but then it’s not such a long trip from there to our home in Bridgeport, Connecticut.”
“Your ship is docked in London, I take it?” At his nod, she asked, “What’s her name?”
“The Triton. She’s a beauty, sleek, and fast for her size,” he said with obvious pride.
“How long have you captained her?”
“I was twenty when I first took command of her,” he replied.
“Isn’t that a name from Greek mythology?”
“Indeed. Most of our ships carry similar names. Our father named all the ones my brothers and I command, so you might guess, he loved Greek mythology.”
“Rather prestigious names, though,” she said, then chuckled. “I’m hesitant to mention the name of my father’s ship. There’s simply no comparison.”
“Oh, come now. You’ve sparked my curiosity, so you have to confess.”
“The Crusty Jewel.”
“Ah, symbolic of nothing?”
“On the contrary. Chasing down treasure is his passion, and if, no, when he finally finds that pot of gold, as it were, he expects the chest to be full of old coins and jewels, all quite crusty from being buried for centuries.”
She was pleased to note his smile was understanding. He could have gotten nasty there about her father, but remarkably, he’d been on his best behavior all day. Teasing, charming, and not a single mention of pirates.
He noticed one of the rowboats heading back toward the dock where they could be rented and mentioned that boat ride again, so they turned to head back. But he’d no sooner said it than the first raindrops hit them.
“So much for that,” he mumbled. “Hurry, it’s going to be pouring in a minute.”
It was less than a minute. The deluge came almost immediately after he mentioned it. Everyone in the park was racing in one direction or another to get out of the rain. But there was simply no way she could run in the constraints of her outing dress and new petticoats, not without hiking up the skirt. She tried, though, to keep up with him, since he’d grabbed her hand to run, but he soon noticed her problem. Rather than just give up and accept the fact that they were going to be drenched before they reached the coach, he surprised her by sweeping her into his arms. He was able to run much faster then, even carrying her.
They were still drenched. As soon as they were inside the coach, they both began to laugh at their sorry state.
“That was quite chivalrous of you, but we’re still soaked!” she said.
He paused in removing his jacket to brush a lock of wet hair off her cheek, making her realize that her coiffure was completely undone, wet locks scattered down her back and chest. Putting a hand to the top of her head, she exclaimed, “Oh, no, I seem to have lost my hat, too! What rotten luck, it was my favorite.”
“Hold on,” Drew said, and ran back outside.
She tried to stop him, but he seemed not to hear her. He wasn’t gone long, though, and he shouted at the driver, “Back to Berkeley Square!” before he reentered the coach and dropped a very bedraggled hat on the seat beside her. “See what I’m willing to do for you!”
That was rather unexpected. “Thank you,” she said as she gave the ruined hat a forlorn look. “I might be able to salvage the feathers, after they dry.”
“I’d buy a new one, but that’s just me.”
She chuckled and glanced up at him, then drew in her breath. He’d finished removing his jacket. His white lawn shirt was plastered to his skin, revealing every sinewy muscle across his wide chest and powerful arms. Her eyes met his and the laughter died abruptly. She barely had
time to notice the heat in his gaze before his arms were around her and he was kissing her.
Oh, God, she’d known instinctively that a kiss from him would be more exciting than she could imagine. Again and again, his lips moved softly across hers, drawing her carefully into his sensual web. She couldn’t think, didn’t want to. And then his tongue gently nudged her mouth open and suddenly the kiss was much more intense, infinitely more tantalizing. There was so much passion in his kiss now that she felt a moment’s alarm…
“Drew, I don’t think—”
“Don’t think,” he cut in. “Just let me warm you. You’re freezing.”
Was she? She hadn’t noticed! But his mouth returned to hers and the passion was immediately there again. She wrapped her arms about his neck. He cradled her head with one hand while the other was rubbing up and down her back, but also pushing her toward him so that her breasts were pressed against his chest. If she could have gotten any closer to him, she would have.
When they finally separated, the air felt like steam between them. It’s possible it was, they’d generated so much heat while kissing each other. She didn’t even realize they’d reached the Malory townhouse until Drew took her hand, helped her down from the coach, and led her to the door. He could have done anything he’d wanted with her there in that coach, she’d been so inflamed by what he’d made her feel, but all he’d done was kiss her—and warm her in such an exciting, delightful way. Later, she would be grateful that’s all he’d done. But right then, she was just disappointed that the ride had ended.
“See, I’ve brought you home safe and sound,” he said with a tender smile.
She didn’t get a chance to reply. Someone suddenly hailed her and she turned to find the Honorable Wilbur Carlisle stepping out of his carriage.
What rotten timing for Wilbur to discover he had the courage to enter the lion’s den after all. “Good grief,” she said, glancing down at her bedraggled state. “I need to change first. I don’t want him to see me drenched like this. Can you explain to him what happened, Drew?”
“Deal with one of your suitors?” he said. “Not a chance, sweetheart—unless you’d like me to tell him you’ve taken yourself off the marriage mart?”