The Waters of Love Read online

  “I want another dance too,” he murmured as he swept her into the waltz. “And another after that.”

  “More than two is hardly proper,” she reminded him.

  “To blazes with that!” he exploded, forgetting for a moment that he was a gentleman. “If you don’t help me they’ll have me primed for slaughter before the night is out.”

  “I thought you seemed very happy in her company.”

  “Only as much as politeness required. At least I was not flirting outrageously with her.”

  His tone made Lexia look at him sharply.

  “What do you mean, ‘flirting outrageously’?”

  “I would have thought my meaning was all too plain.”

  “Are you accusing me of flirting with someone.”

  “Not with ‘someone’. With three all at once.”

  “How dare you! I may have done a little flirting, but I was certainly not outrageous.”

  “I call it outrageous when a woman claims three men simultaneously.”

  “I did not claim them. They pursued me.”

  Something seemed to have annoyed him for he could not resist saying in a grumpy tone,

  “Which you knew very well how to make them do.”

  “You are mistaken, my Lord,” Lexia informed him with dangerous sweetness. “I have never yet had to make a man come after me. They just do.”

  “In crowds presumably?”

  “Oh, yes, they always come in crowds.”

  He glared at her.

  “Oh, be reasonable!” she said, exasperated with him. “I had to do something after Lady Overton practically poked me in the eye with Martha. If you think I am wearing the willow for you – ”

  “I have not asked you to do so,” he pointed out stiffly.

  “You expect me to sit there like a wallflower while you shower attentions on the woman who is destined to be your bride – ”

  “I do not intend her for my bride – ”

  “But Lady Overton does and I think she’s probably a better fighter than you.”

  “You underestimate me, madam.”

  “And you underestimate her. How do you think Martha got here? She wasn’t due for days.”

  “I have been wondering about that myself,” he admitted. “She told me she suddenly took it into her head to start her visit a few days early.”

  “What a coincidence!”

  “Don’t you believe it?”

  “Do you?”

  “No, I think Lady Overton sent her a telegram. If she sent it yesterday, after she left your house, there would be plenty of time for Martha to arrive today. Lady Overton had to do something once she had discovered the threat.”

  “Threat?”

  “Don’t try to be modest. You know as well as I do that you are the biggest threat the matchmaking Mamas of this region have seen in a decade. I feel I ought to apologise for the way she behaved at dinner, but you dealt with her so well.”

  Lexia laughed.

  “I’ve faced worse than her.”

  “Perhaps Lady Overton should be careful.”

  The music was coming to an end and Lord Charles was hovering to make sure nobody snatched Lexia from him.

  Lady Overton and Martha were also hovering, their smiles like glass.

  When there was a pause in the dancing for the guests to get their breath, Mr. Drayton appeared at his daughter’s elbow.

  “You handled that badly,” he growled.

  “Handled what badly?” she asked innocently.

  “I saw you dancing with him.”

  “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

  “You weren’t supposed to quarrel with him. Don’t deny it. I could see you and I even heard you say, ‘how dare you!’”

  “I was annoyed.”

  “You should have concealed it.”

  “You say that without asking why I was annoyed with him.”

  “Surely I don’t have to explain that the Marquis is a great man and a certain latitude must be allowed him.”

  Lexia blinked.

  “What are you saying?”

  “If he made – er – suggestions that you might have considered improper – that is, if he allowed himself to – well, you get nowhere by becoming hysterical. You should have controlled your annoyance.”

  Lexia stared at her father.

  “Pa, are you saying that I should have allowed him to misbehave?”

  “Only a little bit, my dear.”

  “Well, you cannot misbehave very much in the middle of a dance floor,” she observed.

  “Exactly. You were protected by your surroundings and I am not saying that you should forget that you are a lady, but there’s no need to be prudish.”

  “Prudish! You call me prudish and he complained that I was flirting outrageously at the table.”

  “So you were,” agreed her father instantly. “I was most shocked by the freedom of your manners. I thought those young men went beyond the line.”

  “But you just told me I could allow a man to misbehave, as long as it wasn’t too much,” she pointed out.

  Her father breathed hard.

  “I was talking, as you very well knew, about the Marquis. Don’t pretend to be stupid, Lexia.”

  She faced him, her eyes glinting.

  “Pa, have you ever considered the appalling possibility that I really am stupid?”

  He glowered and left her.

  She danced with the Viscount, then Lord Charles, then the Honourable Ferdinand. Before Lord Charles could claim her again the Marquis stepped in.

  “Dance with me,” he insisted firmly, “before I lose my sanity.”

  But they had only danced a few steps before he seized her hand and marched out of the French windows.

  “What are you doing?” she demanded, running to keep up with him. “People will talk about us.”

  “Let them. It may stop them trying to marry me off to Martha. You have no idea what I am going through.”

  “Of course I have. Do you know what my father said to me tonight? He said that if you – you know – tried to –”

  “Take liberties?”

  “Yes. According to him I should let you. It’s all part of trying to snare you, you see. I mustn’t be prudish in case that puts you off. Did you ever hear such stuff?”

  She was seething with fury.

  “It makes sense from his point of view,” observed the Marquis mildly. “If I was to compromise you, I would have to marry you. That’s what he’s thinking.”

  “Well, you’re not going to compromise me,” she snapped.

  “I might be held to have done so by dragging you out here.”

  “Oh, nobody will notice”

  “On the contrary. They are watching us now. Look.”

  He pointed back the way they had come through the trees. An interested little crowd had gathered in the French windows.

  “Your father, Lady Overton, Martha,” he murmured. “It’s time for action.”

  Before she knew what he intended, his arm was about her waist.

  “What are you doing?” she gasped.

  “Compromising you – just a little.”

  As he spoke he was drawing her against him. Lexia had the strange feeling that all the breath had deserted her body.

  “Is this wise?” she mumbled.

  “As long as we look convincing without – ”

  He too seemed to be having trouble with his breathing. Lexia could feel the imprint of his fingers against her waist and the warmth of his body against hers and the sensation was unnerving.

  “Laugh,” he whispered. “Let them know that my company fills you with delight.”

  Lexia immediately gave vent to a merry peal of laughter and he responded in kind, looking down into her face with a beaming smile.

  “Let us pause by this tree for a moment,” he said, leaning against the trunk. “Put your hands on my shoulders.”

  She did so, looking up directly into his eyes and feeling the world spi
n.

  “Don’t worry,” he told her in a shaking voice. “I am not going to kiss you.”

  “You’re – not?”

  “I promise. I am a man of my word. Don’t you believe me, Lexia? – Lexia?”

  She came out of a dream.

  “What did you say?” she muttered.

  “Do you believe that I’ll keep my word and not take advantage of you?”

  “Yes,” she said reluctantly. “I do.”

  “Just enough to save me from Martha. I wouldn’t ask it of any friend but you.”

  As he spoke softly his warm breath whispered past her face, making it hard for her to think, but she pulled herself together and managed to speak in a teasing voice.

  “Be careful or you might really have to marry me.”

  “Heaven forbid!” he responded with feeling. “You would turn me white-haired in a month.”

  “You are surely not suggesting that I am worse than Martha?”

  He seemed to consider.

  “I would say the two of you were neck-and-neck. Ouch! My ankle!”

  “You deserved that,” chuckled Lexia.

  She was feeling pleasantly light-headed.

  “You’re not supposed to kick me,” he complained. “It spoils the picture we are trying to present.

  “Don’t worry, I only kicked you very discreetly on the side they cannot see.”

  He took a deep breath.

  “I think we should go back now,” he suggested.

  “We’ve given them all enough to talk about.”

  “Have we? Are you sure?”

  “Any more and you will be compromised.”

  For a wild moment she was on the edge of saying, ‘what does that matter?’ Then she wondered at herself for straying so close to disaster and forced herself back to reality.

  “We must certainly avoid you compromising me,” she pointed out. “That would be stepping from one disaster into another.”

  “You are a very wise woman.”

  Arm in arm they made their way back to the house, where, as he had said, a little crowd was watching them.

  Lady Overton was looking daggers and Martha was looking sulky, whilst Mr. Drayton was looking as though all his dreams had come true at once.

  Soon after that he declared that his daughter was feeling weary, which was the signal for the Marquis to announce their departure and the evening was generally felt to be at an end.

  On the journey home Mr. Drayton preened himself, smirked and asked pointed questions about their ‘little walk’ until Lexia wanted to die of shame.

  “And you, Papa,” she asked, pointedly trying to change the subject. “Did you enjoy the evening?”

  “Oh, what do I matter, as long as you had a nice time, my darling? And I can see that you did. Of course it was a little unconventional of the two of you to go off alone, but I am sure that in the circumstances – ”

  He paused in a clear invitation to them to announce ‘circumstances’ that included an engagement. Neither of them replied.

  He tried again.

  “Of course I wouldn’t dream of asking what you were talking about. Certain conversations should remain private until – until a suitable time – ”

  “His Lordship was trying to make me feel a little easier about the way Lady Overton patronised me at dinner,” said Lexia.

  In only, she thought, her father would be silent, while she struggled to come to terms with her thoughts.

  What had happened in the garden had shaken her.

  She and Frank were friends. They had said so and friends help each other and in his moment of crisis he had turned to her for help and she was glad about that.

  If only she could forget the feeling of being pressed against his hard body, his breath whispering against her face, the disturbing glint in his eyes.

  But she would forget about it soon, she told herself. She would work hard at it, but it was hard to do so when she was seated opposite him – they had both resisted Mr. Drayton’s attempts to seat them together – giving her a warm reassuring smile.

  “I thought Lexia stood up for herself very well,” commented the Marquis valiantly. “By the way, sir, did you see Lord Overton’s smoking room? I believe – ”

  He continued talking, diverting Mr. Drayton away from the dangerous subject. In this vein he managed to keep the conversation neutral until they reached Highcliffe Hall.

  The Marquis bade them goodnight and continued on his way.

  Lexia hurried to bed, knowing that she could not endure questions from her father that night.

  *

  Next morning the Marquis was waiting in their usual place and after a while the sound of hoof beats made him look up.

  He saw what he had expected – Lexia, in breeches, riding hell-for-leather in his direction. He rose, smiling and went to meet her.

  But she was not smiling as she threw herself from the horse’s back so fast that she staggered and he had onto hold her.

  “I have only a little time,” she said breathlessly. “I came to say goodbye.”

  “Goodbye? But where are you going?”

  “Anywhere!” she cried. “Anywhere away from my father. I cannot endure it a moment longer.”

  “I understand how you feel, but – ”

  “You don’t. You cannot understand how desperate I feel to be harassed and badgered all the time.”

  “Is this because of last night?” he asked gently.

  “Last night was terrible, terrible. I wanted to die of shame at the way he behaved.”

  “Yes, I saw that he was embarrassing you on the way home, but surely, if we can enjoy it as a joke together – ”

  “I cannot make a joke of it any more,” she shouted. “He is trying to sell my life and it is not for sale.”

  She brushed aside the tears of anger and desperation.

  “Of course it isn’t,” he tried to soothe her. “You know I will help you stand up to him.”

  “But what about afterwards? When he loses hope in you, there’ll be someone else. You won’t always be there to help me and there is only one answer. I have to escape now, now!”

  Her tears would no longer be held back and she burst into violent sobs.

  The Marquis wasted no more time on words, but gathered her comfortingly into his arms, so that her head rested on his shoulder.

  “Don’t cry,” he tried to calm her. “We’ll find a way.”

  “There’s only one way,” she wept. “I have to run away. I have to.”

  “But my dear girl, you cannot just dash off on your own like that. You could run into all sorts of dangers.”

  “I don’t care!” she cried passionately.

  “But you soon would care. I cannot let you do this.”

  “You can’t stop me.”

  “I think I could. In fact I think it’s my duty to stop you running into danger.”

  “It has nothing to do with you.”

  He gave her a little shake.

  “Lexia, please try to be sensible. Come over here and we will talk about it and see what can be done.”

  He led her firmly over to the tree stump, made her sit down and sat down beside her.

  “Now dry your eyes and we can look at this problem in a practical way.”

  “It’s hopeless,” mumbled Lexia miserably.

  “What a girl you are! One minute saying that nobody’s going to stop you and the next minute, saying it’s hopeless. It isn’t hopeless while I am here, because I am your friend. Lexia, please believe me, I will do anything to help you. Anything at all.”

  “I know you mean well, but you cannot really help,” said Lexia despondently, “because there’s nothing you can do – unless – unless – ”

  Her face brightened. In a moment a smile transformed her.

  “What is it?” he asked her with deep foreboding. “Lexia, tell me what terrible idea you have just thought of. Unless what – ?”

  “Unless you come with me.”

 
CHAPTER SIX

  For a long moment he did not answer her. From the way he was looking at Lexia he might have been struggling to believe his ears.

  At last he found his voice.

  “Unless I –?”

  “You said I couldn’t do it alone and you are right, but suppose we both went away together.”

  “Lexia – ”

  “We could be brother and sister. Just two ordinary English people travelling together.”

  “Travelling where?” he asked in alarm.

  “Anywhere! The whole world lies before us.”

  “You mean – travel abroad? That’s a completely mad idea.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, for one thing I have no money. Have you forgotten that I am a pauper?”

  “But I’m not. I could pay for everything because Pa has always put lots of money into the bank for me in case I wanted it, but since he also pays my dress bills directly I have never needed money until now.”

  Abruptly his face darkened.

  “Let you pay for me?” he echoed aghast. “Are you seriously suggesting that I live off you?”

  “Well, if you don’t have any money and I have some, it makes sense.”

  “I am not just talking about travel expenses. There is also the question of my creditors and if I just vanish they will think the worst and bankrupt me.”

  “Not if you give them some money before you go.”

  “I don’t have any money. If I had, I wouldn’t be in this mess. Or are you proposing to pay that too?”

  “Of course.”

  “Lexia,” he growled dangerously, “do you know what kind of man lives off a woman?”

  “Yes. A poor one.”

  “That is not amusing.”

  “I am not feeling very amused either. It’s only two minutes since you said you would do anything I asked. Anything at all you said and what happens the minute I ask for something?”

  “But I never thought of anything as mad as like this wild idea.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I’ll go alone.”

  He tore his hair.

  “I have told you already it’s too dangerous.”

  “But you would rather leave me in danger than sacrifice a little pride to help me,” she accused him.

  He gaped at her.

  “Of all the shocking arguments – you ought to be ashamed of yourself trying to back me into a corner like that.”