Page 45 of Calder Country

“Oh, this is lovely!” Lucy exclaimed as Joseph swung her down from the horse. “And so romantic, like a scene from a fairy tale.”

“And you’re my fairy queen!” As her slippers touched the ground, Joseph gathered her into his arms. His kiss was long and deep, her innocent response igniting a firestorm in the depths of his body. He drew back, aware that his hardness against her might feel frightening. She was childlike in many ways—but all woman in her passion. It would take every ounce of his willpower to keep himself under control.

“Let’s go sit on that flat rock, next to the pond. We can talk there.”

Her laugh sounded slightly nervous. “Good. I was afraid you’d want to go swimming.”

“Not in that water. It’s ice-cold.” Joseph brushed off the surface of the rock before she sat down. “I’d hoped to bring some food for a picnic, but it was all I could do to get away without being caught by my sisters. They’re little tattletales.”

“You’re lucky to have sisters, Joseph.” She tossed a pebble into the water and watched the ring of ripples fade away. “Being an only child is dismal, especially since my mother died. I’m all my father has, and he rarely lets me out of his sight. You’ve seen that for yourself.”

Joseph reached for her hand, cradling her soft, white fingers in his. “I love you, Lucy.” He had never spoken those words to any girl, not even to Annabeth.

She seemed to hesitate. His heart dropped. “I love you, too, Joseph,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean things are going to be easy for us.”

“Your father—”

“Yes, my father. He brought me here for a reason—hopefully to wed Chase Calder.”

That was no surprise. Joseph couldn’t blame Nigel for wanting to marry his daughter into a wealthy family. But he didn’t have to like it. “Chase already has a girlfriend,” he said.

“I know. My father found out about her. He says she’s dirt-poor, the daughter of a cattle thief, with no education. Not a suitable match at all.”

“Do you love Chase?”

“Of course not. You know who I love. But my father says that doesn’t matter. According to him, love can be learned.”

Joseph swallowed his disappointment. There was still hope for him. “What if Chase doesn’t want to marry you?”

She stared down at the water, avoiding his eyes. “Then I’ll be expected to win his father.”

Her words struck Joseph like a punch to the solar plexus, knocking the breath out of him. “But that’s crazy,” he said. “Webb is old enough to be your father, maybe even your grandfather. Is that how they do things in England?”

“England?” She stared at him. “Is that what you think?”

“Isn’t that where you and your father came from?”

She shook her beautiful head. “Our blood may be English, but my father was born in New York City—in a one-room flat over a butcher shop. The man you’ve met, Nigel Merryweather . . .” Lucy took a deep breath. “That’s the persona he created for himself. He has a talent for that sort of thing, and he’s put it to good use.”

Joseph struggled to mask his shocked expression. So the man who called himself Nigel Merryweather was nothing but a con artist. Lucy had just given him a powerful, and dangerous, piece of information. But why?

“What about you?” he asked. “Are you really his daughter?”

“Yes. He and my mother were never wed, but he took me in when she died and raised me to be a proper lady. I owe him for that, as he often reminds me.”

Joseph checked the impulse to put his arms around her. He sensed that she was asking for comfort. But her revelation had come as a shock. He needed to know more.

“So, does your father really know how to build an airfield?”

“Only what he’s read. But he can be very convincing. The airfield will be built, but for a lot less than Webb Calder will be paying. My father is passing himself off as a rich engineer with an estate in Canada. He’s been proving it with the Canadian liquor he brings in as a gift for Webb. I have no idea where the liquor is coming from, but he’s also been selling enough to provide us with spending money.”

Joseph had an idea where the bootleg liquor might be coming from. But that wasn’t his problem now. He took a deep breath and asked the most puzzling question of all. “Lucy, this is dangerous information. It could get you and your father in a lot of trouble. Why are you telling me?”

She turned toward him. “Because I trust you. I know you love me, and I’ve nowhere else to turn.”

He seized her hand. “You know I’d do anything for you. What do you need? Are you in some kind of trouble?”

“Not the kind you might think. I haven’t done anything wrong. But there’s something I haven’t told you.”

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