Page 41 of The Society Catch
‘Oh, possibly,’ Joanna said forcing an air of vagueness into her voice. ‘Although I am sure the poor man has had quite enough of my society to last him a lifetime.’
Inside her heart was beating like a drum. Giles, at Tasborough for weeks, Giles at meals, Giles every evening in the relaxed atmosphere of a family home. It had been difficult enough hiding how she felt from him, but now she not be able to relax for a moment. How was she going to hide her feelings in front of Hebe’s anxious, intelligent eyes?
To her relief Hebe did not appear to want to know the details of their journey. Even the most tolerant cousin was going to baulk at the news of an unchaperoned night in an inn and long rides across country with no escort whatsoever. Joanna caught Hebe easing her position in her chair to give her back more support and guessed that, having got her safe and sound, she was just too preoccupied to think of delving deeper.
Giles and Alex did not arrive back until late afternoon, to find her sitting with Hebe under the shade of a spreading oak on the back lawn. To Joanna’s eye Giles looked serious, but as though a weight had been lifted from him. When Starling brought a tray of lemonade and cakes out she changed position under the pretext of passing glasses and sat beside him.
‘How did you find the General? Is his health still causing Lady Gregory concern?’
‘I found him much better. Mama is very pleased with him andI could see the difference immediately. The stiffness has gone from the side of his face and, although he still has a hesitation in his step, it is much improved.’
‘I am so glad,’ Joanna said warmly, putting out a hand and squeezing Giles’s without thinking. ‘To be so worried about him at a time when there was an estrangement between you must have been difficult to bear.’ She would have been pleased to hear that any person who had been unwell was recovering, but the relief on Giles’s face made her feel as though she had received good news of one of her own family.
Giles placed his other hand over hers and smiled at her. ‘You are a darling, Joanna.’
Her heart fluttered as though it were a bird he had captured with that strong gentle hand. He was so large, so masculine, close to and yet his voice was tender. Joanna knew she was staring transfixed into his eyes, knew that Hebe and Alex were within feet of them, yet she could not move, could hardly breathe.
Then Giles’s gaze shifted and his hand moved and the spell was broken. Joanna tried not to glance round guiltily to see if anyone had observed them. ‘And is your father reconciled on the subject of your marriage and you selling out?’
‘To the latter, a little perhaps. Not that he will admit it. He lectured me on wasting my substance around Town. When I said mildly that, on the contrary, I had been out of town on an errand for a friend he snorted and said, “Chasing some petticoat more like,”which was rather too close for comfort and I suspect I may have looked a little aware of it.’
‘And your marriage?’
‘Now there, at least, we are agreed. Lord and Lady Olney visited last week which settled matters and sorted out all the misunderstandings. They gave out that they had heard he was unwell, but I suspect Mama had said something to Lady Olney. Ifhe is feeling strong enough they have invited my parents to visit in August.’
‘How wonderful. What good news for you,’ Joanna said hollowly. Now every barrier in the way of Giles marrying Lady Suzanne appeared to have been swept away. ‘Lord Olney’s seat is near Bath isn’t it? Will you accompany your parents?’ Giles nodded, his expression suddenly unreadable and Joanna guessed he was thinking about idyllic summer days spent courting the girl he loved.
‘Joanna?’ Hebe called to her across the grass. ‘Shouldn’t you move more into the shade? It is very hot and you look quite pale.’
‘Thank you, but I am quite comfortable,’ she called back, inwardly cursing her own lack of self-control. If she were to change colour every time Giles said something to her she might as well make a public announcement of her feelings for him there and then.
Beside her Giles was also brooding inwardly, although he let very little show on his face. He should never have held her hand like that just now. Certainly he should not have allowed that warmth to creep into his voice when she reacted with such sympathy and understanding to the news of his father. Joanna was sweet and open and had become used to him, trusted him. And then he did something to remind her of the intimacy she yearned for with that confounded man and she froze and turned from him.
If I knew who he was I would drag him here on his knees and make him beg for her,he thought fiercely. Did Hebe know his identity? How much had Joanna confided in her cousin? Not that he could ask. He watched from under heavy-lidded eyes as Joanna got up and ran to meet the nursemaid who was bringing young Master Hugh out to his parents. The child saw Joanna and ran to her chuckling with delight, his podgy arms held up forher hug.
Joanna caught him and swung him up into her embrace, teasingly chiding him for being such a big boy and something inside Giles caught with a sudden stab of pain. It was gone almost as soon as it hit him. With a soft exclamation under his breath he got to his feet and strode over to Joanna, lifting the child from her arms but holding him close so she could continue the nursery rhyme she was chanting with the child.
‘He is too heavy for you,’ Giles said and looked up to see both Hebe and Alex regarding them, their faces expressionless.
Chapter Twenty
For the next three days Giles kept as far out of Joanna’s way as he could contrive without appearing to avoid her. It proved unexpectedly easy to be absent from breakfast to dinner, reappearing only to report visits to local horse breeders and farmers and successful purchases of breeding stock for his new project.
On the fourth morning it was Alex who left home early to settle some boundary problems on his most distant farm and Giles who was alone at the breakfast table when Starling came in.
‘I am sorry to disturb you, Colonel, but Hickling, his lordship’s head groom, is outside and wishful to speak to you. I told him to wait until you had finished your meal, but he says it is urgent.’
‘Send him in.’
‘It’s his lordship’s best mare,’ Hickling explained. ‘She’s due to foal any day and now something’s amiss. I daren’t leave her until his lordship gets back, but I think the foal’s the wrong way round and ought to be turned. None of the lads have any experience of that sort of thing and to tell you the truth, Colonel, I don’t like to attempt it on my own. Seeing what an eye you have for horses and knowing you are a cavalry officer, I thought maybe…’
‘Of course, I’ll come and have a look at her. Starling, if anyone wants me I will be in the stables. And, if her ladyship asks, there is no need to tell her why. Not a subject to worry her with at the moment, I think.’
Half an hour later the two men finished examining the sweating, distressed mare and exchanged grim looks across the loose box where she was circling restlessly. ‘You are right,Hickling. The foal’s around the wrong way. I can see we’ve a long morning ahead of us.’ Giles shrugged off his coat and waistcoat and threw them carelessly over the stable door before unbuttoning his shirt. ‘No point in ruining good linen either. Now, what do we need? Hot water for a start.’
‘Plenty of soap. Ned! Run to the kitchens and ask Cook to put water on the range. Well, sir, are you going to take her head, or shall I?’
Joanna finished breakfast with Hebe who announced that she was going along to the housekeeper’s room to discuss the deplorable state of the household linen. ‘What are you going to do?’
