Page 34 of Masquerading with the Duke
‘There, that didn’t hurt, did it?’
‘Stop mocking me.’
‘Believe me, I was not.’
They walked the length of the terrace, admiring the grounds that looked magnificent despite the parched lawns. The setting sun glowed in a darkening sky, illuminating the formal gardens in shades of orange and burnt gold.
‘It’s so peaceful,’ Martina said on a long sigh, momentarily distracted by a peal of laughter from the duke and his two brothers, standing immediately behind them. ‘I have been in this country for six months now, but I still haven’t grown accustomed to feeling safe enough to really admire my surroundings.’
Mr Braden touched her fingers but didn’t speak. She sensed his preoccupation and wondered if he was already tired of her company. He probably considered her young and immature; insufficiently sophisticated to hold his interest. Or possibly he was offended by her skittishness. Be that as it may, he had actively sought her company. Since they had both happened to be alone on the terrace when they encountered one another, good manners had left him with no alternative other than to offer her his arm, and her with no alternative other than to accept it.
Martina suppressed a sigh. She hated to feel like a burden. His manners were so polished that the gesture had seemed spontaneous and she’d felt almost sure that he’d been pleased to see her. Now she was no longer sure of anything. The infuriating man possessed the ability to make her forget her own name.
When the dinner bell sounded, the duchess ushered everyone in the direction of the dining room in a relaxed manner. Her guests, laughing and comfortable with one another, wandered in without formality. When Martina tried to remove her hand from Mr Braden’s arm, she felt his muscles tense beneath her fingers and his free hand came down on hers to prevent her from claiming it back. She sent him an uncertain look, feeling like a limpet. She despised women who felt the need to cling, yet she was grateful to Mr Braden for sensing her insecurities. This perspicacious gentleman appeared to understand her diffidence in a way few others ever had.
‘It will be all right,’ he said softly.
Martina’s doubts fell away as soon as the reassurance passed his lips. He helped her with her chair and waited for her to settle herself comfortably in it. Several others glanced their way as Mr Braden seated himself beside her and said something that made her laugh aloud.
‘I like to hear you laugh,’ he said softly. ‘You don’t do it nearly enough.’
‘I suppose my sister and I haven’t had a lot to laugh about,’ she responded with a casual shrug.
‘But you are safe now. You have been given another chance to laugh at life’s absurdities.’
‘I am only just beginning to notice the frivolous aspects of life here.’
‘Then enjoy it and live for the moment. We none of us know what tomorrow might bring.’
There was no formality about the gathering, Martina realised as she glanced down a table laid out with crisp white linen, sparkling crystal and delicate Wedgwood china rimmed with gold leaf. The duchess’s friends and relatives teased one another, talked across the table and generally ignored the rules of conduct. She felt as though she had been drawn into the bosom of genuine family life and was seized by a pang of regret for all she had lost.
This is how a proper family behaves. I want this.
Martina had learned not to think about anything much other than getting through each day; that way there were fewer opportunities for disappointment. She had also learned not to harbour unrealistic expectations. In a post-war Spain full of displaced, hungry and angry people nothing was sacrosanct, lawlessness abounded and only the strongest survived.
Ariana had been escorted in by Lord Amos and now sat directly across from Martina. Martina admired her sister’s lovely face, her olive skin glowing in the candlelight, her eyes sparkling with amusement in response to something that Lord Amos had just said to her. Martina had noticed a lessening of the customary reserve in her sister’s behaviour; a reserve that had always been there before Martina had left to take up her position with the Redrows.
Martina found it difficult to interpret her sister’s thoughts and emotions, which she had learned to keep closely guarded but hoped that the changes had come about at least in part because Ariana felt absolved of sisterly responsibilities and could now focus upon her own happiness. Outward appearances suggested that Ariana herself felt that she belonged in this sumptuous mansion. Martina crossed her fingers beneath the table and prayed to a god she no longer believed it to deliver her sister the happiness she so richly deserved.
Chapter Ten
It was the first that time Jared had seen Martina formally dressed. The view did not disappoint, but at the same time he couldn’t help thinking that he preferred her the way she’d looked that afternoon at the lake, in an old gown, crumpled because she’d fallen asleep in it. Without a bonnet and with her hair half falling from its pins. She had seemed wary of him, which given the circumstances of their meeting was hardly surprising. He thought she would scream and run back to the house but she had surprised him when the informality forced upon them by his state of undress had given way to guarded caution. The child didn’t completely trust him; she didn’t know how to trust. Given the snippets she had revealed about her childhood, he understood why.
Jared did his best to entertain her throughout dinner with light conversation, applying to her for information about the district since she had lived in the area for longer than he had.
‘You have purchased an estate here,’ she said, blinking up at him through wide, glowing eyes. ‘Surely you would not do so without exploring the area first? It is such a very large commitment to make and not something that one ought to rush into. What would you have done if your new neighbours all turned out to be miserly curmits who never socialised and were permanently at odds with one another?’
You mean hermits,’ he smiled.
‘I know what I mean.’
‘Well, if I did make a reckless purchase I cannot now complain. Besides, my neighbours seem like agreeable fellows,andI found you here.’
Her cheeks reddened at the implied compliment, but she didn’t simper or look away from him as he half imagined a child of her tender years might. ‘Be serious,’ she scolded.
‘Oh, I rather think I am.’
‘You are ridiculous and attempting to embarrass me, but it won’t serve.’ She tossed her head. ‘I have your measure.’
