Page 36 of Masquerading with the Duke
‘Hardly.’ But she seemed to grow in confidence as she absorbed the compliment. ‘English is not my first language so I do not always understand what’s being said.’
‘Your English is impeccable,’ he replied, wondering how she came to be so well educated if her childhood had been torn apart by the French invasion. He was curious to know more about the childhood in question, aware that she had sketched over the horrors when they had spoken earlier.
After dinner, when the gentlemen were left to their port, his opportunity arose. Lord Amos withdrew from the table for some reason, as gentlemen occasionally did, and stood with glass in hand staring out at the grounds. He had been relaxed during the meal, enjoying his conversation with Martina’s sister. Jared wondered if enjoying another woman’s society invoked guilt since it was already clear to Jared that he still had not recovered from the tragic loss of his wife.
‘Am I disturbing your solitude?’ Jared asked, standing to join him.
‘Not at all. I was enjoying the relative cool of the evening after so many hot days.’ He glanced out the open doors and up at the sky. ‘The weather will break soon, I think. I can smell it in the air.’
‘Let’s hope so. The harvest will be ruined if it does not.’
‘Is Equinox settling?’
Jared chuckled. ‘He’s keeping my grooms on their toes.’
Lord Amos grunted in evident amusement. ‘The horse has spirit and an independent character. There’s always a price to be paid for those qualities.’
‘So I have already discovered for myself.’
‘Thank you for looking after Martina at dinner,’ Lord Amos said after a momentary pause. ‘She is still discomposed, having left the Redrows as she did. I am glad you made her smile.’
‘It was no hardship.’ Jared rubbed his chin as he took a moment to choose his words with care. ‘I did a little more than make her smile earlier.’
‘Really?’ Lord Amos shot Jared a wary look.
‘Nothing untoward—well, not intentionally.’
Jared explained about the embarrassing episode at the lake, which Lord Amos found highly amusing.
‘I’m surprised she didn’t run away.’
‘So am I. She is very mature for her age, but then I suppose that’s to be expected, given her circumstances. She told me a little about her family background.’
Lord Amos flexed both brows. ‘Did she indeed? That surprises me. Neither of them talks about it much, so I’m glad she felt able to confide in you. It’s a sign that she feels more settled. I feel responsible for them both. I suppose Martina touched upon what I rescued them from.’
Jared gave a grim nod. ‘She did. She knows what would have happened to her if you hadn’t come along when you did.’
‘Yes, I suppose she must. She was not sixteen at the time so I wondered…hoped that she didn’t fully comprehend. But obviously she was old enough to see the lust in the eyes of the degenerates they were paraded in front of.’ Lord Amos threw back his head and sighed. ‘Frankie tells me that Mrs Redrow called today, full of concern for Martina. She’d been away and was not aware that Martina had left her employ. She claims not to know why she did, but Frankie suspects Redrow of behaving inappropriately and scaring her away.’
Jared knew that he had but Martina had spoken to him in confidence and he would not betray her trust. ‘It wouldn’t surprise me,’ he said indolently. ‘Martina’s an attractive chit and I’ve seen Redrow in operation in France. He does not take his wedding vows seriously; that much I know for a certainty.’
Lord Amos’s expression turned grim. ‘As if they haven’t suffered enough,’ he said quietly.
‘Martina told me that they lost both of their parents, their home and most of their possessions when the French invaded.’ He shook his head. ‘I can’t begin to imagine how they survived, or how they came to be so well educated for that matter.’
‘They had some help, obviously, but Ariana was the driving force behind their survival.’
‘Good God! She can’t have been more than seven or eight at the time.’
‘Precisely. And even now her first priority is still her sister’s wellbeing.’
‘There was a brother, I understand.’
‘He was around at the time her parents were killed, and he was partly responsible for the girls’ survival. But he also worked for us, the British. There was a lot going on, a great deal of confusion, and he couldn’t be continuously with the girls.’
Jared scowled. ‘Surely they should have been his first concern?’
Lord Amos shrugged. ‘He ensured they were safely installed with relatives and probably realised that he would be more useful employing his skills to help avenge the death of his parents. That is what Ariana implied on the one occasion when she opened up to me on the subject.’
