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For a moment it was as much as Daniel could do to stare down at her in open-mouthed astonishment. ‘Not be able to …?’ Words failed him, but not for very long. ‘I’ve been unfortunate enough to come across several harebrained females in my time, Katherine Fairchild O’Malley, but without doubt you reign supreme! You’ve a head of hair on you like a flaming hayrick, girl! You stand out like a beacon!’
If there was one subject guaranteed to stir her own uncertain temper, then it was someone passing a disparaging remark about her hair. ‘I didn’t ask to be cursed with auburn locks, Major Ross!’ she flared. ‘And might I remind you that had you permitted me the few seconds it would have taken to collect my bonnet, instead of dragging me away in that odiously cavalier fashion, I might have been in a position to keep my cursed tresses well hidden!’
She watched the anger fading from those dark, masculine eyes as he cast them over her hair, which she had managed during her brief venture alone through the French countryside to confine neatly at the nape of her neck by means of a further strip torn from her underskirt.
‘I considered that I had a sound reason for wandering off on my own.’ From beneath her cloak, she drew out a loaf of bread and a goodly wedge of cheese. ‘Though why I bothered to bring them back here to share with you, I cannot imagine,’ she added, feeling quite out of charity with him now.
Daniel sat down beside her and, relieving her of the round loaf, proceeded to tear it in half. ‘Where did you manage to lay your hands on this delicious fare, may I ask?’ he enquired, secretly impressed by this display of self-reliance on her part. ‘Is there some village nearby?’
Katherine shook her head. ‘Didn’t see one. There’s a farm in the valley, though, just beyond the wood. The rear door to the main building was wide open. I didn’t see anyone about, so I slipped inside and removed these from the kitchen table.’
He bent a look of mock severity upon her. ‘That was stealing, my girl. Many in Wellington’s army were hanged for less.’
‘As I left some coins on the kitchen table, I do not consider I was stealing,’ she responded, winning herself a faint smile of approval.
‘In that case, I’ll forgive you this time. But you’re not to go wandering off again by yourself, understand? I can appreciate that there will be occasions when you’ll desire a—er—little privacy,’ he added delicately. ‘As long as I can see the top of your head at all times, I shan’t object.’
Katherine didn’t pretend to misunderstand and glowered at him, the picture of indignant outrage. ‘I’ll take leave to inform you, Major, that you’re an exceedingly vulgar man. Top of my head, indeed! I’ve never heard the like before!’
Although he found it impossible to suppress a smile, Daniel managed not to add to her obvious annoyance by laughing outright. ‘One tends to forget the social niceties after years of hard campaigning out in the Peninsula, Kate.’
‘Then it’s high time you began to re-acquire a few, Major. And you can begin by paying me the common courtesy of remembering not to call me Kate.’
Clearly he was not prepared to begin his retraining quite yet, for he merely applied himself to the bread and cheese for several minutes, and then surprised her by remarking, ‘For someone who places such store by correct behaviour, I’m rather surprised that you lent yourself to this outrageous scheme.’ He studied her in silence for a moment, his gaze penetrating, but not unduly censorious. ‘Why did you agree to aid that crafty old reprobate, Sir Giles Osborne?’
Katherine returned that searching gaze, reflecting as she did so that, had he asked her such a thing just twenty-four hours before, she wouldn’t have hesitated to tell him to mind his own business. Now, for some obscure reason, she didn’t object to his knowing in the least.
She transferred her gaze to the stream a few yards away, which put her forcibly in mind of the one that had rippled its way across her father’s Irish acres. ‘There were several reasons,’ she admitted truthfully. ‘The main one, I suppose, was because I wished to avenge in some part the death of Liam Patrick O’Malley.’
‘Your father?’
‘Yes, Daniel, my father. Had I been a boy I would have been granted the opportunity to do so by enlisting in the army. That, however, was denied me. Sir Giles offered me the opportunity to rectify this … and I didn’t need to think twice about it.’
‘How did your father die, Katherine?’ he asked gently, as he detected the shadow of sadness flickering over the delicate features. ‘Was he a soldier?’
She shook her head. ‘My father owned a stud in Ireland. I doubt there has ever been—or ever will be, come to that—a man who has known more about horses than my father. His expertise was renowned, and his horses were much coveted. He was approached by someone attached to the War Office, I know not who, to acquire animals for the army, and to travel to Portugal in order to take care of them on the journey.
‘He left Dublin with his prized cargo in the summer of ‘08 and joined up with two other vessels, carrying much-needed supplies, which had set sail from Bristol, I believe. The small convoy was supposed to receive protection from our Navy. No escort appeared; the captain in charge of the expedition decided to press on in the hope, I suppose, that before too long some naval frigate consigned to escort them would appear. It did not. The French, however, did. They were lying in wait off the Bay of Biscay.’
Katherine was silent for a moment, but her voice when she spoke again was as coolly controlled as before, betraying none of the searing heartache she continued to experience when recalling that time in her life when she had waited daily for the father who was destined never to return. ‘There were no survivors. I did not discover until recently that the French were well prepared. They had received details from someone connected with the War Office.’
‘And Sir Giles told you this?’ Daniel was clearly more angered than anything else by what he had learned. ‘He ought never to have disclosed such details. Damn his eyes!’
Evidently Major Ross was a man of strong emotions. Moreover, he was not reticent about voicing staunch disapproval if he felt inclined to do so. Katherine saw nothing amiss with this, for she herself was not above giving vent to her own feelings on occasions. She was faintly surprised, all the same, by this display of ill humour, and didn’t hesitate to come to Sir Giles’s defence. ‘He didn’t attempt to convince me that the traitor he is determined to uncover now is indeed the one responsible for my father’s death,’ she hurriedly assured him. ‘In fact, he took great pains to inform me that it’s highly unlikely it is the same person.’
How very magnanimous of him! Daniel thought, totally unimpressed, and more than moderately annoyed by the baronet’s devious methods.
He at least was under no illusion about Sir Giles Os-borne’s true character. Although the baronet seemed to epitomise the perfect English gentleman, suave and dignified, he wasn’t above preying on a person’s vulnerability in order to attain his ends, and could be as ruthless in his methods to achieve his objectives as those he was determined to root out and bring to book for their treachery.
Daniel clearly remembered that his and the baronet’s paths had crossed for the very first time in London, just prior to his setting sail for the Peninsula, when he himself had been at a very low ebb. Learning of his father’s death whilst he had been out in India had been a bitter blow, and discovering, on his return to England, the heartless betrayal of the woman he had once wished to marry had added considerably to his distress. It was hard to imagine, now, that at the age of three-and-twenty he had been a very vulnerable young man, disillusioned and heart-weary. A grim smile curled his lips. Oh, yes, he had certainly been a highly prized fruit, just ripe for the picking! And Sir Giles had not hesitated to take full advantage of the young captain who, badly bruised in spirit, had betrayed scant concern for his own safety.
Daniel didn’t doubt for a moment that it had been Osborne who had suggested that he be chosen so often for those perilous missions behind enemy lines in Spain and Portugal. His command of the French tongue, coupled with a complete disregard for his own safety, had made him a prime choice.
He knew for certain that it had been at Sir Giles’s request that he had been sent back to England to effect Louise Baron’s escape. He hadn’t wished to desert the men under his command, but he’d been given little choice in the matter. The verbal order to do so had come from Wellington himself. His army days were now over, of course, and he wasn’t obliged to take orders from anyone. So what the deuce was he doing here now, stuck in the heart of France, once again involved in that unscrupulous baronet’s fiendish stratagems?
Daniel glanced briefly at the lovely young woman sitting beside him, who was daintily eating her way through the chunk of crusty bread and portion of cheese. Although his years out in the Peninsula had undoubtedly changed him from a vulnerable young man into a self-possessed, if faintly cynical, ex-army Major, he couldn’t find it within himself to be in the least bit sorry that he had allowed that foxy old baronet to persuade him to take part in one last venture for his country, for he was beginning to feel increasingly that it would turn out to be the best decision he had ever taken in his life.
By the time evening had arrived Daniel judged that they had covered a good twenty miles. More importantly, he had discovered a deal more about his delightful companion and the idyllic life she had enjoyed in Ireland. If she had had one fault to find with her childhood, then it had been the lack of companionship of girls her own age. Which, undoubtedly, was the reason why, after suffering the loss of both parents in quick succession, and removing to England to live with her grandfather, she had swiftly struck up such a close friendship with Helen Rushton.
Little wonder the foolish little darling had convinced herself that she was some sort of curse, Daniel reflected, as he at last saw signs of what appeared to be a sizeable habitation just up ahead. It was utter nonsense, of course—a fact that he had every intention of making perfectly plain at the earliest opportunity. The underlying reason for this foolish notion had become increasingly clear to him too—she was determined never to form a deep attachment to another living soul, simply because she was desperate to avoid suffering the searing heartache she had all too frequently experienced in the past.
Sadly it was all so very understandable. Still, it was no way to live one’s life. It might take some time, but he would eventually peel away those protective layers in which she had shrouded herself, he thought determinedly, little realising that he had already begun to do so.
As Daniel, ever alert, paused for a moment to cast his eyes up the main street of the small market town they had just entered, Katherine stared up at him, her eyes resting for a moment on the square, powerful jaw, before studying the other strong contours of a face that was certainly not handsome, but full of character and ruggedly attractive. At least she found his physiognomy extremely appealing and, more surprisingly still, she was beginning to find his nature very engaging too.
Strong willed and determined, Daniel certainly possessed the power to annoy her from time to time by uttering some blunt remark. Yet beneath the brusque, no-nonsense manner was a wealth of tenderness, which manifested itself in quite touching displays of gentlemanly consideration.
More than once throughout the day he had kindly offered a helping hand to clamber over some gate or stile, and on one occasion, much to her intense annoyance, he had gone so far as to toss her over one brawny shoulder, as though she weighed no more than a sack of grain, and had carried her across a wide stream to save her feet and clothing from becoming sodden.
Although still faintly aggrieved at having been manhandled in such an odious fashion, Katherine couldn’t deny that, against all the odds, she was genuinely beginning to like and admire this occasionally infuriating man.
‘I don’t know about you, my little Amazon,’ Daniel announced, resorting to one of those many colourful epithets by which he was wont to address her, ‘but I’m feeling decidedly weary and in desperate need of sustenance. Are you willing to risk paying a visit to the inn up yonder?’
She didn’t need to take even a moment to consider the matter. Not a morsel of food, or a drop of liquid, had passed her lips since the morning, and she wasn’t in the least doubtful that she could do full justice to a substantial meal.
‘Very well,’ he added, after she had given several vigorous nods of assent, ‘but you must remain on your guard. And do not forget you’re supposed to be a native of this country. So for the Lord’s sake don’t relapse into English!’
Thus adjured, Katherine was quite content, as they entered the inn, to leave it entirely to Daniel to order their food, and left him to do precisely that whilst she seated herself at the vacant table in the corner of the room, well away from the other patrons who just might overhear her and guess her true nationality.
Fortunately the same would never be suspected of Daniel. She had discovered during the day that he had learned to speak the language fluently from his maternal grandmother, a Frenchwoman of immense character, according to Daniel, whom he had absolutely adored and then missed dreadfully after she had passed away shortly before he had embarked for India.
Apart from these few snippets Katherine had learned next to nothing about him. It wasn’t that she had gained the impression that he was disinclined to talk about himself, and therefore out of common courtesy she had not attempted to pry; it was simply that he had seemed interested to learn about her, and she had found herself quite surprisingly divulging far more about her past to Daniel than she had to another living soul.
What an enigma the man was turning out to be! she reflected, gazing across at the spot where he stood deep in conversation with mine host. How she wished now that she had paid more attention to what her aunt Lavinia had disclosed about him, when she had stayed in Hampshire for those two weeks. She frowned in an effort to remember, and vaguely recalled her aunt mentioning something about his returning from India to discover the woman he had loved riveted to his cousin.
Katherine surprisingly found herself experiencing a deal of animosity towards this unknown female. How heartless she must be to have dealt such a crushing blow! Yet, to be fair, the young woman whom Daniel had hoped to marry had hardly been in a position to inform him that she had experienced a change of heart, Katherine reminded herself. A letter would have taken months and months to reach him out there in India. Yet it was all so very sad. Daniel wasn’t in the least light-minded, and must have cared for the woman deeply to have wished to marry her. It went without saying that her betrayal must have been a bitter blow. Perhaps, Katherine mused, that was why he had never married, though it had to be said that he didn’t appear to be suffering now from the pain of unrequited love. Nevertheless, she didn’t suppose for a moment that he was the kind of man to wear his heart on his sleeve.
Although she was keen to discover much more about the man whom, against all the odds, she had begun to regard in a very favourable light, Katherine was aware that this was neither the time nor the place to satisfy her curiosity. Her command of the language was not sufficiently good to conduct an inquisition in French. Besides which, she didn’t suppose that Daniel would wish to satisfy her curiosity at a time when his prime concern was to satisfy his hunger. So she merely asked, when he eventually joined her at the table, what had taken him so long and whether the landlord had been unwilling to supply them with a wholesome meal.
Daniel cast her a mocking glance as he handed her a glass of wine and slid into the seat opposite. ‘Have you ever known a landlord turn away custom? No, he was more than happy to oblige, once he’d seen the colour of my money. Which reminds me … How much have you about you?’
Katherine delved into the pocket of her cloak, which she had removed and placed on the settle beside her, and without hesitation handed him the bulging purse.
Daniel tossed it in his hand, gauging its contents. ‘We’ve done well today, my little darling,’ he remarked, consigning the purse to the safety of his own pocket. ‘But we’re going to need to cover more miles if we stand the remotest chance of keeping one step ahead of those rogues out searching for us.’
Something in his tone put her immediately on her guard, and Katherine instinctively stared beyond his broad shoulders, taking swift stock of the other patrons. ‘Would I be correct in thinking that you do not care for that ill-favoured rascal sitting alone at the corner table?’
Daniel didn’t attempt to deny it. ‘He appeared to be taking an uncommon interest in you when we first arrived, certainly,’ he admitted, casting a frowning glance over her curls. ‘Let me know if he leaves, or if someone joins him,’ he added, before turning his attention to the innkeeper’s wife, who arrived at the table bearing a tray laden with several dishes which exuded the most mouthwatering aromas.
It hadn’t been difficult for Katherine to guess what had been passing through his mind when he had subjected her hair to a fleeting glance of irritation. Yet it was hardly her fault that she had been destined to inherit her father’s colouring and in consequence was, as Daniel himself had tauntingly pointed out earlier in the day, easily picked out in a crowd.
Successfully suppressing a feeling of pique, she immediately set about the rewarding task of satisfying her hunger. During the time it took to consume a bowl of heart-warming broth, and work her way through a selection of meats and a variety of pasties, she succeeded in blotting from her mind the danger the man seated at the corner table might pose. Unfortunately, she just happened to glance in his direction, as she was about to consume the last mouthful of the most delicious fruit tart she had ever tasted in her life, and the very real possibility that he might indeed be one of those assassins hired to discover their whereabouts returned to cause her no small concern.
‘I like to see a female with a healthy appetite.’ Daniel approved, as he leaned back in his seat, totally replete himself.
For her part Katherine couldn’t help but admire the way he always appeared so composed in the face of possible danger. However, he wasn’t quite impervious to their present situation, as his next words proved. ‘I think it is high time we were making tracks, don’t you?’
He regarded her in silence for a moment, his dark eyes assessing as he contemplated the modesty of a dress now sadly creased and travel-stained, and the arrangement of fiery curls. ‘You are by no means the only female in France to possess red hair, and it just might be that our friend over there in the corner admires your colouring. On the other hand, if he isn’t an innocent local out enjoying his evening tipple, there’s every chance that he’ll follow us when we leave. And to be perfectly frank with you, I’d rather not leave a trail of corpses littered across France, clearly indicating in which direction we’re heading, if I can possibly avoid it. So let us see if we can persuade him that we’re not the pair he’s been hired to locate.’
Katherine could find no fault in this course of action, until he calmly asked her to undo the buttons at the neckline of her dress, and release her hair from its restraining band. ‘Whatever for?’ she demanded, not unreasonably.
‘Because you, my little darling, are about to become my doxy.’
He could not have startled her more had he tried, and it plainly showed when she gaped across the width of the table at him, not one hundred per cent certain she could have heard aright. ‘I … beg … your … pardon?’
There was just a suspicion of a twitch at one corner of his mouth. ‘For the love of God, Kate, don’t go all missish on me now!’ he ordered in a voice which contained a suspicion of a tremor too. ‘I’m only asking you to act the part of a strumpet, not to take up the profession in earnest, for heaven’s sake!’
Katherine regarded him in silence for a moment, half wondering if he had taken complete leave of his senses, but very much fearing that he was in deadly earnest. ‘I shall take leave to inform you, Major Ross,’ she said with careful restraint, ‘that I am incapable of attempting such a portrayal. My experience of strumpets, and how they conduct themselves, is non-existent.’
‘Fortunately mine isn’t,’ he countered, with what could best be described as an evil leer, and, reaching out, he tugged the strip of material from her hair, allowing the auburn tresses to tumble about her shoulders. ‘All you need do is cling to my arm, and look at me as though you find me as delicious as that fruit tart you’ve just devoured with such relish.’
Although appalled at the mere suggestion, Katherine swiftly came to the conclusion that masquerading as a woman of easy virtue for a few minutes was a small price to pay in order to attempt to avoid a confrontation with a would-be assassin. Consequently she made no demur when Daniel slipped her arm through his, and proceeded to guide her across the inn towards the door, though she might have wished he had refrained from uttering a rather lewd remark in a carrying voice, the result of which induced several patrons to exchange knowing looks and several others to snicker behind their hands.
As they left the inn, still arm in arm, and began to retrace their steps along the street, Katherine was just beginning to think that the embarrassing little interlude had been entirely worthwhile when she clearly detected the sound of a door opening behind them. Before she knew what was happening, Daniel had her pinned against the stone wall of a house, and was smothering the squeal that rose in her throat by clamping his mouth down hard over hers.
For a few moments Katherine was too stunned by the speed of the assault to appreciate why he was behaving in this brutal and uncharacteristic manner, holding her so tightly that there was no possible hope of escape, and forcing an embrace upon her which was singularly lacking the persuasive tenderness she well remembered him displaying on that memorable night in Paris.
‘For the love of God, Kate,’ he muttered, dragging his mouth towards her left ear, and grazing her cheek in the process with the rough stubble on his chin, ‘don’t just stand there like a stock, girl! At least try to pretend you wish to bed me.’
A slight movement in the shadows succeeded in thrusting aside the last barrier of reserve. Reaching up, Katherine entwined her arms about his neck, and thought she detected a flicker of what might well have been surprise in his eyes before she took the initiative and forced his mouth down on hers in a kiss which began as little more than a mere meeting of lips, but which swiftly deepened as she instinctively parted her own, moving them back and forth beneath his. The fact that this was pretence, a mere show of passion for the benefit of inquisitive eyes, rapidly faded from her mind as a highly pleasurable but totally foreign longing began to spread swiftly through her limbs.
Without conscious thought she pressed her body closer until breasts, hips and thighs made contact with strong bone and well-honed muscle. They seemed to meld together so wonderfully, like two halves of a perfect whole, that she couldn’t say with any degree of certainty whether the sudden tremor that rippled through her, or the low earthy moan which followed, emanated from her or the man who a moment later brought an abrupt end to the intimate contact by almost wrenching his mouth away.
For several moments his breathing seemed faintly laboured, and there was a flicker of something quite intense in his dark eyes. Then he seemed to collect himself, and took a hurried step away.
‘Why, you’re a passionate wench, and no mistake!’ he announced, his strong teeth flashing in a sportive smile. ‘Come, take me to your bed, otherwise I’ll have you here and now!’
Like a cruel slap in the face, harsh reality returned with a vengeance, and was no less humiliating than the hearty smack he unexpectedly administered to the seat of her skirt, before linking her arm through his once more. Yet it took Katherine, still plagued by a wealth of unfamiliar sensations, several moments to come to terms with the fact that what had just taken place between them had been a sham, nothing more than mere pretence on his part. How she wished she could say with complete honesty that it had been likewise with her!
Wounded pride and bitter resentment was an explosive mixture. Yet Katherine steadfastly refused to give vent to her emotions and betray the fact that she was foolishly feeling unaccountably hurt by this display of seeming indifference on Daniel’s part to that passionate interlude which had just taken place.
It certainly did nothing to improve her state of mind when the sound of a footfall close behind suggested very strongly that her humiliation might all have been in vain, and she was just about to suggest that they should confront the stalker, when Daniel’s clasp on her elbow was suddenly increased and she was unexpectedly thrust down a side alley.
‘Await me at the far end,’ he ordered, releasing his grasp, and although she would have preferred to remain, she found herself automatically obeying the whispered command.
It was by now quite dark and Katherine, almost stumbling over the uneven surface, hurried along the narrow alley, not knowing whether it would offer a means of escape, and not caring very much either. She could not, would not, attempt to save her own skin and leave Daniel to face the threat of danger alone. She stopped and turned, clearly hearing the sounds of a scuffle, swiftly followed by a low groan. Then she almost cried out in relief, her former resentment completely forgotten, when she saw that tall, dependable being emerging from the gloom.
His grim expression, as he paused to slip an evil-looking knife inside the top of his boot, told her all she needed to know. He took no pleasure in taking a human life, of that she felt certain, and to do him justice he had done all he could to avoid the confrontation, so she chose not to ply him with unnecessary questions that would only add to his distress.
‘Needless to say we shall be unable to remain in this town overnight.’ He sounded quite matter-of-fact, but the flicker of anguish lingering in his eyes was unmistakable. ‘I doubt our friend back there came here alone. I very much fear there may be others about the place searching for us. Therefore we must resign ourselves to yet another night without any creature comforts.’
Katherine frankly didn’t care where they spent the night. A feeling of well-being, something that she had not experienced for several years, washed over her as they left the town and headed for the open countryside. As long as this man was with her she knew instinctively that she would never come to any harm.
Chapter Nine
Katherine awoke to find herself in unfamiliar surroundings yet again. Having had little choice but to lie on a dirt floor, with a thin pile of leaves beneath her, she had passed possibly the most uncomfortable night of her entire life. Yet she clearly remembered that, when they had quite by chance stumbled upon the woodcutter’s rustic shelter, she had been too tired to care where she had bedded down, and had fallen asleep almost from the moment her head had touched the ground.
Easing herself into a sitting position, she glanced about the rough wooden structure, which, boasting three sides only, was open to the elements at the front, and was surprised to discover herself quite alone. She immediately experienced a moment’s unease, not because Daniel was no longer propped in the adjacent corner, where he had settled himself the night before, but because she suddenly recalled that he had seemed strangely quiet, subdued almost, after they had left the small market town the evening before.
They had been obliged to walk quite some distance before they had chanced upon this shelter, nestling in the wood. Throughout the lengthy trek Daniel had not uttered above a dozen words. At first she had put his unusually subdued state down to the fact that he had been compelled to put a period to their stalker’s existence in order to effect an escape. That, however, could not account for the fact that he had seemed disinclined to be near her, to so much as touch her. Why, not once had he offered a helping hand over the rougher ground, which he had not hesitated to do earlier in the day. Furthermore, when they had finally discovered this shelter, he had settled himself as far away as possible from her, when it would have made more sense to have lain side by side in order to share bodily warmth.
Sweeping her hair back from her face, Katherine stared through the wide opening at the surrounding woodland, wondering now if his odd behaviour was not a means to an end: an attempt to protect himself. Perhaps he had no intention of placing himself in a position whereby he would feel obliged to offer her the protection of his name?
She recalled with embarrassing clarity the passionate interlude outside the inn. She hadn’t found kissing him, or holding his strong body next to her own, in the least distasteful. In fact, the opposite was all too embarrassingly true. Perhaps Daniel had sensed this and it had put him on his guard? Perhaps, also, he was afraid that she would expect him to do the honourable thing by marrying her once this venture was over? If so, she would swiftly disabuse him, she decided, experiencing a resurgence of that ever-present fear. She had made up her mind years before that marriage was not for her. She had no intention of ever putting any man’s life at risk, especially one of whom she had grown so inordinately fond. It had possibly been a grave mistake on her part to become so friendly with Daniel, though she failed to see how she might have prevented herself from doing so. Nevertheless, it might help to ease his mind a little if she followed his recent example and attempted to remain a little aloof herself from now on.
Hurriedly rising to her feet, Katherine went outside to scan the surrounding woodland more intently, but worryingly could detect no sign of him. Where on earth had he got to? Surely he hadn’t left her to fend for herself?
The instant the idea entered her mind, she dismissed it at once, ashamed for having had the mere thought. He would never do such an unchivalrous thing! Heaven only knew he could be the most irritating man on occasions—arrogant, overbearing and downright rude! But Major Daniel Ross was no coward. He was an exceptionally brave man who could be quite touchingly considerate on occasions. So where in the name of heaven had he taken himself off to?
Fortunately Katherine wasn’t left worrying unnecessarily for very long. A minute or so later she detected the sound of hoof beats, and turned to see Daniel, astride a large bay and leading a second mount, negotiating a safe passage between the trees.
Instantly forgetting her resolve, she ran to meet him, her expression clearly betraying delight, and it was only as she reached his side that she recalled her resolution. His returning smile was just too spontaneous not to be perfectly genuine, and she couldn’t help wondering whether she had merely read too much into his strange behaviour and that his former reserve might have stemmed from nothing more than mere fatigue.
‘Well, sweetheart?’ Looking very well pleased with himself, Daniel drew the horses to a halt. ‘What do you think of our latest acquisitions? Not precisely high-stepping thoroughbreds, but I believe they’ll serve their purpose by speeding up our journey.’
‘Sturdy and, yes, capable of doing the job,’ she announced, after a brief examination of both mounts, where she betrayed once more the knowledge she had gained from her father. ‘How on earth did you manage to acquire them?’
‘You might not have observed those two men propping up the counter at that inn. I, on the other hand, overheard one of them saying he would be bringing two horses to the market held in the town on Friday, and that there was no need for him to make an early start as he lived in a small village just four miles east of the town. That is why I came this way last night. The village is about half a mile away, just beyond the wood.’
Katherine couldn’t help admiring his superb sense of direction. Even at night he never seemed to get himself lost. He was immensely capable, equal to any challenge. Why, not only had he managed to acquire horses, but saddles and bridles too!
When he apologised for not having been able to provide her with a side-saddle, Katherine dismissed it with a wave of her hand. ‘Don’t give it another thought,’ she urged him, easily mounting without assistance. ‘I frequently rode astride as a girl, and much preferred it. Unfortunately, when I reached a certain age Mama objected, and I was obliged thereafter to ride like a lady. Believe me, I shall enjoy the experience again.’
It took Daniel a few minutes only to appreciate her skill in the saddle. She was an extremely accomplished horsewoman who handled her mount with ease. ‘Your father taught you well, Katherine,’ he remarked, not reticent to voice his admiration, but could not resist adding, ‘His only fault, I strongly suspect, was a reluctance to beat you often enough.’
Katherine wasn’t slow to detect the provocative gleam in dark eyes. ‘It might surprise you to know, Major Ross, that my father never once laid a violent hand on me. It might also surprise you to know he never felt that he needed to.’ Her smile faded. ‘He had a certain way of looking at me whenever I had displeased him, which always made me feel so guilty that I promised never to do it again.’
Anyone of the meanest intelligence couldn’t have failed to appreciate how deeply she had cared for her father. But was a desire to avenge his death the only reason why she had agreed to involve herself in Sir Giles Osborne’s machinations? Daniel couldn’t resist asking.
‘Good heavens, no! I did it as much for myself as anything else, I suppose,’ she was honest enough to admit. ‘I have become increasingly disenchanted with the life I have been leading in Bath. I am feeling increasingly restrained … suffocated, almost.’
Katherine released her breath in a resentful sigh, which matched quite beautifully the fleeting glance she cast him. ‘It’s all very well for you men. You can come and go as you please, but for a female it is quite different. I have inherited a companion who’s a dear person, but faintly scatty, and on occasions something of a trial. And then, of course, there’s Bridie, who will insist on treating me just as though I were still a child.’
Although he was smiling, he betrayed genuine sympathy as he said, ‘There’s one course of action which will enable you to sever those restraining ties. You could wed. Married women enjoy far more freedom.’
‘True,’ she agreed, ‘but I do not consider a desire for freedom reason enough to take the matrimonial plunge, at least not in my case. Besides which,’ she added, suddenly remembering her determination to put his mind at rest, ‘I am resolved never to marry. Remember, I’m a curse, Daniel. I could never reconcile it with my conscience if I were to shorten any man’s life.’
If she had expected this declaration to reassure him, and bring about a return of the wonderful camaraderie that had been surprisingly increasing between them, she was swiftly to discover her mistake.
