LITMIR.BIZ

       Chapter Seven

      Ralph’s sisters and their husbands arrived the following afternoon, a day early, while Lucy and Ariadne were on a shopping trip to Ingleston.

      ‘Perhaps it is not such a bad thing,’ remarked Mrs Dean, when Byrne informed them that their guests were in the drawing room with Lord Adversane. ‘You have not had time to get into a panic.’

      Lucy tried to smile. She could not forget Adam Cottingham’s remark that Ralph’s sisters were fearsome ladies. However, there was no going back, for Mrs Dean had taken her arm and was marching her towards the drawing room.

      The next ten minutes passed in a flurry of introductions and exclamations. Lucy was presented to Lord and Lady Wetherell and Sir Timothy and Lady Finch. The ladies had the same rather hawk-like features as their brother, but their smiles were warm, and however fearsome they might be, she took comfort from the fact both Sir Timothy and Lord Wetherell had the genial, well-fed look of contented spouses.

      ‘Enough of this formality,’ declared Lady Wetherell, coming forward and kissing Lucy on the cheek. ‘You must call me Caroline, my dear, and my sister is Meg—or Margaret, which is what I call her when she has annoyed me! Now, Miss Lucy Halbrook, let me look at you. What persuaded you to agree to marry my brother? Did he bully you into it?’

      Lucy blinked at such a direct question and could only be thankful when Ralph answered for her.

      ‘My dear Caroline, how do you expect her to respond to such a question?’ He came forward and took Lucy’s hand. ‘I admit I had to work hard to persuade her to accept my offer, but I don’t think I bullied you, did I, my dear?’

      He was smiling down at her, the mischievous glint in his eyes inviting her to enjoy their shared secret. She found herself relaxing.

      I can do this.

      ‘No more than usual, my lord.’

      ‘Bravo,’ cried Lady Finch, putting her sister aside so that she, too, could greet Lucy with a kiss. ‘You must never be afraid to stand up to Ralph, my dear. His last wife was too complaisant for her own good.’

      Lucy froze. The room fell silent, and Sir Timothy murmured a quiet remonstrance to his wife, who looked around her, brows raised in surprise.

      ‘What have I said that isn’t common knowledge?’ She turned back to Lucy. ‘You will learn that we like plain speaking in this family.’

      ‘But not if it embarrasses Miss Halbrook,’ retorted Ralph.

      ‘Quite right,’ agreed Caroline. ‘Sit down, Meg, and give Miss Halbrook time to grow accustomed to us.’

      ‘And how are the children?’ asked Ariadne, as if to deflect attention from Lucy.

      ‘Oh, they are all healthy and ripe for a spree,’ replied Sir Timothy cheerfully. ‘We sent the boys off to stay with Caroline’s three young scamps.’

      ‘That’s good,’ said Ralph. ‘They can ruin Wetherell’s coverts and leave my birds in peace.’

      Mrs Dean shook her head at him. ‘Fie, Ralph, you know you love them all dearly.’

      ‘How many children do you have?’ asked Lucy.

      ‘Two fine young boys,’ replied Sir Timothy, pushing out his chest a little.

      ‘And Caro has two girls and a boy,’ declared Margaret. ‘Delightfully noisy and boisterous, thank heaven.’

      ‘Yes, they are, which is why we thought it would be quite unfair to subject Ralph’s future wife to such lively children until she was better acquainted with the rest of us.’ Caroline laughed. ‘They might well have scared her off!’

      * * *

      An hour later, when Mrs Dean suggested that they should all retire to change for dinner, Lucy’s head was reeling. She liked Caroline and Margaret very much and she enjoyed their lively banter, but it had not taken her long to realise that they were as strong-willed as their brother. She was about to follow them out of the room, but Ralph caught her hand and held her back.

      ‘Pray do not pay too much heed to my sisters,’ he said. ‘Do not let their chatter worry you.’

      ‘It doesn’t. I find them very entertaining.’ She chuckled. ‘Although I now understand completely why you want me here.’

      ‘You do?’ His swift, frowning look unsettled her, but it was gone in a moment. ‘Of course. You did not believe me, then, when I said I need protection?’

      ‘Having met your sisters, I think we may both need protection if they discover they have been deceived.’

      He pulled her hand onto his arm. ‘Then let me escort you upstairs to add credence to our story.’

      She walked with him across the hall and up the grand staircase, but when they reached the Long Gallery she deemed it time to protest.

      ‘Apart from a few servants in the hall, no one has seen us, my lord.’

      ‘Ralph,’ he reminded her. ‘And someone may come upon us at any time. We need practice, to make sure we always look at ease together.’

      She gave a little tut.

      ‘I mean, Ralph, that everyone is in their room. We have no audience, sir.’

      She freed her arm, but he caught her hand and held on to it as they entered the inner corridor leading to her bedchamber. With no windows on this passage the light was dim, and Lucy felt her pulse quickening. She stopped.

      ‘I do not think we need to continue this any further, my lord.’

      ‘No?’

      His softly spoken response made her heart flutter alarmingly, and she stepped away, only to find her back against the wall. She was dismayed to hear how unsteady her voice was when she replied to him.

      ‘There is no one here to impress with our charade.’

      ‘But as I said, we need to practise. It is really quite logical.’

      His free hand cupped her cheek, quite gently, but the shock of it held her motionless. She was unable to drag her gaze away from his face. Even in the dim light she noted how his eyes had darkened. He was lowering his head, he was going to kiss her and instead of making any effort to escape she ran her tongue over her lips, as if in preparation.

      Then his mouth was on hers. A gentle touch, nothing like the tumultuous kiss they had shared in the rain. She closed her eyes and a tremor ran through

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