She stepped into her room, which was immaculately clean and warmed by a quietly crackling fire. The rose floral draperies and bed hangings glowed in the lamplight and a vase of out-of-season flowers sat on the desk. “This is lovely. I’ve stayed in much humbler accommodations.” An understatement of massive proportions. “Does Grey know where his room is, or are his old rooms available?”
The countess frowned. “I’d forgotten about that. Peter moved into those rooms when … when we gave up hope that Grey would ever return. I’ll have another room prepared for Grey to stay in tonight. It’s too late to move Peter’s things.”
“Is it necessary for Peter to move?” Cassie asked, surprised.
The older woman looked puzzled. “Peter has been living in the heir’s suite. Now that Grey is back, it belongs to him.”
Cassie hesitated before saying, “Surely in a house this splendid, there are other suitable quarters. Even happy news can be disruptive. Since Peter will have other major changes to adjust to, perhaps moving isn’t essential?”
The countess frowned. “I take your point. I shall discuss this with Grey before any plans are finalized. He has the right to request his old room back.” Lady Costain’s scrutiny turned to Cassie. “I didn’t wish to have this discussion in front of Peter and Elizabeth, but I do wonder about your background. The St. Ives family doesn’t mingle much in the beau monde, but I had the impression that there are only sons.”
Her tone equally cool, Cassie said, “Your real question is whether I’m a fortune hunter taking advantage of Lord Wyndham’s vulnerable state.” Her head was aching, so she began pulling pins from her hair. “I am who I claim to be. I’m not a scheming slut sinking my greedy claws into your son.”
Lady Costain drew a sharp breath. “You believe in directness.”
“When appropriate.” Cassie’s lips twisted. “But I lie well when that’s required.”
“And I have no way of knowing which you are doing now.” Lady Costain sighed. “I’m sorry for my bluntness, but surely you can understand that I’m concerned for my son’s welfare. I never thought …” She bit her lip. “You aren’t making this easy for me. You were remarkably evasive when we talked over supper. Is there anything you’re willing to tell me that might soothe my maternal concerns?”
Cassie moved to the dressing table. The image in the mirror was of a red-haired temptress. A sophisticated and ruthless woman of the world. No wonder Lady Costain was worried. If Cassie had a son, she’d want to keep him out of such a woman’s clutches.
“Grey’s story is his to tell, and I will let him decide how much he wishes to say.” She picked up the silver-backed brush and began brushing out her hair. “The current Lord Ives is my father’s younger brother, and indeed he has only sons. My mother was French. All of my family except me died in a massacre during the Reign of Terror. It was many years ago, so it’s not surprising you were unaware of what happened to them.”
The countess gasped. “Your whole family was killed? How horrible! How did you survive?”
Cassie continued brushing. Her natural hair color might be outrageous, but it was rich and beautiful in its way. “My nurse had taken me out for the afternoon. Of course, I could be lying and the real Catherine St. Ives died with the rest of her family. As it happens, I’m telling the truth.” Wanting to ease the countess’s concerns, she added, “The betrothal will be a long one. I will not hold Grey to his word if he changes his mind.”
After a long silence, the other woman said quietly, “I believe you. What have you been doing these many years?”
“Surviving.” Cassie gazed at her reflection, seeing circles under her eyes. She’d known that coming to Summerhill would be difficult, but she’d only be here for a few days. Telling Grey’s family some truth about herself meant they’d be happy to say good-bye when the time came.
“Are you Grey’s mistress?” Lady Costain asked.
Mistress. Such a simple word for such a complex relationship. “Yes.” Cassie removed her small gold earrings.
“It didn’t take him long to find one,” his mother said disapprovingly. “I hoped he’d outgrow his womanizing by this age.”
Suddenly furious, Cassie spun away from the mirror. “Imagine ten years in solitary confinement, Lady Costain. Ten years of never seeing or touching another living being. No hugs, no kisses from your children or granddaughter, no husbandly pat on your derriere when no one is looking. No scent of another human, no sight of a human face. Imagine all that—and don’t you dare criticize your son!”
For a moment the countess looked ready to explode. Then her expression changed. “You’re in love with Grey.”
Throat tight, Cassie turned and pulled the bell to summon Hazel, which would end this painful conversation. “That is between Grey and me. But I assure you that I’m not here to cause trouble for the Sommers family.”
“I shall take you at your word.” The countess turned to leave. “And … thank you for bringing my son back to me.”
Cassie closed her eyes in exhaustion. She didn’t need Lady Costain’s thanks. Everything she’d done had been for Grey.
After the family and his father’s valet left, Grey settled down in the chair his sister had occupied. His father’s still face showed more wrinkles around his eyes and mouth and there were silver strands visible in the Sommers blond hair. But the strong features hadn’t changed. Lord Costain looked ready to wake at any moment.
Grey took his father’s hand. It was limp, neither warm nor cold. “I’ve come home, Father,” he said softly. “I’m sorry for all the worry I caused you. You did your best to train me to be a strong, compassionate earl who knew about farming and law and everything else a peer of the realm should know. You were a good teacher so I couldn’t help learning, but I know I’m responsible for a good number of those white hairs.”
He thought he felt the barest squeeze of his father’s hand, though it was probably his imagination. “Let me tell you about how I came to be imprisoned in France. If I’d had a whit of sense, I would have come home before the Truce of Amiens ended, but no, I was the golden boy to whom nothing bad could happen.”
He continued talking, his words sometimes halting and painful as he described the imprisonment, the near madness, the blessed company of Père Laurent. Everything he’d been unable to say to the rest of his family. “Père Laurent was my second father. You would like each other if you ever met.”
Grey smiled as he tried to imagine such a meeting. “Though he’s a Catholic, he didn’t seem at all disposed to invade England and convert all us heretics by the sword.” That ambition belonged to Napoleon, and there was nothing religious about it.
Several times he halted until he regained his composure, but he needed to say all this to his father even if he was too late for a real conversation. When he finally ran out of words, he said softly, “I really wish you wouldn’t die, Father. I’m nowhere near ready to become the next Lord Costain. I need you. We all need you.”
His words choked off. Trying for a lighter note, he said, “But I’ve done one thing right. You wanted me to marry and secure the succession, so I’ve brought my fiancée to Summerhill.”
“Is she pretty?”
The whisper was so thin that Grey was sure he’d imagined it. Bending over his father, he asked in a hushed voice, “Did you say something?”
The pale eyelids fluttered open. “Is she pretty?”
Stunned, Grey choked out, “She’s beautiful. A redhead.”
“Redheaded grandchildren?” The earl sounded disapproving. “Tell … more.”
“Her father was Lord St. Ives. She’s the most incredible woman I’ve ever met, and she saved my life several times.”
His father blinked. “Sounds … too good for you.”
“She is.” Grey wanted to stand up and shout his exhilaration at his father’s improvement, but that seemed disrespectful for a sickroom. “You’ll g
et to meet Cassie, but now you should rest.”
“Tired of resting.” The earl’s eyes closed. “Could hear people talk, but couldn’t answer. Till you came. Had to tell you you’re a damned young fool.”
“Yes, Father. I have been. I’ll try to do better.” Silent tears were sliding down Grey’s cheeks. “I’ll get Mother. She’ll want to talk to you.”
A faint smile softened the earl’s face. “Need my Janey.”
Jubilant, Grey squeezed his father’s hand. “She’ll be here soon.”
Outside the room, he was unsurprised to find Baker quietly waiting to return to his master’s bedside. “Good news! He woke up and was talking to me. Entirely coherent, too.” Grey grinned. “Called me a damned young fool.”
“Sounds like he’s in his right mind,” the valet said with a glimmer of humor. “Shall I go in?”
Grey nodded. “He wants to see her ladyship. I’ll tell her.”
Despite the late hour, he found his mother in the morning room. She was sitting by the fire, neglected needlework in her lap as she gazed into the flames. Looking up at Grey’s entrance, she asked, “Did you make your peace with your father?”
“I hope so, but if not, I’ll have other chances later. Mother, he woke up! He’s weak, but he spoke clearly. He wants to see you. I think he’s going to be all right.”
The countess stood, her face luminous as her embroidery fell to the floor. “Thank God!” She hugged Grey, clinging to him as she struggled to control herself. “What a day of miracles this has been!”
“It has indeed.” He held her a moment longer, remembering how she held him and sang lullabies when he was very small. He’d given up hope that he’d hold her again like this. “I’m sorry for all the trouble and grief I caused you.”
“Children exist to cause their parents trouble and grief,” she said wryly. Releasing him, she added, “But they also give life’s greatest joys. You were sometimes too heedless, but there was no malice in you. Being caught in France when the truce ended …” She shrugged. “It was abominable luck, but not a sin on your part.”
He didn’t agree, but he was too tired to discuss that. “What did Cassie tell you about my time in France?”
“Very little. She said the story was yours to tell.”
That was his Cassie. Discreet to the bone. He wasn’t sure himself how much he wanted to say, but knew he’d avoid details. He hoped his father didn’t remember them.
His mother said, “Why do you call her Cassie? Is it a nickname for Catherine?”
He nodded, since the real reason was too private to reveal. “I think it suits her.”
“What an extraordinary young woman she is.” His mother’s voice was neutral. “Formidable, even.”
Formidable. A perfect description. “She is, isn’t she?” Grey agreed. “Now go to Father. He’ll be looking for you, if he hasn’t drifted off again.”
“He was in his right wits?” she asked, looking younger than when he’d arrived.
“Yes. I think he was on the verge of waking up on his own, and hearing my voice made him curious.”
“I prefer to call it a miracle.” She gave him a radiant smile. “I half expect to wake up in the morning and find you’re a dream.”
“If I were to appear in your dreams, I probably wouldn’t be as thin and eccentric,” he said wryly.
She studied him more critically. “Definitely thin, but your usual elegant self.”
“Thanks for the elegance are owed to Kirkland, who lent me decent clothing.”
“I hope you start patronizing his tailor!” Her face sobered. “Have you become eccentric, Grey?”
“That might not be the right word.” He studied her beloved face and knew that she could never really understand. “I just … I’ll need time to become used to normal life. I require more peace and quiet than when I was younger.”
She laughed and patted his arm. “We all do when we grow up. Good night, my darling. Sleep as late as you like in the morning.”
“I intend to.” He watched her leave, wondering what room Cassie was in. He could have asked his mother, but it seemed a rather indelicate question.
He considered. As Grey’s fiancée, she would have been put in one of the best guest rooms. Probably the Rose Room, which was discreetly distant from Grey’s suite.
He set off for the Rose Room, desperate to find his thorn among the roses.
Chapter 34
The hour was very late, after midnight, so Grey saw no one as he climbed the stairs in search of Cassie. There was light visible under his father’s door, and the soft murmur of his mother’s voice. He passed by and headed down the corridor. Summerhill was shaped like a shallow U, with wings coming off each end of the main block. He turned right into the short passage at the east end.
Yes, a faint line of light under the Rose Room’s door. Probably a low-burning night lamp. He turned the knob, glad the room wasn’t locked, and stepped silently inside. The dim lamplight revealed Cassie’s sleeping form. She lay on her side, a thick braid of hair falling over her shoulder in a rope of dark molten copper.
She was so beautiful his heart hurt. He quietly closed the door behind him.
Before he could announce himself, Cassie woke and hurled herself off the far side of the mattress with amazing speed. A knife appeared in her hand as she took cover behind the massive four-poster bed and evaluated the threat.
He held absolutely still. “Sorry. I should have known better than to startle you.” After she relaxed and the knife disappeared, he said, “From your reaction, I’m guessing that Summerhill feels dangerous to you.”
“Apparently so,” she said ruefully as she circled the bed. The nightgown she wore was thick and warm, but it couldn’t conceal the lithe grace of her movements. “I was feeling rather … alone and vulnerable.”
He winced. “I’m sorry, I should have stayed with you rather than leave you to carry the full weight of my excited relatives.”
She shook her head. “It would have been nice to face their curiosity together, but you needed to talk to your father while he’s still breathing.”
Reminded of the miracle, Grey exclaimed, “He woke up! He spoke to me quite coherently. I think he’ll be all right. My mother is with him now.”
“That’s wonderful news!” She caught his hands in delight. “And not only because it means you don’t succeed to Costain for a while.”
“I’m hoping my father is good for at least another twenty years,” he said fervently as he wrapped his arms around Cassie.
She melted into him with a welcoming sigh. “I’m so glad you came. I’ll sleep better for seeing you and getting a good hug.”
“I need a good deal more than a hug.” Hungrily he bent to her mouth, wanting to draw her essence into himself. “Cassie, Cassie …” He peeled off her nightgown, then walked her back to the bed.
“Should we be doing this under your mother’s roof?” she asked uncertainly, but her hands were pulling at his coat.
“It’s my roof, too.” He swept her onto the bed, then tore at his garments with no thought for Kirkland’s expensive tailor. “I need you far more than I need propriety.”
Cassie lay on her side watching him strip, a cream and copper goddess in the dim light, her haunted blue eyes as hungry as his own. When he was down to skin and too many bones, she pulled him onto the bed, saying huskily, “You’re as powerful a drug as opium, my lord.” Then they spoke no more.
His demands were met by her strength, but also a vulnerability he’d never felt in her before. He poured everything he had into her, wanting to return the priceless gifts she’d given him. And together, they found fulfillment.
After the shattering culmination, they lay limp in each other’s arms. Her braid had come undone and her hair lay in a shimmering veil over his chest. “Catherine,” he murmured, as he twined a strand around his fingers. “You have the most beau
tiful hair I’ve ever seen. Coloring it might have been essential for your work, but it’s a crime to deprive the world of such splendor.”
“No carroty little girl would ever believe that. And for a full-grown woman, the color is considered vulgar. Sluttish, even.” Her voice turned wry. “Not that that doesn’t fit me, since I am a slu—”
“Don’t!” he said sharply. “Don’t ever say anything like that about yourself! You are the finest woman I’ve ever known, true and generous and strong. Don’t look at yourself as narrow minds would.”
“It’s hard not to, especially here,” she pointed out. “Your mother and sister are good women in every sense of the word. I … am not.”
“Have they been rude to you?” he demanded. “I will not allow that!”
“You’re fitting back into your lordly role very quickly,” she said with amusement. “Your sister was charming and happy to meet me because she assumes we’ll be neighbors and she wants to be friends. Your mother …” Cassie hesitated. “She wasn’t rude, but she is naturally concerned for you and wanted to assure herself that you hadn’t fallen into the talons of a fortune-hunting harpy.”
“How dare she!” he said angrily. “I shall speak with her.”
“No,” Cassie said firmly. “Your mother’s concerns are legitimate. I’m no one’s idea of an innocent virgin bride.”
“Why the devil would I want one of those?” he retorted. “Sounds deucedly dull.”
“Many men worship the purity of innocence. I’m glad you’re not one of them,” Cassie said with a laugh. “But any mother would worry when her long-lost son shows up with a strange woman.”
“You’re not strange.” He cupped her breast with one hand. “You’re magnificent.”
Cassie gave him an intimate, teasing smile. “Your return has gone better than expected, hasn’t it? With your father recovering, you can take your time rather than being forced into major responsibility before you’re ready.” She brushed her lips on his cheek in a feather kiss. “I’m not needed here, so I can return to London right away.”