Cassie would have preferred to sit down for a moment and catch her breath. But good manners dictated otherwise. Because she had accustomed herself to General Clinton’s unprepossessing height, she found herself staring at an exquisite waistcoat of pale blue silk embroidered with intricate gold thread when she turned.
“Lady Delford and I are old friends, sir.”
“Well, I will leave you two young people alone to renew your acquaintance,” General Howe said, and turned away.
“No,” Cassie whispered, “it cannot be.” She raised her widened eyes to meet his mocking dark ones. “No,” she whispered again, her voice faint. She stumbled backward, and the earl cupped his hand under her elbow.
“You are looking well, Cassandra.”
She ran her tongue over dry lips. “I—I don’t understand.”
“You don’t understand why you are looking well? I have wondered the same thing myself.” A mocking smile mirrored his tone. “I fear that the blues of our respective dress do not quite match. Still, we make a striking couple.”
He offered her his arm. “The music has begun, my dear.”
She looked numbly down at the fine lace that spilled over his dark hands. He wore the ring she had given him for Christmas on his third finger. She laid her hand tentatively upon his proffered arm.
They took their places in the long line of ladies and gentlemen. It was fortunate that Cassie knew the steps so well, for her mind seemed frozen, her thoughts suspended. He had come after her, halfway across the world. The thought that he still wanted her careened through her mind, over and over. She was scarce aware when he grasped her arm and deftly removed her from the row of dancers.
“I would not wish you to faint, my lady. Only think of the scene it would create and the eyebrows that would be raised.”
“I would not faint,” she said.
Within a few moments, he had led her to the outer entrance hall. She looked up at him in question.
“It is my opinion that you need a breath of fresh evening air.” She nodded, for she could think of nothing else to do. They walked past brightly uniformed soldiers to the front veranda.
They were alone on the wide portico. The earl turned to face her, and grasped her shoulders. His voice was meditative. “When I left, Cassandra, I vowed to myself that if I found you safe and well I would forgo my anger. To my chagrin, however, I have discovered that I want nothing more than to thrash you soundly.”
Conciliating words, words of love, died on her lips. “Since I am no longer your captive, my lord, I need not fear your threats. Since we are talking about anger, perhaps you can tell me why you lied to me. Damn you, you lied to me.”
He leaned back against a white-painted pillar, his arms crossed negligently across his chest. “Lied to you, Cassandra? I have done many things, but lying to you was not one of them.”
“Then, my lord, how do you explain your so interesting relation, Becky Petersham, a woman who has lived with the Broughams for more than ten years?”
“Ah yes, Becky Petersham. I assume that you read all her letters, cara. If you did, then you will know she is a distant cousin. I placed you in her care because she herself wished a post as a governess in England, and your father did not concern himself with you. You could quite easily have grown up to be a little savage, if I had not intervened. As to my lying to you—” He shrugged. “I suppose that I did deceive you by what I did not say. I would have told you, eventually, after we had wed.” He paused a moment and brushed a fleck of dust from his coat sleeve. “I regret that I had to use Becky to secure your presence that afternoon, but it was unavoidable.”
Cassie sucked in her breath, furious at his calm dismissal of what he had done. “Your charade was despicable, my lord. And as to Becky Petersham, I shall strangle her if it is ever my misfortune to lay eyes upon her again.” Even as she spoke, she realized that she would see Becky as soon as she returned to Hemphill Hall. She shook that thought from her mind. “I am relieved, my lord, to learn that you can so easily excuse your own perfidy. You are beyond ruthless, and I won’t have it.” She paused, seeing that he was looking down at her, a smile upon his lips.