Page 6 of The Secret Love of a Gentleman
Perhaps her problems stemmed from Albert disliking her talking to or dancing with other men – that had always been an excuse for him to raise his hand and strike her. Or perhaps it was the knowledge of the harm a man could inflict.
Robbie rested a palm on the rug, leaning sideways. His shirtsleeves were rolled up and she could see his forearms were covered in dark hair.
George broke free from her embrace. ‘Papa, I need the pot,’ he declared with extreme urgency. He always waited until the last moment.
‘I will take you.’ Caro moved to rise.
Drew pressed a hand on her shoulder. ‘Stay here, Caro, I shall take him.’ He rose, winking at her with his head turned so Robbie would not see.
Her mean brother was deliberately making her endure Robbie’s company. Drew’s attitude towards her ‘flighty nature’ was to stubbornly ignore her fear of situations, he thought it would help her overcome the terror she felt.
‘I will do my best not to discompose you when I stay at Drew’s,’ Robbie said.
Caro’s gaze spun back to Robbie. Every one of her nerve endings howling. ‘I… I…’ Her arms gathered up her knees, hugging her legs, clinging to herself. She felt as if she were in the midst of a swirling sea.
A man’s laugh boomed behind them. Caro unfurled and rose instantly. She could not do this. Uncertain where she was going, she just walked in a direction that was away from everyone.
‘Caroline.’ Her name was spoken quietly. ‘Caroline.’ Robbie had followed.
She glanced back, her gaze apologising. It was not his fault. He had done nothing wrong. ‘Forgive me,’ she said, then she broke into a run, letting her body do what it had longed to do for hours – flee.
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Rob was torn.Should he follow her?He had not said anything wrong and yet guilt gripped in his chest because she had been sitting with the family and he had scared her off.
He cursed himself as she ascended the flight of stairs to the terrace and disappeared into the house, a phantom again.
He would apologise during dinner this evening.
When the dinner hour came, there was no opportunity before the meal as she clung to Mary’s side. Then, at the table, Kate had pandered to Caroline’s insecurities and seated her in between his mother and Mary. Everyone else sat in the order of male then female, then male and so on. But between the women Caroline was clearly more comfortable, more animated. She held a long conversation with Mary, smiling on occasions and gesturing as she spoke.
She was beautiful, not in the striking way of his sister. There was no particularly notable element in her features, her hair was a mixture of brown and blonde, her eyes hazel, her nose straight, her lips perhaps too broad – but the elements put together… And, when her lips parted in a rare smile, and her expression lit up her face, it was as though it awakened her beauty. It was fascinating watching her when she did not realise she was being watched, because he saw someone he doubted anyone but Drew and Mary knew. He was so entranced, he hardly spoke to his Aunt Jane and his cousin Eleanor, who flanked him at the table.
He felt as though he were watching a rare wild creature, sitting in silence because if he moved or spoke, she would discover him watching and run. The candlelight from the candelabras along the table made her pale skin glow. There was one small dark mole above her top lip, to the right, and a sprinkle of pale freckles across the bridge of her nose, where at some point in her life she had not been careful of the sun.
Her head turned and her gaze caught on his, for an instant. A heartbeat. Before she looked at his mother and carried on talking.
In that instant emotion struck him hard in the chest, it felt as though he had been knocked flat by a punch. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts.
Katherine stood, and smiled, her gaze passing across the women. ‘Ladies. I believe it is time we left the men to their port.’ The other women about the table rose and they filed from the room.
Rob changed chairs, moving along to sit beside Uncle Richard. They did not take long over their port; the men in his family rarely stayed at the table for long, they preferred to spend their time with their wives.
When he walked into the drawing room, at the back of the men, Rob’s gaze searched for Caroline.
She was sitting in her corner. Harry had jokingly labelled the chair she always sat in here ‘Caroline’s corner’ years ago, when one of their sisters had been about to take the seat. ‘You’ll get kicked out, that’s Caroline’s corner…’The chair had been Caroline’s corner ever since.
Kate was sitting in the chair beside Caroline’s, talking with her, or perhaps to her.
It was laughable really how his whole family manoeuvred around Caroline’s idiosyncrasies.
‘Robbie.’ Rob turned at the sound of John’s voice. ‘I imagine you are longing to stretch your wings. I know I was excited to escape education at your age.’
‘You did not just stretch your wings, you flew off.’
As a child, Rob had aspired to be like his half-brother until he realised John was so damned perfect there was no matching him. John just irked him now. They were not particularly close. In Rob’s formative years John had been away at school and when John left education he travelled abroad for years. He returned when their maternal grandfather died, because he inherited the Duke’s title.
‘Yes, well, this country held no appeal when Grandfather was alive. You could travel if you chose to, Rob. Your allowance is yours to do with as you will.’
