Part 6 (1/2)

aOf course you have nothing to hide. And even if you did, you wouldnat remember it, anyway,a she said with some asperity.

aThatas true.a He pursed his lips together. aI suppose it is possible that I committed some dire deed on my way here.a aHow do you know you didnat commit a dire deed before that?a aBecause if Iad committed a sin prior to that, Iam sure you would never have made me welcome to begin with.a Harriet glanced sideways at him and said under her breath, aIam not so certain we should make you welcome now.a He picked up his water gla.s.s and replied, aYou are certainly cruel to someone whom you are supposedly in love with.a aPerhaps I accepted your hand for your wealth. We are certainly in need of it now.a Chaseas lips twitched. Harriet Ward pulled no punches. He rather liked that. aWealth? But I am a sea captain. Do sea captains possess that much money? And if so, where do they get it?a aFrom their trade.a Harriet used her fork to spear a bit of lettuce. aCaptain Frakenham is a very wealthy man. We told the bank he was waiting on a payment from a s.h.i.+pment head made of Chinese silks.a aYou told the bank?a Chase lifted his water gla.s.s to hide his smile. aStrange. You make it sound as if I didnat know about this supposed payment. Did you make it up?a Her lips folded in apparent irritation. aYou misunderstood me. We didnat make up anything at all. Captain Frakenhama”youa”are very well off.a She was so d.a.m.ned prim. His head wound must have muddled him worse than he thought, for he couldnat help but think of ways to shake her from her complacency. Ways involving his mouth on hers, his hands on her trim waist. His body reacted to the startlingly heated idea.

aYou intrigue me, Miss Ward.a He slid slightly to one side in his chair so that his knee grazed hers.

She jerked at the touch, nearly upsetting the gravy bowl. aOh piffle!a she snapped. aStop that, will you?a aHarriet!a Mrs. Ward said, blinking in astonishment. aThereas no need to be upset. You didnat spill a thing.a Harrietas cheeks turned scarlet. aSorry,a she mumbled, shooting a venomous gaze at Chase.

He returned the look innocently enough as he cut the mutton that had been set on his plate.

aCaptain Frakenham,a Stephen suddenly said, from where he sat down the table. aItas jolly good to have you back.a aThank you.a Chase eyed the boy curiously. Though Stephen had addressed one or two comments his way, head hardly been enthusiastic in his welcome.

Now, however, Stephenas smile was almost blinding. aI daresay youall be glad to see the improvements in the barn since you were last here.a His eyes twinkled. aYou remember the barn, donat you?a Chase frowned. aThe barn?a aOh yes,a Stephen said. aYouave always liked the barn.a He gave a significant look at Harriet. aHasnat he?a Chase glanced her way and caught the veriest hint of a grin. What was this? Captain Frakenham liked the barn? What were these two up to?

aI donat remember being partial to the barna Of course, I donat remember much of anything. Did I spend much time there?a aOh yes,a Stephen said. aNearly every day.a Harriet nodded. aYou were quite, quite fond of the barn. We couldnat keep you away from it.a aAnd the sheep,a Derrick added smugly, looking up from his plate for the first time.

aAll told, Captain, itas a good thing youare here,a Stephen said cheerily, waving his fork in the air. aWe could use your help with the shearing, especially since I hurt my leg.a Chase paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. aI beg your pardon. Did you say ashearinga?a Harriet nodded, her face wreathed in a smug smile. aSheep. Itas what we do here at Garrett Park, we raise sheep, shear them, and sell their wool. And now that youare here, you can help.a Chase wasnat entirely certain what shearing entailed, but it certainly sounded onerous. A hot, dirty task, he would a.s.sume. The Wards had to be mad to think head do such a thinga”shear sheep indeed. It was one thing to pretend he was a sea captain, another to forget altogether who and what he was. And a St. John would never stoop to sheep shearing. Not this St. John, anyway.

Chase caught Stephen and Harriet exchanging a grin. They both looked as if theyad accomplished some fabulous trick. After a momentas thought, Chaseas jaw tightened, and he reluctantly decided that they had indeed accomplished something quite unusual.

If the Wards said Captain Frakenham liked shearing sheep or digging ditches or wearing his cravat tied backwards, who was he to argue? He wasnat supposed to remember anything, blast it. He couldnat even defend himself. Well, he was pretending to be Captain Frakenham, wasnat he? Surely it wouldnat be too difficult to pretend to enjoy shearing sheep.

Still, such coercion deserved retribution. He set down his fork. Captain Frakenham might not have a memory, but he sure as h.e.l.l had a brain.

And if there was one thing Chase had learned from his brothers and sister, it was that turnabout was fair play. aItas funny how I have no recollection of shearing, but I do seem to remember the barn. I was fond of it, wasnat I?a Stephen seemed surprised at Chaseas acquiescence, but nodded. aVery.a aI seem to be somewhat unclear on the details.a aOh. Well, after dinner, Iall take you there so you can see it again.a Chase leaned toward Harriet and smiled down into her eyes. aI daresay we were fond of the barn, you and I.a Her eyes widened. aWhat?a aI seem to rememberaa He stopped and pressed his fingers to his forehead. aI do remembera a woman. In the hay.a Stephen, who had begun to take a drink, choked loudly.

aYes,a Chase said. aThe face is blurry. But everything elseaa He allowed his gaze to drop from Harrietas face down to her bosom. aEverything else fits perfectly.a aMy goodness!a Mrs. Ward, her face bright red, hurriedly said, aSomeonea please pa.s.s the b.u.t.ter!a Sophia, eyes wide, never removed her gaze from Chase and Harriet, as she absently handed her mother the b.u.t.ter.

Harrietas mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. aHowa I canat believe youa What do you meana”Donat!a She held up a hand when he opened his mouth as if to reply. aWe will talk about this elsewhere.a aElsewhere?a Ophelia leaned forward, her brow furrowed. aWhy do you need to discuss it elsewhere? All he said was that he remembered the barn.a Sophia shook her head, her eyes sparkling with mischief. aLater, Oph. Not now.a Ophelia stiffened. aDo not call me that! My name is Ophelia, not Oph.a She turned a resentful gaze on the captain. aI do not mean to complain, but I do wish my parents had spent a little more time considering the burden of having such a name. It was not at all considerate.a Mrs. Ward grabbed the turn of conversation, smiling brightly. aDear, Iave apologized for that at least a thousand times. It was your fatheras turn to name the baby, and you know he was sadly addicted to Shakespeare. He happened to be in the middle of reading Hamlet when you were born and there was simply no reasoning with him.a Stephen dusted his fingers with his napkin. aJust thank the stars he didnat name you Cleopatra.a aOr Puck,a Derrick added around a mouthful of asparagus. aThat would be worse.a Sophia curled her nose. aUgh! Puck would be a horrid name. Ophelia, if you want another name, I suppose we could call you Puck.a aI like that!a Derrick said. aPa.s.s the mutton, will you, Puck?a aJust stop!a Ophelia snapped. aYou are all horrid!a She turned to her oldest sister. aHarriet, please make them stop teasing.a All eyes turned to Harriet. Chase noted that even Mrs. Ward waited expectantly, as if it was not at all unusual that her eldest daughter was being called upon to solve a dispute rather than herself.

Harriet put down her fork, the tines clanging lightly against the edge of the china plate. Chase rather expected her to lambaste her brothers and sisters for their levity, delivering a homily on the necessities of civility. Certainly that is what Marcus would have done.

But instead, Harrietas lips quivered ever so slightly and she said, aOphelia, as much as I would like to commiserate with you on the ignominy of having a literary name, I cannot. My own lamentably boring name prevents me from doing more than sigh with envy.a aThere is nothing wrong with Harriet,a Ophelia said, her plump chin firm. aI would rather be called Harriet than Ophelia.a aYes, wella”a aAnd anything is better than Oph.a aOphelia is your name, and itas all you have, so you had best learn to enjoy it.a Opheliaas gaze narrowed. aThatas not possible. Not when everyone makes fun of it.a aIam certain not everyone thinks it humorous. Why, just ask the captain. I daresay heas heard far more unusual names.a All eyes turned on Chase.

aWell?a Ophelia asked in a rather daunting tone.

aWell what?a he responded lightly, wondering what the chit expected from him.

aWhat do you think of the name Ophelia?a She spoke stiffly now, her chin high, as if she were taking a horrible risk and she knew it, but her pride would not allow else.

Good G.o.d, why had she asked him that? Chase picked up his gla.s.s and took a sip of water in a lame effort to gain some time. If he said what he thoughta”that the name was indeed ridiculousa”he would be d.a.m.ned. And so would she. He could see it in her eyes.

But if he did more, flattered her that the name was as lovely as she herself was, then he was lying to her, and surely that was an ill choice, too.

Perhaps if he just ate, kept his mouth too full to talk, shead look elsewhere for rea.s.surance. He resolutely cut a large piece of asparagus into two pieces and stuffed one in his mouth.

Ophelia tossed up her chin, her eyes bright with mischief. aCaptain Frakenham,a she said loudly.

Chase paused, the second bite of asparagus already halfway to his mouth. There was no hope for it. He had the impression shead wait for each and every bite.

He cast a regretful look at his fork and set it on his plate. aYes, Miss Ophelia?a aWhat do you think of my name?a He pretended to ponder this. aItas very original.a aAnd?a b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l, what more does she want? He was not used to being questioned. And he definitely wasnat used to being taken to task for having an opinion.

Chase tossed his napkin onto the table. aI donat know what I think about your name! I suppose youare right and itas a rather sila”Oof!a He glared down at Harriet. aYou kicked me.a aI did not,a she said, her gaze not on him, but on Ophelia.

Opheliaas lips quivered uncertainly. aYou think my name is sila”Were you going to say silly?a Chase moved his foot carefully, hoping some feeling would return before morning. Couldnat anyone take a joke? aOf course I wasnat going to say that! What I said, was that I thought your name was rather silky, like good ah, silk.a aSilky?a aYes, sort of feminine and soft anda s.h.i.+mmery.a His brow was damp with the effort, but he managed.

aOphelia! That is the prettiest compliment!a Sophia gave an excited bounce. aThat was very well done, Captain. In factaa”she shot a glance at Harriet from beneath her browsa”aI think thatas the prettiest thing anyone has ever said.a Harriet snorted. aThatas what you said when one of the Ferrell twins likened your eyes to the stars, which was not very original, I might add, or very apt considering your eyes are blue and the stars are all yellow.a Sophia stiffened. aIt was not one of the Ferrell twins, but Viscount Northrakeas eldest son.a aWhoever it was, it was the poorest attempt at poetry Iave ever heard.a Sophiaas face turned red. aOh! How can you say that? You have no appreciation for romance. None at all! Why when I thinka”a Sophia suddenly stopped, her gaze moving from Harriet to Chase. A sly smile crept across her lips.

Harriet recognized the signs immediately, alarm making her stiffen. aSophia, donata”a aCaptain!a Sophia leaned across the table toward the man. aI daresay you donat remember this, but you and Harriet were quite fond of the barn. In fact,a she said, seeming to grow braver by the moment, awe were forever finding the two of you in the hay. Just as you remember.a Harriet wished the ground beneath her would open up and swallow her whole, but it was not to be. The floor remained hideously firm, and all she could do was paste a smile on her lips and avoid looking at the captain.

She was certain the fool would be grinning, and she simply could not face such mockery. Harriet cast a wild glance at her siblings, seeking a.s.sistance, but none was to be had. Stephen was far too busy holding back a huge grin, while Derrick shoved a roll into his mouth to stifle a guffaw. Sophia was pretending to have something in her eye, so she was turned away, but her shoulders were shaking with laughter.

Only Ophelia wasnat laughinga she was frowning, her head tilted to one side. aI dislike the barn myself. Too smelly by far.a Derrick swallowed his roll. aDepends on how distracted you are when youare there.a aDistracted? By what? Weave only two horses now. The rest of the place is empty.a Stephen choked. aI ah, think that was the point.a Opheliaas brows lowered. aThe point? How can an empty barn be any different than one that is in usea”Ohhhhhh!a Her expression cleared even as her cheeks pinkened. She looked in awe at Harriet. aOh my!a aFor the love ofa”a Harriet began, only to catch aCaptain Johnasa gaze. His blue eyes gleamed with amus.e.m.e.nt, his lips curved in a faint, challenging smile. Harrietas jaw tightened. He was enjoying her embarra.s.sment, the wretch. She sent him a quelling glare.

Normally, her quelling glares served their purpose and could silence an unruly sibling in seconds. But somehow, they seemed to have no effect on overly handsome men with large bruises on their foreheads.

aHarriet,a Mother said, her soft voice distressed.

aYes?a aWould youa could youa please pa.s.s me the b.u.t.ter.a aItas right in front of you.a aOh! So it is. Well, then. I shall need some more bread.a Harriet reached for the bowl, unaware that the captain was doing the same thing. To Harrietas shock, his fingers brushed hers, lingering a moment.

She sent him a startled look, then noticed he wasnat looking at her, but at her hand. She followed his gaze and realized that he was looking at the ring.

Oh piffle! She pulled her hand back so quickly that the bowl tilted and dropped to the table, the contents tumbling to the wooden surface.

aGoodness, Harriet,a Sophia said, reaching over and collecting the bread and replacing it in the bowl. aWhatas wrong with you? Iave never seen you so nervy.a Harriet picked up a roll and handed it to Sophia.

aThank you, Ia”whatas that?a Sophiaas gaze was on Harrietas hand.

Harriet quickly tucked her hand into her lap, but it was too late.

Ophelia leaned forward. aI want to see it again!a aNo, no. Itas nothing,a Harriet said quickly, tugging on the ring under the table and praying it would come off.

Mother frowned. aWhere did you get that ring? It looked quite ancient.a aI gave it to her,a came a deep voice at Harrietas side.

Harriet sent a startled glance at the captain.

He glinted a smile down at her, telling her without words that she would owe him for this little favor. aIt was found near my things in the forest and I asked her to wear it for safekeeping.a There was silence as everyone digested this, then Mother said brightly, aOh, well then! Thatas very nice of Harri to take such good care of your things.a Stephen, apparently feeling sorry for his sister, took the opportunity to engage Derrick in an argument about who had worked the hardest on the fence in the east pasture.

To Harrietas relief the rest of the meal pa.s.sed in relative calm, except that she was uncomfortably aware of the man sitting next to her.

It was strange, the way she could almost feel the presence of the man beside her, even when she wasnat looking at him. And if she closed her eyes, she could feel his lips on hers. She considered that. Why did he affect her so? Perhaps it was because she didnat have a lot of experience with such things.

Yes, that must be it. Whoever Captain Frakenham really was, he was definitely a man of the world. His touch was magical, igniting feelings shead never had, but so would the touch of any man with so much worldly experience.

Dinner finally ended and Stephen stood. aCaptain Frakenham, would you like to join me in the library for a touch of brandy?a The captain stood almost immediately. aOf course. I hope, too, that you might provide me with a tour of the barn since Iam held to be so fond of it.a aWe shall do so first thing in the morning. Iam certain Harriet will be glad to accommodate you.a Harriet sent her brother a flat stare, but he was too busy playing lord of the manor to notice.

The captain took her hand and pressed a kiss to it, right where the ring rested. His gaze lingered on the ring before he released Harrietas hand. aI look forward to touring the barn, Miss Ward. Iam certain it will open all sorts of interesting memories.a Harrietas finger tingled warmly as she looked up into athe captainasa blue eyes. It was strange, but shead never before noticed how very long his lashes were. They swept down at the corners and tangled a bit. A slow s.h.i.+ver went through her.