Seduced by Love by Louise Allen

Author:Louise Allen [Allen, Louise]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Louise Allen
Published: 2013-11-03T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

They reached the sheep-cropped top and found themselves alone except for the flock which ran away, bleating in foolish panic. Emily, for all that she was town-bred, had tackled the slope with ease and was not even slightly out of breath. He wondered just how hard she had been working on the filthy old house herself.

‘…cutting down trees because of the kelp-burners. Are you listening to a word I am saying, my lord?’

‘No,’ he admitted and surprised a snort of laughter from her. ‘And, while I appreciate you maintaining the formalities for the Mortons’ alarming butler, I prefer my given name, Emily. Please resume your lecture on the islands.’

‘I am not lecturing, my… Blake. I was endeavouring to make conversation.’

‘Indeed?’

‘And do not say indeed like that! I am nervous enough as it is.’ Emily’s tone was light and her lips were smiling but tension threaded through her voice.

‘Nervous?’ Blake stopped dead. ‘Still? Why? Surely the worst is over?’

‘The worst? Is that how you describe your lovemaking?’ Despite her blushes, she was smiling.

‘You were a virgin. It must have been uncomfortable, at least. It will be better next time, I promise.’

‘It is not that. It is because I had been married to you for less than a day and then you vanish and I find it takes some time to become accustomed to having a husband again, if you must have the truth.’ She hesitated. ‘Especially one I do not know.’

‘Emily, what do you feel – ‘

‘Where did you go?’ she asked, cutting across the question he had not realised he had meant to ask her. Not yet. ‘Oh, I am sorry. You were about to say something.’

‘It does not matter.’ It did, but he needed to think through why he was asking the question before he posed it. ‘I went to Spain.’ He caught her hand. ‘Emily, this spot is sheltered, let us sit here a while.’ Blake unfastened his cloak, spread it over the turf in a little dip in the lea of a hedge-bank, sat and held up his hand to her. She curled down beside him and watched his face.

‘I am sorry I left you with the house and estate in such a mess,’ he said. ‘I should have warned you. I had expected at least a month at home, but something came up.’ He shrugged, he had a reputation for tricky missions, it was not the first time he had been summoned at short notice.

‘Why was it in such a state?’ she asked him, suddenly serious. ‘I know you warned me, but I had not expected it to be so bad.’

‘My uncle was eccentric, to put it kindly, and he had fallen out with my father. He would never let me interfere, as he put it. Now, with it in such a state I may have to sell out.’

She kept her eyes fixed on the sea, but he sensed she was only feigning an interest in a frigate that was beating out to the open ocean.

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