Touch of Passion by Susan Spencer Paul

Author:Susan Spencer Paul
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2005-02-14T16:00:00+00:00

Twelve

Dyfed was right. Lord Graymar, and everyone else, knew that she’d been crying when she came back downstairs, ready to depart. But it was Lord Graymar who sat beside her in his elegant carriage, patting her hand and speaking reassuringly.

“You must believe me when I tell you that you’ve nothing to fear,” he said. “You belong to the Seymours as surely as if you’d been born into the family, and we take care of those who are ours. You’ve been as a daughter to my uncle Ffinian and as a sister to Dyfed. I won’t speak of what lies between you and Kian, for I know that the curse has made it difficult for you to hear.”

“Lord Graymar,” she began, but he held up a hand to stop her.

“We won’t speak of it further. I only wish to make you understand that no matter what happens today, you have a family that loves and will protect and care for you. Always”

“Thank you, my lord. The words will seem trite, but I truly am more grateful than I can say.”

“Loris,” he said with a touch of impatience, “please do call me Malachi. You’ve known me long enough to assume that familiarity.”

“Thank you,” she said again. “Malachi.”

“You’re stiff as a poker,” he said. “If you wish, I could perform a certain enchantment that would—”

“No,” she said firmly. “I’m fine. Truly. Kian has done that to me before, and if it should be done again without my permission I cannot promise that you won’t be terribly unhappy with my response, my lord, once I’ve regained my senses. I mean to say, Malachi.”

He laughed, inexplicably amused by this. “Very well, then. I shall restrain from calming you by magic. We’ll be arriving at Lord Perham’s home shortly. Shall I tell you something of him before then?”

“Yes,” she said eagerly. “Please.”

“He’s an elderly gentleman,” His Lordship began, settling into the cushioned seat more comfortably. “Quite wealthy, descended of one of the older families. Well connected. His wife died five years ago, and his only child, a daughter, ran off with a neighbor’s son eighteen years before. He believes that she was pregnant at that time, though he cannot be certain. He’s been trying to find that daughter, or his grandchild, since his wife’s death. Evidently she had prohibited such efforts while she was alive.”

“But why?” Loris asked. “Didn’t she wish to find her daughter?”

“From what I’ve been able to discover, Lady Perham wasn’t possessed of the usual maternal nature found in most females. She never wished to have children and resented the one she believed Lord Perham forced her to bear. She also didn’t wish to be made a grandmother at too early an age, being one of these women blessed with youthful looks. Apparently, when she believed her unmarried—and unbetrothed—daughter to be with child, there was an attempt at forcing the daughter to be rid of it. Some kind of poison was secreted into the girl’s cup one night at dinner.”

“God’s mercy,” Loris whispered, horrified.

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