Chapter Fourteen

A lex was behaving very peculiarly, but Clarity did as he suggested, looking down at herself.

"Oh!" she shrieked, snatching at the garment he offered.

"Is aught the matter?" Lord Brennon asked.

"No," Clarity declared. Mortified, she allowed Alex to reach around and drape his coat over her shoulders. Then she eased an arm into each sleeve before holding it closed over her chest.

Knowing her cheeks must be burning, she could do nothing but make light of the situation.

"I suppose that is why women walk out in a rainstorm with a coat and an umbrella," she said, at last turning to the embankment.

"I don't think that's the reason," Alex replied. "Although now I firmly believe it ought to be illegal for a woman to be wet in public."

She laughed again, relieved he hadn't let her turn toward those on the shore in such an exposed state. He was a gentleman, indeed.

"I am sorry about your fish. I was just trying to help."

"I know. But I don't think there ever was a fish. It felt more liked I'd caught my line on a sunken log, or maybe an old boot."

"You may be right," she said. "Perhaps we can recover your rod downstream."

"Since it belonged to your family," Alex said, "I shall certainly hunt for it later. It was a nice willow one, too."

"If it's anywhere, it'll be at Dead-Man's Crook."

He shook his head. "I cannot believe you remember that."

Clarity smiled. It was a simple bend in the river, which he'd christened with a name of fanciful dread after reading aloud to her from Defoe's The King of Pirates .

"I have called it that ever since," she confessed, "and all my siblings do, too, even Bri and Ray, though they don't know you're the reason."

He was staring at her in a way that made those butterflies take off in her stomach again. She was still in disbelief at hearing how heartily he'd laughed, so familiar and yet different, too, in the tone of an adult male.

"Take my arm," Lord Brennon offered beside her, making her jump. She hadn't noticed his approach. "I'll escort you back to the house," he continued. "Would you care to remove Lord Hollidge's jacket?"

"No!" she protested, clutching it more tightly at the closure.

"I will give you mine," Lord Brennon promised, looking wounded. "Besides, he may not wish to go among mixed company without his coat. He is half-dressed."

"Let the lady wear it back to the house," Alex intervened. "I'm sure no one will mind me in my shirt-sleeves just this once." He tugged on his wet waistcoat as if to tidy himself.

"Of course they won't," Clarity said.

"Are you unharmed?" her father asked. Clearly, she was fine, but if her mother found out he hadn't shown some concern, Lord Diamond knew he'd be in trouble.

"Yes, Father. I shall leave you and my brother to be hosts for the remainder of the fishing party."

"We could never be as gracious as you, sister dear," Adam teased. "Tripping and plunging one of our esteemed guests into the river for an unwelcome bath. I am sure Hollidge appreciates his soggy trousers."

She shot Alex another glance, but he was already heading back to the house, having relinquished her care to Lord Brennon. He must think her no better than an awkward child.

Sighing, she allowed Lord Brennon to escort her back, following in Alex's path.

After she'd changed, she sought out their housekeeper and gave her Alex's coat, hoping it could be restored to its former perfection.

"I've already got Master Alex's pants," Mrs. Cumby said, which made Clarity shake her head. Even their housekeeper couldn't think of him as Lord Hollidge .

"Seeing as how he hasn't got his valet with him," Mrs. Cumby continued, "I shall make the attempt to clean and dry his suit. Try not to have as much fun with the guests, my girl."

After a cup of tea with Lord Brennon, before he went with Adam and some of the other men to shoot at targets for sport, Clarity decided to take a stroll along the river and look for the lost pole.

Bri and Ray accompanied her to enjoy the fresh air since both had been cooped up with the other ladies, sketching and practicing their watercolor painting.

"I wish I had seen you and Lord Hollidge fall in the river," Bri said.

"Don't be mean," Clarity rebuked. "It was cold and wet."

"Obviously it was wet," Ray said. "It was water."

They laughed. When Clarity was in Purity's company, she tried to match her polish, but with her two youngest sisters, she fell easily into their enthusiastic manner and good humor.

When they reached Dead-Man's Crook, Alex was already there. He didn't appear to be looking for a fishing rod, nor for anything else. Facing away from them, he was staring down the river to where it disappeared into the trees.

Clarity put a hand on each of her sisters' arms to stay them.

"Maybe we should leave him in solitude."

"But we've walked all this way," Ray protested. "What do you suppose he is doing?"

By the way he stared out into the distance, given their recent conversation, Clarity assumed he was pondering the past. He'd had a discussion with her mother already that morning. And while Clarity hadn't pried, Lady Diamond had disclosed that she'd satisfied Alex's curiosity on any number of topics, such as his mother's favorite food, flower, and book, and even Lady Hollidge's favorite color, which was quite naturally the color of Alex's green eyes, the same hue as his father's.

"The little tidbits I recalled meant a lot to the dear boy," her mother had said.

"I am glad for him."

"For me, too," Lady Diamond had agreed. "It was comforting to discuss my good friend with him, with someone who loved her even more than I did. It brought Daphne back to me for a little while. And although Alex's eye color might be his father's, his facial expressions remind me very much of his mother."

"Let's go back," Clarity insisted. "The fishing pole can wait. Besides, you ought to get your questions ready for the fortune-teller. Mother said it will be an extremely entertaining evening."

"Do you think the fortune-teller will know our future husbands?" Bri asked.

"Maybe," Clarity said, although she knew it was their midwife from the village, hired more to amuse their guests than to provide actual predictions. Still, it was known locally and rumored widely that Mrs. Boswell had the true gift of being a seer.

Bri gave a squeal of delight, grabbed Ray's hand, and spun about to race home.

"Don't forget it's a secret until dinner," Clarity called after. Watching them dash ahead, she had the impression of springtime colts in the field.

"Lady Clarity," came Alex's familiar voice, sending tiny tremors down her spine.

She glanced to where he stood, now facing her, and went over to join him.

After picking her way around the prickly brambles, she stepped onto the promontory that had built up where the river curved. They were able to stand practically in the middle of the Derwent and see all the debris that the bend collected.

"Why did your sisters leave?" Alex asked when she was beside him.

"We didn't want to disturb you, but I fear we did."

"Not at all. I was glad to see you there," he said. "Three Diamond jewels at once."

Her insides fluttered at hearing his teasing, relaxed tone.

"It sounds terribly odd whenever you call me Lady Clarity," she mentioned, looking away from him to the riverbank where they'd played as children.

"Frankly, it feels a little odd to say it," Alex confessed, "since part of me still thinks of you as a girl with pigtails and freckles."

Her glance rose up to lock with his.

"I never had freckles," she protested. Those were the domain of the redheads in the family, and neither her mother nor Ray were thrilled with them.

"Actually, you did," he argued, "before your skin became the porcelain satin it is now."

Porcelain satin! It was a compliment any woman would be thrilled to receive from a gentleman, but he was nearly engaged to Emmeline, and she was supposed to be falling in love with Lord Brennon. Besides, coming from Alex, it made her want to giggle.

Clarity stifled the laughter, knowing Purity would disapprove and say she was being rude.

"I am lucky to have my father's Irish skin," she agreed.

"And his hair and his eyes," Alex pointed out.

"You're listing my features as if seeing me for the first time."

He said nothing, then looked away. "I am merely appreciating how we children carry on something of our parents."

Ah, she understood now. He was, as she'd guessed, pondering the past and undoubtedly thinking about the conversation he'd had with her mother.

"Certainly, you remind me of both your parents," she agreed.

"Do I?" He still didn't look at her. "Aunt Elizabeth used to say she couldn't see them in me."

Clarity held back her shocked gasp. Why on earth would the woman say something that hurtful and cruel? Not only was it incorrect, it was undoubtedly the wrong thing to tell a grieving son.

"Perhaps Lady Aston needs spectacles," she said. "You are the image of your father but with your mother's smile and hair color. I was eight, I believe, when last I saw them, yet even I can see that."

He smiled at her, giving evidence of his dimple, and the earlier flutter returned, although it had grown to more of a quaking all the way down to her knees. She needed to give herself a stern talking to when next she was alone. It was ridiculous to have such a reaction to Alex. But how wonderful to see him wearing a real smile.

"I found it," he said.

She stared at his mouth. He had very attractive lips, and even watching them form words was mesmerizing.

"It?" she asked, unable to tear her gaze away.

"The rod," he explained. "Caught in the Dead-Man's Crook, just as you thought."

His words broke the spell.

"Is it?" She peered past him into the water. Sure enough, one of their willow poles was securely out of the water.

"No damage done," Alex added.

"Did you find anything else?" she asked.

"Such as?"

"I might have lost a shoe or two," she confessed.

He chuckled, but she had more to add. "Also a hat, a pair of lace gloves, and a parasol."

"Were you trying to open a shop?" he asked.

When the laughter bubbled up, Clarity couldn't stop it. He didn't join in, but he watched her with an amused expression that warmed her heart.

"I didn't lose all those things at once, silly," she pointed out. She thought of how many times she'd left something on the bank or dropped it as she strolled by the water.

He shook his head. "Still, careless once or twice is understandable, but that's excessive."

"You were careless, too, in the past," she said, thinking of how he'd once fallen off the garden shed roof, lucky there was a pile of snow to break his fall.

Yet when his expression darkened and all traces of humor vanished, she wished she'd curtailed her words. Was he thinking of the many scrapes they'd got into? Or something else?

Whatever it was, she had ruined the companionable moment.

"I am sorry. I can see you are taking my words to heart. But they were said in jest."

He shook his head. "It's the truth," he ground out, taking a few steps and snatching up the fishing pole. "Besides, I would not want you to think before you spoke. At least not around me. We are too familiar with one another for anything but the brutal truth."

Without waiting for her, he brushed past, heading back toward the house.

Closing her eyes, Clarity cursed her loose tongue.

"Idiot!" She'd ruined a perfectly lovely encounter. That night, she would attempt to be on her best behavior. At the very least, she wouldn't drown Alex or insult him.