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Zeke responded in the affirmative, and Lillian announced her intention to gather her things in preparation.

As the lady made her exit, Kitty quickly scooped the remainder of her soft-boiled egg and salted ham into her mouth, intent on making her own escape.

Zeke cleared his throat and drummed his long fingers on the table.

Kitty chewed faster. If only she’d left the room with Lady Lillian.

“Lady Kitty, if you would be so kind, I’d like you to join me in the gardens for a brief stroll.”

She gulped down her bite, eyeing him warily. “Now?”

His velvet blue eyes flickered with amusement.

“As we’ll be leaving Hastings House within the hour, now would be preferable.”

Kitty led Zeke out to the courtyard garden. The air was soft from the previous night’s rain, and filled with the scents of rose and lavender, honeysuckle and peony. It smelled like home.

“Impressive,” he said.

“My mother’s design,” Kitty said with a smile. “She toiled here endlessly on her visits home. When I was a child she let me trail after her, until, by some miracle, I picked up a thing or two. Eventually its oversight fell to me. It looks hopelessly overgrown to me now.”

He glanced around. “I just see lush, wild flowers.”

They’d taken one of the winding gravel paths and now stood a distance from the manse.

Zeke slowed to a halt. “I think we’re safe enough here.”

Though the morning temperature was fresh, Kitty felt her cheeks throbbing with heat. Still, she lifted her chin and met his blue stare. “You want to discuss last night.”

“I do.”

She took a deep breath. “I wanted to thank you for—”

“I wanted to apologize for—”

They both went silent.

Zeke sent her a condescending smile.

She returned the smile. Inwardly she fumed.

While lying awake last night, she’d decided on a course of action should Zeke insist on a conversation. She’d thank him for coming to rescue her and that would be the end of it. They could both pretend nothing untoward had happened and move on.

Meanwhile Zeke, the cur, was apologizing for their kiss, again . As if last night’s apology, followed by him charging out of her bedchamber like the house was on fire wasn’t bad enough. Humiliation swamped her anew.

“May I go on?” He asked.

“Please.”

“I’ve considered the matter, and have come to an inescapable conclusion.” He laughed softly, as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was about to say. “We must wed.”

“Wed?” she squeaked. She had not seen this coming.

His face showed only resolve. “While it’s true I didn’t enter your chamber with the idea of…” His loss for words and ruddying cheeks gave Kitty a modicum of satisfaction.

She smiled sweetly. “Of ravishing me, my lord?”

A muscle in his jaw ticked. “Perfectly worded, my dear, though, if you wouldn’t mind keeping your voice down? I’d be much obliged.”

“Certainly, Lord Thurgood,” she said in a low tone, that reeked of sarcasm, she hoped.

His eyes danced with merriment. “Ah, Kitty.” After a moment, he sobered. “My treatment of you was abhorrent and demands atonement. As such, I am fully prepared to take responsibility for my actions, and as we are already acting under the guise of—”

“No. Absolutely not, my lord.”

His brows furrowed in what looked like confusion. “No?”

“I can’t allow you to make such a sacrifice.”

“Kitty, under the circumstances, you must allow me to decide—”

“Just last night you went out of your way to”—she put a finger to her chin as if searching her mind—“clarify, I believe was the word you used, the nature of our arrangement. If you’ll recall, I told you at the time I have no desire to marry you.”

He clasped his hands behind his back and gaped at her, clearly perplexed. “You truly don’t wish to marry me?”

“Allow me to congratulate you on your excellent hearing, my lord.”

His mouth curved in a pirate’s smile. “In that case, do you mind explaining your”—he scratched the side of his nose—“participation, for lack of a better word?”

She swallowed hard, beyond mortified now. Participation was a kind way of putting it. She’d practically initiated the whole encounter.

She ducked her head, certain her cheeks glowed red. Her entire face throbbed with heat. “I was curious? That is, I’ve never…never…” She glanced up, helpless to complete her sentence—and glared at him when she saw his eyes crinkling at the corners with restrained amusement.

“Curiosity, you say?”

“The point isn’t what happened between us last night.

It’s what”—her body bloomed with heat—“didn’t.

My lord, I wouldn’t wish you to sacrifice yourself on the altar of marriage when no one besides us need ever know about our kiss.

And, arguably of greater importance, there remains the fact I have certain requirements for a husband you simply do not meet. ”

His brows shot up.

“You needn’t look so incredulous.”

“Do I?”

“Indeed.”

“Sorry. Still. Morbid curiosity compels me to ask you precisely which requirements I don’t fulfill?”

You don’t love me. You barely tolerate me. She drew a breath and searched her mind for something she could actually tell him. “You have no desire to settle down. To stay in one place.”

When he gazed at her with what looked like genuine bafflement she said, “Don’t play dumb, my lord. Are you or are you not planning a trip to the Americas at the conclusion of this pretense?”

“Yes.”

“Did you not return less than a month ago from Africa?”

“I did, but…” He spread his large hands wide. “I don’t see the problem. It’s common practice for married persons to spend great quantities of time in separate locales.”

“I don’t deny the truth of your statement. Regardless, I find such an arrangement repugnant.”

His crossed his arms over his chest, one hand lightly fingering his chin. “I see. You want permission to tag along.”

“I want nothing of the sort,” she snapped. She took a moment to school her emotions. “You aren’t listening. I want a home, and have no desire to shackle myself to someone who has no wish to set down roots.”

A slow grin spread over his face. “You’re hoping for a love match, or some other nonsensical romantic notion. Is that it?”

His supercilious tone ignited her ire, especially as a love match was precisely what she wanted. She drew herself up regally. “I want a partnership, not a long distance affair. And in your case—” She broke off and raked him head to toe with her haughtiest gaze.

He snorted. “This ought to be good.”

“Your habitual carousing leaves much to be desired, as well.”

He threw back his head and roared with laughter.

“Shouldn’t we see about leaving for Derby?” she gritted out, tapping her toe so hard little mud splatters had attached to her stockings. She didn’t care.

He held up a finger as he brought his mirth under control. When he finally sobered enough to speak, he said, “Lady Kitty, you leave me in a predicament. I want to do right by you but can’t force you to accept my proposal, short of making a public announcement of our…er…exchange last night.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” she said on a gasp.

He stared at her, unblinking, all trace of humor gone from his face. “You’re certain, then?”

Gazing into the smoky blue depths of his eyes, Kitty had the sudden urge to throw all her sound reasoning to the wind and marry him yesterday. She broke eye contact and firmed her resolve. “Quite certain.”

“Well, then, Lady Christine Hastings. We’ll just have to make certain there are no repeat performances of last night’s event.”

She nodded. He was right, of course. But hearing him say so filled her with a dull ache she didn’t care to analyze.

They walked together into the house.

Zeke delivered her to the base of the staircase and took a step back. “We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready.”

She nodded and started up the stairs, spine straight.

Zeke watched until she reached the landing, then stepped out the front doors to await the carriage.

She’d actually said no.

He’d stayed up half the damned night stewing over how to handle his uncharacteristic lapse in judgment.

He’d thought about the situation frontwards and backwards. How he’d entered her room in the middle of the night. Kissed her as if she were an experienced courtesan rather than a virginal debutante. He was supposed to be protecting her from her guardian, for God’s sake, not making advances himself.

Then, too, he’d suffered his grandfather’s recriminations, at least what Zeke imagined he’d say if he knew the situation. Replayed his own litany of “I’m nothing like my father.”

By dawn he’d reached the unavoidable conclusion he’d have to offer marriage.

He’d actually reached a level of comfort with the idea, too.

By marrying Kitty, he could assuage his conscience, appease his grandfather, rescue the damsel, and satisfy his duty as the heir to the earldom by marrying and, hopefully, siring a son and heir. If their midnight interlude told him anything, bedding the chit would be no hardship.

All that mental cogitation and she’d said no. He didn’t know whether he felt annoyed or relieved.

Relieved, he told himself. It had been a near miss. He’d make damn sure he didn’t slip up again.

***

The main trouble Zeke had with retiring en masse to Chissington Hall was the fact it was an old castle-turned-residence, and as such one never knew when someone might be waiting in the wings to waylay a person.

As he made his way down the echoing stone stairs and drafty corridors toward his grandfather’s study, the overabundant nooks and crannies, short-cuts and alcoves within these old stone walls he noticed had him shaking his head in consternation.

Perhaps the fact he’d hidden in an alcove outside Kitty’s door for the last half hour to assure James didn’t pounce the first chance he got had made him paranoid.

The manse had been a child’s dream-come-true summer home when he and Caden were boys. Now it seemed fraught with dangerous opportunities for James to accost Kitty and finish whatever he started that had frightened her so badly.

Kitty. On the one hand, Zeke wanted to protect her, which meant keeping her close. On the other hand, he wanted to…He jammed a hand through his hair and cursed inwardly. What had the earl gotten him into?

It had been a long four days holed up with the smart-mouthed chit who alternated between looking at him like she wanted to eat him for dinner, or like she’d enjoy using his head for target practice.

The latter made him laugh, and the former made him burn.

Hell, just being in sniffing distance of her stiffened his cock.

He was damned frustrated. He’d never been so happy to see one of his familial homes as he had today. He’d been desperate to get away from the girl.

Yet off he’d marched to stand sentinel outside her door not ten minutes after they’d arrived.

He reached his grandfather’s study and rapped twice on the closed door. When he heard the old man’s brusque, “Come,” he stepped inside.

“I thought I’d find you here,” Zeke said, taking in the old man’s aggrieved countenance. “Judging by the scowl on your face, can I assume James made your life a living hell these last few days?”

“How very astute,” the earl groused. “You missed the part where I’m irked because it took my grandson an age to get here to report.”

“Ever heard the saying patience is a virtue?” He sauntered toward the majestic old desk behind which his grandfather presided.

“Perhaps you should try it, then,” he grumbled under his breath.

Zeke dropped into the armchair facing the desk. He stretched out his legs. It felt good after riding in the cramped, if well-sprung carriage for days. “Sorry I kept you waiting. I came as soon as I was able.”

“Of course you did,” the earl said. “I apologize for snapping. Believe me, you’d be irritable, too, if you’d been the one closeted with the whining blackguard.”

Zeke gestured toward the bow window framing his grandfather’s desk, and the expanse of rolling green hills and ancient trees spreading out as far as the eye could see. “I’d hardly call Chissington Hall a closet. But I take your meaning. He obviously worked himself into a lather during our absence.

“When we arrived an hour ago, he practically tore the carriage door from its hinges to get at Kitty. But have no fear. Aunt Lillian set Lord James straight.”

The earl snorted. “I thought I detected something in the air when I entered the fray.”

“You should’ve seen your sister, all five feet of her, rising to Kitty’s defense like a Roman sentinel when the unsuspecting fool thought to corner the chit.”

“I’m rather surprised to hear it wasn’t you doing the defending.”

Zeke plucked at a nonexistent bit of lint on his trousers.

Truth be told, he still marveled at his own unexpected and violent burst of anger.

Guardian or no, the man had come close to having the stuffing knocked out of him when he rounded on Kitty.

Only Aunt Lillian’s timely decision to step in front of Zeke saved James.

“It was quite entertaining, actually, watching Aunt Lillian take on the bugger.”

James did eventually make it past Aunt Lillian. Then he must’ve gleaned Zeke’s desire to rip him to shreds, because he clamped his mouth shut and scurried back several feet to allow the trio to pass.

“Good ol’ Lill,” the earl said with a chuckle, and leaned back, his well-used leather chair creaking in protest. “Yesterday, James all but accused me of secreting her out of the country.”

“Probably because he came up with the idea first.”

The earl lifted a querulous brow.

“Suffice it to say our showing up in Albemarle at the break of dawn proved timely. Five minutes later and they’d have been gone.”

“It was that close?”

“Yes. The lying bastard’s rented coach arrived directly after ours. James and Kitty were waiting at the curb. Our girl looked downright forlorn before she realized what was happening.”

The earl’s expression turned wily. “Our girl? Do I detect a degree of softening toward the damsel?”

Zeke snorted. “I’m not an ogre. Of course I don’t want to see any harm befall your tiger. Doesn’t mean I plan on actually marrying the chit.” Anymore.

“Speaking of your marriage”—the earl clapped his hands once—“the engagement announcements are due to hit the papers tomorrow.”