Lady Star Page 13

  “Ah, it is confirmed, you are in love with him,” Georgie said knowingly.

  “Am I?” Star twinkled at her friend. “Why bother to ask me, if in fact, you think you know everything?”

  “I do know quite a bit more than you realize and I will tell you this. I don’t think he is the sort you want to play games with. I think he is not one of the country swains falling at your feet, ready to bend to your will. I think you will have to be honest with him about what you feel.”

  “I am not playing games with him. You mistake, if you think that. I was not coy, I did not tease,” Star said somewhat surprised. “And I certainly don’t want him to follow me about like a lap dog. I like him, just the way he is and he is a masterful man who knows his own mind.”

  “Right then, he swept you off your feet when he kissed you.”

  “He did.”

  “Did he kiss you when you two went into the garden at the Sefton Ball as well?”

  “He did… then continued to do so in the library,” Star recalled his kiss and closed her eyes.

  “Oh, Star…this is quite wonderful and exciting.”

  “Georgie, I was quite swept away. I think I would have…well, if he had tried to do…more, I think I would have without demur.”

  “La, but Star…you should be more certain of him before that happens,” Georgie cautioned.

  “Why? You are always saying women should enjoy the same pleasures as men.”

  “Yes, but there are consequences to hearts like ours. We are the sort that whether we want to or not, we put our hearts into it and therefore, we could be broken. We could break, Star. I don’t want you to break!”

  “Georgie, until tonight, Sir Edward only saw a child, a hoyden, a short-haired rough and tumble girl. Now when he looks at me, he will see a woman.”

  “Yes, but is that enough?”

  “You tell me, Georgie. You said you saw him looking at me. What did that signify to you?”

  “He seemed more interested than just a connoisseur of women. He seemed more than a little taken with you, but even so, I should like to be certain you are not hurt in this.” She reached over and grabbed Star’s hands under the quilt and shook them, “Star, a man can kiss and walk away without a backward glance. Can you? No, do not try and tell me you can. Well, you could if your heart wasn’t in it, but I see perhaps, all this talk might be too late. Your heart is in it, isn’t it, Star? And what is worse, you mean to fall into bed with him, don’t you?”

  “I don’t know, Georgie, perhaps.”

  * * *

  Jules knocked on Sir Edward’s bedroom door, “Ed…Edward, I say, ‘ole boy, are you awake?”

  “How could I not be with you banging down my door!” Edward called out in an amused voice.

  Jules opened the ornately molded door and stepped within to find a warm scene. Sir Edward was clothed in a dark maroon brocade dressing gown and stood by a small fire which burned low, but brightly with the grate. Branches of candles on the nightstand illuminated the room with a soft light. Sir Edward watched his friend saunter inside, sigh heavily and plop on a nearby winged chair.

  “Let’s talk,” Jules suggested. He opened his waistcoat and undid his cravat.

  Edward watched him with interest and said, “About what in particular?”

  “Well, as to that, well…I mean, Ed…you said, she wasn’t even in your style,” Jules answered.

  “Who, dear boy?” Edward’s brow was up. He knew who Jules was speaking about, and had been expecting this, just not so quickly. Had he been so obvious in his attentions to Star? Could he give her up to Jules now that he had tasted her?

  Jules’s eyes narrowed. “We have been friends a long time. Don’t mean to allow a woman to come between us…do you?”

  “Depends on the woman and the circumstances,” Sir Edward said quietly. “Speak your mind, Jules and let’s get to the meat of it.”

  “Star…you know very well, I am speaking of Star,” Jules snapped.

  “Are we? I rather thought your head had turned in another direction as of late,” Sir Edward said quietly.

  Jules’ brows arched, “What can you mean?”

  “I am neither blind, nor a fool,” Sir Edward returned.

  “You mean…? What do you mean?” Jules hedged.

  “Miss Madison is what I mean. You seemed rather…protective of her, shall we say?”

  “Shall we say that? I don’t know,” Jules frowned. “It doesn’t signify. I told you that Star was the object of my…”

  “Indeed you did tell me that and yet tonight, you seemed more than a little distracted by Miss Madison. It was she you immediately took in hand, not Star. You left Star to me. Remember?” Sir Edward said and seeing Jules’ dumbfounded expression, grinned broadly. “Let’s face it, Jules. You and I both know that you and Star would not suit.”

  “Don’t know anything of the sort!” Jules said obstinately.

  “Very well, then if Miss Madison does not interest you, perhaps…she might do for me!” Sir Edward said glibly.

  Jules frowned darkly, “She is not a plaything!”

  “No, she is not,” was all Edward returned.

  Jules sighed, “So, that is how it stands does it?”

  “How what stands?”

  “Don’t play me for an idiot! I have enough competition from Miles Denning…and now you? Star will have her head turned by you and what chance then do I have?”

  “You do not give her enough credit and that is why you and she would never suit. Star knows her own mind. She will do exactly what she should,” Edward answered thoughtfully.

  “And what should she do?” Jules asked curiously.

  “Ah, time will tell,” Edward answered enigmatically.

  “Yes and Miles is not the only one panting at her feet. Did you see that young buck, Lawrence Oberly? I thought for a moment she rather liked him.”

  Sir Edward sighed, “He is just a lad, which also displays how little you know her. She never gave him a second thought, but tell me Jules, how much do you know about Star and her brother in general?”

  Jules looked at him for a long moment. “And what should I know?”

  “Nothing, nothing,” Edward returned.

  “He did behave rather strangely this evening. I thought it was just the medication,” Jules said on a frown. “What do you know?”

  “What I know is that they are the Berkleys from Berkley Grange. That their blood is noble and their name an old and respected, one dating back to our illustrious Saxon days. I know that the young lord still has to find his way…and that his sister should have had a season to find hers, but their pockets are to let. What more is there to know?” Sir Edward answered.

  Jules laughed. “What stuff is that? Are you warning me off because they are booked?”

  “No, a man in earnest would not care how much money his beloved had,” Sir Edward said quietly.

  “Since I don’t give a fig about her dowry, it must mean I am in earnest?”

  Edward laughed, “Are you asking me or yourself?”

  Jules shook his head, “I don’t know at the moment. Right now…I suppose I had best sleep on it.” He sighed heavily, “However, it was a bit havey-cavey the way the lad descended on the ball like he did. Something is off there and I don’t think I would like Georgie…Miss Madison drawn into it.”

  “Ah, would you not?” Sir Edward’s brow arched.

  “Oh go to the devil. It is just that…I find her…a very fine young woman,” Jules snapped.

  “Indeed, do you?”

  “Stuff it,” Jules answered.

  Sir Edward chuckled and then also sighed as he played with his lower lip, “At any rate, there was more than medicine that prompted young Vern to descend on Sefton House the way he did and I mean to find out just what that was.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  THE BARMAID AT the Mermaid set down her tray and passed around four bumpers of ale to the burly men gathered there.

  She tried to avo
id Farley who reached out for her and grabbed hold of her skirts. She gave him a warning glance and told him sharply, “Leave off, if ye know whots good fer ye.”

  Her threat didn’t serve to spare her, for Farley felt the thrill of the chase as he pulled her up close against his body. She put her nose up in the air and told him loudly, “Ye stink ye do, get off!”

  He was not deterred by his and pinched her butt. She screamed out an objection laced with heavy swearing as she hauled off and slapped his shoulder.

  This however, made him laugh as he leered at her and as she struggled to get away, he had her in his lap and pulled down the white bodice to expose her full breasts to his men. “Let’s have a taste sweetheart, let’s have a taste, while m’lads look on and see how it’s done.”

  All at once, she produced a sharp and glinting knife and stuck its point into his neck and drew a line of blood. She clamored off as he released his hold and hissed, “Next time, ye touch me, Farley, I’ll cut ye from ear to ear.”

  He smeared the blood over his fingers and laughed as he answered her, “Next time, ye’ll have to kill me, if ye want to stop me, fer Oi’ll have ye right here, on the floor…whot say ye to that?”

  “Try it and find out,” she snapped before she ran to the back of the Inn. She could be heard screaming at the innkeeper and Farley and his men snickered.

  Farley turned his toothless grin to his lads and rubbed the scar on his hawked nose. “There lads, ‘ave yer ale and then off wit ye. That’s enough entertainment for now. Oi have somewhere Oi wants to be.”

  “Don’t like her hollering and squawking back there,” said one of his men. “Want us to shut her up?”

  “The little doxy. Oi could have ten of her if Oi so wanted,” Farley answered. “Now then, no sense taking this any further just now.”

  “We should have gone last night to that ball. Should have prigged those jewels loike ye said. Oi know Oi would have enjoyed getting close to some of those fancy pieces, touching them before we took the jewels,” one of his men said darkly.

  “Johnny Raw!” Farley spat at him. “That’s why Oi run this ken. Whot now, should we go and get ourselves snabbled? If we had done that, they would have had us surrounded in no time. The gentry don’t take kindly to their women being accosted. No, Oi jest wanted our young lord to worrit about it.”

  “Aye,” said another man, “But the young lord, he won’t come across, will he?”

  “Oh, won’t he just? We’ll see,” Farley retorted.

  “That ain’t good enough, Farley,” said yet another man.

  Farley could see they were greatly dissatisfied. He held up his hands and shook his head at them, “Thinking ye can do better without me? Go on then…go…do better.”

  The men started shouting at one another, settled down and grumbled that they didn’t think they could.

  “Right ye are. Ye are nothing without me and my planning, and me…Oi got a plan,” Farley said.

  “Whot plan? Maybe it’s time we signed on with the gentlemen…and hit the seas. There is always some money to be had in that quarter.”

  “Go on then, clunch. Reckon ye be ready for the brine? Oi’m thinking none of ye be sailors.” Farley scoffed at them and drank down his ale before leveling an eye at them one and all. “Oi gots a plan and never ye mind asking whot it is.”

  “Whot ye be wanting us to do in the meantime?” asked a quiet man eyeing him thoughtfully.

  “Ally, me man, ye’ve always trusted me. Oi wants me boys to lay low and Oi’m looking to ye to see to it that is whot they does.”

  They agreed to it and he sat back and watched them rise and shuffle out of the inn. He had in fact, not been bluffing as some of his men thought. He had a plan and it centered around Star Berkley, the young lord’s sister.

  In fact, he knew it hadn’t been any male relative of Vern’s that night in the inn. He knew the only relative that resembled him in the immediate area was his sister. Aye then, she had dressed up like a lad and passed herself off as a cousin—fine. He couldn’t prove otherwise, but he still meant to use it as far as he could. He hadn’t worked out all the details in his head, but he meant to and soon.

  * * *

  Star looked out the window as she finished cleaning the morning room. She wiped her hands on her apron and looked out on the large panoramic view which encompassed the long winding front drive. The day was bright and sunny and Star was restless.

  Just after Georgie had left some hours ago, she had looked in on Vern, who she was pleased to find was feeling much better. He was, however, in a horrible mood, foretelling a future of doom and gloom and she had hurriedly left him saying she would look in on him later.

  It was time she headed to the stables, she told herself. What she needed was a ride. What did it matter if there was more dusting to do? It would be there when she returned. She took off her apron and picked up her kid gloves from the round table in the central hall and out she went.

  It was a warm day, so she didn’t bother with a hat as she went outdoors and took a long gulp of the lovely fresh air. A short walk brought her to the barn where she found Jeffries mucking out a stall.

  He stopped and smiled at her, “Well now, Miss Star, it looks to me like ye be wanting to ride. Shall I fetch Butch for ye?”

  “No, no, I’ll get him.” This would be good for her, she thought. Perhaps maybe a ride would wipe away all thoughts of Sir Edward and his damnable kisses. Perhaps.

  She found her chestnut gelding in the nearby pasture and he snorted when he saw her. She laughed and took up a bucket of grain to coax him to her. It worked, he came trotting happily up to her and took a mouthful from the bucket while she hooked up a lead line to his halter and led him out of the gate to the hitching post where she had left her tack.

  A few moments later with bridle and saddle in place, she hoisted herself up, patted Butch’s fine neck and smiled to see his ears twitch as she spoke to him, “Right, let’s wind it and forget all about Sir Edward, eh?”

  She walked him sedately for a moment across the pasture and easily trotted up to the line fence taking him over lightly and easily. He landed perfectly as he enjoyed jumping and was good at it. “Now, boy…now,” she said and squeezed him into an easy canter.

  The breeze against her cheeks felt wonderful and she laughed right out loud, as riding was one of her favorite activities. Feeling the strength of her horse, and his willingness to please gave her joy as she put turf behind her and marked a trail toward nowhere in particular.

  She made her mind a blank, or so she thought, until she gazed around and frowned. She pulled a face and said aloud, “Star, what have you done?” She had ridden toward the Stamford estate. It was of course, an easy thing to do as his land bordered hers, but she could have just as easily gone in the opposite direction.

  Indeed, had she come this way purposely? Was she that far gone already? Her frenzied night had left her uncertain and confused.

  What did she really feel? Was it lust? He certainly made her want more, so much more than a peck on the lips. His tongue melding with her own had set her on fire. His touch—his expert touch on her breast, the way he moved her against him. It made her want him to explore her in ways she should reserve for a husband. A husband. She wanted Sir Edward to bear that title.

  He made her wonder about what it would be like to watch him touch her. She wanted him to look at her, openly admire her—all of her, without clothes between them.

  Had he simply been dallying with her? Had he been bored and found her nothing but a diversion? He could seduce any woman he chose. He had the charm, the looks, and the style of a mesmerizing rogue. Was that all he had done—dallied with her? Did it mean nothing to him? No doubt he forgot the feel of her in his arms as soon as he left her.

  Was that it? Had he been seducing a willing woman? She had been willing, so very willing. Did she want him more than she wanted respectability?

  At first, alone in her room, remembering the look in his eyes, the curv
e of his luscious mouth, she had believed otherwise. She had for some moments after their intimacy, after he had left her, convinced herself that he did indeed feel something for her. Now, in the light of day, she was no longer so sure.

  Perhaps she was projecting her own feelings onto him?

  What—just what was she going to do? He hadn’t come to Rye to become involved with a country Miss who looked more roughneck than woman. She was a pauper, though her name was old and aristocratic, she had no dowry. He could have anyone. Why would he want her?

  When would he leave, and how would she cope when he was gone?

  * * *

  Farley came to attention.

  He had been sitting his horse and thinking of taking off his wool riding jacket. The day was warm and he was beginning to sweat.

  He had been watching Berkley Grange in hopes that he might find Star Berkley out for a ride. It was a feeble plan, but as it turned out, it had come to fruition.

  Damn, but she was a stately wench! With a body like that, how could she have passed herself off as a lad? Perhaps he was wrong after all? Even in her old faded blue gown, she looked a beauty of a lady!

  He clucked to his horse and steered him forward and away from the tall evergreen he had been using as cover. His animal was nothing in looks to what she was riding, but then, he hadn’t chosen his horse for looks, but for speed.

  He may not have been born and raised a gentleman, but, he wasn’t a fool, either. He had left the orphanage when he was ten years old and he had never looked back. He had learned to be a pickpocket from the best of ‘em, and when he didn’t get enough of a cut from the bloke who fed him for his efforts, he had struck out on his own. He had always been a loner and a leader. He didn’t like to lose and now it was a matter of pride that he beat the young lord at his game. The Berkley wench was the way to it.

  He took the open field diagonally for he meant to catch up to her and cut her off.

  He was a daring one, he told himself and grinned broadly. What would the young lord do when he was told that she had been accosted in the open? “Aye,” he said to the wind. “Oi reckon he’ll dance to m’tune then, won’t he though?” He clucked to his horse and kicked him harder than was necessary. He hadn’t a heart—no feeling for anything or anyone and he was proud of it. Why should he? No one ever had heart for him. Instead, he discovered that he liked inflicting pain on others, anyway he could. He liked the notion that they would hurt the way he had hurt when he was young. In his mind, it made matters even.