Nigel appeared at her side.
"Oh, hello, Nigel. Have you had something to eat?" Stacy's
voice was too loud and cheerful, but Nigel, having missed the
champagne exchange, thought it was all for him.
Before he could answer, Stacy turned to look for some
more food. She wavered a bit but would not have fallen;
however, Nigel used her unsteadiness for an excuse and
reached for her. His hands were carefully holding her waist
when Tanner reappeared.
"Oh, Tanner, there you are. Have you met Nigel?" Stacy had
been barely aware of his presence or his hands on her as she
searched the table, but she remembered him when Tanner
returned, and did not want to appear rude.
Tanner did little more than coldly nod in Nigel's direction
before taking his wife's hand to lead her away. A minute later
he sat her down at a table, and a plate was placed in front of
her.
"Oh, Tanner, is it dinnertime? I'm so hungry."
With that Stacy began to eat with relish. She never noticed
that they were alone or that Tanner, who was sitting beside
her, did not have a plate. Her food was almost gone when she
couldn't restrain a jaw-popping yawn.
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I'm a little sleepy."
"Let's head upstairs."
"All right," Stacy agreed and reached for her plate.
"Leave that here."
147
Stacy put it down but looked longingly at the remains.
mer thought she'd had enough so he urged her away from
ie table. However, Stacy reached forward at the last minute
id grabbed her half-eaten roll. It was all Tanner could do not
|ito shout with laughter as he led his beautiful, graceful, and
p usually dignified wife away from the party munching on a
biscuit.
Once upstairs Tanner debated turning Stacy over to Rayna,
f but Stacy had become very preoccupied with the doors that
led off of their room, and before she put herself back out in the
hall or landed in a closet, he decided to put Stacy to bed
I himself. All went well until Tanner got to her shift, whereupon
there was a gentle tug-of-war. Stacy had decided she wanted
to sleep in it.
Tanner eventually let her have her way, and the moment
she lay down, she curled on her side, happy as a child, and
went to sleep. Tanner stood watching her for quite some time.
He was certain that she wasn't even aware of the other man at
the table, and he knew with a certainty that the drunkenness
was an accident, but it was all so reminiscent of Leslie.
Tanner stood silently, knowing he was going to have to
deal with this or ruin the entire weekend. As he stood still he
remembered the way she had thrown her arms around him
and with a loud declaration of 'I love you, Tanner,' given him a
long, loving kiss. The only problem was that she had missed
his mouth by a good inch.
Tanner began to undress himself, finally deciding not to
rejoin the party. Most of the guests had been on their way to
getting far more drunk than Stacy, and Tanner had no desire to
join them. He slipped beneath the bedcovers and pulled Stacy
against him. As sleep crowded in, his thoughts turned to Leslie
one last time. Tanner pushed them away with anticipation of
the hunt on Sunday.
149
the next morning Stacy squinted up into Tanner's grinning
face, groaned, and pulled the covers over her head She
heard the laughter in his voice as he spoke.
"Aren't you going to come out and kiss me good morning?"
"My mouth tastes terrible, Tanner; you don't want me
kissing you."
He laughed out loud then, and Stacy burrowed a little
deeper into the mattress. Tanner sat down beside her on the
edge of the bed.
"I promise not to say a word about your breath."
Stacy remained silent.
"Or the fact that you're sleeping away a beautiful morning."
Again Tanner was met with silence.
"Rayna brought you a pot of tea and toast."
The covers were slowly lowered until Stacy's eyes were
peeking out.
"Did you say tea?"
In answer Tanner poured a cup and held it for her. Stacy
shifted herself up against the headboard and took the cup
from his waiting hand. Her first taste was a sip, but when she
found the temperature to be perfect, she took a long drink
before setting the cup back in the saucer with a sigh.
"I needed that."
"And I still need that kiss."
Stacy smiled and they leaned toward each other simul-nisly.
After they'd kissed, Tanner invited Stacy to go
Eliding.
"I thought you were going to hunt."
"The hunt is tomorrow morning."
Stacy hid her disappointment. She had hoped that the
hunt would be today and after Tanner returned, he would be
ready to head home. She knew she'd made a fool of herself in
front of the other guests last night, eating everything in sight
and then drinking champagne as though it were water. If
Tanner had gone hunting this morning, Stacy could have
stayed out of sight until they were ready to leave for home.
But Tanner was already in riding clothes. Stacy mentally
shrugged. At least going riding would get her away for a time.
Maybe they would be alone and Stacy would have some time
away from this group of strangers with whom she had yet to
find something in common.
An hour later, Stacy got her wish. She and Tanner rode out,
Tanner on his own horse and Stacy on a bay. They stayed away
until lunchtime. To hear Jeremy Cradwell talk, Cradwell horses
were the finest in the country. Stacy was not sure she believed
that, but the horse she'd been given to ride was a good mount.
Stacy was more pleased over having Tanner to herself than
anything else.
They were just coming out into some open land when two
riders approached--a man and a woman. As they neared it
became obvious that one of the guests was out riding with a
groom.
Tanner greeted the woman politely but impersonally.
Stacy smiled at her but looked to Tanner in confusion when he
let her pass with so little exchange.
"Tanner, why didn't you speak to her?"
"I did speak to her," he told his wife. "I said good morning."
"But beyond that? Why didn't you ask how she was doing?"
"Why would I do that?"
150
Stacy bit her lip, having a hard time believing that Tanner
could be so cold to a friend.
"Stacy," Tanner went on patiently when he saw her face. "I
don't even know that woman. She looks familiar, but I'm sure
we've never met. Why would I speak to her?"
"Oh," Stacy said softly, wondering how she could have
been so wrong. "I'm sorry. I thought she was the woman who
was with you at the Royal Gardens."
It took a moment, but Tanner's eyes suddenly lit with
amusement. "I'm sure you did see her at the Royal Gardens,
but she wasn't with me."
"But I saw you," Stacy said
softly, wanting desperately to
understand.
"Yes you did, sweetheart. You saw both of us, but we were
not together. I let you assume that we were, but I guarantee
you we were not. I followed you to the Royal Gardens that day,
and I can assure you I was quite alone."
Stacy's eyes rounded, but her mouth curled at the corners.
"I wouldn't have thought you capable of such duplicity, my
lord." Stacy's voice was dry.
"At least I don't jump to conclusions," Tanner reminded
her just as dryly, and Stacy was suddenly very glad. She had
thought of the woman from the garden on several occasions,
hoping that she had not been painfully in love with Tanner but
unable to feel sorry that she, Stacy Daniels, had been the one
to marry him.
"What does that smile mean?"
"I'm not sure I should tell."
"Of course you should"
"I don't know, I read somewhere that a woman should
always keep a few secrets."
Stacy heeled her mount forward on those words, so she
missed the frown that momentarily covered Tanner's face
before he kicked his own horse forward to join her.
151
After lunch, Tanner joined an afternoon round of cards
ile Stacy took herself off to the Cradwell gardens. Some of
.. l were designed as mazes, and though they were interest,
Stacy soon tired of the high shrubbery walls. On her way
:k toward the house, she spotted what appeared to be a
servatory. Stacy walked to it with a sense of anticipation.
__ie opened the door and called a greeting, but no one stirred lot answered. Stacy went inside and closed the door, not at all I unhappy to have the building to herself.
The conservatory was lavishly filled with plants and
flowers. The day was cool, and the warm temperature inside
felt lovely. Stacy had wandered around for the better part of 20
minutes when she heard someone enter.
"Hello," a voice called, and Stacy came out from behind a
huge fern to find Lord Nigel Stanley. She couldn't remember
his name but smiled kindly anyway.
"Hello."
"Having a look around?"
"Yes. Lady Cradwell has a wonderful array of plants. She
even has them labeled. It's a help to me; I've never seen some
of these varieties before."
Stacy spoke with her eyes on the foliage, but Nigel Stanley
had eyes only for Stacy. It had taken quite a bit of following her
and bolstered courage to get this close, but now that he had,
he saw that she was even lovelier in the daylight than she had
been the night before.
"I'm sorry," Stacy said, finally looking at the man beside
her. "I can't remember your name."
Nigel hid his disappointment. "That's quite all right. I'm
Lord Nigel Stanley."
"Of course. I'm sorry, Lord Stanley. I'm Lady Stacy Richardson.
Are you having a nice time?"
"Yes," he returned, smiling secretly and wanting to laugh
over the fact that he might not know her name. With his eyes
intent on her face, he continued.
"My weekend seems to be getting better all the time. I was
hoping I'd see--"
152
A gong rang out just then and anything else Nigel might
have added was cut off.
"What was that bell?" Stacy asked
"Oh, that's just the gong for the forage Jeremy has planned."
Nigel's voice was bored, dismissive even. "I'm sure you're not
interested in--"
"The forage?" Stacy spoke with surprise and started for
the door. "I had no idea it was so late. I hope you enjoy the
plants, Lord Stanley." Stacy added this last thought from the
doorway, only just remembering her manners, amid worry
that Tanner would be looking for her. In her hasty exit she
never saw the way Nigel's hands balled into fists as frustration
turned to rage.
Tanner was in his third garden and had just about given up
locating Stacy when he heard voices on the other side of the
hedge. He didn't recognize Stacy's voice or the voices of the
two speaking, and was about to move off when he heard his
wife's name mentioned.
"Lady Richardson?"
"Yes. I tell you Lord Stanley is smitten with her."
"Nigel? Who told you?"
"No one had to tell me. I could see it with my own eyes.
Nigel is nice looking, but Lady Richardson would be a fool to
leave a man like Tanner."
"I wouldn't mind," the other voice giggled. "If she did, I
might try to hook Tanner myself."
Tanner, telling himself not to overreact, moved away to
the sound of their high-pitched laughter. He came out of the
hedged-in garden just as Nigel was leaving the conservatory.
Tanner stood and watched him, suddenly remembering the
way he'd held Stacy's waist the night before. Tanner was in
the mood for a confrontation, but Nigel, without having seen
the angry duke, turned and walked the other way.
153
Just as well, Tanner thought to himself, logic returning. / dorit think I could talk to either one of them right now.
With that Tanner headed back to the stable. He ordered
his horse and less than ten minutes later, set out on a ride,
hoping to clear his head of the black thoughts that persisted
Stacy sat in her room long after she was dressed, not going
down to dinner even when she knew everyone would be
sitting down at the tables. She had not seen Tanner since he
| went to play cards and she had gone to the gardens and the
conservatory.
overrode her physical needs. Stacy had dismissed Rayna and
was pacing on her own when he walked in. Stacy couldn't
disguise her delight.
"They told me at the stables that you'd gone for a ride. Did
you have a good time?"
Had Tanner not been wearing dusty riding clothes, he'd
have crushed her in his arms. It had taken many miles, but
Tanner had finally seen himself for a fool. It was none of
Stacy's doing if a besotted young pup gawked at her. And since
Stacy was as lovely as she could be, Tanner told himself he
better get used to it.
"Yes," Tanner finally answered, "I did have a good ride."
Stacy stood staring up at him, her heart in her eyes.
"I'm late. Why don't you go down for dinner?"
Hungry as she was, Stacy declined "I've waited for you."
Tanner tenderly stroked her cheek with one long finger
before calling for Price. Stacy talked with Tanner as he enjoyed
a quick bath and questioned her about her day.
"I didn't really care for the gardens, but the conservatory
was lovely."
Tanner tried to push down the alarm he felt rising within
him. "The conservatory? You were in there?"
154
^stssz^^zsss
"Were you alone?"
^'SffSESXteEZSi
wasn't able to talk to him very long "Y l
Shall we go to dinner?"
he 'ssssfssss*** -
IT
WAS WITH A GREAT DEAL OF PRIDE that the Duchess Of
Cambridge saw
her duke off on the hunt the next morning.
Talk around the dinner table the night before had been
about the hunt. Not one man, not even those jealous of Tanner's
position, could find a single fault in Tanner's expertise as
a hunter. Stacy had had no idea. He was, from all accounts, one
of the finest shots for miles around.
Tanner took all the comments in stride, but Stacy could
tell that he was pleased, and when she took time to think
about it, she wasn't surprised at his skill. Stacy was starting to
see that Tanner excelled at each thing he did.
With her new knowledge of Tanner's ability, and knowing
that he was going to lead the hunt, Stacy wondered if the
buttons on her dress would hold as she watched him ride away
at the front of the pack.
Stacy felt a little lonely when all the riders had gone and
the dust had died down. She glanced around at some of the
women talking among themselves, but felt no warmth or
effort on their part to include her. She thought about the
conservatory but was, in reality, in a mood to be alone with
her thoughts. After a trip to the library, she made her way up to
her room and settled in with a book until lunch.
Over lunch Stacy sat with four women she didn't know and
Nigel Stanley. The women talked constantly of the things they
156
read in the London social papers, and Stacy, being in compk
ignorance, stayed quiet. She noticed Nigel's eyes on her fro
time to time, but he was across the table and quiet himself, s
Stacy finished and left the dining room as soon as it wj
politely possible.5
She had decided on a walk, but as soon as she was outside!
and spotted the conservatory, she changed her mind. With
everyone else still at lunch, she knew she would find it empty.
Her step quickened with anticipation, even as she hoped
Tanner would be returning soon and they could leave for
Winslow.
Nigel could barely hold his seat or his tongue once Stacy
rose and left the table. The remaining women, vulgar cows in
his estimation, began to talk of her in scathing tones. They
started by declaring that she was a giant, was socially inept,
and wouldn't hold the duke's attention for more than six
months. Nigel secretly hoped they were right about the last
item.
He knew that this was his last day to declare himself. Nigel
sincerely doubted they could meet at length before the party
was over, but if he could only tell her he was available, she