stairs, scooping up the lanthorn as they went.
‘What about your telescope?’
‘I shall come back for it later. For now I must get you indoors.’
The easy camaraderie they had shared was quite gone, and Lucy knew she had caused the change by asking him about his late wife. Silently, they descended to his workshop, where Lucy thanked him politely for showing her the stars.
‘I only hope you have not caught a chill in that flimsy wrap.’
‘Not at all. The night is very warm.’
He put down the lamp.
‘Let me feel your hands.’ He reached out and took them in his own warm grasp. ‘You are cold.’
‘No, no, I assure you it is only my fingers.’
Lucy stared at his hands. Her throat dried, a voice inside was screaming that she should pull away, and she knew she was standing far too close for safety. The darkness swirled around them, edging her closer still, like a solid hand on her back. How easy it would be to lean into him, to rest her cheek on the smooth silk of his waistcoat and feel the hard chest beneath. Perhaps she might even hear the thud of his heart. The very thought sent her own skittering around like a frightened bird and when Ralph released her hands and reached for her, she quickly moved away.
‘I—I must get back.’
‘Of course.’
She tried to avoid any further contact, but as soon as they stepped into the dark corridor he put out his hand and hers slid into it, as if of its own accord. The silence of the house pressed in around them, the only sound the faint rustle of their moving. When they reached Lucy’s room Adversane stopped, standing between her and the door.
‘It will soon be dawn. I hope you will sleep now, Miss Halbrook.’
‘I am sure I shall.’
I don’t want to sleep. I want to stay awake and live again everything that I have seen and experienced with you!
She was shaken by the sudden thought and could only hope she had not spoken aloud. She forced herself to release his hand. He nodded.
‘Very well, I shall leave you now.’ His fingers grazed her cheek. ‘Goodnight, Rapunzel.’
Lucy slipped into her room and closed the door. She leaned against it, listening for the sound of his footsteps moving away, the soft thud of his door closing. Her heart was singing with happiness. Quite foolish, of course, but she could not help it.
She smiled and whispered, ‘Goodnight, my lord.’
Ralph’s sisters and their husbands arrived the following afternoon, a day early, while Lucy and Ariadne were on a shopping trip to Ingleston.
‘Perhaps it is not such a bad thing,’ remarked Mrs Dean, when Byrne informed them that their guests were in the drawing room with Lord Adversane. ‘You have not had time to get into a panic.’
Lucy tried to smile. She could not forget Adam Cottingham’s remark that Ralph’s sisters were fearsome ladies. However, there was no going back, for Mrs Dean had taken her arm and was marching her towards the drawing room.
The next ten minutes passed in a flurry of introductions and exclamations. Lucy was presented to Lord and Lady Wetherell and Sir Timothy and Lady Finch. The ladies had the same rather hawk-like features as their brother, but their smiles were warm, and however fearsome they might be, she took comfort from the fact both Sir Timothy and Lord Wetherell had the genial, well-fed look of contented spouses.
‘Enough of this formality,’ declared Lady Wetherell, coming forward and kissing Lucy on the cheek. ‘You must call me Caroline, my dear, and my sister is Meg—or Margaret, which is what I call her when she has annoyed me! Now, Miss Lucy Halbrook, let me look at you. What persuaded you to agree to marry my brother? Did he bully you into it?’
Lucy blinked at such a direct question and could only be thankful when Ralph answered for her.
‘My dear Caroline, how do you expect her to respond to such a question?’ He came forward and took Lucy’s hand. ‘I admit I had to work hard to persuade her to accept my offer, but I don’t think I bullied you, did I, my dear?’
He was smiling down at her, the mischievous glint in his eyes inviting her to enjoy their shared secret. She found herself relaxing.
I can do this.
‘No more than usual, my lord.’
‘Bravo,’ cried Lady Finch, putting her sister aside so that she, too, could greet Lucy with a kiss. ‘You must never be afraid to stand up to Ralph, my dear. His last wife was too complaisant for her own good.’
Lucy froze. The room fell silent, and Sir Timothy murmured a quiet remonstrance to his wife, who looked around her, brows raised in surprise.
‘What have I said that isn’t common knowledge?’ She turned back to Lucy. ‘You will learn that we like plain speaking in this family.’
‘But not if it embarrasses Miss Halbrook,’ retorted Ralph.
‘Quite right,’ agreed Caroline. ‘Sit down, Meg, and give Miss Halbrook time to grow accustomed to us.’
‘And how are the children?’ asked Ariadne, as if to deflect attention from Lucy.
‘Oh, they are all healthy and ripe for a spree,’ replied Sir Timothy cheerfully. ‘We sent the boys off to stay with Caroline’s three young scamps.’
‘That’s good,’ said Ralph. ‘They can ruin Wetherell’s coverts and leave my birds in peace.’
Mrs Dean shook her head at him. ‘Fie, Ralph, you know you love them all dearly.’
‘How many children do you have?’ asked Lucy.
‘Two fine young boys,’ replied Sir Timothy, pushing out his chest a little.
‘And Caro has two girls and a boy,’ declared Margaret. ‘Delightfully noisy and boisterous, thank heaven.’
‘Yes, they are, which is why we thought it would be quite unfair to subject Ralph’s future wife to such lively children until she was better acquainted with the rest of us.’ Caroline laughed. ‘They might well have scared her off!’
* * *
An hour later, when Mrs Dean suggested that they should all retire to change for dinner, Lucy’s head was reeling. She liked Caroline and Margaret very much and she enjoyed their lively banter, but it had not taken her long to realise that they were as strong-willed as their brother. She was about to follow them out of the room, but Ralph caught her hand and held her back.
‘Pray do not pay too much heed to my sisters,’ he said. ‘Do not let their chatter worry you.’
‘It doesn’t.
