The Captain Claims His Lady. ANNIE BURROWS
it was blasphemous to think in those terms about a mere mortal.
But how else to account for the fact that she became a different person whenever he drew near? A wittier, more graceful version of herself. Who could actually dance? It was nothing short of miraculous.
Ouch!
She winced at the blow from Grandfather’s walking stick.
‘That’s the third time I’ve asked you! What’s got into you, girl?’
‘Nothing, Grandfather,’ she replied penitently. ‘I was wool-gathering. I do beg your pardon. I—’
‘Never mind excuses. Snap out of it. And go and fetch me my cup of water. It’s what I bring you for, after all. Go on. At the double!’
‘Yes, Grandfather.’ Lizzie made her way across the crowded Pump Room to join the queue at the fountain. If he was here, he would have to come and find her. It wasn’t the done thing for a lady to seek out a gentleman. Even if she could pick him out from the crowd, which she couldn’t.
She fingered her reticule, wishing she had the courage to make use of the one item that would have put her on an even footing with all the other people here. But she hadn’t.
She sighed.
He wouldn’t come to look for her. Even though he’d said he’d enjoyed their time together last night, she mustn’t pin her hopes on him still being in the same frame of mind today. Men with god-like attributes such as he possessed surely did not waste more than one evening upon any one female. Why, he might not even still be in Bath. He—
‘Good morning, Miss Hutton.’
He was here! And bowing to her. And speaking to her. At least, he’d said good morning. Which meant—Oh! She ought to make some kind of reply.
‘Ah. Oh. Um.’ Yes. Very witty. That would really impress him. A wave of embarrassment flooded her, making her cheeks flame.
‘It’s deuced hot in here, isn’t it?’ he said. Oh, how kind of him to come up with a valid reason for her to blush!
‘Don’t know why they need to have a fire blazing,’ he said, ‘with all the crowds jostling to get in.’
‘Grandfather always takes a seat as near to the fire as he can, while I go to fetch his water,’ she managed to say, though her tongue felt a bit too big for her mouth.
‘Rheumaticky, is he?’
Which reminded her, she had meant to quiz him about his own ailments. With the twin aim of getting him to do most of the talking, while toppling him from his pedestal.
‘It’s his broken bones. He had a few injuries during his years of active service. And he claims draughts set them off. Is that why you are here? Were you injured? I mean, that is, you are in the navy, are you not?’
‘I did have my fair share of injuries,’ he replied, as the queue shuffled forward. And fell silent.
‘And is that why you have come to drink the waters?’
The queue shuffled forward again before he had made any reply. Which made her fear he had picked up some nasty disease which he couldn’t mention in female company.
Well! That would make her think less well of him. Sailors were notorious for seeking...comfort...in whichever port they happened to be. She ought not to know about it, but—
‘It is a bit complicated,’ he finally said. ‘I had yellow jack when I was in the tropics, which left me...not in prime twig, shall we say,’ he finished saying on a huff of a laugh. ‘And then I was taken prisoner by the French.’ He plucked at the front of his jacket, making her aware that it hung a bit loose on his big frame. ‘I lost so much weight while enjoying their hospitality that when I finally came back to England my friends said I resembled a scarecrow.’
They reached the head of the queue. The footman handed them each a cup. They stepped aside.
‘I say, Miss Hutton, I don’t suppose you would care to knock this out of my hand again this morning?’
‘It won’t do you any good if you don’t drink it.’
‘I don’t think it will do me any good if I do,’ he said glumly. ‘To be honest, I think I will gain more benefit from sticking to my daily swim in the stuff.’
He swam? Oh, how she wished that Grandfather would grant her permission to do the same. But she wasn’t ill. And so there was no need for him to waste his blunt on any such treatment for her.
And then a horrid thought assailed her. It sounded as though he was explaining why she would not be seeing him again.
‘Are you telling me you will not be attending the Pump Room again?’
‘What? No. It is just...’ He bent his head, as though studying the cup he held in his hand. Then, with one swift movement, he raised it to his mouth and tossed back the entire contents in one go.
Then shuddered. ‘To think people drink this willingly.’ He shook his head.
‘But...you just did.’
‘No. That...’ he grimaced ‘...was my punishment.’
‘For what?’
He turned away from her for a moment, presumably to dispose of his cup. ‘My sins,’ he said, turning back to her, ‘are too numerous to mention. Let us instead talk of you.’
‘Me?’ Her voice came out in a squeak.
‘Yes. I want to know everything,’ he said in a determined voice, ‘there is to know about you.’
‘Well that won’t take very long. I am really very boring.’
‘Not to me, you aren’t. Have you any idea what it was like, to dance with a partner who...matched? Most women make me feel big and lumbering and awkward. But not you.’
‘Oh.’ She felt another blush coming on. And, before she could stop her unruly tongue, she heard herself admitting, ‘It was the same for me, too. That is, most men make me feel big and lumbering and awkward.’
‘Can you wonder, then, that I want to get to know you better?’
‘I... I...’
Her feet, by this time, had carried her back to her grandfather without her even taking note of where she was going. And since he was by her side, he’d fetched up there, too.
‘Who’s this? Eh?’ Grandfather was glaring up at them from under lowered brows.
‘Captain Bretherton,’ said Captain Bretherton, bowing.
‘And just what do you think you’re doing with my granddaughter? Eh? Young jackanapes.’
‘I was thanking her for taking pity on me last night and dancing with me.’
‘Taking pity on you? That’s a likely story.’
She wasn’t sure if she imagined it, but Captain Bretherton seemed to stiffen. His voice was certainly a bit cool when he said, ‘Miss Hutton, now that I have restored you to your grandfather, I shall bid you good day.’
Her spirits plunged as he disappeared into the throng. That was probably the last she’d see of him. He might say he wanted to get to know her better, but no man, at least none with any pride, would stand for being addressed as a jackanapes.
‘Didn’t take long to get him to take to his heels, did it?’ Grandfather was glaring in the direction of Captain Bretherton’s retreat. ‘Though I warned you about fellows of his stamp, yesterday. What do you mean by dancing with him, eh?’
‘Well, he asked. And I didn’t have any reason to refuse...’
‘That’s the trouble with places like this. Full of strangers. Anybody can pass themselves off as marquesses or dukes...’
She