He nibbled the inside of her wrist. “Will you go?”
“Yes,” she said faintly, her eyes half closed.
“Good!” Clay snapped, dropping her hand and standing up. “I’ll pick you and the twins up at five tomorrow morning. And Janie, too. Oh, yes, you’d better bring some food. Maybe something French. If you don’t have everything you need, tell Maggie to get it from the storehouse.” He turned and walked down the hill, whistling.
“Of all the insufferable—” Nicole began, then smiled. Maybe if she understood him she wouldn’t love him so much.
Clay was thinking about tomorrow night. He’d be alone with Nicole, sharing a bedroom with her in Horace’s big, rambling house. With that in mind, he could forego a quick tumble on the hillside where anyone could see them.
As soon as Clay was out of sight, Nicole stood up suddenly. If she was going to have to prepare food for three days, she’d better get started. She started planning as she went down the hill. There’d be chicken baked in Dijon mustard, pâté wrapped in a pastry shell, a cold vegetable mold, cassoulet. And pies! There’d be pumpkin, mincemeat, apple, pear, blackberry. She was out of breath by the time she reached the house.
“Good morning,” Clay called as he tied the sloop to the wharf on Nicole’s side of the river. He grinned at Nicole and Janie and the twins standing amid several enormous baskets. “I’m not sure the sloop will sail with that much on board, especially after all the food Maggie sent.”
“I thought she might decide to cook something for you when you told her you were taking Nicole,” Janie said.
Clayton ignored her as he began handing the baskets to Roger, who stored them in the bottom of the boat. The twins laughed as he literally threw them into Roger’s arms.
“You seem cheerful this morning,” Janie said. “It makes me almost think you’ve come to your senses.”
Clay grabbed Janie by the waist and kissed her cheek heartily. “Maybe I have, but if you don’t hush, I’m going to throw you into the boat, too.”
“Maybe you can throw her,” Roger said loudly and quickly, “but I can gu
arantee that I’m not going to try to catch her.”
Janie snorted in indignation and held Clay’s hand as she stepped down to the boat.
He held out his hand for Nicole.
“I might try to catch that one,” Roger laughed.
“This one’s mine!” Clay said as he lifted Nicole from the dock and held her tightly as he stepped into the boat.
Nicole stared up at him with wide eyes. He suddenly seemed to be a stranger. The Clay she knew was solemn and quiet. Whoever this was, she liked him.
“Let’s go, Uncle Clay!” Alex shouted. “The horse races will be over before we get there.”
Clay slowly lowered Nicole, then held her lightly with one arm for a few moments. “You look especially lovely this morning,” he said, and ran his finger along her ear.
She merely stared at him, her heart pounding wildly.
He released her abruptly. “Alex! Untie us. Mandy, see if you can help Roger steer us out of here.”
“Aye, aye, Captain Clay!” the twins laughed.
Nicole sat down beside Janie.
“Now, that’s the man I remember!” Janie said. “Something’s happened. I don’t know what, but I’d like to thank the person who did it.”
They heard the noise of the party a half a mile before they reached the Backes’s wharf. It wasn’t even six in the morning, but half the county was already spread out across the lawn. Some people were on the far side of the river shooting at ducks.
“Did you send Golden Girl over to Mrs. Backes?” Alex asked.
Clay gave the boy a look of disdain. “Wouldn’t be much of a party if I couldn’t empty everyone’s pockets, would it?”
“Think she’ll beat Mr. Backes’s Irish Lass?” Roger asked. “I heard she’s a fast horse.”
Clay grunted. “It’ll be no race at all.” As he spoke, he buttoned his shirt and reached for a cravat from a basket close to the front of the boat. He quickly tied it, then slipped on a vest of creamy brown satin. A double-breasted coat of chocolate cord came next. The buttons were of brass, the front of it cut away, the back hanging to just above his knees. His buckskin trousers fit like a second skin. He wore tall, Hessian boots, taller in front of the knee than in the back. He gave them a quick buff, showing their mirror-like shine. He put on a dark brown beaver hat, the brim softly curved.