Married to a Stranger (Danger and Desire 3)

‘Apparently he is spoken of as likely to be the young-est-ever member of the Court of Directors in a few years,’ Averil said. ‘Luc picks up all the Company gossip along with the naval talk.’

‘Oh.’ How wonderful. And how like him that he had not boasted to her of his successes. Or perhaps he thought she would not be interested. That was lowering, although not as bad as the worry that he simply did not think it necessary to confide in his wife. She pulled herself together to find the other two were discussing Dita and Alistair’s travels after the wedding.

‘Well, Alistair has inherited a very small castle in the Scottish Highlands so we went there first. Then we travelled back by way of all the relatives who needed visiting,’ Dita said. ‘Between us we have dozens—or so it seemed!’

‘I heard it always rains in Scotland,’ India-bred Averil said with a shiver. ‘And it is cold, isn’t it?’

‘It was, I am glad to say,’ Dita retorted with a wicked grin. ‘It was a horrid draughty castle, the rain kept pouring down and there was nothing to do but keep warm in bed in the intervals of inspecting the state of the place and resolving to sell it at the first opportunity.’

Averil giggled. ‘We had a wonderful time in Herefordshire and it hardly rained at all. Now we will be here until Luc’s ship is ready to leave: the Admiralty require him.’

‘What will you do when he is at sea?’

‘Learn French,’ Averil said with a grimace. ‘I must become fit to be the wife of a French count. Luc says—’

But what Luc said was lost as the men came in from the dining room. Somehow Sophia kept smiling and chatting and making small talk over the tea cups until the last of their guests left. Callum returned from seeing George Pettigrew off and collapsed on to the sofa next to her. ‘That went very well, Mrs Chatterton. You are obviously destined to be a great society hostess.’

‘Were you not tired? You have had a long day.’

‘No, not at all. I had an interesting day and it was good to see old friends again.’

‘I am excited about the ship.’

‘Good, I thought you might be.’ Callum stretched out his legs and draped one arm around her shoulders, his fingers playing with the necklace at her nape.

‘And proud that you and the others want to rename it after your wives. I worried that the majority owners might refuse, but Dita and Averil say that with the influence that Alistair and you can exert there will be no problem.’

‘A marquess is always a good card to play.’

‘And a man tipped to be a very young Director?’ she asked.

‘Hell.’ Callum sat up and pushed his fingers through his hair, destroying an elegant Brutus style. ‘Where did you hear that?’

‘Luc apparently hears all the Company gossip.’

‘Ah. It is exaggerated, of course.’

‘Is it?’ Sophia twisted round on the sofa to look at him. ‘I am very proud of you.’

‘Proud?’ Callum seemed utterly surprised by her words.

‘Of course! I was proud that you had secured a good post, I am proud that you work so hard and I am not in the slightest bit surprised that your reputation is so good—’ She broke off, confused by the shuttered look on his face. ‘Callum, I wish you had told me of this. Boasted a little.’

‘I am not used to discussing such things,’ he said, his face bleak. ‘If there was something to be proud about I did not need to mention it, Dan knew …’

She waited, something, love perhaps, giving her the patience to let him find his way through this.

‘I thought marriage would be something I could put in a box,’ he said slowly as though working it out as he spoke. ‘I would look after you, you would create a well-run home for me, entertain, produce children in the fullness of time. Then there was work, in another box.’

‘And your feelings?’ she asked.

‘Under lock and key,’ he admitted. Callum reached out and pulled her back close to his side. ‘That is not fair to you.’

‘Or to you,’ Sophia said.

‘Discussing feelings is not a language I know the grammar of. You must teach me, Sophia.’

It would be easy, and so much safer, to