No!
She drew a deep breath and tried to block out the vision and the realization it had brought. She did not want to admit her rage was founded on anything but frustration. Yet she had to admit it, or she, would be guilty of avoiding the truth.
You've been robbed of time. You must think clearly and act boldly.
Very well-the rage had been partially caused by jealousy. Her body felt cheated because it was being denied. The emotion had been driven by primitive instinct that had nothing to do with reason. But Lani had said this instinct was not shameful as long as the acts of the body were separate from the mind and soul. She must cling to that truth.
She closed her eyes and forced her tense muscles to loosen. She must forget the picture of Lani and Jared lying together, their bodies intertwined…
"Ah, ladies, you've decided to take pity on me." Bradford rose to his feet and seated Lani, then Cassie at the damask-draped table. "I hoped you would."
"Since you've ordered two extra places set, I'd say you expected we would," Lani said dryly as she shook out her napkin. "And pity has nothing to do with this."
"No? I'd judge you to be prone to pity." Bradford nodded to the servant standing by the door to begin serving. "Why else would you choose to grace the bed of a man old enough to be your father?"
"According to Clara, grace did not enter into our union. She claims I seduced him with my barbaric wiles." She smiled. "And my people believe age makes no difference; it only serves to refine and make the act more beautiful."
"Lani loves my father," Cassie said. "And your remark was very rude."
"Yes, it was," Bradford admitted as he reached for the bottle of brandy at his elbow. "Extraordinary. I'm usually the most polite of fellows."
Lani glanced at the bottle. "How would you remember?"
"Are you suggesting my brain is pickled? Not yet. I'm keen as a sword blade until nightfall." He smiled with surprising sweetness. "For instance, I'm fully aware that it's not my charming company that brings you here, but I forgive you."
"Forgive us?"
"You intend to inveigle information from me, do you not?"
Lani hesitated and then said bluntly, "Yes."
"It will be my pleasure to be inveigled… within certain boundaries." He took a long drink of his brandy. "As I told your friend, it offends me to have Jared fight an opponent who has so few weapons. In most circumstances it would offend Jared also. He's a just man."
"I don't believe that," Cassie said flatly.
"You should." He took another drink. "You'll find he's scrupulously honest. I've seen him forfeit a race he desperately wanted to win because of the possibility of chicanery. He's very respected in racing circles. You'll see when we get to England."
"England?" Cassie stiffened. "I have no intention of going to England."
"That's unfortunate, since that's where this ship is going," Bradford said. "Jared decided that it will be some time before Deville manages to make his way from America to France, and it would be wiser to stay at Morland and put his contacts in France on watch. When your father surfaces, we'll leave for France."
"And we're supposed to stay at this Morland and wait?" Cassie asked.
"That's the plan. I regret it doesn't meet with your approval."
"It certainly does not." She was caught off guard by Jared's decision. It would have been much easier for her to escape from the Duke on French soil. She had planned to flee the moment they arrived. How was she to get across the Channel and make her way to Paris?
"But we'll make the adjustment," Lani said. She reached over and encouragingly squeezed Cassie's hand. "Won't we?"
Cassie nodded. "Of course." She turned to Bradford. "How close is this Morland to the sea?"
He burst out laughing. "Do you intend to swim? I wouldn't advise it. Our northern waters are much colder than your warm sea."
"How close?"
"Quite close." He was still chuckling. "Morland is located on a cliff that overlooks the channel."
One advantage. And she might discover more once they reached England. She mustn't be discouraged by this first setback. "How long do you think we'll have to wait?"
He shrugged. "A month. Two. Who knows?"
Months. It seemed a long time, but she might be able to turn the delay to her advantage. Danemount would surely be receiving messages from his contacts in France. If she could intercept any of those messages, she might learn much more than she could on her own.
"Will His Grace be joining us for supper?" Lani asked.
Cassie tensed as her gaze flew to Lani. The disturbing news Bradford had imparted had momentarily caused her to forget Lani's equally disturbing intentions.
"Providing the stallion is calm enough to be left alone," Bradford said. "Are we again to be favored with your company?"
Lani's lips parted in her brilliant smile. "Oh, yes."
Bradford turned to Cassie. "And you?"
Of course, she wasn't going to sit at Jared's table and watch him be captivated by Lani. She intended to stay with Kapu, where she had a place and purpose.
"Yes, I'll be here." The words tumbled from her lips, surprising her as much as they did Bradford. Yet she knew she would not take them back. She could not stay in the cargo hold and not know what Lani was doing with Danemount. "If Kapu can do without me."
"Let's hope he won't deprive us of your stimulating presence."
She glanced at Lani and found her friend staring at her with speculation. She could hardly blame her; Cassie didn't seem to know herself what she was going to do from minute to minute.
Lani turned back to Bradford. "Tell us of this Morland. I wish to know more than the temperature of the water."
That evening Lani wore her yellow silk gown that turned her into a brilliant bird of paradise. At supper she glowed, she smiled, she told amusing stories of island myths and daily doings. Cassie had never seen Lani like that. Freed of Clara's oppressive presence, she bloomed like a golden orchid. She kept both men entertained and intrigued, effortlessly drawing them into her spell. Bradford responded eagerly to her sallies, and even Jared relaxed and displayed a wry humor.
Cassie watched him in fascination as he leaned forward, dark, cynical, yet totally at ease, his gaze on Lani's face. This must be the way he was in his own world, she thought, sitting at dinner tables at Brighton or London.
At the end of the meal Jared turned to Cassie while Lani was talking to Bradford. "You're very quiet. You've been sitting there watching and scarcely saying a word. Should I be worried you're planning on poisoning me again?"
"No." Quiet was a fitting word for her, she thought in disgust-quiet and mouselike and nondescript in Lani's shadow. She said stiltedly, "I don't feel like talking."
His eyes narrowed. "And you don't feel like being here. Why are you?"
"I have to eat somewhere."
"So you choose my table?"
"Lord Bradford invited us."
He looked at her skeptically before glancing back at Lani. "Your friend is very splendid tonight and obviously trying to be… obliging."
"Yes."
"A lovely gown."
"Papa bought it for her."
"How kind of Papa." He added with sudden harshness, "He should have taken the trouble to purchase something of equal quality for you. That gown you're wearing is quite detestable. Don't you have anything else?"
"Yes, but they're all much the same." She was wearing the same gray silk gown she had worn that night at the cottage. How odd that his cruel condemnation on such a trivial subject could hurt her. "Clara chose them. Papa knew that it didn't matter to me."
"It should have mattered to him." He took a drink of his wine. "You look like a nun wrapped in a shroud. It's an abomination."