He pressed a kiss upon her fingers and turned away, but at that moment Lord Dalmorren entered and Freddie was obliged to stop before he reached the door.
‘Why, Tristan, I did not know you were coming!’
His cheerful greeting carried across the room to Natalya, but the shock of seeing Tristan set her heart thudding in her chest and Freddie’s parting words were lost to her. She pretended to concentrate upon her drawing, but from the corner of her eye she saw him clap his uncle on the shoulder and hurry off.
She felt breathless and giddy, half-hoping, half-dreading Lord Dalmorren’s approach, but her next surreptitious glance showed her that he had been intercepted by Mrs Grisham.
Natalya breathed deeply, trying to compose herself, dismayed at Tristan’s power to disconcert her. There was no reason for her to feel uncomfortable, she was doing nothing improper. Then she looked down at the sketchpad. This latest drawing of Freddie was no better than her first attempt. If anything, it was worse. She had not been able to capture his boyish looks and once again she had made his face too lean, too serious.
Tristan was making his way across the room towards her. Natalya looked up and the breath caught in her throat. She gave a second, horrified glance at her sketch pad. There was no doubt. The flat planes of the face, the straight nose and strong chin, even the hard, penetrating eyes. The face she had drawn belonged to Tristan, not his nephew.
Oh, good gracious, what was wrong with her! Natalya quickly shut up the pad and put it behind her as Tristan sat down on the chair so recently vacated by Freddie. She would die rather than have him see that drawing!
‘Good afternoon Miss Fairchild.’ His voice was perfectly pleasant, but she was painfully aware of the shadow of suspicion in his eyes. ‘What did you say to my nephew that sent him flying from the room?’
‘He is making arrangements to visit his mother,’ she told him. ‘She has heard rumours that we are to be married and he wishes to reassure her it is not true.’
‘Or is he merely putting her off the scent?’
‘No! There is no possibility of our marrying.’ She threw him a glance of pure exasperation. ‘I wish you would believe that I do not want to marry Freddie!’
‘But does he want to marry you?’
She bridled. If he thought her so unsuitable a bride, let him stew in anxiety over his nephew a little longer.
‘That is for Freddie to tell you, not I.’
She picked up her sketchbook and rose from the chair, but as she went to walk away Tristan reached out and caught her wrist.
‘I hope you are not playing fast and loose with Freddie’s affections, madam!’
Her lip curled. ‘I would never do such a thing!’ Slowly she shifted her glance to his fingers. ‘Now you will unhand me, if you please.’
Tristan watched Natalya walk away, head high, back ramrod straight. He cursed himself for handling the situation so badly. He had come to the Grishams expressly for the pleasure of seeing her, talking to her, but the first thing to catch his eye as he entered the room was the sight of Freddie pressing a kiss on her dainty hand. He had seen the way she smiled at Freddie, how her eyes followed him as he left her side, and he was conscious of a burning desire to have her look at him in that way.
The wave of jealousy that crashed over him shook him to the core. He wanted to believe her when she said she would not marry Freddie, but the boy’s demeanour as he was leaving the room, his barely suppressed elation, was not that of a man recently rejected by his lover.
Rational thought was subsumed by anger and suspicion. Tristan saw his hostess bearing down upon him again and dragged together his scattered wits. He apologised for calling, explained he had been looking for his nephew and now had only to follow him back to George Street. With that he left, knowing he looked and sounded quite distracted.
‘Lord Dalmorren did not stay long,’ remarked Jane, packing away her pencils. Natalya, who was sitting beside her, said nothing. She was still shaken from their encounter, unhappy that they should be at odds.
Jane continued, ‘Apart from a word with Freddie as they passed and to take his leave of Mama, he spoke only to you, Lya. What did he say?’ She leaned closer. ‘Did he come expressly to forbid the banns?’
‘No!’ How Natalya wished she and Freddie had made it clear that he was no longer courting her. Well, that must be mended and she would begin immediately. She said, ‘There is no question of my marrying Mr Erwin. We have decided we should not suit.’
To her chagrin, Jane gave a little crow of laughter.
‘Oh, Lya, what a fib! When he has been sitting in your pocket ever since he first came to Bath!’
Natalya gave up and moved away. It did not matter. Tomorrow Freddie would be on his way to Surrey and everyone would realise very soon that it had been nothing more than a harmless flirtation that had run its course.
Tristan was up early the following morning to see Freddie off. Over dinner last night, the boy had told him of the letter from his mother and explained he was going to tell her there were no truth in the rumours of his forthcoming marriage to Natalya, but still Tristan could not be easy. He had not pressed him but now, as they walked out to the post chaise, he knew he could not put it off any
