Imitation of Love by Sally Quilford Read Free Book Online Page A

anything to anyone.”
     
    “Well, you’d be a rare woman indeed if
you kept it completely to yourself.”
     
    “I think,” she said, “that despite all
the time you’ve spent amongst women in society, Mr. Oakley, you don’t really
know us at all.”
     
    Catherine went back to her room, and
after she had changed out of her bloodstained nightdress, had to shift Alyssa
across the bed.
     
    “Where have you been, Cat?”
     
    “I went downstairs to get a drink,
dearest. Go back to sleep.”
     
    ***
     
    The following morning at the breakfast
table, Catherine half expected the talk to be of the duel. She felt sure that Mr.
Oakley would tell Mr. Somerson how he had defended her honour, and that the
lady would want everyone to know. Instead the talk was about the miraculous
escape from France of one of Mr. Oakley’s friends.
     
    “I heard from my valet, who heard from a
friend who’s come up from London this morning. Bertie Carter managed to get
across the channel, but it seems some of the blighters followed him over, and
tried to attack him at a coaching inn,” one of the young men was saying in
excited tones. “Luckily the Captain turned up and saw them off. But imagine,
Frenchies on British soil. They must have wanted Carter back badly.”
     
    “That’s probably because his father is
in the government,” Oakley suggested. “They see the sons of noblemen and
diplomats as perfect bargaining tools.”
     
    “I’ve heard that Bertie might have had
some secret information,” said the young man.
     
    “I hardly think Bertie Carter is capable
of such a mission,” said Mr. Oakley.
     
    “I don’t know. They say he’s friends
with the Captain.”
     
    “Thank God for The Captain,” said Mrs.
Somerson. “They say he’s very dashing and handsome. Oh, you mustn’t get
jealous, Xander.” Mr. Oakley had shown no signs of being so. “You know how I
feel about you.”
     
    “Yes, but they say he was hurt,” said
the young man. Most of the table were more interested in the story of Bertie
Carter’s escape than Mrs. Somerson’s declarations of love. “One of the
Frenchies stuck the Captain with his sword.”
     
    “Do we have to have such bloodthirsty
discussions at the breakfast table?” said Mr. Oakley.
    “It’s enough to put a man’s mind off his
eggs.” As he spoke, Catherine tried to catch his eye, but he pointedly turned
away from her to talk to Mrs. Somerson.
     
    She put her hands into her lap, to hide
the fact that they were trembling uncontrollably.
     
    Things that she’d seen and heard out of
context now took on new meaning. She remembered Mr. Harrington saying that Mr.
Oakley had been ‘busted down to Captain’ for insubordination. How could she
have been so stupid not to recognise that Jimmy’s adoration for Mr. Oakley was
much the same as his adoration for the Captain? It wasn’t a matter of Mr.
Oakley and the Captain as separate entities in her brother’s life.
     
    It was the same hero worship for the
same brave and noble man.

 
    Chapter Five
     
    As she struggled to regain composure,
whilst the other guests chattered around her, part of Catherine felt terrified
for Mr. Oakley, whilst the other part of her was ridiculously happy that he
hadn’t been fighting some trivial duel, but had actually been defending his
friend against the French. Bertie Carter, whoever he was, must have sent word
that he was in trouble.
     
    She had so many questions she wanted to
ask Mr. Oakley, but she also understood he would not want to hear them. He had
a view of women as being prattlers and he would expect her to be the same. But
she also wanted him to know that not only would she never betray him but she
might also be able to help him with his important work. Jimmy’s death must have
halted some of the Captain’s activities if he needed to find someone
trustworthy to forge new documents.
     
    She was broken out of her reverie by the
conversation at the breakfast table which had turned to