How to Treat a Lady by Karen Hawkins Page A

importuned by Gower. Though Chase had never met him, he had no doubts about the quality of man Gower must be. “I suppose I’ll do it.”
    â€œThank you! You will make an excellent Captain Frakenham!”
    Chase looked at her.
    â€œOh—I—that is to say, you are Captain Frakenham so of course you’ll do just fine.”
    â€œHm. Well, if I’m to meet Gower, you’d best tell me everything you know about the good captain. Or rather, what everyone here knows of him.”
    Her brow lowered in thought. “Well, Captain Frakenham is very handsome.”
    He waited, but no more was forthcoming. After a moment, he said, “And?”
    She pursed her lips. “You are also very wealthy, but I believe I told you that.”
    â€œNumerous times.”
    â€œOnly because it is very important.”
    â€œIndeed. What else?”
    Mrs. Ward tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Oh! I know! Lucinda Carleton has said that the captain earned his money from sailing the Indian Seas, which I thought was very interesting because—”
    â€œLucinda Carleton?” He frowned. “Who is that?”
    â€œA friend.”
    â€œOf the captain’s?”
    â€œNo, she’s never met the captain. No one has. Except,” she added in a rush after sending him a guilty glance, “Harriet, of course, has met him—I mean, you, quite frequently. And all of us here at Garrett Park know him—I mean, you—very well.”
    â€œHow is it that this Lucinda Carleton heard that the captain—pardon me, I mean I —gained my fortune in such a way if she’s never met me?”
    Mrs. Ward paused. “I’m not certain. She just seemed to know.”
    â€œI see,” Chase said, though he most definitely did not. “Is there anything else?”
    â€œWell…I heard from Lady Chudrowe that you’ve a bit of a limp caused by an injury sustained during a pirate fight.” Mrs. Ward’s smile lit the room. “Apparently, you are very brave.”
    Chase regarded her flatly. “Tell me, Mrs. Ward, how many people know about the captain’s existence?”
    â€œWhy, the whole town, to be sure! Everyone has been talking about you for weeks.”
    Bloody hell. It would not do to assume the identity of a well-known personae, even a fake one. That could cause undue attention. “I don’t know if this will work. Too many people seem to—”
    She stood in a rush, the chair scraping the wood floor. “Everything will work just fine, Captain. Trust me. Now we really must get downstairs. I hate leaving Harriet a second longer than necessary.”
    Harriet. Alone. Chase could see the very real distress in Mrs. Ward’s eyes. He supposed that he could just stay near Garrett Park while he was here. So long as he avoided town, he should be well hidden.
    With a sigh, he straightened and, holding the blanket over him to keep from embarrassing Mrs. Ward with a glimpse of her guest attired in her son’s nightshirt, he swung his feet over the side of the bed. “We don’t want your daughter to suffer from the importunities of—”
    â€œOh no! It’s more the other way around.” Mrs.Ward bustled to the wardrobe. “Harriet has a bit of a temper. Mr. Gower will be burned to a crisp if we do not rescue him soon.”
    Chase almost smiled at that. Yes, the little brown wren had a flash of fire in her. He’d seen it several times already. He pictured her lying across his lap and he was surprised to find that the image stirred him.
    Mrs. Ward’s voice emerged from the wardrobe, where she was busy stirring through the neatly hung clothes. “Derrick collected what he could find of your clothing from the forest. The thieves apparently tore through your cases, looking for valuables. Two of your shirts were beyond repair, but everything else seems fine.”
    â€œI’ll trust that you’ll choose