The American Bride - By Karla Darcy Page 0,62

a muddle she had made of everything. Raising a shaking hand to her burning cheek she tried to remember her original plan and discover when it had first gone wrong.

She should have followed her grandmother's advice and remained anonymous. Then she would have returned to the Duchess and in the proper setting been presented to Julian as his new bride. With a dazzling hairdo and luxurious clothing he would have never recognized in the radiant Incomparable the timid governess so recently in his employ. In his ignorance there would have been no injury to his pride, Cara reasoned.

But now that Julian had seen her singular hair color and had become interested enough in her as a person the deception would be exposed. Cara quaked at his reaction to this impersonation.

She had never considered how Julian would feel if he discovered her within his household. Now as she thought about it she suspected that he would be furious. He would have some right to be incensed that she had invaded his household under false pretenses in order to spy on him. In retrospect she wondered how the Duchess could have countenanced such an incredible scheme.

Knowing that time was slipping away Cara tried to consider her options. She knew she could never bluster her way through this scrape. Squaring her shoulders she acknowledged the fact that the only possible course of action was a full confession of her deception. She would just have to wait to see what Julian's reaction would be before deciding her next move.

Washing up, she changed into a fresh dress. It was a soft lavender-blue muslin, simple demure lines complimented by a virginal white collar and cuffs. It was the only dress in her meager wardrobe that fit her perfectly while still giving the impression of an insignificant governess. Brushing her hair she braided it and then covered it with a matching headdress. In the mirror her image appeared prim and timorous except for the splotch of vibrant color brushed across her cheeks. Turning away from the glass she once again picked up the letter and opened it.

As she had expected it was from her grandmother, instructing her to explain she had been called to London. The letter further explained that a carriage would be sent in the late afternoon to fetch her. A sad smile flitted across Cara's face as she appreciated the irony of the situation. After this debacle the carriage would not be bringing her back in triumph.

Sighing, she thrust the letter in the pocket of her dress. Straightening her shoulders she hurried to the main staircase determined to make as good a show of her confession as possible. The footmen she passed studiously avoided her eyes telling Cara more surely than words that Julian was in a tearing bad temper. Taking a deep breath she scratched the door of the study and entered.

Julian sat at the desk frowning down at a paper in his hands. He had washed and Cara noticed that the black curls still shone with dampness. Her eyes caressed his handsome features and her heart fluttered as she once again felt the imprint of his lips on her own. In confusion, she averted her eyes, looking down at her feet.

Glancing up, Julian cocked an eyebrow at the transformation of the girl. Demurely clothed and with her hair bound he found it incredible to believe she was the passionate creature of the forest. Eyes lowered and cheeks flushed with maidenly blushes she was once again the innocuous little governess. It was only when she raised her eyes that he recognized his wood nymph.

"Before you start berating me, please understand that Glum was not to blame for assisting me in my deception," Cara blurted out before Julian could speak. "He thought he was protecting me from unwanted attention. It was all my fault. Truly it was."

Cara stumbled to a halt as Julian's eyes flared in fury. His hands crumpled the paper he held but she knew he was wishing it was her neck. She gulped in terror as he vaulted to his feet, closing her eyes, half-swooning. When nothing happened, she dared to peek at him through her lashes. He was braced with both fists on the desk, leaning toward her. The set of his jaw and the tension in his coiled body left little doubt that she was in for a bad time.

"You continue to amaze me, Miss Farraday!" Julian shouted across the desk. "You would think if someone was in the