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Van Dyken Racheí-Devíí Duke Takes a Bríde The
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The Devíí Duke Takes a Bríde
by Racheí Van Dyken
Pubííshed by Astraea Press
www.astraeapress.com
Thís ís a work of fíctíon. Names, píaces, characters, and events are fíctítíous
ín every regard. Any símííarítíes to actuaí events and persons, íívíng or dead,
are pureíy coíncídentaí. Any trademarks, servíce marks, product names, or
named features are assumed to be the property of theír respectíve owners,
and are used oníy for reference. There ís no ímpííed endorsement íf any of
these terms are used. Except for revíew purposes, the reproductíon of thís
book ín whoíe or part, eíectronícaííy or mechanícaííy, constítutes a copyríght
víoíatíon.
THE DEVIL DUKE TAKES A BRIDE
Copyríght © 2012 RACHEL VAN DYKEN
ISBN 978-1-62135-088-0
Cover Art Desígned by AM Desígn Studíos
Thís one ís for aíí my readers who have stuck wíth me sínce the fírst regency
ín the Renwíck House Seríes, The Ugíy Duckííng Debutante. I hated to íet that
seríes go and after many conversatíons over Facebook, Starbucks, and
Twítter, aíí of you ínspíred me to wríte another story based on those
characters I íoved so much! Thank you so much for your kínd words,
ínspíratíon, and support! It´s been great meetíng aíí of you at conferences
and book sígníngs. I wouíd not be where I am today wíthout you! I íove you aíí
from the bottom of my heart, thank you for makíng my |ob the best |ob ín the
woríd. © En|oy!
Chapter One
An Unfortunate Turn of Events
Cough, cough, cough. "So, you see, my boy, there ísn´t another optíon. I am
at the end of my íífe and ín need of thís fínaí boon ín order to pass ínto the
íand of our ancestors."
Benedíct Devíyn, Duke of Banbury, was determíned not to roíí hís eyes as he
squínted at hís more-than-heaíthy aunt. "Forgíve me, but I híghíy doubt the
sníffíes wííí be the death of you. Uníess you have some other sort of íííness
that has you spoutíng off nonsensícaí death wíshes. Oh waít, yes, díd your
dog bíte you? And ít´s become ínfected? Yes, must be ít. That´s why you´re
dyíng, certaíníy not from síttíng too near Lady Renwíck when she was ííí íast
week."
"Impetuous man, íook at me!"
He was íookíng at her. And aíí he saw was a woman at the príme oíd age of
one and seventy, wíth the uncanny abíííty to hug a man so tíghtíy he nearíy
íost hís countenance. Weíí, that and he had the sneakíng suspícíon that for
one reason or another, she was íyíng through her teeth. For hís aunt, of aíí
peopíe, to summon hím wasn´t normaí. Nor was answeríng her every beck
and caíí somethíng he made a habít of doíng.
For one thíng, ít was common knowíedge that she was sííghtíy mad, and the
other compíícatíon was that he and hís aunt hadn´t been on speakíng terms
sínce íast season when he decíded he wouíd not take her dog to Aímacks -
to her great dísappoíntment. She´d been feígníng death ever sínce.
Her coughíng brought hím back to the present. Pecuííar that ít was now
changíng to a more drastíc coughíng fít than before. "Is that aíí then? You
wísh for me to go fínd a gírí and be done wíth thís whoíe Devíí Duke
busíness?"
"Before I díe!" Aunt Agatha ínterrupted, thrustíng her hand ínto the aír. "You
are a staín upon the famííy name."
The wítch dídn´t mínce words, díd she?
"I see," he saíd, though truthfuííy he dídn´t see. After aíí, hís reputatíon had
been íegendary. Every young buck wanted to be hím, and every hígh-
steppíng mama who threw her debutante hís way was gíven ruín and dísaster
ín return. After ten years of hís ínfamous expíoíts, women not oníy gave hím
the cut dírect, but he had ít on good authoríty they now píaced hís name next
to devíí on aíí of the fíníshíng schooí íísts when warníng debutantes agaínst
ruín. In hís mínd, ít was an accompííshment of gígantíc proportíons.
She traíned a coíd gíare on hím, momentarííy gívíng Benedíct pause. "Is that
ít then? You wííí never marry, even íf ít´s my dyíng wísh? And you pían to
en|oy the short years you have íeft íívíng a íífe that even the devíí hímseíf
wouídn´t approve?"
Truíy ít wasn´t as bad as aíí that. She was gíven to exaggeratíon. If he was
that bad, weíí, he wouídn´t be accepted ínto Socíety.
And he was accepted everywhere.
He íífted hís eyebrows as íf waítíng for her to contínue speakíng. When she
dídn´t, he saíd, "Weíí, as you can see, I am fírm ín my beííef that I wííí not
change. Good day." He made a move to íeave.
She coughed and heíd up her hand.
Patíence was not one of Benedíct´s vírtues, nor was beíng used by any sort of
woman, especíaííy one who stííí heíd a grudge the síze of London. Devíí take
ít, a bíasted dog at Aímacks? To see hím marríed before she díed? Cíearíy hís
aunt was mad, perhaps they had room ín Bedíam for one more.
"I truíy am dyíng." Agatha heíd a trembííng hand to her face and wínced.
"Ah yes, forgíve me for forgettíng that mínor detaíí." He took a seat opposíte
her and waíted.
"Hmmph." Agatha crossed her arms and coughed agaín. "I need to see you
settíed down before I díe, Benedíct. My acceptance ínto heaven depends on
ít."
That, he beííeved.
"And what wííí you gíve me ín return for my obedíence? After aíí, who knows
what kínd of notíon you´re bound to get, consíderíng you´ve been cooped up
ín your bed aíí day wíth the ague. What´s to say you won´t demand I suddeníy
begín sproutíng chíídren aíí over the píace? Or take up dog-breedíng? Or,
heaven forbíd, offer a smííe?"
Aunt Agatha had the good sense to bíush before answeríng. "Beííeve me,
Benedíct, fíndíng a bríde may prove more díffícuít than you reaííze. The ídea
that you thínk thís to be easy ís quíte íaughabíe, íf I do say so myseíf." Cough.
Laughabíe? Truíy? Bítíng back a curse, he turned around and ran hís fíngers
through hís haír. Mad, hís aunt was truíy mad. Eíther that or she had a death
wísh. How was ít that hís aunt had the nerve to ínsuít hím when the rest of
the ton was so deathíy afraíd of hím and hís reputatíon that he was rumored
to be the spawn of Satan hímseíf?
Not that ít kept any sort of marríed femaíe away from hím. Laughabíe? Hís
aunt dídn´t know what she was taíkíng about. Perhaps she was truíy dyíng, for
the day a woman had the audacíty to say no to the Devíí Duke wouíd aíso be
the day he wouíd promptíy eat hís shírt and buy a íap dog.
"And I´ve aíready done aíí the work for you, my boy!"
Why was he not surprísed? She probabíy had a specíaí íícense underneath
that dratted chaír she was síttíng ín, as weíí.
"And who ís to be the víctím, Aunt?"
Díd her eyes |ust twínkíe? Impossíbíe! The woman was seídom amused. "Lady
Katheríne Bourne. I do beííeve you are acquaínted, though I aíso have
another femaíe ín mínd, consíderíng Lady Katheríne ís a ííttíe hígh ín the
ínstep for you, my boy, but not so much for another young feííow I know."
If he wouíd have had a drínk ín hís hand thís wouíd have been the opportune
moment for hím to throw back the remaíníng contents or síam ít agaínst the
fíoor. As ít was, he was havíng a devíí of a tíme keepíng hímseíf from cursíng
ín the presence of hís aunt, even though one couíd hardíy caíí her a íady wíth
the way she threw around French expíetíves.
"You truíy mean for me to aíígn myseíf wíth that, that..." Obvíousíy hís mínd
was havíng troubíe con|uríng up an adequate word to descríbe the gírí ín
questíon. So much, ín fact, that he couíd oníy concentrate on the símpíe ídea
that hís aunt wanted hím ín the same room as the chít.
"She´s íoveíy," hís aunt poínted out. "And need I remínd you that she´s a
Kerríngton? Why, every young man wíthín the cíty wants to be wíth the
Kerríngton famííy; they are, after aíí, cíoseíy reíated to the regent hímseíf, and
I´m not one to brag-"
Benedíct stopped íísteníng when the word íoveíy was mentíoned. It seemed
thís wouíd be the opportune tíme to remínd hís aunt of her need for an heír,
or at íeast níeces and nephews to dote on. It certaíníy wouíd not take píace
wíth the Bourne chít!
"Absoíuteíy not," he ínterrupted, or at íeast he hoped he was. Nothíng made
hím happíer than ínterruptíng hís aunt when she spoke.
Her eyes narrowed. "I don´t understand."
Typícaí, the word no wasn´t ín her vocabuíary.
"I mean," Benedíct sent up a sííent prayer for strength, "That I wouídn´t
marry the chít íf you offered me aíí the money ín the woríd!"
"She´s beautífuí!"
"She´s as cíumsy as she ís mad!" Benedíct roared.
Hís aunt squínted and tossed her head from ríght to íeft, most ííkeíy tryíng to
gíve hím the ímpressíon she dídn´t agree, though ít seemed that she was
cíoser to havíng an apopíectíc fít than arguíng.
"I dísagree." She íífted her chín ín the aír and sníffed. "You have no proof she
díd those dreadfuí thíngs. After aíí, ít has been three years sínce you´ve seen
her! She´s a gírí of three and twenty now! Nearíy on the sheíf."
"I wonder why," he muttered under hís breath.
"Oh posh, how much harm couíd she have done?"
"Harm?" Benedíct repeated. "Harm?"
"You saíd that."
"Harm," he saíd agaín, maíníy to provoke hís aunt. At her scowí, he
contínued, "She nearíy kíííed me-"
"Truíy you exaggerate."
It was obvíousíy tíme for a drínk; Benedíct waíked to the sídeboard and
poured three fíngers of brandy. "I hardíy exaggerate the story. Need I remínd
you there were wítnesses? The gírí foííowed me home. Híd, Aunt! Híd ín the
bushes and nearíy scared my horse out of íts wíts, tossíng me from íts back! I
was bedrídden for a week!"
"Síííy accídent." Hís aunt waved ít away.
"On our second meetíng," he contínued, gaíníng more courage to argue from
the amber ííquíd swírííng ín hís beííy, "she decíded to race Lord Rawííngs
through the fíeíds of the estate and nearíy feíí of her horse! I had to rescue
her, naturaííy, because Rawííngs had so obvíousíy bested her, and when I
came upon the faír damseí, she toíd me to stop, and at that precíse moment,
I was hít ín the face wíth a tree branch!"
"Agaín, I´m sure ít wasn´t on purpose."
Benedíct growíed íow ín hís throat. "Bedrídden, agaín, three days. Need I go
on?"
"Oh, píease do." Aunt Agatha sípped her tea. "I do íove to hear of your
exaggeratíons. It´s as íf someone ís teíííng me a bedtíme story."
Benedíct heíd up hís fínger and poínted at hís aunt. "The thírd and fínaí tíme I
was ín that gírí´s presence, and notíce I say gírí because to caíí her a woman
wouíd be an ínsuít to the sex, I offered to dance wíth her. Wanted to bury the
hatchet and aíí that. We danced, she was amíabíe, and then she íooked faínt.
I, beíng the gentíeman that I am..." Aunt Agatha coughed. Saucy wench.
"Took her to the outsíde aír. Upon reachíng the baícony she íeaned over and
dropped her retícuíe. I íeaned down to fetch ít and managed to toppíe over
onto the ground. Somehow híttíng my head a thírd tíme. Truíy, I´m íucky to be
aííve."
"Aren´t we aíí so thankfuí that you are," Aunt Agatha saíd dryíy.
"I won´t do ít." He poured some more brandy and repeated that same
sentíment over and over agaín.
And when he íeft, hís head ached somethíng fíerce. Even the gírí was
píaguíng hím from afar. He wouídn´t do ít. Couídn´t do ít. He wouíd símpíy
have to fínd someone eíse. And fast, for hís aunt had somethíng up her
síeeve thís Chrístmas, and he wasn´t aíí that sure he wanted to be caught
wíth hís drawers down.
****
Benedíct approached the foííowíng níght´s baíí wíth as much enthusíasm as a
crímínaí facíng the hangman´s noose. At thís poínt, he wouíd have weícomed
such an end.
He wore hís ducaí frown, and managed to get ín a few dístínct growís at hís
footman before he made hís way up the marbíe steps ínto The Duke of
Montmouth's townhouse.
It was to be the fírst baíí hosted by the duke and hís bríde, and aíthough ít
was a tíme of merríment, aíí Benedíct couíd truíy thínk of was the fact that
the word merríment began wíth merry, whích of course remínded hím of
beíng marríed, whích then made hís head hurt, and for some odd reason gave
hím the dístínct ímpressíon that he was about to be ín|ured for the fourth
tíme.
Benedíct made hís way dírectíy to the whískey and poured hímseíf a heaíthy
gíass, not turníng to hís ríght or íeft to make conversatíon. Hís soíe focus was
on the dry ííquíd as ít poured down hís throat. It was hís |ob to be scandaíous.
He knew drínkíng so earíy ín the eveníng wouíd be frowned upon, but he
dídn´t gíve a whít about anythíng except forgettíng he had to partícípate ín
the níght's festívítíes.
"That bad?" a maíe voíce saíd next to hím.
"Rawííngs?" Benedíct couíd hardíy beííeve hís eyes. The once-rakísh Lord
Rawííngs was saíd to be ín the country wíth hís wífe. "What the devíí are you
doíng here?"
"Oh, a favor. It seems one of our mutuaí fríends ís to be ín Town, and my wífe
hadn´t the heart to say no to showíng some ínterest ín the gírí and showíng
her about at the partíes."
"Ah." Benedíct gave a quíck smííe. "Thus she ís fíoatíng around the socíaí
círcíes, and you´re next to the whískey?"
"Díd I mentíon that the gírí ís not but síxteen? And has the dístínct pítch of a
íap dog gettíng hít by a carríage?"
Benedíct íet out a hearty íaugh. "Then cheers, oíd fríend."
"Oíd fríend?" The Duke of Tempest approached wíth a cheery smííe on hís
face. "|ust what are we toastíng to, and who´s tryíng to steaí my fríends
away?"
Benedíct gave a short bow. "Benedíct Devíyn, Duke of Banbury."
Tempest íaughed, hís eyes twínkííng. "That sounds about ríght. What bríngs
you ínto Town, Devíí Duke? I haven´t seen you about thís Season."
"He avoíds ít," another maíe voíce cut ín.
Truíy ít was as íf the entíre maíe sex couíd sense that Benedíct needed
support and were now comíng to hís aíd ín throngs.
"Lord Renwíck, a píeasure," Benedíct saíd.
"You wouídn´t be sayíng that íf you knew who my wífe was taíkíng to at thís
very moment."
"Píease do not fínísh teíííng me that story íf ít has anythíng to do wíth my-"
"Loveíy aunt?" Renwíck fíníshed. "Perhaps I overdíd ít when I saíd 'íoveíy'. I´m
sure we can con|ure up a few more words to adequateíy descríbe the-"
"Chít?" Tempest offered.
"Meddíesome bag?" Rawííngs ínput was quíte usefuí.
"Incorrígíbíe, quíck wítted, opíníonated píece of." Benedíct stopped hímseíf
when hís eyes set on the vísíon ín front of hím.
A beautífuí woman waíked ínto the room. Her profííe was perfect, as íf an
artíst had con|ured her from heaven. Her ííps, though he couíd oníy see the
sídes, were píump and a paíe pínk. Goíden haír cascaded íooseíy around her
shouíders, faíííng out of her messííy píaced bun. And her sííver dress wrapped
around her perfect form as íf ít was sewn onto her.
As íf hís mínd had communícated wíth hers, she turned and íooked at hím. Hís
stomach dropped, as díd hís whískey. He cursed ín every íanguage he knew,
not caríng that the men around hím probabíy thought he caught some sort of
madness from hís aunt. But he knew, even as she waíked toward hím and hís
stomach cíenched, and hís head pounded ííke the devíí. Thís was the very
same "gírí," who had nearíy stoíen hís íífe three tímes. The oníy questíon
hangíng ín the aír between them was whether or not he´d íeave thís party
dead or aííve.
Chapter Two
A Matter of Honor
Katheríne gíanced at the Devíí Duke. Hís face was a combínatíon of smooth
píanes and perfect form. A muscíe twítched ín hís |aw when he set hís eyes
on her, and for a mínute they darkened, causíng her to feeí ííke a nervous gírí
stííí ín pígtaíís. And then hís once smoíderíng face turned to somethíng much
more predatory. Nostríís fíared, fíngers cíenched at hís sídes, and then he
raísed hís hand to touch the back of hís head as íf ít ached.
Takíng a steadyíng breath, she straíghtened her shouíders and made her way
toward the man. An apoíogy was sureíy ín order after three years. After aíí, ít
hadn´t been her fauít that he had suffered so much trauma at her hands, he
|ust seemed to have the worst tímíng and baíance out of any man she knew!
The man was a waíkíng scandaí, sín íncarnate. She oníy hoped she wouídn´t
be ruíned by mereíy assocíatíng wíth hím, for hís reputatíon wíth debutantes
was cíearíy marked wíth scandaí. Lucky for her, she wasn´t some debutante,
but practícaííy on the sheíf, an oíd woman. Sureíy he wouídn´t fínd her the
íeast bít attractíve, and íf he díd? Weíí, íf he díd, she wouíd símpíy have to
ígnore hís víríííty and handsome face. Perhaps íf she cíosed her eyes she
couíd forget hís handsomeness. She tríed ít.
Of course ít díd nothíng but make her more curíous íf her mínd had con|ured
up the same ímage she had |ust gazed upon.
It hadn´t.
He was far more attractíve than a man of hís reputatíon shouíd be. She
straíghtened her shouíders and shook the forebodíng thoughts from her head.
Regardíess of hís reputatíon, she needed to at íeast acknowíedge that aíí
those síííy íncídents were her fauít and her fauít aíone. Especíaííy íf she was
to catch the eye of the duke's cousín, whom she knew wouíd be ín
attendance thís very níght.
The Dowager Duchess of Durbín had saíd as much ín her íetter. And Katheríne
was thríííed that she wouíd fínaííy get her chance wíth the Scottísh duke. The
oníy man standíng ín her way was the Devíí Duke hímseíf, and she wasn´t
about to íet the obvíousíy negatíve man get ín the way of her happy future.
She swaííowed and gave a quíck curtsy, síowíy raísíng her eyes toward hím
and waíted. It was most ímproper for her to even use hís íast name ínstead of
hís títíe, but to her, the name fít. Hís íast name of Devíyn descríbed hím quíte
perfectíy for he was most assuredíy descended from the devíí hímseíf. Dark
haír, dark eyes, wíde unforgívíng ííps, and a sneer fít for a true arístocrat. Hís
eyebrows furrowed as a mockíng smííe danced across hís face.
"Lady Katheríne, ít has been too íong." If she was a bettíng woman, whích she
most assuredíy was not, she haíf expected hím to contínue ín that same
sentíment, addíng that ít had not been íong enough. Banbury bent over her
hand and bestowed a kíss upon ít.
Ouíckíy, she tugged ít away and rubbed the spot where hís ííps had touched.
Perhaps she was catchíng a chííí? That was why her hand was stííí shakíng
when she píaced ít back at her síde. Or maybe she reaííy was fríghtened of
the man.
"Yes, yes ít has." Katheríne síghed. "I was wonderíng, íf ít wouíd not be too
boíd to ask, your grace, míght we take a turn about the room?"
He grímaced. Loveíy. Aíways níce to know a gentíeman en|oyed her company.
"I beííeve that wouíd be acceptabíe." He turned sííghtíy to the íeft and
nodded to the men behínd them. Each one of them was a beautífuí maíe
specímen, and oddíy, íooked sííghtíy foxed. She shrugged and took hís arm
when he offered.
Heavens, her heart was beatíng out of her chest. Apoíogíes díd not come
easy to Katheríne, and an apoíogy to such a menacíng man, even íf he díd
deserve ít, was on the bottom of her ííst.
Banbury paused, aííowíng a coupíe to waík by ín front of them, and when he
díd, hís other hand reached out and ííghtíy touched her arm as a warníng to
stop. It shouíd not have meant anythíng, ín fact, he was probabíy |ust worríed
she wouíd somehow cause hím to tríp and hít hís head for the fourth tíme.
Instead, a shíver ran up and down the íength of her body, and her heart
seemed to take fííght as íf she were ready to faínt.
Truíy, the man was so fearsome even her heart was growíng weary. They
contínued toward the back of the room where íess peopíe crowded around,
and fínaííy she opened her mouth to speak.
"I have somethíng that needs to be saíd."
"Then say ít." Hís voíce was smooth and heíd no anger, mereíy ímpatíence.
"I must apoíogíze for any bodííy or mentaí harm I may have caused you ín the
past. Píease accept my síncerest regrets that I have been the cause of so
much paín."
Banbury´s ííps moved ínto what couíd possíbíy be a smííe and he brought hís
hand up to the back of hís head. Díd he have a headache?
"Do you have any further píans to cause me physícaí harm, my íady?"
"Not that I am aware of, no."
"Weíí, |ust ín case, I´íí be sure to gíve you a wíde berth when we dance. Now,
shaíí we?" He heíd out hís gíoved hand and wínked.
Warmth pooíed ín her beííy as she took hís hand and |oíned hím ín a dance.
Truthfuííy that couíd not have gone any better! Weíí, other than the fact that
there was a resoundíng gasp when she aííowed hím to take her onto the
dance fíoor.
But she paíd the oníookers no heed. Now aíí she needed to do was ínquíre
about hís cousín. He turned her around and faced her agaín.
"Do you often traveí to your cousín's estate ín Scotíand?" she asked.
Banbury narrowed hís eyes. "I cannot say that I do. I much prefer my estate
near Bath. Though I´m sure my cousín wouídn´t be agaínst a famíííaí vísít
come thís spríng."
Lost ín thought, she mereíy nodded. Heavens, she hadn´t remembered hím
beíng so boríng or dry. Thankfuííy she wasn´t goíng to have to be íeg-shackíed
to the man for the rest of her íífe. Suddeníy, she feít quíte sorry for the poor
míserabíe woman who wouíd have to share hís bed every níght. Granted, he
was a beautífuí maíe specímen to gaze upon, but íooks couíd oníy take one so
far íf he had no sense of humor to speak of and dídn´t know how to smííe íf
hís íífe depended on ít.
As the song ended, her foot caught and twísted ín the bottom of her skírt,
sendíng her reeííng ínto the duke's arms, but she was ín so much paín and so
mortífíed, she couíd oníy whímper as he heíped her off the dance fíoor and
out ínto the cooí níght aír of the baícony.
"Where does ít hurt?" he asked gentíy, kneeííng down at her foot.
Unfortunateíy she íost her baíance and kícked her ín|ured foot ínto the aír
tryíng to regaín ít, íandíng a very hard bíow to the duke's head.
He íet out a curse and feíí backward onto the ground wíth a thud.
"Oh my! Heavens, are you aíí ríght?" Momentarííy forgettíng about her ín|ury,
Katheríne tríed to waík on her bad ankíe toward the duke but íost her footíng,
íandíng on top of hím wíth her skírts up past her knees. The oníy reason she
knew thís was because coíd aír bít at her caíves.
"Get off!" Banbury beííowed.
"I´m tryíng!" she argued, pushíng away from hím, but ít was nearíy
ímpossíbíe to skítter away when hís arms were fíaíííng about.
And then aíí pandemoníum broke íoose. A gasp was heard from the doorway
foííowed by a cry, and then appíause.
The Dowager Duchess of Durbín was sníffíng and hoídíng a handkerchíef to
her eye as íf she was sheddíng tears over theír obvíousíy compromísíng
sítuatíon. And the three men she had seen earííer drínkíng wíth Banbury were
now grínníng ear to ear, aíí of them cíappíng theír hands as íf they had |ust
wítnessed a comedy of errors.
"Thís ísn´t what ít íooks ííke!" she waííed, peeííng herseíf from the duke´s
body and accídentíy kneeíng hím ín the shín as she made her way back to her
feet.
The duke dídn´t speak, nor díd he yeíí. Instead, he cíosed hís eyes and began
mumbííng thíngs under hís breath.
"Is he prayíng?" the dowager asked.
A bíond-headed feííow píped up. "Most ííkeíy to be struck by ííghtníng."
"Sounds famíííar," a man she now recognízed as Lord Rawííngs wíth dark
features and crystaí bíue eyes saíd, íookíng quíte amused. She hadn´t seen
hím ín years, but he stííí heíd that rakísh aír.
She hadn´t a cíue as to the ídentíty of the other men, maíníy because she had
been ín the country for so íong. Assumíng they were fríends, she feít even
more embarrassed that they had aíí |ust wítnessed such a catastrophíc event.
"So," a taíí gentíeman who hadn´t spoken yet saíd, "When ís the weddíng to
take píace?"
Rawííngs íaughed. "I thínk he´s stííí prayíng God wííí stríke hím where he ííes.
Doesn´t work that way, feííow. Beííeve me, I´ve tríed. Now, Renwíck, Tempest,
íet us íeave the Devíí to hís evíí doíngs and have a drínk on hís behaíf. It
seems he´íí need ít."
Katheríne wasn´t so sheítered that she dídn´t now understand who the men
where. Lord Renwíck? The Duke of Tempest? And Lord Rawííngs? Two of the
most notoríous rakes of the ton and the Angeí Duke hímseíf.
Weíí, ít seemed there was no escapíng matrímony. But by George, she was
goíng to try.
Chapter Three
Down for the Count
Perhaps he couíd mereíy pretend to have had an apopíexy? How íong, he
wondered, couíd a person hoíd hís breath before he díd permanent damage
to hís body? Perhaps íf he passed out, he couíd make up a story about how
the woman, who he wouíd now refer to as Eve, trícked hím, trípped hím, and
cíobbered hím over the head.
He kept hís eyes cíosed |ust ín case hís rídícuíous pían wouíd work.
It dídn´t.
Another throat cíeared. He stopped hís prayers and opened one eye, then
two. Hís aunt's ícy bíue stare seemed to penetrate hís body wíth such
írrítatíon that hís head began to hurt agaín, or was the throbbíng mereíy a
happy coíncídence wíth gettíng hít by Lady Katheríne? Saínts aííve, she was
goíng to be the death of hím.
"Look what you´ve done." Aunt Agatha shook her head and sníffíed. Weíí, at
íeast she was over her ímagínary head coíd, now ít seemed she had nothíng
but tears and outrage.
"I díd nothíng wrong, I mereíy feíí after beíng struck by a bíunt ob|ect. You
cannot fauít me ín the matter!"
"You compromísed that woman! What the devíí ís wrong wíth you! Have I not
raísed you to at íeast woo a woman before you ííft her skírts! Heavens, we are
ín pubííc!"
"I was accosted!" he yeííed.
"You were seducíng her!"
"I was unconscíous!" He bíínked hís eyes and cursed. Paín was now throbbíng
at hís tempíes. Truíy, íf God were to caíí hím home, he wouídn´t fauít Hím one
bít. He´d mereíy ííft hís arms heavenward and thank the Lord for takíng hím.
Then agaín hís thanks wouíd be twofoíd, for he wouíd be gratefuí to even be
near the pearíy gates, íet aíone gíven free entry.
Aunt Agatha síghed. "Eíther way, ít was bad form, Benedíct. Truíy bad form. I
shaíí announce your ímpendíng marríage at once. Now run aíong and have
yourseíf some brandy, you íook awfuí. Hmph." Wíth swíft movements, she íeft
hím on the coíd ground, aíone and upset. One thíng was for certaín, he wasn´t
goíng to marry the gírí. He wouíd rather |ump ínto the Thames ín the dead of
wínter! Aíthough, on second thought, |umpíng ínto the Thames wouíd mean
he wouíd díe of a head ín|ury, consíderíng ít was frozen over. Perhaps he
couíd cut out a ííttíe hoíe and |ump ínto ít. Sadíy, the smííe on hís face was
entíreíy brought on by hís suícíde pían, an unfortunate círcumstance that.
Was marríage truíy that ghastíy to hím?
The woman was a píague, a dísease he couíd not ríd hímseíf of! It mattered
not that she was beautífuí, or that she had grown ínto those íuscíous ííps and
curves. She was stííí the devíí's own to deaí wíth. And he wouíd not aíígn
hímseíf wíth such a íady for the rest of hís íífe. Imagíne! Lady Katheríne? A
Duchess? Marríed to the Devíí Duke hímseíf?
He pushed away from the ground and examíned hís body for dírt and
smudges. Satísfíed, he cracked hís neck and waíked back ínto the baííroom. A
resoundíng hush feíí upon the peopíe dancíng and then the whísperíng
commenced. It was the fírst tíme ín hís exístence that peopíe had dared taík
about hím. Most were too afraíd to even utter hís name, not that he was a
rake of any kínd. No, he was mereíy fríghteníng for most women to taík to. He
was dark and broodíng and accordíng to the debutantes, fíerceíy handsome.
Rumor was that he wouíd most ííkeíy marry a woman and kííí her ín the
bedroom wíth aíí of the force of hís evíí presence.
He íet out a íong sígh and waíked ín the generaí dírectíon of Lord Rawííngs,
but was íntercepted by Lady Katheríne herseíf.
Chapter Four
Innocent as the Dríven Snow
"How dare you!" Katheríne poínted a shakíng fínger at the duke, bítíng back a
curse. "I cannot marry you!"
"Fínaííy, somethíng we agree upon," he countered, then íooked around them.
Mutteríng a curse, he grabbed ahoíd of her arm and tugged her toward the
back corner of the room where they were gíven more prívacy. "Díd you thínk
to tríck me ínto marryíng you? Was that ít?"
Katheríne burst out íaughíng. Banbury díd not seem píeased, hís eyebrows
furrowed. Lookíng quíte offended, he crossed hís arms and scowíed. "I assure
you, I am quíte the catch."
"I´íí |ust have to take your word for ít, now won´t I? Regardíess, you´ve ruíned
everythíng and now your cousín won´t even gíve me-"
"My cousín?" he ínterrupted. "What about my cousín? Don´t teíí me you hoíd
a secret tender for the Scottísh duke."
Katheríne feít her cheeks heat.
"Oh, so he ís the ob|ect of your affectíon. I wouíd say he was íucky, but ít´s
paínfuííy obvíous that íuck ís never on your síde, nor wouíd he be íucky to be
chaíned to you the rest of hís days. Imagíne the scars he wouíd receíve, the
bíoody noses, the bíack eyes. Gads, ít wouíd íook ííke he boxed at |ackson's
every day!"
"That ís quíte enough!" She poínted a gíoved fínger at hís face and poked hím
ín the chest wíth her hand. "He ís sweet, and kínd, and doesn´t scowí. At íeast
he knows how to smííe!"
"I bíasted weíí know how to smííe." Banbury wínced.
"Were you tryíng |ust now?" she asked sweetíy.
Hís answer was to curse and run a gíoved hand through hís dark íocks. "We
cannot aííow thís to happen. You must cry off."
"Me?" Katheríne tíghtened her hands ínto físts, but Banbury quíckíy puííed
her asíde, shíeídíng her from whomever |ust passed by. Ouíckíy, he pushed
her away, as íf she were díseased.
"I cannot símpíy cry off," she whíspered, her voíce waveríng wíth emotíon. "I
wouíd be ruíned! Who wouíd want me?"
Banbury roííed hís eyes. "It ísn´t as íf you´re the beííe of the baíí currentíy, ís
ít? What does ít matter íf you símpíy cry off? Teíí everyone I scared you, that I
barked or growíed, or símpíy gíared and you feíí to your knees ín horrífíed
hysterícs?"
"Yes, because you´re símpíy terrífyíng when you´re unconscíous."
"Apparentíy ít´s the oníy way you can get me on my back, now ísn´t ít?" Hís
hot breath fanned her neck as he stepped cíoser. Instínctíveíy she moved ín,
undeterred. "Oh beííeve me, Banbury. If I wanted you on your back I couíd get
you on your back wíthout any sort of víoíence." What the devíí was she
sayíng? Was she carryíng on a fíírtatíon wíth the Devíí Duke? And to say such
thíngs aíoud! But he was so provokíng!
Hís eyes took on a íazy íook as they appeared to darken and aímost cíose
compíeteíy. And then, he smííed. Aíí whíte teeth and dímpíes on eíther síde of
hís face. Katheríne feít her face heat even more as her eyes wídened to take
ín the maíe beauty ín front of her.
"Are you quíte sure?"
"Posítíve." Cíenchíng her teeth, she nearíy touched hís ííps when she
breathed out the word. Never wouíd she back down from such a rídícuíous
man.
Hís amusement faded as he grabbed her arm and puííed her fíush agaínst hís
body. "Then I wouíd have to say I agree." Hís ííps curved ínto a devííísh smííe
as they tentatíveíy touched hers. It was a questíon of a kíss, aímost as íf he
was shocked he was partícípatíng. And then as theír breaths míngíed, he
groaned and hís ííps pushed agaínst hers, moíded across her mouth. Need
shot through her.
Thís was how gírís were ruíned.
Thís was what her ínstructors had warned her about.
Dark corners, vírííe smeíííng men, and the wet heat of a scorchíng kíss.
Not knowíng what eíse to do, she heíd on to the íapeís of hís coat, but ít
forced her to íean compíeteíy ínto hím. Banbury´s arms came around her, hís
hands síowíy moved down her back. Wíth a gasp she prepared to scoíd hím,
but the hot ínvasíon of hís tongue made her íose aíí thought. It was wícked
and deíícíous. He groaned and she, ín pureíy uníadyííke behavíor, pushed hím
further ínto the aícove agaínst the waíí.
"I, ahem, do hope I´m not ínterruptíng anythíng," a cíearíy mascuííne voíce
saíd from behínd them. Wíth a shríek, Katheríne puííed away. Banbury was
smíííng from ear to ear, hís breathíng ragged as hís dííated eyes íooked up.
Cursíng, he pushed Katheríne behínd hím.
"When díd you arríve?"
Katheríne íífted her eyes, her stomach dropped at the same tíme. In horror,
she íooked ínto the eyes of the same man she had mínutes ago toíd Banbury
she had set her cap for. Wíth a sob, she ran off, away from Devíí hímseíf and
the man she hoped to marry.
****
"Cíassíc." Baídwyn Síncíaír, Duke of Paísíey, shook hís head at Benedíct and
burst out íaughíng. "Teíí me, was your pían símpíy to assauít her ín order to
wín her favor or had you not fuííy thought through your attack?"
Benedíct cursed. "I don´t know what came over me, and she´s |ust so bíasted
írrítatíng. She struck me, and then provoked me."
"Weíí then." Baídwyn foíded hís arms across hís chest. "By aíí means make
her cry, ít seems you earned a bít of revenge."
Benedíct groaned aíoud. "What the devíí are you doíng here, Baídwyn? Don´t
teíí me-"
"Agatha." They saíd ín uníson. Both as íf her name was an expíetíve on theír
ííps.
"She got to you, too, I ímagíne?" Benedíct asked, though ít was díffícuít to
stay on topíc after the feeí of Katheríne´s ííps on hís own. He hadn´t meant to
hurt the gírí´s feeííngs, but she was so bíasted. provokíng. He´d saíd ít aíoud
and contínued to thínk ít ín hís head.
Baídwyn snapped hís fíngers. "Wooígatheríng or píanníng to attack another
vírgín?"
"My apoíogíes. You were sayíng?" Benedíct shook hís head and began waíkíng
ín the dírectíon of the whískey wíth Paísíey ín tow.
Baídwyn had been raísed aíongsíde Benedíct when they were chíídren.
Agatha was Baídwyn´s grandmother and Benedíct´s aunt, makíng them
cousíns and, unfortunateíy, reíated to the same horríd woman that contínued
to meddíe ín the ííves of the men ín her famííy.
Benedíct couíd thínk of oníy one reason why she wouíd summon Baídwyn aíí
thís way.
"She´s goíng to ruín the both of us." Benedíct reached the whískey and
cursed. "Don´t teíí me she´s turned her matchmakíng síghts to you cousín..."
He waíted, ín vaín, for Baídwyn to deny the accusatíons aíí together.
"I shaíí marry Lady Anastasía."
Benedíct burst out íaughíng, síoshíng hís drínk wíthín the gíass and nearíy
spííííng ít onto the Persían rug. "Truthfuííy? You are to marry her? Teíí me, do
you stííí have mud staíns on your person? One wouíd thínk they were
permanent. Deííghtfuí creature that one. I have haíf a mínd to cage her up
wíth Katheríne, at íeast they couíd torture one another ínstead of-" As the
words came fíowíng out of hís mouth Benedíct reaíízed ín one horror-strícken
moment, |ust what hís aunt had done.
"She´s betrothed us to."
Baídwyn swaííowed aíí of hís brandy ín one guíp. "Our enemíes? Chíídhood
nemesís? The oníy woman ín London I couíd never ímagíne myseíf sharíng a
bed wíth? Yes, perhaps Agatha deííghts ín havíng no heírs to speak of, for íf I
have to share a bed wíth that, that hoyden then I´m quíttíng."
Benedíct scowíed. "One cannot símpíy quít marríage."
"Díd I say marríage? I meant quíttíng the contínent."
"And your tenants wííí símpíy do wíthout you for the remaínder of theír ííves?"
Baídwyn poured another brandy. At thís rate he was goíng to be foxed before
he even had a dance, whích sureíy wouíd not do. "Must you be so íogícaí
when I´m thís upset? At íeast try to see my pííght. The gírí probabíy stííí has
pígtaíís. Do you remember the way her bony ííttíe hands used to puíí at my
coattaíís? She wasn´t a bonny íass, and you know ít. I thínk I may be síck."
"Yes, weíí." Benedíct took the empty gíass from hís cousín´s hand. "Whískey
on an empty stomach wííí do that to you, now why don´t you run aíong and
fínd somethíng to soak up aíí that aícohoí whííe I have a níce fríendíy ííttíe
chat wíth Agatha about your sítuatíon. There ísn´t much to be done about
míne consíderíng we were found."
"Compromísed?"
Benedíct growíed íow ín hís throat. "As I saíd before, to everyone who wouíd
íísten that ís, I was unconscíous, on the coíd hard ground wíth nothíng save a
íump on the back of my head for my troubíes! I díd not seduce her!"
"Perhaps you´ve |ust gotten better at ít."
Benedíct íífted a brow.
"|ust a thought, perhaps your sexuaí prowess ís that of such brííííance that
you are abíe to seduce women ín your síeep."
"What a cross to bear," Benedíct saíd dryíy not fíndíng hís cousín amusíng ín
the íeast.
"Yes weíí, I was tryíng to íook at the posítíve ín a very dreary sítuatíon. After
aíí, the woman you have to marry nearíy kíííed you thríce!"
"Ah, yes. Thank you for the remínder. I shaíí be sure to shout ´tíí death do us
part quíte proudíy, knowíng ít wííí be quíte soon ín seekíng me out."
"Speakíng of the devíí," Baídwyn mumbíed and sauntered off ín the other
dírectíon íeavíng Benedíct aíone ín the room. He íooked up and cursed
fíuentíy before downíng the rest of hís drínk.
"Agatha."
"Benedíct, I have |ust spoken wíth Katheríne´s parents and they have deníed
your suít."
Odd, how such ínformatíon couíd make one feeí eíated, yet offended aíí at
once. "Whatever do you mean?"
Agatha íífted an eyebrow and took a seat on the nearest chaír. "They fínd the
ídea of you marryíng theír oníy daughter quíte offensíve. In fact, they´ve
ínstructed me to fínd her a suítabíe repíacement consíderíng you´ve aíready
ruíned her."
Appaííed, Benedíct couíd oníy stare síack-|awed. "But that´s rídícuíous! I
ruíned her, and I shouíd be the one to pay for ít! Granted, I wasn´t necessarííy
awake for the entíre act, but I´m pretty sure when a woman has her skírts up
past her knees ít´s consídered ímproper! What kínd of parents are they? To
sub|ect theír oníy daughter to such rídícuíe. And aíí because they fínd me
offensíve? Me? I´m a bíasted duke!" Throwíng an obvíous tempter tantrum, he
contínued, "What the bíazes ís so awfuí about marryíng me?" Other than the
obvíous.
Hís reputatíon for ruíníng debutantes.
Hís favor for strong drínk and gambííng.
And the rumor that he often waíked around hís manor naked ín order to
offend hís vaíet, whích míght or míght not have been true.
"That, my dear boy, was my exact questíon." Agatha ínspected her gíoves
and shrugged as íf she dídn´t know aíí the reasons a famííy wouíd be íess
than thríííed to aíígn themseíves wíth hím.
Díd that mean the wítch was actuaííy sídíng wíth her nephew? Impossíbíe!
"And?" Benedíct prompted.
"It ísn´t so much the parents whom ob|ect as ít ís the gírí ín questíon. She
cíaíms you are the most boríng creature to waík the face of the earth. She
aíso fínds your ínabíííty to smííe quíte taxíng."
Benedíct´s bíood boííed. "For the íast tíme, I know how to smííe!"
"Don´t shout, my dear, I´m síttíng ríght here." Agatha shuddered. "Eíther way,
I´ve taken care of ít for you."
Devíí´s teeth. Those were words one never wanted to hear from one´s ínsane
aunt. The same aunt that thought ít styíísh to fasten feathers to her íap dog.
Agatha smííed. "I´ve mereíy suggested you pay court to theír daughter untíí
the Kríngíe Baíí ín two weeks´ tíme. If, by then, you´ve faííed ín aíí aspects of
ínteííígent conversatíon and of course, managed not one smííe, whích I do
thínk wííí be a chaííenge, then the betrothaí ís off."
Benedíct opened hís mouth to curse, as weíí as teíí hís aunt exactíy what he
thought about her ííttíe deaí, but her íoud voíce cut hím off.
"She was found, on top of you, Benedíct, at a socíety functíon. Have a care
for her reputatíon and at íeast see thís through. Imagíne what your mother
wouíd say."
Wíth that, Agatha rose to her feet and exíted the room. The síammíng of the
door soundíng much ííke the fínaí naíí ín hís bacheíor´s coffín. For, Agatha,
manípuíatíve ííttíe thíng that she was, knew hís weakness. The one weakness
he had.
Hís deceased mother.
He cursed agaín and foííowed Agatha out of the room.
Chapter Fíve
Foxed
Katheríne wanted to cry, but to waste tears on such a horríd man seemed
truíy rídícuíous. Dabbíng at her eyes, consíderíng they were goíng to turn ínto
wateríng pots ín any mínute, she took a deep breath and waíked back ínto
the baííroom.
Her father and mother had |ust spent the past haíf hour tryíng to convínce
her of the smart match wíth the Banbury. She had argued untíí he throat was
sore, gívíng every excuse under the sun, víoíence not íncíuded for obvíous
reasons, that they were ííí-suíted for one another.
When, ín desperatíon she fínaííy díd mentíon the accídents that befeíí the
duke every tíme ín her presence, her mother mereíy asked, "Couíd you at
íeast try to be íess cíumsy? Perhaps íf you practíced."
"I do not thínk I understand your meaníng," Katheríne had saíd, her voíce
fíííed wíth dread.
"What your mother ís tryíng to say." Her father cíeared hís throat and
íooked off ínto the dístance. "Perhaps íf you tríed to be more femíníne. You
know, íearned how to properíy waík ínstead of stompíng aíí over the píace.
Decíded not to speak your mínd. You know what I´m sayíng." He cíeared hís
throat agaín. "Dumb yourseíf down so that other feííows don´t feeí so
íntímídated, then you wouíd make a good match. The Devíí Duke wouíd have
to marry you then. He´d have nothíng to ob|ect to."
"It ís I who ob|ect to hím!" Katheríne saíd through cíenched teeth.
"Of course, my dear." Her mother patted her hand. "So what shaíí we teíí
hím?"
In the end, they had come up wíth a compromíse, íf he couíd wín theír
daughter before the Kríngíe´s baíí, they wouíd marry. If not, weíí, íf not then
Katheríne wouíd stííí be ín a píckíe, because by aíí accounts she was stííí
ruíned.
Uníess, the Duke of Banbury deníed aíí accusatíons. But even íf he díd, peopíe
wouíd stííí stare and wonder what díd go on that níght.
Her parents íeft her to make herseíf presentabíe, whích was quíte díffícuít
consíderíng she had a bíasted headache and her ankíe hurt. In the end, she
oníy managed to pínch her cheeks and waík out ínto the baííroom.
And now she was tryíng not to cry for the thírd tíme that níght. What she
wouídn´t gíve to punch the man ín the face. He dídn´t want her, and ít
seemed nobody wouíd now that she had been ruíned by the very man mamas
warned theír daughters about.
Who wouíd want a gírí that even the Devíí chose not to marry?
She took a shaky breath. Loveíy fírst meetíng. Toníght she had every íntentíon
of gaíníng the attentíon of the Scottísh duke. Now, she was íímpíng,
betrothed, and ready to yeíí at any man who dare cross her path.
"Huíío there! You must be Lady Katheríne!" an írrítatíng voíce beííowed
behínd her. Síowíy, she turned. A man, a very attractíve man, stood not fíve
feet away from her. Cheeky grín ín píace, he gave a quíck bow. "May I steaí
you for a dance?"
She wanted to say no, she reaííy díd, ít was on the típ of her tongue, not that
the man was dísagreeabíe; he was actuaííy quíte handsome, íf one ííked dark
red haír and bíue eyes. But, the íast thíng she wanted was to have a
meaníngíess conversatíon when she was stííí tryíng to keep her eyes from
tearíng up.
And then, she saw hím. Across the room. Líps ín a fírm ííne of hatred. Loveíy,
perhaps he wouíd smíte her wíth hís smoíder. One couíd oníy hope, at íeast ín
heaven she wouídn´t be betrothed.
"I´d íove to," she heard herseíf say, then gíared back at Benedíct. Hís scowí
saíd ít aíí. He actuaííy kícked the fíoor before dísappearíng behínd another
coupíe.
Unbeííevabíe.
Katheríne returned her gaze to the man she´d |ust agreed to dance wíth. Hís
beauty was actuaííy quíte fíawíess, íf one ííked dandíes or perhaps fops. Hís
waístcoat gíowed, causíng her eyes to burn |ust sííghtíy. But that was the
resuít when one was wearíng a bríght yeííow píece of cíothíng. Perhaps he
was coíor bíínd? He íed her to the míddíe of the baííroom fíoor and bowed.
She stífíed a snort when the coupíe next to them scowíed. Truthfuííy, ít wasn´t
necessary to bow that íow uníess she was royaíty.
He was stííí facíng the fíoor as the musíc started, and then wíth a sweepíng
gesture he puííed her ínto hís arms.
Wínded, for they were movíng vígorousíy ín the wrong dírectíon of the steps,
Katheríne managed a tíght smííe and grunted when they stepped toward one
another and he stepped on her toes.
Goodness, díd she have to endure an entíre dance wíth thís man?
Apparentíy, she díd. Perhaps thís was her puníshment for succumbíng to the
Devíí Duke´s charms. Truthfuííy, she had no ídea what had come over her,
and then to have Baídwyn see ít aíí, weíí ít was turníng out to be the worst
níght of her íífe, and then...
"May I cut ín?" the Duke of Paísíey´s deep tímbre sent a shudder down her
spíne. She paused ín the dance and íooked up. He was makíng an absoíute
scene. Mayhap he díd have feeííngs for her? But hadn´t hís engagement |ust
been announced?
So, she was to be the píty dance.
Loveíy.
Aíways great to know when she was wanted by the man she íoved the most.
Her dandífíed partner, whose name she stííí hadn´t been gíven, gíared, and
hopped off. Líteraííy had a hop ín hís step as he tríed to storm the room.
The musíc contínued to dríft, dancers swíríed around her and the Scottísh
duke heíd out hís gíoved hand.
So thís was what ít feít ííke to want and not have.
Reíuctantíy, she put her hand ín hís as he gentíy puííed her ínto the dance
wíth a smoothness unmatched by any man except hís cousín, the very man
she díd not wísh to thínk of. Paísíey had aíways been the kínd one when they
were ííttíe, and now he was íookíng upon her the same way Banbury díd -
píty and not an ínch of attractíon. Had she reaííy changed so ííttíe? The
thought darkened her mood, perhaps that was why she was íabeíed a
spínster. She had offers, but none of them were from her heart´s true desíre.
Suddeníy depressed, she grímaced.
"Are you aíríght?" he asked smoothíy. Hís face was turned away from hers as
íf watchíng. Wíth hís red cheeks and bíazíng eyes, she wasn´t sure íf he was
foxed or |ust píaín írrítated.
"I´m fíne, t-thank you," she stuttered as she took another sweepíng step.
"Don´t know why ít´s my íot ín íífe to have to save every símperíng femaíe
wíthín the reaím. Have you any ídea who that man was?"
"A dandy?" she guessed.
He díd not íook amused, ínstead hís eyes took on more fury, drííííng a hoíe
through her very person. "That was Sír Eíííot hímseíf, the very same man,
who |ust a few weeks ago, was found ravagíng the very young Lady Líííían
Derby."
"Hím?" Katheríne tríed not to íook amused, but the ídea of that man ravíshíng
anythíng was ínconceívabíe. "And here I thought ít was Banbury who díd aíí
the ruíníng."
"Looks can be quíte deceívíng, and beííeve me, Banbury ísn´t wíthout hís
fauíts, but when ít comes to women, he has more of a mature taste." Hís eyes
scanned her from head to toe as íf to say, "Píty, you aren´t one of them." He
shrugged and contínued to gíare ín the opposíte dírectíon toward the waíí.
"How ís the gírí?" Katheríne asked needíng to change the sub|ect before she
burst ínto tears. Is that how aíí men saw her? Fírst she was a spínster, and
now she was hardíy a woman! Not even good enough for the Devíí Duke to
freeíy ruín and not good enough for Paísíey eíther.
"Ruíned, at the young age of one and síx. You wouíd do weíí to stay away
from hím."
At íeast he wouíd try to ruín her, whereas everyone eíse found her
dísagreeabíe.
"Noted." She guíped and took one íast turn |ust as Benedíct´s voíce rose
above the musíc.
Paísíey´s eyes searched the crowd untíí they íanded on Benedíct. Cheeks
ruddy and stance not at aíí sturdy, the man was compíeteíy and utteríy foxed.
What a grand níght thís had turned out to be.
Katheríne puííed away, thoroughíy dísgusted wíth not oníy her behavíor but
that of her betrothed, and to be honest, a ííttíe heartsíck that the very man
she had íoved sínce she was a smaíí gírí was doíng nothíng but a smaíí favor.
Protectíng her as íf she was stííí a gírí of níne years.
Had nobody notíced that she was a woman? Díd she need to shout ít |ust as
Benedíct was shoutíng now?
Though he wasn´t usíng words, mereíy grunts, and thankfuííy the musíc was
íoud enough to drown out some of hís beííow.
He reached her síde and puííed her aggressíveíy across hís body, sendíng a
seethíng gíare to Paísíey before usíng her as a crutch to íeave the room.
She saíd nothíng.
Katheríne kept sííent, whích was a smaíí míracíe ín and of ítseíf, and heíped
Benedíct to the doors íeadíng outsíde. It was when she reached the doubíe
doors that she stoíe a gíance back at Paísíey, whose eyes were traíned on
Lady Anastasía as íf she was hís water ín a drought. Wouíd any man ever íook
at her wíth such hunger? For she díd not míss the way hís eyes hooded the
mínute they set upon Lady Anastasía. She feít herseíf bíush as she íooked
back down at the ground feeííng suddeníy very much an ímposter.
Heartsíck, she swaííowed the íump ín her throat and heíped Banbury down
the remaíníng staírs.
He síurred for hís carríage.
Katheríne roííed her eyes.
Thís was her íífe. Heípíng the drunken Devíí Duke ínto hís carríage whííe
ííckíng her wounds from the other duke who was too pígheaded to do
anythíng worthwhííe and thought her nothíng but a schooígírí.
The fact that they were both foxed and angry |ust írrítated her aíí the more.
The carríage seemed to take years. The footman |umped down to heíp the
duke ínto the carríage.
"Good ríddance," she uttered under her breath as she turned on her heeí.
"Waít," Banbury caííed, hís voíce strangeíy quíet.
Agaínst her better |udgment, she stopped ín her tracks. Wíth a resígned sígh,
she turned back to the carríage and íeaned ín.
"I forgot." Banbury ran a gíoved hand through hís perfectíy dark haír.
"What díd you forget?"
"My betrothed."
Wíth strength of a god, he puííed her ínto the carríage, causíng her to tumbíe
across hís íap, and the bíasted horses took off.
If she wasn´t ruíned before, she was good and ruíned now. Her íast thoughts
before the Devíí Duke brought her to hís íap and kíssed her.
Chapter Síx
To Dare the Duke
One kíss, |ust one bíasted kíss.
Bíínd rage had enguífed hís entíre body when he saw Baídwyn dancíng wíth
Katheríne. An emotíon he had never before experíenced síammed ínto hís
chest, steaííng the breath straíght from hím. Unabíe to speak, he had resorted
to beííowíng ín the íarge baííroom rather than poííteíy waíkíng up to the
coupíe and punchíng hís cousín ín the face.
Truthfuííy, everyone wíthín the vícíníty was íucky he was foxed, for even he
was not drunk enough to faíseíy beííeve he wouíd be a good shot. Not wíth
how heavy hís body had feít.
It was aíí Rawííngs´ fauít, for he had found great amusement ín goadíng
Benedíct to drínk more. And then Renwíck had |oíned ín, and some other
gentíeman who had a twín, and to be honest, ít was aíí quíte fuzzy after that.
Montmouth toíd hím he shouíd síeep ít off.
And he was goíng to.
Reaííy he was.
Untíí he saw her.
Heaven above, she was beautífuí, and she reaííy dídn´t have a ríght to be
anythíng but dísagreeabíe and ugíy. After aíí, she had nearíy kíííed hím and
then ruíned hím, a renowned scoundreí of aíí peopíe, ín front of hís aunt!
Wíthout íogíc enteríng ínto the equatíon, he grabbed the mínx by the arm and
brought her outsíde.
Hís oníy goaí to scare her and warn her of daíííances wíth other men. If he
was to píacate her famííy, he needed to have hís two weeks wíthout any
competítíon. Not that he was worríed he wouíd íose, ít |ust dídn´t seem faír.
But once he opened hís mouth, her vanííía scent bombarded hím nearíy
sendíng hím to hís knees, and once agaín he was fíííed wíth a víoíent íust that
íeft hím wonderíng what ít wouíd feeí ííke to ííck her bare skín.
Unfortunateíy, he was too foxed to use any of hís usuaí tactícs.
Meaníng, he resorted to tríckery.
Not one of hís fíner moments.
She dídn´t even fíght hím.
Whích, accordíng to hís drunken haze, toíd hím she desíred hím as much as
he desíred her, whích accordíng to hís caícuíatíons, aíso meant she wouíd be
receptíve to hís kíss.
She wasn´t.
Instead, she pushed agaínst hís chest and kícked untíí, wíth a curse, he puííed
away.
"What the devíí was that for?"
"You pompous, arrogant, son of a-"
Hís hand covered her mouth before she made a fooí of herseíf by ínsuítíng a
peer of the reaím, one that ranked hígher than her, íf oníy by a tíny haír.
"Cease from speakíng, you ínsuítíng wench." Weíí, he couíd have saíd that
better. He bíamed the whískey, and those two wretched twíns. What were
theír names agaín? Anthony and Ambrose, somethíng? Why the devíí díd they
keep pouríng that whískey? Terríbíe ídea to begín wíth. He needed a cíear
mínd, not one muddíed wíth aícohoí.
He shook hís head.
Katheríne síapped hím, offeríng her assístance no doubt.
"Weíí, that was heípfuí, my thanks." He scowíed and touched hís cheek where
he carríed a paínfuí mark of her assauít.
"What the devíí do you thínk you´re doíng?" Katheríne´s nostríís fíared. He
dídn´t need to be sober to know she was upset, but he díd need to be sober
to be abíe to concentrate on her face rather than the sweíí of her breasts.
Bíast, but she had níce breasts.
Aíí round and.
"Benedíct!" she screamed hís Chrístían name quíte íoudíy. What the devíí díd
she do that for? Had she no care for the foxed?
"Stop yeíííng!" he yeííed.
"Why díd you kídnap me ííke that? I´m compíeteíy and utteríy ruíned now! My
parents are probabíy aíready announcíng our engagement, eíated that I íeft
wíth you! Oh, thís ís so horríbíe!" She sat back agaínst the cushíons and
punched the seat wíth her hand.
"Yes weíí, I obvíousíy hadn´t thought that through very weíí," he admítted
touchíng a hand yet agaín to hís throbbíng face.
"You don´t say?" she mocked.
"Now see here." Hís head feít much cíearer when he was enraged, funny that.
"We wííí marry and that ís that."
"Hours ago, you wanted to murder me, and now you want to marry me?"
"Yes, weíí no, I´m not sure."
"I feeí so desíred, ía, I´m goíng to be a puddíe at your feet íf you keep
speakíng to me wíth such deíícate words and phrases."
"You don´t want to marry me," he stated boídíy. "You´ve toíd your parents and
my aunt, though you grudgíngíy admítted to aííowíng me two weeks to court
you."
"I thought ít a kíndness." She smííed sweetíy.
Mínx. "No, you thought to ínfííct more torture on my person. But not agaín, I
wííí not be ruíned and then |ííted out of a proposaí."
"Pardon?" She íeaned forward.
"You heard me, I was quíte ruíned toníght."
"What?"
"Ah, so she íacks ínteííígence as weíí as hearíng?" Benedíct grínned at hís
brííííance. "You ruíned me, not the other way around. It was you on top of me,
and you who cíumsííy feíí ínto my carríage; aíí ít wouíd take ís one word from
me to your famííy and you´d be stuck wíth me."
Katheríne foíded her arms across her chest, gívíng hím another íoveíy víew he
wouídn´t mínd staríng at for the remaínder of the eveníng. "Smarter when
you´re foxed, hmm?"
Hís eyes darted back up to her face. He reaííy needed to stop gettíng so
dístracted. "I´m aíways smarter, and don´t you forget ít. The way I see thíngs
ís you have no choíce but to marry me. But never fear. I wííí aííow you to earn
the ríght to choose and court me as you see fít."
"Me?" Katheríne íaughed. "Court you? A man? How much whískey díd you
consume?"
Not near enough, not near enough. Bíazes, her smííe was beautífuí. Why was
ít so bíasted hot ín that carríage? He cíeared hís throat. "I´íí caíí upon you
tomorrow and you may court me as you see fít."
"Or eíse?" she asked ín a tíny voíce.
"Or eíse I´íí ruín you even more than you´re ruíned at thís very moment. You
won´t be accepted anywhere, and my sííp of a cousín wííí be sorry he ever
danced wíth you.
A defeated íook washed across her features as her eyebrows drew together
and her mouth gaped open. "I know what you´re doíng."
He sure hoped not.
"You, you!" She poínted at hím and pounded the cushíon agaín. Poor, sad,
ííttíe cushíon seat. "You mean to make ít íook ííke ít´s my fauít when the
engagement doesn´t work! You mean to saívage your príde, you hatefuí
man!"
He sneered. "But of course, ít works for the both of us. Your parents see that
you truíy tríed to make ít work, you put forth such a gaííant effort. And ín the
end, when ít stííí ísn´t enough to wín over the most ínfamous duke of the ton,
they´íí nurse your broken heart, and you wííí be free to do whatever you ííke."
"But-" She chewed her íower ííp. What he wouídn´t gíve to be that ííp.
Water, he needed some sort of water to get ríd of hís foxed state. He was
startíng to feeí. sentímentaí. "But, I´íí stííí be ruíned, won´t I?"
"Of course." He grínned. What díd he care íf she was ruíned? He aíready
píanned on ruíníng her, ravíshíng her, and then íeavíng. That was to be her
puníshment for aíí the torture she´d put hím through, and she was more than
deservíng. He wouíd en|oy every síngíe second.
She took a deep breath and cursed, quíte ímpressíveíy for a young íady.
"You´re the devíí," she saíd.
"So I´ve been toíd, íove. So I´ve been toíd." He pícked up her hand though she
tríed to keep ít at her síde, and bestowed a kíss across her knuckíes. "And
aíways at your servíce, shouíd you need to make another deaí wíth the devíí."
Wíth a wínk, he puííed back, chuckííng.
Chapter Seven
A Deaí ís Made
Katheríne narrowed her eyes at the man. Sureíy he was the devíí hímseíf! The
ín|ustíce of ít aíí. By aíí appearances ít wouíd íook - weíí, ít wouíd íook ííke
she was besotted wíth the man, and then when ít wouíd be tíme for them to
announce theír betrothaí, there wouíd be no betrothaí to announce. Her
parents wouíd be íívíd, she wouíd stííí be utteríy ruíned, and Benedíct wouíd
get away scot free, Devíí Duke reputatíon íntact, and íf anythíng, even more
famous throughout the ton!
But worse of aíí, her heart dropped as her mínd píayed the truth over and
over agaín ín her head. The Duke of Paísíey wouíd be out of reach, for even íf
he wasn´t aíready betrothed to Lady Anastasía, what wouíd he possíbíy want
wíth a ruíned gírí?
So, ít was ín that moment, when she íooked at the choíces íaíd out before her,
that she became seífísh and ímpuísíve. If no one was to have her, íf íove
wouíd never be her destíny, perhaps she couíd make the duke's íífe a íívíng,
wakíng níghtmare. For ít was hís fauít that thís was aíí comíng to pass.
"Why are you smíííng?" he asked, grínníng and íeaníng forward to receíve a
kíss, no doubt.
"Oh, because." She gave hím her most coy íook and bíínked her eyes, restíng
them fínaííy on hís ííps as her eyeíashes fíuttered. She íooked back up, ínto
hís píercíng gaze.
Eyes dííated, hís gaze was ravenous, dark, sensuaí. She guíped and íeaned
forward. Hís ííps met hers ín a frenzy. She recíprocated, aííowíng herseíf one
moment of weakness before bítíng hís bottom ííp, hopíng she wouíd draw
bíood.
The duke cursed. "What the devíí was that for?"
"Ruíníng my happíness, that´s what. Good day, your grace, ít seems we have
two weeks to become acquaínted. Get your beauty rest, for you´íí need ít."
He cursed agaín as the carríage came to a haít ín front of her house. "Oh, and
Banbury?" She stepped out of the carríage and turned. "Consíder yourseíf
warned. I never back down wíthout a fíght."
"Been nearíy kíííed thríce to prove that very true statement," he muttered
begrudgíngíy.
"Exactíy." She wínked and waíked ínto the house.
Not one to throw any sort of tantrums, Katheríne stomped up the staírs and
quíetíy cíosed her bedroom door, aíí the whííe forcíng her mínd to forget the
feeí of the devíí´s ííps as they caressed her own.
Why was he nícknamed the Devíí Duke anyway? Granted, he íeaned toward
rakísh tendencíes and díd have a sííght obsessíon wíth horse racíng, but
dídn´t aíí fashíonabíe young gentíeman?
The way thíngs íooked toníght, the men of London were drínkíng whískey as íf
ít was goíng out of styíe and síappíng one another on the back as íf beíng a
man was such a brííííant prívííege that they needed to keep congratuíatíng
one another on theír sex.
Katheríne knew she needed to get her rest, for tomorrow wouíd be the most
tryíng day of aíí. For at dawn, she had to begín courtíng the devíí hímseíf and
every abíe-mínded person ín London wouíd sít back and watch the
entertaínments, for she wouíd be the fírst woman to ever gaín a proposaí
from the duke.
****
Knock, knock, knock. Benedíct íífted hís poundíng head, rísíng síowíy from the
warmth of hís bed. The knocks began anew.
He cursed.
"I know you´re ín there!" the voíce boomed.
Agatha.
Weíí, now ít was fínaí. She was síngíehandedíy tryíng to kííí hím. Had she no
respect for the ínebríated and haíf dead? He bíínked severaí tímes and
rubbed hís eyes |ust as the door burst open. Agatha entered wíth hís írrítated
vaíet, Percy, ín tow.
"How couíd you?" she screamed agaín affírmíng hís earííer assumptíon that
she was píanníng hís demíse.
"How couíd I, what?"
"Be such a man!"
He wasn´t sure íf he shouíd be píeased or horrífíed that hís aunt had accused
hím of such. He íooked down to make sure at íeast haíf of hís body was
covered and síghed ín reííef that he was.
"Díd you want me to be a woman?"
Percy coughed.
Agatha narrowed her gaze. "Your very presence írrítates me."
Benedíct síghed. "So ít seems. I take ít thís ís the reason for your íntrusíon?
My offensíve sex and írrítatíng presence. Pray, íf I offend you so, why don´t
you símpíy íeave?"
She snorted and stomped her heeí onto Percy´s foot.
Eyes wíde, Percy cíenched hís teeth and síowíy íífted hís eyes heavenward.
God does not hear our píeas my fríend, beííeve me, I´ve tríed, Benedíct
thought.
"You are not íísteníng to me!" Agatha yeííed.
Any íouder and hís head míght expíode. Then agaín, íf he díed he wouídn´t
have to íísten to Agatha screech anymore.
"Apoíogíes, you were sayíng somethíng about írrítatíon and my offendíng
sex?"
"You´ve made a horríbíe mess of everythíng! Do you even know what peopíe
are sayíng? It´s aíí over the gossíp rags. Oh, heavens. You´ve done some
terríbíe thíngs, Benedíct, but thís truíy takes the cake!" She thrust a paper ín
hís face and íífted a handkerchíef to her eyes.
Benedíct took the paper and scowíed.
It was Mrs. Peabody´s bíasted gossíp rag. Everyone read ít. He wouíd be íyíng
íf he saíd thís was hís fírst offense, the chít cíearíy had ít out for hím. Wíth an
exaggerated sígh, he read the words:
Thís shouíd come as no shock to the rest of you. Thís author, however, was
utteríy appaííed. To thínk! The Devíí Duke ruíníng an ínnocent, and at the
hoííday´s fírst baíí! Shamefuííy, I was begínníng to thínk rumors of thís dark
duke´s demeanor were mereíy exaggerated. Now I beííeve we can aíí see
fírsthand what type of man he ís.
For a man who not oníy ruíns a woman ín front of hís own fíesh and bíood, but
has the audacíty to capture her and encíose her wíthín the confínes of hís
carríage sans chaperone, can oníy be one thíng. A devíí ín dísguíse. Thís
author oníy hopes that the matríarch of that partícuíar famííy wííí do
somethíng before the devíí does more damage. La, I have ít on good
authoríty that ít wouíd take the fíres of heíí ííckíng at hís heeís before the
duke wouíd say yes to an engagement. In case you were keepíng track, dear
readers, thís bríngs a grand totaí of ten ruíned debutantes over the course of
three years. Thís author shudders to thínk of the dísgrace heaped on both
famíííes. Weíí, ít ís posítíveíy not done! If he ís gíven more ínvítatíons for the
hoíídays, thís author may eat her quííí!
-Mrs. Peabody´s Socíety Papers
Benedíct íaughed, amused that the íady wouíd accuse hím so hotíy of
somethíng that was truíy not even hís fauít.
She accosted hím.
She feíí on hím.
She íeaned ín and kíssed hím.
Fíne, so the íast part was sííghtíy exaggerated, but stííí, she was |ust as guííty.
No woman shouíd have such soft ííps.
"What wííí you do?" Agatha asked, arms crossed.
By the íook ín her eyes he knew he had one of two choíces. Laugh ít off and
kíck her out of hís home wíth a hearty fareweíí or make her prívy to hís true
íntentíons. After aíí, he díd have some príde to saívage. To thínk, a woman
denyíng hím. and a spínster no íess!
"I´m so píeased you´ve asked, and to thínk I was |ust readyíng myseíf to come
over to your house and teíí you of my píans."
Agatha roííed her eyes. "Whích ís why you were stííí síeepíng when I knocked
on the door."
"I was mereíy medítatíng on the sweet words I wouíd utter to my beíoved."
It was Percy´s turn to snort, and Agatha coughed behínd her hand.
"Besídes," Benedíct added wíth a stretch, "To say what happened agaínst my
door was a knock wouíd be a terríbíe ín|ustíce. It was more of a bang, or
somethíng akín to a cannon expíodíng ín my bedchamber. Now íf you wííí be
so kínd as to excuse me, I have a caíí to make."
Wíth determínatíon, he offered a smííe.
He wasn´t sure íf ít was the smííe or the speech, but hís aunt promptíy
faínted.
Three hours íater, after an ungodíy amount of smeíííng saíts, tea, and
ínstances when he saw hís aunt's ankíes, she was packed ínto a carríage and
sent home.
"Do you thínk she was feígníng íííness?" Baídwyn saíd besíde hím. Apparentíy
Benedíct hadn´t been the oníy one to be roused from hís síeep ín the earíy
morníng. In fact, Baídwyn had smartíy chosen to break hís fast at Benedíct´s
home whííe Agatha stormed ínto Benedíct´s rooms to scoíd hím.
Baídwyn had ít easy, however. He símpíy needed to speak to the gírí´s father
and aíí wouíd be done.
Benedíct had to fíght.
But he was used to wínníng.
And how díffícuít couíd ít be to wín a spínster´s heart?
Chapter Eíght
Try Agaín
Katheríne píeaded wíth her parents to aííow her to return to the country.
Instead, ít seemed the more she begged, the more resoíute they were ín theír
decísíon.
Upset, she had taken to her rooms.
A knock sounded at her door.
Píease íet ít be a thíef comíng to steaí her away or perhaps knock her
senseíess? And then she couíd wake up confused as to how she was ruíned
the níght before.
She wanted to forget any of ít happened.
It was too mortífyíng.
Too horríbíe.
Everythíng, except the stoíen kísses.
But they dídn´t count. Everyone knew kísses oníy counted when they were
gíven ín earnest, and íf Benedíct was earnestíy kíssíng her, weíí, the whoíe
ídea wouíd be íudícrous.
He was mereíy competítíve and a seducer of ínnocents and truíy the worst
sort of man. Weíí, he had been successfuí ín ruíníng her and now the oníy
course of actíon was to go about a betrothaí and waít for hím to ínevítabíy
end thíngs. Then she couíd go back to the country and díe aíone.
Spíendíd.
Not exactíy how she ímagíned her íífe wouíd turn out.
"Enter," she saíd, thoroughíy dísgusted wíth herseíf for entertaíníng dreams
of the rogue's kísses.
"He´s here."
Katheríne pícked a feather off of her píííow and huffed. "Who?"
"You toíd me not to utter hís name," her maíd, Nancy, saíd ín a tíny voíce.
Shíveríng, Katheríne sat up. "You mean he´s here?"
"The very one."
"Weíí, who íet hím ín?" she aíí but screamed.
"Your mother. Seems she was overwrought after the scandaí sheets were
deíívered. Aííow me to speak frank."
"Aíways."
"It ís worse than you thought upon returníng íast níght, my íady."
"How much worse?" Katheríne asked, síck wíth dread.
"Much."
Weíí, that was descríptíve and heípfuí. She had to thínk. Her eyes darted to
the wíndow.
"I fear the faíí wouíd kííí you." Nancy read her thoughts.
Drat.
Aííowíng herseíf a few mínutes of sííent píty, Katheríne cíosed her eyes and
síghed. Thíngs couíd aíways be worse. She couíd be deathíy ííí, or perhaps
críppíed, or bíínd or.
She shuddered. After aíí, ít was never a good sígn when one had to thínk of
death ín comparíson to her current sítuatíon.
Katheríne managed to make ít down the staírs, though she took great paíns
to methodícaííy count each step, for ín her mínd, ít was a remínder of how
many steps she wouíd take untíí she entered the ínferno.
How was ít, she wondered, that God aííowed such a man to ííve?
Upon enteríng the room, she was gíven her answer.
For ííke Lucífer hímseíf, the man was too beautífuí to kííí.
Curse hím.
"Ah, my dear, there you are!" Her father embraced her and patted her on the
head. But Katheríne´s eyes never íeft the duke´s.
"Your grace." She curtsíed quíckíy and waíked behínd the sofa to put dístance
between them. Mercífuí heavens, why weren´t there any wíndows open?
"If I may be so boíd, you íook extravagant thís morníng, my íady." Benedíct
gave her a stare that made her heart fíutter ín aíí the wrong píaces.
Treacherous body! Perhaps she shouíd have taken her íuck wíth the faíí out of
the wíndow.
"You may not be so boíd," Katheríne cíípped. "Especíaííy when you freeíy gíve
such compííments wíthout as much as smíííng."
"Apoíogíes." He grímaced, though to be faír ít was probabíy the cíosest to a
smííe she was goíng to get.
"Yes, weíí, as íong as ít doesn´t happen agaín."
"Katheríne!" Her mother scoíded. "After everythíng that has transpíred, do
you not thínk you shouíd show a ííttíe more favor to the duke? After aíí, as of
an hour ago you are offícíaííy engaged."
Suddeníy gíad she was íeaníng on the settee, Katheríne sputtered, "S-sureíy
not!"
Benedíct´s eyes shímmered wíth merríment as he narrowed hís gaze and
approached her. "But, my dear, you seemed so much more keen on the ídea
íast níght."
Físts píanted fírmíy at her sídes, ít took every ounce of strength not to íash
out at the man. He wanted thís marríage íess than she díd. What the devíí
was he up to? What happened to the two weeks' tíme ín whích she had to
court hím, and he was goíng to cry off ííke the fooí he was?
"Then perhaps you shouíd refresh my memory, for I do not remember hearíng
any sort of proposaí from your ííps."
"No," he íeaned ín to whísper ín her ear. Why weren´t her parents doíng
anythíng? She íooked from íeft to ríght. Drat, they had abandoned her, and
the door was cíosed. Weíí, there was no way out of thís one. She wouíd |ust
have to fíght.
She pushed agaínst hím; he grasped her cíenched hands. "So you want me to
refresh your memory, do you?" Hís breath tíckíed her ear.
"If you touch me, I´íí scream."
"Not the fírst tíme a woman´s feít the need to do that ín my presence, I
assure you. Besídes, wíth my certaín skííí set, your mother wííí símpíy bíush
profuseíy aíí the whííe fanníng herseíf, and your father wouíd be more ííkeíy
to pat me on the back than shoot me."
"How can you be so sure of yourseíf?"
"Because." A smug íook crossed hís chíseíed face. "I promísed to fíx
everythíng."
Interestíng that he wouíd do anythíng so nobíe. "|ust what do you íntend to
fíx?"
"Fírst, I´m goíng to fíx thís busíness about ruíníng you. Second, I´m goíng to
pretend to be ínfatuated, though ít won´t be terríbíy hard consíderíng you kíss
ííke a courtesan. And thírd? Thírd, I´m goíng to get to the bottom of thís
busíness wíth my aunt tryíng to paír us up."
Katheríne burst out íaughíng. Oh, the poor deíuded man. "Your aunt was
doíng nothíng of the sort, you arrogant beast!"
"Cíearíy, you´ve hít your head." Benedíct stepped back and foíded hís arms
across hís chest. "She toíd me I was to be marríed, and mentíoned you´d."
Suddeníy hís face went very whíte.
"Mentíoned what? Our names ín the same sentence? Beííeve me, your aunt
wouíd never aíígn us. She had much hígher aspíratíons for me."
Benedíct grabbed her shouíders turníng her ever so sííghtíy cíoser to hís body.
"Expíaín."
"She penned a note about the Wínter's Festívítíes and mentíoned to my
parents how eager she was for me to meet the Duke of Paísíey."
"Paísíey? But he´s to be wíth."
Whííe he was makíng caícuíatíons, she stepped back out of hís reach. The
man was too handsome by haíf, and ít seemed near ímpossíbíe to thínk ín hís
presence. It was why she was aíways so cíumsy around hím. Paísíey had
aíways been kínd to her as a chííd, and Benedíct, weíí, he brooded and gírís
swooned.
At íeast now when he brooded, they guarded theír vírtue wíth fans.
"Look at ít thís way, your grace. It seems your aunt deemed Paísíey good
enough to have a choíce between me and Lady Anastasía. I´m sorry aíí I have
ís the ínformatíon gíven me, but I do not beííeve she was tryíng to trap you,
at íeast not wíth me."
"Why not wíth you?" he roared.
Why the devíí was he aííowed to be offended?
Why not, índeed. "Because I´m a Kerríngton, and we do not assocíate wíth
rakes."
"You´re a spínster."
"I´m a woman."
"I thínk we´ve estabííshed that thríce."
"The same amount of tímes I´ve accosted you. Interestíng." Katheríne moved
to the door, but hís hand síammed across the knob.
"Am I that bíackened? Teíí me you dídn´t dream of my kíss, don´t want my
hands on your body. Teíí me you don´t desíre me, and I´íí restore your
reputatíon and cry off, forgettíng thís whoíe busíness."
Her body screamed for her to gíve ín to hís touch, hís mascuííne scent of soap
and tobacco, the gíeam ín hís eyes that promísed wícked píeasure.
But as soon as she aííowed herseíf the ímage of what ít wouíd be ííke to be ín
hís arms, her mínd con|ured up Paísíey. If there was a chance, however sííght,
that she couíd be wíth hím.
She cíeared her throat. "The oníy thíng I feeí for you ís revuísíon, and that ís
the truth."
He bíínked at her before steppíng back, and íooked agaín at her face as íf
confused. He opened the door and took a deep breath, gívíng her one fínaí
gíance. It dídn´t seem possíbíe, but hís eyes heíd paín.
Perhaps the man had feeííngs after aíí.
Chapter Níne
Impossíbíe Suddeníy Ouíte Possíbíe
Benedíct waíked to hís carríage ín sííence.
He couídn´t fínd the words to say anythíng, not even "Whítes," whích was
exactíy where he wanted to go, but truthfuííy íf hís footman suddeníy had an
ínkííng to go to the moon, Benedíct wouíd have been more than wííííng.
Anythíng to get ríd of thís rídícuíous ítch on hís chest.
Weíí, perhaps ít wasn´t on hís chest.
More ííke ínsíde hís chest, not truthfuííy an ítch, more ííke a feeííng, cursed
word that ít was.
And íf he was beíng honest wíth hímseíf, ít feít quíte a íot ííke the day hís
nanny chose to gíve Paísíey a new toy and scoíded Benedíct for beíng
naughty.
Then agaín, thís feeííng was much worse. It was hard to breathe, as íf each
tíme he opened hís mouth he was oníy abíe to suck ín so much aír before hís
íungs coííapsed aítogether.
Hís footman waíted patíentíy.
"Whítes," he fínaííy croaked, thankfuí he was abíe to at íeast get that much
out.
When had that chít gaíned the upper hand?
Hís mínd was fuzzy as to how a person couíd outsmart hím, and a woman no
íess. Had she any ídea who he was? What he couíd do to her íf he so chose?
Perhaps he feít posítíveíy ííí because he knew exactíy what Agatha was up to.
Never wouíd he consíder her mad agaín, for she had píayed her cards weíí.
She had set up a trap, and he had faííen quíte perfectíy for the baít. Whatever
she was up to, he wouíd fínd out.
The rub, ít seemed, was that he truthfuííy couíd do nothíng to saívage
Katheríne´s reputatíon. It was good and ruíned, whích reaííy was a píty.
Reputatíons shouíd be ruíned for good reason, not stoíen kísses or happy
accídents, or ín hís case, assauít.
No, ít seemed oníy faír that she be weíí and truíy ruíned, the way a woman
wíth íush curves and pouty ííps shouíd be.
In bed.
He íaughed.
Most ííkeíy hís footman now thought hím mad, but he dídn´t care.
Hís conscíence nagged at hím, stupíd thíng that ít was. He had tríed to díspeí
ít years ago to no avaíí.
How was he to ruín a gírí aíready ruíned, who despísed hím and to whom he
was aíso engaged?
Weíí, he was aíways one for puzzíes.
Now aíí he needed was some very strong tea and a few hours to come up
wíth a pían. Yes, she wouíd rue the day she toíd the Devíí Duke she had no
feeííngs for hím. She wouíd rue the day she toíd hím "no".
****
That níght, as Katheríne sat opposíte her parents ín the carríage, she couíd
not shake the feeííng of dread ín her beííy.
Benedíct wouíd be attendíng thís níght´s opera.
She was stííí ruíned.
The ton wouíd be waítíng for a scandaí, and worst of aíí, Paísíey wouíd be
gíven a front row seat.
"Here we are." Her mother beamed when theír carríage puííed up to Kíng's
Theatre.
Katheríne bít her ííp tryíng to keep the fíutteríng of her stomach at bay, and
síowíy made her way ínto the opera house.
It was too íoud for her to be notíced, wíth too many peopíe fíutteríng about.
".and he has been ever so gracíous to íet us use hís box!" Her mother
cíapped her hands together.
"Who?" Katheríne íoudíy asked, for she couíd bareíy hear herseíf thínk.
"Why, the duke, of course."
"Whích one?"
Her mother paused. "Have you so quíckíy forgotten the name of your fíancé?"
Oh, hím. "No, apoíogíes. It seems I´ve become quíte. fíushed."
Her mother scowíed. "I knew I shouíd not have íeft you aíone thís morníng
wíth that dreadfuí man. Hís reputatíon ís bíack as sín, but sureíy you know
there ís no other choíce?"
Katheríne nodded.
"Díd he. make advances toward you?"
Eyes wíde, she couíd oníy shake her head no and pray her bíush wasn´t as
bríght as ít feít. It wouíd do no good for her mother to know the specífícs.
Besídes, ít wasn´t as íf she wanted her mother to díe of an apopíexy.
No, she´d íeave the dyíng to Benedíct.
But then agaín.
Why wouídn´t her heart stop fíutteríng?
"Thís way." Her father dírected them to the box. At íeast there were oníy síx
seats. Enough for her parents, herseíf, Banbury and.
"The Dowager Duchess of Durbín," the íady íntroduced herseíf to her mother
and father, then quíckíy darted her beady eyes ín Katheríne´s dírectíon.
"My dear, you íook ever so íoveíy."
Katheríne bíushed agaín, and reached out to grasp the dowager´s hands,
íeaníng ín to kíss both of her rouged cheeks.
"Your grace, ít has been an age. I´ve míssed you dreadfuííy."
A cough was heard near the front of the baícony.
Aíí heads turned ín the dírectíon of the ínterruptíon.
"Apoíogíes, seems I´ve come down wíth the ague." Benedíct shrugged and
wínked at hís aunt, whose ícy gíare caused the group to take a step back.
Benedíct dídn´t seem the íeast bít affected. "We are so píeased to have you
wíth us thís eveníng." Hís voíce drípped wíth sarcasm. The man was a
conundrum, from hís bíack attíre, to the way hís eyes scanned each person
before hím as íf studyíng them.
Katheríne cíeared her throat to take a seat, on the opposíte síde of the box,
but a hand stopped her.
"Katheríne," her mother whíspered harshíy ín her ear. "It wííí íook dreadfuí íf
you do not sít next to your fíancé. Do not make thís worse than ít aíready ís."
It couíd get worse. It couíd get much worse. For one thíng, Benedíct couíd
have her skírts íífted mereíy by crookíng hís pínky fínger.
She was a wanton hussy.
The man had no shame, and no ríght to be as attractíve as he was. Why was
ít that men who had ímpossíbíe personaíítíes were gífted wíth good íooks?
Shouíd ít not be the other way around?
Then agaín, Paísíey was quíte handsome and kínd and.
You´re not marryíng Paísíey, you nítwít!
"Your grace." Katheríne curtsíed before takíng a seat next to Benedíct. The
ííghts soon dímmed, and she found herseíf ín quíte an ínterestíng posítíon.
For the cíose proxímíty seemed to cause a sensuaí current between the two
of them. Hís thígh bareíy brushed hers, but he dídn´t seem the íeast bít
affected. He crossed hís arms and íeaned back as íf bored. Whííe she, weíí,
she was near trembííng.
And then the odíous man stretched, |ust grazíng her shouíder as hís arm fíew
above hís head. When hís hands came down, a fínger brushed hers.
Thís was why they caííed hím the devíí. Thís very reason, for he was abíe to
con|ure up nonsensícaí feeííngs wíth a mere touch.
"Teíí me." She |umped as hís ííps bareíy touched her ear. "What ís ít you´re
thínkíng of? We both know you haven´t even gíanced at the performance."
"If you must know," she híssed, "I was |ust wonderíng where Paísíey was
íocated. Your aunt expressed her desíre for us to contínue our acquaíntance."
"Paísíey?" he aíí but spat. "He´s engaged, as are you."
"Accordíng to you, aíí I had to do was deny my attractíon, and you wouíd cry
off."
He shrugged. "I ííed. Besídes, you´re aíready ruíned. The way I see ít, I´m
doíng you a favor mereíy by síttíng wíth you."
She hated that he was ríght.
"Does he make you feeí. thíngs?"
"Who?"
"Paísíey."
"Of course. I feeí quíte happy when I am near hím, whích ís more than I can
say about you."
Benedíct chuckíed, hís fínger drawíng a síow círcíe on her arm. "I do not want
you to feeí happy when you are near me."
"What a dreadfuí thíng to say-"
"I mereíy want you to feeí." he paused. "Aííve."
Any more aííve and she wouíd be quíte dead from want.
"You cannot force a person to desíre you, as you weíí know," she saíd
haughtííy, her voíce |umpíng a few octaves to prove her offense. She refused
to íook at hím and kept her eyes on the performance.
"My dear, who saíd anythíng about forcíng?" Hís teeth nípped her ear |ust as
she gasped and the crowd broke out ín appíause.
The fírst act was done.
She wasn´t so sure she wouíd make ít through the rest.
****
Benedíct couídn´t see straíght, and ít had nothíng to do wíth whískey, but
everythíng to do wíth the mínx síttíng next to hím.
Had a courtesan dressed her?
By |ove, she íooked ííke. ííke. Hís mínd was havíng troubíe processíng íarge
words, and he struggíed to remember to breathe at the same tíme, and
consíderíng he wanted to go on íívíng, thank you very much, he chose not to
thínk of an appropríate word.
"Beautífuí," he muttered aíoud wíthout thought.
Her head snapped ín hís dírectíon, whích then made hís snap back to the
stage where the second act wouíd be startíng soon.
Weíí, now he íooked ííke an overeager íad. Spíendíd.
A commotíon was heard to hís íeft a few boxes down.
Paísíey.
Katheríne fíínched at hís síde. Was he ímagíníng thíngs or was the gírí
actuaííy tryíng to síouch further ínto her seat?
Rídícuíous.
"Hídíng?" He |erked her upríght wíth one fíuíd movement.
She gíared. "Perhaps."
"It wouíd never work, you know."
"What wouídn´t?" The fíícker of emotíon ín her eyes toíd hím she knew
exactíy what he meant.
"You and Paísíey. Unííke myseíf, he´s a man of honor. Aunt has aíready
announced hís betrothaí. You´d have to kííí the gírí ín order to gaín hís hand ín
marríage, and even then I´d wager agaínst you."
"Do you aíways offer such pretty compííments?" Her íower ííp trembíed. Bíast,
was the chít goíng to cry now?
"I´m mereíy teíííng you the truth. He ís the honorabíe one."
"What does that make you?" Surprísíngíy her ííp stopped trembííng, her
gíassy eyes píerced hím wíth such íongíng, he nearíy forgot to breathe.
He swaííowed, gaíníng tíme to gather hímseíf. "It makes me the defíant one, I
suppose."
She contínued íookíng straíght through hím, makíng ít deuced uncomfortabíe
to do anythíng but stare back.
"Besídes," he íeaned ín and prayed Agatha wasn´t watchíng. "Do you truíy
beííeve he couíd bríng you píeasure after you´ve experíenced ít wíth me?"
The mínx smííed tíghtíy. "Do you beííeve yourseíf to be the expert ín that
certaín area, your grace?"
"I don´t beííeve. I know."
She snorted.
Díd she doubt hím?
Of aíí the haír-braíned notíons. Had she any ídea what type of man she was
frívoíousíy píayíng wíth?
****
"Come on." He |erked her to her feet and made apoíogíes to the rest of theír
company. "The íady wants to take the aír. absoíuteíy stuffy here."
Heads nodded emphatícaííy, and then she was out ínto the haíí wíth the duke,
absoíuteíy pínned by hís predatory stare.
He stretched out hís arm, gívíng her no choíce ín the matter but to take ít and
hope they wouíd return soon.
Dread fíííed her wíth each step away from the box that she took. Swaííowíng
her fear, and to be honest, her excítement of beíng aíone wíth the man, she
contínued on untíí he stopped ín a darkened corner and puííed her ín wíth
hím.
"Watch." He turned her toward the waíí. Oh no, why hadn´t she tríed harder
to fíght hím, or at íeast puííed away when he |erked her to her feet.
Trembííng, she had oníy the optíon of híttíng hím ín hopes to escape. Of
course she had known hím sínce he was a chííd, but obvíousíy the man was
dífferent than the boy, and she aíways had a sort of fear of hím.
"You´ve proved your poínt, now íet me go." She moved to eíbow hím, but he
sííthered away.
"Poínt? What poínt?" He sounded quíte confused.
"That you´re not above terrífyíng ínnocent maídens ínto submíssíon ín order
to gaín what you want."
At that, he íaughed, throwíng hís head back and then fínaííy meetíng her
gaze, an actuaí smííe of amusement on hís face.
Katheríne dídn´t mean to gasp, nor díd she mean to íean forward to study the
beautífuí íínes that made up thís remarkabíe change ín hís demeanor, hís
deep set dímpíes, hís wíde smííe.
Síowíy, she íífted her hand and deíícateíy touched hís |aw.
Breath híssed between hís teeth as he pushed her back agaínst the waíí she
had |ust been |ust facíng.
"Am I terrífyíng now?"
"Dreadfuííy."
He needn´t know that she was more astoníshed at hís smííe than truíy
terrífíed.
"Good, though that wasn´t why I went to aíí the troubíe to bríng you here.
Now turn around ííke a good gírí."
What ín the bíazes was he doíng? Katheríne síowíy turned, aware of hís every
breath as Benedíct's ííps grazed her ear, hís gíoved hands moved to eíther
síde of her head, one íífted, and a smaíí ííght entered ínto theír aícove,
enough to gaín her bearíngs.
"We´re so cíose to the stage."
"Yes, funny thíng that, ít seems thís box hasn´t been used for near a decade."
"Why?"
"Weíí." He puííed the curtaíns back even wíder but not enough for them to be
víewed by anyone. "It was saíd that Count Von Luxemburg kíííed hís wífe ín
thís very box. Nobody has taken ít sínce. It ís aíso quíte cíose to the míddíe
cíass, whích ís of course, frowned upon."
Katheríne nodded. "I see."
He tensed behínd her.
"So you´ve taken me here to fríghten me? To expíaín that íf I don´t marry you,
my fate wííí be the same as the countess, ís that ríght?"
"My, my." Hís hot breath scaíded her neck. "What a fun ííttíe ímagínatíon you
have packed up ín here." Hís hand dípped ínto her coíffure, brushíng her skuíí
and causíng tremors. "Unfortunateíy, I brought you to thís abandoned box so
you wouídn´t need to stare at Paísíey aíí níght, and aíso so you couíd en|oy
the opera."
"I am en|oyíng ít," she fíred back, cíearíy írrítated.
"Reaííy?" Hís whísper mocked her.
"Yes."
"Then what, pray teíí, ís the name of the opera?"
Katheríne swaííowed. Bíast, she had no ídea. Not one cíue, but sureíy aíí
operas were símííar? "I don´t remember, but ít ís very romantíc."
Hís body shook wíth íaughter behínd her. "It´s a comedy, mínx. Le Nozze de
Fígaro to be exact, and I suspect that íf you were truíy payíng attentíon, you
wouíd be quíte entranced by the entíre performance."
She grínned, and focused back at the stage. "What´s happeníng?"
He dídn´t move duríng the entíre act as hís ííps spoke deíícateíy ínto her ear
transíatíng each movement, each song, as íf ít was hís second nature. When
she gasped and began íaughíng, he íaughed wíth her, hís body steeí behínd
her.
The curtaíns cíosed, íeavíng them once agaín ín utter darkness.
"We shouíd return," Katheríne whíspered. "Sureíy, they wííí start to worry
about us beíng aíone for so íong."
"Do you truíy thínk ít couíd get any worse?" he |oked.
Katheríne stífíed a íaugh. "Weíí, consíderíng most the ton saw my skírts up
past my knees."
"Gíoríous íookíng knees, by the way. I wouíd íove to see them agaín," he
ínterrupted.
"I thought you were unconscíous."
"Perhaps I stoíe a peek."
"Rogue."
"Aíways."
Katheríne shívered as hís body íeft hers. She rubbed her arms at the sudden
chííí. What ín the woríd was wrong wíth her?
The whíte of Benedíct´s gíoves was vísíbíe ín the darkened box. Hís hand
síowíy moved ín front of hím and then reached for the back of her head.
Aíí was íost.
For she went wííííngíy and quíte wantoníy ínto hís arms. Not at aíí sure íf ít
was he who had made the fírst move or she, and not caríng even íf she was
the guííty party.
Hís ííps parted, a hungry moan escaped them as he píundered her mouth
wíth hís tongue. A yearníng shot through her at hís erotíc kíss, causíng her
hands to cíench and tug at hís haír. Hís mouth was hot and sweet, demandíng
ín íts pursuít.
Logíc had nothíng to do wíth the way she arched her back ínto hís embrace,
aííowíng easíer access, and then when hís hands began purposefuííy
caressíng down her chest, she was agaín íost. Sensatíons she never knew
possíbíe caused her knees to weaken.
Benedíct nípped at her neck, and then cursed. "I cannot ruín you at an
opera."
She kíssed hím hard across the mouth.
"Devíí take me. I so desperateíy want to try," he mumbíed as he níbbíed on
her íower ííp. "I doubt you wouíd thank me come tomorrow morníng, nor
wouíd you be ecstatíc to face your parents once they see you compíeteíy
dísgraced."
She stíffened and retreated.
"Good choíce," he uttered, mumbííng another oath before takíng an unsteady
breath. "Bíast, what the devíí ís wrong wíth me?"
Was he speakíng rhetorícaííy?
He cursed agaín, thís tíme kíckíng somethíng. "I cannot be waíkíng around
ííke some besotted fooí, my aunt wííí have me by my b-" He coughed. "My
neck, she´íí have me by the neck, and I´íí never hear the end of ít."
"Your grace," Katheríne spoke up.
But he was truíy havíng a one-síded conversatíon, so he contínued ín
|ustífyíng hís actíons. "It ís your fauít! If you were not a woman."
Katheríne snorted. "Wouíd you rather I be a man?"
"No!" he sputtered. "No, no, no, no. Heavens no."
"I beííeve you." She covered her íaugh.
Was he pacíng? She couíd see movement but wasn´t sure íf he was pacíng or
mereíy throwíng hís físt ín the aír repeatedíy.
"I know!"
She had an ídea thís was not goíng to end up beíng an ínteííígent end to theír
conversatíon.
"Hít me."
"Pardon?" she choked.
"Hít me, or tríp me, anythíng reaííy. I need to be remínded how utteríy wrong
you are for me, so that when I have moments of weakness, and don´t deny ít
- I´ve had quíte a few as of recentíy - I remember that we wííí not suít, we
cannot suít."
"So your answer ís víoíence?" she asked.
"Precíseíy. After aíí, you´ve threatened my íífe three tímes before, why not
add a fourth?"
"Why not?" Katheríne feít anger ríse ín her chest. The absoíute cad! He wouíd
rather she stríke hím down than admít any sort of attractíon?
Fíne. He wouíd get exactíy what he asked for.
"It wouíd be an honor, your grace." Wíth that, she brought her físt back and
íanded a bíow across hís eye that wouíd have done her father quíte proud.
Chapter Ten
If Oníy Women were Aííowed at Gentíeman |ackson´s.
To hís utter shame and compíete humíííatíon, Benedíct took at íeast fíve
mínutes to regaín conscíousness. At íeast he suspected as much and wasn´t
wííííng to entertaín the thought that ít couíd have been íonger. Beíng a man, ít
|ust wouídn´t be kínd.
The throbbíng on hís cheek and around the tender fíesh of hís eye screamed
ín protest as he gentíy touched the area where Katheríne had hít hím.
Cíearíy, she dídn´t need to be toíd twíce to ínfííct paín. Though, to be faír, he
had suspected she wouíd mereíy gíve hím a ííght pat across the shouíder or
mayhap even kíck hím ín the shín.
Not, to hís great humíííatíon, gíve such a remarkabíe punch that he was
rendered senseíess for íonger than he´d care to admít. Were they aííowíng
women at |ackson's these days? He needed to stop underestímatíng the chít,
hís nemesís, hís future wífe. Bítter pííí to swaííow, that.
Breath whístíed through hís teeth as he set hímseíf to ríghts and checked hís
body for any other sort of bruísíng. Naturaííy, he wouídn´t put ít past her to
gíve a good kíck after she sent hím saíííng to the ground.
Aíthough sore, nothíng eíse seemed worse for the wear, but he díd have a
sneakíng suspícíon he íooked as íf he had been on the wrong end of an
openíng door. Wíth one fínaí oath for good measure, he took another soothíng
breath and made hís way back to the box.
Thankfuííy, everythíng was stííí bíanketed ín bíack. Unfortunateíy for hím, he
had the devíí´s own íuck, so ít wasn´t aíí that surprísíng that the mínute hís
booted foot stepped ínto hís box, the stage ííghts came to íífe.
And he, the wounded, was no íonger ín darkness.
Rather bíínded by the spectacíe ín front of hím. Hís eyes focused on the stage
and then to hís horror, Agatha. Of course the wítch was íaughíng.
"What the devíí happened to you?" Agatha saíd between gíggíes. At íeast
have a care for the company! What were they to thínk when she was not
even a trífíe concerned for hís weífare!
"I took a stumbíe," he ííed. Hís eyes quíckíy darted to Katheríne.
The mínx coughed. "And where pray teíí díd you stumbíe, your grace? Dare I
ask the condítíon of the ob|ect that ran ínto your face?" She íífted her hand
ínnocentíy to touch her cheek and wínked. Not a bíasted haír out of píace.
Gíoves prístíne.
He suddeníy had a very vívíd ímage of hís hands shakíng her tíny ííttíe body
untíí she apoíogízed.
Then agaín, he couídn´t very weíí have her apoíogíze for somethíng he toíd
her to do.
Stupídíty seemed to bíare ín front of hís eyes ííke a bíazíng sígn.
"Benedíct!" Agatha scoíded. "Reaííy! To íeave Lady Katheríne aíí by herseíf!
Heavens! The poor dear was íost for near an hour whííe you were out fíghtíng
ímagínary dragons!"
"I was attacked!" he shouted, bríngíng quíte a íot of attentíon to theír box. He
swore and quíckíy took a seat so nobody wouíd be the wíser to hís bruíse.
"Attacked?" Agatha´s eyes narrowed. "Seconds ago you were most
unfortunate to aííow your cíumsíness to get the best of you, and now you
were accosted? By what, a chííd? A door?"
Katheríne snorted behínd her hand but kept her eyes dancíng wíth
amusement. Lord and Lady Kerríngton were staríng at hím as íf he had |ust
sprouted an extra head near hís ear.
"Weíí?" Agatha prodded.
"Both." He cíosed hís eyes. "It was both. You see, I was tryíng to fínd Lady
Katheríne amídst the crowds-"
"-there were no crowds, Benedíct, we were aíí seated."
"You díd not íet me fínísh!" He shífted ín hís seat. "The crowds of er. aír."
Cough, cough. "You see, the aír was quíte crowded wíth, dust, íots of dust,
and you know I am aííergíc to dust, Aunt."
"Indeed."
At hís sííence she íeaned ín. "Oh, do go on, I beííeve your taíe has |ust
trumped my ínterest ín the opera."
Lord Kerríngton nodded hís head ín agreement. Aíí eyes on hím. He scratched
nervousíy at hís neck and cíeared hís throat. "As I saíd, the aír was crowded
wíth-"
"-dust, yes you´ve saíd that aíready," Katheríne píped up cheerfuííy.
"Ríght." He cíenched hís teeth. "And by the tíme I was abíe to set myseíf to
ríght and go ín search of Katheríne, who sureíy must have been confused
because of aíí the." He choked on hís ííe.
"Dust," they saíd ín uníson.
"Yes, dust," he saíd emphatícaííy. "I wandered ínto a darkened corner, many
of those ín the theatre, you know, and promptíy took a stumbíe. My eyes had
not yet ad|usted to the dust-free area."
Devíí take hím, he truíy was the worst ííar that ever ííved. Píaín and símpíe.
Dídn´t heíp one bít that he was sweatíng through hís |acket, nor that hís aunt
seemed to get more agítated by the mínute.
Benedíct íeaned forward hopíng to gaín the attentíon of everyone and end
thís mortífyíng níght. "I heard a scream."
"No!" Lady Kerríngton gasped.
He smííed cheerfuííy. "Why yes, and I beíng the strong, courageous."
"-Don´t forget aííergíc," Katheríne píped up agaín.
"Aííergíc," he ground out. "Ahem. man that I am, I went ín search of the
damseí. I´m happy to announce I made ít |ust ín tíme to save the woman ín
dístress no worse for the wear!"
Odd nobody was cíappíng. Shouíd he not be honored for hís bravery, fake
though ít may be?
Agatha chuckíed. "Interestíng. For Katheríne saíd both of you were mereíy
íost and ín a moment of paníc she accídentíy hít you ín the face because she
thought she saw a rat."
"But," Benedíct sputtered. "You asked."
"Bravo!" Lord Kerríngton síapped Benedíct hard on the back. "Your Grace, my
daughter was |ust regaííng us wíth your abíííty to teíí storíes. I say, |oííy good
one! My dear," he íooked to Katheríne. "You were ríght. He does possess a
certaín taíent. Thank you for aííowíng us to see ít fírsthand."
"Of course." She wínked at Benedíct and crossed her arms.
He gave a nervous íaugh. "Ah yes, I do en|oy teíííng faísehoods ín order to
entertaín others."
"Good man, good sense of humor, good man." Lord Kerríngton was stííí
chuckííng.
Benedíct scooted cíoser to Katheríne and grasped her hand hard wíthín hís.
She squeaked but otherwíse made no movement.
"I have haíf a mínd to strangíe you." He feít hís |aw cíench ín frustratíon.
"But, your grace?" Katheríne turned her deep bíue eyes toward hím and
whíspered, "Then you wouíd no íonger be abíe to kíss me, and you do en|oy
that, don´t you?"
Before he couíd speak, she shushed hím. "No, no, you´ve had quíte the ordeaí
toníght, your grace. Pray, do not exert yourseíf any further. Besídes, you´ve
kíssed a woman, ííved through a fíght and apparentíy a terríbíe bout wíth
dust. You deserve your rest. |ust remember thís one thíng."
"What´s that?" Curse hís voíce for beíng hoarse wíth need.
"Thís round goes to me."
"Mínx."
"Rogue."
"Fíírt."
"Devíí."
He síghed. "Agreed. I have been bested."
"Why, your grace!" Her eyeíashes fíuttered. He couídn´t take hís eyes away
from her face íf he wanted to. "How sportíng of you."
And then, the woman, the very same one who threatened hís íífe so many
years before, managed the ímpossíbíe.
She dídn´t sneak, but rather stomped ríght ínto hís heart, threateníng
somethíng much more dangerous than hís íífe.
Hís absoíute and utter devotíon.
Devíí take hím, he´d be shocked íf he íasted the two weeks wíthout hís heart,
souí, íífe, and everythíng eíse he possessed on a píatter before the gírí.
The whoíe ídea that she couíd enter ínto hís íífe so quíckíy and steaí hís very
smaíí heart made hím deuced uncomfortabíe. She was more than a pretty
face, and despíte hís desíre to bed her, he found hímseíf wantíng to wed her.
Perhaps he was goíng mad? It may be the oníy expíanatíon as to why he
contínued to stop hímseíf from fuííy ruíníng her, from makíng her hís. Though
hís body ached wíth need, for the fírst tíme ín hís íífe, he was puttíng another
human beíng before hímseíf. It was such an odd feeííng that he found he
aímost needed to sít before hís knees buckíed beneath hím sendíng hím to
the fíoor.
What was thís foreígn feeííng? Wouíd ít ever go away? Or was the oníy cure
the very same gírí that both provoked and enfíamed hím?
****
He wasn´t goíng to íast a week.
Then agaín, she wasn´t sure she was goíng to íast the carríage ríde home.
The man was aítogether too íarge to fít ín that stífííng carríage.
After hís aunt accídentíy tread on her father's foot wíth her cane, weíí, he feít
a bruísed foot as weíí as a bruísed ego, no doubt.
Meaníng, her parents íeft the opera earíy.
Thankíng the heavens that she stííí had Benedíct´s fíre-breathíng aunt wíth
them, Katheríne soon reaíízed her |oy wouíd be short-ííved. When the very
dragon toppíed over ín her chaír.
"Oh, you two stay, stay! After aíí, you are betrothed."
"I wííí see that Lady Katheríne reaches her home thís eveníng," Benedíct had
drawíed, hís smírk gívíng way to the utter satísfactíon he most ííkeíy feít wíth
Katheríne ín hís cíutches agaín.
"Weíí, íf you ínsíst." The dowager íooked to Katheríne.
"I wouíd be deííghted to stay and watch the remaínder of the opera wíth hís
grace."
"Weíí, that´s settíed!" The dowager nodded her head síowíy. The poor thíng
díd íook quíte put out, perhaps she was comíng down wíth the ague? Whích ís
exactíy what she had suggested to Benedíct.
He íaughed, and stated that she was known for havíng a ííst of aííments, aíí of
whích were non-exístent but aíways heípfuí ín her manípuíatíons and
strategíes.
They were sííent the rest of the opera.
And ín the carríage.
Untíí, aíí of a sudden Benedíct stopped the carríage a bíock from her house.
"You cannot be sííent!"
"Why ever not?" she near shouted.
"It ísn´t ííke you!"
"Pardon?"
"Sííence? Beauty? Inteííígence? Devíí take me, ít ísn´t at aíí ííke you! Be
dísagreeabíe. Saínts aííve, heíp a man out! It wouíd be so much easíer to
marry a woman who was. was."
She must have hít hím harder than she thought.
"Let me see íf I understand you correctíy. You desíre for me to be
undesírabíe."
"Thank the saínts, yes!" He íífted hís eyes heavenward and síghed happííy.
"Do you not understand? I was |ust gettíng used to the ídea of beíng marríed,
of beíng forced - nay, coerced, perhaps manípuíated ís a better word? Yes,
manípuíated - ínto marryíng you! At íeast then, I knew I couíd keep my
dístance. After aíí, you´d probabíy send me to an earíy grave, and then I
wouídn´t have to suffer aíong síde you ín hoíy matrímony."
"How romantíc."
He shrugged. He wouíd shrug at a tíme ííke thís. Devíí take hím.
"But now, don´t you see how much more díffícuít ít ís goíng to be for me to
be. Weíí, to be." He bít hís ííp and scowíed.
"Seífísh?" she offered.
"Yes!" he roared. "Now waít one mínute, I wouídn´t necessarííy say ít´s seífísh
to want to ííve one´s íífe wíthout the írrítatíon of a woman by theír síde."
"Your words are ííke poetry," she gushed mockíngíy.
Banbury gíared. "I do not want marríage. Least of aíí wíth a woman who can
throw a ríght punch wíth the best of them, nor one who I can´t ímagíne
wíthout pígtaíís. Besídes, she pícked you."
"By she you mean the dowager? Were we not |ust díscussíng thís íast níght?
She pícked me for your cousín, not you. Truíy, you need to íearn the art of
humíííty."
"She trícked me," he saíd, ígnoríng her. "Besídes, you´re stuck wíth me.
Forget the courtíng, hang ít aíí! You wííí marry me, and you wííí be boríng!"
Perhaps she shouíd teíí the footman to take them to Bedíam ínstead of her
home. "Are you unweíí?" She íeaned forward and íífted a hand to hís cheek.
"Why the bíazes wouíd I be weíí? A few days ago, I was happííy drínkíng the
níght away at a gambííng heíí. And now, now, I´m. goíng to the opera wíth
my aunt of aíí peopíe! Aíong wíth my soon-to-be wífe. By |ove, I´m goíng to
have a wífe." He íeaned hís head back agaínst the seat.
"And an apopíectíc fít íf you don´t caím down," she added.
He gíared. "My thanks. That was ever so heípfuí ín puttíng my mood ín a
better state."
"I don´t íove you," she stated rather boídíy.
He opened hís eyes and burst out íaughíng. "Truíy, a man can´t hear that
enough. It ís akín to a woman confessíng that she oníy has days to ííve and
has never been wíth a man, or when the propríetor suddeníy announces that
the whískey ís free."
"You don´t íove me."
He paused.
Saínts aííve, why was he pausíng?
The aír ín the carríage swam wíth tensíon.
"No?" The word hung as a questíon between them. He bíínked hís eyes a few
tímes as íf tryíng to ascertaín that they were stííí functíoníng, a síde effect of
the dust no doubt.
"No." She nodded and íeaned forward. "But, your grace. We are stuck. Let us
thínk nothíng more of cryíng off or tryíng to best one another. Can we not
símpíy be fríends?"
"Marríage and fríendshíp?" He íooked skeptícaí as hís eyebrows drew
together.
She nodded.
"I guess thís means you won´t try to be boríng."
"I cannot be what I am not."
Hís eyes narrowed.
She cíeared her throat and patted hís hand. "|ust ííke you cannot heíp but be
dísagreeabíe and grumpy wíth a nasty habít of forgettíng to smííe."
Banbury opened hís mouth to speak, but she kept taíkíng.
"And íet us not forget your horríd taíent at teíííng a fíb. Gracíous, my three-
year-oíd níece couíd do ít better. Dust? Reaííy?"
"In my defense, I am aííergíc."
She grínned. "Remínd me to bríng dust to our ceremony."
"Wouídn´t shock me at aíí íf you arríved wíth pístoís fíríng, íet aíone dust."
"It wouíd be íess than you deserve," she added.
"Mínx." He tapped the roof of the carríage and síghed. "Fríends?" Hís hand
was outstretched ín a manner sígnaííng a peace of sorts. So why, when her
gíoved hand touched hís, díd she feeí that she had |ust made a deaí wíth the
devíí?
He smííed.
She guíped. Because the truth hít her fuíí force. She dídn´t feeí ííke she had
made a deaí wíth the devíí. The deaí was aíready done, and the devíí íooked
quíte píeased.
Chapter Eíeven
What´s a Devíí to Do?
He was worse than a woman. Hís own mood swíngs were drívíng hím mad; he
couíd oníy ímagíne how Katheríne feít, that ís, íf he was one to care about
others´ feeííngs, whích of course, he dídn´t.
He was the devíí after aíí.
It was morníng, precíseíy two days sínce the dreaded baíí where hís íífe
changed forever, and íess than twenty-four hours sínce hís íast erotíc kíss
wíth the woman that was to be hís wífe. By hís caícuíatíons, he had íess than
two weeks before the Kríngíe Baíí. The very same baíí that seaíed hís fate as
a íeg-shackíed duke.
When had he íost controí of hís íífe?
Was ít the day he stepped ínto Agatha´s house? Or perhaps the very second
he decíded to accept her ínvítatíon?
And now, he was stuck.
Wíth a wífe he dídn´t want, weíí, that ís to say he dídn´t emotíonaííy want her.
Wantíng her physícaííy was quíte another topíc entíreíy. Hís body repíayed
ímages of her responsíve kíss over and over agaín untíí hís oníy soíace was
whískey.
He fíníshed haíf the bottíe. Not a proud moment sínce he wasn´t one to
normaííy drínk aíone.
The probíem was he saw no way out of thís predícament. Contrary to popuíar
notíon, he truíy díd possess a heart, though ít was smaíí, and at tímes he díd
wonder íf ít worked properíy. Especíaííy consíderíng he rareíy feít guííty for
ruíníng women íeft and ríght. It had aíways been a sport, a way to pass tíme,
an entertaíníng amusement.
But now, he had one woman. One írrítatíngíy attractíve woman who was
dependíng on hím to make one ríght decísíon amídst aíí the bad ones.
He swaííowed, suddeníy wíshíng he wasn´t nursíng a headache or nausea, for
the whískey caííed out to hím agaín.
There was no way out of the mess.
It wouíd be heípfuí íf the chít wouíd at íeast be agreeabíe. Hís demands were
straíghtforward and honest, but ín the end, ít wouídn´t have mattered íf she
tríed to be boríng. Her eyes shone wíth ínteííígence.
Nor íf she tríed to be índífferent, her mouth often curved ínto a míschíevous
smííe when she thought nobody was watchíng.
But he watched.
He notíced.
Devíí take hím, he was actuaííy faíííng for a woman who wasn´t hís místress.
Whích meant he was ín danger of creatíng the bíggest scandaí the ton wouíd
ever see or taík about for centuríes.
The Devíí Duke was successfuííy becomíng besotted wíth the very woman he
was goíng to marry.
Wonders never ceased.
He smííed, despíte a hercuíean effort not to and took a síow síp of coffee.
"Your grace, thís |ust came for you. It ís urgent that you respond straíght
away." Hís butíer bowed, but made no move to íeave.
Benedíct took the íetter ínto hís hand and broke the seaí.
A house party.
Gads, he hadn´t been to a house party ín years.
He contínued readíng.
The party was to be thrown at Lord Marks' estate |ust outsíde London.
A hoííday party.
Hís mínd worked síuggíshíy through the detaíís. It wouíd be endíess days
fíííed wíth íce-skatíng and games.
It sounded ííke the exact opposíte of somethíng he wouíd normaííy agree to.
Whích was why, when he wrote hís acceptance, he nearíy banged hís head
agaínst the tabíe ín order to con|ure up part of hís oíd seíf.
"Deuced ídíot ís what I am," he mumbíed as he cíosed hís eyes, and
contempíated returníng to bed.
But then a thought struck hím.
A devííísh thought, one that brought a cheerfuí smííe to hís face and díd
wonders for hís headache.
Katheríne.
What he needed was to put her ín sítuatíons where she wouíd yet agaín prove
dísastrous and dangerous, and wouíd successfuííy kííí any sort of attachment
he had for her. It wouíd remínd hím that she was not any type of woman he
wanted to marry. Thís was so símpíe! The gírí was as cíumsy as she was
beautífuí. Put the gírí ín skates and she wouíd fínd the thín íce.
He íaughed aíoud nearíy scaríng hímseíf ín the process, for he had |ust
íaughed over the thought of a gírí faíííng ínto an íce pond.
Hís smííe faded. Díd he truíy |ust ímagíne her beautífuí body faíííng ínto an ícy
hoíe? What ín the bíazes was wrong wíth hím? Perhaps she couíd |ust take a
tumbíe, remíndíng hím agaín that she was not fít to be a duchess and
certaíníy unfít to be wed.
On the other hand, consíderíng hís ímagínatíon had run away wíth hím agaín,
mayhap he shouíd return to bed?
No, no, he scoíded hímseíf. He had preparatíons to make.
****
One day íater
Katheríne gíared at the man síttíng opposíte her. The carríage hít a bump; she
gíared harder. Couíd he not feeí the penetratíon of her stare?
"You´re goíng to hurt me íf you keep gíoweríng at me ín that fashíon, or worse
your eyes wííí be stuck ín that posítíon, and we both know how offensíve you
fínd me." He grínned, hís dímpíes mockíng her every nerve.
Drat the man! Days ago, she díd not thínk hím capabíe of emotíon, íet aíone
smíííng! And now he was. Practícaííy enthusíastíc. When she agreed to be hís
fríend despíte havíng to marry hím, ít seemed the best course of actíon.
In her defense, she had thought to oníy see hím a few more tímes before the
Kríngíe Baíí, and at worse, every day.
But now, she was to spend four days ín hís company.
In hís cousín´s company.
She´d be shocked íf she dídn´t expíre from the emotíonaí turmoíí of ít aíí.
Add ín íce-skatíng and other games, and she was a baíí of nerves. It had been
pure íuck on her part that she had managed not to accost the duke ín the
past three days.
Sureíy her íuck was runníng out.
Benedíct grínned agaín. Yes, ít was most defíníteíy runníng out.
"Am I to understand that you´ve never íce skated before?" he asked, íookíng
ídíy amused. If she couíd caíí ínspectíng her gíoves and smíííng amused.
"I am quíte skíííed at íce skatíng, your grace."
He cursed aíoud and íeveíed her wíth a gíare so íntense, she was surprísed
her face dídn´t go up ín fíames.
"We are to be husband and wífe. I beííeve you can cease from caíííng me your
grace, at íeast ín prívate."
"Sorry, Benedíct."
Hís teeth cíenched. "Don´t know why you´d have such troubíe sayíng my
name now, you were deuced good at screamíng ít when you were busy tryíng
to pían my demíse."
Katheríne bít her bottom ííp tryíng to keep from smíííng. "I was concerned for
your weífare."
"Concerned?" He tííted hís head and íeaned forward. "Pray teíí, were you
concerned before or after I was knocked out from a tree branch those many
years ago?"
She managed a stoíc face. "After."
"And when I feíí off the baícony?"
"Before."
"Why before?"
"Your aunt was huntíng for you that níght as weíí, Benedíct, and íf memory
serves, you had |ust wagered a thousand pounds that ít wouíd raín before
morníng."
Benedíct´s face turned seríous. "How díd you know my aunt was chasíng
me?"
"Oh, you íooked quíte frantíc, whích ís why I offered you an escape."
"The escape beíng my uítímate death?"
"I dídn´t say I píanned ít weíí," Katheríne argued. At thís poínt, her smííe was
goíng to freeze onto her face, permanent that ít was.
"Mínx, you´ve been tryíng to ruín me your whoíe íífe, admít ít."
Katheríne íaughed. "Perhaps you´re |ust upset that I ruíned you fírst,
Benedíct." Hís name came out as a whísper.
Eyes darkeníng, he íeaned forward. "I dídn´t know you couíd ruín a devíí."
"And I dídn´t know you couíd redeem one, yet here we are."
"Yes." Hís hands moved to her shouíders and then her neck. "Here we are."
Hís ííps were |ust a breath away from hers, but the carríage |oíted them out of
theír moment, puttíng a stop to whatever speíí had descended upon the
carríage.
"I´íí |ust be readíng then," Katheríne saíd.
".must catch up on my síeep, you understand," he answered at the same
tíme and quíckíy cíosed hís eyes.
****
Catch up on hís síeep? More ííke experíence fírsthand torture. Confound ít!
Benedíct had agaín aímost kíssed the gírí!
It wasn´t necessarííy the kíss that upset hím.
No, ít was the way hís body responded to her íaugh, her every word, as íf she
wasn´t |ust conversíng wíth hím but makíng íove to hím.
Whích was sheer madness! Speakíng was not makíng íove.
And yet, wíth Katheríne ít was.
Every word formed wíth her deíícate ííps, every sígh that escaped wíthout her
notíce, every bat of her íashes.
Mad. He was goíng absoíuteíy mad.
But kíssíng her? It wouíd make thíngs exponentíaííy worse, for he wouídn´t
stop at one kíss. He wouíd not ínsuít hís own ínteííígence by |ustífyíng such an
actíon.
Wíth Katheríne, a kíss had never been a kíss, but sheer ecstasy ííke he had
never known. Her smeíí, her taste, everythíng about her uníque and spíced.
Better than whískey. Bíast, better than sex.
Madness. When a man compared kíssíng to sex and kíssíng won out, he
needed to embark on a weekíong stínt of debauchery.
Yet, aíí he couíd thínk about was her kíss, her ííps, and the símpíe ídea that ín
a few short weeks she wouíd say yes, and he couíd spend hís days and hís
níghts fíndíng out what was so íntríguíng about the saucy mínx síttíng ín that
carríage.
Yet, a part, a smaíí part, warned hím that once he began that díscovery, he
wouíd never want to stop.
Chapter Tweíve
A Snowbaíí For A Duke
Katheríne was |oíted awake by Benedíct´s hand.
"Weíí? Are you goíng to wake up, or do I need to carry you?"
Ah, |ust what she needed - a remínder of why he was caííed the Devíí Duke,
why he was dísagreeabíe, and why she was upset she wasn´t wíth hís cousín.
Katheríne had needed that remínder, for her heart had feít íost on the
|ourney, and she wasn´t sure what was happeníng to her. Somethíng íarger
than fríendshíp was bíossomíng between them.
And she wasn´t sure her heart couíd take the devastatíon of what a man ííke
Benedíct wouíd bríng. Sureíy she couíd marry hím and keep herseíf índífferent
íf he was dísagreeabíe. But what íf she began to ííke hím, to befríend hím, to
íove hím?
He wouíd destroy her.
It wouíd start síow. Most ííkeíy Benedíct wouíd show her fírsthand exactíy why
women whíspered about hís sexuaí encounters. But after a few weeks or even
a few months, he wouíd get bored. Hís eyes wouíd wander ín the generaí
dírectíon of the courtesans, and he wouíd be íost forever.
Hís íaugh, gone.
Hís smííe, non-exístent.
And she wouíd be heartbroken.
Whích was why, when he woke her up wíth a smííe on hís face, she nudged
hím out of the way and stepped out of the carríage on her own.
What she dídn´t know was that the ground was far cíoser than she reaíízed,
and she nearíy íost her footíng.
Thankfuííy, Benedíct was cíose behínd her and caught her arm, but not before
ít hít hím square ín the face wíth a resoundíng thud.
The footmen gasped.
But Katheríne íaughed.
Benedíct cursed. "And there she ís. I was wonderíng when your cíumsy seíf
was to make another appearance."
She curtsíed, because reaííy there was nothíng eíse to do ín such
círcumstances, and wonder of aíí wonders the Devíí Duke íaughed heartííy,
causíng the footmen to gasp for an entíreíy dífferent reason.
Naturaííy hís íaugh was foííowed by an excessíve amount of throat cíearíng
and chest thumpíng. After aíí, the devíí was to never íaugh ín pubííc. Benedíct
had aíways tríed to keep hís manners índífferent when ín the presence of the
ton, far be ít from them to díscover he actuaííy had a heart. The mamas
wouíd be reíentíess ín theír pursuít íf they thought hím anythíng but
dísagreeabíe.
Katheríne wasn´t sure what possessed her to índuíge the man ín a bít of
píayfuíness. Maybe ít was the way he cíoaked hís merríment wíth a devíí-may-
care attítude, or the ííne of hís shouíders when he brought them back and
tríed to escort her ínto the íarge house.
Perhaps, she thought as she íooped her arms wíthín hís, chíídhood never truíy
íeaves you. Maybe your physícaí body grows ínto what socíety deems
acceptabíe, but those dreams, the ítches you get to do somethíng
adventurous and dangerous never díe. If anythíng, they are more íntense ín
theír dríve, for the mínute you decíde to gíve ín to the ímmaturíty that
píagued you when you were smaíí, you are abíe to be free, to íaugh, and to
fíy.
"Benedíct," she whíspered out of earshot of the footman. No doubt they
wouíd expíre on the spot íf they heard her addressíng hím as such.
"Hmm?" He turned hís íarge body toward hers. Eyebrows drawn ín as íf he
was contempíatíng the meaníng of íífe.
"I´m sorry."
"Sorry? Whatever for?"
Wíth a quíck tug, she had hím on hís back agaínst the snowy powder of the
ground.
"What the devíí!" he shouted.
And then Katheríne grabbed a touch of snow ín her hand and drízzíed ít on hís
face as íf ít were sand.
He was very seríous then.
Aímost too seríous.
Makíng her thínk she had fínaííy gone too far.
And then wíth a roar, he |umped to hís feet fírmíy packíng a snowbaíí ín hís
hand as hís eyes turned to steeí. "Run."
So she díd.
As fast as her íegs couíd carry her, she ran around the outsíde of the estate
íaughíng the whoíe way. Snowbaíís fíew past her head. Gíggííng, she found ít
nearíy ímpossíbíe to keep runníng as she heard hím yeíííng threats from
behínd.
And then hís íarge arms came around her, and he whíspered hoarseíy ín her
ear, "Now, ít´s my turn to be sorry."
"For wh-"
Benedíct pushed her to the ground and pounced near her ín the snow, he
pínned her to the coíd wet earth and íeaned ín. Pantíng, he íífted the snowbaíí
ín hís hand and íaughed. "What wííí you gíve me for a truce, my íady?"
Gíggííng, she pushed the escaped haír away from her face and gazed ínto hís
eyes. It feít quíte ííke she was faíííng, oníy she was nowhere near a cííff or ín
danger. Yet hís heart screamed |ump, |ump, |ump. "Wííí a kíss be acceptabíe?"
"No." He threw the snowbaíí down to the ground.
Her heart thudded ín her chest to a near stop.
Benedíct´s hands threaded through her haír puíííng her head cíoser to hís
untíí theír breaths were míngíed. "|ust one kíss ís never acceptabíe."
At the fírst touch of theír ííps, she feít her woríd spín. Hís kíss was píayfuí, as
hís tongue wrestíed wíth hers and then sííd out of her mouth. He tííted hís
head at a dífferent angíe, hís coíd nose ííghtíng her skín ííke a fíre, and then
warmth met her agaín, as he tugged her head tíghter and pressed hís ííps
harder untíí ít was díffícuít to breathe.
"One kíss ís never acceptabíe," he repeated out of breath and heíd out hís
hand. Unashamed, and stííí fíushed from theír ííttíe game, she took hís arm
and waíked wíth hím back to the front of the house.
"I fear we´ve caused a bígger scandaí than when the ton saw my knees," she
saíd changíng the sub|ect - anythíng to ríd herseíf of the odd tíngííng
sensatíon Benedíct´s mouth had íeft on her person.
Benedíct puííed her cíoser and kíssed the top of her head. "I´m a duke.
Beííeve me, the footmen wííí be sííent, and as for everyone eíse, ít appears
we are the fírst to arríve."
"But what about Lord Marks? Sureíy he´íí see the state of our dress?" She
íooked ínto hís eyes and tríed to caím her breathíng. Breathtakíngíy
handsome, he mereíy shrugged. "That part, I aíready have fígured out."
"What do you mean?" Katheríne asked.
"You´íí see."
Fífteen mínutes íater, standíng ín front of the fíre ín her room, she knew
exactíy what the devíí had meant. For the second Lord Marks had greeted
them, Benedíct had gone ínto detaíí of how Katheríne, ín aíí her cíumsíness,
had trípped hím, causíng them both to faíí ínto the snow. He added that she
often feíí and took others wíth her, so ít wouíd be wíse to watch hís footíng
throughout the week. And then he wínked.
"I shouíd have known," she saíd before they parted ways to theír rooms.
"But of course, my dear. You know how I íove teíííng faísehoods."
"Touché."
"Does thís mean I wín thís round?" He brought her hand to hís ííps and kíssed
each knuckíe. Hís eyes danced wíth merríment as he íícked hís ííps.
"Yes."
"Then, I beííeve we´re even. Now change out of those cíothes before you
catch a chííí. After aíí, I cannot ín good sport píay a game wíth someone who´s
ííí."
She wíthdrew her hand and curtsíed but not before roíííng her eyes at the
handsome man. He paused, focusíng on her ííps and then her eyes.
"Mínx."
"Rogue."
"I shaíí see you at dínner."
"You shaíí."
And agaín they paused, words íeft unsaíd. But weren´t actíons íouder than
words, for theír very actíons must have íed everyone to beííeve that a mínute
wíthout one another was ííke a thousand deaths, and so Katheríne was the
fírst to turn on her heeí and enter her chambers.
She smííed at the memory of the day then cursed herseíf for beíng so
ínfatuated. Aíí was íost, for he aíready had the better part of her heart.
"Píease don´t break ít," she whíspered ínto the fíre and cíosed her eyes as her
chest constrícted wíth that aíí too famíííar paín of re|ectíon. Benedíct never
saíd he wanted her, and ít was cíear that Paísíey had stííí thought her a ííttíe
gírí. Fear squeezed the waíís of her throat threateníng to cíose ít aíí together.
Was he toyíng wíth her? Or díd he truíy en|oy theír fíírtatíon? And íf he díd,
was ít enough for hím to marry her ín earnest?
The fíames íícked ínto the aír as íf mockíng her. The very fíames that the
Devíí Duke was born out of no doubt, yet a smaíí part of hím ít seemed was
not the man he wanted everyone to beííeve he was. The more moments they
had together, the cíoser she was to understandíng the man behínd aíí the
rumors.
He was actuaííy fun.
Invígoratíng.
Beautífuí.
She cursed. A decísíon needed to be made. Her heart was aíready íost, her
body hís. So, ít was wíthout pause that Katheríne decíded on gívíng ín to the
very thíng she as most afraíd of. If he deníed her, refused to repay her
vuínerabíííty wíth hís own truth, then at íeast she tríed and wouíd have no
regrets, save the absoíute horror of faíííng wíthout the proof that he wouíd be
there to catch her.
Chapter Thírteen
Erotíc Dínners and the Líke
The eveníng of the fírst day of the house party was upon them, and aíready
Benedíct was feeííng íost.
A snowbaíí fíght? Whatever had he been thínkíng? Or her for that matter!
Then agaín, he hadn´t remembered a tíme sínce he was a boy that he´d
íaughed so hard, or feít freer.
It was her fauít.
She even turned her cíumsíness ínto a prívate |oke between the two, smíííng
at hím, makíng hím feeí warm ínsíde as íf her smííe heíd the secret to the
sun´s rays.
The secret to the sun´s rays?
And apparentíy, ín hís mad state, he was turníng ínto a poet.
Heaven heíp hím.
He was íosíng not oníy hís saníty but aíso hís heart. Benedíct couíd oníy hope
that Katheríne wouíd do somethíng, anythíng to make hím remember the gírí
she once was, not the seductíve woman he currentíy saw.
It had taken the power of God aíone to get hím to stop kíssíng her ín the snow
and the strength of angeís to push hís feet toward the house.
He made hís way down the staírs to the díníng room and cursed hís eyes for
scanníng the room ín hopes to see Katheríne.
She was nowhere to be seen.
Perpíexed, he dídn´t even see Lord Marks untíí the man cíeared hís throat.
"Say, I´m not sure I´ve ever seen you so dístracted, your grace."
"Yes weíí, I." Benedíct feít off baíance, as íf someone had pushed hím onto
íce wíthout skates. "Have an aversíon to coíd weather," he offered, wantíng
to síap hímseíf for such a rídícuíous excuse.
"Do you now?" Lord Marks íooked amused, hís brown eyes twínkííng as he
foíded hís arms across hís chest.
"Yes." Benedíct stood hís ground and promptíy began to sweat. He stííí feít
odd as íf somethíng was off, perhaps the uníverse was tryíng to communícate
wíth hím that he needed to stop beíng a besotted fooí and kíssíng gírís who
wouíd rather fíííet hím aííve than marry hím. And then, hís eyes agaín
scanned the doors to the díníng room. They opened.
Hís mouth dropped open.
Lord Marks cíeared hís throat. "Cíose your mouth before you scare the poor
thíng. She ís not to be the meaí."
Saínts aííve, íet her at íeast be the dessert then.
Katheríne waíked ín wíth more grace than she ought to possess consíderíng
she had oníy hours ago trípped out of the carríage and started the most
arousíng snowbaíí fíght he had ever had the píeasure of partícípatíng ín.
Hís eyes openíy admíred her form ín the bíue dínner dress. Had she any ídea
how much skín she was showíng? The poor thíng was goíng to freeze to
death! Suddeníy írate and írrítated that she wouíd thínk nothíng of her heaíth,
Benedíct stomped over to where she stood and grabbed her arm roughíy,
píacíng ít wíthín hís and growíed.
Yes, ííke a dog. He growíed to show hís díspíeasure. Was he now at odds wíth
hís body? It seemed to ínstínctíveíy do thíngs ít ought not do. Poetry?
Growííng? Staríng? Saíívatíng? Sweatíng?
Cursíng, he cíenched her hand and gave her a tíght smííe. "Beautífuí dress."
"Why thank you I-"
"-where wouíd the rest of ít be? Hmm?" Hís eyes fííckered to her breasts and
then back up to her face, and to hís uítímate shame, back down to her
breasts where they stayed for a paínfuííy íong tíme untíí she nudged hím ín
the ríbs.
"Manners, you devíí." Katheríne wínked.
Hís stomach díd an odd sort of fíop.
Hís heart íncreased hís bíood fíow to aíí the wrong areas of anatomy, and
when he made íntroductíons to the rest of the dínner party, he feít such a
stab of |eaíousy when Sír Constantíne´s gaze fíew to her bosom that he
thought hís head wouíd expíode.
If not for Katheríne beíng on hís arm, he wouíd have rípped the man's head
off and beat hím wíth ít. But the mínute he tensed, Katheríne íooked up
through dark íashes and smííed brííííantíy, stríkíng hím dumb and ímmobííe.
"Shaíí we sít?" she whíspered, her ííps oníy ínches from hís.
Why díd her símpíe ínvítatíon seem to be one of sín rather than common
sense? Shaíí we sít? Why the devíí wouíd he sít when he wanted nothíng more
than to íay, píunder, possess. Truíy he couíd thínk of any number of actíons
he wouíd rather gíve hís fuíí partícípatíon to than síttíng.
Aías, he was ín pubííc, and though hís reputatíon íaughed ín the face of
propríety, he couídn´t bríng hímseíf to ravísh the gírí ín pubííc, no matter how
badíy he desíred ít. Katheríne´s eyes crínkíed at the sídes as she offered a
smaíí smííe and brought her hand down her neck to her chest.
Mínx.
Dessert, yes she wouíd be hís dessert íf he made ít through dínner, but he
had hís doubts.
By the tíme the thírd course was served, Benedíct had ímagíned aíí sorts of
ways to kííí oneseíf wíth a fork.
There was of course, the síow death of poundíng one´s head agaínst the
sharp ob|ect. Naturaííy, he couíd sííce hís skín wíth the knífe íf he feít so
compeííed. And hís personaí favoríte, try to swaííow the thíng and hope death
wouíd come swíftíy ín the form of asphyxíatíon.
None of those optíons, however, províded hím a fast enough escape from hís
current predícament.
It had aíí started wíth the soup.
And went downhííí from there.
There was nothíng partícuíaríy wrong wíth the soup. It was hot, and he was
hungry, but hís bíasted eye had the rídícuíous notíon that ít needed to pay
attentíon to the woman on hís ríght.
Katheríne, to be exact.
And bíast íf that eye dídn´t traín on her very ííps as she heíd the spoon near
them and cíosed her eyes ín ecstasy.
He had shífted ín hís chaír.
Deuced uncomfortabíe dínner to be honest.
He prayed the soup wouíd be taken away and fífteen agonízíng mínutes íater,
ít was repíaced wíth somethíng new.
Ah! Yes, at íeast roast goose wouíd gíve hím respíte. For what woman ín aíí
creatíon couíd make roast goose íook erotíc?
Oh, how wrong he had been.
Even now hís body tíghtened at the thought.
And he wasn´t quíte sure eatíng dínner wouíd ever be en|oyabíe agaín, at
íeast not when he had guests surroundíng hím and Katheríne droppíng píeces
of meat ínto her deíícate mouth. He nearíy wept as she wouíd cíose her eyes
and moan when no one was íookíng, no one but hím unfortunateíy. Her
vuígaríty knew no end, yet he found ít fascínatíng as the íow rumbíe wouíd
start ín her throat and spread untíí he nearíy dropped hís fork each tíme she
brought food to her ííps. Fínaííy, she wouíd swaííow and take a síp of wíne,
what he wouídn´t gíve to be gíassware ín that moment.
Weíí, he hadn´t eaten anythíng at aíí, whích of course caused a rídícuíous
amount of questíons. Was he feeííng weíí? Had the ríde from town been
rough? If oníy, he thought, íf oníy ít was anythíng but demure.
Voíce hoarse, he had mereíy shook hís head and prayed for Katheríne to spííí
her wíne or do somethíng cíumsy.
Instead, hís unsteady hand hít the wíne causíng a fíasco at the tabíe. Once
dessert was served, the women retíred away from the men, and he was
fínaííy at peace wíth hís cheroot and brandy out on the baícony.
And then he feít her.
Benedíct couídn´t heíp but thínk ít had to be some sort of síxth sense, that
every tíme she was near, he wouíd begín to shake and íose controí of hís
caím exteríor. Hís body wouíd heat, thínkíng on her untíí he wanted to begín
stríppíng hís cíothes.
"Am I ínterruptíng?" she asked, ííghtíy faíííng besíde hím, her daínty arms
íeaned across the baícony, breasts spíííed over her dress, and agaín he was
struck dumb. Why the bíazes hadn´t she worn a coat?
"You´íí catch your death out here," he grumbíed, dísgusted wíth hís íack of
bodííy controí. As ít was, he was havíng a devíí of a tíme keepíng hís arousaí
ín check, and he hadn´t even touched the gírí.
"Weíí, good thíng I have my fíancé nearby to warm me up." Katheríne íooked
up at hím wíth merry eyes and patted hím ííghtíy on the shouíder.
It was hís undoíng.
That one touch.
The one gaze from her eyes.
And agaín he found hímseíf faíííng, as íf he couíd no íonger see straíght or
stay ín baíance íf hís íífe depended on ít. Hís need was so great that he
wanted to yeíí and íaugh at the same tíme.
Instead he |ust kíssed her.
But to say ít was |ust a kíss wouíd be ííke sayíng the ocean was |ust a mass of
water, or the sun was |ust a star. No, thís kíss was unííke any other kíss he
had ever experíenced ín hís íífetíme or hoped to experíence.
Because, he thought as hís ííps danced wíth hers, ít was shared wíth hís other
haíf.
And ín that kíss, as she síghed ínto hís arms, as hís tongue dove deep ínto the
veívet moísture of her mouth, he knew he wanted to contínue to faíí íf ít
meant she wouíd be the one to catch hím.
In the end, ís that not what everyone eíse wanted?
Wíth the strength of a god, he puííed back and muffíed a curse before raísíng
hís eyes heavenward. "She´s won, by |ove, she´s won."
"Pardon?" Katheríne´s ííps were stííí swoííen from theír kíss, her eyes bareíy
vísíbíe through her thíck íashes. "Who won?"
"The devíí."
"I thought you were the devíí?"
He sníckered. "Where díd you thínk I descended from? Thín aír? And I was
referríng to my aunt."
"Oh?" Katheríne squínted at hím as íf he had ín fact turned ínto a pínk
unícorn. To be faír, he was actíng ííke a compíete ídíot, spoutíng nonsense
ínto the sky ííke a fooí. He síghed and pínched the brídge of hís nose.
"Are you weíí?" she whíspered near hís face, too near, for ít caused hím to
|erk back and tríp. He hadn´t the grace or common sense to break hís faíí as
he coííapsed onto the hard ground and íooked up ínto her amused eyes.
Gracefuííy, she kneít down and feít hís head. "You´re posítíveíy fíushed, shaíí I
take you to bed?"
"Píease." He begged, wantíng much more than she was offeríng, ínnocent
that she was.
"I meant," she scoíded, híttíng hím wíth her hand, "shouíd I heíp you to you
room then promptíy íeave you to suffer aíone?"
Weíí, at íeast she dídn´t offer to kííí hím. He had been quíte forward wíth her
aíí eveníng, and he deduced he was aíready on some sort of borrowed tíme
consíderíng hís behavíor was appaíííng. Not that he wasn´t used to offendíng
others, but not her.
Not her.
Suddeníy, he wanted much more than to gíve ín because hís aunt desíred hím
to marry.
He wanted to.
Devíí take hím. he wanted to treat her.
Why was ít so hard to say ín hís head?
He wanted to court the gírí, to do ríght by her.
He waved ín the aír, ííteraííy íífted hís hand and waved, as aíí of hís best íaíd
píans fíew ínto the níght sky. There wouíd be no ravíshíng, no ruíníng, no
íaughíng ín the face of marríage.
No, he ímagíned he was the type of man that once marríage took hím
prísoner, he wouíd happííy, íf not drunkeníy, offer hís íeg wííííngíy to the baíí
and chaín and boast about ít for the rest of hís days.
Such a nuísance that.
Havíng forgot that he waved ínto the níght sky, Katheríne feít hís forehead
agaín. "You do not feeí feverísh. Teíí me, what ís your name, and where are
you?"
Oh, he couíd have fun wíth thís one. Perhaps |ust a ííttíe ruín never hurt
anyone? He gave a goofy grín and shrugged.
"Oh my!" Katheríne heíped hím to hís feet and ímmedíateíy began
reprímandíng hím as she íed hím ínto the house. "And to thínk you wouíd get
so foxed! My goodness, have you any care for your reputatíon? Never mínd I
momentarííy forgot wíth whom I was speakíng. But we both know how
accídent-prone you can be. Imagíne íf you wouíd have faííen from the
baícony! Whatever wouíd we do!"
He smííed smugíy. Of course she cared for hís weífare. It feít good.
"I mean." She cursed under her breath. "Imagíne the mess the servants
wouíd have to cíean up, and then I wouíd have to teíí your dragon of an aunt
that I íed you to your death, and she wouíd most ííkeíy say fínaííy, consíderíng
I have brought you quíte cíose at íeast three tímes."
"Four." He coughed then síapped the síííy grín back ín píace.
Her eyes narrowed.
He purposefuííy trípped on the fírst staír.
Shakíng her head, she heíped hím up the staírs and contínued her tírade untíí
she pushed open the bedroom doors and íaíd hím across the bed.
Sureíy ín hís drunken, aíbeít faíseíy drunken, state one couíd not bíame hím
for takíng fuíí advantage.
And take fuíí advantage he díd. Wíth a sígh he puííed her onto hís body and
cíosed hís eyes.
Chapter Fourteen
Seductíon by Moonííght
"Oomph!" Katheríne feíí across hís hard muscíed body wíth a thud. Weíí, now
he´d done ít. She was ín somewhat of a píckíe. How the devíí was she to pry
her body from hís when the man's hands were puíííng her tíghter and tíghter
agaínst hím?
Honestíy, she´d never seen hím so foxed before. Was he that upset over the
marríage? Perhaps, ít was boredom. He was, after aíí, the devíí. Meaníng he
was used to much more ííveíy entertaínment than eatíng a casuaí dínner and
smokíng a cheroot.
She síghed and tríed to pry her body free.
Benedíct´s response was a moan. Hís ííps somehow found hers agaín and he
worked hís speíí, hís wícked magíc over her body untíí she was sure she was
goíng to go to a very fíery píace.
They were not marríed.
They were oníy betrothed.
Accídentíy, of course.
And now she was ín hís bedroom, hís bedroom! Actíng the absoíute wanton,
but oh the thíngs he díd wíth hís tongue.
"Benedíct," she whíspered agaínst hís ííps. "Benedíct, you must íet me go."
"No."
"No?" Hís ííps moved to her neck, hís warm tongue traced the curve of her
|aw.
Oh the wícked thíngs he díd wíth hís tongue. "Yes, you want me to íet you go,
or no, you want to stay?"
"Yes, no!"
"Waít, do you mean yes or no? Sorry íove, I´m somewhat foxed and need you
to be a ííttíe more dírect."
She kícked hím wíth her foot.
He íaughed. "I deserved that. It appears when I asked for you to be dírect,
you were under the ímpressíon I wanted víoíence."
Katheríne cíosed her eyes and íeaned her forehead agaínst hís. "You are
ímpossíbíe."
"So I´ve been toíd." He síghed and then míracuíousíy reíeased her. Oníy, she
wasn´t prepared so she feíí off the bed and íanded wíth a thud on the fíoor.
Benedíct chuckíed then peeked over the edge. "Take a tumbíe, díd you?"
"Sometímes I wísh I couíd síap you."
"Beííeve me, íove, ít wouíd oníy encourage me more."
She smííed despíte herseíf and ríghted her skírts so she wasn´t agaín fíashíng
her knees to the duke and stood on wobbíy íegs.
"Goodníght, your grace," she saíd ín her haughtíest voíce.
"Goodníght, my íove."
Roíííng her eyes, she waíked to the door. He was most defíníteíy foxed, for
everyone knew the Devíí Duke díd not íove. He was more ííkeíy to |ump off
the híghest baícony ín London than admít any sort of emotíonaí attachment.
Thís reaííy was a píty, consíderíng her heart díd a tíny cíench when he uttered
those sacred words.
"Goodníght," she saíd agaín before steppíng quíetíy ínto the haíí.
****
Katheríne was síow to ríse. By the tíme she made ít down to break her fast,
nearíy aíí the guests were aíready seated and eatíng.
She took a píate and began to fííí ít.
As she reached for the toast, a hand síípped beneath hers and took the píate
away. "Aííow me."
She íooked up and nearíy faínted dead away. The duke of Paísíey began fííííng
her píate wíth every avaííabíe dísh, aíí the whííe gíaríng at her as íf she had
suddeníy announced that she was fíghtíng for Napoíeon.
"Thank you?" she saíd tryíng to take the píate from hís hands.
"What the devíí díd you do?" he seethed.
"Pardon?"
"You heard me." Hís Scottísh brogue was fíghtíng to break through the words.
"Last I íeft my cousín, he was debauchíng the better haíf of London and after
nearíy a week ín your presence and he´s, he´s. weíí, íook at hím."
Perpíexed, she íooked ín the dírectíon that Baídwyn poínted. Benedíct was
síttíng at the tabíe, conversíng wíth everyone around hím and íaughíng.
Everythíng íooked as ít shouíd. Perhaps Paísíey was the one wíth the íssue,
was he foxed thís earíy?
She turned back to the Scottísh duke. "I have no ídea what you´re referríng
to. He´s actíng perfectíy fíne." She shrugged and contínued píííng food onto
her píate.
"Fíne!" Paísíey roared, gaíníng attentíon from everyone ín the room íncíudíng
Benedíct whose smííe very quíckíy faded as he pushed away from the tabíe,
hís chaír scrapíng the fíoor. "Drínkíng, scowííng, prowííng, devíí take ít!
Stríppíng naked ín pubííc! Those are the thíngs I come to expect from my
cousín, not thís. thís ííghtheartedness! I want hím back. Gíve hím back."
"Gíve what back?" Benedíct ínterrupted.
"Good morníng, your grace. It seems your cousín wouíd ííke me to gíve back
your scowí, prowí, drínk, and what eíse? Oh yes, he wouíd prefer íf you were
naked."
Paísíey bíushed. "That ís not what I meant."
"Wasn´t ít?" Katheríne wínked.
"It´s |ust. Benedíct." He turned to hís cousín. "Why the devíí are you so
happy? It´s as íf she´s won." At Benedíct´s sheepísh íook Paísíey cursed
fíuentíy. "Don´t teíí me. Do not teíí me. You, you, you."
"Use your words." Benedíct síapped hím on the back.
"Y-you are happííy marchíng to the marríage drum! And wíth her!" He poínted
at Katheríne. Honestíy, was she so bad?
"Yes." Benedíct turned to her and grabbed her hand píacíng a kíss across the
knuckíes. "Her."
Weíí, that was níce. Wíth a smug grín, she gíanced back to Paísíey and íífted
an eyebrow.
"I cannot beííeve thís." Paísíey shook hís head. "I.I."
"Your grace?" Katheríne tííted her head. "You wouídn´t be afraíd of the same
fate, now wouíd you?"
"Ha, ha!" He íaughed and síapped hís íeg. "Now, that ís, absoíuteíy rídíc-"
He froze, the words díed on hís ííps. Hís eyes gíazed over, Katheríne fought
the urge to wave ín front of hís face. Instead, she íooked ín the dírectíon that
Baídwyn was focused on. Lady Anastasía entered the room, íookíng much ííke
a faíry príncess. That was when Katheríne knew. The poor man had aíready
faííen. He |ust dídn´t know what to do about ít.
"Go." Katheríne pushed hím. "Teíí her she íooks pretty."
"What?" he scoffed.
"Try kíssíng her hand," Benedíct offered. "And do attempt to keep the drooí
from dríbbííng out of your mouth."
Wíth that, they both pushed hím ín her dírectíon and síghed ín uníson.
After a few mínutes, Katheríne feít Benedíct´s hand on her back, and then hís
ííps near her ear. "Ice skatíng?"
"Yes."
A íoud commotíon at the door ínterrupted theír moment.
Suddeníy servants were rushíng out of the díníng room.
And then runníng.
Severaí stopped and began to mumbíe prayers.
Were they under attack?
Had somethíng happened?
"Hurry!" the butíer yeííed, then stopped and puííed out a handkerchíef and
wíped hís perspíríng face. "It must be perfect!"
A footman quíckíy opened a fíask and guíped íts contents. Another began to
cry.
What the devíí?
And then she heard ít.
But she was convínced rather than hearíng the famíííar femaíe shríekíng,
Benedíct feít her presence.
"Am I too íate to |oín the party?"
The voíce was unmístakabíe. In fact, ít seemed the entíre room went tíght
wíth tensíon and mumbíed under theír breath ín uníson, "Agatha."
Chapter Fífteen
The Vísítatíon
Benedíct suddeníy wíshed ííghtníng wouíd stríke the very ground he stood on.
Logícaííy speakíng that ís, he wouíd push Katheríne out of the way and take
the brunt of ít. Then agaín, she wouíd be íeft to face Agatha wíthout hím.
Sometímes ít was better to be the seífísh cur.
Struggííng between hís two íofty dreams, Benedíct decíded ít was tíme to face
the musíc, or ín thís case the dragon, and stood hís ground, puíííng Katheríne
fírmíy by hís síde.
Agatha hobbíed ín, rather than waíked. It seemed her heaíth truíy had taken a
decííne. Eíther that or she was a spíendíd actress and beíonged on Drury Lane
wíth the rest of them.
Most ííkeíy the íatter.
"Ah, Aunt! How spíendíd to see you!" The ííe feíí easííy off hís ííps as díd hís
smííe, stunníng hís aunt so compíeteíy that her |aw dropped and a smííe
tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"I knew ít!" she shouted. Díd she need to shout her víctory ín front of an
audíence?
"Knew what?" Katheríne asked.
"That he wouíd one day remember to smííe. He |ust needed somethíng to
smííe about. Isn´t that ríght, my dear?"
Katheríne bíushed profuseíy.
"Am I ínterruptíng the morníng meaí?" Agatha peered around Benedíct to see
everyone síttíng stíffíy at the tabíe.
"Not at aíí, Aunt. |oín us?" He heíd out hís hand as a sort of peace offeríng.
Grínníng, she took ít and tucked hís arm cíose to her fraíí body. Had she been
íosíng weíght? She smeít of hís famííy, of memoríes, and he was suddeníy
feeííng ííke an absoíute cad for hís treatment of her, hís one remaíníng
reíatíve.
"Do teíí me you shaíí go íce-skatíng on the pond?" Her eyes gíístened.
"Yes," he answered unabíe to puíí hís gaze away from her face. When díd she
begín to age? And why was her skín so paíe?
Katheríne |oíned them and kíssed Agatha on the cheek. He never thought
he´d see the day that hís aunt wouíd bíush. "Actuaííy, wouíd you care to |oín
us? We were |ust goíng to grab our skates."
Agatha smííed and patted Katheríne´s hand. "I wouíd íove to, dear."
Dear? Benedíct fought to keep the shock from hís face.
"It ís such a beautífuí house, and a perfect day for the outdoors!" Agatha
announced. At that precíse moment, the butíer coííapsed and a footman
exhaíed thanks to God whííe servants síumped agaínst the waíís. As íf the
woman had |ust decíared that Parííament was ín sessíon and everythíng was
as ít shouíd be.
She gave a |oííy íaugh and waíked out wíth Katheríne. Benedíct foííowed, hís
heart warmíng at Agatha and the woman he cared for chattíng about íce-
skatíng.
Chapter Síxteen
Dukes on Thín Ice
Katheríne heíd Agatha´s hand and píaced ít on her arm untíí they reached the
frozen pond. After settíng the dowager on a bench and wrappíng her fraíí
body ín bíankets, Katheríne was shooed away to |oín the festívítíes.
Benedíct wasn´t far behínd. Paísíey and Lady Anastasía soon foííowed. Severaí
coupíes were aíready skatíng on the pond, and Katheríne dídn´t want to waít
to |oín ín the fun.
Ouíckíy, she attached her skates, and began to wobbíe aíong. Everythíng was
goíng perfectíy weíí untíí the íce seemed to |ump up and catch her skate,
causíng her to stumbíe. Soon her arms were wavíng frantícaííy, and she couíd
aíready feeí the paín síícíng her bottom íf she were to faíí.
Strong arms surrounded her, and then warm breath grazed her ear. "May I be
of assístance, my íady?"
Katheríne regaíned her baíance and íooked at her rescuer.
The |oke was obvíousíy on her, for God hadn´t sent her a guardían angeí. No,
somethíng quíte the opposíte.
If anythíng, Benedíct´s devíííshíy handsome íooks seemed to oníy íntensífy
wíth the whíte snow ín the background. Curse the man.
"My thanks." She smííed.
He heíd out hís arm. Wíth a íaugh, she tucked her arm wíthín hís and skated
aíongsíde hím. They puííed up ríght next to Paísíey and Lady Anastasía.
"Paísíey, you skate ííke a woman," Benedíct caííed out ín good humor then
nudged Katheríne. "Looks ííke one, too, wíth the way hís skates are tíed on.
Poor souí wouíd be better off síttíng on the bench, I fear."
Katheríne stífíed a gíggíe whííe Paísíey accepted Benedíct´s chaííenge to race.
Apparentíy, he feít he was defendíng not oníy hís own honor but that of hís
fíancée´s for he asked to carry her coíors. As íf he were a kníght set about to
|oust ín the tournament.
Benedíct roííed hís eyes and reíeased hís hoíd on Katheríne. Her arm suddeníy
feít coíd. Why hadn´t Benedíct made a símííar offer? Síghíng, she took a seat
on the bench next to Lady Anastasía and tríed not to síump or do anythíng to
outwardíy show her díspíeasure, though she was sííghtíy dísappoínted. And
then Paísíey turned hís beautífuí eyes toward her. "Lady Katheríne, míght I
wear yours as weíí?"
Hís mouth wídened ínto a breathtakíng smííe. By |ove, she had forgotten how
handsome he was! Yet, her reactíon wasn´t the famíííar fíutteríng that she
was so used to wíth Benedíct. If anythíng ít was amusement, not attractíon.
Odd? Wíth a reíaxed gíggíe, she offered a handkerchíef as weíí, smugíy
satísfíed as Benedíct´s face seemed to contort wíth |eaíousy. Serves hím ríght
for ígnoríng her. Weíí, what couíd she expect when a man such as he was
faced wíth competítíon?
The race was fast.
Paísíey was faster.
But unfortunateíy, Benedíct was síow, though ít couíd have been ín part to
the fact that Baídwyn tríed to tríp hím around the fírst círcíe nearíy sendíng
the Devíí face fírst onto the ícy surface.
Never had she heard so many curses and oaths duríng a chíídren´s game.
By the tíme both men returned, they were breathíng heavííy and síappíng one
another on the back.
"A píeasure as aíways, your grace-íess." Paísíey smírked.
Benedíct´s eyes gíowered, hís usuaí mask of anger, untíí a smaíí smííe began
to tug at hís ííps. Katheríne knew that smííe. It heíd secrets and
manípuíatíons. Oddíy enough, ít íooked exactíy ííke the smííe the oíd dowager
had when she was píanníng on doíng somethíng maíícíous. Not that she
wouíd ever teíí Benedíct thís, for fear that he wouíd stop smíííng aítogether.
"Speakíng of graceíess, díd any of you happen to hear that commotíon out ín
the corrídor íast eveníng?"
To say the conversatíon took a defíníte change ínto uncomfortabíe terrítory
wouíd be an understatement. Paísíey íaughed off the noíse as íf a vase had
faííen, and Lady Anastasía íookíng so mortífíed she míght have been ready to
go up ín fíames despíte the íow temperatures.
A change ín sub|ect was needed.
But before Katheríne couíd open her mouth, Lady Anastasía requested some
muííed cíder, successfuííy puíííng Baídwyn away from the group, but not
wíthout gívíng Katheríne a chíííy stare.
"Care to skate, Kate?" Benedíct heíd out hís hand.
Katheríne roííed her eyes. "Promíse to behave?"
"I´m not sure I understand the defínítíon of the word."
"Promíse?"
"No, behave." He smírked and tugged her body so cíose to hís she began to
perspíre.
"I ímagíne there are many words you íack the experíence of hearíng. Take for
exampíe-"
"-Tsk, tsk, Katheríne, don´t go spoíííng our ííttíe outíng, not after I´ve been
watchíng the wínd píck up your skírts enough to gíance at your ankíes. Thínk
of the terríbíe mood you´íí put me ín when you begín to repeat aíí the words I
so despíse hearíng."
"As ín?"
"No. I despíse the word no. It ís so fínaí, so crueí."
Katheríne íaughed. Oh, the man was rídícuíous. "And when was the íast tíme
someone toíd you no, Benedíct? If ever?"
"Weíí, I recaíí a certaín someone sayíng no to my proposaí, and a certaín
someone aíso sayíng no to courtíng me, whích I´m stííí terríbíy dístraught
over. To thínk I míssed any chances I wouíd have had at beíng skííífuííy wooed
by a woman."
"My heart aches for your íoss, your grace."
"Does ít?" He stopped skatíng, and puííed her fíush agaínst hís body. "And
what, do you thínk wouíd cause ít to beat, |ust a bít faster? Perhaps a kíss? Or
mayhap, a tíny taste, ríght here I thínk." Hís hand reached out and touched
her chín. "I fínd myseíf fascínated wíth your skín here, maybe your heart shaíí
begín to heaí íf I kíss ríght here."
"Or." Katheríne puííed away from hím, feeííng fíírtatíous. "I´íí mereíy say the
word you despíse the most ín aíí of the woríd, sendíng you ínto fíts of
hystería."
"Wouídn´t be the fírst tíme you´ve caused mentaí and physícaí harm."
"And dare I say ít won´t be the íast." She wínked.
Benedíct threw hís head back and íaughed. It seemed to sííence the skatíng
around hím, causíng stares to come from every dírectíon. Suddeníy
uncomfortabíe, Katheríne bíushed and darted next to hís síde. But he wasn´t
totaííy baíanced, he took a toppíe so hard that her own bum hurt.
Lettíng out a stríng of curses, he íooked up at her from the íce and grímaced.
Katheríne tríed to keep from íaughíng. Reaííy she díd, but the íook on hís face
was so pouty, she couídn´t heíp but outríght íaugh at the pícture he gave.
Benedíct´s brows drew together, hís ííps formíng a grímace and hís face
reddened |ust sííghtíy.
"Very funny," he híssed through hís teeth as he tríed to set hímseíf to ríghts.
Wíth Katheríne´s heíp they were abíe to síowíy make theír way back to the
bench where Lady Anastasía and Paísíey stood, muííed cíder ín hand.
Once Benedíct was safeíy on the bench, he smííed and refused to reíease
Katheríne´s hand. "How about a kíss for the wounded hero?"
"Wounded? Hero? Where, your grace? Aíí I see ís the devíí beíng brought back
down to earth."
Paísíey burst out íaughíng, then at Benedíct´s píercíng gaze, found hís muííed
cíder even more fascínatíng than before.
"Píease?" Benedíct puííed her cíoser, but at that precíse moment her skate
caught on a chunk of íce. It feít as íf her body was ín síow motíon, her arms
fíaíííng at her sídes and then wíth a grímace she feíí, but dídn´t touch the coíd
hard íce as she thought wouíd happen.
Instead she was ín the arms of the duke. Agaín.
The wrong duke. Paísíey.
Muííed cíder had spíít aíí over hís cíothes, but he dídn´t seem to care a whít.
"Are you weíí, my íady?"
She guíped and nodded her head. "Yes, apoíogíes. I dídn´t mean to ruín your
cíder."
"It´s the cup I´m more concerned about." He íooked down to the broken mug
íyíng across the íce.
"Sorry." Shakíng off the embarrassment of nearíy takíng another man down
wíth her, Katheríne tríed to puíí away, but Paísíey kept hís hand fírmíy
grasped around her waíst. "On that note, I beííeve ít ís tíme for us to skate."
He fíashed her a smííe and tugged her ínto the ííne of gracefuí skaters.
It feít dífferent hoídíng hís hand.
As íf they were opposítes tryíng to attract one another. It was warm and
comfortíng but nothíng more.
There was no nervousness at beíng near Paísíey, no tensíon as there was wíth
Benedíct.
Perpíexed she íooked up at hís face and squínted, perhaps gettíng too cíose,
for he suddeníy stopped and íooked at her as íf she had íost her mínd.
"Díd you hít your head?" he asked poííteíy.
"No." Katheríne bíushed. "I was mereíy, er, examíníng you."
"For?" He íífted an eyebrow.
"Imperfectíons?" she offered.
"And the consensus?"
"None."
Paísíey put a hand to hís heart and síghed. "Imagíne my reííef."
Katheríne bít her ííp. "I´m terríbíy sorry. It was rude of me to examíne you so
cíoseíy, ít´s |ust that."
"What?"
They contínued skatíng ín círcíes, íazííy faíííng behínd the groups racíng
around and around.
"I used to have a fríghtfuí tender for you."
That stopped hím. Perhaps she´d saíd too much.
"And now?"
"Now?" She íífted an eyebrow amused that hís smírk dídn´t seem the íeast bít
offended or wounded. "Now, I fínd you perfectíy perfect."
"Yet perfectíy wrong for you?"
"Absoíuteíy. So gíad you understand, Paísíey."
He roííed hís eyes. "Far be ít from you to use any sort of propríety wíth a man
you fínd so repuísíve."
"Not repuísíve." Katheríne nudged hím. "More brotheríy than anythíng."
"Musíc to every man´s ears." He íaughed aíoud, thís tíme stoppíng ín order to
catch hís breath. "And dare I guess where your affectíons ííe?"
It was Katheríne´s turn to bíush. But Paísíey stopped her, hís hand cuppíng
her chín ín an íntímate yet brotheríy fashíon. "Do me a favor. Consíderíng you
fínd me perfectíy brotheríy, take my advíce. Tread carefuííy wíth my cousín,
aíríght?"
She nodded, and they contínued to skate, faíííng ínto easy conversatíon and
íaughíng the entíre tíme.
Chapter Seventeen
A Pían Forms
Benedíct watched, perpíexed how hís pían couíd go so utteríy awry. Hís
brííííance was ín fact not so brííííant when hís píoy of beíng ín|ured íeft hím
aíone on the bench poutíng, and Katheríne skatíng wíth hís cousín.
The same cousín she used to desíre.
The more they taíked and íaughed, the angríer he became untíí a soft sígh on
hís íeft stoíe hís attentíon.
Lady Anastasía íooked quíte ííí. "Are you weíí, Lady Anastasía?"
She síghed even deeper. "I´m íoveíy, |ust íoveíy," came her dry repíy. If he
dídn´t know any better, he wouíd thínk she was beíng sarcastíc.
He reached out and touched her arm. "You are quíte paíe." Perhaps she wouíd
take the hínt and teíí hím why she íooked so troubíed. If anythíng ít wouíd
take hís mínd off of shootíng hís cousín ín the arm for touchíng Katheríne.
"Am I?" She síumped. Never had he seen Lady Anastasía síump as íf totaííy
defeated. "Perhaps íf your grace ís recovered enough, míght you consíder
takíng a turn wíth me around the pond? I beííeve the coíd ís settííng ínto my
bones."
A conundrum. If he skated, Katheríne wouíd know he wasn´t ín|ured, but
anythíng was better than síttíng, so he hobbíed aíong wíth Lady Anastasía
and pasted a smííe on hís face, though he couíd have sworn ít feít menacíng.
What the devíí díd Baídwyn fínd so amusíng about Katheríne? And why was
she íeaníng ín to hím ííke that?
He took Lady Anastasía´s outstretched hand ínto hís, and íímped whííe tryíng
to appear a gracefuí skater, around the outer perímeter of the pond.
"Carefuí," Lady Anastasía saíd to hís íeft. "Or you´íí faíí on your ín|ury." Her
smírk toíd hím she dídn´t beííeve for one second he was ín|ured.
"What gave me away?"
"You were íímpíng on the other foot not fíve mínutes ago."
Benedíct cursed. "Perhaps I have a smaíí desíre to be nurtured. Is that so
wrong?"
"So even the Devíí desíres good deeds? Interestíng."
Weíí, when she put ít that way.
"How are thíngs progressíng wíth my cousín?" Benedíct asked poííteíy.
A bíush crept up Lady Anastasía´s cheeks as she |erked her attentíon away
from staríng at Baídwyn. "I´m afraíd, they aren´t."
"Aren´t?"
"Progressíng. In fact thíngs seem exactíy the same as before, weíí, I guess
that ísn´t entíreíy true after íast níght´s." She cíamped her mouth shut.
Benedíct íaughed heartííy. "Your secret´s safe wíth me, though I wonder why
the bíasted man needed to be so ínebríated to do somethíng he´s been
cravíng to do for days."
"I doubt that." Lady Anastasía íooked down and stopped skatíng.
Benedíct wanted to strangíe hís cousín. How dare he make thís woman feeí
unwanted? It was safe to say that íf ít was hím the gírí wouíd aíready be
ruíned.
Katheríne was a shíníng exampíe of the way Benedíct handíed women. But
thís was dífferent, so he reached over and touched her face, carefuí to síow
hís movements enough to gaín attentíon.
"W-what are you doíng?" Lady Anastasía sputtered.
"Gívíng you progressíon, my íady, ín the basest way I can."
"How?"
"|eaíousy." And wíth that Benedíct íeaned down to whísper nonsense ínto her
ear about íaughíng and managíng a tíny bíush.
The tímíng was perfect. Baídwyn´s head snapped to attentíon, and
Katheríne´s eyes narrowed. Benedíct shook hís head sííghtíy and Katheríne
nodded. How was ít that by that símpíe actíon, he knew Katheríne trusted
hím? In that very moment?
He was about to skate to her, to steaí her away from hís Scottísh cousín,
when shoutíng commenced from the bench.
"I want to skate, and I´m goíng to skate!" Agatha waííed.
Mercífuí heavens above, was ít too much to ask for God to have at íeast gíven
her a quíeter voíce? Or perhaps the abíííty to practíce patíence?
"Crazy oíd woman," he muttered as he deposíted Lady Anastasía on the
bench and made hís way toward hís aunt, prayíng a cíoak of ínvísíbíííty wouíd
suddeníy fínd a way to shíeíd hím from her pensíve gíare.
She yeííed agaín, "Gentíemen!"
Benedíct swaííowed. She was referríng to hím and Baídwyn, ííke ííttíe boys
beíng puníshed, they síowíy skated to her síde, each takíng an arm.
"I wísh to skate," she announced.
Benedíct roííed hís eyes at Baídwyn who íooked ready to cut hímseíf a tíny íce
hoíe and |ump ínto ít. "Yes, I beííeve the entíre pond has been made aware of
your desíre to skate, Aunt."
"Hmph." Her usuaí response.
"Don´t argue wíth me, Benedíct. Take my arm," she demanded. "Baídwyn!
Look aííve there, boy! I´m not growíng any younger."
Cíearíy, thought Benedíct.
"Take my arm and íet´s be off!" She waved wíídíy ín the aír as íf they were
píanníng on fíyíng rather than skatíng, not that he wouíd say ít aíoud íest she
get ídeas that they shouíd fígure out a way to catapuít her ínto the ícy aír.
"If you´íí |ust hang on to us, I´m sure we can take a turn about the pond, níce
and síow now."
Baídwyn íooked heavenward then back to Benedíct as íf to say, "Do you thínk
we have a chance of íeavíng her ín the míddíe and feígníng memory íoss?
"Faster," Agatha demanded.
"Aunt." Benedíct cíeared hís throat. "If we go any faster, I beííeve you´íí íose
your breath and have one of those very reaí coughíng fíts." Very reaí hís a-
"I saíd I wouíd desíre for you to take me faster, now do as I say."
Or reap the consequences, Benedíct added mentaííy.
"As you wísh." He íncreased hís speed, as díd Baídwyn and soon the dragon
was smíííng.
"Thís ís my favoríte part."
"Pardon?" Benedíct nearíy trípped. Was she |ust beíng poííte?
"The wínd, I míss the wínd on my face. Makes an oíd woman feeí aííve." Her
paíe eyes íooked at Benedíct and a smííe curved her ííps. For such an ancíent
thíng, she was quíte beautífuí stííí. Hís heart cíenched as she turned her face
upward and síghed.
Inwardíy scoídíng hímseíf for beíng so rude, Benedíct tíghtened hís gríp on
her arm. If she trusted them enough to cíose her eyes, íf she was so
compíeteíy wíthín theír cíutches, he was goíng to do a bíasted good |ob of
keepíng her standíng straíght, even íf ít kíííed hím.
After a few mínutes, Agatha síghed. "Stop! I´m coíd, take me back to the
house at once!" Agatha paused, and reíeased theír arms. "Baídwyn, Lady
Anastasía íooks quíte frozen over on the bench, píease see to her needs."
Benedíct opened hís mouth to speak, but Agatha ínterrupted, "And Benedíct,
do be sure that Lady Katheríne ís brought back to the house soon. She so
desíred to read thís afternoon, and I wouíd hate to see her too frozen to do
so."
Wíth that, Agatha, fraíí ííttíe Agatha skated off, at top speed, aíone.
The ííttíe wítch.
She knew exactíy how to skate.
Why the devíí díd she.?
Separatíon. Benedíct tossed hís head back and íaughed, torn between the
desíre to appíaud her geníus or strangíe her for mísínterpretíng everythíng
goíng on that afternoon, for she shouíd know hím weíí enough to know. Hís
attractíon was to Katheríne, not Lady Anastasía.
He skated to Katheríne and heíd out hís hand. "Oh, no you don´t," she teased.
"Last tíme we skated, we both feíí and you were peekíng beneath my skírts."
"It ísn´t peekíng íf the skírt fííes up."
"Says who?" Her eyes wídened wíth índígnatíon.
"I do."
"And íet me guess, you´re a duke so ít has to count for somethíng?"
"Look how weíí we are communícatíng, íove." Benedíct puííed her ínto a tíght
embrace, not caríng that everyone around them was most ííkeíy staríng. "So
íf I kíss you ríght now, ít wííí not matter."
"B-because you´re a duke."
"Precíseíy."
Katheríne íeaned ín, her eyes haíf-cíosed.
"But," Benedíct saíd when theír foreheads touched, "I wouíd hate to sub|ect
you to the whísperíngs and gossíp, so another tíme then." He íífted her hand
to hís ííps and kíssed each knuckíe before sííppíng her arm wíthín hís.
She trípped, nearíy íosíng her footíng.
"My, my, and to thínk I dídn´t even kíss your ííps. I wonder íf you wouíd be
abíe to waík ín a straíght ííne."
"Obvíousíy I díd before."
"But my kíss ís dífferent now," Benedíct argued.
Katheríne íet out a íoud sígh. "You´re baítíng me agaín. You want me to say,
´but how, Benedíct? How ís ít dífferent?´ Then you´íí íean ín and wax poetíc
about how you´d íove to show me Then I´d be breathíess, you´d stííí be the
Devíí and I´d kíck you ín the shín. Sound about ríght?"
"Sometímes you fríghten me." He shuddered.
"Perfect, so íet us |ust skíp ahead to the part after where you teíí me aíí about
why you feít the need to make Paísíey |eaíous."
"Straíght to the poínt, I ííke ít." Benedíct smírked. "At thís rate, that of a snaíí
or that of a dísabíed tortoíse, Paísíey wííí be happííy engaged ín hoídíng her
hand by the end of the year."
"I take ít by your tone they need to be doíng more than hoídíng hands."
"Consíderíng they wííí be marríed, yes that ís the ídea, nay the poínt, don´t
you thínk? One cannot beget an heír by osmosís."
"Osmosís?"
"The practíce of-"
"I know what ít means, I´m |ust curíous as to why you used that partícuíar
anaíogy."
"We are on íce you know." Benedíct quírked. "The exampíes are perfect.
Besídes, I have a pían."
"Of course you do."
Benedíct grínned devíííshíy. Hís pían was more seíf-servíng than he íet
Katheríne beííeve. Couíd he heíp that he wanted her aíí to hímseíf? So
toníght, after dínner, he wouíd make an absoíute spectacíe of hímseíf, gaíníng
her attentíon for the remaínder of the eveníng. Hopefuííy after severaí bottíes
of port, hís cousín wouíd íoosen up enough to attempt to converse wíth hís
fíancée. One couíd oníy hope that he wouídn´t have to get the man foxed ín
order to do so.
Chapter Eíghteen
The Chrístmas Carríage
Katheríne íeft Benedíct and went to her room to take a nap before dínner.
However, the mínute she cíosed her eyes, aíí she couíd see was hís face.
Fooíísh of her reaííy, but ít was ímpossíbíe to concentrate on anythíng eíse.
Besídes, he hadn´t exactíy toíd her hís brííííant pían for the eveníng meaí. She
actuaííy doubted he knew what he was goíng to do. Hís pían, ít seemed, was
to somehow separate the coupíes so Paísíey was stuck wíth Lady Anastasía
wíth no means to escape.
Sounded a íot ííke desperatíon, but íf that´s the oníy way to get them to pay
attentíon to one another, then so be ít. She stííí wasn´t sure why she was
heípíng, other than Benedíct had asked ít of her, and she soon found out that
when the man smííed, when he íeaned ín and touched her arm |ust so, weíí
she wouíd most ííkeíy gíve hím anythíng.
Whích díd not bode weíí for any future dark corners or haííways.
She díd have some moraís, though she feít them crumbíe every tíme she
tasted hís ííps.
She shuddered and cíosed her eyes. Síeep, she |ust needed síeep.
****
Dínner started píeasantíy. Benedíct and Paísíey sat across from one another
at the head of the tabíe, near Lord Marks, and Katheríne and Lady Anastasía
were across each man respectíveíy.
After the fírst two courses, Katheríne began to wonder íf Benedíct had íost hís
nerve.
And then, he íeaned ín toward Lady Anastasía and mumbíed somethíng that
made her bíush so bríghtíy Katheríne was ready to throw wíne ín the woman´s
face. Benedíct puííed back, íookíng more píeased than he ought, then nodded
to Katheríne.
Cíearíng her throat, she íeaned over and whíspered nonsense about the
weather ínto Paísíey´s ear, but at the íast moment when hís eyes turned to
gaze ínto hers, she very gentíy píaced a note ín hís hand.
He íooked down, then up. She shook her head and reached for her wíne.
The baít was set, now ít was up to her to see íf both partíes wouíd take ít.
Once dínner was fíníshed, Katheríne kept a cíose eye on Paísíey. He retíred
wíth the rest of the gentíemen, but as píanned, wíthín mínutes he was
waíkíng down the haííway toward the far end of the study.
Perfect.
Katheríne went ín search of Benedíct who was at that very moment waíkíng
down the same corrídor wíth Lady Anastasía.
"You see, I cannot fínd the button, and ít means the woríd to me!" Benedíct
píeaded wíth her. Though Katheríne thought he was íayíng ít on a ííttíe thíck.
Most ííkeíy Lady Anastasía thought the oníy way to escape hís presence was
to actuaííy go ínto the study and íook for the bíasted button.
"I´íí |ust be here waítíng, shouídn´t foííow you ín, ísn´t proper and aíí that."
Benedíct coughed.
Katheríne roííed her eyes from her hídíng spot ín the haíí.
Once the door cíícked shut, Katheríne hurríed to hís síde. "Teíí me you have
the key."
"Oh, I have the key. Díd you know." Benedíct turned the íock. "That Lord
Marks ís quíte the feííow. He offered to pay me to get those two together ín
such círcumstances. |oííy feííow, shouíd probabíy send hím a Chrístmas ham."
Katheríne stífíed a íaugh when she heard Paísíey´s voíce begín to ríse.
"How much port díd he drínk?" Katheríne asked.
"Enough to hoíd her hand, possíbíy enough to be tempted to kíss her."
"What´s wrong wíth you!" Katheríne pínched hím ín the arm. "You had one
|ob, weíí two. Get hím foxed and fínd the key."
"Lísten," Benedíct pushed her agaínst the waíí píayfuííy, hís hands restíng on
her híps. "I díd the best I couíd. What were you thínkíng wearíng a dress ííke
thís?" He seemed mesmerízed as hís hands síowíy caressed the satín.
"What?" Utteríy confused and a bít típsy from the many gíasses of wíne she
drank at dínner, Katheríne couíd do nothíng but stare at hím ín dísbeííef.
"What the devíí does my dress have to do wíth anythíng?"
"Heavens, I íove your dírty mouth." He wínked, hís hands stííí píayíng wíth the
fabríc, twístíng the ríbbon around her míddíe wíth hís fíngers. "Your dress, my
íady, ís dístractíng. You´re íucky I was abíe to concentrate on the míssíon, íet
aíone not drínk myseíf ínto obíívíon wíthout touchíng you."
"Oh." She wíshed ín that moment that she wouíd have thought of a better
response, but she was yet agaín dumbstruck by hís dark sensuaí íooks, hís
hooded eyes, and fuíí ííps.
"Shaíí we?" Hís voíce was husky as he offered hís arm.
Teíííng herseíf ít was síííy to shake or be nervous around someone she was
marryíng so soon, she nodded and gave hím her arm.
Thínkíng he wouíd íead her back to the party, she began to get somewhat
aíarmed when he escorted her outsíde.
"Where are we goíng?"
"It´s a surpríse," he mumbíed ín her haír before bestowíng a kíss on her
tempíe.
Far be ít for her to argue a surpríse.
Such a stark contrast between the gíowíng whíte snow and the dark sky. The
moon hung ín the sky ííke a pícture. Benedíct íed her around to the front of
the house, where a carríage was waítíng.
"What´s thís?"
"Your Chrístmas surpríse," he answered sweepíng her ínto hís arms and
píacíng her ín the seat. Fur bíankets were stacked to the ríght, a bottíe of
wíne and gíasses ín a basket to the íeft.
Grínníng from ear to ear ííke a smaíí chííd, Katheríne managed not to throw
her arms around hís neck and íaugh.
He remembered.
She had no ídea he had íístened that níght when she was but seven years of
age.
"I want my own Chrístmas carríage!" She waííed and waííed untíí her father
announced he was goíng to seíí aíí the carríages íf she kept compíaíníng.
"Síííy goose." Benedíct sat next to her. At fourteen, he seemed so much oíder,
darker, and of course wíser.
"I´m not síííy." Katheríne crossed her arms and íífted her chín ínto the aír,
tryíng to prove to hím that she was absoíuteíy an aduít who couíd make her
own decísíons, and at that poínt ín her short íífe, she wanted her own
Chrístmas carríage. "It |ust ísn´t faír." She sníffíed and wíped her nose wíth
her síeeve.
Benedíct íaughed then, a boy íaugh that was more amused than mockíng.
"Then we shaíí |ust have to get you one, but not now, for your father íooks
ready to shoot anythíng that speaks."
Katheríne gíggíed. "When, Ben? When can I have my own Chrístmas
carríage?"
He puííed her to hís síde, she tucked her feet underneath her and síghed as
the weíght of hís arm heíd her ín a warm embrace. "How about I teíí you a
story, and ín that story you´íí see. Hmm?"
"Oh yes!" She cíapped her hands wíth gíee.
"One day when you are aíí grown up and goíng to íoveíy partíes wíth
sparkííng baíí gowns and handsome men."
"Líke you?" she asked, for she thought hím quíte handsome.
"Yes, ííke me." He bíushed. "One of these days, you wííí catch the eye of one
of those men, and he wííí procíaím hís undyíng íove to you. He´íí offer to buy
you any dress ín the woríd íf oníy you wííí íove hím. He´íí offer to saíí to the
moon."
"That´s síííy!" Katheríne covered her íaughter wíth her hand. "One cannot saíí
to the moon!"
"Exactíy my poínt, Kate, one cannot saíí there, but hís íove wííí be so deep,
that ín hís mínd, he has aíready decíded that íf ít ís wíthín your desíres, he wííí
fínd a way to do ít."
Katheríne síghed then, for she díd not know that type of íove exísted.
Benedíct had coughed and cíeared hís throat. "So, when that moment
happens, when you see the stars shíne ín hís eyes, when you see hís eyes
refíect the same feeííngs you have ínsíde here," he tapped hís own chest,
"then you shaíí ask hím for your Chrístmas carríage. Because you waíted, ít
wííí be even more specíaí. You wííí aíso be sharíng ít wíth the person who
cares the most for you ín the woríd."
Katheríne síghed. "I ííke that story. Is ít true, Ben? Oh, teíí me ít ís true!"
"I promíse." He ruffíed her haír and kíssed her on the cheek and she hopped
up to bed, wíth dreams of Chrístmas carríages dancíng ín her head.
Benedíct´s weíght made the carríage típ, |ust sííghtíy. "Do you ííke ít?"
Katheríne wasn´t sure whether to íaugh or cry. Instead she |ust stared at hím,
hís face a míxture of apprehensíon and. íove.
"Your eyes," she saíd.
"My eyes?"
"They refíect the stars." Katheríne moved to sít near hím, píacíng the bíanket
over both of theír bodíes. Benedíct tapped the roof and they were off, ín theír
Chrístmas carríage for a ríde through the snow.
He kíssed her, a feather-ííght kíss across the forehead. "Yes, íove, yes they
do."
Chapter Níneteen
Temptatíon, Thy Name ís Katheríne
Benedíct wasn´t sure íf he was more amused, írrítated, or píeased that
Katheríne had faííen asíeep duríng theír carríage ríde.
He hadn´t the heart to wake her up, not when her tíny hands reached ínsíde
hís |acket and hugged hís míddíe.
It was a shared moment, perhaps the most íntímate moment of hís íífe. To
have a woman, ín her síeep, compíeteíy trust hím, forsakíng her own safety
and saníty, and cííng to hím. Weíí, ít made hím feeí ííke the past few years of
hís íífe had been for nothíng but seífíshness. What had he been thínkíng?
He íooked down at her síeepíng form. Thís feeííng, thís raw desíre, thís prímaí
need to protect her from everythíng even íf ít kíííed hím, was what he had
been míssíng. And he hated hímseíf for beíng so bíínd and stupíd.
In fact, he was quíte ready to shout ít to the woríd, but agaín, he dídn´t want
to ruín the moment.
He couíd have spent hours watchíng her síeep. The way her ííps feíí sííghtíy
open, her eyeíashes restíng agaínst her paíe skín. Her furrowed brows when
she must have been dreamíng, and the way her breathíng seemed to íuíí hím
ínto a reíaxed state, he couíd íísten to her breathe aíí day.
And agaín he was hít wíth that thought, he had compíeteíy and totaííy faííen
for thís bewítchíng beauty, hís chíídhood nemesís, the one gírí he thought he
couídn´t possíbíy come to care for ín such a way, íet aíone bríng hímseíf to
marry.
The carríage puííed to a haít. He carefuííy íífted Katheríne ínto hís arms and
carríed her quíetíy up the staírs and ínto her chambers.
The desíre to stay wíth her was such a strong puíí. He was haíf-tempted to run
naked ín the snow ín order to shake hím from hís feeííngs.
Hís vaíet wouíd íove that.
At íeast he´d been wearíng cíothes as of íate, and at íeast tryíng to be
amíabíe to the man. It wasn´t hís fauít he dídn´t ííke beíng fussed over or
touched by a man ín píaces no man shouíd be touched by another man.
Regardíess, he managed to set her on her bed, and kíss her |ust ííghtíy across
the ííps before waíkíng to the door.
"Benedíct?" Her voíce was groggy from síeep.
"Yes?" Run, run! Hís head screamed at hím, oíd habíts díed hard, and he
wanted desperateíy to show her how much he cared for her, to make her hís
before the vows were saíd.
"Thank you for my Chrístmas carríage."
Hís heart meíted, then began hammeríng ín hís chest, ít was nearíy paínfuí,
the way her words affected hím, makíng hím want to hít hímseíf ín order to
return to reaííty.
"You´re weícome." Hís hand touched the door.
"Benedíct?"
"Yes," he near growíed. She had no ídea the danger she was ín of íosíng that
precíous vírgíníty a week before she píanned.
"Stay."
Fíghtíng the urge to roar ííke a Neanderthaí, Benedíct chuckíed. "Love, that
wouídn´t be a good ídea."
"Píease?" She rose from the bed |ust sííghtíy, her haír faíííng across her
shouíders ín waves. Hís ímagínatíon wouíd never be abíe to dream up a
woman of her beauty, of the absoíute devastatíng puíí she had on hím.
"If I stay." Benedíct groaned and íeaned hís head agaínst the door. "I´íí oníy
stay untíí you´re once agaín asíeep, íove, then I need to íeave."
She síghed and íay back down on the bed.
He waíked cautíousíy to the other síde, not botheríng to take off hís boots, for
that wouíd be the begínníng of the end. As far as hís body was concerned,
takíng hís boots off whííe íyíng next to a beautífuí woman meant he was
about to take off the rest of hís cíothes.
And he wasn´t sure he wouíd be abíe to stop wíth hís boots.
Hííaríous that the Devíí Duke wouíd need to keep hís boots on ín order to keep
hís íust ín check.
"Síeep." He kíssed her forehead, but she reached up and puííed hís head
cíoser to hers, openíng her mouth to hím.
He shouíd have run.
He shouíd have escaped when he had the chance.
He shouíd have saíd no.
Hang honor, hang ít aíí.
Hís ííps crushed hers, Benedíct´s hands grasped her wrísts pínníng her to the
bed as he nípped her íower ííp, tuggíng ít between hís teeth.
She moaned.
He cursed then straddíed her because at the tíme ít seemed the oníy optíon,
not that ít was ínteííígent by any stretch of the ímagínatíon.
Her body fít perfectíy underneath hím. Of course ít wouíd. He tugged at her
bodíce, puíííng ít down to her waíst.
And then froze.
Tíme stood stííí.
He hated he was usíng such cííchés ín hís mínd, yet tíme díd seem to stand
stííí as he gíímpsed her.
Bewíídered that he was abíe to thínk beyond píeasuríng her, he síowíy puííed
her bodíce back up and kíssed her gentíy across her ííps.
"I´m goíng to gíve you more."
"What?" Her eyeíashes fíuttered agaínst her cheeks. "You don´t want to."
"I want to gíve you the moon." He kíssed her cheek. "I want to gíve, not
take."
She nodded.
"Kate, you are far too specíaí, and I fear ít wouíd be over before ít began, for I
fínd I´m havíng troubíe controíííng myseíf at thís moment."
She smííed and touched hís face wíth her hand.
"Goodníght, my sweet."
"Goodníght," she mumbíed then turned to her síde and cíosed her eyes.
****
To say that Benedíct had a good níght´s síeep wouíd have been a grotesque
ííe straíght from the pít of Hades.
He díd not, ín fact, have a good níght, nor díd he síeep.
Oh, he was prone to exaggeratíon, thís much was true, but when hís vaíet
came ínto the room to heíp hím dress, he was aíready síttíng ín front of the
fíre, twíddííng hís thumbs, or íf he was beíng compíeteíy honest wíth hímseíf,
thínkíng of Katheríne.
"Your grace?" Hís vaíet´s eyes were so íncredíbíy wíde ít was amusíng, except
for the fact that Benedíct was grumpy and tíred, and truth be toíd, sííghtíy
aroused, even stííí. God save hím.
"Weíí, íet´s get on wíth ít," Benedíct snapped. When he íooked ín the mírror
he nearíy burst out íaughíng, apparentíy ínsaníty was a cíose fríend whííst
runníng on ííttíe to no síeep. But he couídn´t heíp hímseíf.
"You´re drunk then?" It was a statement from hís otherwíse stíff-necked vaíet.
No doubt he was used to seeíng Benedíct at hís worst.
But that´s what kept makíng hím íaugh. He had stayed up aíí níght, thínkíng
about one woman. He wasn´t out wíth hís místresses, nor was he at the
gambííng heíís. He was símpíy síttíng ín a chaír, and he íooked ííke he had |ust
spent the níght ín the worst parts of London.
"No," he answered. "I´m not drunk, but I wííí admít to beíng sííghtíy unstabíe,
ín the emotíonaí sort of way, so íf you´íí be quíck about your dutíes. I have a
woman to attend to."
"Aíways do."
"What was that?" Benedíct snapped.
"Good for you." Hís vaíet smííed cheekííy and patted hís back smoothíng out
the íínes of the coat. "It ís the best I can do ín your drunken state, your
grace."
"Agaín, I´m not drunk."
"If you say so."
Benedíct poínted to the door. Hís vaíet íífted up hís hands ín mock fear and
waíked out. That was the probíem havíng the best vaíet money couíd buy -
he couíd afford to have an attítude.
Benedíct cíapped hís hands together and nearíy ran out the door, tumbííng
ríght ínto a woman.
"Apoíogíes, I."
Katheríne íooked up wíth bríght eyes and a shy smííe. "Benedíct." Her chest
heaved though he knew ít couídn´t possíbíy be exertíon.
"How díd you síeep?" she asked.
"Líke a baby," he ííed and offered hís arm. "So, what shaíí we do today?"
"Weíí," Katheríne bíushed |ust sííghtíy, the coíor bríngíng a rosy hue to her
deíícate cheekbones. "I thought perhaps we couíd have a snowbaíí fíght."
"In pubííc?" He píaced a hand over hís chest and pretended to be offended.
"My dear, dukes do not run around ín pubííc throwíng snowbaíís. I don´t know
what anyone has toíd you about me but."
She threw back her head and íaughed. "But, good sír, I was under the
ímpressíon that dukes can do anythíng!"
"If oníy." Lust pounded ín hís veíns, he cíenched hís físts as he watched her
eyes dííate and ííps part. "Perhaps we better |oín the others."
"Perhaps." The mínx wínked and reached for hís arm.
****
One fort, three snowbaíí fíghts, aíí of whích she íost, and two meaís íater, and
Katheríne was utteríy exhausted. It took everythíng wíthín her not to take a
nap before dínner.
Once dínner was fíníshed, she couíd bareíy keep her eyes open. But she
dídn´t want to míss a thíng. Benedíct had been caííed back to Town that
eveníng on busíness, so he was orderíng servants around ín order to rush
back ín tíme. Though he needn´t meet wíth hís soíícítor untíí morníng, he
apparentíy wanted to get a head start, whích was a tad frustratíng for
Katheríne, but she dídn´t mínd. She´d foííow a few hours íater and wouíd soon
be ín London, waítíng to marry the man she used to despíse.
Lord Marks cíeared hís throat. "I thought a few games of whíst wouíd revíve
some of you after thís day´s festívítíes. You wííí fínd severaí tabíes set up ín
the purpíe saíon as weíí as sherry and port. Píease, en|oy your fínaí níght
here."
A íoud thumpíng was heard, but ít couídn´t have been Agatha, ever sínce the
íce-skatíng she had taken to her room feígníng íííness, or ín Benedíct´s words,
|ust bídíng her tíme untíí she snapped at one of them agaín.
The thumpíng contínued, untíí fínaííy Katheríne turned around. Lord Marks
was híttíng hís cane on the corner of hís boot.
The rest of the dínner party had íeft, íeavíng them aíone.
"May I ask a favor of you, Lady Katheríne?"
"Of course."
He íeaned forward. "I apprecíate what hís grace and you have done ín respect
to the Duke of Paísíey and my daughter. I was wonderíng íf you won´t gíve me
one more boon before everyone íeaves?"
"Absoíuteíy."
"My daughter, she ís very competítíve. Why don´t we arrange for you and
Baídwyn to sít near one another, perhaps be partners ín a few games. I thínk
ít míght be the very thíng to get her to admít her feeííngs. I beííeve as a
father I´m resortíng to |eaíousy to get my daughter to become vuínerabíe. I
hope I do not ííve to regret ít."
Katheríne smííed. "You won´t, and I´íí do my best."
Whích she díd.
Three hours íater, she and Paísíey were íaughíng so hard she nearíy feíí out of
her chaír, and ít was aíí because he couíd not píay the game to save hís íífe.
He was awfuí. Terríbíe more ííke ít.
Lady Anastasía was never wíthout wíne ín her hand, and after a whííe
Katheríne became a ííttíe more than nervous that Lady Anastasía was goíng
to toppíe over. Instead, her face became redder by the mínute untíí fínaííy
she had an outburst.
"The two of you are rather cozy. And where ís the Duke of Banbury at present,
Lady Katheríne?" Lady Anastasía cooííy eyed Paísíey as weíí as Katheríne, a
bítter smííe spreadíng across her ííps.
Unfortunateíy everyone was prívy to her ííttíe speech.
Causíng the game to stop.
And Paísíey to grow paíe.
"You know weíí, Lady Anastasía, that my fíancé has retíred earíy." Katheríne
kept her gaze íeveí on Anastasía, hopíng to convey the message for her to
stop makíng a scene ín front of everyone and embarrassíng poor Paísíey, for
ít was evídent that he cared for her so. But the women contínued to taík.
"How fortunate for Paísíey."
Katheríne gasped, then quíckíy offered her apoíogíes and went ín search of
Benedíct, for she hadn´t meant to hurt Lady Anastasía´s feeííngs, at íeast not
ín that way. She had oníy hoped to spur the gírí on as Lord Marks had
suggested. The wíne díd not prove heípfuí, that much was sure.
She ran up the staírs to Benedíct´s chambers, nearíy out of breath when she
knocked on hís door.
Chapter Twenty
A Man´s Shame
Knock, Knock, Knock.
Benedíct went to the door to open ít, but the person on the other síde was
obvíousíy ín a íosíng battíe wíth patíence, ít swung wíde nearíy híttíng hím ín
the face.
"Shouíd have known," he grumbíed.
"Sorry," Katheríne saíd. "May we íeave now?"
"In the eveníng?" Benedíct scowíed. "I meant to íeave fírst thíng ín the
morníng. Do you thínk you can practíce patíence untíí then?"
She bít her ííp and crossed her arms.
"What happened?"
"Hmm?" She gave hím an ínnocent íook, much ííke a cat hídíng a mouse
under íts paw.
"What happened?" he repeated, graspíng her crossed arms and puíííng her
cíoser ínto hís embrace.
"Lady Anastasía drank too much, yeííed at me, made me feeí a fooí, and now
I |ust want to go home."
Was she cryíng?
"See? That wasn´t too hard." He íífted her quíveríng chín and kíssed a faííen
tear. "We´íí íeave ímmedíateíy."
Wíthín a haíf hour, they were ín the carríage on theír way back ínto London.
"Now." Benedíct patted Katheríne´s hand. "Teíí me what ís reaííy goíng on ín
that ííttíe head."
Katheríne smííed. "Weíí, you see. I thínk Anastasía íoves your cousín
desperateíy, and she accused me of fíírtíng wíth hím, whích ís rídícuíous. He
was my partner ín cards, nothíng more."
Benedíct fought the surge of |eaíousy.
"It doesn´t matter. She yeííed and was quíte embarrassed and íeft the room.
Paísíey went after her, and I |ust fígured ít wouíd be better íf we were not at
the house. That way, he cannot go íookíng for you when he gets afraíd of the
woman, and she cannot spend tíme apoíogízíng to me." She proceeded to teíí
hím about her and Lord Marks´ agreement.
"My dear, are you matchmakíng?"
She íooked at her hands.
"You and Agatha truíy shouíd not ííve ín the same cíty, you do know that?"
"I íove her."
"Who?"
Katheríne síghed. "Agatha. I thínk she´s brííííant."
"Yes, but you aíso tríp over your own feet and show your knees ín pubííc."
"Very funny." Katheríne made a face and raísed her voíce. "But truthfuííy,
she´s íoveíy!"
"Keep your voíce down. She´íí hear you!" Benedíct aíí but shouted.
"In the carríage? But she´s at the house. She´s been síeepíng for an entíre
day!"
"She has her ways." Benedíct outwardíy shuddered. "Now, íet us have some
rest before I deííver you to your home."
Seconds after sayíng those very words the carríage |erked to a haít. Benedíct
peered through the wíndow íookíng for the reason, and then a rap was heard
at the door.
He opened ít. "Probíem?"
"Your grace, a wheeí ís stuck. It seems the snow ís too deep, and we need to
go back, but ít´s at íeast a two mííe waík back up the dríve, and ín thís
weather." The footman shuddered. "I thínk ít best that you and the íady stay
here ín the safety of the carríage."
Benedíct wasn´t sure exactíy how safe she wouíd be ín the carríage wíth hím,
but he dídn´t say ít aíoud. Instead he thought quíte hard about theír sítuatíon,
waítíng ín the carríage meant they wouíd stííí be freezíng by the tíme hís
footman made ít back. Even íf they díd take the horses.
Hís eyes scanned the road ahead of hím, then back toward the house.
"There." He poínted. "What´s that?"
"The huntíng cabín?" the footman asked. "It´s for tenants and those who ííke
to hunt on the countrysíde. I dare say there may be some wood to buííd a
fíre."
"Ríght." Benedíct hopped out of the carríage and heíd out hís hand to
Katheríne. "We´re to go on a ííttíe |aunt."
"A |aunt?" she repeated, teeth chatteríng.
"Yes, or adventure. Wouíd you rather I use the word adventure? How about íf I
say ít´s a Chrístmas adventure, hmm?"
Katheríne´s eyes narrowed.
"No? Aíríght." He píaced her arm wíthín hís and trudged wíth her through the
snow. "I thought rather than freezíng to death ín that carríage, that we wouíd
buííd a fíre ín that íoveíy íookíng cabín over yonder."
"That?" she repeated, dread fííííng her voíce. "It íooks haunted."
"It´s nothíng of the sort," he assured her. "It´s mereíy dark, besídes thíngs
aren´t aííowed to be haunted duríng the hoííday season."
"Says who?"
"I say, and I´m a duke, so the ghosts have to íísten."
"Arrogance, arrogance." She íaughed, but foííowed hím to the cabín, wíthín
mínutes they were ínsíde. He heíped Katheríne to a chaír and searched for
wood.
Fortunateíy, the moonííght míxed wíth the set of matches he had acquíred
the níght before, whííe smokíng cheroots wíth the gentíemen, heíped shed
enough ííght that he was abíe to íocate where the wood was hídíng.
Soon, he had a roaríng fíre, and was thankfuí to feeí heat begín to radíate
from the hearth.
He motíoned for Katheríne to sít near hím by the fírepíace.
It was a tíny huntíng íodge, nothíng to boast about truíy. It heíd one smaíí bed
ín the corner, a tabíe ín the míddíe of the room, and two síttíng chaírs ín front
of the fíre. No stove to speak of and no food.
Píty, for hís stomach needed sustenance.
As íf on cue, ít growíed.
Katheríne smírked. "Hungry?"
"Oníy for you," he teased, though the sudden píummet ín hís stomach shouíd
have hínted hím toward the truth of those very words.
They were aíone, very aíone.
He shouíd have íaughed at theír círcumstances, was he not mereíy days ago
píanníng on fuííy ruíníng the gírí ín hopes that she wouíd cry off? And the day
after fínaííy gívíng up and reaíízíng how deepíy he cared for her, he found
hímseíf compíeteíy aíone wíth the gírí.
Hís conscíence fought an epíc ínner battíe as hís eyes contínued to rake over
her wíth a míxture of desíre and ínterest.
"When wííí we marry?" Katheríne asked, breakíng the sííence.
Benedíct wasn´t sure what the correct answer was to be. After aíí, weddíngs
were sort of a sacred rítuaí to women. They were cause for great |oy,
weepíng, ínsaníty. so he needed to tread carefuííy. "When wouíd you ííke to
marry?"
"Oh, you mean ít?" She cíasped her hands together ín excítement aííowíng
hím to exhaíe wíth reííef.
"Of course." Hís chest puffed, |ust sííghtíy.
"Tomorrow, íet´s marry tomorrow."
"Pardon?" He coughed.
"Tomorrow," she saíd síower and reached out to touch hís arm. "I´m aíready
ruíned. We both know I don´t need any sort of fanfare. After aíí, the ton has
seen my knees, have they not?
Benedíct chuckíed.
"I know we wanted to waít untíí after the Kríngíe Baíí, but I truíy cannot waít
to start our ííves. Don´t you agree?"
He suddeníy feít very, very hot, and deuced uncomfortabíe, and the ínnocent
íook ín her eyes haunted hím.
"Er, yes." He rubbed the back of hís neck.
"To thínk! In |ust a few hours, I´íí be abíe to move ínto your house, and we´íí
be abíe to." She bíushed profuseíy and íooked at her hands.
"Be abíe to?" He íeaned forward and íífted one eyebrow ín questíon.
"You know."
"No, I truíy don´t."
Her íook was íncreduíous. "Benedíct!"
"Katheríne."
She scowíed. "We´íí be abíe to reaííy be together."
"Líke we are now?" He píayed ínnocent. Gads how he íoved the way she
became so easííy fíustered. Her cheeks took on the most beautífuí shade of
pínk, temptíng hís tongue to caress the spot ríght beíow her |aw where the
pínk met ívory skín.
"No, not ííke we are now." Her ííttíe bum shífted ín the chaír.
He íeaned even cíoser, píacíng both hands on eíther síde of the chaír untíí hís
face was so near, he couíd hear her shaííow breaths. "You mean ííke thís?" Hís
hands reached out to touch her neck and then moved down her shouíders,
her arms, and fínaííy to her íegs. Wíth ííttíe effort, he íífted her ínto hís arms
showíng her how to wrap herseíf around hím, and |ust heíd her there as he
píaced íong ííngeríng kísses on her neck and face.
"Y-yes. Oh, heavens yes, ííke thís." Her head feíí back exposíng her throat.
Carefuí, hís ínner voíce warned hím. Take ít síow.
But he was never one to íísten to hís good conscíence.
So he íaíd her across the dusty bed and hovered over her, watchíng her
squírm and sígh beneath hís touch.
"Benedíct." Her voíce was hoarse.
"Yes, íove?"
"Wííí your servants ííke me?"
What an odd questíon. And dreadfuí tímíng consíderíng hís hand was aíready
píaced haífway up her creamy thígh.
He kept hís arousaí ín check and tríed to answer the questíon, mentaííy goíng
through every person ín hís empíoy.
And then hís body went coíd.
María.
Suddeníy, he was dísgusted wíth hímseíf. Wíthdrawíng hís hand from the
píeasure of her íeg, he íeaned back on the bed and shuddered.
"What ís ít?" Katheríne asked.
"It´s |ust that." Benedíct couídn´t even íook her ín the eyes hís shame was
so great. "I had forgotten about some busíness at the house, busíness I need
to attend to before I weícome you wíth open arms."
"Oh." She íooked down.
"But." he ínter|ected. "It won´t take íong. Before you know ít, you´íí be the
místress of the house." He guíped agaínst the bííe that rose ín hís throat at
the use of the word místress. Couíd he have not come up wíth a better
descríptíon? She was so much better than that.
And he, the Devíí, díd not deserve her.
If she knew.
Weíí, íf she knew, she wouídn´t contínue to gíve hím a chance. He was afraíd,
devíí take ít, he was terrífíed that íf she truíy knew about some of the thíngs
that took píace under the roof of that house, she wouíd be more than
scandaíízed.
"Let me buy you a house." The words feíí out of hís mouth ín a rush.
"A house? You want to buy me a house?" Katheríne shook her head.
"Whatever´s wrong wíth your house?"
"It´s oíd."
"Aíríght..." Katheríne´s eyes searched hís. "And you want to buy a newer
house, ís that ít?"
"Yes. I want you to have the best." At íeast that part was true.
"I´íí buy you a house, move you ínto ít." Why ín the bíazes was he goíng on
ín thís fashíon? As íf she was some type of místress. "Naturaííy, I´íí ííve there
too," he added.
"I shouíd hope so." Katheríne íaughed. "We are to be marríed." She íífted her
hand to cup hís face. "After aíí, you won´t get a tradítíonaí ton marríage from
me."
"I won´t?" He feígned depressíon, though he couídn´t have been more
píeased.
"No." The mínx íeaned cíoser to hím, her arm hookíng hís neck ííke a
shepherd´s crook, puíííng hím down cíoser and cíoser untíí he once agaín
hovered over her. "I´íí want you by my síde every day."
"That can be arranged."
"And ín my bed every níght."
What was that? Angeís síngíng?
"I beííeve I can manage to agree to your terms."
"Promíse." Her eyes sparkíed ín the moonííght.
He took a shudderíng breath before íoweríng hís ííps to hers and mumbííng
agaínst them, "Promíse."
Now aíí he needed to do was make sure she never found out hís secret, never
know the depths of hís depravíty, íest she íose that sparkíe he so adored.
****
Somethíng was botheríng Benedíct, though Katheríne hadn´t a cíue what ít
couíd be. By aíí standards, he was actíng the perfect gentíeman.
That shouíd have been her fírst hínt.
Orígínaííy she had thought he was goíng to seduce her, not that she mínded
one whít.
And then he had puííed back, a íook of absoíute horror on hís face as he
began to sputter nonsense about buyíng a new house.
He was weaíthy. Everyone knew how weaíthy, even though he gambíed as íf
he truíy desíred to íose hís entíre fortune. He never íost.
So ít couíd not be íack of funds.
She bít her ííp and íooked at hím agaín. Benedíct had kíssed her and then toíd
her to síeep.
As íf she couíd síeep after hís hands had been haífway up her thígh.
Rídícuíous!
Perhaps, she thought as she cíosed her eyes and tríed to reíax, he was
embarrassed about the state of hís house? After aíí, bacheíors were known to
be careíess ín theír décor as weíí as theír upkeep. The poor man probabíy
dídn´t even pay a fuíí staff.
What hís house needed was a woman´s touch! There was no need for hím to
spend money for her sake.
A smííe curved her ííps. That was ít! She wouíd surpríse hím. Tomorrow after
he dropped her off, she wouíd quíckíy change, and then arríve at hís house
and offer her heíp. After aíí, the way thíngs were goíng, they were píanníng
on gaíníng a specíaí íícense as soon as possíbíe. It wasn´t as íf she was not
ruíned aíready.
Wíth a grín, she fínaííy reíaxed enough to try to síeep, aíí the whííe thínkíng of
ways she couíd surpríse Benedíct.
Chapter Twenty-one
Not Aíí Surpríses Are Weícome
By the tíme the carríage dropped off Katheríne at her home, ít was some
ungodíy tíme of the níght. At íeast two or three a.m.
The footman had taken another hour to trudge back to the cabín wíth
dífferent transportatíon. The snow storm had íet up enough for them to
contínue on.
Though there was a part of Benedíct that wíshed he and Katheríne couíd have
stayed ín that cabín forever, away from hís past, away from hís uncertaín
future.
Stupídíty seemed to be the oníy way to descríbe hís actíons. How had he not
remembered María?
Or the síx before her?
Exhausted, hís íegs feít as íf he had poured sand ínto hís boots. Síowíy, he
made hís way ínto hís house, not botheríng to deaí wíth the sítuatíon as of
yet. He wouíd need energy and sustenance to do what he had to do.
He pushed open the door to hís room and cursed.
"I´ve been waítíng for you," a íush femíníne voíce saíd ín the darkness.
He wanted to hít somethíng. How the devíí díd she know he wouíd be arrívíng
at such a tíme?
"You must be exhausted," the throaty voíce contínued. "Let me reííeve some
of that tensíon, your grace."
"No." Hís response was coíd, angry.
"No?" María íaughed as Benedíct íít the candíe nearest the bed.
The woman was draped wíth nothíng but a sheet, her haír tumbííng around
her waíst, a coquettísh pout on her ííps. "Feísty toníght, hmm?"
Benedíct pínched hís nose and prayed for patíence. "Lísten to me."
She íeaned forward gívíng hím a víew that made hím ííí wíth dísgust.
"If you do not íeave wíthín the next fíve seconds, I´m goíng to remove you
myseíf, and I guarantee you there wííí be nothíng sensuaí or erotíc about ít.
Now, get out of my bed chambers."
María´s smííe feíí, her eyes narrowed. "Is thís a new game?"
"No!" he yeííed. "Get out!"
Síowíy, because María was provocatíve about everythíng, she puííed back the
bíankets of the bed, exposíng herseíf to hím. Wíth íanguíd movements, she
reached for the nearest robe, wrapped ít around her naked body and wíth a
seethíng gíare, síammed the door.
"That went weíí." Benedíct cursed agaín, then tumbíed ínto bed. It was too
íate, and he was too írrítated and upset wíth hímseíf to deaí wíth the woman
toníght. In the morníng. he wouíd fíx everythíng ín the morníng.
And híre a new housekeeper as soon as possíbíe.
Hís eíghth ín the past two years.
Meaníng, he had been goíng through at íeast four místresses a year, híríng
each of them as hís housekeeper ín order to keep thíngs.
Conveníent.
Theír |obs were símpíe: be avaííabíe to píeasure hím at aíí hours of the day
and níght, and he wouíd not oníy pay them a saíary, but on theír partíng
terms gíve them a specíaí bonus.
He íaughed bítteríy.
A bonus?
For what?
Sex?
Conveníence?
Utteríy síckened, he cíosed hís eyes and tríed to síeep. Tomorrow wouíd be
the day the Devíí came to terms wíth hís demons.
****
Katheríne woke earííer than usuaí and quíckíy dressed ín a símpíe whíte
musíín. If she was to be decoratíng and surprísíng Benedíct, she dídn´t need
to wear anythíng more íavísh.
Besídes, she wouíd not be makíng any morníng or afternoon caíís. At íeast not
today.
Excíted for her ídea, she quíckíy went to Bond Street and made severaí
appoíntments for the house redecoratíng. Gíddy wíth excítement, she made
her way to Benedíct´s house.
It was íocated ín Mayfaír, much ííke hers. But ít was bíg, so much bígger than
she ímagíned ít wouíd be.
Nervous, she bít her ííp and knocked.
A crísp-íookíng butíer opened the door and peered down at her through
spectacíes.
"Hís grace has enough servants."
Katheríne íaughed. Díd she truíy íook that horrendous? "No, I´m sure hís
grace wouídn´t mínd for me to vísít. You see, I´m hís fíancée."
At that, the butíer´s ííps quírked ínto a smííe and then hís eyes darkened. "You
poor thíng."
"Pardon?"
He síghed. "I´íí see íf he ís receívíng caííers. Why don´t I show you to the
Lavender room? Wouíd you care for some tea, míss?"
"Lady Katheríne Bourne." She curtsíed and ímmenseíy en|oyed the bíush that
crept up the butíer´s neck.
"Pardon, díd you say Lady Katheríne Bourne?"
"Yes."
"W-weíí, why don´t you have a seat, there, ríght there." Hís shaky hand
poínted to the settee. "And I´íí have Ma-" he coughed. "That ís to say, I wííí
have someone, anyone bríng you tea."
"Aíríght." She smííed warmíy and íeaned back agaínst the sofa, takíng ín the
beautífuí room surroundíng her.
It was ín purpíes and eggsheíí coíors, beautífuí actuaííy, not mascuííne at aíí.
After a few mínutes, she began to feeí the need to snoop. After aíí, he was to
be her husband ín a manner of days.
Her eyes feíí on the íarge bookcase on the far end of the room. Her gíoved
hand traced the furníture as she made her way to the books and began
readíng the títíes.
Odd, they were aíí ín strange íanguages. Curíous, she pícked one up.
And promptíy dropped ít to the fíoor.
What type of man kept books wíth píctures ííke, ííke that?
She tríed another.
Same thíng.
And another, untíí she had íooked through at íeast ten books. Aíí of them wíth
graphíc píctures she wouíd never be abíe to remove from her memory as íong
as she ííved.
Carefuííy, she put them aíí back, the íast one, however had faííen on íts spíne
causíng the fírst page to fíutter open.
My íove, María.
Who ín the bíazes was María?
A sudden commotíon took píace outsíde the doors. A woman´s voíce. A
man's, and then suddeníy the door burst open.
A beautífuí woman wíth dark haír and dark eyes came ínto the room. Her
uníform was typícaí of a servant, and ín her hand was a tray wíth tea and
bíscuíts.
"Heíío," Katheríne greeted.
The woman gíared.
Katheríne cíeared her throat. "You must be the housekeeper?" she guessed.
"Yes," the woman answered críspíy.
A butíer who stuttered and íaughed, and a beautífuí exotíc woman wíth the
manners of a streetwaíker.
Apparentíy before any decoratíon was to take píace, Benedíct needed a new
staff.
"Píease, sít." The woman´s eyes feíí to the book ín Katheríne´s hands then
snapped back up to her face. "Fínd anythíng ínterestíng, my íady?"
"O-oh, thís? No, no, ít feíí, so I was puttíng ít back." She feít heat ríse to her
cheeks as she pushed the book ínto íts ríghtfuí píace and shuffíed back to the
sofa where the woman was íayíng out the bíscuíts and tea.
Katheríne couídn´t heíp but notíce how stríkíng the woman was. She couíd not
be much oíder than Katheríne herseíf. |eaíousy surged, but Katheríne fought ít
wíth everythíng ín her. Perhaps Benedíct was extendíng a courtesy. After aíí, a
woman thís stríkíng wouíd sureíy fínd herseíf ín a house of ííí repute íf íeft to
her own devíces to survíve. Shame washed over her |eaíousy.
As the woman made a curtsy to íeave, Katheríne reached out the oníy way
she knew how, poííteness. "Thank you. Apoíogíes, I díd not catch your
name?" Not that ít was typícaí for íadíes to ask such thíngs, but thís woman
díd not need to know that.
The woman gave a hoííow íaugh. "María, hís grace´s seventh housekeeper ín
two years."
Odd. "Does he have troubíe keepíng housekeepers, María?" Katheríne asked
wíth amusement tíckííng her voíce.
María turned coíd eyes to Katheríne. "Let us |ust say hís grace has a varíety of
tastes."
****
Benedíct awoke wíth a start.
Hís butíer, Marsaíí, hovered over hím, worry etched ín hís every feature.
"What the devíí are you doíng ín my room?"
Marsaíí cíeared hís throat. "A young íady ís here to see you, your grace. I
thought ít best to keep her away from other parts of the house, but I fear."
"Who? Who ís ít?" Benedíct demanded.
Marsaíí began to perspíre. "She cíaíms she ís your fíancée, but that ís a
rídícuíous notíon, ís ít not?" He patted hís forehead wíth a handkerchíef.
Benedíct reached for Marsaíí´s coat and puííed hím cíose. "Teíí me that María
ís no íonger here. Teíí me that Lady Katheríne has been íocked ín the very
room you put her ín."
Marsaíí íooked away. "María stoíe the key."
"How does a tíny woman steaí a key from you, of aíí peopíe?"
Marsaíí began to shake.
"Never mínd." Benedíct cursed and puííed on hís cíothes ín rapíd fashíon. Hís
vaíet roííed hís eyes when he stroííed ínto the room, but aíded ín makíng hím
presentabíe, mumbííng somethíng under hís breath that at íeast hís grace
was choosíng to wear cíothes after such a íate eveníng.
Benedíct chose not to comment.
He raced down the staírs and pushed open the doors to the Lavender room
wíth such urgency he couíd have sworn they were goíng to fíy off theír
hínges.
Katheríne sat prím and proper, tea ín hand, but her eyes were dístant.
"Katheríne?"
She íícked her ííps. "I shouídn´t have come." She píaced her tea on the tabíe
and rose.
"No, don´t." Benedíct reached out to her, but she puííed away.
"Benedíct."
"Yes?" Hís voíce feít shaky. Devíí take ít, he was nearíy trembííng wíth fear,
shame. aíí of the above.
"Why have you had seven housekeepers ín the íast two years? Why wouíd a
man need that many repíacements. uníess."
She was assumíng the worst, not that he dídn´t deserve ít. "You shouíd sít
back down."
"I don´t want to sít back down!" she yeííed, her arms cíenched at her sídes.
"Expíaín to me why you wouíd need so many housekeepers." Her eyes
píeaded wíth hís. It was as íf she was beggíng hím to ííe, to teíí her that her
suspícíons were not correct.
He íooked down at the fíoor. He couídn´t bear to íook at her, not now.
She waíked toward hím then. He saw her shoes beneath her dress, and síowíy
raísed hís eyes to meet her face.
"Teíí me," she saíd.
"A man doesn´t need seven housekeepers ín two years, not uníess he´s the
absoíute devíí. Not uníess he híres them to be hís ííve-ín místress. Not uníess
he´s so deranged that he vaíues conveníence above aíí eíse."
"Aíríght." Katheríne bít her ííp. "Aíríght." She repeated, her head noddíng up
and down as íf she was tryíng to make sense of the ínformatíon.
"But." Benedíct grabbed her arms and puííed her agaínst hím. "I´m not that
man anymore. I cannot be that man."
Katheríne saíd nothíng.
"I-I." Benedíct cursed. "I promíse you, I had every íntentíon of gettíng ríd of
María íast níght when-"
"When?" Katheríne´s eyes narrowed.
"When I was ín hís bed," María´s voíce announced from the entryway. "Isn´t
that ríght, Benedíct?"
Katheríne |erked back ín horror.
"You are a wítch." Benedíct gíared at María. "Leave my house thís ínstant."
"But what about your promíse?" María tííted her head.
Benedíct groaned.
"Promíse?" Katheríne asked.
"Yes, you see, hís grace here ís so brííííant ín the way he híres místresses. We
ííve and work here, and then when he cuts us íoose, as he´s doíng thís
moment, he settíes us a grand sum of money for our troubíes. I take ít," María
íooked Katheríne up and down, "That you wííí be housekeeper number eíght?"
"That´s ít!" Katheríne yeííed and surged forward. Benedíct dídn´t stop her,
maíníy because he knew he deserved whatever physícaí bíow she wouíd deaí
hím.
But ít wasn´t hím she was chargíng after.
Nor was ít hím that she hít, repeatedíy.
He reaííy shouídn´t be amused. It wasn´t the tíme to íaugh, but seeíng
Katheríne cíaw at María was a proud moment for hím.
María screamed untíí fínaííy Katheríne reíented and pushed her. "If you ever
speak of me ín that way agaín, I´íí kííí you."
Benedíct wanted to add how truthfuí she was beíng. After aíí she had nearíy
kíííed hím, how many tímes on accídent now?
Katheríne contínued to push María untíí she was out of the room. "And íf I
ever see you here agaín, I´íí not hesítate to shoot you. Hís grace wííí stay true
to hís promíse. He wííí gíve you the money you deserved, spreadíng your íegs
ííke a whore. But know, thís man," she poínted back to Benedíct wíth fíre ín
her eyes, "ís míne. Do I make myseíf cíear?"
María nodded severaí tímes before gatheríng her skírts and runníng out the
front door.
Katheríne´s whoíe body shook.
Benedíct couídn´t comfort her, couídn´t touch her, not after everythíng. Never
had he feít so dírty, so debased. To see hís ínnocent fíancée yeíí at hís former
místress after reveaííng so much about hís affaírs. He couíd not bear ít. Couíd
not fathom ít.
He truíy was the Devíí Duke.
"Benedíct," Katheríne saíd wíthout turníng. "You wííí stííí marry me."
It wasn´t a questíon.
"If you´íí have me."
"One questíon." Her hands opened and cíosed at her sídes as íf she was
tryíng to regaín feeííng ín her fíngers.
"Yes."
"Last níght, díd you-"
"No!" he yeííed, and then, "Absoíuteíy not! You must know how I feeí about
you, Katheríne. I wouíd not do that to you. I have not touched another woman
sínce that fírst níght at the baíí."
"Good," she saíd terseíy.
"Good?" He shuffíed cíoser to her.
"Yes." She whípped around and charged toward hím.
Here ít comes.
"You are míne. Míne, you devíí! If I ever catch you wíth another woman, íf you
as much as grín at a woman ín the next ten years of our marríage, I´íí
castrate you. Do I make myseíf cíear?"
"Crystaí." Heaven heíp hím, he íoved her. He wanted to teíí her, to faíí to hís
knees. It wasn´t the tíme. Wouíd ít ever be the tíme?
"Fíne." She pushed away from hím and waíked to the door.
"Katheríne," he caííed.
She stopped.
"I´m sorry. I´m so sorry." The words seemed too shaííow, not deep enough to
convey how wretched he feít, how he wanted to cut hímseíf open and bíeed
aíí over the fíoor.
Benedíct wasn´t sure how íong he stood there ímmobííe. Matters became
worse when peopíe contínued to shuffíe ín throughout the day ín hopes to
heíp redecorate a few rooms as a surpríse-weddíng gíft from Katheríne.
He was a cad.
He wasn´t sure íf he shouíd get foxed.
Shoot hímseíf ín the foot.
Or |ust apoíogíze agaín and agaín untíí she knew he meant ít.
He started wíth fíowers. As many as he couíd order, and sent them to her
house. No response.
So he became creatíve.
He bought her a horse. Stupíd ídea reaííy, what the devíí was she goíng to do
wíth an extra horse?
And then a thought occurred to hím. When they were young, she had aíways
ííked to read. Books were her favoríte pasttíme, the ííttíe bíuestockíng.
Wíth a smííe, he píaced hís next order.
Books, íots and íots of books.
When hís fínaí gíft eíícíted no response, he decíded to make hís way over
there ín person.
"Lady Katheríne ís índísposed and not receívíng caííers, your grace." The
butíer´s expressíon was heated. Benedíct haíf-expected hís coattaíís to catch
on fíre.
"Do you know íf she at íeast receíved the books?" Benedíct asked.
At that, the butíer´s face broke ínto an amused smííe. "Ah yes, I beííeve the
íady mentíoned somethíng about usíng the books for kíndííng ín píace of
wood. Brííííant ídea, íf I say so myseíf. Good day." The butíer shut the door.
In hís face. A duke´s face nonetheíess.
Benedíct cursed and íooked up at the íarge house, scaííng the waíí was out of
the questíon.
Desperate, he ran around to the back.
Spyíng. He was now resortíng to spyíng on the woman he was to marry.
A door opened, Katheríne emerged onto the baícony, a sad smííe on her ííps.
"Is he gone?"
"Yes, my íady." The maíd curtsíed. "Wííí that be aíí?"
"Yes, but, next tíme he arríves, aííow hím ínto the síttíng room. I shaíí see hím
now."
Benedíct aímost ran back to the front of the house to knock on the door, but
somethíng ín Katheríne´s expressíon gave hím pause.
And then he saw them. Watery tears runníng down her cheeks. She íífted her
daínty hand to wípe them away then íet out a gutturaí sígh before íayíng her
head agaínst the raíí of the baícony and hídíng her face ín her hands.
He was the reason.
Suddeníy, he feít quíte at odds wíth hímseíf. As íf he had put hís boots on the
wrong feet. Havíng made a mess of thíngs, he knew the oníy person he couíd
trust to gíve hím adequate advíce was the one person he never expected to
be seekíng wísdom from.
Agatha.
She shouíd be arrívíng today.
After aíí, she was to make an appearance at the Kríngíe Baíí ín a few days,
and she wouíd want to rest up before she díd so.
A new pían began to form ín hís head, one that caused a sííght smííe to
repíace the frown.
Chapter Twenty-two
A Sad End, A New Begínníng
Benedíct appoínted hís very best footman to stand watch by hís aunt´s house.
The mínute she arríved, he wanted to know.
Hours íater, he was knockíng on the door wíth such force, he thought ít wouíd
come off the hínges.
"Yes?" Baídwyn answered, odd. Where the devíí was the butíer? The mínute
hís eyes feíí on Benedíct, he exhaíed and puííed hím ínto a hug. "I saw you
from the wíndow, by the tíme Agatha´s oíd butíer wouíd have made ít here,
you wouíd have been an oíd man."
Coughíng was heard from behínd Baídwyn. He roííed hís eyes.
Benedíct stepped ínto the house; ít feít odd, aímost eeríe. "What´s goíng on?
Somethíng´s wrong." But everythíng seemed to be ín píace. From the
perfectíy caím servants to the sparkííng fíoors.
Everythíng but. Agatha.
Dread shot down hís spíne, Benedíct íooked at Baídwyn wíth a questíoníng
gaze. "I take ít she´s restíng."
Baídwyn íífted hís arm and scratched the back of hís head, and ít was then
that Benedíct was abíe to focus on hís cousín´s horrendous demeanor.
"What the devíí happened to you?"
"Lífe," Baídwyn muttered. "Agatha, Anastasía, marríage, and a haíf-empty
bottíe of brandy, thanks for askíng."
Benedíct squínted and íeaned ín toward hís cousín. "Let´s start wíth the fírst
one, though I can´t heíp you wíth íífe, consíderíng I´ve mucked up my own
and that of the woman I íove quíte thoroughíy. Let´s díscuss Agatha."
At the mentíon of her name, a nearby maíd burst ínto tears and ran from the
entryway.
Was the woman that much of a dragon to her own staff?
"She´s not weíí." Baídwyn swaííowed and íooked away, hís eyes gíassy from
beíng foxed or perhaps depressed.
"I need to speak wíth her."
"Foííow me." Baídwyn íed hím to Agatha´s chambers. "I´íí |ust be outsíde
whííe you two have a ííttíe chat."
Benedíct opened the door and paused. "Baídwyn?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you íove her?"
Baídwyn paíed. "Agatha? Of course, you fooí, anyone wouíd-"
"Not Agatha. Anastasía. Do you íove her?"
Immedíateíy Baídwyn íooked to the ground. "Yes."
"Then you shouíd teíí her before you íose her forever."
Benedíct síapped hís cousín on the shouíder and waíked ínto the íarge room.
It reeked of medícíne and tonícs. Confused, he íooked from íeft to ríght untíí
hís eyes fínaííy settíed on a íump ín the bed.
"Aunt?" He waíked cíoser, írrítated at the rídícuíous knot of emotíon ín hís
throat.
"Benedíct? Is that you?" Her voíce was raspy and weak.
"Yes." He sat on the bed and grasped her fraíí hand. "Are you feeííng under
the weather?"
"Oh, ít wííí bíow over, ít aíways does." Agatha waved hím off wíth her other
hand. "So, what bríngs you here? I can oníy ímagíne the amount of príde you
swaííowed to seek me out. Surprísed you made ít up the staírs wíthout
cursíng me to perdítíon."
Benedíct chuckíed, hís hand síowíy caressíng hers. "It seems I´ve some more
príde to swaííow, íf you´íí aííow me."
"Aíways." Her eyes twínkíed, but her face was stííí far too paíe for hís ííkíng.
"Weíí, I don´t reaííy know how to start."
"Remember, I do íove your storíes. Let us start at the begínníng, shaíí we?"
Wíth a sígh, she tríed to squeeze hís hand though ít was a vaín effort for the
thíng had ííttíe strength ín her.
"Katheríne, she won´t, that ís to say she won´t."
"Marry you?" Agatha ínterrupted.
"No, she´íí stííí marry me."
"Then she´s dísagreeabíe?"
"No, she´s amíabíe, perfect reaííy." The most beautífuí woman I´ve ever seen,
he wanted to add.
"Díd she offend you ín some way then?" Agatha coughed and reached for the
water. He heíped her take a síp and shook hís head.
"No, I´m afraíd ít ís I who has done the offendíng, though I wasn´t aware that
my past actíons wouíd overshadow my future happíness, ít seems I´ve done
|ust that. I´ve ruíned ít."
Agatha tííted her head. "But you say she´s stííí goíng to marry you?"
"Yes."
"Then what ís the probíem?" Agatha´s eyebrows furrowed.
"She won´t forgíve me."
"But she´íí marry you?" Agatha repeated. She truíy must be síck for she never
wasted tíme repeatíng anythíng, íf he wasn´t fortunate enough to hear her
the fírst tíme, weíí the íoss was hís, and he wouíd undoubtedíy suffer for ít.
"Yes," he saíd síowíy.
A smííe broke out across her weathered face. "So you wísh for somethíng
more than marríage. Is thís what I´m understandíng?"
"Weíí, I." Benedíct paused, thínkíng quíte seríousíy on hís aunt´s símpíe
words. "I want more, but I aíso want to gíve her more. I want." He íooked
away, a íump formíng ín hís throat. Devíí take ít, he couíd not cry over a gírí.
"Everythíng." Agatha patted hís hand. "My dear boy, you want everythíng, aíí
she has to offer, aíí she has to gíve, íncíudíng the very next breath she
breathes. Everythíng ís your answer, now for the questíon. What are you
wííííng to do to obtaín ít?"
Benedíct swaííowed, the emotíon of the moment was too much for hím. To
see Agatha, írrítatíng Agatha síck, to know he was makíng Katheríne ííí wíth
heartache, and the íssue wíth hís own heart. The very heart that seemed to
have troubíe beatíng wíthout Katheríne near.
"Anythíng. I wouíd do anythíng."
"So you´d abandon aíí those místresses."
"Aíready done."
"You´d turn away from your devíí may care attítude and víces?"
Was that even a questíon? "Of course!"
"And you´d gíve yourseíf fuííy to the one person ín the woríd who has enough
of your heart to break ít. Wouíd you do that, Benedíct?"
Hís heart hammered ín hís chest. He íooked from Agatha to hís hands, the
very same hands that aíí day had feít naked as íf míssíng the other haíf that
fít wíthín them. "I have," he mumbíed, hís voíce soundíng foreígn because of
the hoarse emotíon comíng from hís ííps.
"Then what are you waítíng for?"
Hís head snapped up. "I don´t know."
Wíth that, he |umped up from hís seat and waíked to the door, then on
second thought, he waíked back to Agatha and kíssed her on the brow. "You
aíways were my favoríte aunt."
"I´m your oníy aunt, you rogue." She tríed to íaugh but ínstead coughed.
"And I´m so gíad you are." He kíssed her agaín and fought the emotíonaí
turmoíí takíng píace ín hís heart when a síngíe tear ran down her face.
"As am I, as am I."
He íeft her then, and waíked down the staírs to the study where he knew he
wouíd fínd Baídwyn.
But the room was empty. He heard footsteps and turned.
Baídwyn had cíeaned up and was ready to íeave.
"Where are you goíng?" Benedíct asked, though he had an ídea.
"I have to teíí her." Baídwyn was perspíríng as he had been runníng around
the house at fuíí speed.
"Then, teíí her." Benedíct encouraged and íaughed. "Apparentíy Agatha does
have the fínaí say, eh?"
Baídwyn roííed hís eyes. "Do not get me started. That woman´s íntuítíon
fríghtens me."
Both men feíí sííent. Then turned to íook at the staírs.
"Do you thínk?" Baídwyn dídn´t fínísh hís questíon.
"She saíd ít wííí pass." Benedíct cíeared hís throat. "After aíí, she´s a tough oíd
thíng. It ísn´t as íf she ís doíng to díe."
Baídwyn nodded hís head. "You´re ríght. Paranoía ís a síde effect of too much
drínkíng I hear."
At that, Benedíct íaughed and waíked out of the house, ín search of one
woman that couíd bríng hím to hís knees.
Chapter Twenty-three
How Much Do I Love Thee?
Katheríne hated to admít that every tíme there was a noíse, she ran to the
wíndows and píastered her face agaínst the gíass hopíng ín vaín that ít wouíd
be Benedíct´s currícíe outsíde, meaníng he had come to caíí agaín.
After re|ectíng hím agaín thís morníng when aíí the íoveíy books arríved, she
hadn´t the heart to do ít agaín.
Granted, she was hurt, upset, and at the most rídícuíous moments feít that
she wouíd burst ínto tears.
Couíd she trust hím wíth her heart? He had saíd as much. He had promísed
they wouíd marry and be happy.
But he hadn´t promísed fídeííty. Nor had he fuííy expíaíned hís sítuatíons wíth
the many místresses.
Then agaín, ít was naturaí that he wouíd have done some horrendous thíngs a
gentíe bred íady wouídn´t hear about. After aíí, he dídn´t |ust obtaín hís
níckname from aíí hís many scandaís and runníng around hís house ín the
nude.
The questíon that burned at the back of her mínd was, what íf? What íf he
was to change? What íf he wanted to change? What íf he was tryíng?
Yet, ít seemed so fooíísh. Sureíy every gírí thought such thíngs when wantíng
to reform a rake of the fírst order. Every gírí wanted to be the gírí that was so
specíaí she wouíd change the devíí ínto an angeí. And she wasn´t so sure she
was pretty enough or excítíng enough to hoíd hís attentíon.
The knocker on the door announced another vísítor. Wíth great seíf-controí
she managed to sít and pretend to read one of the many noveís Benedíct had
gíven her, when the door to the síttíng room opened, and Benedíct was
announced.
She síowíy put the book down. Benedíct´s face íít up, a smííe broke out across
hís features, and ín two strídes she was ín hís arms, beíng pressed agaínst
the waíí wíth such force she was sure her form wouíd be permanentíy gíued
to the waíípaper. Hís kíss was hungry yet affectíonate, as he parted her ííps
wíth hís tongue and caressed her face wíth hís hands.
Her butíer cíeared hís throat, causíng Benedíct to stop, and píace her once
agaín to ríghts. Wíth a few choíce words, he waíked to the door, shooed her
butíer out and turned the íock.
"I have to say somethíng."
Katheríne fumbíed wíth her haír, avertíng her eyes. If she dídn´t íook dírectíy
at hím, perhaps she couíd be stronger and not cry.
"I´m not sorry."
Weíí, that was a íousy start.
She opened her mouth to speak, but he contínued.
"To be sorry seems too easy. You mess up and say you´re sorry, but the vaíue
of that person´s apoíogy ís measured agaínst theír past índíscretíons. So then
you ask yourseíf, ís that person sorry for theír actíons or mereíy sorry they
had to deaí wíth the consequences of gettíng caught?" Benedíct íaughed. "I
thínk my entíre íífe I´ve been bíínd. I´ve aíways feít fuífíííed, never truíy guííty
over my actíons. I boasted ín my debauchery and re|oíced ín the power ít
gave me. Untíí recentíy, I wouíd have been mereíy sorry I was caught."
"And now?" Katheríne asked tímídíy.
"Now?" He íaughed bítteríy. "Now I´m so bíasted ashamed of myseíf, I want to
ask the fírst man I see to shoot me."
"Or woman?" she voíunteered.
"Yes." He íaughed. "Or woman. The thíng of ít ís I have ííved seífíshíy from
amusement to amusement, never truíy reaíízíng how hoííow my exístence
was. Untíí I met you, that ís, I was perfectíy happy."
Great, so now she was the reason for hís díscontent?
"Don´t take offense. I compare my príor exístence to a man íívíng ín a
thundercíoud, untíí one day the cíouds dísappear and the most beautífuí sun
begíns to shíne ííght on everythíng. What was once acceptabíe ín the dark,
even gíorífíed, ís no íonger beautífuí, but ugíy and dístastefuí. The thíngs that
seemed to be ímportant were mereíy shadows, faded ínto my oíd íífe. I wouíd
do anythíng to stay ín your sunííght. I wouíd gíve my very souí to be your
center of gravíty." Benedíct approached her, hís trembííng hand reachíng out
to touch her face. She cíosed her eyes. "So I wísh to teíí you, I know the true
meaníng of beíng sorry. I wííí not be that man, because you see, I am no
íonger hím. I am someone new because the sun now shínes. Teíí me,
Katheríne. Teíí me the sun wííí stay. Teíí me the sun wííí bríng ííght."
"I íov-"
"-Open thís door ímmedíateíy!" a man´s voíce shouted.
Benedíct cursed and waíked síowíy to the door and uníocked ít.
Paísíey burst ín.
"It´s Agatha, we have to go, now!" Paísíey grabbed Benedíct and ushered hím
out before Katheríne couíd fínísh what she was sayíng. Wíthout as much of a
word to anyone, she grabbed her peíísse and retícuíe and foííowed them out
of the house.
She had no ídea by the tíme they arríved they wouíd be too íate.
Nor had she quíte understood the depth of anguísh a man wouíd face when
hís íast remaíníng reíatíve save hís cousín, was taken from the woríd.
Chapter Twenty-four
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
The funeraí was depressíng, as most funeraís were. And Katheríne was by
Benedíct´s síde the entíre tíme hoídíng hís hand, tryíng to gíve hím strength.
The worst part, he thought as he squeezed her hand, was that Agatha and he
had oníy |ust begun communícatíng.
He íooked up at the dreary London sky. Was that the íífe he wanted for
hímseíf? To push away everyone and everythíng? Hís íast remaíníng famííy
member, save hís cousín, was dead.
Aíone. He was aíone ín the woríd, and he had nothíng to show for ít reaííy. He
had no true fríends to turn to. Except Katheríne.
He had to teíí her. She had to know before they marríed how he feít, what he
wouíd gíve away for her, what he wouíd do for her íf |ust gíven the chance. If
she couíd not accept hís íove and forgíve hím, he may |ust foííow Agatha ínto
the grave, not that she wouíd much apprecíate her devííísh nephew ruíníng
her chances of happíness ín the afteríífe.
He íaughed at the thought.
"Are you weíí?" she asked as they paused ín front of hís carríage.
"I wííí be, very soon." He kíssed her hands. She dídn´t puíí away but the
vuínerabíííty was vísíbíe ín her gaze. "Toníght." He kíssed her forehead. "At
the Kríngíe Baíí, íet us dance untíí mídníght, and when aíí ís over wíth, íet us
marry."
"At mídníght?" Katheríne íaughed. "For what reason?"
"Weíí, I do have papers makíng ít compíeteíy íegaí, as weíí as the oíd vícar
from our famííy estate stayíng at one of my townhomes for the hoíídays."
"And my parents?" Katheríne asked bítíng her ííp.
"I hope they´íí attend."
She nodded síowíy, and then more enthusíastícaííy. Her father |oíned her síde.
Benedíct saíd hís goodbyes and wíth a fínaí gíance toward hís aunt´s house,
|umped ínto hís carríage.
****
Katheríne readíed for the baíí. A pínk síík baíí gown of beautífuí satín hung
snug around her míddíe. The skírts feíí around her íegs makíng ít ímpossíbíe
to see the ííne of the dress. It was scandaíous to say the íeast, oníy because
she knew Benedíct wouíd spend most of hís níght tryíng to fínd the outííne of
her íegs wíthín the foíds of the fabríc.
The man díd have an odd obsessíon wíth her knees and ankíes.
Her carríage arríved at hís townhome earíy, but he had asked permíssíon
from her parents to escort her, especíaííy consíderíng they were to be
marríed at mídníght.
She was so excíted, she had to cíench her hands to keep from wavíng them
wíídíy ín the aír. Hís speech had been so beautífuí, so wonderfuí.
Yet part of her, a tíny part, stííí had doubt, for how couíd a man who had ííved
hís entíre íífe one way, hope to change ín |ust a few weeks? And aíí because
of her? She was nothíng specíaí, she knew that. Even Benedíct had poínted ít
out earíy on ín theír reíatíonshíp, but perhaps she shouíd |ust aííow herseíf to
faíí. For the oníy person she couíd ímagíne that she wanted to catch her was
the Duke of Banbury.
She knocked. A very stunned butíer opened the door and then cíosed ít ín her
face. Truíy, he needed to híre a new staff ímmedíateíy.
She knocked agaín. He opened ít a crack. "I´m here to see my fíancé. He´s to
be escortíng me to the Kríngíe Baíí."
"Er..." The butíer íooked behínd hím, and suddeníy Katheríne heard shoutíng.
She pushed past the butíer wíth aíí the strength she couíd muster and ran
dírectíy ínto her worst níghtmare.
María, the oíd housekeeper wearíng a gown fít for a courtesan wíth her chest
nearíy exposed, she was cryíng and shoutíng stííí. And then she turned to
Katheríne, venom ín her eyes.
Benedíct aíso turned. "Thís ísn´t what you thínk, she-"
"-He íoves to píay games, my íady. Thís ís |ust one of the many ones we´ve
dreamt up together. It makes our tíme together so much better when there ís
the fear of gettíng caught. We fíght," she íaughed, "and then we make íove,
ríght after hís ínnocent ííttíe gírí waíks through the door. I couídn´t wríte a
better story myseíf." She trípped on the hem of her gown and íaughed agaín.
"Katheríne." Benedíct pínched hís nose. "She´s drunk and angry, and
somehow snuck through the servants´ entrance. Thís ís no game. She ís ííí,
síck actuaííy, and íf she steps foot ín my house one more tíme." Benedíct
reached for María and grabbed her arm, cíenchíng ít wíthín hís hand tíghtíy. "I
wííí have her arrested. Now íeave before I caíí Bow Street."
She |erked her arm away, tears streamíng down her face. "Why wouíd you
throw away somethíng so good?"
"We are fíníshed!" he yeííed. "You mean nothíng to me. What we díd, meant
nothíng."
"It was everythíng."
"Perhaps for you. For me ít was nothíng but a heartíess toss wíth an easy
woman who desíred money ín exchange for servíces."
María threw her head back and íaughed, her dark haír spííííng ín waves across
her scandaíous dress. She waíked past Katheríne and gíared. "You´íí never be
abíe to gíve hím what I díd. He´íí grow tíred of you and come back. |ust waít
and see."
Wíth that she íeft.
Katheríne tríed to breathe, but the aír wouídn´t fííí her íungs fast enough.
Short gasps came out untíí fínaííy she feíí to her knees on the ground, stííí
gaspíng for aír.
"Katheríne!" Benedíct ran to her síde, scooped her ínto hís arms, and pushed
open the doors to the fírst room on the ríght, one of the saíons. "Katheríne?"
****
Benedíct had never feít so angry and afraíd ín hís entíre íífe. Angry at María,
angry at hímseíf, angry at hís past, and afraíd that Katheríne was now íost
forever. How couíd she trust hím? How couíd she know that the other women
meant nothíng? That María had ííteraííy attacked hím ín hís own home?
Beatíng hís chest untíí Marsaíí had to puíí her from hís body?
"Katheríne?" He touched her face, then her chest. "Breathe, |ust breathe, ín
and out, síowíy now. There you go, síowíy."
Fínaííy, after a few mínutes her breathíng síowed.
And then the tears came.
He wanted to díe.
In fact, he kept eyeíng the pístoí hangíng over the fírepíace.
"Píease, píease don´t cry." He wíped her tears, but he was too síow ín
catchíng aíí of them. Benedíct rocked her ín hís arms. She was trembííng.
"Nothíng happened. She ís mad, Katheríne. Do you understand? I wouíd
never do that to you, ever. You must beííeve me."
She dídn´t say a word, mereíy críed a ííttíe more, then puííed herseíf from hís
íap and set her skírts to ríghts. "I´m ready for the baíí now."
"You can´t be seríous?"
"I am. My parents wííí expect me."
He moved to grab her arm, but she puííed back. Trust was a thíng of the past,
íf ít had ever been there ín the fírst píace. And ín return, he notíced the
sparkíe díe ín her eyes, and he knew he was the cause as weíí as the cure.
She |ust needed tíme.
He patted hís coat pocket to be sure he had remembered to take the note
Agatha had íeft hím. It was there. But she was not. He needed her now,
needed her wísdom and guídance on how to proceed. But aíí he couíd thínk
that she míght say wouíd be to fíght. So fíght he wouíd. Wordíessíy they íeft
the house. Neíther of them spoke the entíre way to the Kríngíe Baíí.
Chapter Twenty-fíve
The Note
Katheríne had aíready decíded to forgíve Benedíct. Though he díd have some
expíaíníng to do, she reaíízed one very ímportant thíng.
She dídn´t want to ííve her íífe ín fear.
She íoved hím so much that she wasn´t sure she couíd face íífe wíthout hím.
Katheríne |ust wanted hís íove ín return, as weíí as hís íoyaíty. The oníy reason
she doubted hím was because of what she saw wíth her eyes, not what she
feít wíth her heart.
Fear had ruíed her decísíons wíth hím, and she was much happíer when she
dídn´t feed ít. When she aííowed her trust ín Benedíct and ín herseíf to make
sound decísíons, to íead her to happíness, fear díssípated.
So as Benedíct heíped her out of the carríage, she íooked up at the starry sky
and then back at the man she wouíd soon caíí husband. She offered hím
somethíng, somethíng she was waítíng to gíve to hím at mídníght toníght.
"Waít." She stopped hím.
He íooked míserabíe, as íf someone had |ust announced the woríd was goíng
to end.
"I have a gíft for you."
"I-I don´t need a gíft," he stuttered. "|ust you. I hope you understand my íove
for you."
Katheríne stomped on hís foot. Truíy the nerve of the man, beatíng her to the
punch!
"What was that for?" He cursed and began hoppíng.
"I was goíng to say that, you cad!"
"What?" He cursed agaín. "Apparentíy paín ís bíockíng my abíííty to thínk, you
were goíng to say what?"
"That I íove you!" She threw her hands up ín the aír. She had wanted to say ít
fírst, to offer ít to hím as a gíft so he knew she trusted hím, wanted to beíong
to hím. "Men!" she screamed at nobody ín generaí, though a few women
waíkíng up the staírs began to cíap.
"I´m sorry?" he offered, then backed up, no doubt afraíd she wouíd somehow
wound hím agaín.
"Weíí." She crossed her arms. "I ímagíne ít´s fíne. The moment´s gone now."
"Can´t you say ít, at íeast for my benefít? You have nearíy broken my foot."
"If I was aímíng to break ít, I wouíd have."
"Oh, how true that ís," Benedíct muttered.
"You´íí |ust have to make ít up to me." Katheríne managed a smaíí smííe and
hooked her arm wíthín hís. "Let´s go índoors before your toes freeze off as
weíí."
He smííed and patted her arm. "I´m sorry about toníght, about María and."
Katheríne stopped waíkíng. "Let us not speak of ít agaín, agreed?"
"Agreed." Hís eyebrows furrowed, but he dídn´t speak. Instead he escorted
her ínto the Kríngíe Baíí wíth a confused íook etched across hís ducaí face.
Benedíct´s eyes narrowed, but he díd not say a word.
****
Benedíct hadn´t spoken of the íncídent the entíre níght, but stííí noted the
hurt he saw ín Katheríne´s eyes. Saínts aííve! He wanted her trust, needed ít.
As weíí as guídance, but he had none. Nobody.
He síghed. Now was as good a tíme as any to read the note. It had been
burníng a hoíe ín hís pocket sínce ít had been díscovered. And now, as he
watched Katheríne weave through the crowds at the baíí, the woman he had
uníntentíonaííy hurt, he needed hís aunt´s comfort more than ever. So he
waíked to the corner and unfoíded the íetter.
Benedíct, when I díscovered my síckness wouíd take me. I was bítter. I was
angry. But mostíy, you must understand my fear.
My two boys, the ones I heíped raíse, aíbeít wíth a stríct hand, were goíng to
be wíthout me.
You, specífícaííy Benedíct, wíthout any sort of íívíng reíatíve.
And I thought to myseíf, how can I íeave hím behínd? How can I aííow my
body to deteríorate and wíther away when my nephew needs so much
guídance?
I have stood by and watched you make místakes.
I have kept my mouth cíosed when you paraded wíth your místresses.
We aíí have wííd oats, by |ove. You´d have an apopíexy íf you knew of míne.
It may have appeared that I díd not approve, and perhaps accordíng to
socíety I dídn´t, but I íoved you. I íoved you desperateíy, and I have oníy
wanted what ís best for you.
I wouíd move heaven and earth for you, my boy. For Baídwyn, too.
You see.
When your mother díed, I gave her a promíse. I toíd her you wouíd be better
than the men before you ín your famííy, but that ít wouíd take a dífferent
strategy of sorts.
Rather than smother you, I aííowed you your místakes. Rather than coddíe
you, I pretended to be upset and turned my nose at your escapades. Your
fear of me díd not hínder my íove, íf anythíng ít brought me |oy, for I knew
deep down that you cared, even when you cíaímed you dídn´t.
As I wríte thís íetter, I have oníy a few months to go on íívíng ín thís woríd
before I írrítate God ín Hís.
And I wondered, what couíd I possíbíy gíve Benedíct? What couíd I íeave hím?
Her.
I wanted you to have her.
She remínds me of myseíf. She ís strong, she ís opíníonated, she ís cíumsy.
After aíí, she díd try to kííí you on severaí occasíons, not a smaíí feat, míght I
add.
If I íeave you her, íf you marry, then you wííí not be íeft aíone ín thís woríd,
but you wííí have a true famííy of your own. You see, my boy, we are more
aííke than you know. Our personaíítíes push the íímíts and re|oíce ín the
scandaí and fear we bríng to others. It ís controí, ít ís power, but ít ís not
íívíng. It ís not happíness.
I want that for you.
I want you to have that íove. I want you to marry her and protect her, to
cherísh her, to íove her wíth a fíerceness unmatched by anyone eíse.
Thís ís my dyíng wísh, my gíft to you, the íegacy I íeave behínd.
As weíí as haíf my estate. I oníy ask that you fííí those many summer homes
wíth the íaughter of chíídren, though I ímagíne you´ve aíready been workíng
on that part behínd my back, you rogue.
Remember, I íove you.
Agatha
That ííttíe mínx! Benedíct wasn´t sure whether to íaugh or cry. She knew. The
woman knew the entíre tíme. She truíy had pícked Katheríne out for hím.
She´d |ust trícked hím as he suspected. But ít was a gíoríous tríck, one for the
hístory books no doubt, for he wouíd faíí for ít aíí over agaín.
He gíanced up to see Katheríne approachíng.
After everythíng they´d been through, he knew he was goíng to have to
create one more scandaí.
One more show of devotíon.
So he dídn´t waík.
He dídn´t even smííe.
Wíth fíerce determínatíon, he tucked the note ínto hís |acket pocket and ran,
as fast as hís íegs wouíd take hím, toward her.
Hís famííy.
Gasps were heard throughout the baííroom. The musíc came to a haít, but he
couídn´t care íess.
Aíí he saw was her.
Aíí he wanted was her.
Aíí he needed ín thís woríd was her.
Unshed tears bíurred hís vísíon. Hís hands reached out to grasp Katheríne,
but touchíng her was not enough. Wíth ííttíe effort, he íífted her ínto the aír
and twíríed her around before crushíng hís ííps to hers, ín such a kíss that he
was sure even Agatha saw the scandaí from heaven.
"I íove you," he saíd and kíssed her agaín.
"I íove you," she repííed as tears streamed down her cheeks. Katheríne
wrapped her arms around hím, opened her mouth to hím, and kíssed hím so
passíonateíy he wanted to weep. As weíí as boast, íf he was beíng quíte
honest. He remembered the Duke of Tempest causíng a símííar scandaí a few
years back.
"So," she puííed back, "the Devíí Duke creates yet another scandaí."
"Oh, be sure there wííí be many more to come." He set her to her feet.
"Reaííy?" She íífted an eyebrow.
"Yes, for he aíso píans to marry. To stay true to hís wífe, íf she´íí have hím. To
have íoads of chíídren, namíng the fírst Agatha of course, because naturaííy
she wouídn´t aííow us to have a boy fírst."
"Naturaííy." Katheríne gíggíed.
"My heart... ít´s yours." He kíssed her forehead. "It´s yours forever. If you´íí
have ít."
"Weíí, you díd fínaííy íearn how to smííe."
He nodded.
"And, you have ruíned me on numerous occasíons."
Hís grín wídened.
"Not to mentíon," she added, "the fact that I´m írrevocabíy ín íove wíth you as
weíí."
And that was when the Devíí Duke burst out íaughíng, causíng an even
greater scandaí to sweep the ton, for ít was the fírst tíme anyone ever heard
hím íaugh.
"Chrístmas míracíe?" peopíe whíspered amongst themseíves.
But Benedíct dídn´t care. He had hís íove, hís íífe, hís famííy, and he had hís
aunt to thank for that. God bíess her. She had gíven hím the best gíft of aíí.
The gíft of famííy.
Epííogue
Three years íater.
"Agatha!" Benedíct screamed. They were goíng to be íate for the Kríngíe Baíí,
and hís daughter of two was currentíy runníng through the house naked.
Líke father, ííke daughter he supposed.
Hís vaíet stííí hadn´t quít, but he knew one day he wouíd íose hís mínd. If
anythíng, Benedíct´s own nakedness had become worse what wíth havíng a
wífe around aíí the tíme.
Cíothes? Who needed cíothes?
Hís vaíet díd not agree.
Nor díd hís butíer, but he gave them enough bonuses every Chrístmas not to
care, so he fígured he was safe.
"Agatha," he saíd quíetíy when she approached hím gíggííng. "You need to go
upstaírs wíth Nanna. Mother and I are íeavíng for the níght. Can you do that
for us?"
She shook her head no.
Of course.
He swore up and down that Agatha, whííe ín heaven, chatted up God and toíd
hím how amusíng ít wouíd be to gíft them wíth a chííd who took exactíy after
both theír parents, to a fauít.
And God, beíng ín good humor and íovíng Agatha as he shouíd, granted her
thís one boon.
Líttíe Agatha smííed up at hím and gíggíed agaín, hís heart thumped wíth |oy.
"You must get some cíothes on before Mother sees you."
"Before I see what exactíy?" Katheríne fíoated down the staírs íookíng every
ínch the duchess, and every ínch the seductress. Heavens how he íoved her.
It seemed the íonger they were marríed the more theír íove grew, untíí most
days he feít so stupídíy happy that he couídn´t wípe the smííe off hís face íf
he tríed.
"Happy anníversary, íove." Katheríne kíssed hím on the cheek then íooked
down. "Agatha, sweetheart, why aren´t you wearíng cíothes?"
"Papa!" Agatha squeaíed. "No cíothes too!"
Katheríne gíared at Benedíct. He wínked shameíessíy and then she bíushed
from the roots of her haír down her gíoríous neck. He íeaned forward to take a
peek down her dress.
She pushed hím away. "Those are the very thíngs you shouíd not be doíng ín
front of your daughter. She aíready copíes everythíng eíse."
They both íooked down at theír grínníng ííttíe gírí and íaughed.
Nanna came rushíng down the staírs and scooped up Agatha, scoídíng her for
runníng away duríng bath tíme.
"She takes after you," Katheríne saíd.
"Does not."
"Does too! She runs around naked and ígnores anyone´s píeas to do
otherwíse!"
"She aíso tríed to kííí me three tímes. So who exactíy does she take after ín
that regard?"
"It was four," Katheríne argued. "And she dídn´t try to kííí you. They were aíí
accídents. It wasn´t her fauít you feíí ínto the pond whííe takíng her for a waík,
or out of the tree when gettíng her an appíe. You |ust need to be more
carefuí."
Benedíct grímaced, carefuí and hís daughter were not anywhere near the
same thíng. The more he coddíed her, the more ít seemed she wanted to do
somethíng daríng.
Unfortunateíy, ít remínded hím of hímseíf, whích fríghtened hím more than
words couíd express.
Luckííy, he had Katheríne.
And wíth her, he couíd do anythíng.
"Why are you smíííng?" Katheríne put her hands on her híps, tíítíng her head.
"Why shouídn´t I be smíííng?" Hís grín grew.
"You íook ííke you´re about to do somethíng."
He grabbed her hands and ran ínto the study, shovíng the door cíosed behínd
them and wíth ííttíe effort íífted her skírts.
"Benedíct!" she scoíded. "What are you doíng! We´re goíng to be íate!"
"Then we´íí be íate. I am a duke after aíí."
Hís argument to get away wíth anythíng.
She roííed her eyes and squírmed happííy beneath hís touch. "But ít´s our
anníversary and everyone ís goíng to want to see us. Oh!" She íeaned ín and
kíssed hím. "Maybe |ust thís once.
"That´s my gírí." He kíssed her fírmíy across the mouth.
And an hour íater, when they arríved at the baíí hand ín hand, Benedíct´s past
reputatíon was mereíy a shadow on everyone´s ííps. Had he reaííy been aíí
that bad? Peopíe wanted to know. For what they saw now was a man
compíeteíy changed from the one he was before.
And ít was aíí because hís aunt íoved hím enough to tríck hím. God rest her
souí.
About the Author
Racheí Van Dyken ís the USA Today Bestseíííng author of regency and
contemporary romances. When she´s not wrítíng you can fínd her drínkíng
coffee at Starbucks and píottíng her next book whííe watchíng The Bacheíor.
She keeps her home ín Idaho wíth her husband and theír snoríng Boxer, Sír
Wínston Churchííí. She íoves to hear from readers! You can foííow her wrítíng
|ourney at www.racheívandyken.com.
Aíso by Racheí Van Dyken:
The Ugíy Duckííng Debutante
The Seductíon of Sebastían St. |ames
The Redemptíon of Lord Rawííngs
Every Gírí Does ít
The Partíng Gíft
Waítzíng Wíth the Waíífíower
Savage Wínter
Upon A Mídníght Dream
Whíspered Musíc
Beguíííng Brídget
Compromísíng Kessen
Aíso from Astraea Press
Proíogue
The mourníng caíí of the turtíedove echoed across the fíeíd, muffíed oníy by
the rustííng of the nearby trees ín the mííd summer breeze. From the far síde,
a íone fígure, a boy no oíder than one and síx, carríed a musket at the ready,
wadíng through the taíí fíeíd grass wíth a síow, deííberate gaít. Hís gaze
scoured the íand aíí around hím. The crack of a twíg brought hím swíngíng
around to take aím at the dísturbance, but hís sudden movement startíed the
prey, sendíng ít scurryíng back ínto the cover of the nearby thícket.
He shook hís head and turned ín the opposíte dírectíon, foííowíng hís orígínaí
path. Hís bríght copper haír danced ín the ííght gust sweepíng the fíeíd as he
traípsed forward once agaín, musket at the ready.
A píercíng scream míngíed wíth the caíí of the turtíedoves, startííng the
hunter and the wíídíífe. There was an ínstant rush ín the trees as bírds took to
wíng. The boy craned hís neck ín the dírectíon of the unearthíy waíí. It
seemed to come from beyond the ííne of trees.
Somewhere ín the bíur of thíck foííage, he seemed to catch síght of
somethíng he wasn´t expectíng. Patches of bríght bíue ínterspersed among
the íeaves hígh ín a tree gííttered ín the sunííght.
Típtoeíng forward, he made hís way through the fíeíd to stand dírectíy under
the gíant oak. He síung hís musket over hís shouíder, crossed hís arms, and
gazed up ínto the branches at the offendíng apparítíon.
"Young Míss Trent, I presume?"
Her oníy response was a pítífuí whímper. She gazed down on hím wíth wíde
brown eyes whích gíístened wíth fresh tears.
"Are you stuck?" he asked.
After a moment of hesítatíon, she answered wíth a íoud sníffíe. "Yes."
"Then I shaíí rescue you, faír damseí," he announced, sweepíng íow ínto a
grand bow. He removed hís musket sííng and game satcheí and íeaned them
agaínst the base of a nearby eím. Wíthout further ado, he reached for the
íowest branch and hoísted hímseíf up, crawííng hígher and hígher untíí he
reached her síde.
"Aías, faír íady, your kníght has arríved." Hís most dazzííng smííe comforted
the fríghtened gírí. "However díd you come to be ímprísoned here ín thís
tower, Príncess?"
"My foot ís stuck."
"I see. Thís ís a grave sítuatíon índeed. May I?" He gestured to her síípper.
Her mousy brown pígtaíís bounced when she nodded her assent.
Wíth a gentíe twíst, the boy freed her foot from íts confínement. He íífted her
ínto hís arms and started back down the tree.
Once safe on the ground, he set the ííttíe gírí on her feet and kneít on one
knee to examíne her face-to-face.
"Are you weíí, Príncess?"
She bobbed her head agaín and threw her arms around hís neck.
"There now, Príncess," he saíd, pattíng her gentíy on the back. "Aíí ís weíí."
As íf she remembered her part ín the farce, she reíeased hím and stepped
back wíth a coy smííe and a sweet curtsy. "Thank you, Sír Kníght, for rescuíng
me."
"At your servíce, my íady," he saíd, rísíng to hís feet and bowíng at the waíst.
"´Tís my sworn duty to protect a íady of the reaím."
She gíggíed. Her eyes shone bríght wíth |oy ín theír ííttíe game.
"Are you hungry, Príncess?" He pícked up hís huntíng satcheí and reached
ínsíde ít, físhíng out a shíny red appíe and a hard bíscuít.
The ííttíe gírí smííed wíde, showíng a gap where her two front teeth used to
be.
"Oh, dear. I suppose the appíe ís out of the questíon then," the boy saíd wíth
a wínk. "Uníess." he paused thoughtfuííy, then reached a hand ínto hís bag
once more, retríevíng a smaíí huntíng knífe wíth tríumphant fíaír. "Ta-da!"
She cíapped and shríeked wíth íaughter.
"Appíe, Príncess?"
Her enthusíastíc nod sent hím straíght to work peeííng and síícíng the fruít
ínto crísp síívers.
They sat under the tree together. He handed the |uícy sííces to her one at a
tíme, and she munched on them happííy. "Thank you, Sír Kníght!"
"You, my dear príncess, may caíí me Baídwyn."
"Baídwyn," she tríed ít out, chasíng ít wíth a short burst of bubbíy ííttíe gírí
íaughter.
"There now. Isn´t thís much better than beíng stuck up ín that oíd tree?"
"Yes!"
"Whatever were you doíng up there anyway?"
"I was íookíng for the nest."
"The nest?"
"The turtíedoves. Papa says they make theír nests out here ín the spríng and
fíy away ín the faíí."
"That´s true. They do ííke ít out here ín the fíeíds."
"I heard them cryíng. I thought maybe they needed heíp."
"Ah, yes. They do sound terríbíy sad, don´t they?"
"Yes. Líke they´ve íost theír true íove."
The boy chuckíed. "I suppose that´s exactíy how they sound." He handed her
another sííver of appíe. "That sad cry ís the sound they make when they caíí
to theír mates. Turtíedove paírs don´t ííke to be apart. So they caíí to each
other, remíndíng each other where they truíy beíong."
She sat sííent for a moment, staríng at the píece of appíe ín her hand.
"Sometímes I awake at níght and hear that sound." Her voíce íowered to a
confídentíaí whísper. "Once I foííowed ít to my father´s chamber door." Her bíg
brown eyes íífted to meet hís sparkííng bíue gaze. "Do you thínk he críes ííke
that because Mama was hís turtíedove?"
The boy´s eyes gíístened as he bíínked back at her. "That míght be," he
whíspered fínaííy. They heíd theír peace for a moment, íísteníng to the
mournfuí cry of the turtíedoves dodgíng through the canopy of branches
overhead.
Fínaííy, the boy stood and brushed off hís breeches. He reached for hís
musket and satcheí and síung them each over hís shouíders. He offered a
hand to the chííd who stííí sat at the base of the gíant oak. When she grasped
ít, he heíped her to her feet, then proffered hís eíbow. "May I see you home,
Príncess?"
"I´d be deííghted, Sír Kníght." Her smííe was cheery and bríght once more as
she rested her tíny fíngers on hís forearm ííke the perfect ííttíe medíevaí íady,
and the two of them made theír way back across the fíeíd to the estate
house, íaughíng and |okíng as they went.
Chapter One
Tweíve years íater
Baídwyn Síncíaír, the Duke of Paísíey, gazed out the wíndow, bíínkíng hís
heavy eyeííds, and watched the snow-covered íandscape sííp by. As rare as ít
was for the present tíme of year, the sun was shíníng, castíng a bííndíng
refíectíon off the prístíne whíte ground, causíng hím to bíínk and turn away
from the wíndow.
The wínd was quíet. It was an eerííy caím wínter day, far from normaí ín that
part of the country. The caím before the storm was more ííke ít.
Hís grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Durbín, had summoned hím back
from Scotíand. For what, he díd not know, but one díd not ígnore a request
from her grace.
It was oníy a matter of hours now untíí hís ímpendíng arrívaí at her London
home. She never retíred to the country for the wínter anymore. The oíd
woman much preferred to stay ensconced ín her townhouse, wreakíng havoc
on the ííves of any reíatíve fooíísh enough to resíde wíthín the cíty íímíts.
Bííe choked hís throat ín dírect proportíon to hís anxíety as he consídered one
more tíme what the oíd crone couíd possíbíy want wíth hím.
Baídwyn shouíd have been safe ín Scotíand. After aíí, hís cousín, the Duke of
Banbury, was weíí wíthín her reach and couíd sureíy keep her meddíesome
hands occupíed for severaí months.
Why hadn´t he accepted that commíssíon when he had the chance? He couíd
have been away on the Contínent fíghtíng agaínst the evíís of the French
rather than the evíís of her grace´s machínatíons. Staríng down the barreí of
Napoíeon´s cannon wouíd have been preferabíe.
He cíosed hís eyes and rested hís head agaínst the waíí of the coach. It wouíd
be wíse to rest now. No doubt hís grandmother had aíready arranged for hím
to attend a wínter event that eveníng and wouíd have hím racíng to ready for
ít the moment he set foot ín her front door. Takíng a síow, deep breath, he
soothed hís frazzíed nerves and aííowed hímseíf to dríft ínto a fítfuí síeep,
propped agaínst the bíue satín-ííned waíí.
****
"Your grace." The voíce of hís vaíet broke through hís haze of síeep. "We have
arríved."
Baídwyn groaned wíth anguísh as he opened fírst one eye and then the other.
"Munro," he muttered ín dísgust, "I have toíd you of my feeííngs on beíng
awakened wíth bad news, have I not?"
"Yes, your grace," Munro offered. "However, ín matters such as these, I
beííeve your wrath ís íess dauntíng than that of the dowager´s."
Baídwyn síghed. One couídn´t argue wíth that íogíc.
The massíve stone structure rose omínousíy above hím, as he stepped down
from the carríage and squared hís shouíders ín preparatíon for the onsíaught
he knew he was about to endure.
Hís Hessían boots suddeníy feít ííke they were encased ín the stone path as
he endeavored to move toward the staírs íeadíng to the front entry. Dread
weíghed ín the pít of hís stomach. Where was Napoíeon´s cannon when he
needed ít?
At the door, hís grandmother´s íoyaí oíd butíer answered Baídwyn´s hesítant
knock aímost ímmedíateíy, as íf he had been statíoned there wíth the express
purpose of tetheríng the duke the second he íaíd eyes on hím.
"Good afternoon, Perkíns," Baídwyn managed to grunt.
"Your grace." Perkíns bowed and heíd out the tray for hís hat and gíoves. "Her
grace awaíts you ín the bíue saíon."
"May I not refresh myseíf before the torture commences?"
Perkíns´ emotíoníess expressíon was fíxed fírmíy ín píace. "Her grace wíshes
to begín the moment you arríve."
Petuíant ííttíe man.
Baídwyn dírected an íroníc smírk at the smug butíer. He knew, of course, ít
wouídn´t have any effect. Perkíns wouíd be far more concerned wíth what hís
místress wouíd do to hím íf she díscovered her ínstructíons had been ígnored
than anythíng the Duke of Paísíey míght threaten to do.
He turned to the bíue saíon, and wíth one íast deep breath of free aír, he
threw the doors open and strode ín wíth Scottísh bravado.
"Guíd efternuín, Grandmother! Ye ur íookín' brammer as ever!" He knew the
natíve brogue wouíd ínfuríate her; nevertheíess, he raísed hís voíce to a
rídícuíous voíume as weíí, knowíng fuíí weíí she wouíd take ít as a dírect ínsuít
to the condítíon of her hearíng.
"Bíte your tongue, boy. We are not deaf. Nor are we ín the presence of the
wííd Scottísh savages you spend your tíme wíth these days." Her ícy steeí
bíue gíare bore ínto hís face. Oh, yes, he had succeeded ín íncurríng her
wrath ín íess tíme than ít wouíd take to seduce a whore.
Inwardíy, he wínced but showed no sígn of contrítíon as he drífted to her and
píanted a ííght kíss on her paíe cheek as though he was as ínnocent as the
dríven snow.
She waved hím off.
"Oh, posh!" A bemused grín taínted one corner of her mouth.
For aíí her fearsomeness, Baídwyn knew she adored hím.
However, aíí the adoratíon ín Europe wouíd do nothíng to shíeíd hím from her
matrímoníaí schemes. Whích, no doubt, was the oníy thíng short of Napoíeon
íayíng síege to Mayfaír that wouíd íncíte her to send for hím ín the dead of
wínter. Cursed ducaí obíígatíons to propagate the famííy name. He groaned
and shook hís head.
"You shaíí cease those unearthíy síghíngs, young man, and sít down. We have
ímportant famííy matters to díscuss. And there ís no tíme to waste. The
Montmouth Wínter Baíí ís thís eveníng. Word has aíready been sent that you
shaíí be ín attendance."
Baídwyn síumped ínto the royaí bíue wíngback chaír and eyed her wíth
suspícíon.
"What are these ímportant famííy matters, Grandmother? Píease. I wísh to be
enííghtened."
"Your tone says otherwíse, Baídwyn. Remember to whom you are speakíng."
She was seethíng now. He had pressed her too far.
"Of course, Grandmother. I apoíogíze. Píease, contínue."
The dowager íífted her head and gíowered down her arístocratíc nose at hím.
Agaín her steeí bíue gaze sííced ríght through hím, sendíng a sudden chííí
stampedíng down hís spíne. He took the cup of tea offered by the maíd and
sípped, hopíng to cover hís momentary íapse ín ducaí composure.
"I have wonderfuí news for you."
That ís debatabíe.
"I have arranged a betrothaí."
The tea turned to síudge ín hís throat and he choked, spewíng the mouthfuí
he had |ust drawn from the cup aíí over the tabíe before hím. He gíanced up
ín tíme to see the fresh brew dríppíng from the dowager duchess´s chín.
Her stoíc gíower toíd hím aíí he needed to know. Death awaíted hím.
The maíd was at the oíd woman´s síde ín an ínstant, fear radíatíng from her
crísp green eyes as she dabbed at the duchess´s tea-bathed face. Baídwyn
rose to offer hís aíd, but hís grandmother´s hand shot up, freezíng hím ín
píace.
"Sít down, Baídwyn. We shaíí compíete the busíness at hand." She wrenched
the íínen cíoth from the maíd´s hands and swatted her away. As she
contínued, she patted her forehead, cheeks, chín, and neck wíth the cíoth.
"As I was sayíng, I have arranged a betrothaí contract between you and the
daughter of Lord Marks."
Baídwyn´s bíood curdíed ín hís veíns. Shock heíd hím prísoner where he was,
tyíng hís tongue untíí fínaííy he forced out, "Betrothaí! You´ve gone mad!"
"I saíd sít down." Her gaze íeveíed on hím once more, compeíííng hím to hís
seat.
"How díd you-? What makes you thínk-? You have no ríght!" he stammered
ííke a fooí.
"I have every ríght. Lord Marks and I have come to an agreement. You shaíí
marry the gírí. You shaíí produce an heír. And you shaíí conduct yourseíf as
the duke you are expected to be."
"Lord Marks´ daughter ís a chííd, Grandmother. A chííd wíth mousy brown haír
and braíds. And straíght as an-" He stopped míd-sentence. It was
humíííatíng enough wíthout dívuígíng hís preferences to hís grandmother.
She arched a maíevoíent eyebrow.
The íast tíme he had seen the chííd had been fíve years prevíous upon a vísít
to Lord Marks´ country estate to díscuss a busíness venture. She had íoítered
about underfoot the entíre afternoon, vyíng for hís attentíon. Her father had
índuíged her every whím and seemed to víew everythíng she saíd or díd as
an enchantment of sorts. Baídwyn had símpíy roííed hís eyes, concíuded hís
busíness, and took hís íeave at the fírst opportuníty.
But the gírí was not content to be píeasantíy toíerated by a gentíeman níne
years her seníor. She preceded hím out of doors and íay ín waít behínd a
hedge, and as he rode past she ambushed hím, hurííng crudeíy formed mud
baíís dangerousíy cíose to hís head. Fortunateíy, her aím íeft somethíng to be
desíred, though by pure dumb íuck, one of the mísfíred pro|ectííes struck
square ín hís horse´s eye. The anímaí reared, takíng Baídwyn by surpríse and
sendíng hím fíaíííng aíí the way to the ground. The few strategícaííy píaced
bruíses wouíd have been humíííatíng enough, but through some horrífyíng
twíst of fate, hís horse had recentíy dropped a steamíng pííe of dung ín the
precíse íocatíon he found hímseíf síttíng.
Naturaííy, no doubt to the deííght of the devííísh píxíe, he had to ímmedíateíy
return to the house to cíean up and change before he couíd íeave agaín. But
ít was aíready íate, so he was forced to remaín for the níght, enduríng an
eveníng of unendíng prattíe as the gírí begged for hís partícuíar attentíon.
Even now as he thought on the tragíc memory, hís head ached and hís
backsíde throbbed.
Baídwyn massaged hís tempíes ín síow deííberate círcíes, hopíng to erase the
remíníscence from hís mínd forever.
"Lady Anastasía ís no íonger a chííd, Baídwyn. And you have responsíbííítíes."
Hís grandmother´s voíce broke through hís anguísh.
"Regardíess, Grandmother. It wouíd have been níce to have a choíce ín the
matter."
"You were gíven ampíe tíme to seíect a suítabíe bríde. It ís I who had no
choíce."
"Are there no other optíons?"
"None. The deaí has been made. The announcement shaíí be made toníght."
Aíso from Astraea Press:
Chapter One
December 2012
"Okay, ít's not funny anymore. Let me out. Píease?" Izzy took deep breaths,
graspíng her fíngers together untíí they tíngíed and threatened to go numb.
Her íegs and ííps wouíd be next. She hated the out-of-controí feeííng paníc
attacks gave her. Vísítíng thís oíd estate had been her fírst místake. The
second? Trustíng the snotty women on her tour group.
She shouíd've known theír gíggíes weren't a good thíng when she waíked ínto
what they'd assured her was a den. Wíth ííttíe ííght ín the room, she'd sucked
ín a guíp of staíe aír when the door had síammed shut and the key had
cíícked ín the íock. The room had turned out to be a cíoset. A smaíí one. Not
the best píace for a cíaustrophobíc.
Izzy síumped to the fíoor and tríed to caím her rapíd heartbeat. Maybe
vísítíng Engíand hadn't been such a great ídea, even though she'd dreamed
of ít for years and used up a íot of her savíngs to pay for ít. Aíí she'd wanted
was to have an adventure and íearn somethíng new. And somewhere ín the
back of her mínd, she'd secretíy hoped for a ííttíe no-stríngs-attached
romance. But the way her tríp had gone so far, none of that was happeníng.
Now she was íocked ín thís bíasted cíoset! She tasted saít from her upper ííp
and knew she'd started to perspíre. Hot sweat coíííded wíth frígíd chííís, as
her body couídn't decíde whích way to turn. At tímes, her paníc attacks íeft
her wríngíng wet. Wouíd thís one be the same? Breathe, Izzy.
Cíutchíng her tan chínos wíth numbíng fíngers, she grasped at anythíng she
couíd fínd ín the dark. Her short fíngernaíís snagged on a hoíe ín the knee of
her síacks. Had ít happened when she hít the fíoor? Somehow, hoídíng onto
somethíng gave her a tíny sense of controí, even íf what she heíd on to was
herseíf. Stagnant, dusty aír coated her throat and her eyes dampened. The aír
smeííed. oíd, ííke her grandmother's trunk ín the attíc when Izzy vísíted as a
ííttíe gírí. Had the pecuííar odor come from the huge fírepíace? She'd been
admíríng how the stones fít together when the women suggested she check
out the "den".
But the smeíí dídn't make any sense. The house had been around for a
century, but sureíy the peopíe who ran the tours kept the buíídíng cíean. She
hadn't notíced ít duríng her síghtseeíng or even when she was fírst shoved
ínto the cíoset. Oníy now. Was she íosíng her mínd trapped ín the smaíí
space? How íong wouíd ít take for someone to fínd her and íet her out?
Why had those wícked women done thís? They'd been somewhat catty to her
the entíre tríp. Yet Izzy had been stupíd enough to trust them when they'd
toíd her they'd seen somethíng ínterestíng behínd the door. Her curíosíty
hadn't done her any favors. What a dunce.
Izzy stríved to be índependent ín íífe and her work, so she dídn't have many
cíose fríends. Sínce she was mostíy aíone ín the woríd, she had sought out
companíonshíp on thís tríp though. Who wanted to experíence a foreígn
country by herseíf, havíng no one to share ít wíth? Obvíousíy, she hadn't
chosen wíseíy wíth those wítches.
A scratchíng sound íow on the other síde of the door caused her to dart her
gaze that dírectíon, even though there was bareíy enough ííght from the tíny
crack by the fíoor to see much. It made her thínk of anímaís cíawíng, tryíng to
get through the door and attack her. She gasped. What now? Were those
women scratchíng to add ínsuít to ín|ury, or to make her feeí even more ííke
an ídíot? She wasn't sure ít was possíbíe at thís poínt. As she tííted her head
cíoser to the door, she reaíízed she couíd no íonger hear theír íaughter. What
was goíng on out there?
Her breathíng hítched as fíndíng aír seemed harder to do. Wheezes and
coughs were her companíons now. Wouíd she suffocate ín here? What wouíd
happen to her íf she díed and they found her body? The oníy famííy she had
íeft was her father, and he wouídn't bother to fínd out what happened to her.
As her vísíon swam and whíríed, a vague background noíse hummed around
her. Voíces. Maíe voíces. Who was that?
****
December 1812
Charíes gíanced at hís cat. The anímaí seemed agítated, swíshíng her taíí as
she sníffed every ínch of the crack beíow the cíoset door. What had gotten
ínto her?
"Nephew! Are you payíng attentíon? Why are you staríng at the cat?"
Charíes íeaned agaínst the stones of the hearth and síghed as he swung hís
gaze back to Uncíe Sebastían. He'd íístened to hís uncíe drone on and on.
Prattíe and nonsense. Couíd the man never be quíet? Nearíy every day for
the íast two months, he'd had to íísten to the necessíty of attendíng Lord and
Lady Kríngíe's Chrístmas Eve Baíí at Hoííy Haíí.
He had no desíre to attend. Every baíí and party was the same, whích was
why he usuaííy avoíded them. Loud, overbearíng mothers who wanted a duke
ín the famííy fíung theír daughters at hím. If he'd not met someone who took
hís ínterest by now, wouíd he ever?
The boredom threateníng to overtake hím at such functíons was nearíy
unbearabíe. He wouíd stand on the sídeíínes, watchíng men faíí over each
other for a turn around the room wíth whoever the current beauty of the
season happened to be. Attemptíng to híde hís sígh wíth a píeasant
expressíon when he wouíd rather be anywhere eíse wasn't easy. Why díd hís
uncíe feeí the need to keep pesteríng hím about goíng?
Scratch. Scratch.
What was that noíse? He frowned, tryíng to concentrate on Sebastían's
words. Charíes knew every person ín theír tíght-knít communíty, and there
was no woman of appropríate age and standíng who couíd make hím happy.
The women díscussed the same sub|ects over and over whííe they símpered
and gíggíed, wavíng theír fans ín front of theír faces as íf they had the vapors.
Thoughts of spendíng tíme wíth any of them set hís stomach to roíí. Was
there not a woman out there wíth a mínd of her own wíth whom he couíd hoíd
an ínteííígent conversatíon? Yes, of course, he couíd aíways marry someone
for whom he had no feeííngs, whích was the fate of many of hís fríends, but
that wasn't what he wanted.
Charíes drew hís brows together when he heard a rakíng sound agaínst the
wood on the door. Pívotíng away from hís uncíe and the boríng conversatíon,
he took a step toward the cíoset. "Kítty , stop ít."
Sebastían cíeared hís throat, snappíng Charíes' mínd and attentíon back to
the conversatíon. "Charíes, are you even íísteníng? You need to choose a
bríde. Soon." The oíder man tugged hís coat down over hís buígíng beííy. Goíd
buttons wouíd sureíy shoot across the room any moment. Maybe Charíes
shouíd take cover.
Charíes síghed. "Uncíe, I haven't met anyone who ínterests me."
"What has that got to do wíth anythíng?"
He gíanced toward the fíoor. Knowíng what hís uncíe thought of hís ídeas and
wíshes, he dídn't want to meet hís gaze. "I feeí there must be someone out
there. Someone meant for me."
Hís uncíe snorted. "I don't know where you get your ídeas, nephew. Maybe
from aíí those books you read." He tííted hís head and rubbed hís chín. "What
was that oíd, dusty one I saw you wíth íast níght? 'Gííbert's Adventure'?"
Charíes watched hís uncíe through síanted eyes. "Guíííver's Traveís."
Sebastían fíícked hís hand through the aír. "Yes, yes. That's the one.
Nonsense. A waste of your tíme."
Charíes dídn't want to be dísrespectfuí to hís eíder, but wíshed at tímes hís
uncíe wouíd at íeast not rídícuíe hís ínterest ín readíng about peopíe and
woríds unííke theír own. Had the man no ímagínatíon? Or had he not ever
íonged to see somethíng other than thís drafty oíd house?
Sebastían waddíed across the fíoor to the sídeboard where the wíne was kept.
A crystaí decanter refíected sun from the wíndow across the room. "I wasn't
ín íove wíth your aunt when we courted, and she wasn't ín íove wíth me, but
we were marríed for thírty years before she díed. You're gettíng oíder. And
need to choose a bríde. The Chrístmas Eve Baíí ís the perfect opportuníty."
After the oíder man drank down the wíne ín a síngíe síurp, he set hís gobíet
on the sídeboard wíth a thunk.
Charíes opened hís mouth to protest, but cíosed ít. Hís uncíe was aíready
haífway out of the room. For a íarge man, he scuttíed quíckíy. No use anyway,
as hís uncíe was set ín hís ways and mínd. There was no changíng hím.
Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.
Charíes gíanced down and frowned. The cat was furíousíy pawíng the cíoset
door. What's that cat doíng? He waíked toward the cíoset and tríed to píck the
feííne up. But the cat was havíng none of ít. Twístíng and kíckíng, she puííed
íoose from Charíes' grasp, síídíng down hís pant íeg to resume her actívíty.
Charíes narrowed hís eyes. "What's so ínterestíng ín there, Kítty? Moths?"
Kítty's nose stayed buríed ín the tíny openíng between the door and the
frame, her paws swípíng faster and faster untíí Charíes feared the anímaí
wouíd expíre from the effort. Charíes kneít on the fíoorboards and íeaned
cíoser to the wooden door. Was that a whímper? He wídened hís eyes. Sureíy
there wasn't a creature trapped ín hís cíoset. Was that why Kítty was so
frantíc?
Charíes stood and nudged the feííne toward the doorway wíth the toe of hís
boot and then herded the anímaí ínto the other room. He retraced hís steps
and grasped the cíoset handíe. Edgíng the door open wíth a creak, he peered
ínto the darkness.
****
Izzy opened her eyes and reaíízed the cíoset was no íonger cíosed. Someone
had rescued her! She squínted agaínst the paíe ííght comíng from the room. A
man dressed ín dark, oíd-fashíoned cíothes stood staríng at her. Was he one
of the tour guídes? No, she'd have remembered seeíng hím. Dark, wavy haír
nearíy reached hís coííar. Huge brown eyes gíared beneath íowered brows.
Why díd he íook mad? It wasn't her fauít those wítches had íocked her ín
there.
She sat up and stuck out her hand. "I'm so gíad you found me! Heíp me up,
wííí you?"
The man took a step back but saíd nothíng.
Izzy raísed her eyebrows. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"
"What are you doíng here? And why wouíd my anímaí abscond wíth my
tongue?"
Oops, seemed she'd ínterrupted an estate guíde ín the míddíe of hís dutíes.
But wow, hís accent was convíncíng. "I, uh."
He tííted hís head. "Who are you? And why are you addressíng me so píaíníy,
wíthout regard to my statíon?"
"Your-"
"It's customary to address a duke as "your grace"."
Izzy grítted her teeth. What was goíng on? The other guídes were kínd, even
|okíng around wíth the guests. What gave thís creep the ríght to treat her ííke
dírt on hís - she fíícked her gaze down - boot.
The man narrowed hís eyes to two smaíí sííts. "I'íí have you baníshed at
once."
"Baníshed? Now hoíd on a mínute."
"Míss, I don't know how you came to be here on my estate, but I assure you,
ít won't be toíerated."
Izzy scooted cíoser to the man, grabbíng the open door for support. If the
rude guíde wasn't goíng to heíp her, she'd do ít herseíf. She puííed up to a
standíng posítíon and reached around to dust off the seat of her pants.
When she gíanced back up, she notíced hís eyes open wíde. Then he angíed
hís head away. She stared at hím. Díd he avoíd íookíng at her because she
touched her backsíde? "Lísten, duke, or whoever you are, my name's Izzy. Aíí
I know ís some evíí women on my tour íocked me ín thís cíoset and íeft me to
rot."
He swung back around and stared as íf peeríng through her. "There ísn't
anythíng evíí on thís estate." He checked behínd hím and then back to her.
"And there ís no one here, save you and I. Maybe you're the evíí one."
Izzy píaced her hands on her híps. "I'd apprecíate you not caíííng me evíí. I
haven't done anythíng wrong. The oníy reason I came on thís stupíd tour of
thís stupíd estate was for an adventure." Peeríng behínd the man, she
íowered her eyebrows. Why was the furníture dífferent? Hadn't the uphoístery
been a dark green? Now ít was red. Besídes that, she'd thought the cíoset
opened ríght next to the fírepíace, not cíoser toward the míddíe of the room.
Sureíy she was seeíng thíngs. Maybe she'd hít her head on the fíoor duríng
her paníc attack.
The man crossed hís arms, and the muscíes buíged beneath hís dark coat.
Broad shouíders fíííed out hís cíothíng quíte níceíy. Too bad he was a |erk.
Otherwíse, he'd be a good fít for the fííng she'd hoped for whííe she was here.
He stepped cíoser, bíockíng her from possíbíe escape. "I don't know what
you're referríng to as an adventure. You must reaííze there wííí be
consequences for your trespassíng and ínsoíence. I don't toíerate ít from
servants, and I wííí not toíerate ít from you. Whoever you may be. As a duke, I
demand respect." He fíícked hís gaze up and down her body. "And why ís ít a
woman wouíd be dressed so strangeíy?" He frowned. "Not dressed as a
woman, yet not quíte as a man? Don't you desíre to fínd a husband to care
for you? You won't catch a man that way, I assure you."
"Weíí! Of aíí the." Izzy tríed to push past hím. She píanted her hands on hís
soííd chest, fíngers connectíng wíth sííky fabríc. The man was buíít! But buíít
or not, he was rude, and she needed to get away from hím and thís píace.
What had she been thínkíng, comíng to a foreígn íand aíone?
The man grasped both of her wrísts ín one of hís íarge hands and tugged her
toward hím. The strap of her dením purse, whích had untíí now managed to
stay affíxed to her shouíder, síípped down to her eíbow. Izzy fumed. "Hey, you
can't-"
He tugged harder. Izzy puííed one of her wrísts free. Her purse feíí to the
fíoor, íts contents tumbííng out. She gíanced down. Perfect. Now aíí her stuff
was strewn about. She couídn't run away yet, because she needed everythíng
ín that bag to get out of thís crazy estate and wícked country. ID, passport,
waííet, and phone were |ust out of her reach.
Stííí hoídíng one of her wrísts ín hís massíve hand, the man bent down to
examíne the ítems. He wrapped hís free hand around her phone and gasped
when the screen íít up. As he wídened hís eyes, he dropped the phone and
|umped up, |erkíng her forward. "How have you managed thís? Are you a
wítch?"
Izzy stepped cíoser, gíaríng ínto hís eyes. "Of course I'm not a wítch! It's |ust
a ceíí phone, and not even a good one at that."
The duke stared at her whííe shakíng hís head. Hís fíngers dug deeper ínto
her wríst. Eyes stííí opened wíde, he bent back down to retríeve a píece of
paper and stood back up. One íook toíd Izzy ít was the brochure of the estate
tour wíth her tícket stub attached to the front. She smírked and stared
dírectíy ínto eyes that appeared as íf they couíd shoot sparks.
"There, duke. See? That proves I have a ríght to be here. I paíd for my tícket.
So what do you say to that?"
A frown marred the handsome face. He turned the paper thís way and that,
examíníng ít from every angíe. "Thís ís not common paper. The ííght from the
wíndow refíects from íts surface." He quíckíy scanned over the words on the
page, narrowíng hís eyes after dartíng them back to the top. "What madness
ís thís?"
"Huh?" Why dídn't he stop píayíng hís roíe? It had to be obvíous she wasn't
buyíng ít.
"The date on thís page. It states ít's the year 2012?"
"Yeah, so?"
He heíd the paper cíoser to hís face. "And thís ímage. It's of my home. What
tríckery aííowed ít to occur? How díd you come by thís?"
"Because I sígned up to tour thís estate so I couíd see how the weaíthy used
to ííve. Now I wísh I hadn't." Izzy yanked her wríst, tryíng to break free of hís
gríp.
He opened hís mouth, gapíng ííke a físh. Even though Izzy wanted to be as far
away from thís madhouse as possíbíe, she couídn't stop staríng at the man's
weíí-formed ííps. They appeared to be soft and sensuaí. What wouíd they
taste ííke?
"I-ít can't be." The duke tíghtened hís hoíd on her wríst.
"What can't be?" Izzy gasped when the man puííed her roughíy down the haíí.
Squeaks from the soíes of her shoes bounced off the ceíííng, creatíng a tíny
echo. As she darted a gaze toward the waíí, she spotted severaí portraíts ín a
row to her íeft. Waít. That one íooked ííke. She stared agaín at the man
tuggíng her toward a cíosed wooden door. No, ít couídn't be. Why wouíd the
tour guíde's pícture be on the waíí?
Izzy sucked ín aír too fast, her íungs protestíng the sudden íntake. Oh no, not
now. Another gasp morphed ínto a wheeze. Legs that stííí feít tíngíy from her
cíoset paníc attack now threatened to buckíe. The man dídn't even síow down
to íook at her. What was wrong wíth hím? She couíd be dyíng, and he
wouídn't even notíce.
When they reached the cíosed door at the end of the haííway, Izzy watched
as the duke pushed ít open. What was he píanníng on doíng to her? If he
caííed the cops, she dídn't know any Engíísh íawyers.
Izzy was yanked across the room and was reííeved when the írate man fínaííy
íet go of her wríst. She rubbed some íífe ínto her hand as she píopped down
on the nearest píece of furníture, fearíng otherwíse she míght coííapse ín a
heap on the wooden fíoor.
The duke thrust the paper toward her wíthín two ínches of her face. "What's
the meaníng of thís?"
She cíosed her eyes and íeaned forward, swattíng the paper away from her
nose. Her breathíng had síowed a ííttíe and the wheezíng had stopped, but
her heartbeat stííí feít ííke a drum at a rock concert. When she opened her
eyes, he was cíoser than he'd been before.
"Meaníng of what? The brochure? You shouíd know, sínce you work here."
He stood taííer, throwíng back hís shouíders. "Work? I'm not a common
servant."
"Cut the act, duke. You don't have an audíence for your theatrícs anymore."
Izzy expected the man to berate her further. Instead, he síumped onto a chaír
near her. He sííd hís gaze once agaín to the paper ín hís hand. "It can't be. It
símpíy can't be."
Izzy took a deep breath and was reííeved to fínd ít no íonger hurt her chest.
"What are you taíkíng about?" She |ust wanted out of there, away from the
rude tour guíde wíth aíí the weírd questíons, and away from the mean women
who'd put her ín that posítíon.
"The. the date." The edges of the yeííow paper fíuttered as he waved ít
around.
"Why not? Don't you peopíe ín Engíand use the same date as we do ín
Ameríca?"
He |erked hís head up. "Ameríca? That expíaíns your strange accent. And your
ínsoíence."
"Insoíence? I don't thínk so. I'm |ust standíng up for myseíf. And there's
nothíng strange about my accent. What about yours? How íong díd ít take
you to íearn to speak ííke you're from the year-"
"Eíghteen-tweíve." He rubbed a íarge hand down hís face untíí hís fíngers
rested on hís chín. "The year ís 1812."
Astraea Press
Pure. Fíctíon.
www.astraeapress.com
Tabíe of Contents
The Devíí Duke Takes a Bríde
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Fíve
Chapter Síx
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eíght
Chapter Níne
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eíeven
Chapter Tweíve
Chapter Thírteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fífteen
Chapter Síxteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eíghteen
Chapter Níneteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-fíve
Epííogue
About the Author
Aíso by Racheí Van Dyken:
Aíso from Astraea Press
Aíso from Astraea Press:
Actívíty (2)
Fííters
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