Deception (28 page)

“He is a man, damn you.”

“He is a boy, with a boy’s wild, uncontrolled emotions. He is spoiled, sullen, and temperamental. You have kept him confined to leading strings by shielding him at every turn. If you would have him grow up, you must let him learn to accept responsibility for his own actions.”

“I have taken care of my brother all of my life,” Demetria said fiercely, “I do not want or need your advice.”

Jared shrugged. “As you wish. But if either you or Seaton crosses my path, you had best not depend upon me to play the gentleman a second time. I did that once, if you will recall. Once was enough.”

“You do not understand,” Demetria hissed. “But, then, you never understood. Get out of here, Chillhurst, or I vow I will have you thrown out.”

“Do not trouble yourself. I am only too happy to take my leave.”

Jared strode out into the hall without a backward glance. The butler had disappeared but Gifford was standing just outside the drawing-room door. He was pale with fury.

“What are you doing here, Chillhurst?”

“Visiting your charming sister, not that it is any concern of yours.” Jared stepped around Gifford and went toward the front door.

“What did you say to her, damn you?”

Jared hesitated, his hand on the doorknob. “I will tell you precisely what I told her. Do not come near my wife again, Seaton.”

Gifford’s handsome face twisted into an angry sneer. “We both know your threat is an empty one. You cannot harm me. Beaumont is too powerful, even for you.”

“I would not count on Beaumont’s protection, if I were you.” Jared opened the door. “Or your sister’s.”

Gifford took a step forward. “Devil take you, Chillhurst, what are you saying?”

“I am saying that if you offend me by coming near my wife, I will see to it that you pay for it.”

“I say, Chillhurst,” Gifford taunted softly, “surely you are not threatening to call me out? We both know you are far too reasonable, far too sensible,
far too much of a coward
to risk meeting me on the field of honor.”

“I can see that there is no point discussing the matter with you. You have been warned.” Jared went out onto the front steps and closed the door very quietly behind himself.

The hackney was still waiting in the street.

“The Musgrave Institution library,” Jared called to the coachman. “And be quick about it. I have an appointment.” He opened the door and got into the cab.

“Aye, sir.” The coachman gave a long-suffering sigh and loosened the reins.

Jared sat back against the cushions as the hackney pulled away from the Beaumont townhouse. Demetria was wrong about him being consigned to an emotionless existence, he reflected. At the moment he was wracked with an inner turmoil that exceeded anything he had ever experienced.

This was his wedding day, he should have felt calm and controlled now that his plans had come to fruition. Olympia would soon be his by all the laws of God and man. Yet he had awakened that morning with a disturbing sense of unease that was still with him.

He did not understand the feeling that gripped his insides like a vise. After all, he was on the verge of claiming the woman he wanted.

But he could not be entirely certain of precisely why she was accepting his claim.

Olympia had initially refused to marry him, yet after that scene with Demetria yesterday, she had announced that she had changed her mind.

Jared gazed out at the busy streets. Surely Olympia had not agreed to wed him simply because he could keep her household in order. He knew there was more to it than that. There had to be more to it.

She wanted him, he reminded himself. The memory of her passionate response should have reassured him, but for some reason it did not. Olympia had made it clear she would not marry him for the sake of desire alone or to salvage her reputation. She was a woman of the world, he thought wryly, such things were not reasons for marriage in her view.

So why had she finally agreed to wed him, he wondered for the thousandth time. The question had plagued him since yesterday. He was convinced that something Demetria had said or done during the visit yesterday afternoon had pushed Olympia into accepting his proposal. But that made no sense.

Unless the confrontation in the parlor had finally made Olympia realize that she was obliged to marry for the sake of propriety.

After all, Jared thought, it was one thing to talk of deceiving the world by claiming to be married; quite another to actually carry out such a breathtaking deception. In spite of her talk of worldliness, Olympia was an innocent from a tiny village in the country. She’d had no notion of what she had been about when she had blithely assumed she could falsely claim marriage and get away with it.

Of course, when she’d made her plans, she’d had no notion that she might be thrust into the position of claiming marriage to a viscount, Jared reminded himself. She had believed him to be a tutor. He was forced to admit that her plan might have worked very well had he not deceived her at the beginning of their relationship.

Jared knew that it was his own fault that he was in this outrageous situation. No doubt he deserved to be consumed with uncertainty, tormented with questions that he did not know how to ask, precariously balanced on a knife-edge of hope and despair.

Such were the consequences of reckless passion
.

So be it. He smiled grimly. It was clear that nothing was for certain once a man surrendered to the raging torrent of desire. All he could do was strive to stay afloat in the swirling waters.

Tonight was his wedding night. He would let nothing stand in the way of what he craved most. Tonight when he took her to bed, Olympia would be his wife. He would revel in their lovemaking, secure in the knowledge that he at last had some tangible claim on her.

He might not be certain of her reasons for agreeing to the marriage, but he could be gloriously certain that
she wanted him with the same degree of passion that he felt for her.

It was not enough to satisfy him, he realized, but it was a great deal more than what he’d had with Demetria.

  The fireworks that lit the skies over Vauxhall Gardens were so spectacular that they almost succeeded in distracting Olympia from the turmoil of her thoughts.

She was married.

She still could not quite bring herself to accept the shattering reality of her new state.

Married to Jared.

It did not seem possible. The small businesslike ceremony conducted by a parson on the outskirts of the city earlier that afternoon had had an element of unreality about it.

They were bound together forever
.

What if she had made a terrible mistake, Olympia thought, suddenly frantic. What if Jared never learned to love her as she loved him?

There could be no doubt that he desired her, she reminded herself. Surely she could build upon that foundation of passion.

She must build upon it.

But passion was not love. She was a woman of the world. Aunt Sophy and Aunt Ida had taught her the importance of love, they had taught her what love was and what it was not. Olympia knew very well that there was a great difference between physical desire and a deeper, more binding commitment.

She loved Jared with all her heart but she was not certain if he could allow himself to love her. Jared did not trust strong passions. He mocked his own and kept them under a tight rein.

Except when it came to making love to her, Olympia thought.

She gripped her reticule very tightly as she watched another explosion of lights in the dark sky.

Except when it came to making love to her
.

Tonight she felt as bold and daring as any adventurer setting out to seek a legendary treasure. She was risking all on a wild quest to turn Jared’s passion into love.

“Ooh, look at that,” Ethan breathed in awe as a burst of colored fire cascaded down from the sky. He glanced at Jared who was standing beside him. “Have you ever seen anything so beautiful, sir?”

“No,” Jared said, but he was watching Olympia’s face, not the fireworks. “I do not believe I have.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Olympia caught a glimpse of the controlled fire of Jared’s gaze. He had never looked more dangerous.

Jared’s gaze ignited brilliant, flashing sparks inside Olympia that were more dazzling than the display overhead. When he looked at her in that fashion she felt truly beautiful, a legend in her own right.

“I like the music very much.” Hugh exclaimed. “Don’t you think it is ever so exciting, Aunt Olympia?”

“Oh, yes.” Olympia heard the breathlessness in her own voice and saw Jared’s mouth curving in a knowing way. He knew full well that she was thinking of how he would touch her later tonight, not the music. “Very thrilling, indeed.”

“A siren’s song,” Jared murmured for her ears alone. “And I cannot resist it.”

Olympia risked another glance at his hard, unyielding profile and nearly melted beneath the masculine expectation she saw in his face.

Jared took her arm in his as the rousing strains of
the music soared over the grounds of Vauxhall, delighting the crowds.

“There must be thousands of people here tonight,” Robert observed.

“Two or three thousand at least,” Jared said. “And that means it would be easy for any one of you to get lost.” He surveyed the boys’ excited faces. “I want each of you to give me your word that you will not stray out of my sight.”

“Yes, sir,” Robert said dutifully. He broke off to cheer as another shower of fireworks exploded in the skies.

“Yes, sir.” Ethan clapped enthusiastically, his attention on the colorful display.

Hugh stared at the orchestra, his expression rapt. “Yes, sir. Is it very difficult to play a musical instrument, sir?”

Jared met Olympia’s eyes. “It requires a great deal of time and effort,” he said softly, “but then, most worthwhile things do. If one truly wishes to succeed in a quest, one must be willing to dedicate oneself to the task.”

Olympia knew he was not talking about the task of learning to play a musical instrument. Jared was speaking directly to her. She was not quite certain what he meant, but she sensed that he was making a commitment of some kind. She smiled tremulously, aware of the heavy weight of the gold ring he had placed on her hand earlier that day.

“What about the drums?” Hugh persisted. “Perhaps they would not be so very difficult to master.”

“The piano would doubtless prove more satisfactory.”

“Do you think so?” Hugh looked up at him with a serious expression.

“Yes.” Jared smiled slightly. “If you are interested
in learning how to play a musical instrument I shall see about hiring an instructor for you.”

Hugh glowed. “I should like that very much, sir.”

Olympia touched Jared’s arm. “You are very good to us, my lord.”

Jared kissed the back of her gloved hand. “It is my pleasure.”

“Where’s Robert?” Ethan asked abruptly.

“He was here a minute ago,” Hugh said. “Perhaps he went to get an ice. I would like one, too.”

Olympia came back to her senses with a start of concern. She glanced hurriedly about. There was no sign of Robert in the crowd of excited people watching the fireworks. “He is gone, my lord. He promised he would stay close, but I do not see him.”

Jared released her hand with a soft oath. “The Dark Walk.”

Olympia glanced at him. “I beg your pardon?”

“I suspect Robert could not resist the temptation of a stroll along the Dark Walk.”

“Oh, yes. He spoke of a dare this morning.” Olympia was alarmed by Jared’s grim expression. “Is the Dark Walk really so very dangerous?”

“No,” Jared said. “But that is not the point. Robert gave me his word that he would stay within my sight. And now he has vanished.”

“Are you going to beat him, sir?” Ethan asked uneasily.

Hugh frowned. “It was because of the dare, sir. That is why he went off.”

“His reason is not important,” Jared said with an ominous calm. “What matters is that he has broken his vow. But that is between Robert and me. Now then, I am going to leave your aunt in your care while I go to look for him. I shall expect to find the three of you waiting right here when I return.”

“Yes, sir,” Ethan whispered.

“We shall take care of Aunt Olympia,” Hugh promised.

Jared looked at Olympia. “Do not concern yourself, Olympia. Robert is fine. I shall return with him in a short while.”

“Yes, of course.” Olympia took Hugh’s hand and reached out for Ethan’s. “We shall wait right here for you.”

Jared turned and walked away. Within seconds he had disappeared into the crowd.

Hugh clutched Olympia’s hand very tightly. His lower lip trembled. “I think Mr. Chillhurst, I mean, his lordship, is very, very angry with Robert.”

“Nonsense,” Olympia said reassuringly. “He is merely annoyed.”

“Perhaps he will be annoyed with all of us because of Robert,” Hugh said worriedly. “He may decide that we are too much trouble to bother with after all.”

Olympia bent down toward Hugh. “Calm yourself. Chillhurst is not going to toss us out on our ear because of Robert or anything else.”

“He can hardly do that now, can he?” Ethan said, brightening. “After all, he has married you, Aunt Olympia. He is stuck with us, is he not?”

Olympia looked at Ethan. “Quite right. He is stuck with us.”

It was a sobering thought. Olympia’s mood of anticipation and excitement evaporated. When one got down to the heart of the matter, one had to acknowledge that Chillhurst had married her for reasons of honor and passion.

And now he was stuck with her.

He should have guessed that Robert would be unable to resist the dare of the Dark Walk Jared thought. It was his own fault that the boy had slipped away. He had been thinking of his wedding night, not his responsibilities. Passion had ruled his brain all day and now, as always when passion was involved, there were consequences.

The myriad colored lanterns that lit Vauxhall’s grounds became increasingly sparse as Jared made his way toward the Dark Walk. The weak moonlight provided little illumination. The music and the noise of the crowd faded behind him as he moved deeper into the vast gardens.