Love Plays a Part (30 page)

“Samantha!” He reached out and grabbed her roughly. “Stop it this instant!”

“My, my,” she taunted. “And
I
was accused of being changeable. What’s the matter, milord? Am I no longer attractive to you?” She did not know why she was driven to provoke him so. But to have offered herself and been refused - “Come, come, milord. There are financial matters to be discussed too. How much shall you give me a quarter? How many new gowns shall I have? Or was I right? Have you taken up with a new doxie, one without principle -”

He shook her then; he shook her so hard that for a minute the room spun dizzily and she could not speak. “Little fool, stop that kind of talk. You can’t do a thing like this and you know it.” His eyes blazed at her.

Samantha found her voice. “Ah, milord, but you mistake me, I can and I will. Come, do you intend to stand behind your offer?”

“Sama -”

“I have no pride left!” she cried. “Will you tell me her name? The name of the woman who has taken my place?”

He shook her again, “Samantha, you little ninny. No one has taken your place.”

“Don’t worry about my feelings,” she sobbed, the tears brimming over from her eyes. Her arms ached where his fingers dug into her tender flesh, but compared to the pain in her heart, this ache was nothing. “You’ve never worried about them before. Tell me, is it Amy? Or was it you who set up little Lily?” She glared at him defiantly while the tears poured down her cheeks. “Tell me,” she cried again. “I knew I would be superseded. I knew it.” She was near hysteria now and ashamed of this wild babbling, but she could not seem to stop herself. “I knew you would leave me, but I did not know it would be so soon. Before you even
had
me. I knew I should never have loved you. I knew it would be like this.” The sobs overtook her then, and she could no longer speak. Because her tears blinded her, she did not see the strange succession of expressions which passed over his lordship’s face while she spoke.

She shook with the terrible sobs that wrenched her whole body. She had made an utter fool of herself - and for nothing. He no longer even wanted her. She must get away from him, she thought wildly, she must run somewhere and hide her shame. She tried to wrench herself free of his grasp, but instead of releasing her, he pulled her close against his waistcoat. She had no more strength to fight him then, and she abandoned herself to her grief.

It was some moments later that she grew conscious of his hand moving comfortingly on her back and the soft murmur of his voice. “Samantha, oh, Samantha, what have I done to you? So innocent. And I drove you to this.”

There was something strange in his voice, something almost like tenderness. “Poor Samantha,” he crooned, and she felt his lips on the top of her head. A little flame of hope sprang into life in her. Perhaps, perhaps she’d been wrong.

She lifted her tearstained face to his. The look in his eyes was so strange it left her speechless.

“Samantha,” he said again, and then he bent his head and covered her lips with his. Sweet ecstasy flowed through her, leaving her hardly able to stand. He still wanted her. He must. She poured all her love into returning his kiss and, when finally he released her, she had to cling to him for support. “Does - does this mean you still want me?” she asked, daring to look into those dark eyes so close to her own.

“Samantha, this is very improper.”

This statement, coming from the earl, caused her to stare at him in amazement. “I -I don’t understand.”

The earl laid a finger on her lips. “Now, you must be properly quiet and ladylike so that I may do this correctly.”

“Do what?” she asked, ignoring his finger.

“Samantha! If you do not be quiet, how can I say what I have to say?”

“All right, I’ll listen.” Standing as she was, still in his arms, she felt safe and secure.

“I cannot take you as my mistress,” he said firmly. “Because I intend to marry.”

The strength went out of her legs and she sagged against him. She was wrong again. She buried her face in his shoulder.

“I cannot have any more mistresses,” he said in a strangely light voice, “because I love my bride-to-be and she strongly disapproves of such behavior.”

For a moment Samantha forgot her heartache. She raised her head and looked at him. “Are you serious? You really intend to give up your life about town - for a woman?”

The earl nodded. “Yes. It amazes me too. But you see, I am madly in love with her. In a way I have never been before. It will be no chore for me to give up my old ways, because I want to be with her.”

Samantha swallowed over the great lump in her throat. “She is a very fortunate woman,” she replied softly.

“She is very brave and a little foolish at times,” the earl continued. “But we shall deal together quite well, I believe.”

Samantha nodded. The reality of it was beginning to sink in. He was lost to her forever. That kiss had been their last - a good-bye. And then to her amazement he bent his head once more and sought her lips. She fought to escape him then, but her body betrayed her, and finally she surrendered herself to this kiss too - until he released her mouth. Then she glared at him. “Really, milord, isn’t this a rather poor beginning? Moments after you tell me you are embarking on a new life, you revert to the old one.”

The earl shook his head. “No, my love. This
is
my new life. Your understanding is not so quick today.” A broad smile took the sting out of the words. “It is my intended that I now hold in my arms. I cannot make you my mistress because I desire to make you my wife.”

Samantha stared at him. “Your wife?” she repeated.

The earl nodded. “You have no objections to becoming my wife, have you, my love?” He smiled at her tenderly. “I promise you I shall treat you more like an enamorata than a wife.” His arms tightened around her. “And I shall never leave you. Or even stray from your side.”

Samantha fought to comprehend all this. “But the habits of so many years -” she stammered, hardly daring to believe this could be true.

The earl looked down into her eyes. “Samantha, since the first day you ran into me in the corridor, other women have lost their charm for me. I confess, when I thought you lost to me forever because of my boorishness, I sought the relief of other female companions. But it was all empty - pointless. And I soon gave it up. Oh, I know, I took Amy to the theatre. We’re old friends, that’s all. And little Lily is off in the suburbs with some foolish young lordling.” He gazed down at her tenderly. “I love you, Samantha. I truly do. And I want to make you my wife. All I ask is that you give up your position at Drury Lane.”

Samantha nodded. “Of course. I shall be too busy for that.” She made her face suitably grave; it was time he should feel a little shock. “But there is one condition on my part. I cannot marry you unless you promise me this one thing.”

Her grave tone fooled him as she had hoped, and he looked a little perturbed as he asked, “And what is that?”

She smiled then. “We must have boxes in both theatres and go to every opening.”

Roxbury laughed. “Agreed, my love, agreed.”

He kissed her then, soundly and passionately, and when he raised his head, she asked shamelessly, “How soon shall the bans be called?”

He pushed a loose curl back from her forehead. “I’ll speak to the archbishop tomorrow. We’ll set the wedding for as soon as possible. Will that suit you?”

Samantha smiled. “Oh, yes, milord, yes.” She raised her mouth to his. “Tell me again, please. Say the words.”

“What words?” His eyes teased her.

“Milord, please!” She threw her arms around his neck.

“Samantha, I love you.”
He said them solemnly, tenderly.

She repeated them after him. “And I love you, Roxbury.”

He held her closer. “If you had not let that spill in your tirade - I could not have believed that you could care for me after my horrid behavior.” He kissed her forehead. “You see, I finally remembered you from the inn. I insulted you then, and later, at the theatre, I behaved so poorly.”

“Enough!” cried Samantha happily. “Now that I am to be a properly married lady, I shall tell you the truth. I really enjoyed your rakishness. But, of course, I dared not say so.”

“Samantha.” The earl kissed the tip of her nose.

She nestled against him, feeling his warm strength and realizing finally that he was actually to be hers. “Oh, Roxbury,” she cried, squirming loose. “Hurry, we have been lax.”

“Lax in what, my pet?” he asked cheerfully.

“Hester and Jake! They will be waiting to know what happened.” She threw her arms once more around his neck and covered his face with little kisses. “Oh, Roxbury, I am so terribly, terribly happy.”

“No more than I, my love, no more than I.” And their proposed trip to tell the good news was delayed by one more kiss.

Copyright © 1981 by Nina Pykare

Originally published by Dell (ISBN 0440147255)

Electronically published in 2008 by Belgrave House/Regency

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This is a work of fiction. All names in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental.