My Dearest Friend (Books We Love Regency Romance) (19 page)

“
Nonetheless, you must allow me to reciprocate ma’am,” he persisted. If you and your husband have no other engagements, I would be delighted if you would join me for dinner tomorrow evening.”

“
Unfortunately we are unable to accept your very kind invitation as we are already engaged,” replied Jane, with the briefest of smiles. “Perhaps arrangements can be made at another time.”

Darrows’ smile wavered slightly but still he persevered, unwilling to let the matter rest. Assuming his most charming manner he attempted to cajole Jane into accepting. “Won’t you take pity on me and suggest another day when you would be at leisure to visit? I live very quietly at the mano
r and have no prior engagements. If you would but suggest a day when it would suit; I would be delighted to welcome you. You need only to say.”

Not wishing to offer a direct rebuff, Jane attempted to prevaricate once again. “It is so very difficult for me to make arrangements at the moment. Our time is rarely our own.”

Darrows stiffened; rightfully interpreting this as a polite set down. He was not used to being put so readily in his place. “Of course, your grace, I see now that you consider me below your touch,” he said at his most haughty.

“That is not the case,” replied Jane hastily. “It is just that my husband…”

“Exactly, the most
honorable
duke,” interrupted Darrows, his handsome face marred by a sneer. “It is undoubtedly his influence that has you so against me. Tell me, of what does he accuse me? Of what does he complain?”

Drawing herself up to her full height, Jane matched his mood. “I will not have you speak of my husband in that tone, sir,” she said, indignation showing in her every line.

“Will you not?” laughed Darrows, raising a sardonic brow. “I think you have no choice madam. I will speak as I wish. If he is so honorable, one would ask why, if indeed you did, marry in such haste. You return from Portugal professing to be his wife, but who in their right mind would marry in such a God forsaken place, and in such unseemly haste?”

An angry flush suffused Jane
’s cheeks. “I assure you, the marriage is registered and is legal. I have my marriage lines to prove it.”

“
Pity,” said Darrows, with an ironic half-smile. “But ’pon reflection, that would have been too easy. Perhaps there is another way!”

“
Another way for what, sir? Explain yourself!”

In no way disco
ncerted, Darrows took her measure and smiled unpleasantly. “I say too much, my dear duchess; it would not do to lay my intentions before you. Let it be enough to say that I hold your husband in quite as much aversion as he so obviously holds me, but there are other ways to achieve my end.” He roughly pulled her to him and pinned her delicate frame against the wall with his large body. The move forced the breath from her lungs and caused the blood to roar in her ears as she fought for air.

“You do not find it so easy to evade me now, do you madam,” he sneered, his face looming scant inches from her own.

She felt his hot breath on her cheek and for a moment thought that she must swoon, but her indomitable spirit rose to the fore and she attempted to kick at his shins, but her soft kid slippers made no impression on his booted legs. She felt his laugh rather than heard it, so close was he pressed to her. He raised his hand to turn her chin toward him but she turned her face and bit down hard onto the portion of his thumb that she could reach.

“
Spitfire!” he ejaculated. Taking the injured digit to his mouth, he leaned his body more fully onto hers so that she felt him pressing on her full-length. Knowing her to be completely imprisoned, he released his hold on her to capture her face in both his hands, making it impossible for her to evade his greedy mouth.

Revulsion filled her whole being and without thinking she brought her teeth down hard on his bottom lip, triumphant as she heard his cry of pain and tasted the metallic essence of his blood.

He quickly lifted his head away, his face livid, and pressed his fingers against his torn lip. He examined his scarlet-stained fingers and suddenly gave a bark of sardonic laughter. “You are not the milk and water miss I supposed you to be,” he said, with genuine amusement. “I begin to see the fascination you hold for Lear, but I assure you, you will not find me repugnant forever. You will come to recognize the prudence of currying my favor. My embrace will not remain distasteful to you and I shall hold sway over you yet, madam!”

“Never!” she seethed, pressing the back of her hand to her swollen lips. “I shall make your actions known to my husband.”

“I do not think that prudent, Jane. I may call you Jane may I not, now that we have become better acquainted? Yes, I really think I must. It preserves the air of intimacy that we now share.”

Jane
struggled, pushing against his chest with both hands, but her ineffectual efforts seemed only to amuse him. With very little effort he pinned her arms to her side. Bowing his head he spoke in her ear saying, “I must reiterate, my love; it would be most imprudent to mention our little encounter to your husband as he would undoubtedly be obliged to call me out. I must warn you that I am considered a most deadly shot. Would you wish to subject him to such danger?”

Seeing the stricken look on her face, he smiled. “No! I thought not. We will keep this little moment to ourselves, shall we not? It would not do that I should be obliged to kill him.”

***

At what precise moment Robert realized that it was his wife in Darrows’ embrace he could not remember, only that his throat closed and iron bands constricted his chest making it impossible to breath.

He had been taking a short-cut from the stables to the house through the sunken garden when the sight of the distant pair halted him in his tracks. He was not close enough to hear their words, but to him, their actions were only too obvious. The years rolled back to when he had previously witnessed such a scene, a fond leave-taking of two lovers. He heard not the intense dialogue between the two nor saw the terror on Jane’s face, only that she was securely wrapped in Darrows’ embrace.

A white-hot rage over which he had no control engulfed him, but he did not rush forward to confront the lovers as he had done in his idealistic youth. Bearing witness to Jane’s perceived faithlessness wounded him too deeply.

Whirling on his heel he headed out of the garden, his face dark with anger, his temper at its most extreme and entered Stovely by a side entrance.

***

If he had lingered a moment longer he would have seen their less lover-like actions. Being finally freed by Darrows from her entrapment by the wall, Jane drew back her arm and forcibly struck her tormentor full across the face.

Darrows merely laughed, rubbing his hand across his cheek.
“I do so admire your courage, my love and I am sure it will only add spice to our relationship.”

“
We have no relationship,” spat Jane. “Whatever ideas you have in that direction I can assure you will never be fulfilled.”

“But what of your husband?
Does it not trouble you that, in rejecting my attentions, you put his life in danger?” Without effort he caught Jane’s wrist as she raised her arm once more to strike him. “Calm yourself, my dear,” he said, amusement heavy in his voice, but as she continued to glare at him his mood changed to one of belligerence.

Letting go of her arm
, he made a small bow. “I will leave you now, my dear duchess, to reflect on the matter and I am sure you will, after due reflection of course, see the wisdom of showing me a gentler side to your nature. You will not find me uncharitable. As the thought of me putting a ball in your husband’s most noble, arrogant frame is so repugnant to you, I am sure that you will have no hesitation in coming to the right decision.”

“Now I will wish you au revoir, my little dove, I would not wish your absence to be noted and there will be another time when we can take this matter further.” So saying he bowed once more and seeing the terror in his companion’s face, confident in his triumph, sauntered toward the stables.

For a moment, the reaction to the encounter held her immobile and it was not until the tears began to fall that she found herself able to move and catching up her skirts, she ran toward the house. Entering the hallway, however, she forced herself to regain some composure, it would not do to be seen by the servants in such evident distress.

***

Unaware of the true state of affairs, Robert was pacing his study in great agitation, finding it difficult to control the cold anger rising within him, an all-consuming jealousy lying at its root. In his fury, the thought that he should approach the matter calmly and reasonably had been summarily dismissed. With the thought she is mine uppermost in his thoughts, at this point he was beyond reason, but whether his anger was directed against his wife or Darrows, he found it hard to define. Such jealousy in a callow youth could be dismissed but in one such as the duke, it could be deadly.

***

Oblivious of the turmoil evolving below, Jane sought the comfort of the bedroom, pacing between hearth and window before finally coming to rest in the window seat.

   Drawing up her feet she sat hugging her knees, rocking back and forth in a comforting gesture. “Robert, my love, where are you?” she cried to the empty room. “Yet how can I tell you? I know you too well. You would put yourself in danger for my sake and I could not bear it.”

Suddenly the door burst open and the duke strode into the room
. His face dark with anger, he wasted no time in slamming it shut in his wake. “So, madam wife, you hide yourself away,” he seethed through clenched teeth which was all the more awful because of its intensity.

“
Robert,” she cried and would have thrown herself into his arms had he not held her away.

“
There is no need for this show of affection,” he said glowering down at her. “You may not know it, but I was witness to your little performance in the garden not so long ago. A very touching moment I assure you. Quite romantic. I applaud your choice.”

She recoiled as if he had struck her a blow.
“My love, it is not at all what you imagine,” she cried, a choking sob catching in her throat.

“You left nothing for me to imagine,” he said, once more griping her shoulders. “Did you not swear that you were mine, entirely mine,
always! Now this! You betray me!”

“Robert, I am yours. It was not of my doing, please will you hear reason, listen to me?”

However, he was beyond reason; reason at that moment did not exist. “You belong to me, I will not relinquish my hold on you, do you hear me,” and he shook her roughly.

As if from a distance she heard her voice echoing his passion,
“Leave go of me, I am not a possession. If I belong to you it is by choice, I will not be coerced. You are hurting me. Robert, please!”

Almost as violently as he had shook her he now held her to him, crushing her against his chest.
“Forgive me, my love,” he groaned laying his cheek against her temple. “I will listen, but tell me quickly for I am in torment.”

“
I will tell you but you must be calm,” she pleaded, leading him to the window seat she had so recently relinquished and seating herself at his side. “I promise you an explanation, but you must hear me out. I cannot bear it when you look at me so, it terrifies me.”

“
The thoughts that inhabit my mind terrify me,” he replied in a tortured voice she had not heard before. “I cannot lose you, but I will not be cuckolded. You cannot know the torments that go through my head!”

She did not know how to explain, how to allay his fears, her own being so fresh in her mind. Darrows
’ actions had horrified her but it was nothing to the anguish she felt at wounding her beloved friend.

“What you saw was all there was to it,” she said, attempting a level voice, determined not to repeat Darrows’ threats. “If you had but waited a moment longer you would have seen my reactions for yourself. It was something he did on impulse and I left him in no doubt that his attentions were unwelcome and must never be repeated. Now do you believe me, my Robert?” she implored. “Say you believe me.”

“Have I been such a fool?” he asked, uncertainty in his voice. “Must I not believe what I saw?”

“
It is the interpretation of what you saw that is in error, my love. If you would but search your heart, surely you must know that I speak the truth?”

“
Can you ever forgive me?” he asked snatching her to him. “Now you see the power you have over me should you but choose to wield it.”

She smiled weakly, resting her head against his shoulder.
“That I never would, I love you far too well and it fills me with dread that you would ever let me go.”

“
My dearest wife, have I not just told you that I could never let you go, that you are mine,” and the embrace that followed left her in no doubts that she was indeed his, sharing a passion that only reprieve could bring.