Price of Desire (48 page)

“Is the vicar performing the ceremony?”

“I really don’t know
.
His living is attached to Blythemoor, however, so I am sure that with
Westlake
bringing the license
,
he’ll be more than happy to perform on demand.”

Marguerite drew to a stop in front of her
.
“I d
o no
t understand you
,
sister
.
You plan everyth
ing
.
How can you not know what i
s going on now
?
This is your wedding.”

“I am just tired
.
I didn’t sleep well with everything that happened last night
.
So, I’ll ask again, do you
want to handle all the details?
”

“You a
re asking me to be in charge?”

“Let’s call it delegating
.
As you said
,
the important part was finding the man
.
I think I can afford to pass on some of the details.”

Marguerite looked aghast
.
“You call the dress a detail
?
What sort of lady are you?”

A deep chuckle echoed from the door to her chamber, causing Rose to jump
.
“T
hat was going to be my question.
”

             
             
C
hapter
Seventeen

“Can’t I have privacy even here?
”
Rose turned to greet Wulf.

“I wa
s actually looking for Tris
.
I w
anted to check something with him.
”
Wulf glanced around the room
.
“I thought he was h
ere and you were in the nursery.
”

Rose sighed
.
She was never going to have a moment to close her eyes and sort her thoughts.

“Yes, he was, but now he’s not.
”

“You are being deliberately obtuse.”

“Yes, you’re right
,
I am
.
It suits my mood.”

He
strode
in
to the room and stared down at her
.
Marguerite scurried to the window.

“Will you please explain?”

“With Sommerton leaving
,
Wimberl
e
y graciously offered to change rooms
.
I should have demurred
.
This room really is more suitable for him
.
But, the thought of being in my own space was too tempting.”

“Ah, now that sounded like a lady
,
which brings me back to the question
.
What sort of lady are you?”

Rose shot a look at Marguerite
,
who seemed to be trying to fade into the window
.
She brushed an imaginary wrinkle on the coverlet
.
“I am not sure what you mean.”

“It seems a simple question.”

“The questio
n may be simple, but the answer is
not.
”
She moved to the chair by the empty fireplace and sat staring at
the metal screen
.
She felt him move to stand behind her, his broad presence blocking her from the room
.
He reached down and took her bare hand, his thumb stroking across her palm.

“I’d really like to know
.
I spent the afternoon pondering the question and couldn’t find an answer.
”
His voice was soft, seductive, drawing her into a private world
.
“You are every inch a lady, even when dressed in rags, anybody would recognize that.”

She raise
d
her brow at him.

“What can I say?
” Wulf continued
.
“
I was a fool
.
I didn’t want to know
who you were
, didn’t want you untouchable
.
But, you are a lady to the core.”

“And?” Her voice was low, her tone adjusting to fit his.

“I don’t understand
.
Everything I’ve spent my life learning about how the daughters of our class are raised, what
ideals
the
y
aspire to . . . how can you be the epitome of ladyhood and be so . . . human?”

A rustle behind them drew their attention, severing
them
from their cocoon
.
Marguerite had come forward into the room
.
She stood still, her hands twisting in her skirts.

Rose smiled at her
.
“What is it, dearest?”

“I . . . well
,
you do no
t seem to
require company, but it would no
t be proper to leave you unaccompanied
.
I am not much of a chaperone, but . . . should I fetch Lady Smythe-Burke
?”

Wulf groaned and Rose laughed
.
“No, I don’t think that will be necessary
.
I am a widow, not a fresh young miss, and we are betrothed
.
I don’t think it will cause a scandal if we’re alone for a few moments
.
You do have a wedding to plan
.
I am curious to see what dress you cho
o
se.”

Marguerite needed no second telling
.
She hastened
from the room.

“There’s to be a wedding, then?
”

Wulf’s question caught her off guard.

“Of course
.
Or don’t you want to marry me now
?
Now that your son will live, perhaps your feelings have changed.
”
Her belly clenched
.
What if he had changed his mind?

He stared down at he
r, his eyes hooded
.
“My reason
s for wanting to marry you have not changed.”

“Then why would you question the wedding?”

“Falmouth lives
.
If you wish to call of
f
the engagement
,
I would not stop you.”

“Yes, you
r son has
recovered
.
But, if that doesn’t change your mind I don’t see why you think it would change mine.”

“I won’t be an earl
.
I’ll inherit no estate.”

“And that’s supposed to be a problem
?
I count it almost as big a blessing as your son’s recovery.”

Wulf sank to his knees in front of her, his eyes unreadable
.
“You do?”

“Most definitely
.
What would I want a title for
?
It’s just a lot of bother
.
And I am more than happy with my own estate
.
I have ready funds
.
Does it trouble you that you don’t, that some will say you’re marrying me for my fortune?”

Although he didn’t flush, his eyes darted away from hers and she could sense his embarrassment
.
“Actually, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that
.
My uncle did leave me a small bequest –
the home that I lived in until my father’s death and its lands
.
I had debated whether I could keep it
.
I feel some qualms in taking anything from my uncle – I have already taken too much, but deciding to accept it I feel only peace
.
Anna will know the home of by childhood
.

“
I
also
sold my commission
,
again
,
before heading up
here, so I am not truly a half-
pay soldier.”

“And you were going to tell me this when?”

He still refused to meet her gaze
.
His glance fastened on the hand he still held between his own
.
He rubbed his thumb across her palm again and a small fire grew to life in her belly
.

“I’d planned to tell you as part of persuading you to marry me, but then Tris came and . . . well, it just didn’t seem to matter
.
What was one more piece of land?”

She was quiet for a moment, and then she wrapped her other hand about his, the light tan of her skin shining against his darker bronze
.

“What about the wager?”

“What wager?”

“The bet on whom
I’ll take to husband
.
I understand there are heavy bets that you’ll be the winner.”

He sighed
.
“I must confess that I heard something about such wagers a year ago, but I can assure you I took no part in them.”

“Then who would have placed them
?
Nobody but you even knew you’d be here.”

“I really can’t say
.
All I know is that I am not involved.”

She bit down on her lower lip, once, only once
.
Then she smiled
.
“I believe you
.
I have no reason to, but I do
.
You have never lied to me and I will trust you.
”
Her heart lightened
.
It felt so good to release some measure of her wariness
.
“I had decided to forgive you anyway.”

H
e lift
ed his
glance from her mouth
and
she
met h
is eyes
, light
ning shooting in their emerald depths.

Holding her gaze
,
he lifted her hands and brought them to his lips
.
He kissed them slowly, reverently.

“You gave Anna the buttons.”

“Yes, is that why you’re so full of questions
?
I must confess
,
I almost didn’t
.
When you first sent them I didn’t know what to do, but after Waterloo . . . when I didn’t know if you lived or died I could feel them weighing against me like a thousand pounds of lead
.
I had to give them to her.”

“You told her they were from her father.”

“It was the truth.”

“A truth you never wanted spoken.”

“A truth I knew never could be spoken
.
Don’t mistake me now
.
I will never admit in public that she is not John’s
.
It would serve no purpose and bring only pain.”

He spread her hand open and lay another kiss flat against her palm
.
His hot breath caressed her and she could feel the heat simmer
up her arm, and course through
out her being.

Of their own volition her fingers curled about his cheek stroking the slight stubble of his chin
.

He spoke softly, barely a whisper
.
“I would never do anything to hurt her, but . . .”

“I know.
”
She closed her eyes for a second
.
“I’ve thought about it endlessly these last days
.
She is yours
.
You will raise her as your own, probably be the only father she remembers
, but still the world will acknowledge
her
John’s
.
Is it too much too ask?
”

“Yes, and no
.
It cuts me in ways I never dreamed, but you are right
.
Having her named a bastard would serve no purpose and even our marriage will not change that
.
I have lived with pain before
.
I will survive this.”