Rufus Drake: Duke of Wickedness (7 page)

“You have spoken to Mark?” she gasped, the colour once again draining from her cheeks. “But…I did not see you at the parsonage.”

“We met at the church.”

“Why?” Anna gave a pained groan. “What did you say to him? Did you complain of my behaviour yesterday evening? Tell him of my wantonness?” Tears stung her eyes at thoughts of that humiliation.

The same tears that had been falling down Anna’s cheeks for all of the night and most of this morning. Tears of humiliation for her wanton behaviour yesterday evening. The tears of knowing she was in love with a man who would never, could never, return that love.

Anna had thought her life empty before this, her heart, her soul, hungering for
something
. But the thought of Rufus soon returning to London, of not seeing so much as a glimpse of him again for months, possibly years, filled her heart with a despair she could never have imagined.

To the point she had even considered accepting his offer that she return to London with him and become his mistress, for however long such arrangements lasted.

Only to sob even harder as she was forced to dismiss such a notion; such an arrangement may bring her some measure of happiness for a short time, but she could never bring such disgrace upon her brother by behaving in such a scandalous manner. And she could not avoid the pain that the end of such an alliance would bring.

No, the only course left open to her was to accept there was no future for herself with a man like Rufus, and to behave with all the dignity her deceased mother and father would have expected from her.

“I would not break my word to you in that way, Anna,” Rufus reassured. “Nor do I have any complaints about your behaviour yesterday evening. On the contrary.”

“Could we please
not
discuss the events of yesterday evening?” She turned sharply away from him, her lace-gloved hands tightly clasped together in front of her. “It is enough for us both to know it was a mistake. An aberration, brought about by…by…”

“Brought about by what, Anna?” Rufus prompted softly.

She gave an agitated shake of her head. “You are the more experienced one of us, so perhaps you will tell me what it was brought about by?”

His expression gentled. “Desire. Arousal. Love.”

“I do not lo—” Anna stopped as she realised she was about to tell him yet another lie.

She
did
love Rufus. So very, very much. So much that it was breaking her heart to be with him again, just to be near him and know he could never be hers.

Rufus stepped forward to place his hands upon the slenderness of Anna’s shoulders, deeply distressed at seeing her so upset. “Anna, the only reason I spoke with your brother this morning was because I needed to ask his permission before I dare ask you to marry me.”

“No! No, no,
no
!” she cried emotionally as the tears cascaded unchecked down the paleness of her cheeks. “I cannot— I will not allow you to.
Your
honour is not in question, Rufus,” she assured him in a throaty voice. “
I
am the one who was at fault yesterday evening. I am the one who allowed you to make love to me. No man could have refused what I so freely offered. You should not now feel— I will not hear of your offering to marry me because of my wantonness.” She began to cry in earnest.

Rufus’s heart had plummeted as Anna protested so vehemently against the idea of marrying him, only to feel ravaged as she offered up words of self-condemnation.

His heart now felt as if it were being wrenched from his chest as he witnessed the heartbreak of her tears.

He enfolded her tightly in his arms, his cheek resting against the silky softness of her golden curls. “I know we have not known each other for long, Anna, and that you will need time to feel for me as I do for you, but— Do you believe in love at first sight, Anna?” he prompted. “Do you believe it is possible to look at a person and know, instinctively
know
, that you are meant to be with that person for the rest of your life?”

Anna stilled in his arms before slowly pulling back to look up at him searchingly. “I do not— Are you saying that is what has happened to you? That you
love
me?”

“Oh yes,” Rufus confirmed. “I admit I have spent all my adult life in total ignorance of the emotion, which is perhaps why I did not immediately recognise it for what it was, and instead believed it to be desire rather than love. But I am in no doubts now of my feelings, Anna. I cannot live without you by my side.” He had known it three days ago when the two of them had spoken in the churchyard. Had been totally convinced of it when they’d made love together last night. “I spoke to your brother this morning, before discussing it with you, only because it was the right thing to do, the gentlemanly thing to do.” He reached up to cradle each side of her face, his eyes gazing unwaveringly into hers as his thumbs stroked the tears from her cheeks. “I am deeply in love with you, Anna Juliet Bishop, and will always be so. And I would deem it an honour, a privilege, if you would one day consider becoming my wife.”

Anna gazed up at him in stunned disbelief, never having thought to hear such words from Rufus. From her wicked duke. From the sinful gentleman she had last night realised she loved with all her heart.

All of those reasons caused her doubts to linger. “Are you sure, Rufus?” She gave a shake of her head. “I would not want you to feel obligated into offering me marriage.”

“I have never allowed feelings of obligation to determine my actions, Anna,” he assured her dryly. “And certainly not when it comes to the taking of a wife!” he added teasingly before sobering again. “I admit to having behaved something of a rake these past ten or twelve years, but that is because I did not know otherwise. As I tried to explain this to you on Saturday morning at the church. You have changed me, Anna,” he assured earnestly. “My love for you has changed me, so much so that I no longer want any other woman but you. And I know that I never will. Will you at least give me leave to court you, Anna? To woo you, so that perhaps one day you might learn to feel that same love for me?”

Anna felt as if her heart had swollen with so much emotion it might burst out of her chest at any moment.

Rufus had told her he loved her!

More than that, he had said he did not feel obligated to offer for her but that he
wished
to marry her.

That he wanted to make her his forever beloved wife.

By loving her, by wishing to marry her, to be with her forever, Rufus offered her the freedom she had so restlessly hungered for all her life.

What better freedom was there than to love and be loved? To be with the man she loved, and who loved her? Forever.

“I already love you, Rufus.” Anna knew her face glowed as she gazed up at him with all of that love shining in her eyes.

“You do?” His eyes darkened with emotion as he looked down at her searchingly. “Can you possibly? Is it really possible you are in love with me, my darling Anna?” He looked uncharacteristically uncertain.

An uncertainty that caused Anna’s heart to ache. “I love you so very much. From that first moment, too, I believe. I just— I did not believe that you could ever feel the same way about someone like me.”

“There is no one else like you, Anna!” Rufus assured gruffly as he held her fiercely in his arms. “You are unique. You are perfect. You are my beloved. Will you marry me, Anna, and make me the happiest man in the world? Will you be my duchess? The mother of our children?”

Anna’s heart leapt at the realisation that if she said yes to his marriage proposal she would not only become Rufus’s wife but also a duchess. “I am only the daughter of a parson.” She reminded him then.

“And I am only a duke because of tragic family losses and being the unfortunate third grandson of a duke,” Rufus assured wryly. “Can you not see how perfect we are for each other, Anna—the unexpected duke and the parson’s daughter!” He looked almost boyish as he grinned down at her.

She winced. “It sounds like the title of a melodrama.”

“To me it sounds like heaven,” Rufus contradicted huskily. “Say yes, Anna. Say yes, and we shall have your brother marry us as soon as is possible, and then we shall leave England and go on an extended honeymoon. Would you like that, Anna?” he prompted as he saw the excitement glowing in her eyes. “Shall we leave England for a while and travel together, not to the Continent, because it is not safe as yet, but to all the other exotic places that so call to your heart?”

Rufus really did know her, Anna acknowledged wonderingly. He knew her
and
what was in her heart.

“I would be just as happy to remain here, or to go to London. As long as I am with you it does not matter where we are,” she assured, knowing it was true, and that Rufus meant more to her than anything else. That
he
was her dream, loving him was her true freedom, and marriage to him would be the biggest adventure.

“We will travel,” Rufus insisted. “I am looking forward to sharing all the wonders of the world with you. To seeing them through your beautiful eyes. I love you so much, Anna Juliet. So very, very much,” he added fiercely.

“I love you too, Rufus,” she answered him just as earnestly.

“Then marry me and make me the happiest of men.”

“As you will make me the happiest of women.”

Anna had no doubts it was a vow, and a love, they would both treasure for the rest of their hopefully long lives together.

* * *

They made their official vows before family, friends and God just weeks later, Anna somewhat overwhelmed by meeting so many titled members of the ton, most especially the five Dangerous Dukes, and several of their wives, who were all Rufus’s closest friends.

But she need not have worried, the three duchesses could not have been more welcoming, and the dukes were all exceedingly charming to her. Apart from Griffin Stone, Duke of Rotherham, who was pleasant enough, but seemed to be of a naturally taciturn disposition.

“Do you think he is leaving early because he disapproves of me?” Anna whispered to her new husband after Rotherham had taken his leave to depart for his estate in Lancashire.

“I would not care if he did,” Rufus assured her with his usual arrogance. “But I am sure he does approve of you, my darling.” He kissed her soundly in front of all their wedding guests. “Rotherham is… It is only that weddings are not his favourite occasions.” He grimaced.

Rufus had told Anna all there was to know about him. His past, his present, their future. And she loved him still, in spite of it.

But there was no reason for him to talk on their wedding day of his and the other Dangerous Dukes’ work for the Crown. No need to explain that Griffin was returning to his estate because they had received word that Jacob Harker, Rufus’s errant estate manager, had possibly been seen in Lancashire.

“Oh?” Anna looked up at him enquiringly.

“Never mind your curiosity about Griffin.” Rufus tapped her lightly on her nose. “You shall have your hands far too full of your husband, and our happiness together for many years to come, to be able to indulge your inquisitive nature in regard to Rotherham. Besides which, he would not thank you for it,” he added with certainty.

“Really, husband?” Anna looked up at him mischievously. “And how shall we occupy ourselves for these many years to come?”

Rufus grinned down at her. “I am sure we shall think of something.”

The two of them laughed softly together, the promise of a long and happy life together ahead of them. The adventure they had both longed for and now found in each other.

* * * * *

Don’t miss the next book in Carole Mortimer’s dazzling
DANGEROUS DUKES
duet:

GRIFFIN STONE: DUKE OF DECADENCE

Coming August 2015!

Carole Mortimer
was born and lives in the UK. She is married to Peter and they have six sons. She has been writing for Harlequin since 1978, and is the author of almost 200 books. She writes for both the Harlequin Historical and Presents lines. Carole is a
USA TODAY
bestselling author, and in 2012 she was recognized by Queen Elizabeth II for her “outstanding contribution to literature.” Visit Carole at
carolemortimer.co.uk
or on
Facebook
.

Books by Carole Mortimer

Harlequin® Historical

and Harlequin® Historical Undone! ebooks

Dangerous Dukes

Marcus Wilding: Duke of Pleasure
(Undone!)

Zachary Black: Duke of Debauchery

Darian Hunter: Duke of Desire

Rufus Drake: Duke of Wickedness
(Undone!)

Griffin Stone: Duke of Decadence
(coming soon)

Christian Seaton: Duke of Danger
(coming soon)

A Season of Secrets

Not Just a Governess

Not Just a Wallflower

Not Just a Seduction
(Undone!)

Daring Duchesses

Some Like It Wicked

Some Like to Shock

Some Like It Scandalous
(Undone!)

The Copeland Sisters

The Lady Gambles

The Lady Forfeits

The Lady Confesses

A Wickedly Pleasurable Wager
(Undone!)

Castonbury Park

The Wicked Lord Montague

Visit the author profile page at
Harlequin.com
for more titles.

Dangerous Dukes

Rakes about town

Carole Mortimer introduces London’s most delectable dukes in her latest Harlequin® Historical miniseries. But don’t be fooled by their charm, because beneath their lazy smiles they’re deliciously sexy—and highly dangerous!

Read all of the daring exploits of these dangerous dukes in: