Rule's Bride (16 page)

“It's possible, I suppose.”

“Will you think about it, at least? You said yourself that Whitney's offer is a good one.”

“I did, indeed.”

And so they left the office together, the matter still unresolved—though Rule had a strong suspicion this was one more time he was going to give his pretty little wife exactly what she wanted.

Rule thought of something else he meant to give her later that evening and he smiled.

 

The week came to an end and slipped into the next. Violet and Rule had tentatively accepted the offer from Charles Whitney, subject to the review of contracts by their respective solicitors, along with Whitney's satisfaction with the condition of the plant and his examination of the profit ledgers.

The American, Montgomery, had upped his offer, which they had still refused, and the man had huffed angrily out of the office.

Caroline had come to see Violet several times. She had not seen Luke Barclay since their encounter at Severn's ball.

“I want to see him before I leave,” Caroline told Violet as they sat together in the drawing room. “I want to tell him goodbye.”

“Are you sure that's a good idea?”

“Luke isn't some ogre just waiting for a chance to drag me off to his lair. He has been nothing but kind to me. I was thinking that perhaps Rule could let him know that Grandmother and I will be attending the Whitewoods' soiree.”

“Rule? Are you mad? Rule would have a fit if he knew you were planning a meeting with Luke. He feels very protective of you, since you are now his cousin. And he doesn't trust Barclay's intentions where you are concerned.”

Caroline grinned. “Oh, I am so glad! I would hate to think this wild attraction I am suffering is not returned.”

Violet laughed. “At any rate, I am sure you will figure out a way to let Luke know you will be there.”

“Oh, I'm sure I can think of something.”

“Since you wish to make your farewells, I gather you are still determined to leave.”

“My ship sails two days after the party. I figure that will give me time to finish any last-minute packing.” Caroline reached over and caught Violet's hand. “I wish you were coming with me.”

“You know I can't. We are selling the business and deciding which companies to invest in with the money from the sale. There is a great deal to be done.”

“And in doing it, you are completely in your element. Working suits you, cousin.”

Violet smiled. “Clearly I am Howard Griffin's daughter.”

Caroline hugged her. “Yes, you are. And I shall miss you dearly.”

They talked a few minutes more before Caroline left the house, giving Violet time to change for supper. Her spirits faltered. Her cousin was leaving for America. Violet had few friends in London. At the moment, she and Rule were getting on fairly well. At night, their lovemaking was incredible.

But Violet had no illusions. Rule was a great deal like Lucas Barclay. He hadn't come for her in Boston because he liked the freedom he enjoyed as a single man. She had heard the rumors; she knew there had been other women—quite a number of them.

Her heart squeezed. Sooner or later, Rule would tire of her, just as he had the other women in his life.

Violet steeled herself. She told herself it wasn't important. She had a life of her own and she meant to make the most of it. Besides, it was 1860, not the Middle Ages. As
long as she was discreet, a wife could live as independently as her husband.

Violet just hoped when the time came, she could convince herself to be happy without Rule Dewar.

T
he night of the Whitewood soiree finally arrived. Violet might have talked Rule into staying at home if it weren't for Caroline. This would probably be their last night together in London. Day after the morrow, they would share a brief parting at the dock before the ship sailed, but it wouldn't be the same.

Tonight she wanted her best friend to enjoy her last evening in London. Caroline would be able to dance a little, to flirt with the young men she attracted and say her farewells to Barclay. Violet wanted to be there in case her cousin needed her when the farewells were over and Caroline's last night in London came to an end.

In a gown of cream silk
poult-de-soie
banded with amber velvet, Violet descended the stairs to where her husband stood waiting, his brilliant blue eyes moving over her in a way that set her heart to pounding.

“You look beautiful, love. But then you always do.” He took her hand and pressed it against his lips, and she felt warm all the way to her toes.

“Thank you.” She wished her heartbeat would slow,
wished the man didn't have such an effect on her. More and more, her cousin's words had begun to replay in her head.

You're falling in love with him.

She didn't want to love him. Loving Rule was a path that could only lead to pain. And yet, she wasn't quite sure how to stop this headlong journey to her own destruction.

Reaching into the pocket of his black evening jacket, he pulled out a blue velvet box and flipped open the lid.

“That dress needs diamonds. I saw these in the window of a little shop in Bond Street and I thought you might like them.”

Violet stared down at the box, accepting the gift with trembling hands. She pulled the necklace out and held it up to the light of the chandelier in the entry. Clusters of glittering diamonds strung together with a larger diamond cluster in front cascaded over her hand.

Rule took them from her, draped them around her throat and fastened the diamond clasp. “Now we are ready to go.”

She moved to the mirror in the entry to admire the gift. The necklace was fabulous and incredibly expensive.

“They're beautiful, Rule. Thank you.”

But as she stared at herself in the mirror, she began to wonder if this was the sort of gift he would give to his mistress. A parting gift, perhaps.

Her stomach knotted. She looked into his handsome face. There was no mistaking the heat in his beautiful blue eyes, the hunger. He wanted her still. Relief slipped through her. Not a parting gift. Not yet.

Violet took a deep breath. She would enjoy the time they had together. She wouldn't think what the future might hold.

Summoning a smile, she accepted the arm he offered and let him sweep her out of the house.

 

The soiree was a glittering affair, a gathering of London's elite. The Whitewoods were related to the Duke
of Marmont, which meant everyone who was anyone in London was attending. Standing next to her grandmother, Caroline admired the array of women gowned in elegant silks and satins, a rainbow of colors that sparkled in the gas lamps humming overhead. The men, mostly dressed in black, made an elegant contrast to the jeweled collection of women on their arms.

Standing at her side, Violet conversed with her husband and his friend, darkly handsome Jonathan Savage. Several other men Caroline had met were also there, including the Earl of Nightingale and the duke's friend Sheridan Knowles. All of them were politely friendly, asking her to dance and charming her with anecdotes about their days together on the Oxford sculling team.

“We won the championship that year,” Sheridan, Lord Wellesley said. “Showed those chaps at Cambridge a thing or two back then.”

Caroline smiled. “I'll bet you still could.”

Sheridan laughed. “On a good day, perhaps, and with a bit more time spent on the water.”

Next to her, Grandmother seemed to be enjoying herself. “I believe I see a friend,” she said, lifting her hand in greeting to a woman across the room. “If you will excuse me, dearest, I should like to say hello.”

“Of course, Grandmother.”

In a gown of black and silver that set off her upswept silver hair, Adelaide Lockhart crossed the drawing room. As Caroline watched the older woman weave a path through the crowd, her gaze went in search of Luke.

“Is he here?” Violet leaned down to whisper.

Caroline shook her head. “I haven't seen him. I'm not even sure he'll come.”

“But he knows you are going to be here.”

“He knows.”

Violet smiled. “Then I am certain he will come.”

Caroline tried not to look hopeful. She hadn't realized saying goodbye to Luke would make her leaving seem so final.

And yet she knew going home was the best thing for everyone. Luke might desire her as she desired him, but marriage for either one of them was out of the question.

Though Luke enjoyed his work as an investment broker and had earned a great deal of wealth, he was still unsettled as to what he really wanted out of life, and Caroline wasn't sure what she wanted, either. She needed time to grow up, time to live a little before she settled down.

She spotted him just then, tall and imposing, drawing the attention of a dozen female admirers as he crossed the elegant room. Violet was busy conversing with the duchess, giving Caroline the perfect opportunity to escape. She caught Luke's eye, then slipped out into the hallway, hoping he would follow.

He did just a few moments later, stopping directly in front of her, his dark eyes roaming over her from head to foot and glinting with appreciation. In her amethyst satin gown trimmed with dozens of tiny seed pearls, she knew she looked good, and Luke's hot gaze assured her it was true.

His gaze came to rest on her face. “Your note said you wished to see me.”

“That's right.” She glanced down the hall. “Do you suppose there is somewhere private we might speak?”

One of his dark brown eyebrows arched up. “How private would you like to get?”

Caroline just smiled. “What I have to say won't take long.”

Luke indicated she should continue down the hall, and Caroline started in that direction. When the corridor neared
the back of the house, Luke opened a door and motioned her inside.

Caroline walked into what appeared to be a private library smaller than the main one in another section of the house. Rows of books lined the wall behind a polished oak desk, and a pair of overstuffed sofas faced each other in front of a low-burning fire.

“You seem to know your way around,” Caroline said as Luke closed the door. Dear God, he was handsome. Not in the usual sense of pale good looks and golden-blond hair, but in a darker, harder, far more intriguing manner.

“Some years back, Lady Whitewood's cousin and I shared a certain…friendship.”

“I see.”

“It was a long time ago,” he said, walking toward her. Taking hold of her hand, he led her over to one of the sofas and sat down beside her. “So why did you send the note? What was it you wanted to talk to me about?”

She looked into his compelling brown eyes. “I wanted to tell you I am leaving, returning home to Boston. My ship sails day after the morrow.”

Luke frowned. “I thought you intended to stay in London for several months.”

“I did. But certain things have changed my mind. I feel it is time I went home. I just wanted you to know I have come to value our friendship very much.”

Luke's sensual mouth edged up. “It wasn't much of a friendship, Carrie. Perhaps you are too young to realize what we shared was mutual desire.”

She glanced down, faint color rising in her cheeks. “I know. That is the reason I am leaving.” She looked up at him. “I think of you far too often, Luke. I want things from you I know I cannot have.”

His gaze deepened. “I've never known a woman like you, Carrie, such a tantalizing combination of beauty, innocence and independence. You're wise beyond your years, love.”

She studied his face, the hard lines and the small scar that bisected his eyebrow. “Do you think…before we say goodbye, that you might kiss me one last time?”

For long moments, he made no move. Reaching out, he ran a finger along her cheek and her stomach fluttered.

“I shouldn't. God knows, I shouldn't.” And then he was bending his head, gently capturing her lips. The kiss deepened. Softened. Caroline's heartbeat quickened, began a relentless pounding. She parted her lips and his tongue slid into her mouth. Caroline leaned toward him, curled her fingers around the lapels of his coat.

She meant to end the kiss, she truly did, but she had never felt anything so wonderful, so enticing. She breathed into his mouth and her tongue slid over his and she heard him groan.

She wasn't sure how it happened that she lay beneath him on the sofa, that one of his big hands was inside her bodice and now caressed a breast. She only knew that everywhere he touched her, heat burned inside and she wanted more. She loved the feel of his heavy weight on top of her, pressing her into the sofa, and yet it wasn't enough. She arched upward, urging him on, silently begging him to continue, kissing him and kissing him, completely unwilling to stop.

It was the wild shriek of horror that had both of them bolting upright, their attention swinging toward the door.

A group of people stood in the opening, gaping at the sight in front of them, Caroline's gown disheveled and riding up to her knees, the bodice pulled down and exposing a portion of her breast. At the back of the crowd, her grandmother stared into the library in wide-eyed shock.

As she righted her clothes with trembling hands, some
one turned and hurried off down the hall. The others slipped discreetly away, but her grandmother remained.

“Mr. Barclay, what is the meaning of this?”

Caroline swallowed. “It…it isn't what it seems, Grandmother. Luke…Mr. Barclay and I are friends. I was just…just telling him goodbye.”

Next to her, Luke stood rigid, his jaw clamped so tight a muscle bunched in his cheek. So far he hadn't said a word.

“What's going on here?” Rule strode through the doorway, Violet hurrying along in his wake. His fierce blue eyes bored into his friend. “Luke, what have you done?”

“This isn't his fault,” Caroline defended. “We were only…only saying goodbye.”

Violet closed the door, giving the small group a degree of privacy.

Adelaide Lockhart pointed an accusing finger at Luke. “That rogue has compromised my granddaughter. By tomorrow, the gossip will be all over London.”

Rule turned to Violet. “Take your cousin out of here.”

Caroline's chin went up. “I told you this isn't Luke's fault. I am staying.”

Violet cast her a look of sympathy but, knowing her as she did, didn't try to convince her to leave.

Rule returned his attention to Luke. “I warned you, Luke. I told you to stay away from her.”

Luke said nothing, but his face looked carved in stone.

“You know what has to happen. There is no help for it now.”

Luke's jaw worked, the muscles clenching, moving up and down. “I'll do the right thing. I'll marry her.”

Caroline looked at him and her chest squeezed. “Are you mad? You don't want to marry me!”

His gaze locked with hers. “I don't have any choice.”

Caroline shot to her feet. “Well, I have a choice! I am not going to marry you! I'm going back to Boston where I belong!”

Something moved across his features. Determination followed close on its heels. “You'll marry me. Even if you leave, the scandal won't end. Your grandmother and your cousin will suffer. Is that what you want?”

“Of course not, but…but neither of us is ready for marriage. We said that, we talked about it.”

His mouth curved harshly. “That didn't stop what happened here tonight. And if we hadn't been so rudely interrupted, you would have had a lot more reason to marry me.”

Heat rushed into her cheeks. Still she held her ground. “I won't do it! I won't!”

“Is there someone else?” Luke asked. “Someone in Boston?”

“No, of course not.”

“Then like it or not, I'm the man you're going to marry.”

“Let me talk to her,” Violet soothed, hurrying to her side.

“Fine, talk to her,” Luke said darkly. “But one way or another, we're getting married. I won't be called an even bigger cad than I've been labeled already.”

Luke stormed out of the drawing room and for the first time, tears washed into Caroline's eyes. Through a hazy blur, she saw her grandmother and Rule slip out of the room behind him and quietly close the door.

“Luke doesn't want to marry me,” Caroline said. “And I don't want to marry him.”

Violet handed her a handkerchief. “Are you certain you feel that way? Whatever you feel for Luke must be very powerful or this wouldn't have happened.”

Caroline pressed the handkerchief beneath her eyes.
“Marriage isn't…isn't what either of us wants. It just isn't fair.”

“That is what I thought when my father asked me to marry Rule. Sometimes fate takes a hand and things just happen.”

Caroline looked up at her. “I have to do it, don't I?”

“You have never been one to hurt others. Your grandmother will suffer and so will Luke. But if you marry him, all of this will eventually disappear.”

Caroline wiped the wetness from her cheeks. “We'll hate each other.”

“Perhaps not. Desire is a powerful force. At least the two of you have that.”

She thought of the kiss that had turned into a blazing inferno neither of them seemed able to control. “Yes…I suppose there is that.”

“And you like London. You have a grandmother here who loves you and no real reason to return to Boston.”

“No.”

“We're both survivors, Carrie, you and I. We'll both make the best of what life hands us. That is our nature.”