The Husband Hunt (17 page)

Sighing, he shifted on his side in bed, wincing as his chest gave a twinge of pain. He’d not been any more concerned with it tonight than he had been the first night or in the stables. The damned thing was never going to heal if he wasn’t more careful. But he didn’t really care about that when he had Lisa shivering and shaking in his arms, her nails biting into his skin and her pleas ringing in his ear. There was no way he would ever again think of her as a little sister. Robert couldn’t believe that he ever had. The woman was as passionate as he, meeting him thrust for thrust and demanding more.

He would claim her for his own. Robert was determined. He just needed to figure out how.

L
isa turned over in her bed and peered toward the window as she heard her sister and brother-in-law’s bedroom door close and silence return to the house. She’d woken up and slipped back to her room only moments before they’d returned. Just in time, she thought and almost sighed aloud with something like disappointment. If she’d been caught, she would have had to marry Robert. He would have seen to it. And the thought was a tempting one. Enjoying such pleasure every night? Who would not be tempted?

“You cannot marry Findlay. He could never make you feel like this.”

Robert’s words from earlier rang through her head and she turned restlessly onto her back. The words just continued to repeat through her mind though. And she wondered . . . Could he? Could anyone? Surely Robert wasn’t the only one in the world who could kiss and touch her in a way that roused her passions? The thought was a depressing one. While she didn’t think she could live with his waiting for her to cheat on him, she was also beginning to think she couldn’t live a celibate life in the country either. The man had brought her body to life and she didn’t think it would easily or quickly forget the pleasures it had learned and enjoyed. She didn’t even want to.

Surely, someone could make her feel at least some of this passion?

A quiet life with a man she liked, whose company she enjoyed and who could make her feel even half the passion she’d experienced so far sounded far preferable to the alternatives. And she liked Charles Findlay. She enjoyed dancing and chatting with him, had really enjoyed reading with him, the race and . . . well, she liked him. True, his first kiss had barely stirred her passions and had left her wanting. And yes, the second kiss had been painful, but that was her fault. She’d asked him to kiss her punishingly and that’s exactly what he’d done. How was she supposed to know that Robert’s kisses hadn’t been punishing at all?

Perhaps if she asked Charles to kiss her passionately rather than punishingly it would make a difference, she thought. It was worth a try.

Of course, he might not be willing to marry her once she confessed that she had been with Robert. And she would have to confess, Lisa thought unhappily. She couldn’t live with such a secret. Her conscience would kill her. But even if he turned from her then, at least if he kissed her and managed to stir her passion she would know that Robert was not the only man in the world who could do so.

Obviously, all this depended on her not being with child. But then Suzette and Christiana had been married for two years and she knew darned right well from their talk that they were enjoying their marriage bed often and well. Yet neither of them were with child. Okay, Christiana had been once, but she’d miscarried. So perhaps the females in her line didn’t easily get pregnant and that would not be a worry.

The thought gave her hope. Ruined by itself was definitely better than ruined and with child.

Lisa turned onto her side again and stared at the window as she contemplated what she should do. She would ask Charles to kiss her passionately. If that worked out all right and he did ask her to marry him, she would tell him about Robert and see how he reacted, and then . . . She supposed the “and then” would depend on how he reacted.

It wasn’t much, but it was the first bit of hope Lisa had felt in days. She might not be able to have the kind of marriage her sisters enjoyed, but then again she might. After all, neither Suzette nor Christiana had known their husbands for years before marrying them. Actually, they’d both only known them for a matter of days. There was still hope for her without Robert. She just had to keep her spirits up and resist the temptation he offered in the meantime.

It was the temptation that was her biggest worry. All the man had to do was touch her and her resistance crumbled like a house of cards. It was pathetic really, when she thought about it. She’d been raised better than that. But so long as he was guarding her, she very much feared—

Lisa sat up in bed abruptly. As long as he was guarding her . . . That was the problem. Richard and Daniel had arranged things so that he would have to guard her in the hopes that he would admit he loved her and give up this ridiculous idea about a curse on the Langley men. But Christiana wasn’t with child, and the women knew about the suitor. There was no longer any excuse not to hire a proper bodyguard to trail her around rather than Robert. And doing that would remove temptation for her.

“Damn,” Lisa muttered, dropping back in bed. She should have thought of this before. She would talk to Richard about it tomorrow. With any luck, Robert and his temptation would be out of the house by tomorrow afternoon.

“O
h, it’s you.”

Robert stopped his pacing of Richard’s office and turned at that comment to find the man standing in the open office door.

“I heard someone in the hall upstairs and got up to investigate, but by the time I pulled on my trousers the hall was empty, so I thought to check the rest of the house,” Richard explained, moving into the room and pushing the door closed behind him.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Robert muttered, turning away to pace to the fireplace again.

“How is the wound?” Richard asked, moving to the sideboard to pour himself a whiskey.

“Healing,” he answered without interest. It wasn’t his sliced chest that was bothering him. It was Lisa’s refusal to marry him. He couldn’t believe she’d rejected the proposal out of hand. For God’s sake, she’d trailed him around like a puppy for most of their lives, following him with adoring eyes. And she’d slept with him, for pity’s sake. She’d let him do things that no man but a husband should do. She could be carrying their child! And yet she refused to marry him? He would never understand women.

“So what has you up and pacing?” Richard asked, settling in one of the chairs before the fire and eyeing him curiously.

“Explain women to me,” Robert demanded rather than answer.

Richard raised his eyebrows and lowered the glass he’d just raised to his lips. “Any woman in particular?”

“Lisa,” he growled.

Richard nodded solemnly. “What would you like me to explain about her?”

“I asked her to marry me,” he admitted after a brief struggle, and then added, “Several times.”

Richard didn’t gasp in shock. He didn’t even appear surprised, just asked, “And why did you do that?”

Robert turned away, unwilling to reveal the events that had led to the proposal.

“I thought you had no desire to marry?” Richard prodded. “That any woman you were foolish enough to shackle yourself to would surely be unfaithful and make your life a misery.”

Robert grunted with a nod.

“So why ask Lisa to marry you?”

He scowled into the cold, blackened logs in the unlit fireplace and shook his head, unwilling to explain.

After a moment, Richard said, “Perhaps she refuses because she doesn’t want to be painted an adulteress when she hasn’t earned it.”

Robert glanced around with surprise at those words. “What?”

Richard shrugged. “Trust is a part of love and necessary for a good marriage, Robert. I have to trust Christiana every day in many small and large ways and she me. If we didn’t have that trust, our marriage could never survive the trials and tribulations of daily life.” He took a sip of his whiskey and then added, “And it is the same for Daniel and Suzette. Trust is important in a marriage. Lisa knows that. But you aren’t offering it to her with your proposal.”

“I trust her . . . mostly,” he added uncomfortably.

“Mostly isn’t enough,” Richard said quietly. “And I suspect if you can’t offer her your full trust, you will never win her.”

Robert turned back to the fireplace with a frown.

Several moments of silence passed and then Richard asked, “Do you think I should trust Christiana as I do?”

“Of course,” he said without having to think about it.

“And can Daniel trust Suzette?”

“Again yes,” he said at once. “Neither of them have a deceptive bone in their body.”

“Well I wouldn’t go that far,” Richard said with amusement, and then quickly added, “But my question is, why then do you not trust Lisa? She is their sister. Raised by the same parents with the same values. Why is she untrustworthy when her sisters are not?”

“I do trust Lisa,” he said with a frown.

“Not if you think she would be unfaithful,” Richard said firmly.

“That is different. It wouldn’t be—it’s not that I think she—it’s—”

“The curse?” Richard suggested when Robert paused again.

“Yes,” he said on a sigh and the other man shook his head.

“You do not even recognize how irrational that sounds, do you? Your father pounded that ingrained belief so firmly into your head, you cannot see that it was just the rantings of a bitter old man.”

“They weren’t rantings,” Robert said quietly. “My mother was unfaithful.”

“Has it occurred to you that he may have driven her to it with his beliefs and suspicions?” Richard suggested quietly. “I suspect your father was raised by his own father on the same milk of hate and mistrust for women as he tried to instill in you. I think had you not been such good friends with the Madison sisters, you would have grown up a woman hater like him.”

Robert frowned. “He didn’t hate women.”

“Really?” Richard asked with a disbelieving laugh. “Give one example of a good or kind thing he ever said about women. Because I met your father a time or two over the years when I was younger and it seemed to me he was a bitter, nasty woman hater.” Richard downed his drink then and stood up. “I am going back to bed to cuddle up to my wife. You should get some rest too. You are still healing.”

Robert merely nodded. His thoughts were now on his father as he sought for even one good thing the man had ever said about any woman. The only thing he could come up with was that Cook made damned fine pasties. Sadly, he’d followed that up with the comment that it was too bad she wasn’t a man.

Frowning, he moved to the chair Richard had just vacated and settled into it, his mind going back over his childhood and his parent’s interactions. What he recalled were a lot of fights and yelling, usually every time his mother came back from visiting one or another of their boarders or had tea with a friend. Which was almost daily. He recalled his father shouting accusations and his mother responding with frustration and despair. He hadn’t understood at the time, but supposed now that his father had been accusing her of meeting a lover or being unfaithful. And since Robert had usually been with her on those visits and knew she hadn’t been . . . well, all those battles had been for naught. They’d been nothing more than paranoia and false accusations against a woman who hadn’t deserved them.

It must have been unbearable for her, Robert thought with a frown. How had he never seen this before? Somehow as a young man he had ended up taking his father’s side in everything, sure he was right and she was nothing more than a faithless whore. And, yes, in the end she had turned to another man. But was it possible his father had driven her into the arms and succor of another man with years of what really amounted to abuse? To give her credit, the only affair Robert was even sure his mother ever had was the one with Gower and that had not started until his parents had begun to live apart.

This was casting an entirely new light on his parents . . . not to mention his beliefs in the supposed curse on the Langley men. It was possible it was nothing more than a case of believing it would happen bringing it about. Had Lisa consented to marry him, would he have driven her to leave him and take up with another for comfort?

“Jesus,” he muttered.

Chapter Fourteen

“Y
ou are sure Robert is not up yet?” Lisa asked Bet for the third time as the maid finished with her hair.

“Aye. Handers said Lord Langley was up pacing in the office most of the night, and Lord Radnor said to let him sleep. He’s sleeping.”

Lisa nodded on a relieved sigh. “And Richard is gone already.”

“Aye. He was up with the dawn and gone,” Bet repeated, also for the third time.

Lisa nodded again, but this time with a grimace. She had hoped to talk to him about hiring a guard today so that Robert could leave. But there was nothing she could do about that now if Richard was gone. Still, she wasn’t going to sit about here for Robert to lure her into bed again.

Perhaps she should go hire a bodyguard herself. The Bow Street runners did that kind of thing. Or at least she hoped they did. If not, surely they could tell her who would. She would have Handers hire a hack and take care of the matter herself, she decided.

“There you are,” Bet murmured, stepping back as she finished with her hair. “Is there anything else?”

“Nay,” Lisa murmured, standing to head for the door. “I have to go out for a bit. I shall—”

“Not by yerself,” Bet said firmly. “That suitor fellow is still out there somewhere.”

Lisa hesitated, recognizing the stubborn set to Bet’s shoulders. “I was going to have Handers hire a hack. In fact, I am heading out to hire a bodyguard so that Lord Langley needn’t bother with the task himself anymore.”

Bet relaxed a bit and nodded with understanding. “Between me and the driver we should be able to keep ye safe. But we’ll take one of the footmen just to be sure.”

Lisa smiled wryly at the other woman as she moved to join her. “I take it you are not going to let me go alone?”

“With yer tendency to land yerself in trouble?” Bet asked with a snort. “Not bloody likely, miss.”

Shaking her head, Lisa didn’t bother to argue, but simply turned and led the way out of her room. They were descending the stairs when a knock sounded at the front door. Lisa slowed, but continued forward, watching curiously as Handers appeared in the entry to answer it. Her eyes widened, however, when she saw a grim-faced Findlay on the doorstep, a bouquet of flowers in one hand, and books and a small bag in the other.

“I came to—” Charles started and then paused when he saw Lisa coming down the steps. His face brightened at once, a wide smile replacing the slight frown that had been there before. “Lisa. I mean Miss Madison,” he corrected himself quickly, his glance sliding to Bet and Handers.

“It’s all right, Handers. I shall see Lord Findlay,” Lisa said after a hesitation.

“Very good, miss. Shall I show him to the parlor?”

She smiled wryly at the question, but shook her head. “I think I can manage to lead him there myself. But perhaps some tea could be sent to us?”

“Very good, miss.” The butler gave a half bow and turned to head up the hall.

“Shall I talk to Harry in the stables about hiring a hack for us?” Bet murmured behind her.

Lisa glanced over her shoulder and nodded. “Yes, please.”

The maid nodded and slipped around her to follow the butler as Lisa stepped off the stairs and approached Charles.

“Please, come in,” she said with a laugh, realizing the man was still standing on the front step.

Returning her smile, he stepped inside and pushed the door closed. “These are for you.”

“Thank you,” Lisa murmured, accepting the flowers he held out. “They’re beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you,” he said solemnly, and then added, “I am glad to see you looking so well. I was worried when you didn’t attend the Norstroms’ ball last night. Your sister said you had a cough after getting caught in the rain. That’s all my fault. I should have been paying better attention to the weather. I am sorry.”

“Don’t be. I am fine today,” she murmured, trying to ignore the guilt his apology stirred in her. Sighing, she turned to lead him up the hall to the parlor, adding, “And it wasn’t your fault, anyway.”

“Still, I shall take more care in future,” he assured her and then they both paused as a maid rushed out of the kitchens with a vase of water.

“Mr. Handers said ye’d be wanting this, Miss,” the girl explained, holding up the vase.

“Yes, thank you, Joan,” Lisa murmured, setting the flowers in the vase and then taking it from the girl to carry into the parlor. She set it on the table in front of the sofa as she settled on it and immediately began to fuss with the flowers, arranging them more attractively as Lord Findlay settled on the chair across from her.

“These are for you too,” Charles murmured, leaning forward to offer her the books and the bag he carried once she was satisfied with the flowers.

“Thank you,” Lisa said, accepting the offerings. Peering quickly over the titles, she smiled wryly, “You have discovered my weakness, my lord. I do love to read. Though I haven’t had much chance to enjoy books since coming to London.”

“It is always busy in town,” Charles said, waving that away, and then added, “There is much more time to read in the country. I actually prefer life in the country for just that reason.”

“So do I,” she admitted. While this was her first trip to town, Lisa found the constant round of balls and teas a bit taxing. Of course, the rest of her time was not exactly relaxing, what with the kidnapping attempts, and with Robert’s constant attentions.

“There is something else we have in common then,” Charles said with a smile.

“Yes,” she agreed with a smile, setting the books aside and turning her attention to the bag he’d handed her. Opening it, she peered inside, her eyes widening as she spotted the hard candies inside. The sight startled a “My favorite!” from her, and Charles grinned.

“Really? They are mine too.”

“Something else we have in common,” Lisa said with a laugh, and then glanced past him to the door as Bet appeared with a tea tray in hand. The maid set the tray on the table beside the flowers, and then bent to whisper by her ear, “Harry is arranging for the hack, and Handers has selected one of the largest footmen to accompany us.”

“Thank you,” Lisa murmured.

Nodding, the maid straightened and left the room, leaving them alone.

Once she was gone, Lisa hesitated and then busied herself pouring the tea.

“Thank you,” Charles said as he accepted the cup she then offered him.

“Shall we have a candy too?” Lisa asked picking up the bag.

“Yes, that would be nice,” Charles said, reaching in to take one when she held out the bag. Smiling faintly, he sat back and contemplated the little candy with a shake of the head. “I cannot believe we like so many of the same things. It’s rather nice.”

“Yes,” Lisa agreed, popping one of the candies into her own mouth and considering him as she moved it around with her tongue. They did appear to have a lot in common. That had to be a good thing. Now if he could just manage to stir some passion in her . . .

“What are you thinking?” Charles asked suddenly, a curious smile curving his lips. “You have a very odd look on your face.”

Lisa hesitated, and picked up her tea. She took a sip, and then rather than answer, asked, “My lord, what were you asking me when Robert interrupted us the other day?”

When he hesitated, she said, “I thought perhaps you were in the middle of asking me to be your wife.”

Charles glanced down to his teacup, and then set it down with a sigh and nodded. “In truth, I was.”

Lisa relaxed a bit and nodded. “I thought so.”

They were both silent for a moment and then he raised his eyebrows. “And will you?”

Lisa bit her lip and dropped her eyes. She should have realized this would follow the question, but she didn’t appear to be thinking terribly clearly at the moment. Which was a good deal of the problem. If she could just get some time without Robert hovering nearby, or seducing her, or even just sleeping across the hall from her, she was sure she could figure out what was best to do in this situation. But to get that time she needed to hire a guard and remove any reason for Robert to be at the house. Until she did that, she wouldn’t be able to think and wouldn’t trust any decisions she came to not to be simply knee-jerk reactions to Robert’s effect on her.

“Lisa?” he prodded.

Sighing, she raised her eyes and asked, “Would you mind terribly if I asked for time to consider before answering?”

“Time to consider,” Charles echoed quietly, sitting back.

“It is a very big decision,” she said apologetically. “It decides the course of the rest of my life. And yours.”

“Yes, it does,” he agreed solemnly.

“And while I do enjoy your company and we do seem to like the same things, I—” She hesitated and then blurted, “Do you think you could kiss me again, my lord?”

Charles rocked back in his seat with surprise, his tea sloshing in his cup and slipping over the side to fill the matching saucer it sat on.

“I realize it is bold of me to ask,” she rushed on, aware that she was blushing. “But it does occur to me that before deciding something so important, it might be good to learn if we could . . . I mean, if we suited each other in . . . er . . . less intellectual ways.”

His eyes were wide now, his eyebrows halfway to his hairline and Lisa knew she was bright red with embarrassment.

Grimacing, she struggled on. “It is just that a lifetime is a very long time and while you have kissed me before, the first time I think you were being gentle with me and the second time was punishing at my own request, but I—” Lisa shook her head and then said, “I just thought if you kissed me passionately and . . .” She stared at him helplessly, and then stood abruptly, too embarrassed to continue. “I’m sorry. It was not well done of me to even suggest such a thing. I should probably—”

“No, no.” Charles was on his feet at once and moving around the table to claim her hands. “You took me by surprise, but you are absolutely right.”

“I am?” Lisa asked uncertainly.

“Yes, of course. Surely a proper kiss or two to ensure we . . . er . . . suit each other in other ways would be a sensible idea,” he said with a crooked smile.

Lisa felt herself relax at his words and nodded. “Yes. It does.”

“Very well.” Charles hesitated briefly, and then released her hands to clasp her elbows and draw her into his arms. Lisa managed not to stiffen up. It was difficult though. This wasn’t Robert and her body seemed very aware of that.

Charles smiled at her, and then lowered his head to press his lips to hers lightly, before beginning to nibble and nip.

Lisa waited for something to stir in her . . . and waited. Then his tongue brushed along her lips and she automatically opened to him, allowing his tongue to sweep in. Much to her relief, passion finally, slowly stirred to life within her. Sadly, it was only a weak echo of the passion Robert brought to life in her. On the other hand, Charles’s hands were remaining chastely on her elbows, not traveling over her body as Robert’s did when he kissed her, so perhaps that was the difference, she told herself.

A footfall at the door made them break apart then and Lisa glanced toward it, cursing herself for not closing the door when she saw Robert standing there.

“Langley,” Charles said in greeting, releasing Lisa. He hesitated and then said, “You may be the first to congratulate us. I just asked Miss Madison to marry me.”

Lisa bit her lip, but otherwise didn’t react. He did ask her to be his wife. However, she had asked for time to think and the way he had phrased it made it sound as if she’d accepted. But then they had just been caught in something of a compromising position and she didn’t doubt he was trying to protect her.

“Perhaps you should go for now,” Lisa suggested when Robert didn’t comment and simply continued to stand staring at them.

“Of course,” Charles murmured, but asked, “Will you be at the Brewsters’ ball tonight?”

Lisa nodded.

“Then I shall look for you there,” he announced. He kissed her on the forehead and then moved across the room to leave.

Robert stepped out of the way at his approach, watched him exit and then pushed the door closed and turned on Lisa.

“I didn’t agree to marry him,” she said nervously when the silence drew out, and then could have kicked herself for it. Raising her chin, she added, “But I intend to if he still wants me after I tell him about . . . what we did.”

“You cannot marry him,” Robert said quietly.

Lisa scowled. “I can and I will, Robert.”

“Marry me instead. Then you will not need to explain anything.”

Sighing wearily, she shook her head. “I will not spend a lifetime trying to prove I will not be unfaithful.”

“You could be carrying my child,” he pointed out.

“Then I had best find a husband quickly,” Lisa snapped impatiently and his head went back as if she’d slapped him.

“Another man is not raising my child,” he growled.

“And I am not marrying a man who thinks I will be unfaithful before we have even said I do,” she shot back.

“I don’t—” Robert broke off and glanced to the door impatiently when a knock sounded. Growling under his breath with frustration, he turned to open it. “What?”

“There is a Mr. Smithe here to see you, my lord,” Handers announced. “I showed him to the office.”

“Dammit,” Robert muttered, and then hesitated a moment before turning to Lisa. “Wait here. I need to see him, but I won’t be long. We need to talk about this.”

He didn’t wait for her agreement, but then turned and hurried out of the room.

Lisa heard him stride up the hall, but when she heard the office door open and close, she hurried out of the room, up the hall and straight out the front door. She couldn’t talk to Robert. They would argue, he would kiss her, they would end up in a naked heap in the parlor, be discovered and the decision of who to spend the rest of her life with would be taken from her.

Her fleeing was a purely panicked reaction with no real destination in mind. But when she spotted the hack in front of the house, she immediately rushed to it, pausing just long enough to tell the driver where she wanted to go before climbing inside and collapsing on the seat. The coach was already moving before it occurred to her that she’d forgot to bring Bet and the footman with her.