The Lady and the Earl (28 page)

She blushed.  “Yes, I did, but only because I believed I should know of such things.  After all, you said yourself we have only six weeks before our union is official.  Such a thing as a mistress could affect my decision on the matter.  Your wife, on the other hand, is personal.  I
didn’t
want to
cause
you pain.  Her memory and her death could be difficult for you.”

“Could be, but they are not,” he stated truthfully.

“Oh,” Allana said
, unsure how she sh
o
uld react to his response.  “I’
m sorry.”

“Don’t be.  I
mentioned her
, so I shall tell you about her.” 
Declan
grabbed Allana’s hand and wrapped it around his arm.  “Walk with me.”

She obeyed and followed next to him as he talked.

“Rebecca and I met when we were quite young,” he began.  “I believe she was even younger than you are now.  She was not my father’s first choice for me, but—circumstances as they were—he allowed the marriage.”

“Circumstances as
they were?  What do you mean?”
Allana asked. 

“Well,” he laughed uncomfortably.  “We met at a ball, and we were very passionately involved afterward.  Marriage was the honorable thing to do.”

“Oh…I see,” Allana said, embarrassed she
didn’t
realize his implication in the first place.  Had it been his choice to marry Rebecca, or were they discovered and forced to marry?  Was it possible
Declan
really was no different than Lucas
?  P
erhaps he
was lying
about the mistress?  Did he fraternize with women so?  Casually, she continued.  “So the marriage was your decision
—y
our idea
—or
were you…
?” she
trailed off, unable to finish the question.

“Are you asking if I was forced to marry her
?” he
asked.

“I…I suppose so.”

“I was not.  I chose it. 
I
decided it was the right thing to do.  Not her father, n
or mine
.  And, even though we were miserable together, I would make the same decision.  I do not take such things lightly,” he said defensively.

“
Declan
, I meant no offense.  I ha
ve simply endured some things that have caused me to be…mistrustful.  Perhaps I should explain myself.  If you knew certain things, you might understand my questions.  Are you familiar with
Lord
Hoffman?”
Allana asked painfully.

“Lucas?  Yes, I am,”
Declan
said numbly.  His face turned hard, startling Allana.

Apprehensively, she continued.  “He was a recent suitor of mine.  I…
,
”
she trailed off not wanting to continue.

*
             
*
             
*

Declan
jerked to a stop, forcing Allana to as well.  “Lucas courted you,” he stated darkly.  He closed his eyes briefly, taking deep breaths.  So she had been one of
Lucas’s
…
. 
No, he would give her the benefit of the doubt.  Perhaps Connor had saved her in time, or maybe not.  Pieces to a puzzle fell into place, painting
Declan
a clearer picture of this arranged marriage and of Allana.  Lucas was the key, and so was he. 
Declan
turned Allana toward him and held her there with his intense eyes. 
“Allana?”

“Yes
?
” she said tentatively.

“What was the extent of your relationship with Lucas?”

“What do you mean?  He courted me.  We spent time together.  I suspected he would ask for my hand, but he never did.  What more do you wish to know?”

Declan
pressed his lips together tightly
.  “Were you intimate
?” he
asked bluntly.

“Intimate?  You mean—No! 
Of course not.
 
Why would you…? 
I cannot…No!”
Allana finished in disgust. 

“I apologize, Allana.  I did not wish to question your
maidenhood
, but I do know Lucas.  And I know he does not take
no
lightly.” 
Declan
eyed her doubtfully.  “You truly did not succumb to his
—
”

“No!”
Allana growled.  Her eyes stormed wildly. 

Declan
let out a sigh of relief, his body visibly relaxing.
 
“You are a rare woman,”
he
said quietly. 

“Apparently, I was the only one with any sense,” she retorted. 

He laughed. 
“Perhaps.
 
May I ask what happened?”

“I was inclined to end his courtship when I happened upon him engaged in indecent behavior with another woman,” Allana stated. 

“I am sorry.  That must have been painful for you.” 
Declan
reached out and touched her cheek.  He knew it had been painful.  It had been for him when
he’d
stumbled upon the same scene with Rebecca.  They had been married less than
a week
when it happened.  He found her in another man’s arms and never shared her bed again.

“It was for the best.  Connor warned me, but I did not believe until I witnessed it myself,” she said truthfully.

“He’
s why you asked if I had a mistress, isn’t he?” 

“I…yes.
  However, now I see how foolish that was.  You are an honorable man,
Declan
.  And I apologize,” Allana said very seriously.

Declan
smiled in pleasure.  “Thank you.”  He brought her hand to his lips, pressing it there gently.

Allana smiled shyly, and
Declan
sighed.  She was
very
tempting.  The urge to kiss
her
was ever present
, but he forced it aside.  “We have had many,” he paused, thinking, “unique discussions today.  Shall we walk further and think of more pleasant things to talk about?”

“That would be nice,” Allana replied. 

He off
ered his arm, and she took it, allowing
him
to
guide her through Tananguard grounds.

Declan
ground his teeth impatiently as he waited for Allana.  Connor sat next to him,
chatting casually while
Declan
half listened.  It was
the end of the week
, and he’
d
come
each morning to ride with Allana.  This morning he
was
an hour late
due to
his secretary
insisting
upon
readying
wedding plans before
Declan
left for London in two days. 

The man could not wait until tomorrow or this afternoon, oh no.  It had to be this morning right after breakfast,
Declan
thought irritably. 
Tomorrow was
the
wedding of Carmon
Davenhue
to Edmund
Russell
and the only day this week Declan wasn’t scheduled to ride with Allana. 
Tomorrow would have been ideal to sit for two hours and listen to his secretary brew about how
he had such
little time to
arrange
a nice wedding.  But because the man chose today,
Declan
had
arrived
late this morning, and Allana had left for her ride without him. 
I doubt there
’s
any chance catching up with her since she
takes a different route every day
.

“Maybe that is the reason they called this meeting,” Connor was saying.  “What do you think?” 

“I’m sorry, what?”
Declan
asked in reply.  He hadn’t heard anything Connor had said.

“Do you thin
k there could be an uprising?”
Connor elaborated, waiting for an intelligent reply.

“An uprising?”
Declan
asked, confused by the conversation. 
I suppose I should have been paying more attention,
he thought to himself.

Connor laughed.  “Yes, an uprising, and that’s why Parliament has called this meeting in London?  Wher
e have you been, m
an?”

“
My apologies, Connor.
 
I’m a little distracted.  Too much to think about these days,”
Declan
answered. 

“Too much to think about, or too much of someone to
think about?”
Connor jested.  “You have been spending
quite a
lot of time with her this past week.”

“I’m marrying her in five weeks.  And four of those weeks I will be in London.  For both of our benefits, I am trying
to get to know her better.  It i
s strictly
business
,
”
Declan
argued.

Connor nodded.
“Of course
.
”
   

Before
Declan
could retort, Allana burst into the room wearing the green riding dress
she’d
worn the day
of the hunt
.  She looked beautiful.  Her face was flushed from the ride, and her hair was pulled
back in a long, thick braid that
hung
over her left shoulder…
a
braid that was wet. 
Declan
scowled in disapproval.  Not only had she gone for her ride without him, but
she’d
also gone swimming without him. 
 

“Connor, I had the most enjoyable—
Oh
!  I did
n’
t realize we had company.”  She blushed furiously
as her eyes fell on Declan.  S
he
shoved
her wet braid
behind her back
as though trying to hide it from
view
.  “
Lord
Cunningham!  What a surprise.  What are you doing here
?” she
asked. 

“Waiting for you,”
Declan
said, trying not to sound irritated.  He rose from his chair and walk
ed
toward her.  “Since you left without me this morning, I was hoping you would walk with me through your lovely garden.”   For the first time since they had met, he didn’t scold her for using formalities instead of his first name. 

“I would be delighted to, but could I ask you to postpone it for a few moments while I freshen up a bit?”   

“I don’t mind waiting,”
Declan
replied, smiling tightly. 

Allana blushed
.  Obviously she could sense his disapproval.

“
Declan
, I thought that was your voice I heard,”
Lord
Tananguard said as he and Lilly entered the sitting room where Connor,
Declan
, and Allana were.  “How are you?”

“Well
, thank you. 
And yourselves?”
Declan
asked politely. 

“Still pregnant, but doing well,” Lilly replied pleasantly, rubbing her belly tenderly.

“
Declan
has asked me to walk with him,” Allana explained.

“Oh, how nice,” Lilly said through an approving smile. 

“Yes, but I need to freshen up.  I just got back from one of my rides.  Might you assist me,
Lilly?”
Allana asked sweetly. 

Lilly looked delighted by the request. 
“Of course.”
 

“Thank you,” Allana said, backing out of the room
, and Declan could only guess why.  Her rump was still drying.  He tried not to grin, but a small smile played across his lips as he watched her.
  “I will be
swift
, I promise,” she added before disappearing out the door. 

“I wonder where she goes,” Connor said curiously. 

“Who knows?  I’ve gone riding with her for the past six days, and each day she
has taken
me somewhere different,”
Declan
replied still feeling frustrated with the idea of her swimming without him.  What frustrated him most wasn’t the fact she
’d gone
swimming
alone, but the fact
she’d
gone
without him
.  He hadn’t once been able to get he
r to join him on the days she’
d taken him to different swimming holes al
ong the river.  Then the day he cannot join her, is the day she
decides to get in the water.
 
He frowned irritably.