The Training of a Marquess (33 page)
Claire laughed. The things Lady Anne told her about each of the gentlemen who asked her to dance had helped. It was hard to be intimidated by a man who could only speak of his dogs and wore a corset.
“Ah, here comes just the man I’ve been looking for. Lord Daventry is an earl and every woman in the room sighs when he walks past. Of course, they do the same when Kensington walks by, but Kensington belongs to you, my dear, so that is neither here nor there. This is important, so do as I say. He will ask you to dance, and you will agree to the last waltz of the evening. He’s a friend of Kensington’s, but he is a rake and Kensington will be beside himself when he sees you waltzing with Lord Daventry.”
Claire recognized the name. He was the man who was interested in one of her horses and wouldn’t be against her training his.
Curious, she glanced at him. Oh my, he was almost as beautiful as Chase. But where Chase was all light and golden, this man looked dark and dangerous. She would wager Amira he didn’t wear a corset. Except for his white shirt and cravat, he dressed in severe black—no fancy, colorful waistcoat, no lace on his cuffs or jeweled stickpin. The attire suited him with his black hair, piercing eyes and chiseled face. The nerves she had put to rest returned.
Lord Daventry bowed over Lady Anne’s hand. “Lady Kensington, it is indeed a pleasure to see you again. When you are not in town, it’s as if all the lights in London have been extinguished.”
Claire watched, fascinated, as Lady Anne giggled and tapped Lord Daventry’s arm with her fan. “If you were a fox, Daventry, you would charm all the hounds to your side, I’m sure. Now, I would like to introduce you to my good friend, Lady Derebourne. This is her first time in Town, so be gentle with her.”
Ink-blue eyes raked her from head to toe. Other than Chase, Claire had never had a man focus on her with such smoldering heat. It was thrilling, yet he was just another man she could easily say no to.
“Gentle is my middle name, Lady Kensington.”
Claire returned his bow with a curtsey and held out her hand. He slipped his hand under hers and brought it to his lips. All the other gentlemen had kissed the air over her fingers. Lord Daventry touched his lips to her gloved fingers, and Claire realized she was having her first flirtation with a true rake. Although he wasn’t Chase and never could be, she was fascinated by him.
“Do you believe in love at first sight, Lady Derebourne?” he asked.
Oh, he was a charmer, all right. Even so—and even though he was darkly beautiful—her butterflies didn’t awaken.
“I do, my lord. The first time I saw my horse, Amira, it was love at first sight.”
He laughed. “She is delicious, Lady Kensington. Where ever did you find her?”
Lady Anne glanced to her right and when she turned back to them, her eyes gleamed with satisfaction. Chase stood just inside the French doors watching them, a fierce scowl on his face. Claire swallowed a grin. Oh, this was going to be fun.
“I didn’t find her, Kensington did.”
“Oh ho, this just gets better and better,” he said. “Lady Derebourne, you must grant me a dance.”
“I believe I still have the last waltz free.”
He grasped her hand and kissed it again. “I will be counting the minutes, my lady.”
At that moment, Lord Summerton approached. “Lady Derebourne, I believe this is my dance.”
“Daventry, I have a little favor to ask of you,” Claire heard Lady Anne say as Lord Summerton led her to the dance floor.
What was Lady Anne up to? Claire wanted Chase to put an end to this silly game and if making him jealous would do it, she would go along. But her heart wasn’t in it, nor did she want to hurt him in any way.
Lady Anne was right. All Lord Summerton could speak of was his dogs. Fortunately, they were dancing the quadrille and there wasn’t much opportunity to talk.
Her next partner, Lord Easterly, was an earnest young man and she liked him, though she wasn’t sure he shaved, yet. She lost track of the names of her dance partners by the time the supper dance arrived. Not one of them disturbed her butterflies.
Chase remained quiet during their dance and through supper. He made her and Lady Anne a plate of food before making one for himself, seemingly content to let her and his mother do the talking. Claire finished her glass of champagne and declined another. As they prepared to return to the ballroom, he finally spoke.
“Who are you dancing with now?”
Lady Anne answered for her, rattling off the list of names a dance had been promised to. When she arrived at Lord Daventry’s name, he scowled.
“Don’t give me that look, Kensington. Daventry is a friend of yours and was delighted to meet Claire.”
“I’m sure he was,” he muttered. “You seemed just as delighted to meet him, Claire.”
He was jealous, and she felt guilty. She wanted to tell him Lord Daventry didn’t disturb her butterflies, but she was going to trust Lady Anne knew what she was doing.
“He’s interested in purchasing one of my horses. Before we left Hillcrest, I extended him an invitation to visit. I’m looking forward to our dance so we can discuss the particulars.”
Lady Anne was right, he was developing a habit of growling. “He seems to be a charming man,” she added.
“All the ladies think so,” he said and strode away.
Lady Anne grinned.
“I hope you know what you are doing,” Claire said.
“Oh, I do,” she answered.
****
Chase prowled the ballroom, keeping an eye on Claire and her dance partners. He had danced a few times with the young ladies sitting against the wall. Unlike the beauties prowling about—sure of their allure and conversation skills—the girls he chose stayed blessedly silent allowing him to wallow in his misery.
Finding a wall where no one lingered nearby, he leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest. It gave him a perfect line of sight to glare at Daventry. Not that the earl took notice. The man was too bloody busy making eyes at Claire.
Did he have to put his hand so bloody low on her back? If he wasn’t mistaken, and he was sure he wasn’t, Daventry held her closer than was proper.
She laughed at something the earl said, and Chase wanted to plant the man a facer. Why the devil was he standing back and letting every buck in England have a go at her? She belonged to him. He pushed off the wall intending to end his farce of a plan.
“Don’t you dare, Kensington.”
He glared at his mother. He could bowl right over her if he wanted—and he very much wanted—but realized he had been damned close to causing a scandal.
“What the hell were you thinking to introduce her to Daventry? And then, a waltz of all things.”
“Your language, Kensington.” She turned to watch the couple dancing. “I must say, they do look nice together.”
“Have I told you lately that you are an evil woman, Mama?”
She chuckled. “Yes, you have, actually. Now behave yourself.”
After she wandered off, Chase turned his attention back to Claire. The waltz ended and he waited for Daventry to return Claire to Lady Anne’s side. He watched in disbelief as the bounder led her out to the terrace.
How dare the rogue take the woman he loved out into the night?
Chase fell back against the wall when his knees threatened to buckle. Bloody hell, he was an idiot!
He loved her.
That he’d been heading in that direction, he had come to terms with. When it had become a sure thing, he didn’t know. She belonged to him, and that was all that mattered.
To the devil with his promise to give her two weeks. It ended now. He focused his eyes on the French doors and marched to them, heedlessly plowing past anyone in his way.
****
Lord Daventry glanced over her shoulder. “Here he comes, Lady Derebourne. From the look on his face, I fear I may be sporting a black eye tomorrow. Sadly for my pretty face, I can never say no to Lady Kensington. You can reward me by selling me that horse.”
“If this works, my lord, consider Reckless a gift. I must warn you, he’s a handful.”
The earl grinned wickedly. “I adore feisty horses…and women. Are you sure I can’t steal you away?”
“I’m sorry, my lord, but my heart belongs to the marquess.”
Said heart pounded. She was tired of the games, tired of flirting with men she had no interest in, and her feet hurt. Daventry had confided that Lady Anne had put him up to stirring Chase’s jealously. It was a calculated risk, and she prayed it would all end tonight.
“My loss.” Lord Daventry smiled at her and slid his knuckles over her cheek.
“Remove your hands from my lady, Daventry, if you want to live to see tomorrow,” Chase growled from behind her.
Lord Daventry gave her a satisfied smile, and Claire squeezed her eyes closed. Finally. When she opened them, the earl was gone and Chase stood in front of her.
“Am I your lady?” she asked.
He pulled her against him and slammed his lips over hers. “Does that answer your question?” he rasped when he pulled away. “Christ in heaven, Claire, I love you.” He lowered his lips to hers again and this time his kiss was soft and tender, a kiss of love.
She had chased a dream and learned that sometimes, dreams do come true. Finally, she could say the words that had been in her heart since the night he’d told her how he’d saved two boys from the streets.
“I love you, too.”
Chase grabbed her hand and led her down the stairs of the balcony. “Come with me, my love.”
The path narrowed as they left the lights from the ballroom behind. “Where are we going?”
“Someplace my evil mother can’t find us.”
An hour later, Claire rubbed her cheek over his chest. Sated and content, she snuggled up to him. It had been wickedly thrilling to make love in a dark garden with hundreds of people mingling about in the nearby ballroom. And, oh God, had he ever loved her. Yet, it had been different tonight. His desperate need and passionate touches had consumed her.
The dark corner where he had dragged her was quiet now, the sounds of the orchestra gone with only their last note lingering in the air. As they made love, their bodies moving to the sound of the violins, Chase had asked her to marry him, and then caught her tears of joy with tender kisses.
Claire had no idea if they would have reached this point without her plan. Although she felt a bit guilty for using her training techniques on him, she wasn’t sorry. She debated not telling him, but wanted to begin their life with honesty between them.
“I have a confession to make,” she said, and then remembered the day she had spied on him at the lake. “Two actually.”
He lifted his head. “What is that, love?”
She nuzzled his chest again. “Well, I want to confess that I watched you when you swam in the lake wearing only your...you know.”
“My drawers? Yes, I know.”
“You knew?” She narrowed her eyes at his pleased-with-himself smile. “How?”
“I saw you attempting, unsuccessfully I might add, to hide behind a tree.”
“Why you…you…”
“Me what, Claire? Didn’t you enjoy the show?”
“Oh, God, I did.” His chuckle vibrated against her cheek.
“And your other confession?”
Warily, she confessed. “What would you say if I told you I used my training methods on you?” She held her breath and waited for his anger.
He stared at her for a very long moment. “You trained me like one of your horses?”
She nodded. “Remember how I would touch you, then retreat if you tried to touch me back, and the way I ignored you? That’s all a part of my training methods, the way I get a horse to want to join my herd. I don’t know why it works exactly, just that it does. I wanted you to join my herd, and I didn’t know how else to make you want to.”
Chase burst out laughing. He should be angry, but it was the funniest thing that had ever been done to him. His lady was bloody amazing.
“This is what I’ve seen your horses do at what you call the magic moment,” he said and nuzzled her neck. She cried again, but he’d anticipated the tears and had his handkerchief ready.
“Where do you want to be married, love?”
Not answering his question, she asked instead, “Do you think the twins will want me as their mother?”
That she worried about his sons warmed his heart. “To quote Harry, ‘we would like Lady Claire for our mother above all things’. Like their father, they love you.”
“Forever and a day,” she whispered.
He wrapped his hand around her hair and gave her a deep kiss. Lifting his head, he took her hand and pressed it to his chest. “Here is my heart, Claire. I trust it is safe with you.”
Epilogue
And so, they were married in the courtyard at Hillcrest Abbey and had babies for older brothers Harry to protect and Bensey to draw. They loved each other forever and a day.
A word about the author...
Sandra lives in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Most days, you can find her with her fingers on a keyboard, her mind in the world of her imagination. It's a land where romance and happy endings exist, a land where anything is possible.
A few highlights of Sandra's life she fondly recalls are jumping out of a plane, flying upside down in a stunt plane, and riding her Harley in the mountains of Southern California and along the coast of Maine. She's managed a private airport and held the position of General Manager of a Harley-Davidson dealership.
Although those events in her life were great fun, nothing compares to the joy and satisfaction she gets from writing her stories.
Sandra is a 2013 Golden Heart® finalist. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter @SandyOwens1
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