True Love's Deception (book 3) (The Fielding Brothers Saga) (21 page)

“Just go away, Edward,” she cried. “Leave me alone.”

Edward cussed a few choice words before pulling himself free from the man’s grasp. Edward brushed off his trousers and jacket then straightened his cravat. He glared at the stranger.

“Fine.
You can have her. She’s probably used goods anyway.”

He turned and marched around the bushes and out of her teary-eyed vision. The strain of the past few minutes shook through her body. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed. Where had Andrew been and why hadn’t he come for her? But she had been rescued, thank God.

Fabric rustled in the still of the night mere seconds before the stranger’s warmth was beside her. She dropped her hands from her eyes just as he removed his over-jacket, placing it across her shoulders. A heavenly scent of man’s musk enveloped her and she closed her eyes and breathed in his pleasant smell.

“You are going to be all right now. I will not allow him to hurt you again,” he said with much softness in his voice.

Madeline’s body shook, and when the man placed his arms around her in comfort, it eased her worries. She’d been a fool to trust Edward. What had she been thinking letting him lead her out here in the first place? Just by the slim chance Andrew would see her and come after her?

Wiping her wet eyes, she lifted her head and looked at the man beside her. Because of the shadows, she still couldn’t recognize him.

“Thank you for helping me.” She laid her head on his shoulder. “I do not even want to think of what he would have done if you had not stopped him.” She sniffed and tilted her head toward his face. “I hope you do not mind me asking, but...who are you? Have we met before?”

“I’m certain you know me, but I fear we have not been properly introduced.” He smiled. “I’m Gregg Fielding, a friend of your sister’s.”

She stilled her breathing.
Gregg Fielding?
The same scoundrel her sister had been with at the Tea Shoppe? “Yes, I have heard of you. Your older brother is Nicholas Fielding, the Duke of Ashton, correct?”

“Yes.”

Tears filled her eyes again. “Then you are indeed a very sweet man. I don’t know how to repay you for your kindness.” She buried her face against his chest and let the sobs she’d been holding back come freely.

Gregg’s arms tightened around her as he slowly rocked her. “All will be well now. I promise not to let anyone harm you.”

He surprised Madeline. How could she have known how endearing he was? The only thing she’d heard about him was that he seduced married women. Well, she certainly didn’t fit into this mold, so she was quite safe with him.

She frowned. Too bad this wasn’t Andrew.
Then again...
Her spirits lifted. Perhaps she could convince Gregg to help her with her situation. After all, Lord Gregg acted as if he wanted Juliana, and Madeline wanted Andrew. Maybe she and Gregg could come to some kind of understanding and scheme to get what they both wanted so desperately.

It was certainly worth a try.

Chapter Eleven

It took less than an hour to clear the house of Juliana’s party guests. Once they noticed the food had disappeared, the guests slowly left. Her parents probably would have a fit when they found out the party ended much too early in the evening, but Juliana would deal with that later.

Now she wanted to deal with Andrew...in the most pleasurable way she could.

The many glasses of champagne she’d consumed convinced her to give herself to Andrew tonight. Instead, it was the man himself who had accomplished such a feat. If he hadn’t been so sweet, so charming, and so tender with her, she wouldn’t have these insane notions in her head. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized she would
never
marry, and so this might be the only time she could be intimate with a man.
And what better way than now while they were pretending to be married?

Jealousy had eaten a hole in her heart when she watched him dance with the other women, and she realized she didn’t like to share. The only way to make him hers for real was to act as if she were indeed his wife.

This wasn’t a bad birthday gift either.

After she dismissed the servants, Andrew took her hand in his as they walked up the grand staircase. She couldn’t stop from gazing into his dreamy eyes. He acted as if he couldn’t stop staring, too.

She smiled. “The party was a success, I believe.”

He nodded. “So was their departure.”

She laughed and fell against him. His arm wound around her shoulders as he pulled her close. She slipped her arms around his waist as they finished walking toward his bedroom.

“I think everyone enjoyed themselves, don’t you?” she asked.

“To be sure.
Until the food was taken away, that is.”

“Such a shame.”

“For whom?”

She looked up into his laughing eyes and grinned.
“Certainly not for us.”

He kissed her forehead. “Well, I can guarantee you we will not be disturbed from here on out, Mrs. Lawrence.”

Her heart hammered. “I hope you are right, Mr. Lawrence.” She enjoyed pretending they were really married because the guilt didn’t try to sneak into her conscience.

Yet something did sneak in—uninvited, no less. Where had her sister been for the past few hours? “Andrew? Have you seen
Maddie
?”

He paused before opening the door to his bedroom. “No, and I don’t want to see her until tomorrow morning—or even as early as the afternoon.” He winked.

She laughed. “You are just terrible. Do you know that?”

Gathering her against him, he buried his face in her neck. Tingles spread over her skin, warming her.

“I just enjoy my privacy when a passionate woman is by my side. What is so terrible about that?”

She kissed the side of his face then pulled back enough to look into his eyes. “The only thing terrible right now is that you’re talking too much.”

He grinned. “I can remedy that, my dove.”

As soon as he opened the door, he lifted her and carried her into his room, kicking the door closed with his boot. When he reached the bed, he slowly laid her down. Before joining her, he yanked off his coat, waistcoat and cravat, dropping them to the floor. When he crawled on the bed, he snuggled beside her on his side. He drew the pad of his finger over her nose and mouth, grinning.

“I have never seen a lovelier woman than my wife,” he whispered reverently.

Foreign emotions gripped her heart and melted her all over again. Sighing, she fell into him and captured his lips with her own. She kissed him gently at first, but as the feeling inside her chest began to grow, urgency took over. He participated fully, holding her tight, as his mouth met hers.

She slid her hands down his arms and between them as she caressed his muscular chest—the same chest she’d admired so boldly when she first spied him at the watering hole. It was hard to believe this was real. That
he
was real. That she had actually found a man who was too tender with her, and quickly forgives her temper outbursts…yet at the same time, did not cower before her like all the other bumpkins in Scotland had done. Andrew was so different. Heaven help her, at this moment, she didn’t want to think of losing him. She wanted him by her side forever.

“Oh, Juliana,” he muttered as his lips trailed from her mouth heading down her throat.

Smiling, she tilted her head back and sighed.

“Juliana, I cannot believe this is happening.”

“Me, either,” she whispered.

Excitement rushed through her, making her heart knock so hard against her ribs, she thought the walls would shake as well.

“Juliana,” he mumbled against her skin, “I really need to tell you something before we go on.”

“No you don’t.” Whatever it was could wait. She wanted to get more intimate with him. Now!

Before she could urge him to do more, his body stilled. “Juliana?”

She raised her head to look at him. “What?”

He glanced toward the door. “I think someone is at the door.”

“Who?”

They both remained quiet, although their heavy breaths overrode anything. Except behind the door came a small sound, almost like...sobbing.

“
Maddie
,” Juliana whispered as she pushed off the bed. She hurried to the door and opened it. Madeline sat on the floor with her face in her hands. Her hair had been messed, and pieces of grass sprinkled between the ribbons. The new gown purchased for
Maddie
was ripped at the bodice, displaying more bosom than necessary.

When
Maddie
looked up at Juliana, tears streaked down her dirt-smeared face.

“Oh, good Lord!
Maddie
, what happened to you?” Juliana shrieked.

Andrew bounded from the bed and hurried to Juliana’s side.
Maddie
sobbed and reached for Andrew. He bent, lifted her in his arms and carried her to his bed.

“
Maddie
, what happened?” Juliana demanded again, trailing after them.

Madeline sniffed and wiped her wet, swollen eyes. “I—I—I was—violated in the worst way,” she ended with another sob that brought an onslaught tears.

Pain shot through Juliana’s chest like a stab wound. She rushed to her sister and pulled her in her arms. Andrew jerked to a standing position and cursed.

“Who did this to you?” he asked in a raised voice. “I’ll call him out immediately.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “On second thought, I’ll go find the man and kill him with my bare hands.”

Panic coursed through Juliana. “No, Andrew. Before you do anything, let’s hear what happened.” She stroked her sister’s tangled hair. “
Maddie
honey, can you tell us what happened?”

Madeline wiped her eyes again,
then
ran her finger under her nose. “Lord Edward
Carlston
had been showing extra attention to me tonight, and I let him take me outside for a stroll in the gardens.” She sniffed again. “Then when we were far enough away from the house, he attacked me.”

“I knew something was wrong with that man. As God is my witness, I’ll kill him.” Andrew knocked his hand against the wall.

“Andrew, wait.”
Maddie
put her hand up to stop him. “Lord Edward tried to rape me, but he was stopped by Gregg Fielding. He made Lord Edward leave.”

Juliana smiled and patted her sister’s cheek. “Gregg is such a kind man.”

Andrew threw a bewildered look at Juliana. She scowled and focused on her sister. “Then what happened?”

“Gregg comforted me and stayed with me until I could stop shaking. We talked for a long time, then...then...”

“Then what?”
Andrew urged.

“Then he seduced me, and when I wouldn’t give in, he...raped me.”

“
What
?” Juliana jumped off the bed and planted her hands on her hips in a defiance stance. She glared accusingly at her sister. “Gregg Fielding
raped
you? I think not.”

Andrew cussed. “That Fielding man cannot seem to keep his hands off the Beaumont sisters, can he?” He raised a quizzical brow at Juliana. “And all this time you thought he was
kind
.”