A Christmas Affair (26 page)

Chapter Fourteen

Lord, would this afternoon never end, Amanda thought, forcing a polite smile to her lips as she listened to the loquacious wife of a neighbor prattling on about past Christmases. Shifting to one side, she cast a furtive glance at the clock on the mantle, noting glumly that it was barely three o’clock. That meant she would have another hour of this tedium to endure before she could begin hinting her guests home. She sighed in resignation, hiding a yawn behind the fan she had affected as part of her costume and doing her best to look attentive.

“The year after my Reginald was born, now
that
was a Christmas not to be forgotten.” Mrs. Hurbert sighed gustily, pausing in her conversation long enough to pop another cream cake in her mouth. “It had been snowing since the first week of December, and the roads were so clogged with snow that I was certain Mr. Hurbert would never make it home for the holiday. He was in the Army, you know, and had just returned from fighting those tiresome Colonials. I know they style themselves Americans nowadays, but I still think—”

“A word with you, Miss Lawrence.” Justin’s voice cut through Mrs. Hurbert’s rambling discourse seconds before his lean fingers curved about Amanda’s elbow. “Now.”

Amanda glanced up, startled as much by his icy voice and
bruising grip as by his appearance. He had changed out of his costume and he was wearing an evening jacket and silk breeches. It was so like the day of Daniel’s memorial that she was about to make some jest, an impulse that quickly died when she saw his hard expression. Something was clearly amiss, and whatever it was, her instincts warned her that it boded ill for her. But that didn’t mean she would endure him treating her like a disobedient child, she decided, surreptitiously freeing her arm from his grip.

“Of course, Justin,” she replied, her sweet smile not reaching her snapping eyes. “Mrs. Hurbert, if you will pray excuse—” She got no further as Justin dragged her off with such force that the toes of her slippers barely touched the ground.

“Really, sir!” she protested, renewing her struggles to be freed. “What on earth ails you? If you think I will countenance such churlish behavior, you—”

“Silent!” he snapped, his jaw clenched with fury. “You’ll have time enough later to defend yourself; but for now I want some answers, and you, madam, will provide them.” He frogmarched her into the parlor he had only just vacated, shoving her none too gently into the striped chair.

“Now,” he began, looming over her, his eyes almost golden with the force of his emotions, “I have asked you this once before, and I’m asking you again; but this time, I want the truth.” He drew a quick breath and then fixed her in a compelling glare. “Is Amelia in love with Maxfield?”

“Really, sir,” Amanda began, praying she could somehow divert him, “this is hardly a matter you ought to be discussing with me. Amelia—”

     
“Is she?”

She flinched at the harshness in his voice and knew she could no longer lie to him. Clutching her hands together to hide their trembling, she managed to meet his gaze. “Yes,” she said quietly, “she is.”

The curses that burst from his lips would have set a lesser woman to swooning, but Amanda was made of sterner stuff.
Besides, she admitted with a flash of honesty, Justin was entitled to his fury.

“Why the devil was I not told?” he demanded as he paced up and down the parlor like a caged lion. “You must know I had no idea her affections were engaged when I proposed to her.”

The guilt Amanda had been experiencing for her part in the deception vanished at his cutting t one. “I wasn’t aware that ordering a young lady to marry you constituted an offer in form,” she said, her chin coming up defiantly as she met Justin glare for glare.

He brushed aside her challenge with an impatient wave of his hand. “Cut line, hellcat, for I haven’t time to brangle with you now. Just the truth, if you please. Why was I not told?”

Amanda shrugged her shoulders, her defiance dying in the light of his determination to have the truth. “It was Amelia’s decision,” she answered levelly, fixing her eyes on the gaily decorated tree. “You had told her quite plainly what her duty was, and for all her flightiness, Amelia’s sense of duty is quite strong. Once you offered to provide a real home for us all, there was no doubt what her answer would be.”

“I also offered to provide for you, regardless,” he reminded her curtly, “so kindly do not paint me as the villain of this piece. Had she refused me and given her reason why, I would have kept my word to you.”

“I know that!” Amanda leapt to her feet, her hands clenching at her sides. “I made certain that is what she
would
do, given her feelings for Charles. But I hadn’t reckoned on her sense of obligation . . .oh! What does it matter? What’s done is done.”

“Perhaps not.”

She blinked at his oblique remark. “What is that supposed to mean?” she demanded, shooting him a bitter look. “And why the sudden concern for Amelia’s feelings? Surely you didn’t think she was in love with you? You have already made it quite plain that you don’t hold with such fustian!”

“Nor do I, but that doesn’t mean I would relish the thought
of my wife in love with another man,” Justin answered coolly, laying his arm across the mantle and studying her through narrowed eyes. “No man who counts himself such would endure so untenable a situation.”

Amanda rose immediately to her sister’s defense. “If you are implying that Amelia would betray either herself or her sacred vows, then you are sadly mistaken! She would never —”

“There are many ways to be cuckolded, Amanda,” Justin said, his chin coming up with pride. “Ill not have my bride lying in bed and enduring my touch while she dreams of her lover.”

Amanda’s cheeks darkened at such frank talk. “Perhaps that is something you should have thought of before setting out to buy a bride,” she muttered, feeling sadly pressed. “The state of Amelia’s heart never occurred to you before you offered, so I fail to see why it should concern you now.”

“Because it does!” he shouted, completely out of patience with her. He crossed the room and pulled her out of her chair, administering a gentle shake. “My God, Amanda, do you think me such a monster that I would force Amelia—or any other woman for that matter—to marry me if I even suspected her heart had already been pledged to another?”

Despite her annoyance at being handled so summarily, Amanda could not find it in her heart to remain angry with him. “No,” she said, her voice soft as she gazed into his eyes, “I know you would not. And — and I am sorry I wasn’t honest with you from the start. I can see now that I was wrong.”

Justin was stunned by her contrite confession. “You are?”

She nodded miserably. “I wanted to tell you, but Amelia grew hysterical at the very suggestion. She knew your honor wouldn’t permit you to pay your addresses to another man’s fiancée, and so she swore me to secrecy. I’m sorry.”

He released her and made his way back to his post before the fire. “Well, at least ’tis not too late to right the wrong,” he said, after taking a few moments to gather his thoughts. “Things might be dashed awkward for a while, but between
the pair of us, I think we have the brass to rub our way through the gossip. And naturally after we are married no one will dare—“

“What?”
Amanda stumbled to her feet, wondering if her hearing had failed her. “What are you talking about? I thought it was agreed we would not suit!”

“We haven’t killed each other yet,” he reminded her, feeling surprisingly lighthearted. “I think we might actually deal rather well together.”

“Well, I do not!” She scowled up at him. “And what of your promise to provide for us if Amelia refused you? Have you forgotten about that?”

“Not at all. But she didn’t refuse me, did she?”

Something in the silky menace of his voice set Amanda’s heart to racing. “What-what do you mean by that?” she asked, slowly lowering herself to her chair.

“Merely that I am determined to do my duty by Daniel, even if it means breaking Amelia’s heart by forcing her into a marriage she does not want,” Justin said, his own heart pounding with trepidation. He knew he was doing the right thing; every instinct he possessed was screaming as much; but he was also well aware that if he blundered this now, it was doubtful he would get another chance. He’d gambled once on Amanda’s sense of loyalty to her sister, and he had lost. If he was wrong. . . .

“But you just said you didn’t want an unwilling bride,” Amanda protested, a feeling of inevitability stealing over her. She knew what was coming next as surely as if the words had already been spoken, and she was pitched into a storm of conflicting emotions.

“Nor do I, but I can not see that I have any choice in the matter. To honor my obligation to Daniel, I must marry one of you, regardless of who gets hurt. If you will not marry me, then I will marry Amelia. It is your decision.”

“But I don’t wish to marry you either!” Amanda cried, angrily dashing the tears from her eyes. “Nor do you wish to
marry me!”

Justin gave a careless shrug. “That may as be, but again I do not see that either of us has a choice. My mind is set on this course, Amanda, and I will not be deterred. Now will you marry me or must I hold Amelia to her promise?”

“You are hateful!”

“Perhaps.”

“I shall never forgive you!”

“Undoubtedly.” He smiled at her passionate declaration. “But this way, at least, we’ll only be destroying two lives instead of four.”

Amanda ignored his unwonted levity. “My family will remain with me,” she insisted, knowing the die had already been cast. “I refuse to sit alone in the country rusticating while you’re off in London!”

“You may have Belinda and the twins with you until it’s time for them to join Stephen at Exeter,” he agreed, taking care to hide his satisfaction. “That has already been arranged. And naturally once our own children are born, you’ll be too busy with them to worry about . . . er. . . rusticating.” He smiled at the word.

Amanda paled and then blushed. “Our ch-children?” she stammered in alarm.

The devil reappeared in his eyes. “Of course children. I thought I’d made it plain when I offered for Amelia that I intend this to be a marriage in every sense of the word. Why else would a man shackle himself to a wife, but for the begetting of heirs? Legitimate heirs, that is,” he added outrageously.

“I would want to call my son Daniel.” It was the only thing she could think of to say, and the moment she said it, Amanda knew she had effectively committed herself to this farce.

“Our second son you may call what you please,” he agreed pleasantly, accepting her declaration for what it was. “But our first son will bear my name. Should we have a daughter I would that we name her Elizabeth Marie, after my mother. Agreed?” And he held out his hand to her.

Amanda stared down at the well-shaped limb with something akin to horror. In her mind she could already hear the prison door clanging shut behind her, and yet as he had said, what other choice was there? “Agreed,” she said softly, her icy fingers closing around his warm ones.

“Good.” He carried her hand to his lips for a brief salute before stepping back. “Now, all that remains is informing your family of the change in brides.”

“Amelia!” Amanda gasped, clapping her hand over her mouth and regarding him with dismay. “She will know what I am doing and refuse to play along!”

“I’ve already thought about that,” Justin said, pleased he had anticipated her objection, “and I believe I have the perfect solution.”

“What is it?” She didn’t trust his wolfish smile by so much as an inch.

“Well, if you and I were to be caught in a . . . shall we say, compromising situation, then she would have no choice but to acquiesce to our plans,
n’cest pas?”

“Justin!” Amanda’s color returned tenfold. “If you think I mean to put myself beyond the pale, then you are quite mistaken! What of the children?”

“What of them?” His rounded eyes were too innocent to be convincing. “I was thinking of letting ourselves be caught exchanging a less than innocent kiss; that is all. What were you thinking of?”

“Never mind,” she muttered, wondering what she was letting herself in for by agreeing to his outlandish terms. “When?”

“When what?”

“When do you wish to be caught exchanging this less than innocent kiss?” she expounded impatiently. “It will have to be quite soon as we are to leave for London in less than two days’ time. Unless you want to wait until we are there?” she added, trying to hide her horror at the thought of the gossip that would be bandied about.

“Good God, no.” His heartfelt reply reassured her somewhat. “We must be firmly engaged long before we arrive.”

“Well, then when?” She placed both hands on her hips and shot him an aggrieved look.

Justin grinned at her. In the Tudor-styled gown of black velvet, with her glorious hair falling across her shoulders, Amanda looked very much as he imagined Good Queen Bess might have looked: haughty, defiant, and passionate. Most decidedly passionate, he mused, his eyes resting thoughtfully on her sulky mouth. He heard a noise just outside the door and pulled her into his arms, his eyes sparkling with merriment as he gazed down into her startled eyes.

“Why, now, my sweet,” he drawled, his mouth descending on hers in a burning kiss.

At the first touch of his firm lips against hers, Amanda stiffened in automatic rejection, but Justin would have none of her missish ways. His arm tightened around her narrow waist, lifting her more firmly against him as he sought to deepen the kiss.

Amanda gasped at the intimate touch, of his tongue seeking hers, innocently giving Justin the entry he wanted. She had never imagined a kiss like this, and she was helpless to resist the feelings that were rioting inside her. Her hands moved from his shoulders to slip about his neck, her fingertips revelling in the softness of his dark hair. She could feel the warmth of his body through the heavy velvet and pressed herself even closer, wanting more. Wanting something she could not put into words. . . .

“Amanda!” A startled gasp shattered the sensual haze filling Amanda’s head, and she turned to find Amelia and Stephen standing in the doorway, their faces wearing identical looks of shock and disbelief.