Claiming His Bride (3 page)

She accepted the box and opened it. She gasped when she saw
the delicate amber pendant inside. “I adore it.” She lifted it on its chain and
put it on immediately, admiring it against her skin. She leaned forward and
kissed him. “Thank you.”

His eyes focused on it, and he traced his finger over the
skin around the pendant. Her breathing grew shallow when he touched her. He
toyed with a curl that had fallen over her shoulder. “I thought it would look
nice with your hair.” His fingers moved upwards, finally resting under her
chin. He tipped her face up to look at her. “I’ve been thinking. I have a house
in the country. How would you like to live there? We could still come to
London
, but I’d like to
get away from everyone else.” He ran his thumb over her lower lip. “Have you
all to myself.”

Why was he so serious? Had she not been happy enough about
his present? Though his gesture and the implication of his words were
seductive, she still felt uneasy, as if she had done something wrong. “I don’t
know. Everyone I love is here.”

His hand dropped from her face.

“But I’m easy to please! You’ll learn that soon enough. I
want to live wherever suits you best.”

Another sad smile.
“I was asking your wishes,
Victoria
. Think about
it.” He rose and kissed the top of her head. “I wouldn’t blame you for not
wanting to be imprisoned in the country with me.” He walked to the bathroom and
shut the door.

She caressed the amber pendant, confused. The long-faced man
who had just walked away from her couldn’t possibly be the same man who had
made love to her all night. The man who had moments earlier smiled vaguely at
her reactions to his gifts bore no resemblance at all to the man who had teased
her repeatedly the day before.

She had no idea how she had disappointed him, how she had
made a wrong move, but she was determined to rectify the situation. She’d been
in the shadows long enough. She intended to walk out in the sun now and fully
grasp the happiness that had been dangled in front of her so blatantly the day
before.

****

Despite the uncertainty looming over him, Bastian couldn’t
help feeling happy as he watched
Victoria
kneeling on the ground playing with the Labrador retriever puppies. He still
didn’t exactly understand why
Victoria
had insisted, the very moment he emerged from the bathroom, that they come to
his country house to tour it. He’d told her it would need to be opened up and
aired, as only a groundskeeper was presently in residence, but she’d insisted
she didn’t care. She wanted to see her new home and insisted she would prefer
taking a honeymoon trip in early autumn. He’d sent the
London
servants along, and they had assured
him everything would be habitable by dinner. He hadn’t meant to pressure her
with his question, though he had in fact been testing her. William, whoever the
devil he was, had to live in
London
as
Victoria
’s family had
been forced to rent their home in the country the year before. He’d been trying
to see if leaving
London
would distress her. She’d said that everyone she loved was there, but of course
he had no way of knowing what that meant without asking outright.

“You like dogs, I see.” He knelt beside her, noticing that
she didn’t seem to care about the grass and dirt the puppies were depositing
all over her skirt.

“I love animals. Are these for hunting?”

He nodded. “My father hunts. I go along for the exercise,
but I have little interest in shooting anything, and my father is a very poor
shot, so we always come back with nothing. Father doesn’t mind though. He plays
it off well, insisting he is leaving all the game for the guests.”

She laughed. “Does anyone believe him?”

“They pretend to.” He leaned forward to pet one of the pups.
“These will be sent to my father when they’re a little older. Would you like to
keep one?”

“Are you determined to spoil me?” she teased.

“Yes. I want to make you happy.”

Her smile faded. “I don’t need presents to be happy.” She
set the puppy in her lap aside. “I’m sorry if anything I said or did yesterday
made
me seem ungrateful. I suppose I always imagined being
asked to go to the altar, not being told to. It’s silly.”

He took her hand, running his thumb over her wedding rings,
unable to look at her. “It’s not silly to want to love the person you marry.”

“My father would say it is.”

His head shot up, and she drew back. He hadn’t meant to
startle her, but the question was literally on the tip of his tongue. Had she
had a reason to actually discuss the subject with her father? Had she loved
this William but been unable to win her father’s approval? He had to hold his
curiosity back. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her, knowing no other way
to stop the words from springing forth. His lips met hers more roughly than he
had intended, and she made a protesting sound. He softened the embrace, and
then she opened and sighed. Was this the kiss of a woman who loved another? It
couldn’t be, he told himself, yet he could not banish the doubts in his mind.
Perhaps she only submitted out of a sense of duty and propriety.

They were both breathless when they parted, and he held her
there, an inch away from another kiss.

“Bastian?”

“Yes?”

“I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed again.”

The tremor in her voice made him wish they were completely
alone. He tried to rein himself in, knowing servants were bustling everywhere.
“Good. I want to overwhelm you, occupy your every thought,
fully
possess you.”

Her quick intake of breath told him his words didn’t
displease her, yet her eyes widened at his statement. He’d been told before
that he was too possessive, even been rejected because of it, but those affairs
hadn’t mattered. He’d been thoroughly enjoying all of
Victoria
’s reactions to his domineering
behavior.
Until he saw that damned card.

“I’m your wife. I suppose I am a possession.” She tried to
pull away.

He held her fast and looked into her eyes. “Stop thinking
that way. I told you last night that you aren’t a piece of chattel. I am
speaking of a very different kind of possession,” he kissed her lower lip, “and
you know it.”

When she pulled back this time, he let her go. Her breasts
heaved, and a lovely pink spread over her cheeks. If only he knew what she was
thinking.

****

Victoria
struggled to catch her
breath. While she’d been surprised to find that her new husband wasn’t going to
resent her or ignore
her, that
feeling didn’t compare
with the bafflement before her now. Was he always going to run hot and cold
like this?
One minute sad and distracted, the next passionate
and possessive?
She knew little of men, but this kind of behavior seemed
questionable in anyone. Why had that comment about her father’s beliefs
inspired him to kiss her? Had he even been listening to her? She smoothed her
skirt, wondering if his passions would always rule him in this way. “Could we
walk through the garden? It looks lovely.”

Bastian stood right away and extended his hand to her. “We
can do whatever you wish.”

I wish you’d smile and laugh
and tease me the way you did yesterday.
He wasn’t being unpleasant, not at all,
but she felt as if something were troubling him. He had certain social duties
as an Earl’s son, being a Viscount himself, but she doubted he would ever tell
her if they were causing him stress or anxiety. He would say she shouldn’t
worry about such things, just as her father always had. Bastian had said he had
his own fortune and financial independence, and since nothing around her told
her otherwise, she believed him. But what else could be so important as to have
him this distracted today when he had been so attentive the day before?

He took her arm as they walked. “The hot house has roses. I
can have the gardener put pink ones in, if you like. I can’t recall what
varieties we have right now.”

“That would be lovely, but don’t go to any trouble. Everything
is so beautiful already.”

He lifted her hand and kissed it. “It won’t be any trouble.
Don’t ever hesitate to ask for anything you desire.”

“Will you answer a question?”

“Of course.”

“Did you really guess pink roses were my favorite? You
didn’t ask anyone?”

His lips formed a tight line. “I didn’t ask anyone, I
promise.” He studied her face. “Was it so great a secret?” he asked softly.

His tone confused her a little. She shook her head.
“No, not really.
Everyone at home knew.” Swallowing, she
added, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply you hadn’t been truthful this
morning. I was just so surprised. You’ve been so generous. I shouldn’t have
asked.”

He stopped and sighed. “Don’t apologize,
Victoria
.” He paused, raising her hand to
his lips again. “I keep making you think you’ve done something wrong. I’ll have
to learn to control my oscillating moods. I’m not used to having someone
actually pay attention to the things I say.”

She felt a little relieved at these words. Perhaps nothing
was wrong at all. “I know how that feels. I shouldn’t be so sensitive. We’re
growing accustomed to one another.”

A hint of a smile appeared on his face as they resumed
walking. “So you aren’t going to run away or sit moping in your parlor because
you’ve been forced into a fate worse than death?”

She laughed, glad to hear the teasing tone return to his
voice. “No. You are stuck with me.”

****

And you are stuck with me
. Bastian began to wonder
again.
Victoria
seemed genuinely content, except when his moody comments confused her. He had to
stop fishing for information. If this William were truly a problem, surely he
would be able to find out some other way. He would try not to distress her
again. Winning her heart would not be any easier if she never knew where she
stood with him.

“That is not the verb I would use,” he said, “but I’m still
glad to hear it. I think we’ll grow
accustomed
to one another quickly.”

“I think so, too. I’m not used to such a large house
anymore. Learning to run it will take time.”

“I’d prefer you didn’t have to worry about it at all.” He
hesitated, not wanting her to think he meant he didn’t believe her capable.
“Unless you want to.”

This time she hesitated. “I grew used to handling some
things for father. He tended to forget, and mother left everything to him, but I
think I ought to learn.
Especially given your social status.”

He smiled. “Looking forward to being an Earl’s wife one day,
my dear
Viscountess
?”

“Up to accepting the challenge, I think.” She smiled back at
him. “I shall have to get used to the title. My father being a mere Baron, I’ve
grown used to being an ‘honorable’ little miss,” she added with a giggle.

She definitely seemed to like it when he teased her. He
noted how much more at ease she was now than she had been moments earlier. Once
again, he wished they were alone. Night couldn’t come soon enough, as there
were many other ways that he wished to tease her, none of which could be done
in the garden.

Chapter Three

“How in blazes did he find us so quickly?” Bastian hissed
under his breath. He stared at the brown paper package on his desk. At least
one of the servants had seen it, so he couldn’t risk not giving it to
Victoria
. Did he have
any right to keep it from her in the first place? As her husband, he believed
he did. No other man, aside from a relative, had any business sending his wife
presents. Feeling very little guilt, he tore open the note, which was once
again addressed
To
my heart
. A plainly dressed man in an
unmarked coach had delivered it ten minutes ago.

I wish I had arrived in time. Think
of me when you wear these, my love.

He’d sent her something to wear? Well, she would not be
thinking of him because Bastian had no intention of letting her know who’d sent
whatever it was. He wanted to throw the package in the fireplace and burn it, but
instead he simply burned the note, scattering the ashes thoroughly. It was
dishonest, but he would not deliver his wife a love note from another man.

He went upstairs to find her in what was now their bedroom.
She stood looking at her dresses.

“What should I wear to dinner, Bastian? Do you dress for
dinner when you’re here? It will take some time for us to unpack.”

“I usually eat in my study. What you have on is fine,
Victoria
. My servants
are used to me and my ways. We’ll only be formal when we have guests.” He
extended the package to her, holding back a sigh. “This came for you. The note
seems to have fallen off since it arrived. I’ll have the servants look for it.”