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Benedict raised an eyebrow. "My dear, are you
matchmaking?"

She looked at her hands.

"You and Agatha truly should not live in the
same city, you do know that?"

"I love her."

"Who?"

Katherine sighed. "Agatha. I think she's
brilliant."

"Yes, but you also trip over your own feet
and show your knees in public."

"Very funny." Katherine made a face and
raised her voice. "But truthfully, she's lovely!"

"Keep your voice down. She'll hear you!"
Benedict all but shouted.

"In the carriage? But she's at the house.
She's been sleeping for an entire day!"

"She has her ways." Benedict outwardly shook.
"Now, let us have some rest before I deliver you to your home."

Seconds after saying those very words, the
carriage jerked to a halt. Benedict peered through the window,
looking for the reason, and then a rap was heard at the door.

He opened it to find one of the footmen
waiting, an anxious expression pinching his face.

"Problem?"

"Your grace, a wheel is stuck. It seems the
snow is too deep, and we need to return, but it's at least a
two-mile walk back up the drive, and in this weather…" The footman
shuddered. "I think it best that you and the lady stay here in the
safety of the carriage."

Benedict wasn't sure exactly how safe she
would be in the carriage with him, but he didn't say it aloud.
Instead he thought quite hard about their situation, waiting in the
carriage meant they would still be freezing by the time his driver
and footmen made it back. Even if they did take the horses.

His eyes scanned the road ahead of him, then
back toward the house.

"There." He pointed. "What's that?"

"The hunting cabin?" the footman asked. "It's
for tenants and those who like to hunt on the countryside. I dare
say there may be some wood to build a fire."

"Right." Benedict hopped out of the carriage
and held out his hand to Katherine. "We're to go on a little
jaunt."

"A jaunt?" she repeated, teeth
chattering.

"Yes, or adventure. Would you rather I use
the word adventure? How about if I say it's a Christmas adventure,
hmm?"

Katherine's eyes narrowed.

"No? Alright." He placed her arm within his
and trudged with her through the snow. "I thought rather than
freezing to death in that carriage, that we would build a fire in
that lovely cabin over yonder."

"That?" she repeated, dread filling her
voice. Scrunching up her face, she leaned forward and peered into
the distance. "It looks haunted."

"It's nothing of the sort," he assured her.
"It's merely dark. Besides, things aren't allowed to be haunted
during the holiday season."

"Says who?"

"I say, and I'm a duke, so the ghosts have to
listen."

"Arrogance, arrogance." She laughed but
followed him to the cabin, and within minutes they were inside. He
helped Katherine to a chair and searched for wood.

Fortunately, the moonlight mixed with the set
of matches he had acquired the night before, while smoking cheroots
with the gentlemen, helped shed enough light that he was able to
locate where the wood was hiding.

Soon, he had a roaring fire, and was thankful
to feel heat begin to radiate from the hearth.

He motioned for Katherine to sit near him by
the fireplace.

It was a tiny hunting lodge, nothing to boast
about, truly. It held one small bed in the corner, a table in the
middle of the room, and two sitting chairs in front of the fire. No
stove to speak of and no food.

Pity, for his stomach needed sustenance.

As if on cue, it growled.

Katherine smirked. "Hungry?"

"Only for you," he teased, though the sudden
plummet in his stomach should have hinted him toward the truth of
those very words.

They were alone, very alone.

He should have laughed at their
circumstances; had he not, merely days ago, been planning on fully
ruining the girl in hopes that she would cry off? And the day after
finally giving up and realizing how deeply he cared for her, he
found himself completely alone with the girl.

His conscience fought an epic inner battle as
his eyes continued to rake over her. He couldn't force his gaze
away from her as desire and interest swirled around his chest like
a windstorm.

"When will we marry?" Katherine asked,
breaking the silence.

Benedict wasn't sure what the correct answer
was to be. After all, weddings were sort of a sacred ritual to
women. They were cause for great joy, weeping, insanity… so he
needed to tread carefully. "When would you like to marry?"

"Oh, you mean it?" She clasped her hands
together in excitement allowing him to exhale with relief.

"Of course." His chest puffed, just
slightly.

"Tomorrow, let's marry tomorrow."

"Pardon?" He coughed.

"Tomorrow," she said slower and reached out
to touch his arm. "I'm already ruined. We both know I don't need
any sort of fanfare. After all, the
ton
has seen my knees,
have they not?

Benedict chuckled.

"I know we wanted to wait until after the
Kringle Ball, but I truly cannot wait to start our lives. Don't you
agree?"

He suddenly felt very, very hot, and deuced
uncomfortable, and the innocent look in her eyes haunted him.

"Er, yes." He rubbed the back of his
neck.

"To think! In just a few hours, I'll be able
to move into your house, and we'll be able to…" She blushed
profusely and looked at her hands.

"Be able to?" He leaned forward and lifted
one eyebrow in question.

"You know…"

"No, I truly don't."

Her look was incredulous. "Benedict!"

"Katherine."

She scowled. "We'll be able to really be
together."

"Like we are now?" He played innocent. Gads
how he loved the way she became so easily flustered. Her cheeks
took on the most beautiful shade of pink, tempting his tongue to
caress the spot right below her jaw where the pink met ivory
skin.

"No, not like we are now." Her little bum
shifted in the chair.

He leaned even closer, placing both hands on
either side of the chair until his face was so near, he could hear
her shallow breaths. "You mean like this?" His hands reached out to
touch her neck and then moved down her shoulders, her arms, and
finally to her legs. With little effort, he lifted her into his
arms showing her how to wrap herself around him, and just held her
there as he placed long lingering kisses on her neck and face.

"Y-yes… Oh, heavens yes, like this." Her head
fell back exposing her throat.

Careful
, his inner voice warned him.
Take it slow
.

But he was never one to listen to his good
conscience.

So he laid her across the dusty bed and
hovered over her, watching her squirm and sigh beneath his
touch.

"Benedict." Her voice was hoarse.

"Yes, love?"

"Will your servants like me?"

What an odd question. And dreadful timing
considering his hand was already placed halfway up her creamy
thigh.

He kept his arousal in check and tried to
answer the question, mentally going through every person in his
employ.

And then his body went cold.

Maria.

Suddenly, he was disgusted with himself.
Withdrawing his hand from the pleasure of her leg, he leaned back
on the bed and shuddered.

"What is it?" Katherine asked.

"It's just that…" Benedict couldn't even look
her in the eyes his shame was so great. "I had forgotten about some
business at the house, business I need to attend to before I
welcome you with open arms."

"Oh." She looked down.

"But…" he interjected. "It won't take long.
Before you know it, you'll be the mistress of the house." He gulped
against the bile that rose in his throat at the use of the word
mistress. Could he have not come up with a better description? She
was so much better than that.

And he, the Devil, did not deserve her.

If she knew…

Well, if she knew, she wouldn't continue to
give him a chance. He was afraid, devil take it; he was terrified
that if she truly knew about some of the things that had taken
place under the roof of that house, she would be more than
scandalized.

"Let me buy you a house." The words fell out
of his mouth in a rush.

"A house? You want to buy me a house?"
Katherine shook her head. "Whatever's wrong with your house?"

"It's old."

"Alright…" Katherine's eyes searched his.
"And you want to buy a newer house, is that it?"

"Yes. I want you to have the best." At least
that part was true. "I'll buy you a house, move you into it…" Why
in the blazes was he going on in this fashion? As if she was some
type of mistress. "Naturally, I'll live there too," he added.

"I should hope so." Katherine laughed. "We
are to be married." She lifted her hand to cup his face. "After
all, you won't get a traditional
ton
marriage from me."

"I won't?" He feigned depression, though he
couldn't have been more pleased.

"No." The minx leaned closer to him, her arm
hooking his neck like a shepherd's crook, pulling him down closer
and closer until he once again hovered over her. "I'll want you by
my side every day."

"That can be arranged."

"And in my bed every night."

What was that? Angels singing?

"I believe I can manage to agree to your
terms."

"Promise." Her eyes sparkled in the
moonlight.

He took a shuddering breath before lowering
his lips to hers and mumbling against them, "Promise."

Now all he needed to do was make sure she
never found out his secret, never know the depths of his depravity,
lest she lose that sparkle he so adored.

Something was bothering
Benedict,
though Katherine hadn't a clue what it could be.
By all standards, he was acting the perfect gentleman.

That should have been her first hint.

Originally she had thought he was going to
seduce her, not that she minded one whit.

And then he had pulled back, a look of
absolute horror on his face as he began to sputter nonsense about
buying a new house.

He was wealthy. Everyone knew how wealthy.
Even though he gambled as if he truly desired to lose his entire
fortune, he never lost.

So it could not be lack of funds.

She bit her lip and looked at him again.
Benedict had kissed her and then told her to sleep.

As if she could sleep after his hands had
been halfway up her thigh.

Ridiculous!

Perhaps, she thought as she closed her eyes
and tried to relax, he was embarrassed about the state of his
house? After all, bachelors were known to be careless in their
décor as well as their upkeep. The poor man probably didn't even
pay a full staff.

What his house needed was a woman's touch!
There was no need for him to spend money for her sake.

A smile curved her lips. That was it! She
would surprise him. Tomorrow after he dropped her off, she would
quickly change, and then arrive at his house and offer her help.
After all, the way things were going, they were planning on gaining
a special license as soon as possible. It wasn't as if she were not
already ruined.

With a grin, she finally relaxed enough to
try to sleep, all the while thinking of ways she could surprise
Benedict.

Not All Surprises Are Welcome

By the time the
carriage dropped Katherine off at her home, it was some ungodly
time of the night. At least two or three a.m.

The footman had taken another hour to trudge
back to the cabin with different transportation. The snowstorm had
let up enough for them to continue on at last.

Though… there was a part of Benedict that
wished he and Katherine could have stayed in that cabin forever,
away from his past, away from his uncertain future.

Stupidity seemed to be the only way to
describe his actions. How had he not remembered Maria?

Or the six before her?

Exhausted, his legs felt as if he had poured
sand into his boots. Slowly, he made his way into his house and
heading straight up the stairs, not bothering to deal with the
situation as of yet. He would need energy and sustenance to do what
he had to do.

He pushed open the door to his room and
cursed.

"I've been waiting for you," a lush feminine
voice said in the darkness.

He wanted to hit something. How the devil did
she know he would be arriving at such a time?

"You must be exhausted," the throaty voice
continued. "Let me relieve some of that tension, your grace."

"No." His response was cold, angry.

"No?" Maria laughed as Benedict lit the
candle nearest the bed.