Harlequin Historical September 2014 - Bundle 1 of 2: The Lone Sheriff\The Gentleman Rogue\Never Trust a Rebel (64 page)

‘Elyse, I—'

She turned away from him.

‘Just go. For pity's sake leave me!'

Her anguished whisper cut him to the quick. His hand dropped back to his side.

‘I will inflict my presence upon you no longer,' he said quietly. ‘I wish you every happiness, Miss Salforde, and ask you to believe that I am, now and always, your obedient servant.'

* * *

Elyse heard the door close and knew she was alone.

I will not cry.

It was tempting to throw herself down in a chair and give way to her misery but Elyse knew that if she wept now she might not be able to stop. Without giving herself time to consider what had just occurred she went swiftly back to the reception. Pride would not allow her to show an unhappy face in such a gathering and she stretched her mouth into a smile that soon made her cheeks ache. The room was as noisy and crowded as when she had left it. She spotted Drew's dark head immediately, her glance drawn in his direction as if by some force of magnetism. He was making his way towards the door but his progress was slow, impeded by well-wishers, smiling and bowing, anxious to welcome him back into society.

She dragged her eyes away from him. His future was assured, as was hers. She would think of him no more.

But when did Sir Edward tell him about the pardon? It could not have been before he found me in the pavilion.

‘I did not know
then
...'

She pressed her fingers to her temples. She would
not
think of him. A brief break in the crowd gave her a glimpse of William standing with his friends on the far side of the room and she made her way across to him. The group stood by themselves, the other guests having moved away and Elyse soon realised why. The immoderate laughter and reddened faces of the young bucks suggested they had been imbibing freely. Even William was looking a little heated and when he saw her his words of greeting were suspiciously slurred.

‘Ah, and here is my blushing bride. Come along and meet my friends my dear. Almondsbury, Pendle, Griffin, make your bows to Miss Salforde.'

The young men attempted flourishing bows with varying degrees of success. Mr Almondsbury straightened and raised his quizzing glass, subjecting her to a prolonged scrutiny. Mr Griffin came forwards to take her hand.

‘Ah, fair lady! 'T-T-Tis an honour to meet you at last.'

She regarded him as he bowed over her fingers, a slight frown creasing her brow.

‘Have we met before, sir? In Scarborough, perhaps?'

He unbent and there was no mistaking the alarm in his rather protuberant eyes. It put her on her guard.

‘S-S-Scarborough, oh, d-dear me, no, Miss—'

She snatched her hand away.

‘It was you,' she exclaimed. ‘You were one of the attackers.'

Her horrified glance swung from Mr Griffin to William, who began to bluster loudly, but the reaction of the other gentlemen gave the lie to his denials. Elyse looked about her. Everyone was still resolutely ignoring them. Such was the noise in the room she doubted if anyone could overhear their conversation.

‘Did you think it a good joke?' she demanded in a furious undertone.

‘I said we shouldn't take loaded pistols,' muttered Mr Pendle.

‘Be quiet,' snapped William. ‘Elyse, this is not the time to discuss this.'

‘Oh, and when would you suggest we discussed it?' she retorted. ‘I want to know which of you wounded Mr Castlemain.'

She glared at the little group, who shuffled uncomfortably beneath her stern gaze.

‘I regret to say that was me,' admitted Mr Pendle. ‘But only after he had fired at Almondsbury.'

‘He pinked me,' complained that gentleman, holding up his right hand to show a healing gash on the side of his palm.

Elyse was not impressed. ‘You could have killed him. How dare you! It is a good thing Mr Nash has decreed you do not wear your swords in Bath or I would use yours to run you through.'

Mr Pendle blanched and retreated in the face of such blazing anger. She turned towards William. ‘And the coachman, was he a part of your plans? He said Lord Whittlewood had paid him to drive us to Bath.'

‘My father had nothing to do with it,' said William quickly. ‘It was entirely my notion. I knew from the start that my father's plan would not work. If you had come all the way from the north then you would not be put off by a few extra miles to travel to Bath. We decided we must try to stop you.'

‘We? Your friends were a party to this?' her scorching glare encompassed all four of them.

‘Yes. I told Settle how it would be if you followed us.'

‘Settle
knew
you were going to attack the coach?' she asked, incredulous. It certainly explained why he had been avoiding her since her arrival in Queen Square. ‘And he did nothing to stop you?'

William's scowl deepened. ‘He had no choice, short of telling my father, and he has always been too loyal to me for that. Settle thought he could delay you if he said he was ill, but that dashed guardian of yours was determined to fulfil the contract.'

‘And he was seriously injured for his troubles,' said Elyse, her anger against Drew fast disappearing. ‘What a despicable thing to do, William!'

‘What does it matter?' demanded Griffin peevishly. ‘The fellow's a dashed traitor.'

‘He has been granted a full pardon.' Elyse flashed back. ‘He a free man, and a far more honourable one than any of you.'

He was closeted with his father while I was in the kitchen. Perhaps that was when he learned of it.

‘It was an accident, we never meant you any harm,' said William in a sulky tone. ‘I will arrange for the baggage to be returned, anonymously, of course. And Castlemain's purse, too.'

‘That is the very least you can do,' she told him angrily. ‘Whatever were you thinking of, to try such a trick?'

William's scowl deepened. ‘We merely planned to hold you at Griffin's house for a week or so, until Michaelmas passed and the contract was breached.'

She stared at him in dismay.

‘Oh, William. Are you so averse to marrying me?'

‘I had not seen you for three years,' he protested. ‘You are a stranger to me.'

‘But your letters!'

He shrugged. ‘While our marriage was but some vague future event it was easy to write, but as the time grew closer I began to regret my rash promise. Father would not let me cry off, or give you any hint that I was reluctant to wed you.'

‘Dear Miss Salforde, Reverson is but a few months older than yourself,' cried Mr Almondsbury, jumping to the defence of his friend. ‘He is too young to be setting up his own nursery.'

‘He is right,' declared William. ‘There is much I wish to do.'

‘Oh?' she countered with deceptive sweetness, ‘like kissing housemaids, perhaps?'

‘You know that is not what I mean. I had intended to go on the Grand Tour, for example.'

‘I see no reason why you should not still do that.' She added, determined to be cheerful, ‘We might go together.'

‘Impossible.'

‘Why?' Elyse bridled at William's swift dismissal. ‘I should like to travel just as much as you.'

‘I am not free to settle down. I must travel constantly.'

Drew's words came back to her. She was certain now that he could not have known about the pardon when he uttered them.

‘Once we are married you will remain in Berkshire with the children,' declared William. ‘I have no doubt you will like to have a large family, but of course that will preclude your going abroad.' He looked up. ‘Enough of this, we have been talking here too long and my father is beckoning to us.' William held out his arm to her. ‘Come along, Elyse. I am very sorry for what occurred. We all are, but the terms of the contract have been met, so tomorrow you and I are to be married and we must resign ourselves to the fact.'

* * *

Elyse was too angry and distracted to resign herself to anything. Sir Edward must have told Drew about the pardon while she was in the kitchen with Mrs Parfitt. Why did Drew not come to tell her afterwards? If he loved her, surely he would have told her. Unless...

Her thoughts racing, she accompanied William through the crowd to where Lord and Lady Whittlewood were standing. She looked around the room but there was no sign of Drew. Lady Whittlewood put out her hand to draw her son closer and Elyse turned to the viscount.

‘My lord, you are fully conversant with the terms of the settlements, are you not?'

‘Naturally, but I do not think this is the place to discuss—'

She interrupted him ruthlessly.

‘And it is impossible for William to withdraw from the marriage?'

‘Quite impossible. If the marriage does not go ahead then the full sum agreed in the settlement would go to you.' The viscount looked grim and shook his head at her. ‘Your father drove a hard bargain, Miss Salforde.'

She fixed her eyes upon him. ‘But what if
I
were to cry off?'

His thin brows went up. ‘You? But why should you do that? This is an excellent match for you.'

‘Nevertheless, what penalties are in place should I withdraw?'

‘Why, none. Your father and I never contemplated such an eventuality. His lack of fortune made it irrelevant.'

She met his eyes with a steady gaze.

‘As I understand it, the sum at stake is considerable. Twenty thousand pounds, to be exact.'

His brows snapped together.

‘Who told you that?'

‘William let it slip. Our marriage is payment of a gambling debt, is it not?'

‘I think we would prefer not to mention that, my dear.'

‘You are right.' She smiled. ‘I do not intend to think of it again.'

She stepped away a little and took a deep breath. A sudden lull in the noise around them seemed providential. She raised her head and proclaimed in a ringing voice.

‘My Lord and Lady Whittlewood, I am very conscious of the honour you do me, but I regret that I cannot marry your son.' The lull became a stunned silence. She turned to William. ‘I am very sorry, Mr Reverson, if this gives you pain.' She tugged the diamond ring from her finger and held it out to him. Automatically he put out his hand to receive it. She smiled at him. ‘I hope one day we may be friends.'

Elyse turned and hurried towards the door, the crowd parting silently to let her pass. William had been staring, perplexed, at the ring lying in his hand but now he looked up.

‘Elyse! Where are you going?'

She glanced back.

‘To find happiness, if it is not too late.'

* * *

When Drew left Elyse the clatter of dishes and cacophony of voices suggested that the backstairs would be swarming with servants. He had no choice but to return to the reception and make his way through the crowds to the door. His progress was impeded by the number of his father's acquaintances waiting to pounce on him. They wanted to wish him well and enquire after his family. He thought bitterly that Lord Whittlewood's intention to help re-establish the good name of Castlemain had been only too successful. Duty dictated that he bury his hurt and impatience and respond civilly to each and every one of them.

At last he escaped and ran down the stairs, curtly ordering his carriage. A servant was despatched immediately, but with such a crush of guests he suspected that his coachman would have had to go some way to find a spot where he could wait without blocking the road. He paced the hall, impatient to be away before anyone came downstairs in search of supper. He should not have come. His father was wrong about Elyse. She might have loved him, if he had courted her properly and treated her with respect. Perhaps then she might have considered him as a serious rival to Reverson.

He thought of the way she had responded to him in the pavilion, the melting look in her eyes. He could have offered for her then. She would have accepted him and thought the world well lost. Instead he had done everything in his power to disgust her.

‘Fool,' he muttered furiously. ‘Imbecile.'

A lackey bringing Drew's hat and cloak stopped and began to back away.

‘Not you,' said Drew irritably.

There was a sudden burst of noise from above as the drawing-room door opened and it was with relief that he heard the footman announce that his carriage had arrived. He grabbed his hat and cloak and headed for the door. He wanted to be gone from this damned place without speaking to another soul.

* * *

The flaring torches outside the viscount's residence lighted his way to the coach and Drew climbed in, feeling very weary. He would be able to tell his father that his reception in Bath had been more than cordial, but he himself would not count the evening a success, because he had come away without Elyse.

He threw himself back in a corner and closed his eyes, anxious to be home. Suddenly the commotion outside became louder. He heard the squeak of the handle as the door opened, felt the carriage rock and heard the whoosh of a whirlwind. He opened his eyes to discover it was not a whirlwind but a rustling cloud of grey silk.

‘Elyse!' He sat up with a jolt. ‘What the devil—?'

She fell on to the empty seat opposite him as the carriage set off, saying breathlessly, ‘I am
so
glad I did not miss you.'

Before he could form a reply she leaned forwards and slapped him, hard, across the face.

Chapter Twelve

‘Y
ou are the greatest knave that has ever drawn breath, Drew Castlemain!'

Drew peered into the darkness, trying to see the termagant sitting opposite him. They had driven out of Queen Square and now there was only the sliver of moon riding high above them to light the way. The shadows inside the carriage were inky black.

‘I think I must be,' he murmured, rubbing his cheek. ‘I don't
think
you have broken my jaw.'

‘It would serve you right if I had,' she told him furiously. ‘Why did you keep your pardon a secret from me?'

Drew leaned back. He was bemused, but somewhere deep inside his heart was singing like a lark. Elyse was here, in his carriage and they were on their way to Hartcombe.

Home.

‘You were going to Bath to marry Reverson,' he said. ‘To...er...“make him the best, most loving wife there ever was”. Those were your exact words.'

‘That was your intention, was it not, when you rejected me so thoroughly, to drive me into William's arms?'

‘At that time I did not know I was a free man. I thought I was still an outcast, forced to wander abroad, never settling in one place. I could not inflict that life upon you.'

‘And you gave no thought to what I might want. But that is irrelevant now. When you did learn that you were pardoned, why did you keep silent?'

‘I had given you enough cause to hate me. Even with the pardon, what could I offer you, compared to the life you would have with Reverson?'

‘How idiotically noble of you.' Her scornful voice cut through the darkness.

‘And what would you have had me do?' he demanded, rattled.

‘Allowed me to make the decision for myself.'

He exhaled.

‘You are right,' he said at last. ‘I realised it soon after you had gone, and I intended to do so this evening, only I made a mull of it.'

‘Very true,' she said bitterly.

* * *

Elyse leaned back against the squabs and waited. The anger and excitement that had carried her out of Lord Whittlewood's house and into Drew's carriage had abated. She was beset by doubts when he did not reply. Perhaps he had thought better of his rash declaration. Perhaps he had no wish to marry someone who scolded him so roundly. The enveloping darkness did not help. She could not see Drew's face. She had no idea what he was thinking.

‘I am not going to marry William,' she told him, when she could no longer bear the silence. ‘I have broken it off irrevocably and there can be no question that I jilted him. The viscount's debt to my father is cancelled.'

The unnerving quiet continued.

‘Pray do not think that I expect you to marry me,' she said, trying to keep the note of uncertainty out of her voice. ‘Sir Edward offered me sanctuary at Hartcombe and I will accept that until I can return to Scarborough. Th-that is why I wanted to share your carriage, sir, not for any other reason.' Her voice faltered. ‘And I d-did not have time to collect my wrap...'

‘Damn this darkness.' Drew muttered as he moved across to sit beside her. He put his arm around her shoulders. ‘Is that better, or would you like my cloak? It is here somewhere.'

‘No, I am warm enough now.' Reassured by the feel of his arm about her, she leaned against him and slipped one arm around his waist. ‘I discovered that it was William and his friends who held up our coach.'

‘I guessed it was some such thing.'

‘They did not mean to shoot you. They intended merely to prevent my reaching Bath before Michaelmas.'

‘The devil they did. Would you like me to call them to book?'

‘No, no.' She held him close. ‘I want merely to forget it all. Although you might wish to be revenged upon Mr Pendle for putting a bullet in you.'

‘No, no, 'tis almost healed now. Besides,' he added, a laugh in his voice, ‘Why should I wish to do that, when he has done me such a service?'

‘That is true, I suppose. If you had not been wounded we would never have gone to Hartcombe, and you would not have made it up with your father and learned that you had been pardoned.'

His arm around her shoulders tightened.

‘And I should not have had time to discover just how much I love you.'

‘Oh.' Hot tears prickled behind her eyes. ‘Oh, if only that were true.'

‘It is.' He put his fingers beneath her chin and she responded to their gentle pressure to look up. His face was a pale blur in the darkness yet she could feel the heat of his gaze. ‘I have not led a blameless life, my love. I have made mistakes but I have paid for them.'

‘I do not care about your past,' was her swift reply.

‘But you must care about the future,' he told her. ‘You must understand what it is that I can offer you. It will take years to make Hartcombe truly profitable again. And of course in time I will inherit the baronetcy, although I hope that event is many years distant.'

‘So, too, do I. But is that all you can offer me?'

His arm tightened around her.

‘That and my heart, now and always.'

She gave a little sob and threw her arms around his neck.

‘Oh, Drew, that is all I ever wanted from you. I love you so much!'

* * *

When Elyse gave herself up to Drew's kiss, she was not prepared for the assault upon her senses. They had been battered and bruised by the events of the evening and when their lips met there was no soft easing of the rigid control she had placed upon herself. There was no melting tenderness, only raging fire. She was consumed by desire, a shockingly powerful need to have him love her. She returned his kisses forcefully, eagerly tangling her tongue with his, revelling in the hot, erotic sensations it was creating throughout her body. When Drew would have pulled back she clung to him, urging him to go on.

‘Oh, my love,' his words were a thread, whispered against her skin as he dipped his head to run a line of kisses over her neck. ‘Bid me stop now, or there is only one way this will end.'

‘Never.' Her head was thrown back, her skin burning where his mouth had touched it. ‘I want this as much as you.'

She had no doubts. She needed him to finish what they had begun in the pavilion. The carriage rattled on, its gentle swaying joined with the pale moonlight to create a darkly magical world for their lovemaking. Drew's hand was on her waist, sliding up over the stiffened bodice towards the rise of her breasts. Her skin tightened in anticipation, nipples hardened, aching for his touch. She clutched him, one hand pushing past the lace at his neck, tearing open his shirt, desperate to feel the skin beneath.

Drew pulled away, but only to remove his jacket and while he did so she dragged the fichu from her neck and it fluttered pale and ghostly to the carriage floor. When he reached for her again she went into his arms, the cool softness of his lawn sleeves wrapping around her while she was devoured by his kiss. She felt light-headed, almost swooning with the pleasure he was inflicting on her. She did not resist when he eased her down on the seat, his hands pushing aside her heavy skirts. She returned his kisses, driving her hands through his hair, revelling in its silkiness between her fingers. A little shudder of delight ran through her when she felt his hand smoothing over the skin of her thigh. Her very core was melting, opening, and she shifted a little, lifting her hips to offer herself up to the delights of those questing fingers. Suddenly his hand was cupping the hot, aching mound between her thighs. She moaned, her body shifting restlessly as he teased and explored. Little tremors were pulsing through her, threatening to overwhelm her senses. She slid her hands to his waist, to the fall of his breeches, fumbling with the buttons. She could feel his iron-hard erection through the thin material and it took her breath away. She had no knowledge of this, yet heat flared through her, combined with an overwhelming need for satisfaction.

‘I want you, Drew,' she whispered. ‘I want you now.'

He brushed aside her fingers and she sank back on to the padded seat, reaching for him, pulling his head down until she could kiss him, which she did with a kind of desperation. Her petticoats were bunched between them but she barely noticed, nor the cool air on her naked limbs. Her body was arching and trembling with need. His hands slid around her buttocks, lifting her towards him and she gave a soft gasp as she felt him at the hinge of her thighs. He was teasingly close to entering her and she tilted her hips a little more, inviting him into her very core. She pushed herself towards him, catching her breath as he slid inside her. It was a small pain, soon forgotten. Her hips came up to meet him as he drove deeper, harder, again and again. When she would have cried out he covered her mouth for another searing kiss that made her whole body shudder with desire.

Her senses took flight, her body trembled out of control. She was ready to tip over into ecstasy. She clutched at him, dug her fingers into his back as tremors of pure pleasure began to ripple through her, building in intensity. They were moving as one. Elyse tore her mouth free and gasped out his name even as he plunged even deeper into her core, taking her over the edge and into the abyss. It was as if she had stepped off a high cliff and was held, suspended for one brief, exhilarating moment. She felt his release, heard his shout of triumph before her mind shattered and she lost all comprehension of time and space.

* * *

Drew's body was heavy above her, gently rocking with the continued swaying of the carriage as it rattled on. At last she felt at peace. Complete. She did not move, savouring the moment, the joy of it. It was as much as she could do not to sigh out loud when Drew eased away from her, a deep black shape against the faint moonlight shining through the windows.

‘The die is cast, my dear. We must be married now, and with all speed.'

The night air chilled her bare skin and she sat up, carefully pulling her skirts back into place.

‘Is that what you truly want, sir?'

She could not quite accept it, even now. That he loved her in his own fashion she did not doubt, but he loved honour more. He had done his best to prevent her falling in love with him, determined not to raise hopes he could not fulfil. She would take full responsibility for what had just occurred. After all, she had thrown herself into his arms, begged him to love her and he had done so. She would demand nothing more of him. She had money. She could return to her aunt in the north and live out a single life, but she would carry the memory of this moment with her to the grave.

‘You are no longer a maid,' said Drew. ‘I have taken that which I told you was a husband's right. Therefore I must now become that husband.'

‘I shall not demand that you make an honest woman of me.'

Elyse bent to scoop up her fichu and as she did so the ring around her neck fell forward. Drew reached out and caught it. In one swift, decisive move he tore the ring from the thin length of ribbon.

‘But
I
shall demand it, if you will have me.' He slid to his knees on the carriage floor. ‘Will you marry me, dearest Elyse? Will you take this flawed, foolish man and trust him to make you happy?' He took her left hand and held the ring over the tip of her third finger. ‘My father knew your worth. This is my mother's ring, the one he gave her when she agreed to marry him. Will you wear it now as a token of our betrothal until I can buy you one of your own?'

Hot tears burned her eyes and she said unsteadily, ‘Oh, Drew, I do not need any other token, if you really, truly wish to marry me.'

‘Can you doubt it?'

He pushed the ring on to her finger and leaned forwards to kiss her. When at last he let her go he sat down on the bench beside her, pulling her against him and settling her comfortably in his arms. He sighed.

‘I warned your father how it would be if he made me your guardian.'

‘He entrusted me to your care,' she murmured. ‘Upon your honour, which was certainly very tiresome, since it prevented you from declaring yourself.'

‘A rebel's honour,' he retorted bitterly.

Elyse pushed herself away and put one hand up to his cheek, saying softly,

‘It is what makes you the man you are, Drew Castlemain. It is the honour of my one and only true love.'

* * * * *