Her Sudden Groom (45 page)

He snorted and pulled back. “I don’t believe a word you just said. It was all a game to you,” he replied icily, ruining her good image of him. “The first time you looked to be in complete pain and discomfort. And now that I know you were only trying to punish me, I believe you forced yourself to pretend to enjoy things the second time.”

“
Don’t be hateful, Alex,” she said in a low tone. “I did not pretend to enjoy myself with you. I did. I was merely unsure how a lady is expected to express herself in the bedroom. My mother isn’t around to inform me. And anyone I know who would know, I didn’t feel comfortable asking.”

He closed his eyes for a few seconds before he looked at her again. “I’m sorry, Caroline. As your husband I should have told you. In the bedchamber—or any other place you might find yourself in such a situation—you are allowed to respond however you want. There are no rules or pretenses. You’re not being judged and there’s no need to be embarrassed. There’s an unspoken understanding that what happens is private and stays private.”

“
So it didn’t repulse you when I…um…responded?” she whispered, blushing with embarrassment.

“
No. I wanted you to do that. But it’s inconsequential now,” he added, his voice hard as steel once again. “I’ll not be seeking entrance to your bed any longer.”

“
Why?” she asked, on the verge of tears again. “Why are you doing this?”

“
Because I’ll not be led around by my genitals.” He flashed her a cruel smile. “There are other ways a man can find satisfaction.”

“
But you said—”

“
You didn’t let me finish. A man doesn’t require a woman’s presence to find satisfaction. The idea may be frowned upon in polite society, but it works all the same.”

She blinked at him. If he wasn’t talking about getting a mistress, what did he intend to do? A rather unusual thought popped into her mind. Her eyes widened and heat crept up her face.

“
I believe you take my meaning,” he said, not a hint of emotion in his voice.

Tears streamed out of her eyes in two steady torrents. “What happened to the sweet gentleman named Alex Banks I married? Was that all an act for the purposes of our courtship?”

“
No,” he said, grinding his teeth. “That was not an act. He still exists, but he decided to vacate the premises when he discovered his wife was trying to lead him around by his prick.”

She winced at the cruel intent of his words. “You, Alexander Christopher Banks, are the worst scientist I’ve ever met. You have no factual basis for your claims, and yet you believe them as if they’re the very same gospel your uncle preaches every week.” She wiped her eyes and took a deep sniff through her nose. “I’ve given you no reason to believe I intended to use my body against you. It’s you who thinks I’m punishing you, and you have no basis for it.” A sob cracked her voice and wracked her body.

“
Yes, I do,” he countered, matching her steely tone. “I was in the room when you told my mother you hated me and wished you’d never read that paper. I remember how angry you were and how you cried yourself to sleep. I foolishly chose to believe your acts of gentle politeness, complete with you wanting to just put it all behind us.”

“
You were there?” she asked, her knees buckling. Had he heard anything else?

He nodded.

“
Then you know about the—”

“
Stop. I don’t have time for this just now. I am more than five weeks late for a meeting with Marcus. He sent a note yesterday that I must come today at the latest. Something about a dowry I didn’t even know you had.”

She wasn’t sure if Alex’s last words were spoken out of cruelty or disbelief, nor did she really care. She might have a past history of being too forgiving, but not anymore. His words cut her to the core and anything less than groveling wouldn’t so much as grant him an audience with her, much less access to her bedchamber.

***

Alex rode his stallion as fast as he could go to Ridge Water. His words to Caroline might have been crueler than she deserved, but the meaning was not. He’d made a mistake and he’d gladly admit to it and pay penance for it. But for her to be so underhanded as to not say anything and punish him without knowing what he’d done to deserve the punishment was going too far. Fortunately, his brothers had let it slip so he knew
why
he was being punished, even if he hadn’t even detected that
something
was afoot to begin with.

Looking at everything logically, he really hadn’t done anything so terribly wrong. Many gentlemen planned out their courtship. Just not in such a detailed and intricate way.

He sighed, banged the brass knocker, then stood motionless and waited for the butler to show him in. Marcus wanted to talk about a dowry and he wanted to talk to Marcus about something, too. He had little doubt this conversation would prove to be more entertaining and enlightening than his last.

Chapman came to the door and led him down the hall to Marcus’ study. Along the way, he couldn’t help wanting to ask how Marcus felt sitting in the same chair his father used to sit in. He shook off the thought. That was another conversation for another day. Today they needed to take care of business. Besides, waiting to talk to him about filling his father’s position gave him a reason to come back another day to see his friend.

“
Alex,” Marcus said, standing up. “I feared you’d not come and then I’d have a real mess on my hands.”

Alex smiled. “I came.”

“
I see that,” he remarked, sitting back down. “I know you have a lot demanding your attention what with your recent loss and Caroline and all, but this needs to be taken care of, and now that I’m no longer her legal guardian...” He shrugged.

Alex reached his hand out. “All right, just give it to me.”

“
Here.” Marcus handed him an unusually tall stack of paper.

Alex frowned. The last time he’d just been handed a stack of papers with no explanation, he’d just been informed he was betrothed to Lady Olivia. “What’s this?”

“
The first sheet is the bank account information for the London bank where her money is,” he said easily, giving Alex time to read over the page.

Alex blinked at the page. “Your father was mighty generous,” he mused, scanning the numbers on the page.

Marcus snorted. “Not hardly. It was commonly thought Caroline wouldn’t require a dowry so my father never saw fit to give her one. I, on the other hand, disagreed with that notion and took care of Caroline’s dowry, to a point.”

“
To a point?”

“
When I started the account for her four years ago my intent was just to raise enough money to give her a Season. My father couldn’t afford to give her one. Not for lack of money, of course.” He pursed his lips and shook his head. “He was more afraid of her being torn to shreds by the social piranhas due to some old family gossip about her mother and father. But I thought she deserved one anyway and I asked a friend of mine, the late Lady Drakely, to bring her out if I’d pay. She agreed, but I hadn’t enough funds at the times. Since my father was still earl, and I wouldn’t be able to touch the trust I inherited from my mother until his death or my thirtieth year, I had to find another way to scrape up the money. That’s why I started the account. But she’s the reason it kept growing, therefore, I can only take partial credit.” He flashed a rare smile at Alex.

Alex stared at him. Despite everything Caroline had been through, she’d always had at least one person who’d loved her and would do anything for her. “Thank you, Marcus.”

“
Don’t thank me,” he said, twisting a quill between his fingers. “She did all the work.”

“
I’m not talking about that,” Alex said softly. “I was thanking you for taking such good care of her. For loving her.”

Marcus’ gaze was unblinking. “I accept your thanks, and my hope is that you’ll treat her the same.”

Alex lowered his eyes. He surely hadn’t been very caring or loving this morning. He’d treated her nastier than he’d ever treated anyone. Shame washed over him. The look on her face this morning flashed in his mind. Even for as socially inept as he was, he knew hurt and pain when he saw it. And he’d definitely seen it. And caused it. He swallowed.

“
Look through the rest.” Marcus propped his feet up on the desk and brought his hand up to rest against his left cheek. “You’ve kept me waiting for five weeks. I can wait no longer.”

Alex picked up the first page and pulled it away to look at the second. It was a sales slip of some sort. He scanned the lines, confused. Had she paid money to someone or had they paid her? Her name was nowhere on the page.

“
Flip the page again,” Marcus murmured. “That might help you make sense of it.”

Alex glanced at Marcus, then pulled back the next page and caught his breath. “Marcus, tell me what I’m looking at.”

Marcus chuckled. “Why don’t you tell me what you think it is?”

“
That’s what I’m not sure of,” he began, turning his eyes up to Marcus. “I recognize the handwriting as yours. However, the name at the top reads E. S. Wilson, which, not only have you told me you are not him, but I also remember you having a severe lack of knowledge concerning biology.”

“
Just so. And now, Lord Logical, what can you deduce from those previously stated—and a few unmentioned, but not unknown—facts?” Marcus drawled, clearly enjoying the situation.

“
Caroline is E. S. Wilson,” Alex said, dumbfounded.

“
Brilliant, Alex! You truly were the smartest boy at Eton.”

Alex leafed through the stack. Every single article that had anonymously appeared by E. S. Wilson in
Popular Plants
from the past four years was right here in his lap. He’d read them all before. He’d even duplicated almost all of the experiments. But knowing Caroline had written them made them more than just interesting articles that had inspired him to search for another great mind to converse with. They were invaluable.

She was truly brilliant and sadly, he’d demeaned her all along. They’d sat in the room right across the hall not two months ago and he’d belittled her understanding of biology. He’d even gone so far as to suggest she read her own articles. And he’d done it again just this morning by quickly dismissing her claim to be carrying his child.

His heart clenched. His child. His child with Caroline. Their child. After the things he’d said to her this morning, this would likely be their only child. Would it be a little bespectacled boy who wore his clothes haphazardly and followed his papa around holding a magnifying glass in one hand and notebook in the other? Or would it be a beautiful, dark-haired, blue-eyed girl who was always getting into trouble for dragging the hem of her skirt through the mud while she dug around in the flowerbeds? He smiled at mental image. Most men wished for a boy, but he’d gladly take a little girl who was just like Caroline.

“
Alex,” Marcus said loudly, unmistakable pride shining in his face. “I know you’re in awe over this revelation, and probably can’t wait to go home and kiss the person you had no idea was secretly your hero, but we need to discuss business.”

Alex blinked at Marcus and his astonishing level of excitement. He doubted his friend had ever been this excited in the past twelve years, and he wasn’t going to ruin it by telling him Caroline would deny his request for a kiss because she was angry with him and had every reason to be. “What business?” he asked quietly, placing the stack of papers on the edge of Marcus’ desk.

Marcus scratched his jaw. “Well, there is one little, tiny snag.”

Alex rolled his eyes. Of course there was. “What do I not know?”

“
Actually,
you
know everything. It’s Caroline who doesn’t. When I put the first two hundred pounds in the account and sold her first article, I’d planned everything to be a surprise. But right before I had enough money, Lady Drakley passed, and with her my plans for Caroline’s Season. By then, I’d heard my father casually mention something about the success of the article—he never knew what I’d done. So I continued to send her experiments in and planned to either give her the money when she reached her majority in a few months or use it as a dowry if she married.