Mastering the Marquess

“Please forgive me,” Meredith said. “I know how inappropriate it is for me to indulge in such strong displays of emotion.”

Silverton laughed softly. “Ah, Miss Burnley,” he murmured, his voice whispering like silk across her skin, “sometimes a strong display of emotion is precisely what the situation calls for.”

He closed the distance between them and slid a hand up her arm to caress the bare skin of her shoulder. Tiny shocks sparkled along the path traced by his fingers. Meredith looked up into his eyes, and this time she did gasp, completely undone by what she saw in them.

He looked ready to devour her, his gaze so incredibly fiery as it roamed over her face that her dazed mind imagined it might actually leave a mark on her flesh. She no longer harbored any doubts that he wanted her, and he wanted her very badly. . . .

Vanessa Kelly

ZEBRA BOOKS
Kensington Publishing Corp.
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meredith Burnley hated spring. All the bad things in her life happened to her on beautiful April days like this.

She stood on the edge of a dirt path, staring at bluebells that swirled into the dense woods encircling her family's manor house. Sunshine peeked through the overhanging branches, sparking a patchwork of blue petals and young green grass into a living mosaic of light-dappled color.

It really was lovely, she thought gloomily.

With a resolute sigh, she thrust painful memories into the dark corners of her mind and resumed her brisk pace through the trees, wanting to return to the house before Annabel awoke from her afternoon nap.

Her half sister's mysterious ailment had returned with a vengeance these last few months. Although Annabel had seemed much improved last year, a strange decline had now taken hold, in spite of treatment by a specialist, Dr. Leeds, from Bristol. Meredith couldn't understand it, and anxiety for her sister shadowed every waking moment.

She emerged from under the ancient copper beeches, catching sight of the pale stone gables of the Jacobean manor that had been her home since she was a little girl. Swallow Hill had been a welcome and necessary refuge for as long as she could remember.

But as she approached the house, Meredith drew in a startled breath at the sight of a groomsman leading a curricle and pair away from the front door. They were not expecting visitors, and only the doctor ever called without notice. She lengthened her stride, cutting across the lawn in her hurry to reach the front steps. The old fear clutched at her heart—had Annabel taken a turn for the worse?

The soles of her half boots rang on the shallow marble steps as Meredith dashed through the oak doors standing open to the warm April weather. The stooped figure of her butler emerged from a doorway at the back of the entrance hall, his wrinkled face creased in a benevolent smile.

“Good afternoon, miss,” said Creed. “How was your walk to the village?”

“My walk was fine.” Meredith yanked her gloves off, tossing them onto a side table by the door as she struggled to repress her impatience with the elderly retainer. “Do we have visitors, Creed?”

“Yes, miss. Your cousin, Mr. Jacob Burnley, has just arrived from Bristol.”

“My cousin!” She frowned, slowly untying the ribbons of her bonnet. “Aunt Nora didn't mention he was due for a visit.”

“No, Miss Burnley, she did not.”

Meredith turned on her heel at the sound of the drawing room door opening behind her. Jacob Burnley sauntered out, still dressed in his caped greatcoat and boots.

“Well, little cousin,” he drawled, “it's been months since I've seen you. Why you bury yourself in the country all the time when you could come to Bristol for a bit of fun is beyond me.”

Meredith greeted him with a smile. “Jacob, how are you?”

She extended her hand but was stunned when he grabbed her shoulders and yanked her to his chest, lowering his head as if to kiss her on the mouth. Meredith shied away, feeling his moist lips press against her face. He laughed softly as her cheeks flared with heat.

“Come now, Cousin,” he murmured in a low voice. “You don't have to be so squeamish. Aren't you happy to see me?”

She pushed herself out of his arms. “Of course I am, but that doesn't mean you have to maul away at me, Jacob!”

Something ugly flashed across his face, surprising her.

“Pardon me, Merry,” Jacob said. “It's been quite a long time, and I'd forgotten what a very fine woman you are.” His eyes raked over her figure with a look she had never seen before.

“Oh, now I know you are teasing.” Meredith laughed uncertainly but took a few steps away from him.

She cautiously eyed the man who had always treated her with an affectionate but casual regard, never displaying any evidence he was attracted to her. In fact, although they had once been close, they had drifted apart over the last several years. Jacob had developed into a stocky, strongly built man with blunt features and thick, dark brows. Meredith secretly thought his character had grown coarse as well, which made her feel guilty and disloyal.

She retreated a few more steps, her mind seized with the unwelcome possibility that he might be flirting with her.

Jacob rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Lord, Cousin, you look like a dunce standing there, staring off into nothing. Been out in the sun too long?”

Meredith shook her head and smiled. That sounded more like the Jacob she knew. “No, no, I'm fine. I'm just surprised to see you. I thought that with Uncle Isaac away from the mill, you would not be able to visit Swallow Hill this spring.”

“Oh, things are quite in hand in Bristol! No need to worry about that. Wouldn't think of missing time with the family.”

His manner was hearty, but he refused to meet her eyes. She had a strong suspicion he was being evasive. Normally, Isaac Burnley was adamant that either he or his son be present at the wool factory throughout the year. Meredith had been dismayed when her uncle and his wife had moved some months ago to Swallow Hill, but it seemed even more unsettling now that Jacob had suddenly appeared.

As she strove to identify exactly what bothered her about the situation, a piercing voice rang out from the upper gallery.

“Jacob! My darling boy, here you are at last.”

Aunt Nora's high-pitched, nasal tone had its usual grating effect on Meredith's nerves. Jacob also winced.

“Yes, I'm here, Mama. There's no need to screech so loudly,” her son responded irritably.

“I'm just so happy to see you!” She hurried down the wide oak staircase. “Meredith, is it not lovely to have the whole family together again?”

“Yes, lovely, Aunt Nora.”

Even at her most charitable, Meredith still could not think of the thin, pinched-faced woman standing before her as part of the family. Her uncle's wife had never shown her or Annabel the least bit of affection.

“Meredith, have you greeted your cousin properly? Does he not look handsome in his driving rig? I vow, Jacob, it is no wonder you are quite the most popular bachelor in Bristol. I'm sure all the young ladies must be devastated by your absence. Don't you agree, Niece?”

Meredith struggled to keep the amusement from her voice. “Yes, Aunt Nora.” She glanced at her cousin, knowing he would be annoyed by the inane flattery.

“Don't be such a fool, Mama.” Jacob glared at his mother.

Aunt Nora's thick brows snapped together. She sucked in an angry breath as she prepared to embark on what would, no doubt, be a tiresome lecture on her son's manners.

Meredith hated these scenes between mother and son, so she quickly intervened. “Pardon me, Aunt Nora, but I must see Annabel before I change for dinner. I know you will not want me to be late, especially with Jacob now here to stay.”

Aunt Nora's jaw locked for a moment, but then she tried to compose her crabbed features into a pleasant expression. She failed miserably.

“Of course, my dear,” she said, displaying her yellowed teeth in what passed for her as a smile. “If I may, Meredith, I'd like to stop in for a chat before dinner. It will only take a moment, but I have something most particular I wish to discuss.”

Meredith couldn't imagine what that might be but simply nodded her head and escaped up the polished oak stairs to the open gallery that led to her sister's bedroom. When she reached the top, she glanced back down to the foot of the staircase. She almost tripped over her feet, stunned by what she saw there.

Aunt Nora appeared to be studying her, her narrow features twisted into a bitter expression of anger and contempt. But Jacob's face gave Meredith an even greater shock, for he looked at her with a ravenous and strangely desperate gaze, as if he would devour her whole.

 

 

“He wants to do what?”

Meredith's jaw dropped open, the impact of her aunt's words reverberating through her. Her hands froze in the process of removing her walking dress, as she briefly lost all sensation in her body.

“Don't be a ninny! You heard what I said. Jacob intends to ask for your hand in marriage this very evening. I certainly hope you have the good sense to accept his proposal. You have been on the shelf for so long, it's a miracle he would choose to marry you at all. Certainly no one else wants to.”

Meredith ignored the insult, dazed by the notion of marrying her cousin. She hoped for a wild moment her aunt was making a jest at her expense, but the other woman seemed to be unnervingly serious.

“Forgive me, Aunt Nora, but why should my lack of offers require me to marry my cousin?”

“Meredith, your father died three years ago. Until your uncle and I came here to stay, you had only that old governess to lend you the appearance of propriety. It's simply unreasonable to expect us to give up our life in Bristol just to play chaperone to you and your sister.”

Meredith almost exclaimed that she had never asked them to give up anything, but she bit her tongue before the hasty words could escape. Aunt Nora would only berate her for her lack of gratitude.

“Your uncle and I have given up much to be at Swallow Hill,” her aunt continued. “It would relieve us greatly if you would accept Jacob's offer. You must do something, Niece. You cannot continue in this fashion any longer.”

“What fashion?” asked Meredith, completely bewildered by the strange conversation.

Aunt Nora stood in front of a chest of drawers, her restless fingers fidgeting with the various toiletry items and jewelry boxes laid out on top. She spun around, her voice rising to a shrill pitch.

“Two unmarried girls living together, with no wedding in sight for either of them.” She cast a contemptuous gaze over Meredith, lips curling into a sneer. “When was the last time anyone even looked at you with interest? You should be grateful such a fine young man as Jacob would consider taking you as his wife.”

Her aunt's vulgarity shocked her, but Meredith knew the unfeeling words held an element of truth. She
had
been pursued by a fair number of admirers when she was younger, but nothing had ever come of it. Unfortunately, her reserved manner seemed to intimidate potential suitors. Meredith didn't mean to offend people, but she was impatient, and sometimes the idiocies of courtship were just beyond her.

“You know how much I care for Jacob, but I have never looked at him as anything other than a dear friend and relation,” she finally blurted out. “Jacob has a very”—Meredith frantically searched her mind for the words to refuse him in a way that would not offend her aunt—“robust personality, while I have—”

“Be quiet!” her aunt snapped. “You must get ready for dinner. Your uncle does not like to be kept waiting. Take off that dress, and I will help you to change.”

Meredith let the gown slide to the floor and turned to face the mirror of her dressing table as her aunt came up behind her to retie the laces of her stays.

“There is another matter your uncle wishes to discuss with you,” Aunt Nora said, tugging the laces as tightly as she could across Meredith's back. “It's obvious that Annabel's condition is deteriorating. We have discussed the matter with Dr. Leeds, who agrees her recovery while living here at Swallow Hill is most unlikely. He advises that Annabel be placed in a private asylum, where she can be properly attended.”

Meredith gaped at her aunt's sallow face reflected in the mirror. “What in heaven's name are you talking about?” she managed to ask.

Aunt Nora gave another vicious tug on the stays. “Your uncle and I will be returning to Bristol very soon. Annabel can no longer stay here with you. She must go to a private asylum where she will receive proper care, or . . .”

A cunning look spread across the older woman's face. Meredith waited, dumbstruck by what she was hearing.

“Or you could marry Jacob. Both you and Annabel would then be under his protection, and you could take your sister to Bristol with you. The city has many fine doctors who could treat her.”

Meredith watched the blood drain slowly from her reflection in the mirror. Lightheaded, she sank into the low chair in front of the dressing table.

“Oh, my dear,” cooed Aunt Nora, her face smug with satisfaction, “I must have laced your stays too tightly. Please forgive me. Let me loosen the strings so you can catch your breath.”

Aunt Nora's lips parted in a ghastly leer as she finished adjusting Meredith's stays. “There, that's better. After all, you must look your best for your cousin tonight. Sometimes men do need a little encouragement, you know, to express their affection. Not that Jacob has ever had any problem with the ladies.”

A wave of nausea swept over Meredith, forcing her to swallow a hot rush of bile in her throat. The thought of Jacob touching her in that way sickened her—he had always been like a brother. How could this be happening?

Standing up, Meredith fought to regain her composure and steady her uneven breathing. When she turned to face her aunt, she struggled to speak in her usual controlled fashion.

“I'm sorry, Aunt Nora, perhaps I have misunderstood you. Are you saying that my uncle will confine Annabel to an asylum unless I marry Jacob? Surely that is not what you meant to say.” In spite of her intention to remain calm, Meredith's voice rose, and she spoke more forcefully than she wished.

Aunt Nora's false smile disappeared, replaced by a barely concealed anger.

“Meredith! Your uncle is Annabel's guardian and wants what is best for her. Your sister is very ill and needs the care of good physicians in a quiet and secluded place. You have been used to having your own way for too long. If you will not submit to the guidance of those who know better, then matters will be taken out of your hands. Whether you marry Jacob or not, you and Annabel will not be allowed to go on in this scandalous manner.”