Pride and Pleasure (13 page)

After a deep inhalation, she said, “As honored as I am by your address, my lord, I must decline. My feelings are engaged elsewhere.”

Westfield’s brows rose.

“Right, then,” Jasper said, breaking his stillness. “Out you go, Westfield. I’ll see you this evening. Come early. You and I have matters to discuss.”

Frowning, the earl stood. “My offer will stand through the end of the Season, Miss Martin. As for you, Bond—” Westfield’s face took on a hardened cast—“we do, indeed, have matters to discuss.”

Eliza was vaguely aware of holding out her hand to Westfield, who lifted it to firm lips and kissed the back. She might have said something inane, he might have as well, but she was so taken aback by the intensity with which he stared at her that she missed the rest. It was a searching look, one she couldn’t answer.

He left shortly after, with Jasper following him to the front door. Eliza took the brief moment of solitude to take a fortifying drink of her now tepid cup of tea.

Equanimity. She missed it. Feeling so unsettled and confused was anathema to her. This was exactly the sort of situation her mother had so often wallowed in, the sort of situation Eliza long promised herself to avoid.

“Eliza.”

“What did you tell him?” Her head lifted so she could see Jasper’s face, then lowered again as he sank to one knee in front of her. Her heart thudded violently. Her free hand fisted in her lap.

He urged her grip to relax by gently prying open her fingers. “The only thing Westfield knows is the reason why you hired me. I needed someone who had invitations to the events you attend, so I could gain entry.”

“Of course.” As he massaged her palm, the tingles that coursed up her arm weren’t entirely due to a returning flow of blood. “You didn’t know he intended to—”

“No.”

“I thought, perhaps, it was your way of protecting me from the consequences of last night.”

He took the cup from her other hand. “I’m not that selfless. Regardless, the memory belongs only to us, and I would never share it.”

She swallowed hard. “Why are you kneeling in that way?”

A slow, self-deprecating smile curved his mouth. “If I’m able to secure Melville’s blessing, would you have me?”

“Westfield is correct. It would solve many problems. I would have greater access to you, the person who wishes to harm you would have less access, we would have more time to—”

“We hardly know one another!” she protested, while a rush of warm and sweet feelings tightened her chest.

“We have honesty and desire.” He brought her hands to his lips and kissed the knuckles. His eyes were dark, his words delivered with heartrending earnestness. “You have money and breeding; I work in trade, and my blood is worthless. But I would spill it for you.”

Eliza sucked in a shaky breath. “What are you saying?”

“Marry me.”

“I don’t want to marry.”

“But you want me.” Jasper reached up and cupped her nape, his thumb stroking across her throbbing pulse.

“Why can’t I have you without a ring?”

He snorted. “Only you would prefer to be a man’s mistress instead of his wife.”

“You should prefer me that way, too!”

“While other men line up to ask for your hand and claim rights to you that are mine? I think not.”

“In a month, the Season will be over—”

“But our relationship will not be. You don’t yet see it, but you are visibly changed by what transpired between us last night. The more I have you, the more obvious it will become, and other men will be drawn to that new awareness in you.”

She absorbed his words, startled to think that the lush languidness she felt might be obvious to others. Studying Jasper, she searched for signs of change in
his
appearance.

His mouth curved. “I am down on one knee, Eliza. If that isn’t a reflection of change, I have no notion what would be.”

“Please do not make light of this. You don’t want to marry either. You said you have no place in your life for a wife.”

“I can make a place for
you
. We’ve both thought of matrimony in terms of how it would limit our lives, but marriage can be useful in some regards. A married woman has far more freedom than a spinster.”

“How would it be useful to you?”

“It would settle me.” His touch moved downward to cup her cheek. “In the last few days, I’ve been pulled in two directions—between work that must be done and thoughts of you. If you were mine, you would be close and protected. I could focus on the tasks at hand in the thorough manner I’m accustomed to.”

She gripped his other hand tightly in her lap. “Perhaps it would be best for both of us if we went our separate ways and resumed our lives as we knew them.”

“Eliza.” He made a frustrated noise. “Don’t ask me to come to you as Montague and Westfield did, with practical reasons and sound arguments. If pressed, I would have to say we have no business in one another’s lives and we would be mad to marry.”

“I know.”

“But I can make you happy. We are alike in many ways, yet different enough to complement one another. You can show me how to be more circumspect; I can afford you the opportunity to be as adventuresome as you like.”

An odd sort of delight bubbled within her. Like champagne, it made her slightly giddy. “I’m not nearly as confident in my ability to make you happy. Most people find me to be aloof and too quiet. I am proficient with the pianoforte, but I’m a terrible singer. I—”

He laughed and leaned forward to kiss the end of her nose. “I don’t want to be entertained. I want you. Just the way you are.”

“You worry about the possibility I might be with child,” she argued.

“I take that very seriously, yes. But why ask for marriage now, instead of waiting to be certain?” Jasper leaned back. “Tell me truthfully, Eliza. Is your fortune an obstacle between us? Do you think it matters to me?”

She shook her head without hesitation. When he continued to seem expectant, she spoke the negation aloud, “No.”

“Good.” He released her, and set both his hands on his upraised knee. “Let us make a bargain, shall we? I will secure Lord Melville’s blessing, and you’ll say ‘yes’ to me—”

“Jasper, I would swiftly bore you.”

“Then,” he pressed on, “the banns will be read. That will give us the time we need to find the source of your trouble, discern whether or not you are increasing, and spend some time together. If, after all of that, you still believe we don’t suit and cannot be happy together, we’ll break the engagement at the end of the Season. Is that reasonable enough for you?”

“It isn’t easy to break an engagement.”

“But it can be done.”

“You claim not to be reasoned about this, yet you present me with a practical plan that affords me the opportunity to reach solid conclusions.” She sighed. “I’m faced with two difficult choices: Make a decision now with too little information, or progress further than I ever intended in order to gather the information I believe we both need.”

“If only you were impulsive,” he teased. “I might have been able to convince you to elope with me and spare you all the rumination.”

“How can you be so confident about this?” she complained. “Why can I not have some of that surety?”

“I make my decisions here”—he tapped his abdomen—“and they are usually instantaneous. You make your decisions here”—he tapped her temple with his index finger—“and that takes more time. I’m trying to give you that time, Eliza, while staving off my own impatience. An engagement is the compromise we reach.”

Worrying her lower lip, Eliza struggled to find the courage to say what she shouldn’t.

“Talk to me,” he urged.

“I cannot decide if it’s desire goading me to agree against my better sense, and I’m also concerned that as the novelty of bedding me becomes less engaging you will want me less and less, until eventually you no longer want me at all. After we are bound to one another, it will be too late to realize we had only lust, which was quickly sated.”

His nostrils flared. “If the possibility of waning interest concerns you, I can prove I desire you for more than sex. I won’t ask you to give yourself to me again until we are wed, but I’m available to you whenever and wherever you want me. Chivalry and mores are no restraints to me. I learned long ago never to spite myself; the only person who loses is me. You should know of that aspect of my character, I suppose, before you wed me.”

To be wanted so keenly . . . Eliza finally understood why her mother had been addicted to the feeling. It was so very tempting. And Jasper was irresistible.

To have him whenever she wanted. The thought of commanding sex from him, at any time and in any place, was impossibly arousing.

“Eliza,” he murmured, drawing her focus back to him. “Give yourself permission to take what you want, for once. You might enjoy it more than you think.”

That was partially what she was afraid of. But her fear wasn’t a strong enough deterrent to mitigate her memories of the night before and the lingering happiness she’d felt upon waking.

“Speak to Melville,” she said. “Then, ask me again.”

“I
would never have expected this of you,” Westfield said, rocking back on his heels.

“That makes two of us,” Jasper said dryly.

The Valmont ballroom was larger than many, but the broad expanse and thirty-foot ceilings did little to ease the crush of guests. Worse than the crowd was Jasper’s realization that he was an object of curiosity. Having spent the entirety of his life avoiding notice whenever possible, he found it decidedly uncomfortable to be the center of attention. But the news of the notoriously reticent Miss Eliza Martin’s betrothal to a man few people had ever heard of was apparently the most interesting item of discussion. His appearance was being examined by nearly everyone, as if the reason he’d won her could be determined visually.

Mindful of Eliza’s pride, he had dressed with care. While he’d elected to wear black to minimize his size, his coat and breeches were flawlessly tailored. The materials used were exceptional, as were the diamond in his cravat pin and the sapphire in the ring on his right hand. The result was understated yet expensive elegance, which he hoped mitigated any speculation that he wanted Eliza for her fortune.

“You are completely inappropriate for her,” the earl went on.

“Agreed.”

Jasper looked for Eliza and found her. She appeared composed, if slightly irritated. The frown marring her brow betrayed both her peevishness and bemusement. He smiled, appreciating her artless honesty.

“She would be better served with me,” Westfield said. “How can any woman live the life you do, Bond?”

“I expect Miss Martin and I will discover the answer as time progresses.”

Westfield stepped forward, then turned to face him, effectively taking up the entirety of his view. “Is there anything you will
not
do in your quest to ruin Montague?”

“This has nothing to do with Montague.”

“Of course it does.”

“On the periphery,” Jasper conceded, sidestepping to resume his viewing of Eliza.

“Wait.” The earl moved in front of him again. “Were you talking about her last night? That nonsense about wanting something badly?”

“Yes.” He wanted her now. Eliza had worn another of her mother’s gowns, this one in a lovely rose hue. It was as simple in cut as the sapphire gown she’d worn days ago, but the bodice was provocatively low and the waist perfectly snug. The slender beauty of her figure was a joy to behold.

“Bloody hell.” Westfield looked over his shoulder at Eliza. “Do you love her?”

“I enjoy her, and I can make her happy.”

“I doubt you can. Not for the long term. And how does enjoyment signify? I enjoy half a dozen women any given fortnight, yet you don’t see me proposing to any of them.”

“Therein lies the difference between us,” Jasper drawled. “There are very few things I’ve enjoyed in my life, and none to the degree with which I enjoy Miss Martin’s company.”

“Now, you have me intrigued,” Westfield complained. “I’ll forever be wondering what I missed about Miss Martin.”

“No, you will not. You’ll forget about her in any other capacity than as my wife, and that will be the end of it.”

“Hmm . . .” Westfield turned around, searching. “I have yet to see Montague. I should like to know how he’s taking the news of your engagement.”

Jasper didn’t care what Montague thought.

The moment the realization hit, his spine straightened and his breath hissed out between his teeth. Shifting his position, he canted his body away from Eliza, his hands flexing at his sides. Soon, he would be able to put Montague behind him, but not now. Not yet. The earl had still to pay for his sins and the sins of his father.

Eliza. She made him forget himself, which was one of the reasons why he needed her. But she couldn’t serve that purpose now. Not yet. His plan was in the final stages after years of frustrated waiting and endless hours of work.

Turning his head, Jasper watched as Sir Richard Tolliver approached. Although Jasper had believed Tolliver couldn’t be any thinner, it appeared he was tonight. His dark coat hung loosely on his shoulders and his modestly embroidered waistcoat gaped a little just above the top button. “Good evening, Sir Richard.”

“I hear congratulations are in order,” Tolliver said, looking far from congratulatory.

“They are. Thank you.”

“How fortuitous that Miss Martin should decide to marry so soon after you returned to her life. Almost as if she were waiting for you these last few years.”

“Poetic,” Westfield drawled. “Perhaps if you’d shared your talent for romantic thought and turns of phrase with Miss Martin, you might have had more luck with her.”

“What talent did
you
share?” Tolliver shot back, glaring at Jasper.

“Be very careful when maligning me,” Jasper warned softly. “Should you inadvertently cast aspersions on Miss Martin’s character, I assure you, I won’t take it well.”

Tolliver’s foot tapped against the floor. “Your long familial friendship with the Tremaines makes it decidedly odd that Miss Martin can share little about you.”

“Cannot? Or will not?” Jasper challenged. “She understands the value of privacy. It’s one of the many qualities she and I have in common. Now, cease being a nuisance. Go find a new heiress to woo.”

Tolliver remained in place for a long moment. Finally, he spoke between clenched teeth, “Good evening, Mr. Bond. And to you as well, my lord.” He turned about and stalked away.

“You’re making friends already,” Westfield said, staring after Tolliver. “I have to say, I never guessed he had such forcefulness in him. Perhaps his feelings for Miss Martin were true after all.”

“Nothing so sublime.” Jasper rolled his shoulders back. This was what he’d wanted—to attract the attention of whoever was endangering Eliza. But he hadn’t anticipated the feeling of jealousy. Tolliver had roused his proprietary instincts and his discomfort was certain to worsen as time progressed.

The sound of Montague’s name being bandied around them drew Jasper’s attention toward the farthest entrance. “He came,” he murmured. “I’d begun to doubt he would.”

“Look at this place.” Westfield gestured with a jerk of his chin. “Lady Valmont hasn’t enjoyed a gathering of this size in many years. The curious come en masse to see Miss Martin’s transformation and the man responsible for it. She changed her appearance for you, did she not?”

“She did it for the investigation. At first.” Jasper gave himself permission to look at her again. He was torn between his two goals—winning Eliza’s hand and staying focused on his vengeance. “Tonight, I think she did it for me.”

“So she was being truthful when she said she had feelings for you?” Westfield snorted. “What in God’s name does she see in you?”

“I wish I knew. I would show her more of it.”

Montague’s progress through the room was marked by a noticeable ripple in the throng. He was heading toward Eliza, who stood on the opposite side of the room.

Jasper started in that direction. Westfield fell in line. They worked their way through the crowd, their path repeatedly blocked by one inquisitive well-wisher after another.

“Is your marriage a sign that Montague’s destruction is now assured?” the earl asked.

“Not yet. I have learned he’s forming a pool of investors for a coal mine speculation.” Jasper grabbed a glass of lemonade from the tray of a passing footman.

“Is that what shored up his confidence about his finances and prompted him to contact me about retrieving his marker?”

“I hope to know the answer tomorrow. Either he’s falling deeper into ruin or digging himself out of it.”

Westfield grabbed his elbow and pulled him to a halt. “Bond.”

Jasper’s brows rose in silent inquiry.

“Have you considered embracing your new life with Miss Martin and leaving Montague’s future to fate? In my experience, deserving fellows have a way of finding their own sorry end.”

“
I
am Montague’s end,” Jasper said, before tossing back the contents of his glass. He started forward again, lamenting the beverage’s inability to make the scrutiny directed his way more tolerable.

“I am so happy for you.” Lady Collingsworth beamed like a proud parent. Dripping in sapphires and adorned with white plumes in her hair, she carried herself with the sort of regal confidence that supported such accessories instead of depended upon them.

“Thank you.” Eliza ran a hand over her unsettled stomach.

“I admire you for following your heart,” Regina went on. “I know how difficult the decision to marry was for you.”

“I’ve tried to understand why it is so hard for me and not for so many others. Certainly I am not privy to information other women do not have.”

“Of course you are. Only you lived with your mother.”

Eliza’s eyes widened. It was the closest the countess had ever come to speaking harshly about Georgina.

“Why do you look so surprised, dear? I’m aware of how you feel about your mother and her choices. She wed two different men because she cared for them, and neither marriage ended well. The fact that her second husband was a fortune hunter sealed your opinion of matrimony. I understand the preconceptions you had to overcome before accepting Mr. Bond’s proposal.” Regina looked past Eliza, focusing on something or someone behind her. “I can only hope that the indecent way he looks at you had a hand in your capitulation. I do believe his regard elevates the temperature in the room.”

“Regina!” Eliza resisted the urge to glance at Jasper, knowing if she did, she would become flushed and distracted. All evening long, he’d been staring at her as if she was naked.

“Stuff,” the countess retorted. “What happens in the privacy of the marital bed is of equal importance to what happens outside of it. A marriage cannot thrive if there is disharmony in the bedroom.”

“Can it survive if pleasure is all there is?”

“My dear girl, pleasure is what is lacking in most marriages. Don’t take it for granted.”

“It seems so frivolous a reason,” Eliza muttered.

“You are too smart to make frivolous decisions. I’m certain if you made a list of Mr. Bond’s good and bad points, you would find the good far outweighs the bad.”

No longer able to resist looking at Jasper, Eliza turned her head to find him. En route, her attention was caught by a familiar tall figure. The Earl of Montague was cutting through the crowd, his handsome face lit with a charming grin. Although he was frequently held back by those who wished to greet him, it was obvious he was on a direct path to her.

“Montague seems to be in good spirits,” Regina noted. “It was good of you to tell him directly about your engagement to Mr. Bond.”

“Leaving the matter to Melville would have been too distant and insincere.” Eliza offered a smile to Regina that was filled with heartfelt gratitude. “I wouldn’t have had the courage to meet with him without you. Thank you for accompanying me.”

Eliza was warmed by the sound of Jasper’s voice behind her. The occupants of the room receded, her awareness of the noise fading into insignificance. She faced him. “To the park this afternoon.”

“For a meeting with Montague?”

“Yes. To tell him about our engagement.”

A shadow passed over Jasper’s features. “You should not have done that.”

She stiffened at his tone, unaccustomed to being gainsaid. “It was the least he deserved.”

“You have no notion of what he deserves.”

“Bond.” Westfield’s low, warning tone stole Eliza’s attention. She looked at the earl, who stood just beyond Jasper’s left shoulder. Like Montague, Westfield cut a dashing figure, and when he looked at her, his eyes were kind.

Two peers. Both were attractive, solicitous, and willing to marry her. Yet she had chosen the wild commoner of indeterminate origins. A man she could never hope to tame. She felt a frisson of disquiet over her decision.

Jasper’s jaw tensed, as if he sensed her sudden confusion. The affection that had been in his eyes when they’d first reunited this evening was far less evident now. To her, the distance between them seemed almost tangible.

Regina cleared her throat. “Perhaps you might accompany me to the drinks table, Lord Westfield. My throat is dry.”

“Of course.” The earl shot a meaningful glance at Jasper, before leading Lady Collingsworth away.

Jasper stepped closer to Eliza. “How can I protect you when you deliberately put yourself in danger?”

“What danger? I met with Lord Montague in public, with Lady Collingsworth in attendance. Your men were certainly somewhere nearby. Or were they not? Is that why your mood is so foul?”

“You hired me to investigate your suitors. Then you meet with one privately to tell him he’s losing any chance of laying claim to your money, putting him in a desperate position!”