Tender Rebel (21 page)
It was at this point that the chap caught sight of Roslynn in the dim light. It took only a moment more for Anthony to grab hold of his wrist and jerk it forward, which brought the fellow’s face slamming into Anthony’s fist.
It happened so fast it was over with before Roslynn had time to be alarmed that it was the hand holding the pistol that Anthony had grabbed. The highwayman, unsuspecting lout, was out cold, facedown on the floor. And as calmly as you please, Anthony placed a foot on his back to keep him from sliding out the door while he pried the pistol loose.
“Be a good girl and stay put while I see if he rode alone or has chums lurking about.”
Before Roslynn could say a word, Anthony was out the door, the highwayman slid out the other one, and she was left in the empty coach, the words dying on her lips. She had never been so frightened in her life, not even for herself. Anthony in danger was a revelation. She found she couldn’t stand the suspense, waiting to hear more shots fired.
Fortunately, it was only a matter of moments before he was back, smiling now. “According to our very shaken driver—it seems this was his first robbery too—the chap was alone.”
Roslynn’s relief came out in an explosive “What the devil do you mean, scaring me to death like that? You could’ve been killed!”
Both brows shot up in amazement at her vehemence. “My dear girl, what did you expect me to do when you demanded I
do
something?”
“I didna mean for you to get yourself killed!”
“Glad to hear it,” was his dry reply. “But it’s done now, so enough.”
“Dinna be telling me—”
He yanked her across his lap and smothered her words with a very forceful kiss. A moment later it became soft nibbles, and finally he grinned at her.
“That’s better. Now you have something else to think about, and you can be sure we’ll continue this later.” He set her gently back on the seat beside him and reached for the bottle of champagne. “But right now I could use another drink, and you can go back to sleep.”
“As if I could,” Roslynn retorted, but the steam had gone out of her anger.
“You’d best try, sweetheart, because I promise you, you won’t have much opportunity to sleep later.”
She said nothing to that but waited until he sat back with glass in hand and settled herself against him again. Her heart rate had returned to normal, although she could have done without the experience. This was her wedding night, for God’s sake. Things like this just didn’t happen on one’s wedding night.
Peevish now that she had gotten so frightened for nothing, she said, “Next time pay me no mind and
don’t be so heroic. The jewels weren’t
that
important.”
“Perhaps, but it would have fallen to me as your husband to replace them, and I would rather not so dent my pocket.”
“So you
did
marry me for my money?”
“Why else?”
With such irony in his tone, she glanced at him to see his eyes fixed on the bodice of her gown, which she had yet to raise. She nearly laughed. Why else indeed! The man was a rake through and through, but she had known that, knew too that there was no hope of changing him.
She sighed, briefly wondering if she ought to tell him that if he had married her for her money, he would be pleasantly surprised. Her marriage contract dealt very generously with him. And even though Anthony was obviously well-to-do enough not to have to work for a living, he was still a fourth son and couldn’t possibly be rich enough to scorn what she had brought him through the marriage.
She would have to tell him, but not now. The excitement of the attempted robbery had drained her. Within moments, she was fast asleep again.
A
nthony shook Roslynn awake as they turned off the King’s Road onto Grosvenor Place. They were nearing Piccadilly now, where his town house was located across from Green Park. He hoped that James would still be out for the evening and Jeremy would be in bed, because, as late as it was, the last thing he wanted to do was tender explanations. Besides, he had spent the whole of the ride home, less the short interruption by the highwayman, contemplating the delights of his bed. He didn’t think he could wait much longer.
Roslynn couldn’t have cared less at the moment. She had slept soundly this second time and couldn’t seem to rouse herself sufficiently to appreciate that they had finally arrived. She just wanted to continue sleeping. Thoughts of her wedding night, of her new husband, of anything, were far removed. And yet someone continued to shake her.
Anthony was nonplussed when all Roslynn did was sigh an irritated moan and slap his hand away, refusing to open her eyes. Women didn’t usually sleep in his presence, so he was unaccustomed to dealing with one who wouldn’t wake up. He had suggested a nap to refresh her, not to put her out for the night, for God’s sake.
He tried once more. “Come on, my girl, or have you forgotten what day this is?”
“Mmm?”
“Do wedding bells bring anything to mind? Or a
husband thinking about you slipping into something sheer and sexy for his delectation?”
She yawned, but did manage to sit up, blinking her eyes several times before rubbing the sleep from them in a very childlike way. “I don’t travel with anything like
that
.”
He grinned to himself. At least her mind was finally working, even if it was a bit slow in realizing he was only teasing her.
“Not to worry, my dear. I sent for your things this morning.”
That certainly woke her up. “You didn’t! That was a fool thing to do when you didn’t even know yet if I’d marry you or not. Geordie could have been watching and waiting for just that so he could follow and find out where I’ve gone.”
Anthony certainly hoped so. That was just why he’d done it. And with any luck, the man he’d set to follow the “followees” would have an address for him tomorrow. But as to her concern, he chuckled.
“I know it’s not every day that you become a bride, sweetheart, but it’s a bit disconcerting, not to mention a blow to the ego, that you keep forgetting your changed status. You’re married now. The sooner your cousin knows it, the sooner he’ll trouble you no more.”
The smile began hesitantly but blossomed into a dazzling display of delight. “That’s true, isn’t it? I’m so used to hiding from Geordie, I suppose it’ll take me a while to relax now that I don’t have to anymore. It’s done. I’m free.”
“Not quite free, my dear.”
“No, I didn’t mean—”
“I know.” He chucked her under the chin. “But
you are in fact mine now, and I am discovering, very quickly, what a possessive bore I can be.”
How utterly absurd was that statement, but Roslynn was certain he was joshing her, as was his habit. If and when he ever treated a subject seriously, she would probably perish from the shock.
On a new thought, she asked, “Anthony, why did you insist on returning to London tonight?”
His eyes twinkled with amusement. “Brides are nervous enough on their wedding night. I thought you might be more at ease in a bed you’re already familiar with.”
Blushing, she got out in a whisper, “I asked for that, I suppose.”
“You did.”
“But you mentioned noise?”
“Did I? Think nothing of it. Like as not, we’ll be as quiet as church mice.”
He was teasing her again. She wasn’t sure she liked it tonight. She wasn’t sure she would ever get used to it, his allusions to lovemaking. But tonight…
She yawned, Anthony grinned, and the coach stopped.
“At last,” he said and leaped down without awaiting the coach step. “Come, my dear, and I will endeavor to carry you over the threshold.”
She took his hand and was lifted to the ground. “It isn’t necessary—”
“Allow me to play my part,” he cut in, at the same moment sweeping her off her feet. “After all, they must have invented this quaint custom for a reason. Perhaps so the bride can’t possibly escape?”
“What nonsense.” She chuckled, wrapping an arm about his neck. “More likely it was a few brides
fainting on the threshold so they had to be carried inside that started it.”
“Only a few?” he teased. “I assure you that ignorance of the marriage bed is more widespread than that. Mothers just can’t bring themselves to discuss such things these days, you know. A shame, because it makes it devilish hard on the poor grooms, easing fears and nervousness when they’d rather get right to the deflowering.”
“Anthony!” she cried, though it was difficult not to smile at his wicked grin. “
Must
you say such things?” But she added, to have the last word, “Besides, some brides don’t have mothers to enlighten them.”
“Ah, now we’re getting personal.” He reached the door and pounded on it before giving her a tender look. “But you weren’t frightened, were you, sweetheart?”
“You didn’t exactly give me time to be frightened,” she admitted, warming with another blush.
“And now that you know what it’s all about?”
“I believe I feel a faint coming on.”
He burst into laughter, but coughed it down as the door opened and a stoic-faced Dobson stared out at them. Roslynn was a trifle disappointed that the fellow could look so blasé, as if he were quite accustomed to finding his employer at the door with a woman in his arms. But she was mollified a moment later as they passed him and she caught Dobson’s unguarded expression. That was more like it, astonishment in the extreme. She hid her smile against Anthony’s shoulder.
But watching the butler, she missed seeing James Malory just stepping into the hall, a drink in hand. If
he was surprised, he didn’t show it. The voice that drew Roslynn’s attention to him was bland as well.
“I don’t suppose I should be witnessing this.”
“I was hoping you wouldn’t,” Anthony retorted without breaking his stride toward the stairs. “But since you have, you may as well know I married the girl.”
“The devil you say!”
“He really did.” Roslynn chuckled, delighted with this reaction even more than with Dobson’s. “You don’t think I’d allow just anyone to carry me over the threshold, do you?”
Anthony stopped short, rather amazed himself that he had managed to discompose this particular brother. “Good God, James, I’ve waited a lifetime to see you at a loss for words. But you’ll understand if I don’t wait around for you to recover, won’t you?” And he didn’t, continuing on his way.
At the top of the stairs, Roslynn whispered, laughter in her voice, “That was naughty of us, don’t you think?”
“Not a-tall, dear girl,” he promptly disagreed. “If I’m to have you to myself for a while, rendering my brother speechless was not only necessary but priceless. We will be bombarded with the family’s good wishes and endless questions soon enough.” Inside his room, he leaned back against the door with a sigh. “Alone at last.”
Before Roslynn could say anything, he let her legs drop, turning her toward him at the same time. She ended up practically lying on him, a position they both savored for several long moments while he teased her lips with soft nibbles.
The backs of his fingers caressed her cheek, bringing her eyes slowly open. His own were grown dark
and heavy-lidded with passion. And his voice was a caress too, his breath warm against her lips.
“Did you ever stop to think that this is the one night of your life when everyone knows you intend to make love? Ah, sweetheart, I love it when you blush for me.”
“It’s something I’ve been doing only recently—since I met you.”
For some reason, her husky reply savaged Anthony’s senses. He set her away from him, his hands trembling, a soft groan in his throat.
“I was a bloody fool to wait this long. I’ll give you five minutes to do whatever you have to, but for God’s sake, take pity on me, Roslynn, and be in bed when I return.”
“Wearing something sheer and sexy?”
“Good God, no!” he exclaimed. “I don’t think I could bear it now.”
With that he disappeared into his dressing room, leaving Roslynn with a silly smile on her lips and a warmth of anticipation churning in her belly. Had she done that to him, made him lose control like that? Extraordinary. But she wasn’t too composed herself. Knowing what was going to happen was a lot different from not knowing. It made it easier. There was an eagerness. But she was still too inexperienced not to be a trifle nervous too.
Her fingers were rather clumsy in stripping off her clothes, though she made quick work of it. Her heart was pumping at an abnormal rate. Her ears were attuned to the door as she waited to hear it open. Climbing into the bed, she was undecided whether to pull the sheet over her completely or to leave it only partially draped. Modesty won out, for now. She wondered if frequency would help, if she might even
tually manage a certain detachment. With Anthony, she doubted it. This was more likely to become habit-forming.
He was wearing a long robe of crimson velvet when he finally returned. With acute embarrassment, Roslynn realized that she hadn’t even thought to put on a nightgown. Not that it would have stayed on for long, but wasn’t it unseemly for a wife to wait naked in bed for her husband? Perhaps not—at least not tonight. And Anthony’s appreciative smile as he approached the bed said he certainly approved.
“May I?” He sat down next to her and began removing the pins from her hair.
She touched a red-gold lock that fell onto her shoulder. “I forgot.”
“I’m glad.”
He was. He loved her hair, loved touching it and running his fingers through it. Setting the pins aside, he massaged her scalp until her eyes closed and a dreamy smile appeared on her lips.
“That’s nice,” she breathed softly.
“Is it? And what about this?”
His lips pressed to her temple, moving down, stopping at her mouth for a long, deep kiss before continuing down her neck in a path that led to her breasts. Ripples of warmth shot along her nerves, making her toes curl.
“That’s
too
nice,” she murmured.
Anthony’s chuckle was rich with pleasure. “Ah, sweetheart, was it only last night? It seems an eternity has passed between now and then.”
She reached out to cup her palm to his cheek and ended by running a finger over his lips. “Only an eternity?”