That Infamous Pearl (11 page)

"In a moment."
Alaric's eyes were fixed on her mouth. "I am glad you didn't allow him to
kiss you. I would hate to think you responded so sweetly to anyone except me."

Rowena felt a sudden
wave of desire wash over her at the thought of Brayleigh's kisses and she
swayed slightly towards him. Alaric reached out with his strong hands and
steadied her, and then gently caressed her shoulders with his fingertips.

"Shall I remind
you?" he asked.

Rowena watched,
mesmerized, as he drew her to him, his hands very gentle on her back. One large
hand cupped the back of her head, tilting it up to his, and then Alaric's lips
were on hers, demanding and receiving a fierce response. With a tiny sob she
leaned into him, opening her lips to his probing tongue, responding with all
the pent up fervor and anxiety of the past days. She had dreamed countless
times of his kisses, angrily cursing herself for rejecting his proposal. Now
she seized the opportunity, reaching her hands up to his shoulders, pulling him
closer, urging him on with passion that suddenly overflowed.

"By God, you're
a passionate creature," breathed Alaric against her lips. "How can
you deny me, Rowena? I can tell how much you want me."

Rowena didn't answer,
only holding him more tightly. Her reason was swamped by her need, and she was
blissfully unaware of the hundreds of people in the nearby ballroom, and
wanting only for Alaric to satisfy the desire that was threatening to swamp
her.

"You can't
refuse me any longer," murmured Alaric. He gently eased her down onto the
couch, his lips still fastened to hers in a soul-searing kiss. Rowena gave a
tiny wriggle of delight when he spread himself on top of her, crushing her into
the velvet cushions. It was the most delicious sensation, and she gave a tiny
gasp of pleasure when Alaric's hand slid up under her skirts, easing up her
calf to grasp her thigh. His hands felt like fire against her skin and she
wriggled slightly as unaccustomed sensations shot through her.

"What a shame
you are feeling unwell, my dear. Perhaps you might feel better if you rested a
moment."

Rowena heard the
voice dimly, but did not connect it to herself until the door to the anteroom
opened and the curtain was pushed aside. Charles Montfort and his fiancée, Miss
Emily Mattingly, stood in the opening, startled expressions on their faces. If
she had not been so appalled she might have laughed at their open-mouthed
stares. As it was, she jumped as though she had been struck by lightning and
began to push futilely at his lordship's broad shoulders.

Alaric looked up from
Rowena's panic-stricken countenance and into his cousin's surprised face.

"Charles,"
he said casually. "And Miss Mattingly. Forgive our appearance."

"Alaric, what is
going on here?" asked Charles, his voice stiff. Miss Mattingly looked away
as Alaric unhurriedly pulled Rowena's skirt over her bared leg.

Alaric stood up
unhurriedly and then helped Rowena to her feet, a wicked look in his green
eyes. Rowena glared back at him, her expression fierce.

"You will have
to forgive us. We were overcome by the excitement of the moment. Lady Rowena
has just consented to marry me." Alaric smiled down into Rowena's
astounded countenance.

Charles gaped at his
cousin. "Alaric, is this true? You are to be married?"

"Certainly. I am
the happiest of men. Lady Rowena has only tonight succumbed to my pleadings."
Alaric brushed a speck of dust from his sleeve.

"Is this true,
Lady Rowena?" Charles raised an eyebrow. "I am familiar with the
feelings of your family towards my cousin."

Rowena pursed her
lips. She would have loved to say firmly that she had no intention of marrying Lord
Brayleigh, but Miss Mattingly was famous for being unable to hold her tongue. This
story would be all over town by the end of the evening.

"I believe my
family will be won over when they realize the depth of our affection," she
said, shooting an angry glance at Alaric. "Your cousin is very convincing,
Mr. Montfort."

Charles laughed
easily. "There is no stopping Alaric when he wants something," he
said jovially. "Permit me to wish the two of you every happiness."

Miss Mattingly
stepped forward to embrace Rowena and offer her own good wishes. Rowena gave
Alaric a furious glare over her shoulder, but he smiled blandly.

"Thank you,"
he said. "I am sure Lady Rowena will make me a comfortable wife."

The door to the
anteroom flew open once again and Lady Bingham stood in it, accompanied by a
formidable matron. She looked in eagerly, her eyes sharp. When she saw Alaric
and Rowena, one smiling triumphantly, the other uncomfortably flushed, with
Charles and Miss Mattingly in attendance, her face fell.

"Ah, Lady
Bingham." Alaric's eyes became steely. "You are the second to wish me
very happy. I believe you know my fiancée, Lady Rowena Arlingby?"

"Engaged? You
are engaged?" said Lady Bingham, her voice rising precipitously.

"Certainly."
Alaric's eyes narrowed. "You look unwell, Lady Bingham. Were you expecting
to find someone else in this room?"

"No, no...Mrs.
Macomber and I were merely looking for a place to rest," stammered Lady
Bingham. Her eyes swept over Rowena, noting her disheveled state. "We
wished to have a quiet chat."

Alaric turned his
gaze to Mrs. Macomber, a well-known gossip. He bowed. "It seems many of us
were seeking a quiet place this evening. I regret that you failed to find one. However,
you will be glad to be among the first to hear of my engagement. Lady Rowena
and I are delighted to announce we will shortly be married. Are we not, my
dear?"

He looked down at
Rowena, who bit her lip. Miss Mattingly was looking at her expectantly, and
Mrs. Macomber was obviously agog, anxious to spread the news. As much as she
would like to, it would not do to disavow the engagement now. She would have to
find some way out of this tangle later. And, despite her feelings, the look on
Marguerite's face gave her a certain sense of satisfaction. The baroness was
obviously furious.

"Certainly,"
she murmured. "Very happy."

Alaric squeezed her
hand gently and tucked it through his arm. He bowed to the assembled company.

"And now, if you
will excuse us, I believe Lady Rowena would like to share her joy with her
aunt." He swept his prize out of the room, leaving a definite aura of
triumph in his wake.

Rowena allowed Alaric
to lead her into the ballroom, and then halted, pulling him up short. He looked
down at her inquiringly.

"That was
beastly of you," she said in a low voice. "How dare you?"

"How dare I do
what? Rescue you from Voxley? Or preserve your reputation by announcing our
engagement?" Alaric looked amused.

"You planned
that," asserted Rowena. "You arranged for your cousin to find us."

Alaric grinned. "And
if I did? You would have married me anyway, Rowena. I was merely speeding up
the process."

"I told you I
wouldn't marry without love," snapped Rowena. "Do you mean to tell me
that you love me?"

Alaric stiffened. "I
believe I have expressed my opinion of that emotion. Suffice it to stay that I
hold you in affection and esteem."

"That is not
enough." Rowena's voice was small. She had hoped that she might have
received another response. When Alaric had announced to his cousin that they
were to be wed, her heart had jumped despite herself. Surely he would not have
gone to such lengths if he didn't care for her. But now it seemed he was merely
collecting her after all.

"It will more
than suffice. Rowena, you must be aware that I am not much given to proposing
marriage. I have decided that we shall suit perfectly, and that is the end of
the matter." His heavy lids hooded his green eyes as he looked down at
her, giving him a sinister expression.

"So I am to be
just another of your possessions?"

"On the
contrary, you shall be the most important of them." Alaric smiled in a way
that made Rowena itch to slap him.

"I can break
this engagement," she threatened.

"If you wish to
cause an even greater amount of talk. Our friendship has been much discussed;
our engagement will be even more entertaining to the
ton
. If it were
broken, I would hate to think of what would ensue. A riot, perhaps."

Rowena repressed a
smile. It would not do for him to think he could humor her out of her anger
with him. "I cannot believe you went to such lengths to publicly
compromise me," she complained, determined to point out his iniquities. "And
I do think you might have done it without involving your former mistress."

Alaric shook his
head. "Acquit me of such deviousness, Rowena. Charles was certainly in my
plan, but Lady Bingham was a surprise. A not totally unexpected one, however. Haven't
you wondered what made Voxley so eager to be alone with you?"

Rowena stared up at
him, realization dawning in her eyes. "Do you mean that she meant to find
me with Voxley, not with you?"

Alaric nodded his
head. "That would seem to be the case."

"How dreadful!"
All thoughts of Alaric's deviousness fled her mind, and she felt a cold fury
directed at Lady Bingham. "What a mind that woman must have. Why would she
wish to ruin me? What have I done to her?"

"You have
captured me, Rowena; that's something she won't stand for." Alaric looked
down at her furious violet eyes and resisted the urge to kiss her. "You
will be the most envied bride of the Season."

"Except that I
have no intention of being a bride," Rowena reminded him. "Don't
think I will allow you to manipulate me so." Rowena attempted to pull her
hand from his arm, but he held it in place with no visible effort. "Believe
me, Lord Brayleigh, our wedding day is yet far away."

Alaric gave her an
infuriating smile and led her to where her aunt stood in the glittering
ballroom. Now that he had achieved his goal, he had no intention of allowing
Rowena to escape.

Four days later
Rowena found herself being ushered into Alaric's splendid house on Grosvenor
Square by her bridegroom. She had just consumed a very pleasant wedding
breakfast hosted by her aunt and uncle at their home, which had been attended
by a large number of fashionable individuals. Prior to that she had been
married by special license, in a private ceremony, to the Earl of Brayleigh.

She gave Alaric a
sidelong look. He looked handsome and dignified as he spoke to the butler, and
not at all flustered. She herself felt a definite sense of strangeness. From
the moment Alaric had announced their engagement at the masquerade, control of
her life had seemed to slip away from her and entirely into the hands of the
man to whom she was now married.

Rowena frowned as he
approached her. Despite the pleasurable feelings she knew he was capable of
arousing in her, today she felt primarily a niggling sense of annoyance. Over
Rowena's vociferous protestations to the contrary, Alaric had quickly made Lady
Belmont see the need for a speedy marriage, in light of the sensational
circumstances under which he and Rowena had been discovered at the masquerade
and the relentless gossip that ensued. Lady Belmont, between lamentations
directed at her errant niece as to the folly of giving in to Brayleigh, and her
certain future misery, had arranged for a lovely and entirely suitable wedding
while Alaric had procured a special license, and lawyers from both sides
attended to the settlements. Rowena was consulted not at all as to the
particulars, which seemed to have been handled entirely by Alaric. All she had
been required to do was remain silent and show up on the day of the wedding.

Needless to say, she
had not remained silent, but had instead expressed her discontent with the
situation numerous times to both her aunt and her fiancé. Neither of them had
listened to her, however, her aunt telling her firmly that if she did not
intend to marry Brayleigh she should not have allowed him to kiss her, and
Alaric merely smiling at her smugly and telling her that he was certain he would
make her an excellent husband.

In a moment of
desperation she had contemplated fleeing London and returning to Yorkshire in
order to avoid the marriage, but something had stopped her. She told herself
that she did not wish to cause further talk, but perhaps it was the promise
behind the sensuous kisses that Alaric pressed on her lips whenever he took his
leave. Now, however, the deed was done, and Rowena was determined to regain
some semblance of control over her situation. She followed Alaric politely when
he dismissed the servants and led her into his library, but the look in her
eyes when he turned to her boded no good.

"I hope you will
be very happy here, Rowena. I have done my best to provide rooms that will be
suitable for you, despite the short notice. Soon I will have
my--our--housekeeper, Mrs. Pynchon, show them to you."

Rowena's violet eyes
challenged him. "And what if I do not care for them?"

"Then they will
be made to suit your needs," said Alaric casually. He held out an elegant
leather chair for her and then seated himself in another. "I wish
everything to be as you desire, Rowena."

"If everything
were as I desired, we would not now be married." Rowena's voice sounded
petulant to her own ears, and she flushed a little. It would not do to behave
childishly; she needed Alaric to respect her as an adversary.

Alaric smiled. "You
will very soon come to know how pleasant married life can be. I promise you
that you will be happy, Rowena."

"And how do you
know married life is pleasant, my lord? Have you so much experience?"

"None at all. I
am merely very certain of my choice." Alaric placed the tips of his
fingers together and regarded Rowena over them. She was very lovely in her
cream lace gown, her gilt hair shining in the sunlight that filtered through
the windows. He smiled at the thought of what was to come. "If you should
change your mind, my dear, and would prefer to leave town for a honeymoon, I
would be glad to oblige you. I have extensive estates in the south which are
very pleasant, or we could go any other place that you might choose."

"I see no need
for a honeymoon, as this is not a real marriage," said Rowena stoutly. She
fidgeted with the satin bows that ran down the front of her dress. "That
is something I wish to speak with you about, my lord."

"My name is
Alaric. I made you free of it some days ago. And our marriage is very real,"
he murmured softly. A small frown creased his forehead. He had been aware that
Rowena felt pressured into marriage, but had presumed that she would come to
realize the necessity of it by the time the ceremony was performed. However, it
seemed she was determined to be obstinate, while he wished she would accept the
inevitability of their union.

After tonight, he
reflected, she would feel differently. He had confidence in his ability to show
her exactly how pleasurable the marriage bed could be. The thought made his
blood run faster as he admired her clear violet eyes and the gentle curves of
her figure. His hands itched to unfasten her gown now and make her his right
there in the library. But it would not do to alarm her. Despite their tryst in
Lady Belmont's garden she was still very innocent.    

"Alaric then,"
said Rowena impatiently. "But as to our marriage, I cannot feel that my
wishes were taken into account. I told you repeatedly that I did not intend to
marry you."

"Did someone
force you to the altar this morning? Were the words torn from your throat by
force?" Alaric's voice was cold.

"No." Rowena
fussed with her ribbons again. "But I was made to feel as though I had no
hand in the matter. You arranged it so that I had a choice between this
marriage or certain scandal. Many would consider that no choice at all."

Alaric stood up and
approached her. He loomed very large over her as she sat in the high-backed
chair, and his bulk seemed to block out the sun that came through the tall
casement windows. He placed one hand on either arm of the chair and looked down
at her.

"You are being
nonsensical," he said in a soft voice. "You have told me many times
that you are an independent woman who makes her own choices. You are not one to
be cowed by a little scandal. I know that you want me as much as I want you. No
one forced you into this. Shall I remind you of why you want to be with me?"

He lowered his head towards
her, his glittering green eyes focused on her trembling lips. Rowena jumped
like a startled rabbit and tried to rise, bringing the top of her head into
violent contact with Alaric's chin. He cursed and stepped backwards, his hand
clasped to his face.

"Oh! Oh, Alaric.
I am very sorry! Are you hurt?" Rowena jumped to her feet and hurried
towards him, her own hand rising to rub her injured scalp. He held up one hand
to ward her off.

"I am fine,
outside of my dignity, which is slightly bruised," said Alaric. "Whatever
made you jump like that, Rowena? It's not as though I've never kissed you
before."

Rowena blushed at the
memories he evoked. "That is exactly what I wished to speak to you about,
my lord."

Alaric raised an
eyebrow and continued to rub his chin. "You wish to speak to me about
kissing?"

"Yes. Or rather,
no. Not kissing exactly. But something having to do with it. I mean, yes. Our
kissing." Rowena stopped abruptly, aware that she was making no sense.

"And what did
you wish to say?" asked Alaric softly.

Rowena clasped her
hands in front of her and regarded them seriously. "I believe that we
should wait some time before we begin to have...marital relations."

There was complete
silence after this statement and she peeped up through her lashes. He was
regarding her gravely, his expression unchanged.

"Go on," he
said.

Rowena gaped at him. "Go
on?"

"There must be
some explanation for this startling statement. Pray enlighten me."

Rowena hesitated. She
had expected some sort of outburst from Alaric, not this calm and rather
detached questioning of her reasons.

"As I was, in a
sense, forced into this marriage, I think it very important that we become
better acquainted before we move into a more intimate relationship," she
said hurriedly. "I know so very little about you, my lord."

"Alaric."

"That is
precisely the point," said Rowena. "I am not at all comfortable
calling you Alaric. I do not see how you can expect me to...to...well, to be
intimate with you."

Alaric laughed. "I
imagine my name will come much more easily to your lips when I have you in bed
with me."

Rowena flushed again
and then frowned. "That is not the way to get to know one another,"
she persisted.

"On the
contrary, it is the very best way of all." Alaric touched her cheek and
allowed his hand to slide down to her shoulder. He felt a tremor run through
her body. "You see?"

Rowena stepped back
out of reach. "That is not fair, my lord. I am married to you, and you
could force me if you chose. But I hoped for more consideration from you."

"Now you are
being unfair, Rowena. I have always been considerate of you."

Rowena snorted. "Was
it consideration of my feelings that made you publicly compromise me four days
ago? I do not think so, my lord."

"It was
necessary because of your obstinacy," said Alaric. "If you had agreed
to marry me when I asked you, my hand would not have been forced."

"And so everyone
is allowed one chance to give you what you want, and if they do not they are
tricked, or forced, or herded into it? That is very arrogant of you, my lord."
Rowena's voice rose as her anger mounted.

Alaric sighed. "I
have no wish to argue with you, Rowena. You are my wife, and husbands and wives
owe one another certain...duties. I will expect no less from you."

"You can get
what you need from your mistress," snapped Rowena. "You have no need
of me. I will be an attractive wife, a sign of your victory over my family and
a collector's item to add to your hoard, as that appears to be all you want me
for. But Lily can certainly meet your other needs."

"You have gone
too far, Rowena." Alaric's voice was low but furious. "You are my
wife, and you will be one to me in every sense of the word."

"You will have
to force me!" Rowena flung the words at him like a curse. She had
mentioned Lily intentionally, hoping he would tell her he had dismissed his
mistress, and that she was now the only woman in his life, but it seemed he had
no intention of doing so. She felt miserable, and it was only with an effort that
she stopped herself from bursting into tears.

Alaric drew himself
up and glared at Rowena, unaware of the complicated emotions raging through
her. It seemed to him that she had become suddenly childish and petty.

"I would not
have to force you, Rowena. You and I both know that it would take very little
for you me to make you want me as much as I want you."

"But I do not
want to want you." Rowena bit the words out. "I feel trapped, my
lord. It was unfair of you to put me in this position."

"You are behaving
childishly, Rowena." Alaric's voice had become cold and distant. He was
furious with her for her intransigence, and for refusing to see that this
marriage was for the best. He was in no mood to coax her. The anger she had
engendered in him only made him want her more. He desired only to strip her
clothes from her and take here and now. But that would only fuel her anger and
prove to her he was the monster she was picturing him to be. Let her wait a few
days, he thought. Let her see that her foolish pride would not satisfy her the
way he would be able to.

"I see that I
erred when I presumed that you were more sensible than other young women."
Rowena winced as his words cut at her. "You are clearly becoming
hysterical. Very well. You have asked me to leave you alone tonight, and I
will. I will give you your chance to become better acquainted with me. But you
may learn, my lady, that you like me better when you are not challenging my
wishes."

"Is that a
threat?" demanded Rowena.

"Take it however
you wish. You seem to believe that you know far better than I do my own
motivations and feelings." Alaric folded his arms across his chest and
leaned back onto the corner of his desk.

Rowena eyed him
nervously. "You will abide by my wishes?"

"I don't see
that I have any choice, Rowena. I may force you, as you told me, or I may
indulge you in your foolishness." Alaric's green eyes glittered. "Behold
me, the indulgent husband."

Rowena shivered. Alaric
looked anything but indulgent, his lean and powerful body only inches from her
own. He attracted her like a magnet, and she suppressed an urge to reach out
and touch him.

"How long will
you wait?" she asked in a small voice.

"I was not aware
that I was allowed a choice in the matter," said Alaric coldly. "Is
it for me to set the date of our first...encounter?"