The Duke's Cinderella Bride (18 page)

But tonight, with the taste and feel of Jane still upon his lips and hands, he knew that he would find sleep impossible!

‘As is your wish, Jane,’ he bit out tersely. ‘But that has been the usual way of things in our acquaintance to date, has it not?’ he added hardly.

Did he really believe that? Jane wondered frowningly. Did he really believe that, given a choice, she would leave his side ever again?

She loved this man. Loved him as Hawk St Claire. Loved the Duke of Stourbridge.

And there lay the real problem.

As Hawk St Claire there might have been some hope, albeit a slim one, of him one day returning her love. But as the Duke of Stourbridge—a man destined to marry well
in order to provide the ducal heir, to take as his wife a woman of a status and breeding suitable to be the mother of that heir—there was absolutely no hope of Jane, a woman who did not even know who her real father was, being able to measure up to his exacting standard.

She forced a deliberately mocking smile. ‘As you say.’ She gave a derisive nod. ‘Please do not let me delay you a moment longer from returning to your sister’s guests.’

His eyes glittered dangerously. ‘You will not dismiss me in that contemptuous tone, Jane!’

Jane’s soft laugh was deliberately taunting. ‘I am so sorry, Your Grace.’ She made him an exaggerated curtsey. ‘Please forgive me, Your Grace.’ She eyed him tauntingly as she straightened. ‘For one very brief moment I actually believed you when you said you did not believe I was subservient to you!’

Hawk wanted to shake her. Wanted to put her over his knee and spank her.

But more than either of those things he wanted to take her in his arms once again and make love to her! Completely this time. Wanted to bury himself deep inside her silken sheath before losing himself in the inferno of her inner heat.

But as he dared not trust himself to do either of those first two things, knowing either would immediately lead to the third, he took the only other course open to him—he turned sharply on his heel and strode forcefully, determinedly, away from her and from the privacy the summerhouse offered to his real needs and desires.

Jane waited only long enough to ensure that the Duke had really gone before falling down onto the chaise in
a devastation of grief-stricken tears so heated they seemed to burn as they cascaded unchecked down her cheeks, knowing she had alienated Hawk for ever with the wantonness of her behaviour.

‘C
ome in, Jane, and close the door behind you.’

Jane had been sitting alone in the parlour eating a late breakfast, Arabella being still upstairs in her rooms, following the dinner party the previous evening, when one of the maids had come to inform her that the Duke wished to see her at once in the library. Jane had lingered—delayed—at the breakfast table long enough to finish her cup of tea as she contemplated the reason for Hawk wanting to speak to her again so soon after they had parted so angrily the evening before.

Perhaps to tell her she would have to leave his household?

Immediately?

If so it was the same conclusion Jane herself had come to during her long hours of sleeplessness.

The tone of his voice now—undoubtedly the Duke of Stourbridge’s voice, cold and imperious—was more than enough to compel her into stepping softly into the
library and carefully closing the door behind her before once more turning to face him.

The tall, imposing, imperious man who stood so broodingly silhouetted in front of the window—dark clothing expertly tailored, hair brushed neatly back from that arrogant brow, hands linked behind his rigidly straight back—bore very little resemblance to the piratical lover of the previous evening, with his clothes in disarray and the darkness of his hair curling onto his broy.

As she, Jane hoped, bore no resemblance to the tumble-haired, half-naked woman he had aroused to such unimagined pleasure!

She quirked one auburn brow as those gold-coloured eyes continued to look at her so chillingly. ‘I have entered, sir, and I have also closed the door behind me…’

Hawk drew in a sharp breath at her barely concealed derision. ‘I warn you, Jane, do not even attempt to annoy me this morning!’

Her eyes widened with beguiling innocence. ‘By doing as you bade me to do…?’

Hawk’s mouth thinned at Jane’s display of innocent subservience, very aware that she was the least subservient woman he knew! ‘This is not a time for humour, Jane,’ he assured her harshly.

‘No?’ Her brows rose even higher before she walked gracefully across the room to sit in one of the armchairs that flanked the empty fireplace, smoothing her gown neatly into place and folding her hands demurely on her knees before lifting her head to look at him. ‘Then what
is
it a time for, Your Grace?’

Hawk’s hands clenched behind his back in a supreme
effort to prevent himself from marching across the room and lifting Jane to her feet before shaking her unmercifully.

As he had known it would be, his night had been a disturbed rather than a restful one, as images of Jane, with her loosely curling red hair reaching to her slender waist, her breasts bared and pert, her thighs parted invitingly, had tortured and tormented him until morning light.

At which time he had finally given up all hope of sleeping and instead dressed before going down to the stables to saddle his stallion Gabriel and riding across the surrounding hillside for several hours. The brisk morning air had cleared his senses—if not his mind—of those tantalising memories of Jane in her half-naked abandon.

Not so now, as he looked at her sitting there so primly, her disapproving expression much like his old nanny’s had been when she’d wished to rebuke him for some childish misdemeanour. On Jane a totally ineffective expression—because memories of her sensual beauty the previous evening crowded his already tormented mind.

His mouth thinned, nostrils flaring, as he refused to let those memories deter him from the reason he had summoned her here this morning. ‘I have decided that it is time—past time—for us to discuss exactly why it was you decided to leave the home of your guardian so abruptly.’

Jane was so stunned by the Duke’s topic of conversation that for a moment she could think of no reply. She had thought—believed—he had asked her to come here so they might talk about the events of the previous evening. Had prepared herself for that as she had lingered in the breakfast parlour drinking her cup of
tea—had even thought of several replies she might make on the subject.

She could not think of a single response to the question he had just asked her! Instead she answered with a question of her own. ‘Why, Your Grace…?’

‘Why.’ He nodded abruptly, his golden gaze totally unreadable as he looked down the long length of his nose at her.

Jane frowned. ‘But you know why, Your Grace.’

‘No, Jane, I do not,’ he rasped harshly. ‘As I recall, your only explanation at the time was that you no longer felt you could reside under the same roof as Lady Sulby.’

And that was true, as far as it went. But there was more, so much more, to Jane’s flight from Markham Park. Reasons she could not share with this stranger who looked at her so coldly. For at this moment he was every inch the haughtily superior Duke of Stourbridge.

‘I stated the truth,’ she confirmed tightly.

‘But what caused you to feel that way, Jane?’ He took two long steps so that he towered over her.

She blinked at the intensity of that golden gaze as it seemed to bore down into hers. ‘My reasons are entirely personal to me—’

‘Not when you now reside in my home!’

‘That can easily be remedied, sir!’ Jane stood up abruptly, too restless to remain seated any longer—although she had not been completely prepared for how close the Duke was now standing to her. Her arm brushed against his as she attempted to step past him, instantly sending a tingling thrill of awareness down to her fingers and up to her breasts.

The Duke reached out and curled steely fingers about
one of her wrists, preventing her from moving away from him. ‘We will discuss the subject of your departure from Mulberry Hall later, Jane,’ he rasped coldly. ‘First I would like—I demand—a full explanation as to your reasons for leaving Markham Park.’

First? Hawk intended for her to go soon, then? Might even have made arrangements for her immediate departure once she had answered his questions…?

Because of what had occurred between them the previous evening? Or because of something else…?

Jane looked up searchingly into that hard, implacable face. Hawk’s gaze was coldly compelling as it met hers, his expression unreadable. ‘What has occurred, sir, to suddenly bring about the need for this conversation?’ she ventured cautiously.

Hawk had never for a moment during their acquaintance underestimated Jane’s intelligence. He did not underestimate it now. ‘This morning I received word of your guardians’ reaction to your disappearance.’

‘I did not disappear!’ Her cheeks were flushed with indignation. ‘I simply left a place where I had never been made welcome!’

‘Indeed, Jane?’

‘Indeed, Your Grace,’ she echoed impatiently. ‘I—Would you release my arm please? You are hurting me.’ She frowned up at him, and his fingers tightened briefly before he gave a disgusted snort of frustration and released her.

Hawk turned away, knowing that if he did not he might do a lot more to hurt Jane than merely grasp her wrist and hold her against her will.

He was furious. Livid. Wanted to hit out and hurt
someone. Anyone. Even Jane. Especially Jane—for putting him in the untenable position he now found himself in.

He kept his back firmly turned towards her as he bit out, ‘No matter how unwelcoming, the Sulbys are nevertheless your guardians. Uncaring ones, perhaps—’

‘Perhaps?’ Jane scorned incredulously.

Hawk nodded abruptly. ‘You were fed and clothed within their home, Jane. Which is more than many other penniless orphans can boast.’

‘And I am to be
grateful
for that?’ she challenged contemptuously. ‘I am to bow and scrape and feel grateful for every morsel of food I have allowed to pass my lips these past twelve years?’

‘Yes!’ The Duke reached out once again to grasp her arm, his expression one of stingingly cold fury. ‘Admittedly, I too have found Lady Sulby to be a contemptible woman. I have no doubt that you felt wronged by her, but that cannot be offered as an excuse for your own actions!’

Jane blinked up at him, more than a little alarmed by the fierceness of his expression. She had seen the Duke’s anger before—had been the reason for that anger more times than she cared to remember!—but it had never been like this. Had never been underlined by this steely edge of absolute coldness.

‘My own actions…?’ she repeated slowly. ‘What did I do that was so wrong?’ She gave a puzzled shake of her head. ‘Exactly what have you learned of my guardians’ reaction to my sudden departure from their home, Your Grace? And from whom?’

His mouth tightened. ‘It does not matter from whom—’

‘It matters, Your Grace!’ Jane cried emotionally. ‘Your tone is accusing, and I believe it is unfair of you to talk to me in this way without first telling me the name of my accuser.’

He looked down at her wordlessly for several long, searching seconds before abruptly releasing her arm to turn sharply away and stride over to stand in front of the window once again, his back to the room. And to Jane.

‘When we returned here four days ago I sent word to Andrew Windham, my man of business in London, asking him to make enquiries—to ascertain, if he could, your guardians’ actions following your disappearance. I felt—justifiably, I believe—that it was wrong of me to harbour you within my household without at least some effort being made on my part to discover if in fact the Sulbys were scouring the countryside looking for you.’

‘I assure you they were not!’ Jane scorned knowingly. ‘And you had no right to make such enquiries—’

‘I had every right!’ the Duke grated harshly as he swung fiercely back to face her. ‘Damn it, woman, the Sulbys could have been dragging neighbouring ponds and searching the woods for miles around for your dead body!’

Jane frowned at his vehemence. ‘And were they?’ she finally ventured, with a return of her earlier caution.

He flexed his tensed shoulder muscles. ‘The report I received this morning claims that Lady Sulby has suffered a complete collapse of the nerves following your disappearance, and has had to be removed to her brother’s home in Great Yarmouth in order to take advantage of the bracing air to be found there.’ His tone was grim.

Jane’s frown became scathing. ‘Are you saying that I am the cause of Lady Sulby’s supposed collapse?’

Hawk’s mouth was a thin, uncompromising line. ‘You doubt the information acquired by my man of business?’

‘Not at all.’ Jane gave a weary shake of her head, sure that anyone the Duke employed was certain to be impeccably meticulous in his duties. ‘What I doubt is that Lady Sulby would feel anything but jubilation at having finally rid herself of my unwanted presence in her household!’

The Duke did not speak for several long, tense seconds. ‘Perhaps,’ he finally rasped icily. ‘But I am given to understand that it was not only your own departure that caused that lady’s collapse, but the loss of her jewellery.’

Jane stared at him blankly. Lady Sulby’s jewellery? Could Hawk possibly be referring to the only jewels that Lady Sulby possessed of any value? The Sulby diamond earrings and necklace given to her by Sir Barnaby on the event of their marriage twenty-five years ago?

But what relevance did they have to Jane?

‘Several of Lady Sulby’s jewels disappeared on the same day you did, Jane,’ the Duke continued flatly.

Her eyes widened incredulously, her face paling. Was Hawk saying—? Could he possibly be accusing her of—?

‘I know absolutely nothing of their disappearance!’ Jane burst out incredulously, her expression anxious. ‘Hawk, you do not seriously believe that I—’

‘What I do or do not believe about this matter does not signify, Jane.’ His mouth was set grimly.

Her hands clenched at her sides. ‘It matters to me!’

He shook his head. ‘The fact is that on the day you left the Sulby household Lady Sulby’s jewels also dis
appeared. The matter has been reported to the appropriate authorities and an order issued for their recovery. And for your arrest. Do you understand what that means, Jane?’ he prompted impatiently.

Jane understood exactly what it meant. But the fact that the authorities were actively looking for her, that they would arrest her for the theft of Lady Sulby’s jewels when they found her, paled into insignificance when compared to the fact that Hawk obviously did not believe her when she told him she had no knowledge of the disappearance of Lady Sulby’s jewels…

Hawk’s frustrated anger with the situation increased as he looked upon Jane’s bewildered countenance. If she thought for one moment that he was enjoying this conversation…

‘I know how upset you were that day, Jane.’ His tone gentled slightly. ‘I appreciate that Lady Sulby had deeply wounded you in some way—’

‘How dare you?’ Jane cut in furiously, angry colour having returned to her cheeks now, and the green of her eyes glittering with that same anger. ‘How dare you stand there as my accuser and my judge on the word of a woman who on the last occasion we met expressed nothing but hatred towards me?’

The last thing Hawk wanted to do was judge Jane, or condemn her. He wished only to help her. But he could not do that if Jane would not tell him why she had left the Sulbys’ that day.

‘It is not only Lady Sulby’s word, Jane,’ he told her softly.