The Temptation of a Gentleman (32 page)

“I pleaded with him through letters to allow me to see you. He took great pleasure in informing me that you believed I was dead. I knew then I would never convince him to let me into your life. Not as your mother.”

Marion’s mother sighed and a tear wove its way down her soft cheek. She didn’t bother to wipe it away but continued her tale. It was almost as if she didn’t even notice tears any longer.

“After a long while, I wrote to him again and told him if he would allow me to write to you, I would pretend to be your aunt. For years I wrote to him, begging for his permission. Then I wrote to you, playing the part of Hester, in the hopes he might change his mind and allow you to see the letter. When you wrote back, I was shocked. I never thought he would allow such a day.”

“He didn’t.” Marion swallowed back the sharp taste of bile in her throat. “He saved your notes, probably to enjoy the pain he caused us both. I found them and later I enlisted the help of our cook to sneak my letters out and yours in.”

“My goodness, but you were bold.” Her mother smiled. “There were so many times I nearly told you the truth about who I was, but I feared the consequences for both of us.”

Marion nodded and her hand stole up to her arm. It was only just out of the sling and no longer painful. Feeling her father’s full fury made her painfully aware of just what those consequences would have been.

Her mother’s face twisted and Marion realized Noah had told Ingrid about the beating her father had given her.

“I’m so sorry,” her mother whispered. “I never thought he would harm you. He only raised his hand to me once, when I was leaving.”

With a sigh, Marion shook her head. “Mama, it isn’t your fault. And this is a chance to start again.” Her eyes went to Noah. He was staring at her with an intensity that made her heart flutter and her hands tremble. “For all of us.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Marion smoothed her trembling hands over her icy blue gown for what must have been the tenth time. She couldn’t seem to control the achy sensation her nervousness created in the pit of her stomach. Tonight was her first appearance in Society with Noah at her side.

She’d been to luncheons and teas with only ladies in attendance, but tonight she was to attend a ball, one of the last of the Season. According to Tabitha, the place would be a crush of people and the perfect place to make it clear that Marion would soon be the new Marchioness of Woodbury.

“The perfect place to make a complete fool of myself,” Marion muttered as she turned away from her mirror to look out the window.

What if she forgot the steps to all the dances she’d been taught over the past few weeks? What if she said the wrong thing to the wrong person and offended them? What if Charlotte Ives was there and made a scene?

Any one of those things would embarrass the Jordan family and force Marion to work all the harder to be accepted by the
ton
.

Another wave of anxiety rocked her before she faced the mirror again and gave herself an appraising glance. She looked the part of a Marchioness in her fashionable gown with its high waist and expensive silk fabric. No detail had been ignored, from the soft edging on the navy ribbon below her breasts to the delicate brocade along the thin skirt. Sally had twisted and curled and piled her hair until it crowned her head in a shimmering, chestnut mass.

Yes, she looked the part. But could she truly play it?

The door behind her opened and Sally entered. “Lady Berenger says it’s time to go. Lord Woodbury and his mother are downstairs waiting for you.”

Marion nodded wordlessly before she turned. “Is my mother downstairs, as well?”

“Yes. Waiting to see you off.”

She bent her head slightly. “I wish she could come, too, but I understand why Lady Woodbury doesn’t wish for too many questions about me all at once.”

Sally nodded. “You look absolutely beautiful, miss. Lord Woodbury will be knocked from his stallion the moment he sees you come down the stairs.”

Marion’s mouth quirked into a half smile at Sally’s colorful description. She hoped her maid was right. The only thing she wanted was to look and feel right for Noah. She wanted him to look at her the way he had when he came into her room and made love to her. If she could kindle that flash of desire in his eyes, she would consider the evening a triumph. Especially since they’d had so little time alone between Noah leaving and her mother’s surprise return to her life.

“Are you ready to meet the rest of your party then?”

Sally’s voice brought Marion back to the present time, away from her wandering thoughts of Noah. It was just as well. Whenever she thought of them making love, her body tingled and grew hot almost like he was touching her again. As pleasant as that sensation was, tonight she needed her wits about her.

“Yes.”

As she swept out her chamber door and into the brightly lit hallway she heard voices. The women, including her own mother, chattered away while the occasional male voice of Griffin piped in. But it was Noah’s rich baritone that stood out from the rest, rising up to her ears and giving her the same thrill the sight or scent of him gave her. As always, she was astonished by the power of her reaction to the man. And soon he would be hers, at least in name. And perhaps, in time, he’d come to feel for her in the same way she did about him.

She shook away the thought as she began a slow descent down the staircase into the foyer. At the bottom of the stairs, Noah leaned against the handrail, his elbow draped casually over the end. He was talking to Griffin, but suddenly he stopped and turned as if he sensed her presence. She was pleased when his eyes widened and his voice trailed off.

Marion felt the others’ eyes on her as the room grew silent, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away from Noah. She was drawn to him and him alone.

“You look magnificent.” He said the words softly as if they were a prayer or if he said them too loudly the moment would pass.

A hot blush of pleasure warmed her cheeks and she hoped she didn’t seem like this was her first compliment. Every one from Noah made her behave as if it was.

Noah held out his hand to Marion and prayed it wouldn’t tremble as much as his knees were. He’d known many beautiful women, but the one he was to marry shook him in ways he hadn’t believed were possible. It was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.

He heard his sister’s voice, but didn’t comprehend what she was saying for a long moment. Finally, he broke the intense gaze he was sharing with Marion and focused.

“You really do look lovely.” Audrey spoke to Marion, but her blue eyes were locked on him and an expression he couldn’t place was on her face. “That shade of blue compliments you perfectly.”

Ingrid Hawthorne stepped forward. “Yes, you’re going to make quite an impression.”

Noah felt Marion slipping away toward her mother and reluctantly let her go. Though he was happy she was getting to know Ingrid after all their years apart, he desperately wished to take her away from their families and spend a week or two or three worshipping her body and getting to know her better and better. Their marriage date was going to have to be moved up, there was nothing else to be said about it.

Tabitha glanced at him quickly, then back to Marion. “We should be off. We want to be fashionably late, not overtly rude. Come along.”

Noah saw Marion’s smile tighten as servants appeared with wraps and opened the front door. Although she was putting on a brave face for his family, she was frightened and worried about making a good impression. What she didn’t know was that it didn’t matter two whits to him whether Society liked her or not. He’d fallen too much in love with her to turn away from marrying her now. He just had to find the right time to tell her that. And hope she’d feel the same.

***

Noah gave Marion a sideways glance as the carriage rocked around a corner. She hardly seemed to notice the movement as she continued to gush to his mother about the ball. Her first night in Society had been a smashing success, better than anyone could have hoped for. People had been wary at first, but Marion’s disarming charm quickly had them whispering that she was the new ‘original’.

Griffin leaned over to him, careful not to alert the women to his words. “You seem worried. Anything I can do to help?”

Noah shook his head, amazed as always at how well his best friend could read him. “I received word from Golding about Marion’s father at the ball tonight.”

Griffin’s eyebrow came up in concern as he glanced at the young woman who’d so thoroughly disrupted all their lives. “What of him?”

“He’s left Woodbury, but no one knows where he’s gone.” Noah sighed as he watched Marion laugh.

The thought of Walter Hawthorne coming near enough to Marion to harm her was enough to make his blood boil, but Noah tamped down the emotion when his fiancée briefly turned her eyes toward him. The laughter faded from her lips, replaced by a brief blush and a dip of her head.

Noah’s body clenched with desire. Even after he’d made love to Marion, her quiet shyness still made him weak for her. If his entire family hadn’t surrounded them, he would have drawn her into his lap and taken her right there in the carriage. The thought of her writhing in pleasure above him made him shift uncomfortably in his position as he forced his mind to think of something else. Anything else.

Marion allowed her gaze to move to Noah a second time and was surprised to see hot desire glittering in his eyes. She couldn’t control her body’s reaction to his stare. Her limbs grew heavy as she imagined him kissing her, touching her, claiming her.

“That success will make our next step all the easier.”

Marion shook off her desire and looked at Tabitha. “I’m sorry, I was woolgathering. What did you say?”

Tabitha shot a knowing glance between Marion and her son. “I feel it may be best for all of us to have you two married as soon as possible. I’d like to set a date in just a month, if that’s agreeable to you both.”

Heat filled Marion’s cheeks at the thought. Though it had been made clear that she would marry Noah, now that they were talking about dates, the full reality hit her. In a month she could be the Marchioness of Woodbury. She would be Noah’s by law and by the bed they lay in together. Every night.

Her mouth was suddenly dry and she licked her lips. “Since my mother is now here, I see no reason to object to a month. If that’s agreeable to you, my lord?”

She glanced at Noah and prayed she wouldn’t see desperation or need for escape in his eyes. She was pleased to see neither, though his look was unreadable beyond that.

“Fine.”

He turned away to look out the window and Marion’s heart sank. Though Noah cared for and desired her, she still wasn’t certain he could ever love her. And though they had no choice but to marry, she somehow hoped she would know his heart felt the same as hers before they exchanged vows before God.

“Very good. Then we have much to plan. Tomorrow I’ll have Miss Fox come to fit you for your gown, and for gowns for your mother.”

Tabitha and Audrey began to discuss the virtue of a gray gown versus a silver gown for a wedding and Marion shut them out. Her only focus was Noah. He seemed very far away at the other end of the carriage and she wondered what she would have to do, to say, to bring him close to her. To bring him into her heart as she had taken him into her body. How they could find a way to love each other?

***

“I’m so glad the ball went well,” Ingrid Hawthorne said as she brushed her daughter’s hair. Marion shut her eyes at the feel of it, each brush stroke bringing back happy childhood memories.

“It did go very well. People seemed to warm to me within the first hour. Charlotte wasn’t there, and I was allowed to dance with Noah twice.”

She smiled at the thought of Noah’s strong arms around her, holding her and claiming her in front of hundreds of people. Surely the world had seen they were to be together.

“And other men, as well.”

Marion opened her eyes to meet her mother’s stare. “Yes. But I don’t remember them. They’re all the same. Noah is the only one who stands out in my mind. The only one who holds my interest.”

Ingrid sighed as she rose to her feet and paced to the window to stare outside. Marion could tell her mother had something on her mind, something she was reticent to share.

“That will work out well for you since you two are to be married so soon.”

Marion rose from her seat and gathered her swishing blue skirt into her hand. She’d been too busy chattering with her mother to remove her gown.

“Why do you sound worried when you talk about me marrying the man I love?”

Ingrid bit her lips as she turned. “I worry more that you’re
required
to marry him. A forced life together can be a hardship as easily as it can be a blessing.”

She dipped her head. “You mean like what happened with you and Papa.”

“Yes, that’s part of my reluctance. I loved another person when your father and I wed. It didn’t matter to my father or to Walter that I didn’t desire the marriage. Ultimately it led to so much pain for all of us. I don’t want to see that happen to you and Noah.” She brushed Marion’s hand gently before returning to her watch over the street.

The hairs on the back of Marion’s neck bristled. “I know Noah cares for me, Mama. Perhaps he doesn’t love me the same way I love him, but he can learn, can’t he? We can still build a happy life together.”

“I don’t want to hurt you. It’s the very last thing I would ever do on purpose, but I never had a chance to shield you from pain as a child.” Her mother’s head dipped. “Perhaps I’m only overcompensating now. I believe Noah will make a go of it in good faith, but if he doesn’t really want a marriage with you, eventually he’ll resent your union.”

The blood slowly drained from Marion’s face. That was the last thing she wanted to hear, but she also recognized the truth in her mother’s statement.

“What do you think I should do, then?”