To Tame a Dangerous Lord (32 page)

Rayne found himself staring at the door, admittedly taken aback by the alluring change in Madeline. He was pleased by her newfound sensuality and her bold advances, yet he was accountably wary at the same time. In his experience, a woman bent on seduction could be deceptive and dangerous. Camille had used his seduction for her own ends—

Perhaps he was overreacting again, Rayne realized, just as he’d done when he’d misjudged Madeline’s relationship with Baron Ackerby. He was keenly aware of the depth of his mistrust after experiencing Camille’s betrayal. Unconsciously, he had started looking for signs that his wife intended to betray him, too.

Yet even if her motives were totally pure, Rayne had to acknowledge that he was becoming too attracted to his enchanting new bride.

From now on he would have to keep up his guard better, he reflected as he set his jaw and reached for the soap once more.

The change in Madeline was clearly noticeable to Rayne. When they dined at Danvers Hall that evening, she wore a stunning evening gown of white Brussels lace over a slip of pale green sarcenet. Her hair was dressed in a much softer style than before, her shimmering tresses threaded with seed pearls and emerald green ribbons.

Madeline’s features seemed softer as well, more delicate and refined somehow. In truth, Rayne decided, his new wife looked almost beautiful with her sophisticated, fashionable veneer. From watching her interact with the other dinner guests, it was obvious she was ready to take her place at his side as his countess.

Understandably, Rayne spent the entire evening fighting his attraction. There was no question that the new Madeline was lovelier than the plain spinster he had wed the previous week. And although her outer appearance was not as important to him as her spirit and her intelligence and her lively wit, he couldn’t help being affected by the change in her. To his chagrin, Rayne felt an
unwanted softening inside him, a weakening of his resolve to keep his distance from Madeline.

His weakness only intensified once they returned home to Riverwood and retired for bed. Madeline had also acquired more confidence in her feminine appeal, apparently, in addition to her newfound sensuality, for when Rayne escorted her upstairs to her bedchamber door, she paused to look up at him.

When she met his gaze with her luminous gray eyes, her glance both inviting and questioning, Rayne couldn’t help remembering how hot and eager she’d been in his arms just a few hours earlier. He could still feel her tight sheath clenching around his cock in a violent climax.

Recollecting her taste, her texture, her warmth, Rayne felt a powerful surge of lust ripple through him—which might have been exactly her intent. From her expression he could tell she knew he was thinking of their bath. Her lips curved with that same tantalizing smile she had flashed him this afternoon during their passionate encounter in the bathing chamber.

His gaze fixed on her full, ripe mouth for a dozen heartbeats … but then Rayne forced himself to take a step back. He longed to follow Madeline into her bedchamber and spend the entire night ravishing her. He wanted to be inside her again in the most desperate way. Yet he left her at her door, determined to limit his connubial demands, despite his professed desire to sire an heir.

He already felt too much need for Madeline. Until he discovered a way to be with her, to be inside her without allowing her to slip any deeper inside
him
, he intended to stay away.

Not surprisingly, Rayne had difficulty sleeping that night, finding it all but impossible to drive away the memory of making love to Madeline. He woke the next morning, feeling restless and irritated. It was understandable that he wanted her so badly, but why he was having such trouble maintaining his emotional defenses—when he’d vowed to feel nothing more for her than carnal desire—was much harder to fathom.

He had a similar problem when Madeline joined him at breakfast, looking fresh and lovely in a cream-colored muslin morning gown. He longed to pull her into his arms so he could kiss that alluring mouth and that even more alluring body.

Doubtless that explained why he was thankful for the minor incident that put him on his guard once more. They were engaging in polite conversation at the breakfast table, discussing the guests Madeline had met the previous evening, when she accidently let slip a revelation. Rayne had just complimented her on her success in winning over their neighbors.

Madeline gave a small laugh while wrinkling her nose. “To be truthful, I am attempting to become more like Roslyn Moncrief. I know you admire her immensely. How did you describe her? ‘Intriguing’? And you rated her very high on intelligence.”

Rayne’s gaze sharpened at her observation. There was only one way Madeline could have learned how he’d evaluated Roslyn: from rummaging in his study desk.

“How did you learn of my admiration for her?” he asked mildly.

Madeline suddenly gave a start. When she sent him a guilty look, Rayne wondered if she would confess or try to bluff her way out of her self-induced trap with a lie.

After a hesitation, she evidently decided to come clean about her transgression. “I happened to see your list of bridal candidates the other day.”

When he gave her a long, level look, Madeline added earnestly, “I was not snooping precisely. I was looking in your desk for writing paper. One of the drawers was unlocked, and when I came across your list of ladies’ names, I was curious enough to want to read your comments.”

When he remained silent, she placed an imploring hand on his arm. “I am sorry, Rayne. I didn’t mean to pry. It won’t happen again, I promise you.”

Her look was innocent enough, but then he had been fooled before by an imploring expression on a pretty face. He let the matter drop, yet the knowledge that Madeline had searched through his private papers to ferret out his personal secrets was enough to make him again question whether her word could be trusted.

Two days later, another more serious incident occurred that raised Rayne’s suspicions even further. It was late in the afternoon when he caught Madeline attempting to eavesdrop on his conversation.

Since returning to Riverwood, Rayne had received several reports from London regarding the progress in breaking up the assassination ring. As he dismissed the latest courier with some final instructions, he opened his study door to find his wife loitering in the corridor outside.

Madeline gave him an amiable smile as she offered an apology of sorts. “I was just debating whether to knock, my lord. I didn’t wish to intrude on your privacy.”

Rayne wasn’t sure if he believed her excuse for not making herself known, but he had no desire to discuss
the matter before an audience. Thus, he nodded at the courier in dismissal.

When they were alone, Madeline slanted a glance up at Rayne from beneath her eyelashes. “You missed tea again. I came to invite you to have it with me.”

Since he could think of no good reason to deny her invitation, Rayne followed her from his study and accompanied her to the drawing room, where his staff had already laid out an appetizing tea.

As she poured for him, Madeline commented in a casual tone, “I did not realize that you were still involved in your former spy activities.”

“What makes you think I am still involved?” Rayne hedged.

She gave him an arch look. “When I see shadowy figures coming and going from your study at all hours of the night and day, it is not hard to guess.”

“And you assume my visitors have something to do with spying.”

“Yes. There is an urgency about them … a seriousness that would be lacking if they were simply interested in business matters. They don’t seem to be supplicants, either—hangers-on demanding favors of you—which you doubtless have in great abundance, given your illustrious title and wealth.”

“Why all the concern about my endeavors just now, sweeting?” Rayne responded evasively.

Madeline raised a quizzical eyebrow. “Why not? Should I not wonder what is occupying my new husband’s time? Is it unreasonable that I would be curious about your affairs now that we are wed, even if we do have a mere union of convenience?”

Perhaps it wasn’t unreasonable, Rayne decided, but
her pointed interest made him uneasy. He wanted to fob her off, but Madeline persisted with her observations.

“I thought you had given up your career in intelligence, but it wouldn’t surprise me if you decided to continue in some fashion. You thrive on challenges. I can’t imagine you being content with the tame life of a nobleman.”

When Rayne didn’t reply to her prodding, she added with a provocative smile, “I suspect men of your profession do not simply fade into the woodwork, especially someone of your caliber.”

If she was attempting to flatter him for her own purposes, she would realize he was immune to such tactics.

“I haven’t decided yet what to do about my future,” he finally answered.

Which was true. After Napoleon’s first defeat in 1814, his friend Will Stokes had turned to catching thieves and criminals and had recently suggested Rayne join him as a Runner. Yet working for Bow Street as a thief-taker didn’t hold quite the same allure as pitting his wits and skills against deadly French agents.

Still, this latest enterprise had given Rayne a glimmer of an idea for what he might do with his life. Foiling civilian plots might cure his ennui and restlessness and fill the hole that losing a career in British foreign intelligence had left.

Madeline continued to study him as she sipped her tea. “When you do decide about your future, I should like to know.”

“Of course.”

She didn’t seem satisfied. “Pray, just answer me this. If you are involved in any dangerous enterprises, should I be worried for your safety?”

“No, there is no need for you to worry about me at all.”

His answer seemed to frustrate her, judging from the annoyance and disappointment that swept fleetingly across her features. But Rayne wasn’t about to discuss the threat to the Prince Regent’s life. Even setting aside the question of Madeline’s motives, he didn’t want her prying into his business. Interference from an amateur could jeopardize the best of plans. Besides, Madeline would almost certainly ask to help.

Rayne shook his head at the irony. If he had wanted a meek, biddable wife who wouldn’t meddle in his affairs, he should not have chosen her. Perhaps he’d made a mistake in settling on Madeline. She had a clever, keen mind. If she wanted to uncover his secrets, she was in the perfect position to do so, living in his house with him. The past few days, however, had left Rayne wondering if she had crossed the line from simple wifely curiosity into something more sinister.

Either way, he could sense something was wrong, off-kilter somehow. Madeline obviously wanted something from him; he just wasn’t sure what it was.

Perhaps he was simply looking for reasons to push her away, Rayne reflected, yet he knew from hard-earned experience to listen to his instincts, a wisdom honed over many years dealing with secrets and lies and betrayals.

And even if his instincts were off the mark this time, eavesdropping on his visitors was certainly not the way to persuade him to trust her, nor was asking him probing questions about his future in the intelligence business.

*   *   *

From her perspective, Madeline was not the least surprised that Rayne wished to keep part of his life secret from her, even though she was now his wife. Old habits died hard, notwithstanding the fact that she had her own secrets to hide from
him
.

She’d seen the way Rayne had looked her over, measuring her, when she merely questioned his future ambitions. His suspicious nature was perhaps one reason he was so determined to resist her advances.

She wasn’t prying into his affairs, though. Fanny had counseled her to show an avid interest in her husband, and it was no pretense. Naturally she was interested in every detail of Rayne’s life and his expectations for his future. And of course she would worry about his safety if he had returned to the spy business.

But chiefly Madeline wanted to know what was keeping him from paying attention to her just now, so she could adjust her campaign for his seduction.

She knew that winning Rayne wouldn’t happen overnight. Even so, she was annoyed and frustrated at the slow pace of her progress. How was it possible that she felt so much while he was left totally unaffected? Just being near Rayne tested the limits of her willpower. She yearned for him with a physical ache. More important, she wanted to be inside his heart.

Fanny had been so certain that her methods would break through the defenses even of a man like Rayne, yet Madeline worried that they didn’t seem to be working.

She was also beginning to grow more worried about her brother, since she’d heard nothing from Gerard and received no response to her two letters. She didn’t even know if he and his new bride had arrived safely in Maidstone,
Kent, at the cottage belonging to Lynette’s Dubonet cousin Claude.