To Tame a Dangerous Lord (48 page)
Read To Tame a Dangerous Lord Online
Authors: Nicole Jordan
When Rayne assisted with the hooks at the back of her gown, he couldn’t resist sliding his hands around her waist to cradle her faintly swelling stomach.
At his gentle touch, Madeline gave another sigh, this one of utter contentment. “It still awes me, how drastically my life has changed,” she murmured. “Two months ago I never could have dreamed I would have a wonderful husband to love and cherish, or that I might be expecting your child. I am brimming over with happiness, Rayne.”
He rested his chin on the top of her head. “So am I, love.”
“Happiness seems to be rife these days. Your grandmother may seriously disapprove of me, but hopefully she will be pleased to learn that your title may soon have an heir. And you should be pleased, knowing you needn’t labor at siring a child for a while.”
Rayne pressed his smile into her hair. “It was a labor of love, I assure you.”
Madeline gave a soft laugh. “And Gerard has found happiness as well, thanks to you. Lynette’s parents have accepted him fully as their son. But who would have ever thought that Freddie would bestow his affections on a proper young lady and therefore please his father?”
Rayne’s lips curved at the prospect of his impetuous cousin settling down in respectable matrimony. Certainly a great deal had changed in the two months since he’d met Madeline.
“And all three of the Loring sisters are wildly happy in their marriages,” Madeline continued her tally. “Perhaps Lily most of all.”
The youngest Loring sister had recently returned from her wedding trip with her new husband, the Marquess of Claybourne. Lily had taken to Madeline straightaway, and they were fast becoming friends.
“I will always be grateful,” Madeline added sincerely, “to Arabella and Roslyn for helping me capture you, Rayne—and to Fanny, too.”
“You give them too much credit, my sweet.”
“I don’t believe so. Fanny’s advice particularly was invaluable in making you take notice of me.”
He hadn’t been surprised to discover the name of the courtesan who’d tutored Madeline in the tricks of her trade. What was surprising, however, was learning that Fanny Irwin had set her talents to another career altogether—writing Gothic novels. Her first effort had recently been published anonymously to vigorous sales if not great literary acclaim.
“Now I only worry about Tess Blanchard,” Madeline admitted, her tone turning troubled.
The biggest surprise of all was that Miss Blanchard had found herself compromised by a neighboring duke and had wed him to avoid a full-blown scandal.
“Tess longed to marry for love,” Madeline said in consternation, “but their union is far from a love match. At least they seem to have a strong physical attraction for one another, judging from the fireworks between them. I hope Fanny can help Tess’s marriage the way she did mine.”
“Perhaps you should allow them to solve their own problems,” Rayne suggested mildly.
Madeline started to disagree, just as she heard the sound of carriage wheels slowing outside in the street. Accompanying Rayne over to the window, she glanced
down and recognized the dowager Countess of Haviland’s barouche.
A knot formed in the pit of Madeline’s stomach at the thought of facing her nemesis again.
“I suppose your grandmother is responding to your message about my condition,” she remarked to Rayne. Out of courtesy, he’d sent his elderly relative a brief missive yesterday, informing her of Madeline’s likely pregnancy, although he hadn’t spoken to Lady Haviland since their heated confrontation at Riverwood many weeks ago.
“I would expect so. We shall see.”
Rayne appeared in no hurry to finish dressing, however, and Madeline was even less so. By the time they went downstairs, Lady Haviland was awaiting them in the drawing room.
The dowager rose imperiously when they entered. Yet surprisingly, she wore an uncertain expression on her face, as if she feared her reception. Still, she scrutinized Madeline intently to the point of making her blush.
“I understand felicitations may be in order,” Lady Haviland stated coolly, yet with none of the belligerence Madeline expected.
“That depends,” Rayne replied, his own voice terse, “on whether you repent your disgraceful conduct. I gave orders for you to be refused admittance until you are willing to treat Madeline properly and welcome her into the family. You must have convinced Walters that you were ready to concede.”
The dowager bit her lip. “Yes.”
His expression remained cold, giving no quarter, as he put his arm around Madeline’s shoulders protectively. “Yes,
what
, Grandmother?”
“I have come … to welcome your wife into the family.”
Rayne grew impatient at her grudging acquiescence. “My wife’s name is
Madeline
, Grandmother. And you may tell her directly to her face, since she is standing right here.”
For a moment, a struggle played on the countess’s haughty features, but then her inner conflict seemed to collapse. “Very well, then,” she said, her tone amazingly contrite as she met Madeline’s gaze. “Welcome, Madeline. I was exceedingly wrong to act so abominably toward you, and I humbly beg your forgiveness. It is my fondest hope that we may begin anew.”
Taken aback by her ladyship’s evident humility, Madeline glanced at Rayne, then again at his grandmother. “Of course, my lady. I would very much like to start anew.”
Lady Haviland looked vastly relieved. “Thank you, my dear. And now if you don’t mind, I shall sit down. My heart is rather weak, you know.”
Madeline saw Rayne’s grimness fade, only to be replaced by a hint of exasperated amusement as he went to aid his relative in settling into a comfortable chair.
“Your apology was adequate, Grandmother, even pleasing. But your continued search for sympathy is growing old. According to your doctors, you are quite healthy for a lady of your advanced years. You may even outlast all your grandchildren.”
“I seriously doubt that,” her ladyship muttered, “when you particularly insist on being so disobliging.”
Seeing Rayne’s frown, however, she caught his hand. “Forgive me, my boy, I do not mean to quarrel. In all honesty, I am no longer opposed to your marriage. I
hoped you would marry well and provide an heir so that your scandalous wretch of an uncle could not claim the title, but I want even more for you to be happy. And Daphne tells me that Madeline has made you very happy and will doubtless be a good mother to your children.”
“Extremely happy, Grandmother,” Rayne agreed. “But you won’t be pleased to learn that I mean to continue working in my previous profession.”
Rayne had accepted a position as a special agent reporting to the Home Secretary, Viscount Sidmouth—his task, to keep the country and its citizens safe from domestic threats rather than foreign ones.
Madeline was very glad that Rayne had found a fulfilling new purpose for his special skills, for she understood his driving need to help others. Indeed, his valor and compassion and strong sense of justice were largely what had made her fall in love with him in the first place.
At his announcement, Lady Haviland made a visible effort to bite her tongue. “You have changed my perspective on that front, too, Rayne. Prinny himself praised your valiant service to the Crown, and you know I would never interfere with the Regent’s desires. Indeed, you have made me quite proud, my boy.”
When Rayne bent down to kiss her cheek, the noblewoman stiffened slightly at his affectionate gesture, then looked pleased. “I must say, Rayne, I am supremely glad you have found happiness in matrimony. Heaven knows, I never did with your grandfather, who wed me only for my fortune.”
Pressing her lips together in memory, she returned her attention to Madeline. “You are not as mercenary as I
feared, or you would have accepted my offer of a fortune. I think that proves you love my grandson at least a small measure.”
“I do love him, Lady Haviland. Immensely.”
“If so, then you may be worthy of him after all. And you have drastically improved your appearance with your more fashionable attire. Now if you would only cease teaching at that plebeian school, I could introduce you in my circles with few qualms.”
“Grandmother,” Rayne said warningly while Madeline only smiled.
Her life would be as fulfilling as Rayne’s, teaching and guiding the eager pupils at the Freemantle Academy, forming their young minds and providing them with the aptitude to become young ladies.
But most fulfilling of all would be having her own children. Hers and Rayne’s.
“Oh, very well,” her ladyship gave in with a huff. “I will do my best to work with what I have.”
Just then Walters appeared at the drawing room door and cleared his throat politely. “Mr. Stokes to see you, my lord.”
When Rayne raised an eyebrow at Madeline, she knew he was reluctant to abandon her to the mercy of his disapproving relative.
Even so, she voiced encouragement. “Go ahead and see to your business with Mr. Stokes, Rayne. Lady Haviland and I will use the time alone to become better acquainted.”
He hesitated, then nodded. “Excuse me, Grandmother, but I have a prior engagement.”
Taking Madeline’s hand then, Rayne drew her outside, into the corridor.
“Are you certain you can stomach being alone with her?” he asked when he’d shut the door behind them for privacy.
“Yes, I am certain,” Madeline replied. “Your grandmother’s attempt to reconcile with me is doubtless because she believes your threat to cut her out of your life. But even if she isn’t sincere about welcoming me into your family, I have hopes of winning her over someday.”
“I still find it remarkable that you are willing to forgive her. You are far more generous than I could ever be.”
Madeline smiled. “I can forgive her, Rayne, because deep down she loves you and wants what is best for you. And if you think about it, we also owe her our thanks. She is the one who demanded that you search for a bride. Otherwise, you would never have felt compelled to make a marriage of convenience and wed me.”
Rayne grinned slowly, his voice an affectionate tease as he responded, “You are not in the least convenient, love, to my great relief and delight. Fortunately, I relish a challenge.”
Madeline laughed. “As do I. I am quite content being wed to a former spy and mastermind. Any other man would have been far too tame and bland for me.”
“You have fully tamed me, love. But I believe I deserve greater credit for being astute enough to choose you.”
Gazing up at him with amusement, Madeline placed her hand on Rayne’s chest, feeling the strong, steady rhythm of his heartbeat. “I am profoundly grateful you chose me, dearest husband. You rescued me from the forlorn life of a spinster.”
“And you, sweet Madeline, saved me from a life of
utter boredom and misery. Even more crucially, you saved me from a life without love.”
With a soft smile, she shook her head in amazement. “It is a wonder we survived the machinations and follies of our various relatives and acquaintances—my brother, Ackerby, your grandmother, even Freddie.”
Rayne slid his arms around her, letting her feel the reassuring warmth of him as his fierce protectiveness surrounded her. “I know. And now, regretfully, duty calls me away.”
Lord Sidmouth had requested Rayne’s help with a new case, and Rayne had summoned Will Stokes to assist. The two of them were knee-deep in plotting a new operation now.
“Will is waiting for you,” Madeline reminded him.
Thankfully, Rayne delayed his departure long enough to share a passionate kiss with her. At the taste of his marvelous lips, she sighed with contentment, feeling loved, feeling treasured and cherished.
And when he finally released her, she let him go willingly. Even though she would miss him while they were apart, she knew a profound joy at the certainty that Rayne would always come home to her.
Her heart swelled at her good fortune as she watched her tall, handsome husband stride away.
With a private smile then, Madeline turned back toward the drawing room in order to rejoin his grandmother. She would win over the imperious Lady Haviland in the end. She’d had ample experience dealing with crotchety old noblewomen, and Rayne’s grandmother would be no exception. Particularly if she gave him the heir her ladyship wanted so badly.
Madeline only wished that her own beloved mother could be here to hold her first grandchild in her arms.
Opening the door to the drawing room, Madeline paused, then swallowed the poignant ache in her throat, knowing her mother would be at peace.
“You needn’t worry about your children any longer,
Maman,”
Madeline murmured. “Gerard and I could not possibly be any happier.”
Read on for an exciting taste
To Desire a Wicked Duke
by Nicole JordanChapter One
I have been off the Marriage Mart for a good while now, but I am quickly learning an indisputable rule of engagement with the opposite sex: When you play with fire, you are likely to be burned ….and Rotham is the hottest sort of fire
.—DIARY ENTRY OF MISS TESS BLANCHARD
Richmond, England; October 1817
The kiss was amazingly insipid.
Disappointment surged through Tess Blanchard as Mr. Hennessy drew her more fully into his embrace. She had expected so much more when she acquiesced to his impulsive gesture.
More excitement, more pleasure, more
feeling
. In short, she had secretly longed to be swept away by romantic passion.Instead she found herself logically analyzing the construction of his love-making. The precise pressure of his lips. The exact angle of his head. The unarousing feel of his arms around her.
There was no spark, no
fire
between them at all, Tess realized sorrowfully. The entire business left her remarkably cold.Oh, Patrick Hennessy certainly
seemed
skilled in the art of kissing, she mused as his mouth plied hers with increased ardor. But surely a man who counted himself such an expert lover should have elicited a stronger response from her?Not that she had much basis for comparison. This was only the second man she had ever romantically embraced in her three-and-twenty years.
It had happened purely on a whim. One moment they were laughing together over a line in the comic play Hennessy had written. The next, an arrested expression claimed his features as he gazed down at her. When he stepped closer and bent his head to capture her lips, Tess had no thought of stopping him. For too long she had let herself languish on the shelf in the game of love, refusing to open herself up to renewed heartbreak. But it was past time to reenter the lists.
Admittedly, in Mr. Hennessy she was drawn by both curiosity and the lure of the forbidden. She knew better, of course. A proper lady did not indulge in scandalous experiments with libertine actors behind the stage curtains. Hennessy was known as something of a Lothario among the London theater crowd, in addition to being a brilliant performer, a successful manager of his own troupe, and a budding playwright as well.
Then again, perhaps she was not giving him a fair chance.
Closing her eyes more tightly, Tess made a stronger effort to enter into the spirit of the kiss. In response, Hennessy’s hand stole lower down her back, over her
derriere, to pull her closer. Despite her own lack of enthusiasm, she had evidently affected
him
, judging by the swelling hardness she felt pressing against her lower abdomen—“Well, well, are you practicing to play the part of lovers in your production, Miss Blanchard?”
At the sharp-edged drawl, a startled Tess tore her mouth away from Hennessy’s—and froze in mortification upon recognizing that sardonic male voice. Obviously she had failed to hear anyone enter the ballroom where their makeshift stage was erected.
Good Lord, what utterly dreadful timing, to have her transgression discovered by the arrogant, infuriating Duke of Rotham, elder cousin of her late betrothed. Rotham had stepped behind the stage curtains to find her locked in a clandestine embrace with the man she had hired to produce her amateur theatrical.
Scalding heat flooded Tess’s cheeks as she pulled away from her partner in crime. Hennessy had also reacted to the duke’s unexpected appearance by releasing her instantly. Yet the actor looked not only guilty but somewhat alarmed, as if he’d been caught in a hanging offense.
Squaring her shoulders, Tess turned to face Ian Sutherland, the tall, lithe Duke of Rotham. His handsome face was an enigmatic mask in the muted daylight seeping over the stage curtains from the ballroom windows, but his mouth held a tightness that signified displeasure.
He had no right to judge her, she told herself defiantly.
“You are mistaken, your grace,” Tess murmured, striving to keep her voice calm as she responded to his mocking tone. “There are no lovers in Mr. Hennessy’s
play. It is merely a comedy of manners about a mischievous ghost.”“You were testing out a new role then?”
“What may I do for you, Rotham?” Tess asked, ignoring his jibe. “We have only just concluded the dress rehearsal and still have a great deal to accomplish before this evening’s performance.”
They had constructed a stage at one end of the ballroom of her godmother’s country mansion for the theatrical—the crowning entertainment of the charitable benefit Tess had organized. Tess had engaged Hennessy and his troupe to put on the one-act play and direct the houseguests in their respective acting roles.
“I doubt your preparations entail kissing the hired help,” Rotham drawled in that annoyingly cynical tone of his.
Tess stiffened. “It is hardly any of your business whom I kiss, your grace.”
“I beg to differ.”
Renewed ire rose in Tess. She would not allow him to dictate to her, as he was so fond of doing. Indeed, they had had similar arguments before. The Duke of Rotham was head of the family she would have married into had her betrothed not perished two years ago at the Battle of Waterloo. But they had no real blood ties, and Rotham was mistaken in thinking that he had any say over her affairs. Particularly her amorous affairs.
Shifting his attention, Rotham turned his penetrating gaze to Mr. Hennessy, who still seemed wary and on edge. “I expected better of you, Hennessy. You were supposed to be protecting her, not assaulting her. Is this how you fulfill your duties?”
The actor shot the duke a chagrined look of apology.
“I beg your forgiveness, your grace. I fell down in my duties deplorably.” Rather sheepishly, he turned to Tess. “A thousand pardons, Miss Blanchard. I was vastly out of line.”
Tess started to respond, but Rotham interrupted her. “I’ll thank you to leave us, Hennessy. I shall deal with you later.”
Her jaw dropped at Rotham’s arrogant dismissal, but before she could raise an objection, Hennessy gave her a brief bow, then pivoted with alacrity and disappeared through a part in the curtains.
She remained speechless as she listened to him bound down the stage steps and hurry away across the ballroom. It was hardly chivalrous of him to abandon her to the mercies of the duke, Tess thought resentfully. No doubt he preferred not to challenge a nobleman of Rotham’s station and ruthless influence.
However, when she at last gathered her wits enough to protest, Rotham held up an imperious hand, forestalling her. “You should know better than to indulge in trysts with libertines such as Hennessy.”
Prickling with indignation, Tess returned a mutinous look. The nerve of him, scolding her for a sin she had not even committed. “I was not indulging in any
tryst
, your grace. It was just a simple kiss.”The corner of Rotham’s mouth curled. “It did not look at all
simple
to me. You were participating fully.”He sounded almost angry, although why he would he be angry with her for returning the actor’s kiss, she couldn’t fathom.
“What if I
was
participating? It is no crime—”Realizing how high-pitched and flustered her own
voice sounded, Tess took a calming breath and forced a cool smile. “I truly cannot believe your gall, Rotham. How someone of your wicked character can deride another man for rakish behavior—or criticize me for something so innocent as a mere kiss—is the
height
of irony. Do you even recognize your hypocrisy?”A hint of sardonic amusement tugged at his lips. “I acknowledge your point, Miss Blanchard. But I am not the only one concerned about your relationship with Hennessy. Lady Wingate is worried that you have become overly attached to him. In fact, she sent me to find you.”
That gave Tess pause, as doubtless Rotham knew it would. Lady Wingate was not just Tess’s godmother but chief patron for her various charities. She could not afford to offend the woman whose generosity impacted so many lives for the better.
“I have not become attached to Hennessy in the least,” Tess finally replied. “He is a valued employee, nothing more.”
“Do you go around kissing all your employees?” Rotham taunted. Before she could reply, he shook his head in reproach. “Lady Wingate will be severely disappointed in you. She arranged a lavish house party solely for your sake, so you could dun her guests for your various charities. And
this
is how you repay her?”Unable to refute the charge, Tess regarded Rotham in frustration. Her godmother had long disapproved of her endeavors to promote her charitable organizations and had only recently relented and invited some four dozen wealthy guests to a week-long house party, thereby providing Tess with a captive audience. She’d spent the past
week attempting to persuade each one of them to contribute to her causes.“Do you mean to tattle to her?” she asked Rotham.
His answer, rife with mocking humor, disturbed her. “That depends.”
“On what?”
“On whether or not you intend to continue your liaison with Hennessy.”
“I tell you, I am
not
having a liaison with him! You have completely misconstrued the matter.”“Who initiated the kiss?”
“What does that matter?”
“If Hennessy took advantage of you, I will have to call him out.”
“You cannot be serious!” Tess stared at him, appalled to think he might not be jesting. The last Duke of Rotham, Laurence Sutherland, had ended his licentious career when he was killed in a duel over a married woman by her jealous husband. His son Ian had followed a similar reckless path all through his youth, generating wild tales of gambling and womanizing. Ian Sutherland’s scandalous endeavors had earned him the nickname “the devil duke” when he came into the title eight years ago. But surely he would not actually
shoot
Hennessy for the mere act of kissing her.“You know very well that dueling is illegal,” Tess objected, “in addition to being dangerous and possibly even lethal.”
Rotham’s mouth tightened again, as if he too had recalled his sire’s ignominious end. “Indeed.”
When he said nothing further, Tess suddenly recalled the confusing remark he’d made before ordering the
actor from the ballroom. “What did you mean when you said Mr. Hennessy should have been ‘protecting’ me?”Rotham waved a careless hand in dismissal. “It is of no import.”
“I should like to know.” Tess fixed him with a stubborn gaze, determined not to back down.
He must have sensed her resolve, for he gave a shrug of his broad shoulders. “When you began spending so much time at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden in preparation for your last charity event, I charged Hennessy with keeping an eye on you. The theater district is a dangerous area, especially for an unescorted young lady.”
Her eyebrows lifted in puzzlement. “So you asked him to look after me?”
“Yes. I paid him a significant sum, in fact.”
So
that
explained why Hennessy always insisted on escorting her to and from her carriage, Tess realized, and why he had hovered around her whenever she attended rehearsals. She had thought it was because the actor was growing enamored of her company. Irrationally, she couldn’t help feeling a prick to her self-esteem.“My companion usually accompanies me to the theater,” she pointed out to Rotham.
“Your companion is an aging spinster with all the substance of a butterfly. She would be no help whatsoever if you were confronted by trouble.”
That much was true, Tess conceded. Mrs. Dorothy Croft was tiny and gentle and soft-spoken, as well as being a bit scatterbrained. The impoverished friend of Tess’s late mother, Dorothy had needed somewhere to
live after being widowed, so Tess had opened her home in Chiswick to her. The relationship had also benefitted Tess. With a genteel, elderly lady to lend her single state respectability, she had much more freedom to conduct her charitable endeavors.“I have a sturdy coachman and footmen to provide me protection should I require it,” Tess argued.
Rotham’s gray gaze never faltered. “Even so, I thought it wise to ensure your safety. And you would not readily have accepted any edicts from me.”
That was also certainly true. They had long been at odds—which is what made Rotham’s current interest in her safety so startling. That he might be seriously concerned for her welfare had never crossed her mind.
“Well, you needn’t worry about me, your grace. I am capable of providing for my own protection.”
“Then you should refrain from kissing the likes of Hennessy. And he had best keep away from you. If he dares to touch you again, he will answer to me.”
At the edge of possessiveness in the duke’s tone, Tess’s eyebrows narrowed in disbelief. He could not possibly be jealous. No doubt he was merely angry at Hennessy for disobeying a direct order, and at her for daring to contradict him.
