WitchofArundaleHall (2 page)

Hope leaped in her heart and she crushed it unmercifully. “You
hope to buy me?”

Pain swept across Perry’s face but it was fleeting and
replaced immediately by that unnatural calm that both frustrated and fascinated
her. “I hope to repay the debt I owe you.”

She shook her head. “What debt?” she said, bewildered. “I
lied to you, deceived your family. You owe me nothing.”

Finally his gaze met hers, electricity snapping between them,
and the heat in the room increased. “You have scars on your back that are my
burden, my responsibility. You were beaten because of my family and your
reputation tarnished because of my abhorrent behavior. I will settle our
account.”

“I do not desire this,” she snapped. “If you wish to repay
me in some way then leave me alone and allow me to escape this unwanted
connection.”

His eyes changed from placid gray to a luminous blue that
made her heart pound with fear or, perhaps, something more dangerous. The wolf
was close, his nature rising in the anger her words caused. Good. Let him show
some passion, some feeling. This strange, calm demeanor was unnerving.

But the moment passed and he seemed to gain control. Instead
his voice was cold and businesslike. “That is not possible. I have visited your
brother, Mr. Walter Ayers, here in London, and he has agreed that marriage is
the only solution to your current state.”

She clenched her fists. “You bastard,” she spat at him, and
rounded on Lord Alfred. “And you let him in, allowed this?”

Lord Alfred’s eyebrows rose. “I made a promise to you. After
these months with me, do you doubt me now?”

Perry had convinced her only benefactor and she was helpless
to resist him. For once she wished she were a beast and could transform to rip
them both limb from limb. Instead she rose to her feet. “Since the decision is
made, then my capitulation is moot. I leave you both to decide my fate.”

As she swept out into the hall she was not surprised to find
Perry directly behind her. “Sarah, wait.”

She whirled around and glared at him. “You monster,” she
said in a low, vicious tone. “To go to my brother behind my back. To plot with
Lord Alfred to control my life. How could you? I could have gone back to Lady
North for that.”

A muscle jumped in Perry’s jaw as he clenched his teeth. “I
had not planned to propose to you in this manner but Lord Alfred convinced me
that you would not accept me any other way.”

She wanted to deny it but Perry was right. Nothing he could
say would make her believe that Perry wanted her for herself and not because of
some bloodline demand. “You have everything you wanted then.” She stepped
closer and poked a finger into his chest. “But if you Claim me, then I will
murder you in your sleep.”

“Then I’d better make sure I fuck you so well you’re too
exhausted to kill me,” he said, the gray of his eyes turning blue and hard. A
shiver raced down her spine even as anger ignited like a hot brand in her
belly.

To speak of their relationship in bed with such arrogance,
to control her life without regard for her feelings, spurred her actions. She
didn’t slap him but curled her hand into a fist and aimed for his jaw.

His head snapped back, satisfying her for a moment until his
narrowed glare focused on her. She was his prey and about to be devoured.

She hiked up her skirts and ran for her life. Even as she
careened up the stairs, she knew he’d never hurt her, but that wasn’t what
created this thrill of fear. No, she was terrified he would do the things they
both wanted him to do.

For an instant she thought she’d caught him off guard and
would escape. Then he grabbed her, his luminous blue gaze feral and dangerous. Unlike
with the man who had accosted her earlier, she felt no fear, but something far
more damaging to her peace of mind. Her heart rate accelerated and she fought
desperately to break his hold.

Perry dragged her into one of the rooms and she opened her
mouth to scream. Leo would come and rescue her. But then one of the men would
come off the worse from the encounter and neither outcome seemed attractive. She
shut her mouth and glared at him. “Let me go. You’re a beast, a monster. I
won’t be married to a degenerate.”

He said nothing but jerked her around in his arms and then
sat down in a chair. When he yanked her down over his knee, his intent now
clear, she struggled harder. He knew she would be aroused and humiliated at the
same time if he did what he seemed intent on doing.

“Ever since that night, I’ve dreamed of doing this,” he said
in a tight voice.

“No, Perry. Let me go,” she said desperately. “You can’t do
this.”

He gripped her hair and yanked her head up to make her look
at him. “Tell me to stop.”

She froze, her desire and her fear at war within her. His
gaze held hers and she licked her lips. “I can’t,” she whispered.

“God help me, neither can I,” he said, his voice hoarse. He
pressed her head down and she fought him again.

No amount of struggle stopped him. He tossed up her skirt
and yanked down her drawers, exposing her buttocks to the cold air. Someone had
left a candle burning in the room, so she could glance at his face in the shadows
and see the lust and anger that tightened his features. His hand connected with
her flesh in a sharp slap that echoed in her ears.

She kicked and tried to escape but he held her firm. Two. Three.
Four. On the fifth strike she moaned, but not from the heated pain that spread
over her arse. The warmth of his hand, the controlled blows drove her into a
desperate state of need and fear. Six. Seven. Eight. Now she fought to hold
still, not to squirm against his leg for relief. Nine. Ten.

“You should see what I see, Sarah. You arse is red and
beautiful,” he said in a low, vibrating tone that made her insides shake.

When his fingers sought her slick channel she tried to move
away, to escape his questing hand. But he was implacable and hummed his
approval at the greedy way her pussy responded to his touch.

“You’ve won. Let me go, Perry,” she cried.

He was completely still for what seemed like an eternity, then
he removed his touch. Finally he set her on her feet and dropped his hands. “You
will marry me and I will take you to France.” His lips twisted in a bitter
smile. “And I will not complete my Claim on you, in deference to your desires.”
The smile dropped away to be replaced by a dark, ominous glare. “But keep your
hands to yourself. I can speak for the man but the beast wants its mate. Don’t
press me.”

“You would take me against my will?” she said, her eyes wide.

With an arrogant smirk that she itched to slap off his face,
he placed his fingers by his nose and inhaled. “I don’t think it would be
against your will, do you?”

“You monster,” she fumed.

He bowed. “So you’ve said. My suggestion is to accept that I
am and act accordingly.”

Her lips trembled and she felt an absurd desire to cry. Damn
him. She fled the room and knew she was doomed. He had changed. Once she had believed
he needed her, foolishly thinking him in love with her. Now she was an object,
a tool to assuage his social guilt.

Safe in her room, she curled up on her bed and cried. She
cried for the love that could have been, which now seemed broken and shattered
on the floor of that anonymous room.

Passage to France was more difficult than Perry had
anticipated. France’s insistence on supporting some sultan in Egypt had led to
uncertainty and fear of another war. But it was easier to work with Jaimison to
plan their trip to the Continent than to consider the state of his relationship
with Sarah.

Their marriage was slated for the next Wednesday, with no
one in attendance except Sarah’s brother, Edward Jaimison, his man of business,
and Lord Alfred. Dispensation for such a quick alliance hadn’t been hard to
obtain since Walter Ayers was eager to unload his sister and quell the talk of
her ruined reputation.

As Perry rode his horse through the streets of London, the
noise and frenetic street life barely made an impression. He had not intended
to marry Sarah under these circumstances. Still, with their respective pasts, a
normal courtship was impossible. The Duke of Kent, bent on revenge, had made
sure Sarah’s reputation was shattered by gossip and innuendo. The truth would
have been just as devastating but easier to bear than the stories of orgies and
wantonness Applegate had spread.

Still she had refused Perry’s offer and had to be forced to
capitulate through devious methods. But the marriage would take place and,
though he’d given his word not to Claim her, he hadn’t promised not to fuck her.
She was safe from the Wolf’s Claim as long as he never planted his seed in her
body. The temptation of that was almost more than he could stand but he would resist
it.

The cool breeze from the south carried the smell of fresh
bread from a local bakery as he drew closer to the modest house where Sarah
stayed as a maid. Perry flexed his hand. Soon she would be his and he would
show her the pleasures that could be had. Her nature did not deceive him. She
was a warm, giving woman who responded to his particular brand of sex. He
wanted to spank her again, to elicit that passionate response that soaked his
fingers and drove him half-mad.

It wouldn’t take much to tease her into a violent act, an
act that would give him grounds to touch her again. He knew her, had observed
her as his servant. She had a fiery temper and an inordinate amount of pride. And
he had an arsenal of weapons to use that would lead to the inevitable collision
of heart and soul.

The question was whether she would allow him the chance to
tease her. She’d run away once. He would have to keep a close eye on her.

He had much to tell her. The vessel he’d obtained was a
cargo ship bound for Cherbourg. For a modest sum of money he and Sarah, along
with Jaimison, would set sail at midnight on Wednesday next. Perry would have
much preferred time alone with his new but reluctant bride, but he knew
Jaimison had a knack for finding information. Sarah would not rest until she
found the origin of the curse and, consequently, some way to break it.

Surprisingly she met him at the door. “Perry, I need your
help.”

Her face was flushed and she was twisting her fingers
together in the manner she always did when she was upset or frightened. He took
her elbow and escorted her into the small salon on the first floor. It was the
one place she’d been willing to see him in the last few days since his
proposal.

Trying to calm himself, he sat down. “What has happened? Who
has upset you?” Tension vibrated through him as his pulse pounded. The beast
clamored to the fore. No one would harm his woman.

She inhaled a quick, shuddering breath. When her gaze met
his, he was stunned to see genuine fear in her face. “Someone tried to break
into my room last night.”

Perry shot to his feet. “Tell me what happened.” He gripped
her shoulders.

“He crept in through my bedroom window,” she said, her tone
desperate. “I am terrified.”

Perry closed his eyes, sat back down and touched her knee. “Tell
me,” he said in a softer tone.

“Thankfully I was working on the second floor. Lord Alfred
and Leo caught the thief in my room. They chased him out of the house but I
believe Lady North orchestrated it.”

When she stopped, he waited. She was silent for a long time.

“What are you not telling me, Sarah?” he said sternly.

“Lady North is in town and she has discovered that I am
here.”

Perry scowled. Lady Marion North. The woman was foul and
evil. “She has no power over you, Sarah.”

“Read this.” Sarah handed him a letter she’d had tucked in
her apron.

Lady Sarah Ayers

Wolford Place

London

My dear Sarah,

My sources inform me that you are residing in
questionable circumstances. In the strongest terms, I advise you to come to me
at Barringford Place. You will disgrace those of your acquaintance with this
behavior.

Reply at once.

Lady Marion North

How typical of Lady North to see Sarah’s stay at Wolford
House only in the light of how it affected her. The woman took no
responsibility for Sarah’s predicament—which was strictly Lady North’s fault.

Perry feigned unconcern and handed Sarah back the letter. “What
of it? She can do nothing now. I have the court’s approval and the head of your
household has commended the match. By Wednesday next she will have no power
over us.”

Sarah shifted her feet in a nervous gesture Perry had rarely
seen her display. “You don’t know her, know her persistence.”

Of all people he did know the woman’s persistence. Sarah was
right. Lady North would stop at nothing to hurt the Arundale family. What did
Sarah have to do with that? “Sarah, why would Lady North want to hurt you?”

Sarah bit her lip, an uncharacteristically vulnerable action
that showed her reluctance to speak. “I think I should tell you everything so
that you understand.”

“That would be advisable.” Finally.

“My parents’ marriage was arranged, their two families
determined that they would have children.” She wouldn’t meet his gaze and Perry
braced himself. “Lady North knows that I was born to break the curse. She sent
me to Arundale to destroy you but she knew—” Sarah’s voice broke. “She hoped
that you would take me as your mate and eliminate any chance to end your
torment.”

“And how would being mated to me stop you?” Perry didn’t
believe any of it. Lady North was capable of twisting everything.

“She said that the curse could only be stopped if I was
unclaimed.” The fear in her eyes made Perry’s heart clench. “I believe that the
person who attempted to break in last night—” Her breath caught and words
seemed to fail her.

“You believe it was another wolf. Not Marcus.” Perry knew
his father had not been careful before he married. Lord Robert Applegate had
been a bastard of Perry’s father, a secret hidden from all. Lord Robert’s
mother, like Lord Marcus’, had been married to a gentleman, and the Duke of
Kent had not known Lord Robert was not his son.

Marcus was not under Lady North’s control, so who was the
mysterious man who threatened Sarah? The invader had lashed out only when Perry
had found her, not before. This was his fault.

Perry rose and took her hand. “Pack your things. You are
leaving.”

“Oh no! Perry, no.” She violently shook her head.

“Yes. I have an acquaintance who will give you a place to
stay and I will protect you from Lady North.” He stroked her knuckles and held
her frightened stare. “She will not threaten you again.”

“Lord Alfred—”

“Will understand. Be quick.” He led her to the door. “I will
wait for you here.”

As she hurried up the stairs he stared after her. She was
right to be afraid. Lady North had the money and the influence to disrupt his
plans. Wednesday next was not going to be soon enough.

He rang the bell and a maid appeared. “Can a messenger be
sent for me?”

“Of course, sir. What message?” The woman was very young and
sly-looking. But perhaps Perry was getting suspicious due to the circumstances.

“I would like my man of business to meet me here. Can
someone fetch him for me?” He placed a coin in the maid’s hand.

She bobbed a curtsy and sped out of the room. Yes, Jaimison
would have to roust up the priest and the brother for an early wedding. Lady
North would waste no time in blocking any marriage that might lead to Sarah’s
happiness. The woman had viciously spread the gossip the Duke of Kent had
begun, even though the truth was well known to her.

Forty minutes later Jaimison appeared, his face flushed and
his reddish hair tousled. “What has happened?”

“Lady North.”

Jaimison’s eyes narrowed and he nodded. “What’s to be done
then?”

“Sarah is to go to Madame de Laval’s.”

After everything Jaimison had seen in the years he’d dragged
Perry out of brothels and dens of iniquity, apparently he could still be
shocked. “But she—”

“She is eminently respectable these days,” Perry said,
amused. “Her harrowing experience in a French prison as a child during the
Terror and her manuscripts on the subject have made her something of a
personage in the ton.”

“Her escapades since then too, I imagine.” Jaimison had regained
his composure and his tone was dry.

“There is more to her than that.” Perry had met the woman in
a brief, mysterious encounter that had haunted him. But soon after their
meeting she had left England for the wilds of Mother Russia. She was
unconventional but an oddity whom the ton seemed to accept. She was an older
lady now and many had forgotten her scandals and improprieties. The ton had
forgotten that she had been divorced and disgraced by her husband. Now they only
remembered her tragic past of French terror and tyranny.

“I hope you know what you are doing.” Jaimison gazed at Perry
with a concerned expression.

“So do I. Take this around to Madame de Laval. Use my horse.
You brought my carriage, I hope?” He handed Jaimison a brief note. Madame
Louise de Laval did not need many words.

“I did. Does Sarah know where she’s going?”

“Not yet. I’m sure she will object. But Madame’s
questionable residence is infinitely better than the infamous Wolford House.”

“True.” Jaimison frowned. “Your nuptials will not wait.”

“No.” Perry sighed. “She will hate me all the more. You’ll
have to get the priest and I’ll get her brother. Though I think he may be aware
already, if I know Lady Marion North.”

Jaimison clapped Perry on the shoulder and left without
another word. Five minutes later Sarah appeared with a small bag and a hatbox. That
was all.

Her meager possessions, so neatly packed, almost broke his
heart. She deserved so much more and he hoped to provide it. The question was
whether he would survive his own wedding night once she learned of their
destination and his plans.

* * * * *

“Madame de Laval?” Sarah almost shrieked the name. In the
confines of the carriage she sounded shrill and tried to moderate her tone. “The
woman is divorced.”

“The woman is in her forties and accepted by the ton.” He
didn’t mention that Madame de Laval flouted many traditions still, as Sarah was
well aware, though only in private. The ton looked the other way because Madame
de Laval had two important things—money and beauty.

“Accepted but not approved,” Sarah said primly. She knew she
was being stubborn. Her knowledge of Madame Louise de Laval was only what she had
heard as a debutante. Shockingly unconventional, Madame attended the galas and
stole every available man without lifting a finger. She was beautiful, French
and dangerous to know. Every man in the room was her slave.

Her mother had been kinder in her assessment of Madame de
Laval but Lady North had been scathing, though Madame claimed an acquaintance
with her. Which was why Perry had chosen the woman. Madame de Laval would be
able to stymie Lady North’s efforts to bring Sarah to heel.

“She is much more than her reputation, as are you,” Perry
said calmly, as if he were speaking to a child.

Sarah opened her mouth to protest and closed it. What had
she heard about Madame de Laval? Licentious rumors of orgies and deviant
behavior had been all over the ton even years after the scandal. Her husband
had rejected her, divorced her publicly. Yet the woman had never denied
anything, facing her critics with the same beatific smile she always had.

Sarah’s mother had pitied her and never cut her dead. Somehow
they were distantly connected, though Sarah had never known in what way. Madame
had kept their meetings short yet filled with warmth. It was Lady North’s
viperous tongue that had caused Sarah to doubt Perry’s wisdom. “How do you know
her?” she asked.

“She…rescued me once when I was in a difficult predicament,”
he said, and stared out the carriage window. “I was often in difficult
predicaments,” he said in a painful, wry tone. “She told me, without speaking
directly, that she knew of my affliction and that she wanted to help me.”

“She knew?” Sarah stared at him, her mouth open again.

“I, of course, refused her kind offer with my usual charm,”
he said with bitter sarcasm. “She is somehow connected to my family.”

“And mine,” Sarah blurted out.

Perry leaned forward. “You realize what we will have to do.”

Sarah clenched her fists. “Marry immediately.”

“Yes. I’m sorry, Sarah. I didn’t want it to be this way.” He
took one of her tightly closed fists in his. “You will not believe me if I tell
you that it will be right in the end, will you?”

She tugged her hand away. “No, Mr. Arundale. I will not.”

“I’m afraid you will have to pretend. For the priest.” Perry
spoke the words as the carriage stopped in front of a beautiful house in a
wealthier part of London. “I will be back for you in one hour. Be ready.”

Her stomach churned. He couldn’t mean it. “You are leaving
me here? Without an introduction?”