He bound her against him as if she belonged there, pressed to his side, her lips on his. Then gasped, nearly overwhelmed by a surge of desire as she shocked him by probing his lips with her tongue and delving within.
Lust and lack of air made him dizzy as, moaning deep in her throat, she kissed him with a desperate urgency he had no trouble reciprocating. Blood pounding through his veins, he devoured her lips with a greediness born of long denial. With her bonneted and buttoned up to the chin as she was, he invested into the only bit of her flesh he could touch all the passion and anguish of his love.
He could have kissed her forever while the stars glimmered toward full brilliance in the night sky, but all too soon, she pulled away.
Giving him a tremulous smile, she disengaged her arms from about his neck. “May you find a lady worthy of you, dear friend,” she murmured, then turned and stepped away.
“Allegra, wait!” he cried as, off-balance and still dizzy, he managed to catch her shoulder. “You cannot go roaming about London in the dark. Let me escort you home.”
Shaking her head, she detached his hand. “’Tis unnecessary. I paid the jarvey to wait. Will, I must go. I’ve a hundred things left to do and time is short.”
Despite her obvious dismissal, he followed her back to where the carriage was indeed waiting. “What will you do?” he asked as he helped her into it.
“I’m not sure yet. I’ll let you know when I decide.”
In the soft glow of the carriage lamp, he saw both her cheeks and lashes were wet with tears. He wanted to seize her and pull her back into his arms, pledge to shelter and protect her, but before he could decide what to do, she shut the door and the jarvey whipped up his horses.
Will stood back as the carriage swept off into the deepening night. Not until he could no longer see its outline in the dark did he recall the note she’d pressed into his hand. With a violent oath, he balled up the paper and threw it to the ground.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
AN HOUR LATER, Will slumped at his desk back at his lodgings in Chelsea. After one look at his face, Barrows had set off for brandy, a bottle of which now sat at his elbow beside a half-full snifter. In front of him lay a blank piece of vellum, ready for him to compose the apology he owed Lucilla along with his promise to call on her.
He’d not yet written it because he hadn’t been able to decide when he might pledge himself to call. Sighing, he gazed at the crumpled note Allegra had penned to him, which he’d smoothed out and propped against the back of his desk.
He smiled as he read down the list. He recognized the surnames, though he wasn’t acquainted with the young ladies themselves. All came from wealthy families; all had been on the town for at least one Season and might therefore be expected to have grown less choosy about their suitors. To each name, Allegra had added a little note.
“Shy, but sweet-natured,” read one. “Enamored of fashion, but modest and agreeable,” read another. Each girl had been selected, she’d added in an addendum at the bottom of the page, because Allegra felt that the young lady possessed not only the necessary dowry, but also a kind disposition and cheerful spirit that should make her a comfortable wife—and lacked the vanity and self-importance that marred the character of so many ton Beauties.
Putting down his pen after once again not having written a syllable, Will took a sip of brandy and let the liquor’s scorching heat slide down his throat. Though he knew he owed it to Brookwillow to marry an heiress like one on this list, his thoughts kept drifting back to Allegra.
He tried to imagine what it might feel like to learn that Brookwillow didn’t belong to him after all, that owning it had merely been an illusion in which his guardian had allowed him to indulge, one that could be stripped from him if he did not meet the earl’s expectations.
In which case, he would have lost it long since. The thought made him ill. Destitute though he was, he’d always known he owned something and might belong somewhere.
Allegra had literally been left with nothing.
Worse yet, she’d been beggared and repudiated by the very man she’d hoped would come to cherish her…who had struck the final blow by announcing his intention to marry someone else.
The more Will thought about it, the angrier he became. Bound by blood to the family, as devoted as a daughter to the late Lord Lynton, Allegra deserved better than this callous…betrayal. How could Lynton have so thoughtlessly wounded the girl whose care had been entrusted to him?
He could forgive Lynton wanting to see Allegra well settled. He could not forgive the man his indifference to her desires and his blind ignorance in failing to recognize the treasure right before his eyes.
For a few minutes, Will contemplated finding some pretext upon which to challenge Lynton to a bout at Gentleman Jackson’s, where Will might repay in some small measure the pain Lynton had inflicted upon Allegra.
Then a much more intelligent idea occurred to him.
He could not help Allegra by marrying her. But perhaps, at the end of his fists if necessary, he might persuade Lynton to fulfill his duty to his kinswoman by giving her something that was truly her own.
A glance at the mantel clock informed him ’twas too late this evening to catch Lynton at home; Allegra’s cousin, she had told him, always dined at his club.
After downing the last fiery sip, Will put the brandy away. He’d need a clear mind and a steady hand when, first thing in the morning, he called on Allegra’s erst-while guardian to see if he could persuade him into offering Allegra a fairer solution to her dilemma.
WILL’S KNOCK early the next morning was answered by Hobbs, who blinked in surprise at the visitor on his doorstep. “Lord Tavener!” he exclaimed. “I fear, my lord, that the ladies are still abed.”
“I’ve not come to visit the ladies,” Will said, walking past Hobbs into the entry, “but to call on Lord Lynton. If he is still abed, I shall wait.”
Hobbs bowed. “If you would step into the parlor, my lord, I’ll inform the master of your arrival.”
“Do that,” Will replied. He’d chosen to come early so that the matter might be concluded, if possible, without the ladies learning anything about it. As he paced around the parlor to which Hobbs conducted him, tension and anticipation built within him, as they always did before a match.
He thought of Allegra in the dusky park, the tears on her lashes sparkling like the glimmer of the gathering stars, and his simmering anger intensified. Flexing his fists, he envisioned the satisfaction of planting them at the center of Lynton’s smugly arrogant face.
Lynton must have been still abed as well, for ’twas nearly half an hour later when at last Will’s quarry appeared on the threshold, his cravat, Will noted with amusement, looking as if it had been hastily tied. The expression on Lynton’s face—a mixture of distaste and disdain, as if some disgusting rodent had invaded the pristine purity of his parlor—presented such a perfect invitation to fisticuffs that Will was hard-pressed not to slug him before even saying hello.
Regretfully choosing politeness, he bowed. “Lynton.”
“Tavener,” Allegra’s guardian replied with an insultingly small inclination of his head. Without offering Will refreshment or a chair, he walked into the room.
“Please,” he said, holding up a hand, “make me no speeches. Allegra has already informed me of your intentions. Rather than start a discussion which must be embarrassing for you and distasteful to us both, let me just state straightaway that under no circumstances would I give my permission for you to marry her. I am sorry you’ve roused yourself so early—or is it just that you’ve not yet been to bed?—upon what a man of any discernment would have known was a fool’s errand. Good day, sir.”
“You sanctimonious prig,” Will said before Lynton could walk out. “Were you too stupid to recognize what that bequest meant to Allegra—or are you just too arrogant and selfish to care? Oh, yes,” he continued, advancing on Lynton until they stood nose to nose, “I already know you refused to consider my suit.”
Lynton stiffened in surprise, his sleepy eyes snapping open and his irritated expression turning to the alertness of an experienced commander sensing a battle to come. But although Will had all but raised his fists into a boxer’s stance, he had to give Lynton credit, for the man neither flinched nor retreated an inch.
“If you mean to try to cajole me into reconsidering my decision, insulting me is hardly the way to go about it,” Lynton said. “Unlike some men, I take my responsibility to my dependents quite seriously.”
“Allegra is more than a ‘dependent’ and a ‘responsibility,’” Will flashed back. “She is a person with a warm and caring heart who has lovingly devoted herself to this family. Have you the slightest idea how deeply you have wounded her?”
For the first time, Lynton looked uncomfortable. “You cannot take me to task for wounding sensibilities I gave her no encouragement to develop.”
“Perhaps not. Emotions do not always need much ‘encouragement.’” As he ought to know better than anyone. “This is more a matter of fairness, of discharging one’s responsibilities properly. That is, if you flatter yourself by believing you are a responsible gentleman.”
Lynton’s face hardened. “What do you mean by that?”
“Allegra has never been your dependent. But she has unselfishly served your family, caring for your father before his death. You don’t mean to deny that, I hope.”
“I am well aware of the debt I owe her for her assistance to my father. ’Twas one of the reasons I sought to see her properly settled.”
“How can you have known her all these years and still understand her so little? Being married off to a ton gentleman of your choosing might be proper recompense for most girls of gentle birth, but it’s not right for Allegra. Surely you see she doesn’t belong in the ton by either temperament or inclination. If you truly wish to discharge your obligation in a way that is suitable for her, give her outright the sum you meant to pledge as her dowry so she may purchase the rural manor she has always wanted.”
“Give her money to buy property?” Lynton echoed. “Are you mad?”
“Has she never talked to you about this?” Will asked, incredulous. “Do you not even know that simple fact about the girl who is supposed to be your ‘responsibility’? Ask her, then. And do the right thing by her.”
“Ah, so that is your game,” Lynton retorted. “You have the effrontery to come here and try to insinuate you know better than I how I should discharge my duty? You, a reprobate who spends his time carousing in gaming hells and seducing other men’s wives? Well, your ploy will not work, Tavener. I won’t fund your misspent life by giving Allegra funds or property you might later be able to wheedle her into turning over to you.”
“You still don’t understand, do you?” Will said with exasperation. “’Tis not my life I wish to secure, ’tis Allegra’s. But perhaps there’s another way to convince you.” He assumed his stance and held up his fists.
After looking him up and down, Lynton sniffed. “Knowing you, I should have expected that if honeyed words failed, you’d try to start a common brawl.”
“Knowing me and the reputation you witnessed me building at Eton, you should have expected me to defend what I believe is right. As I once defended your friend Warley, you may remember, when those bullies in First set upon him. You were not so quick to stand up for him, I recall. Or do you only fulfill your ‘responsibilities’ when ’tis easy and the cost is not too great?”
Anger flared in Lynton’s eyes. “How dare you impugn my honor!”
“Oh, I dare impugn more than that. Are you too dainty to lift your fists against me…or just too much of a coward? As you were too cowardly to defend your friend at Eton?”
Will had the satisfaction of seeing he’d finally penetrated Lynton’s elephantine hide of superiority. Rage flushing his face, Lynton spat out, “I, who faced the charge of the Old Guard at Waterloo, afraid? Of the likes of you? Never!”
“Prove it,” Will said, and raised his fists again.
With a growl, Lynton swung at him. Dancing on his toes, the blood singing in his veins at finally forcing the fight he’d been thirsting for since Lynton’s first contemptuous glance at him in Lady Ormsby’s ballroom, Will easily sidestepped the blow.
“If you mean to prove your mettle, we’d best shed our jackets and secure the furniture. Unless you also wish to fail in your ‘responsibility’ to protect the Lynton estate’s possessions.”
In reply, Lynton tore off his coat and flung it on a side chair, then dragged that chair to the edge of the room. Grinning, Will stripped off his own coat and pushed the sofa and several small tables out of the way.
With them both down to shirtsleeves and the center of the room clear, Will raised his hands again. “So, you will settle an inheritance upon Allegra?”
Stepping sideways, Lynton threw a left uppercut at Will’s jaw. “Never, you licentious wastrel!”
Will ducked out of reach and came back to land a jab to Lynton’s kidney. “Attach the stipulation that the funds are meant to buy property. Name yourself as trustee to approve the purchase.”
Grunting at the blow, Lynton gasped, “Impudent wretch! As if I need you…to instruct me…on managing my estate!”
“Thought you felt responsible for seeing her settled before you brought home your bride.” Dancing past Lynton’s next strike, Will said, “So purchase her some good fertile land. Something on which to plant a kitchen garden and a few crops. She’ll manage it well.”
“What good will her having a country property do you?” Lynton asked, then landed a punch to Will’s side.
Moaning, Will ducked another blow, threw a hard left cross and missed. “I’d know she’s provided for. With an income and independence no one can ever take from her.”
“Supposing the idea did have merit,” Lynton said. “I’d set it up such that you could never touch a penny.” Following through Will’s feint, he scored a solid hit to Will’s jaw.
“Don’t want your money,” Will gasped, stars exploding behind his eyelids. “Just want her to be safe and happy.”
“You really do care about her.” A grudging respect dawned in Lynton’s eyes before Will’s left hook connected with his chin.
“Yes,” Will replied, swinging back hard with his right and missing.
“Regrettable,” Lynton said, staggering away before turning suddenly to slam Will with a blow to the torso.
Breath almost knocked from his body, Will rolled away. “Isn’t it,” he agreed when he could speak again, then closed to deliver his signature jab, uppercut and roundhouse blow to the side of Lynton’s head that sent his opponent careening into the massed furniture.
There was the sharp snap of a table leg followed by the shattering sound of ripping inlay and smashing glass. Lynton landed in a sprawl on the floor atop the disintegrated side table while Will, holding his jaw, sank to his knees and rested his head against the couch.
From out in the hallway they heard Hobbs clear his throat. “Is something amiss, my lord?” he called.
Breathing heavily, Lynton raised his head and called back, “Nothing, Hobbs. We’re having a…discussion.” Looking over to Will, he said, “I cede your point.”
Despite the pounding in his head, Will tried to focus on Lynton’s face. “You’ll make the arrangements?”
Lynton nodded. “I’ll make the arrangements.” Staggering upright, he came over and offered Will a hand.
Will struggled to his feet and shook it. “Good. But pray, lose no time in telling Allegra. She was distraught when she spoke to me last night. Proud and independent as she is, I dare not imagine what she might be planning.”
“Hobbs,” Lynton called. “Tell Miss Allegra I wish to see her here immediately.” Turning to Will, he said, “You might as well remain while I inform her, since she has you to thank for the change in terms. Oh, and Hobbs,” he called, raising his voice again, “send in James, please. There’s been a slight accident.”
WHILE TH
EY WAITED for Allegra to dress and come down, Lynton excused himself to repair his attire while Will did the best he could with his handkerchief and the cold water Hobbs provided. That task completed, Will accepted a glass of port and eased himself back on the sofa, rubbing his jaw where he knew a bruise was forming.
He’d have to avoid taking deep breaths for the next week, too, if past experience were any judge. Though the match had not lasted nearly as long as he would have liked, he had to admit that Lynton had acquitted himself well, once Will had finally goaded him into fighting. And at the end had finally, albeit grudgingly, accorded Will and his proposal the respect both deserved.
Will would have liked to have landed a few more of his blows—and to have absorbed two less—but he’d have gladly sustained a hundred more to have succeeded in convincing Lynton to provide for Allegra in a way that would leave her independent and happy.
Even though she would never be his.
Maybe he could visit her later, once he’d steeled himself to marry the heiress whose dowry would guarantee Brookwillow’s restoration. They could take tea in her parlor, talk about corn planting and turnips.
Before he bid her a goodbye with a proper bow and returned to his wife.
For a moment he let himself remember the impassioned goodbye kiss she’d given him last night. Longing and a searing pain that had nothing to do with Lynton’s skill at fisticuffs made him gasp.
Lynton reentered the parlor then, coat pristine and cravat expertly arranged, though he moved a bit stiffly and his cheek had already begun to swell. Before Will could compliment his adversary on his skill, the maid Will recognized as the girl who’d accompanied Allegra during their walk in the garden rushed into the room.
Hastily dipping a curtsey, she cried, “I’m sorry, my lord, but Miss Allegra won’t be coming down!”
“Not coming?” Lynton frowned. “Why not? Is she ill?”
The girl twisted her hands in her apron. “I don’t know, my lord. I couldn’t find her! Her bed linens was pulled up, which weren’t so unusual, for she don’t like her chamber untidy and sometimes does that afore I can get to it, but I’ve looked everywhere in the house and she weren’t anywhere. Then I found this on your desk in the library.”
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