by Carrie Brock
“Lord Diamond, welcome.” Angelica slipped between two serving maids, her velvet-clad elegance a striking contrast to their tidy black uniforms. She paused next to Blake, holding out her hand. “I had nearly given up on you.”
Blake took her fingers lightly in his. “And miss all this? Never.”
With a distracted smile, the woman's green-eyed gaze searched the packed room, eventually coming to rest. Blake saw her watching a particularly large group in a far corner away from the dancers. Then he saw the focus of the circle—his fiancée, an exquisite flower in blue silk.
“I think our households have managed quite nicely thus far, since we did not expect this volume of people. You were as surprised as we, were you not?” Angelica inquired.
He stifled a chuckle at the lightly veiled hostility. “It seems my aunt, Lady Ransom, took it upon herself to send out an army of messengers with invitations over and above those requested by your husband. I asked that she procure a special marriage license as I felt no need for the presence of family members. Yet they are here. She was quite efficient, do you not agree?”
The corners of Angelica’s lips trembled. “I am certain I could not have been quite as expeditious.”
“That is my aunt, though she did have a strong plus in her favor. All of London would have run each other over to be the first to investigate a scandal.”
“Scandal? Whatever do you mean? I have been spreading the story of how Nicole wrote to Teddy in America and Teddy, learning that the two of you shared an interest in horses, suggested you correspond. Of course you did so and eventually you determined that as you were to be in England to take care of your father's estate, you must meet her in person. Your hopes were realized and you knew at once you had found the woman you would marry. Pressing business in America forces us to move up the wedding date as the two lovebirds did not wish to be apart any longer. Am I mistaken on any count?”
Blake nodded to a passing acquaintance whose name he could not recall. Admiration for Angelica’s savoir-faire rose to the forefront. “I am truly impressed at the depth of your understanding of the situation. I shall be certain no variations occur from my quarter. Have you thought to share this touching story with your daughter?”
Reflective, a little pensive, Angelica watched Nicole. Blake turned to see one of the men break away from the throng to lean over Nicole in an attempt to gain her attention. “I spoke with Nicole, my lord, but it is Theodore I worry about. Though Nicole said she would speak to him, I fear he will do whatever furthers his own interests.”
“And at the moment, his primary interest appears to be my fiancée.”
“It appears so.”
He furrowed his brow in irritation as Teddy captured Nicole's hand and brought it to his lips with a flourish. So much for his efforts earlier in the day to make her forget the popinjay. “It is much like having an adder for a pet. Will it protect you from your enemies, or will it turn and bite the hand of its master?”
Angelica's gaze searched his face with obvious concern. “I am hoping we can trust in his regard for Nicole.”
As Blake returned his attention to Nicole, he noted that she had spied him and waved one hand emphatically, her movements coming perilously close to blinding one of her admirers.
A spark of pride flickered inside him as she immediately excused herself to embark on the formidable journey through the crushing profusion of people to reach him. “If there is a woman alive able to reform a man, I believe it must be your Nicole.”
“She has always been filled with such trust. Somehow it leaves a person longing to live up to her every expectation. One is destined to fail.” A sadness trembled in Angelica's voice.
Blake glanced at her sharply, startled to find a sheen of tears welling up in her eyes. Never at ease in the presence of an emotional woman, he cleared his throat and hoped for divine guidance. “You care for her a great deal.”
With relief, Blake watched her rapidly blink the moisture away. “I love both of Jonathon's girls as much as my own Shelby, but Nicole has refused my every attempt to become closer. If I did not know better, I would almost believe she hated me long before she knew me. Sometimes, when I meet her eyes unexpectedly, there is such animosity . . . ”
“My lord! Angelica.” Nicole came to a breathless halt before them. Blake noted the subtle stiffening of her body as she looked at her stepmother. “I feared you had been kept away, Blake. Is this not the most wonderful party! Just think of it, they have all come in our honor.”
Blake smiled while his gaze lingered on Nicole's flushed cheeks and her lustrous blue green eyes. Any concern he might have that she would be cool after their afternoon venture dissipated before her obvious good humor. “You are quite beautiful tonight, my dear. Every man in the room must be boiling with envy of me.”
Without hesitation, Nicole slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. “You must introduce me to your family. There are so many people here I have already forgotten most of them.”
“I suppose the first person you must meet is my aunt, Lady Sophia Ransom. She seems to have unearthed relations I was not aware I had. That is her in the purple velvet standing next to the tall, sour-looking gentleman whom I must claim as my cousin, Harry. He wore that same pout when he was a boy.”
Nicole bestowed a chiding glance on him. “You are unkind, but he does rather appear to be sulking.”
Blake met Angelica's gaze over Nicole's golden curls. “Would you care to join us?”
“Thank you, no.” Angelica searched the vast room. “I must find Jonathon. I fear Josephine has cornered him somewhere and he must circulate amongst the guests.”
As Angelica took her leave, Blake noted that Nicole had gained an extraordinary fascination for the white marble floor. Gently, Blake tipped her face to his. “She is trying very hard, you know.”
“We have only until the wedding to tolerate each other, and then I shall be gone.”
“What is it that makes you so bitter?”
Her eyes darkened and Blake had the sudden longing to erase the pain he saw there. Then Nicole looked away, breaking the tenuous contact.
“You have your secrets, my Lord Diamond. I have a few of my own. If you should decide to share yours, then perhaps I may return the favor.”
Blake stiffened. “You think I possess secrets, do you?”
She nodded solemnly. “A great many. In fact, it seems your entire life has become one monumental enigma. Perhaps you have become so used to your situation that you will never seek to release yourself from the suffering.”
The perceptive speech struck a nerve. “I want to enjoy myself tonight, Nicole. I do not wish to dwell on matters that are best left in the darkness of my soul where they belong.”
“My soul has its shadows as well, Blake. When you are able to bring yours into the light, perhaps mine shall follow. Maybe in doing so, we can heal one another.”
Unable to bring himself to look at her, Blake instead grabbed her arm and forged into the midst of the crowd, maneuvering her with a light touch. Thoughts that he might see his own pain mirrored in her lovely eyes sent fear racing through him. This girl should not mean anything to him. The daughter of Jonathon Langley, the woman Theodore Bartholomew loved—she was the perfect pawn in his game of revenge. Yet he had vowed to himself not to hurt her.
He stood tall enough to see over the heads of the guests and made straight for his aunt, who noticed his approach and moved to meet him.
“Aunt, I would like you to meet Lady Nicole Langley, my fiancée. She prefers to be called Nicki.”
Sophia looked from Blake to Nicole for a moment before a genuine smile of pleasure broke through the normal haughtiness of her expression. “Then I shall call you Nicki, for any girl capable of winning a Diamond is someone I wish to please.”
“You are very kind, but perhaps too complimentary, Lady Ransom.”
Blake tightened his hold slightly on Nicole's elbow. “And you are too modest, my darling. I will be the
first to admit it was your very uniqueness that encouraged me to ask for your hand.”
Color swept Nicole's cheeks and Blake noted the faintest tremor along her delicate jawline. “And it was your excessive charm that swept me quite off my feet. I had envisioned someone very different when I met your nephew, my lady.”
“I hope you were not disappointed, Nicole. This is the first I have heard of any shortcomings on my part.” The comment earned Blake a dangerous look from Nicole's incredible eyes.
“Not disappointed exactly—I would say dumbfounded. You were not at all the man I expected you to be.”
Sophia tapped her fan gently in her palm, obviously enjoying the exchange immensely. “I have often found that about the males in the Diamond clan. They say still waters run deep, my girl, and none more so than in the Earls of Diamond.”
“Then I must be perilously close to drowning,” responded Nicole dryly.
“Do not depend on my nephew here to rescue you. The women destined to spend their lives with these men, whether by blood or marriage, must find their own savior.”
Blake glared at his aunt. “Perhaps you would like to tell Nicole about the custom ‘we Diamond men’ have of murdering our first wives and displaying their heads in the study?”
Both women burst into laughter at his sour remark. Nicole leaned close to Blake, surrounding him in the diaphanous scent of wild roses. “Then we are sure to have an exciting marriage, sir. The Langleys are known to drive their mates straight into Bedlam.”
“Ah, a worthy opponent,” he retorted, but could not resist a grin.
Aunt Sophia snapped his arm with her folded fan. “This is your intended, you wretched man! You mustn't speak to her so.”
“Do not worry, my lady, I do not fear competition,” Nicole intervened. “But I would know the stakes, my lord.”
He looked deep into her eyes. “That, my dear, is up to you.”
. . .
Several couples twirled past then disappeared into the colorful blur of dancers surrounding Nicki and Blake. She moved her hand nervously on the fabric of the earl's sleeve, searching for a topic of conversation that would not send him dashing behind that wall of indifference he so liked to erect.
A difficult task when the feel of his hand on her waist, the closeness warranted by the waltz, sent her emotions and thoughts scattering. He looked so elegant and refined in his evening clothes of black and white—every inch the titled earl. But in his touch remained the fire that had engulfed her within the stones of Winterhaven.
She avoided Blake's gaze, not wanting him to see her feelings. Did he find it easy to forget what had happened between them only hours ago? As a girl, Nicki had lain in the center of those magical walls and stared up at the heavens, dreaming of a knight in flashing silver armor who would ride up to the tower and kill every last one of her dragons.
Today Blake had entered her fantasy world, whether he meant to or not. Had she at last found her knight? She had gone to Winterhaven to determine the path her future meant to take, but once again the earl had second-guessed her. And in doing so, he had made her choice for her.
Stop this! A safe subject guaranteed not to raise Blake's hackles, that is what she had meant to think about. Not about passionate kisses or broad shoulders with hard muscles that flexed beneath her fingers.
She turned her face up to his. “Calypso allowed me to touch her this afternoon. She is such a little lady, just like her mother.”
A smile touched Blake's face, so dark against the white of his cravat. So handsome. His hand tightened slightly on Nicki's waist, and her breath caught in her throat as he spun her in a particularly complicated maneuver, all the while remaining in perfect time with the orchestra.
“Oh? Was that before or after your ride?”
“After.” A slow burn started at her neck at the subtle barb, but Nicki forced her feet to match the earl's stride. Thank heaven her dancing instructor had emphasized a more athletic approach to dance steps. “It was all I needed to calm my frazzled nerves. As you can see, it worked wonders. I am quite recovered and I managed to stay out of Angelica's way. She had enough to worry about without watching me to ensure I did not humiliate her in some way.”
He nodded solemnly, as though in understanding. “Best to be with your horses who demand nothing of you.”
“Is that so horrible? They accept me as I am, without censure, without expectations I cannot live up to.”
“Odd. Angelica said much the same about you.”
Surprise brought Nicki's full attention to Blake, and she missed a step. “Blast! Why would she say something like that to you, of all people?”
Skillfully, he guided her back into cadence, making her misstep scarcely noticeable. “Perhaps if the two of you ever managed to set aside your differences long enough to talk to one another you might learn the answer.”
She eluded his probing look, instead flashing a smile at a couple close by. “I prefer to maintain my relationship with Angelica as it stands. Do you plan to make a fresh beginning with my father—for the sake of family, of course?”
“Touché, my dear.” Blake bowed his head politely in the direction of an elderly couple. “Once again we have ventured into forbidden territory. Tell me about your Calypso.”
“Forgive my silliness. I forget that not everyone shares my enthusiasm for horseflesh.”
The earl put on an injured front. “Can it be you have forgotten the very subject that brought us together? Were it not for our mutual love of horses, we might never have met.”
Nicki could only shake her head in admiration. “You learned your part in this charade amazingly well, my lord. But then I'm sure you make certain you master every facet of your life, no matter what it is.”
“And you, my charming lady, ensure that your blinders are securely in place so you may charge through your life with only one purpose in mind.”
“And what purpose is that?”
The harsh planes of his face broke into one of those elusive smiles that transformed him from a man of ice into warm flesh and blood. “The answer requires further investigation on my part. You are truly an original.”
Nicki was not certain she liked being an original, so she chose a new theme. “Angelica has planned a hunt for early in the morning. Will you accompany me?”
“Dare I?”
She slanted him a withering glance. “If you believe I plan to disgrace the family by wearing trousers you are mistaken. Angelica has managed to keep us all clothed in the highest fashion. I shall be wearing a riding habit and a hat adorned with a small peacock feather. I am certain I shall quite take your breath away.”
Blake's silver stare ignited a flame in the pit of her stomach that quickly enveloped her entire body. “I have already formed a picture of you in those breeches you wore in my bedchamber. That takes my breath away.”
“My lord!” Panic-stricken, Nicki glanced swiftly to the nearby dancers, though no one appeared to have heard. “I care nothing for scandal, but I do not wish my stepmother to have further reason to make my remaining days under this roof any more miserable than usual.”
His laughter managed to draw the attention his comment had failed to do. “I merely expressed an honest opinion.”
Nicki pasted on a pleasant smile for the benefit of their audience and spoke through clenched teeth. “You—sir—are a hopeless scoundrel! I would even go so far as to call you extremely contrary!”
“Ah—she is the light of my day, the moon of my night—yet she cuts me to the core of my being with her unkind words.”
“Not even the moon of your night could break through those clever shields of yours, my lord. And if you expect me to believe you feel I am the light of your day, it is not likely!”
His smile faded, but a devilish gleam remained. “Angel—are you irritated with me? Tell me it is not so before I perish!”
Despite her efforts to maintain proper decorum, Nicki chuckled. “The wilderness of America did little to dull you
r polish. You must have broken a great many hearts when you left England.”
The icy veil snapped into place. “Only one.”
“Did you love her very much?” Where did the catch in her throat come from?
“I do not recall saying the heart belonged to a she.”
Frustrated, Nicki furrowed her brow before recalling appearances. “How shall we ever get on together if you refuse to reveal to me any facet of your life!”
In answer to her show of temper Blake's eyes sparkled. At least she knew how to get a real smile out of him. “Very well. Ask me one question and I will try to answer it honestly. But beware of those subjects I have marked as a closed book. You will only waste your opportunity.”
Nicki thought for a moment, feeling rushed as the dance was certain to end at any moment. Every question she touched upon was certain to be rejected, until she came to the one question perhaps most important to her. Did she dare take the risk?
Her throat tightened around the words and she took a fortifying breath. “I have a question you should be free to answer, my lord.”
“I wait with baited breath.” His hand gripped her waist a little tighter, drawing her closer to him.
Nicki tipped her head back further to meet the expectant expression on his handsome face. “Do you think . . . is it possible you might come to love me?”
His entire body stiffened and Nicki trod upon his toe before he recovered. “You are certainly skilled at delivering a facer, my dear.”
“There you go again, avoiding the question. Next you shall offer some glib response. I will not have it! You made the offer, now show me you are the honorable man I believe you to be and give me my answer!”
For the briefest instant a glint of some vague emotion sprang to the forefront of his eyes. Regret—disappointment. Nicki steeled herself against the pain she now knew he intended to hand her. Winterhaven had been nothing more than a fantasy. Her fantasy. Not his.