Fanny seemed grateful for the encouragement, but still she worried her lower lip. “I do not have your confidence, Tess. I am afraid even to kiss Basil, and I don’t dare try to make love to him. What if he doesn’t like it?”
Tess laughed outright at that absurdity. “There is absolutely no possibility of Basil not enjoying your lovemaking. Your problems with him are monetary, not amorous.”
“I suppose so,” the courtesan agreed. “But I mean to let him take the lead in our relationship so that I don’t frighten him off. And my conduct must be believable. My acting like a virgin will make him feel more manly, no doubt, but my innocence has to seem real, don’t you think?”
“I think you are worrying for no reason. Wait until Basil arrives and then see how things stand between you.”
It was amazing to see Fanny so uncertain of herself. She had sold her sexual favors for outrageous sums and reigned over the demimonde for years. Then again, she had never before been vulnerable to love, as she was now with Basil, Tess conceded.
For Fanny’s sake as well as her own, therefore, Tess was almost glad to have her first experience with the castle ghost that very night. Waking suddenly in the dark, she recognized the eerie disturbance that had put the servants so on edge.
Her heart pounding, Tess quickly lit a candle. The clanking noises did indeed resemble rattling chains and sounded as if they were coming through the walls, or perhaps from the chimney. It was warm enough that she hadn’t needed a fire, and the contrasting quiet of her bedchamber only seemed to amplify the metallic racket.
Summoning her courage, Tess climbed out of bed and checked every nook and cranny of her room but found nothing unusual to explain the cause. When the mysterious noises stopped abruptly, she threw on her dressing gown and hurried down the corridor to Fanny’s room.
Fanny was sitting up in bed, apparently having been startled awake also.
The rattling did not resume, however. And after a time they discussed the phenomenon to help calm their shaken nerves.
“There must be a rational explanation,” Tess ventured to say, to which Fanny agreed.
“Yes. Perhaps it was just the wind.”
“Perhaps. There probably is no point in searching the castle tonight in the dark. We will have to wait until daylight to investigate.”
Fanny nodded, but stopped Tess from leaving. “Will you stay with me here, Tess? I would rather not be alone until we know what we are dealing with.”
Tess was of a similar mind, so rather than return to her room, she claimed the other side of Fanny’s bed. When no more commotion threatened their peace, they eventually managed to fall asleep and didn’t wake again till dawn.
After breakfast the next morning, they searched the entire castle from top to bottom looking for clues, but could find no hint of what had caused the unsettling disturbance. Both of Tess’s sturdy footmen accompanied them, particularly when they searched the “dungeon,” but all they gained for their troubles were dirty gowns.
The housekeeper apologized profusely for the condition of the cellars, perhaps fearing for her job, but Tess reassured her.
“Please don’t worry, Mrs. Hiddleston. As you said, no one uses the cellars anymore. As for exploring the depths of the castle, we think of it as research for Miss Irwin’s novel. I doubt there are real ghostly spirits lurking down there or anywhere else.”
In the light of day, Tess found it easier to dismiss the absurd possibility of Rotham’s murdered ancestor haunting his palatial home. Yet to her consternation, an hour later she had a new concern to occupy her: A brief message came from Rotham, saying that he had succeeded in hiring Basil Eddowes and that they would arrive sometime the following afternoon. Thus, instead of worrying about confronting a ghost, Tess had to worry about facing her new husband.
She told herself that the restless flutter in her stomach had nothing whatsoever to do with eagerness or anticipation of seeing him again. Of course she was delighted for Fanny, but she’d hoped to avoid Rotham for a good while longer.
It was unfortunate, Tess thought wryly, that she couldn’t simply refuse him entry so she wouldn’t have to deal with him. Yet she couldn’t exactly kick him out of his own castle. And if she tried, she could only imagine the grief Rotham would give her.
Fanny was even more unnerved by the realization that her moment of truth was at hand. For the remainder of the day and all the next morning, the two of them tried with only mild success to calm each other’s agitation.
Long before the expected hour, they gave up working in the library and settled in the drawing room to read. Despite their effort to appear composed, however, when the gentlemen finally did arrive around two o’clock, Fanny only had eyes for Basil, and Tess could not look away from Rotham.
It was deplorable how all her senses came alive the moment he strode into the room. His gaze was fixed on her in return, she saw. He was studying her closely, perhaps wondering what sort of reception she meant to give him … perhaps also remembering their one passionate night together, just as she was.
Tess felt the impact as Rotham’s gray eyes raked slowly down her figure. She had deliberately chosen lighter colors and fabrics to wear for her visit to Cornwall, and he seemed to approve of her gown of blue sprigged muslin—not that she cared what he thought of her, Tess reminded herself.
Yet her body was instantly, profoundly aware when Rotham stepped closer. And when he took her hand to press a light kiss to her fingers, she shivered at even that slight touch.
With effort, Tess withdrew her hand from his grasp and shifted her attention from Rotham to her friends, who were staring at each other as if they had been parted for a decade rather than merely a few days.
Tall, lean, and lanky, Basil was blond, brown-eyed, and wore spectacles that gave him a scholarly appearance, which provided a striking contrast to Fanny’s lush, raven-haired beauty. Tess knew theirs was a clear case of opposites attracting; Fanny, the gay, vivacious, pleasure-seeker, and Basil, the earnest, bookish law clerk. His studious air was fortunately relieved by his sharp dry wit, though. And reportedly he’d been fun-loving in his youth, acting as Lily Loring’s childhood compatriot in her sporting endeavors and rebellious escapades.
Fanny and Basil had been childhood friends, too, but they’d been at loggerheads over her shocking decision to enter the flesh trade at sixteen. His disapproval, Tess suspected, in addition to his fierce anger, disappointment, and outright jealousy, stemmed from the probability that even back then, he was head over ears in love with Fanny.
Basil certainly seemed eager to see her again. Indeed, the desire and longing in his eyes was unmistakable.
When Fanny gazed at Basil in return, the tender look they shared only confirmed Tess’s conviction that they both wanted a future together.
She had watched the change in Basil over the course of the past summer. He’d dressed in homely attire until Fanny’s elderly courtesan friends had taken him in hand, intent on turning him into a fashionable gentleman. Under their direction, Basil had begun to look the part of a nobleman’s secretary. Just now he wore a tailored brown frock coat and pantaloons and shiny Hessian boots, and he carried himself with manly confidence, as if he were worthy of a beautiful Cyprian like Fanny.
While they greeted each other, Tess drew Rotham aside and spoke in a low voice. “Thank you for bringing Basil here. I gather he is now in your employ?”
“Yes, as my newest secretary. Did you doubt my success?”
“Not in the least.” She would never doubt Rotham’s ability to gain anything he truly wanted. “What reason did you give for requiring him to accompany you to Cornwall?”
“Just that it was difficult for you to wed me so suddenly and that you wanted your friends around you.”
That much was true, Tess thought wryly. “I presume Basil will have specific duties as your secretary?”
Rotham nodded. “To start with, he will take charge of my library at Bellacourt. I told him that the collection here at Fal
well needs cataloging to determine if there are any rare editions I want to bring home with me.”
“And does it need cataloging?”
“Not to my knowledge, but it won’t hurt. However, the library here is not extensive, so it should take no more than a week for Eddowes to complete his work. After that I will run out of excuses. You should tell your friends to hurry and fall in love before my patience runs out.”
Suspecting that Rotham was deliberately provoking her, Tess returned an unwitting smile. “I realize you have an aversion to lovers, but this is for a good cause.”
“You say that about all your causes, sweeting.”
“Yes, but this one is particularly important to me.”
“Then by all means, I will endeavor to enforce your will. It would pain me greatly to disappoint you.”
She refrained from retorting to his light mockery. Rotham was helping her with her friends’ problems, even against his inclination, and she was very grateful.
Tess glanced over her shoulder at the lovers. Fanny looked like a blushing schoolgirl as she contemplated the object of her affection. It was amazing to see her so nervous and uncertain around any man.
“Fanny is anxious for Basil’s visit to go well,” she observed quietly to Rotham, “and so am I. You do know that you cannot monopolize all of his time? He must have the chance to conduct a courtship … and yet we shouldn’t leave them alone together too often, either. I don’t want the arrangements to seem too contrived.”
Rotham’s gray eyes showed a flash of amusement. “I imagine he already suspects a conspiracy.”
Tess started to reply, but forgot what she meant to say as she got caught up in Rotham’s eyes. Eventually she dragged her gaze away, but only to the rest of his face.
His hair still wanted cutting, she thought absently. She found herself longing to smooth an unruly lock back from his forehead.
Then her gaze dropped to his mouth. She remembered that sensual mouth making love to her body only a few nights ago. A vision filled her mind of his nakedness, of his smooth, hard muscles and sleek, warm skin—
Abruptly, Tess shook herself and forced herself to respond. “You didn’t need to accompany Basil here, you know. You could have allowed him to come on his own.”
“Perhaps, but hiring him served to explain our separation after your sudden departure from Bellacourt.”
“What excuse did you give for my absence?”
“I claimed that we were taking a wedding journey to Falwell, but that I sent you on ahead while I completed some necessary business in London. I had no desire to give the impression that you had left me after one night of marriage.”
“Of course not. We would not want your outsized male pride to suffer.”
Rotham responded with a short laugh, but countered her. “I am more concerned about your reputation than my pride, darling. I don’t want to give the gossips any more fodder to chew on.”
Tess sighed audibly. “I suppose we still must keep up appearances, even if we would both prefer to remain apart.”
To her surprise, Rotham hesitated. Tess had the oddest feeling that he meant to deny his desire to remain apart from her. But he changed the subject instead.
“Did you find the ghosts you were seeking?”
“In a manner of speaking.”
She told him about the strange clanking sounds they’d heard recently and of their futile efforts to search the castle. “We found no leads, but I am determined to solve the mystery.”
Rotham sent her a narrow look. “That is another reason I came to Cornwall. I wanted to be here if you deliberately went seeking trouble.”
Tess refused to be intimidated by him. “I told you, I do not require your protection.”
“Nonetheless, I am better able to handle danger than you are.”
She lifted her chin and stared back at him challengingly. “Is that so?”
“Certainly. I will take a turn in searching the castle tomorrow.”
“Do you think you can do any better than Fanny and I did?”
“I’ll warrant I can. I haven’t visited Falwell much, so I don’t know it well, but as you said, there must be a rational explanation.”
Once more Tess failed to reply as she became conscious of a damning thought: She had greatly missed sparring with Rotham.
In truth, these past few days she had merely been passing time at the castle until he arrived. It was as if all her senses had been slumbering, waiting for the heady rush of awareness that made her feel so vividly alive.
And now that he was here, exhilaration was charging through her like an electrical current—just as if she had never learned of the painful likelihood that Rotham might have a son she had never known about.
Her silence went on for too long. Finally Tess cleared her throat. “We can discuss our differences later, your grace. For now I think we should join our guests.”
She turned away toward her friends, seeking safety in numbers. But as she felt Rotham’s presence behind her, Tess shivered once again, wondering how she would manage to endure the next week or more with her husband in residence. As enormous as Falwell Castle was, it still would not be large enough for the both of them.
Am I foolish to be so dissatisfied with the barren state of my marriage?
—Diary Entry of Miss Tess Blanchard
Ian raised no objection to the living arrangements when Tess insisted on sleeping in her own bedchamber rather than share the master’s apartments with him. So far from London, it hardly mattered if anyone knew their marriage was not a love match. Moreover, Ian wanted to avoid the maddening frustration of having his alluring wife in his bed without being able to touch her.
Thus, on his first night at the castle when he escorted Tess to her rooms, he merely bowed politely and murmured a brief good night.
The obvious relief in her dark eyes irked him. He’d thought Tess would change her mind about carnal relations once she understood the pleasure he could give her, yet she clearly had no desire for a real marriage between them. He would not insist on a consummation, though.
Despite his pledge, Ian found it hard to leave Tess there and make his way to his own suite in another wing entirely. It was even harder to purge the memory of her silken skin as he attempted to fall asleep alone in his bed.
He was not enamored of her other than natural male lust, Ian promised himself, but that alone was dangerous. Lust was a powerful force; it weakened a man’s willpower and clouded the mind.
So did the contradictory feelings Tess aroused in him. He’d felt an unanticipated gladness upon seeing her again after only a few days of separation.
He could have remained in London, of course, but he’d thought it best to join her in Cornwall, rationalizing that with Eddowes and Fanny Irwin as houseguests, he should be able to control his craving for his beautiful new wife. He was too jaded and experienced to fall victim to his own desires.
But if so, then why was he having such a damnably hard time forgetting his marital troubles and falling asleep?
The next morning, Ian rose at daybreak and met his newest secretary to discuss strategy for undertaking the library inventory. They had just concluded their conversation and settled in the breakfast room when Tess made an unexpected appearance.
Eddowes stood with alacrity, while Ian politely followed suit. She offered her friend a cheerful greeting, and when they were all seated once more, she explained why she had joined them at this hour.
“I know you are an early riser, Rotham, but I didn’t want you searching the castle without me.”
Before Ian could object to her planned involvement, Tess turned back to Eddowes. “Fanny says she will be down shortly, even though she is accustomed to sleeping a good deal longer. Do you mean to begin work in the library this morning?”
“Yes, Miss Bl—I mean, your grace. The duke and I were just discussing the particulars of our plan.”
“If it will not inconvenience you, Fanny can continue to write in the li
brary so she will have company while I am away. I don’t like to leave my houseguests to their own devices, you see, and I will be occupied most of today. After our search of the castle, I mean to pay some courtesy calls on my new neighbors.”
Ian broke into their conversation. “It isn’t necessary for you to search the castle again, love.”
Tess offered him a beatific smile. “Perhaps not, but I can show you the ground we have already covered. Shall we discuss the matter after breakfast?” Without waiting for Ian’s reply, she gave her full attention to his secretary. “Mr. Eddowes, pray tell me how Fanny’s friends at the boardinghouse go on. Are Fleur and Chantel keeping out of trouble?”
Eddowes sent his new employer an apologetic glance and launched into a discussion about two women, which Ian eventually learned were elderly courtesans whose acquaintance Tess had made during the summer when she’d taught special classes on diction and manners at Fanny’s London boardinghouse as a favor to Lily Loring.
When breakfast was over, the secretary asked to be excused to begin his cataloging and left Ian alone with Tess.
She evidently expected an argument, for her gaze narrowed as she took up the issue of searching the castle again.
“You cannot expect me to sit idly by, Rotham, while you take over the investigation of those mysterious clanking sounds.”
“Oh? Why not?”
“I might be of help, for one thing. As I said, I can show you exactly where we have already searched and save you from wasting time. The sooner we expose the ‘ghost’ the better. It is terrifying the servants, and me as well.”
“I doubt you are terrified,” Ian said in a languid drawl.
“Well, Fanny is. She was afraid to sleep alone the other night. And I won’t put her through that fright again.”
From the stubborn set of Tess’s shoulders, Ian suspected that he was fighting a losing battle. He raised his gaze to the ceiling for a moment, before giving her an exasperated look.
To Desire a Wicked Duke Page 13