In the Prince's Bed

by Sabrina Jeffries

  What if he’d returned to Edenmore? Or worse yet, gone somewhere she’d never find him? But no, Sydney’s footman had said he was on horseback. Alec couldn’t have gone far.

  Still, she should never have let Sydney delay her. She shouldn’t have stood there gaping at Alec like a fool when he’d said those lovely words renouncing her fortune. But she’d been so stunned. She knew how badly he needed the money. And for him to give it up…

  The hack shuddered to a halt. Thank goodness! Over Molly’s protests, she ordered the maid to stay with the hack, then she jumped out without waiting for the driver to help her down. She raced into the hotel and halted as every eye stared at her, an unaccompanied lady. Never mind. She had to find Alec, even if it meant dealing with the secretive owner again on her own.

  But if Alec had told the man of Katherine’s defection, he would probably be even more stubborn than before. Then she spotted the footboy who’d delivered Alec’s message when he’d left town. With a surge of relief, she hurried up to him.

  “I need to see Lord Iversley. Is he here?”

  “Well… I… the thing is—”

  “Look,” she said impatiently. “I know he lives here, I know he’s poor, I know everything I need to know about him except where he is at this moment. And if you don’t tell me, I swear I’ll start wandering the halls screaming his name until somebody does.” She’d already made a complete spectacle of herself; she might as well finish the job.

  The servant blinked, then nodded. “This way, miss. He’s in a dining room with his friends.”

  “Friends?” she asked as he led her through the halls.

  “Mr. Byrne and Lord Draker.”

  Those two again. How strange that Alec should happen to be friendly with not one, but two of Prinny’s by-blows. What could that possibly mean?

  The boy opened the door to a room, but when she heard someone speak her name, she motioned to him to be silent, then waved him away. She stood outside the cracked open door, straining to hear their conversation.

  “You might as well take Beleza now,” Alec said. “I don’t know when I can repay your loan.”

  “I’m not taking your horse,” a man’s gruff voice answered. It wasn’t Mr. Byrne, so it must be the other one, the Dragon Viscount.

  “Why not?” Alec answered. “I knew what I was doing when I offered her as collateral for the money to buy my tillers. With any luck, this crop will help me succeed with Edenmore, so I may be able to buy her back from you one day.”

  Katherine’s heart twisted in her chest. He’d given up Beleza? Oh, her poor sweet darling. She started to push the door open and put an end to this right now when another voice arrested her, one she knew only too well.

  “I don’t understand why you can’t marry another heiress. I know of a woman whose brother owes me money—”

  “Absolutely not,” Alec snapped. “If I can’t have Katherine, I don’t want another woman. You’ll have to ask me for some other favor, Byrne, because marrying to help you get your money is no longer something I’m willing to do.”

  Her heart had begun to soar when one of the men said, “Wait a minute.”

  Before she could react, the door swung open, bringing her face-to-face with a bearded giant who bore a fierce scowl and hands that looked capable of crushing her with one blow.

  “Who are you, skulking about, listening in on private conversations?” he growled.

  This could only be the Dragon Viscount in the flesh. “I beg your pardon, but I—”

  “Katherine?” Alec said. Coming up behind Lord Draker, he thrust the man aside. “For God’s sake, stop scowling at her. You’re scaring her to death.”

  Draker crossed his arms over his burly chest. “She was eavesdropping.”

  “I don’t care.” Alec’s gaze never left her face. “What are you doing here?”

  Gathering her courage, she stepped into the room. “You never answered my question. About why you’d be willing to give up my fortune if I’d marry you.”

  The leap of hope in his face sparked her own hope even higher. Then his expression changed to a troubled frown. “Before I do, I have to tell you something. No matter what happens between us, I’m done with keeping secrets from you.”

  She forced a smile. “That sounds ominous. I’m not sure I can take many more of your secrets.”

  “Forgive me, sweetheart, but this one’s important.” Shutting the door behind her, he nodded to his companions. “You know Byrne, and you’ve heard me speak of Draker. They’re… well…”

  “Your friends. Yes, I know.”

  “They’re not just my friends, Katherine.” He sucked in a deep breath. “They’re my brothers. My half brothers.”

  She stared at him in complete bewilderment. “But that would mean—”

  “That my father is His Highness. My mother had a short-lived affair with Prinny. I am the result.”

  She could hardly take it in. “Does the prince know?”

  “Nobody knows except my brothers and two of the old earl’s servants.”

  Yet he’d trusted her with the secret, too. He was Prinny’s son. Oh, of course! That explained so much— why the previous earl had treated him cruelly, why he didn’t like to discuss his parents…

  Why he was regarding her now with an air of expectant dread.

  She cast him a reassuring smile. “It doesn’t matter to me. I don’t care who your father is. I don’t care who your friends or your brothers are. I only care who you are.”

  Alec went still. Then, as if suddenly aware of their audience, he flashed his half brothers a glance. Muttering something about going in search of more brandy, they vanished past her into the hall.

  As soon as the door closed behind his half brothers, she said, “Now will you answer my question?”

  With his face alight, he stepped nearer. “Surely you know the answer.”

  “I need to hear the words.”

  “Very well.” He laid his hands on her waist. “I love you, Katherine.” He drew her close. “I love you.” He bent his head toward her. “I will always love you.”

  As his lips met hers, her heart expanded near to bursting. His kiss was so tender, so loving, that she couldn’t believe she’d ever thought to give him up.

  When he pulled back, he added, “I think I began falling in love with you the minute you told me I was careless for turning my life into a cliché.” His eyes darkened. “But when you tried to seduce me just to get me to rest, I knew I could never live without you.”

  She cupped his face in her hands, so happy she was beaming. “Oh, Alec, I love you, too. So very much.”

  “Enough to marry me?” he said hoarsely. “I have little to offer right now, but if we rent out Edenmore—”

  “We are not renting out Edenmore.” She looped her arms about his neck. “My fortune will give us all we need to restore it.”

  He scowled down at her. “I meant what I said—I don’t want your money. I can take care of you on my own.”

  “If you think I’ll let you march off to get yourself killed in the cavalry or go riding about Astley’s ring with some other pretty senhora, think again.”

  That seemed to give him pause. Then he shook his head mutinously. “No, I can’t. Lovelace will claim I used my kisses to gain your fortune.”

  “Why do you care what he says? I certainly don’t.”

  He arched one brow. “You’ve changed your mind about him? You’ve decided he’s not the better man after all?”

  “Of course he’s the better man.” When Alec frowned, she added with a smile, “But I don’t want the better man. I want Alexander the Great, who is reckless and wicked and does exactly as he pleases, who thinks that poetry is boring and that women should speak their minds. I want you, Alec. And my fortune. I refuse to marry you unless I can have both.”

  He began to smile. “Oh, you do, do you?”

  “I’m not going to eat Mrs. Brown’s cooking or put up with a sculpture of Lady Godiva in the bedroo
m because we can’t afford anything else. So you might as well accept my fortune now.”

  His eyes gleamed down at her. “All right But only under two conditions.”

  She eyed him askance. “Oh?”

  “The first is that you set aside a substantial portion for our children.”

  She relaxed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She smiled up at him. “And the second?”

  “That you invite Senhora Encantador to join us from time to time.”

  She smothered a laugh. “I don’t know. Senhora Encantador is very particular. She only likes rakehells.”

  “She’ll have to settle for the son of a rakehell. And what about you? Will you take this wild and reckless by-blow of a notorious profligate to be your husband?”

  “Yes, my great Alexander,” she whispered, lifting her head for his kiss. “Most definitely yes.”

  Epilogue

  Some men are simply not cut out to

  be rakehells.

  —Anonymous, A Rake’s Rhetorick

  In her recently refurbished dressing room at Edenmore, Katherine frowned at her reflection in the new pier glass, the one that could show her entire form from head to toe. Perhaps she should have had it installed after her first child was born.

  Then she wouldn’t have to see herself in her chemise, looking like an olive on a stick, even at only five months along. What would she look like at nine months—a skewered melon? Surely that would test even Alec’s insistence that she grew more beautiful by the day.

  The door to her bedchamber opened, and her mother strolled in, already as comfortable at Edenmore as if it were her own home. She’d brought the children with her for this visit, probably so Katherine’s new servants could look after them.

  Katherine rubbed her belly with a smile. Funny how things like that didn’t bother her anymore.

  “Are you all right?” her mother asked.

  “I’m fine, Mama.”

  Her mother led her to sit at the dressing table. “Then why are you standing, my angel? You mustn’t risk any harm coming to his lordship’s heir.”

  Katherine smothered a laugh. “It could be a girl, you know.”

  “Then you’ll try again,” her mother said soothingly.

  They would be trying again no matter what—and most enjoyably. “I can’t sit right now. I have to dress. Lord Draker and his sister could be here any minute.”

  Her mother lifted her eyes heavenward. “Your husband and his scurrilous friends. I suppose Lord Draker isn’t so bad, and it’s very good of you to offer to bring his sister out in society. But I shall never like Mr. Byrne.”

  “I don’t know—I have a certain fondness for him.” Part of her liked to think that he’d pointed Alec toward her not only to get his money, but because he thought them well suited. Of course, Mr. Byrne would ruthlessly deny such an accusation since he preferred to consider himself very wicked.

  Like her husband. She smiled again as she stared down at her belly.

  “Well,” Mama said, “I suppose it’s worth putting up with his lordship’s friends to be a countess. But you really will have to speak to your husband about his pesky habit of riding out to the barley fields. That’s no place for a gentleman.”

  “Is that where he is now?”

  “He was. He rode into the new stables a few minutes ago, all sweaty.” She shuddered. “I saw him out the window and came to warn you. Though he did look very pleased with himself.”

  “I’m so glad. He’s had high hopes for that new strain of barley, and I know he wanted to be able to boast of it to Lord Draker when his lordship arrives.”

  “If you aren’t careful, your husband will become one of those odd fellows who spends all his time at sheep-shearings and harvests.”

  Better that than spending it like Papa, with his mistresses and his gambling. “That’s not very likely. Mr. Dawes will have the estate well in hand soon enough. And then Alec can do what he really wants.”

  “Return to London society?” Mama said hopefully. She was still waiting to make her grand debut as mother of a countess.

  “Breed horses.” Lusitanos and Suffolk punch horses, to be exact.

  “He’s buying more horses? But you already have several,” her mother protested.

  Katherine laughed. “My husband seems to think one can never have too many. And once he starts with his horses, you can forget about London.”

  Which she wouldn’t mind in the least—she loved their life in the country. And once the baby was born, Alec said he’d teach her some riding tricks. Though the only time he’d tried, they’d ended up making love in the stables instead of riding.

  She smiled down at her belly. “I wonder how big a pony your papa will buy for you, little angel?” she mused aloud.

  “Angels don’t need ponies,” a male voice teased from behind them. “They have wings.”

  The glimpse Katherine caught of him in the tiny dressing table mirror was enough to make her heart swell with love. She turned on the stool to flash him a smile.

  He answered it with a grin as he strolled into the room. “And here are two more angels, both looking lovely as usual.”

  Mama gave a girlish giggle. “Oh, go on with you, my lord.” She headed for the door. “But I know when I’m not wanted. You young lovers are all the same.” She paused in the doorway. “I did want to ask, however… Bridget is in dire need of a new pair of shoes, and there’s—”

  “Will fifty pounds cover whatever you and the children need?” Alec asked, knowing exactly how this worked.

  “Oh, yes, my lord, thank you, my lord,” she gushed, before sailing from the room with a smile on her face.

  Katherine laughed. “You are such a soft touch.”

  He looked rueful as he walked up and bent to kiss her forehead. “It’s really your money, you know.”

  “For now,” she said tenderly. “But if your barley harvest is as fine as it looks to be, and your horse-breeding efforts are successful, we will soon have money of our own.”

  When his face lit up, she knew she’d chosen exactly the right thing to ease his pride. “Wait till you see the fields, sweetheart. Dawes says the barley has grown beyond his expectations. Next year we’ll plant all the fields with it, and then—” He broke off. “But that’s not what I came to tell you.”

  “Oh?”

  Something dropped on the table behind her, startling her. Alec bent to brush her ear with his lips. “It’s your turn to choose, sweetheart. Last time I chose.”

  She turned to stare longingly at The Rake’s Rhetorick. “We can’t. Lord Draker might arrive with his sister any minute. We’re planning her debut, you know.”

  “She’s waited this long for it; she can wait a few minutes more.”

  “A few minutes, hah! The last time we tried a position from the Rhetorick, it took us half an hour to achieve it.”

  He slid his hand inside her bodice to fondle her breast. “Ah, but it was a blissful half hour.”

  She sucked in a breath as his touch sparked fires. Even carrying his child hadn’t curbed her craving for him. With a smile, she rose to slide her arms about his neck. “You’re incorrigible, husband of mine.”

  “No more than you.” Eyes gleaming, he swept his hot gaze down her. “As I recall, you also found the Swooping Eagle position blissful.”

  She stared up into the face of the man she loved more each day. “Yes, but I’m not so limber these days.”

  He grinned. “All right.” Taking her by surprise, he lifted her onto the dressing table. “Then we’ll have to use a position I created.”

  As he dragged her chemise up her legs, she couldn’t help laughing. “Oh, and what is this called? The Dressing Table Dip? The Rakehell’s Rocking Chair?”

  He gazed at her with a warmly tender look. “I call it Iversley in Love.”

  “Ah, that one,” she whispered as she gave herself up to his embrace. “I do so love the old favorites.”

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  Sabrina Jeffries, In the Prince's Bed