by Darcy Burke
“Thank you for your sympathies. But we were quite estranged for years,” he said. “The salacious details of her fatal carriage accident have had gossipmongers wagging their tongues for some time. I thought you’d heard.”
“Salacious details?”
“Yes, Constance died while with her lover, the Marquis de Chermont. Apparently, they were in the throes of passion when it happened. When their bodies were recovered, both Constance and Chermont were in a state of undress. Of course, there’s the very real possibility that Chermont was still inside Constance before they were thrown from the carriage.”
A distinct “Oh, my…” came from the corner where the two older women stood.
As for Suzanne, her lips parted. A mixture of astonishment and disbelief was etched on her features.
This was the most he’d ever spoken about Constance, with anyone. But the woman before him wasn’t just anyone.
She had once been his closest confidant.
And that was yet another thing he missed: having her to speak with candidly.
No one had ever dared mention his wife’s extramarital activities to his face while she was alive, or since her death—any more than one would ever mention the king’s brother’s penchant for young men to His Majesty.
But that didn’t stop Leo from learning of the gossip. It was Gilles’s job to report who was talking about him or his family. Who had dubious motives against them. It was all part and parcel of his inauthentic world.
“I-I don’t know what to say,” she responded at last.
“You don’t need to say anything—except that you will return with me to Montbrison.”
“No, Your Grace. That is out of the question. I’m not free to leave, even if I wished it. With my father gone, there is no one else to tend to these good people’s illnesses and injuries. I am needed here.”
She was as brilliant a physician as her father had been, and everyone knew it—the Royal Academy of Sciences be damned. He knew all too well how frustrated she felt in not being permitted admission simply because she was a woman. He’d not been able to change the mind of a single boorish fool in the Royal Academy. The king was just as narrow-minded.
Leo had always been proud of her abilities and her undaunted determination not to let her brilliant mind go to waste.
“Yes, I had thought of that,” he said. “And I have a solution.” He turned on his heel and stopped directly in front of the window of her shop. “Come take a look.”
Suzanne was still reeling over his last revelation.
His wife’s untimely end and the circumstances surrounding it were startling enough.
What on earth did he have waiting for her outside?
He leaned a shoulder against the window frame, stood there, all masculine magnificence, waiting patiently for her to join him, sporting that inviting smile she knew all too well—the very one that was perilous to a woman’s virtue.
She gazed back at him, unsure what to do. Then cast a glance at Rosalie and Lucille. They both nodded vigorously, wanting her to join Leo at the window.
Curiosity finally got the better of her.
All right. She’d take a peek.
Bracing herself for his next surprise, she crossed the room, then stopped by Leo’s side and peered out the window.
“I believe you recognize Rolland Henry?” Leo said, looking quite proud of himself.
She couldn’t believe her eyes.
Standing outside the carriage with Leo’s men was indeed the tall, lanky man who had been her father’s protégé. The breeze blew back Rolland’s sand-colored hair. Both he and his brother Aron had been exceptional pupils and had worked closely under her father’s tutelage for five years before becoming physicians in the town of Nort, an hour’s ride away.
“He has agreed to stay here and attend to the ill in your absence,” Leo said.
For the first time since she was a child, she had the urge to punch someone.
One particular d’Ermart.
Square on his aristocratic jaw.
“You have certainly gone to a lot of trouble.” She returned Rolland’s friendly smile and gave him a wave hello, despite the vexation that roiled through her.
Leo’s smile now turned into a grin. “I’m glad you think so-”
“Oh, absolutely. You’ve completely won me over with this gesture alone.”
“Have I, now?” There was a tinge of disbelief in his tone. He knew her well. He was unconvinced by her words.
“Definitely, Your Grace. What woman wouldn’t be charmed by the notion that you dragged Rolland away from the sick just for your little Christmas seduction?”
She fumed.
The door on this part of her life had been closed. Never to be reopened again. And yet, it had been slammed wide open—unexpectedly—by a ghost from her past. A tall, dark, and presumptuous one.
“I shall spare you any more trouble. I am not interested in becoming your next tumble.”
An easy smile formed on his handsome face once more. “This isn’t simply about sex. And for your information, I made certain to provide Rolland’s brother with a number of assistants so that he is well able to tend to those in need, before asking Rolland to come here.”
“Then you admit that sex is part of your goal.”
Leo glanced over her shoulder. Suzanne knew, without having to turn around, that Lucille and Rosalie were completely agog over this newest turn in the conversation.
And at the moment, she didn’t care a whit.
She had bigger problems—and the biggest problem was standing right in front of her.
He dipped his head and lowered his voice. “Seven years ago, I lied to you. I made false promises just to have you. I said whatever I had to say in order to seduce you—that we’d be together always, when I knew full well that wasn’t going to be the case. I won’t lie to you again. I am not simply hunting for my next conquest. I’ve come here just for you. We had something incredible between us once. I think it is worth revisiting.”
He was standing so close. She was too aware of the heat from his body for her liking. Worse, he had that sincere look in his eyes. The one that had deceived her years ago.
In retrospect, it was completely laughable that she’d once harbored the idea of being Leo’s wife—a man who would one day become duc. But back then, she was so young, so utterly in love with him, she never doubted his assurances.
Clearly, her own foolishness was as much to blame for her heartache as his trickery.
After all the hurtful things he’d said upon their parting, she left Montbrison not just feeling deeply betrayed, but also angry at herself for her own idiocy.
He leaned in farther, bringing his mouth close to her ear. “I won’t deny it. I want you. You are beautiful…desirable…so naturally sensual…and highly responsive…” Ever so lightly, he stroked the tip of his nose down her cheek. “And you smell so good…” The sensation sent a tiny quiver lancing into her belly.
The unwanted reaction irked her further still.
After all that had transpired between them, she shouldn’t be responding to him.
He lifted his head, forcing her to look into his disarming eyes. They were a rare color she’d always marveled at. So similar to the rare jade miniatures prized by Leo’s late father at Montbrison.
“There is much that has been left unfinished between us. Come with me to Montbrison,” he gently urged. “It’s home. To both of us. Come spend time with my family. With me.” He dipped his head a mere fraction, his mouth hovering just above hers. “Let me show you how good—if not better—it can be now.” His breath warmed her lips.
No. Not again. Suzanne immediately shored up her defenses, quashing the fluttering in her stomach.
She was stronger now. And far wiser. She wasn’t going to succumb to the sensual timbre in his voice. Or the heated look in his pale green eyes. She had no reason to trust him. Or believe a thing he said.
She wasn’t going to give him a second chance to play her for a f
ool.
Promptly, she stepped back, putting distance between them. This was just a game to him. He was nothing but a bored aristo merely seeking his latest distraction.
And he was going to have to seek his bed sport elsewhere.
“Though it would be delightful to see your sisters, I decline your offer to join you at Montbrison. Again. If your sisters wish me to create perfumes, they need only ask. I’d be delighted to oblige them.”
He shook his head. “I won’t leave you here alone at Christmas. Come now, Suzanne… Dismiss your servants. Let us talk about what happened between us seven years ago. In private.”
“I’m very aware of what happened seven years ago. No discussion needed. I surrendered my innocence to a cad.”
She heard more gasps come from behind her. Truthfully, this was the quietest Lucille or Rosalie had ever been in four years.
“True,” he agreed. “A different man stands before you today.”
“You mean to tell me you’re not the rake everyone purports you to be? My word, Your Grace, what a grave injustice you’ve suffered to your reputation.” Her sarcasm didn’t perturb him in the least.
He looked more amused by her comment than annoyed.
In fact, he was actually smiling. What is it going to take to send him away?
“I’ve missed your fire, Suzanne. And I disagree. The grave injustice occurred seven years ago when I let you go.” He took a step toward her, bringing all that muscle and sinew closer again.
How she wished he’d stop doing that.
She rooted her feet to the floor, refusing to back away this time, determined to be impervious to his proximity. To him.
“I still remember the magic that we once made, the connection we once had. I still remember how good it feels to be around you…talking…laughing…kissing…” Leaning in, he whispered in her ear, “And I vividly remember how good it feels to be inside you.”
On second thought, physical distance probably is best.
She moved over to the hearth and directed her gaze to a much more neutral sight—the mixture warming over the fire—and began to stir it.
She didn’t want to spar with Leo. Especially when she was feeling so emotionally depleted from her father’s death. The stubborn aristo was leaving. This minute. For her sanity’s sake.
She acted on the first plan that entered her mind. Over her shoulder she tossed out, “Yes, well… Thank you for the visit. I must return to work. Please give my regards to your family. And you need not be concerned about my being lonely during the fête. I will be spending it with a very special male.”
A feeling of possessiveness slammed Leo in the gut.
Damn, Gilles. This was the sort of information he was supposed to provide. Gilles had told him there had been no one else in the last seven years.
The unwanted image of another man holding Suzanne, touching her, his mouth on her soft lips, burned through his brain. Merde. He’d no right to feel possessive of her. But that did nothing to quell the foreign emotion churning in his vitals.
He wasn’t afraid of competition for her affections. That was hardly going to make him retreat, especially now that he’d seen her again—and those little compelling glimpses of her attraction to him when she’d let her guard slip.
He was going to woo his dark-haired beauty back into his arms. For good. But this tidbit of news had just made the situation of winning her back a greater challenge than he anticipated.
Glancing over at the two older women, he noticed the expressions on their faces. Their mouths were agape and their eyes were wide. Not that their looks had changed since his arrival. But it was their surprised reaction to Suzanne’s romantic interest that gave him pause.
“We are quite taken with each other,” Suzanne added as she gave whatever was boiling in the pot a stir.
“Who is she talking about?” Rosalie’s loud whisper rose from their corner of the room.
It was Lucille’s turn to poke Rosalie in the ribs. “Hush!”
According to Gilles, Lucille and Rosalie had been in Suzanne’s employ for a few years. Given how keen they were about knowing the details of Suzanne’s personal affairs—no matter how impertinent that was—how was it that they were unaware of this man?
Leo was beginning to have niggling doubts about the existence of his rival.
This wasn’t simply a ploy to get rid of him, was it? She hadn’t faced him when she spoke about her very special male. And she still had her back to Leo. He knew her as well as he knew himself. Was she afraid to turn around, knowing he’d be able to detect if she were lying if he saw her face?
He fought back a smile.
Oh, this was going to be fun. Matching wits and wiles with the spirited Suzanne Matchet had always been highly enjoyable.
“Is that so? Where did you meet him?” he asked, waiting for her response in order to gauge the reaction of the prying women in the room.
“He simply appeared at my door one day. He’s very handsome, with attractive blue eyes.” Her back was still to him.
Turn around, ma belle. Let me see those gorgeous readable eyes of yours. “Hmm… Sounds rather mysterious. Does he have a name?”
She turned around and looked him square in the eye. “Gaspard,” she said firmly, without a moment’s hesitation.
Rosalie let out a squeak. Lucille slapped her hand over her sister’s mouth.
The cat near the hearth gave a meow.
What the hell was he to make of that?
Suzanne had never been a good liar. Yet, she didn’t fidget as usual. There were no actual signs of deception in her statement. Nor in how she delivered it. She continued to hold his gaze, ignoring the antics of the other two in the room.
Before he could delve further, someone entered the shop.
“Good day, Mademoiselle Matchet. I’m terribly sorry. I hope I am not interrupting. I saw the carriage outside and wasn’t certain it was permissible to come in…” The woman who spoke was only slightly older than Suzanne. Beside her, a girl of about six held her hand. Their clothing, though not overly costly, did indicate they had some means. Perhaps the wife of one of the wealthier merchants in the town. “My lord.” She gave him a deep curtsy. She, like Lucille and Rosalie, had had her eyes fastened to him from the moment she saw him.
“Good day, Madame Sebron,” Suzanne responded with a welcoming smile. “It’s quite all right. You are always welcome.” She was nervous. More so, all of a sudden. He could tell, even if the others in the room seemed quite oblivious to it.
“We have a duc in our midst, madame!” Rosalie blurted out with great exuberance.
“Yes, thank you, Rosalie.” Leo caught the slight tightness in Suzanne’s tone. Why on earth was she so on edge at the arrival of this woman and child? “Your Grace, may I introduce you to Madame Sebron, and her daughter, Colette. Madame, the Duc de Mont-Marly.”
“Oh, this is so very exciting! Your Grace, I am deeply honored to make your acquaintance.” Madame Sebron gave him another curtsy. The child mimicked her mother.
Leo responded with a nod, then clasped his hands, mentally cursing his ever-growing audience. Before he could utter any words, Suzanne interjected. “The duc is a very busy man, as you may well understand, madame.”
“Oh yes. Of course…”
“He was just leaving to attend to his duchy and its official business.”
“No, I was not,” he countered, smiling. “I have yet to conclude my business here.”
The child broke away from her mother and rushed to Suzanne, throwing her arms around her waist affectionately. “Hello, mademoiselle!”
“And a good day to you, Colette.” Warmly, Suzanne brushed an errant blonde curl from the girl’s face, revealing a pink, winter-chilled cheek.
“I asked Maman to bring me along to pick up Papa’s stomach elixir,” the child announced happily. “I like coming here. It smells good.”
Suzanne laughed. “I’m glad you think so, my sweet. Lucille, would you please fetc
h Monsieur Sebron’s stomach remedy from the back room.”
Lucille left to do her bidding.
Suzanne waited for Lucille to return, her heart thundering so loud, she worried Leo would hear it.
She couldn’t believe her bad luck! The arrival of Madame Sebron and Colette couldn’t have been more ill timed. She’d told Leo an idiotic lie about Gaspard. Well, more a half-truth; sadly, her gray cat was indeed the only meaningful male in her life at the moment. But Leo didn’t need to know that. The last thing she wanted was for Leo to discover her ruse. Especially when she saw how the news had unbalanced him—and hopefully dissuaded him.
The problem at hand was little Colette.
She liked Gaspard. Very much.
At any moment she could begin rooting around the room, looking for him, and give away Suzanne’s deception.
Leo was no fool. He would immediately discern the mortifying truth—that she’d meant the cat all along. Suzanne couldn’t even move Gaspard to her private apartments upstairs—or do anything to bring attention to him—for that would surely prompt an immediate reaction from Colette.
Suzanne was now faced with the dilemma of rushing Madame Sebron and her daughter from her shop quickly, before either noticed her pet near the fire, all while not offending her faithful patients. Their patronage was something she just could not lose.
She prayed she could distract them until they left on their own accord. Once again she had that same strong urge overcome her. The one that made her want to punch Leo. She wouldn’t be in this ridiculous predicament if it wasn’t for him.
“Rosalie, why don’t you show Colette our newest soaps? They smell so pretty, I just know she’d like to see them.”
Rosalie wasted no time in complying and drew Colette to the corner of the room, far away from Gaspard.
Lucille was back in an instant, panting slightly from the exertion, and handed the vials to Madame Sebron. Suzanne knew Lucille had rushed out of fear—not just because she didn’t want to miss a thing, though there was definitely that. But, judging from the agitated look in her eyes, she fully understood the urgency of the Sebrons’ departure, and she was doing her best not to expose Suzanne’s fabrication to Leo.