Desire In His Eyes

by Kaitlin O’Riley

  Nor had Juliette been prepared for Christina’s husband. With his gray hair, avaricious eyes, and gaunt features, Maxwell Dunbar was older than his young wife by at least twenty years. His overt attention to Juliette made her skin crawl.

  Although Christina had never uttered a negative word about her new life and seemed quite satisfied with her situation, Juliette’s heart grew heavy at the thought of her friend married to such a man and now having his baby. She merely said, “Well, again, I thank you for being so generous with me and for having me in your home.”

  Maxwell Dunbar said, “We are happy to have you here. Especially now. It’s wonderful for Christina to have some company.”

  Christina beamed her wide grin at Juliette. “It’s true. The timing of your visit couldn’t have been more perfectly arranged. Everyone has gone to the shore in Newport or Long Island or New Jersey for the summer months but I don’t feel comfortable traveling at this point, and I wished to be near my doctor. And now you are here to keep me company!”

  Juliette nodded with a bright smile, but inside her stomach tightened with a familiar dread. She loved Christina to be sure, and her friend had been nothing but kind and welcoming since her surprise arrival, but Juliette did not just journey across an ocean to be the companion of an expectant woman. If she had wanted to do that she would have stayed at home with her sister Colette, for heaven’s sake!

  She had come to America to have adventures and explore the country and see all there was to see. She had not planned on spending all her time at Christina’s home, beautiful as it was. It was only meant to be a stepping-stone to further adventures, just what those adventures would entail she hadn’t quite thought through yet.

  It seemed as if she were constantly escaping those who would confine her.

  “So, tell us more about life on the clipper ship,” Maxwell encouraged her, his flinty eyes glittering. “How was the crossing?”

  “It was an exciting adventure,” Juliette managed to say.

  A sudden and intense longing to be with Harrison overcame her as she recalled the Sea Minx. For a moment she could barely breathe while thinking of the feel of his strong arms around her, holding her to his chest. Thoughts of Harrison had frequently come upon her like this, in startling and unexpected moments since she had left him, leaving her unsettled and full of yearning. However, on her second day at the Dunbars, she had been most relieved to discover that she was not going to have a baby. Now there was nothing to tie her to Harrison Fleming, except her private memories of the two incredible weeks on his ship. Again, an odd sensation of yearning coursed through her and it was with a great effort that she forced herself to continue her description. “Sailing on a clipper ship is quite beautiful, like flying on a cloud, if you can imagine such a thing.”

  As they finished a rich supper of roasted quail, the Dunbars’ butler, Ferris, entered the dining room. He cleared his throat before stating, “Mr. Dunbar, there is a gentleman at the door. He claims to be a friend of Miss Hamilton.”

  Juliette could not miss the pointed look Ferris gave her. Surprised by the butler’s insinuating manner, she almost blushed. He made it seem as if she possessed an inordinate amount of male friends visiting her. But then her blood tingled.

  Good Heavens! Harrison had found her! He must be here to take her home. She said a silent prayer that he would not cause a scene before dragging her back to the ship. Noting that both Christina and Maxwell were looking to her for guidance, she instinctively nodded her head.

  “The only person I know in New York would be Captain Fleming,” she explained hesitantly.

  Ferris looked down his long nose at her. “It is not Captain Fleming. This is an English gentleman who claims he is a Lord Eddington, from London.”

  “Jeffrey!” Juliette exclaimed loudly, while jumping to her feet.

  Christina giggled at Juliette’s reaction. She turned her attention to her butler. “By all means, Ferris, please show Lord Eddington into the front parlor, since Miss Hamilton is obviously acquainted with him. We shall join him there momentarily.”

  Ferris nodded in assent. Juliette pressed her hands together nervously. As happy as she was to see Jeffrey, she needed no explanations as to why he had come to New York, and that fact induced a twinge of fear within her. He had come to take her back to London. He would also inevitably describe to her how hurt and worried her sisters were about her. Juliette’s heart sank. She did not possess the strength to bear the recriminations and disapproval that were sure to come from Jeffrey.

  “Who is this lord, Juliette?” Christina asked in a singsong tone, as if she suspected a romance. “Is he someone you met on your sea voyage?”

  “No. I’ve known him for quite some time. Lord Eddington is a close family friend.”

  “Did you know he was visiting New York?” Christina asked.

  “No, I had no idea he intended to come to New York.” Juliette shook her head helplessly, her stomach in knots. “I suspect he is here with news of my family.”

  “Well, then,” Maxwell said anxiously. “Shall we join Lord Eddington now?”

  Sensing that Maxwell was overly impressed with the prospect of meeting a member of the London aristocracy, she smiled. Jeffrey was the illegitimate son of a powerful duke who, out of guilt, had a courtesy title bestowed upon Jeffrey when he turned twenty-one. She did not think now would be the best time to explain this to Maxwell Dunbar.

  As he escorted the two women to the elegantly furnished parlor, Juliette felt Maxwell Dunbar’s hand on the small of her back. Her spine went rigid at his touch. Just as they reached the entrance, Maxwell’s hand squeezed her. She turned and flashed him a disdainful glance. He gave her a sly smile, while Juliette fought the urge to slap him. She knew she could not remain in this house much longer, if he were going to behave that way.

  Jeffrey stood up as they entered the room, looking for all the world as if he were a guest who stopped by the Dunbars’ everyday. As handsome as ever, he exuded charm and good humor. The familiarity of his presence and the understanding gleam in his eyes almost brought tears to Juliette’s own. She relaxed. Jeffrey did not intend to reproach her. At least not at the moment. She hurried to him, throwing her arms around his neck.

  “Jeffrey! This is such a wonderful surprise to see you here!” His hug invoked a wave of homesickness and she blinked back tears.

  “I am simply relieved to find you safe and well,” he whispered before releasing her.

  Juliette turned to Christina and Maxwell, feeling her cheeks redden slightly under their regard. With a surprising amount of poise, she introduced them to Jeffrey. They greeted each other warmly and the Dunbars invited him to stay for dessert, as Ferris wheeled in a silver teacart laden with pastries and cakes.

  “What brings you to New York, Lord Eddington?” Christina asked politely after they had all taken their seats.

  Jeffrey glanced briefly at Juliette before stating, “I had some very important business that needed my immediate and personal attention.”

  Eyeing them carefully, Maxwell asked, “How did you know that Juliette was staying with us, when we barely knew she was arriving?”

  Once again, Jeffrey’s eyes met hers. “Shortly after Juliette’s ship left, I received word that my presence was required in New York to oversee an urgent matter. Juliette’s sisters provided me with your address, Mrs. Dunbar, and asked me to call upon you both to express their good wishes and to ascertain that Juliette had settled safely in New York.”

  Releasing the breath she had unwittingly held, Juliette took a bite of lemon cake.

  “Well, it’s lovely to have both you and Juliette here.” Oblivious to the silent exchange between Juliette and Jeffrey, Christina continued to chatter away. “I have not had any visitors from my home since my marriage. My mother refuses to make the journey, not that I blame her at her age, but my sister could certainly find the where-withal to come stay with me. Although I love it here too, I do miss England at times.”

  “Of
course you do,” Jeffrey smiled winningly at Christina.

  “How is my sister Colette? Has the baby arrived yet?” Juliette asked.

  “Being that I left immediately after you did, I have no way of knowing either. But I’m sure the baby will not make its arrival for a few more weeks.”

  “How long are you planning to stay in New York, Lord Eddington?” Maxwell questioned.

  “That depends upon a number of things,” Jeffrey answered with another meaningful glance at Juliette.

  Christina asked brightly, “Where are you staying? With friends or at a hotel?”

  “I happen to be staying with a good friend of mine. He lives down the block from here actually.”

  “Oh, how convenient!” Christina exclaimed in surprise. “Shall we be seeing more of you then?”

  “Most assuredly…” Jeffrey paused before turning his attention to Christina. “Mr. and Mrs. Dunbar, could I impose upon you both to allow me a moment of privacy with Miss Hamilton? I’m afraid there is a personal matter regarding her sisters that I must discuss with her.”

  “Oh, why yes, of course.” Christina rose slowly from her chair. “Maxwell and I will leave you both, won’t we, Maxwell?”

  Her husband stood. “Certainly.” He gave Juliette a suspicious glance before he followed his wife from the parlor.

  When the door closed behind them, Juliette and Jeffrey simply stared at each other in silence for a few moments.

  “Please don’t say anything,” Juliette finally murmured.

  “Don’t say anything?” he echoed incredulously. “After following you halfway across the globe, I’m not supposed to say anything to you?”

  Juliette whispered softly, “No.”

  Jeffrey shook his head in disbelief. “Do you have the slightest inkling of how much you have wounded and worried the people who love you the most in the world?”

  “Please don’t do this to me, Jeffrey,” she pleaded with him, unable to bear the hurt expression on his face. Or the thought of her sisters and how they must feel.

  “Only you, Juliette, could turn this around to be about your feelings,” Jeffrey chided her. “Have you even thought about Colette? In her delicate condition? Or your poor mother?”

  Juliette could say nothing in response. Since the night she left Devon House, she had blocked those thoughts from her mind. If she considered how hurt Colette would be at her leaving, she never would have had the courage to leave. Yes, she loved her sisters, and in spite of everything she loved her mother too, but did that mean she had to stay bound to them for the rest of her life at the expense of her own welfare and sanity?

  If she had stayed in London and had done what society expected of her, she would have perished from unhappiness. If she had dutifully married one of those staid, proper gentlemen her uncle Randall had forced upon her and had settled down in some dull country estate in the middle of nowhere to have babies, she surely would have died of suffocation. Or she would have gone stark, raving mad.

  Was it really that dreadful of her to have wanted something different, something exciting? Was she appallingly selfish and greedy to want to go after it? Was she that odd, that freakish or that unusual in her desire to live life on her own terms, that no one could possibly fathom her need for a different life?

  If a man had done this, he would have been applauded for his resourcefulness and initiative, while she was chastised for hurting the feelings of her sisters and being reckless. Juliette did not understand this vast discrepancy in judgment and it angered her.

  She glanced up from her seat to find Jeffrey staring at her with a sharp intensity. They looked at each other for a quiet moment. He finally moved to sit beside her. He took her hand in his.

  “I apologize, Juliette. I’m an idiot to think that you did not consider the feelings of your sisters and your mother before you left. I know how much you love them.”

  She still could not speak.

  Jeffrey continued. “My real concern, and theirs, was for your safety. What you did was incredibly dangerous, Juliette. Anything might have happened to you.”

  “But it didn’t,” she could not help but point out.

  “Don’t fool yourself. You were extremely fortunate.”

  “Yes,” she nodded slowly. “I realize that now.”

  “You could have been killed.” He paused, before adding ominously. “Or worse.”

  “There is no need to go on in that vein,” she protested. “As you can see, I am perfectly fine.”

  “Why would you take such a risk with your life?”

  Juliette sighed with a weariness she had not felt since she was in London. “Because, my darling Jeffrey, that is what makes life worth living. I thought you above everyone else would understand that. Understand why I had to get away from all that.” She waved her hand to indicate to her life back in London. “And if I had asked permission, I would have been categorically denied and you know it.”

  He became thoughtful at her explanation. “I do see your point, but I hate to have such a beautiful woman I care about put herself in unnecessary danger. It would be a pity to lose you.”

  The sparkle in his eyes lightened the mood and Juliette gave him a halfhearted smile. If Jeffrey was flirting with her again, he could not still be upset or angry with her.

  “Why didn’t you tell me what you were planning to do?” he questioned softly.

  She could sense the hurt in his voice. “Because you would have tried to talk me out of it. Or worse you would have told Lucien or Colette and I would have been watched like a hawk and would not have been allowed to leave the house alone. You would have seen to it that my plan was put to an end. I never would have gotten away.”

  He could not refute her claims. So he grinned at her, in a way that only Jeffrey could. “That’s not entirely true. I know you’ve wanted to come to New York since I’ve met you. I might have tried to assist you. I could have at least made sure that you were welcome on Harrison’s ship before you tried to sneak on board.”

  Juliette laughed aloud at his outrageous claim. “That is completely untrue! You would not have lifted a finger to help me. You are only saying that now because it’s too late to help me and I have no need of you.”

  He ignored her accurate assessment and changed tactics. “Would it really have been so terrible if you had stayed?”

  A sudden lump in Juliette’s throat made it hard for her to speak. If she had stayed she would have been pressured into another dreary London Season, while a parade of dull and straitlaced men who possessed nothing in common with her vied for her attention. She had dutifully experienced the social season the year before in order to secure a wealthy marriage to assist her family out of their dire financial situation. Fortunately Collette had successfully managed that feat, while Juliette had only earned herself a reputation for being outrageous and unmanageable. However, Juliette could not and would not fake her way through the niceties of a season again. She could not stomach the hypocrisy of pretending she wanted to marry, when she knew she could never live the life of a proper wife of an English gentleman without doing something scandalous or losing her mind from boredom.

  “More than you can imagine,” she said. “And you, Jeffrey should know that better than anyone else.”

  “Well, I cannot say that I understand it entirely, although I must admit I admire your courage. There is not a single woman of my acquaintance who would have done what you did. But Juliette, we can’t have you taking risks like this anymore.”

  “Oh, no?”

  “No.”

  She considered him evenly. Dark-haired with intense blue eyes and a classically handsome face, his easy smile and charming manner only added to his winning personality. Everyone loved Jeffrey, including the countless women who vied for his attention and his bed. Aware that he kept a string of lovely mistresses, Juliette had never held that against him. They had become fast friends last year from the moment they met at Lady Hayvenhurst’s ball. It had been Juliette’s first fora
y into the London Season and she had danced with him. Jeffrey sported a scandalous reputation and Juliette had taken an instant liking to him. The two had spent the entire evening laughing and teasing each other while surreptitiously poking fun at most of the guests. She adored Jeffrey and knew he only had her best interests at heart. Didn’t he just cross an ocean to make sure she was safe and sound?

  She squeezed his hand. “You are a wonderful man, Jeffrey.”

  “Let’s get married, Juliette,” he said in a voice that almost trembled, his eyes on hers. “I can look after you properly and give you the freedom you desire.”

  Her first instinct was to laugh at the absurdity of his offer, but she would never dare wound him in that manner. Jeffrey meant what he said. As flippant and carefree as he could be, deep down he was a true gentleman. Amazed by her second marriage proposal within mere days, she smiled at him, and again squeezed his hand. “That is a very tempting offer and I am honored that you would ask me to be your wife. But you know as well as I do that it would never work between us. I would make you miserable.”

  “Why wouldn’t it work? We are good friends. I find you attractive and I know you must find me quite handsome in a rakish way.” He gave her a quick wink.

  She did laugh then. “Oh, Jeffrey.”

  “Is it because I am the bastard son of a duke?”

  “Of course not! Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “Then let’s get married.” He stood beside her, but still held her hand. He gave her his most charming smile. “We would have a grand time together. Your family already loves me and my illustrious father would be thrilled with you. We could travel the world and host outrageous parties. We’d never have to settle into a boring routine. What fun we could have together, Juliette!”