He let her go, and Marianne, suddenly weak at the knees, groped for the bed and sank down upon it.
“Not the most uninviting position you could assume,” Justin said, with a wry look.
A gurgle of laughter escaped her. “It’s your fault. You’ve made me feel as if my bones are made of marchpane.”
He laughed, but caught her hand and made to pull her up. “We’ll continue this conversation elsewhere, I think.”
“Just give me a moment to recover, if you please.”
He did not let go of her hand, instead holding it in both his own, caressing her skin in a way that made her veins hum in an echo of the earlier eruption.
Gradually her mind cleared, and the happenings of the last few minutes replayed in her head. Catching on his words, a flicker of puzzlement crept in. She did not hesitate.
“But, Justin, why didn’t you say it? When Jocasta made that dreadful faux pas and you threw your offer at me.”
“I didn’t throw it at you!” The indignant look abated and a wry smile came. “Well, perhaps I did. But it wasn’t out of the blue.”
“It seemed so to me. Or no, that isn’t the truth either.”
Justin sat on the bed, careful to leave a little space between them, but retained his clasp on her hand. “What is the truth, Marianne? There’s been so much confusion and upset, I scarcely know myself.”
“I know, my dearest. Oh, I know.”
His chest swelled at the endearment, the tenderness of the sound. Almost he caught her back into his embrace, but prudence won. He loved her too dearly to risk losing control. He had hurt her too much already. Monstrous to cheat the marriage bed and bring her to ruin before he’d pledged himself to her, body and soul.
Her dear eyes were warm as they looked into his, but rueful.
“I’m afraid I thought of marriage with you the moment I heard about Selina’s defection.”
Shock enveloped him. “Then? But for pity’s sake, Marianne, couldn’t you see I had the self-same thought?”
A disbelieving laugh escaped her. “How would I? You were wounded. Oh, I knew you didn’t care for her, even before you told me so. But she hurt you nonetheless.”
It seemed so long since he’d felt anything at all about the debacle with Selina that the whole notion was alien. “Well, if you want the truth, I spent far more time agonizing over whether to seize my chance with you than I did over Selina.”
Marianne’s lips twitched and she erupted into giggles. Confused, Justin let go of her hand.
“Now what?”
“It’s — it’s ridiculous! The — the both of us, agonizing over — over whether to ask each other, and all the time…”
Enlightenment dawned. “Do you mean to tell me you thought of asking me?”
Her giggles ceased, but her eyes were bright with laughter and tears both. “Yes! Highly improper, but I was so afraid some horrid designing female would snatch you up. Only I found I couldn’t do it.”
His heart cracked with the poignancy of it all, but he could not let it pass. “And after all that, you rejected me? I don’t know what you deserve.” Unholy glee entered his breast. “Oh, yes, I do, though.”
He wiggled his fingers experimentally, daring her to object.
“Justin, no!”
“Marianne, yes!”
This time he was not deterred. He began tickling her, just where he knew she was most vulnerable. Marianne wriggled, protesting, but he refused to have mercy.
“Stop it! Justin, don’t!”
But she was giggling all over again and the delight the sound engendered in him spurred him on. He could not help laughing, feeling all the release of the pent-up frustrations of the past days.
Marianne, helpless with breathless merriment, unable to stop Justin’s merciless assault, lost all ability to control her limbs. She found herself down on the bed with Justin half on top of her. The compromising nature of the position came home to her all at once and she stilled, even as he did, evidently struck by the same realisation.
The air in the room seemed to vanish. There was a moment of hectic suspension as she gazed into the rising heat in Justin’s eyes.
He kissed her again. A convulsive meeting of lip to lip that touched something explosive within her. She knew from his response that Justin felt it too.
He came up for air and groaned her name. “Marianne.”
Her eyes opening, she met his heated gaze and the weight of years fell away from her heart. She brought one hand up and touched his face.
“I’ve loved you since the moment you leapt off your horse and came to my rescue.”
His smile embraced her. “And I, most improperly, loved you back.”
“Even then?”
“All too soon.”
Becoming aware of what he was doing, Justin abruptly threw himself off her and leaned to drag her up. “This won’t do. Any more and I’ll be tempted beyond my capacity to withstand you.” To his tender amusement, she blushed like a girl. Justin had to laugh. “My darling, don’t be conscious. You’ve no notion how many times I’ve almost given in to the overmastering desire to kiss you.”
“You don’t mean it?”
“Do I look as if I don’t mean it?” He gestured at his dishevelled neck-cloth and the disarray of his costume, feeling all the discomfort of his arousal. “You’ve been seductive since you were about sixteen.”
Her mouth fell ludicrously open. “I have not. I don’t believe you.”
With determination, he forced himself to his feet and dragged her up. “Don’t expect me to demonstrate again, because I won’t be able to stop.”
“I never knew I had such power over you.”
“Marianne, you’ve had power over me from the first moment of my setting eyes on you. You’ve been a thorn in my flesh and a source of agony of mind forever.”
This confession could not but warm her. Marianne thrilled to the knowledge of his passion, for his words echoed her own experience and she did not doubt him for a moment.
“Come, we’ll go and break the news.” He led her towards the door, and then halted, turning back to frown at her. “What am I thinking? You haven’t yet said you will marry me.”
Mischief flitted across her face. “You haven’t yet asked me.”
“I’ve asked you about three times, probably more. But I’ll ask you again.” His eyes softened and he caught her into his arms again. “Marianne, I love you. Will you please be my wife?”
Her eyes became luminous, her voice husky. “Yes, Justin, with all my heart.”
This time, the kiss was tender, containing more of affection than Marianne could have wished. When he released her and would have resumed leaving the room, she stopped him.
“I think, you know, that we had both of us better effect some much needed repairs before showing ourselves.”
He grinned. “What would I do without you, Miss Practicality?”
Chapter Twenty
Jocasta, encountered in the hall as she emerged from the breakfast parlour in company with her betrothed after a belated repast, was ecstatic.
“I knew it, I knew it,” she cried, subjecting her brother to a ruthless hug. “After you were so horrid to me too!”
Releasing Justin, she flung herself upon Marianne instead, who submitted, laughing, but protesting her ribs were being crushed.
“Well, it serves you right for taking so long about it,” declared Jocasta, releasing her and seizing her hands. Tears stood in the girl’s eyes and Marianne was touched. “My dearest, dearest Marianne, I could not be more happy! Now I shall have you for my real big sister, just as you’ve ever been to me.”
Her effusions took some time, but Marianne interrupted them at last.
“Where is Grace, do you know?”
Jocasta made a face of comical dismay. “Oh, dear! Mama is going to go wild!”
“Jocasta!” Justin threw a glance at Tazewell and his sister blushed.
“Oh, I am sorry, don’t scold. But To
m knows all about it, and he’s very discreet. Besides, he is one of the family now.”
Tazewell cleared his throat. “Jocasta, perhaps we should…?”
“Make ourselves scarce, you mean? Oh, very well. Unless you wish me to come with you for moral support, Marianne?”
Subduing the riffle of unease, Marianne thanked her but declined. “Where is she?”
“She said she was going to her parlour. On second thoughts, I think I won’t come with you, for the Dragon is bound to be there.”
Justin took Marianne’s hand. “That is all to the good. Grace may pour her disapproval into the Dragon’s ears and we need not stay to hear it.”
As they ascended the stairs, Justin tried to comfort her, squeezing the hand he held.
“Don’t fret, my love. She can do nothing to put a bar in our way.”
Marianne’s insides fluttered. “But she won’t like it. I know she doesn’t want me to marry you.”
“Or anyone, if we are to judge by her outburst that day.”
He sounded grim and Marianne halted on the landing, turning to him as the flutter built to something akin to panic.
“Exactly so, Justin. She has been distant with me ever since. I do feel for her in this. I know it must be galling to her to think of my supplanting her as mistress here.”
Justin all but snorted. “That’s rich! You supplanted her in all but name years ago, and she knows it. She encouraged it, and it suited her very well indeed.”
Marianne put a finger to his lips. “Oh, hush, Justin. Only think. If she had not brought me here and given me a home —”
“For which you’ve repaid her a thousandfold and with scant reward!”
“No, don’t say that, for it isn’t true. She’s been kind and loving to me all these years. It was only since…”
“Since my good aunt began trying to get you married off, yes.”
Marianne shook his hand roughly. “Oh, stop, my dearest one, and listen to me. What I meant to say is that without Grace’s charity, I should never have met you, and that does not bear thinking of.”
Justin’s mouth quirked and his eyes teased. “I’ll remember to thank her.”
“Don’t you dare!” She sighed, and urged him onward. “We had best get it over with.”
Grace was discovered in animated discussion with Miss Stubbings, the two of them poring over a periodical depicting the latest fashions. She looked up as Marianne entered the room with Justin right behind her, and it was immediately apparent that Grace had divined their errand.
The matron’s eyes went from one to the other. As if she took in something from their faces, her gaze registered horror and she let fall a soft “Oh, no!”
Justin, taking the bull by the horns, grabbed Marianne’s hand and led her forward.
“Grace, we’ve come to tell you we are going to be married.”
Marianne’s heart thumped painfully as her cousin’s inimical gaze shifted from Justin’s face to her own. Without will, she looked away, catching a satisfied look on the Dragon’s face, which startled her. Was she pleased then? Oh, of course she was, for her situation with Grace must be secured.
Bracing herself for what her cousin would say, Marianne forced her eyes back. However, Grace was no longer looking at her, but at Justin, with a mix of anger and dismay.
“How could you, Justin? Will you go against your sainted Papa’s expressed prohibition?”
Shock swept through Marianne. Without pausing for Justin’s answer, she turned to him. “Is that true?”
His hand tightened on hers. “Perfectly true. When you were seventeen, and at last old enough, I told him I meant to make you my wife.”
A radiant glow swept through Marianne. All this time! And she’d thought he didn’t care. Her eyes filled. “Oh, Justin!”
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I should have defied him then. I wish I had.”
Oblivious to her audience, Marianne set her hands to his shoulders. “I thought you were going to offer for me when I turned eighteen. I expected it. And when you didn’t…”
His fingers came up to her cheeks, wiping away the trace of moisture.
“Believe me, I suffered as much as you did. Only my father caused me to believe I owed a duty to Selina.”
“Yes, that is what Grace told me. That you were promised to her.”
Grace’s shrill tones cut in. “Which was perfectly true. At least I spared you the knowledge that my husband did not consider you good enough for his son.”
“Grace!”
Leaving Marianne, Justin turned on his stepmother, who ignored him.
“He was heir to this earldom. He could not be permitted to throw himself away on a nobody like you.”
“Grace, that will do! I will not have you speak to Marianne in that fashion.”
“Justin, don’t.” Marianne left him and moved to her cousin, taking a chair beside her. “It’s true, Grace. In birth, I am far beneath him.”
“What the deuce does that matter?”
“Hush, Justin, pray. Grace, please try to understand. Justin did his duty by his father, in spite of our affection for one another. But with Lady Selina’s elopement —”
“He was free and so you thought you would seize your chance.”
“Nothing of the sort, Grace,” Justin threw in furiously. “I took my chance, but she rejected me.”
Marianne gestured for him to be patient. “I would have done just that, Grace. I very nearly did. But my courage failed me because I had been brought to believe Justin did not care for me. At least, not in the way of marriage. But it wasn’t so.”
Grace’s features remained stubbornly tight, her chin high. “I little thought you would serve me a backhanded turn, Marianne. After all I’ve done for you.”
Justin looked ready to explode, but Marianne again hushed him.
“I dare say it seems to you that I am doing so, but I promise you this will make little difference in your life.”
Grace’s eyes flared. “How dare you pretend? We cannot go on as we are. I might as well repair to the Dower House at once.”
“That is your choice, but it’s not what I meant.”
“No doubt you’ll expect it!”
Justin strode forward. “Oh, for pity’s sake, Grace!”
“Justin, have patience!”
His glance swept to Marianne’s and she sent him a pleading look. His jaw tightened, but he gave in to the silent message and relaxed back. She turned again to her cousin.
“This cannot change my regard for you, Grace.”
She did not soften. “Don’t speak of your regard for me. If you had any at all, you would not be stealing a march upon my daughter.”
Taken aback, Marianne stared at her. “What in the world do you mean?”
“Are you stupid as well as unkind? Justin’s nuptials must eclipse Jocasta’s, of course.”
Marianne fairly gasped. “Is that all?”
“If that is what troubles you, Grace, think nothing of it,” said Justin. “We are going to be married swiftly and as quietly as we can contrive.”
Grace looked aghast at this. “But why such unseemly haste? People will talk!”
“I’ve become accustomed to that, and Marianne will be subjected to far less impertinence if people must talk to the Countess of Purford rather than Miss Timperley.”
This remark, while it could not but gratify Marianne, served to revive Grace’s grievance.
“Countess of Purford indeed! If I did not know you better, Marianne, I would stigmatize you for a scheming wretch.”
“But you do know me better, Grace,” said Marianne, seizing on this. “In the eyes of the world, Justin will be thought to be marrying beneath him, but you, of all people, know better. Did not Lord Purford himself, if I may be so bold, marry you for love?”
The implication was clear enough. Grace’s colour rose and she shifted in the way she had that signified discomfort, fiddling with her petticoats. “The cases are n
ot the same.”
Which was unarguable. Marianne sighed in defeat and rose. Justin took her hand again and drew her to the door, turning one last time to Grace.
“Pray don’t show your displeasure too freely, Grace. At least pretend to be glad in public, for all our sakes.”
As he closed the door behind him, Marianne remembered the presence of the Dragon.
“Dear heaven, we’ve been so indiscreet! I only hope Miss Stubbings is to be trusted not to spread all that about.”
“Let her. There is bound to be talk, whatever we do.”
“I suppose that is true. It will cause a deal of speculation when it becomes known we are betrothed.”
“Then we won’t be. We won’t announce it at all. We’ll merely advertise that we were wed, quietly and without fuss. I’ll have the vicar read the banns this very week.”
“So soon?”
“Sooner, if I can manage it.”
He accompanied this declaration with a quick kiss, and the bubble of happiness, dimmed by Grace’s reaction, began to revive in Marianne as he hurried her down the stairs and out of the front door.
Halfway to the old oak, whither they were headed in hopes of a little halcyon time to themselves, Alex waylaid them. “Couldn’t wait to wish you happy. Jocasta told me the news.”
Justin grinned as his cousin wrung his hand. “Of course she did. My flighty little sister would never think to leave me the pleasure of disclosing it to you.”
“Don’t matter. Guessed it must come to this sooner or later, before the two of you went up in smoke.” Alex, pausing only to ask Justin’s permission, gave Marianne a hug quite as suffocating as Jocasta’s. He kissed her cheek into the bargain. “Must write to my mother at once. She’ll be in high croak.”
Marianne stared and Justin’s jaw dropped.
“What? But my aunt was instrumental in keeping me from wedding Marianne in the first place. Besides arranging the match with Selina’s mother.”
“That’s a female all over. Can’t make up their minds. Told me she’d made a mistake.”
“Aunt Pippa? You’re jesting!”
Marianne, recalling snippets Lady Luthrie had said to her, cut in at this point. “Yes, but I don’t think he is. Alex, was Lady Luthrie trying to push us together?”
A Chance Gone By (Brides By Chance Regency Adventures Book 2) Page 18