Surrender Amanda Quick

by Surrender (lit)

  expect from me, is it not? I am nothing

  but a heartless fortune hunter who has

  snagged himself an heiress."

  She felt as if she had been punched in

  the stomach. And now you expect me to

  accept my humiliation without protest?"

  He crossed the room in a few short

  strides and gripped her upper arms. His

  eyes were blazing. I expect you to show

  some trust in me, damn you. For the past

  few weeks you've been willing enough to

  trust me with your safety and your honor.

  Now that you are my wife, I expect

  no less."

  Trust you? After what you have done

  to me?"

  What have I done that is so wicked?

  I did not set us up to be discovered last

  night. I told you the entire plan was

  dangerous, but you had to have your

  night of intellectual inquiry at all costs,

  remember?"

  Don't you dare mock me, Lucas."

  I am not mocking you. I am reminding

  you of how you tried to justify your desire

  to let me make love to you. You wanted

  what happened last night as much as I did.

  Hell, you even told me you loved me."

  Victoria shook her head, her eyes moist.

  I told you I thought I loved you. I was

  obviously mistaken."

  You gave me the painting of Strelitzia

  reginae and then you gave yourself to me

  without any reservations. I believed you

  did love me, madam. When your aunt

  knocked on the door, my first instinct was

  to protect you. What would you have had

  me do? Refuse to offer marriage?"

  Pray do not twist my words. You saw

  the opening you had been waiting for and

  you took it. Do not bother to deny it."

  I will not deny that I wanted to marry

  you. I would not have risked your honor

  or my own last night if I had not been

  certain that sooner or later we would be

  married. It was unfortunate that your aunt

  discovered us and precipitated this chain of

  events, but the end result was inevitable."

  There was nothing inevitable about it,"

  she stormed.

  Vicky, be reasonable. You must see

  that we could not have carried on as

  we had been for much longer. Things

  were getting shaky enough even before

  we went off together last night. People

  were starting to talk and you were doing

  nothing to stem the gossip. We were taking

  dangerous risks to indulge your midnight

  whims. Sooner or later we would have been

  discovered, and once that happened neither

  of us would have had a choice. There was

  also the possibility you'd get pregnant, did

  you think of that?"

  Why could you not have told the

  whole truth before any of it started?"

  She could hear her voice climbing toward

  the hysterical shriek of an enraged fishwife.

  Frantically she fought to control herself.

  To be perfectly blunt, I told you nothing

  because I was out to win you and I was

  afraid that if I went into a great deal

  of detail about my personal financial

  circumstances, you wouldn't give me a

  chance. You were so adamant about not

  getting married, so skittish on the subject

  of fortune hunters, that I had no choice but

  to woo you in the only way you allowed.

  You will never know how hard the past few

  weeks have been on me, Vicky. The least

  you could do is show some consideration

  and kindness."

  She was incredulous. Kindness? How

  dare you attempt to make me feel sorry

  for you now?"

  Why not? You are quite prepared to

  be kind to everyone else, up to and

  including Lady Atherton. I saw the way

  you were trying to offer her some comfort

  as she wept all over your shoulder in the

  conservatory." Lucas released her abruptly

  and ran his fingers through his hair. Why

  shouldn't I try to gain a little kindness for

  myself? After all, I am your husband and

  God knows that role is not going to be

  an easy one."

  What have you got to offer in return?"

  He took a deep breath. I will do my

  damnedest to be a good husband to you.

  You have my word on it."

  And just how do you interpret the

  notion of being a good husband to me?"

  She rubbed her hands over her forearms

  where his fingers had gripped her tightly

  enough to leave red marks. Obviously you

  will not have to provide financial support.

  I am the one supplying the capital in this

  marriage, according to your former love.

  You do bring me a title. I'll grant you

  that much, but I have never been overly

  concerned with titles."

  Lucas's mouth tightened. I also brought

  you the adventure you had been seeking."

  You mean you tricked me with ad

  venture."

  Vicky, listen to me ."

  There is one thing I must know, Lucas.

  Do you intend to begin a romantic liaison

  with Lady Atherton now that you have

  taken care of the business of getting

  married?"

  God, no. Tis plain you don't think

  much of my integrity at the moment, but

  if you knew Jessica as well as you think

  you do, you would realize the whole idea

  of a romantic liaison with her is out of the

  question."

  Victoria winced. Forgive me. Of course

  it is. Lady Atherton is a paragon of all that

  is proper. She would not dream of getting

  involved in an illicit affair with you."

  Quite right."

  She is such a noble creature. She had no

  qualms at all, apparently, about following

  the dictates of duty rather than her heart

  four years ago when she accepted Lord

  Atherton's offer instead of yours."

  She did what she was obligated to do,"

  Lucas said impatiently.

  How dreadfully understanding you are

  about the entire matter," Vicky said.

  Four years is a long time," Lucas said

  with a shrug. And to tell you the truth, I

  am greatly relieved now not to be married

  to Jessica. Lately I have come to realize it

  would have been a bad match."

  Victoria gave him a sidelong glance.

  Why do you say that? She seems so very

  perfect for you. She is obviously the sort

  who would be a dutiful wife, being, as

  we have just noted, a paragon of female

  behavior."

  Sheathe your claws, Vicky." Lucas's

  mouth quirked faintly. The fact is, I

  find her rather dull. I have discovered

  recently that I prefer a more adventurous

  sort of female. And after last night, I

  would have to say that I also prefer a

  more passionate sort."

  Really?" Victoria's chin rose. You speak

  from experience, I presume? You have had

  an opportunity to compare my performance<
br />
  in bed with that of Lady Atherton's?"

  Lucas's smile broadened into a wicked

  grin. Don't be a goose, Vicky. Even in

  your wildest flights of imagination, can you

  possibly envisage Jessica sneaking off to an

  inn with me or any other man? I assure

  you, she was just as prim and proper four

  years ago as she is today. She would never

  have risked her reputation for a man or a

  night of the sort of intellectual inquiry we

  shared at that inn."

  Victoria sighed. Unlike me."

  Yes. Unlike you. Completely unlike

  you. In fact, I have never met a woman

  who is anything like you. You are quite

  unique, Vicky. Which is why I am not

  always certain just how to handle you, I

  suppose. But I assure you, I fully intend to

  do my best. Now, we have wasted far too

  much time on this pointless discussion. Go

  upstairs and change at once." He glanced

  at the clock. You have fifteen minutes."

  For the last time, my lord, I am not

  going anywhere with you."

  She jumped slightly when he moved

  without any warning, covering the short

  distance between them with his distinctive,

  oddly balanced stride. He caught her chin

  on the edge of his hand and forced her

  to look up at him. When she did, she

  froze. The full, unleashed force of his will

  glittered in his eyes.

  Victoria suddenly understood why men

  had followed Lucas into battle and why

  everyone else in the household was walking

  about with such extreme care.

  Victoria," he said, it occurs to me

  that you do not fully comprehend just

  how serious I am about leaving in fifteen

  minutes. That is no doubt my fault. Until

  now I have been so indulgent of your

  headstrong ways, so willing to ignore my

  own better judgment in an effort to please

  you, that you are obviously under the

  impression you can disregard a direct

  order from me. I assure you, that is not

  the case."

  I do not take orders from you or any

  other man."

  You do now, Vicky. For better or worse,

  you have a husband and he means to leave

  London in" he paused to glance at the

  tall clock thirteen minutes. If you are

  not dressed for traveling when he is ready

  to go, he will personally put you into the

  coach in whatever garment you happen to

  have on at the time. Is that very clear,

  madam?"

  Victoria sucked in her breath, realizing

  he would do exactly as he said. You

  appear to hold the whip hand, my lord,"

  she drawled in a scathing tone. And like

  most men, you do not hesitate to use it."

  I assure you, I would never use a whip

  on you, Vicky, and you know it. Now

  stop trying my patience. You have less

  than twelve minutes left."

  Victoria turned and fled.

  The journey into the distant wilds of

  Yorkshire was the longest Victoria had ever

  endured in her life. She saw very little of her

  husband along the way. Lucas spent most

  of his time outside the coach, choosing

  to ride his stallion, George, alongside the

  vehicle, rather than deal with Victoria's

  temper. At night she and Nan shared a

  room at the inns where they stopped and

  Lucas took a separate room for himself and

  his valet. Meals were a series of chillingly

  polite affairs.

  By the time they reached stone vale,

  Victoria's mood had not improved one bit

  and she suspected Lucas's hadn't either,

  although he seemed content to ignore her

  as long as she gave him no trouble.

  Her first view of the lands surrounding

  her new home was not inspiring. It did

  not take even her extensive background

  in horticulture and botany to detect that

  this summer's crops would be mediocre

  at best. There was a generally depressed

  atmosphere about everything she saw, from

  the farmers" run-down cottages to the

  gaunt animals standing listlessly in the

  fields.

  The lack of goods in the village shop

  windows emphasized the economic gloom

  that hung over the area like a dark cloud.

  Victoria frowned at the sight of several

  children playing in the dirt. Their clothing

  was as bad as any street urchin's in

  London.

  This is inexcusable," she muttered to

  Nan. These lands have been allowed to

  wither and die."

  I reckon his lordship has a sizable job

  ahead o" him," Nan offered cautiously. She

  was well aware of her mistress's feelings

  about the earl. He'll earn his fancy title,

  he will, if he manages to put some life

  back into this place."

  Yes, he certainly will," Victoria agreed

  grimly. And he'll need my money to do

  it, she added silently. For the first time

  she began to realize the magnitude of the

  responsibility Lucas had faced when he had

  inherited stone vale. Everyone living in and

  around the estate depended on the general

  prosperity and leadership of the great house

  that dominated the economy. Victoria was

  well aware that the fortunes and futures of

  the local tenants and villagers were closely

  tied to stone vale.

  If she had been handed the task of

  salvaging these lands, would she have been

  above marrying for money? She wondered.

  Probably not. As Lady Atherton had said,

  damn her, one did what one must.

  That acknowledgment did not make

  Victoria feel any more charitable toward

  Lucas, however. She might be able to

  understand his need to marry an heiress;

  she would never forgive him for choosing

  her and tricking her into this marriage.

  Surely he could have found a willingsacrifice

  if he had been willing to search

  for one among the ladies of the ton.

  There were those who would have traded

  a fortune for a landed title.

  It's a lovely house, ain't it, ma'am?"

  Nan said, leaning eagerly out of the coach

  window to catch the first glimpse of the

  great house of stone vale. Pity the grounds

  and garden are so shabby. Not like Lady

  Nettleship's country place at all."

  Victoria found herself leaning forward

  for a look, although she had vowed she

  would adopt an air of disdainful aloofness

  about everything concerning Lucas's home.

  Her maid was right. stone vale was

  a magnificent house. The stone facade

  was imposing and well proportioned. The

  wide front steps descended to a cobbled

  courtyard and a huge curving drive. A large

  fountain and pool decorated the middle of

  the curve. But the pool was full of rubble

  instead of water. The fountain was silent.

  There was
the same air of depression

  and hopelessness about the house as there

  was about the village and surrounding

  fields. Victoria stared at her new home

  with a sense of dismay as the coach halted.

  It was all a far cry from the luxurious,

  comfortable, well-gardened world she had

  known with her aunt.

  Lucas turned his mount over to a groom

  and came forward to escort Victoria up the

  steps and into the house.

  As you can see," he said quietly, there

  is much to be done."

  That is certainly an accurate observation, my lord."

  She was feeling somewhat

  dazed.

  I would like us to share the task

  together, Vicky. We both have a stake

  in stone vale. It is your home now as well

  as mine. It will be our children's home."

  She flinched at that, recalling more of

  Jessica Atherton's words. If you cannot bring

  yourself to have any real affection for Lucas,

  only think how hard this is on him. He must

  have an heir from you.

  Victoria composed her features immediately,

  but she knew Lucas had seen her

  brief expression of anger because his own

  face hardened. I will introduce you to the

  staff, although as yet there is not much of

  it. The butler's name is Griggs. He's from

  my London staff. The housekeeper is misses

  Sneath. She's from the village."

  Exhausted from the long trip, depressed

  by what she had seen of stone vale, and

  too proud to give an inch in response to

  Lucas's small overtures, Victoria picked up

  her skirts and climbed the stairs to her new

  bedchamber.

  Dinner that night was not an impressive

  affair. Griggs apologized for the poor

  quality of the wine and the lack of footmen

  to serve. The food was limited, both in

  quality and selection. The surroundings

  were even less prepossessing than the

  food. The carpet was threadbare, the

  furniture scarred and unpolished, the

  silver tarnished. The chandelier overhead

  had obviously not been cleaned in years.

  But it was the grim silence at the table

  that really got to Victoria. She was not

  a creature of long silences and she had

  almost reached the end of her ability to

  maintain one. It annoyed her now that

  Lucas seemed oblivious to her efforts.

  Well, my lord," she began after fortifying

  herself with a large sip of wine. Where

  do you propose to begin spending my

  money? On the gardens, perhaps? Or the

  tenants" farms? Or maybe you would like

  to refurnish the house itself? It certainly

  needs it."