only thing that mattered was Imogen.
Without releasing her lips, he stripped off his gloves and
dropped them heedlessly on the ground. Then he curved his hands
around her shoulders and slowly eased the tiny sleeves of her
gown aside.
She shivered when the small, high-waisted bodice slipped
downward, freeing her elegant breasts.
Matthias?"
You are beautiful," he whispered." You remind me of the
pictures of Anizamara painted on the walls of the library of
Zamar. Full of life and warmth."
She gave a shaky laugh and buried her face against his shoulder." You will not believe this, sir, but I have had the oddest
dreams of late. In them, you seem to become Zamaris or he
becomes you. I cannot tell which."
It would seem that we share our interest in Zamar even in our
dreams." He fitted his hands to her waist and lifted her straight up
off the ground. The movement brought her breasts to the level of
his mouth. He took one firm nipple between his teeth and sucked
gently.
Matthias." She clutched at his shoulders and held on as if for
dear life." What are you doing?" Her voice rose as he circled her
nipple with the tip of his tongue and then bit down very gently.
This is . surely this is ." She floundered into breathless
silence.
He released the dainty fruit and turned his attention to the
other nipple. He felt her fingers dig into his shoulders. The moan
that went through her aroused him as nothing else had ever done.
Imogen began to rain frantic little kisses in his hair.
Matthias glanced around and spotted a garden seat. He carried
Imogen to the stone bench and sat down with her in his arms. Her
skirts tumbled over his breeches. He tugged the flounced hem of
her gown up above her knees.
Whatever are you about, sir?" Imogen demanded as he slid one
hand between her warm thighs." Is this some strange Zamarian
lovemaking technique?"
What?" The scent of her filled his head. He could not seem to
concentrate on her words.
In one of your articles in the Zamarian Review you alluded to
a scroll that you discovered that described certain customs of the
Zamarian matrimonial bedchamber."
Could we discuss this later, my sweet?" He kissed her throat.
Yes, of course." Imogen turned her face into his coat and clung
to his lapels." It's just that this all feels so odd."
On the contrary." He nibbled on her earlobe." It feels incredible."
I have often wished that you had published more detailed
information of your discoveries on the subject of Zamarian marital relations. I read several times the one article that you wrote,
but I was always left to wonder just what you meant when you
hinted that the Zamarians were quite uninhibited."
Kiss me, Imogen."
Oh. Yes, of course." She lifted her head and parted her lips.
He took her mouth again and at the same moment cupped the
hot, damp flesh between her legs.
Imogen screamed softly in surprise. Matthias swallowed the
sound. She awkwardly tried to close her legs, but she succeeded
only in trapping his hand. He probed carefully and she relaxed
against him in a rush of pulsing excitement.
He eased one finger into her softness." You are so warm and
tight."
She shivered in his arms. Tiny muscles clenched gently against
his finger. He thought that he would lose what little remained of
his self-control.
Matthias, this is so . so ." She sipped air and tightened
herself. Her head fell back. Her turban slipped off and dropped to
the grass.
Over and over again Matthias drove his finger deep, pushing
through the constricting, glovelike passage. At the same time, he
used his thumb on her small, hidden jewel.
With a startled cry Imogen convulsed and came apart in his
arms.
He held her close, glorying in her response. He was on the brink
of exploding inside his breeches, but he managed to hold himself
in check. Later, he promised himself as he cradled her fiercely to
him. His turn would come later. Right now the only thing that
mattered was that she had found her satisfaction in his arms.
After a moment Imogen stopped trembling, although she still
gripped the edges of his coat with such force that he knew the
expensive fabric would be crushed. He absently noted that his
cravat had somehow come undone. Imogen's hair spilled around
her shoulders.
Matthias realized that although he ached with unsatisfied
desire, he felt young and free, as he had not felt in years.
Imogen slowly raised her head to gaze at him with eyes made
huge by sensual wonder. She smiled up at him from the curve of
his arm." That was the most astounding thing that I have ever
Voices, those of a man and a woman, interrupted whatever it
was Imogen had been about to say. The reality of their precarious
situation hit Matthias with the force of freezing rain. He realized
that the other couple was only a few feet away. All that stood
between Imogen and discovery was the tall hedge.
Hell and damnation," he whispered.
He stood up with Imogen in his arms and quickly set her on her
feet. There was no need to warn her. He could see that she had
heard the voices. She grabbed futilely at her drooping bodice.
The voices moved closer. Soft laughter from the woman. A
murmured comment from the man.
Matthias started to reach down to scoop up his gloves and then
realized Imogen was having trouble adjusting her gown.
Here, let me do that." He managed to drag the tiny sleeves back
up onto her shoulders. Her breasts disappeared. There was noth
ing he could do about her loosened hair, however, or the turban
that had fallen to the grass. She was the very picture of a woman
who had just been locked in an abandoned sensual embrace.
Come." He took her hand, intent on getting her away from the
scene before the other couple came around the corner of the
hedge. Imogen stumbled as she clutched his hand.
Colchester." Selena, followed by Alastair Drake, rounded the
hedge at that moment." And Miss Waterstone. What are you two
doing . ? Oh, dear." A slow, knowing smile curved her lips." Never
mind. I can see perfectly well what you are doing."
Imogen." Alastair stared at her with a shocked expression.
Matthias stepped in front of Imogen in a vain effort to conceal
her, but he knew the damage had been done. He saw Alastair's
eyes go to a dainty dancing slipper and the turban that lay next to
his discarded gloves.
Selena gazed at Matthias's loosened cravat and gave a rich,
amused chuckle." Well, well, well. I do believe that we have inter
rupted some very interesting researches into the subject of ancient
Zamar, Mister Drake."
Alastair was tight-lipped." So it would seem."
You have indeed interrupted something quite interesting,"
Matthias said." But it was not a scholarly investigation. Miss
Waterstone has just consented to b
ecome engaged to me. You may
be the first to congratulate us."
Chapter 8
She was standing in her uncle's sepulchral library. This time she
could feel a chill wind. She saw that the window was open, allowing
the night to flow into the chamber. A stone sarcophagus loomed in
the shadows. She was certain that it had not been there the last time.
The lid had been removed. There was something inside. Something
dangerous.
She started toward the sarcophagus and then paused when she
felt the hair on the nape of her neck stir. She knew that he was in the
room with her again. She turned slowly and saw Matthias/Zamaris.
The moonlight gleamed on the icy silver in his hair. His austere
features were in deep shadow.
He held out one elegant ham. Blood glistened on his fingers.
Lies," he whispered in a darkly sensual voice." Do not believe the
lies. Come to me."
It is a disaster." Imogen shoved aside the memories of her latest
disturbing dream and forced herself to concentrate on the crisis.
He has ruined everything. My entire scheme is in a shambles."
Calm yourself, dear." Horatia, seated in a chair with her
embroidery, peered at her over the rims of her spectacles. i'm
certain Colchester knows what he is about."
Rubbish." Imogen threw her hands up into the air and stormed
across the study." It's a bloody disaster, I tell you. This morning
everyone in Polite Society believes that Colchester and I are
engaged."
You are engaged, dear. The announcement last night made it
quite official."
Imogen flung out a hand and accidentally struck a scented
sweet jar off its stand. It bounced on the carpet and rolled under
the desk. The dried herbs and flowers that had been inside fluttered to the floor. She paused briefly to glower at the small heap
of faded roses and bay leaves.
How could he do this to me?" she demanded of the universe at
large.
Horatia considered that." He obviously felt he had no choice.
The situation was an extremely compromising one for you. Much
worse than last time because Lady Lyndhurst witnessed it in addition to that nice Mister Drake. Selena thrives on that sort of gossip.
There was no possibility of hushing things up."
Imogen winced." I suppose not."
She was fairly certain that Alastair could have been persuaded
to keep his mouth closed. He was an old acquaintance who had
once been something more than a friend. But there was no reason
to believe that Lady Lyndhurst would have been discreet.
Colchester did the only thing a true gentleman could do under
the circumstances." Horatia frowned." I must say, I'm rather
amazed. His reputation is not such that one would expect noble
behavior."
You are wrong, Aunt Horatia. Colchester is exactly the sort of
gentleman who would try to salvage my reputation. But I fear he
did not stop to consider the results of his actions." Imogen
resumed her pacing.
You are being very hard on him, my dear." Horatia set a stitch
in her embroidery." This cannot be any easier on Colchester than
it is on you."
But it is my plans that are in ruins. A broken engagement will
finish me so far as Society is concerned. You know the lady always
takes the blame in such situations."
I know, dear."
If I end the engagement, I will put myself beyond the pale. I
will not receive any further invitations."
Yes, dear."
And then how will I carry out my plans to trap Vanneck?"
I have no notion, dear."
Exactly. I am trapped." Imogen slammed a palm down on her
desk as she went past it. The inkstand trembled." One would
almost think that Colchester did this deliberately."
Horatia's needle hovered in midair." Deliberately?"
You know very well that he has been opposed to my scheme
from the start."
Well, he admitted at the beginning that he was extremely
anxious about the thing," Horatia conceded.
Precisely." Imogen frowned." Mayhap his nerves were so frayed
from the pressure of his role in this affair that he decided to put
an end to my scheme in this underhanded fashion."
As I am forever telling you, Imogen, Colchester is not the sort
to suffer from frayed nerves."
And as I am forever explaining to you, he is possessed of very
delicate sensibilities. That sort often suffers from a weakness of the
nerves." Imogen narrowed her eyes as the suspicion built within her.
Last night, just before the disaster, he told me that Vanneck was
attempting to form a secret consortium. My scheme was coming to
fruition. I could see that the news had clearly shaken Colchester.
Evidently I failed to understand just how overset he was."
Indeed."
He must have panicked."
Panicked? Colchester?"
Perhaps he was so disturbed and anxious that he took drastic
action to crush my scheme before it could go any further."
Horatia contemplated that notion." I suppose this engagement
does complicate your plans."
It has made a complete tangle of them," Imogen snapped." The
idea was to make Vanneck believe that he was in competition with
Colchester."
I know."
I wanted him to think that I was willing to form a partnership
with whomever would finance an expedition to Zamar. I wanted
Vanneck to believe that he had every chance of convincing me to
let him become my partner." Imogen swept out a hand and missed
a vase of flowers by inches." Now he will likely abandon any notion
of forming his consortium."
True. Under the circumstances, Vanneck will naturally assume
that he no longer has a chance at the Queen's Seal. Colchester has
cut him out very neatly, has he not? No lady can form a business
partnership of the sort you intend with one man when she is
engaged to marry another. It isn't done."
Precisely." Imogen came to a halt beside her desk and
drummed her fingers on the polished surface." It isn't done. The
lady's loyalty must lie with her future husband, who will control
her business affairs. Colchester knows that. Which is why I
strongly suspect that this is a desperate ploy on his part. I fear it
may have worked. He has effectively destroyed my scheme."
Horatia glanced at Imogen over her spectacles." You make this
sound as if it were all Colchester's fault. A nefarious plot to ruin
your plans."
I suspect that is just what it was."
May I ask how he managed to compromise you on his own?
Did he lure you into a secluded portion of the garden and force
his attentions upon you?"
Imogen blushed furiously." Not exactly."
The memories of Matthias's lovemaking had kept her awake
for the better part of the night. The emotions that she had experi
enced in his arms had left her feeling unsettled and dazed. The
mixture of excitement and unaccustomed sensations had been
almost too much even for her strong nerves.
She had gazed at the ceiling for hours, wonde
ring what sort of
impact those strange sensations had had on Matthias. She was not
altogether certain that he had felt anything particularly unusual.
He had seemed very much in command of himself when Lady
Lyndhurst and Alastair had appeared.
Imogen stifled a small sigh. She feared that whatever emotion
Matthias had experienced last night had not been of a deeply stir
ring nature, as hers had most definitely been. The dream shortly
before dawn had not helped settle her uneasy emotions.
Dawn, however, had brought a clearer head and a full realization of just what had been lost. And Horatia's gentle accusation of
complicity only made matters worse. Very well, she had kissed
Matthias willingly, Imogen thought. But matters would have
ended right there if he had not employed exotic Zamarian love
making techniques to seduce her senses.
Well, dear?" Horatia prompted.
Imogen cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders." I
told you, we went out into the garden to discuss the progress of my
plans. We were discovered together by Lady Lyndhurst and
Alastair Drake."
Merely being discovered together in the garden would not
have necessitated an engagement announcement. Not at your age,
my dear."
I am aware of that." Imogen sought for a way to change the
subject. She did not want to go into detail about the events of last
night." I fear Lady Lyndhurst and Alastair assumed the worst."
The gossip that went through the ballroom indicated that they
discovered you in a state of complete dishabille," Horatia said with
rare ruthlessness." I heard that your hair was down about your
shoulders. Your dress was rumpled and one of your shoes had
come off. The bodice of your gown appeared to have come
partially undone. According to one report, Colchester's gloves and
your turban were lying on the grass."
Imogen was horrified." You heard all those lurid details?"
And more." Horatia sighed." A great deal more. They are calling
you Immodest Imogen again, my dear. You would have been
ruined this morning if Colchester had not waved a magic wand
and declared that the pair of you were engaged."
Imogen collapsed into the chair behind her desk and covered
her face with her hands. She tried to school her thoughts so that
she could think logically and coherently. But her brain had gone
to mush.
Bloody hell," she muttered." What am I to do now?"
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