Jon’s smile was more of a grimace. “I meant the gown to be my way of bringing you out. When I ordered it, I knew Jay was going to propose, so I thought it could be either a wedding gown or a coming out gown. If you didn’t want to marry him, I had planned to ask Teddy’s mother if she would sponsor you.”
“Teddy?”
“Teddy Hartwell. A friend from Oxford. His father is the Duke of Westover. And, having just recently met his mother, I discovered she knew Mama. She indicated she would be more than happy to sponsor you, if you wished it. I have a letter from her to Felicia. And she recommended a young ladies’ academy.”
“Felicia will be thrilled.”
“I thought so.”
They walked in silence for a while longer, then turned back toward the house. Shortly before they reached the edge of the garden, he asked, “Are you sure you want to marry Jay?”
Tina stopped and turned to look up at her brother. He might not realize it, but he had been her source of strength for most of her life. She had relied on him when things seemed at their worst—and he had never let her down, despite what he might think.
“Yes,” she answered softly. “He is everything his father was, and more. He is kind, considerate, and gentle. He cares deeply about the land and the people, and has even developed a brotherly affection for Felicia.”
“And you?” Jon asked. “Has he developed an affection for you?”
“I—I think so,” she answered as the blood rose in her cheeks and she looked off over the riot of color that was the garden. “But I suppose only he can actually answer that.”
“And what about the pendant Nona gave you?”
Her eyes snapped back to his face. “How did you know about that?”
“Nona told me.” Seeing the question in her expression, he went on. “I don’t know how, but she found me at an inn on the way to Wynton Abbey.”
“She…?”
“Well, actually Carlo did. He said she knew I was nearby and sent him out in search of me.” His expression turned as sad as his tone as he related the last conversation he had with their great-grandmother. “She told me of the pendant she had given you and insisted I not allow you to marry anyone except the holder of the mate.”
“And did you agree?”
He grinned. “Sort of. I promised to try, but I wouldn’t force you if you wanted to marry someone else.”
“So, is that why you are not stopping me from marrying Jay?”
He shook his head. “No. The truth is that I would prefer you marry someone you know and care for, rather than trying to find a perfect stranger. And, I like him.”
Shock registered on Tina’s face at his words. Was she that transparent? She was only beginning to accept her feelings for Jay were more than friendly. This afternoon she had actually asked herself if she was falling in love.
“How do you know I care for him?”
“Because I know you better than you think,” he replied. “At tea, I noticed the way the two of you watched each other when you didn’t think anyone else was paying attention. I would guess his feelings are also engaged, but I wouldn’t risk guessing how far.” Amusement lurked in his eyes as he added, “You, however, are an easy read. I just hope you don’t regret the step you are about to take. Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer a season to try and find the other half of your pendant?”
“I don’t think I’ll regret it,” she answered quietly. “But thank you for your concern. And, I can’t explain why, but I just feel as if this is the right thing to do now. I suppose it’s possible I may find the other half of the pendant eventually, but I’m too old for a season now and I want to honor the promise I made to Papa.”
“Marriage is a big step. You should be sure.”
“For now, I am. Someday, I might feel guilty for not searching out the person with the other half of my pendant, but for now, I think this is the best course for me.”
She thought he would say more, but he didn’t. Instead they continued into the house.
*
Over dinner, Felicia told Tina and Jon about the village church and the vicar.
“It’s a beautiful little church and the vicar was so nice. Just perfect for a small wedding.”
Tina giggled. “By that you mean, perfect for me, but not for you.”
“Of course,” Felicia agreed. “One does not marry a duke in a country church.”
Jon nearly choked on his wine. “What duke?” he demanded.
“The one I’m going to marry,” Felicia replied smugly.
Jay, who was fast learning how Felicia’s mind worked, asked, “And is there such a person on the horizon?”
“Not yet, but there will be by the time I’m eighteen,” she answered breezily.
Jay leaned back in his chair and eyed her thoughtfully. “And if there isn’t?”
Tina erupted into laughter. “Oh, Jay, don’t encourage her. You’ll only make it worse.”
“I’m only trying to determine whether I should be out scouring the countryside for appropriate candidates to bring to heel—or if she already has someone in mind. Dukes are quite hard to find these days. Especially ones who are not already married.” He turned back to Felicia. “Will an heir do—or must he have already acquired the title?”
Felicia thought for a moment. “I suppose an heir will do.”
“Very well. I will keep my eyes open.”
Tina was disconcerted. “You should not make promises you cannot keep, my lord,” she told him. “And, Felicia, you cannot possibly intend…”
“Of course, I do,” Felicia cut in. “But, it’s at least two years away—who knows what will happen in two years.”
“Who knows, indeed,” Jay concurred, thoughtfully.
After dinner, the men followed the ladies into the drawing room, insisting there was nothing they needed to discuss that couldn’t be put off until tomorrow. When the tea trolley was brought in, Jon excused himself, returning a short time later.
“I almost forgot,” he told Felicia, handing her an envelope. “This is for you.” Dropping into a chair across from her, he watched her open the missive. “It’s from the Duchess of Westover.”
As Felicia opened the missive and began to read, Jon and Jay exchanged glances. Jay stood, drawing Tina to her feet as well. Although curious as to the contents of Felicia’s letter, she allowed Jay to lead her from the room and into the library. Seating her on the settee in front of the fireplace, he lit two lamps on nearby tables, then crossed the room to the desk in front of the windows. Retrieving something from inside the desk, he returned to sit beside her.
“I asked Jon to stop and pick this up on his way here. I thought it would suit you.”
He opened his hand to reveal an elegant ring. The slim gold band was topped by a large diamond surrounded by smaller emeralds, which were in turn, surrounded by sapphires.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
He picked up her left hand and slid the ring on the third finger. A tingling coursed through her fingers and up her arms.
She stared down at the ring in wonder, then lifted luminous eyes to his face. “It fits,” she said in surprise.
His smile appeared and she was mesmerized. “I thought it might,” he said softly just before his lips covered hers.
Tina went boneless in his arms, her mouth parting beneath his in complete surrender. As before, she was not prepared for the rush of sensation that invaded her body, nor could she deny the simple feeling of rightness she felt being in his arms. Her breathing stopped, her heart sped up, and a dull roar sounded in her ears. For long minutes, she was lost, then Jay raised his head and she was able to breathe again.
She knew she should not be embarrassed, but she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. Dropping her gaze to his shirt front, she missed the carefully controlled fire burning in the depths of his. His sigh teased the tendrils of hair at her temple.
He leaned against the back of the settee and moved his hand upward, dislodgin
g the mass of curls styled at the back of her head—and was rewarded with a shower of ebony silk tumbling over his hand and arm. A sense of contentment surrounded them both as he threaded his fingers through the soft curls.
Tina rested against his broad chest, half lying, half sitting on the settee. His heart beat strongly against her ear and she found herself wondering, not for the first time, if Nona might have been wrong. Her feelings were in turmoil. If someone else was her destiny, then why was she falling in love with Jay?
She had agreed to marry him, but only because it was the most logical choice when looking at all of her options. It made sense for her to honor her promise. It made sense for her to marry him, as his father had wished. But logic had nothing to do with her moods lately and she found herself alarmed at times at the intensity of her feelings where he was concerned.
“Is there somewhere in particular you’d like to see or go?”
Jay’s deep voice startled her from her thoughts and she lifted her head. Their eyes met and she lost her train of thought. What had he asked her?
A ghost of a smile hovered around his mouth as he took in the bemused look in her eyes. He had surprised her. Good. It seemed only fair considering the shocks she regularly delivered to his system, the impact she was having even now on his system as he took in her wide eyes and kiss-swollen mouth framed by a soft cloud of raven curls.
“I asked if there was anywhere you’d like to see or go?” he repeated.
“Why?”
“I thought perhaps you’d like to take a trip somewhere. I do own a small fleet of ships.”
“Oh.” She sat up. “I haven’t given it much thought,” she admitted. She seemed to be scanning the room, as if looking for something, but he wished she’d turn back to him. “I thought we were going to tour the properties.”
“That is purely business—something we need to do, regardless. But I thought you might like to take a pleasure trip—a honeymoon, if you will.”
“I—I don’t know, I’ll have to think about it.”
He slid his hand up her back, tangling it in the shining mass. He was tempted to tug on it, pull her back into his arms and continue where he left off, but thought better of it. When she moved her head, shaking the silky fall, he had to bite back a groan. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to bury his face in its softness and inhale its sweet scent—and try his damndest to disregard the clamoring of his body.
He knew he shouldn’t get too attached. She was only a means to an end. It was too bad he hadn’t reminded his heart of that before he kissed her. Before he tasted pure innocence. He could count on one hand the number of times he had tasted her, but he was already addicted.
Tina allowed her eyes to wander the room, trying desperately to look anywhere but at the man seated beside her. Her heart was still beating entirely too fast, making her breathless and a little lightheaded.
A lock of hair fell over her shoulder and she lifted her arms to push her hair behind her, shaking it out and unaware of the effect it was having on her companion. She heard a small sound, and turned to look at him. Sprawled carelessly on the seat, his booted feet crossed at the ankles, he looked cool and composed. Why was it she felt anything but?
She began gathering her hair to put it back into some order when he moved. Sitting up, he caught her hands and drew them down. “Don’t,” he said gently. “I like it this way.”
“But…” He shushed her with two fingers over her lips. She only just restrained herself from pursing her lips and placing a kiss on those fingers.
“There is no one here to see but me,” he told her, his hands continuing to sift through the long, heavy tresses.
Tina watched his hands in fascination. The long fingers gently combed through the thick mass and she found herself imagining those hands stroking over her body in the same manner. They would be tender, yet sure, soothing any apprehensions she might have before he claimed her body with his own.
The blood surged into her cheeks as she realized what she was thinking, yet she smiled to herself all the same. Mira had been quite explicit in her explanation of marital intimacy. Tina had been somewhat mortified by what seemed to her to be an uncomfortable act, but Mira had told her someday she would understand—and welcome—the knowledge. And Mira had been right. If not for Mira, she knew right now she would be horrified by her body’s reaction. Understanding it was natural made all the difference in how she felt.
Raising her eyes to his again, she said, “I suppose it is time to retire anyway, so no harm done.”
Reluctantly Jay rose to his feet, pulling her up with him and into the circle of his arms. She felt so good against him, he didn’t want to let her go. Nevertheless, he had tortured himself enough for one night.
“Thank you for my ring.” Her voice trembled slightly.
“You’re welcome.”
Impulsively, she lifted up on her toes and brushed her lips against his lower jaw, that being as high as she could reach. Slipping out of his arms, she was at the door before his brain registered anything other than her touch. Opening the door, she turned back. Her eyes glowed as she gazed at him from across the room.
“Good night.”
Then she was gone, the music of her voice remaining to tease him long after she had departed.
Jay fell back onto the settee, his hand going up to the spot on his jaw where she had kissed him. What the hell just happened? He glanced again at the closed door, seeing only a black-haired siren with blue-green eyes staring back at him, a smile on her lips. He felt as if he’d just been sucker-punched. And he still had to endure three more days!
Chapter Eleven
The next three days might have dragged for Jay, but for Tina they flew by. The house was cleaned from top to bottom and menus decided upon. Felicia had taken charge, leaving Tina little more to do than help supervise. It was a good move. More often than not, Tina was distracted, staring off into the distance, a dreamy look on her face. Felicia watched her with mild amusement, often sending her off to sit in the garden gazebo with a non-essential list of things to do. Felicia was enjoying the role-reversal, delighted to finally be of some help rather than the burden. Having decided she should be the lady of the house until Tina married Jay, she savored her newly assumed role.
Jay and Jon spent most of the time riding the estate and surrounding countryside, checking on tenants and local villages which relied on Collingswood. Word had spread and Jay found himself welcomed and congratulated many times during the days. As he and Jon catalogued repairs needing to be made, Jay often found himself thinking of Tina and the day he had ridden Thane Park with her and Felicia. Invariably, his recollection of the day centered around the kiss they had shared outside Daisy’s cottage.
The evening before the appointed day, Tina and Jay discovered another reason for all the frenzied indoor activity of the prior two days as three carriages came rumbling up the drive shortly before dinner. Felicia, obviously on edge since tea time, fairly flew out of the front parlor where she and Tina had settled with last minute lists, Tina following at a more sedate pace. Jay and Jon came out of the library to investigate as the carriages disgorged their occupants.
The first to disembark was a tall, distinguished-looking gentleman with reddish-blond hair graying at the temples. Behind him, he helped out a woman. Golden blond hair styled in the latest fashion framed an arresting face inhabited by sharp blue eyes.
Jay stared in shock as Tina moved to his side and asked, “Do you know them?”
Sliding his arm around her waist, to give her support he told himself, he replied, “The Duke and Duchess of Westover.”
She turned to Felicia in a panic. “Felicia! What have you done?”
Flashing them a brilliant smile, she replied, “Nothing, really,” then turned and headed out the front door being held open by Keyes. Jay squeezed Tina’s waist in assurance, then followed, leaving her with Jon.
“Did you know?” Tina asked her brother.
“No,
and had I guessed she might do something like this, I would have waited until today to give her the letter from the duchess.”
“She has no fear, you know,” Tina told him. “It would never occur to her she shouldn’t write to a duchess to whom she hadn’t been formally introduced.”
“Unfortunately, I suspect the duchess gave her the opening in the letter I delivered.” The group outside, which had grown now to two others—obviously the occupants of the other carriage—was moving up the front stairs and into the black and white marble tiled entryway.
“I did not know if you would actually come, but I had rooms made ready just in case,” Felicia was saying to the duchess as they came through the front door.
Introductions were made and Tina found herself thoroughly scrutinized before Felicia shepherded the ladies off to their rooms. Tina watched her sister in wonder, turning to Jon after the crowd had passed. “When did she grow up?”
Jon shrugged, unable to answer. With Felicia, one was never sure, so it was best not to speculate.
*
The knock on her door came just as Milly was putting the final touches on her hair. Dressed in the aqua and white dress Madame had created for her, Tina felt a bit bare around the neck and shoulders, but beyond the pendant Nona had given her, which needed a good cleaning, she had only a set of pearls which she concluded would not do with the dress.
Milly answered the door and came back with a velvet case in her hand. Putting it down in front of her, she said breathlessly, “His lordship sent these—and he’s waiting to escort you downstairs.”
Opening the case, Tina found a necklace, bracelet, and earbobs obviously made to go with her ring. The necklace and bracelet were each triple strands of gems—diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires—set in a delicate lacework of gold, the earbobs a diamond surrounded by alternating emeralds and sapphires. As Milly fastened the necklace on, Tina wondered how he knew which dress she would be wearing this evening. Glancing in the mirror, she felt less bare than before, and was inordinately pleased with the result. The prospect of dining under the watchful gaze of a duchess set her stomach to fluttering.
The Gypsy Legacy: Marquis Page 17