“Then I had to return to London. It was a frustrating two weeks with Jon and I scouring London for Milton and coming up empty-handed. We finally hired a detective, and I went back to Thane Park while Jon headed for Yorkshire. One full day in your company and my decision was made, but I made a terrible mistake.” He ran his hand through his hair, the gesture filled with frustration.
“Jon warned me to tell you the truth about my father’s will, but I couldn’t bring myself to. I was afraid you might decide to take your chances in London, rather than settle for me.”
“There was a time when I wanted a season, but after Aaron’s death I convinced myself that I didn’t want to come to London.” Her voice was hushed and he had to strain to hear her. “All I ever wanted was to stay at the Park. Papa promised me, but I knew after he died, it was possible it wouldn’t happen. Still, when you came I was hoping you would honor the contract after all. I thought that as long as you didn’t hurt me like Aaron had, I would be content.”
Jay turned then and dragged her off the chair and into his lap. Cradling her against him, his voice was ragged as he said, “Aaron was a fool. I could never hurt you. Never!”
Looking up at him, she put her hand on his cheek. “I know. You are too much like your father,” she began. He stiffened in denial. “I know you do not believe me, but your father was the warmest, gentlest, kindest, most loving man I’ve ever known and you are just like him.”
Jay covered her hand with his and planted a kiss in her palm. “I don’t know exactly when I fell in love with you, but I know when I finally realized it.” She said nothing, only watched him expectantly. “It was when you disappeared from the Thurston’s ballroom. I was so frantic I couldn’t think straight. I knew then if anything happened to you my life would be over. Just the thought of living without you still has the power to send me into a panic. And the thought that I could have lost you continues to haunt me.”
She sighed. “I think I realized at the same time that I’d married you under false pretenses, too. I had convinced myself that all I wanted was someone who wouldn’t hurt me, but it wasn’t enough.” Her hand went to the pendant resting above her breasts. “I wanted you to love me as much as I loved you and I was afraid that I’d ruined everything by not telling you about—”
She lapsed into silence and Jay waited for her to continue. When she didn’t, he lifted the pendant, feeling the warmth from her skin. “About this, perhaps?”
Her cheeks turned scarlet and tears gathered in her eyes. “My…my great-grandmother gave it to me and told me—”
“To only marry the person with the mate.”
“Jon told you?” The guilt in her eyes sliced through him like a rapier.
He gathered her closer, burying his face in her hair for a moment to get control. When he loosened his embrace, he brushed a kiss across her forehead before replying, “No, love. Those were the same words Nona said to me.”
Using one hand, he reached up and released the studs on the front of his shirt before untying his neckwear and opening the garment to show her the medallion he wore.
Tina stared in amazement at the flat disk suspended by a chain. She knew without looking that the diamond star in the center would fit into the shape in the center of her pendant.
“How…how long have you had it?”
“Eighteen years.” He reached up and stroked her cheek. “I made a promise once, long ago, that I would marry the woman I found with the mate to mine. I thought I was breaking that promise when I married you.” He drew a deep breath, letting it out on a long sigh. “I nearly allowed the time to lapse because of it, because of my promise.”
Tina shook her head. “But, how did you meet Nona?”
“She found me on the road to London on a summer night. I had left Collingswood after arguing with my father. Aaron had played another one of his pranks. This one involved dressing one of the stablehands up enough to look like me from a distance and sending him out on one of my father’s prized horses. When I tried to explain it hadn’t been me, my father wouldn’t believe me. He told me if I couldn’t own up to my own misconduct, I was no son of his.”
Tina’s eyes widened in surprise at this side to her stepfather Jay had often hinted at but she had never seen.
“You have to understand I was quite wild as a youngster. It’s not that it wasn’t something I would never have done, it’s just I hadn’t done it that time. I’m not proud of some of the things I did back then, but if I was caught out, I never lied about it. That my father refused to see that rankled.”
One of Jay’s hands moved up her back, dislodging her carefully arranged coiffeur. She could feel his fingers running through the thick mass of curls as he continued to speak.
“So, I ran away. I had a purse full of coins—enough to get me to London, at least. But, on the way, I was waylaid by a band of ruffians. When Nona found me, I was bruised and bleeding a bit. My pride was probably hurt more than anything else, but I was convinced she’d saved my life. She put me in her wagon and patched me up. Then she took me to London.
“Before she left me near the docks, she gave me this medallion and made me promise to never part with it until I found its mate. She said it would bring me good fortune and success as long as I kept it. In return, I promised to marry the woman I found with the mate. She specifically told me it would be her great-granddaughter, but I only recently remembered that small detail.
“When I discovered the coil my father left, I was angry. I didn’t really wile away three weeks in London doing nothing. I tried to find Nona, but I didn’t remember her name. When I tried to describe her, none of the gypsies I encountered knew who she was. I thought maybe she had died. Then I met you.
“I didn’t want to renege on my promise. I had kept the pendant as I promised and now I was back, prepared to honor the second half of the promise, but I was torn.
“I went back and forth with myself over whether to continue looking for Nona or reclaim my lands. I also fell under your spell. After just a day in your company, I knew I had to have you. You were the one I wanted, not some nameless, faceless person wearing a diamond starburst pendant. So, I pushed it into the back of my mind and proposed.”
Astonished at his tale, Tina felt the need to explain her own actions. “I thought all the accidents were happening because I’d disregarded Nona’s words. When we were growing up she had us convinced that if we didn’t follow the dictates of her cards, something disastrous would happen. But, when she wanted me to promise to wait, I couldn’t do it. I think, even then, I knew that I would marry you if you asked. Then the accidents began after we returned to town. Even though you were sure that Mr. Milton was behind them, I still wondered if I had brought them upon us because I’d ignored Nona.”
“Is that why you wore the pendant to the Loughton’s rout?”
“Actually, I wore it on impulse. I’d left it at a jeweler’s to be cleaned while we went up north and had just received it back that afternoon. It was so lovely, I couldn’t resist putting it on. Then I spent most of the evening worried that someone would recognize it.”
“Someone did, but I didn’t know how to tell you without producing the other half.”
She relaxed more fully into his body. “Oh.”
“Is that why you haven’t worn it again—until tonight?”
She nodded. “I wanted to ask you about your father’s will and tell you about the pendant. Then Brand kept staring at it and I began to worry all over again.”
Jay’s chuckle shook both of them. “That’s because he’d only brought me the other half earlier in the week.”
“Earlier in the week?”
He nodded. “I think we were a bit superstitious about our good fortune in acquiring our first ship. We named it the Gypsy Star and kept this,” he pointed to his medallion, “in the safe on board. When I realized you had the other half, I resolved to wait until he returned to retrieve it.”
“So, it was mere happenstance that he returned
this week?”
“Very much so.”
They were silent for a long time. The fire crackling was the only sound in the room. The noise from the street was barely discernable. They could have been the only two people in London. The clock on the mantel chimed. Eleven-thirty. It wasn’t very late, but it seemed as if they had been in the library for hours, though he knew Brand had left shortly after ten.
Running his fingers through her thick, shining mass of curls, he knew how it felt to touch perfection. “I was jealous the night of the masquerade,” he confessed. “Watching you dance, I was sure every man in the room wanted a chance to run his fingers through your hair.”
She looked up at him, shaking her head and dislodging more pins. “That is a privilege reserved for you alone, my lord.” Her hands moved up around his neck and she pulled his head down to hers. Just before their mouths met, she whispered against his, “I love you.”
Lips merged, breath mingled, and tongues danced as they clung to each other. For the time being all was right in their world. There were no doubts, no cares, no worries, only each other. Tomorrow would take care of itself, but tonight was theirs to savor.
Breaking the kiss, Jay rose awkwardly to his feet, still holding her in his arms. “It has been an eventful week. It’s time for you to be in bed.”
Her hands slid across his chest beneath the material of his shirt. Half way up the stairs, he felt her lips on his neck and heard her murmur. “I’m ready for bed, but I’m not tired.” He nearly lost his footing.
“Siren,” he accused, opening the door to her suite.
She smiled gloriously. “Only for you.”
Stopping beside her bed, he put her down on her feet. Then he slowly, teasingly, peeled each layer of clothing from her body, planting kisses on her bare skin as it was uncovered.
Tina was not as patient and he chuckled when he heard a rip as she hurried to divest him of his clothing.
He made love to her tenderly, worshiping her body with his hands and mouth. He had always been gentle with her, but tonight he took his time, caressing, stroking, and reveling in the tiny sighs and moans coming from her lips. He wanted nothing more than to lose himself in her and never emerge and for that one timeless moment when they became one, he knew he’d experienced an ecstasy many strive for but few achieve. He never wanted it to end.
Much later he gathered her close in his arms and rested his chin on the top of her head. He hadn’t realized it all those years ago, but her great-grandmother had given him a treasure beyond price, and a reason to return home. He was sorry he had not been able to thank Nona properly, but he would do so for the rest of his life—by loving his wife.
Tina curled into his body with a sigh. Relaxed and boneless from their lovemaking, she was slowly drifting off to sleep when something sharp poked her bare shoulder. Reaching up, she unclasped her pendant and dropped it onto the pillow behind her, then did the same with Jay’s. When he raised his head and looked down at her, she smiled and said, “I don’t think we need to wear them any longer.”
His laughter echoed around the room.
She smiled contentedly as she snuggled against him. Everything had turned out just as Nona said. She had found her destiny—and Papa’s legacy would be preserved. It was enough.
Comfortable in each other’s arms, neither of them noticed the two pendants slide off the pillow together, the diamond star winking in the firelight.
Epilogue
July 1871
Collingswood
The young girl stood silently beside her mother, watching as the carriage came bowling up the drive. It was hot and she wished they could have waited inside, but Mama always waited for Papa on the steps. So, today, she waited too, her white dimity dress spotless, chestnut braids gleaming in the sun, and large blue-green eyes following the carriage intently until it came to a stop at the bottom of the steps in front of them.
Five-year-old Andrew and the baby, Chrissy, were both napping upstairs under Nanny’s watchful eye. She, at age 8, no longer needed afternoon naps and Mama had begun teaching her the keys on the pianoforte in the afternoons. They had been in the music room when Keyes informed them a carriage was approaching.
A footman hurried forward to open the door and a man stepped out. Letting go of her mother’s hand, she launched herself at him as he approached the steps. “Papa!”
Jay caught the excited bundle of white ruffles, hugging her close before proceeding up the steps to greet his wife.
“It’s good to be home,” he said, brushing a kiss lightly across Tina’s forehead.
The little girl giggled. “We’re not at home,” she chided. “It’s only Collingswood.”
Jay looked down at his oldest. Shana would someday be a real beauty, he thought, but, then again, he was biased. His smile encompassed them both as he replied, “Home is always where my family is.”
Tina led them inside the cool interior. Ordering refreshments, she asked, “Did you get it?”
“Of course,” he answered as the footman carried in a large package behind him. “Put it in the library,” he instructed.
The package turned out to be a small table, once Jay fitted the legs on it. Glass topped, with a black velvet-lined compartment, Jay put it beside one of the chairs near the fireplace.
“Ooooh, how pretty, Papa,” Shana cooed. “Can we open it?”
“I’m afraid not, poppet,” he replied. “It’s only for display.”
Tina looked down at the contents of the table. The two pendants Nona had given them, now locked together as one, rested there, its double chain spread for display. The center diamond in the pendant seemed to wink at her.
“But why?” Shana asked.
Tina sat in the chair beside the table, drawing her daughter into her lap. “Come, I will tell you a story.”
“I will change and rejoin you shortly,” Jay said, then turned and exited the room.
“A story?” Shana asked.
Tina nodded and began, “Once upon a time there was a gypsy girl named Nona…”
About the Author
To learn more about Denise Patrick, please visit: http://www.denisesden.blogspot.com.
Send an email to [email protected] or, to find out more about her upcoming releases, join in the fun with other readers on her Coffee Time Romance Forum at:
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Look for these titles
Now Available
The Importance of Almack’s
Banished and disowned for saving a stranger’s life…
The Importance of Almack’s
©2007 Denise Patrick
In Regency England, lineage and vouchers to Almack’s are everything, but Pamela Clarkdale has neither. After her father casts her out, she considers herself fortunate to have obtained a position as a companion to an elderly widow.
Kitt Covington has sworn off Almack’s and marriage. Why attend one when he has no interest in the other? Guilt, however, is a powerful motivator. Knowing he caused Pamela to be thrown out of her home, he proposes a sham betrothal between them to ease his conscience.
Kitt’s offer is tempting and Pamela agrees, with the caveat that the betrothal will disappear at the end of the season. But not only is Pamela refused vouchers to Almack’s, her family is scheming to destroy her to protect a secret she doesn’t realize she knows. When the twenty-year-old web of lies and deceit begins to unravel, will Pamela and Kitt discover that Almack’s isn’t really that important after all?
Enjoy the following excerpt for The Importance of Almack’s:
Kitt watched her eat, satisfied with her appetite. His godmother confided in him that she hadn’t eaten much over the last two days. A change of scenery was just what she needed. Although, why he’d brought her here, he didn’t know.
To be sure, he loved this place—as long as he didn’t allow memories of his mother to intrude on his enjoyment. He tried not to think of his mother very often; her
defection still hurt despite her death nearly a decade ago. His memories of this place were of wandering the parkland, swimming in the pond and fishing in the stream. By the time he went off to school at nine, he was closer to his governess than either of his parents. Three years later, his mother deserted her husband and son.
“I think my father would have sold it, but he didn’t want to displace his sister.”
“His sister?”
“My Aunt Lydia came here to live shortly before I was sent off to school. She was an invalid due to a riding accident some years before. I believe she and my mother got along quite well, but once I went off to school, I did not see her much. Frisky stayed on as her companion because she had no other family and would have looked for another position once I no longer needed her. When my aunt died three years ago, Frisky was too old to go anywhere else.”
As they finished lunch, Kitt asked Pamela if she’d like to stroll around the grounds. Dorie was summoned and sent for Pamela’s bonnet, then the two of them set off. As landscaping went, it was very simple. The gardens boasted all manner of flowers, climbing vines, small trees, and two fountains. Once beyond the formal terraces, the parkland spread out before them in stretches of grass dotted with wildflowers and clusters of trees. All it needed, Kitt mused, was a woodland nymph or two.
He nearly laughed out loud. When had he become so fanciful? Glancing down at Pamela beside him, he couldn’t see her face because of the brim of her bonnet, but he knew she was taking in everything around them.
“Do you hunt here?”
He shook his head. “No. It was once a hunting lodge, but some ancestor put a stop to it and no one has ever restarted the practice. Why do you ask?”
“I have seen a few deer and wondered if they were here because they felt safe.”
“Possibly.”
They came to the stream. An arched stone footbridge spanned the flowing water. Kitt’s tread was firm over the uneven stones as he assisted Pamela onto the bridge. At its center, they stopped and looked down.
The Gypsy Legacy: Marquis Page 31