"Ugh." Chrissy shuddered.
"I tend to agree with you on that. Hunting is one thing, but setting a bunch of stuffed animals around the house isn't my idea of decorating. Anyway, Melton says the highlight of the collection is none other than a copy of the Republic of Texas's Declaration of Independence. However, he also said our chance of getting it away from Bennet is slim to none."
"Why?"
"Because Melton made a considerable effort to buy a number of different items in Bennet's possession— things like unpublished diaries, old maps." Cole paused significantly before adding, "The Declaration."
"Bennet refused?"
"Flat out and forever. Turned down every offer Melton made, and he put forth some fine ones. Seems that once Bennet gets hold of something, he never lets it go. Which, I must say, is one reason I'd like you to stay away from Harpur Priory."
As the mulish look he recognized so well spread across her face, she folded her arms and shook her head. "Cole, I have to go. I made plans..."
"I know. I know. I'd have to hog-tie you to keep you away, and even then I'm not certain it'd work." He ate another spoonful of chili, then added, "And I must confess that part of me considers your plan about this Anglo-Texan Society inspired."
She nodded, accepting her due. "It is a good idea and I don't see why you think I've 'stirred up trouble' with it."
"Melton said Lord Bennet is considered rough around the edges in social circles. He doesn't spend much time in London and he hasn't taken his seat in the House of Lords since inheriting the tide. He's not married and has pretty much kept to himself up until now. As a result, few people have actually heard the fellow expound upon his knowledge of our state or visited Harpur Priory and seen the man's Texas Room."
Christina made the connection without his having to say it. "You think the Anglo-Texan Society will raise his stature."
"And make him less willing to part with anything, certainly not the prime item in his collection."
"I see your point," Christina conceded. "I'll agree it might be more difficult to convince Bennet to cooperate, but that doesn't mean it can't be done. I'm very good at convincing men to do what I want."
"Stop right there." To punctuate his point, Cole aimed his spoon at Christina, giving his wrist a flick as he did so. A small dollop of chili flew off the silver and landed on Chrissy's shoulder. He made a mental note to lick it off directly. "You get to batting your lashes in Bennet's direction, and I'll have to put my boot down."
Chrissy reached for Cole's shirt and used it to wipe her shoulder.
Ornery Lady Bug.
After another bite of chili, Cole said, "Melton thinks Bennet is a few fish short of a stringer. After listening to the man go on and on about the Alamo, I tend to agree."
Chrissy sighed and shifted, stretching her Legs out in front of her and flexing her bare feet. "I'm not certain I agree. Lord Bennet strikes me as a very nice man."
Cole's gaze locked on her toes. He wanted to nibble on them. Clearing his throat, he said, "The earl didn't like him, though, did he? From what I've seen, Thornbury is a good judge of character."
Chrissy sniffed. "I don't know about that. He likes you."
"I rest my case."
"And people pay you to practice law?"
Now she wiggled her toes and Cole found it to be one of the most erotic acts he'd ever witnessed. The heat that had been thrumming through his loins could no longer be denied, and he decided that for now he was done talking about Lord Bennet.
"C'mere, Lady Bug," he rumbled, reaching out to play with one of those teasing toes. "I think it's time we finish what you started a little bit ago."
She went still, her gaze focused on her foot. "What I started?"
"You know what I mean." Her drew one finger up along her instep. "Most folks use napkins to clean up their chili spills, not their tongues."
She shivered and shut her eyes. "Cole Morgan. Haven't you figured out by now that I'm not like most folks?"
"You're not?"
"No, I'm not. And I've spent a good deal of time these past ten days thinking about it. You know what I realized?"
She surprised him when, graceful as a swan, she rose to her feet. She tugged at the ribbon encircling her left sleeve. As it floated to the ground, she continued. "I am fairly certain I was destined to be a Fallen Woman."
"You are not a Fallen Woman," he grumbled, his gaze on the ribbon.
She laughed. "Of course I am. I'm the very definition of the term. I am a woman of good birth who gave myself to a man without benefit of marriage. Twice."
Cole sat up. "Now you're making me angry."
Her fingers found the ribbon around her right sleeve. "What I've come to realize is that I truly need not feel guilty for it. It's my destiny. It's the reason why my behavior has been so... on edge... for half of my life. I never fit the box society builds around proper women. I tried, heaven knows I tried. Think about it, Cole," she said as the second ribbon drifted toward the ground. "When did I first start having trouble with my mother? About the time she decided I had outgrown the trappings of childhood and it was time to mold me into a lady. My mother—"
"I'm truly not comfortable bringing Elizabeth into the conversation right now," Cole rasped, his gaze hard upon her waist where her hands now worked to untie the knot in her sash.
"No, I suppose not." The tightness in her voice betrayed her, as did the fact her hands stilled. "Anyway, I realize now I was never meant to be a lady. The wildness, the recklessness, is in my blood, and I'm done trying to deny it." The sash fell to the floor. "You gave me a gift when you gave yourself to me, Cole. You gave me my freedom. Now I need no longer fight the useless battle to conform to rules that society has assigned me simply because I am female. Now I can indulge the fire in my blood without worry of ruination. I'm already ruined and I've discovered that's a wonderful thing, not the end of the world like girls are taught from the moment they get their monthlies."
She crossed her arms and grabbed handfuls of her blouse, then pulled it up and over her head, baring herself to his gaze. She stood boldly before him, defiant and proud. "So ruin me some more, Cole Morgan. I really like it."
Cole's blood was doing some firing of its own. Never in his life had he suffered such conflicting emotions. On one hand, lust had him firmly and literally by the jewels. On the other hand, he was as angry as he could remember ever being. As much as he wanted to surrender to the first—and damn, did he want to surrender—he knew that addressing the latter was more important.
Standing, he braced his hands on his hips. "You have to be the most infuriating woman ever born. I swear, you have the body of that marble Diana over there, but your head is even harder than hers. Number one," he held up one finger, "you are not a Fallen Woman. You and I anticipated the wedding vows, is all."
"Now, Cole—"
"Number two," he said, raising his voice as he added a second finger to the first. "As far as destiny goes, I'm it. I'm your destiny, Chrissy Delaney. Me. For all this thinking you've been up to, why haven't you figured that out? I thought you were smarter than this. It's not recklessness riding your blood, it's me. You love me, Chrissy. You love me, and that's why your blood runs wild around me. Hell, you've probably loved me for years, and I was too young and stupid and blind to see it even though I know now that I've loved you for damn near forever, too. That's why we made love before, and that's why we made love this morning, and that's why we'll make love in a few more minutes once I get through hollering at you."
She sucked in a deep breath and her eyes narrowed and flashed. "I never said I love you."
"Tell me about it." Cole threw out both hands. "This is not something that has escaped my notice. I take comfort in the fact, however, that while you refuse to verbalize it, you do assure me of your love in alternative ways."
"Oh, really."
Her slow, snide drawl pricked his temper like a thorn. "Yes, really."
"Such as?"
His hands worke
d the fastening of his pants as he advanced on her. "You baited me in a horse race."
"Hah. I was ten years old back then."
"You loved me when you were ten years old. Just like you loved me when you were older and followed me to a bordello." He shoved down his britches, then kicked them off.
"I was curious," she replied, her gaze dropping.
"You were jealous. Just like you were when you found out I was seeing the Widow Larsen, so you got yourself engaged to the next man who asked." Naked, he stood close to her, felt her heat radiating from her body, caught her scent, a mixture of soap, spice, and innocence that beckoned him like Parisian perfume.
"You live in a fantasy world, Cole Morgan."
Slowly, he shook his head. "Not anymore. My fantasy is standing here before me. You are my fantasy." He gave her scarlet skirt and the petticoat beneath it a tug until they slipped over her hips and floated to the floor. "So the fantasy is the reality. We love each other, Lady Bug. You've shown it. Now say it."
"Cole, I..."
He bent his head and licked at the spot on her shoulder he'd promised himself earlier. He felt her tremble. "Say it."
She shut her eyes. "I can't."
Frustration hammered him and he took her by the shoulders and gave her a small shake. "Why, damn you? Why?"
When she looked at him, tears swam in eyes that pled for understanding. "I may be my mother's daughter, Cole, but I'm nothing like her."
"You're so much like her it's spooky."
They were the wrong words to say, and he knew it the moment they left his mouth. Wrapping her in his arms, he pulled her close and immediately tried to explain. "I love you for your loyalty. For your humor and your wit and your spirit. For your compassion and your passion for your beliefs."
"Ah, passion," she said, her voice cracking. "Now that I can accept. I do believe you love my passion. So indulge in it." She rubbed herself against him. "Indulge in me."
Desire, fierce and hot, ripped through him and he held his control by a tenuous thread. "Believe me, Chrissy. Believe in me. I love you. I know you love me. Believe in us."
"I can't. I can't trust in your love, Cole."
"Why?"
She drew a deep breath, then said softly, "Would you have asked me to marry you had we not 'anticipated the vows'? Be honest with me, Cole."
He felt the trap, but saw no way to avoid it. Still, he tried. "Maybe. I know I wouldn't have let you betroth yourself to Welby. I probably would have proposed to you before that happened even if we hadn't made love."
"What about my mother? Would you have married me without asking her permission?"
Hell. No way out of this one. She knew him too well. "Of course I would have asked your mother for your hand. That's the proper thing to do."
"And if she'd said no?"
"That's a stupid question. She never would have said no. She wants us to be married."
"Answer my question, Cole."
He hesitated, just a second, before saying, "I'd have married you anyway."
She laughed softly, though her eyes remained sad. "Sorry, Cole, but I don't believe you. I know how much you love my mother."
"But I'm in love with you, dammit."
Chrissy wrapped her arms around him, and her hands slithered up his back to bury themselves in his hair as she guided his head down toward her uplifted face. "Let me give you what I can, Cole Morgan."
"What is it?" he asked, drowning in the jade pools of her eyes.
"I'm in love with you, Cole Morgan. You're right about that. I love you desperately."
Cole barely felt the first touch of her lips so lost was he in her words. The gift of her love sent him soaring, yet her denial of his own feelings added weight to his wings. Only when the sound of her low-throated moan reached his ears did he surrender, and then only to this moment's struggle. She loved him. She realized it, and for now, it would have to be enough. It was a start. In time she'd come to trust him. Given time, she'd accept his feelings for her.
And in the meantime, since her ears weren't willing to listen to the truth, he'd work on convincing her body. Cole slipped one hand beneath her knees and swept her up into his arms. "I assume the plunge bath is heated?" he inquired.
"Yes."
"In that case, let's see what we can do about washing up the mess we made. I think I see a spot of chili right about..." He flicked his tongue across the tip of her breast. "...here."
An hour later, they helped towel each other dry. Another hour after that, they finally reached for their clothing. Due to the sparseness of her attire, Chrissy took but a few moments to dress. Cole never thought twice about asking her to hand him his jacket. Even when the papers fell out onto the fishing pavilion's floor, he wasn't overly concerned. Not until Chrissy bent to pick them up did he experience a flash of unease.
Maybe it's best she doesn't see who else I visited while I was gone. Cole opened his mouth to speak as he took a step toward her, but by then it was too late.
Chrissy glanced down at the first of three folded sheets of paper and her jaw dropped, then shut with a snap.
Well, hell. Cole realized their blissful interlude was now officially over.
Chapter 13
Reading the contents of the first sheet of paper, Chrissy's heart pounded as fiercely as it had a short time ago when Cole mercilessly teased her body. "This is a license for marriage in the village church at Ticknall. For you and me."
"Uh, yes."
Chrissy read further. "It's dated the morning after my grandfather's cowboy ball."
Cole shrugged. "It was my first stop."
"I see," she murmured, trying to keep her emotions in check. A glance at the second piece of paper had her blinking her eyes and looking again. This document she read from beginning to end before making a comment. "A civil license?"
Scratching his head, Cole winced. "Just trying to be thorough. Laws are different over here and I thought it best to cover all the possibilities."
The third document came as no particular surprise at that point, because she had heard some of the young ladies talking about such things during her grandfather's house party. "A special license."
Pointing toward the paper in her hand, he said, "That's the best one. Got it straight from the Archbishop of Canterbury. It'll let us get married at any place, any time."
"You did quite a bit of traveling."
"It wasn't so bad. I like trains much better than steamers. The side to side swaying is better for me than the up and down."
Considering their recent behavior, Chrissy couldn't stop the suggestive thought that flashed into her mind. She did, however, keep her mouth shut against it. Clearing her throat, she said, "I suppose you're having the banns read, too?"
He nodded. "In the local village church for three weeks."
"Being thorough."
"Yep."
"I see."
Cole braced his hands on his hips and stared down at the floor for a full half minute before looking up and pinning her with a solemn-eyed stare. "Uh, Chrissy?"
"Yes."
"I really would like it if we could figure out a way to make this work for both of us."
"By this you mean...?"
"Us getting married."
From out of the blue, tears collected in Chrissy's eyes. "Oh, Cole."
For a moment, he just stood there visibly willing her to say more. When she didn't—she couldn't—he closed the distance between them and lifted his jacket from where it lay draped over her arm. "I do love you, Christina Elizabeth Delaney, and I hope that before too much longer, you can bring yourself to believe it."
She blinked rapidly, willing the tears not to fall. Then, unwilling to end this interlude on such a note, she forced herself to speak. "Cole, about getting married."
He waited expectantly as Chrissy searched for the words she wanted to say. When a full minute passed in silence, his mouth twisted in a rueful grin. He shrugged into his jacket, then leaned down and lightly kissed he
r lips. "I reckon it'll keep for the time being, Lady Bug. As long as you know where I intend for us to head, I guess it won't hurt anything to wait a little while until you're ready."
In a small voice, she said, "I don't know if I'll ever be ready, Cole."
Honest amusement replaced the wry look in his eyes. "You'll be ready. Sometime, someplace." Repossessing the marriage licenses, he slapped them playfully against her forehead and added, "And, as I've certainly proved here today, my Lady Bug. You can always count on me to be primed and ready."
* * *
One week later Chrissy sat beside her grandfather and across from Lana and her viscount as the earl's carriage made the turn at the gate that marked the lane to Harpur Priory. Michael and his sister had deserted the roomy coach soon after departing Hartsworth, the boy to ride a well-mannered little gelding, Sophie to double up with Cole. The journey had taken just under two hours to complete and despite the pleasant traveling accommodations, Chrissy couldn't wait to disembark from the coach.
She wanted to be with Cole.
Since his return to Hartsworth, they had spent most of their days and many of their nights together. They had fussed and feuded over a plan to gain possession of the Declaration. They had laughed together and teased each other and offered glimpses into one another they'd always kept hidden in the past. And when night fell and Hartsworth slept, they loved one another, using their hands and mouths to convey words of admiration and tenderness, affection and desire.
As the days passed, Chrissy had slowly lowered her guard. The man had officially conquered her heart and now lay siege to her mind in an attempt to gain her trust. He was doing a right fine job of it. Twice already during the coach ride from Hartsworth she'd found herself imagining a world where she lived as Mrs. Cole Morgan.
Darned if it didn't feel like heaven.
Chrissy smothered a sigh, not wanting to cause her coach mates to believe they bored her with their discussion of Viscount Welby's extended family, including the Dowager Viscountess, whom Lana and the children were scheduled to visit later that month. Chrissy dreaded the thought of the Klebergs' departure. They were family now, and she would miss them desperately once they were no longer part of her daily life. But Lana was so wonderfully happy and watching her bloom beneath Welby's effusive regard was such a treat. They had scheduled their nuptials for six months hence, though after watching them together, Chrissy wouldn't be surprised to see the viscount produce a special license of his own much sooner.
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