by Judith Laik
When they were alone, Lord Neil took her hands again. “Your parents have not put any pressure on you to accept or refuse?”
“No—oh no! They would not do that. But I must talk to you.” She took a deep breath. “Why did you offer for me?”
He gave a chuckle and said, “I am not sure myself. I think it is because I have decided I cannot live without you.”
She stared at him, trying to read the truth in his eyes. “Does that mean you love me a little?”
He laughed, and his voice sounded shaky. “Oh, Elizabeth, it means I love you a great deal.”
Her head felt suddenly light, and she doubted she could stand. She leaned into him, feeling for the first time the sensation of nestling in his arms. “I didn’t know,” she said. “You never said anything.”
“I felt that I could not in honor say anything to you before. Because of your youth, and the shadow over my reputation, I had no right to speak to you. I told myself you would forget me if I left, but now I realize I could not bear it if you do not care any more.”
“Well, that was silly. I could never forget you. I fell in love with you while I still was not sure whether you wanted to kill your nephew. That should prove the depth of my love.”
He laughed again and enfolded her more tightly, gazing into her eyes as though he read volumes of love poetry there.
She shivered, tingling from his touch, and pressed against him. “Aren’t you going to kiss me?”
His smile faded. “Yes, I believe I am.” He touched his lips gently to hers. She threw her arms around him and clung as he deepened the kiss.
She could never have imagined this, melting sweetness and raging fire together. Her heart hammered wildly and her skin felt flushed.
He broke the kiss and looked again at her. “You won’t run away again, will you?” he teased. “Last summer I always seemed to find you running away from some heartbroken male.”
“Oh, unfair. I didn’t love those men. This is where I belong, and I will never run away from you.”
For a few minutes there was no further conversation as he demonstrated to her how thoroughly he intended to make her his.
They sat again on the settee, knowing their privacy would soon come to an end. Libbetty gazed at him and said, “You know, when I think about it, perhaps the fact that I fell in love with you should have shown me you could not have been a murderer.” Then she considered some more. “I wonder if I could still love you if you were a murderer,” and gave him a speculative look.
Neil laughed and took her in his arms. “I love you enough to do almost anything for you, but I absolutely refuse to kill someone so you can find out whether you would still love me.”
“Then, could you please kiss me again?”
THE END
Copyright
Lord Satan
Copyright 2014 Judith Laik
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
Coming Soon
Fortune’s Favorite, Second in the Peasebotham Regency Chronicles series
Captain Lord Cauldreigh, dedicated to vanquishing Napoleon’s ambitions, has survived war wounds and returned to the field. He has no time for love. But when his colonel falls in battle and the regiment’s officers stage a lottery to determine which one marries his daughter, Cauldreigh loses.
Antandre Tyrell has followed her father to his every battlefield her whole life, and now she faces a grim future, until Captain Lord Cauldreigh, the man she loves, offers her marriage. But when she learns that Lord Cauldreigh was tricked, she flees from the sham her life has become and takes refuge in England.
Too late, Cauldreigh realizes he has lost his heart to his bride. Will his campaign for her forgiveness win the battle?
About the Author
Judith Laik grew up in Tacoma, Washington. Back in those days, she couldn’t wait to shake the pulp mill stench and small-town atmosphere and head for the big city of Seattle. Fortunately or unfortunately, she was too young to remember World War II, but she is a dedicated fan of music from that era. Visit Judith at her website, Facebook, or Twitter.
More by Judith Laik
Around the Circle Gently
Reading this unique quote book is like sitting in on a conversation with such a diverse collection of people as Benjamin Spock, Anna Quindlen, Candice Bergen, Mahatma Gandhi, Fred (Mr.) Rogers, Bill Cosby, Amelia Earhart, Mother Teresa, Dr. Seuss, and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Topics include pregnancy and birth; raising children; being a parent; relationships with spouses, families, and other loved ones; the “golden years” after the children are grown; and coming to grips with old age and death. Lynn Moen and Judy Laik have collected more than 1000 quotes — wise, witty or touching that shine a light on how our relationships enrich, enhance, and complicate our lives. Learn more about Around the Circle Gently at the ATCG blog.
Watch for the Re-Release of these Regencies by Judith Laik
The Lady is Mine
The belle of the ball is hiding behind the potted palms again - but what else can Harriet Vernon do when two suitors are vying for her hand? She cannot help it if her charms drive men to distraction - she would much rather be travelling to Paris. Or Venice. Or Bombay and beyond - anywhere but London! But the devilishly handsome Lord Beldon is most insistent. He has refused Harriet’s demure younger sister, who would make him a much more suitable bride. But if Lord Beldon will not take no for an answer, he will have to be happy with a maybe. Because for the moment, Harriet would rather have fun…
The Lady in Question
Charlotte Treadwell is resigned to her father’s desperate gaming - until she becomes the forfeit in a game of hazard. Suddenly she “belongs” to Hugh Brooks, the Earl of Rayfield, a rake and a gambler no better than her own papa, and a man who will surely never understand her work with the poor. She doesn’t know that Hugh is just as confounded - his task is to pursue a spy through London’s aristocratic salons and seedy gaming hells, not to shelter the man’s fiery daughter! The trouble is, Charlotte - and her passionate kisses - stirs Hugh’s blood in ways he cannot deny, and he longs to prove that treason does not run through hers. How on earth is he to concentrate on his mission for the crown when the lady in question is such a tempting distraction?