He sighed. “Phoebe, I—”
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t wish to. I will go, but whoever she is, she’s a fool to leave you like this.”
“I left her. Well, I guess you could say I left her before she could leave me.” He exhaled slowly and ran a hand through his hair.
“Come and sit.” Phoebe gestured toward the winged chairs by the fire. Mark slipped his shirt back on while she filled two snifters from the decanter by his bed.
“This might help.” She handed him some brandy.
“Thanks.” He took a large swallow and settled into a chair.
“Now, what made you think this woman was going to leave a charming, handsome man like you?”
“We agreed to end our affair after a certain time. I asked her to stay longer, but she refused.”
“Was she hoping you would marry her?”
“No, it wasn’t that. She is a widow. Her first husband treated her cruelly. She has no wish to marry again.”
“How much longer did you hope to keep the affair going? Would it not have been better to end it before you tired of each other?”
“I could never tire of her. That’s the problem.”
“So you would marry her if she agreed?”
Mark couldn’t believe he was having this conversation with a woman he’d known for a few hours. A woman who by all rights should be insulted at his refusal of the pleasure she offered. But somehow it was easier to talk to someone who didn’t know his circumstances. He needed an unbiased opinion.
Taking a deep breath, he answered her question. “Yes, I would.”
She smiled. “Then you have to change her mind.”
“I tried, but—”
“If you’ve already tried and failed, then it is time to forget her and move on.”
“I’m not ready to let her go.”
“As I see it, you have two choices,” Phoebe said. “You can let her go, or you can fight for her. Which is it going to be?”
Mark’s heart pounded. He no longer saw what was in front of him. Instead, scenes of his time with Cassandra flashed before his eyes. Their first meeting when she strode into his study and asked him to bed her. The first night they were together. The wonderful afternoon they’d spent playing chess. The pleasure she took from riding him while he was tied down. The hurt look on her face as he’d backed out of the room where Amanda lay unconscious.
“I hope you are going to decide before too long. If I stay here much longer, I’m won’t be able to keep my hands off you. You are more tempting than any man has a right to be.”
Mark smiled. “I’m going after her.”
“Excellent. I think you’ve made the right choice, though I must say I envy her.”
He stood, helped Phoebe to her feet, and gave her a light kiss. “Thank you.”
She smiled and let her hand trail across his cheek. “You’re welcome.”
She picked up her cloak and reticule and retied the ribbon that circled the neck of her dress. “If things don’t work out, I do hope you will call on me. I’d be happy to help you recover your spirits.”
He smiled. “I’ll keep your generous offer in mind.”
When Phoebe left, Mark considered calling for his horse and starting the journey to Devon immediately. Now that he’d decided on a course of action, he hated to delay for even a few hours. But as tired as he was, riding alone at night would not be wise. He decided he’d get a few hours sleep and leave for Reddington Abbey at first light.
As he readied himself for bed, he thought about the smirk Stanton had given him when he’d introduced Phoebe. He’d known. Damn it. He’d known Mark wouldn’t be able to spend the night with her. That was why he’d been so insistent Mark go to Langley’s. When he saw his friend again, Mark wasn’t sure whether he’d thank him or punch him. Perhaps it would depend on Cassandra’s reaction to seeing him again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Cassandra arrived in London late in the evening. She had intended to go straight to see Mark, but her hair was a fright, and her skirts were damp from the stops they’d made on the snowy roads. If she arrived on her aunt’s doorstep, she would be questioned relentlessly and admonished for not informing Aunt Claire of her journey. Reddington’s townhouse had been closed and the servant’s dismissed after his death was announced.
Knowing it was highly improper, she decided Stanton’s rooms were her best option. He would certainly provide her with a place to freshen up and leave her things, and she’d have a place to return to if Mark turned her away. The thought made her throat constrict, but she had to remind herself that it was a distinct possibility.
Stanton’s valet opened his door. For a brief moment a look of unease flashed across his face. Then, he quickly replaced his bland expression.
Cassandra clasped her hands to stop their shaking. “I’m sorry to disturb you at this hour, but I was hoping to speak to Mr. Stanton. It is a matter of some urgency.”
“I’m afraid Mr. Stanton is not at home.”
The sound of female laughter floated from one of the rooms. Cassandra felt herself blush. Why hadn’t she thought Stanton might have a woman here? “I’m sorry. I’ll return tomorrow.” But before she could leave, Stanton stepped out from a room wearing a dressing gown.
“Who is it, Meadows?”
“Lady Reddington, sir.”
Stanton strode quickly toward the door. “Cassandra, do come in.”
“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t sure where to go.”
“Is something wrong?”
“No, I’ve come to see Mark, but I wanted to freshen myself before I sought him out. I couldn’t go to my aunt’s. I knew you would understand and—” She stopped speaking when she realized Stanton had grown quite pale. “What’s wrong?”
“You intended to go to Foxwood’s tonight?”
“Yes, I know it’s late, but I’m afraid I’ll lose my nerve if I don’t.”
“He might be out, and if he’s not, then he’s likely asleep. You would be welcome to stay here until morning.”
She detected a frantic note in Stanton’s voice. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing. I simply think you might rather go in the morning, after you’ve rested.”
Then the realization hit. “He’s not alone, is he?”
Stanton took a deep breath. “I don’t think so. I encouraged him to come to a dinner party with me, but I…”
“You what?”
“I thought it would help him see how much he missed you. I hoped that by forcing him to be around other women, I could make him realize that he only wanted you.”
Cassandra’s heart pounded. “But it didn’t work.”
“I don’t know. He disappeared while I was otherwise occupied.”
“I see. Well, I’ll just have to find out.” She turned and rushed through the door. Stanton called for her to wait, but she ignored him.
Why should it bother her if Mark was with a woman? She was the one who’d said their affair should end. Yet the thought of Mark touching another woman the way he’d touched her filled her with rage. He was hers.
As the carriage rolled to a stop in front of the house Mark had rented, she hesitated. What would she do if he wasn’t alone? Throw the woman out of his bed and inform him he was never to touch another woman again?
The butler looked none-too-pleased when he opened the door for her. He tried to tell her she should return in the morning, but she pushed right past him.
“I’m not leaving until I’ve seen Mr. Foxwood. It would save us both time if you show me the way to his chamber.”
“Mr. Foxwood must not be disturbed. He is embarking on a journey in the morning. He needs his rest.”
A journey? Thank God she had not waited to see him.
“What I have to say cannot wait.” The man remained rooted to his post. “Are you going to help me, or do I have to open every door until I hit upon the right one?”
“Madam, this is most irregular. I
cannot allow—”
“You have no choice.” She started up the stairs.
The butler started after her, and she picked up her pace.
“Madam, please, if you would but give me your name, I will inquire whether Mr. Foxwood will see you.”
She wanted to ignore him but forced herself to be reasonable. She stopped and turned to face him. “I am Lady Reddington.”
Suddenly, he smiled. “I’m sorry, my lady. I did not realize it was you. His chamber is the third one on the right.”
Cassandra frowned at his retreating back. What one earth had Mark been telling him about her?
She pushed open Mark’s door and looked into the room, hoping to see if he was alone before she woke him. He lay on his stomach, his limbs sprawled out. If he was sharing a bed, the other occupant was certainly left with little room for herself.
Cassandra pushed the door closed and tip-toed across the room. Ever so gently, she lowered herself to the bed. She could not resist reaching out to stroke his back. He purred and inched closer, but he did not wake.
She longed to stay like that, suspended in time, able to believe he might take her back, might even agree to spend the rest of his life with her. But she had to face reality even if it brought disappointment.
She laid her hand on his shoulder and shook him. “Mark. Mark, wake up.”
He turned on his side and opened his eyes to slits.
“Mark, it’s me, Cassandra.”
He mumbled something that sounded like “dreaming, just dreaming” and closed his eyes.
“I’m not a dream.” She shook him again.
He reached out and touched her leg. His hand patted her thigh and then slid up her abdomen to cup her breast. She slapped it away, but he opened his eyes fully. “You are real.” His voice was still clouded from sleep.
He sat up and slid out of bed. She couldn’t help but admire his body as he began lighting candles. Apparently he slept without the hindrance of clothing whether or not a woman shared his bed.
When the room was light enough for him to see her clearly, he pointed to two wing chairs. “Have a seat.”
When she had done as he asked, he pulled on a dressing gown and joined her, a wary expression on his face. “Why are you here?”
Not an auspicious beginning, but she could hardly expect him to fall at her feet the moment he saw her.
“I’m not with child.” She realized immediately those were not the words she had meant to begin with.
“You came all this way and disturbed me in the middle of the night to tell me that you are not with child.”
“No.” She paused and took a deep breath, wishing she read him more easily. But he was working hard to mask his emotions. “Having a child was my last hope for a link with you. When that hope died, I realized I had to take action. I decided to do what I’d been longing to do ever since you disappeared from Southwood Grange.”
A touch of eagerness began to show on Mark’s face. “And what would that be?”
“Track you down, tell you how wrong I was, and try to make you understand that the only reason I refused to continue our affair was because I’d never want it to end. Every day I spent with you would make it harder to leave. Mark, I love you.”
By the time she finished speaking, he was kneeling at her feet. He brought both of her hands to his lips. “I have loved you since the first time I touched you. I knew I would never find another woman like you.”
“Did you take home a woman tonight?”
“What?” His look of confusion amused her.
“I saw Stanton before I came here. He said he’d tried to force you to see that you were in love with me, but he was afraid I would come here and find another woman in your bed.”
“He said that?”
“Not exactly. He tried to discourage me from seeing you tonight. I guessed why.”
Mark exhaled sharply. “I did bring a woman home, but I sent her away. She wasn’t you, and you were all I wanted. I had planned to leave for Devon in the morning. It appears you saved me the trip.”
The constriction in her lungs eased. “Please don’t sell Northamberly. It’s so beautiful and—”
“Would you like to live there?”
“Well, I...”
“I will only consent to keep it if you will make it your home as well.” Cassandra’s heart pounded in her chest. Could she throw caution to the wind in such a fashion? Did she truly have the nerve to take up residence with her lover?
“If I do, I will never find a position anywhere.”
He looked puzzled. “Why would you need to do that?”
“I cannot ask you to support me forever.”
“Isn’t it is a husband’s duty to support his wife?” Mark asked.
“Husband?”
“How else—oh, you thought I meant that we would simply remain lovers?”
She nodded.
“No, Cassandra. The only way you can get me back is to consent to be my wife.” He reached out and cupped her face, tilting her head so she looked straight into his emotion-filled eyes. “Cassandra, will you marry me?”
She was delirious with happiness. “Yes! I was ever so foolish to think I could be happy any other way.”
He stood and pulled her to her feet. “I will call my solicitor first thing in the morning and take Northamberly off the market. But for now,” he brought her body against his, “I have much more important matters to attend to.”
His mouth crushed hers, and she opened at the insistence of his tongue. Fire spread through her body as he picked her up and carried her to the bed. Finally, he lifted his mouth, giving her a chance to speak.
“Mark, do you want children of your own?”
His eyes widened. He opened his mouth as if to speak but then stopped. He sat down beside her and pulled her onto his lap. He held her gaze with a look more serious than any she’d seen on his face. “Until I met you, I didn’t. I tried very hard to avoid such complications. When you asked me to get you with child, I thought I could do so and walk away. But for some time I’ve known that if my child grew in you, I would make you marry me even if I had to drag you to the church.”
She huffed. “You wouldn’t.”
“I dashed well would.” He toyed with one of her curls. “I desperately want to see you increasing with our child. I never thought I would say that, but I want it more than I can express.”
She smiled. “Then can we keep trying as hard as we were?”
He laughed and gave her a kiss. “My darling Cassandra, we will try twice as hard.”
Dear Reader,
Thank you for purchasing A Carnal Agreement. I hope you enjoyed it. The next Regency Intrigue story, A Persistent Attraction, will be available Spring 2017. If you enjoy historical romance with a paranormal twist, check out Wolf Caller. I offer a free book to anyone who joins my mailing list. To learn more, click here.
Please consider leaving a review where you purchased this ebook or on Goodreads. Reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations are vital to independent authors.
I love hearing from readers. You can email me at [email protected]. To read excerpts from all of my titles, visit my website: http://silviaviolet.com/books.
Silvia Violet
Author Bio
Silvia Violet writes erotic romance in a variety of genres including paranormal, contemporary, and historical. She can be found haunting coffee shops looking for the darkest, strongest cup of coffee she can find. Once equipped with the needed fuel, she can happily sit for hours pounding away at her laptop. Silvia typically leaves home disguised as a suburban stay-at-home-mom, and other coffee shop patrons tend to ask her hilarious questions like "Do you write children's books?" She loves watching the looks on their faces when they learn what she's actually up to. When not writing, Silvia enjoys baking sinfully delicious treats, exploring new styles of cooking, and reading to her incorrigible offspring.
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Titles by Silvia Violet
Coming Clean
If Wishes Were Horses
Needing A Little Christmas
One Kiss
Astronomical
Fitting In
Fitting In
Sorting Out
Burning Up
Going Deep
Thorne and Dash
Professional Distance
Personal Entanglement
Perfect Alignment
Unexpected
Unexpected Rescue
Unexpected Trust
Unexpected Engagement
Law and Supernatural Order
Sex on the Hoof
Paws on Me
Dinner at Foxy’s
Hoofing’ It To The Altar (Coming Winter 2016)
Wild R Farm
Finding Release
Arresting Love
Embracing Need
Taming Tristan
Willing Hands
Shifting Hearts
Wild R Christmas
Galactic Betrayal
Abandoned
Deceived
Available from Dreamspinner Press
Denying Yourself
Pressure Points
A Carnal Agreement (Regency Intrigue Book 1) Page 24