Her coloring was up, her eyes were filled with light that sparkled down from the chandelier above them. She was positively the most gorgeous creature he had ever gazed upon. As Lydia or Jamie, her beauty still shone though. What an idiot he had been.
“When I leave this house tonight, I shall do so knowing that there is a chance I shall one day have you in my arms and in my bed.”
“You, sir, are a dreamer—mayhap you should take up writing poetry or painting. I hear both are wonderfully relaxing and good exercises for your brain.”
“No, I am not a dreamer. I want you, Lydia. I want you more than any other woman.”
“Rumor has it that you’ve wanted quite a few women in your day.”
He swallowed thickly. “What have you heard?”
“Enough to know that you, sir, are no innocent and that I shall not be the first woman you give your attention to, and I’m quite certain I shan’t be last. Go and find your next conquest, and be done with bothering me. Wagers or no wagers, I grow tired of you.” She put her hand up to her mouth, and yawned lazily. Was she actually dismissing him? Her cuts were so well placed, he almost felt them. She was playing yet another part. First there was Jamie, and now there was the little shrew playacting for him.
“Why, you…you…little brat. Why won’t you call me Richard?”
“Why should I? We are not intimate, and to be truthful, I never should have been calling you Richard in the first place. It was badly done on my part, sir, and for that I must humbly apologize. I beg of you to forgive me.”
“Fiend seize it, woman, you exasperate me to no end.”
“At least now I have your attention. There was a time when I would have thrown myself at your feet and kissed them, to have you look at me the way you are at the moment. Alas, I shall never think of lowering myself to such a position ever again. Whilst breath breathes in this body, I shall never throw myself at another man.”
“Brava, my dear. I do like seeing this passionate side of you, and it is your passion I covet. I yearn for it, I crave it like a man in the desert craves water.”
“Piffle. Now you are attempting to bend my ears with your sweet talk, but I shall hear no more of it, sir. Pray, take your leave, sir.”
“Do not order me about, Lydia.”
“Ah, so the lofty lord does not like being ordered about. You have taken your mask off now, sir.”
“Hound’s teeth, woman, you are incorrigible.”
“Thank you.” She smiled sweetly at him.
“I shall have you call me Richard.”
“You shall be greatly disappointed, sir.”
“I wish for you to call me Richard. I shall not have my wife calling me Lord Tisbury for the rest of our wedded life.”
“Then, sir, you should not be concerned with what I call you. You must go and tell your future wife that.”
“Christ Almighty, you…you…”
“If you require any extra words, sir, we are surrounded by books. We have quite a few dictionaries that you might find interesting. I’m quite certain one of them shall have the words you require.”
He was shocked. Shocked by this brazen woman in front of him. How could she tell him what to do in such a blunt manner? How could she not? He had goaded her thus far. He had brought her to this point, and now, now, she had come into her own. He quite liked it, actually. Before she could react, he pulled her into his arms, and tasted her sweet lips again. She relaxed in his arms. He had expected a bit of a struggle, but she gave him no fight. Her heart drove her mind, and that told him all he needed to know. There was hope yet. He was brought back to their first kiss out in the gardens of Maidstone House. Kissing her ignited emotions within him he had never felt with any other woman. With other women it had only been in the pursuit of pleasure, with Lydia, there was the pursuit of pleasure, aye, but there was so much more—something almost magical existed between them, and he would not give that up. She pushed against him, and he broke the kiss.
“My lord! If you try that again, I shall…I shall…”
“My darling Lydia, perhaps you are the one in need of a dictionary.”
Her eyes snapped at him, but there was a twinge of a smile playing across her freshly kissed lips. She had that almost drunken look in her eyes. She’d completely lost herself in that kiss, and in fact, he could see she wanted to be back in his arms, she wanted to explore all of the pleasures he could show her. He could not bear the thought of her finding that ecstasy in any other man’s arms. She was his. She would always be his, and he would fight any man to win her hand.
“Pray, sir, you must leave me.”
“I shan’t leave your side without knowing that you…that you might consider me as a suitor.”
“Why, Lord Tisbury? Why do you seek to torture me so?” Her voice was on the precipice of breaking with emotion.
“Why shouldn’t I?”
“Haven’t you trod upon my heart enough? Haven’t you destroyed my dreams? Do you receive pleasure by playing with my emotions?”
Now her words did cut him. They cut him deeply indeed.
“Is that what you think?”
“I do.”
“Then you haven’t forgiven me.”
“I must protect myself, sir. You do not always think of others. You are selfish. Perhaps you’ve always been selfish and I never saw it before. You are what you were raised to be—a peer of the realm, ruling over your own little kingdom. Your mother and father told you that you could think you were better than most of us, and that you were entitled to whatever you wanted in life. But there are some things you do not own. You do not own me, sir. You might have had me easily enough once upon a time, but now is not that time. I won’t take your hand and let you lead me without first knowing that you shan’t cast me aside when something you think better claims your interest.”
“Then, my dear, I have my work cut out for me. I shall change your mind, Lydia. I shall woo you well. I shall woo you as Lady Lydia, and woo you as Mr. Jamie Poole. I do not care who you say you are, Lydia, I know you. I’ve always known you. From our days taking shelter in a folly, whilst I dried your tears and you poured your heart out to me about your awful mother.”
“She’s not awful.”
“She was awful to you, and I bet she still has her moments.”
She looked away from him, and he could see she was struggling to compose her emotions. “Please away, sir. Your presence pains me. I cannot take looking at you right now.”
“You shall have to get used to it. I won’t leave your side for the rest of the evening.”
“Lord Tisbury, I shall not dance with you tonight.”
“You say you won’t, but your eyes say another thing entirely, my dear.”
“You mustn’t call me my dear, or my darling. We must not use any terms of endearments for each other. You do not have the right.”
“I think differently, and in time, I shall prove that you.”
“You look like a man possessed.”
“I am possessed. You have quite bewitched me, and I shall not rest until you are mine.”
He watched a shiver wash over her body. He loved seeing it. That told him she still felt for him—her heart still belonged to him, and he just had to prove to her that he was worthy of having it.
“I shall win you away from the other young bucks who circle you. That fool Newson isn’t the man for you. They all want you for your dowry, Lydia. They do not want you for you.”
“You do not know that.”
“I do. And I shall convince you of it.”
“I’d like to see you try.”
He smiled at her. “I have a wager to win, remember?”
“Devil take you, Lord Tisbury. I have broken my word. I was not thinking clearly that night.”
“Of course you were. You are always thinking clearly, Lydia.”
“I will not marry you on the outcome of a wager!” Now, her passions were really stirred.
“Why not?”
�
�Because, sir, that is not how the world works.”
“I think you might be mistaken on that point. Men of my standing make wagers like that all the time. Why, I know one chap who won his bride through the outcome of a card game, and she married him.”
“That poor woman. Her father sold her like she was chattel.”
“No. It wasn’t her father. She lost herself—and she was a better card player than my friend.”
He watched as she fought back the urge to smile. She was about to see that he could work miracles if he put his mind to it. “I shall demonstrate how unworthy he is of you, and then, I shall steal your heart away, and perhaps, I shall even steal your body away.”
“I doubt you could, sirrah.”
“Ah, I am always up for a challenge, my dear lady. Within a fortnight, your beautiful body shall warm my bed.”
The door was thrown open, and they both turned to stare at a speechless Micah. He looked frantically between them. Lydia did look a trifle disheveled, and he could guess at the thoughts skipping through his old friend’s head. Most men would call Richard out for what they presumed had happened here, and if he had caught Richard’s last words, he would be livid. He was waiting for Micah to throw down the gauntlet.
“I trust there’s nothing amiss?” Micah stuttered at last. The anger had left his body. He just looked like a hapless brother at the moment.
“Nothing, at all.” Calm took hold of Lydia, and she hastily fixed her disheveled hair, and smoothed down her gown. “Will you accompany me to the ballroom, brother dear?” Her voice wobbled a bit on the word dear.
Richard felt like preening about the whole affair. He had affected her deeply. She would become his bride. All he had to do was woo her and win her. He would court her as if she were the only woman on earth. Not only that, but he was going to encourage her to bring Jamie out a bit more. In essence, he was going to inspire her to do be the kind of woman she was always meant to be. Headstrong and independent. He wouldn’t have a countess who walked two steps behind him—nay, he’d have a countess who was his equal and then some.
Micah glowered. Whilst Lydia’s back was turned to her brother, Micah mouthed, “What did you do?”
Grinning like the sly fox he was, Richard shrugged his shoulders. Micah was about to mouth something else off to him when Lydia turned back to face him. Smiling at her, he offered her his arm, and with a heavy sigh, left the library.
“What happened between you and Lord Tisbury?” Micah asked in a low tone so as not to be overheard, as they walked to the ballroom.
Lydia laughed. “Nothing at all, Micah. You needn’t look so harried about the whole affair. Lord Tisbury merely told me that I was to become his bride. I didn’t like his commanding tone, and I must admit I rebelled a bit. He didn’t like the fact that I would not submit to his demand.”
“I should say not. He didn’t ask you as a gentleman of his breeding should?”
“I think it was his roundabout way of asking for my hand in marriage,” she chuckled. “He…he certainly expressed his point without beating around the bush. I admire his tenacity but not enough to bow to his demands. There was a time where I would have eagerly thrown myself at his feet, like the hapless little chit I once was. Why didn’t any of you pull me aside and tell me that I was acting the part of a fool? Now that I think back on how I behaved, I am quite ashamed.”
Micah stopped suddenly, and pulled her into a quiet alcove. His voice low, he caught her gaze and held it. “You are not the one at fault here. You mustn’t feel ashamed. You were infatuated with him. It happens to all of us.”
“I wasn’t infatuated, Micah. I do believe I was head over heels in love with him.”
“And how do you feel now?”
“I feel the same way. Alas, I cannot resign my heart to think like my brain. It wants what it wants to my utter dismay.”
“Then, don’t spite it. Take Richard for what he is, a big lout who—well, who can be a bit of a pompous peacock at time, but beneath all of that he has a good heart and will make you a fine husband.”
“I know. I just want him to know that. I do not want my husband to fall in love with me. I want my bridegroom to love me from the start.”
Micah sighed and nodded. “I understand. However, I do not agree with it. I think you should take him now, make him your husband before you make another fool your husband.”
“You speak of James Newson.”
“I do, indeed. I will allow you to marry him, I already told you that you are in charge of your destiny, but I shan’t like it if you marry him. Upon my word I shall be quite vexed about it—and mark my words I shall make his life quite difficult.”
“What choice do I have? Mama said I cannot take charity from you for much longer. She said that I should not be beholden to you for any scraps you might feel like throwing my way, and no matter how much I might rail against it, I know that a woman such as myself cannot set up a household of her own without a husband. I do not wish to be anyone’s charity case, least of all you.”
Anger briefly flooded Micah’s eyes. “That sounds like our dear Mama, and you believed her? You allowed her to make you think you were a burden? Lydia, out of all of my sisters, I am closest to you. You are my favorite and I do not view my responsibility toward you as charity—that is why I have set aside a tidy sum for your dowry. Whether you marry or not that money will be yours to do with as you please. Why, it could set you up in your own house and keep you quite comfortable for the rest of your days.”
“Young ladies do not set up their own households, no matter how enterprising or independent I fancy myself to be. Perhaps if I was a few years older, but not at my tender years, as you well know, and I cannot see myself living with Mama for the rest of my days—or hers. But you and Rose should have your own lives. You shouldn’t have to constantly worry about me. You will have your own children to fret over one day. I need to chart my own destiny. Somehow.”
“You will not marry James Newson.”
He said it more as a statement than a question. “I thought I could, Micah, but I’ve decided that Mr. Newson is not the chap for me. Richard told me he just wants me for my dowry, and he has some foolish idea in his head to prove that to me; the problem is, I already know.”
“Then why did you insist upon allowing him to think that he had a chance at claiming your hand?”
“I was silly. I thought I had it all in hand. I was wrong. I’m not like some of the other young debs on the marriage mart. I don’t know the ways of the world, and I certainly do not know how to play this game they play with men. I don’t know the rules.”
Micah laughed. “Ah, Lydia. You are a lass like no other. What will you do about Newson?”
“I shall tell him to pursue another lady. I do not wish to marry a man who only wants me for my money. I am not some fat cow on market day.”
Micah chuckled again. “No, you are not.”
“And besides, Newson has no head for figures. He would go through my dowry in no time at all, then, he would ask me to beg for more money from you—and I’d still end up begging for scraps.”
“Oh, Lydia.”
“No. I shall do things my way. Do you trust me, Micah?”
“I do. I just hope you trust yourself enough to reward yourself with happiness, and you know that Richard is the key to unlocking that happiness.”
“I know. I just want to…”
“Toy with him a little longer? Why do I get the image of a cat playing with a mouse in my mind?”
“I’m merely making him suffer a little like he made me suffer.”
“He’s determined to reveal Newson as the bounder he is.”
“He’s not that bad. He just…well, he needs to look out for his own interests, doesn’t he? He has been accustomed to living well, and I know he fears his father will cut his allowance someday. I know he worries that with his father’s own vices for betting on the ponies that he will inherit very little upon his death—and that is why he’s h
unting for an heiress.”
“And what do you plan to do now? Pray, tell me you shan’t go and accept James Newson. I do not think I could bear that…anything but that.”
“No,” she sighed. “You may put your mind to rest on that subject. I was wrong to even court his affections. He is better off with a lady who will devote her entire life to him and him alone. Not to mention the fact that he can be a terrible bore. The only exciting thing he does is race his carriages, and even then, he sometimes complains about that. And he bleeds too freely on things of inconsequential value and becomes rather cheap about things that are important. Oh, no. I do not believe he would allow me to run the house as I saw fit, and even if he did, we would be in debt before I knew it. I need a man with a sensible head on his gentlemanly shoulders, someone who will listen and take heed of my counsel. Alas, those sort of men do not seem to grow on trees.”
“Why not accept Tisbury without making him court you? Wouldn’t that save you a lot of trouble? He has made the offer. Accept it gladly I say and be content that you finally have in your possession something which you have always wanted.”
“That would make it too easy on the errant earl. He rests too much on his laurels. He needs to prove to me that he can do more than just sit poring over books and documents. I want to know he wants me. He truly wants me because he couldn’t imagine life without me in it. I don’t think he feels that way about me. I’m not certain he can feel that way about anyone.”
“I think you’d be surprised,” Micah snorted. “Take care, Lydia. Seeking to force Richard’s hand might not turn out the way you expect.” He paused for a few moments. “What else did he say…or do in there?”
“He kissed me,” she said softly, shivering at the delicious memory.
“He did what?”
“You heard me, brother mine. He kissed me, and I must say that I quite enjoyed it,” she admitted devilishly. “Upon my word, I wouldn’t say no to more.”
“You will. By Jove, you will. Do you understand, Lydia? You must not allow him any further liberties until you are married to him. It’s…it’s unseemly, and he…he shall pay for what he has done. You will have to marry him now. I shall make certain of it. We shall have the wedding as soon…as soon as humanly possible.” Micah wasn’t telling her something. He was shamming it. Could Lord Tisbury already have a license in hand? Of all the gall.
Delightfully Dangerous (Knights Without Armor Book 1) Page 15