“Is it?” He gave her a full look. The gown was slightly low cut, but otherwise revealed nothing of Faith’s flesh, though it did hug her curves.
The long look made her blush deeper. “I think it was my figure being revealed that troubled Father.”
“I quite like your figure, Faith. Perhaps you should begin ignoring these hurtful comments from your parents. While I’m sure they mean well, ultimately they do you a disservice.” He smiled as he took his place for the dance.
It warmed Faith’s heart to have him take her part despite his polite regard for her mother and father.
During the dance they didn’t speak, but with each pass and touch of his hand Faith remembered the secrets he had shared with her. Despite the horrors of their time at Parvus, Faith loved that he had stopped keeping things from her and shared parts of himself that she doubted even his sister knew.
Geb grinned from the crowd watching the dancing, and Faith returned his smile.
When the dance took her away from Nick, she still felt his gaze following her to her next partner. As the final chords brought them together, his smile was private. “Will you walk with me in the garden, Faith?”
She glanced around the ballroom and found her parents watching from the side, where they stood with Mercy’s aunt and Aurora’s mother. “I will meet you there in a few minutes. If I retreat now, there will be too many questions.”
Nick bowed over her hand, his lips touched her skin and the kiss vibrated through her to a place impolite to think about during a crowded ball. “I will wait for you.”
As soon as Nick escorted her back to her parents, he excused himself.
Mother pulled her close. “What did he say?”
“There is little time to speak during the minuet, Mother.” Faith would try not to lie, but her mother rarely told her the entire truth, so she felt little guilt in a few fibs if need be.
“I saw him speak at the end. What did he say, Faith?” Her mother’s eyes flashed with anger as she sensed Faith’s reluctance to share anything.
“Only that he would speak to me later in the evening. Must you make drama out of everything, Mother?” It was not entirely a lie, nor was it the truth. Rather pleased with her response, she put on her best blank stare and waited for whatever Mother might throw at her.
Father gripped her other arm. “You had better see to it that a date is set for your wedding, Faith. This absurd length of your engagement is beginning to grate on me in a very unpleasant way. I approved your moving in with those friends of yours because I assumed you’d be married within a few months. If I do not have a firm date by the end of this night, you will be moved back home before the end of the week.”
Where he gripped her, pain lanced through her arm. “Why don’t you tell him that, Father?”
“Do not test my patience, girl.” There was no mistaking that his last word was the worst thing she could be.
She tugged free and faced him. “I will do what I can, Father. You and Mother arranged this marriage, not me. Perhaps you should have stipulated a time frame.”
Spinning away, she didn’t wait for her father’s response. She stormed out of the ballroom, down a hallway, and then down several others until she was thoroughly lost within the townhouse.
Frustrated, she entered a door and found herself in the prettiest room she’d ever seen. Cream walls with arched trim and French doors as tall as the ceiling. They led out to a patio surrounded by trees and lit by torches.
Inside, the three standing candelabras glinted off golden accents on walls and even the thread of the tapestry over the fireplace. Curtains the color of the new leaves in spring hung lushly from the top of the walls and matched a thick rug. Cream and gold chairs made a quartet around a low table in the center of the room, while a lady’s desk sat in the corner by a window.
At the sound of the closing door, Faith spun around. Nick stood just inside. “Do you like it?”
“Who could find fault in this room? It is lovely beyond measure. What do you use it for?”
He stepped closer. “It is not in use. My mother used to use it as her study and to entertain her lady friends. I keep it as she left it, in hopes that one day you might like to use it in a similar fashion.”
Faith swallowed down the emotion knotted in her throat. “You have been keeping this room much longer than you and I have been engaged, and for much of that time, you hoped I would call it off.”
Smiling, he took another step in her direction. “Then let’s say, I kept it with the idea of you.”
“It is truly lovely. Your mother had a great eye for what would make a person feel comfortable even in an ornate setting.” Faith turned toward the fireplace and admired the tapestry depicting animals surrounding a woman sitting in tall grass.
His arms encircled her. “It is meant to be the goddess Diana.”
“I thought she was a huntress. Why are the animals so comfortable in her presence?” Faith loved the way he was strong and gentle at the same time.
Kissing her ear, he said, “A good huntress only takes what she needs to survive. Those animals know she is sated and only wishes for their company.”
She sighed. “In my experience, people take what they want regardless of their state of satisfaction.”
“Not all people. You have your friends,” he said.
“That is true. There are some who want only what you are willing to give and take only what they need. People who don’t judge.” She sighed and leaned against him.
“What did your father say that made him look as if he might strike you?” Nick’s tone turned dangerous.
Faith spun in his arms. “You saw that?”
“What did he say?”
The notion of another fib crossed her mind, but lying to Nick felt wrong after all they’d been through. “He wants me to force you to set a date for our wedding or he’s threatened to force me to move back to his house.”
Nick stepped back, releasing her. He turned and uttered a curse under his breath. “He hurt you?”
Not wanting to whine over a bruised arm after the kind of pain Nick had endured, Faith shrugged. “It was nothing.”
“I don’t want you under his roof. I know he’s your father, but he also has many debts he’s run up since our engagement and his fear that he might not get the funds promised might push him to do something foolish.” Nick spoke flatly, but turned to meet her gaze.
“He has?” Faith had no idea Father had been overspending in the past year.
Nodding, Nick said, “He bought into a shipping business and two coal mines. He will not be able to pay his debtors, should we not marry.”
“He didn’t tell me that. Why would he keep that a secret, if he wants me to go forward with the wedding?” Bewildered, Faith struggled to see the logic.
Nick shrugged. “Perhaps your mother doesn’t know. Perhaps he holds it as a last card to play with you. I don’t know. I only know what I’ve told you, sweetheart.”
“How did you come by this information?” She stared at him, trying to decide if he’d done something inappropriate where her father was concerned.
A slow smile played across his full lips. “I wish I could tell you I came by the information in some innocent way, but I’ve had your father investigated since your mother first contacted me.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m a spy, Faith. I have a difficult time trusting people, and your parents were too eager to rid themselves of a lovely and intelligent daughter. I wanted to know what I was getting into.” He raised both brows and waited for whatever her reaction might be.
She couldn’t fault him for his mistrust. Not only was he correct about her father, his own experience couldn’t help but color his actions. “I see. I must tell you that my father’s debts will not alter my decision. I suppose that is selfish and foolish.”
&nbs
p; “And noble and charming and yes, foolish. However, I love that it will not force your hand. I do not want you to marry for reasons that are not your own.” Nick offered his arm. “Will you walk with me in the garden?”
Chapter 18
The seconds that passed while he waited for Faith to take his arm loomed heavy and progressed slowly. How appropriate that she had found his mother’s study. Faith fit perfectly into the feminine surroundings. Mother would have liked Faith’s independent nature and warmth.
It occurred to him that he could throw himself on her mercy and beg her to marry him, but he preferred for her to come to her own conclusions. Delivering some facts and his own affection would have to be enough.
She rested her hand on his arm.
Nick let out the breath he’d been holding. He led them out the French doors to the private veranda. “Should I have kept my knowledge of your father’s financial situation to myself?”
“Why do you say that?”
“I don’t want it to be a factor in your decision, and while I know you said it wouldn’t be, I don’t see how it cannot.” He guided her down the steps and into the sparse garden. It was cool, but spring had arrived in London on the early March night. The grass was green though most trees still awaited their sappy leaves. A great deal of evergreens and the cold ensured their privacy.
She stopped and faced him. “I am fully capable of making a decision based on facts and my own wants rather than those of my parents.”
Trying to keep his grin at bay didn’t work. “You are a kind, good person who would not like to see your mother, and even your father, suffer if you can do something to prevent it.”
A long sigh pushed from her delectable lips. “I wish our courtship had not been so complicated, Nick. Wouldn’t it have been nice to have met at a ball and danced a minuet or quadrille? Perhaps we might have talked of politics, or country living versus London. It would have been so normal and nice.”
He let loose his sigh. “It might have, but would I feel this fierce attraction to you if our beginnings had been so benign?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But I know you worry that you have exposed me to things I should not have seen. I am stronger than you think.”
His heart ached. “You are a Valkyrie, Faith. I have no doubt about that. That does not absolve me of my errors in judgment. I should have protected you.”
“I am tired of this conversation. Can we speak of other things?” She walked ahead of him.
Catching up, he took her hand in his. “What would you like to talk about, sweetheart?”
“Your sister invited me to tea tomorrow. She seems very nice.” Faith stopped at the empty fountain. The cherubs stared down on them, their pitchers devoid of water until the threat of any more freezes was past for the year.
“Elana is wonderful. She hates London and came only so I could host this ball. Her husband is also quite nice, but stayed in the country with their children. He also dislikes town.” Nick wished it was warmer weather and they could remain in the gardens longer. Faith would look like an angel among the cherubs with water flowing from their pitchers.
Faith shivered and took his hand. They walked back toward the house. “Was theirs a love match?”
“Their marriage was arranged by my father. However, they seem quite happy together.” He pulled her up the veranda steps and behind a row of evergreens before wrapping her in his arms.
“Why didn’t your father marry her off to a duke or prince?” Faith leaned into his chest and rested her head there.
“Perhaps you should ask Elana that question.” Nick rubbed her back from nape to small and reveled in every curve.
She gaped at him. “She would think me impertinent if I asked her that.”
He shrugged. “Probably not, but I leave it up to you.” He lowered his mouth to hers, no longer wishing to speak about his sister.
Her lips were soft and warm and she responded with a soft sigh. Her supple body was perfection in his arms and he was helpless to keep his desire at bay.
Deepening the kiss, Nick wished he could carry her up to his room and show her what their lovemaking could be. Inside, her mouth was soft and cool and she tasted like heaven. Memories of knowing her carnally caused him to grow uncomfortable in his breeches.
Devoid of fear or hesitation, she reached around his neck and toyed with the hair at his collar. If he’d known how pleasing it would feel, he’d never have cut his hair. Her body formed to his and his responded until it was painful to stand in the cold and not take the kiss further.
Breaking the kiss, he moved her to arm’s length. “One day, Faith, I would like to make love to you properly.”
“Was the first time not properly done? In my memory, it was quite wonderful.” Her smile was wicked.
“I was not able to do a great many things because of my injuries. If you permit it, in the future, that will not be the case.” His shaft didn’t care that they stood in the cold and fulfillment was not possible.
She shrugged. “You may think what you like, but for me, it was a perfect night.”
“I’m happy to hear that.” He still wished their first lovemaking had been less inhibited by his condition. However, at the time, they both believed it would be the only time, as his life was forfeit.
“Shall we return to the ball before you are missed?”
“I think you should go inside. I will follow when walking is not so difficult.”
A slow grin made it clear she knew what he meant. “At least you are not indifferent to me.”
“That is the last word I would ever use to describe my feelings toward you.” He straightened.
She cocked her head. “What would be the first?”
“Sir, are you the Duke of Breckenridge?” A man of perhaps twenty, with blond hair and wearing the uniform of an English soldier, stood at the bottom of the steps.
“I am.” Nick’s desire fled with the practiced alertness of a hardened soldier. “Who sent you?”
The soldier gulped for air. “I’m not to say, Your Grace. I was told only to deliver this message.” He held up a slip of folded parchment.
Avoiding Faith’s stare, Nick accepted the bad timing. “You had better give it to me then.”
In an instant, the soldier was up the steps and thrusting the parchment out in front of him. Nick took the note. “Were you told to wait for a response?”
“No, Your Grace.”
Nick cocked his head. “Then you may go.”
Almost as quietly as he had appeared, the young man slipped back into the garden and was gone.
“Is something amiss?” Faith asked, her eyes narrowed.
Breaking the familiar seal used by all the agents working for Drake, Nick opened the note. It was a detailed confirmation that Joseph still owned the house in Germany and that he was not currently there. Nick turned to Faith. “No. Everything is fine. I have some business to attend to and will have to leave for a few weeks.”
There was no missing the disappointment in her golden eyes. “You have taken another mission?”
He closed the distance between them and whispered, “I cannot discuss it with you, Faith. It is dangerous for you to know too much.”
“It was dangerous for me to know nothing. When will you give up this insanity? Was what they did to you at Parvus not enough? Have you some wish to die young?” She stood with her fisted hands on her hips and glared at him.
“The situation is complicated, sweetheart.”
She pulled her shoulders back and stood to her diminutive, but full height. “I imagine it would always be thus with you, Nick. I don’t know if you can offer me the kind of life I am looking for. I have strong feelings for you, but this evening has been oddly eye-opening. Tell my parents whatever you wish. I will have to give this matter some thought.”
A large pi
ece of his heart broke off and he wished he could have the last ten minutes back. But wishing for impossible things like a normal beginning to their acquaintance was neither helpful nor possible. “I understand, sweetheart, but you must also understand that I cannot be someone else to please you.”
Wide beautiful eyes stared back at him as if he’d said something that struck a chord with her. When she spoke again, her anger had fled, leaving thoughtfulness and sadness in its wake. “No. You’re right, of course. I wouldn’t want you to change on my behalf.”
“I will handle your father, Faith. When I return to London, we will talk about the future, if there is one for us.” He bowed and watched her turn and enter the house through his mother’s study.
Freezing, Nick still didn’t want to go back to the ball. He couldn’t bear Faith’s disappointed looks. He walked the garden path and wished there was some other way to get Drake what he needed, but thought of nothing. Finally, his numb fingers forced him inside via the ballroom doors.
Mercedes Heath spotted him immediately and raised one eyebrow as she sashayed the short distance to him. “You look frozen, Your Grace.”
“It has grown colder outside, Miss Heath.” He needed to toss the note he’d tucked in his pocket into a fire. He’d been so distracted by Faith, he’d almost forgotten.
Mercy was tall for a woman and moved with the grace of a ballerina rather than a debutante. “You shouldn’t have stayed out so long. Your guests were beginning to gossip and infer you had left your own ball.”
Smiling, he mused over the scandal that would cause. “My sister would have my head if I ever did such a thing.”
Mercy laughed. “She does seem formidable.”
“Perhaps a dance would warm me. Would you indulge me, Miss Heath?” Nick didn’t like standing about while the entire room whispered about him.
“Thank you, that would be very nice.” Mercy stuttered slightly as she accepted. Taking his hand, she accompanied him to the dance floor.
When they came together for the first pass, Nick asked, “Why did you seem so surprised by my invitation?”
Misleading a Duke Page 18