Lilly Marshall's girl?" Julie cut in.
"Yes,and presently-your daughter-in-law."
The older woman should have been bowled over, but Julie St. John did no more than set down her fork to ask in a somewhat aggrieved tone, "Which one married you?"
"Your eldest. It was a brief ceremony performed at sea just last week."
A big smile formed on her mother-in-law's face, shocking Rebecca. "I must say, girl, you have succeeded where all others have failed.I commend you!
Shall we go have a nice dinner in London? And,well, you can't, but I feel like getting a little foxed while we're at it.
Johanna LindseyMay I speak with his mother?"
"Of course,follow me."
The butler didn't go far,stopping at the door to the dining room to announce loftily, "Lady St. John has arrived, madam."
Rebecca heard a testy tone, from inside the room. "Are you blind, Charles? I'm sitting right here."
"The new Lady St. John.
Is there a reason you are here?" he finally demanded.
With complete nonchalance she replied, "Well,I've brought my trunks. I do believe I'm moving in."
"The hell you are!"
"Nice of you to welcome me in your usual boorish manner" was all she said to that.
A muscle ticked in his jaw. It made not a jot of difference that he'd just gone to Norford and back this morning to bring her here himself. That had been his idea.Her coming here on her own was her idea,and it make him suspicious.
"Don't start your manipulations already," he warned her. "Answer my question."
"Why am I still here? Shall we start with the obvious reason? Because I really am pregnant and once my pregnancy starts to show,I do not want to be in a position to have people ask me who my husband is and not believe me when I tell them that it's you."
"And the not-so-obvious answer?"
"Because you make me so furious that I spite myself to spite you!
I'm the bride," Rebecca said from the doorway,bringing the room to momentary silence.
Her remark brought every eye in the room to her, inculding Rupert's. "You forgot to say lucky bride, didn't you?" Rupert asked in a low voice as he stood beside her.
That was the usual response of a new bride, she supposed,but it definitely didn't apply to her. "No,I didn't," she whispered back with a false smile. "But I managed to withhold the 'unlucky' that was on the tip of my tongue. You can thank me later.
Then I guess the only thing left is for you to prove that you're up to the challenge. Give me a smile that isn't a sneer."
He wasn't expecting that, to go by his sudden surprise. But it was a reasonable request. She wasn't going to carry the entire charade on her shoulders alone. He had to do his share.
But she wasn't expecting one of those amazing smiles he'd dazzled her with before that fateful night she'd spent in his bed. She sucked in a sharp breath. Her heart started to thump loudly. Good God,how could he still do this to her?
"You don't need to be that convincing!" she snapped, and swung around to get her eyes off him. "Save your seductive smiles for you legion of conquests. I won't be one of those,so a decent smile will do,thank you."
He actually laughed. "That was normal smile, Becca. If you don't believe me,turn around and I'll show you the difference."
"No! Seducing me isn't part of this bargain."
"Of course not.For now,this happy marriage is for show only and I have already promised to keep my hands off you, haven't I?"
"Then henceforth keep your lips off me, too," she said on her way out the door. "There's to be no more accidental kisses."
She heard him laugh again before she closed the door behind her. Good Lord, what had she just agreed to? This was never going to work!
Rebecca saw red.The urge she had to fly at Elizabeth with her nails bared was too compelling. She couldn't resist it. That Elizabeth immediately stomped off wasn't going to stop her. She was going to cause the worst scandal London had seen in decades,and she didn't care!
Johanna LindseyBut you know you're sounding like a jealous wife? Are you jealous, luv? I find that rather amusing, all things considered."
"Don't start laughing too soon, because I'm nothing of the sort."
"No?"
He was still grinning, prompting her to snap, "Your unexpected presence here smacks of jealousy as well, as in checking up on your wife, but you don't hear me accusing you of it."
"I believe you just did.
But your habits undergo no change in this pretense? Or do you think anyone was fooled yesterday by your so-called 'appointment' last night? That is what you told your mother, correct? That you had an appointment?"
His eyes came back to hers. "Are we showing signs of jealousy again?"
"I'm asking a pertinent question," she said stiffly. "If you think this pretense is going to only be one-sided, then it ends now."
Incredibly,his humor returned abruptly, his grin quite wide. "Before you start turning green, I suppose I must admit that appointment wasn't a good word for it, since it wasn't a scheduled meeting. I merely went to see my solicitor,and,no, he doesn't wear skirts."
She ignored that ridiculous attempt at a joke.
He twirled her around a few more times before he said offhandedly, "Aren't you tired of fighting yet? I'm beginning to find it quite tedious m'self. I've even given you the benefit of the doubt-"
"Don't do me any favor."
He cocked his head to the side because she'd turned away to mumble that. "Are you challenging me to make you sweet and lovable again? I believe you are!"
Her eyes flew back to his, but she could't do anything more than sputter over the absurdity. His pale eyes were twinkling, holding back laughter no doubt. What the devil as he doing! Je couldn't be serious.Yet he rubbed his cheek against hers right there on the dance floor!
"What-"
She should never have turned in toward that unexpected caress. Was she destined to bump lips with him by accident? She drew back instantly while she had the presence of mine to do so. But he didn't.In fact, he moved closer, his mouth actually persuing hers until there was nothing accidental about it! She stumbled as her sensed whirled. That just encouraged him to hold her closer and kiss her more deeply. She was fast approaching the point of not caring!
Desperately, she tore her mouth away to gasp out, "You're going to cause a scandal!"
"I do believe it would be worth it," he said softly by her ear. "But it's only a minor infraction and quite overlooked, since everyone here knows we're married."
"No,they don't.I didn't have it announced."
He stopped abruptly. Several other couples even bumped into them. "Why not?"
She looked away from his frown, which make her feel distinctly uneasy. How to explain her earlier hesitancy without him seeing it for what it was, a full-blown panic? But he didn't wait for her answer.
Suddenly he was leading her off the dance floor. He began a social circuit around the room, missing no one who wasn't currently dancing. From group to group he stopped to introduce Rebecca as his wife,the Marchioness of Rochwood. He did it curtly,as if here completing a task assigned to him, which gave her the odd feeling he was punishing her.She was mortified. Most of those people thought he was joking! They knew him.They knew his reputation. And he wasn't behaving the least bit normally.
« prima precedente
Pagina 6 di 11.
prossimo ultimo »
Data privacy
Imprint
Contact
Diese Website verwendet Cookies, um Ihnen die bestmögliche Funktionalität bieten zu können.