Historical Trio 2012-01 (42 page)
Read Historical Trio 2012-01 Online
Authors: Carole Mortimer
‘And what is it that you want from marriage, Diana?’ Gabriel prompted huskily.
She gave a sad smile. ‘Something that is completely beyond your comprehension.’ Yes, as time passed she would become an aunt to her many nieces and nephews, and no doubt be considered as slightly eccentric by the rest of her family, and as the long and lonely years passed her by—
‘Diana, if I were to get down upon one knee and beg you to marry me, would you at least consider it?’ Gabriel suited his actions to his words as he knelt before her and took her hands in his. ‘I have been a fool,’ he continued urgently. ‘A blind, insensitive fool! But I am a blind and insensitive fool who is also deeply, irrevocably in love with the woman who happens to be right beneath my arrogant nose.’
Diana stared down at him as if he had completely lost his senses. ‘Get up, do, Gabriel.’ She attempted to pull him to his feet and failed miserably as he refused to be moved.
‘Marry me, Diana!’ he urged passionately. ‘Marry me and allow me to love you until the day I die and beyond. Say yes, my darling, and I promise I will worship at your beautiful feet for the rest of my life.’
Perhaps it was she who had lost her senses? Gabriel could not really be kneeling in front of her saying these wonderful things to her! He could not! Could he?
He gave a choked laugh as he obviously saw the bewilderment in her expression. ‘Dominic warned me of how it would be if I ever fell in love; to my shame, I chose to dismiss his warning.’ He drew his breath in sharply. ‘I do love you, Diana; I realised some days ago just how much. So much, my darling, that my very happiness depends upon your every word and smile. These past days of even thinking of living without you, of some day watching you marrying another man, has been an agony I wish never to be repeated.’
‘But you became so cold and distant whilst we were at Faulkner Manor and after we got back,’ she said.
He sighed. ‘I believed you must think less of me because of my blindness to both the events in the past and my neglect of my mother.’
‘I could never think less of you because of those things, Gabriel,’ she insisted. ‘You and your family were lied to and deceived by your uncle and aunt, and you could have had no idea of their treatment of your mother. Once you did learn of it, you put the matter right immediately. No, Gabriel, I could never think less of you because of those things,’ she repeated firmly.
His hands tightened about hers. ‘Then will you not consider marrying me? Will you not put me out of this agony of uncertainty and instead make me the happiest man alive?’
Diana could see by the lines of strain that had appeared beside his eyes and mouth that he spoke only the truth. The complete, unvarnished truth. Gabriel loved her! Really loved her. He could no more bear the thought of living without her than she could bear the thought of being parted from him!
She drew in a shaky breath. ‘I do not need to consider marrying you, Gabriel—because I could marry no one else. I love you so very much, my dear darling love!’ She placed her hands on either side of his face as he got slowly to his feet and looked up at him with that love shining brightly in her eyes. ‘Whatever I once thought I felt for Malcolm is nothing in comparison to what I feel for you. What I know I will
always
feel for you. I love you so very, very much, my darling Gabriel.’
He could barely breathe as he slowly lowered his head and his lips claimed hers in a kiss that showed her just how deep and overwhelming his love for her was—and she returned it whole-heartedly.
‘Everyone will be wondering why we did not appear for either luncheon or dinner,’ Diana said, scandalised.
‘The fact that no one has come in search of us shows that Caroline did not leave them wondering for long!’ Gabriel lay back upon the pillows of Diana’s bed, his arms about her and her head resting upon his shoulder as she snuggled into his side, the long length of her golden-red curls a warm caress against the bareness of his chest.
The hours since they had confessed their love for one other had been ones of pure bliss for both of them, as they made long and delicious love together, and then talked softly of the misunderstandings of the past few days, before making love again. ‘As soon as we have the strength to leave this bed I intend taking you to the best jewellers in town and buying you the biggest sapphire ring we can find,’ he announced with satisfaction.
Diana glanced up at him. ‘I do not need fine jewels to know that you love me.’
His arms tightened about her. ‘Maybe not, my love, but I need to place my ring upon your finger as a warning to other men that you belong to me.’
She laughed softly. ‘Can there be any doubts as to that?’
‘Hopefully not,’ he muttered.
‘Definitely not!’ she protested.
Gabriel sobered. ‘I do think that perhaps we should not delay the wedding for more than a few days or so.’ He smiled to himself, knowing that despite his previous intentions, he had been so enthralled by the beauty and pleasure of their lovemaking that he had lost all control and consummated their marriage ahead of the actual ceremony. ‘Perhaps a double wedding with your sister Caroline and Dominic?’ he suggested.
‘Perhaps,’ she said quietly.
‘Only perhaps?’ Gabriel turned to look down into Diana’s slightly pensive expression. ‘You are not having second thoughts? Now that we have made love, have you decided that—’
‘Hush.’ Diana placed slender fingers against his beautifully sculptured lips. Lips that had kissed and explored parts of her body that still made her blush to think of. ‘I have told you that I love you, Gabriel, and I do.’ She gazed deeply into his eyes. ‘I love you. All of you. Now and for ever.’
Gabriel’s arms tightened about her, only slightly reassured. ‘But you will only “perhaps” marry me?’
A slight frown creased her brow. ‘I do not believe that either Caroline or I wish to be married without Elizabeth present.’
‘Of course.’ He finally relaxed, relieved by the obvious explanation. ‘Then Vaughn and I must find her as quickly as is possible.’
‘I am afraid you must, yes,’ she agreed.
‘Never be afraid to ask anything of me, Diana.’ His eyes glowed lovingly down at her. ‘Whatever I have, whatever I am, it all yours, and always will be.’
No woman could possibly ask for more than that from the man that she loved and who loved her in return.
* * * * *
THE LADY CONFESSES
Carole Mortimer
A scandalous secret...
Having run away from home to avoid an unwanted betrothal, Lady Elizabeth Copeland must keep her disguise as an elderly lady’s companion at all times. Even when she’s called upon to nurse the lady’s nephew—who rather infuriatingly happens to be the most incredible-looking man she’s ever seen....
Elizabeth yearns to break out of Betsy’s drab dresses to reveal that she’s of the same blue blood as the rakish Nathaniel. But she must not! Unless Nathaniel gets under her guard, and elicits a confession....
Nathaniel viewed Betsy Thompson through narrowed lids. “You have not been a paid employee for very long, have you?”
A delicate blush colored those ivory cheeks. “What makes you say that, my lord?”
The mere fact that she was daring to question him like this was reason enough! “You do not appear to know your place.”
Those blue eyes sparkled with what he knew without doubt to be a fierce temper. “My place, my lord?”
Had he ever had another conversation like this one? Nathaniel mused ruefully. Somehow he doubted it. “I believe it is the usual practice to show a little more respect when addressing one’s elders and betters,” he drawled with deliberate provocation; after all, the blue of her eyes did look particularly fine when she was in a temper!
Elizabeth fumed silently. As she was really Lady Elizabeth Copeland, the daughter of an earl, he certainly was not her “better.” Except, she was not Lady Elizabeth Copeland at this moment, was she? And she had no idea if she ever would be again….
* * *
The Lady Confesses
Harlequin® Historical #1072—January 2012
The Copeland Sisters
Flouting convention, flirting with danger…
Caroline, Diana and Elizabeth Copeland are faced with a challenge…a new guardian who is determined on marriage—to one of them! But these three sisters aren’t afraid to discard the rules of Regency Society. They’re equally determined to take their futures—including potential husbands— very much into their own hands….
THE LADY GAMBLES
November 2011
THE LADY FORFEITS
December 2011
THE LADY CONFESSES
January 2012
To my wonderful parents, with much love.
CAROLE MORTIMER
was born in England, the youngest of three children. She began writing in 1978, and has now written more than one hundred and fifty books for Harlequin. Carole has six sons: Matthew, Joshua, Timothy, Michael, David and Peter. She says, “I’m happily married to Peter senior; we’re best friends as well as lovers, which is probably the best recipe for a successful relationship. We live in a lovely part of England.”
Chapter One
May, 1817—Hepworth Manor, Devon
‘H
ow dare you? Lord Thorne, I insist you release me at once!’
Lord Nathaniel Thorne, Earl of Osbourne, laughed huskily, his lips moving to the ebony-haired beauty’s throat. She avoided his kiss by struggling in the confines of his arms, the squirming of those slender curves as she lay across him only succeeding in increasing Nathaniel’s pleasure. ‘You know you do not mean that, my dear Betsy…’
‘I most certainly do mean it!’ She raised her head to glare down at him with eyes of an indignant and deep blue surrounded by long dark lashes, her dark curls smelling of lemon and jasmine.
Nathaniel smiled confidently. ‘A kiss, Betsy, that is all I ask.’
Her mouth tightened determinedly. ‘Very well—you asked for this!’
Nathaniel drew in a swift hissing breath as the woman in his arms deliberately pushed against his chest in an attempt to wrench herself free, a painful reminder that he had broken several of his ribs only nine days previously, which had resulted in his being confined to this bed or another ever since.
A fact this little minx was well aware of!
‘And you have been asking for this for days!’ Nathaniel’s arms tightened instead of releasing her as his teeth nibbled at one delicately scented earlobe.
Her struggles ceased, her expression one of blank bewilderment as she looked down at him. ‘I have?’
Well…perhaps he exaggerated the situation slightly. But after four days spent in London being confined to his bed and fussed over by his closest relative—his widowed and childless Aunt Gertrude—followed by another four days of discomfort inside his coach as they’d travelled to his aunt’s home on the rugged Devonshire coast, Nathaniel had felt in need of some feminine diversion.
Waking from an afternoon nap to find this delicious morsel tidying his bedchamber, also aware that no matter how painful his injuries were they had also allowed him to escape the tedium of a London Season and his aunt’s intention of finding him a wife, Nathaniel had decided to reward himself for that lucky escape by indulging in a little sport with his aunt’s young companion.
He grinned up at her unabashedly now. ‘You have been fussing about my bedchamber, and latterly myself, for this past half an hour: tidying the room, straightening my bedclothes, plumping my pillows.’ During which time he had been gifted with a tempting view of the fullness of her breasts as she leant across him and a tantalising glimpse of the plump, rosy-hued nipples that tipped those delicious breasts!
‘It was on your aunt’s instruction that I sat with you this afternoon.’ The ebony-haired beauty looked down the length of her little nose at him.
‘And where is my dear aunt this afternoon?’ he enquired.
‘She felt rested enough from the journey here to be able to go out in the carriage to reacquaint herself with friends in the area— You are deliberately changing the subject, my lord!’ She glared her indignation at him once again.
‘Am I?’ Nathaniel drawled in amusement.
‘Yes,’ she maintained firmly. ‘And I fail to see any encouragement on my part of this—this attack upon my person, in the mundane actions you have just described.’
Which was not to say that Elizabeth had found those attentions completely disagreeable, if she was being totally honest with herself.
Her last kiss—in fact, her only kiss—had been taken—stolen—from her several months ago by the local vicar’s precocious fifteen-year-old son, who unfortunately had a propensity for sweetmeats, cakes, spots and an unbecoming plumpness.
It had only been that expression of lazy satisfaction upon Lord Nathaniel Thorne’s handsome face, as he’d pulled her effortlessly into his arms, which had prevented Elizabeth from enjoying the sensation of allowing those sensually sculptured—and no doubt much more experienced—lips to possess her own.
The same satisfaction the earl displayed now as he looked down at the plump swell of her breasts made visible by the low neckline of her blue gown. ‘A man can only stand so much temptation, my dear Betsy.’
Elizabeth gave an inner wince at Lord Thorne’s continued use of the name bestowed upon her by Mrs Wilson almost two weeks ago, after that lady had declared ‘Elizabeth’ was far too refined a name for the young lady she intended to employ as a companion.
Nor did Elizabeth appreciate the way in which Lord Thorne continued to ogle her breasts; she had no doubts Mrs Wilson would dismiss ‘Betsy’ without a single reference if she were to enter the bedchamber and witness this damning scene! ‘I am sure I offered you no such temptation, sir,’ Elizabeth argued.
He eyed her with amusement. ‘Then perhaps it was just wishful thinking on my part?’
‘And no doubt I should have expected such behaviour from someone who is obviously so well acquainted with a man such as Lord Gabriel Faulkner!’ she came back tartly.
The challenging insult had the desired effect of obtaining Elizabeth’s sudden release as she felt his lordship’s arms instantly fall back to his sides, which allowed her to struggle back onto her slippered feet. She pulled her crumpled gown into some semblance of order and tidied the disarray of her hair before venturing a glance at him once again.
The icy haughtiness of the earl’s expression and the dangerous glitter in the narrowed brown eyes that looked up at her so coldly warned her instantly that she had said something heinous. She sighed inwardly. Despite his suddenly cold demeanour, Lord Nathaniel Thorne, Earl of Osbourne, had to be one of the handsomest men in England—he was certainly one of the most handsome males Elizabeth had ever set eyes upon. His fashionably styled hair was the colour of ripe corn, those brown eyes a rich mahogany. His face was stunningly masculine, with high cheekbones, a long aristocratic nose and sculpted lips above a square and determined jaw.
As the earl had spent the majority of the last nine days wearing very little other than a shirt, and occasionally pantaloons, for the comfort of his injuries, Elizabeth could also vouch for the fact that he had very wide shoulders, a muscled chest and stomach sprinkled with a fine dusting of golden hair, lean and powerful hips, and long masculine legs perfectly suited to those thigh-hugging pantaloons and the highly polished Hessians he had worn for their journey into Devonshire.
Until this moment, from the occasions she had witnessed him in conversation with his overly affectionate aunt, she would also have said he was in possession of a tolerably pleasant, if slightly haughty, nature to go along with those rakish good looks.
The dangerous glitter that now lit those dark, almost black, eyes showed another side of him completely. No doubt it was that same ruthlessness of nature that had stood the earl in such good stead during his five years of fighting as an officer in Wellington’s army.
‘You will explain that last remark, if you please.’
The even pleasantness of Lord Thorne’s tone did nothing to soothe Elizabeth’s feelings of unease—the sort of unease one might feel, she imagined, as if the good-natured cat sleeping peacefully upon one’s hearth suddenly turned feral!
Her chin rose. ‘I noted Lord Faulkner’s visit to you five days ago.’
‘On the day of his return to England after an absence of eight years, yes.’ The earl’s manner remained frosty.
‘I—well—his scandalous past is well-known, surely, my lord?’
‘Is it?’
Elizabeth’s throat moved convulsively at the dangerous edge she now heard beneath the mildness of the earl’s tone. ‘The servants were all agog following his visit to you and I couldn’t help but overhear what they were saying about him, about the scandal that marred his past.’
‘Indeed?’ Those blond brows rose. ‘And am I to take it you are the type of young lady who enjoys listening to such malicious gossip?’
Elizabeth felt her cheeks flush at this deliberate set-down. ‘It can hardly be termed as
malicious
when it also happens to be the truth.’
Nathaniel’s previous arousal had completely dissipated during the latter part of this conversation. ‘How old would you have been eight years ago?’ he asked.
‘I do not see—’
‘I asked how old?’ he demanded harshly.
She blinked. ‘I believe I would have been but eleven years old, sir.’
Nathaniel nodded. ‘And no doubt you resided in Cambridgeshire at that time?’
A perplexed frown marred her creamy brow. ‘I have never resided in Cambridgeshire, my lord.’
‘Then how can you, a mere child of eleven years, who did not even reside in Cambridgeshire at the time of this supposed scandal, possibly speak with any authority as to what is or is not true with regard to Lord Faulkner’s past?’ Nathaniel looked at her implacably as he sat up against the pillows she had recently plumped.
A delicate blush darkened her creamy cheeks, although that stubborn little chin remained high. ‘It appears to be public knowledge that Lord Faulkner was once involved in the seduction of an innocent young girl.’
Nathaniel was well aware of the gossip that had circulated amongst the
ton
eight years ago with regard to Gabriel Faulkner, one of his two closest friends. He had not, however, been aware that very same gossip was once again in circulation upon Gabriel’s return from the Continent to take up his duties as the new Earl of Westbourne. Duties which Gabriel had calmly stated would include making an offer of marriage to one or other of his wards, the three young Lady Copelands, who were the previous earl’s daughters. Never having met any of the sisters, Gabriel had apparently not stated a preference as to which of them it should be.
Damn it, Nathaniel should have been in London to at least stand at his friend’s side when Gabriel announced his presence back in society, and not languishing in Devon nursing broken ribs. Not that Nathaniel believed Gabriel would need, or indeed appreciate, anyone’s support, tacit or otherwise; during his eight long years of exile Gabriel Faulkner had become one of the proudest and most arrogant men the English
ton
was ever likely to meet!
Still, if nothing else, he would have liked to have been present to see some of those well-bred faces when Gabriel took up his rightful place in society. Instead of which Nathaniel had left London for Devon almost immediately upon Gabriel’s arrival back in town, his only means of entertainment being this outspoken young lady who was his aunt’s companion.
‘Indeed?’ he drawled icily.
Elizabeth pursed her delectable mouth. ‘You are aware of a different version of events, perhaps?’
Nathaniel’s gaze swept over her contemptuously before he replied in a disdainful voice. ‘If I am, then I assure you I am not inclined to share it with you.’
He meant to be insulting, and he had succeeded, causing the colour to drain from her cheeks as she felt herself suitably chastened for having seriously overstepped the bounds of her current role of companion.
For it was a role. And one which did not sit altogether comfortably upon the slender shoulders of a young woman who, until two and a half weeks ago, had enjoyed the title of Lady Elizabeth Copeland, the youngest daughter of the previous, and now deceased, Earl of Westbourne.
It was the very reason Elizabeth had taken such an interest in acquainting herself with the gossip concerning Lord Gabriel Faulkner, the man who had not only become the new Earl of Westbourne on the death of Elizabeth’s own father almost seven months ago, but also guardian to Elizabeth and her two sisters.
All three of the Copeland sisters had been badly shaken by their father’s sudden demise and equally alarmed on learning that, their two cousins having died at the Battle of Waterloo, the title of earl had now passed to a man who was a second or third cousin of their father’s. That man was Gabriel Faulkner. A man none of the sisters had ever met. A man, moreover, who was rumoured to have behaved so disgracefully eight years ago that society had chosen to banish him, and his own family had disowned him.
Having lived all of their lives at their father’s country estate, Diana, Caroline and Elizabeth had never been made privy to the details of that scandal and, despite having made discreet enquiries upon learning he was now their guardian, none of them had been able to ascertain the exact nature of that disgrace. The only information any of them had been able to garner on the man at the time—it had been left to the recent gossip below stairs at Mrs Wilson’s home to fill in the exact nature of that scandal—was his banishment to the Continent eight years ago, and that he had been an officer in Wellington’s army for five years, before residing in Venice these past two years.
Lord Faulkner, it seemed, had not been in any hurry to return to England and take up his duties as the Earl of Westbourne, or his guardianship of the Copeland sisters, none of them having so much as set eyes upon him when they had received a letter from that so-called gentleman some months after their father’s death, in which he had made an offer of marriage to whichever of the three Copeland sisters would have him!
No doubt, with the scandal of their own mother having abandoned her husband and three young daughters ten years ago—Harriet Copeland had fled Shoreley Park for London and the arms of her young lover, then been shot by that young lover only months later before he had then turned the pistol upon himself—Lord Faulkner had perhaps believed that one of the Copeland sisters would be so desperate for marriage they would be happy to accept an offer from a man equally as shrouded in scandal.