June Calvin (11 page)

She’d make an admirable wife. Stanley had said so, and as Pelham let his thoughts drift over Davida’s person and manner, he agreed. She was good-natured, attractive, intelligent, and socially adept, if a bit beneath his touch. But he cared nothing for that. If he could win her; affection, he felt she would be a loving wife, and that weighed heavily with Pelham. Yes, by God, he’d court her!

Undressing without waking his valet, Pelham began to lay his plans. He would escort her during the remainder of the season, as often as could be. Threlbourne lived not too far from the Greshams. He’d wangle an invitation there during the summer, so he could visit her. Then he would invite Sir Charles and his family to the Pelham country seat for the hunt. A cosy house party would be just the place to fix his interest with Davida.

If only this wretched season were over. There was entirely too much time left for his comfort. Sir Charles might yet find another suitor for his daughter.

But it wouldn’t be seemly to offer for her himself so soon after breaking off with Elspeth. That would be like a public insult to his former fiancée, and he still cared enough for her not to give her pain.

Have to drop the old man a hint, Pelham thought, to prevent his pressuring her into marriage elsewhere.
In the wee hours of the morning Pelham fell asleep while happily making plans for a leisurely courtship of Davida Gresham. He knew he’d have to go slowly. For one thing, she might think less of him if she thought his feelings for Elspeth had been shallow. For another, she might think he was merely turning to her on the rebound.

And that wasn’t true. Oh, no, not in the least. Curzon was right. Elspeth was a bear-leader. Delectable, but a bear-leader, nevertheless. Pelham firmly suppressed the vision of Elspeth in all her blond loveliness that rose to taunt him, and turned his mind to tallying the charms of his future fiancée.

When his valet answered his ring with his morning chocolate and the
Post
, Pelham saved the announcements until last, not expecting to see anything of interest to himself there.

Suddenly he exploded, hitting his tray with the paper so savagely that chocolate flew everywhere.

“Damn and blast,” he yelled, leaping from the bed and tossing his astonished valet his chocolate-soaked robe. “Send me a footman to order my curricle, and then lay out my clothes at once. That hussy thinks she’s breaking my heart, sure as I’m born. Well, she’ll catch cold at this game.”

As Pelham stormed about the room, his curious valet glanced at the paper and saw, at the head of the announcements, the news of Lady Elspeth’s engagement.

A scant hour later, Montgomery Villars, Baron Pelham; awaited with outward calm and inward trepidation the arrival of his soon-to-be fiancée. For though Davida would be astonished by this sudden proposal, she liked him, and dutiful daughter that she was, she certainly wouldn’t go against her delighted father just because she had been caught by surprise.

Would she?

Chapter Twelve

D
avida and her mother were startled when Perry interrupted their breakfast to announce in a formal voice, but with an interesting twinkle in his eye, “Miss Davida, Sir Charles requests that you join him in the library as soon as is convenient.”

Mystified, Davida instantly abandoned her kippered herring and followed Perry to the library, entering as he opened the door. She was astonished to find Lord Pelham and her father standing near the fireplace, talking amiably. Her father was obviously very pleased.

“Here she is now. Come here, Davida. As you see, we have a visitor.”

Forcing herself to be calm and not betray her newly acknowledged feelings for him, Davida curtsied and held out her hand. “Oh, Monty, I was so sorry to hear . . .”

“Ahem.” Her father cleared his throat loudly. “I’ll just leave you young people alone for a few minutes.”

Davida turned startled eyes to Pelham, who had an enigmatic look on his face.

The closing of the library door seemed as loud as a shot in the preternatural silence as Pelham and Davida faced one another.

Suddenly Davida burst out, “Ohhhh, Monty, you great looby. Tell me you haven’t offered for me!”

It was Pelham’s turn to be startled. “But I have. Why should I not?” Then he had the grace to look a little sheepish.

“That is carrying our strategy entirely too far. Father thinks you are in earnest. He wants us to make a match of it. He’ll never let me cry off, at least not without a great to-do, and . . .”

“Why should you cry off, Davie?”

“Because you want to marry Elspeth. Don’t pretend not to understand me.”

He drew himself up, a dark scowl on his face. “Elspeth is marrying Whitham and good riddance to her.”

“You don’t really mean that! If she were to cry off, to come back to you, of course you’d want to marry her.”

“No, I wouldn’t. She’s played her tricks off on me once too often. I want a comfortable wife, one with some fun and spirit in her, not a starchy puritanical . . .” He was beginning to pace, spluttering with fury.

“Don’t you see? Your very anger says how much you still care for her! Oh, Monty, I could just kill you for this. My father will be so upset. But you must go to him at once and explain.”

“No need for him to be upset.” He thrust his hand through his dark auburn curls, disarranging them entirely. “Mean to marry you. You’ll have me, won’t you, Davie?” He moved swiftly to seize her by both elbows, pulling her near.

“Say you will. You know we’ll deal well together.”

“Deal well? Is that all you want from marriage? Just to ‘deal well’ with your wife?” Davida was becoming furious. She jerked out of his hands. “It’s not enough for me! Selfish looby. Didn’t you give any thought to
me
in this? Don’t you think you should have found out what my feelings were before you approached my father? What if they’re engaged elsewhere?”

“Are they, Davie?”

“Perhaps they are!”

Pelham’s face took on a determined look. “
Are
your affections engaged? Who could it be? Not Curzon. I saw him in Brooks’s last night, Davie. He was very well to go, wrapping himself around buckets of the best French brandy and muttering about rushing his fences. He told me you’d refused him. He’s the only one I ever thought had a real chance with you.”

“Perhaps it was just a lovers’ quarrel. Perhaps I only wanted a little time to think.”

“He seemed to believe it was a fairly firm refusal. He seemed to blame it on your feelings for . . .”

“Bother what he thought.” Davida’s cheeks flushed. This turn of conversation had to be avoided at all cost. “Monty, you are just upset by Elspeth’s engagement. Why don’t you wait awhile. In all likelihood she’ll change her mind. Live a carefree bachelor’s existence until you know for sure. Why the rush into the parson’s mousetrap?”

“Don’t want her even if she does change her mind, and I don’t like a bachelor’s existence. I’ve know for some time that marriage was the right path for me.” Pelham caught her up again and began drawing her, gently but inexorably, toward him.

“I want my own soft woman in my bed at night.”

Heart racing, Davida felt the strangest tremor rush through her as Pelham drew her into his arms and enfolded her there. She felt nothing of the fear or discomposure that had overwhelmed her when Curzon had held her thus. Her head tilted back as he bent ever closer. “But, Monty, are you saying just any woman will do? Because . . .”

His kiss silenced her. How different from Curzon’s hard pressure. Gentle, coaxing, stirring, his mouth moved over hers. Davida sighed and leaned into him, returning the pressure of his lips instinctively. They stood thus for long, entrancing moments, exploring one another’s lips in delicious detail.

At last Pelham lifted his head. “No, not just any woman will do, Davie. But
you
will do very well.”

Davida recognized in the almost black intentness of his cobalt blue eyes an emotion very akin to the lust she’d seen in Curzon’s a few days before. But it didn’t frighten her. Not from Pelham. Instead, it accelerated her breathing and led her to eagerly match his ardor when he returned for another long kiss.

How wonderful it felt to be in his strong arms! A strange fire sang through her body, and her knees felt weak, so that when Pelham at last came up for air, she clung to him helplessly, her head burrowed in the curve of his throat.

Completely focused on each other, the young couple had not heard the click of the latch as the library door opened. Her father’s hearty voice made them both jump. “Well, well, I see it’s all settled, then!”

Davida came to her senses and tried to struggle free of Pelham. “No, Papa, it isn’t. We, I, that is, he . . .” she stammered.

Pelham gave her no help. Instead, tucking her firmly against his side with one arm, he extended the other to Sir Charles. “Indeed it is, sir. You may wish us happy.”

“Excellent.” Sir Charles turned and called to Perry. “Fetch us some champagne and send Lady Elizabeth to wait on us in the library.”

“Monty, you will regret this when Elspeth changes her mind! Help me stop it before it goes too far.” Davida’s pleas only made Pelham shake his head, an amused look quirking his mouth.

“What are you saying, missy?” Sir Charles’s voice was rough with indignation.

“Oh, Papa, don’t you see? Lord Pelham has proposed to me in a fit of pique because of what Lady Elspeth has done. He doesn’t really want to marry me.”

“Yes I do.”

“And I don’t want to marry him.” Davida managed to pull away and move toward her father, hands held out in supplication.

Sir Charles drew himself up and fixed on her as severe an eye as she had ever known from her usually indulgent parent. “Do you mean to tell me that I walk in here to find you plastered to this young man, kissing him like a . . . a . . . and there is no engagement?”

Davida retreated a step, fetching up against Pelham’s firm body. He brought his hands to her shoulders to steady her.

“What Davida means, sir, is that she has not yet formally accepted my offer. But of course, as you say, under the circumstances, it is understood.”

“I should hope so.” Davida felt herself withering under her father’s accusing stare.

“Well, daughter?”

“Yes, Papa.” Cheeks burning, she lowered her eyes.

Lady Elizabeth rushed into the room just then, closely followed by Perry bearing a tray of glasses and champagne.

“Davida? Lord Pelham? What is going on?”

“Oh, Mama!” Davida started toward her mother, hoping to pour out her misgivings and gain an ally, but her father caught her arm and spun her around.

“Our daughter has just accepted Lord Pelham’s proposal of marriage, that is all.” There was both pride and determination in her father’s voice, and Davida knew the game was up. She flashed a furious look at Pelham, who bowed mockingly to her before stepping forward to accept the glass of champagne proffered by the round-faced butler.

“A toast to Lord Pelham and his soon-to-be-bride, my beloved daughter, Davida Gresham. May they be as happy and as blessed in their marriage as I have been in mine,” her father intoned formally. They all lifted their glasses and drank the effervescent wine.

Davida’s mother still seemed shocked, but a pleased pink suffused her cheeks as she addressed Pelham. “This is a surprise, my lord. A very sudden, but delightful surprise.”

“Thank you, Lady Elizabeth. I feel truly fortunate to be granted such an adorable bride.” He smiled down at Davida, whose head was feeling a little muzzy from the champagne. She looked at him blankly, unable to figure out how to alter the flow of events.

“Shall we plan on a long engagement, my lord?” Lady Elizabeth sounded hopeful.

“Yes,” Davida quickly asserted. “A long, long engagement.”

“No,” Pelham drawled at the same time. “If we have the banns cried at services this Sunday . . .”

“Sunday!” Davida gasped.

“We can be married in, say, four weeks, right at the end of the season. All of our friends will still be in town. So much more convenient for everyone, and I confess I am eager to have my affairs settled.”

“I see.” Lady Elizabeth frowned a little. “But a wedding requires such a lot of planning. I don’t know . . .”

“Stuff and nonsense,” Sir Charles growled. “We can plan a perfectly fine wedding in four weeks.”

“But, Papa, you are forgetting how busy we are planning for my come-out ball.”

“It needn’t be a large or elaborate affair, if you prefer,” Pelham assured Davida and her mother. “In fact, if you wish, I will see the archbishop about a special license and we can be married very quietly in a few days.”

“No,” Davida and her mother replied at the same time.

“I can see my daughter wed in fine style and I will do so. We shall contrive, shan’t we, my dear.” Sir Charles placed his arm gently about his wife’s shoulders, but there was a hint of steel in his voice.

Lady Elizabeth capitulated to her husband’s determined tone. “Oh, yes, I know we can. And a spring wedding is so lovely.”

“Excellent. Now why don’t you and Davida go off and begin planning, while Lord Pelham and I discuss settlements?”

Davida and her mother soon found themselves standing in the foyer with the shut library door at their backs.

“Well! I hope that young man of yours knows what he is doing. Your father is extremely pleased by this liaison.”

“And he’ll
never
let me cry off. Oh, Mother.” Davida turned into her parent’s comforting arms.

“Let us go upstairs where we can be private, love.” Lady Elizabeth gently led her daughter away. “Do you wish to cry off?” she asked as soon as they were safely ensconced in Davida’s bedroom. “I think you have a
tendre
for
him.”

“I do,” Davida wailed. “I love him so much it hurts.”

“Then why?”

“You know why, Mother.”

“Yes, I suppose I do. You are afraid he’ll spend his life wanting someone else.”

“It’s even worse than that. If I thought Elspeth would really marry that chinless wonder she’s engaged to, I’d marry Monty without hesitation. I know I’ll make him a good wife, and he’s too good-natured to fail to respond to that.”

“But you think she’ll cry off and try to get Pelham back.”

“Yes. I expect she was just angry and wanted to punish him. And don’t you see . . . If I don’t let him go, if Papa insists on the engagement, Pelham will do the honorable thing, but he’ll blame me. He will always see me as having stood between him and his beloved. What chance of happiness would we have then?”

“Well, Davida, if it comes to that, I am not without influence with your father. And I’ve never known him to be cruel.”

Her arms were around Davida in a soothing hug, rocking her back and forth as if she were an infant. Davida took comfort from the embrace and her mother’s words.

“We’ll just have to see what happens, dear. Perhaps you are mistaken and Lady Elspeth means to wed Lord Whitham. Now dry your eyes. The word has already spread among the servants, I’m sure. We don’t want any Gothic rumors of force and unwilling brides to begin to circulate.”

“Oh, no! How awful
that
would be. Pelham would completely fail in his plan if Elspeth thought I wasn’t willing.”

“Surely you don’t think this proposal is just a ploy to bring Lady Elspeth around,” her mother cried. “Lord Pelham wouldn’t be so cruelly selfish, would he?”

“I don’t know, Mother, but I know this. I don’t think he ever thought of me as anything but a friend until today.”

Her mother’s eyebrows arched with curiosity.

“When he kissed me, I think he was as surprised as I was at how . . . umm . . . good it felt.”

Her mother failed to suppress an amused smile. “Well, there is some hope, if he felt . . . umm . . .
that.
”

“Is . . .
that
 . . . enough for marriage, Mother?”

“Not really. However, you also like and respect one another. Many successful marriages have been based on no more.”

“Your marriage to Papa was a love match, wasn’t it?”

“Well, it was on my side, at least.”

“On
your
side. Oh, Mother. I don’t believe that. Father adores you.”

“I know he truly loves me now. But his affections were not deeply engaged when we first wed. It was more a question of ambition. When he returned from the war, newly knighted and with his estates to improve, I feel sure the fact that my grandfather was an earl weighed heavily with him, as did my large dowry. After all, I was too tall, and too shy to attract so dashing a
parti
otherwise.

“I fell madly in love with him. He was so handsome in his soldier’s uniform. His name was in all the papers for valor, you know. And he was full of plans to improve farming methods and build up the quality of livestock in this area. Such a sense of purpose was vastly impressive to me.

“When Sarah’s father introduced us, I knew my dowry and my breeding figured largely in your father’s interest. I didn’t care. In fact, I was just glad I had
something
to bring me the husband I wanted.

“So you see, love came later for him. In fact, I am fairly sure exactly when he realized he loved me.”