Seduction (48 page)

him I would hound him, make his life a torment, until he left England and then I

told him the young village girl he had seduced was your sister. Then I walked

out the door. He found the pistol and used it on himself just as I was mounting

my horse. I went back to see if he had managed to properly finish the business."

Julian took another sip of wine. "He had."

"How terrible for you."

He looked at her. "No, Sophy. The terrible part was walking into that hellish

little chamber and seeing the rope he had tied around your ankle and the pallet

where he intended to rape you."

She shivered and hugged herself tightly. "Please, do not remind me."

"Like you, I am glad it's over. Even if today's events had not occurred, I would

have had to stop Waycott eventually. The bastard was getting worse, not better

in his obsession with the past."

Sophy frowned thoughtfully. "Perhaps his condition took a turn for the worse

because you decided to marry again. Some part of him could not bear to believe

you could find any woman worthy of putting in Elizabeth's place. He wanted you

to be as true to her memory as he was."

"Bloody hell. The man was mad."

"Yes." Sophy was silent for a moment. "What will happen now?"

"His body will be found in a day or two and it will be obvious that Lord Waycott

took his own life. The matter will end there."

"As it should." Sophy touched his arm and smiled tentatively. "Thank you,

Julian."

"For what? Not protecting you with sufficient care to ensure that this day's

events never happened? You managed your own escape, if you will recall. The last

thing I deserve from you is your thanks, madam."

"I will not have you blame yourself, my lord," she said fiercely. "What happened

today could not have been predicted by any of us. The important thing is that it

is over. I am thanking you because I appreciate how hard it must have been for

you to resist calling out Lord Waycott. I know you, Julian. Your sense of honor

would have demanded a duel. It must have been very difficult for you to abide by

your vow to me."

Julian shifted slightly in the chair. "Sophy, I think it would be best if we

changed the subject."

"But I want you to know how grateful I am that you kept your promise to me. I

hope you realize I could not allow you to take such a risk, Julian. I love you

too much to let you do it."

"Sophy—"

"And I could not bear for our babe not to know his father."

Julian put down his wineglass and reached over to capture Sophy's hand in his.

"I, too, am very curious to meet our son or daughter. I meant what I said when I

walked out the door earlier tonight. I love you, Sophy. And I would have you

remember that no matter what happens, no matter how often I fail to live up to

your ideal of a perfect husband, I will always love you."

She smiled quietly and squeezed his large hand. "I know."

Julian's brows rose with a familiar arrogance but there was a gleam of loving

amusement in his eyes. "You do? How so?"

"Well, let us say that I have had some time to think while I waited for you to

return tonight. It occurred to me, rather belatedly, that any man who believed

my outlandish tale of what had really happened this afternoon, the kidnapping

and the drugged tea and all the rest, must be a man who was at least a little

bit in love."

"Not a little bit in love." Julian raised her palm to his lips and kissed it.

His eyes were emerald green when they met hers. "A great deal in love. Head over

heels, overwhelmingly and completely in love. I only regret that it took me so

long to realize it."

"You always were inclined to be stubborn and thickheaded."

Julian grinned briefly and tugged her down across his thighs. "And you, my sweet

wife, have the same tendencies. Luckily we understand each other." He kissed her

deeply and then raised his head to search her eyes. "I am sorry about some

things, Sophy. I have not always treated you as well as I ought to have done. I

have ridden roughshod over most of our wedding agreements because I was

convinced I knew what was best for you and for our marriage. And there will

undoubtedly be times in the future when I will act as I believe best, even when

that does not accord with what you believe to be best."

She laced her fingers through the dark depths of his hair. "As I said, stubborn

and thickheaded."

"About the babe, sweetheart."

"The babe is fine, my lord." The memory of Waycott's accusations returned. "You

must know I did not go to Old Bess for a potion to get rid of your child."

"I realize that; you would not do such a thing. But the fact remains that I had

no right to get you with child so quickly. I could have prevented it."

"Someday, my lord," Sophy said with a teasing smile, "you must tell me exactly

how one does prevent such an occurrence. Anne Silverthorne told me about a

certain type of pouch made of sheep gut that is tied on the male member with

little red strings. Do you know of such things?"

Julian groaned in despair. "How the hell would Anne Silverthorne know of such

matters? Good lord, Sophy, you have been keeping very bad company in London. It

is fortunate I got you away from the city before you were corrupted further by

my aunt's acquaintances."

"Quite true, my lord. And as it happens, I am content to learn all I need to

know about corruption at your hands." Sophy touched Julian's big hands with

loving fingers and then bent her head to kiss his wrist. When she looked up, she

saw his love for her in his eyes.

"I have said all along," Julian remarked softly, "that you and I would deal very

well together."

"You were apparently right yet again, my lord."

He got to his feet and pulled her up to stand in front of him. "I am almost

always right," he said as he brushed his mouth against hers. "And on those

occasions when I am not, I shall have you to put me right. Now I find that it is

almost dawn, my love and I have need of your softness and your heat. You are a

tonic for me. I have discovered that when I am in your arms, I can forget

everything else but you. Let us go to bed."

"I would like that very much, Julian."

He undressed her slowly, with infinite care, his muscular hands gliding over

every inch of her soft, fair skin. He bent his head to kiss the budding peaks of

her breasts and his fingers found the flowing warmth between her legs.

And when he was very certain she was on fire for him, Julian carried her over to

the bed, laid her down upon it, and made love to her until they both could put

the memory of the day's events far behind them.

A long time later Julian rolled reluctantly to one side, cradling Sophy in one

arm. He yawned mightily and said, "The emeralds."

"What about them?" Sophy snuggled close. "You found them in the basket, I

presume?"

"I found them. And you will wear them on the next occasion that warrants such

finery. I cannot wait to see you in them."

Sophy stilled. "I do not think I want to wear them Julian. I do not like them.

They won't become me."

"Don't be a goose, Sophy. You will look magnificent in them."

"They should be worn by a taller woman. A blond perhaps. In any event, knowing

me, the clasp will probably come undone and I shall lose them. Things are always

coming undone on my person, my lord. You know that."

Julian grinned in the darkness. "It is one of your charms. But have no fear, I

shall always be nearby to retrieve any lost items, including the emeralds."

"Julian, I truly do not want to wear the emeralds," Sophy said insistently.

"Why?"

She was silent for a long moment. "I cannot explain."

"It is because in your mind you associate them with Elizabeth, do you not?" he

asked gently.

She sighed softly. "Yes."

"Sophy, the Ravenwood emeralds have nothing to do with Elizabeth. Those stones

have been in my family for three generations and they will remain in the family

as long as there are Ravenwood wives to wear them. Elizabeth may have toyed with

them for a short while, but they never belonged to her in any real sense. Do you

understand.

"No."

"You are being stubborn, Sophy."

"It is one of my charms."

"You will wear the emeralds," Julian vowed softly as he pulled her across his

chest.

"Never."

"I can see," Julian said, his green eyes gleaming behind his lashes, "that I

must find a way to convince you to change your mind."

"There is no way you can do that," Sophy said with great determination.

"Ah, sweetheart. Why do you persist in underestimating me?" He used his hands to

frame her face for his kiss and a moment later, Sophy softened eagerly against

his hard length.

* * *

In spring of the following year the Earl and Countess of Ravenwood gave a house

party to celebrate the recent birth of a healthy son. Everyone who was invited

to the country, came, including a few, such as Lord Daregate, who normally could

not be persuaded away from London during the season.

During a quiet moment in the Ravenwood gardens, Daregate grinned knowingly at

Julian. "I always said Sophy would look good in the emeralds. She was quite

beautiful in them tonight at dinner."

"I shall convey your compliments to her," Julian said, smiling to himself with

satisfaction. "She fretted about wearing them. I had to work long and hard to

convince her to do so."

"I wonder why you had to go to all that effort," Daregate mused. "Most women

would have been willing to kill to wear those stones."

"She associated them too much with Elizabeth."

"Yes, I can see where that might have bothered a sensitive creature like Sophy.

How did you convince her otherwise?"

"An intelligent husband eventually learns the sort of reasoning that works with

a woman. It's taken me some time, but I am getting the hang of it," Julian said

complacently. "In this instance I finally hit upon the brilliant notion of

pointing out that the Ravenwood emeralds went very nicely with my eyes."

Daregate stared at him for an instant and then gave a crack of laughter.

"Brilliant, indeed. Sophy would be unable to resist such logic. As it happens,

they are a nice match for your son's eyes, too. The Ravenwood emeralds breed

true, it seems." Daregate paused to examine a small garden set apart from the

rest of the lush greenery. "What have we here?"

Julian glanced down at his feet. "Sophy's herb garden. She had it put in this

spring and already the local villagers have begun asking for cuttings, recipes,

and concoctions. I spend a small fortune in herbals these days. I believe Sophy

is getting ready to write one of her own. I find I am married to a busy woman.'

"I am in favor of keeping women busy, myself," Daregate said dryly. "I believe

work keeps them out of trouble."

"That is amusing, considering the fact that most of the work you do is at a

hazard table."

"Not for much longer, I believe," Daregate announced calmly. "Word has it my

dear cousin's constitution is failing rapidly. He has taken to his bed and found

religion."

"A sure sign of an impending demise. May we then anticipate your own nuptials

shortly?"

"First," said Daregate with a glance back toward the main house, "I must find a

suitable heiress. There is very little money left in the estate."

Julian followed his friend's gaze and saw a flash of red hair through the open

windows. "Sophy tells me that Anne Silverthorne's stepfather recently departed

for the hereafter. Miss Silverthorne has inherited everything."

"So I am told."

Julian chuckled. "Good luck, my friend. I fear you will have your hands full

with that lady. She is, after all, a close friend of my wife's and you know what

I went through with Sophy."

"You appear to have survived," Daregate observed cheerfully.

"Barely." Julian grinned and clapped Daregate on the shoulder. "Come inside and

I will pour you some of the best brandy you have ever had."

"French?"

"Naturally. I bought a shipment of it from our friendly local smuggler two

months ago. Sophy lectured me severely for days about the risk."

"Judging by her actions toward you now, she appears to have forgiven you."

"I have learned how to deal with my wife, Daregate."

"What, pray tell, is the secret of marital bliss?" Daregate inquired, his eyes

straying once more toward the window where Anne Silverthorne stood.

"That, my friend, you must discover for yourself. I fear there is no easy path

to domestic harmony. But the effort is worthwhile with the right female."

Much later that night, Julian sprawled alongside Sophy.

His body was still damp from the recent lovemaking and he could feel

satisfaction flowing through him like a powerful drug.

"Daregate asked me for the secret of domestic happiness earlier this evening,"

Julian murmured, cradling Sophy close.

"Really?" She traced a design on his bare chest. "What did you tell him?"

"That he would have to discover it for himself, the hard way, just as I did."

Julian turned on his side and smoothed Sophy's hair off her cheek. He smiled