The Temptation of Lady Serena (9 page)

She clung to him, breathing through him. Her knees weakened and she slipped. His strong arms tightened to hold her more firmly. She stopped trying to understand how he could make her feel so alive and accepted it as a truth. She had no resistance against him when he held her and kissed her; she couldn’t have stopped if she’d wanted to.

Robert didn’t understand why she affected him so deeply. How a kiss could move him to madness. A possessiveness he’d never felt toward any female took hold of him and urged him to claim her, to make her his. She couldn’t refuse him. He’d not allow her to decline.

High-pitched voices floated on the light breeze. Robert could have stepped away from Serena so they’d not be seen. Instead, he ravished her mouth, stealing her thoughts, he stroked her more intimately, cupping her breast. She shuddered and pressed into him. He knew she was enthralled and wouldn’t hear the others coming toward them on the path.

There was a gasp and a titter.

Robert lifted his head slightly and raised a haughty brow. Slowly he released her breast, ensuring everyone saw him lay claim to her.

Serena opened her heavy lids and turned toward the direction of his gaze. Miss Tice’s mouth hung open.

Serena turned her head away. Her heart beat so quickly she was sick, mortified to have been caught like this with Robert. The shame she would bring on her family. She’d ruined herself and she knew better.
Oh Lord! Please let this be a bad dream!
Serena was barely aware of him still holding her tightly against him and wholly unprepared for what happened next.

Robert addressed the group with a languid drawl. “You must excuse us. We are celebrating our betrothal. You may wish Lady Serena and me happy.”

Miss Tice abruptly closed her mouth.

Mr. Camp and the others stuttered. “Yes, yes, my lord, of course, very pleased to wish you happy. If you will pardon us, we didn’t know.”

Mr. Camp quickly led his party farther down the path.

In a voice loud enough to be heard by the retreating group, Beaumont said, “My love, did you not express an interest in viewing the lake? I believe we may now do so.”

He bent his head to kiss her again and unable to resist the temptation he offered, she returned his kiss. Slowly he took her hand and put it on his arm. As her body tingled, her mind numbed. The very thing she’d not wanted to happen had. Now what was she to do? She couldn’t marry him. Not now! Not like this. Serena glanced up at him, expecting to see the same concern and consternation. A smug smile graced his countenance.

Like a blinding light, comprehension struck her. She stumbled, and he caught her. Robert did it on purpose! He purposely placed them—her—in a compromising position. One he knew would lead to an immediate declaration of marriage. He had arranged this! Serena’s breath came more rapidly, and anger and chagrin rose within her. How stupid she’d been.

Beaumont looked down at her now, but, his smile was gone, the disquiet she’d wanted to see earlier showed in his eyes.

“Serena, are you all right? It’ll be fine. I’d already planned to ask you to marry me to-day.”

Her breasts heaved and she allowed her anger to show. “But I, sir, would not have accepted.”

“What do you mean? You’d not planned to agree! You can’t kiss me like that—and the way you did last night—and not marry me.” His face hardened. “I may not have been around gently bred virgins for some time, but
that
I know has not changed. It’s not, of course, as if I’d organized their arrival, but what does it matter?”

“You may not have arranged it, but you surely took advantage of the circumstances. And it matters a great deal to me,
my lord
. You have taken any choice I might have had for my future out of my hands. You have ruined me.” Her tone was harsh, but her voice trembled.

“As we are to marry, I, in no way, ruined you. People will merely think I’m hot for you, which I am.”

“Oh! How dare you say that to me? You—you unprincipled . . . unprincipled . . .”

“Rake?”

“Yes,
unprincipled rake!
”

“Not as unprincipled as you will be considered, my lady, if you don’t marry me.”

She stopped abruptly. “I shall not be entrapped.”

Robert’s eyes hardened to flat stones, and he dragged her forward. “Not another word until we are beyond the gates. No one must think that you are not in complete agreement with our marriage.”

She clenched her teeth. “There is not going to be a marriage.”

“Smile.”

Serena entered the lawn of the villa and forced a pleasant smile to her face. She had been in the
ton
long enough that nothing of her seething tumult showed except in the rigidity of her arm entwined in his. If she could have broken his hold and run away, she would have.

Beaumont greeted the other guests milling on the lawn. He smiled charmingly at Lady Talgath with all his customary address. “My lady, we do not wish it to be widely known, as we have not yet informed our families, but you will soon hear the news. I was so overjoyed, I was unable to restrain myself. You may wish us happy. Lady Serena has agreed to be my wife.”

Lady Talgath fluttered with delight. “Lord Beaumont, how pleased I am that you chose my home to make your offer! I do indeed wish you both very happy. Was it in the bluebell wood?
Very
romantic, is it not?”

Serena pinched Robert hard as she gracefully accepted Lady Talgath’s good wishes. He stiffened.

Serena deepened her smile.

Robert bowed. “Lady Talgath, thank you for such a pleasant afternoon. We must hurry back to Town before the news precedes us.”

Serena inclined her head and bid her hostess adieu.

By the time they walked outside, Robert’s curricle was ready. He handed her into it and silence reigned until they were clear of the gate.

Serena turned on him. “I cannot believe you told her we were marrying. What were you thinking?”

“Serena.”

She glanced at him coldly. “I have not made you free of my name, sir.”

“Oh, have you not? The minute you made free of your lips, my girl, you made me free of your name. Get used to it.”

She had whirled in her seat to face him, but at that last jab, she shifted and faced stonily ahead.

Beaumont bent closer. “If I’d not told Lady Talgath the news, she would have heard we’d been seen from Miss Tice and the others.” His tone was soothing. “Do you really wish your name bandied about the
ton?
”

Serena blinked back tears, despair enveloping her.

“The announcement will appear in the
Morning Post
no later than the day after to-morrow.”

She held her head high. “Lord Beaumont, I told you, I will not marry you.”

Robert replied cheerfully, “Oh, you’ll marry me, my lady. If I have to carry you to the altar, you’ll marry me. By God, I didn’t know I was taking a shrew to wife.”

“I happily release you,” she snapped.

He struggled to tamp down his anger. “I have no desire to be released, and I have no desire to see you ruined. You are mine, and I will have you.”

She loved him. What the devil was the matter with her?

“But, you don’t love me,” she insisted. “You don’t really want to marry me.”

“You’re out there. I do want to marry you.”

She faced him, her eyes brimming with tears. “Lord Beaumont . . .”

“Robert.”

“
Lord Beaumont,
why? You do not
love
me.”

“But you, my dear, love me, and I want you. Extremely badly, as it happens. Enough to take you to wife.”

Serena cried out as if struck, “I do not love you! How could I, when you act like this and—and trap me as a hunter traps an unsuspecting rabbit?”

Robert’s stomach tightened. Dread ran through him. He looked quickly at her and forced himself to relax.

“You may not want to be, but you are in love with me.”
His words were clipped. “Do not lie to me again.”

 

The rest of the journey was made in silence. Serena glanced once more at him. His face had hardened into stark planes. His jaw was clenched, as if he were made of stone. Why had she allowed him to kiss her? How could she have been so wantonly stupid as to confuse his desire with love? She’d gone willingly into his arms, like a lamb to slaughter. And now what was to become of her? She refused to marry him.

When she would have allowed the footman to hand her down from the curricle, Lord Beaumont stopped him. Reluctantly, she gave her hand to Robert. It trembled as he took it gently in his much larger one. She refused to look at him as Ferguson held the door open. Her first impulse was to flee to her chamber, but Robert held her fast.

“Ferguson, isn’t it?”

That worthy inclined his head. “Yes, my lord.”

“Please be good enough to inform Lord St. Eth I am in need of private conversation with him.”

“My pleasure, my lord.”

Robert waited until Ferguson left before bending his head and saying in a low, fierce tone, “You may go,
after
you politely bid me adieu. I’ll not have the servants talking.”

She struggled to draw a breath and smile. “My lord, I bid you
good-bye.
”

Withdrawing her hand, she walked to the stairs, head high. Once she reached the corridor, she fled to her chamber.

“Mary.” Serena tried to still her panicked breathing. “Please find a footman to go round to Dunwood House and ask Lady Evesham to come to me.”

“My lady, what’s wrong?”

“Please, just do it, Mary. It’s urgent.”

“Yes, my lady, at once.” Mary ran from the room.

Alone, Serena sank onto the sofa set between the long windows. Her thoughts jumbled and whirled, and she dropped her head into her hands. Why couldn’t she think? Serena didn’t know how long she sat there, but finally, she heard a light knock on the door and it opened.

“Serena?” Phoebe whispered.

Serena jumped up and pulled her cousin into the room. “Phoebe, oh, Phoebe! I have been such a fool, and I think I am well and truly caught. I don’t know what to do. I cannot marry him, and I’m ruined.” A tear slipped down Serena’s cheek.

Phoebe opened the door and asked Mary to have tea and sherry brought, then placed an arm around Serena, and led her back to the sofa.

“Now, tell me what happened. Nothing is ever as bad as it might appear. Whatever it is, we shall find a way to help you.”

“It is Lord Beaumont.” Serena sobbed. “He—he has destroyed me.” Serena tried to hold back the bitter tears as Phoebe comforted her.

“How?”

“We were at Merton, and he took me into the bluebell wood. We were discovered kissing and he told them we were betrothed. Yet he looked so smug, I know he purposely created the opportunity.
Phoebe, I trusted him.
”

Phoebe gasped. “I never thought Robert would do something like this.”

Serena’s voice broke. “I cannot marry him if he doesn’t love me and Robert as much as confirmed he doesn’t.”

Phoebe was still for several moments. “We need reinforcements.” She rose to tug the bell pull. Mary answered.

“Please ask Lady Ware and Lady St. Eth to attend to us here.”

Mary nodded and left.

“Serena, we
will
think of something. Robert shall not get away with this.”

 

“So,” Phoebe said with disdain, when their aunt’s arrived, “that is what we are dealing with. It appears Robert Beaumont has reverted to type.”

Serena looked at them. “I’m so sorry.”

Aunt Ester’s gaze was level. “Serena, I am afraid you must marry him.”

Tears started in her eyes again. “No, no, please!”

Ester took her hands. “But, you do not have to marry him soon. We can easily put off the ceremony until he admits he loves you.”

“Do you think he
does
love me?” Serena asked, desperately wanting to believe it was true.

Phoebe nodded. “Without a doubt. He is madly in love, or he wouldn’t have acted like such a fool, but, for whatever reason, he doesn’t want to—or cannot—admit it. You
are
right. Robert needs to acknowledge his feelings for you. It would give him far too much power over you if he does not.”

“Absolutely,” Ester said. “Look at everything he’s done to try to come close to you. It’s been most unusual. Robert Beaumont has not attended a
ton
party since a year or two after he came on the Town, and I am not sure I ever saw him at Almack’s.”

Phoebe and Catherine agreed.

“But,” Ester continued, “you chose a very autocratic rake, my love. It will take him time to change his ways.
Not
when it comes to other women, of course, but definitely when it comes to admitting to his feelings for you. He must be threatened by them. You said he asked to speak to Henry?”