The Wedding Runaway (36 page)

Obedience? Lydia doubted if she would ever be obedient again. Running away to London had taught her more about independence than reliance and compliance.

"
Sir
,
I will allow no man to mistreat a lady so in my presence.
"
Victor jerked Oscar
'
s hand from under her arm.
"
You have no right to yank her about
,
no matter what you may be to her.
"

Holding her shoulder
,
Lydia sank back down to the chair. Her heart pounded furiously as she feared that Victor had that same white-faced rage that he had on his face that day at Tattersall
'
s. She stared up and him and realized she had to stop him
,
before there was another duel.

She stood and reached for Victor
'
s arm.
"
Do not interfere in my affairs
,"
she warned in a low voice for him alone. Then she turned to room at large and said
,
"
If you please
,
might I have time alone to discuss my plans with my brothers...and Mr. Sullivan.
"

Oscar blinked at her as if surprised she had reverted back to using his surname.

Trevor looked sharply at her.
"
What is wrong with your shoulder?
"

Victor
'
s arm stiffened under her hand. She gave a soothing rub of her hand before she moved away from him.

~*~

Victor paced the Rose drawing room as they all waited for Lydia to talk privately with her fiancé
,
then call in her brothers. Emotions boiled in his blood and Keene stood beside his path.

Lydia had asked him to step aside
,
and he had
,
but not without feeling as if he had abandoned his duty. He had caused her more pain than anyone
,
yet he could barely restrain himself from hanging over her to protect her from her own family. How could she have wanted to marry that overbearing lout?

Victor wanted to smash Oscar
'
s—unfortunately handsome—face in. Yet
,
she had called him off. And he was worried that Oscar
'
s yanking on her arm had reopened her wounds.

"
What is taking her so long?
"
Victor demanded.

Keene gave a tiny shake of his head.
"
I daresay they have much to catch up on. It has been months since they have seen each other.
"

Her brother Trevor narrowed his blue eyes so very similar to Lydia
'
s and glared at Victor.

Victor raked a hand through his hair. This was what he wanted
,
for her to be settled with a man who would marry her and offer her every chance at happiness
,
a man who would not destroy her with his own needs
,
a man she had thought she loved and might yet still. But bloody hell, it felt wrong.

In the space of just a few minutes
,
Victor was sure that Oscar was the wrong man for Lydia
,
not a man who could make her happy
,
not a man who would understand her need to be in control of her own destiny
,
not a man who would tolerate her stubborn pigheadedness.

Nor would Oscar understand there were moments when Lydia was fragile and unsure of her femininity and needed just the right word or touch to restore her confidence. Would this Oscar even be aware of such moments? Or would he just resent the moments when she was headstrong and in control?

Victor grabbed Keene
'
s sleeve and dragged him to the door.
"
Tony
,
I find I have a monstrous need to view your library.
"

Tony waved him off.
"
Stay away from my guns
,
but help yourself to the brandy.
"

Lydia
'
s older brother eyed him speculatively as he left the room.

~*~

Lydia was having a devil of a time convincing Oscar that she wanted to terminate their engagement.

"
Your father will not approve.
"

"
Yes
,
I know
,
but I will not be forced to marry.
"

"
No one is forcing you
,
Lydia. But it is time for you to stop playing. Now have I ever done anything that offends you?
"
He did not wait for her to answer
,
but answered for himself.
"
I always treat you with the greatest of care and respect.
"

"
But I do not love you
,"
said Lydia.

"
I would not expect you to until after the marriage. You are getting the cart before the horse
,
Lydia. A woman cannot but help love her husband if he is kind and keeps her well.
"
His tone added
,
especially if he was the husband.

Lydia wanted to roll her eyes. Her shoulder hurt and she just wanted this interview over with
,
before it had gone on so long that Oscar would tell her she had to marry her because she was compromised.
"
Am I to understand that you do not love me
,
either?
"

She knew he did not.

"
Of course I love you. My affection for you has always been steadfast
,"
he said earnestly
,
but he looked away.

"
I think you love the idea of running my father
'
s company
,
more than you love me.
"
She should have confronted him before ever leaving Boston.

Oscar blinked.
"
I fear my restraint around you has led you to believe that my feelings are not deep.
"
He clasped her hands in hers and knelt down before her chair.
"
I am quite prepared to offer physical demonstrations of my affection
,
if I were not afraid of offending your sensibilities.
"

He leaned toward her
,
and she averted her head just in time for his kiss to land on her cheek.
"
Oscar
,
please stop.
"

"
See there
,
you are calling me by name again.
"

"
Mr. Sullivan
,
I am quite cognizant of the honor you do me
,
but I will not marry you. I heard you talking about your plans to usurp my brothers and take over my father
'
s company when he passes.
"

He stood and paced.
"
Well
,
why shouldn
'
t I? I am best qualified. I would be running my father
'
s company if the war had not forced him into bankruptcy. Your brothers do not have the best managerial style. Trevor is lazy
,
James glowers at everyone and is too gruff
,
Robert would rather captain his own ship and—
"

"
Mr. Sullivan
,
I will not marry you and that is that.
"

His tirade ended as abruptly as it began. He stared at her.
"
You have obviously been through a lot. I will be waiting to marry you when you come to your senses. When we get back to Boston
,
you will be over all this nonsense.
"

What she felt for Victor was anything but nonsense
,
and she suspected she would never be over it. In any case she had to stay here now
,
because this was where her heart was
,
even if Victor did not want it.

"
I am not returning to Boston.
"

~*~

Half an hour later
,
she was repeating the same line to James
,
with as little effect.
"
At least not right away.
"

"
You cannot stay here. You have to come home.
"

"
Yes
,
I can stay here. Sophie and Keene will house Jenny and me for the next few months.
"

James let out a big sigh.
"
You cannot stay with strangers. How long have you known them?
"

Lydia did not think James would be satisfied if she said a mere fortnight.
"
Victor
,
Lord Wedmont that is
,
knows them and trusts them. He would not entrust my care to just anyone. He is ever so mindful of my reputation or I would just stay in the rooms I rented.
"

James gave her an odd look, and then leaned over and planted his hands on her shoulders.
"
Did he ruin you?
"

Tears welled in her eyes at the pain from his pressure on her injury.
"
No.
"
Not yet.
She stared down at the floor.
"
He has been most mindful of my virtue.
"

"
Lydia
,
as much as you fancy yourself in love with this man
,
nothing will come of it.
"

James thought she was in love with Victor? Were her feelings so transparent? Or perhaps Victor had not ruined her in the traditional sense
,
but she could not abide by the thought of letting any other man touch her. She could not go home to Boston
,
where the endless pressure to marry was thrust on her shoulders. At least here no one was making such demands of her. She shook her head.

"
We cannot leave you here.
"

"
Then stay in London
,
it makes no never mind to me
,
but I
'
m not going back right now.
"

"
Lydia
,
you have to let us take you home. Oscar has come halfway around the world in pursuit of you. You need to appreciate that
,
return home and get this wedding over with.
"

"
Have you heard a word I
'
ve said? I am not returning to Boston
,
I
'
m not marrying Oscar
,
not now
,
not ever
,
and I
'
m staying with the Davies for the social season.
"

"
How are we to repay them? It takes money for a London season.
"

"
I have money.
"

"
Lydia
,
you have no idea how much money it takes.
"

"
Actually
,
I do.
"
Just as always, her brother was not listening to her. Although she had scored a small victory when she persuaded Trevor to take Oscar back to the hotel
,
she felt as desperate as ever to be heard.

"
And then what? Even if we stay for the season and have ourselves a grand old time
,
what then? What will Father think? That we are a bunch of ungrateful
,
irresponsible
,
pleasure-seeking whelps? We cannot afford this.
"
James took long angry strides around the carpet
,
reminding her of the
Catch-me-who-can
steam locomotive that ran on a circular track in Torrington Square.

"
I am staying in London.
"

He stopped
,
turned and glared at her. How could a blond blue-eyed giant of a man manage to look so menacing?
"
We are taking you home
,
even if I have to drag you through the streets
,
kicking and screaming. I do not care if we raise a scandal in spite of Trevor
'
s objections.
"

"
No
,
I am of age
,
you cannot treat me as if I am just a belonging.
"

"
You are chattel and you belong to Father and I cannot think anything good might come of your being enamored of that earl. I am taking you home before you commit any more foolish acts.
"

Her hopes and dreams were slipping away like the fog burned off in the morning sun. How could anything come of her feelings for Victor if she were across the ocean in America?

"
He means to marry me
,
you know
,"
she heard herself say. She closed her eyes. That was the one thing Victor had been quite clear about
,
he had no intention of marrying her.

"
What?
"
boomed James.
"
He does not!
"

The path opened before her like the jaws of hell and she stumbled along it. The only way she could convince her brother to let her stay in London was to mislead him. She did not know if she even wanted to marry Victor. She only knew she wanted to be with him
,
to calm him when his emotions were stormy
,
to touch him and be touched by him
,
and when night closed in to share with him every part of her.

"
He made me an offer.
"
It was not that kind of offer
,
and an admission to the kind of offer he had made would have James scooping her up and carrying her out of the room
,
bound and gagged if necessary.
"
But
,
but...
"