The Wedding Runaway (47 page)

She smiled and blinked at Victor, half-wondering if she had slipped into a dream. Ah
,
but her world was brighter with him around.
"
Would you take me to bed if I said yes?
"

He frowned at her and she wondered if he would always frown at her.
"
Lyddie
,
think where we are.
"

In a ballroom of a country house just outside London.
"
Never mind
,
then. I shall simply lean against the pole
,
until your mob catches up with you.
"

"
Dance with me.
"

She thought about protesting that it was a waltz
,
but what did it matter anyway? Given the studious way the Almack
'
s patronesses avoided her
,
she would never be invited. Besides, she would be returning to Boston before very much longer. James was growing impatient.

Oh, but she wanted to be back in Victor
'
s arms.

He held her closer than he should have and as they moved to the music. He only looked at her and she at him. Their conversation was polite nothings.

"
I have missed you so
,"
he finally said.

For him to say that much
,
must have cost him. She made a caricature of a pout
,
as if she had not watched for him
,
waited for him
,
yearned for his touch.
"
You have not called.
"

His lips twisted.
"
I am banned from Keene
'
s house as long as you are there.
"

"
You are banned?
"
she asked, confused.

"
Do not frown so
,"
he said.

Lydia looked across the floor to where Sophie danced with Keene.
"
They do not know
,
do they?
"

"
They know.
"

Was that why they had been so solicitous of her care
,
yet never allowing her a moment alone? Sophie had treated her like a sister and Keene
,
well
,
he had melded into a brotherly role.

Tears burned at the back of her eyes. Were they sorry for her? Was that why they made her feel so much a part of their family?

"
I am sorry
,
pet. I did not mean to be so indiscreet.
"

Indiscreet? She stared at him
,
at the concern in his dark eyes.
"
No matter
,"
she said.

"
I should stay away from you. I am no good for you.
"

No
,
he was the best thing for her.
"
I know. You made me go back to skirts.
"

"
You look better in skirts.
"
His voice dropped low.
"
You look better in nothing.
"

He swept her in a direction she did not expect. She stumbled
,
but he steadied her.

She looked around to see if anyone had noticed. Amelia stood with Lady Beauly and they both watched the dancers.

Victor took another turn and then led her out through French doors. The cool night air swirled around her. He pulled her to a dark corner of the stone balcony and gathered her in his arms.

His kiss was a heady reminder of the passion they had shared. Desire threaded through her and she could feel the answering call in him.

"
I should not be doing this
,"
he whispered
,
but he pulled her tighter against him.
"
But I cannot stay away from you.
"

All the sudden she felt she could not breathe. She was his mistress
,
and he meant to offer no more. What a fool she was to think he might come to love her as she loved him. She struggled back and he freed her.

"
Are you to marry my sister
,
sir?
"

Lydia spun around and saw Trevor and James standing behind her. Had they followed her outside?

"
No. He does not intend to marry me
,"
Lydia answered. She knew he would not
,
and as she stood in the cool night air with her heart filling with pain
,
she would not demand it of him. She had no right. He had never misled her about his intentions.

Trevor winced
,
but James stepped forward, his face a mask of anger.

Victor caught her arm.

"
You said he had proposed to you. That is why we stayed in London
,"
James accused.

Victor
'
s grip on her arm tightened painfully.

Lydia could not look at him.
"
I lied.
"

He spun her to face him. She looked down at her toes.
"
Why? Did you mean to force my hand?
"

"
No. I did not want to return to Boston.
"

James growled.

"
Lydia
,
I cannot marry you. I would destroy you.
"

"
I love you
,"
she whispered. She looked up and saw his expression change from anguished to guarded. He thought she meant to trick him.

"
Unhand her
,"
threatened James.

"
You have lied to me from the beginning
,"
Victor said.

She jerked free of him
,
just as James lunged toward Victor. Not fair
.
Victor was cornered by the balustrade and James had raised his fist. Lydia stepped between them as James swung. His fist connected with her left shoulder.

Pain burst through her and her knees buckled. Victor caught her going down to the cold stone
,
his legs under hers. She heard a moan
,
but it was not hers.

The bullet wound that had nearly healed
,
seared with new pain deep inside. Had it burst open?

Victor held her half on his lap and he rocked her back and forth.
"
Are you all right
,
Lyddie?
"

She would never be all right again.
"
My shoulder hurts
,"
she mumbled.

He pressed a cloth to her shoulder and she was sure she was bleeding again
,
and the night spun around her.

"
Bloody hell
,
you have only to be close to me and you get hurt
,"
whispered Victor.

Keene and Sophie shouldered through the growing throng around her and Keene picked her up
,
while Sophie pressed the handkerchief tight to her shoulder.

Trevor held back James.

She closed her eyes against the growing dizziness. She was vaguely aware of being carried down steps and across the lawn.

Then she was in the Davies
'
s carriage with Sophie soothing her
,
and she slipped into the slumber she had craved.

~*~

Victor was not thankful Lydia
'
s brothers had followed Keene and Sophie to their carriage. He rubbed his forehead. This was all his fault. He should have stayed away from her. And he would have relished a good fisticuffs
,
although he doubted he could return any of her brother
'
s punches.

He was sick with anxiety that the punch had reinjured the wound he
'
d given her. She had never complained of pain before.

He would have followed too
,
but Keene gave him a harsh look of warning. Instead, he leaned against the balustrade and stared out into the dark of the night.

A slender hand on his shoulder prompted him to reluctantly turn. Lady Beauly or Lady Helena or one of the others had found him.

"
Are you all right?
"
asked Amelia.

He still had some friends
,
although he wondered if Keene would ever regard him warmly again. Keene did not understand.

"
No.
"

Amelia leaned against his arm
,
her head coming against his shoulder. At first he thought she meant to offer comfort
,
but then her bare fingers smoothed his hair back from his temple. He closed his hand around hers and pushed her hand away.
"
Where is George?
"

"
I do not care.
"

He took a step away from Amelia
,
her fingers still in his grasp.
"
Where is George?
"
he repeated.

"
I am tired of his games. Why is he the one who always is so histrionic? Why must I always be the one who apologizes?
"

"
Because you are the one who sleeps with others.
"

"
Only you
,"
she whispered.

"
No more.
"

"
Oh
,
for heaven
'
s sake, she is just a child
,"
said Amelia.
"
You cannot prefer a girl who would dress like a boy. You could have your pick of women.
"

"
I only want her.
"

Amelia stepped back and looked at him strangely.

"
Is that why you want me? Because I am coveted now
?"
he asked her.

"
You always were coveted and your loyalty to a wife not worthy of you only made you more so
,"
Amelia sounded bitter.

That was twice in a week that he was accused of loyalty. Yet
,
he did not understand what had happened with Lydia. He had abused her and misused her and she came back for more. He did not even know what she wanted. All her plans of independence and freedom had nothing to do with marriage. Did she want to marry him?

If he told her of how he had torn down Mary Frances and destroyed her
,
would Lydia still profess to love him? If he told of the way he had ruined his friendship with George, would she understand? If she learned that Keene had wanted to kill Victor
,
would she understand how perilous a relationship with him was?

If she had any sense at all, she would run all the way back to Boston.

But for that moment in her bed he had felt whole
,
as if every mistake he made was behind him
,
just a distant memory. He had tried to believe it was just physical
,
just the long lonely stretch of his celibate marriage that made him so hungry for her. But it was her
,
not any woman
,
not Amelia or the lovely Lady Beauly
,
but his Lydia whom he craved with pangs so strong they cut through him like knives.

When he had the chance to set it right
,
to declare before her brothers that he would marry her if that was what she wanted
,
he had balked. Because she whispered of love and he did not believe in love
,
not for himself. He did not believe her
,
and she had told her brothers he would marry her long before he considered the possibility. He did not know where the lies ended and the truth began.

He looked at Amelia, who had been watching him while his thoughts crashed about in his head. He knew what he needed to do now.

"
Go back to George
,
or I will take you back to him.
"

Amelia whirled and went back to the ballroom.

After a decent interval
,
he reentered the house. He scanned the company for the host and hostess to take his leave.

Lady Beauly sidled up to him
,
lacing her arm through his.
"
Is it true?
"

"
What?
"
asked Victor.

"
Is it true
,
that American girl was traipsing about London dressed as a boy?
"

"
Who told you that?
"
he asked.

Lady Beauly smiled her vampire smile.
"
Did you really keep her at your house? Did you grow tired of her and send her to the Davies to keep? I assure you I would never behave so outrageously.
"

"
Yes
,
and that is what makes you dull as ditchwater
,
my dear.
"

Lady Beauly
'
s smile vanished.
"
You do not deny it.
"

Hell
,
Lydia was ruined beyond repair. Her reputation was destroyed and it was all his fault for introducing her to society. She had never cared to go beyond the gaming hells where she could eke out a living.

"
You have a low mind to engage in such gossip.
"

"
You
,
Lord Wedmont
,
are no gentleman.
"
Lady Beauly marched off in a huff.

Victor agreed with her. In spite of his title and his descent from the long line of earls before him
,
he was lower than a polecat. No matter what he did, he would not be able to stop the besmirching of Lydia
'
s good name.

~*~

Lydia stood looking at the spires of the ships
,
the crisscrossing spars a forest of masts. James had wasted no time in booking passage to Turkey where they could meet one of the Hamilton ships on a regular trade route.