A Breath of Scandal (36 page)

“He tried a little while ago but I wouldn’t listen.”

“You’re being foolish, Lara.”

“Perhaps,” Lara admitted. “But there’s one way for Julian to prove his love and I’m not settling for less.”

“You think running away will solve your problem?”

“Not exactly.”

“What am I to tell Mansfield?”

“Tell him I need time to evaluate our marriage. Don’t tell him where to find me. And … and tell him he’s free to divorce me if he wishes.”

“Lara, you’re talking nonsense. This isn’t like you.”

“I’m sorry, Papa, but this is something I have to do. You see, Julian spent the better part of our relationship denying his feelings for me. I have to be sure.”

“I can’t condone your behavior. Mansfield is your husband. He came to your rescue, didn’t he?”

Lara sighed. “We’ve been over this before. Julian is an honorable man. He’d rescue a dog in trouble. And it was important to him to capture the Jackal.”

“To avenge his fiancée, or so you’ve told me.”

“Exactly. She was his one true love.”

Stanhope sat back and stared at Lara. “You’re serious, aren’t you? ’Tis winter. A Gypsy wagon can’t be all that comfortable this time of year.”

“You’re wrong, Papa. I spent most of my childhood inside a Gypsy wagon. ’Tis most comfortable, and very cozy during the winter months. I’ll be fine. I can always take refuge at your country estate should I change my mind. The staff at Stanhope Manor is perfectly capable of seeing to my needs.”

Stanhope sighed resignedly. “Very well, if you’re sure this is what you want.”

“Very sure. Besides the reason I’ve already given, I want to clear the way for Rondo to return to the fold, and this will give me a chance to extol his bravery.”

“How soon do you want to leave?”

“Today. As soon as possible. I can pack and be ready in an hour.”

“Lara …”

“Please, Papa.”

“When have I ever been able to deny you anything? Let’s say two hours. It will take that long to prepare the coach and select the outriders. Does that suit you?”

“Perfectly. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have preparations to make.”

Two hours later Lara was on her way to Stanhope Manor in Kent.

Julian chafed restlessly. Lara hadn’t returned to his room all day. He couldn’t imagine what was keeping her away. When he’d hinted that he wished to talk about their future, she’d seemed frightened. What in bloody hell was wrong? Did she decide all of a sudden that she no longer loved him?

When a maid brought his dinner, Julian asked about Lara. The maid seemed suddenly tongue-tied and left without answering his question. When Jeevers came to prepare him for bed, he’d asked the same question of the stoic butler.

“I’ll tell Lord Stanhope you were asking for Lady Lara,” Jeevers said obliquely.

“What’s going on, Jeevers? Has something happened to my wife?”

“To my knowledge, Lady Lara is well. Do you require a dose of laudanum tonight?”

“No, dammit! I don’t want to be drugged. Please tell Lara I want to see her.”

“As you wish, my lord.”

Julian waited. And waited. And waited some more. When Lara failed to arrive in a reasonable length of time, Julian slid to the edge of the bed and attempted to stand. If Lara wouldn’t come to him, by God he’d go to her.

Unfortunately his will was stronger than his legs. They crumpled beneath him the moment he put weight on them. He made a grab for the nightstand and succeeded only in bringing it down with him, as well as the candle resting atop it, which set the carpet on fire. Stanhope came rushing into the room, his nightshirt flapping around his legs. Jeevers was close on his heels. Together they stomped out the fire, until nothing remained but a charred section of carpet.

Stanhope righted the nightstand while Jeevers rescued the candle and relit it.

“What happened?” Stanhope asked. “Are you all right, Mansfield? Damn, man, you nearly set the house on fire.”

“No, I’m not all right,” Julian bit out. “Where’s my wife?”

“Help me get His Lordship back into bed, Jeevers,” Stanhope said, evading Julian’s question.

It took both men to maneuver Julian back into bed. “You shouldn’t have tried to rise by yourself,” Stanhope admonished. “You’ve lost a great deal of blood and are still weak.”

“You’re ducking my question, Stanhope,” Julian growled once he was settled back in bed. “Has everyone gone mad around here? What’s happened to Lara?”

“You may return to bed, Jeevers,” Stanhope said. “Lord Mansfield isn’t going anywhere tonight.”

Julian waited until Jeevers shuffled off down the hall before turning his angry gaze on Stanhope. “Are you ready to tell me what the bloody hell is going on? I want Lara, where is she?”

“I was hoping to wait until tomorrow but I can see you’re not going to give up.”

“What’s happened to Lara?” Julian roared, struggling to control his fear.

“Calm down, Mansfield. Nothing has happened to Lara. She was fine when she left.”

Julian’s attention sharpened. “Are you telling me my wife has gone somewhere?”

“Damn,” Stanhope said, shoving his fingers through his hair. “I told Lara to speak to you first. I knew you weren’t going to like it. But you know how stubborn Lara can be.”

“Indeed,” Julian said dryly, remembering how long she’d kept him waiting before consenting to marry him. “What exactly am I not going to like?”

“Lara left early today.”

Confusion marched across Julian’s face. “Left? Lara left without consulting me? Where has she gone?”

“I’m not at liberty to say.”

“I beg your pardon?” Julian bit out. “I believe I’m Lara’s husband. I have a right to know where she’s harried off to in the middle of winter.”

“I’m sorry, Mansfield, but I promised Lara I wouldn’t disclose her destination.”

A muscle flexed in Julian’s jaw. “Never mind, I already have a good idea where to find her. Did she leave a message for me?”

Stanhope shifted uncomfortably. “Aye, as a matter of fact, she did. She said you should seek a divorce if that is your wish.”

“She knows bloody well that’s not what I want! Apparently she’s not thinking straight. Being kidnapped, dragged cross country, then incarcerated in an abandoned warehouse must have unsettled her more than any of us knew. Obviously she’s not herself.”

“I tried to stop her but she wouldn’t listen,” Stanhope lamented. “I believe she is testing you.”

“Exactly,” Julian agreed. “Stubborn wench. I’m ashamed to admit, Stanhope, that I put Lara through hell, but I felt we had finally come to terms with our feelings for one another.”

“What, precisely, are your feelings for my daughter?”

“I thought I’d already made that clear. Nevertheless, I’ll say it again, and keep saying it until both you and Lara believe me. I love your daughter, Stanhope.”

“Lara believes you will never love her like you loved your dead fiancée.”

“At one time I might have given her reason to believe that was so, but loving Lara has changed my way of thinking about Diana. Believe me when I say I’ve never loved another woman like I love Lara.”

“You don’t have to convince me, Mansfield, ’Tis Lara you need to persuade.”

“I will, as soon as I can get out of this bed.”

* * *

Lara reached the Gypsy camp without mishap. She was enthusiastically welcomed and immediately whisked into her grandparents’ wagon. She sipped hot tea and basked in the glow of their love despite her uncertainty over her rash decision to leave London.

Was Julian angry at her? Angry enough to get the divorce she’d recommended? She sighed wearily. Time would tell. Meanwhile, she would sit back, enjoy her pregnancy, and try not to think about Julian and his response to her leaving.

“Why are you here alone?” Ramona asked. “Where is Drago?”

“You may use Julian’s name now,” Lara said. “It’s over and done with. The man who wanted him dead can no longer hurt him.”

Ramona stared deep into Lara’s eyes, as if seeking answers to her questions. “What are you not telling me, Granddaughter?”

“ ’Tis a long story, Grandmother, and I want both you and Grandfather to know what happened because it involves Rondo.”

“Rondo!” Ramona and Pietro said in unison.

Pietro frowned. “Rondo has been banished for his misdeeds.”

“I’m sure he’ll be reinstated once everyone knows that he saved both my life and Julian’s.”

“Start at the beginning,” Ramona urged. “I looked into my crystal ball and knew that danger stalked you. Did it find you in Scotland?”

“Aye. I was kidnapped and brought to London shortly after Julian and I were married by a preacher in Scotland.”

Immediately Lara launched into a telling of the circumstances of her imprisonment and the outcome, leaving out nothing. In a hollow voice she repeated those confusing words spoken by Julian in the warehouse.

“Rondo has redeemed himself,” Pietro declared. “He will be welcomed back when he returns. Let us hope he has learned a lesson from all this.”

“What of your husband, little one? What do you intend to do?” Ramona asked.

Lara’s gaze dropped to her hands, where they fidgeted nervously with the folds of her skirt. “If he loves me, he will come for me.”

“Has he not proven that he loves you? Why are you punishing him?”

“I told you what he said. He’ll never love me in the same way he loved Diana.”

Ramona’s wrinkled brow furrowed as she silently contemplated Lara.

After a lengthy pause, Ramona said, “Pietro, perhaps you should make sure Lara’s coachman and outriders are fed and then sent on their way.”

Taking the hint, Pietro rose immediately. “Aye, never let it be said Pietro’s hospitality is lacking.”

“My instincts tell me you are wrong about His Lordship,” Ramona said quietly. “He loves you every bit as much as you love him.”

“But Grandmother, I heard him say—”

“You heard what you wanted to hear, little one. You should have given your husband the opportunity to explain.”

“Don’t scold, Grandmother. Leaving Julian is the only way I can be absolutely certain he loves me for myself and not because he felt honor-bound to protect me. I need to know that he still wants me after the Jackal has been apprehended and Diana’s death avenged.”

“It may be a long time before he’s able to leave his sickbed,” Ramona reminded her.

“I know. Meanwhile, I’m where I want to be. I love Papa, but my real home has always been right here with you and Pietro and the others.”

Ramona’s probing gaze dropped to Lara’s flat stomach. “When is your child due?”

Lara blanched. “How did you know?”

“I know many things,” Ramona said cryptically. “Does His Lordship know?”

Lara hesitated a long moment. “No, he doesn’t know. The babe won’t be born until summer.”

Ramona made a censorious sound deep in her throat. “The child is your husband’s heir. You should have told him.”

Lara sighed. She’d known this wasn’t going to be easy. “I will. When he comes for me … if he comes for me,” she quickly amended. “If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to go to my wagon now, I’m exhausted.”

“Go, little one. God and fate will determine your future.”

Someone had lit the brazier in Lara’s wagon, and she soaked up the warmth and sense of belonging like a needy sponge. Whatever happened, she cherished this time alone to come to grips with the knowledge that Julian might decide she wasn’t worth the trouble and obtain a divorce as she’d suggested.

Lara felt little hunger when Ramona arrived with a bowl of savory stew and fresh bread but she ate anyway, just to please her grandmother. It began to snow that night. Lara crawled into bed, missing Julian dreadfully. It had been so long since he had made love to her … so very long. Would she ever feel his arms around her again? Would she ever feel the erotic power of his kisses or experience the glory of his lovemaking?

Pray God she would.

Julian cursed his weakness. He complained so arduously about the meager meals he’d been forced to endure that finally more substantial fare was provided. A man trying to regain his strength needed more than pap and liquids.

Julian had graduated from sitting up in bed to being held upright by the forthright Jeevers as he took his first tentative steps. Each day he pushed a little harder, until he was able to walk without help. A week after Lara left, Julian announced himself ready to ride to Kent to retrieve his wayward bride, return her to London, and introduce her to the
ton
as his countess.

His will proved stronger than his body. The first time he attempted to ride, his wound reopened and the doctor forbid him to mount a horse for at least three more weeks. It was a setback, but nothing Julian couldn’t surmount. Unfortunately patience was something Julian lacked in abundance.

Then it started to snow. Seriously snow. The roads leading out of London were closed and traffic came to a standstill, prolonging Julian’s departure. He was thankful he had been able to return to his own home before the snow began. Rondo had come with him.

Julian missed Lara. Missed her dreadfully. It seemed like forever since he’d held her lithe body in his arms, kissed her lush lips, felt her come apart when he made love to her. What had been in her mind when she’d left? he wondered. What had he said or done to send her fleeing back to her grandparents? He delved deeply into his brain and came up empty.

He knew he’d been a fool in more ways than one where Lara was concerned, but he’d hoped that was behind them. Didn’t she know how much he loved her? Didn’t she realize she was the only woman to penetrate the shield protecting his heart? He’d tried to tell her that he’d finally laid Diana to rest but feared he hadn’t gotten through to her. He was prepared to tell her again and again, as often as needed, until she finally believed him.

During Julian’s convalescence, Lord Randall came to call. He’d told Julian in no uncertain terms that his usefulness as a government agent had come to an end. Scorpion’s identity was known to too many. Julian didn’t regret retiring Scorpion. He’d lived on the edge of danger too long. What he wanted now was to sit back and enjoy a peaceful existence with his wife.

Lara spent much of the following weeks inside her wagon, cooking her own meals over her brazier and enjoying Ramona and Pietro’s company. The blustery weather kept the small band of Gypsies from enjoying outside activities together, which suited Lara’s dark mood.