Bluestocking Bride (29 page)

His lordship spoke with maddening calm. "I cannot abide that sort of glitter. I thought you had learned something about my taste. The matchless pearls were for a matchless woman; the gaudy diamonds for one of quite a different ilk."

Her ladyship pursed her lips together, and Rutherston smiled to see it. "No, don't sulk at me, you little baggage. I am quite willing to indulge your taste, if it runs to that sort of thing. I dragged my mother out of her bed late last night just
so's
I could fetch you the whole damned collection of Rutherston gems. There are enough diamonds in that strong box to deck you out as the most expensive Cyprian in all of England, if that is what you wish."

"No!" Catherine said in awed accents. "That was not well done! I won't have your mother thinking that I had designs on her jewels, for I never wanted, never expected them! Was she very angry?"

"Why should she be? She never wears '
em
. Mama's taste runs to the same sort of thing as mine. She wasn't in the least angry, only curious."

"And what did you tell her?"

"Nothing!
A man doesn't have to explain himself to his mother."

"But he must to his wife?" Catherine's eyes began to sparkle.

"Of course!"

"Then I feel that I must reciprocate. Oh, Richard, you have been so honest with me. I cannot, no I cannot conceal the sordid details of my past from you any longer." Her ladyship struggled to her feet, evading her husband's grasp, and paced the room wringing her hands.

"Catherine," exclaimed Rutherston, devastated, "what are you saying?
Surely not Henderson!"

"Oh no, dear!
It happened long before that! I'm afraid I quite lost my heart to him, although he was the most ramshackle kind of rake imaginable. He could never be faithful to any one female."

Rutherston sprang to his feet and reached his wife in one long stride. "Who was he, who was he?" he thundered, gripping her shoulders tightly.

"His name was Jason!" whispered Catherine, dropping her eyes. "And I have never forgotten him. I never shall! You remind me of him in some ways."

Rutherston looked suspiciously at Catherine's bowed head, but when he saw her shoulders begin to shake, he put his arms around her to console her, but his chest constricted with pain.

"Who was he?" he managed on a soft note.

"The meanest stallion my father ever possessed," Catherine gasped between convulsive sobs of laughter.

"Catherine!" roared his lordship like a wounded lion. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"To
teach you a lesson, you conceited man," she retorted quickly. "Jealousy is a hateful emotion, is it not? It is as palpable as a physical pain. Do you know what I have been experiencing these many weeks past, wondering how I could compete with the seductive Pamela?"

"I don't want you to compete with her!" Rutherston responded roughly. "Did I not tell you that our loving is different?" His arms tightened around her. "Oh, Catherine," he moaned against her ear, "
it
is I who am the novice. You know so much more about love than I. You must teach me!"

A thought suddenly occurred to Catherine, and she looked up at him accusingly.
"Your promise!
You married me because of your promise to your family. The Marquis of Rutherston must beget an heir."

Rutherston grinned wickedly. "But the Marquis of Rutherston already has begat his heir!" His hands moved over her body with deliberate possessiveness. "How do you explain my amorous attentions, my love, now that my base purpose has been served? And I warn you, I have no intention of allowing you ever again to bar me from your bed." His hands moved to her back in a gesture she knew well, and she felt her gown loosen.

"Do not! Oh, stop! Richard, what are you thinking of?"

"What I am thinking, my love, is that I will be an earnest pupil. Teach me about love, Catherine, please?"

What could she do? An earnest desire for learning must be encouraged. So Catherine complied. She twined her arms around his lordship's neck and returned his warm embrace.