In the Garden of Temptation (36 page)

Adam rolled off her into a sitting position.
“Bloody hell!” he blurted in frustration. Running his hands through
his hair, he tried to control his rampaging emotions. He bent his
legs, resting his forearms on his knees as he surveyed the
surrounding woodland.

His gaze returned to Catherine where she
still lay on the spongy ground. She watched him, a dreamy
expression on her beautiful face. Her eyelids were heavy with
desire and her lips were curled in a sweet, alluring smile.

His groin tightened in response. “If you
don’t stop looking at me like a temptress, I will not be
responsible for the consequences. There might be an army of spies
lurking among the trees, and I won’t be able to resist.”

She sat up, linking their arms together and
placed her head on his shoulder.

“
I’m glad you’re here,” she
said. “I fear I will ruin your life, but I haven’t the courage to
send you away.”

“
It’s too late for that, my
love. We are committed to the end.” He placed a reassuring kiss on
her forehead.

“
What are we to
do?”

“
You really were going to
leave?” he asked.

“
I told Edna to be ready at
any time.”

He sighed. “I’ve come to the conclusion that
running away is the avenue of last resort, so we must meet the
problem head on. I intend to speak to your husband as soon as
possible.”

“
What good will that do,
Adam?”

He turned to look at her, “Your marriage was
never consummated, was it?”

“
No, it wasn’t,” Catherine
whispered, and she dropped her gaze, clearly
embarrassed.

He placed his hand under her chin, forcing
her to look at him. “It’s not exactly your fault, is it? As for
myself, I find the idea of your virginity excruciatingly agreeable.
I admit the sentiment is not very noble, but I can’t seem to help
myself. Let’s not question what I consider a gift, what say?”

She nodded and sent him a smile of
gratitude.

“
Why didn’t you tell me?” he
asked her gently.

“
I was afraid you would
think yourself responsible for me. It wasn’t fair to
you.”

Adam winced. “You make me feel very humble,
love.” He paused for a moment then continued. “There might be an
added benefit, however.”

“
How so?”

“
If I can’t convince the
baron to divorce you, perhaps we can force his hand by threatening
to reveal the true nature of your marriage.”

“
But that will cause an
awful scandal. You will be ruined. I can’t allow you to do that.
There must be another way.”

“
If there is, I haven’t
thought of it,” he said in resignation. “We’re just going to have
to bear up under the weight of society’s censure. Frankly, I don’t
give a damn what anyone thinks anymore. I’m more concerned with the
effect it will have on you.”

Catherine shook her head. “I don’t
matter—it’s Annabelle who is my main worry.”

Adam grabbed hold of her arm. “Is that my
daughter?”

“
Daniel didn’t tell you
about Annabelle?”

“
He did, but I was so busy
trying to absorb everything, I forgot to ask her name,” he
admitted. He smiled. “I like it.”

“
You don’t mind…about the
baby, I mean?”

“
Absolutely not. But I feel
cheated out of this last year. I wish I’d been there for
you.”

They had both been cheated out of the wonder
of starting their young family together. At least, he was here for
her now, he thought, and she could take comfort in knowing she no
longer had to face this thing alone.

Catherine and Adam mounted their horses for
the return journey to the castle. They had spent some time
discussing how best to approach the baron but, no matter what the
strategy, they could not predict how the man would react once they
cornered him. The only thing of which they could be certain was
that they had a fight on their hands.

*****

Brown beamed at the couple a short while
later as they entered the stable yard and climbed down from their
horses.

“
I see you found her, my
lord.” Brown winked at the earl meaningfully.

“
Brown and I have been
working closely together on a matter of grave importance.” Adam’s
words were directed at Catherine.

“
And what might that be?”
she asked.

He grinned. “Why you, of course.”

A soothing warmth settled around Catherine’s
heart. “Thank you, Mr. Brown,” she said. “It’s good to know you
have been watching over Annabelle and me. I realize now that even
when I thought myself alone, I was not.”

The old servant nodded solemnly.

She took the earl’s arm and they proceeded
around the castle to the front entrance. As they reached the step,
the door was flung open. Willy Gant stood on the threshold,
glowering.

“
What’s he doing here?” He
pointed at the earl.

“
Lord Ashworth has come to
speak to my husband, Willy. Let us pass, please.”

“
No!” Willy yelled. “You
make him leave—the baron won’t talk to the likes o’
him.”

The earl strode up to the little man and
grasped him by the collar. With a strength clearly born of anger,
he lifted the servant off the ground.

“
Now you listen carefully,”
Adam said through gritted teeth, a muscle twitching in his jaw. “I
have business with your master, and you’re going to shut your trap
and let me get on with it. Do you hear?”

Willy, whose eyes had grown quite large,
nodded as best he could considering the trussed up condition of his
neck.

The earl loosened his hold, and the servant
dropped like a sack of grain onto the stone floor. Adam held out
his hand to Catherine and guided her gingerly around the fallen
man.

“
He’s still asleep,” Willy
whined in a hoarse voice as he scrambled to his feet. “He may not
wake for hours—maybe days.”

“
I have nothing but time,”
Adam said coolly. “Come, my dear, this is a good opportunity for me
to make the acquaintance of my daughter.”

Catherine could have hooted aloud in delight.
To see that nasty little beast receive his richly deserved
comeuppance was more gratifying than she could have thought
possible. Willy Gant had done his part to make her life miserable,
and for a few guilty moments she allowed herself to wallow in the
sinful pleasure of revenge.

She led the way up the stairs, with Adam
following closely behind her. They entered the nursery and the
nurse, casting a surprised glance at the gentleman accompanying her
mistress, quickly exited the room. Catherine reached down into the
baby bed and scooped up the sleeping infant.

“
Give her to me,” the
child’s sire demanded.

The Earl of Ashworth gripped his baby
daughter around her chubby middle and held her up as he studied
her. Annabelle’s black-lashed lids fluttered open, revealing an
enormous pair of midnight blue eyes from which she gazed at her
father, tiny pink features mirroring exactly his searching
attitude. Evidently satisfied the man was a benign entity, the baby
stuck her fist in her mouth and burbled at him.

Adam turned to Catherine, his expression
transformed with wonder. He broke into a boyish grin. “I believe
she has the look of me,” he said.

Catherine nodded, all at once unable to speak
through the emotion that tightened her throat. Somehow she had
known today held something wonderful, but never could she have
imagined being witness to this miraculous event. She was so
overcome with thankfulness, she feared her heart would burst from
her chest.

A sound outside the room brought their heads
around. Edgar stood in the doorway, and by the look of him he
sported an ugly mood.

“
You’re not welcome here!”
he shouted. “Get out of my house before I run you through.” He
wielded a broadsword, manner threatening, although he was unsteady
on his feet.

Adam thrust his daughter at Catherine. “Stay
back,” he ordered as he moved forward, stepping in front of the
baby and her. To the baron he said, “I’ve merely come to talk,
Bourgeault. No harm in that.”

“
There’s nothing to talk
about—you trespass.”

“
All right, but you can’t
expect me to leave with you standing there waving that sword in my
face. I want you to back away and let me pass.”

“
You will go?”

“
Yes.”

Edgar withdrew from the room and sidled down
the hall, keeping a wary if bloodshot eye on his opponent who
followed at a discreet distance. He continued to hold his sword in
readiness until he came abreast of the staircase. He pointed the
weapon at the stairs, his way of showing the earl how to find the
front door. Crudely done but his meaning was plain.

Adam placed his foot on the first downward
step before turning to look at the baron. “You do understand,
Bourgeault, this is not the end of it. I can’t allow things to go
on as they have.”

“
The devil you say! Just
what do you think you can do to change them?”

“
For one thing, I intend to
claim my daughter.”

“
You want the brat? She’s
yours,” Edgar sneered. “I have no use for her.”

“
That does put one problem
to rest, I admit, but you don’t really expect me to leave Catherine
with you, do you?”

“
She’s my wife!”

Adam raised his brows as though considering
the point. “I would have to differ with you on that score,
Bourgeault. Any man who would call a woman wife must surely have
intimate knowledge of that woman.”

The baron froze. “What are you saying?”

“
It’s obvious isn’t it? You
have never made love to your wife. You have a phobia that precludes
that. Personally, I find that revelation very pleasing, but the
important issue is whether or not your marriage is truly a
marriage. I think it is not. I feel certain there are those who
would agree with me.”

“
Catherine told you that.
You cannot prove anything,” Edgar blustered.

“
Come, come, Bourgeault, I
can find any number of people to testify about your problem. In
addition, I will publicly swear she was untouched when I first made
love to her and that in the seventh year of her marriage to you. Do
you want this? I know I would prefer to do it another
way.”

Edgar did not respond at first, for he
obviously dealt with a fury so intense his body began to tremble.
“What do you suggest?” he asked when he seemed able to bring forth
the words.

“
Divorce Catherine,” Adam
said. “We can’t avoid a scandal, but you can come through it nearly
unscathed if you put the blame on her—infidelity, don’t you
see?”

“
Do you think I care for
that? I’ve lived through talk before. I’ll live through it
again.”

The earl shrugged. “As you wish. I merely
thought to spare your pride. Married to a woman most men would give
their right arm to possess, and you can’t bear to touch her.” He
shook his head as though he pondered the unfathomable.

Sweat beaded on the baron’s upper lip, and
undoubtedly the effort to stand had become an ordeal. “What would
you know of it? Do you think I’ve not wanted her? I still have
hopes.”

“
You’re too old,” Adam
stated baldly. “She deserves better than an aging, impotent
bastard. Do you really believe Catherine wants you to get better?
She’d have to be a fool.”

Catherine, watching from the doorway, gasped
at the plain speaking, for she knew this insult was the ultimate
blow to her husband’s disintegrating vanity.

Edgar bellowed, an expletive rolling off his
tongue as he lunged forward, intent it seemed on skewering the earl
on the tip of his sword. Adam jumped back up on the landing,
dodging the blade and kicking his adversary’s wrist. The sword flew
down the stairs.

“
By God, you’ll fight me
like a man,” the earl snarled, and he advanced on the
baron.

An irrational fear contorted Edgar’s
features. “Don’t touch me!” he shrieked.

He fell back, arms flailing. The baroness,
having followed the men onto the landing, could see what was to
come next. But she felt helpless to intervene, for it seemed as if
the world around her had slowed to a near stop and she with it. A
scream rose in her throat as she saw her husband lose his balance
and flip over the banister.

The only thing keeping Edgar from falling was
that he had managed to catch hold of one of the balusters in the
railing. He clung with his right hand while clawing frantically
with his left in an effort to grab another baluster. Even had he
been successful, he would never have had the strength to pull
himself up and over the banister. Adam ran to the edge of the
landing and leaned over the railing.

“
Give me your hand,
man!”

The baron stopped struggling as he looked at
the earl’s outstretched hand, and suddenly his gaze lost its focus.
Then he exchanged a brief glance with the earl, and in that
poignant moment Catherine read the message in her husband’s eyes.
Below was oblivion and it beckoned, promising to provide the final
relief. The cards had been played, the score tallied and someone
else had won. Edgar loosened his hold and silently plunged to the
ancient floor of the great hall below.

There came a sickening thwack as flesh and
bone made contact with the unyielding stone. Although a
considerable drop, the fall need not have been fatal save for the
unfortunate fact that the baron landed on his back. He might have
forestalled that as well had he made an effort to break his fall in
some way, but it seemed he had given up the fight.