In the Garden of Temptation (6 page)

“
Well, well,” the baron
said, “it would appear our guest is feeling a wee bit annoyed. I
must confess, I’m hard pressed to understand it.”

“
Edgar, you behaved
abominably tonight. Have you no shame?”

“
None. None
whatsoever.”

He stared at her in that unfathomable way he
had that frightened her so, his black eyes boring into hers, until
she abandoned the challenge and dropped her gaze.

“
Just so,” he whispered
softly.

She shivered at the menace in those gentle
words.

“
Go to bed,” her husband
said. “I’ll expect you to be available tomorrow when I call. It
would seem the earl has a preference for your company over mine.
Difficult to fathom, but there it is.” He chuckled
contemptuously.

If it would have served a purpose to argue,
she might have made the effort, but Catherine was so relieved that
he wished her to go, she turned and scurried toward the door as
though the devil himself sat at the head of the ancient, scarred
table. His laughter followed her up the staircase.

*****

Willy Gant slipped into the dining room to
stand by his master’s chair.

“
Tell you what, Willy, I
think we made some progress tonight,” the baron mused. “Lord
Ashworth is feeling hostile toward me and protective of my helpless
wife. I suspect that is not the only emotion he is wrestling with
right now,” he said on a smirk. “My ladylove looked a delectable
morsel in that red gown. I don’t think he enjoyed the food, he was
so busy drooling over my wife.”

He cast his gaze at his grinning servant.
“Yes, Willy, things are progressing nicely.”

*****

CHAPTER 3

“
I can’t remember ever
seeing a better example of paired horseflesh. I’ve seen magnificent
individuals, but they have always been one of a kind. This is
remarkable.”

The earl shook his head in amazement,
reaching up to rub the forehead of one of the horses as the baron
danced around him in gleeful excitement—a major feat of agility,
considering the size and awkwardness of the fellow.

“
They are fine, aren’t
they?” Bourgeault chirped. “I never grow tired of watching
them.”

The baron’s boyish enthusiasm was a
surprising change from the arrogant and snide man Adam had dined
with yesterday. But Adam remembered the head groom saying
Bourgeault enjoyed showing off his horses, gauging the reaction of
others as if he were a child bragging about rare and expensive
toys. He realized suddenly that his introduction to the baroness
the night before had been much the same.

Whatever his motives were, the baron had not
exaggerated when he boasted on the uniqueness of his grays. The
horseman in the earl salivated at the opportunity to own such
outstanding animals. And though he was regretting his visit, he had
no intention of leaving before he had made an effort to buy
them.

Adam ignored the niggling feeling that there
might be an even more persuasive excuse for continuing his stay.
Every time he thought about Lady Bourgeault, his lower body
tightened with an anticipatory warmth. This was troublesome for, no
matter how comely and alluring he found the baroness, she was still
a married woman.

“
How do you tell them
apart?” he asked. “They really are identical.”

“
Didn’t I say? Can’t tell
which is which, can you?” The baron’s laughter was almost girlish.
“Look here, Brown thought of it.” With a gloved hand, he grabbed
the hind leg of the horse nearest him. “Thought this was Cain—I can
tell more often than not, but not always.” He pointed to the iron
shoe. “Can you see it? We always put one brass nail in Cain’s shoe
so there will be no mistaking him. We talked about marking each
animal in some way—perhaps a tiny brand.” He shuddered. “But I
couldn’t bring myself to deface them.”

Sure enough, there was the yellow nail, worn,
but still distinctive from the other nails. It was a clever idea,
and Adam said as much to groom, who watched from nearby. Brown
nodded slightly, but there was no friendliness in the gesture.

“
I suppose you’ll want to
take them out for a run,” the baron said reluctantly.

“
I should say so. Wouldn’t
want to purchase a pig in a poke, now would I?”

Adam smiled to indicate no insult was
intended, but the baron bristled anyway.

“
I think it’s clear that my
horses are exceptional. You will not be disappointed. In fact,” the
baron muttered, “I’m afraid you’ll be much too pleased.”

“
Beg pardon?”

Bourgeault scowled and shook his head.
“Nothing, nothing. Brown, harness the animals to the phaeton. Our
guest wishes to put our beauties to the ribbons.”

It was an exhilarating ride. The horses were
attuned to one another, moving in perfect unity. Adam assumed being
twins gave them an edge over other matched pairs, but it was more
than that. They were the opposing sides of the same coin,
displaying an instinctive cooperation. He played the reins over the
backs of the heaving beasts, and for one ecstatic moment he felt a
part of their oneness. If heaven exists, this is how he would
choose to spend eternity.

His return to the stable yard was a letdown.
He wished the ride could go on forever, a bit like the peak of very
fine sex. There had been a moment during the height of his
excursion when he was not certain he could have distinguished
between the two distinctive activities, save sex did not require an
excellent pair of driving gloves.

Adam climbed down from the phaeton and strode
briskly over to where the baron stood waiting for him. “Let’s not
bandy words, Bourgeault. Name your price. I could pretend I’m only
fairly impressed, but you would know I was dissembling, and I see
no point in prolonging the negotiations. Those horses are superb
and I must have them.”

“
Ten thousand.”

Adam’s jaw dropped—not figuratively, but in
actuality—to his chest. “Ten thousand pounds?” he gasped.

“
That’s for the pair, of
course.”

“
You’re daft, man. No wonder
you’ve been unable to sell those nags. You must think me an
unmitigated fool.”

“
Nags? A moment ago they
were superb,” the baron sneered. “I expect a price that reflects
the worth of my animals.”

“
Then I suggest you keep
them. If you had told me what was on your mind, you could have
saved us a both the time and effort. I could outfit a small stable
with prime livestock for that ridiculous amount.”

“
That’s a paltry sum in
comparison to your total wealth. If one wants something badly
enough, no price is too high,” the baron said.

“
What? Do you believe wealth
and stupidity are synonymous?” Adam turned to leave. “I will be
departing within the hour. I regret we were unable to come to
terms.”

“
Now, now, didn’t mean to
offend,” the baron hastened, his tone turning wheedling. “Give it
another day. We’ll share a bottle of wine this evening and do some
serious haggling. Maybe we can meet each other halfway.”

And maybe icecaps will form
in Hades
.

“
To be brutally frank, sir,
your initial proposal is so outlandish, I’m afraid even halfway
won’t serve. Besides, you said your price was firm.”

“
You never know,” the baron
said coyly. “Why don’t you spend this afternoon looking over my
estate? I’ve some business that has come up and needs my immediate
attention. We can talk over dinner.” He paused as though
considering some weighty matter. “I have it! My wife is available,
and I’m certain she would enjoy giving you the tour.” He looked at
the earl expectantly.

Well, damn! The man wouldn’t understand the
meaning of good conduct if it were to hit him upside his thick
head. Adam was being shuffled off to see to his own devices as if
he were a nuisance. Only one small but vital fact kept him from
turning the baron down flat. The thought of an afternoon spent in
the company of the baroness was irresistible.

Adam hesitated for only a moment before
accepting. He was stiff with disapproval, but he allowed as how he
would appreciate Lady Bourgeault’s company if she found it
convenient. He then spun on his heels and marched toward the
house.

Over his shoulder he snapped, “If your wife
consents to go, have her send word when she is ready and I will
meet her in the stables.”

*****

“
Edgar, I can’t go. I don’t
own a riding habit.”

Her husband smirked. “My love, after that red
gown, you could wear sackcloth and our guest will only remember how
you looked last evening. Damned, if he didn’t nearly spit his drink
on the carpet, he was that amazed.” He slapped his thigh merrily
over the recollection.

“
Why not? He’s a gentleman
and used to people who know how to behave themselves. We came
across as having no idea how to carry on in company.” Catherine
sniffed at him. “The oddest part is that you go out of your way to
project that image.”

“
Even so, I think Ashworth
was taken with you,” he murmured silkily. “I like that.”

Catherine stared at her husband in appalled
wonder. “Edgar, why did you marry me? You paid my father an
outrageous sum of money when we wed, and for the life of me I can’t
see what you have gained from it.”

She must have surprised him, for he looked
nonplused by her direct attack. Chuckling, he said, “Can’t rattle
you today, can I, my dear? Ashworth said he would meet you in the
stables. I’ll send word that you’ll be there in twenty minutes.” He
studied her for several moments before he continued. “I’m depending
on you, Catherine. Don’t disappoint me.”

On that enigmatic note, he left the room.

Perplexed, she stared after him. He wanted
something of her, but what? Why couldn’t he just explain and put
her out of her misery? He had given her a puzzle to solve, and she
wasn’t even certain she had all the pieces. Worse yet, if she
failed to discern his message, the consequence could be a dreadful
punishment that would make her existence even more wretched.

She did know that Edgar wanted her to go
riding with the earl, and he had never asked her to ride with one
of his guests before. If obscure statements and innuendo were an
indication, he wished Lord Ashworth to be impressed by her. Did he
simply want others to covet what was his? Catherine was not
egotistical enough to consider herself a prize worthy of inspiring
that kind of boasting. She shrugged. Trying to understand what
motivated her husband was akin to analyzing the unknown—one might
wonder, but there was rarely an easy answer.

Catherine smoothed the
creases in the skirt of the modest cotton gown she wore. She could
change into another frock, but it would be little different from
this one. Frowning into the mirror, she put on a small straw hat,
hopelessly outdated, and turned her head from side to side.
Oh bother!
She looked as
dowdy and plain as the wife of a tenant farmer.

Nothing to be done now, she thought
resignedly. She had an appointment to keep. At least, she didn’t
look like a strumpet trying to seduce the entirety of the British
army, quite possibly all at once.

*****

Catherine would never know how charming she
appeared to Adam a short while later as she approached him in the
stables. Her beauty was so pure and refreshing, she took his breath
away. Surely, he must have imagined how lovely she was, but here
she stood just the way he remembered her. In her simple dress and
hat, a soft smile touching her lips, he felt as though she had
dragged the sweet, warm light of the early afternoon with her into
the darkened building.

Unexpectedly, the simmering heat the earl had
tried to tamp the previous evening threatened to erupt full force.
He knew he was disrespectful to dwell on the vision she had created
in that explicit red gown, but he was unable to help himself. Her
fine long neck and gentle sloping shoulders, above breasts spilling
from her bodice, swam seductively before his mind’s eye. The
recollection did not end until his memory had once more conjured
the image of exposed ankles and their promise of the shapely limbs
hidden from view.

Control yourself, lad, or
you are going to humiliate yourself.
He
coughed and shook his head slightly in an effort to clear the
lecherous thoughts from his head.

“
Lady Bourgeault, lovely as
always,” he said. Adam took her hand and brushed a kiss on her
knuckles, allowing his lips to linger for just a shade too long. He
knew better than to permit even this benign intimacy, for his
emotions were not entirely in check, but he was unable to stop
himself.

“
Thank you, my lord.” She
sounded breathless as she looked back at him.

“
I’ve taken the liberty of
having your horse saddled. I hope you don’t mind.”

“
No, of course not,” she
murmured.

They led their horses into the stable yard
and, as they prepared to mount, a young male servant ran toward
them toting a large picnic basket.

“
The baron sent this,
milord. Said you might get hungry.” He thrust the wicker container
at the earl.

Adam took the basket and tied it to the back
of his saddle, before turning to Catherine. “Seems we are to enjoy
a picnic.” When she did not respond but stared at him in
consternation, he continued. “Is that all right?”