Libertine's Wife (38 page)

A spring denoted her graceful steps as
she bounded up to her rooms, whipping open the armoire in search of
the most seductive gown she owned to draw her husband’s
attention.

Delia, her maid, had to be her most
clever this night, and arrange her hair to a most artful effect. A
chuckle escaped her as she withdrew a lovely emerald green silk
gown. The décolletage was a bit daring, but nothing that screamed
impropriety.

Oh, he wouldn’t see it
coming
, she thought with relish and a
distinctly predatory smile, imagining his surprise when she pounced
upon him. Her husband would find himself in her bed if it was the
last thing she did.

Lady Adeline was happy to help her
facilitate her son’s seduction. The lady owed her, in spades, for
causing her husband’s avoidance of Vale House for years. She was
allowing them to have dinner alone tonight. She wasn’t about to let
such an opportunity pass.

Dru was bristling with eagerness as she
readied all for her husband’s stay. She recalled every last detail
of Garret’s suggestions when planning an evening of seduction.
Fresh flowers were everywhere. The sheets were washed in sandalwood
oil. The white powder Garret gave her was now fermenting in the
wine they would have for dinner.

The aphrodisiac he called Spanish
something-or-other was a powerful one, he’d warned her with a
knowing look. He said to only use it sparingly, reminding her of
how she’d erred in drugging her mother-in-law during their
afternoons. He gave it to her after she confessed of what she did,
and her hope it would bring Julian running. She was determined her
husband would stay with her this night. She poured the whole vial
in the bottle, despite his stern warnings of adhering to his
directions.

A smile curved her lips as she stood at
her window. She frowned slightly as she saw Julian exit the stables
astride his horse, heading in the direction of Dunne
Manor.

A shadow of regret fell over her face
as she thought of how she’d put Lady Arianne’s childhood home to
the torch. It was enough to end her and Garret’s affair. She’d
nearly killed Lady Adeline with a laudanum overdose during one of
their trysts the same week. The woman recovered, thinking she had
some sort of spell. It made her see she was quite obsessed with
gaining Julian’s love, enough to have lost her reason. She ended
the affair then, tearful of what she’d stooped to, all to win her
husband.

Garret agreed that it was time for them
to part ways after she confessed to her misdeeds. He wished her
well, a light of regret in his green eyes. Her mentor’s
compassionate look before she left his residence told her all she
needed to know. Whether Julian came home or not, she would have the
peace of mind that she tried to win him, even if she
lost.

Tonight,
she thought with a dramatic sigh. She had tonight to capture
her husband’s interest. It was the chance she needed to gain his
attention finally after four long years. She’d waste not one minute
thinking of failure. There was no failure in love, Garret assured
her as he kissed her hand and walked her out to her coach. The
failure was in not trying.

Arianne was taking a carriage ride with
her maid in the park when she became conscious of eyes upon her.
She snapped the reins and looked about, the hair at her nape
disturbed. These feelings of being watched were constant and
ridiculous, stemming from her guilt to know she lived in open sin
with Julian.

Their very public affair was condemned
by all now. She knew the cause. Lady Vale took London by storm. Her
supporters were many. The Viscountess Ainsworth took Drusilla under
her wing those weeks she was in London, making it a point to
further her. Julian refused to relent and allow her to move into
another residence to curtail the gossip swirling about
them.

Arianne could no longer ignore the fact
she missed her husband, her children, and her life before Garret
knew the truth about Jaime. Knowing her husband insisted on keeping
him as his heir troubled her. She didn’t believe he did it for
spite to hold onto both children, as Julian thought.

Hope flickered within her to think he
did it as some gesture to show her he didn’t care who fathered the
boy; that he forgave her. She knew it was silly to continue to hope
he would come after her.

It was over three months since her
return from the cottage. She heard not a word from Garret. The
notes stopped coming. She resented the fact he gave up, furious to
think he made such half-hearted efforts.

The fact she heard no gossip about his
behavior made her feel more guilt for her own. Her relationship
with Julian made her current feelings ludicrous. She lost whatever
right she had to question what her husband did and with whom
anymore.

Though their lovemaking was extremely
satisfying to her, something was missing from her relationship with
Julian. He loved and doted on her, spoiling her shamelessly. He was
everything any woman could want. He was devastatingly handsome,
attentive, considerate, and he pampered her to no end. At the end
of the day, she realized he wasn’t Garret.

Arianne loved her husband still. It
brought tears to her eyes to know that whatever they had once was
over by her own hand. She’d give anything to go back and change
things. Now it was too late. Even after all the terrible things
he’d done to punish her, she still loved him.

She lost her children and her place
within society, now branded a faithless hussy by those who once
treated her with respect. It didn’t bother her when she first
agreed to stay with Julian. Now she felt the burn of public
condemnation.

Arianne was brought out of her thoughts
as she saw a rider on the path. Her maid, Essie, dozed at her side.
The sun was in her eyes as she shielded her gaze. The rider didn’t
move. She felt irritation as she pulled up at the reins, waiting
for him to pass.

After a minute, she realized the rider
had no intentions of moving. Her lips tightened as she spurred the
carriage forward, thinking the man would move. She was forced to
stop again, shielding her gaze under her straw bonnet.

The rider came about. The closer he
got, her heart began to pound, recognizing her husband at once when
he came into view. He looked as dashing and handsome as ever on the
striking black stallion. His powerful thighs hugged the gleaming
leather saddle as he approached. Her hands began to sweat as they
held the reins. The bays whinnied as the stallion passed
them.

Those green eyes met hers with
amusement. She felt infuriated by the mocking smile that played
about his lips. He drew up alongside her carriage, his eyes sliding
over her with an appreciative look. She almost forgot herself, lost
in his look of admiration.

“
What a pleasant surprise to
see my wife after months with no word? You look well, Arianne. I
can see Vale keeps you in grand style.”

Her lips tightened in annoyance at the
glib greeting. “If you wish to berate me, my lord, you’re a bit
late in it. I no longer care what you think of me.”

Garret’s eyes flared at her words. It
was the only sign he gave her words angered him. He sat back in the
saddle. Those knowing eyes continued to admire her stylish outfit,
raising an eyebrow. The feel of his eyes moving over her
deliberately was like a slow, hot caress, making her quiver in
places she had no right to allow to quiver for him
anymore.

“
I only commend Vale for his
taste in women, dear wife.” Garret smirked at her, making her
stiffen in anger. “We seem to have much of that in common these
days.”

Arianne knew he was trying to bait her.
She tried to keep her temper in check. Feeling those eyes upon her
and seeing him mentally undress her made her pulses dance. She grew
increasingly uncomfortable under his heated scrutiny, growing aware
of an incredible ache forming in her middle. “What is it you want,
Garret?” She refused to let him see how his nearness affected her.
“It must be troubling to know you have no other means to punish me
anymore. If you wish to find new ways of hurting me, I must
disappoint you. I gave up hoping you would relent long
ago.”

That seemed to get some reaction from
him. His face flushed at her words. “I was merely out for a ride,
Arianne. I saw you and decided it was high time we talked about our
sons. Since you refused to see me or answer my notes, I saw the
opportunity.”

“
Our sons?” Arianne asked
tightly. “You mean my son with Julian? Or the one you stole from me
when he was two days old? Are they the sons you refer
to?”

Garret glared at her. “You know very
well I’m within my rights. Your present living arrangement with
Vale is unacceptable. If you wanted to see them; you might have
tried to come to my residence. I wouldn’t have turned you
away.”

“
And I was to know that
how?” Arianne asked with a sniff. “Your previous attitude didn’t
show much promise in that. Was that before or after I came to you
and degraded myself? You then claimed you were divorcing me and
ordered me to stay away. How soon you forget?”

“
If you read one of my
bloody notes, you might have known I changed my mind!” Garret
snapped loudly and woke up the maid.

“
I didn’t read any of your
bloody notes, Garret,” Arianne informed him with a relishing smile.
“I believe I burned them all. No, I tore them into the tiniest
pieces first; then I burned them.”

He appeared livid, but his words were
measured. “A pity you didn’t read them all, Arianne. You might have
been able to see your sons these last month’s you’ve gallivanted
about with your lover.”

“
We haven’t gallivanted as
yet, but I’ll keep that in mind when I get back to the residence.
It sounds simply delightful. Julian would adore it, I think.”
Arianne took great pleasure to see his face darken with rage. “Does
the thought of me gallivanting with him bother you so much, my
lord? He gallivants well.”

“
Careful, do not push me,
Arianne,” Garret warned under his breath, seeing the maid’s
fascinated look as she listened. “I can out-gallivant that man all
day long and we both know it.”

Arianne enjoyed provoking Garret,
feeling powerful to know she managed to get under his detached
façade to see his jealousy. It warmed her to push the matter
further. “I no longer make such naïve comparisons anymore, my
lord.” She sighed dramatically and gave him a sultry smile. “As far
as the gallivanting goes, that is.”

Garret looked murderous at her words.
He forced a tight smile for the benefit of the maid, who looked
almost fearful. “If you wish to see your sons, you need only make
an appointment, Arianne.” His narrowed gaze met hers deliberately.
“Now that you know you’re welcome, you have no excuse to neglect
them anymore. That should curtail some of that
gallivanting.”

Arianne was about to respond when he
turned his mount and galloped away. She was stung to be dismissed
so rudely. The maid eyed her with round eyes.

“
Forget what you saw and
heard, Essie,” Arianne warned. “My husband likes to provoke me. I
want no mention of us running into him. Is that clear?”

Essie nodded quickly in a birdlike
manner. “Yes, my lady, but what’s gallivanting mean?”

Arianne smiled and flicked the reins,
thinking of what to tell the innocent young maid. She composed her
features. “It means to run about with gaiety and joy.”

Essie looked confused at her words.
Arianne chuckled despite herself. She felt an excitement she hadn’t
felt in weeks to see Garret. Knowing he would allow her to see her
babies made her tearful by the time they returned to the
residence.

Julian was away on some urgent estate
business. She was glad he wasn’t home. After the stimulating
confrontation with her husband, she was feeling decidedly disloyal
to her protector. She felt the sensations of Garret’s eyes on her
still, aware of its affects for the rest of the day.

He knew he disturbed her in that way.
He made her burn for him just by looking at her, recalling their
very erotic antics in their marriage bed vividly. She could hardly
wait to see her children, unable to contain her joy to know her
husband wouldn’t keep them from her.

Arianne decided to keep her seeing her
husband today from Julian. He would balk and misconstrue her
husband’s intentions. She sighed and admitted privately she hoped
her husband had his thoughts and motives behind it. She knew it was
a fleeting hope. Garret would never forgive her. She knew it was
silly to even think he would overlook everything and take her
back.

Garret probably relented because of the
children. He must have broken down and realized they needed their
mother. She was relieved, whatever his reasons. She could hardly
wait to get her hands on her sons. Her hands itched to write him a
note of her intentions to see her sons as soon as the next
day.

Arianne controlled that impulse until
dinner. She sent a footman over with her note. She glanced at the
mantle clock, aware Julian hadn’t returned from his business,
relieved somewhat to be alone with her thoughts.

They were wicked. She waved her cloth
napkin in front of her face as the courses were served, thoughts of
her husband making her decidedly aroused throughout the
meal.