Tempting a Proper Lady (22 page)

Virgil sat back in his chair and folded his hands across his stomach, a grin stretching across his face. “I'd like to offer you the chance to court her.”

“Court her? But she broke our engagement.”

“Well, she was mad at you. Thought you'd abandoned her for some senorita down Mexico way or some nonsense.”

“That
is
nonsense.”

“Well, she's postponed the wedding to Lord Raventhorpe. She can't make up her mind about which one of you she wants for a husband, so she wants you to both court her so she can make up her mind.”

“But she's still engaged to Raventhorpe.”

“We haven't torn up the agreement, if that's what you're asking. I talked to him about the situation this morning.”

“And he went along with this?”

“Oh, he's madder than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockers, but the truth is, he had no choice.” Virgil's mouth thinned. “If he wants to win Annabelle, he's going to play by my rules, and I say we're
postponing the wedding. What my baby wants, she gets, and right now she wants to be courted by both of you.”

“I'm flattered, Virgil, but I'm not interested in courting Annabelle.”

“Not interested?” Virgil sat up in his chair. “A few weeks ago you busted into my house and raised a ruckus about marrying Annabelle.”

“And afterwards I realized that she and I have both changed. We're not the same people we were, and getting married now might be a mistake.”

“Well, hell. What am I going to tell her now? She wanted the two of you to fight for her hand or some female foolishness. If you're not interested, then she's probably going to end up with Raventhorpe just to soothe her ruffled feathers.”

“There are a dozen equally eligible bachelors she could choose from. Why him?”

“He helped her through a tough time, so I reckon she has a soft spot for him.”

“He
caused
the tough time.” Virgil held up a finger in warning, and Samuel let out an impatient sigh. “But you have no proof of that. I understand.”

Virgil sat back in his chair again and eyed Samuel. “I was hoping you'd end up being my son-in-law, boy. Maybe you could humor an old man. Get to know Annabelle again.
Not
court her, just be her escort to a couple of social get-togethers. Maybe spend some time talking.”

“I don't want to lead Annabelle to think I'm angling to marry her,” Samuel said.

“That's fine,” Virgil said. “I'm just thinking that maybe with you hanging around her some, she might not be so quick to jump back into Raventhorpe's arms.”

He could tell from the gleam in the older man's eyes that Virgil was hoping Samuel would decide to rekindle his relationship with Annabelle. Samuel knew that would never happen, but it might be wise to go along with Virgil's plan as a way to keep Annabelle and Raventhorpe apart. Anything he could do to buy more time to dig up evidence on Raventhorpe.

“All right. I will make an effort to get to know Annabelle again, as long as it is clearly understood by both you and her that I am
not
attempting to woo her into marriage. My role will be that of a family friend, someone who occasionally escorts her to social events.”

“Sure, sure. I'll explain all that to her.”

“This is important to me, Virgil.” He caught and held the man's gaze. “I have already been falsely accused of being a cad once. I have no desire for history to repeat itself.”

“Absolutely, my boy. I'll make sure Annabelle understands completely. She and Dolly are out visiting right now, but I'll sit down with her as soon as she gets back.”

“As long as we understand each other.” Samuel stood and held out his hand to Virgil. “Thank you for the apology. I hated to think there was bad blood between us.”

Virgil stood and shook his hand. “Me too, son. Me too.”

 

She was not eavesdropping, Cilla thought as the study door opened. She simply happened to be passing by on her way to the gardens. If she chanced to overhear anything, it was completely by happenstance.

“There's the Archer thing on Wednesday. You could escort Annabelle to that,” Virgil said, clapping Samuel on the back.

“I will be pleased to do so.”

“Ah, Mrs. Burke.” Virgil beamed at her. “Do show Samuel out, won't you?”

“Of course, Mr. Bailey.” Cilla met Samuel's gaze. He was escorting Annabelle to a ball? What had happened in that room?

Was Samuel going to start pressing his suit with Annabelle again?

“I'm glad we had this chat, son,” Virgil said.

“I am, too. I will see you Wednesday.” Samuel stepped out into the hall.

“Yes, you will.” With a gleeful grin, Virgil slipped back into his study and closed the door, leaving Samuel and Cilla alone in the hall together.

“Is there somewhere we can talk?” Samuel asked, glancing at a maid passing by at the end of the hall.

“I can show you out through the garden gate.” Her blood seemed frozen in her veins. If he was going to be pursuing Annabelle again, he would no doubt be ending their arrangement. She should have expected it. He had never made any secret about the fact that he would do anything to break up Annabelle's marriage to Raventhorpe.

But he had also given her reason to believe that he and Annabelle were not suited. Had he lied to her? Had he simply used her to accomplish his own ends?

Had she once more allowed a man to make a fool of her?

Numb, she led him toward the door in the rear of the house, where they could slip out into the garden unnoticed. Cilla was very aware of Samuel's close proximity as they started down the path leading to the side gate.

They walked for a couple of minutes in silence. Each second that ticked by, she waited for his announcement that the Baileys had accepted him back into the fold again and that he would once more be pursuing Annabelle.

Finally he stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Wait a moment.”

She squeezed her eyes closed for a quick second, bracing herself for disappointment. “What's the matter?”

“I can tell you are upset.”

“Nonsense.” But she couldn't meet his eyes.

“Come here.” He took her hand and led her beneath an arbor and behind some tall shrubbery. A marble bench sat in the hidden alcove. “Sit with me for a moment.”

“How did you know this was here?”

“John and I studied the garden's layout extensively. Just in case.”

“We should not linger. Someone will be missing me shortly.”

“Don't fret about that.” He tugged on her hand until she sat on the bench, and then he settled beside her. “Dolly is out with Annabelle, so you can stay with me for a few minutes.”

“Very well. But only for a few minutes.” She tugged at her hand, but he continued to hold it.

“I like touching you,” he said. “Now tell me why you're so unhappy. Our plan is working.”

“Working so well that you are now escorting Annabelle to the Archer ball.”

“Is
that
what this is about?”

“What am I expected to think? You have made no bones about the fact that you are determined to see Annabelle parted from Raventhorpe, no matter what the cost.”

“True, but—”

“I had thought that postponing the wedding would serve as a solution until I could convince Annabelle to break off the engagement. But apparently you have found a different way.” Her voice broke on the last word. She sucked in a deep breath. She would
not
act like a ninny and fall in love with Samuel Breedlove. What they had was not love. It was sex.

“Cilla, you are overreacting. Yes, I have agreed to escort Annabelle to a ball or two, but I made it clear to Virgil that it is just as a family friend.”

“It is not so great a leap from family friend to suitor.”

He tilted his head, trying to see into her face as she continued to look down. “Do you regret your decision to help me, Priscilla?”

“I really had no choice, Samuel. If I did not act,
then Annabelle would be marrying a man capable of murder and any number of other terrible acts.” Now she met his gaze, the heat of her emotions behind her words. “I chose to save Annabelle. And I made that choice again when I decided not to tell her about Raventhorpe's horrible crimes. Yes, she would have jilted him immediately, but it would have been at the cost of that sweetness and faith in people that is what makes Annabelle the person she is.”

“I'm not disputing that.”

“You asked me if I did it so we could have more time together.”

He looked stunned at her outburst. “Good God, Cilla, I was just teasing you when I said that. Never have I met a more generous person than you. It never occurred to me that you would ever do anything so unethical. It's not in your nature.”

She let out a breath. “Oh. All right, then.”

“No, it's not all right.” He took both her hands now, holding her fast when she would have gotten up from the bench. “Everything since we met has happened with more drama than Shakespeare's plays. It bothers me that you would believe that I think so little of you. That you think I would so quickly turn back to Annabelle after I have already told you that I have decided we do not suit. Did you truly believe you were just a means to an end?”

“You do not have to tell me fairy tales, Captain. I know how the world works.”

“Calling me captain again, eh? I know you only do that when you're put out with me. Listen to me, Priscilla Burke. You and I are the same. We're both
people whose lives have been displaced by circumstances beyond our control. All we can do is make the best of matters and move forward.”

“I understand.”

“I don't think you do. You claim to know how the world works, but I believe you have only seen the bad in the world and none of the good.” He looked down at her hands in his, caressing the backs of them with his thumbs. “Our bargain came about because I asked you to do something that could ruin your life. It was selfish of me, but it was the only way I could possibly get between Annabelle and Raventhorpe.”

“You do not have to explain to me.”

“Apparently I do.” Real anger rode his words as he leaned closer. “If you and I had met under normal circumstances, I have no doubt we would have ended up together. You are everything a man could want in a woman. Beautiful, smart, passionate. I would have pursued you.”

“Ah, but if we had met under normal circumstances, I might not have accepted your suit.” She saw the surprise in his expression and hurried to continue. “I still believe in love, Samuel. I still want a husband who loves me above all else, and we both know that you cannot provide that. So perhaps it is better that our relationship is just what it is.”

“I have no intention of courting Annabelle.”

“What? But Mr. Bailey said—”

“He asked me to, but I refused. I told him I was willing to escort her to a couple of events to mend fences, but I only agreed to that to buy us time. I
would never officially court her unless I was serious about marrying her, and I changed my mind about that the night you and I met.”

He'd surprised her. “Well, just so you know, if you
were
courting her, then I would not feel comfortable continuing with our arrangement. It would not be right.”

“I agree.”

“And you are not courting her now.”

“No. My relationship with her stands firmly in the category of family friend.”

“All right. Then I expect we will be meeting at the cottage as scheduled.”

“You're sure you still want to meet?”

“Of course. I am no fool, Samuel. Our time together is teaching me a great deal about men and physical relationships that it would take me years to learn otherwise. I cannot thank you enough.”

“I don't want you to thank me, damn it!”

“It has been an emotional day.” She stood, jerking her hands from his. “I should show you to the east gate.”

“I know where the blasted gate is.” Samuel surged to his feet. “Why are you denying what we have, sweetheart?”

“What we have is a physical relationship. Though I am yet curious as to who is the better chess player.” She managed to smile, taking refuge in training from years of governesses teaching her to hide her emotions.

“I know you still want me.” He edged closer to her, hemming her in between the bench and his body.

“I do still want you.” She reveled in his closeness, excited even more by the way her pulse skipped wildly when he came near her. “I never denied it. But neither of us are children, so we should not entertain fantasies. Thank you for reassuring me about your thoughts of my character. I was concerned.”

“You want me to think you can control your emotions about us? I've had you naked beneath me, Priscilla, and watched you explode in my arms. In that moment of release, you can't hide anything, sweetheart. I see it all.”

She swallowed hard, unnerved that she might indeed reveal more than she intended in moments of sexual ecstasy. “What do you want, Samuel? Do you want me to fall in love with you? How will that benefit either of us? You said you are not capable of love. We would end up miserable in each other's company. Better to enjoy our affair and remember it fondly when it is over.”

“Damn it, Cilla.”

“Do not try to make this more than it is.” She stood on her toes and brushed a kiss to his lips. “I have been gone too long. I will see you tomorrow at the cottage, Samuel, barring any dramatic changes in our circumstances.”

She tried to pull free of him, but he snagged her wrist when she would have left him. “If you kiss a man, Priscilla, do it right.”

He tugged her into his arms, pressing her against his lean, warm body. The scent of him—plain soap and water with a hint of sea salt—triggered instant arousal. Her body recognized him, and she had no
desire to fight the attraction. He lowered his mouth to hers. She had expected hot passion, perhaps the edge of the anger she had heard in his voice. Instead he took her mouth with a leisurely skill that ravaged her meager defenses. He tasted her. Nibbled at the sensitive flesh of her lips. Soothed the sting with his tongue. Mastered and owned her with a devastating thoroughness that had her swaying when he finally released her.