The Accidental Countess (30 page)

If she’d slapped him, she couldn’t have hit her mark any better. Something told Julian that she knew that, too. But he was done living in his brother’s shadow.

He glared at Lady Moreland. He refused to let her ruffle him. “And you’ve never had quite the pleasant kindness of your daughter, my lady. I have often wondered how you produced such an exquisite creature.”

Lady Moreland gasped. “How dare you!”

Lord Moreland and the two footmen came hurrying into the foyer with Shakespierre just then. Lord Moreland was out of breath from the exertion.

“What is the meaning of this?” Lord Moreland demanded.

Julian stepped forward. “I’ve come to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage, my lord.”

Both Lord and Lady Moreland looked as if they might faint or have an apoplectic fit, perhaps both.

“What? What? What?” Lord Moreland clasped his lapels, his jowly face turning redder by the moment.

“You’ve gone mad,” Lady Moreland said to Julian.

Julian cracked a smile. “Is that a no?”

Lady Moreland whirled to face her husband but she addressed her remarks to Julian. “Sir, if you refuse to leave, we shall forcibly remove you from the premises.”

Julian inclined his head toward both of them. “I’d like to see you try.”

Lord Moreland’s jowls shook. He started toward Julian with a determined look in his eye. The two footmen followed suit. The moment they laid hands on him, Julian sprang into action. The first footman received a blow to the jaw that spun him across the foyer where he lay in a heap on the rug. The second footman was a bit larger and harder to stop. He came at Julian with a bear hug around the waist. Julian pulled him up and flipped him over his back.
Thank God for all of those press-ups
. Julian spun around to face him again. The footman remained on his back, groaning and cradling his head in his hands.

Lord Moreland came at him next, though he looked no more interested in fighting him than Julian was. He quickly sidestepped the older man, twisted Lord Moreland’s arm behind his back, and shoved him forward.

“This is preposterous!” Lady Moreland screamed. “Shakespierre, do something!”

Shakespierre shifted his gaze and pursed his lips. It was obvious he had absolutely no intention of engaging in a physical altercation with a man nearly twice his size, especially one who had just proven himself to be quite an accomplished fighter. Good man, Shakespierre. Good man.

“Would you like me to call Lady Cassandra?” Shakespierre offered.

“No, I would not,” Lady Moreland retorted, stamping her foot. Her curls bounced along her forehead.

That was all Julian needed to hear. Cassandra was here. “Cassie!” he called, using his loudest captain-in-His-Majesty’s-army voice. “Cassie!”

“Stop it, this instant!” Lady Moreland called. “I’ll have you thrown in the Tower for this ridiculousness.”

“I don’t care,” Julian replied. And then, “Cassie!”

“Unhand me!” Lord Moreland demanded.

Moments later, Cassie appeared at the top of the stairs, wearing a high-waisted white gown with pink flowers embroidered on it and looking like an angel. She glanced about the foyer. Both hands flew to her cheeks. Her mouth was a wide O. “Julian?” she called back.

“Unhand me this instant!” her father repeated.

“With pleasure.” Julian released her father’s arm with a small shove and sprinted for the staircase. He ran up, taking the stairs two at a time while Cassie picked up her skirts and ran down toward him. They met at the landing in the middle. Julian picked her up and twirled her around and around.

“Why, Julian? Why are you here?”

He set her down gently and then fell to one knee in front of her. “Marry me, Cassie.”

Tears sprang to her eyes. “Marry you?”

“Marry me. I read your letter, the one that you wrote when you thought I was dying. The one you never sent.”

She shook her head. “How did you—”

“Lucy brought it to me.”

“Lucy?”

“Yes. She thought it would make a difference and it has. Marry me, Cassie. I love you. I just didn’t know you loved me until now.”

She searched his face, tears running down her cheeks. “What do you mean?”

“When I first arrived in London, Hunt told me you were in love with an unnamed man. I understand now that he meant me, but I didn’t realize that at the time.”

She swiped at her tears. “Of course it was you, Julian. It was always you.”

“And it was always you, Cassie.” He stood and grasped both of her cheeks in his hands and kissed her. Her parents, who were glaring at them from the foyer, gasped.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’ve always loved you, Julian.”

“Go get him!” Lady Moreland screamed from the bottom of the stairs, her hands clenched into two red fists. She glanced about at the two injured footmen and her husband, obviously expecting them to rush up the stairs and stop the actions unfolding in front of them. None of the men looked as if they were eager to do so. Shakespierre was contemplating his fingernails.

“There is absolutely no possibility that you are going to marry Cassandra!” Lady Moreland said with another stamp of her foot.

“Hell yes, there is,” Julian replied in a perfectly calm voice. “I’d like to see you try to stop me.”

“How do you expect us to agree to it?” Lord Moreland demanded. He remained at the bottom of the stairs and stared up at the couple, rubbing his arm.

Julian smiled but his eyes remained fixed on Cassie. “I expect you’ll agree with it because I’m about to thoroughly compromise her.” He scooped Cassie into his arms and carried her down the stairs. She kept her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He marched down to the foyer, past both of her openmouthed parents, and a wide-eyed Shakespierre.

“Did you get all that?” Julian asked the butler.

The butler nodded rapidly. “Yes, my lord.”

“Good, then go tell your friends.”

Julian leaned down to allow Cassie to open the door for him and then he marched outside, down the stone front steps, and directly to his carriage.

“Come back here this minute, Cassandra!” her mother shouted.

“No,” Cass replied simply, a wide smile on her face.

“I … I … I intend to call my solicitor immediately,” Lord Moreland called after them, his jowls no doubt shaking.

“Good, be certain to tell him the part about the compromising,” Julian replied, his eyes never leaving Cassie’s face.

*   *   *

As soon as the door to Julian’s coach shut behind them, Cass turned her head to the side to look out the window and laughed. “Oh, my goodness. Did you see the looks on their faces? It was priceless. Absolutely priceless.” She clapped her hands together. “I do so wish I could have captured that moment. I may paint it later.”

“They’ll get over it.” Julian pulled her into his arms and kissed her senseless. A few minutes later when they were both able to speak again, he said, “You were about to leave for a life in the church, I hear.”

Cassie bit her lip and nodded. “Daphne told you?”

“Uh-huh.” He kissed her again. “Daphne told me. I forced her to. She took pity on me, I think.”

“I didn’t want to live without you.” Cassie pressed her forehead to his.

“Thank God I found you in time. Your parents are one thing, but I would have hated to have to fight off a group of determined nuns for you. But make no mistake, I would have won.”

Cassie laughed again. “Oh, I have no doubts.”

He nudged her forehead with the tip of his nose. “You never answered me, you know.”

Cassie shook her head. “Answered you?”

“Will you marry me?” he whispered softly against her cheek.

She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him close. “Yes. Yes. Yes! Of course I’ll marry you, Julian.”

“Good, because I wasn’t joking about thoroughly compromising you. I’m taking you home to my bed right now.”

Cassie kissed him again and melted against him. She gave him a small smile. “Drive faster.”

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Ten minutes later, the coach pulled to a stop in front of Donald’s town house. Julian leaped from the vehicle and turned quickly to help Cass down. They walked side by side into the foyer. The moment they entered the house, Cass stopped. “What about your mother and Daphne? I’d die if they—”

“Don’t worry. They left an hour ago to visit my aunt in the country for a few days, to keep their minds off Donald.”

Cass let out her breath and nodded.

“Pengree, however, is a different story,” Julian said. “He may well tell all the rest of the servants and then you’ll be well and truly compromised. In fact, I’m counting upon it.”

“No!” She stopped again, slapping at his sleeve.

He laughed and pulled her into his arms. “I’m only joking.”

“Do you think my parents will come after me?” Cass breathed against his chest. “Father may call you out, you know?”

“Not if they have a brain in their heads. If they’re wise they will be planning our wedding right now.”

Cass shuddered. “The look on Mother’s face. She was so angry. She’s never going to forgive me.” She paused. “But you know what? I don’t care. I truly don’t. For the first time in my life, I’m doing what I want to do, not what Mother wants me to do. I finally feel … free.” She pulled herself out of his arms and twirled around in the foyer.

“I know the feeling entirely,” Julian answered. “Believe me.”

Julian glanced around. He’d dismissed Pengree before he left for the Monroes’ house and for the moment, at least, the butler was not present. There were no housemaids or footmen around, either. Perfect.

“Come with me,” he said, motioning toward the stairs.

Cass returned his wicked smile. They sneaked up the staircase and Julian led her to one of the bedchamber doors in the middle of the hall. “This is the room where I’m staying,” he said.

Cass nodded and gulped. Now that they were getting close to actually doing this, she had reservations. Not about the act itself, never that. But what if she weren’t skilled enough, weren’t good enough, didn’t please him?

Julian grasped the handle to the door and pushed it open. The large room was decorated in dark blues and golds. A huge bed dominated the center of the room. A fireplace sat at a right angle to the bed and two large leather chairs and a small table sat in front of it. Some paintings, candlesticks, and other odds and ends finished the room. Overall it was done with quite simple and refined skill. “Daphne’s doing,” he explained. “And Mother’s.”

“They have quite good taste, indeed.” She strode around and touched a silver candlestick, a book lying on the table, a figurine of a lone rider on a horse.

“Forgive me, but I don’t want to talk about the décor.” He moved toward her and pulled her into his arms for his kiss.

Cass shivered.

Julian rubbed her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Are you all right?”

“I think so. I will be. I’m just … Oh, Julian … I’m frightened.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “Don’t be, Cassie. Any time you want to stop, just say the word. I promise, we’ll go slowly.”

He took her hand and led her over to the curtains. He drew them and the room was plunged mostly into darkness. Next, he led her to the bed and left her standing beside it while he went over to the mantelpiece and lit two candles there. The room blossomed into a warm glow.

He walked slowly back over to her and pulled her onto the bed with him. Cass kicked off her slippers. He shucked his boots. “I’ll go first,” he said with a sensual smile just before he began untying his cravat.

“No. Let me.” Cass smiled to herself. Where had that come from?
Be bold, indeed.

He gave her a sensual smile, and she pushed herself up to her knees and turned to face him. Her hands went to the white fabric coiled around his throat and she slowly pulled the knot loose and unraveled it. When she was done, she tossed it to the foot of the bed.

Next, she helped him remove his claret-colored topcoat and unbutton his silver waistcoat. His shirttails were next and she helped him to pull the white fabric over his head. His chest was bared to her. She sucked in her breath. The expanse of skin was magnificent. Muscled and bronzed. He’d written her that he’d spent a lot of time out in the sun during his recuperation but she hadn’t expected him to be quite this fit. His shoulders were wide and muscled, six muscles stood out in sharp relief beneath his ribs. A trail of fine hair ran in a line in the center and disappeared beneath his trousers. Her throat went dry.

Then she saw the scar, right above his heart, a jagged dark circle. She ran her fingertips along it, her eyes filling with tears. “Does it hurt you, Julian?”

“No,” he breathed. “I’m mesmerized by your touch, Cassie. Please don’t cry.”

She let her fingers trail down to the muscles on his abdomen and heard the sharp change in his breathing. It was true. He was affected by her touch. She’d never known anything like it. She’d never felt such power before. Her tears stopped.

“Lie down,” she commanded, drunk with her new strength.

Julian did as she asked. He slid back along the coverlet and propped his head on a pillow.

She let her tapered fingernail trace the outline of his rigid erection beneath his trousers and he groaned. “Cassie, I—”

“Shh,” she warned. She had dreamed about this for so many nights. She fully intended to enjoy it.

She ran her fingers over the flap in his trousers and then slowly, one by one, began to unbutton the placket.

He groaned again.

Once all of the buttons were undone, she helped him move the trousers down and off his legs until he lay there fully naked in front of her. A thrill shot through her body. She’d never expected anything like it. He was magnificent, that was the only word for it. Long and lean and tall and muscled and ooh—
quite
well endowed.

“I don’t want you to be frightened. I wanted to show myself to you, first,” Julian whispered, sitting up and pulling her close for a tender kiss. “But if you don’t let me undress you now, I think I may die.”

All she did was nod. That was enough for Julian. He carefully turned her so that he could unfasten the buttons on the back of her gown. Her dress fell loose in front and she moved off the bed to pull it from her arms and allow it to fall in a heap at her feet. She turned back to face him, standing in front of him clad in only her chemise, stays, and stockings. A chill from the room made her shiver. He immediately stood and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close and warming her. He was shaking, too, but something told Cass it was for a different reason entirely.