The Conqueror's Dilemma (38 page)

She
felt her eyes fill, and his lips landed gently on one eyelid and then the
other. When Tiffany opened her eyes, she found him frowning down at her.

‘It
has just occurred to me, Miss Felton, that all these declarations I am making
are regrettably one-sided.’

Tiffany
eyed him. ‘What in the world do you mean?’

The
frown gave way to the old teasing look. She had not seen it for an aeon. Her
heart gave a little skip.

‘It is
very simple, and excessively infuriating. You have not once spoken words of
love to me.’

Tiffany
gave a watery chuckle. ‘But you know my heart, Will.’

‘Knowing
and hearing are two different things.’

Absurd
as it was, she could feel herself blushing. ‘You are making me conscious.’

The
tease in his eyes deepened to quite another emotion and the glow of happiness
in Tiffany’s bosom turned to heat. His voice, murmuring close to her mouth as
he drew her further into the circle of his arms, held an intensely disturbing
note.

‘I
have every intention of making you as conscious as the confines of this parlour
will allow—at least until we are married.’

Tiffany’s
veins ran liquid, and her breath became short. Her voice whispered on his lips.

‘Oh,
Will, I love you with all my heart.’

‘That’s
all I wanted to hear,’ he murmured, and his kiss sent waves of warmth flooding
through Tiffany.

‘You
have no notion how hard I tried not to love you, Will,’ she uttered
breathlessly, when she was able to speak again.

William
heard her laughter bubble up, and raised his head. ‘And that is a matter for
mirth?’

The
beloved imps were rioting, and his heart soared. ‘Yes, for it was no use at
all, no matter how much I tried. Your reputation was quite safe with me.’

His
answering laugh echoed the lightening of William’s heart, as all the darkness
in his soul melted away. With all the tenderness in the world, he gently kissed
the author of his newfound freedom.

‘Then
you are wonderfully revenged for all I have made you suffer, my darling, for
the Conqueror is conquered.’

Elizabeth Bailey
grew up in the open spaces and tropical atmosphere of colonial Africa, one
of four siblings with distinctly unconventional parents. Reading and drama were
inculcated from an early age and both have borne adult fruit in acting,
directing and writing. Elizabeth returned to the England of Mary Quant and
geometric hair, and ended a brief secretarial career by landing in drama school
and thence treading the boards. In her thirties, Elizabeth discovered her true
métier as a writer and fulfilled an early addiction to Georgette Heyer by
launching into historical romance. It took the proverbial lengthy
apprenticeship before Harlequin Mills & Boon accepted her first novel, but
they have overall published 18 of her novels.

Elizabeth’s writing recently swerved in a new
direction with the publication of the first two in a Georgian historical crime
series, THE GILDED SHROUD and THE DEATHLY PORTENT, published by Berkley Books
(Penguin US). But since she still loves writing romance, Elizabeth is delighted
with the opportunity to publish her work independently.

You can find out about Elizabeth Bailey’s writing
career and her books at www.elizabethbailey.co.uk and follow her on twitter
@lizbwrites.

ALSO BY ELIZABETH BAILEY

Mademoiselle at Arms

Threatened with a pistol by the young lady he finds in a
deserted mansion, Major Gerald Alderley is intrigued. Who is the beautiful
intruder? And why does she disguise herself as a nun? Why is she involved in an
enterprise both foolhardy and dangerous? The girl’s accent suggests an émigré
but Mademoiselle insists she is English.

Set on unravelling her secrets, Gerald pursues every
possible clue—much to the indignation of Mademoiselle. Even with her life in
danger from the villainous Valade, Mademoiselle Melusine, engaged in a
desperate battle to prove her true identity, believes she is well able to take
care of herself and is determined not to be rescued.