Blast!
More than one gentleman would be looking at her through lecherous eyes,
including the duke. He knew he had a responsibility to watch over her, but how
in the blue blazes was he going to do that, along with his plans for Emily.
"A
minute, Jane."
"Yes?"
Jane answered, glancing over her shoulder.
Jared
narrowed his eyes in confusion. If he had not known better, he would have
thought she was still angry with him about the incident at the dressmaker's.
But he had apologized.
"A
word with you, please."
Her lips
seemed to thin. "Now?"
"Indeed,
now." When had Jane become so beautiful? Frowning, he took hold of her
elbow and escorted her into the duke's library. Roderick and his brothers had
left for the club an hour previously, so he would have the room to himself.
Jane
took a seat in the leather-backed chair near the hearth, studying his face.
"What happened to your eye?"
"Nothing,"
he said. Nothing but Roderick's right jab.
She
pursed her lips, obviously not satisfied. "Hmmm."
He
leaned against the mantel and cleared his throat. Now, how to tell the girl to
stay away from rakes such as himself? "I am your guardian, as you well
know."
She
arched a brow, and he was instantly assaulted with an icy blue gaze that could
freeze the Thames.
"My
misfortune, is it not?"
"Misfortune?"
This girl had loved him like an elder brother. Had Roderick poisoned her brain
against him? No, the duke would do many things, but that was not his way.
Jane
folded her pale arms across the lace bodice of her dress and looked up at the
ceiling. "I would rather not speak about it."
Jared
quickly crossed the distance between them. Her haughty tone enraged him.
"And when will you speak of it?"
She
glanced toward the door and pushed her hands against the chair, starting to
rise. "Pray, excuse me. I do have a few finishing touches to attend to
before I depart for the ball."
"Sit
down, young lady." It was not a suggestion.
Jane's
forehead creased into a wary line, and she sank into her seat, her expression
strained.
Jared
clasped his hands behind his back. "I realize there is no easy way to say
this, Jane, but as your guardian, I must make myself plain." He noted the
flash of anger in those sapphire blue eyes, not able to believe that this
sweet, little female had the impertinence to defy him with such a surly gaze.
If he did not love her like a sister, he would stand back and let her continue
her liaison with the duke and enjoy watching her break Roderick down like an
obedient puppy.
"What
do you want?" she asked curtly.
Jared
dragged his mind in an effort to recall anything else he had done to offend
her. Had she found out about his boxing match this afternoon at Gentleman
Jackson's?
"Is
something amiss, Jane? Have I offended you?"
"Offended
me?" She shot from her seat, her hands clenched at her sides.
"Offended me? If that were only the case, I would not be so angry with
you."
Jared
watched in shock as Jane started to turn about the room, her hands flapping in
the air like a maddened seagull. He became dizzy just watching her.
"How
could you?" she shrieked. "How could you be so heartless?" She
whirled around, wiping the tears from her eyes.
Jared
shifted uncomfortably and swallowed. "What?"
"How
could you do that to Emily?"
Ah,
Emily. He squared his shoulders. "My relationship with Lady Emily is my
business," he warned. "Do not interfere."
"Business?
How can you say that? She loved you and you act as if it had never
happened." Her voice softened, losing its razor-like edge. "Emily is
devastated that her brothers are looking for a suitable husband, and now I
cannot fathom that you are a partner in that crime."
Jared
was not going to delve into his relationship with Emily, though it seemed Emily
had confided in his ward. However, Jane's outburst had angered him so, his patience
snapped. "Speaking of her brothers, the duke, in particular"—he
closed the gap between them—"I forbid you to go anywhere near the
man."
Jane
glanced up, her eyes flashing with contempt. "Y-you forbid me?"
"I
realize you will be living here for the Season, and as your guardian I will act
as a chaperon, along with Agatha, but besides the occasional meal when His
Grace is present, you should not have any trouble avoiding the man. Do I make
myself perfectly clear, young lady?"
He
picked up the door key resting on the massive mahogany desk and tapped it
against his palm.
Jane
glanced at the key, her blue eyes narrowing in fury. "Oh, yes. Key, lock,
prison. You have made yourself perfectly clear. As clear as an addlepated
nincompoop!"
Jared
grimaced. Now, where the devil had he heard that before?
Chapter
Ten
D
umbfounded, Jared watched his ward
leave the library. With a muttered oath, he stalked across the Aubusson rug to
the rosewood sideboard, where the duke kept a bottle of Madeira. He downed a
glass and strode toward the Chinese silk screen in the corner of the room and
gazed out onto Grovesnor Square.
He
turned with a start when the clatter of footsteps sounded behind him. Thinking
it was Jane coming back to apologize, he stepped from behind the screen and stopped
short. His eyes focused on the curvaceous backside of Emily's green gown. She
seemed to be looking for a book and had no idea anyone else was in the room.
A slow
smile spread across his face. He had wondered when he would have a moment alone
with her. Shoving his hand into his jacket pocket, he fingered the door key and
took a quick glance toward the hall. Key, lock, prison, and Lady Emily. How
delightful.
Emily
peered up at the fourteen-foot bookshelves lining the library wall, grabbed
hold of the ladder, and started to climb. Why her mother wanted the new
Radcliffe novel to read before the ball was beyond her. They were leaving in an
hour.
Halfway
up, Emily stopped to examine the collection of Minerva Press novels four rows
above her. There was the book, three feet to her left. She carefully pushed the
rolling ladder to the desired destination and leaned over to reach for the
novel, when a deep voice rang in her ears.
"A
dangerous position to be in, my dear. Especially with a rolling ladder."
Emily
swirled around, stunned to find Jared standing beyond the library doors. His
looming presence stole her breath away. She hated to admit how much he meant to
her, though she had tried to deny it. Even now, his presence captivated her.
He was
clad in a midnight black jacket and a green velvet waistcoat and looked too
desirable for any woman, let alone one who recalled his kisses all too clearly.
The memory of his passion surged through her blood like an elixir.
"Go
away." Her voice was harsher than she intended, but she had a much
stronger guard up now and was determined he would not have the upper hand. She
had no intention of falling under his spell until she was good and ready, if at
all, and conquering her emotions at this time seemed the best place to start.
Drat. If only he were not so attractive.
"And
good evening to you, too."
She
suddenly found herself squinting at his face, noting that one of his eyes was
half-closed. Roderick's doing, no doubt, for her brother had come home from
Gentleman Jackson's with a similar ailment, except double the damage.
Still,
there was a lethal calmness in the earl's expression that sent her heart
racing. But she was safe. She was in her own home. However, it was when he
turned his back on her, shutting the library doors closed with a thud that her
grip on the ladder tightened and her eyes widened in stunned astonishment.
"Open
those doors immediately."
He
slowly peered up at her, his smile sparkling with an unholy glint.
"No." He then turned back toward the doors and proceeded to pull out
a key and insert it into the lock with a resounding click.
A soft
gasp escaped her. Good heavens, the man had her under lock and key in her very
own home. Safe was an understatement. "You cannot lock me in here like
some trapped animal," she hissed.
His
brows lifted suggestively as he walked farther into the room in long purposeful
strides. "No?"
"No,
you cannot." She scrambled up the ladder, glancing over her shoulder.
"You best unlock that door before my brother comes in here."
Jared
laughed. "Your brothers, including Roderick, have left for the club and
won't be seen until the ball."
He stood
there with his hands planted on lean hips exuding such an air of
self-confidence that she was momentarily stifled with shock. She was determined
to hold the upper hand here. She would not love him. She would not.
"Well,
I daresay, someone is bound to come looking for me, so you best open that
door."
"Or
what?"
Her eyes
widened. "Or I will scream."
He took
another step and lifted a foot onto the bottom rung of the ladder, dragging his
eyes up to hers.
"Come
down here, Emily."
The
warmth of that endearing smile echoed in his voice, and she blushed. Oh, he was
an insufferable rogue. She needed to think. Her chin lifted only slightly, so
she could still keep her eyes fixed on his movements. "I refuse to come
down until you take your leave, sir."
His eyes
drank in the sight of her, gleaming with purpose as they raked her body from
head to toe. "You leave me no choice than to join you, Emily."
His
words were like an enticing caress, and her knees began to feel like jelly. She
merely blinked in awe as he started ascending the ladder. A powerful set of
shoulders blocked her view of the ground, and she immediately awoke from her
shocked state, hastening up the ladder more than she would have liked.
When she
reached the highest point she could go, she panicked. "Jared, please get
down! This is becoming ridiculous."
He
lifted his amber eyes, which were now even with her green slippers. "Get
down? And pray, my dear girl, why would I do such a fool thing as that when I
find myself enjoying the sights." Before she could retort, he traced a
light finger across her ankle. "Immensely, in fact."
A
prickling heat shot through her leg at the mere touch of him, and she jerked her
right foot off the ladder, tightening her grip on the sides. "Oh! You are
not a gentleman."
He
wrapped his hand gently around her afflicted ankle, kissing it lightly.
"Come here, sweetheart."
The
endearment sent her heart fluttering. How could she stop loving this man? She
closed her eyes, heedlessly easing her grip on the ladder. She immediately
realized her control was slipping and not just in her mind.
She
tottered precariously, spinning off the ladder and bumping into the shelving.
"Jared!"
She groped
mindlessly, falling in midair when a strong hand grabbed her around the waist,
heaving her upward, knocking the breath right out of her.
"For
the love of heaven, woman. Stay still."
She
froze, feeling herself dangling about ten feet off the floor. To her
astonishment, the earl carried her like a sack of flour on his hip as he
maneuvered himself down the ladder. When his shoes hit the ground, he stood her
upright, his hands still wrapped tightly around her waist. He glared at her,
his mouth clenched tight. "Don't ever try that again. It was a stupid
thing to do."
Emily
fell back, gasping for breath, stunned by his criticism of her for his
wrongdoing. How dare he treat her in such a fashion! The blood rushed to her
face, and suddenly everything inside her finally snapped.
"You
pompous idiot!" She pummeled his chest with her fists, her breathing still
labored. "How dare you accuse me! Never ... in my life . . . have I met
anyone like you." He clamped her hands to his sides, but she was too far
gone to stop her tirade. "Of all the unmitigated, insufferable—"
Her
words were muffled against the warmth of his lips. "Emily, sweetheart, I
never meant to hurt you."
The
tenderness of his whispered kiss awakened her soul. She fell against him,
melting into his embrace. He trailed kisses down her neck, and she shivered,
knowing she loved this man and would never love another. How could she not?
Whatever happened three years ago had an explanation, she was sure of it. He
would tell her soon.
"Emily
Anne, are you in there?"
Emily
fell back from Jared's passionate embrace and gasped, frantically pushing her
hair back into place at the sound of her mother's voice. "Gracious, I must
look a fright."
Jared
smoothed his fingers against her lips and proceeded to replace the pins in her
hair. Smiling, he kissed her, raising the door key in his hand.
"Take
this. Tell her you needed some privacy. I can step behind the screen near the
window."
"Don't
be a fool," Emily hissed. "She's not an idiot."
He
lifted an amused brow. "Very well, then. If you wish, I can open the door
for you."
The door
rattled. "Emily?"
Emily
jerked the key from his hand. "Very well. Move behind the screen."
He
kissed her hand and bowed. "Your wish is my command, sweetheart."
Emily
felt a severe tightening in her chest when she reached for the door. The man
had stolen her heart . . . again.
Candlelight
dripped from a string of crystal chandeliers above Jared as he leaned against a
pillar in the Garrick ballroom. His gaze followed the back of Emily's green
gown as she stopped to converse with a couple of dandies who were dressed to
perfection, their waterfall cravats and bright-colored waistcoats portraying
them like strutting peacocks. A small orchestra played a waltz in the far
corner of the room. A peal of laughter echoed near the refreshment table, where
two young debutantes stood surrounded by a group of young bucks vying for their
attention.
At that
moment Emily glanced toward the sound. Jared caught her eye and winked. A blush
stole across her face and he smiled.
"What
the devil are you grinning about?" Roderick growled beside him, his arms
folded across his chest. "Makes that ghastly eye of yours look
wretched."
Jared
raised his good brow. "At least I have one good eye. You, on the other
hand, have no good eyes."
It was
true. Both of the duke's eyes were half shut from Jared's bout with him in the
boxing ring that afternoon. Nothing about the two women had been settled.
Nothing except that each one had ordered the other to stay away from their
respective relative.
Roderick
grimaced. "You may not have the other eye available if you seize another
dance with my sister. Her future husband would not care for you snatching three
dances with her this evening. You have already gone far and above the call of
duty with two, and I daresay, the way you held her in that waltz made me want
to shoot you point-blank." He tilted his head toward the opposite side of
the floor where the musicians played. "See there, how very good they look
together. And a waltz. Nothing more intimate than that, is there?"
Jared
pushed off the wall, his gaze flying across the room. Something primitive shot
through him at the sight of Emily in Lord Bringston's arms. The marquess was a
perfect gentleman and good husband material. That fact did not sit well with
Jared at all.
Roderick
waved his hand in front of Jared's face. "Suffice to say, we do have other
matters to attend to tonight than my baby sister."
The
strains of the waltz pounded in Jared's ears. He became increasingly uneasy as
he noted the smile blanketing Emily's face while she was swirled around the
ballroom by Bringston. It was all Jared could do not to march across the floor
and sweep Emily into his arms, announcing she was his. But he had a job to do
tonight, and the meeting of the three most prominent secret agents in London
was going to take place, Emily or not.
"Jared?"
Jared
shifted his gaze back to the duke, and they walked back into the shadow of the
pillar, away from the crowd. "At fifteen minutes to twelve," Jared
said, "I will make my way to the designated rendezvous point. You follow
in ten minutes."
Roderick
nodded. "Heard the fellow took a ball to his back to stop the missive
informing the enemy of your location."
Jared
grimaced, hating to owe any man, let alone a man who almost died saving his
life. "I have not forgotten. I owe the man a debt I cannot repay. Any more
words of wisdom, Duke?"
Roderick
broke into laughter and held up his hands. "Truce. Have you not considered
the fact that this legendary man may be as big as the two of us put
together?"
A sliver
of softness squeezed into Jared's expression. "Truce, but only for tonight
... as long as you stay away from Miss Greenwell."
Roderick's
lip curled. "A mere half truce then, since you will stay away from my
sister."
"Call
it what you will." Jared shrugged, moving a few feet and leaning his back
against the pillar. Boney would have to take over England before Jared would
stay away from Emily. "I have made my orders plain to Jane on this
matter."
While
Jared's roving eye searched for Emily, he missed the duke's intent gaze locked
on a pale blue gown located near the refreshment table.
Jane
stood near the punch bowl, waving her fan about her face. "I simply do not
know if I can make it through the night, Agatha. That colonel with the big red
nose stepped on my toes twice, Lord Goodley tried pulling me into the gardens,
and Lord Sunbury breathed so heavily on my neck I thought I might wilt."
Agatha
laughed. "What about Emily's brothers?"