The Reluctant Suitor (35 page)

“What if I were to tell you instead, dearest Adriana, how lovely you are? Little did I imagine when you were a child that you’d become so exquisite. Your beauty takes my breath away.”

“Breathe deeply, my lord,” Adriana urged loftily, looking neither right nor left as he recaptured her hand.

“I’m sure it will come back.”

At her daughter’s sarcasm, Christina opened her mouth to intervene, but curbed the motherly instinct when Philana reached across the space separating them and gently squeezed her hand, mutely urging her to remain silent.

Colton lifted to his lips the slender fingers of his perspective fiancée, letting his warm, moist mouth linger on her knuckles in a slow, sensual caress.

Adriana became aware of a strange quivering in the pit of her body and realized her breath was being snatched inward each time his lips came in contact with her skin. The rush of feelings he stirred within her was similar to those he had awakened when they had collided in the hall at Randwulf Manor; yet as titillating as they had proven to be, it now seemed only a meager sampling of what she was now experiencing. To be sure, the sensations he elicited were too persuasive for a young lady to bear in front of her parents and still remain poised!

Reclaiming her hand with a vengeance, Adriana shot to her feet and fled to the door. There she faced her guests with flushed cheeks, managing to erect from her shattered composure some semblance of dignity.

Feeble as it was, she offered a truthful explanation. “I promised Melora that I’d help her with a few of the wedding arrangements ere the day was well spent.” As her eyes swept to their elderly guest, she sank into a respectful curtsey. “Lady Philana, if you will please excuse me . . .”

“Of course, child,” the marchioness replied with a gracious smile, holding her son responsible for the girl’

s flight. She cast a chiding glance toward him. The fact that he seemed amused by it all made her heave a mental sigh. He reminded her too much of his younger years; he was still an unabashed tease.

The dark, silky lashed orbs chilled to some degree as Adriana finally settled her gaze upon the marquess.

Her smile was crisp, perhaps even a bit terse. “Good day, Lord Randwulf.”

Even Colton flinched as the door slammed behind her, and for a moment, parents and suitor stared at the portal in differing degrees of surprise. Then, almost in unison, Gyles and Christina turned their attention upon the younger man, wondering how he’d react to their daughter’s spirited departure.

Bursting into laughter at the girl’s fiery display of indignation, Colton thrust a thumb over a shoulder as he indicated the door. Obviously Adriana was no more taken with the terms of the contract than he had been. “I swear that girl has a temper the equal of which I’ve never seen in one so well bred.”

Christina managed a hesitant smile. “I hope my daughter hasn’t offended you, my lord,”

Philana began to chortle in amusement. “I don’t know about my son, but, personally, I thought she was wonderful . . . as usual. Another moment more and she would have boxed Colton’s ears . . . and justifiably so.”

Christina didn’t know what to say to make amends. She looked almost pleadingly toward the marquess.

“At times, my youngest daughter grows a bit annoyed with certain members of the male gender. She doesn’t like being pestered, but I never thought for an instant she’d behave so unseemly in your presence, Lord Colton. I shall certainly take her to task for her manners—”

“You’ll do nothing of the sort,” Philana interrupted with conviction. “My son deserved everything he received for deliberately annoying her. Perhaps next time he’ll know better. If not, then he can get used to his fingers being slapped like some naughty little boy’s. I can assure you, it wouldn’t be the first time. I used to do it on a fairly frequent basis when he was younger. He seemed to take endless delight teasing the girls whenever Adriana came over to play with Samantha.”

Gyles rubbed a hand across his mouth several times, trying to banish the unquenchable grin that seemed impervious to his efforts to curb it. Failing in that endeavor, he clapped both hands to his knees and rose to his feet. “I suffer no doubt that my youngest offspring would have given those frogs at Waterloo a proper thrashing. She riles fairly easily at times. She seems to find it especially offensive to be handled in any fashion by eager young suitors.”

A
driana paced the confines of her bedchamber in agitation, angry with herself for having allowed Colton Wyndham to affect her in so many widely diverse ways. Never before had she experienced sensations the like of which he had elicited. Nor had she ever felt so much irritation, not only with him, but with herself for allowing his mischievous ruse to get the better of her. His intentions seemed clear enough.

Forced by the mandate that his father had set forth, he intended to humiliate her any way he could, if for no other reason than to vent his frustration over the situation in which he found himself. Coming home after years of mutinous refusal to concede to his sire’s dictates, only to find himself caught in the same unyielding snare, had likely been a terrible jolt to him, especially if his thoughts had been focused entirely on the marquessate. In view of the depths and heights his resentment had reached years ago, he might

well imagine he had cause to hate her, especially if he viewed the situation only from his perspective. He probably wouldn’t even realize she had become a victim, too, chained by her dedication to her parents.

A light knock sounded on her chamber door, and at her call for admittance, Melora’s maid scurried in and bobbed a sprightly curtsey. “Excuse me, m’liedy, but yur sister be wonderin’ what’s been keepin’ yu since yu came upstairs.”

“I’ll be there straightaway, Becky.”

The door closed behind the servant, and in the silence that followed, Adriana heaved a long, pensive sigh, wondering if she’d ever be able to endure three months of courtship with Colton Wyndham. It was not that she didn’t desire it. Indeed, he was the man she had been waiting for all her lifetime. Nevertheless, he seemed capable of creating within her strange emotions that could well prove her downfall, possibly even her capitulation to his invitation. In spite of her outward display of annoyance, she treasured secret memories of him that, at times, left her yearning for the warmth of his arms around her and his lips plying hers with lingering kisses. Just thinking of that long, muscular, naked body against her own stirred a strange, unquenchable excitement that left her whole being burning with desire. Her nipples craved some special attention of which she was totally ignorant, and there bloomed within the depths of her woman’s body a hunger that seemed destined to remain unappeased until she yielded herself to him and him alone.

By dint of will, Adriana won a battle with her composure and finally made her way to Melora’s room, where she found her sister in a flustered snit. In trying to work out the seating arrangements for the breakfast that would follow the wedding, she had become mired in confusion.

“There you are at last!” Melora cried petulantly. “I was beginning to think I’d have to make all the preparations myself. I’ve been nigh to the end of my wits while there you and Mama were, taking your own sweet time visiting with the Wyndhams, as if the matter of your courtship couldn’t wait for a few more weeks! I say, Adriana, considering all the years Colton has been away, it certainly wouldn’t have hurt matters any if you
had
delayed his visit until
after
the wedding. You should’ve known how frantic I’

d be with the nuptials swiftly approaching. Only ten days left!” Pausing, she peered at her sibling, but saw no evidence of sympathy for herself. Glumly, she vented a ponderous sigh. “I suppose the courtship will begin immediately.”

Adriana tried to ignore Melora’s tiresome tone. “No, as a matter of fact, I’ve asked that it be delayed at least until the Autumn Ball.”

“Thank goodness!” the older sister exclaimed, exaggerating her relief. “Now you can help me as you promised to do. You can start by compiling a list of the guests who’ll be coming and where they should be seated for the wedding breakfast. Cook is already busy with preparations, and, of course, the servants have started cleaning every nook and cranny. We can’t allow ourselves to be embarrassed by a bit of dust here or a smudged window there. . . .”

Dismissing as unimportant much of what Melora was chattering on about, Adriana sat down at her sister’

s tall secretary and began organizing the collection of names. She was sure Cook, the assistant cooks, and the rest of the household servants would do their very best to make the wedding breakfast a memorable occasion for her sister. As for herself, she just hoped she could keep her thoughts well away from the area of Colton Wyndham, for she was just beginning to fear that, where he was concerned, her heart wasn’t nearly as safe as she had hoped it would be.

Ten

T
he weather on the last day of September was fairly heady with the intoxicating smell of autumn wafting on the gentle breezes. With the sun’s radiance in evidence, it had proven to be an especially fine morning for a wedding. During the ceremony, the chapel had been filled nigh to overflowing with guests, but as family members and friends collected outside to await the appearance of the bride and groom, they were wont to meander about and exchange pleasantries with relatives and acquaintances. Adriana found herself surrounded by a fairly sizable group of young men eagerly vying for her attention. Among them were members of the best families in England, including Lord Harcourt who had managed to gain an advantageous spot immediately upon her left. Stuart Burke stood on her right and seemed delighted that Colton had deigned to keep company with Perceval rather than the lady. The younger man couldn’t help but hope that something had drastically changed in the relationship between the couple that would allow him an occasion to press his own suit.

Adriana was immensely thankful that Roger hadn’t taken it upon himself to come to the wedding.

Although that would have been at the very height of audacity even for him, since he hadn’t been invited, he had not been above making unexpected appearances when it met his mood. If he had been upset after she had collided with Colton at Randwulf Manor, then he’d certainly have been riled at the attention she was presently receiving. Her admirers stood in a wide circle round about her and did indeed prove themselves a jovial group copiously inclined to rag each other about their limited chances with the lady.

“My lords, your pardon,” the young knight, Guy Dalton, begged with a broad grin, claiming the consideration of both Riordan Kendrick and Stuart Burke. “I’ve heard it said that the man who stands nearest to Lady Adriana is usually the first to fall from her favor. If I were either one of you, I’d allow someone else to stand there in your stead.”

Stuart hooted at the younger man’s ploy. “You, I suppose?”

Lord Harcourt lifted a well-defined brow as his mouth curved in a lazy, self-assured grin. “If it’s all the same to you, Sir Guy, I’ll take my chances here at the lady’s side. But, please, continue salivating in hopeful expectation of that event. One of us may yet change his mind . . . in my case when the netherworld freezes over.”

An exaggerated sigh of lament came from Sir Guy. “Well, as a friend I’ve done my best to advise you both. Go ahead and ignore my warning. Little do I care if the lady tosses you both aside for one perchance as wise and handsome as myself.”

Not the least bit remorseful, Riordan chuckled at the other’s attempt. “You’re a friend indeed, Sir Guy, but I suspect there is that tendency in any man to search out opportunities to benefit himself, even if it means usurping a better man’s advantage.”

“Please, please,” Adriana begged through her laughter. “Desist with this bickering or I shall have to send the lot of you out of my sight.”

She swept her gaze around to encompass the entire circle of admirers in her threat, but, upon coming to a breach in their ranks, was shocked to meet through that narrow space the unwavering stare of Colton Wyndham, who stood a short distance away with a hand braced against the stout trunk of a tree.

Garbed in dapper attire that would’ve come close to putting the bridegroom to shame, the Marquess of Randwulf was the very quintessence of a wealthy aristocrat. Percy had joined him underneath the spreading canopy of limbs and newly reddening leaves, but was chattering incessantly on, glancing hither and yon at this guest or that, completely oblivious to the fact that his companion’s gaze was focused entirely upon her. Beneath the brim of an elegant, gray silk top hat, the shadowed gray eyes seemed to glow with a radiance of their own as they fed upon her every word, gesture, or smile.

The intensity of her observer’s stare held Adriana’s gaze firmly ensnared until his eyes lowered in a leisurely feast that consumed nearly every hollow and curve she possessed. Of a sudden, her robin’

s-egg-blue woolen frock seemed meager defense indeed from those burning, ravaging eyes that seemed to set her very nipples aflame. At no time before, while fully clothed, had she felt so completely naked beneath a man’s stare. The fact that he knew exactly what she looked like underneath her garments only seemed to solidify the evocative sensations. She had never experienced the like of such delicious heat pulsating within her secret parts or felt the exact degree of warmth infusing her cheeks, her throat, her brow, her very being. If it were possible for a maid to be ravished from a distance, then Adriana was sure she had just been stripped, fondled, and deflowered all within the mind of the man who stared at her so intently.