The Reluctant Suitor (50 page)

A smile flitted tentatively across Adriana’s soft lips as she turned to look at him over her shoulder. No one but Colton, her parents, and a few trusted servants knew of Roger’s attack upon her person. Colton hadn’t even told Samantha, which was well, for her friend would never have been able to carry off the pretense of being nice to Roger.

Though Colton made every effort to resist the appeal of those innocent, doe-eyed looks, he could feel the meager store of his resolve waning. He could only imagine what his heart was doing. At times such as these, he had cause to wonder why he delayed asking for the lady’s hand. If merely for the sake of his pride, then he could believe the only one he was punishing was himself, for he couldn’t imagine a virgin being tormented by cravings of the magnitude he had recently been suffering. And if in a tiny segment of his brain he was still entertaining hopes of seeking his freedom after being so sweetly cajoled by the lady for the whole of their courtship, then he had no doubt that the moment of his departure would be akin to a fool tearing out his own heart and trampling it carelessly underfoot as he walked out the door.

“We’d better be on our way,” he breathed, endeavoring to curb his unabated longings. He moved around to her side and offered his hand. “Mr. Gladstone will be expecting us fairly early this evening.”

“I heard it said that Felicity arranged everything in accordance with her grandfather’s Christmas feasts from previous times,” Adriana replied, feigning a bright smile as she tried to rally her enthusiasm. “

Considering how crowded Stanover House has been in the past, ‘twill be fortunate if we even get to see Mr. Gladstone, much less chat with him.”

“I believe that’s exactly why he urged us to come early,” Colton replied, grinning aside at her. “I think the old man is quite fond of you and Samantha and doesn’t wish to miss an opportunity to see you both.”

A smile curved her soft lips. “Well, we happen to be just as fond of Mr. Gladstone.”

“I really don’t think you’re aware of your effect on men, my dear,” he challenged. Though his grin seemed to suggest that he was teasing her, he was never more serious in his life.

Her brows gathering in bemusement, she peered up at him. “What do you mean?”

He reached out a hand and brushed a stray curl from her cheek as his eyes probed hers. “For my own protection, my dear, I think I’d better keep you ignorant of your winning appeal. It’s becoming more and more difficult to withstand your assaults.”

Her brows gathered in confusion. “Assaults? What do you—?”

“Perhaps I’ll explain in time,” he replied, slipping his hand beneath her elbow. “As for now, Percy and Samantha are waiting for us.”

Colton turned, accepted his top hat from Charles, and then presented his arm to Adriana. After whisking her out the front door, he handed her into the landau and then politely waited for Percy to perform the same task for his wife. Only after his brother-in-law had taken his seat did Colton climb in. As usual, the only place left vacant was in the most torturous area, right next to the dark-haired temptress. Though weeks ago he had ascertained that he’d be better off riding atop the coach with Bentley, it still wouldn’t have been far enough away to allow him to banish Adriana from his manly awareness. As he settled into the seat beside her, he almost closed his eyes in ecstasy as her delicate fragrance twined through his senses, entangling his mind like a silken rope. As stalwart as he had once been while practicing the art of war, he could almost feel his own manly determination dissipating whenever he was near Adriana, but then, more likely it was his heart dissolving in her hand.

Soon after the landau pulled away from Wakefield Manor, Samantha leaned across and rested a gloved hand upon her brother’s knee. “Percy and I have an announcement to make.”

The exterior lanterns cast enough light into the carriage to readily illumine Colton’s white-toothed grin. “

You’re selling your town house in London and moving into a larger one.”

His sister sat back with an astonished gasp. “How did you know that?”

“Percy told me tonight shortly after your arrival.”

Samantha tossed her head saucily as she cut her eyes askance at her chuckling husband. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with him,” she fussed prettily. “He has never been able to keep a secret.”

“Tell them,” Percy urged, squeezing her hand, “or I will.”

“Tell us what?” Adriana pressed, exchanging a curious glance with Colton.

“I am in a family way,” Samantha announced proudly, this time drawing a whoop from her brother who reached across to shake his brother-in-law’s hand.

“Oh, how wonderful, Samantha!” Adriana warbled, feeling all warm and content of a sudden.

“Congratulations to you both,” Colton chimed in. “How far along?”

“Three months or so.”

He calculated the time in his head. “So the baby should be born about—?”

“My best guess is the middle of May or perhaps into June,” Samantha hurriedly finished for him before leaning back with a radiant smile.

“Does Mother know?” Colton asked.

“I ran upstairs soon after we arrived at Randwulf and told her while you men were enjoying a libation in the drawing room.”

Colton’s broad shoulders shook with laughter. “I’m sure she was absolutely thrilled at the idea of becoming a grandmother.”

“Of course,” Samantha acknowledged, as if the idea of her mother’s elation was something totally expected. She grinned contentedly. “Considering how long Percy and I have been married, Mama had almost lost hope that such an event would ever take place, but now, merely the anticipation of having a baby in the family has brought a spark of life back into her eyes. She’ll likely want as many as Adriana and I can produce, so you’d better settle this courtship of yours fairly quickly, Colton, so Mama can look forward to another grandchild coming soon after ours is born.”

In overwhelming embarrassment, Adriana turned her face to the window as she struggled against the onslaught of a scalding blush. She wished her friend wouldn’t be so bold about such things in her brother’

s presence. Being constantly pressured to marry her would likely force the man to flee to another part of the world, just as he had done when his father had first presented his proposal for their betrothal.

Difficult as it was to remain unruffled at the idea of Adriana getting with child, Colton managed a smile for his sister, but he had to wonder how his mother would react if in the very near future he’d dispense with his restraints and step over the boundaries of protocol in his mounting desire to make love to Adriana.

His self-control was so badly frayed now that it wouldn’t take much at all to goad him beyond the point of no return. Each passing day saw a further weakening of his will, pushing him toward the narrow bridge suspended over the bottomless gorge. An unwary step and he could well find himself hurtling headlong into matrimony
after
he took her virginity.

J
ane Fairchild is as warm and gracious as an angel,” Samantha declared in muted tones shortly after the vivacious woman had shown them into the elderly miller’s home. “But frankly, I think her daughter has become something of a witch since we first met her. I swear, as piercing as Felicity’s glare is, I’m sure it’

s going to bore a hole right through us, Adriana. She looks like an adder waiting to strike.”

“Shhh,
someone may hear you,” the younger woman cautioned, squeezing her friend’s fingers warningly.

She glanced around to see if she could detect heightened interest on the faces of those standing within close proximity. Seeing no evidence of such, she felt a surge of relief that her friend’s whisper had not been overheard above the low drone of voices in the crowded parlor.

Samantha lightly scoffed. “Considering the way Felicity’s eyes have narrowed, I wouldn’t put it past her to have read the words right out of my mouth. Witches are like that, you know.”

“Perhaps we should join the men upstairs and pay our respects to Mr. Gladstone before he becomes thoroughly spent. Jane said he wasn’t feeling very well this evening, so I would imagine he’s not up to all

this company. If Colton and Percy are acceptable to the idea, we should perhaps consider taking our leave fairly early. Felicity certainly doesn’t seem to want us here, and I’d rather not feel beholden to her.”

Samantha chanced another glance toward the blonde and shivered, feeling a cold chill go through her.

She couldn’t remember ever being the recipient of such venomous glares. “What did we ever do to deserve those icy daggers? As much as we thought we were doing her a favor by inviting her on our outing, she seems to begrudge us now.”

“I believe her resentment, dear friend, has something to do with the contract your father dreamt up.”

Once again sliding her eyes askance toward the one who, by some strange turn of events, had become something of a nemesis to each of them, Samantha could think of no other reason for the change in the woman. “You mean because you have Colton and she doesn’t. As
if
she ever stood a chance with my brother.”

“I don’t
have
Colton,” Adriana corrected in an emphatic whisper. “He’s very much his own man.”

“Well, if I’m able to read anything from Felicity’s glares, I’d be inclined to say that everybody else believes you do, and she’s hearing their gossip.”

“Then
everybody
is wrong. Now let’s go upstairs before I become vexed with your constant insistence that Colton and I are as good as betrothed. And while I’m speaking my mind, I wish you wouldn’t talk so freely about my having his children in his presence. I’m sure it embarrasses him as much as it does me.

”

“Doubtful,” his sister rejoined, following Adriana into the inner hall. “I don’t think anything embarrasses him. More likely than not, seeing the world as part of an army of men has made him impervious to almost everything.”

Pausing on the bottom step of the stairs, Adriana turned on her friend in a bit of a huff. “If
he
is, then
I
most certainly am not, and if you insist upon carrying on with such talk, henceforth I shall refuse to go anywhere with you while Colton is present. So I urge you, Samantha, stop trying to prod him into marrying me. If he doesn’t lose his temper, then I surely shall.”

Casually dismissing the younger woman’s threat with a shrug of her slender shoulders, Samantha glanced everywhere but at her companion. “You’re just being overly sensitive about it, that’s all.”

Heaving a frustrated sigh over what she had come to consider a careless disregard for propriety, Adriana managed a subdued retort. “I could say
you’re
being
overly insensitive
, my dear, but I doubt
that
would do any good.”

Samantha flicked a brief sidelong glance at her friend and then looked back a second time almost as quickly. Upon closer inspection, she began to giggle as she stared intently at the tip of Adriana’s nose. “I do believe Felicity’s glare has left its mark on you or else, you naughty girl, you’ve been playing in the soot. Whether you’re aware of it or not, you’ve acquired a dark smudge on your nose. I hope it isn’t your
witchy
temper evidencing itself again.”

In sudden consternation, Adriana glanced down at her gloved hand and discovered the leather near her fingertips now bore a dark blotch of ink. She remembered the guest book lying open on a table near the front door and could only believe the elderly lady who had entered before them had accidentally smeared ink on the pen. Stripping off her gloves, she whispered urgently, “Hurry, wipe off the smudge before someone else sees it and thinks I

’ve grown a wart or something worse on my nose.”

“Warts go right along with being witchy, you know,” Samantha teased, her eyes dancing.

Adriana sighed in exasperation. “Are you going to play the simple-pated buffoon or will you be cooperative for a change?”

Once again, Samantha’s slender shoulders moved upward in placid response. “I don’t have anything with which to wipe it off.”

Adriana cast her eyes briefly upward as if passionately praying for patience, and then, mutedly issuing a mutter about
some testy individuals,
hurriedly searched through her heavily bejeweled handbag for her own dainty, lace-trimmed handkerchief. “Getting back to what we were discussing a moment ago,
Lady
Burke,
this courtship was not your brother’s idea. It was forced upon him. You’ll only give him more reason to resent it if you persist with your suggestive comments about my having his baby. If you
do not
desist, he just might be tempted to leave Randwulf Manor as he did before.”

“Bah! ‘Tis time Colton marries whether
he
realizes it or not. He’s not getting any younger, you know, and if he intends to sire a dynasty, he’d better get started instead of merely thinking about it. He just may lose the opportunity. Which reminds me, I’ve heard that Lord Harcourt is having his personal chambers enlarged to include a lavish bathing room. The gossips are nearly beside themselves, thinking he’s planning on getting married and not telling anyone.” Samantha leveled a suspicious squint upon her friend. “Would you happen to know anything about that?”