To Tame a Highland Earl (39 page)

“
You know Val. As serious
as usual.”

Erroll nodded. He knew.

“
He was in very good
spirits,” she said. “Unlike most young men, he didn’t romanticize
the war.”

“
He wouldn’t,” Erroll
said.

“
He actually wrote me while
he was away.”

Erroll looked at her in surprise. “I didn’t
know you two were close.”

“
We
were…friends.”

“
Friends?” he
repeated.

She smiled. “Incestuous, I know. But after
Glen died and you left…” she shrugged. “Val was a very charming
man.”

Erroll wasn’t sure what to think. “Did you
care for him?”

“
You can’t be jealous,” she
said with a laugh. “You and I cared for one another, but I had no
illusions where you were concerned.”

“
You are ever practical,”
he said. And she would be, for he had made it plain there would be
nothing beyond the sweet friendship they shared. They’d grown up
together, shared a first kiss, then she’d married only to lose her
husband early on in the war. Erroll had been there, comforted her,
worshiped her body, then went off to do his part in the war. It was
grossly unfair that of the three men she had cared for, he was the
only one who returned.

“
Would you like to read the
letter?”

Erroll started from his thoughts. “Good God,
no.”

“
It’s not personal, at
least not as personal as you might think.”

“
It is better I do
not.”

She was silent for a moment, then said, “Are
you certain?”

He nodded and said nothing, could get no
words past the lump in his throat.

As always, she understood, and said, “Your
wife is lovely.”

“
She is,” he
agreed.

“
Are you happy with
her?”

Erroll laughed. “It would be more appropriate
to ask if she is happy with me.”

“
Is she?”

“
Not completely,” he
replied.

Rebecca laughed. “No woman is completely
happy with a man. But what is that in a marriage?”

He cast her a sideways glance. “Is it any
wonder I avoided marriage so determinately?”

“
Perhaps not,” she said,
and rose.

He followed suit, placed her hand in the
crook of his arm and started back toward the ballroom.

“
You do not seem unhappy,”
she said.

“
One could say I’m not
unhappy,” he replied, and walked with her the rest of the way in
silence.

*****

Lord Rushton had been wrong to warn her about
the party and his relatives. Eve was charmed by each and every one
of them, even the brother who had barged in on her and Grace on the
ship. The warm welcome included orders to whip Lord Rushton should
he misbehave—Eve knew all too well what they meant by misbehave—and
downright coarse suggestions on how to make the most of their
wedding celebration once alone in his bed. Through it all, in the
back of Eve’s head echoed the words, “I wondered who would catch
him.”

The marchioness and his sister had kept Eve
so busy that she’d had no time alone with the earl. She wondered if
he was getting as many lurid suggestions as she was. Lord, he
didn’t need any help seducing her. Though the way he’d been acting
since their marriage had become official made her wonder if he
intended to.

“
Oh dear,” Olivia’s voice
broke into her thoughts. “Surely Marshall is not headed into the
hallway with Hilary?”

Eve followed her gaze across the ballroom and
spotted Hilary leaving with a young man. “Does not that hallway
lead to the sitting room?” Eve asked.

“
It does, but if you go
beyond the sitting room, you can very quickly find privacy. In
fact, they need not find a room to have privacy. There are private
alcoves throughout the corridors.”

Eve certainly understood the dangers of a
woman alone with a man in an alcove. “Would the young man take
advantage of her?”

“
Marshall is a good boy,”
Olivia said, “but he fancies himself in love with her, and Hilary
is already too accustomed to male attention.”

Olivia’s gaze shifted and her eyes widened
and she blurted, “Goodness.”

“
What is it?” Eve demanded,
then saw for herself what had startled her. Lord Rushton—her
husband—was entering the ballroom from the balcony with a very
beautiful woman on his arm.

Eve’s heart jumped to a gallop. Married less
than a day—he had yet to consummate the marriage---and already he
was fraternizing with other women?

“
It isn’t what it looks
like,” Olivia said. “Erroll and Rebecca are childhood friends. I am
certain they were just visiting.”

Eve had the distinct impression Olivia was
using the word ‘friends’ loosely, but said in a level voice.

Lord Rushton abruptly left the lady and
hurried through the crowd. Eve couldn’t tear her eyes from him. He
moved with lethal grace. She was reminded of a panther stalking the
Serengeti. He entered the hallway where Eve realized Hilary had
disappeared with the young man.

“
Oh dear,” Olivia fretted.
“I believe he saw Hilary with Marshall. I wish Angela were here. If
Rush finds Hilary misbehaving he’ll take her over his knee without
hesitation.”

And heaven help the boy if the panther
catches him.

“
Perhaps I had better go
see if there is any mischief.” Olivia looked at her. “Will you be
all right on your own?”

“
I think I prefer to
accompany you.”

“
Eve, there is no
need—”

“
You shall not talk me out
of it,” Eve cut in. “I wouldn’t miss this for the
world.”

Olivia hesitated, but didn’t argue, and they
made their way through the crowd as quickly as was possible. They
finally reached the sitting room, but found neither Lord Rushton
nor Hilary, and Eve followed Olivia into the hallway.

“
I don’t hear any screams,”
Eve said when they’d gone a little ways.

“
Rush might have bound and
gagged her.”

“
Is he predisposed to tying
women up and beating them?”

“
There’s no telling what a
man is capable of when he thinks a woman is acting
improperly.”

Eve made no comment.

They turned a corner and muffled voices
sounded from a room ahead. Olivia hurried forward. They reached the
room and, without knocking, Olivia opened the door. Lord Rushton
stood with Hilary and the young man.

The earl turned. “Olivia, Eve. Good, perhaps
you two can talk sense into this girl.” He glanced at the young
man. “I will deal with Marshall.”

“
I can’t believe you are
taking me to task,” Hilary said.

“
I swear, I will send you
to a convent,” he said.

Eve recalled her father making that same
threat to Grace.

“
You aren’t my guardian,”
Hilary shot back.

“
Do not doubt that your
mother will obey me,” he said. “If your brother were here he would
marry you off to the first man foolish enough to have you. That is
exactly what I should do—and Davis will thank me when he
returns.”

“
I am no more ready to
marry than you are, Rush.”

His expression turned stony. “You forget
yourself, Lady Hilary.”

She sent a startled glance Eve’s way, then
ire flashed in her eyes as she said in a petulant voice, “I did not
mean any insult to your wife, but I wager she knows the truth.”

“
But you know nothing,” he
snapped. “Marshall, take yourself from Ravenhall. If you wish to
pay your addresses to Lady Hilary, you will see me or my father—but
not until you are at least five years older. By God, you are all of
nineteen.”

“
Twenty, my
lord.”

“
As if that is any better,”
he muttered.

Marshall drew himself up. “I will see you at
dawn, my lord.”

“
Do not flatter yourself. I
won’t shoot you. But I will beat you senseless should you again
allow Hilary to bamboozle you into being more than five feet
distance from a chaperone.”

“
I understand.”

“
I doubt that,” the earl
said, but waved him off. “Pay your respects to my wife and sister,
then go home.”

The young man murmured congratulations to
Eve, bowed to Olivia, then left.

The door had barely clicked shut when Hilary
said, “It isn’t as if I let him make love to me.”

“
That would have gotten you
two married,” Lord Rushton snapped. “Have you no shame? He is a
good man. You were wrong to toy with him.”

“
You toy with women all the
time.”

Disapproval flashed in his eyes. “I wonder
how you might hear of such things.”

“
Do not be so tiresome,”
she said. “Mull may not be Edinburgh, but your exploits reach us on
a daily basis.”

“
I wager by the time gossip
reaches Mull there is little if any truth left—and I am sure you
exaggerate.”

She eyed Eve and Eve saw the wheels turning
in the girl’s head. Olivia must have seen it as well, for she said,
“Hilary, stop being a brat.”

“
Perhaps Lady Hilary would
like to repeat the gossip she’s heard?” Eve said.

“
Eve, I think—”

“
There is no reason to
avoid it,” Eve cut him off. “I happen to agree. Gossip seldom
resembles the truth. Gossip that might spring up tonight,
even.”

Lord Rushton’s brow furrowed, then she read
understanding in his eyes.

“
You of all people know how
gossip laughs in the face of truth,” he said.

Eve canted her head in acknowledgement. “Lady
Hilary is your family, so there’s no reason she cannot know the
truth.” Eve looked at her before Lord Rushton could reply. “What
did you hear?”

The girl cast the earl a skeptical look, but
he remained quiet and she said, “We heard that Rush first
compromised your sister.”

“
That part,” Eve said, “is
absolutely untrue.”

The girl seemed unconvinced, but went on.
“Then we heard he was caught in bed with you in your room.”

“
True,” Eve said, “but he
was not there to make love to me. Quite the contrary, he had come
to my bedchamber to find out why he’d been falsely accused of
compromising Grace. It was a bad move on his part, but nothing
happened. What else?”

“
You went to Gretna with
another man.”

“
That is all?”

“
The details are sordid,”
Hilary said.

“
They always are. The fact
is, Lord Halifax abducted me and Lord Rushton came to my rescue.” A
strange feeling rippled through Eve.

Hilary’s brows rose. “Rush rescued you?”

“
He did.”

“
Then you were on an
unchaperoned voyage together.”

“
My coachman Oscar was
there, as was Grace, and Lord Somerset. We were far from
alone.”

“
Sounds highly irregular,”
Hilary said.

“
It was, but still, the
rumor implies we were living in sin.” They had come close, if Eve
were honest.

“
Well, then you came here
and were married,” Hilary said. “Though you had an irregular
marriage.”

“
Why not?” Eve laughed. “It
was an irregular courtship.”

“
Courtship?” Lord Rushton
said.

Eve looked at him. “Am I incorrect, my
lord?”

Humor warmed his eyes. “I would say you are
absolutely correct.”

Eve knew full well she was correct, but had
no idea what that meant.

Eve had never been so tired in all her life.
The festivities had continued until three in the morning.
Apparently anyone who was anyone wanted to say they had attended
the marquess’ son’s wedding party. Despite the fact the party had
been her wedding celebration, she’d enjoyed herself more than any
party she had ever attended in London, until, that was, she’d
realized that tonight had been a glimpse into the future.

Other than their meeting upon her arrival and
their time with Hilary, she and Lord Rushton had barely spoken to
one another. Eve had glimpsed him throughout the night, laughing,
drinking, and even escorting ladies onto the dance floor. And then
there was the lady he’d spent time with on the balcony.

Eve sank down on the bed. She had no chance
of winning in this situation. Lord Rushton was his father’s son.
The marquess had shown the utmost respect for his wife, but they
had spent no more time together than had she and the earl, and Eve
would wager the marquess kept a mistress. After all, he had kept a
mistress who had born him two children: Ash and Olivia. Their
mother was long dead, but it was well known that the marquess had
loved her. What would Eve do when Lord Rushton finally fell in love
with another woman? For he would—despite his best efforts. Everyone
fell in love.

Eve couldn’t find it in herself to cry. He
had practically made love to her while their families waited, then
told her he had no intention of living the life of a saint.

She didn’t bother removing her gown, but
crawled to the head of the bed and curled up on top of the blanket.
What would the marquess and marchioness of Rushton think of their
son’s wife staying at Ravenhall?

*****

Erroll stared down at his wife, half aroused
at the sight of her curled up on her side, her hands tucked beneath
her cheek. The fire had dimmed and he’d tossed more logs into the
hearth. The room would soon grow warm, but she might have already
taken a chill. He knew just how to remedy that. By the time Erroll
undressed and slipped beneath the blanket beside her he’d developed
a cockstand that wasn’t going to be put off for long. He turned on
his side and propped his head on an elbow, then traced her cheek
with a finger. She drew in a deep breath that lifted her breasts.
His eyes riveted onto the slow fall of the full mounds.