Vexed by a Viscount (9 page)

She glanced around, unable to shake the unease in her belly. The trees effectively blocked them from sight from the main road, giving the illusion of isolation. “Do you know,” she said, forcing a smile, “it’s a little chilly out of the sunshine like this. Perhaps we could turn around and go back to the clearing?”

He ignored her completely, setting the brake and securing the reins as if she’d never spoken. When he was done, he turned fully toward her, his pale blue gaze openly traveling down her front and back up again. “Never fear. I shall keep you plenty warm.”

At the very words, her blood seemed to run a little colder in her veins. What was she to do? Her parents had never prepared her for a situation such as this. Mama had personally delivered Prudence into his carriage, for heaven’s sake.

Jeffries reached beneath her chin and untied the ribbons of her bonnet before tossing it aside. She felt more naked and exposed than she ever had in her life, including the day she had been caught in the lake.

“Squire Jeffries—”

He pressed a finger to her lips, shocking her into silence. The smell of leather and old tobacco made her want to turn away, but his hold was firm. “When we are alone like this, you may call me Hubert. But right now, I don’t want you to talk at all.”

Before she could protest—or formulate any response at all—he removed his hand and claimed her mouth in a hard kiss. He pressed his full weight against her, squashing her lips against her teeth and forcing her to pucker out of self-preservation.

This was all so very, very wrong. Everything inside of her rebelled against his touch, and against his kiss. She leaned back, but the hard seat behind her was unforgiving, leaving her with nowhere to go. Panic rose up inside her. She was trapped. Pinned like a butterfly in an entomologist’s shadowbox.

On instinct alone, she began to struggle, desperate to escape his hold.

He chuckled against her lips, but didn’t relent. Was he
enjoying
her discomfort? She pushed at his shoulder, but he only leaned into her more. His hands seemed to be everywhere, skimming along her arms, her hip, her side. When his left hand landed squarely over her bosom, she panicked and wrenched herself sideways, upsetting their precarious position in the high perch phaeton.

He grunted then cursed, rearing back to catch his balance. The loss of the weight of his body meant she was suddenly without the resistance, and before she could so much as squeak, she tumbled head over heels out of the carriage and landed with a teeth-jarring thump on the muddy ground beneath them.

“What the devil is wrong with you?” he growled, scowling down at her before bounding to the ground. He stalked around to her side of the carriage, his steps as aggravated as his breathing. “Are you trying to get yourself killed? You foolish, foolish girl.”

Prudence lay there, stunned by both the impact and his words. Her right leg ached, her side felt thoroughly bruised, and her right wrist throbbed more and more with every beat of her heart.

“I’m sorry,” she gasped, twisting around into a sitting position and cradling her injured wrist. It wasn’t nearly so wounded as her heart. She had trusted this man, for heaven’s sake! She had agreed to marry him, and he had just forced himself on her like a mindless beast.

He looked down on her, shaking his head. “I hadn’t pegged you as the type to overreact, but clearly I was mistaken. I won’t have you suffering the vapors every time we engage in such activities.” Sighing as though thoroughly exasperated, he held out his hand. “Come, my sweet. Let me help you up.”

The
vapors
? Was the man delusional? She hadn’t suffered a fit of the vapors; she’d fought him like a cornered fox. And now, as she sat shaken and hurt in the mud, all he could do was lecture her?

As much as she wanted to slap his hand away, she didn’t wish to make things any worse. Besides, with the amount of pain she was in, she needed the help. Reluctantly extending her left hand, she allowed him to help her up. Once righted, she lifted her chin, happy for once that he was the same height as her. “I’m afraid I have done something to my wrist. Would you be so kind as to return me home so I may see to it?”

In any other circumstance, she might have cried from the pain, but something told her not to show him any weakness. Not to reveal the depth of her upset and pain.

Sighing once more with annoyance, he nodded. “Fine, I suppose I must.”

She was forced to accept his assistance again in order to get back up into her seat. Her skin crawled where he cupped her elbow, and at the last second he gave her rear a sound pat.

Settling onto the seat beside her, he took up the reins as though he hadn’t a care in the world. “For future reference,” he said, setting the horses back into motion, “I do enjoy a bit of spunk in a woman. But there’s no need to be quite so enthusiastic. Relax a bit, next time, and know that I’m in control.”

He looked to her pointedly, obviously awaiting her response. Sitting up as straight as she could manage, she gave a single, dignified nod. She pulled her wrist close to her chest, wanting to protect both her limb and her heart.

It had been a mistake to agree to marry him, but what could she do now? The contract was signed. If she backed out—a prospect that was almost impossible to fathom—he would have the right to sue for her entire dowry.

Her parents would never forgive her for disobeying their edict to marry him. The scandal would never leave her. And her prospects for a future marriage and subsequent children would be destroyed.

The squire had been clever to wait until now to show his true colors. For all intents and purposes, she was as good as married to him already.

T
he last thing Ash expected to see today was Prudence riding along with Squire Jeffries in his handsome high perch phaeton, her bonnet askew and her gown liberally coated in mud.

He pulled back on his mount’s reins, watching wide-eyed as they approached. He realized at the last second that the squire had no intention of slowing down to speak with him, and he hurriedly backed his horse up a few steps to make way. In that brief moment as they rushed by him, his gaze caught with Prudence’s, and the distress he saw there stole his breath.

What the devil was going on?

He wheeled around to set off after them, but thought better of it at the last moment. They were turning into her parents’ drive, and whatever was going on would only be exasperated by his presence. No, it was much better to wait until Jeffries took his leave, then Ash could hopefully gain an audience with her alone in the garden.

The wait was interminable, but at long last the squire reappeared on the drive, going much faster than he should have. The precarious vehicle barely took the corner upright before he cracked his whip and sped away toward town.

Not wasting any time, Ash urged his mount toward his neighbor’s house, anxious to know that Pru was all right. When he arrived in the courtyard, the door opened and the butler came out to greet him, his features drawn and serious. “Good day, my lord. I’m afraid Mr. Landon is out for the afternoon. Shall I tell him you called?”

Ash nodded, deciding not to contradict the man’s assumption. “Yes, that would be appreciated. I wonder, since I am already here, are Mrs. and Miss Landon accepting callers? I did so enjoy visiting at dinner the other night.”

The butler’s mouth tightened, and he gave a little bow. “Allow me to inquire. If you’d follow me, my lord.”

Ash dutifully trailed behind the man. When they reached the drawing room, he cooled his heels while the butler went to speak with the lady of the house. It was all Ash could do not to pace. He couldn’t get the way Prudence had looked out of his mind. What had happened? Was it a fall, or something more serious that had muddied her gown and dimmed the sparkle in her eyes?

After a few minutes, the servant returned, his face a little pale. “I’m afraid the family is indisposed at the moment, my lord.”

Blast.
He really didn’t want to leave, but what could he do? He had no right to insist they see him, no matter how worried he was. Having no choice but to retreat, he dipped his head in acknowledgement and headed for the door. As he collected his horse from the waiting groom, he glanced up to the second-story windows, holding out hope that he would somehow catch a glimpse of her. To his surprise, she was there, holding aside the curtain as she looked down on him.

He waited until the groom headed back to the stables, looked around to make sure he wasn’t being watched, then looked back up at her. She gave a small, tight smile and lifted a hand in greeting. Looking around one more time, he pointed in the direction of the garden. She shook her head, then looked behind her as though she might not be alone.

He needed to know what was going on. None of this sat well with him at all. An idea came to him, and he held up all ten fingers for a moment, then two fingers.
Twelve o’clock.
He pointed to her, then to himself, then finally the garden.

She hesitated, gave a slight nod, then hurried away from the window. He would see her tonight. It was a long time to wait, but it was better than nothing. He’d already spent the last several hours thinking about what the devil was going on between them. He still couldn’t answer the question. All he knew was that he cared about her, and he wished for her to be happy.

His happiness was important too, of course, but he had much more control over his life than she did hers. Mounting up, he turned his horse’s nose toward the drive and headed home. It seemed once more he’d be seeing her by the light of the moon.

***

“T
he doctor is on his way.”

Prudence turned from the window and nodded. “Thank you, Mama. I know it is an inconvenience, but it really does hurt dreadfully.”

Her mother made a noncommittal noise beneath her breath, eyeing Prudence as though trying to solve a puzzle. “Tell me again what happened this morning. I don’t understand how one simply falls out of a carriage. You can be awkward and clumsy at times, but this is a feat even for you.”

That had been the squire’s explanation as he escorted her inside.
We had stopped to admire the wildflowers, and she leaned too far over and tumbled out.
Prudence had kept her teeth behind her tongue, knowing better than to contradict him to his face. She was still reeling from what had really happened, and she had no intention of incurring his anger.

Drawing a fortifying breath, she went to the little sitting area by the fire and settled onto the settee. “It was a rather distressing incident, I’m afraid. Mama,” she said, looking to her mother imploringly, “may I speak plainly with you?”

Interest sparked in her mother’s eyes. She came and took a seat opposite Prudence and nodded, folding her thin hands neatly in her lap. “Of course you may. What is it?”

“The squire. He . . .” She trailed off. Heavens, there was no easy way to say this. “He took liberties while we were stopped. It was all very distressing. I tried to fend off his advances, and that’s how I tumbled from the carriage.”

Two spots of color rose on her mother’s otherwise pale cheeks. She pressed her eyes closed, clearly distressed. Prudence’s heart rose. Having her mother in her corner meant the world to her.

“What is the matter with you, child?”

Prudence jerked upright, startled by the reprimand. “I-I beg your pardon?”

Distress pinched her mother’s features as her cheeks deepened in color. She looked embarrassed and miserable and so terribly disappointed that it took Prudence’s breath away.

“You will be his wife in a matter of days,” she said, her voice an imploring whisper. “Of course he might expect a little more . . .
freedom
with your person. What is the matter with you, fighting him off like some sort of strong-willed child?”

Mortification swamped Prudence. The chastisement stung like a slap to her conscience. “But . . . he was so very
insistent
. He kissed me, and touched me against my wishes.” The unfairness of her mother’s reaction made her say more than she wanted, but she needed Mama to understand why she had felt the need to stand up for herself.

A bit of sympathy softened her mother’s eyes, and she leaned forward and patted Prudence’s knee. All the while, her cheeks burned a violent pink. “When it is your wedding night, you’ll see that what happened today was simply part of what goes on between a man and his wife.”

She cleared her throat, obviously uncomfortable, but carried on anyway. “You were unprepared, is all. Now you will know more of what to expect, and it won’t seem so alarming. Just be still and allow him to carry on, and everything will be all right.”

Surely she wasn’t being serious. This type of behavior couldn’t possibly be the norm. “But I don’t like the way it made me feel. It felt
wrong
.” Prudence had always done what was asked of her, but this seemed to be going too far.

“Of course it did. That is the natural reaction for a gently raised woman. The female is charged with keeping herself chaste until marriage, and it’s hard to let go of that. In time, I suspect you will find a measure of enjoyment in the act.” She stood up abruptly, her face still shockingly pink. “And that is all that we need say on the matter. You may stay up here and rest, and I’ll show the doctor up when he arrives.”

Prudence swallowed past her disappointment and nodded. The fierce throbbing of her wrist was secondary to the emotional pain right now. Was what happened this morning really so expected? Did every woman feel that way about her husband’s advances?

No, she was sure that wasn’t true. She had seen Ash’s step-brother and his wife together. They were in love, clearly and obviously so, and they seemed to always want to be in each other’s company. Perhaps if there was love or even just physical attraction, that would make things different.

She thought of Ash, and her acute desire to be kissed by him last night. If she felt that way about her future husband, she wouldn’t need to be forced into anything. She exhaled and leaned against the comfortable cushions of the settee, cradling her wrist against her middle.