“Come along then, children,” Derek teased. “This is a lovely afternoon for a concert. Egad! I’m really going to a day concert—and as chaperon, to boot.” He walked out the door, shaking his head comically.
Nicholas would have stolen a word with Regina, but cousin Clare made that impossible, her critical eye never leaving them for a moment. He sighed, hoping Derek would be able to arrange something for him later.
Regina seemed in uncommonly good spirits during the ride to Vauxhall Gardens, keeping up a steady flow of nonsensical chatter with her cousins. Was it nerves or was she really so happy? He enjoyed watching her. Was she really pleased about the marriage? Why had she told her uncles she wanted him? Whyhim?
Reggie was astonished by Nicholas’ friendliness. After being told how many times he had refused to marry her before finally giving in, she’d expected bitterness, even anger. Why was he so warmly accepting? It couldn’t be the land, could it? It wasn’t at all flattering to know it had taken a piece of land to sway him. Tony bellowed that he’d been bought. But Tony hadn’t yet seen the way Nicholas Eden looked at her.Washe bought? And why had he fought so hard against the marriage, then given in?
He must want her; the way his eyes smoldered told her he did. Really, it was shameful the way he looked at her, and he did it even in front of her cousins. She’d seen Clare’s shocked expression and Derek’s amused one. But Nicholas didn’t seem to be aware of what he was doing. Or was he doing it intentionally, to embarrass her? Was his amiability being faked? His desire for her wasn’t faked, she was sure of that.
They left the carriage and walked along a flowered path, music growing louder as they neared the large area where an orchestra was set up. Nicholas was looking at Derek so intensely that the younger man finally got the message and hurried Clare ahead of them to buy pastries from the vendors circulating through the audience. Reggie laughed as Derek pulled his cousin along against her protests.
The moment he could, Nicholas whisked her off the pathway and behind a large tree. They were not alone. They were shielded from the crowd of people ahead, but not from those still coming up along the path. But it was secluded enough for a few private words.
He had his chance. She was backed up against the tree, his arms braced on each side of her, a captive audience, forced to listen to his every word. She looked up at him expectantly, and he thought,Hate me, woman. Despise me. Don’t marry me. It was all there in his mind to say, but he lost himself in her eyes.
Without even realizing he was doing it, he bent his head and touched his lips to hers, feeling the petal softness, the sweetness as her lips opened. Fire rushed through him, and he leaned into her, pressing her between him and the tree. Yet even this wasn’t close enough. He needed to be closer….
“Lord Montieth, please,” she managed, gasping. “We can be seen.”
He leaned slightly away, just far enough that he could see her face.
“Don’t be so formal, love. You are entitled to call me by my given name, don’t you think?”
Did she hear bitterness in his voice? “You don’t…whydid you agree to marry me?”
“Why did you want me to?” he snapped.
“It seemed the only solution.”
“You could have brazened it out.”
“Brazened it—? Why should I have to? I warned you what would happen if we were found out.”
“You were joking!” he reminded her harshly.
“Well, yes, because I didn’t think wewouldbe discovered. Oh, I don’t want to argue. What’s done is done.”
“No it’s not,” he said tightly. “You can break the engagement.”
“Why would I want to do that?”
“Because you don’t want to marry me, Regina,” he said in a soft, almost threatening voice. “You don’t want to.” Then he smiled tenderly, his eyes caressing her face. “You want to be my lover instead, for I will love you to distraction.”
“For a time, my lord?” she asked curtly.
“Yes.”
“And then we’ll go our separate ways?”
“Yes.”
“That won’t do.”
“I will have you, you know,” he warned her.
“After we are married, yes.”
“We won’t marry, love. You will come to your senses long before the wedding day. But I will have you anyway. You know we are inevitable, don’t you?”
