“But you have not yet told me why you came.”
“You know very well.” She turned away, but he did not relinquish his grip on her hand.
“An honest answer, an you please, my lady.”
“I was coming this way, at all events. I go to Ashleigh to—er, to visit Mr. Neville Falcon.”
“I wonder Miss Katrina did not accompany you. She is said to be most fond of her papa.” Naomi disdaining to respond to this provocation, he suggested, “It might be as well to tell your coachman you have changed your mind again.” She frowned at him, and he pointed out, “You just gave orders that he was to take you back to Town.”
“Oh. A—er, slip of the tongue, is all.”
“My grandmama used to say one should not tell fibs, else one’s mouth will become crooked.” His fingertip drifted across her lips.
Determined not to shiver, she twisted her mouth grotesquely.
With a low laugh he said, “If you make your lips so kissable, dear heart, they will surely be kissed.”
At this, she trembled, and ducked her head.
He murmured, “Naomi… Beloved—look at me.”
She raised her eyes, met his own, and was lost. “I am… so afraid,” she whispered.
Disregarding the possibility that the coachman would see them, or that Maggie might very well be watching from the window, Gideon pulled her into his arms. She clung to him, her cheek pressed against his cravat.
“Afraid forus,my lovely sprite?”
“Yes. No. I do not know, but— Oh, Gideon, I have such a dreadful fear that—that something terrible lies ahead! I think I could not bear it if—”
His hand was under her chin again, tilting up her face. His eyes adoring her, he asked, “If—what?”
Tears gemmed her lashes. She said threadily, “You have suffered so much. If aught were to happen to you…”
Exultant, he cried, “Then you do still care for me! Praise heaven! I have not lost you! How I dreamed of bringing you here to Tranquillity Terrace and—”
An arrow seemed to pierce her. Unutterably shocked, her eyes opened very wide. She pushed against him trying to wrench free, a sob of mingled pain and rage escaping her. “Oh, but you are vile! Vile! And I am a stupid, trusting fool! Howdareyou use that name in front of me, when you and your horrid lightskirt—”
His hands gripped her arms like steel bands. Without the faintest sign of remorse, he said, “My, how the gossips have gabbled! Sweet, foolish little one—do you not yet know?”
“I know I will not love you again,” she sobbed, scattering tears, and with her lips trembling pathetically. “Iwillnot let you hurt me again! You are… are without conscience or decency! Womanizing all over Europe… and w-with children in… in every port!”
“Oh, egad,” he groaned. “I had forgot about my children.”
“Forgot!”Appalled, she gulped, “Infamousbrute! I only hope—”
“Be quiet,” he said very softly.
Really, the command was redundant, for she could not utter a word with his lips crushing her own. For three whole seconds she tried to fight him, but once again, her resistance was overborne and she drifted with abandoned delight through a time that might have been a second or an hour, until Rossiter sighed and drew back.
Dazed, she opened her eyes. His cheek was against her hair. His arms, so strong, so dear, still cradled her. She uttered a whimper of frustration. She had weakened again! Despising herself, she pounded one small fist against his chest, and moaned feebly, “I hate you, Gideon Rossiter!”
He chuckled. “If that was a demonstration of your hatred, you may hate me forever. And indeed, were I as base as you believe, I’d scarce blame you.”
Pulling back her head, she looked up at him searchingly.
He wiped away a tear very gently. “Have younonotion of how much I love you? Can you really suppose that with your precious image always in my heart, I could really care for any other lady?”
“But—” she began, uncertain but yearning to be convinced.
