Page 63 of Only Scandal Will Do

“You now believe I am not the same as when we met?”

She laced her fingers through his, unable to keep from smiling. “If you had truly been that man, Duncan, you would have abandoned me long ago for some other woman. Neither would you have cared about my refusal on our wedding night. I should have realized, but I was too angry.”

“About losing to me?”

“That was not the problem.” She forced herself to look into his eyes. “I had just been given evidence you were an unrepentant rake and had no sort of tender feelings for me.” The shocked look on his face summoned guilt for her actions that night. Ashamed of what she’d said, how she’d hurt him, she couldn’t bear to face him and lowered her gaze. “Jack had received information that made me believe you wanted me only because no one else would marry you and give you an heir.” Would that he had kept it to himself.

Duncan shook his head and squeezed her hand. “Nothing could have been farther from the truth, sweetheart. Since the night at Braeton’s ball, I could think of no one but you. I tried to show you that.”

She raised her head and gave him a small, rueful smile. “You made it extremely difficult for me to dislike you.”

His grin flashed. “I have been more agreeable in the past two months than in my entire life, I believe.” He chuckled. “Just ask Juliet or Tommy. I’ve rarely cared whether people liked me or not.” His eyes grew darker, warmer. “Until I met you, my dear. You led me a merry chase until I feared never to catch you.” Frown lines appeared on his brow. “But why now, my...Katarina?” The name came with difficulty, but was said with satisfaction.

His hesitation tugged at her heart and she felt a rush of unexpected intimacy at the sound of her name on his lips. “From the night we met, Duncan, I have been afraid to trust you. Your words then were so convincing, your manner so kind and considerate that I was completely taken in. Once you made that outrageous proposition, and I knew you had duped me, I felt more betrayed than ever before in my life. The seduction was so effortless, so uncaring.” She glanced away as tears threatened. “I was ashamed that I responded to it, to you. And I knew I could never believe anything you said, because it wouldn’t be true at all.”

“Oh, Katarina.”

She couldn’t look at him, didn’t know how to go on. Then she was scooped into his arms, crushed against his chest. He stroked down her back, soothing her as though she were a child.

“Please believe me, love,” he whispered against her hair. “Believe me when I say I love you, Katarina.”

She shivered and a little sigh escaped at the words she’d never dared to trust. “I do believe you, Duncan.”

He eased her down onto the pillows, gaze intent on her face. “But why? Why trust me now, love? Why not two weeks ago, or a month ago?” He traced the line of her jaw with his thumb, a delicious feather-light touch that burned, even as it sent chills throughout her.

“Because I know you better now than I did a month, or even two weeks ago. And…” Her heart filled with wonder every time she thought of what he’d done for her. Like a knight in shining armor rescuing his lady fair. “And because you stopped the ship for me.”

Duncan blinked. “Because I stopped the ship?”

His dumbfounded look made her want to giggle. She wanted to laugh out loud as her newfound joy sent her spirits soaring. “You didn’t have to do it. I didn’t expect you to be able to do it. Jack didn’t even try when we crossed from Virginia, though I begged him to.” The need to giggle fled, replaced by a rush of tender feeling that she finally could admit was love. “You could have left me to suffer alone in this cabin. Many men would have. A callous rake surely would have. But you took care of me, Duncan.” She stretched a hand across the coverlet and grasped his. “You had no expectation from a woman so ill. Yet you stayed. And you stopped the ship.” She squeezed his hand. His sure grip in return was comforting. “I’m still amazed you did it.”

His eyes were dark pools she would willingly drown in. “I could not bear to see you so miserable, love. How could I refuse you when you asked me by name?” Quiet passion suffused his voice. She’d had no idea speaking his name would affect him so. “And after all, it is my ship.”

“But you would have done it even if the ship had not been yours.”

Face flushed in embarrassment, he nodded. “I would do anything for you.”

Content simply to lie there and revel in the sight of him so close, she struggled against the heaviness of her eyelids.

“You need sleep, my love.”

Roused by the endearment, she willed her eyes to remain open, but exhaustion overtook her as she sank back into the pillows.

“But, Katarina.” His mild reproof floated just above her head. With a loving touch, he tucked the blankets snugly around her shoulders. “Why did you not tell me you were plagued by seasickness when we began to make plans for our journey? And how on earth did you ever survive the crossing from Virginia?”

“It got better after the second week,” she mumbled, yawned then sank further under the covers.

“But why didn’t you tell me of this? We could have gone overland.”

“I was afraid...”

“Of what?”

“That you would cancel the trip. That I wouldn’t get to learn the disarm.” Silence. About to drift off, she sensed a presence and cracked open her eyelids.

His face, inches away, filled her world with narrowed eyes and strained lips.

Sleep fled at the sight of his stern countenance and Kat suddenly wished he were not so close.