A Rogue of My Own (19 page)

T
HE WOMAN MADE HIM
crazy! Rupert wondered how the deuce was he going to survive this close proximity to Rebecca. Bloody hell, he still wanted her badly, but he resented being manipulated into marriage by a scheming chit, no matter how desirable he found her. She’d be tempting him every time he turned around, all in supposed innocence. And it would work. There was no way it wouldn’t work when she already tempted him—without even trying.

Rupert stayed in his room until Rebecca’s trunks were removed, and a few minutes longer until he heard a door slam down the hall. She was going to chase him out of his own house. He could see no other solution.

He was halfway down the stairs when his step slowed to a halt. What was he doing? Since when did he choose the cowardly path? She really
was
making him crazy, to jump so quickly on such an easy out. He bloody well had more fortitude than that. And he knew her game plan! He just needed to ignore his immediate instinct for self-preservation long enough to come up with a plan to counter hers.

He was still standing on the stairs when the front door opened and his cousin Raphael Locke and his wife, Ophelia, stepped inside. The damn Season! He’d forgotten how many of his Locke relatives showed up in London at this time of the year. And they all visited his family, of course, some for weeks at a time. His cousin Amanda, Raphael’s sister, was likely to arrive, too, since she was still on the marriage mart. She preferred to stay at his house where she had three likely escorts in him and his brothers, rather than with her own brother, who preferred to stay at home with his wife and young daughter.

Raphael and his wife’s arrival cemented Rupert’s decision. He’d have to stay. He knew how easily Rebecca would insinuate herself into the hearts of his family if he wasn’t around to warn them of her duplicities. She was too adorable and amusing not to. While most men would be appalled to find a female in their family displaying an intelligence that equaled their own, the Lockes and St. Johns didn’t fall into that group.

Still to this day, Rupert was dazzled by Ophelia Locke’s incredible beauty every time he saw her. There was just no getting used to a face that unique. Ophelia and Rebecca would probably have a good deal in common, too—no, that was the old Ophelia he was thinking of. She used to excel at manipulating situations to suit herself, and resorting to lies to do it, just as Rebecca did. Ophelia was a raving beauty, unparalleled in that regard, yet she’d actually not been likable because of those bad qualities. But marriage to Rafe had turned her around completely. There was nothing
not
to like about the Ophelia who’d married his cousin.

“Didn’t expect to find you here, old chap,” Raphael said when he caught sight of Rupert.

Rupert grinned and traversed the remaining steps to join
the couple in the hall. “I try to limit myself to spending the night with only three women a week these days. You’ve caught me on one of my odd days.”

“Was hoping not to catch you a’tall,” Raphael shot back. “Came by to visit with Aunt Julie, anyway, so you can run along.”

Oddly enough, Raphael Locke was only half-joking. He didn’t experience much jealousy over his wife since he had no doubt about her love for him, but Rupert had provoked that jealousy one time too many. It had all been fun and games for Rupert when he’d flirted with Ophelia quite often in those first months of her marriage, but Rafe, who was well aware of his cousin’s skirt-chasing reputation, hadn’t found it the least bit amusing.

“What he meant was, we thought you might still be abed at this hour,” Ophelia said, trying to make Rafe’s dismissal sound a little more amiable.

“Don’t worry, luv”—Rupert winked at Ophelia—“I’m used to his insecurities by now.”

Raphael snorted and, as he marched to the parlor, shouted, “Where are you, Aunt Julie? You need to send that scamp of yours on an errand while I visit.”

Ophelia scolded Rupert lightly, “I know you aren’t serious, and at least you have stopped trying to seduce me at every turn as you used to do. But you really need to let him know you aren’t serious.”

“It was all fun and games, m’dear.”

“Nonsense. You did it just to spark your mother’s ire.”

“That, too.” Rupert grinned.

“And my husband’s.”

Rupert chuckled, “That, too.”

“So it’s time to stop provoking him, don’t you think? I do like visiting your family, but it takes me days to convince Rafe to bring us to town—because of you.”

“Good God,” they heard Raphael exclaim in the other room. “When did that happen?”

Rupert sighed, prompting Ophelia to ask, “Is something wrong?”

“Yes, but then that’s merely my opinion. My mother, on the other hand, probably thinks nothing could be more right with the world. But I’ll let her tell you. She’s probably busting at the seams.”

He extended an arm toward the parlor. Ophelia gave him an annoyed look, then moved ahead of him.

But his mother didn’t keep her in suspense. As soon as Ophelia appeared in the doorway, Julie announced, “Let me be the first to tell you about Rupert’s marriage. He’s found himself such a delightful girl, and they’re already expecting an addition to the family.”

Rupert leaned back against the doorframe and banged his head against the wood. Trust his mother to spill
all
of the beans at once.

Ophelia glanced back at him and, in a tone that was as close as she got to a pout these days, said, “I like weddings. Why weren’t we invited?”

He closed his eyes. “Perhaps because
no
one was supposed to know about it yet.”

“Yes, he wasn’t even going to tell me,” Julie added, though by her wide smile, she wasn’t the least bit upset over that. “But I quite forgive him for it, now that I do know. You must know her, Rafe. She’s a neighbor of yours. She even told me she might have gotten into the family sooner, that she had set her cap for you long ago.”

“Oh?” Ophelia said, raising a brow at her husband.

Raphael blushed slightly. “I’ve no idea whom Aunt Julie is talking about, m’dear. She hasn’t said
whom
he married yet.”

Rupert’s eyes were open wide now. It all came together in his mind—the reason for what Rebecca had set in motion. None of it had anything to do with palace intrigue, and everything to do with her own mercenary agenda. She had really been after marriage all along, one way or another—into the Locke family. He’d merely been her stepping-stone.

I’
M THE BRIDE,” REBECCA
said from the doorway, bringing the room to momentary silence.

She managed not to blush while making such a bold statement. But there was no reason to beat around the bush, especially when she’d caught Raphael’s remark as she approached the room. She should have just retreated when she heard so many voices in the parlor. But she didn’t move into this house to hide. She was there to assure her place in Rupert’s family—for her baby’s sake, and this was a prime opportunity to do that.

Her remark brought every eye in the room to her, including Rupert’s. “You forgot to say
lucky
bride, didn’t you?” Rupert asked in a low voice as he stood beside her.

That was the usual response of a new bride, she supposed, but it definitely didn’t apply to her. “No, I didn’t,” she whispered back with a false smile. “But I managed to withhold the ‘unlucky’ that was on the tip of my tongue. You can thank me later.”

He snorted. She left his side to move farther into the room to join her mother-in-law on one of the brocade sofas. Julie was beaming at her. Raphael was smiling, too, probably having recognized her. Ophelia was the only one giving her a bemused look.

“You look familiar, though a name isn’t coming to me. Haven’t we met?” Ophelia asked finally.

“Yes, not long after you married. I was with my mother when we came to welcome you to the neighborhood.”

“Yes, of course!” Ophelia exclaimed. “Lilly and Rebecca Marshall. I remember now—and that your mother said something that day that sparked my curiosity.”

“Oh?”

“I don’t think she meant for me to hear her. She mumbled rather low just after she was introduced to me, ‘Well, that explains that.’ Perhaps you recall and know what she was talking about? I had a feeling the remark was about me.”

Rebecca burst out laughing, recalling the day they met Ophelia Locke for the first time. Rebecca had understood then how Raphael had succumbed to Ophelia so quickly. The woman was beyond beautiful. There were simply no words to describe it. Lilly had been of the same opinion and summed it up in those few simple words: “Well, that explains that.”

“Indeed, it was about you,” Rebecca said with a grin. “For several years my mother and I had been entertaining the idea that Raphael would make me a fine husband. So when he up and married you, out of the blue, without even a courtship making the rounds, we were quite curious to know why. But we merely had to meet you to understand why any man would have rushed you to the altar, once he gained your favor.”

Ophelia was blushing now at the compliment, but her husband explained, “Oh, our courtship, as unusual as it was, made
all the gossip mills in London. Phelia can tell you about it sometime. Word just hadn’t reached Norford by the time I brought my wife home.” Then he teased Rebecca, “I hope you weren’t too disappointed?”

“Oh, I was devastated, to be sure—for about an hour,” Rebecca teased back, making them laugh before she assured him, “You were merely an ‘idea’ for me, after all. Something not to take seriously, but to look forward to when I came of age. You just married before I got there!”

They all laughed—except Rupert. His scowl was so black he took it straight out of the room before anyone noticed. Rebecca caught it though before he so rudely left her alone with his family. She should have let it go. She should have taken that opportunity to explain things to the Lockes without Rupert giving them his deluded version. But she’d already told Julie the situation, and Julie could tell her relatives if she chose to. Rebecca excused herself and went after Rupert instead.

She didn’t have to go far and followed him down the hall to the room he disappeared into, just catching the door before it closed in her face. She pushed it open. He swung around to pin her with his narrowed, pale blue eyes.

She closed the door behind her before she said, “How typical of you, to leave me to the wolves.”

He snorted at such a ridiculous description of his family. “Save your melodramatics for a gullible audience. You had them in the palm of your hand.”

“Does that excuse your rudeness?”

“My family expects no less of me. Besides, if you failed to notice, Rafe would have been delighted to see me go. Ever since I lusted after his wife, he’s preferred I not be in the same room with her for very long.”

Rebecca gasped. “You didn’t.”

He rolled his eyes. “Of course I did, I and every other man who has ever or will ever clap eyes on her. Most men contain their feelings discreetly. I was just more obvious about it than most.”

Rebecca assumed he was just trying to provoke her. “So this is how it’s going to be? You won’t even stay in the same room with me when your family is visiting?”

He suddenly pressed her back against the wall. “Just how dumb do you think I am, Becca? As your mother would say, ‘That explains that,’ and it does, most clearly.”

She couldn’t say anything for a moment, couldn’t even assimilate what he’d just said. She simply couldn’t handle being this close to him. A wave of heat washed over her. Flutters tickled her belly. She couldn’t get her eyes off the lips that were so close to hers.

“No ready excuse this time?” he continued with enough asperity to snap her eyes up to his.

She’d seen him angry so many times, yet this went quite a ways beyond that. A muscle was even ticking in his cheek. She could almost feel his fury, it was emanating from him so strongly. What the devil had he said?
Think!
She couldn’t. She hadn’t heard a single word since his body had moved in so close, and the wall at her back left her no avenue for escape.

“What are you insinuating now?”

“This isn’t a good time to test my patience. When did you decide to do whatever it would take to get into my family? Before or after Rafe was removed from the top of your list? You picked a lousy second choice, Becca. I will
not
make you a faithful husband, if this farce must continue.”

She sucked in her breath the moment she realized the conclusion he’d drawn. “Are you joking? Your cousin was one of the best catches in all of England, let alone in my neighborhood.
Every lady in Norford had her heart set on him, so why would I be the exception? And I was only thirteen when the idea that he could make me a wonderful husband occurred to my mother and me. But I’d only met him a few times, you know. He probably didn’t remember either occasion. And if you must know, when he married Ophelia I was still only sixteen. I was disappointed, having thought of him as ‘mine’ for three years, but I certainly wasn’t devastated or plotting on his replacement. In fact, I was looking forward to joining the rest of the debutantes for a Season of husband-hunting in London, at least until my mother obtained that appointment at the palace for me.”

“I see you had an excuse ready,” he replied caustically.

She knew immediately that no matter what she said now, he wouldn’t believe her. He wouldn’t even give her the benefit of a little doubt. She was guilty as charged, had used the oldest trick in the book to drag him to the altar. Never mind that he’d done the dragging, she’d apparently manipulated that, too. And he wasn’t even allowing for his own incredible desirability! He thought she’d been after his family, so any member of it would have sufficed.

As usual, he managed to make her as furious as he was. And as had lately been happening, she didn’t keep it to herself and retorted with the biggest thorn she could grasp.

“Nonsense,” she replied, “why would I need an excuse prepared in advance? You’ve already implied that I’m smart enough to lie on the fly. Chew on that, Lord Know-it-all!”

She ducked under one of the arms he had planted on either side of her and rushed out of the room before he could stop her. She was going to cry again. She didn’t even know why this time. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t already made it clear what he thought of her.