Her Secondhand Groom (39 page)

I shall return later today or tomorrow at latest.

Yrs,

Juliet

PS This changes nothing between us. When I return we shall resume our argument precisely where we left off. I’m not close to being satisfied with the outcome. Be warned.

The note slipped from his fingers and fluttered to his feet. Simultaneously the blood in his face made the exact same journey. She’d had every intention to come back that day. She hadn’t given up on him. She’d intended to come back, and he...and he...he told her she couldn’t. “Oh, what a bloody ass I’ve been,” he muttered to himself, raking his hand through his hair.

“
I told you to go after her,” Celia informed him matter-of-factly.

He frowned. She was right, of course. It was he who had done wrong, and now he needed to go claim the woman he loved and bring her back to where she belonged.

Planting a kiss on the top of each of the girls’ heads, Patrick finally understood what Marcus meant, and knew exactly what he needed to do.

Chapter 27

Juliet sighed. She might love spending time with Caroline, but coming downstairs to her dinner tonight had been a mistake. Spotting an empty chair in the corner, she sat down and let her eyes travel from one dancing couple to another. She should have known Caroline’s dinner would end with another impromptu dancing session. Perhaps she could just plead a headache and leave. She frowned. She couldn’t leave. As of earlier this afternoon, she was now a permanent guest of Watson Estate for who knew how long.

Too mortified to explain the situation to her parents and ask them to make room for yet another person in their already cramped cottage, Juliet sought out other lodgings. But all her efforts were to no avail. Everything there was to be rented in the village was owned by one person: Drake. She’d already lived with him as his wife. She could only imagine how beastly he’d be as her landlord. She’d then dressed in the nicest gown at her disposal and had gone to see Mr. Sayas, the owner of the cottage she’d always dreamt of. She’d brought along her bank statement from London, promising to give him that much in cash, then had promised to pay him the rest on a monthly basis. How she’d get the money she wasn’t sure, but she’d get it. Even if she had to sew a dozen dresses a month, she’d get it. She thought Mr. Sayas was actually going to sell it to her, but earlier this afternoon, he sent a note saying unless she could come up with the full amount, he wasn’t interested.

That only left living off the generosity of her friends. And since Drake was more likely to visit Lord Sinclair, the obvious choice was Caroline. Thus her reason for being trapped at another dinner and dancing event hosted by Caroline. Quite frankly, Juliet had no idea why Caroline enjoyed hosting these things so much other than to dance with her own husband. But even that could be done without the guests.

“
May I have this dance?” came a familiar voice.

“
Lord Sinclair,” she greeted. “Surely you don’t wish to dance with me.”

“
Quite the contrary. I do believe I owe you a dance, seeing as how our last dance was interrupted.”

She flashed him a grateful smile. “I’d be honored.”

“
Excellent.” He slowly led her to the middle of the floor, and began moving his feet just enough to pass as an attempt at dancing, but not enough to hurt his leg. “How is your mother faring?”

She misstepped. “Excuse me. She’s doing very well.”

He seemed not to mind her misstep, and continued to dance her around the floor. Though his face was hard to interpret through the scars, his eyes were not. Hundreds of questions swirled in those grey eyes of his. Juliet averted her gaze. She knew what he wanted to know; fortunately, he was too polite to ask.

They danced out the remainder of the song in silence, and just as they were about to part, Lord Sinclair stiffened. “What in tarnation is he doing here?”

Before she could stop herself, Juliet’s traitorous eyes swung around to see the he in question. Disappointment flooded her. “Sir Wallace?”

Lord Sinclair nodded.

A burble of laughter welled up in her throat. “Surely you’ve no reason to be jealous of Sir Wallace.” The man was one of the oddest creatures she’d ever met, clothes laundered and pressed to perfection, impeccable manners, and always counting
something
.

“
You’re right, I have no reason to be jealous of the man, but it doesn’t mean I want him to dance with my wife. Will you excuse me, please?”

Juliet shook her head at his retreating form, and whispered. “Who knew he was so possessive.”

“
All men are possessive of the women they love,” whispered another familiar male voice at her side.

Chills ran down her spine and she stiffened. “Lord Drakely, I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

He stepped in front of her since she hadn’t bothered to turn to face him. “No, I imagine you weren’t,” he admitted. He shoved his hands into his pockets, drawing her attention to his horribly disheveled state of dress. “I was hoping we could talk for a minute.”

“
I’m afraid I don’t have any time just now. I was informed a baronet has recently joined this social and I’d like to dance with him.”

He rolled his eyes. “No you don’t. You just don’t want to dance with me and you think by dancing with Wallace you’ll avoid me.”

“
No. I think by dancing with Sir Wallace I’ll be able to check baronet off my list of dancing partners, and save the poor man from Lord Sinclair’s jealous wrath at the same time. It’s just an added boon that it provides me with a means of escaping you.”

He scowled. “You can dance with him another time. For now, I’d like to talk to you.”

“
But there may not be another time,” she protested, taking a step away from him. “Besides, he needs my intervention now before your friend kills him.”

Drake stepped in front of her, halting her steps. “And what do you plan to do, just go up and ask him for a dance?”

“
If I must,” she said, raising her chin a notch.

He laughed. “An iron will and nerves of steel. Well, my dear, have no fear, your services are no longer needed over there.”

Juliet cast a glance over to the corner, and started. Emma was dancing with her husband, and about ten feet away, Sir Wallace was dancing with Edwina, Lord Watson’s sister who was here for the holidays. Against the wall, Lord Watson stood with wide eyes and a clamped jaw, staring at his sister and her dance partner.

“
I’d say my plan worked,” Drake whispered, placing his hand on the small of Juliet’s back.

“
Your plan?”

He nodded, and took her other hand in his then started dancing to the music. “I knew it would be hard to get you alone, so I brought him to serve as a way to distract your two watchdogs.”

“
Why?”

“
Because I wanted to talk to you.”

“
Why?”

“
Isn’t it obvious?”

“
No.”

He sighed. “Juliet, I’ve come to apologize.”

“
Surely I misunderstood.” She blinked rapidly. “I could have sworn you said the word apologize, but I know that cannot be, since you’ve never done a single thing in your life for which you needed to apologize.”

He frowned. “You know I have. And I’ve come to make it right.”

“
Well, you’re a bit late.”

“
No, I’m not,” he countered, pulling her close. “It’s never too late to make things right.”

“
For you it is.”

A sharp bark of laughter passed his lips. “Not long before we met, I was at a wedding where I witnessed a man rushing through the doors of a church just as another man was about to take his vows. And do you know who the bride left with and married that day?”

“
No.”

“
You should. The bride was Emma, the original groom was Wallace, and the madman who interrupted was Marcus.”

No wonder Lord Sinclair was so testy at seeing Sir Wallace talking to Emma. Juliet’s eyes traveled from Lord Sinclair and Emma to Sir Wallace and Edwina. Her attention was abruptly stolen back by her husband when he dropped his head and whispered in her ear.

“
So don’t tell me it’s too late, Juliet. I’m a man who believes anything can happen.”

“
But it is too late,” she protested, tears pricking her eyes. “You’ve already chosen.”

“
Yes, I have, Juliet. And you’re my choice. There are some things I need to tell you. Will you come away with me? I have something I want to show you.”

“
No. I have no intention of leaving this house with you.”

He sighed. “All right. Will you join me in another room, please?”

“
No. I’ll not be sneaking off into private rooms at one of my closest friends’ homes.”

“
What of the room you’re staying in,” he wondered, cocking his head in contemplation.

“
H-how did you know?”

He smiled. “I went to see your father earlier today.”

She swallowed. “Oh.”

“
Now, will you take me to your room, or do I have to throw you over my shoulder like a ruffian and wander the halls until I find it?”

“
You wouldn’t dare.”

His eyes narrowed. “Wouldn’t I?”

The music stopped playing and she stepped on his toe, whether on purpose or by accident, she’d never tell.

He didn’t seem to notice or care. “Which will it be?”

“
Neither,” she said, breaking free of his grasp. “You cannot just come in here and act as if nothing has happened, Drake. It doesn’t work that way.”

He took a step closer to her. “I know that.”

“
Are you sure? It seems to me you just expected to come in here and have me fall at your feet, entranced by your mere presence.”

“
I didn’t expect that at all,” he countered. “Nor did I want that, Juliet. I know you don’t simper and fawn, and that’s what I love about you. I love that you’re strong and confident. That you don’t let anyone trample over you.” He snorted. “You may lose a battle every now and then, but you’re not afraid to fight and that’s what I love most.”

He took another step closer to her, dropping his voice to a whisper. “Will you take me up to your room now, please?”

Juliet stiffened. The feelings of joy and shock by his open admission of love for her in front of a room full of silent guests were quickly wearing off. Was that it? Did he think everything would go back to the way it was now that he’d confessed his love? What of his feelings for his first wife, and the fact that though he may claim to love Juliet, he’d never have children with her due to his loyalty to Abigail? Was that all just to be swept under the proverbial rug?

As if sensing her hesitation, Drake pulled a folded stack of papers from his breast pocket and tapped them against his empty hand. “How about if you give me five minutes to explain everything I have to say and beg your forgiveness, and if at the end of those five minutes, you’re not satisfied, I’ll sign these, and never bother you again.”

Juliet’s heart stopped. Annulment papers. At one time that’s what she’d wanted more than anything. And now? Now the sight of them made her stomach clench and her head spin. She didn’t want an annulment, but neither did she see how they could have a future together following the hurtful things said last week. Taking a deep breath, she nodded.

Grasping her hand in his, Drake interlaced their fingers. “Lead the way.”

Fighting the blush on her cheeks from leaving the once drawing room, now ballroom in such a manner, Juliet led him down the hall and up to her room.

“
Your five minutes have begun,” she announced, closing the door.

“
I love you,” he said simply.

She implored him with her eyes. “Yes, I believe you said as much downstairs.”