In the Garden of Temptation (20 page)

*****

“
Where are you
going?”

“
It grows late, Adam. I risk
discovery if I wait any longer.” Catherine stood in the middle of
the room dressed only in her shift and drawers.

“
What is the
hour?”

“
Nearing five o’clock. If I
hurry I can be home before dawn breaks.”

“
Damn, I don’t like this
part of the arrangement.”

Sitting up in the bed, Adam made an effort to
rub the sleep from his bleary eyes. When last he glanced at the
clock it was half past three. Rest had been long in coming, but now
it did not want to release its hold on him.

Catherine nodded. “I had the devil of a time
forcing myself from under the covers. It was very pleasant there.”
She smiled regretfully at him, before reaching for the drab brown
gown and stepping into the voluminous skirt.

“
This is unacceptable,” he
grumbled as he leaned against the headboard. “I want you again, and
now you are leaving me.”

The last catch on her bodice in place,
Catherine put on her shoes, and climbed back into the bed to sit
next to the earl. She took his hand and rested her head on his
shoulder.

“
This is not nearly as bad
as when you left me at the castle,” she reasoned with him. “Then I
thought I would never see you again. At least now I know I can see
you all the time, and occasionally we can be here together. That
gives me comfort.” She placed a kiss on his cheek.

Adam gathered her into his arms, sighing
heavily. “I’ll not be approaching you in society anymore.”

“
Oh…?”

“
Your very good friend, Lady
Richards—and mine, I might add—has deemed my public displays
dangerous to your reputation. She gave me a tongue lashing at the
Farthington’s ball last evening after I took you onto the balcony.
It seems we caused quite a stir.”

“
I don’t care what people
think of me,” she said, attitude defiant.

“
I do, my dear. You’re a
fine, honorable woman. I’ll not have the cats shredding your
character because of my indiscretion. We have the ton guessing. I
suggest we not compound the error by confirming the gossip.” Though
he was apologetic, she sensed his resolve was steadfast. “I
disliked Charlotte’s lecture but, I must admit, she was
right.”

“
When will I see you
again?”

Adam cupped her chin in his hand as he turned
her to face him. “That’s up to you, my darling. Night or day, I
will be eagerly awaiting your summons.” He bussed her lightly on
the lips. “Please do not make me wait too long.”

“
I’ll send Edna with word
when I’m able.” She climbed off the bed and headed for the
door.

“
I would accompany you, but
I don’t think we should chance being seen together,” he said. “I
told the driver to stay in the hall and escort you to the
carriage.”

“
He’s been out there all
night?”

Adam grinned. “He’s been duly rewarded, I
promise you.”

“
Well, then…” Catherine
paused in the doorway, her smile sad as she gazed at the man who
was now her lover. “This isn’t going to be easy, is it?”

“
No, love, it’s not going to
be easy.” Adam wanted to tell her differently, but he knew it would
be a lie.

She continued to watch him for a moment more
then slipped into the hall, pulling the door behind her.

The earl listened to her footsteps until they
faded from hearing before easing back under the coverlet. He stared
into the pre-dawn dimness, unable to resume his rest. He missed
her. Her fragrance clung to the pillow, and where she had slept the
bedding had turned cold and forbidding.

No, it wasn’t going to be easy—not easy, at
all. Trouble is, he thought, it’s a bit like sticking one’s foot in
quicksand. One did not sense the danger until it was too late. By
then, of course, the struggle only served to ensure the
outcome.

Had he been warned of what lay in his path
when he consented to the baron’s invitation, would he have accepted
so readily? He wanted to believe sanity would have prevailed, but
when he thought of his sweet lady he knew foresight would have made
no difference, no difference at all. Destiny had determined his
future, and he might as well enjoy it because he damned sure
couldn’t change it.

“
Right then, I give up,” he
said in disgust.

The bed ropes creaked under his weight as he
hauled himself off the mattress. With Catherine gone, the roomed
seemed empty and sterile and he had no wish to stay.

Five minutes found the earl donning his coat.
He glanced at the bed wistfully as he remembered his last hours
there. Strangely, it wasn’t the passionate lovemaking that filled
his thoughts but the comfort of time spent in the arms of one more
dear than life itself. Adam fervently prayed Catherine would send
word soon.

*****

“
I tell you, my lady, Emily
swears she saw him.”

Arriving from her assignation with the earl,
the baroness was confronted by her harried servant. “You’re giving
me a headache, Edna. Who is Emily?”

“
The new parlor maid—you
remember.”

“
Oh yes, I do. What is it
Emily thinks she witnessed?”

Catherine sighed inwardly. She did not want
to deal with domestic problems right now. All she wanted was to
climb into her bed and allow her thoughts to dwell on her evening
with Adam as she drifted into sleep.

“
Emily doesn’t understand
what she saw, but I do.”

“
Edna, I’m exhausted. Please
get to the point.”

That was enough to subdue the little woman’s
enthusiasm. “Yes ma’am,” she said contritely and swallowing began
anew.

“
I overheard Emily telling
Cook that the baron went upstairs early yesterday afternoon. He was
very drunk and swearing like a sailor. Mr. Gant attended him. It
shocked me so I made her repeat her story.”

Puzzled, the baroness said, “I don’t think
there is a person in this house who did not realize my husband
imbibed most of the day. The big surprise would have been if he had
not been drunk.”

“
Don’t you see? Mr. Gant
told me Lord Bourgeault had become unconscious and had to be taken
to his room. He said he expected his lordship to sleep for hours.
If the baron went upstairs without help, he was not passed out.
Maybe he never was.”

Catherine looked at her maid. “Why do you
suppose Willie would purposely misrepresent the situation?” she
asked slowly.

Edna shook her head. “I don’t know, my lady,
but having had most of the night to think on it, I believe he made
a special effort to do just that.” She eyed her mistress before
continuing. “I’m certain he expected me to come to you with the
information.”

Catherine sat down on the nearest chair and
stared into space for several moments before bringing her gaze back
to her maid.

“
It’s hard to believe the
only person to witness this charade was Emily.”

“
Of course, his lordship did
not wish to be seen, so he waited until no one was
around.”

“
Except Emily.”

“
Except Emily,” Edna agreed.
“Although I’m sure he didn’t mean for her to see him,
either.”

“
Do you think he’s spying on
me?”

The maid shrugged. “It did occur to me. I
just don’t see how Lord Bourgeault could participate in a hoax, him
being so drunk and all.”

“
Don’t let that fool you, my
dear. Edgar is at his most cunning when he is in his cups.” The
baroness stood up. “I think I’ll step across the hall and see how
the baron is getting on.”

Opening her door, Catherine slipped into the
corridor and tiptoed toward her husband’s room. Loud snores
emanated from within the baron’s den, and she felt a sudden panic
as she reached for the doorknob. He sounded as though he slept, she
thought. Perhaps she should leave well enough alone.

On a whim she twisted the knob and eased the
door open slightly, peeking through the ensuing crack. The early
dawn did not penetrate the darkened apartment, and several seconds
passed before her eyes adjusted to the gloom. She pushed the door
wider.

At that moment, the baroness caught sight of
Willie Gant sitting upright in a rocker by the head of the baron’s
bed. He stared at her from across the murky room, and it took all
of Catherine’s self-control not to screech with alarm.

The little man’s eyes gleam malevolently in
the blackness, but he neither moved nor spoke. He watched her like
a ruthless serpent, unhurried, as if waiting for the precise moment
to strike. A prickle of foreboding slithered across her backbone,
and Catherine turned and fled.

She dashed back into her own room and,
closing the door, leaned against it as if the hounds of Hell were
soon to follow. Her heart drummed painfully, and Catherine clapped
her hand over her breast in an effort to still the erratic
motion.

“
My lady…?” Edna stepped
forward. “Has something happened to upset you?”

“
Willie Gant! He’s in
Edgar’s room.”

The maid looked nonplussed. “Is it unusual
for Mr. Gant to spend the night in Lord Bourgeault’s quarters?”

“
How should I know?”
Catherine snapped. “I’m not in the habit of visiting my husband in
his bedchamber at night—or any other time of the day for that
matter.” She drew in a deep breath before continuing. “It was just
too strange. I have no idea why it frightened me so.”

And it should not have, for confrontations
between Willie and her were normally fraught with rancor and
contempt but never fear. Yet she sensed something under the
surface, something not quite clear. She was having trouble putting
her finger on a problem that insisted on shifting at the very
moment she thought she might have found the answer.

Seven years she had lived with the baron, and
she had come to rely on certain constants when dealing with her
enigmatic husband. Now she had no idea what he wanted from her. Did
Edgar know of her liaison with Lord Ashworth?

In the past Catherine had actually wondered
if her husband had encouraged her dalliance with other men, though
recently his hostility in that regard was palpable. Still, he
demanded that she socialize, mingling not only with the ladies but
with the gentlemen as well. Through it all she could not shake the
feeling of being watched, and she felt certain Willie was the
instrument by which the spying was done. This gave the skulking
little toad power, undoubtedly explaining her sudden fear of
him.

“
I need to sleep.” Catherine
sighed wearily. “My head feels as though it might burst from my
shoulders. Perhaps a few hours of rest will put a different
perspective on the thing.”

One look at Edna confirmed that the
diminutive maid needed sleep, also. Dark circles embellished her
heavy-lidded eyes, and she yawned grandly, emphasizing her
fatigue.

“
Pardon me, my lady,” she
mumbled, stifling the yawn behind her hand.

“
Edna, go to bed. I don’t
want to see your poor, tired face until this afternoon. Tell the
staff I am not to be disturbed and neither are you.”

“
Are you certain? If you
have need of me, I would be most happy to…” The servant’s voice
trailed off in drowsy confusion.

“
The only thing I have need
of is rest and a lot of it. Leave me now before we both topple to
the floor and find ourselves sleeping on the carpet.”

Alone at last, Catherine quickly removed the
brown dress and climbed into her bed, petticoats and all. Within
moments she fell into a deep slumber punctuated by dreams of a
sensuous, ethereal quality but containing no real definition. When
she awoke many hours later, Catherine felt well rested, and for no
reason she could fathom, a kernel of hope had been planted in her
breast where previously only despair had thrived.

*****

“
Judith! What are you doing
here?”

Adam was surprised and delighted to find his
sister lounging on a settee in the drawing room as he arrived in
the early dawn from his evening with Catherine.

“
Waiting for you, of
course.” She skipped across the room as lightly as her increasing
bulk would allow and flung her arms around her sibling’s neck.
“You’ve been so long, I almost gave up on you.”

“
Ho! What is this?” Pulling
back from her, Adam surveyed Judith’s swollen stomach and grinned.
“It would appear my nephew is beginning to make himself
known.”

“
Actually, that’s why I’ve
come to town. Your niece,” she corrected him, “has made it
necessary for me to visit the dressmaker. I have to purchase a new
wardrobe. Isn’t it wonderful?”

“
Indeed it is. Nothing more
exciting than a credible excuse for emptying your husband’s
pockets. And speaking of Walter, has he accompanied
you?”

“
Naturally. The dear man
does not allow me to take two steps without him. I fear he will
smother me before I can bring this child into the
world.”

“
Not so unusual for a fellow
to be concerned for his wife if she is in a delicate way. When a
man’s in love…” he trailed off, aware suddenly that he was giving
himself away.

Judith sent him a measuring look. “I
see.”

Uncomfortable with the tone the conversation
had taken, he cleared his throat. “Why have you chosen such an
early hour to accost me? Shouldn’t you be in bed?”