Knaves' Wager (30 page)
"Yes, miss. Ordered a hackney and flew out of the house — and her hair not even done up. That was almost an hour ago, and she's not back yet — and Lord Robert is downstairs waiting."
"Then you must go to Mrs. Wellwicke and help her dress quickly. I can't go without a chaperon, even if I am engaged."
"But, miss, hadn't you better wait for your aunt?"
"No, I think I'd better not. I shall entertain Lord Robert until Mrs. Wellwicke comes down."
"But, miss — "
"Good heavens, Susan. If Aunt had wanted me to wait, she would have said so, wouldn't she?" Miss Glenwood responded ingenuously as she slipped past her maid and through the door.
With Cawble's keen eye upon him, Lord Robert dared no more than drop a light kiss on his beloved's forehead. When, a moment later, he learned she intended to go out without her aunt, he was sorely tempted to shake the dear girl.
"She'll kill us!" he whispered harshly. "She'll banish me, she'll write your father and — "
"She'll do no such thing," Cecily answered. "Mary said she had on her nicest gown and her hair was all unpinned. Besides, I saw the book your cousin gave her. She's gone to him, of course — so naturally, it's absurd to expect her to return in time for the party. Thank heaven! When she came back the other day so gloomy, I was at my wits' end. I was so certain they'd have made it up by then. After all, they were on the road together at least twenty-four hours."
Lord Robert drew her farther into the room. "That was a terrible scheme, darling. When I saw your aunt this afternoon — gad, I've never felt so guilty in my whole life. And she never scolded — not once. I wanted to crawl into a hole, really I did."
"Well, we hadn't any choice, had we?" was the unrepentant answer as Miss Glenwood plopped down onto the sofa. "There's nothing like an elopement for getting the concentrated attention of one's elders, is there? And there's nothing to feel guilty about, because we didn't run away, did we? Besides, haven't they worried us half to death, the two of them? The nightmares I've had of that tiresome Sir Thomas married to my splendid aunt and turning her into a prim, fussy, miserable old woman. With her hair in those nasty coils. And a lot of bald little fussy children whining at her." She shuddered.
Lord Robert glanced at the door outside which the butler hovered, then took a seat beside his darling girl. "Don't get your hopes up about any other sort of children,'' he warned
sotto voce
. "Hillard said Julian was packing for Paris."
"Then he'll just have to unpack, I daresay," Cecily retorted. "When it comes to obstinacy, he's no match for my aunt."
"You don't know Julian."
She smiled up at him. "Don't I? Would you care to place a wager, my lord?"
"I think you're labouring under a misapprehension," Lord Brandon said slowly. "I
was
preparing to flee the country, like a coward — but it wasn't because I despaired of making you my mistress. I couldn't — that is, I can't — " He realised he was fiddling nervously with his neck-cloth. Abruptly, his hand dropped to his side. "I don't want you as my mistress."
Her gaze fell to the carpet and the colour rose to her fine, high cheekbones.
"Damn! That's not how I meant — By God, why must this be so curst impossible! That imbecile Bexley did better, I'll warrant," he muttered, clenching his fists and glaring at his evening slippers. "I want — I love you, with — with all my heart. I think I've loved you from the moment I first clapped eyes on you. Lord, why the devil should you believe that? Another of my confounded treacle speeches." He gritted his teeth, "Lilith Davenant, would you — Drat it! I'm a thorough wretch and I couldn't have treated you more shabbily — and I know I deserve to be miserable all my days — but I wish you'd let me try to be better, as… as your husband. I know there can't be a worse prospect in all the United Kingdom,'' he added hurriedly, "but I
swear
I'll be a good one — or the trying."
Slowly her head rose, and two slate-blue eyes fixed wonderingly upon his flushed countenance. "My hearing is failing me," she said breathlessly. "It sounded as though you just asked me to marry you."
"I did," he said, appalled at the wretched state of his nerves. "You wonder how I can have the temerity, but the fact is, I haven't any choice."
"Well. Indeed." Her gaze reverted to her hands, folded in her lap. "I'm struck all of a heap."
"No more than I."
"That's because you're overwrought. This is what comes of giving rein to one's emotions. We have descended into melodrama. Later, when you're cooler, you'll think better of it."
"I most certainly will not!" Panic abruptly superseded indignation. "Or do you mean
you
don't think much of it? No, of course you wouldn't," he answered miserably. "What a fool I am. Irresistible as a lover, perhaps, but as a husband — heaven forbid. You've already had one of my ilk, haven't you? You're hardly likely to make the same experiment twice."
"I'm older and wiser now," she said, "yet I love you."
"Yes, but what's the good of that if you won't marry me?" he complained ungraciously, scarcely heeding her through the black gloom overpowering him. "
Now
, naturally, after you've cursed me with this fiendish ogre of a conscience. Oh, it doesn't matter. I'm behaving abominably. Robin isn't half so infantile. I suppose I should take my punishment like a man."
"I wish you would not always be ramming thoughts into my head and words into my mouth, Julian," she said with a touch of impatience. "I didn't say I wouldn't marry you."
He gazed blankly at her.
"Well, did I?" she asked.
"Didn't you?"
"I was only trying to allow you time for second thoughts. I was sure you'd taken leave of your wits momentarily. Unfortunately, since you seem to persist in the ailment — "
"You wicked, teasing,
cruel
girl." He moved nearer to drop to one knee before her.
"Very likely I am. I hope you're prepared for a lifetime of it."
"I'll gladly endure all the torments of the damned," he joyfully assured her. "The question is, Are
you
prepared, my love?" He captured both her hands in his. "I want to parade you about in public and make my friends the of envy. I want to snatch you from your dancing partners and hold you as close as I like when we whirl about the room. I want to live with you. I want to rattle my newspaper at you during breakfast and quarrel with you about politics and the servants and the rearing of our children. I want to talk with you and tease you and care for you, I even want to trudge with you through muddy fields, to worry about the rain and the crops and the cattle."
"That may be your best speech yet," she said softly. Her cool blue gaze had softened too. "I'm afraid you're in a very bad way, my lord. Still, if ours is a
long
engagement, perhaps you'll come to your senses in time."
He uncoiled his long form from its position of supplication to take a more satisfactory place beside her on the sofa.
"It's true I feel rather giddy at the moment," he answered, "but I strongly doubt I shall ever come to my senses. Or perhaps I have at last. I don't know. I really am quite confused, weak, and dizzy. I had better take hold of something."
He gathered her close to him. Then his fingers crept into the gleaming, copper-lit curls framing her face. His gaze lingered on the haughty countenance that had so entranced and intrigued him from the start — the cool alabaster of her skin, the smouldering blue smoke of her eyes, the wanton ripeness of her generous mouth.
"I love you," he whispered.
Her mouth curled into a wicked smile that made his heart thump like a legion of marching infantry.
"So you do," she answered. "A costly mistake, I think."
"Indeed, I hadn't expected so high a price as marriage, madam. But what else is one to do? A mistress may be lost on a wager — or led astray by the next good-looking, sweet-talking rogue to cross her path. Marriage it is, then," he said, his voice low, fierce, possessive.
His kiss was fierce too, hungry, demanding. Yet there was at last peace of a sort within. And so, when she drew away after a moment or two, Julian quieted himself with the reflection that there would be time and time enough. Against every odd, Lilith Davenant would be his. Lady Brandon. His marchioness. The thought threw his heart crashing against his ribs.
"There's just one thing," she said, her fingers playing with the curls at his ear.
"Anything," he answered hoarsely.
"Well, actually, three things. There is Diana next year, then Emily the year after, and Barbara the next. Oh, and Claire — that makes four. But she will not be ready for a few years after
that
. Four more nieces, Julian."
"Four of them?" He sat back abruptly. "Perhaps I have been hasty. I don't believe I can survive any more of your nieces, Mrs. Davenant."
"They're very sweet girls," Lilith defended. "Darling girls, just like Cecily."
He shuddered theatrically. "No, not like Cecily. Anything but that."
"You can't be provoked with Cecily. Recollect she did come to her senses in time."
"She was never out of her senses," he retorted. "Not for a moment. I've never heard of such a coolly calculating little minx as that one. If her cousins are anything like her, I shall advise England's entire male population to make for the South Seas
at once
."
"I'm sorry you feel that way, because she likes you immensely. She was taken with you from the start, you know," Lilith said. She reached up again, this time to stroke his stubborn jaw.
He brought her hand to his lips. "Was she?"
"Oh, yes. Because you were dark and devilish-looking. 'A bad, beautiful angel,' she called you — although she was comparing you to a horse at the time. All my nieces will dote upon you and make me jealous."
"Will they, just goddess? It seems the managing has begun already." He pressed another kiss upon her hand. "I see what our marriage will be like. You'll lead me about by the nose. What a pathetic prospect."
"Ah, yes, my lord, but such a
seductive
one. And poor me — I'm so susceptible to seduction."
He grasped the back of her head and brought her mouth to within an inch of his. "Indeed. Thank you for reminding me. In all my horror of impending nieces, I'd very nearly forgotten about
that
."
"Not until after we're wed, Julian," she said primly.
"Oh, no. Of course not."
"Your reformation must begin at once. There is not a minute to be lost. I am resolved."
Resolved or no, a devilish prornise lurked in smoky blue depths.
"Yes, my love. And I respect you for it, indeed I do," he said. "Naturally, I can wait."
"Deceitful knave," she said. "Yes," he breathed as his mouth covered hers.
Author's note: For the story's purposes, the debut of
Mansfield Park
has been advanced a few weeks. Miss Austen's novel was published in three volumes on 9 May 1814.*
*Source:
Jane Austen: Her Life
, by Park Honan. St. Martin's Press. New York. 1988.