Pascale Duguay (8 page)

“Nor would you have ended up being caught sharing a bed with me.”

With my hands on your breasts
, he added silently.

But his unspoken words seemed to resonate between them as he stared at her flushed cheeks then lowered his gaze to her heaving bosom.

“Lord Rutherford,” Patience ground out with much effort. “I did not come here to fight with you or to be insulted. I merely wished to find a way out of this unbearable predicament.”

“Well, had I hit on a solution, you would have been the first advised. So unless you have come up with a brilliant scheme, we are back where we started.”

Patience sighed. “No, I have not come up with anything yet either, but you may be sure I will keep striving.”

“I am glad to hear it. Now since I think best when I am alone, I would appreciate some solitude.”

Patience rose to her feet. “Certainly. I will not inconvenience you any further.”

If that could only be the case,
Julius thought as she flounced out of the room.

“Any word from that stray daughter of yours yet?” Sir Rupert barked as his long-time friend and neighbour strode into his library, a large smile pasted on his handsome face.

“Must you ask? Did I not make it clear last time we parted that I would not set foot here again until I had found her?”

Sir Rupert uttered an ineligible grunt, thinking it best not to bring up the quarrel that had sprung up at their last meeting when both men had blamed the other profusely for the chit’s disappearance. How the devil was he to know the girl had been running away? Bingham should have had the girl under lock and key instead of blaming the whole on his head.

“The post finally brought news of her whereabouts!” Lord Bingham continued. “My sister wrote to say Patience had joined her at Lady Rutherford’s. I should have guessed as much!”

“Good, all is not lost then. Just fetch the chit home and we’ll go on as planned.”

“I’m afraid it won’t be as simple as that. It seems she has fallen in the eye of the Earl. An engagement party is to be held this Thursday.”

“Good God! Mark my word, something havey-cavey is afoot. No earl gets engaged to a chit one week after meeting her!”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“So do you intend to let Rutherford have the dowry, after all?”

“What! And be obliged to sponge off him for the rest of my days? I think not! I used to know his father, a real hard goer at the tables. But the son is nothing like him. Scorns all forms of gaming like the plague. I do not think we would get on well at all.”

“If the lad’s set against gamesters, then you are better off with me for a son-in-law, hey?” Sir Rupert let out a mirthless laugh. “What do you mean to do then?”

“Get Patience back, of course! But we must act quickly. After the ball, my sister wants to take her to London soon after to introduce her into Society. The wedding is to be held a month hence.

“When does the girl turn twenty-one?”

“On the day of the wedding. We do not have a moment to lose. It will be much harder to abduct her in London. I suggest we do so before the ball, which leaves us with only four days to act.”

“Do you expect any trouble from the Earl once we get your girl back?”

“That is the least of my concern. We will have the knot tied quickly enough and there is nothing Rutherford will be able to do about it once it is done. For all we know, he will be right glad to be rid of the girl!”

The Earl sat brooding at his desk. The sun shone brightly while the birds chirped happily amongst the foliage, the perfect day to be strolling about in the gardens with a pretty lady’s hand resting on one’s arm. Julius watched as Philip pointed various varieties of plants to Miss Bingham’s attention, all the while steering her toward one of the more secluded paths. Patience suddenly laughed at something his cousin said, the tinkling sound drifting in through the open study windows. The two were getting along famously, it seemed. In the short time since his cousin had arrived, there did not seem to be a moment when Philip was not entertaining his fiancée. As much as Julius disliked the term, that was exactly what Patience was, yet she could not have appeared less so.

Julius had never heard Patience raise her voice at Philip. She was all friendliness.

A good deal too friendly,
he thought, as he watched Patience playfully swat his cousin’s hand. But Patience acted like a totally different person in his own presence. They could never meet without their polite if somewhat stilted conversation turning into an argument. Granted, if Patience had been trapped into marrying his cousin as she claimed was the case with him, she might not be acting so carefree at this very moment.

Or would she?

What would it be like to be able to flirt with Patience?

He suddenly bolted out of his chair. Flirting? Was that what these two were doing?

Julius started pacing the room. Wasn’t that what he had hoped would happen? He certainly did not want to be leg-shackled to such a girl for the rest of his life. He would never have a moment’s peace. But Philip was not the answer. For one, he would make the devil of a husband. He could not imagine his cousin giving up his racketing ways, at least not for some time yet. He was too young and too irresponsible to take care of a wife and family. And Patience was certainly not the kind of girl who would incite him to change his ways. Quite the contrary! No matter what he may have thought before, Julius could see clearly now that it was his duty to save Philip from such a fate.

Walking back to the window, he noticed the couple had disappeared. Turning on his heels, he strode out of his study toward the door leading to the garden.

“What am I doing?” he mumbled to himself. “It is nothing to me if Philip decides to go after Patience. But I’ll be damned if I let him do so under my own roof!”

“Julius,” called his mother as he was about to march out of the house, “have you seen Patience?”

He checked on the threshold, and turned to answer her. “The last I saw of her, she was taking a stroll in the gardens,” he replied nonchalantly, as though Patience had been far from his thoughts.

“Since you seem to be heading in that direction, would you be so kind as to fetch her for me? The seamstress has arrived from London. We will finally be able to start work on her ball gown.”

“With pleasure, Mother.” He bowed and continued out the door. At least he now had an adequate excuse to go after Patience.

Julius had guessed correctly, it seemed, for he found the couple down the secluded path. They were seated on a wooden bench, their heads close together as Philip attempted to remove a leaf stuck in the lady’s hair. Both looked up at the sound of his approaching footsteps on the gravelled path.

“There you are, Patience. Mother is looking for you. She has charged me with bringing you back to the house. A seamstress has arrived and is awaiting your pleasure.”

“Of course. I would not want to keep Lady Rutherford waiting. She has much to do with the coming ball,” replied Patience before turning to Philip. “Thank you for this charming walk, sir.”

“The pleasure was all mine,” Philip said, giving her one of his famous winks.

“Shall we?” asked Julius, offering Patience his arm while glowering at Philip.

Once they were out of earshot, Julius spoke up somewhat more harshly than he had intended. “It is not seemly for you to be seen so much in my cousin’s company.”

“As he is your cousin, I had not thought it improper.”

“What is improper is for him to be touching you at every opportunity.”

Her hand stiffened on his arm. “His actions have been nothing but gentlemanly, my lord!”

“As I doubt you have been much in the company of gentlemen, especially of my cousin’s stamp, I would not expect you to know much about the matter. Unless of course, your aim is to entice my cousin into falling in love with you. Are you hoping for an elopement, perhaps? If so, I must point out to you that although he will be a very rich man when he comes into his fortune, that will not be until he reaches the age of twenty-five. As this will not be for another two years, I doubt it would meet with your father’s approval. Gamesters can rarely afford the wait, especially when they happen to have pressing debts.”

Patience gasped and stopped short to face Julius, her green eyes blazing with anger. “How dare you utter such contemptible, odious remarks?”

“I dare because as we are still betrothed, it is my right to know what is going on in that pretty head of yours. Your actions will perforce reflect on me.”

“If that is what is troubling you, you may put your mind at rest. I have no designs on your cousin. Although, I am sure it would be much more enjoyable to be married to him than you!”

A wave of fury washed over Julius. He reached out and crushed her to his chest, tightening his arms about her. When she opened her mouth to protest, he ruthlessly crushed her lips with his own. As she pushed to free herself, his tongue sneaked inside her mouth, surprising her into stillness. Without warning, her tongue instinctively responded of its own accord meeting him thrust for thrust.

Julius moaned then pushed her aside.

“If that is how you handle Philip’s advances, no wonder he is following you around like a love-sick puppy!”

“Why, you beast!” Patience drew her hand back and slapped his face before stomping away.

His cheek smarting from the blow, Julius watched her shapely behind swish angrily toward the house. Whatever had possessed him to kiss her like that? At least she had not aimed for his nose, he thought ruefully. He may have deserved the slap, but she had certainly deserved the lesson. If she thought she could get away with flirting with his cousin under his very nose, she now stood corrected. He only wished he had not enjoyed their kiss so much. Cutting it short had taken all of his willpower.

There now remained only for Philip to be warned as well. Retracing his steps, Julius found his cousin where he had left him. Philip was sitting on the bench, staring blankly into space. Catching the look of utter desolation on the young man’s face, Julius was momentarily taken aback. Becoming conscious of another presence however, Philip quickly masked his thoughts, reverting to his carefree self.

“What’s to do, cousin?”

Julius frowned down at Philip. “I would appreciate it if you would keep your distance as far as my fiancée is concerned.”

“But, Jule, I was simply welcoming her into the family! Don’t you trust your betrothed?”

“It is you I do not trust. Don’t forget I have seen you in action before.”

Philip’s mouth curved into a devilish smile. “Would you be referring to Miss Arlington by any chance?”

“Her and a score of others if it comes to that. You seem to take excessive pleasure in pursuing the females I have singled out with my attention.”

“Come now, Miss Arlington and Patience have been the only two.”

“That is two too many in my opinion! But you are now free to give all of your attention to Miss Arlington since I am out of the running.”

“But there would be no fun in that, would there?” taunted Philip. “Especially since the beautiful Miss Arlington has made it quite clear at our last meeting that she does not want to have anything to do with me.”

“Has she now?” Julius could not help wondering if she would be of the same mind when she heard of his sudden betrothal. He had known he would have to act quickly to secure Cecilia’s hand once his mind was definitely made up. With Philip nearby casting his own lures, it was not wise to delay overlong. Now the field was wide open to Philip. How would it be like to be related to Cecilia by marriage instead of as his wife? Julius shook away the thoughts.

“That is no concern of mine anymore. I warn you, Philip, do not attempt any of your tricks with Patience,” he ended on a growl.

Philip got to his feet and gave Julius a mocking bow. “As you wish,” he said before swaggering back to the house.

“Impudent puppy!” mumbled Julius at his cousin’s retreating back, not for one moment believing he would stay away from Patience. Now that the whole was out in the open, Philip would probably go out of his way to goad him.