The Earl's Desire (25 page)

He stopped and looked up into her eyes. God, but she looked so beautiful. Her cheeks blushed to a rosy color, her eyes were bright with anticipation, and her lips were full and swollen from their kisses. Her golden hair lay in seductive disarray with petals of lavender and marigold caught in her curls that glittered in the golden sun. Her breathing was hard; her breasts rose and fell as she breathed.

He sat up and pulled her to sit on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her whole body, imprisoning her within his heart. He then started to kiss her cheek repeatedly.

“
Merrick, I want to tell you something,” she started, looking up into his eyes.

“
Hmm, what is it?” he asked, seeing her concerned face.

“
It’s about Claire.”

“
What about her?” he encouraged, though he felt annoyed that his kissing her would have to wait.

“
You didn’t tell me she was pregnant.” She sounded very disappointed.

“
Why would you want to know that? After all, I did tell you the important part: that she is all right.”

“
Aye, you did, but you neglected to mention her being pregnant and all. You know that is very important. I mean, good Lord, she lost the baby.” She snuggled her head on his shoulder, her face nestled against his neck.

Merrick smiled. “Aye, and I’m sorry, my sweet.”

“
Do you think she has a lover? I mean, she doesn’t have a husband, you know,” she said.

“
And what do you know about lovers?” he asked curiously.

“
Mrs. Thompson said so this morning, you see. Do you think that if that lover of hers knew she was pregnant, and he didn’t want to have the baby, he was probably the one who beat her like that, too make her lose the baby?” She sat up, eyeing him. “Do you think so?” she asked, hoping for an answer.

“
You really want to know, don’t you?” he asked, smoothing her cheek with the back of his fingers.

“
Yes. Please answer me. Do you think that this lover of Claire’s is the one who did it? Beat the girl, I mean.” Her eyes were large and hopeful of a confirmation.

“
I don’t know. I really don’t know.” He sighed.

“
But don’t you think that it’s strange that there had been a lot of accidents. I mean first you were shot at, and thank God it only hit your arm, and then there was that accident at the race and the horse being deliberately poisoned, and now this.” She sat quietly for a moment and then said, “I have something that I think is important to tell you.”

“
What is it?”

“
You see, the other night when I was out, I hmm—” She closed her eyes and saw that image again. She wondered if she should tell him about that night.

Merrick stared down at her and saw the dilemma playing about her face. He waited. At last, she continued as though her decision was made.

“
You see, I was out, and I saw Claire and this man. Well, you see, I think they were making love,” she mumbled, and more loudly, she said, “and when Betty mentioned about her lover I thought that he might be the one who did it, you know, to get rid of the baby. You know, being a well-bred gentleman and all, he wouldn’t want to have a maid as his wife, let alone her having his child, too. So you see ’tis obvious that he might be the one who did it. But it was so cruel of him to do such a thing, beating a girl almost to death,” she explained, bashing her own fists together.

“
And how did you know that a gentleman like this man didn’t care or love Claire for who she is and beat her almost to death so that her child wouldn’t live?” he asked, very curious as to how she came by all this knowledge.

“
Well, all well-bred gentlemen are like that, aren’t they? I mean, when you are well-bred, you wouldn’t want to have a wife and a child that belonged to the lower class. That would give society something to talk about. I mean, you would do that, too, wouldn’t you? You and Lady Anne are perfect for each other. She’s very rich and beautiful,” she said half to herself for she knew he would never love her. She was looking far into the distance. She would not blame him when he married Anne. After all, they suited each other. Besides, she didn’t want to be like her mother. She didn’t want to have a child without a father. She didn’t want to keep running for the rest of her life because the other woman wanted her dead.

Merrick pulled her face around to look at him. He saw tears misting her eyes. She stared up at him. There, Merrick saw it in her lovely eyes, the very eyes that haunted him day and night, the eyes that now spoke of love for him.

He cupped her face in his large hands. Christine looked down, knowing that she showed too much of her feelings just then. He nudged her face up to his, and he lowered his head and kissed her softly on the lips. When he was done, he didn’t lift his head away from hers. He stayed there; they were forehead to forehead and nose to nose.

“
My sweet, how could you ever say such a thing to me? I would never do such a thing. Do you think I am one of those men?” he whispered, his hot breath fanning her lips.

“
I mean there was Lady Ferguson. She’s your lover, and you don’t intend to marry her, and everybody knows that you will marry Lady Anne, in time,” Christine explained.

“
My sweet, Maria is a different matter. She is not the marrying type.”

“
Do you think Claire was doing that kind of job, too? But she doesn’t look the type, you know, so nice and all. And besides, her employers might not take kindly to her, knowing that she was having a baby and all with a gentleman that they perhaps know well,” she commented reasonably.

Merrick absorbed this information quietly.

“
Christine, you said you saw Claire and this man,” he said.

She nodded and blushed.

“
Who was the man?” he asked, putting his hand on her warm face and soothing her soft skin to calm her down.

“
He’s one of your guests. He doesn’t speak very nicely to you. He’s the young Mr. Wilson. Why does he hate you so? I saw the way he was looking at you.”

“
I suppose sometimes people just dislike each other for no apparent reason at all,” he said, looking at her nodding her head as if she knew what this meant. “Christine?” he began.

“
Yes?” she replied casually. Merrick put his hands around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

“
Do you remember that night when I saved you from Mr. Brad’s whipping?”

She nodded and wondered what he was going on about now.

“
Do you remember saying that if I wanted something from you, you would do it, do whatever I ask of you for repayment? There is something that I want from you.”

“
What is it, Merrick? What is it that you want? I will gladly give,” she said, looking at him, loving the way his dark hair swayed in the gentle breeze. “Is it something that you want badly?”

“
Aye, very badly. In fact, achingly badly,” he said seriously.

“
All right. You may proceed.” She moved closer to him and touched his dark hair at the back of his head.

Merrick loved it, loved her small hand touching him like that. He moved his head closer to hers and said, “Here is what I want. I want you to be my wife,” he whispered.

Christine registered this information in shocked silence. Her heart was hammering away in her chest. Could she have heard it right? Nay, it couldn’t possibly be true.

“
Merrick, what did you say?” she asked him, looking at him with large eyes.

“
Would you be my wife?” he asked and then kissed her nape with his mouth very slowly, his tongue sweetly playing about her skin, giving her overwhelming sensations.

She pushed him away from her, refusing even to think of being his wife. It wasn’t right. She didn’t want to be like her mother.

“
Merrick, ’tis no time to jest. Do you realize what you have just said?” she cried, tears misting her eyes. “No, sir, I think you are very sick today. Why just look at you—”

Merrick pulled her head toward him and kissed her soundly on the lips.

This was not right, Christine thought. He could not possibly ask her to marry him. For God’s sake, their statuses were very different, and she didn’t want to follow her mother’s footsteps. She tried with all her might to push him away. The harder she tried, the tighter he captured her. She hit her fist against his chest. He caught her hands and imprisoned them.

“
Merrick, ’tis obviously ludicrous, and what about Lady Anne?” she asked.

“
My sweet Christine, have you no mercy? Denying my wish?”

“
But, Merrick, you couldn’t possibly let society laugh at you. I am but a commoner. They will laugh at you, and that, sir, would hurt you very much. I don’t want to hurt you,” she said.
And I don’t want to hurt myself
, she thought.

“
My sweet, you are denying my wish, and by doing so you’ve hurt me very much. I’ve lost love once before, and I don’t ever intend to lose it again.” He took hold of her small hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it.

“
But, sir, what about Lady Anne? She will be very disappointed if you don’t offer her marriage.”

“
My sweet, would you wish me to be miserable for the rest of my life?” he justified, placing her hands to his heart. “Do you want me to be miserable for the rest of my life then?”

“
Nay, Merrick, but still there are other well-bred ladies,” she reasoned, lowering her eyes in confusion.

“
Aye, so there are other girls in England, but do you wish me to marry somebody I do not love?” he asked.

“
No, sir, I would prefer that you marry someone you love and care for. But perhaps you haven’t found her yet, so best if you wait,” she suggested.

“
But I’ve found her,” he said softly near her ear, his breath tickling her skin.

“
Merrick!” she gasped.

“
I love you, my sweet. Is that a good enough reason for me to ask you to marry me?” he said, cupping her face in his hands.

She was silent for a moment, breathing deeply. Did she hear it right? That he loved her? She looked up at him then, his eyes showing his raw feelings for her. She crushed her face into his chest then. He folded his arms round her, imprisoning her there.

“
Would you be my wife?” he asked again.

“
But, Merrick, society, they would think you mad to marry a girl like me.”

“
To hell with society. I don’t care what they say.”

“
You don’t?” She looked at him.

He nodded and said, “Now, what is your answer?”

“
I can’t.”

He was quiet for a moment as he looked at her and then he asked, “Why not?”

She was almost in tears as she tried to find excuses. “I—” She shook her head as tears flowed down her cheeks.

He touched her chin gently, tilted her face up, and gazed deep into her misty eyes. “Do you love me?” he asked.

She widened her eyes and blinked, and tears flowed down her cheeks. She nodded and said, “Aye.”

“
Good answer,” he said, “because you’re going to be my wife.” He grabbed for her left hand and pushed a ring onto her third finger. She widened her eyes and stared at the large, princess-cut diamond ring.

SEVENTEEN

“We thank you so much for finding Claire,” Lady Queensbury said.

“
Such a tragic thing to have happened,” Amelia stated.

“
Aye, Amelia. How fortunate for you that it was not your maid that such a thing has happened to,” Anne exclaimed.

“
I agree with you there, Lady Anne, how fortunate for my maid,” Amelia retorted with her eyebrows raised.

“
I do hope no more mischief is going to happen, my lord,” Mrs. Anderson said as she seated herself beside Merrick. “Come sit down, Sarah. ’Tis not polite to stand before the master of the house.”