To Tempt an Irish Rogue (20 page)

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Authors: Kaitlin O'Riley

Tags: #Romance, #General, #Historical, #Fiction

BOOK: To Tempt an Irish Rogue
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Declan Reeves was engaged in an intense conversation with Lord Jeffrey Eddington.
Paulette’s heart almost stopped at the sight of the two men poised so seriously and the tension in the room almost knocked her off her feet. They both ceased speaking and turned to look at her, and, judging from the expressions on their faces, Paulette was quite certain that she had been the topic of conversation. She frowned in confusion.
“What’s going on in here?” she managed to ask, noting that Declan appeared in a state of shock.
“Hello, Paulette,” Jeffrey said, his voice low and his eyes shuttered. He stood with his arms crossed in front of him.
Paulette’s eyes moved between the two men, trying desperately to guess the subject of their discussion. She rested her gaze on Declan. “What is going on in here?”
Avoiding Paulette’s glance, Declan said, “Lord Eddington, can you give us a moment of privacy?”
“Certainly.” Without another word and ignoring Paulette’s questioning eyes, Jeffrey strode from the room, closing the door behind him.
“Declan?” she asked the moment they were alone.
“Please sit down, Paulette.” He motioned to one of the comfortable chairs upholstered in green velvet that had so pleased her when she chose the fabric.
Unable to read his mood, Paulette moved closer to him, wishing he would take her in his arms. But he did not. He did not make an overture to her.
“I don’t wish to sit,” she said. “I want to know what you and Jeffrey Eddington were discussing.”
“Oh, I’m quite sure you can guess, can’t you, darlin’?”
“No. No, I can’t.” Her heart beat wildly in her chest at the cold and sarcastic tone in Declan’s voice. What in heaven’s name had Jeffrey said to Declan? Had he warned Declan to stay away from her? Had Jeffrey offended Declan in some way? Perhaps it was about the threatening letters. Whatever it was, Paulette did not like the dark look Declan was giving her.
“Sit down, Paulette. Please. I need to talk to you.” His mouth was set in a grim line and he looked just as forbidding and dangerous as he did the day she first met him. More so now, if such a thing were possible.
Staring at him, she lowered herself onto the chair and wrung her hands together. Something was terribly, terribly wrong. After not seeing each other for weeks, he did not seem happy to see her in the least. He did not embrace her or kiss her as she longed to hold and kiss him.
“Declan, please, tell me. What is wrong?”
“I think you are quite aware of what is
wrong
.”
She blinked at him. This was definitely not about the letters. No, not at all. He would not be angry with her if it were about the letters. A niggling feeling of dread began to blossom in her chest. He couldn’t possibly know about the baby, could he? The only person who knew anything was Yvette, and Yvette promised to never tell a soul.... Oh good Lord! Paulette’s stomach rolled.
Yvette couldn’t have told him
. . .
She couldn’t have . . .
Declan’s words were brittle. “It has been brought to my attention that you and I need to marry as soon as possible.”
Oh, dear God in heaven, Yvette
had
told Jeffrey Eddington! It was the only explanation. Paulette would throttle her sister later for opening her big mouth and betraying her confidence in such a horrific manner. At the moment, however, she could barely breathe, could barely think. “Declan, I . . . I was going to tell you—”
“No, you weren’t,” he interrupted, his eyes full of angry accusation. “You were going to leave for America with your sister and never even tell me about the baby. Our baby.”
Paulette’s face burned in shame as he spoke the words aloud. Her desperate idea of leaving London without letting Declan know about the baby now seemed quite reprehensible. “No, no, that was only a last resort plan, if I . . . if we . . .” She faltered, unable to explain herself.
“If we . . . ?” He prompted her to continue.
She hesitated. “If we did not marry.”
“Oh, we’re marrying, Paulette, you can rest assured on that count.”
She should feel relieved. Declan was going to marry her. He’d just said so. She did not have to hide in America or give away her baby. She should rejoice. The man she loved had agreed to marry her. Instead she felt hot tears prick the back of her eyes. Somehow Jeffrey Eddington had gotten involved in her affairs and he more than likely coerced or threatened Declan into marrying her. Which was not how she ever wished for a man to ask her to marry him. And Declan did not even ask her. He simply said,
“We must marry.”
He did not truly wish to make her his wife. He had been clear on that point from the start. Now he was only asking her out of duty. Well, he needn’t be so bothered by her circumstances. She did have some options available to her. She had resources and could very well go through with her plan. Maybe she would go to America with Juliette after all and never come back to London. Maybe she would open a bookshop there and raise her own child. She could put on that gold ring she used in Brighton and pose as a young widow. She need not wed a man who obviously did not wish to marry her.
And it was quite clear that Declan had no wish to marry her.
He had greeted her so warmly earlier that day, when she spotted him in the crowd. She had felt the pride and love in him then. But now . . . now that he knew he must marry her, he was so very distant and cold. He was obviously not pleased at the prospect of having Paulette for his wife, in spite of her carrying his child. There was no tenderness, no concern for her well-being or state of mind. There was no happiness. No words of love. No reassurances that all would be well.
There was just coldness from him.
Paulette blinked back the tears. She refused to cry in front of him or seem weak in any way. Rising to her feet, she gazed back at him just as coolly. With as much dignity as she could muster she said, “Thank you for your offer, but I think not. I’ve no wish to marry you, Lord Cashelmore.”
“We will marry.” He stated the words as fact, his Irish accent becoming a bit thicker in his anger. “It’s bad enough that I had to learn the truth from Eddington and not from you, Paulette, but I swear to you that you will not take my child from me. Unfortunately that means marriage.”
“I will not marry you.” Her legs trembled and she needed to leave the reading room immediately, before she burst into tears in front of him.
His eyes glittered with bitterness. “What’s the matter, Paulette, don’t you wish to marry a wife killer?”
She gasped at his harsh words, but she threw back at him the only words that would hurt him as much as he had hurt her. “No, I do not.”
With that, she flung open the door and hurried from the reading room as fast as she could, leaving Declan staring after her.
Chapter 24
Friends
Declan watched Paulette go, stunned. Completely stunned by the whole bloody mess. He should go after her and talk some sense into her, but he was simply too angry. Angry with her for not coming to him and telling him about the baby. Angry at himself for getting her into this position in the first place. It was all his fault and he accepted full responsibility for it. He’d told Eddington that as well, but he doubted the man believed him.
Although loath to admit it, he was also deeply hurt by Paulette. Hurt that she had not confided in him about her condition as soon as she knew about it. Her lack of trust in him was unbearable. She should have come to him! Having a baby was not what he had expected or planned, but he certainly knew a child was a possibility after all they’d done together no matter how careful he had tried to be and all the precautions he took. It was his fault, not hers, that she was in this situation. He would not have been angry with her. Had she feared him? Had she begun to believe the rumors about him? Was that why she now coldly refused his offer of marriage, when surely she knew she must marry him or face complete social ruin or a life in exile? Did the thought of marriage to him repel her that much?
Life with a man suspected of murder held no appeal and he could not blame her for that.
Filled with regret and self-recriminations, he was thankful he was leaving for Ireland tomorrow. He had to clear his name once and for all, for how could he ask a woman as lovely as Paulette to share it with him, when it was so tainted?
“Excuse me, sir?”
Declan looked up to see a beautiful woman who looked startlingly similar to Paulette standing in the doorway of the reading room. Although she was a little taller and her hair was black, the clear blue eyes and the delicate face showed a striking resemblance. He had seen her from afar earlier that day, during the unveiling, but up close there was not a doubt of who she could be. She was most definitely one of the Hamilton sisters and from what Paulette had told him, he guessed this must be Juliette.
She gave him a curious look.
“Yes?” he asked.
“Is this little blonde your daughter?”
Declan’s heart lurched. Good God, with all that had happened he’d completely forgotten about Mara! They had been in the crowd that morning to witness the opening of the shop. He had wanted to be there to support Paulette and see the new shop. Hell, he had simply wanted to see her. He’d missed her terribly during the last month. So he had brought Mara along, and then on an impulse he had entered the shop with the rest of the guests and customers. Declan had wandered about the place, impressed by all she had done inside the new location. He’d even managed to stay out of Paulette’s way, and she had been so preoccupied with all that she had going on that she had not noticed him when he took Mara to the children’s section. That was when Lord Eddington had pulled him aside, asking to speak to him privately. Declan left Mara seated at one of the little tables, looking at a picture book. He thought he’d be gone only a minute.
Now he felt awful for leaving Mara alone for so long.
“Is she all right?” Panicking, Declan hurried to the doorway. “She’s not hurt, is she? I was only in here a short time, and I thought it would be okay.”
“Oh, she’s fine.” Paulette’s sister moved to the side to allow him to pass by. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. I simply wanted to find out to whom she belonged.”
Declan stopped short. Mara was not crying for him or scared in the least. His daughter was playing quite contentedly with another little girl and two boys at the children’s table just where he had left her. They all looked to be near in age and were laughing and singing and looking at books like they were old friends. Mara was laughing, really laughing. Once again, Declan was stunned.
“I’m so sorry to have worried you,” Paulette’s sister said, coming to stand beside him. “It seems that my daughter has become quite possessive of your daughter, saying she wants to take her home. They’re all having a wonderful time together.”
“Yes, I can see that,” Declan murmured in relief, fascinated by the scene in front of him. He recalled Paulette once suggesting that Mara should play with children her own age. He wished he had listened to her, for the change in his daughter was quite astounding. The younger of the two boys, a handsome dark-haired boy who had to be close to three, reached over to take a book out of Mara’s hands. She held on to it quite firmly, not letting him have it. “No!” she declared. The word was clear and the sound was music to Declan’s ears. He wanted to cry with delight. It was a small step, to be sure, but Mara had spoken her first word in a year!
His daughter had said “no.” Just as Paulette had said to him moments ago. The irony was not lost on him.
“I’m Mrs. Harrison Fleming,” the woman beside him stated. “And that is my daughter, Sara, and those two are my sister Colette’s sons, Phillip and Simon Sinclair.”
“I’m Declan Reeves and that is Mara.”
“
You’re
Declan Reeves?” Her voice was incredulous as she gave him an assessing look and echoed again, “
You’re
Declan Reeves?”
“Yes, I am.” He smiled ruefully. “The one and only.”
“Well, that explains a great deal, but I certainly wasn’t expecting to meet you so soon.”
He gazed at her wryly. “I gather your sister Paulette has mentioned me before?”
Juliette Hamilton Fleming gave him a knowing glance. “In a surprisingly short time, I’ve managed to learn quite a lot about you, Lord Cashelmore. It seems I’ve returned to London just in time.”
“It’s a little late to warn her away from me,” Declan said quietly.
To his surprise, Juliette laughed and gave a little wave of her hand. “Oh, I’ve figured out that much on my own, Lord Cashelmore.”
“So you know everything then?” he asked. Aside from his name and title, Declan wondered just what else Juliette Hamilton Fleming had managed to learn about him.
“You could say that.”
“Is your family ready to kill me? Do I need to make a run for it?”
Once again, Juliette’s laughter took him by surprise. “Since I just arrived in town, I don’t know if you’re in the clear yet, but it seems no one else knows about you, except Yvette.”
“And apparently Lord Eddington knows,” he added, recalling their conversation in the reading room. Eddington made it clear in no uncertain terms where he stood on the matter of Declan’s relationship with Paulette. The man wanted to kill him.
“Oh, Jeffrey knows too, does he? I must say I’m not surprised to hear that.”
“Oh, he knows.”
“You must forgive Jeffrey. He tends to take on the role of our big brother and it is not unexpected that he’s aware of the situation. He’s probably being a bit over-protective given the circumstances . . . of your past.”
“I did not kill my wife,” Declan stated quite emphatically.
“I didn’t say that you had.” Juliette gazed at him levelly, her blue eyes understanding. “But if you didn’t kill her, then who did?”
“I don’t know.”
“Paulette doesn’t believe you did either.”
“But you wonder about it, don’t you?” he couldn’t help but ask. “You’re worried for your sister.”
Again Juliette looked up at him, her gaze direct. “I’m worried for my sister, but not for that reason. Paulette would not be in love with you if you were capable of murder.”
Declan grew quiet. Paulette was in love with him? Then why had she turned down his offer of marriage just now?
“And I trust my sister’s judgment, Lord Cashelmore. Paulette is the most sensible out of all of us Hamilton sisters. Besides, I think I like you already.”
Confounded by Juliette Hamilton Fleming’s candid manner, Declan could only say, “Thank you. I think I like you as well.”
“So when are you marrying Paulette?”
Declan gave a rueful laugh. “I would marry your sister today, but she turned me down just now when I asked her.”
Juliette shrugged her shoulders. “Well, then I suppose I should take back what I just said about her being the most sensible of us all.”
Declan laughed aloud, throwing back his head.
“It wasn’t that funny,” Juliette remarked dryly.
“Now I know I like you,” Declan declared.
“Well, thank you.”
Juliette’s smile was so like Paulette’s it took Declan’s breath away. “Do you all look so ridiculously alike?”
“Yes, we do. Variations on a theme.” Juliette sighed. “But I’m the prettiest.”
“And the most modest, of course,” Declan added.
“Of course.”
He laughed at Juliette’s jesting manner. Paulette’s sister was certainly bright and charming, but Declan thought that Paulette was far and away more beautiful than any of the sisters he’d met so far.
Sara Fleming came over to them, dragging Mara with her, their little hands clasped together. She looked up at her mother with beseeching eyes. “Mama, can Mara come home with us? Please?”
Juliette gave Declan an amused glance. “Leave it to my daughter. We only docked in London this morning and already Sara has made a new friend. The poor child has been cooped up aboard ship for two weeks with only adults for company and as you can see she is thrilled to find your daughter here. Phillip and Simon are fine, but a girl! Now that’s a treasure! Lord Cashelmore, would you mind if I brought your daughter home to Devon House with me for the afternoon so the girls can play together for a little while?”
Although intrigued by the offer, Declan hesitated. “I’m not sure. I have some important engagements this afternoon and Mara hasn’t been away from me—”
“Oh, but Devon House has the most wonderful nursery and playroom. Mara will have a delightful time, I assure you. And it might do her some good.”
“You know about that, too?” Declan asked, surprised how much Juliette knew about him.
“Yes. Word travels fast in this family.” Juliette smiled merrily, her eyes dancing. “Why, just look at the two of them together! Playing with a friend her own age will be good for Mara. I promise you that I’ll keep a close eye on her. And Mara might just have to speak to keep up with my little chatterbox. Besides, you could use the time to talk some sense into the most sensible of sisters.”
He’d already met Colette Sinclair and from what he knew of Paulette, the Hamiltons were not complete strangers to him. Still it seemed odd to send his daughter off with this woman he just met. Then again, Mara seemed very happy and at ease with them. Declan kneeled down to talk to her. “Mara, darlin’, do you want to go and play at Sara’s house this afternoon? I’ll come get you whenever you want.”
Mara seemed to weigh the matter over in her mind, looking between Juliette and Sara Fleming, and back at him. Then she smiled shyly and nodded her head. Declan didn’t know who was more surprised by this development, Mara or himself.
“Well, then. You can go, darlin’. Be a good girl for Mrs. Fleming and I’ll be back to get you. I promise.” He placed a kiss on her head and rose to his feet. He turned to Juliette. “Here’s my card. If anything is wrong, please send for me immediately.”
“I’m sure everything will be fine,” Juliette said, pocketing the card with his address. She gave him an enigmatic smile. “And I’m quite certain Paulette would know where to find you in any case. Oh, here comes my husband!”
A tall man, with golden hair and a ruggedly handsome face bronzed by the sun, came to join them and Juliette made the introductions. Captain Harrison Fleming greeted him somewhat suspiciously, which was no surprise to Declan at this point.
Captain Fleming turned to his wife. “Is he the one?”
Juliette nodded. “Yes. But I’ve discovered I like him very much. We’re taking his daughter home for the afternoon to play with Sara.”
“Of course we are.” Captain Fleming smiled in amusement, apparently used to his wife’s whims, and shook Declan’s hand in greeting. “Please forgive my wife and daughter, Lord Cashelmore. They can be quite willful.”
“Oh, I think I understand completely,” Declan remarked, already liking the man’s good nature. He obviously loved his wife and daughter very much.
“It gives Lord Cashelmore a perfect excuse to come by Devon House later and meet everyone.” Juliette gave Declan a most knowing look.
Yes, Declan supposed she was right. He would have to face Paulette’s family sooner or later, and since he was going to marry Paulette even if he had to tie her up and kidnap her, sooner would be better. Although he’d had his fill of sisters-in-law with Margaret’s family, he had a much better feeling about the Hamiltons already. He’d liked everyone he’d met so far. The Hamiltons seemed like a wonderful family, and the thought that his reputation could cause embarrassment to them filled him with regret.
Once he returned to Ireland he would end all the allegations for good.
Declan gave Mara one more kiss before he took his leave of the Flemings and went in search of Paulette.

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