Her Officer and Gentleman (18 page)

He cut the thought where it sat. Damn his arrogance. Lady Elizabeth was not for him. She was for someone kinder, gentler, someone who would cherish her and protect her. He was not the man for her.

He met Beth’s concerned gaze and forced a smile to his own lips. “This is certainly awkward.”

“That is an understatement.” The teacup trembled a bit in her hands and she quickly set it to one side.

“How is your grandfather?”

“Angry,” she said, then smiled wryly. “And pleased. All at the same time.”

Christian frowned. “Angry? Does he abuse you?”

She met his gaze, her color returning in a flush. “No! How can you suggest such a thing?”

“I don’t know him that well and…Well, I want to be certain you’re fine.”

“My grandfather would never hurt me. He would never hurt
anyone.
”

“I have very little experience with grandfathers or fathers even, for that matter. What little I know of mine makes me quite glad he never bothered to present himself into my life.”

Her brows drew down a bit. “Your father was the Earl of Rochester. I saw him once, at a play.” She tilted her head to one side. “You don’t look like him at all.”

“My brother, Tristan, does.”

“I’ve heard that about the new earl.”

“He has even less fondness for Father than I.” Christian grinned. “Tris hates being called Rochester, so I do it every chance I get.”

Her lips quivered. “That does not surprise me. You’ve a devilish streak.”

On impulse, Christian pushed himself from the tree and came to sit beside her. “Beth, I am sorry this came to pass. It was not what I wanted.”

She took a steadying breath. “Nor I. But it is what we have. Westerville, do you think—”

“Christian.” He reached over and took her hand in his and turned it over, noting the lack of
calluses. Her fingers were long and delicate, the tips pink and well shaped. He traced his thumb over her palm, fascinated with the softness of her skin. “We might as well dispense with the formalities now. Besides, I think I would like hearing my name on your lips.”

Her cheeks flushed, but she said with some composure, “Very well, Christian. Do you think we could find a believable way to explain our presence in that billiard room? Perhaps if we told Grandfather—”

“No. We could not. And you know that. Besides, no matter what we might believe, society has other ideas of what occurred, thanks to Lady Jersey.”

“Why did you have to go to the musicale with that dreadful creature?”

“She’s not so dreadful. Just talkative. Besides, I wished to go to the musicale to see you and I didn’t have an invitation.”

Beth blinked, her long lashes sweeping over her eyes, then up. “You came with Sally Jersey just to see me?”

Christian rubbed the back of Beth’s hand over his cheek. “Yes.”

“Did Lady Jersey know that?”

“She figured it out fairly quickly. At first she was amused, but I think later on, she felt somewhat slighted.” Christian shrugged. “Pity.”

Beth laughed softly, her white teeth showing just beneath the edge of her lip. Christian had to fight the urge to lean over and kiss her.

To cover the impulse, he instead kissed her fingers.

She smiled. “You are wasting your time. I cannot be charmed.”

“No?” He wondered what had made her so…bright. She radiated warmth and humor. He forced himself to look away, his gaze resting on the house before him.

She followed his gaze. “Ah, yes. You wish to search it, don’t you?”

“Yes.” He turned back to her. “But not now.”

“I suppose that would look suspicious.”

“Indeed. I have waited twenty years for this; a few more days or weeks won’t matter.” He glanced at the house. “I can see your butler peering from a window.”

“Jameson.” She leaned forward, trying to see. “He is rather protective.”

“Have you always lived here?”

“Yes. My father and I moved here to be with Grandfather after my mother died.”

“Do you remember her?”

“No. I was quite young.”

He rubbed his thumb over her wrist. “Were you close to your father?”

“Not really. He was very intelligent and forever puttering about with a book. When he was working on a translation, he would forget to talk for days on end.” She smiled. “Grandfather despaired of him ever taking an interest in the estates, which is a pity, for now there is no one to do it.”

He traced a line along her thumb to her wrist, then back. “What about you?”

She made a face. “Grandfather is very definite in his concept of acceptable roles for women.”

“What a fool.”

To her surprise, Beth could see that he meant it. She looked down at her hand, held so warmly in Christian’s. A tremble of heat seemed to radiate out from that spot, warming her as it traveled up her arm, over her shoulder, and to her breasts. Beneath the light silk of her chemise, she could feel her breasts swelling, her nipples tightening. It was a very unnerving thing, this pull she felt toward Christian. It was very…physical.

She swallowed a sigh. How she wished her mother was still alive to explain such things to her, although…was that the sort of thing one confided to one’s mother? Certainly Beth could not imagine saying anything to Grandfather. As for Charlotte, they had never been that close.

Beth gently withdrew her hand from Christian’s and managed a stiff smile. She would need all her wits if she wished to find a way out of this engagement. “Christian, I have been thinking.”

His eyes glinted, but all he did was raise his brows.

“Since neither of us wish to be married, we must think of a way to soothe Grandfather’s irritation.”

Christian looked amused. “I suppose I could put an end to my existence. That would please him a good deal.”

“Nonsense. He is not an impractical man. He has to know that would just lead to more scandal.”

Christian’s lips twitched. “That would be horrid, wouldn’t it?”

Beth had to fight the urge to smile herself. “Horrid, indeed.”

“I suppose I shall not put a period to my own life then.”

“We will save that as our Avenue of Last Recourse.”

“Thank you,” he said dryly.

“Meanwhile, we must do something to calm Grandfather. Not much, but enough that he doesn’t rush to put the announcement in the paper. If I can find some way to convince him not to post the banns just yet, then it will give us some time to convince him we should not wed.”

“Beth, society will not let him simply change his mind. You are ruined.”

“I don’t care about that. I never wished to go into society, anyway. Besides, when Grandfather dies, I shall inherit all of his money. If there is one thing I know about society it is that they will always forgive one if one is but wealthy enough.”

“You wouldn’t be happy with a husband won solely on the size of your fortune.”

“Look, Westerville,” she said with a sudden show of asperity. “I don’t want a husband at all. I don’t know why anyone would need one. Anything a husband could provide, I could find here, on my own.”

Christian raised his brows, humor sparkling in his eyes.

Beth flushed. “Almost anything, I mean.”

Christian chuckled.

“Oh, stop that!” She took a deep breath and turned in her seat until she was facing him. “Christian, listen to me. I have decided we must do what we can to stop this marriage. Are you with me, or not?”

C
hristian opened his mouth to respond, but couldn’t. Of course he had no wish to marry, especially not the granddaughter of the man responsible for his mother’s death. Still, looking down at Beth as she sat on the bench, surrounded by flowers, her silk gown a perfect foil for her honey-colored hair and brown eyes, he was struck with the most amazing thought—why
shouldn’t
he marry her? Life with Beth would be one of
excitement and challenge. She was beautiful and charming. And there was an instant rapport between them that he’d never before experienced.

Startled at the thought, he forced himself to smile. “I am not sure I follow your meaning.”

“I have an idea to save us both from this predicament, but it will take your cooperation. Do I have it?”

“What is your idea?”

“We must see this engagement as nothing more than a minor setback. All we have to do is accept Grandfather’s orders, but just
pretend
we’re willing to marry. Then, before any serious plans have been made or the banns posted, I will cry off.” Her smile faded. “Of course, that will make me look sadly frivolous.”

He laughed softly. “My love, you
are
frivolous. I have yet to see you wear the same pair of shoes twice.”

Her cheeks heated. “I don’t own that many!”

Christian chuckled. “Don’t eat me! They are lovely shoes, all of them.” He leaned forward a little, his shoulder rubbing against her and sending a thick heat into the air about them. “I especially love the blue satin heels with gold trim. One day, I may have you wear those for me—”

Beth managed a smile. “I would be honored.”

“—with nothing else on.”

For a moment, she could only stare up at him. “With nothing else on? That’s—that’s—that’s—”

“Sensual? Exciting? Stimulating? Exhilar—”

“Obscene.”

“Nonsense. It’s perfectly acceptable.” He leaned back, stretching his arm behind her, his shoulder temptingly near. Hell, he was engaged to her, was he not? Why
shouldn’t
he put his arm about her?

“This is not a proper conversation.”

“Nonsense,” he said again, laying his arm across her shoulders, enjoying the way her scent rose about her, as fresh and fragrant as the flowers. “We are now engaged to be married, my love. This is all perfectly acceptable.”

She took his hand and lifted it over her head and placed it on his own lap. “You, sir, are taking advantage of a very distressful situation.”

“I am merely enjoying a happy happenstance, is all. Shouldn’t I do that? See the bright side of things?”

“There is no bright side of this. We must find a way to convince Grandfather not to post the banns. Otherwise—” Beth clamped her mouth together, unwilling to continue with that line of thought. “We must try this.”

He looked at her for a long moment, his eyes shadowed, hidden. She wondered what he was thinking, what sober thoughts held him.

Finally, he shrugged. “Very well. We will see if your plan works.”

“It will be easy. We will simply put him off about the date—I shall argue that I need a better gown or that lilies won’t be in bloom and then, when the scandal has faded, you and I shall have a huge row and finish this charade. We will never have to speak again.”

He didn’t answer.

“Was—I mean, Christian. What do you think? Is that not a plausible plan?”

“It is certainly desperate,” he said in an emotionless voice. “But I suppose I do not blame you. Being married under such circumstances is not what anyone would wish.”

Her chest tightened. “No. It is not. I just thought…this way, we escape the marriage, but you will have the opportunity to search the house. Everyone will expect you to visit me. Grandfather stays in the library and cannot walk upstairs without assistance. And Charlotte stays in her room. So we should be able to look without interference. The only problem will be the servants.”

Christian’s gaze met hers. “You have thought of everything, haven’t you?” he said.

“I tried to,” she replied.

He nodded, offering no comment, though he seemed far from pleased.

Beth bit her lip. She truly wished to assist him. Once they ascertained the necklace was not at Massingale House, Beth wondered if she could help Christian in looking for it elsewhere. There had to be some clues he was missing, some evidence he had misinterpreted for him to think the culprit was Grandfather.

“Westerville, what do you say? Are you willing to help me convince Grandfather to wait on the barns?”

“It’s Christian to you, my love.” His gaze heated, though he smiled. “I am glad you agreed to do the crying off. When a man does it, he is
considered a cad. When a woman does the crying off, she is considered to have come to her senses and made an escape from a Bad Situation.”

Her lips quivered just a bit and Christian was encouraged to add, “I do not know why that is so, but I’ve seen it time and again.”

The smile didn’t come all the way to fruition, but some of the tension left her expression. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be so weak-livered.”

“You? Weak?” He waved a hand. “Perish the thought.”

“Yes, well…you seem to be taking this in much better part than I.”

“Perhaps I am just better at hiding my fear. No matter who you are, it’s daunting to realize how close we are to being marched will ye nill ye to the altar.”

She looked at him for a long, level moment. He took the opportunity to admire the sweep of her lashes; thick and dark brown, they complemented her fair coloring no small amount.

“My lord, I do not think anyone could ever make you do something you don’t want to do, especially something as important as marriage.”

“No one could make you, either, unless you allow them. To be honest, when I spoke to your grandfather, he did not seem all that certain of his ability to make you follow his wishes.”

She smiled a little. “I could refuse him and he knows it. Still, it would be a battle of no small order.”

“Two stubborn people, locked horn to horn. I daresay it would be a sight worth seeing.”

A chuckle burst from her lips, her eyes crinkling charmingly. “It would not be worth seeing at all. He would bluster and thunk his cane on the floor, all red in the face, while I glared and snapped at him like an angry turtle.”

He had to laugh at that picture.

She leaned back on her hands, the sun filtering through the leaves of the tree, a look of sudden realization warming her expression. “You are right, though. Grandfather cannot make me wed. I just want to ease out of it without having to fight with him. He—he is not well.”

Christian nodded. He’d thought the same when he’d first met the man. “This whole episode was a bit of a shock to you and me. The thought of marriage makes me queasy. In fact, I am feeling a bit ill right now.”

Her eyes glimmered with humor. “You are not.”

“I vow it. I am ill to my stomach at the thought of marrying you.” He grinned. “Very.”

She gave a prim sniff. “I do not blame you one bit; you would hate being married to me.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“I am short tempered in the mornings before I’ve had my tea.”

“So am I.”

“I sneeze every time I step out into the garden.”

“How horrid.”

“I am not very good at lawn tennis, either.”

He raised his brows. “Anything else?”

This time, her gaze locked with his. “I would not accept carousing in a husband.”

“I would not carouse were I a husband.”

“Never?” Disbelief dripped from her tones.

“Never. Which is why I’m not married and have no intention of doing so.”

She pursed her lips. “That is a big statement.”

“It is a deeply felt one. Tell me honestly; have you ever seen a marriage worth emulating?”

“My parents. I don’t remember much, but even my grandfather says they were deeply in love. After Mother died, Father just…stopped.”

“He remarried, didn’t he?”

“Yes. Years later, to Charlotte.” She gave a rueful smile. “It was difficult giving up the position of Only Female in Residence. I fear I was a little spoiled and made it difficult on her at first.”

“That is about the same time my mother was incarcerated.”

Beth’s eyes darkened. “That had to have been much more difficult. I am sorry, Christian.”

He shook his head. “We were talking about you. Is your stepmother good to you?”

“Yes. She and I aren’t close, of course. We’re too different to become true friends. But we brush along well enough. Grandfather says Father never cared for Charlotte as he did for Mother.” A troubled look entered Beth’s eyes. “I’ve always thought that was why Charlotte—” She caught Christian’s gaze and blushed. “Never mind. You don’t want to know about that.”

But he did. He wanted to know everything there was to know about this woman. It was odd, but the more he saw of her, the more he wanted to find out all of her little foibles, her likes and dislikes, what colors she loved, which flowers she
adored…he wanted to know all of it as if that would help him capture some small essence of her. Something he could take with him when he finally had to leave.

The pressure in his chest deepened. She was so sweet, so remarkable. Yet she didn’t even know it.

Something inside him loosened, then broke. A surge of emotions sent Christian forward. He leaned down and gently placed his lips to hers. She willingly accepted it, her face turning up to meet his. It was a remarkably chaste kiss considering some of their other kisses. But it was sensual all the same.

For Beth, it was something more. A promise of a sort. The sealing of a companionship that had started far before they’d ever met.

His lips were firm and warm against hers, his scent rising to fill her with a longing for…something. Something new. Something exciting.

Lately, she’d lived a life of dreams. She’d been dressed and pressed, riding in the best carriages and attending the best soirées and balls. But somehow, that wasn’t living. Going through the motions of polite society was about acting, not being. And for once in her life, she wanted something more. She wanted to just
be.

The viscount’s kiss was that something more. She was no longer just watching others. Instead, she felt alive in a way she never had. Her entire body pulsed with awareness, her mind whirled with passions and thoughts so rapid they pressed her onward. Before she knew what she was about, she’d thrown herself into the kiss, twining her
arms about Christian’s neck and pressing herself against him. She wanted more of this, more of him.

A deep groan sounded in his throat and then his hand found the back of her neck, his warm fingers pulling her forward. He deepened the kiss, opening his mouth ever so slightly, his lips warm and deliciously firm over hers.

Heated sensations burned through her. Beth shivered when Christian raked his tongue over her teeth. Her body tightened and tingled, hot and cold warring for release.

His hand slid from her neck to her shoulder, then down her back, trailing waves of passion. There was something about this man with his wild handsomeness and the wounded look deep in his eyes that made her crave his touch as a starving man craved food.

Suddenly he released her and then rose from the bench, turning on his heel and stalking down the path a short way.

Beth was left half reclining on the bench, her hair unbound, her heart thundering in her chest.

Two things dawned on her in rapid succession. First, she had not wished Christian to stop. Second, even now, without the distraction of his warm mouth on hers, she couldn’t think of a single reason
to
stop. They were engaged, weren’t they? Surely such exchanges as this were normal between engaged couples?

He flicked a look at her, his brow lowering as he took in her mussed hair. “You may need a comb.”

Beth smoothed her hair with hands that shook slightly. “I look as if I’ve been kissed, which I have
been. And if I cannot be kissed by my fiancé, then who should kiss me?”

He didn’t smile. Instead, he passed a hand over his face and sighed. “Beth, we cannot keep doing this. I cannot stop it every time.”

“I know.” She bit her lip. “Christian, I am sorry. I just thought that since we were engaged—”

“It’s not real!” His voice rang harshly through the garden.

She stiffened, color high in her cheeks. “I know.”

A deep silence filled the garden. Somewhere in the distance, a bird trilled, then silence once again.

Finally, Christian sighed. “I am sorry. I didn’t come here to argue with you or—” He shook his head. “I came to give you something.” He reached into his coat and pulled out a packet. He brought it to her. “This is the information I told you about. I put a letter with it, describing the importance of each piece. I want you to understand why I must search the house. Why I think your grandfather is guilty of a great crime.”

She took the packet, the foolscrap cool and crisp. She rubbed her fingers over the ribbon that bound them all together.

“I need that packet back.” Christian nodded at the letters. “In a way, the letters are all I have of my mother.”

Beth nodded. “I will take care of them, I promise.”

“Thank you. Now, I must go.”

“Don’t you want to go inside?” Beth stood and
placed the letters into a pocket in the folds of her gown. “Grandfather has been looking for you.”

“Unless I mistake my guess, he has seen me. He has been staring out that large window on the far end ever since I arrived.”

Beth smiled. “It’s a good thing the arbor hides us from view.”

“Indeed. Beth, I…thank you for reading the missives and hearing what I have to say. That means a lot.”

“I agreed to help you find your mother’s betrayer. We will keep our deal from the billiard room.”

For a long moment, he did not speak. When he finally did, his words were thick with emotion. “Thank you. I must go.” He turned to leave.

“But Grandfather—”

“I will speak with him tomorrow,” Christian said over his shoulder, walking even more quickly now. All too soon, he disappeared down the path. She heard the slap of his boots on the pathway, then the distant click of the side gate followed by the unmistakable sound of a carriage being sprung as he raced off.