Mariah laid a portfolio on the desk. “You’ll find my marriage deed and Jennifer’s birth certificate dated seven and a half months after…Viscount Carleigh’s departure." She sarcastically emphasized his title. “In conclusion, I’ll agree to the divorce if I receive the stipulated settlement and have Jennifer certified as my husband’s legitimate heir. Granted that, I’ll be more than happy to put an end to my marriage.” She smiled, satisfied with her speech. “Gentlemen, I rest my case.”
The lawyers argued amongst themselves while Jared and Mariah stared at each other. Suddenly he spoke, emphasizing every word. “I agree to my wife’s terms, with one stipulation. I acknowledge the child as mine and agree to the settlement of money.” Stuart noted a cold triumph in his son’s smile. “But, I want custody of the child.” A shocked, pregnant silence followed this statement.
“Never! She’s my daughter! We were both abandoned by you!” Hostility sparked the green color of her eyes to a deeper shade. “I can see you haven’t changed, Jared Bryant. You’re still as selfish and cruel as you always were.” She turned to her lawyer. “Mr. Collier, there’s nothing more to be gained here.” Facing Jared once more and ignoring his infuriating smile, she said, “I’ll see you in court, Viscount Carleigh.” Mariah sailed from the office in a flurry of billowing skirts and a babble of masculine voices.
Jared exchanged glances with his father. “I did say she was quite unusual, didn’t I, Father?”
Mariah had left her cloak behind. Jared jumped up and retrieved it, following her out of the door. He had to run to catch up with her and when he did, she was still a spitting fury, defiantly daring him to talk to her.
The hired carriage stood at the curb and Jared ordered the driver to ride through Hyde Park. He bowed mockingly before the door, his arm outstretched to help her. She declined the offer, and managed, even with her squirming charge, to enter gracefully. “We have nothing more to discuss. Please leave me alone.”
Jared was fascinated by her; Mariah had always looked her best when infuriated and now she was enchantingly outraged—doubly so, when he refused to leave.
His voice was husky with a remembered desire. “I missed you, my pet. Did you regret your decision to let me sail without you? Dare I hope the suit was only an excuse for you to come after me?”
Mariah wished she were alone, for she had a burning desire to scratch the arrogant smirk from his face. “You’re insufferably vain and arrogant, a liar and a scoundrel,” she said in a tight-lipped, controlled voice. “What makes* you think I desire someone like you?”
Jared opened the roof hatch, telling the driver to stop. Taking Mariah by surprise, he carefully laid the baby and her blanket on the floor of the cab. Jenny gurgled happily, clutching a handful of her mother’s skirts as Jared slowly, tantalizingly drew Mariah into his arms.
Mariah was mesmerized by the gray-blue gaze. She felt like an ensnared rabbit, watching as a predatory fox inched closer and closer. His lips captured her mouth, crushing it as an overwhelming sense of déja vu swept over her, and once again she relived their first kiss on board the riverboat.
Suddenly, she regained her senses, as his hands boldly roamed at will. Pushing with all her might, panting for breath, she shoved him away. Wild-eyed and desperate, she gasped, “Stop it, take your hands off me! Just because you drag up some answering lust in me…”
Mariah straightened, trying to catch her breath and arrange her clothing. “If you think you can blame your desertion on me, you still don’t know me,” she exclaimed disgustedly and reached down to tenderly caress Jenny’s raven curls. “Jenny’s the only good thing to come out of us.” Mariah raised challenging eyes to his. “It never ceases to amaze me that something so sweet could come from the two of us. I don’t intend to let you have her, Jared! It’s too late to suddenly become a devoted father.
It was sixteen painful hours before I gave birth to her but she’s worth every second.” It was clear that the maternal instinct was extremely strong in Mariah. She looked like a fierce she-wolf, defending her cub. “If you continue to ignore your responsibilities, I’ll manage somehow. I did for the past year and a half.”
Jared lounged against the back of the leather seat and sneered a reply, sarcasm dripping from every heavily emphasized word. “May I inquire how you made a living?” He clearly implied that she had used her body as a source of income.
Mariah’s eyes deepened to a strange, flickering green as she challenged his insinuation. “When you left me, without a thought as to how I’d survive, I became a dealer at the Sunburst. After a while, I even grew to enjoy it. I had to quit for a while because of Jenny but I assure you I made an excellent living from it.”
“I see. I’m sure you had a huge following of devoted…admirers.”
Damn him anyway! He always managed to make her sound so willingly wanton, as though she would fall into bed with any man who winked at her. “Ben is here in London. He sold the Sunburst. We’re opening a new club next week called the Angel.” She raised her eyes, daring him. “If you’d care to drop in, you’ll see how adept I’ve become at your old profession.”
“That might be interesting,” Jared admitted and laughed sardonically. “Surely the club isn’t named for you! You hardly strike me as angelic, love. Yes, I’ll probably stop by. It would be very amusing to see if you have any moral qualms about also serving your husband.”
“All customers are treated equally, Viscount.” Her eyes glittered spitefully as she added, “As long as they behave themselves, I don’t discriminate between those I like and those I…loathe.” Her smile assured him which class he fell into.
“Regrettably, Mariah, you’ve lost that sweet softness I once found so appealing. Amazingly enough, I find my interest still piqued.” He smiled slyly and said, “I wonder…has a year and a half of unlicensed freedom made you a more sensual bed partner? New twists…new tricks, perhaps?”
Was there nothing he wouldn’t dare suggest? Was he really idiotic enough to think she had made love to scores of men with her belly wide and swollen with his child? His mocking insinuations had twisted her insides into knots. "When you met me I was a naive young girl. What I am today is also your responsibility.” She forced self to smile coyly. “Perhaps I owe you a debt of thanks Jared. The fact that I’m independent and self supporting is due to your selfish desertion.” She added proudly,"I've adapted, Jared. Does that irritate you? I’ve discovered it’s a man’s world; no woman succeeds on her own unless she’s hard as nails!” She glanced out the window and, for the moment, the delicate profile was outlined. “As for the legion of lovers you accuse me of…she smiled mysteriously, seeing no reason to enlighten him. “Will you ever really know how many there were or how they compared with you?” She had managed to wound him at his most vulnerable spot, his insufferable male vanity.
“Your temper hasn’t improved. I’ll grant you that much!” Jared’s fine, straight brows drew together, deepening the heavy scowl on his face. “We seem to have said it all. I’ll see you in court, Mariah.” He thrust open the carriage door, but paused. “Are you really so naive as to think that in England, of all places, a wealthy aristocrat can’t easily gain control of his own child? You’re unfit to be a mother; a woman who works in a gambling den, a known consort of prostitutes? Think it over, lady, give it a great deal of thought!” Jared was gone before she could react to the cruel, calculated assertion.
The sound of angry voices had penetrated to Jenny and she reacted with loud, pitiful wails. Mariah picked her up and cuddled her close. In a trembling voice, she ordered the driver to take her home. Long after Jenny had quieted and lay asleep against the warm comfort of her mother’s breast, silent teardrops trickled from Mariah’s frightened, jade-green eyes, tracing a damp trail down her expressionless face.
Jared returned from his frustrating encounter with Mariah to find his father and Tony together in the drawing room. His handsome features were twisted by irrational fury as he threw himself into a wing chair near
the front window. Stuart and Tony exchanged significant glances. Both of them knew the reason for the vile temper and had been discussing it prior to his return.
“That lousy bitch…not only is she an unfaithful slut, she openly taunted me with her infidelities!” Jared looked up at Tony, knowing his friend would understand. “She’s hard as nails, Tony. Do you know where she was raising the child? At the Sunburst—with whores and gamblers for company!” Jared unreasonably ignored the fact that he had introduced Mariah to the casino and that the baby was too young to distinguish between those surrounding her. Mariah had been left on her own and had no choice but to seek work at the casino.
“Tell us what happened when you went after her, son. Don’t forget—you were the one who went after her.” Already Stuart had deduced that there was more to their marriage than the surface display of mutual antagonism.
“She has a mouth like a street woman. That regal facade in Collier’s office was a sham. I told her I’d see her in court. I think I finally managed to penetrate that hard shell of hers by informing her the magistrate would take my word over hers because she works in a gambling club.” Jared turned to look at Tony. “Tony, you remember McCabe—the bastard’s here in London, ready to open a club called the Angel. I’ll give you three guesses who’s the main attraction!”
Stuart was surprised and taken back by Jared’s sullen, spoiled expression and he suddenly saw his son in a different light. There was an arrogant selfishness to him, especially when he was denied his own way. Apparently the girl had rejected his advances, and his fury at her had blinded him to the best interests of the child. He was using the custody of the little girl to seek revenge for Mariah’s rebuff. Stuart now had occasion to regret that he had been unable to influence Jared’s early years.
The boy had formed such a cynical, self-interested independence. Feeling a grave responsibility to intervene, he cleared his throat and drew Jared’s attention.
“Son, I’d like to ask you a favor. I would hope you’ve grown fond enough of me to give serious consideration to what I ask.” He paused and Jared faced him with a touch of suspicion. “Agree to Mariah’s terms. You’ve already admitted publicly that the baby is yours. As a responsible adult, you should wish to see the little girl provided for. If your wife had your support from the beginning, there would have been no need for her to earn a living as you described. Think it over before you make any rash decisions. You may find you later regret a custody suit.”
For the first time since their reunion, Stuart had denied Jared total support for his actions. Jared desperately wanted to get even with Mariah but only respect for his father’s opinion made him reluctantly agree. “All right, I won’t go through with the suit,” he admitted grudgingly.
Jared had stifled his anger for the moment, and Stuart’s worried expression eased and he beamed paternally at Jared. Tony’s face was a benign mask but Jared could see the skepticism in his gaze and he knew that while his father accepted his superficial pledge, Tony knew him well enough to realize he hadn’t given up on the idea of some kind of revenge against Mariah. She’d pushed his patience too far this time to allow her to get off scot-free. Given time, he knew he could think of some way to make her suffer.
Chapter 29
A long, tense week passed, then another with no custody order in sight. Mariah was finally able to dispel the worry that had kept her nerves wound as tightly as a coiled spring the entire time. She had snapped at Ben and Natalie without the slightest provocation; and although they both understood the reason behind her sudden sharpness, there had been a definite air of strain among all three. Now, the lines of worry eased from her expression and she was able to proceed with the final arrangements for the opening of the club.
Appreciating Mariah’s instinctive good taste, Ben had given her complete control of decorating the Angel. She had, almost magically, transformed the dull, respectable red brick building into a lavish club that would cater to the whims of the wealthy, inveterate gamblers of London’s society. Mariah had firmly insisted that there be no bar girls to service customers in upstairs rooms. “Let them go to a brothel, if that’s what they want,” she insisted emphatically.
As usual, she had gotten her way with Ben. To provide an elite atmosphere of pleasure, she hand-picked twelve girls, choosing them for their wholesomeness and fresh young appeal, to be employed as serving girls. When she showed them their costumes, black taffeta with starchy white aprons in a demure, yet form-fitting style, she underscored a stern warning. “I can’t emphasize this enough, girls. Your job consists of serving liquor and food, smiling graciously and being as courteous as possible. The first time I hear of any of you making a solicitation or accepting an offer for an assignation, you’ll he tossed out the back door! Off the premises you’re free to meet whom you wish.” When she had extracted a solemn promise from each of them, with her fingers crossed hopefully behind her back, she dismissed them with a smile, asking them to arrive early for the opening night.
Now, her arm entwined with Ben’s, Mariah was giving him a guided tour of the finished club, anxious for his approval of her endeavors.
All of the rooms on the upper floor had been converted to private use. Ben would have the large master bedroom that Mariah had decorated in a dark wine color. A large sitting room connected with the bedroom and it had been converted into an office for the club. Ben seemed suitably impressed but withheld his comments until the end of the tour. Downstairs, Mariah proudly ushered him into her showpiece, a huge converted ballroom which would be used as the gambling lounge. Around the various gaming tables, large, comfortable settees and heavily padded leather sofas were positioned so that the patrons could rest and drink, gossip or merely console one another over their losses.
The color scheme of the room was the most striking in the house, with the furniture and draperies in rich blacks and golds. Two large Oriental rugs with ornate gold designs covered the polished parquet flooring, complementing the mellow gleam of oak-paneled walls. A heavily carved fireplace dominated the room, immediately catching the eye as one entered through the carved oaken doors. Over the mantel hung a large oil painting Mariah had discovered at a flea market auction. It had been painted in a style similar to seventeenth-century Dutch masters and consisted of three bewigged gentlemen enjoying a game of dice. It was the perfect touch, subtly drawing attention to the purpose of the Angel club.
Ben silently surveyed the room, slowly appraising every detail, while Mariah barely contained her anxiety. “Ben, don’t keep me in suspense any longer,” Mariah pleaded. “What do you think of it?”
Ben turned slowly, teasing her as he drew out the moment. “It’s beautiful, sweetheart; just as lovely and elegant as the person who created it!” He stroked his thin pencil mustache with one finger and cynically quirked an eyebrow. “I just hope the club’s a success…I’d hate to see these furnishings end up in a bankruptcy auction.”
Ben’s skeptical speculation worried her for a moment and a tiny wrinkle formed between the black-winged brows. “How can you doubt our success? Ben, you have to remember with whom we’re dealing here. The men who’ll gamble at the Angel aren’t rough miners but aristocratic, landed gentry. They could scarcely concentrate on gambling with half-clad girls and nude paintings about. Trust me,” she said softly, as her eyes pleaded for him to believe in her, “have I ever let you down?”
Ben smiled ironically, his gaze fastened on her mouth while his fingers lightly traced its fine contour. His eyes raised to meet hers as he admitted, “Only in one way, m’dear.”
Mariah sighed, allowing the caressing hand to lower possessively to her throat. It was still a point of contention between them; he had never ceased trying to cajole her into his bed and she had never ceased refusing his advances.
“You know very well how I feel, Ben. It would be different if I had my freedom. Even if Jared doesn’t, I take my vows seriously. After the divorce goes through…” There was an implied promise, a possibility for the
ir future in her unfinished statement, and it was enough to satisfy him for the moment.
The gold-embossed, parchment invitations sent to a select circle of well-known gamblers seemed to have been well worth the expense. Mariah, resplendent in white and gold, stood at the entrance of the club, greeting the patrons and directing each to a waiting girl. The girls had been given last-minute instructions to give each gentleman a tour of the club and then return him to the lounge. With complimentary drinks in hand, the gentlemen were subtly seduced by the lure of the tables and the cries of excited bettors. Several gentlemen had brought their current mistresses, and the stylishly clad young women added bright spots of color to the feverish excitement of the room. The scent of their perfumes hung in the air and light, tinkling laughter mixed with the deeper sounds of their lovers’ shouts of encouragement to friends.
In the background, from an alcove off the old dining room, the soft music of a string quartet filled the air. The muted melody added to the exciting, carnival atmosphere. A buffet table had been set up, temptingly arranged with a wide variety of canapés and hors d’oeuvres. A huge ham and an equally large side of beef awaited, carving by an immaculately attired chef.
Initial anxiety forgotten, Mariah was beginning to relax and enjoy herself. She turned away from the door to ask Natalie to greet the guests, while she took charge of her card table. Something in the tense narrowing of Natalie’s eyes warned her, and she had a moment to compose her expression before she slowly turned to smile a welcome to her husband.
Jared stood before Mariah, handsomely attired in a black evening coat and trousers with crisp, white ruffles showing at his chest and cuffs. As usual, he wore his clothes with a casual elegance and lean grace that seemed to put other men to shame. “I’m so glad you could join us, Jared,” Mariah said sweetly. A casual viewer watching Mariah’s greeting would have seen nothing more than a beautiful young woman, graciously welcoming a debonair aristocrat, but Natalie sensed the tension, the invisible lightning bolts passing between husband and wife. Casually, Mariah took Jared’s cape and hat and handed them to her, asking her to greet the guests.
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