He stuck his jaw out to the side until it was completely off angle with the rest of his face and tried to move it up and down. Major Price looked like a wooden marionette which Serena remembered from her childhood.
“That’s not to mention his elbow, and his shoulder, and his left knee, and his right hand.” Major Price rose to his feet and began to demonstrate the effects of Darius’s revenge. He hunched his back and dipped his shoulder crookedly toward the floor, then began to walk about, dragging his leg like a dead weight. One hand was curled into a mangled claw, pawing at the air helplessly. He cocked his head to the side and said in an ogre-like voice, “’Ello, I’m the Duke of Bloody Balfour. Care to dance?”
A shocked laugh escaped Serena’s lips as she watched Major Price’s antics. It was a sin to find humor in the injury of another, and yet, she could not feel sorry for the duke if this was to be his fate. The man had planned to inflict untold depravities upon her. She could not feel compassion for such a monster, now.
Major Price ended the performance and reclaimed his seat. “I daresay the man’s outward appearance will now match his black, withered soul, which can only bode well for the rest of us. Though I am quite cross with Darius about one thing.”
“Which is?” Serena inquired.
Price frowned, and said, “He didn’t let me have a piece of him. I’ve been waiting for years to get it, too. Oh well, one should not look back, but forward. Balfour’s future—his rearranged appearance notwithstanding—should be quite interesting, indeed.”
“You mean there’s more?” Serena asked, unable to imagine what it might be.
The major smiled. “Oh yes. You see, that’s why Dare has gone to visit old Nosey. Wellington owes him a favor. And many owe favors to Wellington. Do not be surprised if before long, you read a notice in the Times announcing that His Grace, the Duke of Balfour, has been appointed governor of a tiny backwater island in the outward territories of the British Empire. I imagine the depraved duke will soon find himself somewhere unbearably hot, rustic, and infested with friendly mosquitoes, not to mention hostile natives. Darius will see to it that you shan’t be bothered by the duke ever again.”
Serena tried to absorb all that Major Price had related to her. So much had happened so quickly. And she had been unconscious for much of it.
Major Price got to his feet and rang for a servant. “I will have a message sent to Dr. Tomlinson. He gave orders that he be notified when you woke.”
All of a sudden, Serena thought of her friends, Lady D, Felicity and Bliss. She wanted to see them so badly, her heart ached with the need. “Major, could you please send a note to Lady Devlyn as well, bidding her and the girls to come?”
“They have been here already—your friends in the Courtesan Club. I sent them away.”
“What? Why?” Serena asked, alarmed.
Major Price rolled his eyes. “They were all crying despairingly over your condition. Except for Lady Devlyn. She held her countenance quite calmly. The other two, however, left me with two soaking-wet handkerchiefs and a dampened neck cloth. I do believe the lapels of my jacket will never be the same.”
“I apologize, major,” Serena said. “I am sure Miss Knightly and Lady Sterling did not intend to ruin your wardrobe, not to mention your accessories.”
Giving a boyish smile, he said, “Do not trouble yourself, Miss Ransom. Such emotions are not surprising in ladies so passionate and full of life. It is quite forgivable that my attire should bear the brunt of their distress.”
Major Price crossed to the doorway to greet the footman. Only it was not the footman who blocked the doorway with his tall, muscular form. It was Darius.
“I will see about fetching the doctor, now,” Havelock said, giving a nod to Serena, then to his friend as he departed.
Serena’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of the man she feared she would never see again. He was dressed all in black, save for the crisp white neck cloth tied at his throat. His unruly hair and hooded eyes gave him the look of a fallen angel.
He stared at her from the doorway, his expression unreadable.
Serena’s heart ached with emotion. She realized suddenly that she had wanted him to look happy and relieved…wanted him to rush to her side, pull her into his strong, warm arms and smooth away the hair from her face, all the while whispering to her that everything would be all right.
Darius did none of those things.
He merely stood there, staring down at her with unfathomable blue eyes.
Serena’s skin prickled with trepidation, regret, and need. She felt so vulnerable, so desperate for Darius to comfort her. And yet, she abhorred feeling so weak. This was what she had been fighting against for the past six months, and even beyond that. This feeling that made hot tears prick the backs of her eyes, this wanting…this maddening ache within her breast.
And though she hadn’t wanted to admit that she was trapped by its unyielding power, she knew such denial was fruitless. It wouldn’t save her from living out her days in its power.
It was love.
Impractical, stubborn, demanding love.
Joyous, bright and sweet. Hot, wicked and passionate.
Unwavering. Unending. Unexplainable.
Love.
Serena had tried to outrun it, tried to outwit it, but it had always been one step ahead of her. Her heart had chosen Darius two years before, when it had first felt the pulse of his own only a hairsbreadth away. And no matter what Serena did, or how she tried to convince herself otherwise, her heart’s desire could not be altered.
Becoming a courtesan had been an escape from the pain of her own emotions. Serena had chosen a life that focused purely on the physical, and would keep her fragile emotions safely protected behind a carefully constructed wall of control. But Darius, with his relentless onslaught of irresistible passion, had broken through her defenses once and for all. The battlements that had protected her were now reduced to rubble. She could not keep Darius out any longer.
Leaving him for the duke had been another attempt at defense. But her plan had backfired in the most horrible way. Her fear of losing control with Darius had made her take a foolish risk with the duke, and almost cost her more than she could have imagined. Serena did not want to think about where she would be at this very moment, if not for Darius.
The man in question stood silently in the doorway, looking foreboding as a cold winter sky. But Serena didn’t care. She was through with being afraid. She would meet this challenge head on, with all the pain and uncertainty it might bring.
Reflexively, some of Lady Devlyn’s ‘Courtesan Rules’ danced in Serena’s mind. This time, she was going to break them all.
‘To make a man speak, say nothing.’
She was going to tell him everything in her heart.
‘To make a man give you everything, give away nothing.’
She would give him all that she had to give.
‘The only power a man can have over you, is that which you give him.’
She would give him the power to love her fully and completely, if he chose to.
‘No gains, without pains’
She would be unafraid of a true partnership between a man and a woman—and all the messiness and pain that might include—if Darius would only have her by his side.
Serena took a deep breath, and began to speak.
“I realize that you are angry with me, Darius,” she said. “I imagine you have a right to be. I left you for another man. I tried to deny the truth of my feelings for you. You offered me love and even asked me to become your wife. I threw it all back in your face.”
“Serena—” Darius said, stepping inside the room.
“Let me finish. I have much to say to you.” She took another deep breath. “I rejected your offer of marriage and I rejected you—the man I love more than life itself—because of my own childish fears. Instead of facing the challenge of our love head on, I ran from it, thinking only of my own preservation. I sacrifi
ced your feelings in order to protect my own.”
He took another step toward her. “Serena—”
“But love is a demanding mistress,” she continued. “If one wants to experience the splendor of her gifts, one must be willing to risk heart and soul. There is no half way. There is only complete trust, complete surrender to another human being.”
He put his fists on his hips and yelled, “Serena!”
She gulped, momentarily stunned by the harshness of his tone.
Darius stood over her, then dropped slowly to his knees beside the bed. His eyes burned with emotion as he tenderly cupped her face in his hands. “Be quiet,” he whispered.
Then he kissed her.
And oh, what a kiss.
Like a changing sky at sunset bursting with indescribable color, it contained a myriad of emotions that burned within her heart. Joy, relief, happiness, regret, passion. The sensations danced between Serena and Darius like fireflies in the dark of night. All that they were, all they they’d ever be, existed in that one, solitary kiss.
Serena had no idea how long they stayed like that—touching, kissing, gazing into each other’s eyes, each other’s souls. This time, they held nothing back. The intensity of such feeling shone brighter than the sun, moon and stars put together. Their love would resemble those heavenly bodies, lighting their way through the light of day and the dark of night, at times obscured by cloud cover, at times no more than a sliver or a pinprick, but always constant, always there.
Darius turned his head toward the door as he and Serena heard someone clearing his throat quite conspicuously behind them.
“The patient is much improved, I see,” Dr. Tomlinson said, looking pleased as he came into the room. “My apologies, my lord, but I must ask you to leave so that I may examine Miss Ransom.”
Darius stood, but still held Serena’s hand in his. “You are asking quite a bit, doctor. But we must have her hale and hearty as soon as possible. You see, Miss Ransom and I are going on a little trip.”
“Are we, indeed?” Serena remarked. “Where are we going, Darius? Back to Manning Park?”
He grinned down at her. “Eventually, my love. But first we must visit a little town in Scotland by the name of Gretna Green. That is, if you are agreeable to marrying me as quickly as possible.”
Serena’s heart swelled with emotion for the man she had resisted loving so long. “I am most agreeable, my lord. But what will your poor mother say when you bring your scandalous bride home to the family seat?”
“I have no idea, nor do I care,” Darius said, chuckling. “I daresay Lady Devlyn and the Courtesan Club will be equally scandalized when they discover that one of their number has committed the ultimate sin—that of marrying her protector.”
Serena rolled her eyes in mock horror. “Thanks to you, I shall be the most scandalous woman of the year. Again.”
He laughed. “You can be anything you wish to be, Serena, as long as you stay forever by my side,” he said with emotion.
As Serena gazed up at her husband-to-be, she realized she wanted nothing more from life than to do exactly that.
Epilogue
They were married three weeks later, in the Blacksmith’s Cottage in Gretna Green. A hand-fast marriage, the Scots called it. For herself, Serena thought the ceremony very touching and symbolic—two hands clasped, hearts forever united, partners who would face the blessings and trials of life as one.
Serena had made a full recovery from her head injury, though Darius still doted upon her. Instead of arguing with him and insisting that he allow her some independence, she smiled as he gathered her into his strong arms, thrilled as he kissed her, and sighed as he showed his devotion in a multitude of ways.
Serena was impressed by the fact that Darius was an even better husband than he had been a protector, for he’d been extraordinarily competent in the latter role, as well.
Much as Darius had predicted, the Courtesan Club had been duly shocked at learning of Serena’s surprise marriage to Lord Kane. Her promising career as a courtesan had been dealt a fatal blow. The papers could not get enough of the scandalous story. Serena had thanked Lady Devlyn for all she’d done in the past, and hoped she would forgive her protégée for abandoning her profession.
Lady D had immediately quelled Serena’s fears, assuring her that if Serena was happy in her new life with the earl, then Lady Devlyn was happy as well. Bliss and Felicity—after shedding a few heartfelt tears—had congratulated her and wished her and Darius the best in their marriage.
The remaining members of the Courtesan Club, along with Lady Devlyn, had joined Darius and Serena at Manning Park for Christmas and New Year’s. Now, weeks later, they were all still there, enjoying games and amusements and wonderful food. In truth, Serena wished they could stay like that forever.
Major Price had recently arrived as well, entertaining them with amusing stories about his family Christmas in Wiltshire. Caro and the children had been overjoyed to see Serena on Darius’s arm when they’d returned from Scotland, and even more excited when they learned that Serena was now the Countess of Kane.
The Dowager Countess, however, had been horrified at her son’s choice of new bride. After a heated discussion with Darius in the library one evening, the Dowager had decided she must remove herself from Manning Park immediately. She would make an extended visit to her sister, Lady Rathbone, in Dorset. Darius and Caro postulated that it might be the last they ever saw of their opinionated mother. Sadly, it seemed to be a relief for both of them.
It was after another lovely dinner, and while snow fell softly outside the manor house, that the men stood from the table.
Darius nudged his friend toward the door. “Come on, Hav. Let’s have a game of billiards and smoke a cigar, and leave the ladies to their claret.”
“As long as you keep those billiard balls on the table and not swinging about your head like a flail,” Havelock said. “I know how dangerous you can be, Dare….”
The two men made their exit while Serena and her friends retired to the salon. Serena’s new sister-in-law, Caro, was absent. As was her habit, she had retired directly after dinner. Apparently, her lively twins had a way of tiring their mother out.
Life at Manning Hall had been better than Serena could have ever imagined. The presence of Caro and her children made it all the sweeter. In truth, Serena dreaded the day Caro’s husband, Sir Christopher Ware, would return from the West Indies and the family would move back to London. She would be much happier if they stayed at Manning Hall indefinitely.
Having the Courtesan Club and Major Price as guests over the holidays had been an incomparable treat as well.
Following her husband’s suggestion, Serena poured each of the ladies a glass of claret and took a seat on the sofa next to Bliss.
Lady Devlyn sipped her wine and appeared pleased with the vintage. “I see that the Times is reporting a most distinguished appointment for His Grace, the Duke of Balfour. King George has named him an Administrator in the West Indies. Apparently, he is being sent to a charming little place called Salt Island, off Tortola.”
“Sounds quite rustic,” Felicity mused.
“Positively colonial,” Bliss added.
“I’ve never even heard of it,” Serena said.
Lady Devlyn smiled. “Neither has anyone else.”
The quartet erupted in contagious laughter.
Serena wiped her eyes, and said, “I hope his willie rots off!”
“I hope a giant crustacean latches onto it with its claws and won’t let go,” Felicity giggled.
Bliss almost fell over on the sofa for laughing, and said, “I hope it gets malaria!”
Lady Devlyn watched in amusement. “You hope ‘it’ gets malaria? The duke’s sexual organ?”
Bliss nodded emphatically. “Malaria is transmitted by the bite of an insect—a mosquito, to be precise.”
“Then I hope a whole swarm of them bites him right there,” Serena said, dryly.
T
hat made them all laugh anew.
Felicity sipped her claret. “I daresay Balfour deserves far worse a fate than we four could ever design. He might well get it, where he’s going.”
“If there is a God, he will,” Lady Devlyn said, darkly. “It is a shame, Serena, what that man put you through. That is one of the unfortunate risks we take in this vocation. You never really get to know a man until you are alone with him.”
Serena nodded, silently. She had found that to be true of both Balfour and Darius. Alone with the duke, he had revealed the depth of his darkness and depravity. With Darius, he had revealed the depth of his emotion, his character, and his love for her.
“Oh, do let us change the subject,” Bliss insisted. “The duke deserves no more of our time, nor anyone else’s.”
Serena reached for her friend’s hand and gave it a squeeze. She looked about at the other two women who had become so precious to her during her time as a member of the Courtesan Club. Somehow, she knew that though life would lead them in different directions, they would always be as close as this. Nothing could change that. They would always be there for each other—sisters to the end.
Felicity studied Serena, and said, “There is one thing that you haven’t shared with us, Serena, dear. I think we are all dying to know the answer to this question.”
“What is it?” Serena asked.
Felicity paused a moment. “What is it like to be loved?”
Serena regarded her friend, saw the vulnerability in her eyes. She saw Bliss exhibiting the same innocent emotion. Lady Devlyn became quiet, and looked away.
She knows, as well, Serena thought. She had that kind of love once, and lost it somehow.
“I think we all know what it is to love another,” Felicity continued, “but to have that love returned to us fully and completely…it must be indescribable.”
Serena’s thoughts went to her husband, who at this moment played at billiards with Major Price in the game room. Yet it felt as if he were right there with her, for they were always connected in their hearts.
His Courtesan Bride (Brides of Mayfair 3) Page 27
