by Carrie Brock
“I understand you met with my father this morning on the subject of our forthcoming marriage.”
Lord Diamond tensed, though he tried to appear casual as he linked his hands behind his neck. “That is no secret,” he replied. Nicki's eyes were drawn to the corded muscles of his forearms. “And the content of that meeting is strictly between your father and myself.”
Her temper flared. She jerked her gaze back to his face. “I beg your pardon, my lord, but that is a deucedly obtuse thing to say!”
“Please, Nicole—if you are going to continue dressing me down, at least call me by my given name. Blake will do.”
She averted her gaze from the opening of his shirt front, which had spread wider due to his pose. “Blake?” Oh—that is a nice name. Should she use his first name at this stage of their relationship? "I, on the other hand, do not like to be called Nicole. Only my stepmother calls me that. At any rate, my lor . . . Blake, since I am the one marrying you and not my father, I believe the content of the meeting certainly does involve me. I was somewhat set down when you left the Hall directly after speaking with Papa. I had thought you would be interested in—in relaying information.”
“Ah.” His smile flashed and her heart leapt in response. “I now see I should have been more astute. I assure you I shall not be so remiss in the future. Certainly not if my neglect results in you risking your life in the middle of the night.”
Nicki waved her hand impatiently. “It was my fault entirely for paying too close attention to proprieties. A gown, even a riding habit, is not the logical attire for climbing. Still, you could have left your window slightly cracked, as a gentleman should.”
“Since you will not be risking your neck with such antics in the future, I see no need to belabor the issue.”
“Of course. I will get to the point. Blake, I have come to convince you to change your mind.”
He removed his hands from his neck and crossed his arms over his chest. “Pray tell, Nicole, do you expect me to back out of our engagement because you have a penchant for climbing in my bedroom window?” Amusement trembled in his words. “I find the habit rather endearing, though I will unlock the library doors from now on so you may enter my room in a more conventional manner.”
She nibbled at her lower lip for a moment. “You have missed my point, sir, and I believe you did so on purpose. I wish you to reconsider following through with the contingencies of the marital contract my father worked out with Melton.”
“I will not discuss these matters with you and you will go at once to your father and inform him his tactic did not work.” Blake drew his dark brow together in icy impatience.
Not even her father blew hot and cold so quickly.
“You have proven you are well acquainted with tactics, sir, more so than my father. He would never condone my coming here like this—or ask that I petition another man on his behalf.”
Blake leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. When he tented his fingers the eyes in the ring on his index finger sparked as though the creature depicted had blinked. “I am unconvinced, but pray continue.”
The image of Mina's blue, tear-filled eyes appeared in Nicki's mind and lent her fortitude. Her sister deserved a happy future and Nicki meant to see she was not disappointed. “My father told me none of the details of your conversation, but I was able to learn some of the finer points from another. Having done so, I must beg you to reconsider.” Nicki rushed on, sensing he intended to interrupt. “Several years ago, Papa suffered extreme financial losses. He sold off all he could, including our house in London and several properties in Yorkshire. He was still unable to meet his obligations. There was no chance of a Season for me.”
When his scowl deepened, she continued before he could interrupt. “Oh, I never regretted that fact. I am quite content here with my horses. But Mina is not like me. She will be eighteen next month and she has dreamed of going to London. You see, she is a beauty and I am certain she will be a sensation.”
“Quite touching.” The dryness in his voice assured her he had not been moved in the least.
Nicki pressed her hands together in her lap to keep from twisting them and revealing her anxiety. “Papa cannot go about London if it is known that creditors are hounding him. Mina might be thought a fortune hunter.”
A muscle flinched in his square jaw. “You ask a great deal of a man that you met in the darkness of his bedchamber. If I can have you without stipulations, why should I be willing to sacrifice anything?”
Slowly, Nicki inhaled, then released her breath. She must go forward. “If you do not agree to my requests, I shall simply disappear. It would break my heart, but I would do so rather than marry you.”
The earl shook his head curtly. “Your threat does not frighten me.”
“It should. You left England in disgrace once. Now that you are the Earl of Diamond, you have the opportunity to start afresh. That will be difficult when word spreads of your shabby treatment of the Duke of Billington's daughter. How will London react when they learn the poor girl was already engaged to be married . . . ”
“Enough! You have made your point.” He no longer bothered to mask his anger.
“I did not wish to resort to such measures, sir, but you arrogantly refused to see reason. After all—is it not your fault that I am no longer engaged to Melton?”
A clock on the bedside table chimed the hour. Midnight. So late? Blake turned toward the sound, throwing his harsh features into startling display. The coldness of his voice reached out to surround her.
“You may not realize it now, but I have saved you from a hellish life chained to a lecherous old man. I feel I have already been charitable despite the fact that your father once took something from me that can never be replaced. His suffering is mild in comparison to my own.”
Nicki recalled terrifying stories Teddy had told her as a child of men turning into wolves at the stroke of midnight. If she had ever met a man that met the description of a predator, it was the Earl of Diamond. Her gaze studied Blake carefully, but he remained outwardly unchanged. She rubbed her arms to ward off the chill.
“I know nothing of what ill you harbor toward my father, and I will not judge who has suffered the greater harm. Are you willing to accept my terms?”
A long silence met her words. Then the earl chuckled, causing Nicki to start in surprise. “What a manipulative little negotiator you are. I should have met with you this morning. Yes, Nicole, I agree to your terms. I will send my man around first thing in the morning with a letter to your father outlining our discussion tonight, and I will come myself in the afternoon for tea.”
“You will not reveal my part in your decision to change your mind?”
“I will keep your secret, but only because it suits me to do so.”
Nicki leapt from the chair, pressing her hands together over her heart. “I promise you, sir, you will not regret your generosity!”
The earl rose and stepped toward Nicki. Scarcely controlled power surged beneath the polish of his movements. Her breath quickened. All cognitive thought fled when he stood close. His scent surrounded her, hypnotized her. She had not realized the weakness she had for sandalwood and spice.
“Generosity is it? Perhaps I should demand payment.”
“Payment?” She stared up into his face, mesmerized by the tenor of his voice and the intensity of his gaze. “I have nothing to give.”
One side of his mouth turned up slightly at her words and Blake reached out to cup her chin. Nicki shivered as the heel of his thumb traced her cheekbone.
“You are mistaken, my dear. Your simple gifts are worth a king's ransom.”
She fought the rising heat that coiled inside her at his words. What was happening to her? “I have given you nothing, my lord.”
His low, bitter laughter shattered the moment and Nicki jerked away from his touch. “Not yet, but I will keep a tally of your debts, Nicole. When the time comes, I shall demand payment in full.”
“You toy with me, sir. I do not like it.”
He grasped her upper arm in one hand. “You had best be going before I come to my senses and exact recompense here and now.”
Nicki forced away the last moments of their encounter and chose instead to bask in the glow of her good fortune. She allowed Blake to drag her toward the door leading to the outer passage and waited as he released her arm only long enough to retrieve a pair of Wellingtons from just inside the entrance.
The light from the wall lanterns along the hall reflected off the highly polished boots as Blake donned first one then the other. He grabbed her arm again to pull her toward the staircase.
Nicki could have danced for joy. Her father's debts would be paid; Mina would have her Season; and she had been the one to bring it about.
She stumbled on the first stair. Reality intruded and she took her eyes off the broad back in front of her to concentrate on maintaining her footing. When they reached the first floor, Blake veered off to the left and pulled Nicki into the library. She tripped in the darkness, but his strong grip saved her from falling.
He paused only long enough to ensure she had recovered her balance, then he drew the heavy drapes away from the French doors. Moonlight touched the veranda and shimmered across the stone path winding through the garden.
Soon heavy blooms would weight the thorny stalks of rose bushes that gave Rosewood its name. Their heady fragrance would permeate the air like a room full of debutantes. But now, they sadly needed pruning. As a child, Nicki had believed the beautiful garden enchanted. It was as though a curse had been placed over Rosewood and only magic could return the allure and grace it had once known.
Blake stopped without warning and Nicki bounced off his formidable back. “Oh! Excuse me, I had no warning you were through dragging me about.”
He glanced around at her and Nicki saw the white flash of his teeth in the darkness. “I am far from through with you, my little adventuress. I believe your boots fell in these bushes.”
She looked doubtfully at the menacing shrubbery where nasty thorns certainly lurked in the dark leaves, and offered Blake her brightest smile. “Shall I hold the stems back while you search?”
A muscle in his jaw flinched slightly, and Nicki could have sworn his silver eyes sparkled. “I have a better plan. While you are retrieving your footwear, I shall go to the stables and saddle a horse.”
Nicki touched his arm, then snatched her hand away quickly. “I am perfectly capable of finding my way home, Blake. I have been coming here since I was a small child.”
He reached out to lift her chin. “I realize you are a frighteningly resourceful female, but I am your intended. This is as good a time as any for you to realize that as my wife, you will not risk your neck unless I am present.”
Nicki frowned. He had sounded just like her father. “That is arrogant and self-serving. I shall never have any fun at all, especially if I must await your company.”
Blake laughed and withdrew his hand from beneath her chin. “I am an experienced guide in adventurous matters, my dear. I think you will find I can take you on wondrous expeditions.”
“Oh dear!”
“I did not mean to shock you, Nicole.”
She shook her head. “Shock me? Oh, no, your proposal sounds most intriguing. I have always enjoyed a rousing adventure. No, I was merely recalling your plan to come for tea tomorrow. I will not be home from my fishing expedition until after one o'clock. I hope that does not wreak havoc with your schedule.”
“Fishing expedition?”
She grinned. “My brother's blood price for secrecy. I find bribery forestalls scenes such as we experienced last night.”
“I have not been angling since I left England. Perhaps I shall join you. When will you be going?”
The thought of spending more time with him, even with Shelby present, sent alarm shooting through Nicki. “We will leave at nine o'clock in the morning. It's dreadfully cold in the morning.”
He shrugged. “I think I can survive.”
“And wet. It's sure to rain.”
“I shall be certain to take all necessary precautions.”
Nicki bit her lip, thinking furiously. “Shelby has only one pole . . . ”
“I have a pole, I have a cloak to protect me from the rain, and I am generally out of bed long before nine o'clock. I shall come for you in the morning.”
Unable to argue further without being rude, she sighed. “Shelby shall adore your company, but are you certain?”
“Nine it is. Now, I distinctly recall seeing one boot land in that direction.” He motioned toward the largest of the rose bushes, then strode away into the darkness.
Somehow, the garden seemed more sinister without his presence at her side.
She shook off the sensation. As she carefully separated branches in search of her riding boots, she wondered if perhaps she had been too generous in her bargaining. Nicki knew Mina was awaiting her return to hear the results of the meeting with the earl. She would be ecstatic when Nicki told her she would have her Season.
It seemed everyone would be getting something from this union. Everyone, that is, except her.
. . .
Blake saddled Banbury quickly and grabbed one of the worn cloaks hanging on a peg near the stable door. He found Nicole waiting for him near the front porch and drew his horse to a halt beside her.
“You came to Rosewood on foot?”
In the moonlight, her face appeared as pale and ethereal as that of an angel. “I did.”
“Then you shall ride with me back to Langley Hall.”
The tightening of her lovely mouth dispelled any resemblance to heavenly creatures. “I believe I shall walk alongside your horse, thank you just the same.”
With a slight pressure of one knee, Blake urged Banbury to sidestep closer to Nicole. “The hour grows late. If you are afraid, let me assure you I shall comport myself with the utmost restraint.”
“I am not afraid!” Nicole lifted her chin. “I merely felt some concern for the horse.”
Blake laughed. “This great beast? He will scarcely notice the addition of a person as light as thistledown. Come. Give me your hand.”
“Very well, but do not say I did not warn you.”
Blake tossed the frayed edges of cloak aside, bent down and grabbed Nicole's wrist. He then half lifted, half tossed her onto the horse so that she sat sidewise in front of him with her bottom nestled between his legs. Nicole, after flashing him an alarmed glance, sat rigidly straight and clenched her hands beneath the folds of her skirt.
He wondered at her sudden shyness. “Lean into me.”
Ignoring his suggestion, she continued to balance herself over the neck of the horse until Blake took the reins, thus encasing her within his arms.
“Lean against me. I will not allow you to fall, Nicole.”
Hesitant, she did as he suggested. Her head came to just beneath his chin and Blake could not resist breathing deeply of the fresh rose scent of her hair.
Certain now that Nicole rested securely before him, Blake pressed his heels into Banbury's sides and the horse set off.
Blake listened to the steady clop of shod hooves striking the ground and of the night creatures with their shrill and haunting calls. As a child, Blake had been frightened of the dark. As an adult, he welcomed its discretion.
Nicole stubbornly faced the road ahead, as though he would go away if she ignored him long enough. A chill in the air made tiny puffs of mist before their mouths.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
She stiffened. “A little.”
“Share my cloak.” Without awaiting permission, Blake arranged the wool fabric over her shoulders. “You will have to hold on to the edges. I fear I haven't enough hands.”
She turned her back more squarely against his chest and took the ends of the cloak. Their fingers brushed and Blake heard a quick intake of breath.
“Thank you,” she whispered as she maneuvered the cloth
so she could keep her head outside the garment.
Blake forced his attention to the road ahead, though such a feat took every ounce of willpower he possessed. Nicole fit against his heart as though she had been made especially to rest there. He cleared his throat.
“Are you warm enough now?”
She nodded. A tendril of her hair brushed his nose and got it to itching.
“Why did you come out into the night without a cloak?” He had to take the reins in one hand and reach up to scratch.
“I knew the walk would get my blood flowing to keep me comfortable.”
Blake's blood flowed as well, but from the proximity of one certain young lady, not from any amount of exercise. And he was decidedly uncomfortable.
“Have you no fear of bandits or wild creatures of the night with an appetite for tender morsels such as yourself?”
She sat up slightly in order to glance around. “I think you are the most dangerous creature in this vicinity, my lord, and I seem to have fallen directly into your clutches.”
“Me?” He chuckled. “I am harmless.”
Her eyes glowed large and dark in her pale face. “Would Teddy agree with such an observation?”
The mention of Bartholomew set Blake's teeth on edge, like biting down on ice-cold metal. “He got as he deserved. That is all I intend to say on the matter.”
In the undulating moonlight, Blake could see Nicole nibble at her lower lip. “Could you not have taken something else from him? Why Rosewood?”
If she knew all he had taken from Teddy, she would leap off the horse and run screaming into the woods. But it was nothing in comparison to all Teddy had stolen from him. “He had nothing to offer—nothing but a vague promise of gaining the inheritance of a young girl. I chose not to wait for him to victimize an heiress.”
She scrutinized him, as though hoping to see past his cool veneer and cryptic remarks. Finally, she sighed. “You must be mistaken. Teddy would never . . . ”
Purposefully, Blake pressed his heels into Banbury's sides and the horse surged forward, tossing Nicole against Blake's chest and silencing her defense of Bartholomew. “I had best get you home before I have your father once again scouring the neighborhood in his nightclothes armed with a weapon.”
