by Amanda Quick
“Why did you bother with the task if you were not seeking a position as a tutor?”
“The Lightbourne diary,” Jared said simply.
For the second time that day Olympia’s mouth fell open in shock. “The diary? You knew about it?”
“Yes. I, too, have been pursuing it.”
“Good grief.” Olympia felt as if the very breath had been knocked out of her. She sat back in her chair and tried to think quickly. “Of course. That explains everything.”
“Not quite.”
“You were on the trail of the diary but Uncle Artemis got to it first so you arranged to meet him. Am I correct thus far?”
“Yes.” Jared began to drum his fingers together. “However—”
“You soon realized the diary was stowed in the shipment of goods that was on its way to me. So you found a way to accompany the shipment.”
Jared inclined his head. “Your cleverness never ceases to amaze me, Olympia.”
She tried to ignore the compliment. This was no time to be swept off her feet by honeyed words from the man she loved. She had to remember that Jared had deliberately deceived her. “Once you arrived in this household, you found a way to stay. You apparently realized at once that I needed a tutor.”
“Your uncle put the notion into my head,” Jared admitted. “He said you had already been through three tutors in six months.”
“So you took advantage of the opportunity to stay close to the Lightbourne diary.”
Jared studied the wall above her head. “I realize that appears to be the reason I deceived you.”
“I suppose you feared you could not decipher it, yourself, so you wanted to see if I could untangle the secrets of the legend for you.”
“I know it looks that way.”
Olympia frowned in thought. “What drew you to the diary, Mr. Chillhurst? I mean, your lordship.”
“Jared will do,” he said quietly. “The reason I was searching for the diary when I met your uncle is that it belongs in my family.” He shrugged slightly. “So does the treasure, if, indeed, it actually exists.”
Olympia froze. “What do you mean, it belongs in your family?”
“Claire Lightbourne was my great-grandmother.”
“Never say so.” Olympia nearly fell off her chair. “Your great-grandmother? A countess? But there is no reference to a title in the diary.”
“She married Jack Ryder when he was still plain Captain Jack. He did not become the Earl of Flamecrest until several years after he returned to England from the West Indies. The family does not like to discuss the matter, but the truth is, he more or less bought the title.”
“Good heavens.”
“It was not all that difficult to buy a title in those days,” Jared said mildly. “It only required a great deal of money and influence. Jack Ryder had both.”
“Yes, of course.” Olympia remembered some of the entries she had skimmed over in the diary. Jack Ryder had come back from the West Indies a rich man. He had amassed even greater wealth after he had settled down in England.
“After securing the Flamecrest title,” Jared continued, “my great-grandfather acquired a second title, that of the Viscount Chillhurst, which is used by the Flame-crest heir. In this instance, myself.”
Olympia was reeling from the unrelenting series of shocks. “You’re heir to an earldom. Your great-grandfather was Claire Lightbourne’s Mr. Ryder.” Claire’s beloved Mr. Ryder, Olympia thought.
“Yes.”
My beloved Mr, Chillhurst.
Olympia’s spirits were plunging deeper into despair with every passing revelation. She reminded herself that she had known from the beginning that she would not be able to have her Mr. Chillhurst around for very long. Still, there was no denying that deep inside she had hoped to have him with her for longer than a few short weeks.
Her dream was ending much too soon. Too soon. She had to find a way to save it even if she could only have it for a little while longer.
And what about Jared, she thought with a growing sense of desperation. She could not bring herself to believe that their shared passion meant nothing to him, that he had deceived her even as he took her into his arms. Perhaps he did not love her, but he wanted her. She was almost certain of it.
She forced herself to think logically. “Well, no wonder you wanted to find the diary, Mr. Chillhurst. You clearly have a claim on it. You have no doubt been pursuing it for years. You must have been exceedingly annoyed when you discovered that I had located it first.”
“Chillhurst will do, if you cannot bring yourself to call me Jared.”
“Whatever.” Olympia struggled to produce a brisk, cheerful smile. “I must say, this opens up a whole new avenue of inquiry for us.”
Jared gave her a blank look. “It does?”
“Certainly.” Olympia jumped to her feet and went to stand at the window. She clasped her hands behind her back and gazed out into the tiny walled garden. She was about to take a calculated risk and she knew she had to be very cautious.
“I do not comprehend your meaning, Olympia.”
Olympia took a deep breath. “Your knowledge of family history may well give me some very useful clues, sir. It could assist me in deciphering the diary.”
“I doubt it. My knowledge of family history is limited to a series of Banbury tales concerning Captain Jack and his ridiculous exploits.”
Olympia’s nails dug into her palms. She must convince Jared to let her continue with her work on the diary. It was the only excuse she had for maintaining a connection with him.
“One never knows, sir,” she said. “I might be able to use some of the information in those tales to make sense out of various odd phrases in the diary.”
“Do you think so?” Jared sounded dubious.
“Yes, I am certain of it.” Olympia swung around to face him. “I am quite willing to continue my work on the diary, sir. I will be more than happy to share my conclusions with you. I understand that the secret of the hidden treasure belongs to your family.”
Jared’s expression hardened. “Olympia, I don’t give a damn about the secret of the Lightbourne diary. I have tried to make that clear.”
“Of course you care about it,” she insisted. “You went to a great deal of trouble to find the diary and to insinuate yourself into this household so that you could learn the secret. I want you to know that I comprehend precisely why you deceived me.”
“You do?”
“Yes, and I must tell you that I think your scheme was a very clever one, sir. It would have worked brilliantly if you had not encountered Lady Beaumont this afternoon.”
“Only you could make excuses for my behavior, Olympia.”
“Hardly excuses, sir. Now that I consider the matter, your actions make excellent sense to me.”
“You must be wondering why I did not content myself with remaining a tutor,” Jared said quietly. “You are no doubt asking yourself why I seduced you.”
Olympia laced her fingers together and lifted her chin. “No, Mr. Chillhurst. I am not asking myself that particular question.”
“Why not?” Jared got up from the chair. “Most women in your position would.”
“I already know the answer.” Olympia was intensely aware of him.
“Do you? And what is the answer, Olympia? How do you explain my conduct? We both know very well that I have not behaved as a gentleman should behave. Most would say that I have taken advantage of you.”
“That is entirely untrue.” Olympia glowered at him. “We took advantage of each other, sir.”
Jared’s mouth curved ruefully. “Did we?”
“Yes. We are both of the world, sir. We knew what we were about. Indeed, if anyone is to blame for what transpired between us, it is I.”
“You?” He stared, astounded.
She blushed but met his gaze steadily. “You are a gentleman, sir, but I sensed at once that you were also a man of excessive passions. I fear I took advantage of that fact.�
��
Jared cleared his throat. “Excessive passions?”
“It is no doubt a family trait,” Olympia said kindly. “After all, you are a descendant of Mr. Ryder and from everything I have read about him, he was, indeed, a man of fierce emotions.”
“Allow me to tell you that you are very likely the only person on the face of the earth who sees me as a man of excessive passions, Olympia.” Jared’s mouth twisted in rueful amusement. “In point of fact, I am considered a rather dull sort.”
“Nonsense. Anyone who says that does not know you very well, sir.”
“My entire family holds precisely that opinion. And they are not the only ones. Lady Beaumont does, also.”
Olympia was momentarily distracted. “That brings up another matter I wish to discuss. Who is Lady Beaumont? An old friend of yours?”
Jared turned and walked back to Olympia’s desk without a word. He propped himself against it and folded his arms across his chest.
“Lady Beaumont was, until recently, Miss Demetria Seaton,” he said without any sign of emotion. “Three years ago she and I were engaged for a short while.”
“Engaged.” For some reason that news shook Olympia more than anything else that had happened thus far. “I see.”
“Do you?”
“She is very beautiful.” Olympia tried to force back a rising tide of panic.
The knowledge that Jared had once loved the lovely Demetria was difficult to handle. Until now, Olympia realized, she had not really considered the fact that there had been other women in his life. She had known that he was not entirely without experience in such matters, but she had not allowed herself to contemplate the notion that he might have actually loved another woman. Loved her enough to become engaged to her.
“For various reasons which I will not bore you with today, Demetria and I decided we did not suit,” Jared said.
“Oh.” Olympia could not think of anything else to say.
“The engagement was ended shortly after it was announced. There was very little gossip about it because the whole event took place at my family seat on the Isle of Flame, not in London. A year ago, she married Beaumont and that is all there is to it.”
“Oh.” Olympia could not think of anything to say to that, either. She knew instinctively that there was much more to the story but she also knew she had no right to pry. “Well, I suppose that is neither here nor there.”
“Precisely.”
“However,” Olympia plowed on, determined to stick to important matters, “we are left with an unfortunate situation because of the fact that Lady Beaumont recognized you this afternoon.”
“I would not call it unfortunate,” Jared said. “Perhaps awkward would be a better term.”
“Yes, well, whatever. The point is, we must deal with the matter.”
“I have a suggestion.” Jared watched her intently.
“So do I.” Olympia began to pace the small study. “The answer is obvious.”
“It is?”
“Of course. We must pack and leave for Upper Tudway immediately.”
“If that is your wish, we can certainly do so. However, leaving town will not solve the problem.”
“Yes, it will.” Olympia shot him a quelling glare. “If we are quick about it, we can be gone before we are obliged to confront any more of your friends or associates. Back in Upper Tudway you may continue to pass yourself off as a tutor.”
“I do not think—”
“I can continue to work on the diary,” she said enthusiastically. “Everything will be as it was before we came to London.”
“May I remind you that it was your plan to pass ourselves off as a married couple in the event we were discovered?”
Olympia reddened. “I am well aware that this is all my fault, sir. But in fairness, I must point out that my plan would have worked very well had you been what you appeared, a gentleman of modest means and birth. It is the fact that you are a viscount and heir to an earldom that muddles the thing.”
“I know,” Jared said apologetically.
“No one would have cared a jot about our relationship before this. Now, however, your title and position makes our situation gossip fodder for the polite world.”
“I am well aware of that. I am responsible for all that has transpired.”
Olympia sighed. “Do not blame yourself, sir. What happened was probably unavoidable, given your nature and temperament. A man of strong passions is always at risk of causing talk. However, I believe that if we depart for Upper Tudway at once, the gossip will soon cease.”
“The damage is done,” Jared said. “We have introduced ourselves as Lord and Lady Chillhurst. One can hardly expect that sort of gossip to simply evaporate.”
“It will if the next time you happen to be in London, you put out the word that it was all a jest,” Olympia said quickly.
Jared stared at her. “You want me to pass this whole thing off as a jest?”
“It could be done,” Olympia said earnestly. “You can explain that I was just a friend.”
“A friend?”
Olympia frowned. “Well, perhaps you could say that I was your mistress, or paramour, or something. I know very well that gentlemen frequently keep their convenients tucked away in houses here in town. It’s done all the time.”
“Bloody hell.” Jared’s jaw went rigid. “What about your reputation, Olympia?”
“No one knows me here in London and it is highly unlikely that anyone in Upper Tudway will ever hear about this nonsense.” Olympia stopped her pacing and began to tap one toe. “Furthermore, I do not particularly care if anyone does hear about it. I have told you before that I am not concerned with my reputation.”
“What about me?” Jared asked quietly. “I have a reputation to consider also.”
Olympia eyed him uncertainly. “I believe you will be able to brush through this without too much damage to your reputation.”
“Is that a fact?”
“It is not as though you will actually be seeking work as a tutor in the future,” she pointed out. “And no one will take any notice of the lady you seduced. After all, I do not have any position in Society. You apparently rarely even appear in London, yourself. All you need do is simply keep out of sight for a few months.”
“I have another solution, Olympia.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“I suggest we make the thing a fact. We can be married quietly by special license. No one need know precisely when the marriage took place.”
“Married.” Olympia’s mouth went dry. “To you?”
“Why not? It seems a very logical answer to our predicament.”
“Impossible.” Olympia recovered herself and hurried around the corner of her desk. She collapsed into her chair and took a deep, steadying breath. “Absolutely impossible, Mr. Chillhurst. I mean, my lord.”
Jared straightened and turned to face her. He planted both hands on top of the desk and leaned forward. The expression on his face appeared to have been carved in stone.
“Why not?” Jared asked through set teeth.
Olympia gave a start. Then she narrowed her eyes, refusing to give way beneath the blatant intimidation. “For one thing, you are a viscount.”
“So?”
Olympia was flustered by that response. “I am hardly a suitable wife for a viscount.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
She blinked. “You are asking me to marry you only because of the awkward situation in which we find ourselves.”
“I would have gotten around to asking you eventually, Olympia.”
“That is very kind of you to say so, my lord, but you will forgive me when I tell you that I do not entirely believe you.”
“Are you calling me a liar, Miss Wingfield?”
She braced herself. “Not precisely. You are merely behaving like the noble gentleman that you are.”
“Bloody hell.”
“It is only to be expected,” she assured
him. “However, I am not going to allow you to trap yourself in an unwanted marriage when there is absolutely no need for such a sacrifice.”
“I assure you, Miss Wingfield, I want the damn marriage. Having you in my bed will more than compensate me for any sacrifice on my part.”
Olympia felt herself turn scarlet. “Sir, that is your passionate nature speaking. Passion is all very well and good in its place, but it hardly constitutes a sound reason for marriage.”
“I disagree, Miss Wingfield.” Jared lifted his hands without any warning and caught her face between his palms. He bent his head and kissed her fiercely.
Olympia was so startled that she could not even muster a token resistance. Her mouth opened beneath his and she trembled as she always did when Jared kissed her. The familiar warmth gathered in her lower body. She moaned softly.
Jared released her and stepped back with a look of fierce satisfaction. “Between my passionate nature and your own, Miss Wingfield, I am certain that we shall deal very well together.”
He started toward the door.
Olympia swallowed and found her voice. “Hold one minute, sir. Where do you think you are going?”
“I am going to obtain a special license and to make arrangements for an extremely discreet marriage. You had best prepare yourself for your wedding night, Miss Wingfield.”
“Now, see here, Mr. Chillhurst, I mean, Lord Chillhurst. You are, strictly speaking, still in my employ. You cannot issue orders of that sort without my permission.”
Jared unlocked the door and opened it. He glanced back briefly. “In case you have failed to notice, Miss Wingfield, I have been running your household since the day I arrived. What is more, I have a talent for it.”
“I am well aware of that, sir, however—”
“There is no reason for you to concern yourself with the pesky little details of day-to-day life at this juncture, Miss Wingfield. Such matters are not your forte. Just leave everything to me.”
Jared went out the door and closed it with enough force to make it shudder on its hinges.
Olympia started to rise and then fell back into her chair with a groan. Although she had never had occasion to witness Jared’s streak of hot-blooded arrogance until now, she knew she should not be surprised to discover it. It went right along with his excessively passionate nature.
