by Terry Long
“Lord Greydon. Lady Greydon.” He bowed to the buxom woman hanging on her husband’s arm.
“Mr. Langdon,” the woman nearly purred as she offered her hand with a large smile that resembled that of a feline. “What a splendid surprise.” She licked her lips in the most obvious way as she held Michael’s gaze. He wasn’t surprised, as she’d even penned him a letter a few years ago, requesting an audience. He’d never gone, of course, since Greydon would likely kill him if he’d found out, not to mention that he never took it upon himself to take another man’s wife to bed.
Men sniffed at the Countess’ heels, women strived to stay out of her way. When she didn’t fancy someone, she took it upon herself to make their lives wretched. Everyone knew of this. At that reminder, Michael wanted to hide Ally behind him.
“Indeed.” Placing a light kiss on the back of her gloved palm, Michael looked up to see the Earl’s unwavering gaze fixed on Ally, his eyes took to that of a lion ready to make a kill. An uncomfortable tautness took place in his chest, something he had never experienced before.
Quickly dropping the Countess’s hand, Michael turned to Ally and took hers. “Lord and Lady Greydon. May I present my wife, Mrs. Langdon.”
***
“Wife? My!” The Countess acutely studied Ally from down her long, elegant nose. A hand came up to reveal long, graceful gloved fingers as she placed them thoughtfully on her small, perfect chin. Her light gray eyes raked Ally from head to toe in open dissatisfaction, her rosy lips turned down at the corners. Even so, the woman looked positively attractive.
“Mr. Langdon, where did you find her?”
Michael’s grip on her hand became forceful. Suffice to say he wished she wouldn’t retort to that spiteful question, as much as she itched to. Ally bit the insides of her cheek.
“That’s of no significance,” she heard Michael answer.
She tried to wrench her hand away, but he applied more pressure to keep her from moving.
“And you, my lady, look more and more beautiful every time our paths cross.” He had taken a step forward, concealing her view of the malicious Countess.
Ally wanted to groan out loud. Any sweeter, and she swore Michael’s mouth would start dripping honey.
“You are too kind,” the woman returned with a gorgeous smile, reminding her of a cat with a bowlful of cream. She batted her eyes like she had just walked through a dust storm.
Ally watched the exchange and wanted to cast her accounts. Preferably, right in between Michael and the Countess’ feet. That ought to put some space between them.
“A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Langdon,” the Earl said, drawing her from her dark thoughts. “I had no idea Mr. Langdon found a wife, a beautiful one, at that.”
Ally didn’t like the way he stared at her, it made her feel like game meat. She forced herself to smile politely and give him the proper greeting. After dropping a curtsy, she lifted her gloved hand to the Earl. “Thank you, my lord. It is an honor.”
He took his time to place a kiss on her knuckles, and Ally noticed Michael and the Countess observing on in silence. Finally, she had Michael’s attention. Ally wanted to grin with triumph, but instead, settled for a small smile, which she extended to the Earl.
Lord Greydon’s eyes looked wild with pleasure, if not a bit glazed over, though she wasn’t sure why. She was a simple woman, whereas his wife was a striking creature. He was handsome with beautiful blond hair and light blue eyes- which studied her zealously.
Taking full advantage of the attention he gave her, Ally batted her eyes at him, much like the way the Countess had done to Michael. If she didn’t think this was ridiculous, she didn’t know what was. She felt like a fool as she fluttered her lashes up and down, but the Earl seemed to like what she was doing. He flashed a grin that suggested such wickedness, Ally barely stopped herself from gasping.
She grew a bit worried now that she’d led him on as such. Surely, he must know she wasn’t serious. But he couldn’t have known that she tried to get even with her husband, either.
Beside her, Michael went still, in both his movements as well as in conversation. Ally stepped back and peered up at him, but he didn’t bother to reciprocate her gaze.
“It is a nice surprise to see you, Lord Greydon, Lady Greydon. Unfortunately, we must be on our way,” Michael announced.
Then they were outside and she was steered towards their vehicle, feeling somewhat like a sheep being herded.
The image of him flirting with that horrible Countess still lingered in her mind. She wondered if these were the types of women Michael found attractive. Well, of course! The Countess was as beautiful as a rose.
Five minutes passed in silence before Michael finally said, “You like that, don’t you?”
Whipping to face him, Ally asked, “What?”
“You wanted Greydon’s attention so badly, you practically begged it of him!” Michael hissed.
Ally gasped in indignation. “You are in a position to tell me,” she countered hotly. She could barely contain the fury that swept through her very being. If he hadn’t flirted with that…beautiful woman, then she wouldn’t have flirted with the Earl! What’s fair was fair.
“A wife does not openly—”
“A husband doesn’t, either,” she snapped, cutting him off. She saw his jaw flex.
“You’re my wife! At least try to conceal the surreptitious desires you have for other men. I’ll be damned if I’ve gone and taken a wife who—”
“You forget I am not your real wife, Mr. Langdon!” He couldn’t have said anything to infuriate her more. “And I’ll appreciate it if you stop introducing me as one. I have a home to return to. I had a life before you came into it, if you’ll remember. I won’t accede for anyone to know about this dreadful scandal once I return to Dartford.” She turned her face to the other side of the road as they passed another carriage.
“You shouldn’t have to worry about disgrace,” he said easily, his voice flat and even. The usual, pretentious gaze was back in his eyes.
“Do enlighten me,” she said angrily. This ought to be good.
“You’ll be a wealthy woman. You could do whatever the hell you please. You may take as many lovers as you want.” After having said that, his cool gaze raked her face spitefully. “By the by, it is about the conclusion of a month. I will pay you for any dreadful experiences you’ve had as soon as we reach home.”
That struck her like a hand to her face.
“You see, you’re all of six hundred-fifty pounds wealthier already.”
Ally couldn’t believe he’d just said that. Somehow, he seemed to constantly discover new ways to badger her, plague her with his incessant, cynical remarks. Earlier this afternoon, when she had drawn the conclusion of him of being a decent person, it simply all disappeared with just a few of his bitter words.
He was an atrocious, outrageous ogre, and that was that. This time, she shall never change her verdict.
As soon as they reached home, Ally bounded upstairs to gather herself together. Her body still shook with fury. Sitting at the vanity table, she looked at the reflection staring back at her.
“What a dreadful man!” Oh, he was much more than that, she was sure.
Angrily, she pulled all the pins from her hair. She began to gather her wild strands that stuck out every which way, and secured them with her worn ribbon instead. Finishing off with a decisive knot, she held her breath when heavy footsteps sounded on the other side of the connecting door.
Michael appeared underneath the doorframe like some towering giant, all morose and hostile. Without glancing her way, he tossed something that rattled like bits of clashing metal. “There’s your penance.” He gestured his head toward the dark blue velvet purse that lay on her bed. “Aren’t you going to thank me?” he asked scathingly.
“Go to the devil!”
“Only if you’ll accompany me.” His eyes swept the length of her body with animosity before he spun back and slammed the door wi
th an unnerving rattle.
Chapter Sixteen
“Victor!” Michael called out as soon as he spied him in the study, sitting with his back turned. With eagerness, he walked inside. “Where the bloody hell have you been? Have you any idea how much worry you’ve caused?”
His brother staggered to his feet, as if it cost him all his energy to do so. When he turned, Michael nearly faltered. Victor looked like hell, his clothes wrinkled, hair mussed, like he hadn’t slept in weeks. His face seemed drained of blood, pale. Dark bags rimmed sunken brown eyes which once used to sparkle with laughter and mischief. His face now folded with lines of exhaustion, instead of the broad, cheerful smiles he usually sported.
“Where is she?” Victor asked in a guttural voice he barely recognized.
While studying his brother, guilt and remorse washed through him. His body felt frozen and burnt at the same time like he’d been dumped into the Thames’ freezing waters, and then dipped in Satan’s own blistering flames.
Victor had been correct about Ally’s virtue. But that still didn’t make her an ideal wife. She wasn’t a good match for Victor. Victor needed a submissive wife, one who did as she was asked, and by God, one who didn’t defy him at every turn!
“Where is she? Where’s Ally?” Victor’s voice cracked when he said her name.
“Where were you staying? You never touched your funds.” Michael felt as if a knife had gone through his heart. The thought of Victor groveling for food and shelter brought on a pang of nausea. Returning his brother’s somber gaze, he noticed the baggy clothing that hung limply from his body. “You’ve lost at least half a stone. Are you famished?”
“I want to see Ally. I need to see her.”
“Why don’t you go upstairs, have a bath, and a bite to eat? And rest, perhaps? And then—”
“No! I don’t want to eat- I can’t eat! All I want is to see Ally. Let me see her.”
The bleating tenor was back in his voice. Now, this was the Victor he knew. Truly, his brother looked ready to weep. Michael wanted to help him, but this wasn’t the way.
“Please let me…let me just see her. Please.”
Victor got his wish. Ally stood at the doorway, looking confused for a brief second until she recognized the younger man. Her eyes widened. “Victor?”
His brother stared at her like she was an apparition holding a key to all his troubles. He went to her, knocking over a chair in his wake, and crushed her to him.
“You have no idea of all the horrible days and nights I had to go through without you,” Victor said into her hair.
Michael clamped on his jaws to keep from growling.
“Victor, do let go,” Ally said into his chest, as she struggled to put some distance between them. She twisted her body, and her arms flayed and pushed at him. It was obvious Victor was much too strong for her. Though Michael fumed at the mere spectacle of his wife in his brother’s arms, he couldn’t lie that he wasn’t pleased to see Ally wrestling for her freedom. It showed her desire not to be there, snuggled so intimately against his brother.
“I missed you so—” Victor said, just as Michael pried him from his wife. He gave Victor a fierce frown of disapproval.
“Upstairs,” he said to Ally. Though he wanted nothing more than to give Victor anything at the moment, he had to separate him from her. If he saw her, held her, he’d never get past wanting to have her. Michael knew this because…He shoved the truth to the back recesses of his mind.
Ally shook her head.
“Not now, Ally. Please, go upstairs.”
“I think I should speak to your brother,” she told him, eliciting a few quick nods from Victor.
“I won’t allow it.”
“Even so, I believe I should,” she argued. She tilted her face up to him and jutted out her chin. He knew she’d stand here and quarrel until she had her way.
Did she have to be willful now? Lord, he needed to help Victor get through his depressing time; he couldn’t keep having her interrupt.
Ally said in a stern voice as she took a step closer to him, “For just a moment.” Her eyes pleaded. Then more softly so only he would hear, “I believe it should help him.”
While deliberating this, he returned his gaze to Victor, noting his eyes lighted up like the only candles in a cavernous cave. “Five minutes.”
Michael went to the drawing room to seek comfort in a glass of a hard drink. At least Victor was fine. He wasn’t dead.
Convincing himself that Victor would be sane again, Michael settled onto the settee. One could be optimistic, couldn’t they, he thought wryly as he saw Matthews trying to go unnoticed outside the door. He drained his glass.
***
“Victor, your brother is right.”
“No, Ally. Don’t let him persuade you. He’s quite good at doing that, if you let him.” He took her hands and clutched them to his heart.
“I want you to be happy, Victor.”
“I’m happy when I’m with you,” he told her with large, earnest eyes.
Discomfited with his grave admission, Ally lowered her face. “You should find a good woman to marry,” she blurted. She really meant that, but mostly, so she could go home, too.
Nana’s wellbeing flooded into her mind, and she hurried to set her sorrows aside so she could focus on the dilemma at hand. “I am not the kind of woman your brother wants for you. And mostly,” she said removing her hands from his grasp and putting one up to stop Victor from interrupting. “I’m not the kind of woman you should want to marry.”
Victor stared at her with renewed interest, his head cocked and his eyes narrowed. He’d never be any good at making her squirm under his close perusal like his brother though. But watch her closely, he did.
Ally almost died of mortification. Did he understand what I had just related?
“What kind of woman is that?” he asked, but she knew he understood from the way his shoulders slumped.
“I’ve always enjoyed your company,” she said instead. “You are ever so pleasant, and you never fail to make me smile. And I shall always like to see that; your smiles, and your affable nature.”
“I love you, Ally.”
Her mouth went slack.
“Even if you’ve wedded my brother, and…” He swallowed the rest of that sentence and stared hard at her, a flicker of something that resembled anger passed over eyes. He took her hands again. “I still would very much like to marry you. I know you aren’t very fond of him, and he’d coerced you into marriage…and everything else. You’re not at fault for accepting his money.”
Ally blanched. It sounded terribly dreadful when one said it aloud.
“Wait for me. After I’ve taken care of this whole ordeal, we will marry, you and I. And you’ll be happy again, I promise it.”
“Victor, please don’t—”
He took her hands and squeezed, nearly crushing them. “I’ll speak to my brother now. I have an ultimatum. Wait here.” He left in search of her husband.
Ally rubbed her throbbing knuckles. She stared after him in dismay. Did he really think Michael would relent? It was like he didn’t even know his own brother. “Poor Victor.”
***
The hard drink, as usual, did nothing for Michael. It was supposed to calm one’s nerves, did it not? So why the hell was he fretting impatiently up and down in his blue drawing room? Michael thought it had long been past five minutes, but his blasted servant shook his head every time he looked toward the doorway.
What the bloody hell had to be said in all this time? The bottom line was Ally would never marry Victor, and Victor, as sure as hell, was never going to marry Ally. Had he stayed in the study with them, he’d keep repeating that incessantly.
The moment Victor appeared at the doorway, Matthews left both brothers alone, and closed the door behind him at Michael’s silent command.
“You might as well give Ally up. I’ll never marry any other woman.” Victor sauntered over to the settee and sat. His back as stra
ight as a fire poker, giving the impression he had all the time in the world to discuss the matter.
Feeling more than a little annoyed by his brother’s brief announcement, Michael gritted his teeth.
“You could never keep me from seeing her,” Victor continued. Bleakness crossed his tired-looking face, as if he didn’t know whether to curse or cry. “Did you consummate the marriage?” he asked, but he sounded like he already knew the answer.
Returning his younger brother’s close scrutiny on him, Michael forced himself to be honest, even knowing how much he’d hurt the poor lad. “Yes.”
A pause passed between them. “Did you force her, then?” Accusation poured from his eyes.
“No,” came Michael’s abrupt, irritated reply.
Another short pause followed before his brother nodded. “I see,” he said gently.
“Victor-”
“So, she succumbed to your demanding wishes without a fight, being an angel that she is. Even with your bitter hatred, she still did her wifely duty.”
“She did deny me at first.” Michael didn’t know why the bloody hell he had to admit that piece of tidbit. He cursed himself for it.
Victor bounded from the settee. “Yet, you still—”
“She’s my wife, God damn it!”
“You treat her so disgustingly low! She’s not like that, you know. She’s…she’s Ally.” He said her name as if he worshipped her. And knowing Victor, he probably did.
“I know that now. And I’m sorry.”
“Now? You know that now? Why? Because you found out she wasn’t at all the kind of woman you’ve accused her of being? Let me see,” he pretended to muse, scratching his pointed chin with a bony hand. “What did you say she was? Ah, yes, you called her a whore!” he finished off with a bellow. His tall, thin frame slightly shook, and his hands, in tight balls of fists at his sides. “A whore!”
