The Rebel Bride

by Catherine Coulter

  Although Sarah had never before been confronted by such a calm, contemptuous lady, she was made of sterner stuff than Kate imagined. Yes, she would quickly reduce Kate again to that pale, spineless chit that she’d known just a month before. The earl had been quiet since her arrival, attending to her every word with obvious interest, so it seemed, and had not appeared to be at all disinclined to accept her passionate embrace. Indeed, Sarah was emboldened to believe the earl had been on the verge of succumbing to her. Had it not been for the untimely arrival of his country mouse of a wife, she would have won. Perhaps she would still win.

  “I don’t believe you judge the situation quite correctly, dear,” Lady Sarah said. “You speak so easily of fondness and affection. Why, everyone knows that you don’t even sleep with your husband of three months, that you don’t allow him near you.”

  Oh, God, she couldn’t stand it. But she had to. Everything came down to this conversation, to his view of her now.

  She stiffened almost imperceptibly as Lady Sarah continued smoothly, picking up speed in her growing confidence, “Doesn’t it make sense to you that Julien would most certainly grow impatient with you, which I understand is usually the case when one forms attachments outside one’s class. Don’t you think it time for you to own up to the mistake? Don’t you think it time to release him? Don’t you think it wise, dear, to return to your quiet country life, where surely you will understand things better and be more comfortable?”

  Kate wondered briefly how bunches of the lady’s blond hair would look wrapped around her fisted hand.

  “Am I more comfortable in the country? I do wonder about that. However, I’m touched by your obvious concern for my welfare. However again, I find you and your observations a dead bore, though I must admit to being a bit curious at your overly lively imagination. Now, if you please, I find your presence quite fatiguing, and must ask that you leave. I am here now. I am home. I wish to be with my husband, alone.”

  “Julien, tell her to go away, tell her not to talk to me in such a way.”

  “You intrude upon my comfort, Lady Sarah. Leave my house this instant, else I shall personally boot you out. I can too, you know, for I was raised in the country and I’m nearly as strong as my husband.”

  “You fool! Your house? I think the earl must have other opinions on that subject, don’t you, Julien?”

  “Well, half the house is mine. And indeed, this salon is in the very center of my half.”

  “Julien, would you cease this senseless charade and send her packing?” Sarah grabbed his arm and gave it a light shake.

  There was a sudden silence, and Kate found that she couldn’t meet his eyes. She had absolutely no idea what he was thinking, for he’d acted the interested but detached onlooker since she entered the room. She wondered with a sinking heart if the unmeasured words she had flung at him their last night together had finally driven him away from her, and if, indeed, he now viewed her as Lady Sarah had painted her. Did he now want to be free of her?

  She forced herself to look up and saw that he was looking at her with an oddly keen expression that she couldn’t begin to fathom. She wondered dispassionately if he would allow her a dignified exit.

  “Sarah,” he said finally, “I do believe the countess is in the right. The parlor is indeed in the very center of her half of the house. Regrettable as it may appear, her logic is persuasive.”

  Kate blinked, thankful for once that no words were required of her.

  “By God, surely you don’t mean that, Julien. Surely.”

  “Yes, Sarah. Shall I ring for George?”

  “No man dismisses me! How dare you? Just look at you, besotted by this provincial girl who has changed and I hate the changes, just as I hate her and always have.” She was so angry, so outraged, that she couldn’t move.

  Julien turned to his wife, who was looking, to his amusement, quite bewildered.

  He said softly, “Perhaps you’re right, Sarah. I’m quite besotted and have been ever since the first time I saw her, dying dramatically in a duel at my very feet.”

  “I hope you will not live to regret this action, my lord. Actually I hope you will.” She picked up her skirts and walked with what dignity she could muster from the room. They could hear her angry breathing as she stomped down the corridor.

  “Close the door.”

  Without a word, Kate turned and pulled the door closed.

  “Now, come here.” He grinned at her. “Please come here.”

  “Perhaps I should ring for tea, my lord?”

  “What happened to my protector, my mouthy wife who quite routed Lady Sarah—surely a novel experience for her.”

  “I don’t know. It’s different now. We’re alone and you’re not my enemy.”

  “That’s true enough.”

  “Surely tea isn’t such a bad idea?”

  “It’s the very worst idea I’ve heard. What I would most prefer is to have my shrew of a wife in my arms.”

  “I’m not a shrew, curse you.” However, she walked into his arms without hesitation.

  He hugged her tightly against him, his hands sweeping up and down her back. Finally, he lifted her chin in his palm. She was staring up at him, as shy as a nun. He leaned down and kissed her.

  She’d been so afraid, so very afraid, but the moment his mouth was on hers, she knew it would be all right, and she arched up against him, bringing his mouth closer, accepting his tongue, wanting more and more.

  When he released her, her eyes darkened with disappointment.

  He grinned down at her, absolutely delighted. “The servants, sweetheart, remember the servants. With Lady Sarah tearing down those stairs, doubtless hurling curses back at us, poor George must think we need him. Do you want him flying in here to see us making love?”

  She gave him a look that made his hands clutch her shoulders. “Why not?”

  “A very good point. However, before I have that lovely gown off you and throw you to the rug in front of the fireplace, I want to talk to you.”

  “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”

  “I’ll kiss you while we talk. But it’s important, love, don’t you think so?”

  “If you insist.” She was silent a moment, then, to his surprise, laughed. “You should have seen poor George. I’ve never known him to be so bowled over. I quite marched all over him, you see. He must have believed that murder would be done in this house, for he knew I was capable of it, I know. And I was.”

  He sighed even as he kissed her again, and then again and again. “Being that my wife is a shrew, a very beautiful shrew, but there you have it nonetheless, I see I have to agree. Yes, murder at the very least, had I not intervened.”

  “Intervened, ha! You stood there like a stick. I didn’t know if you would send me out or not. It was horrible. Oh, God, Julien, I was so afraid.” She threw herself against him, holding him tightly.

  “Shush, love, it’s all right. Come now and sit down, else that rug will be under your back in a second flat and I’ll be on top of you.”

  She sat beside him, actually, more on him, her cheek against his neck. “I treated you so badly at St. Clair, so very badly.”

  She slowly pulled away, fixing her eyes on an elegant Dresden figure above the mantelpiece.

  “You were speaking of the times you abused me,” he said. “There were so many times. Could you be a trifle more specific?” Then he squeezed her hands, grinning.

  “Ah, you jest with me, but it must be said. There was only the one time, really, and well you know it. Just that once. Well, the other times weren’t all that well done of me, but those, I think, were very understandable, given what you did. German bandit, ha!”

  “I would appreciate it if you would contrive to forget that man and what he did. He was a fool and stupid and altogether an idiot. I’m sorry for that, Kate, very sorry.”

  “But it made me remember, and even though it was dreadful and so frightening at first, well, you did help me, Julien. You
got rid of the ghosts.”

  He looked at her closely. “Are you certain?”

  She nodded. “Yes. Just three days ago, I rode Astarte to the copse. There was nothing there, Julien, nothing at all. It was just a place. There wasn’t any more pain, any more terror.”

  “Jesus,” he said, and pulled her against him again. “Thank you for coming back to me. You did it with panache. Now, tell me just one more thing.”

  “Yes?”

  “Tell me you love me.”

  “I love you, Julien, more than anything I could ever have imagined feeling in my life. You’re part of me, deep inside me. I’ll never let you go away from me again.”

  “And I will have to cock up my toes and pass to the hereafter before I leave you, sweetheart. Sarah was right, you know. I’m utterly besotted with you.”

  “That’s good. A man should be besotted with his wife.”

  “Excellent. Now that we’ve cleared that up, let me kiss you again. Lord, I love your mouth and your ears and your shoulders and your breasts and—” She laughed, then sighed softly when his mouth covered hers. Then he kissed each smiling dimple. He kissed her until she pulled away, gasping for breath. “By all that’s foul, you don’t know how to kiss. All right, I can see that you need me more than you can begin to imagine. Shall I teach you how to kiss properly now?”

  “Do you really want your wife to kiss you with as much skill as your many mistresses?”

  “Ah, all those charming females—a thing of the past. Since they are, then you will have to oblige me, don’t you think?”

  “Yes, but first I must ask you something. The Haverstokes’ ridotto. I know it wasn’t well done of me, but I couldn’t help it. Why did you take Lady Sarah out onto the balcony and make love to her?”

  “Who are we talking about?”

  “Lady Sarah at the Haverstoke ridotto.”

  “Ah, you saw that? You really were eavesdropping on that most affecting scene. No, that wasn’t well done of you at all.”

  “I’m thinking of fetching a pistol, Julien.”

  Although he didn’t let her out of the circle of his arms, he was silent for a moment, frowning thoughtfully. “Then I guess I don’t understand. How could you have ever doubted me if you overheard what I said to Sarah? Given, she did wrap herself around me, but that was over quickly. You were a witness, weren’t you?”

  “But I saw her kissing you, I heard her speak so meanly about me and our marriage. I wanted to kill her and you, but most of all I wanted to erase myself. I didn’t do any of those things because I got vilely ill. That was humiliating too.”

  “So, you got sick, did you? Then you didn’t see how I handled the situation.”

  “No, I didn’t. But I would say that your splendid tactics didn’t carry the battle. After all, the lady seemed most sure of herself this evening.”

  “Alas, I have this fatal charm.” He laughed and kissed her. “I’m relieved that I now have such a fiercely faithful wife to protect me from such temptations. Women—they’re always throwing themselves in front of my curricle, fainting on my doorstep, dropping their handkerchiefs at my feet or on my boots—

  “Ah, be quiet, you toad! You believe yourself so irresistible, do you?” She paused and studied his face. Her fingertips traced over his mouth, his cheeks, smoothed his eyebrows. “You are, Julien. You please me very much.”

  “Does pleasing have to do with pleasure, as in what I’m doing to your earlobe right now?”

  “Perhaps it does,” she said, her hands caressing his neck and shoulders.

  “Will you forgive me for all the pain I’ve caused you?”

  “Yes.”

  “I didn’t know of any other way.”

  “But there was my anger, so uncontrolled, so unfair, and I lost our child, Julien.”

  “That’s quite enough about that. Look at me. Your miscarriage was an accident, Kate. If there is to be blame attached, it must rest upon my shoulders. Do you understand me?”

  “Oh, no, that isn’t right.”

  “Do be quiet, Katharine. No more guilt for either of us, all right? We must both of us bury all the ghosts, else we’ll spend our days in silent recriminations. I’m sorry for the child, but my first concern was and always shall be with you.” He touched his fingers to her mouth to silence further protests and added in a lighter voice, “If you wish a future earl of March and many beautiful daughters, you may be certain that I shall most willingly oblige you.”

  “Will you really?”

  “You know these things take time, Kate, many times, all of them fun, all of them filled with joy and laughter and pleasure. Shall I give you your second lesson?”

  “What lesson?”

  “Breathing, so you may kiss me properly without swooning from lack of air. Or at least if you do swoon, it will be from the pleasure I give you.” He pulled her against him and kissed her. When he released her a few moments later, she looked at him and said with a sigh, “Oh, dear, it seems I’m so very slow to learn some things. Perhaps, in this instance, you won’t find my backwardness a trial?”

  “With your lovely mouth, soft and warm? No, I think not, sweetheart.” He traced the curve of her lips with his fingertips.

  “All right, Julien. Now, you must answer my question. You really didn’t, you know. You just went ahead with your kissing lessons.”

  “What question?”

  She kissed him and began to busily unbutton his white shirt. “I hope you won’t think me too much a hussy, if I remind you of your promise to most willingly oblige me?”

  “Oblige you in what exactly? I can’t seem to remember.”

  “I must ask George for a pistol, my lord. Now, I want you obliged for many times. We have a duty to perform and I think we should begin to attend to it.”

  “Ah,” he said, as he helped her unbutton his shirt. “The future earl of March?”

  George chanced to look up and see the earl and countess of March emerge from the parlor and stroll arm in arm down the long carpeted corridor, his lordship’s fair head bent close to the countess’s cheek. If he wasn’t mistaken, his lordship’s shirt was unbuttoned.

  A slow smile spread over his face as he watched them disappear from his view. He decided that he should inform François that the succulent sirloin of beef, so lovingly basted with herbs and red wine, would undoubtedly not be called for this evening by the earl of March.