by Tonya Brooks
~~~~~
Good God. The Rake of Ryder courting an innocent. Since he was well known for seducing women with nothing more than a look, the very idea was laughable. At least it would have been if the innocent in question were not his sister.
Back in full protective mode, Devlin's eyes took on the hard, implacable look that had been known to strike fear into a man’s heart as he insisted, “And I'll have your word that you won't seduce her.”
“I won't,” came the indignant response as the two men glared menacingly at each other. Then Nicholas demanded, “Do you really think I could ever do anything to hurt her?”
Devlin didn't even have to think about it. Nicholas would die before he'd hurt Scarlett. “In that case, we have a deal,” he agreed. “But you do know if she ever finds out about this, there will be hell to pay.”
“No one but the two of us ever need know,” was readily agreed.
Chapter Thirty One
Devil's Keep, England, 1812
Scarlett could not have been more surprised when her maid answered a knock at the door and she saw none other than Jacqueline Branvill, Duchess of Ryder standing there. Her first impulse was to rush across the room and hug the other woman in her normal exuberant manner.
Her second was abject fear. This beautiful, perfectly coiffed, elegantly attired, royal princess who personified the image of what a lady should aspire to be, was her future mother-in-law. Feeling at a distinct disadvantage standing there in her dressing gown, Scarlett dropped into a graceful curtsy, and with a nervous smile, said, “Welcome home, Your Grace.”
~~~~~
Jacqueline just stood there for a moment, staring at the changes in the daughter of her best friend with genuine pleasure. Scarlett was just as beautiful as she had known she would be. Even wearing a dressing gown with the mane of reddish gold hair cascading loosely around her shoulders, she was simply stunning.
Holding her arms wide in invitation, she chided, “Tell me you're not too grown up to give Aunt Jackie a hug, minx.”
A brilliant smile lighting her face, Scarlett rushed across the room and hugged her. “Oh, Aunt Jackie, it's so good to see you,” she said fervently, tears of joy shimmering in the emerald eyes. “I've missed you so much.”
Laughing in delight at the younger woman's exuberance, Jacqueline embraced her fondly. “I've missed you as well,” she admitted and held Scarlett at arm’s length to look at her again. “Look at you! All grown up and just as beautiful as I knew you would be.” When Scarlett blushed at the compliment, she said, “Your parents would be so proud, Scarlett, and you've made me the happiest of mothers.”
~~~~~
“Then you're not disappointed?” She queried hopefully.
“Why would I be?” Was asked in confusion.
“Because Nicky's marrying me,” Scarlett clarified. The simple fact was that with his rank, Nicholas could have married a princess if he'd chosen to, or any one of a hundred women more suited to be his duchess.
~~~~~
Jacqueline actually looked shocked, and she was. Taking the younger woman by the hand, she led her over to the chaise and seated them both before asking, “Now, what on earth would make you think having you as my daughter would disappoint me?”
Scarlett bared her soul. “Because you know me, Aunt Jackie,” was stated firmly. “I'm a hoyden and not at all suited to fulfilling the duties of a duchess. The very thought of it terrifies me, but Nicky said it didn't matter. He told me to just be myself and that my only real responsibility was to please him.”
Jacqueline shook her head in exasperation. That sounded exactly like something her arrogant son would have said. For all that he was an intelligent man; Nicholas could be as dense as mud at times. Instead of reassuring his bride, he had told her that her fears were unnecessary. Men. Giving Scarlett's hand a gentle squeeze, she set out to correct his mistake.
“First of all, you are not a hoyden,” was firmly denied. “You are simply spirited and full of joie de vivre, just like your mother.”
“Really?” She asked curiously. “I don't remember mother all that well, but I do remember that she was always happy. The house used to be filled with the sound of her laughter.
“Oui, it did,” was said in fond remembrance. “Danni loved life. She had the same exuberance you possess. And she was terrified of becoming a duchess.” This last was said as if imparting some great secret.
“You're bamming me,” Scarlett scoffed.
But Jacqueline merely shook her head and grinned in a conspiratorial manner. “It was our secret. She really was terrified until she realized that it wasn't that important. You see, Charlton was going to be a duke, and if she wanted him, then she'd have to be a duchess. When faced with the possibility of giving up the man she loved rather than claim a silly title, she chose love.”
She studied the younger woman carefully while she digested this and then asked gently, “The question you must ask yourself is, do you love Nicholas enough to face your fears?”
“Yes,” the answer came without hesitation.
The duchesses smile was brilliant. “Then there is no reason to fear, is there?”
“Aunt Jackie, you make it all seem so simple,” Scarlett sighed and then admitted, “I just don't want to do anything to embarrass Nicky and make him regret marrying me.”
“Ah, Cherie, you won't,” she assured the younger woman with worldly wisdom. “My son came into his title when he was just a boy. Nicholas became so serious, so... mature, that it concerned me a great deal. But when he was with you, he acted like himself again. As he's grown older, that has not changed. You are his touchstone, Scarlett. You are the one woman in the world that he feels free to be himself with. He needs you. That will not change.”
~~~~~
Bolstered by the knowledge that Nicholas needed her, Scarlett confessed her deepest fear, “But he's used to sophisticated women who know how to please a man, Aunt Jackie. I know nothing. What if he gets bored with me?”
At that, the older woman laughed in delight. “Nicholas is quite the rake, like his father was,” she imparted with a knowing smile. “He will take great pleasure in teaching you the delights of amore', Scarlett. He will not break his vows any more than he would tolerate you breaking them. Branvill men are notoriously jealous and possessive of their women.”
Scarlett couldn't help laughing at that. Nicholas had been enraged when she'd taunted him about taking a lover, and he had practically pummeled poor Carstairs into the ground when he'd tried to drag her off to Scotland. “I've already found that out,” she admitted, the emerald eyes sparkling with mischief.
“So I heard,” his mother grinned back. “I could not have picked a more perfect wife for my son. You will be good for Nicholas, minx. He needs you more than you know.” That said, she rose and walked to the door to beckon her maid. “Now, I have a wedding present for you.” Jacqueline said as she took a leather case roughly the size of a bed pillow and dismissed the maid.
Scarlett accepted the case, placed it on the chaise beside her and unhooked the clasp. When she lifted the lid and laid it back, the breath caught in her throat. “Aunt Jackie!” She exclaimed in astonishment. “These are the... the...”
“The Ryder Emeralds,” the older woman supplied helpfully. “They will look lovely with your eyes.”
“But... they're yours,” Scarlett protested. The Ryder Emeralds were a priceless collection of precious gems renowned for their flawless beauty and the intricacy of their settings. The set consisted of a pair of bracelets, two rings, a necklace, a brooch and a tiara.
“No, Cherie, they belong to the Duchess of Ryder, which you will soon be,” was pointed out happily. “Besides, Nicholas already gave you one of the rings from the set.”
Scarlett gasped and looked at the engagement ring on her hand. Damnation! She'd been walking around wearing a priceless ring and hadn't even known it. Wagering it on the horse race last week suddenly seemed like a very bad idea. And then something else occurre
d to her. “Just how long has Nicky had this ring?” She queried.
“He asked me for it when he came to visit two years ago,” the duchess admitted. “I confess I was a bit surprised when he told me he planned to give it to his bride, but once he explained it was for you, I was more than happy to comply.”
So he had been telling the truth. Nicholas really had been planning to marry her for the last two years. Her heart filled with love for him all over again. Looking up at her mother-in-law to be with tear filled eyes, Scarlett said, “Thank you, Aunt Jackie. They're beautiful. I... I don't know what to say.”
“It's a Ryder family tradition for the current duchess to present the collection to her new daughter when she weds,” Jacqueline explained. “You have always been the daughter of my heart, Scarlett. It is only fitting that you should have them.”
“On one condition,” the mischievous minx announced and then asked hopefully, “Can I call you Mother?”
Tears of joy filled the duchesses eyes as she nodded her consent.
~~~~~
That evening at the ball, the tale of Scarlett's heroism and marksmanship made the round of gossip. Even though the guests were scandalized by her actions, she was also praised for her bravery. Of course, some people had no charity at all. “Scandalous behavior,” one of the ladies who had been present commented. “Absolutely scandalous.”
“At least Lady Scarlett saved the boy's life,” Nicholas said coldly. “You, on the other hand, did nothing but faint dead away and prove how absolutely useless you are.”
That set down, along with the fact that he and his fiancé seemed to be completely enamored of each other was the talk of the ball. Whatever problems they had, seemed to have miraculously disappeared. The young duke never left his fiancé’s side, and she spent the majority of the evening smiling at him in complete adoration.
Her ardent admirers appeared to be heartbroken by her sudden change of heart. Lady Scarlett had always been stunning, but tonight she was so incredibly beautiful that her smile simply dazzled. The emerald green gown suited her to perfection, but the absolute fortune in jewels that she wore seemed to have been created just for her. That she was already wearing the Ryder Emeralds before the nuptials sent the gossips into another frenzy.
~~~~~
“Is it true?” Scarlett demanded of Devlin as they danced. “Did you really betroth me to Nicky two years ago?”
“I did,” he admitted warily.
A look of vexation covered her face. “Then why the deuce did you make me have a season?” She demanded.
“It was Nick's idea,” he confessed. “He insisted on the betrothal contract in case something happened to me. I agreed to it because I wanted to make sure that you would be taken care of, but I didn't like the idea of you not having a choice in the matter. So, Nick suggested a season to give you the chance to find another man you wanted to marry. He was planning to court you after the season was over.”
~~~~~
“And if I'd fallen madly in love?” She demanded and was amazed at the lengths they had gone to. “What then?”
He laughed at that. “Wasn't much chance of that happening, minx,” Devlin reminded her. “What woman in her right mind would refuse Ryder?”
“I did when I thought he was being forced,” she pointed out in exasperation. “And I would have continued doing so if he hadn't confessed. No woman wants a man who doesn't want her.”
~~~~~
“You don't have to worry about that, minx,” he said dryly. Devlin knew exactly how much his old friend wanted her. Nothing less would have prompted Nicholas to ask for her hand and then wait two years for her to come of age. Not to mention putting up with all the hell she'd put him through in the last week.
“Normally I'd be bloody furious at your high handedness,” she informed him. “But, this is Nicky after all.”
“Why the devil d'you think I've let you spend so much time alone with him the last couple of years?” He inquired in amusement. “I'd have blistered your arse if you'd flitted around any of my other friends like you did with him.”
~~~~~
Scarlett colored slightly at that. She had been allowed to spend an inordinate amount of time with Nicholas. She'd flirted outrageously with him, teased him with her newly discovered feminine wiles. Why, she'd even ensconced herself on his lap numerous times. Her behavior truly had been scandalous, but her brother had never complained, and now she knew that Nicholas hadn't minded a'tall. That might even account for the deep, pensive looks she'd caught him giving her over the years.
She kissed her brother's cheek when the dance ended. “Thank you, Devlin,” Scarlett said seriously, a mischievous twinkle in her emerald eyes. “You chose well.”
~~~~~
That night, once the house was quiet and everyone had settled into their rooms, Scarlett crept quietly down the hall to Nicholas’s bedchamber and opened the door without knocking. He was standing next to the bed, a glass of brandy in his hand, wearing nothing except his breeches and her mouth went dry at the sight. She had known his chest and shoulders were broad, but the sight of all that flesh covered muscle made her knees grow weak. Good lord. He was magnificent!
~~~~~
“Scarlett, what the hell are you doing?” Nicholas asked in astonishment.
He could not believe she was standing there in the doorway wearing nothing but a dressing gown. The light behind her in the hall filtered through the thin material and outlined her body to perfection. The body that had driven him mad for countless nights. The body that he would willingly sell his soul to make his own.
“I've decided that I want to be seduced,” she said softly and stepped into the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
The glass hit the thickly carpeted floor and rolled under the bed unnoticed. Every muscle in his body froze, searing heat filled his loins and radiated out of every pore. His eyes flamed with barely repressed hunger, his heart slammed against his chest. For three years he'd fantasized about this moment. Three long, damnably aching years filled with torment.
The knowledge that he could not have her yet was killing him by degrees. Nicholas drew a ragged breath and forced himself to remain where he was when everything in him cried out in rebellion of the command.
“Turn around and go to your room right now, Scarlett,” he ordered hoarsely and clenched his hands into fists. “For the love of God, run.”
~~~~~
Scarlett had no intentions of running. Nicholas was her betrothed. They had in all but deed been married for the last two years. It was time to consummate their union. She turned to the door and locked it before she faced him and dropped her robe.
Scarlett stood before him, unashamedly naked, in all her glory. Taran's maid had said that this was all she had to do, but when he just continued to stand there devouring her with those blacker than night eyes, she asked nervously, “Don't you want me, Nicky?”
~~~~~
“Not want you?” He rasped in stunned disbelief, a dazed expression on his handsome face as his eyes raked over every perfect inch of her in fascination. He raised tormented eyes to hers, unclenched his hands and lifted them in front of him so she could see the effect she was having on him. “My God, kitten, look what you've done to me. I want you too much.”
~~~~~
Her body became overly warm as the heat of his gaze seared her like a physical touch and she shivered in anticipation, thrilled by his words. Emboldened by the knowledge that he was literally trembling with need for her, Scarlett walked slowly toward him. “Then I'll seduce you,” she said as that soft, sultry smile curved her lips and she placed her hands on his chest.
~~~~~
The feel of her cool hands against his heated flesh was like being hit by a bolt of lightning. Nicholas's response was instantaneous. In one fluid movement, he scooped her into his arms and settled her on the bed, his body coming down on top of her.
His mouth sought hers as his hands became acquainted with the body that had b
een indelibly imprinted into his brain. He couldn't touch enough of her, couldn't taste enough, a lifetime would never be long enough to satisfy the hunger she had caused.
“You are so beautiful. So perfect,” he praised hoarsely as his mouth trailed scorching hot kisses down her neck.
Nicholas cupped her breasts reverently in his hands and with a harsh groan, buried his face between them. “Your breasts are incredible, love,” he swore as his mouth worshiped first one nipple and then the other. “Don't ever let me hear you say they're too big again. They're perfect. Absolutely perfect.” Then he proceeded to lavish them with the attention they deserved until she was certain that he meant every word.
Years of skillfully wrought technique flew out the window in the face of his urgent need. Gone was the aloof lover his mistresses had known, the man who gave and took pleasure with meticulous care. In his place was a man who was quite simply desperate for the woman in his arms. The woman he had ached for and dreamed of for longer than he cared to remember. The only woman who'd ever been able to make him forget about everything except the desire pulsating through him with ruthless intensity. The woman who had come to him and offered herself to him so sweetly. The woman who was going to marry him and bear his children.
He kissed his way down to her tiny waist, placed his hand against her flat abdomen and smiled. “I want to give you children, Scarlett,” Nicholas said huskily. “As many as you want. As often as you want them.” He kissed her just above the thatch of brazen hair and said, “I want to watch my child growing inside of you.”
~~~~~
Scarlett smiled as the thought pierced the veil of desire clouding her mind. Nicholas was seducing her with his words as much as with his hands and lips. “Strong, handsome sons like their father,” she sighed dreamily.
~~~~~
“Beautiful, spirited daughters like their mother,” he countered as he slid further down her body and eased her legs apart while raising her knees. He lowered his head and placed a carnal kiss at the juncture of her thighs and heard her gasp of pleasure.
