to recognize that your womanly honor
demands you submit yourself to your
husband, even though the marital act
is, naturally, quite repellent under the
circumstances?" He nibbled on her earlobe.
No mention of how bravely you endure
the performance of your duties in the
marriage bed?" He kissed the curve of her
shoulder. No pathetic little commentary
on how you have been made to pay the
price of your folly and what a lesson this
has all been to you?"
She shot to her feet and whirled around,
pummeling him unmercifully in the ribs.
stone vale, you are a miserable, teasing
beast of a husband and you deserve to
rot."
My leg, my leg. Cease and desist at
once, madam, or you'll ruin me for
life." Lucas retreated toward the bed, his
laughter filling the bedroom.
To hell with your leg." She continued
her attack, closing in on him, forcing him
back until he toppled onto the bed. Then
she jumped on top of him, straddling him
triumphantly. Lucas held up his hands in
surrender.
I beg for mercy, my lady. Would you
continue to beat on a helpless man who
is already down?"
You may be down but you are far from
helpless, stone vale. You still have the use
of your mouth and it seems to me that is
what got you into trouble in the first place
tonight. You could not resist taunting me
in a most villainous fashion, could you?"
His smile was slow and filled with
sensual promise. Allow me to put my
mouth to better use, madam."
He reached up with one hand and
splayed his strong fingers around the back
of her head. Then he dragged her face
down to his and captured her lips with
his own.
With a soft sigh Victoria gave herself up
to the magic of her husband's embrace.
Lucas knew he had only himself to blame
when the gossamer web of domestic
harmony he was just starting to weave
was ripped to shreds on the following
Monday morning.
He should have seen it coming, he told
himself. He should have been prepared.
He, who always prided himself on his sense
of strategy and planning, had been caught
off guard, and there was no excuse.
But his wife's timing was as good as that
of any field marshal who has studied the
opponent well.
She breezed into the library, waving the
newest letter from her aunt, just at the
very moment Lucas was going through a
detailed summary of her investments for
the past three years.
There you are, Lucas, I have been
looking for you. No, do not bother to
get up. I just wanted to tell you I shall be
writing a fairly large draft on my account
to cover an investment I plan to make
soon. I assumed you would want to take
it into consideration when you plan your
own expenditures this month."
Lucas sat down again and looked up, his
mind still reeling from the shock of what
he had learned recently about Victoria's
investment habits. She smiled brightly at
him from the other side of the massive
desk, looking as elegant and vibrant as
ever in a sun yellow morning gown.
How large a sum will you be needing
and what sort of investment are you
considering?" he asked cautiously.
Oh, I should think a few thousand
pounds will be enough to get me into
this particular investment."
A few thousand?"
Perhaps ten or fifteen." She glanced
down at the letter in her hand. Aunt
Cleo says the group will be investing in
some new collieries in Lancashire."
Ten or fifteen thousand pounds? For
a coal production project in Lancashire?"
ir r
Lucas was stunned. You cannot possibly
mean to do anything so foolish. I cannot
allow you to do it."
It was when he saw the light of battle
flare in her beautiful eyes that Lucas
knew he had just made a serious, tactical
mistake.
Our man of affairs, Mister Beckford, has
recently recommended the project very
strongly," Victoria said. Aunt Cleo writes
that she intends to invest, herself."
Your aunt is free to do as she chooses,
but I cannot allow you to pour that
amount of money into a coal pit in
Lancashire. One can go through a fortune
very quickly investing in collieries."
I have a fortune, Lucas, remember?"
she asked far too sweetly. You married
me for it."
Lucas tried to forge a path out of the
mire in which he found himself Your
inheritance is sizable, my dear, but it is
not inexhaustible. Far from it. You are
intelligent enough to realize that. You
do not have enough money to warrant
taking risks of ten or fifteen thousand
pounds. Sums of that size should be put
into acquiring land, not digging expensive
pits in the ground."
But I already own some properties
in London from which I receive a very
nice income. And," she added, with a
challenging smile, I am now a partner
with you in owning a good-sized chunk
of Yorkshire. I do not wish to acquire any
more land, Lucas."
Lucas returned to the accounting summary
and said, very matter-of-factly, Then
you can put the money into the improve
ments we will be needing here at Stone
vale."
You are busy enough as it is spending
a great deal of my money on such
improvements. This colliery project is a
personal investment I wish to make on
my own behalf."
Vicky, trust me on this matter. Collieries
are risky investments, especially when they
are being run by others. If you are seriously
interested in mining, we can think about
having an engineer survey stone vale. There
is coal in Yorkshire as well as other minerals
and there may be some worth going after
on the estate. But I cannot allow you to
throw your money into a distant project
over which we will have no management
control."
Victoria marched to the library desk and
threw the letter down. You are going to
forbid me the right to spend my money
as I wish?"
Lucas prayed for divine guidance but
there was none forthcoming. He would
have to deal with the devilish question
on his own and he already knew he was
damned either way.
He tried to choose his next words with
care. You have come to me with a large
income that must be protected for the sake
of our children and our grandchildren and
their
children. As your husband it is my
duty to guide you in your investments."
I thought so," Victoria announced
grimly. This is how it always starts, I
imagine. One's husband begins by telling
his wife that she is incompetent to manage
her own affairs and that she must allow him
to do it for her. From there he moves to
take complete control, allowing her no say
whatsoever in how her money is spent."
That angered him. Lucas gestured
impatiently at the account book lying
open on the desk. To be perfectly blunt,
my dear, I am not certain you should be
making all your own decisions. You seem
to have a tendency to take great risks in
your financial affairs. You have been in
deep water more than once."
I have always come about," she shot
back. As you can plainly see if you look
at my current income."
Yes, thanks to your properties in Town.
You see, Vicky? It is the investments in
land that are most reliable. They are
what shelter an inheritance such as yours.
You have no business taking risks in the
funds or in shipping and distant mining
projects."
No business taking risks? That is
ludicrous coming from you. Before you
married me, your entire income came from
taking risks. What can be more risky than
the battlefield or the gaming tables?"
The fact that she had a point only served
to annoy him further. Damn it, Vicky, I
had no choice in how I made my money.
I did what I had to do. But matters have
changed. We both have a responsibility to
manage stone vale and the income you
brought to this marriage as wisely as
possible. Your days of taking huge risks
with your capital are over."
She stepped forward and planted both
hands on his desk. Her eyes shimmered
with fury. Say it in plain language,
stone vale. I want us both to hear you
say it."
I do not know how much plainer I can
make it."
Tell me very clearly that you are
forbidding me to spend my money in
any way I wish. Let us have the words
plain between us."
His own temper leapt to match hers.
You are deliberately trying to set a trap
for me, Vicky. You want me to choose
between saying the words that will give
you complete freedom and the ones that
will damn me as just another tyrannical
husband like the man who married your
mother. Do you think you can manipulate
me so easily, madam?"
I am not trying to manipulate you.
It is just the reverse. You are trying
to manipulate me." Victoria's tone was
unwavering under his severe gaze.
I am trying to protect you from your
own reckless nature."
Reckless? You call me reckless? You,
who made your living first as a soldier
and then as a game ster? Hah. That is an
excuse and well you know it. You want
complete control of my money and you
are telling me you will no longer allow me
any say in how I spend it. What's next,
Lucas? Will you force me to accept a small
quarterly allowance? Will I be obliged to
buy all my clothes and paints and books
and the occasional horse out of whatever
you choose to allow me by way of an
income?"
That did it. He lost what was left of his
temper. Why not? If you are going to play
the role of a frivolous, spendthrift woman
who doesn't give a thought to economy,
I shall have no choice but to treat you as
such. But we both know you are too smart
to act that way just to spite me."
Are you forbidding me the free use of my
money
I am forbidding you to risk a vast sum
on a project you know nothing about
except that your aunt's man of affairs
recommends it."
I have made a great deal of money from
some of Mister Beckford's recommendations."
You have also lost money on some of
them. I have seen the evidence in your
accounts. Mister Beckford has been far from
infallible," Lucas said, flipping recklessly
through Victoria's business ledger.
One must expect to take a few losses
when one is playing for important stakes."
There are many men far wealthier than
you who have brought their families to ruin
with that attitude."
Say it, damn you. Say the words, Lucas.
Tell me to my face I no longer have any
control over my inheritance."
Lucas gave up trying to salvage the
situation. Vicky, I thought I had made it
clear that just because I choose to indulge
you in some of your wilder notions, it does
not mean I will allow you to manipulate me
whenever you wish. One way or another
you will learn that."
Say it, Lucas." Her eyes continued to
challenge him boldly and her smile was
deliberately taunting.
Lucas swore very softly. Very well,
madam, since you are obviously determined
to force this issue into a full-scale
battle, I will give you what you seem to be
looking for, namely an opponent. You are
hereby forbidden to invest in the colliery
project. I shall instruct your bankers that
you are to be given a small quarterly
allowance and nothing more unless I
personally authorize it."
She stared at him in stunned amazement,
clearly shocked by the extent of his
retaliation. I do not believe this. You
cannot possibly mean what you say. To
forbid me to invest in the coal-mining
project is one thing, but to forbid me
any use of my money at all is is
unbelievable."
Lucas leaned back in his chair and
studied her dispassionately. She really did
look taken aback. This was obviously not
the outcome she had expected when she
had begun the skirmish.
I can understand your surprise," he said
gently. I am quite certain that when you
walked in here a few minutes ago, you were
fairly sure you would walk out the victor.
You are too shrewd to have launched the
assault without first being convinced you
stood a good chance of winning. But you
underestimated me, my dear, and I fear
you will persist in losing these skirmishes
if you do not stop doing that. A good
field marshal never makes the mistake of
underestimating her opponent."
You speak as if we are on a battlefield."
Lucas nodded bleakly. I fear that is
precisely the situation you have created."
And to think I actually thought you
were going to make a tolerable husband
after all." She whirled around and flew
to the door. Not pausin
g to give him
a chance to get there ahead of her, she
yanked it open.
Where do you think you are going,
Vicky?"
Out." Her smile could have separated
him from his skin.
Vicky, if you think you can fly off in a
tantrum and go looking for some mischief,
you are sadly mistaken."
Have no fear, my lord, I shall be in quite
unexceptional company. I am attending
a meeting at the vicar's. I'll wager that
even you, with your newfound proper,
conservative airs and priggish ways, cannot
find anything to say against my spending
the afternoon in such a gathering."
What sort of society is holding this
meeting?"
One devoted to the investigation of
curious matters," she retorted loftily.
I might be able to find time to
accompany you," he began carefully.
Good gracious, Lucas, that is quite
impossible. I am certain you are far
too busy to join me. You have so
many thoughtful, important decisions to
make right here." She went out the door,
slamming it pointedly behind her.
Lucas winced as the lamps shivered
under the impact. He sat in silence for
a moment and then got deliberately to his
feet to cross the room and pour himself a
glass of brandy.
He stood at the window to drink it and
told himself morosely that it was going to
be a long campaign. He had sadly deluded
himself when he had decided the difficult
part would be over once he got her to
marry him. It was obvious the truly hard
work came after the wedding.
Good God. Had he really turned a touch
priggish under the weight of his newfound
responsibilities? He wondered.
Victoria was still fuming by the time she
reached the comfortable home of the vicar
and his wife. But she managed a charming
smile as she was shown into a pleasant,
sunny room full of various members of the
local gentry and their ladies. The welcome
was gratifyingly warm and her ill humor
faded quickly.
Welcome to our little society meeting,
Lady stone vale. We have all been concen
trating our attentions of late on trying to
prepare an improved remedy for gout and
rheumatic pains," misses Worth explained
after the introductions had been made.
She waved to a table full of small glasses.
Each contained a liquid. Medicinal herbs
and plants are a great interest for most of
us. Sir Alfred, here, for example, is quite
hopeful of claiming the Society of Arts'
prize for discovering a means of increasing
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