Surrender Amanda Quick

by Surrender (lit)

  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