He stepped into the room. She looked up. "My...Drew."
Was there a tremor in her voice? He crossed the room and held out his hand. She rose. He caught and held his breath. His gaze moved from her face downward. Through the thin fabric of her night rail, he saw the dark aureole of her round, lush breasts. His eyes lingered on the darkness at the apex of her thighs. His body vibrated with an urgency to plunge into her depths, to possess her and to let her know she could never leave him.
She took his hand. Her icy fingers trembled slightly in his grasp. She looked at him. An instant of uncertainty was replaced by desire.
He inhaled. Did she see the face of the man she loved instead of the one she had wed?
"What shall we do?"
He heard puzzlement in her voice and pulled her close. His mouth closed over hers. Her lips parted and he thrust his tongue into the depths of her mouth. The rasp of her teeth over the sensitive flesh made him groan. He caressed her back. The silk of her night rail teased his palms. His erection pulsed against her abdomen and she moved her hips slowly and seductively.
When her hands slid around his shoulders and her fingers lightly stroked his nape, he felt the bonds of control begin to stretch. Her tongue touched his. The bands snapped. He struggled against the wish to push her to the floor and take her without further preparation. Control, he thought. If this slow seduction continued much longer, he would lose any hope of maintaining distance.
Ragged breaths shook his body. "Get into bed."
Desire fled from her eyes. "What is wrong?"
He sucked in a deep breath. "You will call me by my name when we are alone."
"Drew, what is wrong." Nicola stared at her bridegroom. What had she done to raise the anger in his eyes? His kiss, his caresses had heated her body. Now a chill followed the path of fire.
"Get into bed." His voice sounded harsh to her ears.
Her grandmother's and Prabha's voices sounded in her thoughts. "You must do your duty. You must obey his commands."
She sighed. "Should I take off my gown?" The Kama Sutra spoke of a man and woman meeting flesh to flesh.
"That won't be necessary."
She backed away. 'Twould seem he was two men in one. She bit her lip. The man who had entered the room and kissed her until she wanted to touch his flesh had vanished and had been replaced by one who was demon possessed. She swallowed her fear and climbed into bed. Both Prabha and her grandmother nor the Kama Sutra had told her what to do when faced by a man ruled by demons.
She moved back until her head rested on the pillows. Her muscles tensed in anticipation of the pain the amah and her grandmother had told her she faced. Her husband strode across the room and got into bed beside her. He pushed her knees apart and knelt between her spread legs.
"What are you doing?"
"Claiming the rights this morning's ceremony gave me."
She raised on her elbows and inched up in the bed. "But this is not the way it should be done. I know that for a man, the first time is intense, but the same can be true for a female."
Drew sank back against his heels and stared at her. His eyes became as hard as the gems they resembled.
Nicola wet her lips with her tongue. "First comes the embrace begun by touching, then fondling that leads to rubbing and pressing. In bed, we should lie with our limbs entwined and thus begin to kiss. Where you kiss me, I should do the same to you."
She watched the expression on his face change and knew his demons had gained control. He left the bed and stared at her.
"Damn you. Where did you learn about these things? Who was your teacher?"
His words and the bitter tone were like drops of vile poison splattering her heart. "I do not understand."
"Don't play the innocent." He laughed. "I know you love another. I saw you with him this afternoon. Were you planning to fun away or setting an assignation? Couldn't you wait until the ink on our license had dried?"
"No." The cry escaped. She bit her lower lip. She couldn't tell him about Cousin Fergus' visit or about the threats he'd made. "This marriage must be consummated."
"Lest I ask for an annulment." He strode to the door. "The marriage will be in name only. I will control your money and your sister's lives. You won't leave this house without my permission." He slammed the dressing room door.
Nicola stared at the door. Gooseflesh covered her body. What could she do now? The marriage hadn't been consummated.
Like a cobra in its nest, Cousin Fergus waited at the village inn for her to come to him. Her plans for leaving in the morning had gone awry.
She didn't know this country. She didn't know where to hide. If Cousin Fergus found her before she joined her body with Drew's, she would have to return to Calcutta and leave her heart behind.
A tear trickled down her cheek. A flood of salty moisture followed. She didn't know why Drew had become angry but she had to stop him before he invaded her tense body and caused the pain her grandmother and the amah had predicted. She pulled the covers over her head and wept.
* * * *
Drew leaned against the bedroom door and pressed his body against the hard surface as though he feared his bride would follow him. She had spoken like a courtesan, saying things no young lady fresh from the schoolroom should have known. He'd been fooled by her demure behavior, but now he knew the truth.
A groan escaped. His desire for her hadn't abated but he wouldn't bed a woman who behaved the way his mother had. He strode across the room and splashed brandy in a glass. "To my bride and the end of my illusions." He gulped a mouthful. The liquor tasted as bitter as his thoughts.
With a quick movement, he tossed the remainder of the drink in the fire. Blue flames flared and died. He would not drown his anger in alcohol the way his father had.
For a moment, he considered taking a horse from the stables and riding until the beast and he were exhausted. But some of the guests remained in the ballroom and he had no explanations that would make him look like less than a fool.
What should he do about his bride? Though he'd threatened an annulment, he didn't want his name on the lips of the London gossips. His wife would remain in Denmere. There would be no visits to London or a trip to the Yorkshire estate.
He lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Tomorrow after his friends departed for London, he'd visit the estate where he'd planned to take his wife.
Chapter 13
Noises from the dressing room woke Nicola. She rubbed her eyes still swollen from the tears she'd shed during the night. Her body felt heavy, her mind dull and her spirits morose. She slid to the edge of the bed and listened to her husband's deep voice and the much lighter one of the valet.
Why had Drew said those things to her? She had never experienced any man's embrace but his, yet he had acted as though she had. She had considered opening the dressing room door and demanding an explanation but she feared another scene like last night's. She couldn't face her husband, at least not when her thoughts were muddled. When he'd made his accusations, he'd held himself with rigid control. She caught her lower lip between her teeth.
She had to leave Denmere, but not this morning as she'd planned. Not before she enticed the Earl...her husband...Drew to consummate the marriage. How? She had no idea of ways to accomplish the deed.
With slow steps, she crossed the room and knelt on the window seat. The sun was but a dim circle in a sky of pewter gray. Wind churned the surface of the lake the way her thoughts roiled. Holding back a fresh spate of tears, she dressed in her dhoti and shirt. A small part of her wished her husband would come and see her act of defiance.
While meditating, her husband's accusations remained strong and clear, breaking her attempt to regain serenity. Her body moved through the chosen cycle of ansanas like a marionette controlled by a puppet master's hands. At the end of the cycle, she sat in a Lotus position and forced herself to breath in a slow and even pattern. To no avail, for her thoughts centered on Drew's unjust statements. After realizing there w
as no balm for the ache she felt, she rose.
She crossed to the door of the dressing room. No voices sounded from within. She eased the door open. Once inside, she washed and took a simple pale blue round dress from the wardrobe. Though she could have called Peggy for assistance, she had no desire to see anyone.
What were her choices? Her husband had declared the marriage would be one in name only. How could she thwart Cousin Fergus' plans to present letters naming him guardian of her sisters? How could she prevent him from causing a scandal? Though he'd promised to allow her sisters to remain at Denmere, she had no reason to trust him. If she had to return to India to keep her sisters safe, she would go, though she didn't want to leave. India would always be her beloved home, but as her feelings for her husband had changed, her desire for her birth land had decreased.
There was but one way. She had to seduce him.
The Kama Sutra spoke of seduction but the role of the seducer belonged to the man. She had no idea if reversing the roles would accomplish her purpose. What gifts could she give him? How could she pursue him without reinforcing his ideas about her nature?
"His mother died in a whore house."
Cousin Fergus' declaration had shaken her. She had felt pity for Drew. Those words had helped her understand his wariness, but she wasn't his mother. She sighed. Would he ever believe in her? Though she had planned to leave Denmere, 'twas not to hurt him, but to keep from being shattered by the lack of love.
The door opened and Prabha entered. The amah's dark eyes studied Nicola. When the amah saw the nearly full cup on the table, she clicked her tongue. "You did not drink."
Nicola stared at the cup. "I forgot."
"Foolish child. In your eyes, I see you pay the price of not heeding."
What did she mean? No amount of bitter tea could have changed what had happened.
Prabha walked to the bed and reached for the covers.
"You don't have to do the maid's work," Nicola said.
The amah ignored the order and whipped the top covers aside to expose the sheet. "Ai, ai, what have you done? Where is the proof you are truly a wife? What have you done with the sheets?"
"Nothing. They are the same as they were when I went to bed."
"Foolish girl. What were you thinking when you sent your husband away?"
"I didn't send him. He left."
"And did not make you his wife?" The amah wrung her hands. "Ai, ai, what troubles him? Is he not a man? He has the form and the manner. Come, I will tell you things you can do to bring strength to a man."
Nicola shook her head. "'Twas not the problem. He... he..." How could she tell Prabha that even before she had tried to instruct him in the ways of the Kama Sutra, he had become cold? "He accused me of having experiences with men I can't even imagine."
Prabha straightened. "I have the insult from this man and I will tell him he is foolish. Have I not watched over you night and day from your birth until you come to this cold and heathen land?"
Nicola's cheeks burned with shame. "Please don't speak to him. I don't understand why he said untrue things. 'Tis just...just he does not hear advice from anyone."
The amah walked to the dressing room door. Before she reached it, Drew stepped into the room. Prabha planted herself in his path. Her finger stabbed toward his chest. "You have shamed this child and offered me an insult."
Drew stepped back a pace. "Insulted you? Shamed her? Woman, you don't know what you say. I don't like those who present themselves as other than they truly are, the way your mistress has done."
"Untruth. Ai, ai, this man be a fool."
Drew walked around the amah. "Nicola, I would speak to you in private."
Nicola patted Prabha's shoulder. "Go. He won't harm me."
"Words be slicing knives." Prabha shook her finger at Drew. "You do not know this girl. She fed from my breasts. She came to womanhood in my care. She is not what you have named her. If you had taken the time, you would know." With a clicking of her tongue, she left the room.
Nicola looked at Drew. "My lord, what do you wish?"
"My friends are leaving this morning. I will see them on their way. Until I return, you will remain in this room."
"How long will you be away?"
"As long as I wish."
"Do you mean I can't go to the schoolroom to give my sisters their lessons?" Nicola asked. "Do you mean I must eat my meals here and not visit my grandmother?" She inhaled a deep breath and prepared to ask more questions.
"The house, then," he said. "You won't speak of our affairs to anyone."
"My lord, we must talk. You are wrong in your judgment of me." She had to show him the Kama Sutra. Would he believe her when she translated the words into English?
He whirled and stride from the room. Angry words stuck in her throat. She closed the door with a firm click. How dare he set such a punishment? She leaned against the door.
Perhaps she should leave as soon as he and his friends were gone. Though this was little to her liking, at present, she couldn't think of another plan. She walked to the window and knelt on the window seat. For a long time, she stared at the black clouds and the gray sky and tried to think of a way to keep her heart untouched.
* * * *
When Drew stepped into the hall, he heard Niall's booming voice. He turned to duck into his bride's room but the door closed with a firm click and cut off that retreat. With quick steps, he moved down the hall and opened the door of the Dowager's sitting room. Facing his friends before he had perfected his reasons for leaving Denmere would make him look like a fool. He had no desire for them to know just how badly he had been taken in by his bride.
"Drew, what is this strange tale I've just heard?"
He turned. The Dowager stood in her bedroom doorway. He groaned. He hadn't expected to find her awake and in the company of Nicola's servant. The dark-skinned woman's eyes narrowed. For a moment, Drew thought she might strike him.
"Bhujang," she spat.
He returned her glare. When the door slammed behind the amah, he turned to Aldora. "Perhaps you will listen to the truth. Your granddaughter is not what she seems."
"How can you say that?" Aldora asked. "Prabha says you have hurt the woman who has been like a mother to Nicola and insulted your wife. You have gone too far with your dislike of marriage and your distrust of women."
He strode to the fireplace. "I haven't gone far enough." He placed one hand on the mantle piece. "It seems your granddaughter is a woman of great experience. She has knowledge of what happens between a man and a woman that she should not possess."
"La Drew, surely you have misunderstood." Aldora sat on the edge of the sofa. "I didn't mean to frighten her when I spoke about what to expect last night."
"You should have saved your breath. If you had heard the things she said, you would believe me."
Aldora leaned back. "Perhaps you misheard." She nodded. "Of course, she was quoting from some Indian book she has read, the Kama something. She reads that heathen language, you know."
He straightened. Could Aldora be right? "I will hear her explanations when I have time. My friends are leaving this morning. I will see them on their way before I leave for the Yorkshire property."
"And Nicola?"
"She will remain in this house until I return."
The Dowager sighed. "You must forget your parents and their troubled marriage lest you make the same mistakes as your father. Nicola is not your mother and you are everything your father was not. I don't believe my granddaughter will be content in a loveless marriage. I fear she will take flight if you treat her in this way."
He looked up. Had there been a warning in her words? Nicola was his wife. Her place was here and her duty was to be content with what he chose to give her. She would learn defiance wouldn't work. Without money, she couldn't leave him and he didn't intend to give her more than a small allowance.
"I will consider what you have said."
"If you will but try to love her, she w
ill make you happy."
He bit back his usual response to the four letter word he hated. Love was a sugar sop for fools. "I'll try. This is all I can promise."
"Then I am content for you always keep your promises."
Drew kissed her cheek and left the sitting room. When he returned from seeing his friends off, he would speak to his wife. He wasn't sure he could keep the promise he'd made to Aldora. He groaned. His body vibrated with need. If nothing else, he could assuage his lust.
Downstairs, he entered the breakfast room. Michael slumped in a chair at the table with a cup cradled between his hands. Tristan and Niall had heaped plates before them. Drew filled his plate with eggs, sausages and fresh baked bread. A footman poured a cup of steaming coffee.
Michael groaned. "Must I be beset by gluttons? How can the lot of you eat so hearty?"
Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Denmere, you're about early. If I had a bride to match yours, I would remain in bed for a fortnight."
"Estate matters can't wait," Drew said. "If the three of you are leaving soon, I'll ride out with you."
Niall raked his auburn hair with his fingers. "Are you sure you don't want to purchase a commission? Could use a hundred men with your coolness and sense of duty to send against old Boney."
Drew leaned back. "I don't have the stomach for war. One of the tenants has a problem."
"Must you do everything yourself?" Tristan asked. "Why not hire an estate manager? There is more to life than farms, crops and livestock."
"Like becoming acquainted with a charming bride," Niall said.
Drew dropped his fork on his plate. "I am well acquainted with my wife." His shoulder muscles tightened. He had no patience for bantering with his friends.
Michael gulped from his cup. "If there is a problem, tell me. I am sure between the three of us, we can tell you how to go on."
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