“I believe we have come full circle and I must remind you once again that your tiresome brother, Caro, does not order my actions. It’s a pity that you allow him to order you about.”
Caroline glared at him, affronted. “I do no such thing!” she protested.
“No? Then why will you have none of me?” Tristan’s grey eyes lost their customary humorous glint. “I can think of no other reason. You are ashamed of our connection, perhaps, and refuse to let your brother know of your feelings for me.”
“I have told you why we cannot continue our liaison,” she said softly, glancing about her nervously. “And I do not have the right sort of feelings for you.”
“Do you not?” Tristan grinned at her. “I seem to remember you having many, many feelings for me, Caro—in the bedroom on Mount Street, in Sylvia Lansdowne’s garden, and at the inn at Sawtry. What a pity we never did return to Green Park.”
Caroline felt herself flushing. “Those are not the emotions one associates with marriage,” she said firmly.
“Perhaps not. Or perhaps not your previous marriage. But with me you might experience otherwise. Why did you summon me when you needed help?” he asked.
“I—I knew that your horses were fast and that—” Caroline hesitated.
“That you could trust me? Because you love me? And because you know I have the same feelings for you?”
Caroline glanced up to see Tristan’s eyes intent on her face. To her horror, she felt tears welling up in her eyes, and she looked down into her glass of champagne.
“You place a great deal of weight on one small thing, my lord,” she said.
“I place a great deal of weight on it because it tells me all I need to know,” he said. “You called for me with your mother present, and placed your trust in me completely. I can think of no higher compliment.”
“Please, Tris, don’t do this,” she said. She felt her tears almost begin to overflow. “I cannot, you must know that.”
“I know that I am tired of seeing you sacrifice yourself on the altar of your family and your reputation,” he responded. “You have found a respectable husband for your ridiculously naïve cousin. Now it is time for you to think of yourself.”
“What in damnation is going on here?”
Caroline looked up to see Adam looming over her, glowering. She gaped at him.
“What have you done to make my sister cry?” Adam demanded of Gresham.
“Adam, I am not crying,” she protested. “And people are listening.”
Adam barely glanced at the people around them, who were clearly fascinated by the scene brewing between the duke and the baron. “I don’t care,” he ground out. “I won’t have this fellow bothering you further. I don’t know what you are up to, Gresham, but you will leave my sister alone.”
“I suggest you attend to your own affairs, Gravesmere,” he said insolently. “And I will attend to mine.”
“My sister is not your affair,” said Adam.
“That is not entirely true,” said Gresham. “Is it, Caro?”
He turned to Caroline, who shook her head at him. “Don’t do this now,” she said.
“I can think of no better time,” he said promptly. “You can’t always have it two ways, my dear.”
“What are you blathering on about?” demanded Adam. “Do you think I’m blind? I know what has been going on.”
“Adam, please.” Allegra materialized at Adam’s side and tugged on his arm. She shot an apologetic glance at Caroline. “I had no idea he was going to carry on like this.”
Gresham sneered ever so slightly. “He always carries on,” he observed. “It is tedious in the extreme.”
“Damn it,” snapped out Adam. “You can’t just abduct my sister and expect me to like it. I saw you in that curricle with her. Do you think me a fool?”
“Oh, I undoubtedly think you a fool,” Gresham assured him.
“Stop it, Tristan,” snapped Caroline. “There is no reason for you to provoke him.”
“Everyone is staring at us,” said Allegra. “Adam, you must behave. You have no idea what you are dealing with.”
Adam looked around; almost everyone in the room was indeed staring at them, including Cecilia and Barford. He shrugged. “I don’t care; we will have this out here and now. What do you mean by debauching Caroline?”
“Adam, he has not debauched me,” protested Caroline.
Tristan smiled down at her. “Oh, I don’t know about that,” he murmured.
With a muttered oath, Adam clenched his fist and punched Gresham squarely in the jaw. The baron staggered back, as the crowd gasped.
“Adam! How dare you!” Caroline flew to Tristan’s side. “Are you hurt?” she asked tenderly, reaching up to stroke his face.
“That depends,” he said softly. “Do you care if I am?”
“Of course I do,” she said impatiently. She turned his face gently with one hand and gazed at the red mark marring it. She turned on Adam. “How dare you?” she demanded
“How dare I? The man’s a scoundrel,” said Adam. “He insulted you, damn it.”
“Oh dear,” said Allegra. “Adam, I think you may have gone too far. Darling, please come away.”
“Dash it, whose side are you on? Since when do you take Gresham’s part?” demanded Adam.
“I’m not taking Gresham’s part, I’m trying to prevent you from making an ass of yourself,” said Allegra.
Adam turned to Caroline, who was gently stroking Gresham’s cheek. “What is going on here?” he asked.
“Only that I intend to marry Lord Gresham,” she responded abruptly.
“You intend to do what?” demanded Adam.
“I intend to marry Lord Gresham,” she repeated, loudly. A silence fell over the room, as even those individuals who had maintained the pretense of not eavesdropping began to listen openly.
“The devil you are,” said Adam. “He’ll never wed you, or any woman.”
Caroline laughed. “You have a vastly complimentary view of me,” she said. “But Lord Gresham has proposed to me and I have now accepted that proposal.”
“He never did!” objected Adam.
Tristan wrapped his arm around Caroline’s waist, and he pulled her close. “Your principal characteristic, Gravesmere, may be your predictability, so it’s no surprise that once again, you are in the wrong. I have asked the Countess of Eskmaine to marry me not once, but several times, and I appreciate your pushing her into accepting me. I believe that there are sufficient witnesses here that she will not be able to deny me again.”
“The devil she will,” said Adam. He took Caroline’s arm in a firm grasp, and tried to pull her away.
Allegra stamped her foot. “Adam, you will cease this ridiculous behavior immediately!” she ordered. “Caroline will do as she chooses, and she has made her decision, whether you agree with it or not.”
“Well, I like that,” said Adam. “Did everyone know about this except for me?”
He looked from Caroline’s face to Allegra’s, and then to the dowager’s. “I see.” He glared at Allegra. “Why did you not tell me?”
“Because I knew you would behave absurdly, and that you could not stop Caroline,” she answered spiritedly. “I did my best to dissuade her, because I thought this way lay only heartache, but now I do believe Lord Gresham cares for her. Truly, Adam, you must trust your sister. She has not been wrong before.”
Adam turned to Caroline. “Are you fool enough to want to marry this man?” he asked. “After everything you know about him?”
Caroline raised her chin. “I am indeed,” she answered. “I would far rather know the worst now than learn it after I marry him. Indeed, Adam, he is not as you think. No, I am not bewitched,” she added, seeing that Adam was about to interrupt her. “I know he has caused a great deal of mischief for no reason but his own pleasure. But I also know that we are well suited, and that I wish to marry him, and that he will not cause trouble after we marry.”
�
��Not cause trouble!” repeated Adam. “The man lives for it.”
“Well, perhaps it is not that he will never cause trouble,” said Caroline. “But he will not cause me difficulties, and that is all I care about.”
Adam shook his head. “Caro, I cannot like this.”
“I don’t ask you to like it, Adam,” she said softly. “I only ask that you honor my decision. If I am unhappy, that unhappiness will be of my own making.”
“Very well,” he answered. “I have no wish to be estranged from you, but I also cannot bless this marriage.”
“Adam, I do not ask for your blessing, only that you remain a good brother to me, and allow me to order my life as I choose,” said Caroline. “And I choose Lord Gresham.”
Adam shrugged. “I will wish you happy, sister, for your sake, not his.” He dropped a kiss on her cheek.
“Thank you, dear,” said Caroline gently.
“What is going on here?” Cecilia bustled into the circle, her blue eyes wide. “Everyone is staring at you, Caroline. And this party was to be in honor of me—and Barford, of course.”
“Of course it is, dear,” said Caroline. “Please forgive us. There has been a slight contretemps between your cousin and Lord Gresham, but I believe it is over.”
“A contretemps?” Cecilia gazed from Adam to Gresham. “What about?”
“Nothing that need concern you, my girl,” said Adam.
Gresham gave Cecilia an amused look. “Lady Eskmaine has agreed to be my wife,” he said. “I hope that you will wish us well.”
“Oh!” Cecilia’s eyes widened as she saw Gresham’s arm wrapped around Caro. “Oh, but of course. Though I must say I am very surprised after—well, after what has been going on. I thought you were merely diverting yourselves.”
“Damn it, does everyone know?” asked Adam, throwing his hands up in the air.
“Very nearly at this point, I should imagine,” said Caroline briskly, surveying the curious faces still turned towards them. “By tomorrow, all of London will have heard the story, I’m sure.”
“But this party is for Barford and me,” repeated Cecilia plaintively. “You should not have announced this here.”
“Indeed, I would not have, if it were not for having my hand forced by—” Caroline looked from Adam to Gresham. “By I am not completely sure who. I do apologize.”
Cecilia looked rather petulant, and Barford hurried up. “Come, my dear,” he said. “You must be happy for Lady Eskmaine, who has had such good care of you these past months. Indeed, without her we might not be about to wed.”
“That is true,” said Cecilia. She looked around. “But surely these people should be paying attention to us, not to them.”
“And they shall, my dear,” said Caroline hastily. “I have had my fill of attention this evening. Do mingle with your guests; I am sure they are very happy for you.”
Cecilia allowed herself to be led away by her fiancée, and Caroline gave a sigh of relief. She looked at her family, who still stood around her, their expressions varying from Adam’s look of concerned annoyance, to Emily’s of alarm.
“Do go away,” she said. “I know you are all very worried about me, but I have made my decision. You will see; I will be very happy.”
“I hope so,” said Allegra. “Do you know what you are getting into, Caro?”
“Far better than you might think, dear,” she answered. “I believe I have you to thank for some of this, Allegra, do I not?”
“Not at all,” she said lightly. “I had no hand in it whatsoever. Why, Adam would be furious with me.”
Caroline laughed as Allegra led Adam away, her brother’s face still concerned as his wife murmured to him soothingly.
“I know he is your brother, my dear—” began Tristan.
“Hush, leave it be,” said Caroline. “You must learn to love him as your own brother now.”
“I will try—but only for your sake. And I think love might be a bit of a stretch.”
Emily still hovered next to Caroline. “Caro, are you certain about this?”
“Yes, Mama, quite certain,” answered Caroline gently. “Surely you know from the past days the affection Lord Gresham has for me. And you have just heard him promise to try to treat Adam as a brother. What more noble sentiment would you have him express?”
“I suppose that I must accept it,” said Emily reluctantly. “You are not a child.”
“No, I am not, and I swear to you, you will not regret that I married Lord Gresham.”
Emily eyed Tristan doubtfully. “You will have a care of her?”
He bowed. “As though she were my own heart,” he promised. “Which she is.”
The dowager gave him a tentative smile, and then drifted away, giving Caroline one more doubtful look over her shoulder.
Tristan’s arm tightened about Caroline. “Well, I suppose I could not expect more than that, given my history with your family, but I could wish for more enthusiasm,” he said. “We will simply have to show them how wrong they are by being absurdly happy together.”
Caroline turned accusing eyes on Tristan. “You planned this,” she said. “You deliberately provoked Adam so he would cause a scene.”
Tristan shrugged. “It seemed the only way to make you act. You are always delightfully forthcoming in private, my love, but in public you would never acknowledge me. I felt that I would have to force your hand. And a lovely hand it is, too,” he added, taking it in his own, and pressing a kiss to her fingertips. “Imagine my forbearance in allowing your brother to hit me. You see how much I love you?” He touched his jaw gingerly. “I shall have a vile bruise.”
“Oh, Tristan, whatever shall I do?” she said.
“You shall marry me, and then you will be far too busy with me to worry about your brother, and your sister-in-law, and your mother, and your cousin, and your nephew, and doubtless another dozen relatives I have never encountered, and who shall not ever, ever be allowed to visit us,” he answered. “We shall marry as soon as possible, pack up Jonathan, and leave for Paris, or perhaps Venice. Somewhere that your family is not.”
Caroline sighed. “I suppose I must, now that everyone knows.” She looked around the room; people were still staring at them openly, the women murmuring behind their fans, the men looking amused. “You have put me in a dreadful position.”
“I have done nothing of the sort,” countered Tristan. “I have put you precisely where you wished to be, but would not allow yourself to go. I believe I now need to hear from your own lips how happy you are.”
Caroline looked down, suddenly shy.
“I have told you that I love you many times,” he continued. “And now you must tell me your feelings.”
“Of course I am very fond of you,” she said softly. “But this is hardly the proper place for a declaration of devotion.”
“If you do not wish me to cause another scene—and be very sure, I will do so without a moment’s hesitation—you will oblige me here and now,” said Tristan. His eyes brimmed with amusement, but Caroline had no doubt of his sincerity.
“Of course I love you, Tris,” she said softly. “Have you doubted it?”
“As you have been at pains to tell me that your feelings for me are almost completely carnal, I have had many doubts,” he said. “But always I hoped. His hand slid down from her waist to stroke her hip. “Now, since the guests of honor can do without us, I would like to be alone with you. Indeed, I believe Miss Ashdown will be positively relieved to be rid of us; we are attracting far more attention than she is.”
“We can’t simply walk out together,” objected Caroline.
“Can we not? Caro, when you are Lady Gresham, I will show you all the things you may do that you never dreamed of,” promised Tristan, tucking her hand into his arm and leading her away from the party. “We shall start by leaving this very tedious gathering immediately. I feel sure that there is a door in the back of this room that leads to the servant’s stairs. If we venture down them, w
e will find ourselves in the kitchen, where there will be a door to the street, which will do extremely well.”
“Tristan, the servants will be shocked,” objected Caroline.
“You have been shocking the servants for weeks now,” he replied as he urged her along. “Yours, mine, doubtless Gravesmere’s as well. What does it matter if we disturb Barford’s staff as well?”
“I do not have my cape,” she protested weakly.
“I will buy you another,” Tristan assured her. “And I promise that if you should feel chilled, I will do my best to warm you.”
Caroline looked at him in silence, and Tristan opened the servant’s door. With a quick glance behind her, she allowed him to lead her down the narrow staircase. When they stepped out into the servant’s hall, several pairs of stunned eyes were turned on them.
“Lawks,” ventured a kitchen maid, her hand arrested in mid-air as she paused in her preparation of plate of cakes to gape at the finely dressed strangers.
“My apologies,” said Lord Gresham politely. He produced a handful of coins from his pocket and placed them on the trestle table. “The door to the outside, please?”
The maid pointed silently across the room, and Tristan smiled sweetly. “I thank you,” he said. “My dear?” He drew Caroline through the kitchen and out the door, then up the area steps to the street. Once outside in the crisp evening air, Tristan guided her to his carriage and tenderly ensconced her within it.
“Are you taking me home?” Caroline asked, as the carriage moved away.
“Certainly,” he answered. “To my home,” he answered.
“I can’t go to Mount Street tonight,” she said in alarm. “Beckham will be waiting up for me, and will be alarmed if I don’t return.”
“Not to Mount Street, my sweet, to the house I live in. You will be the first woman I have taken there - I imagine that, once again, this will involve scandalizing my long-suffering staff. We seem to have made a habit of it. I’ll send a footman to Brook Street to tell them that you are safe and will be back in the morning,” Tristan replied.
Caroline opened her mouth as though to protest, then closed it, realizing that the idea of spending the night in his arms was not at all disagreeable to her.
Sense & Sensuality: Caroline's After Dark Georgian Romance (The Gravesmeres Book 3) Page 29
