by Jilian Rouge
“Well, I can’t imagine why your father has been lenient with you all these years when he should have pressed the matter of marriage with you. You’re twenty-eight now,” he ended with finality, as if stating her age was proof positive that marriage should have been her priority.
“And you’re thirty. You aren’t married yet either, and I see no one casting up your age every chance they get,” she huffed petulantly, reminding him once again of the wild, stubborn girl he had once known.
She continued, “Since the moment you walked in here, you’ve been nothing short of combative and disagreeable. Are you not glad to see me after so many years away? One would think you aren’t.”
Alex’s entire body tensed, every fiber of his being was poised to dispute her claim that he was anything but pleased to see her. But he stopped himself from such an admission, one that could hurt his chances at the future he envisioned for himself.
“I will only admit to surprise at seeing you,” he said lazily as he slowly appraised the length of her. Standing this close, he could drink in the sight of her, and letting his eyes rest on curves that were new to him, Alex suddenly couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. Glad to see her? He couldn’t think past the confines of this room with her in it.
Rue shuddered under his heated, assessing gaze, feeling its weight on her body, sensitizing each place his gaze lingered. He was now leaning in slightly towards her, and her breath caught at how his piercing gaze seemed to see right through her, those pools of gray strangely transfixed upon her person. He was much too close, and she was instantly reminded of the last time they were this close. Warmth then blossomed in her cheeks, but she tried her best to ignore how strongly his close inspection and his proximity affected her. The hungry way he looked at her made her feel as though he was could eat her up at any moment.
To wrest her emotions and the conversation back under her control, Rue cleared her throat and asked, “Am I also to understand that you are to find a bride at your mother’s ball?”
The spell Alex must have been under broke then, and he moved away slightly, all without moving a step. “My mother must have told you,” he said, shaking his head as though he was trying to clear it. “Yes, I had given my mother carte blanche to invite a few unmarried ladies amongst our host of close friends and relatives. In fact, they should all be arriving in droves soon.” He stepped away then, allowing Rue to resume her regular breathing pattern. For her, he made it hard to breathe normally in his presence.
Rue’s brows raised in surprise. “Are you saying that your mother has written up a list of ladies who would be suitable brides for your inspection and perusal?”
Without waiting for his answer, she laughingly teased, “I like that. Your List of Ladies certainly trumps my short list of suitors.”
Glowering at her, Alex realized how easy it was to slip into their old roles of long-standing friends. Her brand of teasing and this familiarity was what he missed the most about Rue, this back-and-forth repartee between them. Yet he felt off-kilter now, chiefly due to his reaction to Rue’s changed appearance which conflicted with his original resolve to restrain his lustful impulses.
But rather than rise to her bait, Alex aimed a heated look at her once again, eliciting a response from her that mirrored the same one from earlier. Watching her shiver under his gaze thrilled him to no end, knowing that he generated such a reaction.
As for Rue, she couldn’t help but contrast the Alex she once knew with this current version of Alex. The years away had produced a more mature, self-assured Alex, one who exuded an aura of danger about him. And indeed, the man and his nearness were dangerous, since he seemed to steal all reason and common sense from her with a single glance. It would take all of her strength and effort to keep her wits about her whenever he was near.
“About that list, I was on my way to see my mother and thought it was her playing the pianoforte. Imagine my surprise when I expected to see her but found you instead,” he drawled.
“I left her in her sitting room before I came here. You might still catch her before she dresses for dinner,” she offered helpfully. “But if I knew you would have come charging through that door earlier, you know I would have pointed out your mistake straightaway and we would have avoided all of this banter.”
“Oh? And miss the sharp wit falling from that barbed tongue of yours? I would never trade the past few minutes for anything,” he said with a flourish of his hand.
“Hmph. Would you also like an escort to your mother’s rooms? You’ve been away so long you must have forgotten how to get there if you’ve mistaken the music room for her chambers,” she said cheekily.
Resisting the urge to tweak her nose as he used to do, Alex turned on his heel to leave. But not before he retorted, “It’s good to hear you haven’t lost your edge, Rue.”
Leaving with the last word satisfied him in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time. While making his way through the corridors towards his mother’s chambers, he couldn’t recall the last time he had bantered with a woman and thoroughly enjoyed it as he did just now with Rue. As awkward as he had left things between the two of them, he half-feared that the awkwardness would continue, but he was relieved to see that Rue seemed to have moved past the bungle he had made of their parting.
Seeing Rue once more opened up a wealth of emotions that must have deadened while he was away in London. Feeling invigorated and revived after their encounter, he pondered his latest dilemma: how was he going to carefully choose a bride with the distraction of Rue close at hand to dissuade him from making the right choice? Like always, Rue’s presence managed to demand all of his attention, a learned, ingrained reaction from childhood, where keeping on his toes was a necessity where she was concerned.
How many times had he been dragged against his will into one of her scrapes either in an effort to save her from herself or to keep her from harm’s way? Involving him in her last scrape nine years ago could have resulted in a child that would have ruined them both. Fortunately, none of her letters, which he left unanswered, mentioned a babe, leaving his conscience clear of any guilt he had felt moments after they had made love.
Reminders of that afternoon only brought back the sweetness of Rue rushing to the forefront of his mind. His body certainly remembered the way she felt around him, the way her scent wrapped around him, and the way she purred against his throat as she moved on top of him. None of the London women he knew intimately registered on the same level as Rue; while they held back parts of themselves when he took them, Rue gave all of herself during their loveplay, surrendering her heart and soul during the act. Not knowing it at the time in his emotionally immature state, he could now appreciate how rare and generous that was.
And therein, lay his dilemma. With constant reminders of their last meeting nagging him, he hadn’t dredged up an ounce of enthusiasm for the parade of women being trotted out for his scrutiny. His mother had faith that he would make the right choice in a bride for the sake of his future. The Merrick estate needed an heir, and before he had come home, he had been going about such plans in a methodical, detached manner. Meeting Rue again slightly deterred his doggedness for his original plan and he couldn’t be more perplexed by this sudden bout of indecisiveness.
5
Two Days Later
Lady Edith’s job as hostess came with the almost overwhelming task of keeping her guests entertained while in residence. So, it was fortunate that the weather was cooperating as Lady Edith had suggested a picnic lunch as an outing for their sizable party. Since the venue had to be large enough to accommodate their significant number, Lady Edith had the servants set out myriad blankets and impromptu canopies surrounding the croquet lawn. Ravenscroft’s kitchens had certainly been busy earlier that morning, packing lunches into baskets for dining al fresco.
Summertime in the country was a refreshing change from its counterpart in the city, and Rue had always viewed her visits home as a welcome escape from London’s oppressive summer heat
. At the risk of being disloyal to her own home that neighbored the Merrick estate, Rue self-proclaimed Ravenscroft as the home of her heart, warm and welcoming. And it was on just such a day as today, that made her love it more.
However, it would have been nice to see the owner present at his mother’s planned outing, but Lady Edith made his excuses, citing a few estate matters that urgently needed his attention.
Happy to be outdoors in the company of her closest friends, Rue led the way to an unoccupied blanket, the Montagu siblings following after her, as she chattered on about her own firsthand knowledge of the Ravenscroft property. The conversation was almost entirely one-sided since neither Ernest nor Georgie could contest anything Rue said about the finer points concerning the property.
As Rue related a particular escapade that involved the croquet lawn, Christian, who stood nearby with his sister, Amelia, sauntered over to their blanket.
On his approach, Christian remarked, “Come now, Rue! That is not how I remembered that story. The both of you, you and Alex, were clearly cheating, leaving me in your dust!”
Winking at her, Christian added, “May I join you and your friends?”
“Only if you retract your accusation of cheating,” she said cheekily. But she gestured for him to sit with them, and she quickly made the introductions all around.
Georgie, who was amused by the teasing between the two childhood friends, asked Christian, “Please, will you tell us what were the stakes of the game? Rue won’t tell us.”
Rue’s mouth was poised to answer, but Christian cut in, “If Rue had won, Alex and I were to give up our dessert at dinner for a week. If I had won, Rue and Alex were to take me with them on their next fishing trip, the one they avoided telling me, but I had already known about it. If Alex won, well…”
Ernest’s interest was piqued when he noticed Rue’s ears turn bright red. He prodded, “Well, what?”
Christian looked askance at Rue who shook her head at him. Christian shrugged and said, “If Alex won, Rue was to introduce him to her schoolmate from finishing school, the one he fancied during her first visit with the Abelards.”
Georgie and Ernest understood Rue’s reluctance to divulge that bit of information, knowing it still embarrassed her to admit her infatuation with the earl, even if it was from the past.
Clearing her throat, Rue stated frostily, “So, naturally, I had to win. Those desserts would have gone a long way to sustain my return trip back to finishing school.”
Hiding a smile was an effort, but Ernest managed to ask her, “Then, you admit to the cheating as Mr. Stanhope mentioned earlier?”
Rue glared at Ernest. “None would dare accuse a lady of such a thing, not without proof! Besides, when Christian and I weren’t looking, Alex managed to move my ball further away from any of the wickets, while he strategically placed his own to his own advantage,” she huffed.
Christian recalled, chuckling, “We still don’t agree who won that day.”
Smiling, Georgie asked, “How long ago did all of this happen?”
“When we were twelve,” Rue and Christian said at the same time, looked at each other in surprise, then burst into laughter. The Montagus followed suit, finding their laughter infectious.
When Rue’s giggles subsided, Christian consulted her companions. “If you would excuse us, I would like to take Rue for a stroll. Rue, would you walk with me a little while?”
Sobering a little, Rue answered, “Yes, that sounds lovely.” Getting up first, Christian helped Rue onto her feet, tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, and proceeded to lead her away.
Ernest called after them, “Mr. Stanhope, mind that you’re not gone too long.”
Christian nodded his acknowledgment and reassured him, “Not to worry, Reddington. I’ll have her back here before the luncheon is served.” Reassurance that all social proprieties would be observed, Ernest nodded.
A bout of nerves suddenly frazzled Rue as she assumed that this moment alone with Christian just might be the very moment he made his intentions known. They walked companionably in silence, moving away from the crowds of people and onto a dirt path worn through the trees.
Not knowing what to say as the silence seemed overlong, Rue felt awkwardly compelled to say something, anything, to keep the silence from growing further.
She was saved when Christian finally spoke.
“Rue, I have to tell you something,” he said carefully, slowing their steps.
“What is it?” she asked, but she stopped where she stood and faced him.
Taking both of her hands in his, Christian looked down, first, at her hands, then looked into her eyes. “You must know that I have always held you in the highest regard, even when I was too young to know better. And that hasn’t gone away over the time we haven’t seen each other.”
“Christian—,” she began, but he interrupted with, “Please, let me finish, while I still have the courage to see this through.” She nodded for him to continue.
“I want to marry you, Rue. Right away, if I could get away with it. But you deserve to be properly wooed and courted, if that is what will make you happy,” he burst forth.
Looking up into his face, Rue could see he was completely earnest. Her heart went out to him for looking as vulnerable as he did in that moment, but it all seemed so sudden, especially since she was still smarting from her humiliation in London.
“I know it’s very sudden,” Christian appealed, “but do you think you could come to care for me, even a little? I would make you a doting husband, one who only seeks your happiness.”
Rue’s mind raced, wondering what the best way was to approach this. She barely knew Christian as the man he was now as her memories of him were still that of Christian as a boy.
Smiling kindly up at him, she said, “Truthfully, I don’t know what it is I want, but I would be willing to try and see where this may lead.” After all, Christian came with good recommendation from Lady Edith, and as a wealthy man in his own right, he was worthy of any unmarried woman’s consideration. And if his intrinsic nature was anything like she remembered when he was a boy, he would be a good man to have at your side.
Sighing with a wide smile, Christian said happily, “That is all I ask. That I be given a chance to convince you that we would suit. But know that I aim to have you as my wife, Rue. No matter the cost to me.”
What a cryptic thing for him to say, thought Rue, but she gave it no more thought as Christian handled her carefully to lead her back to her friends.
Unknown to the couple, a shadowed figure watched their progress through the trees, smiling after them. Shielded by the thick foliage of a young tree, the figure waited until the happy-looking couple was out of sight and earshot. With a switch in hand, fury, jealousy, and yearning at their basest natures arose to strengthen the strokes used to punish the hapless tree by the crazed figure.
All I have ever done was watch and I am finally rewarded for my patience, the figure thought, as tears of strain and fury fell, unbidden. Soon, things will be as they should be, and what my love wants, my love gets.
6
Later That Evening, Ravenscroft Drawing Room
Since Rue’s encounter with Alex in the music room, they still hadn’t crossed paths within Ravenscroft’s halls. But for the benefit of those who asked after him, Lady Edith had assured them all that Alex was merely seeing to estate business. His duty as host would commence once he dispensed with the necessary attention to matters of being a landowner.
As it was, Rue thought it just as well that Alex stayed away, even if it was for a perfectly legitimate reason. Her heart couldn’t handle another encounter such as the one he had surprised her with the other day, not when she noticed how his presence caused her heart to flutter madly and all sane thoughts to fly out the window.
A gathering of family and friends were strewn about the drawing room after dinner, most of whom Rue knew since she was a child. And the few she didn’t know were seated around Lady Edit
h, who held court as dignified as a queen throughout their conversation. Lady Edith’s companions were young women with their mamas, a group of about six women who surrounded the dowager countess. Observing them from across the room, it hit Rue suddenly that the young misses were carefully selected by Lady Edith for Alex’s list of eligible young ladies.
Seated to her left, Georgie prodded Rue with an elbow to gain back her attention to their small group, which included Ernest. Catching herself staring, Rue swiftly swiveled her head to face her friend.
Georgie whispered, “Rue, what has you so transfixed that you haven’t heard a word of what I just said?”
Blinking at having been caught, Rue confided, “I do believe I have spotted the List of Ladies over there with Lady Edith.”
Intrigued, Ernest remarked, “Oh? And does this List have something to do with Lord Merrick, perhaps?”
Rue resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the both of them. The siblings knew all about her encounter with Alex in the music room, and therefore, knew all about the Earl of Merrick’s plan to choose a wife. Between the three of them, Rue led the more interesting life, and it was Rue’s usual habit to share her thoughts and experiences with one or both of them. With the exception of her innermost feelings concerning the man.
