Kitty waved her arms, demanded silence. “Enough! This isn’t doing anyone any good, and I’m sure the servants have heard enough to give them fodder for gossip for the next six months.”
Colt said nothing, merely stared at Dani thoughtfully, eyes narrowed, lips pressed tightly together.
Suddenly Dani embraced him, then stood back to softly plead, “Don’t think me awful, Colt. I’m only doing what I think is best for me.”
He nodded, turned, and walked away. He had many thoughts to sort out within himself, for many questions were burning in his brain…questions about his own future, which had been provoked by Dani’s dogmatic little speech.
Dani and Kitty watched him go, and when he was far enough away so as not to hear, Kitty quietly confided, “He told us last night he wants to marry Lily.”
“I know.”
Kitty looked at her curiously.
Dani quickly related everything about Colt’s visit to her shop and then, later, the unpleasant scene with Lily…but once again she kept silent about what Lurline had divulged.
Kitty shuddered with misery and sadly predicted, “He’ll never be happy with that girl.”
Dani was quick to agree. “I’m afraid not, but, as he said, it’s his business.” She walked back into the room, picked up her handbag, and announced, “I really have to go now. The carriage is waiting.”
She started out the door, but Kitty cried, “Wait.”
Reluctantly, but respectfully, she turned, wondering if she would ever be able to get away.
Kitty’s violet eyes were like a misty sea at ebb tide, painful reflections of blighted hopes. “Remember, Dani, this is your home, and you’re welcome anytime.”
Dani bit down on her lip, then, with a surge of love, threw herself into Kitty’s arms. They embraced tightly, emotionally. “Believe me,” she repeated emphatically, “I really didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”
Kitty nodded, forced what she hoped was a reassuring smile to her trembling lips. “I know you didn’t, Dani, and you probably won’t believe me, but I do know what you’re going through. You’re like me when I was your age, wanting only to be myself but condemned each time I didn’t conform to what was expected of young ladies in those days.”
“Then tell me, Kitty,” Dani dared to ask. “Do you think I’m terrible not to expect, or want, Drake to marry me just because of last night?”
Kitty smiled. “I agree with you that you must do what you feel is right for you.”
Dani felt a wave of love and gratitude. “Will you try to make Poppa understand how it is?”
Kitty nodded reassuringly, gave her a gentle push. “You’d better run along. He’ll, be home soon, and I’ve had all the scenes I can stand for one day.”
Lily was cramped and sore from being in the same position for so long, kneeling in her favorite spying place behind the plants in the alcove. She had hurried there after Colt had stalked into his room, slamming and locking the door behind him, suspecting that he would confront Dani as soon as he collected his thoughts.
Her hunch was right, and now she knew she had to move fast or she’d never be able to manipulate Colt into marriage…not after he had time to think about how his sister was in a similar situation but felt no obligation to marry for honor’s sake. It was even more thought-provoking because the family, and probably the servants, and no doubt, soon, all of Paris’s elite, would hear about Dani’s indiscretion. So far, no one was aware of hers.
She waited until Kitty walked away, then moved from concealment and hurried to knock softly on Colt’s door.
“Go away. I don’t want to talk to anybody,” he responded irritably.
“It’s me,” she called petulantly. “The least you can do is talk to me when it seems no one else in this house wants to.”
She heard an exaggerated sigh, the sound of unspirited footsteps, then he opened the door and wearily greeted her. “Lily, quite frankly I’m sick of your nagging…”
Her lips parted to speak, but he shook his head, waved his hands in protest. “No more. I mean it. I apologize if my family has hurt your feelings, but I’m not responsible for their actions, and I don’t want to hear any more about it. Now please let me get some rest before dinner. We’ll talk later.”
Not about to be dismissed, she quickly brushed by him to go and position herself in the middle of the room. With arms folded across her bosom, she defiantly declared, “We’re going to talk now, Colt, and decide on a wedding date. I don’t intend to go on like this, not after the scandal your sister has caused.”
He was not surprised that she’d heard. How could it be avoided? He closed the door, walked over and sat down in the leather chair by the window. With no warmth or enthusiasm whatsoever, he said, “Go ahead. Talk.”
Lily could not help thinking how handsome he was—so appealing with his white silk shirt partially unbuttoned to reveal a thick, curling mass of dark hair upon his broad, rock-hard chest. When he was smiling, which she had not seen him do of late, his gray eyes sparkled with flecks of blue, crinkling at the corners to give him almost a little-boy look.
Colt was, without a doubt, every bit as good-looking as Drakar, and while she’d never had the pleasure of making love with the attractive Russian, she knew it would be difficult to surpass the pleasure she had known with Colt. Comparatively speaking, however, she would be willing to settle for either but was smart enough to know it was best to go with what she already had.
Hesitantly, she began. “I know all about how Dani stayed out with Drakar last night, ruined her good name. I won’t let that happen to me, Colt.”
He frowned, bluntly pointed out, “No one knows about you spending the night with me, Lily.”
Lily managed to retain her composure but inside she was becoming frightened that her scheme might be failing. “I realize that,” she admitted, “but what will happen to me if you don’t marry me? Am I supposed to trick a man into thinking I’m a virgin, only to find out differently on our wedding night? Do you think he’d still want me for his wife after he realized I’d deceived him?”
Colt leaned his head on the back of the chair, closed his eyes as though by so doing he could wish away all the misery that had suddenly assailed his life.
With no warmth, she said almost accusingly, “I love you, Colt. I thought you loved me.”
“I never said I loved you.”
She made her lower lip tremble. “You made me think you did. You made me think you cared.”
“I did, and I do, but I sure as hell never gave you any cause to think I was of a notion to get married anytime soon.” He paused, watching the tears spill from her eyes and thinking once more how he’d caused a lot of trouble by not keeping his pants on.
“I just can’t help wondering if maybe we’re making a mistake, Lily. We don’t really know each other, and I don’t think I’m ready to settle down with one woman.”
Her heart flip-flopped with fear. “But what about me and my future?” Her voice bordered on hysteria. “What decent man will want me?”
Colt dreaded her reaction but dared to speak his mind. “Dani doesn’t seem too worried about that situation. Maybe times are changing, Lily. Maybe it no longer matters to a man what the woman he loves did in her past.” Gently, he added, “I know if I truly loved you the way I hope one day to love the woman I want to marry, it wouldn’t make a difference whether you were a virgin or not.”
Lily knew in that instant that it was going to be difficult, if not impossible, to maneuver Colt to the altar purely out of a sense of duty. Crossing to where he sat, Lily leaned close enough for him to feel her furious breath upon his face.
“Well, let me tell you something, Mr. High-and-Mighty, I’m not about to have my future ruined because of you. You seduced me and you’ll marry me!”
Colt laughed, gently pushed her back as he stood. “That’s a lie, and you know it. You wanted it as much as I did.”
“That’s not what your mommy and daddy will believe when I get th
rough talking to them.”
He blinked in disbelief, as he saw the evil, sneering look on her face. “What did you say?” he hoarsely demanded.
She stood, hands on hips, as she eyed him haughtily. “You heard me. I’ll go to your parents and tell them how you brought me in here and seduced me in your own bed, practically right under their noses. How do you think they’ll like hearing that about their baby boy?”
Colt promptly snarled, “Not a goddamn bit, and you know it.”
“Well, maybe they won’t have to know about it. I should think they’d be happier having a wedding than a lawsuit—which will happen when my uncle hears about this.”
Colt had never wanted to hit anyone so damn bad in his whole life, man or woman. “That’s blackmail, Lily.”
Flippantly, she cooed, “So? You leave me no choice. I’m not a wanton little whore like your sister. I have pride. She’s probably moving out to start her own bordello, anyway,” she added with a nasty giggle.
Colt took a menacing step forward. “Don’t push me, Lily. I won’t listen to you talk about my sister that way.”
She decided it was time to change her approach and ran to fling her arms about his neck and press close. “Please don’t hate me, Colt,” she said tearfully. “I just love you and want to be your wife. We’re going to be so happy. I promise. You’ll see that this was all for the best…” She lifted her lips for an expected kiss.
Colt roughly unfastened her arms, disgust mingling with fury as he flung her away from him. “Dani was right when she said you were the most unpleasant person she’d ever met. I wish I’d seen through you long ago.”
Lily stumbled, fell backward to sprawl into a chair. She began to cry—genuine tears. “I’ll go to your parents. I swear I will.”
“No you won’t.” He struggled to keep his voice down, because, by God, he felt like screaming out at her for all the heavens to hear. “I won’t hurt them any more. I’ll marry you, goddammit, but we’ll do it quickly, with no fanfare, no frills. Then we’re moving back to America and live on the ranch where you’ll try to learn how to be a decent wife.”
Lily suppressed a triumphant cry. Instead, she made herself sound quite plaintive and sincere. “Colt, you might be angry with me now, darling, but you know it’s not fair for you to insinuate I’d ever be anything but a decent wife for you.”
Colt sucked in his breath, cursed himself for nearly losing control. After all, up to this point, he had been crazy about her. They’d enjoyed some good times together, in bed and out, and he had to admit he’d been toying with the idea of a future with her somewhere down the road. “All right, I’m sorry,” he said contritely.
She lowered her face to hands, which she made quiver, murmured brokenly, “Maybe I should just leave and go back home.” She paused to sniff, choke a bit on a sob. “I love you, but if you don’t love me, and you don’t want to marry me, then I’ll just get out of your life.”
When he did not immediately respond, she dared to peer fearfully up at him between her fingers, and by then the quivering was not false. Was he going to take her up on her mock-offer? Had she sounded that convincing?
Colt was staring out the window, shoulders slumped in defeat, eyes miserable and downcast. With all the finality of a coffin lid closing, he whispered, “I’ll marry you, Lily. And we’ll make the best of it. I don’t love you,” he bluntly said, turning to stare at her to hopefully make her somehow see that he truly meant every word, “but I’ll try to do everything I can to make you happy.”
Lily leaped to her feet and threw her arms around his neck once more, and this time he did not push her away but neither did he yield.
“Oh, Colt, I’ll make you love me. I swear I will.”
Colt held her, his embrace as cold as his heart.
Chapter Twenty-One
Dani awoke with a smile on her lips, for the reality of her dream dawned on her as clearly as the sunlight streaming through the window. She was free!
Happily, she got out of bed to pad about the tiny rooms for the closer inspection she’d been too weary to make the night before. A good cleaning was surely needed, but she could close the shop early if there were no customers and take care of that this afternoon. There was little furniture—a cot and chair in what was supposed to be the bedroom, and a table and chair and small wood stove in the other room.
Well, that would change drastically, she thought. She’d seen a lovely mahogany spool bed in an antique furniture shop last week that would match nicely with a cherrywood armoire she’d fancied at yet another store. There were some decorative pieces downstairs that would brighten up the place, and, of course, she could make some curtains. The kitchen was another matter. It would take a bit of planning there, but she had time, all the time in the world, and Drake would probably be glad to help.
Drake.
She felt an instant wave of sadness. What should have been beautiful had so needlessly turned into a nightmare. But maybe it was all for the best, because now she had what she’d wanted for a long time—to be on her own. Still, it was regrettable that Poppa had to be hurt.
As for Drake, well, that was another matter. Perhaps she’d overreacted yesterday morning when he nobly offered marriage in an attempt to redeem them both. He was being a gentleman, that’s all, and she’d become nearly hysterical from shock at their predicament. She would just explain that to him, apologize for being so unpleasant. Maybe inviting him over for a cozy dinner in her apartment would smooth things over.
Then again, maybe it was time to just get away for a while, to travel as Kitty had urged. It would give everyone time to get their thoughts in perspective.
She took a cup of tea, and went downstairs to the shop. Walking around, she gazed thoughtfully at her collection of merchandise. The offering was meager. The truly fine objets d’art had been bought in the first few days after the grand opening. All too soon, it seemed that the only reason people came into the shop was to see the paintings of the renowned Monaco Find, but even interest in those was starting to wane, as she had known it would eventually. She resolved that something had to be done. She would not give people reason to snicker behind her back, to think of her as merely a dilettante who had quickly become bored with the responsibilities of running her own business; Dani was fiercely determined to be a respected businesswoman.
As she stood at the window staring out at the inhabitants of Upper Montmartre as they began their day, she lifted her cup to sip the last of the tea, and that was when the idea came to her. The cup she held was ordinary, but if she could offer truly exquisite china, like the coveted Flora Danica of the Royal Copenhagen factory in Denmark, then her shop would be considered truly unique. It was said that the first dinner service of Flora Danica was made between 1790 and 1802 for Catherine the Great of Russia, consisting of one hundred place settings with 1,802 pieces in all. When the Danish Princess Alexandra married the Prince of Wales in 1864, a second set was given as a wedding present.
Dani had become fascinated with the rare porcelain when she came across a book which told how in 1757, Denmark’s King Frederik V commissioned a botany professor to do a magnum opus on flora danica, titled Flora of the Danish Kingdom. The study eventually grew into seventeen volumes, and finally an illustrator named Johann Christoph Bayer was commissioned to work on the china, and over the next eleven years, he decorated by hand mast of the first service, eventually ruining his eyesight.
Dani recalled that only last week a customer had asked whether she had among her merchandise anything particularly exquisite, as she wanted something extraordinary for a favored niece’s wedding gift. Flora Danica would certainly have been appropriate, and Dani knew if she could arrange to procure and import the famed porcelain from Denmark, she would be touted as the most successful entrepreneur in Paris.
So, she asked herself excitedly, what was stopping her from going to Denmark on her first shopping excursion?
Filled with enthusiasm as the idea took hold, she unlocked the f
ront door, posted the OPEN sign in the window, then began to dust and straighten. She hummed softly as she worked and thought how the timing for the trip would be perfect. Tensions would be forgotten within the family, and maybe she needed time away from Drake to come to terms with her feelings for him.
A warm glow suffused her as she thought of his dear and handsome face, recalling those splendorous moments in his arms. He had carried her so gently along to each and every pinnacle of joy, and when, at last, they had leaped together from the ultimate peak, they had become one.
That was what was so frightening—that single nucleus they had experienced for a few precious seconds. Was that love? Was she really falling in love with the gentle, yet awesomely strong Russian? His wit and charm and keen intelligence…the expressive blue eyes fringed with incredibly long and thick lashes…his stirringly sensuous mouth…the appealing accent of his native tongue…these all served to make him the most attractive man she had ever encountered.
She wanted to see him again.
She wanted him to make love to her again.
The sound of the bell at the front door annoyingly brought her out of her pleasurable reverie. Her vexation was increased by the sight of Cyril Arpel walking into the shop. He was wearing a tweed overcoat, a bright red scarf around his neck, and a gray hat, which he promptly removed as he greeted her happily. “My, you look lovely today. You’re almost radiant. Are you that glad to see me?” he added teasingly.
If she were truly glowing, she knew why…and wasn’t about to divulge such a secret. She disregarded his bantering. “Bonjour, Cyril. What brings you out so early?”
Cyril found it hard to pretend joviality when he was still steaming inside over what he’d seen last night. With extreme effort, he lightly replied, “Seems that every time I come by, we’re interrupted, so I thought I’d try to visit early to ask if you’d like to have dinner with me tonight.”
Love and Splendor: The Coltrane Saga, Book 5 Page 21
