If Marcus had been going to marry Caroline, he should have done it years ago. When they were both young and fresh rather than the jaded creatures they had become. For there was no question in his mind that despite what she pretended, Caro was no longer the innocent and fresh young miss she played at being.
He had felt it the other night when he had held her against him, pressing her body into his, knowing precisely what would come next if she allowed it. She had felt his erect cock and known what he wanted, known exactly what he wanted to do to her. With her. An innocent would not have known.
There were also too many secrets lurking in the depths of her eyes. Perhaps others did not see them but he did. He saw them because they lurked in him as well. The truth of his ruined body, the possibility that he might not be able to father children at all, that coming directly from Dr. Hastings, a man Marcus trusted with his life.
Secrets and lies. Both he and Caroline had them. But whose were worse? He could not even begin to guess.
So who and what was she? He honestly no longer knew but he wanted to. He missed his old friend and wanted her back. Then again, he wasn't certain that was possible. Perhaps they were both too different now than they had been in their youth.
Not to mention that she looked extremely peeved every time he mentioned Lady X's name, though that could not be helped. A part of him wondered if it was jealousy, but quickly dismissed the idea. If Caroline cared for him, she would have said so. She was far too honest and forthright to keep something so great to herself, especially knowing that he was in search of a wife. If she had even given the slightest hint of interest in him, he would have shoved aside all of his misgivings and married her already. Nicholas Rosemont, that infernal promise, and all the rest be damned. For on that count, Marcus had changed his mind since he had first returned to town.
If Caroline would have him, he would marry her. Tonight and will all haste. But she would not. She had made that abundantly clear.
That left only the young misses of the ton who, for the most part, bored him silly. And most likely thought him a hideous monster. On that count, they would not be far wrong.
And, of course, Lady X. Who knew what she really thought of him?
Marcus was fascinated by the woman, though he knew he should not be. From the little he had been able to discern from several of his friends with good connections, she was about his age and thought to be rather beautiful. No longer an innocent, at least according to rumors, she had never wed and instead lived in seclusion somewhere in Mayfair.
There were, of course, those who suggested that she was actually a lady about town or perhaps a courtesan, but most felt that she was an aristocratic woman of some experience who only frequented the more reputable gaming hells and mixed clubs these days. Few actually believed that she attended balls and the like.
What was true and what was not? Marcus did not know but he was determined to find out. Though given the still slightly annoyed look on the face of the woman standing before him, perhaps now was not the time to mention his plan to unmask Lady X and take her to his bed. He had already decided that he was unlikely to wring her neck for writing about him, especially if she was truly as infatuated with him as rumor suggested.
Just the mere thought of having her body beneath his, both of them slick with desire, made him relax a bit more, the anger of earlier sliding away as if it had never been.
"Come here, Caro," Marcus finally sighed when he found himself able to speak without roaring at her again.
To his surprise, she came willingly. Apparently she was just as upset about the state of their relationship as he was. She also seemed to need the physical comfort he offered her.
"I do not wish to fight with you, Marc," she whispered into the soft cloth of his evening jacket. Around them, he could feel the quiet of the library seeping into his bones, while Caroline nestled softly against him, seeking the heat of his body. A more effective balm to his soul he could not imagine. "I am only trying to help you. I want you to be happy and content. Nothing more."
Placing his cane gently to the side, he wrapped both of his arms fully around her, drinking in the light, sweet scent that was unique to Caroline. "I know, love. I know." Idly, he wondered if Lady X would feel as right and perfect in his arms as Caroline did. He did not think so. Then, he remembered his promise to Candlewood to leave Caroline alone. That, he decided firmly, he could no longer do, at least not completely. But that did not mean he would sully her reputation, either. "And I am sorry for losing my temper with you. It is not your fault. It is mine."
Shaking her head, Caroline pulled back a bit but did not attempt to pull away from the warm circle of his arms. "No, Marc. I know how it is for you these days and it is I who am sorry. You are only just returned from Bath and I have done nothing but push you. Your mother has been ill and your sister..." She trailed off, knowing that the events of the day that Gibson had saved Amy from kidnapping did not need to be repeated. They were far too horrible to contemplate at this moment.
"Shall we call a truce then, love?" he asked, unable to stop himself from stroking a stray lock of hair back from her cheek and tucking it behind her ear. At the moment, he wasn't certain why he had made that damnable promise to stay away from Caroline but he was very much regretting it. Very much regretting not marrying her seven years ago when he had the chance.
Nodding, she swallowed hard and he watched the long column of her throat move. Her skin looked so soft and he longed to taste her. He had kissed her once, long ago, and she had been every bit as sweet as he imagined. Would she be thus now or would it be different? Had something within her hardened? Was she no longer his Caroline? Or was she merely waiting for him? He longed to find out but knew he did not dare. He doubted that he would be able to stop with just one kiss. And he did not wish to push her any more this evening. They were only just now on speaking terms once more.
"A truce." She looked up at him, those eyes of hers a brilliant green in the dim light of the room, shining like the precious stones they resembled. "I will not push you, Marcus. I promise. But I will help, at least as much as you wish me to. Together, we will find you a wife."
"I would like that," he replied, lying through his teeth and praying that she would not notice. "However, what I would like more than anything at the moment is a dance. I am feeling more and more like my old self these days, it seems. Care to accompany me back to the ballroom?"
"Very much so," she said, swiping delicately at the tears in her eyes. Ones he pretended that he did not see.
As he led her from the room, Marcus prayed that Caroline never discovered that the entire time they had been speaking, he had been lying to her. After all, she was noted for her honesty. However, he did not think that she would like it much if he were being completely truthful at that precise moment. Especially if he were to tell her exactly how much he wanted to strip that lovely gown from her shoulders and ravish her on the floor of the Carlyle's library.
Chapter Six
Society Tales
It seems that the Duke of C., only recently returned to town has been cutting a wide swath through the beau monde as of late, though, much to the dismay of many a lovely young thing, he smiles and flirts yet has not expressed the desire to find a wife. Pity that. Rumor has it that his heart was broken by a fair young lady once upon a time and he has never quite recovered from that most grievous of injuries.
However, that does not mean that wedding bells are not ringing for others. The reticent yet handsome Earl of C., though away from town at the moment, is still said to be in search of a bride, as is the Duke of H., not that the man would ever admit to it, I am told.
Men! How pig-headed they can often be when it comes to matters of the heart! That is why it is so refreshing to encounter men such as Lord B., the Earl of A. Once he encountered his lady love, he allowed nothing to stand in his way until he claimed her for his own. Since married, many, including this author, are calling it the love match of the century! And who
can doubt it when he saved her very life!
That, my dear readers, is the mark of an utterly besotted man.
- Lady X
"You did not mention my brother in your column this morning, Caro. Is there a particular reason for that? Or have you nothing to say about Marcus at the moment?"
Lady Amy Blackwell, now the Countess of Ardenton, took a sip of tea and nibbled at a tea cake delicately. It was no secret that she and her husband, Gibson, were attempting to have a child. There had been one or two false pregnancies already and Caroline knew that her friend was growing worried that she would be unable to conceive. Given Amy's gray pallor this morning, Caroline wondered if she was finally carrying a child. Or if this was merely another incident of false hope.
Not that Caroline would print any such thing, of course. She would not betray her friend that way. Though they were not as close as they had been, Caroline had known Amy for years, almost as long as she had known Marcus. Ever since that day in Marcus' bedchamber, Caroline also knew that Amy was well aware of her friend's feelings for the viscount, though she was tactful enough not to speak of them.
Then, with a blinding moment of clarity, the full impact of Amy's words hit.
With a clatter, Caroline set down her teacup, unable to hide her suddenly shaking hands. Amy could not know the truth! How could she! Caroline had been so very careful! "I do not take your meaning, I am afraid." Then, she remembered whom, precisely, Amy had wed not so very long ago. Or how Lady X had strenuously championed the match.
"Oh, I believe that you do, my friend." A small smile touched Amy's lips. "Have no fear. I will not reveal your secret. After all, friends do not do such a thing. However, friends do put puzzle pieces together when something does not seem to be quite right, such as why Lady X is so infatuated with my brother."
Quickly Amy reached out to clasp her friend's hand in her own when Caroline would have jumped up and out of her chair to being pacing restlessly. "In fact, I would dare say that she loves him. So I asked myself, who would remember Marcus from before? Who would remember him the way he was before the fevers? Who was in love with him in his youth? I could only think of one name, but I thought surely not. It could not be my friend of so many years. Surely she would have told me, confided in me, especially given that the object of her affections is my brother. After all, she and I were friends as well. I'd like to think we still are."
Amy paused, her teacup now half way to her lips once more, having released Caroline's hand once she was certain her friend would not run off and hide. "And then I remembered how much Lady X also championed my match with Gibbs. After that, I was certain."
Caroline wanted to deny it, but she could not. Even if Amy had not guessed, then it was likely that Gibson would have told her eventually. A man in love with his wife did not keep such secrets from her. With a shrug, Caroline sat back and smoothed the lines of her buttery yellow day dress, uncertain of what to say. After a moment, she decided that the truth was the best option.
"Was I really that obvious? I tried so very hard not to be." Caroline wanted to know the truth, for she thought she had been careful. Perhaps not as careful as she could have been, however.
This time when Amy smiled, she sat forward in a most unladylike fashion. This unbridled energy lurking beneath a highly polished and sophisticated surface, Caroline knew, was what had attracted Gibson to Amy in the first place. "To most of our set, no. After all, Marcus' return to town after so long an absence is quite note-worthy, especially after the scene he caused at the Devonmont's. That whiff of scandal alone would be worth many months of columns."
"But there is more?" Caroline prodded, knowing that there was. Very well. If she discovered what she had done wrong, she could avoid making the same mistakes in the future. Not that there were likely to be many more Lady X columns if she had any say in the matter. Which she did.
"It is the way you write about him, Caroline, as if he were so far above the touch of everyone else in society. So far above you, the author, yet your clear adoration of him shines through in every word." Amy's eyes sparkled brightly. "Almost to the exclusion of all others. As if the author were in love with her subject."
Drat! Caroline had attempted to be so careful. Or she thought she had been. "Does anyone else know?" Caroline paused for a moment, remembering the feelings of being watched over the last few weeks. Was there another who had guessed her secret? She prayed that was not the case. If it were true, she was courting absolute social disaster. "Other than Gibson, of course."
Shaking her head, Amy leaned back into her chair and picked up her teacup once more, seemingly not quite as at ease in this conversation as she pretended to be. "No. At least I do not believe so. When I confronted my husband about the issue this morning, he caved immediately. He is ridiculously predictable in matters such as this. He also swore he would not tell another soul about your secret life, but as I am his wife, it was unavoidable." There was something of a cat-that-got-the-cream look about Lady Amy in that moment. Not malicious, precisely. More like...happy?
"I have known Gibson for many years. He and Dr. Hastings were working in Northumbria when I was at Dunlin Castle with my uncle to mourn the death of my father. I was in need of a physician one day and they treated me." That was the story Caroline had concocted for the ton and she was sticking to it, no matter what Gibson told Amy.
The look in Amy's eyes told Caroline that she knew their connection went far beyond that. "I know the truth, Caro, though it is not mine to reveal and I shall not. I promise. Well, perhaps I don't know everything, only the parts that my husband played a role in, but it is irrelevant and does not matter. It is still your secret; not mine. What does matter are your feelings for my brother." Her expression softened then as memories overtook her. "That day we came home and found you defending Marcus with that silly pitcher, I knew. He might not have known, given that he was unconscious at the time, nor did my parents even hazard a guess, but I knew. You loved him then. You still do."
"Yes, I do." There was no reason for Caroline to deny it. "I have since we were children." After all this time, it actually felt good to reveal the truth to someone she could trust.
"They why do you not pursue him?" Amy was genuinely questioning now. "You could, you know. At least in subtle ways. I know that he is escorting you on a carriage ride through the park later today and then to the theater tonight. He seems to return your affections, does he not? And you, above all other women, know the depth of his secrets."
Caroline considered her words carefully. She did not want Amy to think ill of her, but at this point, it was best that the other woman know the truth of the situation. "That is merely to discuss our plans." She continued on when Amy frowned at her. "I have agreed to use my influence and skills to help him find a suitable wife. I shall sort through the misses of society for him and find a brilliant match, the best he can make."
"You are playing his matchmaker?" Amy was in clear disbelief and really, the idea did sound quite absurd. "With whom? Lady Diana? She does not love him. She loves Hathaway and has not made a great secret of it. Or Lady Eliza or Lady Sophia, perhaps? I know you were speaking to them last night as well. Neither of them would make him a good match either."
"They are all young and have impeccable reputations," Caroline countered quickly, fear creeping along her spine as Amy continued to push. "Any of them would be a splendid match for Marcus."
"And they are all wrong for him. Each and every one!" Indignant now, Amy shook her head and in that moment, Caroline could see a bit of Marcus' infamous temper in his normally placid younger sister. "I thought you knew my brother better than that! It is you he wants and he will not be satisfied with another."
All Caroline could do was shrug, unwilling to give any more secrets away. "He needs a wife. It cannot be me. He has his reasons for wanting my help and I will give it. Gladly."
"Then you are just as thick-headed as my brother." Amy made an indignant grumbling noise. "Honestly, cannot either of you
see what is plainly in front of your noses? Or have you learned nothing at all from my romance with Gibson? You, of all people, Caroline, should know what my husband sacrificed to be with me before we were married. Especially since you were the one to help him perfect the ruse!"
Caroline was at a complete loss for words. She had no idea how much of the truth - the actual truth - Amy knew about Caroline's past. Her words indicated that she knew parts of it, but Caroline doubted that her friend knew everything. Not even Gibson did, so there was no way he could tell his wife. Instead, Caroline decided to focus on the lies that she and Marcus told each other every time that they met and discussed his future. After all, it was the story that the ton would know forever as the truth, at least once he selected a wife. She decided it best not to mention her own past and prayed that Amy dropped the subject entirely.
"Marcus sees himself as less than a whole man, and believes that society views him as damaged. He wants a young, vital wife so that he might father children by her and prove otherwise. That cannot be me. I am too old. Not to mention that my reputation is no longer pristine. Too many people question what happened when I was away in Northumbria, even though nothing untoward did. There would be rumors, however, probably vicious ones. I do not wish to inflict that sort of gossip on him. Better that I bear it alone." When stated like that, the reasoning sounded rather foolish, Caroline decided, but then, much of what society did was foolish in her opinion.
"Rubbish." Caroline was shocked that Amy would use such language but was thankful she did not bring up the issue of Caroline's past again either. "He is being a fool. As are you, might I add. A young wife, an old wife, it does not matter. Your age and reputation do not matter either. His happiness is what matters and he is a fool not to care about such things! I say it again. As are you. For we both know that he planned to propose to you all those years ago."
A Viscount of Mystery Page 10
