Louisa shivered. Gresham was a dangerous man to annoy. She hadn't imagined that he would follow her back to England. "Don't threaten me, Tristan. I'm no longer without protection."
Tristan dropped her arm and chuckled as she rubbed at the red marks he had left. "You think Gravesmere can protect you from me? Don't count on it, Louisa. He will very soon be busy trying to protect himself. Not only did the man steal you from me, but he had the nerve to sneer at me just now. He'll pay for both insults."
Louisa's face paled under her powder. "You leave Adam alone. He's done nothing to you."
"On the contrary, he took you away from me. That is something I cannot allow to go unpunished." Tristan spoke very gently, but the threat in his voice was palpable.
"He didn't know I was your mistress, Tristan. Do you think I was fool enough to tell him that? Whatever has happened, it isn't Adam's fault."
"You defend him so passionately," sneered Tristan. "I would almost think that you loved him, except that I know it's his title and money you are defending. No, Louisa, when you left me for him I was the laughingstock of Paris. Word got back to London as well. Do you think I will let that go unpunished?"
"And how do you mean to punish him? You have no power over him, and I won't be returning to your bed."
Tristan laughed. "I will humble him as he did me. That little wife of his is ripe for the plucking. He neglects her and she's too high-spirited to put up with that. And she's very beautiful, so seducing her will hardly be a chore. It will give me great pleasure when your darling Gravesmere finds her in my bed." Tristan laughed harshly.
Louisa glanced away, trying to hide the flash of excitement in her eyes. If Tristan seduced Allegra, it would further her own plans immensely. She had been wondering how to get her rival into a compromising position, and now Tristan was offering to do it for her.
Gresham's eyes narrowed and he shook his head. "Don't get your hopes up, Louisa. Perhaps I mean to humble Gravesmere's wretched pride, but I don't mean to help you in the process. The man will come out of this with a ruined wife--and without a beautiful mistress."
"You can't make me leave him!"
"No, but I can make him leave you. You forget, my dear, that I know all about you. I know about your humble origins and how you seduced poor old Sir Ralph into marrying you. I know you then ran through his fortune before dancing him into his grave. I know of all your affairs, of the men who have kept you, of the wicked things you have done to make ends meet. You might have been able to keep such tales from his ears until now, but believe me, I not only can make sure he knows, I can provide him with proof."
"Damn you!" Louisa looked around to make sure no one was watching them. "Tristan, I will not allow you to do this. I've worked long and hard to make myself respectable and find someone like Gravesmere. I won't allow you to take that away from me."
"You should have thought of that before you walked out on me, my dear." Tristan pinched her cheek lightly. "You'd best get everything out of Gravesmere that you can, because he won't be with you for long. You see, I'm not only punishing him, but you as well. Revenge can be a very sweet thing."
"I will fight you, Tristan," promised Louisa. "You won't get away with this. Go back to the Continent and drink and gamble yourself to death. Can't you see that there's nothing for you here?"
"On the contrary. You're here, and that's enough for me." He seized her suddenly, grabbing her hands and holding them behind her back as he pressed his lips to hers, forcing her mouth open and kissing her violently. She resisted for a moment, but then a shudder went through her and she responded, returning his ardor with a desperate passion.
He released her so abruptly that she staggered, and he laughed. "Think about it, Louisa. Gravesmere might be beautiful, and he might be wealthy, but there's a side to you that only I can satisfy. You should never have left me, and you will suffer for it." Tristan turned on his heel and walked away without a backward glance.
Louisa glared after him, wiping the back of her hand across her mouth in an angry gesture. What if someone had seen them, she thought anxiously. She had presumed herself safe from Tristan once she had come under Adam's protection. But Adam had no idea that she needed to be protected from Gresham. She had told him she was a much put-upon woman, forced to marry a decadent old man by her greedy parents, and then cast adrift when he died debt-ridden and forced to flee to the Continent to escape malicious gossip. She had hidden from him the countless men who had come in and out of her life, paying for her apartments and clothing in exchange for her favors, and she had particularly kept from him her two-year liaison with Tristan.
Gresham’s reappearance had startled her; she hadn't thought he would ever return to England, where she meant to build her new life as the Duchess of Gravesmere. Now she would have to do some planning. Perhaps she could use Tristan's desire for revenge to help her, and still thwart him in the end. If worse came to worse, she thought grimly, she had a pistol that she kept carefully locked away. Tristan would find out that she could take care of herself. Louisa straightened her skirt, checked to make sure the marks on her arm had faded, and then swept back into her box to face her companions. Soon she would be a Duchess, and no one would dare threaten her again.
The following morning found Emily refreshed and able to rise from her bed. Allegra seemed relieved by this, and Adam could not resist gently teasing her over breakfast about her fears. Allegra took it in good part, and Emily was amazed to see them so civil to one another.
"Maybe I should be ill more often, if it has such an effect on your relations with one another!" she exclaimed.
A frown creased Allegra's brow. "Don't even jest about it, Mama. Adam and I will strive to be friendly, if you will strive to be well."
"What a sweet child you are," said Emily. "It's kind of you to worry about me, but I think you have no cause. Tell me, what are your plans for today?"
Before Allegra could respond, Adam spoke. "Perhaps Allegra would care to drive in the park with me."
Allegra's surprise was apparent, but she covered it quickly. "Why, I had planned to pay some visits, but to be driven by as famous a whip as the Duke of Gravesmere is an opportunity not to be denied. Thank you, Adam."
Adam smiled at her and was about to continue, when the butler entered with a silver tray on which rested a missive. The Duke opened it impatiently, then muttered under his breath.
"Our drive will have to wait, Allegra," he said. "There are some business matters I must attend to."
Allegra dropped her eyes. The scent of lilac wafted quite noticeably from the letter, and she had few doubts as to who had written it as Gravesmere's man of affairs was not known to scent his letters.
Emily hurried to fill the silence. "Surely, this matter can wait, Adam?" she asked. "Can't your business be delayed until after your drive?"
"I am afraid not, Mama. If you will excuse me?" He bowed gracefully to the ladies and left the room, looking somewhat grim.
Allegra lifted her chin jauntily and stood up from the table. "I believe I will have to pay those calls after all. Pray excuse me, Mama."
Emily was left sitting alone at the breakfast table, pondering the foolishness of the very young.
A short while later, the Adam strolled into his mistress's boudoir to find her artfully arranged on the settee. A sleepless night worrying about Tristan's threats didn't prevent her from presenting a lovely picture, with her dark curls loosely falling over her shoulders and a wrapper of violet silk with a profusion of laces and ribbons open over a lace petticoat. Her beautiful profile was presented to him as she read the book cradled in her hands. She looked up in pretty surprise, her mouth forming a tender “o.”
"Adam," she exclaimed extending her hands joyfully. "How good of you to come so soon. I had no notion you would be here so quickly."
"Now why would you think that I would delay? Your letter was most urgent," he answered. "Something about dire circumstances, I believe."
Louisa smiled apologeti
cally. "I do feel awkward. I hope that I didn't take you from anything important. I would hate to interrupt your day."
"Louisa, come to the point. What was so important that you must take me from my breakfast and my planned drive?"
Lady Manning achieved a blush. "It is just that I have overspent my allowance, Adam, and the milliner is dunning me. I feel so helpless and alone when this sort of thing happens. I'm used to having you by my side to help me."
"Dash it, is that all?" asked Adam. "Louisa, you know I told my secretary that he was to give you money for any needs you might have. There was no need to fetch me away from my house for something this simple."
"I'm sorry, Adam. I just was embarrassed to apply to your secretary, and indeed, I feel so silly about this. And you didn't come to me last night and I...I didn't know what to think." As she hung her pretty head, Louisa shot him an appraising glance.
Adam gestured impatiently. "I told you my mother was sick. That was the reason I did not come last night. I have a wife and mother to tend to, Louisa. I cannot be here every minute."
"Now I have made you angry," said Louisa. "Please, Adam, don't shout at me so. I won't apply to you for money in the future if it annoys you."
"You can have all the money you want," said Adam. "I will have my banker send you a draft. I just don't know why I must be bothered with this. I used to think you were a woman who could take some care of herself."
"Why Adam, you surprise me. I am no brash woman to put herself forward. I shrink from the idea of drawing attention to myself," said Louisa. "It is all very well to flirt about as your wife does, but I--"
Gravesmere's lips tightened. "I do not wish to hear about my wife from you, Louisa. I will handle her as I see fit."
Louisa sat back, realizing she had not imagined the warmth between Adam and Allegra the previous evening and that it was time to take another tack. Despite Adam's annoyance with her, she was now glad she had made up that silly story to bring him to her house. She needed desperately to keep him away from his wife. And he needed a reminder of what only she could give him.
"I apologize, Adam," she said meekly. "I can't help it if I'm occasionally jealous. She is very beautiful, and she has your name. I know I have your heart, and yet I still worry."
The Duke sat down heavily on the edge of the chaise. He was beginning to regret coming to see Louisa. It seemed to him now that a drive in the park with Allegra would have been much more entertaining. "Now Louisa, what have I done to make you worry?" he asked, a little petulantly.
"Nothing at all, Adam. It's just my silliness. And I'm afraid that you will become fond of her, when she obviously cares for nothing but her clothing and her beaux."
"What do you know about what Allegra cares for?" asked Adam testily.
Louisa chose her words carefully. She knew she was treading on dangerous ground, but also knew she could not allow Adam to continue in what appeared to be a growing affection for his wife. And she had to protect herself from Tristan. If he truly meant to seduce Allegra, that part of his plan must be encouraged, while she worked out a way to keep him from revealing her secrets to Adam. Perhaps if she offered to be his mistress and share Adam's fortune once she was Duchess of Gravesmere, he could be dissuaded. Money was a powerful persuader, and she had confidence in her physical charms. Nor was the thought of sharing her bed with Tristan again entirely unappealing; the man was insatiable.
"Why nothing, Adam. It is just that all of Society seems to be very aware of her attachment to Lord Gresham. The tale is that he is seldom far from her, and that he cherishes her dearly. But you must forgive me for telling you stories. I am sure the gossips forget themselves, and there is nothing between the Duchess and Lord Gresham but the purest friendship. Why, Society tells the silliest tales. To be sure, somehow the whole world found out that you were here with me for a few days before you announced your arrival in town to your mother, and that time they were not wrong, but we both know countless times the stories have been the merest fabrication, don't we? And while Gresham has never been known to have honorable intentions, there is no reason he cannot change, is there?"
Adam glowered at her. She had struck a nerve. Of all Allegra's admirers, Gresham was the one he sensed was dangerous. If society was gossiping about them, perhaps there was some truth to the tale. "I have heard nothing of this," he snapped.
"And why should you, my lord? Who would repeat tales to a lady's husband? At any rate, you did not want to discuss this. I am sure if you are convinced of your wife's virtue, I have no reason to doubt it."
Louisa watched him narrowly from under her lashes as a series of emotions struggled across Adam's face. She gave him a few moments to ponder what she had said, and then began again. "Adam, we should not be wasting our time together in this way," She inched closer to him, easing the wrapper off her shoulders and reaching into her bodice, offering one plump breast to him. "Surely we have better things to do than discuss your wife?"
Adam stood up hastily. "Louisa, I can't stay, as much as I would like to. I'm afraid I have some matters to attend to. I will have my banker send you a draft, and I will wait on you again soon." He pressed a quick kiss to her lips and left the room.
Lady Manning glared after him with narrowed eyes. She thought her shafts had struck home, but was distressed that her attractions had not kept him longer at her house. "You will be back very soon, Adam," she murmured, her eyes hardening. "I'll see to that."
Adam returned to Gravesmere House to find Allegra gone, attending to social calls. Emily had returned to her bed, at Allegra's worried urgings, and was napping. He found that he had no wish to go driving, nor to visit his club. He attempted to read, but his attention was not held by the book he chose. He found the face of Lord Gresham rising before his eyes, and cursed heartily.
"I beg your pardon, Your Grace?" said a footman who had entered the room.
"Nothing," snarled Adam. "What do you want?"
"You asked me to tell you when Her Grace came home," said the footman. "She has returned and gone to her bedroom."
Adam closed his book with a snap. "Thank you," he said to the startled footman. "You may go. No, wait--ask Her Grace--no, go, go."
In her room, Allegra was mournfully changing her dress. Her calls had been highly enjoyable until one Mrs. Crowley, a rather vulgar woman encountered at Lady Cushingham's, had mentioned the Duke of Gravesmere's visit to Lady Manning's box the previous night.
"Such a handsome man, your husband," she had told Allegra. "And charming, too. Why, he kissed Lady Manning's hand with such grace. It was quite a sight to behold."
Allegra had dealt her a severe snub, but the remarks had cut. She had thought perhaps Adam was beginning to enjoy her company, but when he had left her to go to Half Moon Street that morning on receiving Louisa's summons, she had been wounded. The knowledge that he had visited his mistress's box the previous evening only added to the hurt.
"Is the Duke home?" she asked her maid.
"Yes, my lady, he came in a little while ago," she said. "Do you wish to see him?"
Allegra hesitated. "Yes," she began, but then her she felt a prick of pride. She had done nothing she should apologize for; let him seek her out. "No, I think not, Merriwether. I will encounter him soon enough."
Chapter 7
On the Brink
Adam walked down the hall towards his wife's boudoir, a smile on his lips. He had spent the afternoon in deep thought, and had come to the conclusion that he and Allegra had reached the beginnings of an understanding the previous evening. He felt he had put too much stock in Louisa's words; surely Gresham meant no more to her than any of the other pups who gathered at her heels. He still regretted, of course, that Louisa could not be his wife, but perhaps sharing a house with Allegra could be enjoyable.
She had a clever way with words and made him laugh with ease, and he was starting to enjoy her company. And she was very beautiful. More and more he found his mind wandering to the dreamy look in her blue eyes,
the gentle curve of her hip beneath her skirt, the way her breasts swelled upward out of the neckline of her dress. He felt a tightening in his groin and realized with a shock that he wanted Allegra, and had since his first glimpse of her, an unknown woman riding a stallion in the park. The realization startled him, and then he grinned. She was his wife, after all. If he wanted her, he had only to take her.
He entered his wife's boudoir without knocking, to find Allegra standing in the middle of a pool of candlelight in her white lace underdress. Her hair was powdered and it rose above her head in an elaborate beribboned pouf before curling over her ears to fall in a cascade of ringlets to her shoulders. The room smelled of perfume and powder and was littered with gloves, reticules and plumes. Her maid hovered nearby, holding the elegant golden overdress that was to surmount the petticoat. It made a lovely picture. Unfortunately, at least to Adam's eye, two gallants hovered nearby as well.
"’Pon my soul," said one delicately "you are too lovely, my lady. The eye is positively dazzled by your brilliance."
The other gentleman nodded in agreement. "You cast all others in the shade."
Adam stiffened when he recognized the pleasant voice as Gresham's. Would he never be rid of the man?
Allegra smiled on both gentlemen charmingly. "If you think all is well now, you will be positively in awe of me after I am dressed," she said. She beckoned to her maid, who deftly tossed the dress over her mistress' head, careful not to touch a single hair. She arranged it with quick hands and Allegra emerged, as bright as candleglow herself. The men applauded.
Adam stepped further into the room and made his presence known. Although he was perfectly aware that it was the mode for gentlemen to watch a lady complete her toilette after the underdress had been put on, and had been present at more than one dressing himself, he was somehow unsettled by the sight of these two men in Allegra's boudoir.
A Duchess Enraged: An After Dark Version Georgian Romance (The Gravesmeres Book 2) Page 8
