Passion Becomes Her

by Shirlee Busbee

Loosening his grip on the woman’s waist and praying that she wasn’t going to cause him trouble the moment he removed his arm, he started again to reach for his pistol. The sound of another male voice froze his actions.

  “Ormsby! I say, old fellow, what are you doing wandering around back here? Aren’t you supposed to be dancing with the fair Thalia soon?”

  Asher nearly groaned aloud. Killing Ormsby was one thing, but a second man as well? His only choice was the tall window behind him and he hoped to God that he sustained no real injury from leaping through it. But if he survived the window and if he could reach the back wall and disappear into the darkness…A faint, reckless grin flashed across his face. He might salvage tonight after all.

  “Ah, thank you, Kingsley,” drawled Ormsby, “for reminding me. I forgot.”

  “Forgot!” exclaimed Kingsley. “Forget a dance with the loveliest chit to grace London in decades? My dear man, you alarm me.”

  His voice bored, Ormsby replied, “I think you forget that I have watched her grow up. Remember if you will that the Kirkwoods are my neighbors. I am well acquainted with the family.”

  “That reminds me of something, been meaning to ask you for weeks—how the deuce could you let such a pretty piece slip through your fingers? I would have thought you’d have sewn her up before she ever stepped foot in London.” Kingsley chuckled. “Losing your touch, old fellow? Her engagement to young Caswell will be announced any day now.”

  “Really? I wouldn’t place my final wager just yet, if I were you.”

  “You know something the rest of us don’t?”

  “There is, my friend, if you will recall, many a slip between the cup and the lip. Miss Kirkwood is not yet Caswell’s bride.”

  “You mean to snatch her out from underneath his nose?” Kingsley gasped. “The gossip says that it is a love match—even someone of your wealth and title can’t compete with love. So how do you propose to change the tide?”

  Ormsby laughed, although there was little humor in it. “I play my cards close to my vest but I would warn you not to buy a betrothal gift for the pair just yet,” he said. “Now come along, let us rejoin my guests. I have left them too long.”

  Asher watched as the light retreated and Ormsby ushered Kingsley toward the door. But Kingsley seemed in no hurry. “But why did you leave in the first place? Ain’t like you to wander off.”

  An ugly edge to his voice, Ormsby said, “I had my reasons. Believe me I had my reasons.”

  “Yes, but—”

  The door shut and from inside the library there was only the faint murmur of voices as the two men moved down the hall.

  Deciding not to wait around to see who else would pay the library a visit, the door had hardly shut before Asher shoved the young woman out from behind the drapes and began urging her toward the French doors that opened onto the gardens. He didn’t have a precise plan; his one thought was to escape the grounds as fast as he could. The woman was a problem. He couldn’t just let her go. Or could he?

  He considered the idea. She’d certainly been quiet as a rock while Ormsby had been in the library. Clearly she hadn’t wanted to be discovered either. He didn’t know her reasons for sneaking into the library or for going through Ormsby’s papers, but he knew one thing: she’d been up to no good. And if she’d been up to no good, then she had ample reason not to raise the alarm. Dare he risk it?

  His hand still over her mouth and griping her arm firmly, he pulled her outside. Pushing her ahead of him, they walked through the gardens, Asher not stopping until the back wall loomed up before them and the faint light from the torch over the servants’ entrance pierced the darkness. He still hadn’t made up his mind what to do, but taking everything into account, especially the fact that she had made no attempt to escape from him, it was possible that she might actually keep her mouth shut and not raise the alarm.

  He glanced at the wall, still considering. Even if she screamed, he’d be up, over and away before anyone reached this deserted part of the grounds.

  His lips pressed against her ear, he asked, “If I let you go, do you swear not to scream?”

  She nodded vigorously and against his better judgment, he removed his hand.

  The moment his hand dropped, she spun around to face him and breathed, “Asher?”

  His heart stopped. Christ! Juliana.

  Hands on her hips, she demanded, “Asher Cordell, what were you doing in Lord Ormsby’s library? I nearly died when you grabbed me.”

  “I think the question should be,” he said quickly, “what were you doing there?”

  “That is none of your business!” she answered sharply. “I am an invited guest to Lord Ormsby’s home—you are not.”

  “And how do you know that? I am quite respectable—Eton, respectable family and all that. He could have invited me.”

  Juliana snorted. “Don’t try to bamboozle me! He can’t abide you and you know it.”

  “I know,” Asher said mournfully. “His dislike is a terrible burden for me.” He looked hopeful. “Do you think there is something I could do to make him think better of me?”

  She strangled back a laugh. “No! At this late stage there is nothing you could do to change his mind,” she said bluntly. Shaking an admonishing finger at him, she added, “Perhaps if you hadn’t turned the pigs loose in his newly planted field or hadn’t stolen his best bull and put the animal with Squire Ripley’s heifers he wouldn’t think you so ripe for the gallows.” She sent him a severe glance. “And we won’t even talk about the disgraceful way you act around him. Asher, you actually yawned in his face at the Woodruff’s ball in January! What were you thinking?”

  “That he’s a bore?” When she narrowed her eyes at him, he added hastily, “Juliana, I was thirteen when I turned the pigs loose, and you know it was an accident—how could I know the gate would shatter when that old sow charged it?”

  She sniffed.

  “And I wasn’t much older when the incident with the bull occurred.” He grinned reminiscently. Juliana merely stared at him. “All right, I confess,” he said, “I was a holy terror but you must admit that squire’s calves the next year were some of the finest raised in the district.”

  “The squire may think you a fine fellow, but that act certainly did not endear you to Ormsby in the least,” she muttered. Puzzled, she studied him in the dim light. “Why do you go out of your way to annoy him?”

  Asher shrugged. “Mayhap if he showed a little consideration of others I wouldn’t be so inclined to treat him so, ah, impolitely.” The necklace searing his thigh, very aware of the passing time and the chance of discovery, he added, “And enjoyable though this little interlude has been, don’t you think you ought to rejoin the guests?”

  “After you tell me what you were doing skulking about in Ormsby’s library,” she said firmly.

  Despite the tension coiling in his body, Asher leaned negligently against a small tree near the wall. Smiling at her, he said, “Of course. Right after you tell me why you were there.”

  She threw him a fulminating look. “You are the most infuriating, insufferable creature I have ever known in my life!”

  He straightened up from his languid pose and bowed deeply before her. Smiling impudently at her, he murmured, “One does so try to please.”

  Her bosom swelled with indignation. “I’ve a good mind to tell Ormsby that you were in his library!” she threatened, knowing full well she’d face wild lions before she’d betray Asher—even if he was the most insolent and maddening man she’d ever met.

  Amusement fled and an expression she had never seen before flashed in his eyes. In all the years she had known him, which had been nearly all her life, Asher had charmed her, shocked her, irritated her and infuriated her beyond reason but he’d never made her feel frightened before. Unconsciously she stepped backward and nervously measured the distance to the house.

  Cursing himself, Asher wiped his expression clear of all sign of the violence that he feared had become an inte
gral part of him. Forcing a smile, he flicked a gentle finger along her cheek. “Let us cry pax, Juliana, and go our separate ways and keep our secrets. Agreed?”

  He didn’t like it that she flinched when he touched her, but he kept the same easy smile on his lips and resumed his casual pose against the tree while he waited for her answer.

  In the shadowy light, she sent him a searching look, then nodded. Without another word, she turned on her heels and marched back to the library’s French doors.

  Asher followed a few steps behind her. As she stepped into the library she glanced back at him. Her thoughts jumbled, she tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind.

  She almost jumped out of her skin when he touched her on the shoulder. “Run along,” he said softly. “I’ll wait here until I know you’re in the hallway.”

  Annoyed, but unable to think of anything else to do, Juliana did just that. Cautiously opening the door to the main hallway, she peeked out and, seeing it deserted, stepped quickly into the hall. Shutting the library door behind her, she hurried toward the ballroom.

  Asher waited until he was certain she wasn’t coming back and then walked across the room. At the desk, it took him only a moment to find and reopen the secret drawer and replace the Ormsby necklace. It was a bitter moment. He’d planned this for weeks and now it was all for naught. But he had no choice—Juliana knew he had been here and when the outcry, and there would surely be one, over the theft of the necklace arose, she would know that he had stolen it. Easing into the garden, he grimaced. And she was such an honest little thing, most likely she’d feel honor bound to tell Ormsby of his presence in the library or nag him to death until he returned the thing. Easier to return it now and wait for a better time.

  Despite the outcome, Asher was lighthearted as he scaled the back wall and disappeared into the darkness. He was a great planner. And there would be another opportunity.

  Arriving at his rooms near Fitzroy Square, he began to pack. He’d come to town this time without a valet and had traveled light. All of his belongings fit into the one valise and, buckling it shut, he looked around to see if he’d forgotten anything. He hadn’t.

  Tomorrow would find him riding back to Kent and the people he held dear. He’d had some reservations that he could settle down to the uneventful life of a gentleman farmer, but tonight’s events insured that there would still be a little excitement to be gleaned. The Ormsby necklace was still out there and sooner or later he’d find a way to snatch it right from under Ormsby’s nose. And Juliana…what the devil had she been searching for? He grinned. Finding out her secret might make life very interesting indeed….

  Chapter 2

  Juliana sped down the hall, the terror of discovery by Ormsby making her heart beat so hard and fast she felt sick. Her roiling stomach eased only slightly when she made it undetected to the grand gold and cream ballroom and in seconds was lost in the beautifully gowned and groomed crowd that swirled around the edges of the huge room.

  Smiling and replying she knew not what to those guests who spoke to her, she made her way to where she had left her sister standing with her friend, Miss Ann Tilley, and Miss Tilley’s mother, a pleasant matron, noted for her easygoing manner. As she had known would be the case, several admiring gentlemen now surrounded Thalia, each one vying for her attention. A quick glance around revealed that Ormsby was nowhere to be seen in the crowded room. As the minutes passed and Ormsby did not appear, Juliana took a relieved breath. A young man from the group clustered around Thalia noticed her and asked politely if she would like some lemonade. She shook her head no and watched amused as he immediately rejoined the crush around Thalia and Miss Tilley. Widows of no great fortune or beauty held little appeal for the majority of the gentlemen here tonight—even if the widow’s sister was the reigning queen of the Season.

  Juliana’s heart gradually slowed to normal, but she could not completely put away the events of the evening. It had been stressful enough almost getting caught by Ormsby in the library, and finding Asher lurking behind the draperies had nearly undone her. It would be a long time before she forgot those strong hands holding her prisoner or the feel of his hard body pressed against her back. A warm tingle raced down her spine as she remembered the sensation of all those powerful muscles tensing and bunching between their bodies as they’d stood locked together behind the drapes. She’d known that Asher was lean and fit, she just hadn’t, until tonight, known precisely how lean and fit.

  Thalia sent her a questioning look, intruding into her thoughts, and Juliana gave a slight shake of her head. Silently she mouthed, “Later.”

  Thalia turned away and began to effortlessly charm the nearest male. Ordinarily Caswell would have been standing at Thalia’s side, keeping encroaching males at bay, but he had been unable to attend tonight’s event. Only last evening as he had walked home from his club, he’d been set upon by footpads and suffered a terrible beating. When he came to call this morning at the Kirkwood residence, his handsome face had been a mass of bruising and from the careful way he moved, Juliana knew that he was in pain from other less obvious injuries. Both sisters had been horrified by his condition and he had spent several minutes reassuring them that, while unsightly and painful, he would recover fully.

  Smiling crookedly, he had added, “But I doubt that I want to show my face at Ormsby’s tonight.”

  Both sisters understood completely—he did look ghastly. Thalia had immediately announced that she wouldn’t attend the ball either.

  His gray eyes gentle, he had said, “My dear, go. Let London see the enchanting Miss Kirkwood one last time. Go for me.” He had raised Thalia’s hand to his lips. “When next you return to the city, it will be as my bride.”

  Thalia sent him a tremulous smile, and stammered, “You d-d-don’t m-m-mind the delay in announcing our engagement?”

  He had shaken his head. “I don’t understand why your father wishes to delay it, but it is enough that he has given me permission to make my addresses and that you have made me the happiest of men by agreeing to marry me.” He had pressed a kiss upon her fingers and murmured, “The announcement can be made at any time, sweetheart. The important thing is that we are to be married and that by this winter we shall be man and wife.”

  Choking back a sudden rush of tears, Thalia had cried, “Oh, my love, I hope so. I do so hope so.” She had thrown Juliana an anguished look and raced from the room.

  Perplexed by her actions, Caswell had asked anxiously, “Is something amiss? Did I do or say something to distress her?”

  Juliana had smiled reassuringly at him. “No, no, of course not. I am sure it is just nerves.”

  And my sister’s nerves certainly aren’t going to be helped by my failure tonight either, Juliana thought miserably. That wretched Ormsby! She still couldn’t believe that he’d nearly caught her. She’d been so careful. But apparently, not careful enough, and he’d come into the library disrupting her search for the one thing that stood in her sister’s path to happiness.

  Somehow the two sisters managed to get through the remainder of the ball and the only unpleasant moment came when it had been time to bid their host good night. The smirk on Ormsby’s face when they had stood before him politely taking their leave made Juliana’s hand itch to slap his cheek. Hard.

  Poor Thalia could not even look him in the face and her voice had been barely above a whisper when she had spoken to him. He had held her hand longer than polite and murmured, “Ah, but our parting is not for long, is it, my dear? I’m sure I shall see you in Kent often this summer. After all, we are neighbors and you know how dear you and your family are to my heart. You could even say that we are quite intimate, yes?”

  His words struck her like a blow and Thalia stood stricken in front of him like a beautiful blue-eyed bird mesmerized by a snake.

  Her teeth clenched so tight she thought they might shatter, Juliana moved up quickly and unobtrusively gave her sister a nudge toward the door. Smiling coolly into O
rmsby’s eyes, she said, “It was a wonderful ball. We enjoyed ourselves immensely.”

  His lips thinned at her interruption, but the marquis contented himself with a polite nod. “Thank you,” he said. A mocking note in his voice, he added, “I trust you found the evening everything you hoped it would be?”

  Thinking of the interlude with Asher, she managed a real smile and murmured, “Oh, yes, it was even more than I expected.”

  Which was almost the truth, she thought to herself as she followed her sister down the steps and into their waiting carriage. Asher’s presence had indeed been more than she had expected and for the first time since she had fled the library, she wondered about his being in the library. What had he been up to?

  There was no time for further speculation about the vexing Mr. Asher Cordell because the instant the carriage door shut behind her, Thalia leaned forward and questioned anxiously, “You found nothing?”

  Aware of the coachman and grooms just beyond the partitions that enclosed the coach, she answered softly, “No. We will talk of it later.” She cast a warning glance toward the front of the coach and relaxed when Thalia, catching her meaning, sighed and leaned back against the worn velvet seat across from her.

  Arriving at the rented house, they disembarked, and seeing Thalia’s pale, strained features as they went inside, Juliana said quietly, “There is no need for you to see Father tonight. Go upstairs and let your maid attend you. After I have seen him, I will come visit you and tell you all.” She made a face. “Such as it is.”

  Grateful not to face the reproachful and disappointed looks of their father, Thalia nodded. She gave the waiting butler her cloak, pressed a kiss on her sister’s cheek and ascended to the upper floor.

  Juliana smiled at Potts, the butler her father had hired for the Season. “My father?”

  Potts returned her smile and said, “I believe he is awaiting your return, Mrs. Greeley. You will find him in the study.”

  Thanking him, she walked down the hall to the small, comfortable study. Entering the room, she found her father sitting in one of the large overstuffed black leather chairs that were arranged in front of the gray-veined marble fireplace. The light from several candelabra cast a pleasing glow around the room, but Juliana missed the cheery crackle and dancing flames of a fire.