Castles

by Julie Garwood

  The tremors seemed to go on and on, overwhelming in their intensity, yet she wasn’t at all afraid because Colin wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down against his chest. He held her close, keeping her safe until the storm of passion eased.

  The beauty of their lovemaking was too much for her. She was so shaken by what had just happened she began to cry great gulping sobs against his neck.

  Colin was just as shaken. He stroked her back and whispered honeyed words in a voice as ragged as a winter’s wind until she regained a bit of her composure.

  “Each time it gets better,” she whispered.

  “Is that so terrible?” he asked.

  “I’ll be dead in a week,” she countered. “Can’t you feel how my heart is hammering away? I’m certain this can’t be at all good for me.”

  “If you die, sweetheart, you’ll die happy,” he boasted. “You liked being on top, didn’t you?”

  She slowly nodded. “I won the challenge, didn’t I?”

  His laughter filled the room. “Yes,” he conceded.

  She was content. She closed her eyes and snuggled against her husband.

  “We forgot to eat our supper,” she whispered.

  “We’ll eat later,” he replied. “After I have my turn.”

  She didn’t understand what he meant. “After you have a turn at what?”

  Colin rolled her onto her back and covered her with his body. He braced his weight on his elbows and smiled down at her.

  When his mouth was just an inch away from hers, he answered her.

  “Winning.”

  Chapter

  12

  Loving and liking Colin were two different kettles of fish altogether. The man was impossible to reason with but extremely easy to kiss. She knew better than to offer him what was left of her inheritance to put into his company, and she finally had to resort to plain old-fashioned trickery in order to help him. She followed her father’s example, and she told herself more than once that God would understand even if Colin didn’t. Her husband would eventually get over his stubbornness, but she wasn’t willing to let outsiders buy into his company while she waited for him to come to his senses.

  The stock went public at ten o’clock on a Wednesday morning. Two minutes later, the transactions were complete and all twenty shares were sold. The price was extremely high.

  Colin was stunned by the amount. He was suspicious, too. He demanded to know the names of the new stockholders. Dreyson would only tell him there was a single buyer of all twenty shares, but that he wasn’t at liberty to divulge the buyer’s name.

  “You will answer one question for me,” Colin demanded. “I want to know if my wife’s name is on the shares as owner.”

  Dreyson immediately shook his head. “No, Sir Hallbrook,” he was able to admit quite honestly. “Princess Alesandra isn’t the owner.”

  Colin was satisfied the broker was telling the truth. A sudden possibility then occurred to him. “And her adviser, the man she calls Uncle Albert? Is he the owner.”

  “No,” Dreyson immediately answered. “I’m certain he would have snapped at the chance but the shares were all sold within a blink of the eye. There wasn’t time to notify him.”

  Colin finally let the matter drop. Alesandra said a prayer of thanksgiving because her husband wasn’t going to probe deeper.

  She felt extremely guilty because she’d used trickery. She knew it was wrong to manipulate her husband, but she blamed her sin on his stubbornness. She thought she could put the deceit behind her, too, yet found that the longer she went without confessing the truth to her husband, the more miserable she became. She did a lot of muttering to herself. Thankfully, Colin wasn’t there to hear her. He was working twelve-hour days at the shipping company. Flannaghan heard her carrying on, of course, but he believed she was just in an irritable mood because of her long confinement.

  The month actually did hurry by. Catherine’s ball was reported to have been a smashing success, and the event was recounted in vivid detail by both the duchess and her daughter-in-law, Lady Jade. They were sorry Alesandra couldn’t attend, of course, but they understood the reason behind Colin’s decision to make her stay under lock and key.

  Catherine stopped by the following afternoon to add her own descriptions. She announced she was already in love with a marquess and two earls. She was anxiously waiting to receive notes through her father for permission for the gentlemen to call on her.

  Because Colin was working such long hours, Alesandra treasured their time together and didn’t like bringing up business matters. Still, there were times when it was necessary. The rental agent notified Flannaghan that the owners had decided to stay abroad and wished to sell their town house. Alesandra had become attached to her home and wanted to purchase it. She eased into the topic at the dinner table.

  Colin’s attitude toward her inheritance hadn’t changed. He told her he didn’t care what she did with her money.

  Then she became more specific. “I would like to purchase this town house,” she announced.

  She didn’t give him time to deny her request right away, but hurried on with her explanation. “Because of your ignorant English law, it’s almost impossible for a married woman to make a contract on her own. I wouldn’t bother you with this matter, but I need your signature on the papers.”

  “The reason for that law is simple to understand,” he countered. “Husbands are legally responsible for any and all ventures their wives enter into.”

  “Yes, but the issue under discussion . . .”

  “The issue is rather or not I can provide for you,” he interrupted. His voice had gone hard. “Do you doubt I’ll be able to provide for you?”

  “No, of course not,” she replied.

  He nodded, satisfied. She let out a sigh. He wasn’t going to be at all reasonable about this. She briefly considered using her initials and claiming Uncle Albert had purchased the town house for them, then discarded the idea. Colin was bound to pitch a fit. Besides, such trickery would be an out-and-out lie, and she doubted God would forgive her this transgression where her motives were only selfish ones. Using a little bit of deceit to secure the stocks and keep them in the family in order to help Colin and his partner was one thing, but manipulating the purchase of a home just because she’d taken a fancy to it was quite another. Her list of sins had grown by leaps and bounds since she’d married Colin, she supposed, but most of her offenses were surely under God’s column of minor transgressions. A blatant lie told to get her own way would definitely come under the heading of more serious sins.

  She couldn’t deceive him. “As you wish, Colin. I would like you to note that I believe you’re being extremely unreasonable about this.”

  “So noted,” he replied dryly.

  He didn’t even let her have the last word this time. Yet although he was frequently insensitive to her needs, he was quite the opposite with other people. He could actually be very thoughtful upon occasion. After the month was over and Raymond and Stefan were no longer needed to guard her, Colin offered them employment with his company. The men were eager to work on a ship and travel the world, as they were both young and unattached, and Colin put them under the supervision of his friend, Jimbo, so they would be properly trained.

  Colin continued to be a very passionate lover. He spent every night in her bed, and after he made love to her, he held her close until he thought she had fallen asleep. Then he went back to his own room. Alesandra was afraid to make an issue out of the ritual because her husband had made it quite clear he didn’t want to talk about his leg. He all but pretended he didn’t even have a problem. She didn’t understand how his mind worked. Did it make him feel inferior if he acknowledged a human frailty? And if he loved her, wasn’t it his duty to share his joys and his sorrows with her?

  But Colin didn’t love her—at least, not yet, Alesandra reminded herself. She wasn’t disheartened, however, because she had complete faith in her husband. He was an intelligent m
an, after all, and in time she felt certain his attitude would soften and he’d realize what a fine wife she was. If he didn’t get around to the realization for five years, that was all right. She could wait. She would keep her promise to him, too. She wouldn’t interfere.

  The inserts she’d had made for her husband’s shoes didn’t qualify as interference in her mind, however. She took great delight in the fact that he was now wearing the special pair of Wellingtons almost every day. The bootmaker had made two leather inserts. The first was too thick, or at least she thought it must have been too thick because Colin only wore the boots for a few minutes before taking them off and putting on another pair. The second insert she’d slipped under the lining worked much better. Colin believed he’d broken in the boots and they were now comfortable. She knew better, of course, but she didn’t say a word. Neither did Flannaghan. The butler whispered to Alesandra that he’d noticed his employer’s limp wasn’t quite as pronounced at the end of the day. Alesandra agreed. She was so pleased with the success of her plan she immediately ordered two extra inserts made so that her husband would have comfortable walking shoes and evening dress shoes as well.

  To the outside world, Colin appeared to be a man without a care in the world. He always wore a devil-may-care smile, and he was one of the most popular men in London. When he entered a room, he was immediately surrounded by friends. The women wouldn’t be left out either. It didn’t matter to most of the ladies that he was now married. They continued to flock to his side. Colin was a charmer, yes, but he wasn’t a flirt. He usually had hold of Alesandra’s hand while he went about the task of mixing business with pleasure. Colin wasn’t just intelligent—he was clever, too. Most of the shipping deals were negotiated in the ballrooms. When she realized that fact, she didn’t mind the late hours they kept every night.

  She did do quite a bit of napping, though. She and Colin attended parties almost every night for two full months, and she was so exhausted she was seized with attacks of nausea.

  She was looking forward to tonight’s affair, however, because Colin’s family was also going to be attending the Earl of Allenborough’s bash. The duke and duchess were escorting their daughter Catherine, and Colin’s brother, Caine, and his wife were also going to be there.

  The earl had rented Harrison House for the ball. The magnificent marble and stone estate was almost as large as the prince regent’s palace.

  Alesandra wore her ivory-colored gown. The neckline wasn’t overly revealing, but Colin still felt compelled to grumble about it. Her only adornment was a beautiful gold and sapphire necklace that fit like a choker around her neck. There was only one sapphire in the center of the looped chain. The precious jewel was at least two carats in size and appeared to be flawless. Colin knew the thing was worth a bloody fortune, and he didn’t like the idea of Alesandra wearing it.

  “I have a special fondness for this necklace,” she remarked once they were settled inside the carriage and on their way to the ball. “But I can tell from your frown you don’t care for it. Why is that, Colin?”

  “Why do you like it?”

  Her fingertips brushed the necklace. “Because it belonged to my mother. Whenever I wear it, I’m reminded of her. The necklace was a gift to her from my father.”

  Colin’s attitude immediately softened. “Then you should wear it.”

  “But why did it displease you? I saw the way you frowned when you first noticed it.”

  He shrugged. “I was displeased because I didn’t buy it for you.”

  She didn’t know what to make of that remark. She reached behind her neck and started to undo the clasp so she could take the necklace off. Colin stopped her. “I was being foolish. Leave it. The color matches your eyes.”

  From the look on her husband’s face, she concluded he’d just given her a compliment and not a criticism. She folded her hands in her lap, smiled at her husband, and changed the subject. “Shouldn’t your partner be home any day now?”

  “Yes.”

  “Will I like him?”

  “Eventually.”

  “Will I like his wife?”

  “Yes.”

  She wasn’t upset by his short answers. She could tell from his expression he was in pain. His leg was obviously acting up tonight, she speculated, and when Colin propped his foot up on the cushion next to her, she knew her guess was right.

  It took all the self-control she could muster not to reach over and touch his leg. “We don’t have to attend the affair tonight,” she said. “You look weary to me.”

  “I’m fine.” he said in a clipped, no-nonsense tone of voice. She decided not to argue with him.

  She changed the topic again. “It’s appropriate for us to give a gift to Nathan and Sara for their baby.”

  Colin had leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes. She wasn’t certain if he was paying attention to what she was saying or not. She lowered her gaze to her lap and began to adjust the folds of her gown. “I didn’t think you wanted to be bothered with the chore so I took care of it. Since you and Nathan own a shipping company, I thought it would be nice to have a replica of one of the ships made. What do you think of that idea? When they purchase a home, Sara could put our gift on her mantel.”

  “I’m sure she’ll like it,” Colin replied. “Whatever you decide is fine with me.”

  “There were several drawings of your ships in your library,” she said then. “I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed one of the Emerald to give to the craftsman.”

  The carriage came to a quick stop in front of Harrison House. Colin had looked half asleep until the door was opened by the coachman. Then his manner changed. He helped Alesandra out, took hold of her arm, and started up the steps. He spotted his brother and his wife walking toward them and immediately smiled.

  Colin hadn’t made a miraculous recovery. His smile was forced, but Alesandra knew she was the only one who realized how much pain he was in. The physician had told her that Colin should get off his leg when it pained him. Her husband wouldn’t listen to such advice, however. He would probably dance the night away just to prove he was all right.

  The night air was damp and chilly. Alesandra suddenly felt a bit lightheaded. Her stomach turned queasy, too, and she was thankful she hadn’t eaten much of the light supper Cook had prepared. Exhaustion was surely the reason she wasn’t feeling well, she told herself.

  Jade noticed how pale Alesandra’s complexion was and made that mention in front of their husbands. Both Caine and Colin turned to look at her.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you didn’t feel well?” Colin asked.

  “I’m just a little weary,” she hastily replied. “Do quit frowning at me, Colin. I’m not accustomed to going out every night and that’s why I’m a bit fatigued. ’Tis the truth, I would rather stay home every now and then.”

  “You don’t like the parties?”

  Her husband looked surprised. She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “We do what we must,” she replied.

  “Explain what you mean, sweetheart.”

  He wasn’t going to let the matter drop. “All right then,” she said. “No, I don’t particularly like the parties . . .”

  “Why didn’t you say something?”

  He was exasperated with her. She shook her head at him. “Because each affair is a business opportunity for you and Nathan,” she explained. “You don’t like going out either,” she added. “And that is why I said that we do what we must. I would have said something eventually.”

  His wife was an extremely astute woman. She’d understood his motives and known exactly how he’d really felt about all the parties he dragged her to. “Eventually?” he repeated with a grin. “When, exactly, would you have offered a complaint?”

  “I would never complain and you should apologize for even suggesting I would,” she countered. “Eventually would be exactly five years from now. Then I would mention my preference to stay home.”

  Caine smiled at Alesandra and said, “
Be sure to thank your friend, Albert, for his advice regarding that investment. The stock has already increased threefold.”

  She nodded.

  “What investment?” Colin asked.

  Caine answered. “I mentioned I was interested in investment opportunities the last time I was over at your house, and Alesandra told me Albert had recommended shares in Campton Glass. It just went public.”

  “I thought you were investing in Kent’s garment factory,” Jade interjected.

  “I’m still considering it,” Caine replied.

  Alesandra shook her head before she could stop herself. “I don’t believe that would be a wise investment, Caine. I do hope you’ll give the matter careful consideration first.”

  She could feel Colin’s gaze on her but didn’t turn to look at him. “Albert was also interested in the garment factory. He had his broker, Dreyson, go and look at the place. Dreyson reported it was a fire trap and ill run. There are hundreds of women and children employed there and conditions are deplorable. Albert wasn’t about to make the owner rich or get rich himself on such a venture. Why, he would be profiting from other people’s misery—at least, that’s what he told me in his last letter.”

  Caine immediately agreed. The topic was dropped when they entered the foyer of Harrison House. The duke and duchess were waiting in a nearby alcove with Catherine and immediately motioned for Caine and Colin and their wives to join them. Business matters were put aside. Catherine hugged Jade, then turned to hug Alesandra. She noticed the sapphire necklace right away and declared she was about to swoon with envy. Catherine wore a single strand of pearls around her neck. She absentmindedly fingered her necklace as she mentioned that her violet gown would look far more smashing if her father had given her a sapphire to wear.

  Alesandra laughed over the not-too-subtle hint. Since no one was observing them, she quickly took off her necklace and handed it to Catherine.

  “This belonged to my mother, so you must be very careful with it,” Alesandra whispered so Colin wouldn’t overhear her. “The clasp is quite secure and as long as you leave it on, you won’t lose it.”