She sat up with a start and glared back at him. Perhaps he’d overdone it a touch?
“Will you force yourself on me then?”
“No, of course not,” he said. He’d never forced himself on anyone and was not about to start doing so now.
“I may have turned to you for help when I needed it, Daniel, but I am not some simpering Society miss who’s going to let anyone tell her what to do, and I will certainly not allow you to take such liberties with me when . . .”
“When what?” he asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Nothing,” she muttered. “Forget I said anything.”
Well, now he was really curious. He decided not to press her though, since he already had a fair assumption of what had led to this argument in the first place. She’d said she liked him and that she’d imagined something more for them than just friendship. Seeing him with Lady Vernon, however, had put a damper on things, and she now refused to get too close, most likely because she wanted to protect herself from the pain of losing him to another woman . . . or other women. Her defenses were up, and rather than risk getting hurt she’d suggested the harebrained notion of a highly unconventional marriage. He wouldn’t allow it of course. Instead, he would prove her wrong about him. He would do whatever was required of him to earn her trust so they could be truly happy together—a feat that would probably prove more difficult than he anticipated.
Recalling their best moments together, he decided to strategize. After all the times he’d gambled at cards, this was one game that he had no intention of losing. He decided to make his first move and stretched out on the bed beside her. “You’re probably right about our marriage and how we ought to proceed in order to make the best of it,” he said.
There was a long pause.
“You agree with me then?” She didn’t sound convinced.
“Upon further consideration, I think you make a valid argument.” Was she grinding her teeth together? He hid a smile. “In fact, I quite admire your honesty. I hope we can always be this forthright with each other.”
“I’m not partial to deceit amidst friends,” she said.
Turning onto his side, he watched her face . . . so beautiful. Instinct urged him to brush his fingers against her cheek, to lean over and kiss her. But he wouldn’t. He’d seduced many women over the years and was now embarking on the greatest challenge of all—his own wife. “Me neither. So, how about if we continue with the game we started on our drive up here?”
She turned her head to meet his gaze, and he could see the interest lurching in the depths of her dark eyes. Filled with reassurance, he offered her an encouraging smile and said, “Go on, ask me a question.”
Chapter 13
Feeling much like a piece of driftwood in a turbulent sea, Rebecca looked at the man lying next to her. He was her husband now and held more power over her than any other. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t considered this before, yet it had suddenly become so much more real now that they were tucked away in this bedroom together behind a locked door.
Apprehension swept over her as she studied his handsome face. What a fool she’d been to think that a kiss from him would mean as much to him as it had to her. She hadn’t even realized just how much it had meant until now, when he’d finally agreed to accept her proposal. What on earth had she been thinking to say such a thing to him, pushing him away like that when all she wanted was to hug him close against her? The feelings that sprang to life within her though, like blossoms unfolding beneath the sun, were frightening. It was unlike anything she’d ever felt before, and she had no idea how to handle it. If only there was someone she could turn to for guidance, but there wasn’t. Somehow she would have to figure this out on her own, and for now, the only thing she could think of was to guard her own heart.
Moving onto her side so she faced him completely, she asked softly, “What exactly happened to your parents?” His smile slipped, and she almost regretted the question, but it was an important one, one she felt she ought to know the answer to.
“Well,” he began, “I suppose my mother woke up one morning and decided that she loved someone else more than she loved me and my father—an American plantation owner, from what little my uncle has told me. I believe he was visiting London on business, they met at a musicale, and three weeks later she was gone. I was eight years old at the time.”
“She didn’t even say good-bye to you?” It was one thing that his mother had left the man she’d married, but Rebecca couldn’t imagine what sort of woman would abandon her child like that.
Daniel shrugged. He was clearly trying to look unaffected, but Rebecca sensed that the wound from his mother’s betrayal still ran deep. “There was a brief note for me with the words Forgive me on it.”
No mention of love?
“And your father?” Rebecca asked hesitantly.
“The moment she was gone, he enlisted in the army and was quickly killed. My uncle became my guardian.”
An image of Daniel dealing with so much loss and pain at such a young age filled her mind. No wonder he’d eventually sought comfort wherever he’d been able to find it, both at the gaming tables and in the arms of women.
“What about your parents?” he asked.
“They perished in a fire five years ago.” The taste of smoke was there again, as real as it had been the night Laura had woken her and led her outside to safety. “I don’t know how it started, but I’m guessing that my mother must have fallen asleep with a candle still burning. When Papa went to save her, he got trapped.”
“I’m so sorry,” Daniel whispered. “I recall hearing about it, now that you mention it. My apologies for bringing it up.” He reached for her hand and just held it in his own.
“It’s all right,” she said before adding, “I went to live with the parish vicar and his wife until my aunt and uncle eventually arrived, claiming that they were my guardians.”
“Your parents named them?” Daniel asked, sounding surprised.
Rebecca nodded. “The will had been drawn up years earlier, when they were the only ones capable of taking on such a task. Papa was never very close with his sister, since she was ten years his senior, but she was his closest relative. I don’t think he realized what sort of woman she’d become. He probably didn’t imagine that she would treat any of his children any different than she would her own.”
“She has children?” Daniel asked, his voice rife with disbelief.
Rebecca nodded. “Perhaps you’ve heard of them—Viscountess Ficklesby and Lady Gerald Paisley.”
“I don’t believe I’ve ever met Lady Gerald or the viscountess, but I do know who Lord Ficklesby is. Can’t say I’m surprised to learn that he’s the Griftons’ son-in-law.”
“No, I suppose not,” she said, recalling a man with a pointy nose and fat lips that always looked wet. “He’s quite distasteful, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Slimy, I’d say, if such a word can be used to describe a person.”
Rebecca grinned. “I think it suits him perfectly. You know, I’ve always thought that there was something vulgar about him and that he wasn’t a man to be trusted.”
“Your intuition isn’t far wrong.” Daniel frowned, his hesitation suggesting that he knew something but wasn’t sure if he should share it with her.
“What is it?” Rebecca asked.
“I spotted him a few times at one of the gambling hells on Piccadilly, always with a drab on his lap. The management asked him to leave one time because they thought his behavior too off-putting for the other guests.” Daniel shook his head. “Forgive me. I really shouldn’t be discussing such things with you.”
“Why ever not?” Rebecca asked.
“It’s hardly an appropriate topic for a lady, even if you are now married.” There was a hint of a smile on his lips as he said it.
“Consider it a lesson then in the understanding of those peculiar creatures called men,” Rebecca said, delighting in the way that Daniel’s face lit with amusement, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he laughed. She gave his shoulder a playful nudge. “If you’re not going to teach me, I can’t imagine who will.”
“You’re going off on a tangent,” he said with a touch of mischief. “We’re supposed to be asking questions about each other, remember?”
“Very well.” She took a moment to think of what to ask and eventually said, “Have you ever fought a duel?”
To her surprise, he nodded. “Once,” he said. “It was a silly misunderstanding where the other gentleman had become convinced that I was having an affair with his wife.”
“And were you?” she asked, unable to help herself.
“No,” he said softly, “and you should also know that I’ve never taken an innocent to my bed.”
As their eyes met, Rebecca felt that same heat that was growing all too familiar whenever he was near, pooling in her belly, where it threatened to fan out to the rest of her body. In that simple sentence, spoken with such care, Daniel had given Rebecca a silent promise. She was sure of it, and she found herself filled with the unbidden certainty that he would never abuse the trust she placed in him. His words told her that whatever his reputation, he would never take her by force, and that when she gave herself to him, it would not be something that he would take lightly but a gift that he would cherish.
The realization startled her, and she found herself grasping for something to say, some lighthearted rejoinder that would take her safely back to shallower waters. “I’m sure that’s not what the rest of the world thinks, or they wouldn’t have cast you in such a villainous role—the greatest rake that ever lived.” The last part was said in a pompous tone that earned her a chuckle.
“Let’s just say that in my younger years I was very fond of bragging about my many exploits. It’s possible I may have elaborated a touch in the process.”
Rebecca wasn’t surprised. His confession was in perfect accord with the sort of man who would choose to climb a ladder for a secret rendezvous, propose to a lady he’d only just met and then steal said lady from under the nose of her fiancé. Perhaps his sins were fewer than the ton would like to believe, but he was still spurred on by a wild streak, perhaps even a secret fondness for the outrageous, considering how unashamed he seemed about it all. It took courage to stand against Society in pursuit of your own desires, and to do so as boldly as Daniel had done was something that spoke to Rebecca’s own resolve. She studied the beautiful planes of his face as she reflected on how drastically her life had changed since her parents had died. She knew all too well what it was like to want something more out of life than what was being offered, but rather than bow to her aunt and uncle’s demands, she’d opposed them in spite of the risk of doing so. It was unlikely that anyone would ever understand or accept her actions, yet Daniel did.