Читать книгу Regency Society - Хелен Диксон, Ann Lethbridge, Хелен Диксон - Страница 60

She returned to the house, lightheaded from her nap in the sunlight and unsure of her emotions. The crying had left her with a megrim that the nap had only partly soothed.

But it had been so restful, leaning against Tony, that she had quite forgotten what a bad idea it was to do so. And strange that he’d even allowed it. He had offered. She had refused. Afterwards, one of them should have slunk away in embarrassment, to nurse their wounds in private.

But he had been very accepting of her refusal, even though she could tell he was hurt. It would have been much easier if he had raged and stormed and then left her in peace. If he had abandoned her, she might have begun the difficult process of forgetting him, rather than closing her eyes and leaning into his shoulder, losing herself in a dream of what it might be like if they were two different people and she could say yes to him.

It could not have hurt him too deeply, then. It was a blow to the ego, of course. No man wanted to be told that he was not good enough to be marriage material. But it must not have been a blow to the heart. If it had been a mortal wound, he would not have recovered so quickly. It might actually have been the answer he wanted to hear, since he had done his best to help her, but had been able to keep his heart free, in case he ever managed to succeed with his dream woman.

All the more reason not to marry him. Although he might want her, he did not truly love her. Their marriage might have been a very workable relationship, if she had had the sense not to fall in love with him before he had asked. But if she had agreed to marry him because she loved him, she could see a grim future ahead. Once he had her, his ardour would cool and he would lose interest. And she would sit like the fool she was, suffering with every small indifference and worrying the night away that he would be captured and killed, or, worse yet, unfaithful.

He would be baffled by her behaviour, since he had given her no reason for it. He had made no grand promises of undying faithfulness before the marriage. Why should she expect them after?

So, it was all for the best. As long as she ignored the emptiness she felt, after denying him.

‘Your Grace.’ Susan rushed to her side, as she entered the house, trying to stop her as she walked down the corridor. ‘I am sorry. I tried. But his foot was in the door. And when I tried to close it, he pushed me and I fell. And I told him you were not at home, but he would not go away.’

The words were overwhelming, and made no sense, but Constance knew, before she opened the door to her sitting room, who she would find there.

Barton was smiling the same placid smile he always did when dealing with her, as though common sense and reason would eventually lead her to do the unspeakable. He did not rise as she entered, remaining relaxed and in control. ‘You ignored my note to you.’

‘Yes, I did,’ she responded. ‘And my servants were instructed not to open the door for you. You cannot continue to force your way into my home, Lord Barton.’

‘Your home.’ When he said it, it was no longer a question. He must know that she’d got the deed.

She pretended to ignore the fact. ‘I will have no more of these nonsensical threats of yours. I have no intention of becoming your mistress. And I do not acknowledge your ownership of my home. If you think you have a case, then take me to court, and prove that you own this house.’

He laughed. ‘You are beautiful, Constance, and more clever than I gave you credit for. I know you have taken the deed. I don’t suppose you would care to enlighten me on how that might have happened. I suspect that the one who helped you might have another motive to gain entry to my house. And I would like a word with him.’

‘I do not know what you are talking about.’

‘Of course you don’t, darling. To hear you, I am almost convinced. I doubt that you have the necessary skills to achieve this yourself. I know you had help. So I will watch you closely, and watch the men who watch you, until I see who your favourite shall be. And when I have discovered him, I will deal with him as he deserves.’

‘My favourite? I have no favourite.’

‘Not that I have noticed. But if you do not, you soon shall. The man that got the deed to your house made you work for it, I’ll wager, just as I intend to.’

She almost responded that Tony had been different, before she could help herself.

He smiled as he saw the look in her eyes. ‘You almost told me. But no matter. You will slip eventually. With a word. A glance. A chance meeting that is no chance. I will find him, and punish him. If it matters to you, you might warn him that I wish him to stay out of my business and that if he thinks he can take you from me, he is sadly mistaken.’ He looked up at her and reached into his pocket, producing a packet of papers. ‘I took the liberty of going up to your room as you slept in the garden, and retrieving what he took from me. And thus, we are back to where we started. You owed me then, and you owe me now.’

‘You lie.’ She reached to snatch it from his hand, and it disappeared again, inside his coat.

‘It was in the drawer of the night table, in your room. It is no trouble, getting by your servants, Constance. Freddy has kept anyone of value in his service. And you, with your soft heart, have employed his cast-offs. You are left with foolish girls and old men. It did not take more than a single blow to dispense with the few that stood in my way.’

‘You struck my servants?’ she said, with horror.

‘I taught them who the master of this house is to be. I doubt I will have to teach them twice.’

‘You had no right. They were doing their duty to me. You were trying to enter my room without permission.’

‘Then you had best give them permission to obey me, or next time I will strike them harder.’

‘If you must hit anyone, then hit the person who gave them the command.’ She stood in front of him, daring him to raise his hand to her.

‘And what good would that do, other than to mark that which I wish to remain unblemished? You are much more likely to obey me to save others, than you would to save yourself. Allow me to demonstrate. Call your maid into the room.’

‘I most certainly will not.’

He got up, stepped out into the hall and said, ‘Susan, come here, please. Your mistress needs you.’

‘I do not!’ But even as she said it, the girl had obeyed the first command, and come to the door of the sitting room. Barton seized her by the wrist and hauled her into the room, closing the door behind her.

Susan struggled, but was no match for him and he pulled her arm until her hand was held high above the flame of a candle. ‘At this height, she barely feels the heat.’ He pulled her arm lower, and the maid closed her eyes. ‘At this height, she is beginning to feel some discomfort. It is very warm on the skin, is it not? Answer me, Susan.’

The girl nodded.

He looked again at Constance. ‘Any lower, and the flesh will burn. Would you like me to demonstrate, or are you willing to see the value of co-operation?’

‘You cannot do this. I will call the Runners.’

‘Afterwards, perhaps. And what good will it do poor Susan then? If you try to leave the room, I will have cooked the flesh of her hand before you can return with help.’

‘Let her go.’

‘Give me the key to this house.’

Constance saw the resolve in his eyes and hurried to her desk, fumbling in the drawer for a spare key. Her hand trembled as she handed it to him.

He released the maid. ‘Very good. We have an understanding. And if you have a notion to bar the door against me or change the locks, know that the next time I come, I shall bring servants of my own, and it will go worse for all inside.’

He smiled thoughtfully. ‘And now, let us return to the matter of your lover, the thief. He is your lover, is he not? I suspect you traded that lovely body of yours for his assistance. You should not have done that, for you knew to whom you belonged when you went to him.’

He sighed. ‘And so, I will find him. And I will punish him for taking something that belongs to me. But how I punish him might well depend on how co-operative you are. I could be moved to leniency, if you treat me well and give me no more trouble. A light beating, perhaps, just as a warning. Or would you like to refuse me again, and see the consequences of your actions?’ He leaned close and whispered, ‘I will make him suffer. He will die screaming, and I will make sure that you hear it. Does that move you?’

‘You would not dare.’

‘Oh, I think so. The man is meddling in things far more important than the fate of your honour. I do not like my privacy invaded. And I do not like one to stand between me and that which I most desire. If you have any feeling at all for the man, you will warn him off, and submit to me. Or do as you please and let him feel the consequence of it. What is your decision?’

She felt her stomach drop, and she trembled. She looked at Barton’s eyes, willing them to be less heartless than they were, to give her any indication that he was not as dangerous as he appeared.

He was still smiling. ‘I’m waiting. Is your continued freedom worth the cost?’

By denying Barton, she had stumbled into a situation that was well over her head and now she was dragging others down with her. ‘If I agree to what you want, you will not harm him?’

‘When next you see him, tell him that you are finished with him, that you belong to me, now. And that he must cease meddling in my affairs. If he leaves me alone, he will escape unharmed. If he continues to interfere, I offer no guarantees. I suggest you be very persuasive, if you have the opportunity.’

She swallowed. ‘All right.’

He smiled again. ‘You will find you have made a wise decision. We will dine out this evening. Vauxhall Gardens. Wear something festive. I do not wish to see you in mourning. Red, I think. And the rubies.’

A scarlet woman, she thought.

‘When we have had supper, I will return here, to spend the rest of the night. Tell your maid that we are not to be disturbed.’

He rose, reaching for his hat. ‘And, Constance…?’

‘Yes, Lord Barton?’

‘From now on, you will call me Jack. And when I take my leave, you will kiss me as if you mean it.’

He stood in the doorway, waiting.

And she stepped close to him, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him as if a life depended on it.