Читать книгу The Complete Regency Season Collection - Кэрол Мортимер, Кэрол Мортимер - Страница 49

Chapter Eight

‘What is it, Mariah?’ Darian questioned sharply as he stood up.

He made no move to touch her again; Mariah now looked so fragile, in her emotions as well as her body, that he feared she might crumple and fall at his feet if he attempted to place so much as a finger upon her.

‘You can ask me that?’ she choked out incredulously, those turquoise eyes glittering brightly in the pallor of her face. ‘After learning that the two of us were to be nothing more than exhibits in the Nicholses’ peep show?’

He grimaced. ‘Only if we had proceeded to make love together. Which we have not.’

Mariah could no longer meet his gaze. ‘That does nothing to change the fact— Oh! Do you think anyone could have been behind those walls earlier this evening?’ she gasped, eyes wide as she twisted her gloved fingers together.

Darian shrugged. ‘I doubt, with the responsibility of his other guests, that Nichols would have found the time to come up the stairs and observe you dressing.’

‘I was referring to our conversation, Darian! Did we say anything in this room earlier that might have— Do you seriously think that weasel Nichols might have watched me bathing and dressing earlier this evening?’ Mariah’s face had taken on a sickly green hue at the thought of it.

‘As I recall, our conversation was perfectly innocuous earlier,’ he reassured. ‘I also think it more likely that Lady Nichols, after escorting us to our bedchambers, would have lingered upstairs to observe me!’ Darian’s mouth twisted with distaste for the very idea of having that pale blue gaze moving lasciviously over his naked body whilst he’d bathed and dressed earlier.

Mariah stilled. ‘You believe there to be similar peepholes in your own bedchamber? In all the bedchambers?’ she added aghast.

‘After tonight I believe the master and mistress of this house to be capable of anything! After all, this is not the Nicholses’ main country residence.’ He shrugged. ‘They do not bring their children here, for example, but leave them at their Norfolk estate with their nurse. Thank heavens for small mercies!’

Mariah thought of the other occasions when she had stayed in this house, totally unaware of the eyes that might have been secretly watching her. As she bathed. As she went about her toilette. As she stood completely naked before dressing.

She felt ill.

Unclean.

Violated!

As violated as she had been that night eighteen years ago when Martin had lured her into one of the private rooms at a ball they were both attending, locked the door behind them and then coldly and calculatedly assaulted her. Warning her after the event that no one would believe the word of the daughter of a minor landowner and merchant against an earl’s, if she were to accuse him of the deed.

Mariah had been but sixteen years old and was too frightened, too devastated, felt too unclean, to dare take the risk of telling anyone what Martin Beecham, the Earl of Carlisle, had done to her.

Most especially so as he had also warned her that he would repeat the violation, again, and then again, until such time as she was with child. Not because he particularly wished for an heir, but so that she was forced into marrying him, thus bringing a good portion of her father’s fortune into the marriage.

And it had all worked out perfectly for Martin, of course, because Mariah had become pregnant with that very first attempt. She had tried to tell her parents the truth then, but as promised, Martin had denied her accusation of his having forced her, claiming that she had been as eager as he for the coupling. He also insisted that she was merely frightened of the repercussions after the event, now that she found herself with child. Repercussions that would cease to exist when she accepted his offer of marriage.

Whether or not her parents had believed Mariah’s version of events had not mattered at this point, although she liked to think that they had; she was an only child and their relationship had always been a close one.

But whether they believed her or not, her mother and father had been left with no more choice in the matter than Mariah. She would have to accept the earl’s offer of marriage. A babe born seven months after the wedding could be overlooked by society and very often was! But if Mariah refused to marry the father of her child—the more-than-willing father!—then she would be ruined and both she and her parents ostracised from society.

Faced with those choices there had been only one decision that Mariah could make.

Marriage to the very man who had raped her.

Her body might not have been violated tonight, but her privacy, her very person, had.

She was no longer a girl of sixteen, of course, too frightened to accuse the person responsible for that violation. But the reputation she had nurtured in society, as the sophisticated and flirtatious Countess of Carlisle, would most certainly be in danger if she were to now voice her complaints to her host and hostess.

As her obvious shock now had already placed that reputation in danger in regard to Darian Hunter, the astute and intelligent Duke of Wolfingham.

Mariah drew in a deep breath before straightening her shoulders and unclasping her fingers, her chin high as she turned to give Wolfingham a derisive smile. ‘How unfortunate, for the Nichols, that you grew wise to their little scheme!’

Darian was relieved to see that some of the colour had now returned to Mariah’s cheeks. Although he did not believe for a moment that she was as composed as she now wished to appear; her obvious shock a few minutes ago had most certainly been genuine.

A shock he might not have expected from one as promiscuous as Mariah Beecham was reputed to be.

He also wondered what thoughts had been going through her head just a few minutes ago. Whatever they were, they had brought a grey tinge to her already pale cheeks and haunted shadows to those beautiful eyes.

‘Very unfortunate,’ he echoed drily, prepared, for the moment, to accept that Mariah was determined to place those walls back about her emotions. This was not the time, and certainly not the place, to question her further on the subject.

But the very fact that she had not as yet upbraided him for their lovemaking earlier was surely evidence of her inner unease?

A lovemaking, and Mariah’s response, that Darian knew was going to haunt and disturb his own rest tonight—again!

‘Do you have any shawls or handkerchiefs with you? I could place them over the pictures and the head of the bed to ensure your privacy,’ he explained at her questioning frown.

‘Oh. Oh, yes, of course,’ she breathed in obvious relief as she moved to open the wardrobe and look through the things on the shelves in there. ‘Here.’ She handed Darian several handkerchiefs and two shawls. ‘Will they be enough to prevent anyone from at least seeing into this room?’

‘Oh, yes.’ Darian tied the two shawls securely to the paintings before moving on to do the same to the bed with the handkerchiefs. ‘There.’ He nodded his satisfaction as he stepped back.

‘What of your own bedchamber?’

‘I have some handkerchiefs of my own,’ he dismissed.

‘I— Then I will wish you a good night.’

He frowned. ‘Mariah—’

‘I believe we have provided enough of a display for our audience for one night, Wolfingham. Besides which, it is late and I am very tired.’ She arched one pointed brow.

Darian knew himself well and truly dismissed, without either of them having made direct reference to their heated lovemaking earlier.

If Nichols had not interrupted them then Darian might not have left this bedchamber at all tonight.

But equally, if Nichols had not interrupted the two of them, allowing Darian the time to think of what the other man was doing there at all, then they might even now be providing entertainment for the other guests.

Not that Darian was the prude Mariah had once thought him. Far from it. He had spent his share of time in gaming hells and the houses of the demi-monde, and knew full well the games played in such establishments. But that play was at the consent of both parties, not the intrusion, the violation, tonight’s game would have been to the privacy of their lovemaking. He did not perform for the entertainment of strangers.

‘Very well, Mariah.’ He nodded as he strode across the room to bend down and kiss her lightly upon her brow. ‘I wish you a good night,’ he added huskily as he looked down at her intently.

Mariah felt flustered by Darian’s close proximity, coming so soon after this shocking discovery of the peepholes in her bedchamber.

So soon after she had felt those strange and wonderful sensations as he made love to her earlier out in the hallway.

Sensations Mariah could still feel, in the tingling fullness of her breasts and the swollen dampness between her thighs.

And so reminiscent of those sensations she had felt when he’d kissed her at Lady Stockton’s ball.

Was it possible, after all these years of feeling nothing, that her body was actually awakening to sexual arousal?

A sexual arousal caused solely and completely by Darian Hunter, the Duke of Wolfingham?

And felt only for him?

Mariah stepped back abruptly, too alarmed by even the possibility of that being true to be able to suffer his close proximity a moment longer. ‘Goodnight, Wolfingham,’ she stated firmly.

Darian studied her from between narrowed lids for several seconds longer, knowing from the determined set of Mariah’s mouth and chin that she considered this conversation over.

He gave a terse nod. ‘If you should need me, you know where I am.’

Her brows rose. ‘You are suggesting that I might possibly be overcome with lust for you in the middle of the night?’

Darian grimaced at her scathingly derisive tone. ‘I am suggesting that I noticed there is no key in the lock to this bedchamber. We could place a chair beneath the door handle,’ he suggested as he saw the alarmed look Mariah gave in the direction of the door.

‘Yes! Yes, please do,’ she confirmed more coolly. ‘Thank you,’ she added softly, eyes downcast, as Darian saw to the placing of that chair.

Darian sighed his frustration as he looked at her bent head for several seconds more. Not sexual frustration—that seemed to be with him constantly whenever he was with Mariah. And when he was not!

No, his frustration now was due to another reason entirely.

With Mariah he so often felt as if he took one step forward and then was forced, by circumstances, into taking two steps back. As now. Their lovemaking had been beyond enjoyable. Darian could not remember ever having been aroused quite so quickly, or so strongly, by any other woman. And he knew, from the obvious responses of her body, her breathless sighs of pleasure, that Mariah had been just as aroused. And yet now she was dismissing him as if that closeness had never happened.

It was beyond frustrating; it was infuriating.

Mariah was a woman of four and thirty, had been a married woman for twelve of those years, and as such she could not be unaware of how much he had wanted to make love to and with her a short time ago. Or that she returned that desire for him to make love to and with her. And yet she behaved now as if that desire had never happened.

Was that only because of the unpleasantness of the circumstances here at Eton Park?

Or because, beneath that desire, she disliked him still?

Darian breathed out his frustration with the situation. ‘Goodnight, Mariah,’ he repeated harshly before turning on his heel and leaving the room abruptly, firmly closing the door adjoining their two bedchambers behind him.

Mariah sank back down on to the side of the bed the moment Darian closed the door between their rooms, her thoughts in turmoil. Not because, unpleasant as it was, of the knowledge of those intrusive peepholes in the walls of her bedchamber. Nor was she overly concerned as to what might or might not transpire tomorrow, after the Regent’s note of apology had been delivered.

No, the reason for the present disquiet of her emotions was all due to Darian Hunter and the desire she could no longer deny, to herself at least, that she felt for him.

And him alone.

* * *

‘Would you care to go for a ride, or perhaps a walk, in the fresh air this morning, Mariah?’ Darian suggested as he looked across the breakfast table at her.

A breakfast table at which only the two of them sat, the other guests, as Mariah had suggested might be the case, either still asleep after their late night, or choosing to break their fast in the privacy of their bedchambers.

Darian had been awake shortly after seven o’clock, earlier than was usual for him, but as he had expected, he had passed another restless night and, once fully awake, could not bear to stay abed any longer. He had known, from the sounds and soft conversation he could hear in the adjoining room, that Mariah was also awake and talking to her maid.

He had found several peepholes in his own bedchamber the night before and used his handkerchiefs accordingly, but they had both agreed the coverings should come down during the day, if only so that the Nicholses did not realise they both knew of the peepholes.

If the Nicholses’ butler—he had introduced himself as Benson, when Mariah had enquired—was surprised to see any of the guests appearing in the breakfast room a little after eight o’clock in the morning, then the blandness of his expression did not show it. He remained as stoically impassive as he had yesterday evening, as he served the Nicholses’ guests dinner.

It did not help Darian’s peace of mind that Mariah looked beautiful and untroubled this morning, in a russet-coloured silk morning gown, her golden hair swept up and secured at her crown, with clusters of curls at her temple and nape.

She had also been coolly polite to him so far this morning, to the point of irritation.

As if their closeness last night had never happened.

As if Darian had not feasted upon her bared breasts.

As if she had not thoroughly enjoyed having him feast upon her bared breasts.

As if she was annoyed with him for having taken such liberties?

The temper that seemed to burn just below the surface of Darian’s emotions whenever it came to Mariah once again raised its ugly head at her lack of response to his suggestion. ‘Unless you would rather wait for some of the other guests to come down and perhaps join them?’

Mariah looked at Wolfingham beneath lowered lashes, having sensed that he was angry with her from the moment he knocked briskly on the door adjoining their two bedchambers earlier, then waited for her permission before entering. It had been her experience that Wolfingham did not wait for permission to do anything he pleased.

He looked very severe in his anger. Very much Wolfingham.

The darkness of his hair was brushed back severely from the harshness of his face. His eyes were a flinty, uncompromising green. And there were brackets of displeasure beside his nose and mouth. His movements were also brisk and impatient.

She raised cool brows. ‘I shall be quite happy to seek my own entertainment this morning if you are too busy to accompany me on a walk.’

He speared her with that impatient green gaze across the width of the table. ‘And what else could there possibly be here to keep me busy this morning?’

Mariah turned to smile at the butler as he lingered by the array of breakfast trays, in readiness for serving them more food. ‘Could we possibly have some more coffee, Benson? Thank you.’ She waited until the butler had left the room before turning back to Darian. ‘If you wish to argue with me, might I suggest that you wait until after we have gone outside,’ she hissed in warning.

His brows rose autocratically. ‘Why should you imagine I might wish to argue with you?’

Mariah could think of only one reason for Darian’s bad humour this morning: the same sexual frustration she had suffered last night!

She was not completely innocent in the ways of men, knew that a man’s passion, once aroused, was apt to make him irritable if it was not assuaged; the housekeeper, Mrs Smith, had once taken a week’s leave to visit her sick sister and Martin had been unbearable for the whole time she had been gone. To the point that Mariah had feared he might turn his attentions towards her in the other woman’s absence. As a precaution against that possibility, Mariah had wisely taken herself off to the country for the rest of that week.

She could not avoid Darian Hunter’s company by doing the same. Not for this weekend, at least.

Nor was she altogether sure she wished to.

She had lain awake in bed for hours after they had parted the night before, her body uncomfortably achy and needy. Her breasts had felt swollen, the tips seeming to tingle and burn, occasionally sending shards of pleasure coursing through her as they rubbed against the material of her night-rail. Between her thighs had felt uncomfortably hot and damp, despite her having used a washcloth before going to bed. And there had been an ache amongst the curls down there that had throbbed even harder when she pressed her thighs together, in an effort to dispel that unaccustomed heat.

For the first time in her life Mariah had suffered what she was sure must be sexual frustration.

And it was both frightening and exhilarating, to realise how attracted she had become to Darian Hunter in such a short space of time. How much she desired him. How much she desired to have him make love to and with her.

That realisation frightened her more than anything else!

She lowered her lashes in case that desire should now be reflected in her eyes. ‘I know that you do, Darian,’ she answered him quietly. ‘And I am sorry for it—’ She broke off as he stood up abruptly, his chair scraping back noisily on the polished wooden floor. ‘Darian?’

His eyes glittered dangerously as he stood beside the table glowering down at her. ‘Exactly what are you apologising for, Mariah?’ he demanded exasperatedly.

She swallowed. ‘I realise that last night—that it did not proceed, as you might have wished it to have done—’

‘As I might have wished?’ he repeated softly, dangerously so. ‘Are you denying that your own wishes were exactly the same as my own?’

‘I—’

‘I advise caution with your answer, Mariah,’ he warned softly, those green eyes glittering dangerously, a nerve pulsing in his clenched jaw. ‘I am not some callow youth who does not know when a woman feels desire.’

Colour warmed Mariah’s cheeks and she was unsure whether it was from embarrassment at the intimacy of their conversation, or jealousy, because Darian must have intimate knowledge of other women’s desire to be so well informed. ‘This is neither the time nor the place for—’

‘Will it ever be, Mariah?’ he bit out scathingly. ‘Will you ever be willing to give yourself to me?’

Mariah drew her breath in sharply even as a bite of longing twisted almost painfully between her thighs. What would it be like to give herself to this man? Not just any man, but to Darian Hunter, the Duke of Wolfingham?

Nothing like that horrendous single experience with Martin, she was sure. Even in her limited experience, she knew Darian had already demonstrated that he was a generous and attentive lover, with more of an interest in ensuring his partner’s pleasure than taking his own.

Could she give herself to this man? Could she let down her guard, her inhibitions, and open herself up to such intimacy? Such vulnerability?

She was starting to believe, that with Darian Hunter, she just might be able to do so...

She straightened her shoulders as she made her decision. ‘Perhaps,’ she allowed gruffly.

Darian’s eyes widened as he barely heard Mariah’s softly spoken reply. He had feared the worst minutes ago, as Mariah’s eyes once again took on that look of distance, as if she were no longer quite here with him in this room, but somewhere else entirely. Lost in memories, perhaps? Some of them unpleasant ones, if he had read her expression correctly.

Of her husband? Or some other man she had been involved with during her marriage or since?

Darian’s ire rose just at the thought of a man, any man, ever having hurt her, in any way.

‘Mariah?’ He sat down in the chair beside her before taking one of her hands in both of his. Instantly becoming aware of the trembling of her fingers beneath delicate lace gloves—evidence that those thoughts had indeed been unhappy ones? Whatever the reason, he felt heartened by the fact that she did not instantly pull her hand away from his.

‘Do you think we could please get out of this oppressive house, if only for a few hours?’

She blinked long lashes. ‘I ordered fresh coffee.’

‘I am sure that Benson is an understanding fellow. He would have to be to suffer working for the Nicholses!’ Darian grimaced.

‘Ah, Benson.’ The butler appeared in the room almost as if he had been cued to do so. ‘The countess and I have decided to go for a walk in the grounds this morning—do you recommend any direction in particular?’

The butler poured fresh coffee into their cups as he answered, his face as expressionless as ever. ‘I believe most of her ladyship’s guests find Aphrodite’s Temple of interest, your Grace.’

‘Aphrodite’s Temple?’ Darian repeated doubtfully; if he remembered his Greek mythology correctly, from his years spent at Eton, Aphrodite had been the goddess of love, beauty and sexuality, but better known as being a goddess who indulged her own selfish sexual desires and lust.

Totally suited to the Nicholses’ lifestyle, of course, but not necessarily Darian’s own.

‘It is Lady Nichols’s name for it, your Grace.’ Benson seemed to guess some of his thoughts, his expression still stoic and unrevealing. ‘It is situated amongst the trees to the left of the lake at the back of the house.’

‘Mariah?’ Darian turned to prompt, aware that she had not taken part in the conversation as yet. But still Darian felt heartened by the fact that she had allowed her hand to remain in both of his.

She looked up at the butler. ‘It sounds...intriguing, Benson.’

She dutifully picked up her cup with her other hand and drank some of the coffee.

The butler nodded. ‘And it is always deserted during the day.’

Darian narrowed his eyes. ‘But not in the evenings?’

‘Not this evening, certainly, your Grace.’

To say Darian was intrigued would be putting it mildly. Although, bearing in mind the sexual games the Nicholses liked to play, he could well imagine that Aphrodite’s Temple might prove a little too much for what he now believed to be Mariah’s sensibilities. She was much more easily shocked than he might ever have imagined, or hoped for, before spending so much time in her company.

She had become, in fact, the most intriguing woman he had ever met. And was becoming more so rather than less, the more time he spent in her company. It was a certainty he had never been in the least bored when with her.

‘Thank you, Benson.’ Mariah smiled up at the butler warmly. ‘Perhaps you might ask my maid to bring down my pelisse and bonnet from my bedchamber?’

‘Of course, my lady.’ He bowed.

The silence in the breakfast room seemed charged once the butler had left the two of them alone there. Almost as if the very air itself was waiting expectantly.

For what, Darian was unsure. He only knew that he wanted to get out of this unpleasant and cloyingly decadent household, if only for a few hours. And that he wanted more than anything for Mariah to accompany him.

He stood up, retaining his hold upon her hand as he pulled her up beside him, so close he could almost feel the brush of her hair against his jaw, her perfume once again invading and capturing his senses. ‘Ready?’

Mariah’s heart leapt in her chest, as she knew instinctively that Darian was asking for more than if she was ready to go for their walk. That he was continuing their previous conversation rather than starting a new one.

Was she ready?

Was she prepared to take their relationship a step further?

To give in to the desires of her own body and engage in intimacy with Darian?

Could she do that?

Or would the memories of the past intrude once again and bring with them the fear and aversion that was all she had known as Martin’s wife?

Mariah looked up at him searchingly, not at his handsomeness; that was all too apparent. No, she looked into his eyes, those clear, deep and unwavering green eyes. Eyes that spoke of a man of both honour and truth. A man capable of killing his enemy, if necessary, but totally incapable of physically hurting a woman, most especially one he desired. And Wolfingham did desire her, was making no effort to hide that fact as he steadily met and returned her searching gaze.

Was she ready?

Was it time for her to release her memories of the past, along with her inhibitions, and give in to these new, and at times uncomfortable, yearnings of her own body?

Was she ready to do that?