Читать книгу Bound By Love - Rosemary Rogers - Страница 13

TWO DAYS LATER, LEONIDA joined Brianna in a slow stroll through the Duchess’s formal garden.

It was a beautiful creation.

The main avenue was paved with a pale pink stone and lined by fountains topped with sirens on each side. At the end of the avenue a refectory pool was surrounded by marble benches and in the center of the pool was a large golden sculpture of Apollo surrounded by lions spewing water from their mouths.

Several smaller paths led to the flower beds that were framed by precisely cut hedges, and set just beyond the pool was a pretty domed grotto that offered a magnificent view of the surrounding countryside.

Soaking in the welcome warmth of the afternoon sun, Leonida slowly felt her tense muscles relax.

The past few days had been stressful, to say the least.

Lord, she had known that Stefan must employ a small battalion of servants, but she had not realized that it was impossible to step from her rooms without tripping over a half dozen of them. Chambermaids, under maids, footmen, pages, a housekeeper, a butler…

Even the one occasion she had attempted to slip toward the Duchess’s chamber in the middle of the night, she had nearly been caught by a uniformed servant who seemed to have no other task than keeping an eye on the candles burning along the corridor.

She might as well have been attempting to steal the Crown Jewels.

To make matters worse, there was no escaping the time she was forced to spend in Stefan’s company.

Oh, he was unfailingly polite, even charming. What else could he be when Brianna was always near? But Leonida was acutely aware of his brooding gaze that held a terrifying mixture of distrust and blatant sexual need.

Unaware that her feet had faltered to a halt, Leonida gave a sudden jerk as Brianna touched her arm.

“Well?”

Turning her head, Leonida regarded her companion’s expectant expression, belatedly realizing that Brianna assumed her bemused manner was due to their beautiful surroundings.

“It is as stunning as you promised,” Leonida said, happy to be distracted from her worrisome thoughts. “It reminds me of home.”

Brianna smiled, her hair shimmering like fire in the sunlight. If Leonida had been an envious sort of person, she would have hated the slender woman with her tilted green eyes and perfect features. Even simply attired in a morning gown of twilled French silk, she seemed to glow with feminine beauty. Leonida, on the other hand, knew she was pretty enough in her rose-and-ivory striped walking dress with satin flowers along the hem, but she would never possess Brianna’s dramatic appeal.

Thankfully, Leonida had never been petty and she found herself enchanted with Brianna’s artless charm.

“Yes, the Duchess was most insistent that it resemble the garden she had known when she was a girl in St. Petersburg, ” Brianna explained. “She loved Meadowland, but she never forgot her devotion to Russia. No doubt that is why Edmond felt compelled to offer his services to the Emperor when he came of age.”

“The current Duke does not seem to possess his brother’s sense of dedication to Russia.”

“No, Stefan is very much an Englishman, as he should be,” Brianna readily agreed. “His duty is to his estates and to the British Crown. He has a great number of people who depend upon him.”

“So I have noticed,” Leonida said dryly, recalling the unwelcome servants who filled the house.

“He is a very fine duke. Just like his father.”

Leonida pretended an interest in a nearby rose bloom. She suspected that Brianna was aware of far more than she allowed others to believe.

“Did you know the previous Duke well?”

“Yes.” With a faint sigh, Brianna moved to settle on a nearby bench. “I was in London when he and the Duchess died, but I spent a great deal of my childhood here. My own parents…well, let us just say they were unsuited to wed and even more unsuited to have a child. My only solace was coming to Meadowland where I was welcomed as one of the family.” She glanced toward the sprawling mansion. “This was a place of great joy and great love.”

Leonida nodded. She had easily been able to sense the happiness that seemed to have seeped into the very stone of Meadowland, as if just waiting for an opportunity to fill the air once again.

“Did you know then that you would wed Edmond?”

“Good heavens, no.” Brianna’s chuckle filled the rosescented air. “He terrified me. I was much closer to Stefan.”

Leonida felt a ridiculous pang. Not that she believed that Brianna was anything but devoted to Lord Summerville, but there was no denying that she held a special place in Stefan’s heart.

“I see.”

“He was like a brother to me,” Brianna said, an odd hint of amusement in her voice. “Now he is truly my brother. I could not be more delighted.”

Leonida stroked the velvet petal, considering Stefan and Edmond.

“I cannot claim your acquaintance with the brothers but I must admit that I find the Duke far more…” She searched for the proper word. “Intimidating than your husband.”

“You are very perceptive.”

Leonida turned to meet Brianna’s startled gaze. “Why do you say that?”

“Most people are fooled by Stefan’s quiet manner and dislike for the foolishness of society, but beneath his calm composure is a formidable intelligence and a ruthless will.” She deliberately paused. “I would not desire to cross him.”

Leonida could not halt her shiver. “No.”

“On the other hand, he is intensely loyal and would do anything in his power to protect those he loves.”

Leonida returned her attention to the roses, unable to dismiss her insatiable fascination with the Duke of Huntley.

“It is odd that he has not yet wed.”

“You must recall that Stefan and Edmond were raised by parents who were utterly devoted to one another. Neither could be satisfied with anything less in their marriage.”

Leonida’s heart sank at Brianna’s words. Stupid. Of course, a gentleman such as Stefan would choose a woman he could love without reservation. A woman of beauty and grace and charm. A woman of unshakable morals whom he could always trust.

She hastily quashed the dangerous thoughts. The next Duchess of Huntley was none of her concern.

None.

“Edmond certainly found such devotion,” she murmured.

“Yes, well, it might not be so simple for Stefan.” Brianna laughed wryly. “Not that Edmond’s and my courtship was without its difficulties, but Stefan is consumed with his duties as Duke. I think he always fears that he will somehow fail his father. A ludicrous notion, but…”

“But he feels the weight of his responsibilities?” Leonida finished for her companion.

“Too much. He never gives himself the opportunity to meet a woman who can win his heart. I worry for him.”

Leonida shrugged. “He is still young.”

“And extraordinarily attractive,” Brianna pointed out, as if Leonida was not already painfully aware of Stefan’s lethal allure. “It is grossly unfair that two men should possess such beauty. I always feel remarkably dowdy in their presence.”

Leonida snorted. “I know precisely how you feel.”

“Yes, perhaps you do.”

Leonida stiffened at Brianna’s soft words, sensing that the woman was far too aware of her potent awareness of Stefan.

Squaring her shoulders, she sternly reminded herself that she had a purpose in coming to Meadowland, and it was not to fantasize about the Duke of Huntley.

“Were you close to the Duchess?” she asked with artful innocence.

“She was always very kind to me.”

“As she was to my mother. They were great friends. In fact, she told me that she was so lonely that she wrote endless letters to the Duchess after she left Russia to travel to England.” She covertly glanced toward Brianna, watching her expression. “Did you ever happen across any of them?”

“Not that I can recall.” Brianna frowned. “Wait, it does seem…Oh, of course.”

“Yes?”

“I remember asking Edmond why he and Stefan held their cousin Howard Summerville in such contempt.” She grimaced. “He lived not far from here and I occasionally crossed his path, so I knew he was a petulant little snitch who delighted in spoiling the fun of others, but their violent hatred seemed a bit extreme.”

Leonida managed a smile, although she couldn’t imagine what Howard Summerville had to do with her mother’s letters.

“What did he say?”

“He said that Howard was always dunning them for money, and worse, they caught him more than once stealing objects from Meadowland that he could sell in London.”

Leonida blinked in shock. “Mon Dieu.”

“Edmond said they were usually small things, snuff boxes or statuettes, but once Stefan caught Howard in the Duchess’s rooms trying to stuff packets of old letters into his pockets.”

“Letters?” Leonida’s fingers tightened on the rose, sending a shower of crimson petals across the path. Had Howard Summerville managed to read the letters? Was he the one behind her mother’s blackmail? “You are certain?”

“I believe that is what Edmond said. Why?”

“It seems an odd thing to steal.”

“A dangerous thing to try and steal as it turns out.” Brianna laughed. “Stefan had bloodied Howard’s nose and cracked three of his ribs before Edmond could pull him off.”

Leonida froze. “I…see.”

“I do not mean to imply that Stefan is a violent man, but he is intensely protective of his parents’ memories.”

The dread that had been growing with every passing day coiled through the pit of her stomach.

She did not believe Stefan would physically harm her if he learned the truth of her quest. He had been raised a gentleman. But he might very well hate her.

And she could not blame him for a moment.

“Quite understandable,” she muttered.

“Stefan never forgave his cousin,” Brianna continued, unaware of Leonida’s shiver of regret.

Struggling to concentrate on the realization that there had been letters in the Duchess’s rooms, even if she could not know for certain they were the ones she sought, Leonida blinked in astonishment as a large dog bounded through the nearby hedge, dancing around her with his tongue hanging out and his ears flopping.

“Oh.”

Brianna laughed. “Do not fear, Puck would not harm you, would you, old boy?”

“Puck?”

“Puck the second, actually,” a dark voice drawled, making Leonida jerk her head up to watch Stefan step from behind the fountain.

“Stefan, you are home early.” With a smile of welcome, Brianna rose to her feet. “We did not expect you until dinner.”

Stefan’s gaze never wavered from Leonida’s guarded expression. “I discovered I could not concentrate on drainage ditches when I had two such lovely guests staying beneath my roof.”

Brianna chuckled. “It must be your loveliness that has lured him from his beloved fields, Leonida, since he has on more than one occasion forgotten that he was to join me for tea at Hillside.”

Stefan’s lips twitched. “Only because I knew your annoying husband would be hovering about to ruin my appetite for sponge cake.”

“You are a terrible liar and it is time I lay down for a rest,” Brianna said, glancing from Stefan to Leonida with a hint of satisfaction. “It is excessively inconvenient to always feel so weary.”

Recalling his manners, Stefan moved to take Brianna’s hand and lift it to his lips.

“Inconvenient, but wondrous.”

“Yes.”

“If you have need do not hesitate to call for me.”

“All I need is rest. I shall see you both at dinner.”

Leonida watched Brianna follow the path back toward the house, only belatedly realizing she was being left alone with Stefan. Her heart fluttered in alarm. She had gone to great efforts to avoid this precise situation.

“Perhaps…”

Without warning, Stefan had moved to grasp her arms. “No.”

STEFAN GAZED DOWN AT THE FACE that had haunted his nights. The clear, innocent blue eyes. The delicate features. The stubborn line of her jaw.

The lush lips that begged for his kiss.

Christ. He was tired of waiting for her to reveal her nefarious reasons for being at Meadowland, and even more tired of playing the role of proper host.

He wanted her in his bed. To hell with anything else.

As if sensing his smoldering tension, Leonida licked her lips, her eyes darkening with a need she could not entirely disguise.

“No?”

“You were about to suggest that you follow Brianna to ensure she is well or perhaps you have discovered a sudden need to change your gown or any of the other excuses you have used over the past two days to avoid being alone with me.”

Her lips thinned at his mocking tone. “If you are so confident I am attempting to avoid you then it would seem odd you would insist that I remain.”

Skimming his hands down her bare arms, he took her hand and firmly tugged her down the path.

“Since I have done everything in my power to make you feel welcome at Meadowland, I think it only fair to have an explanation as to why you would take such a dislike to my companionship.”

She ducked her head, hiding her expressive features. “I do not dislike your companionship.”

“Then why do you avoid me?” he demanded. “Is it because I kissed you?”

“You should not have.”

Stefan’s short laugh was without humor. Did she believe that he had a choice in the matter?

“Perhaps not, but that will not halt me from doing so again.”

He felt her shiver and, quickening his pace, he led her around the small pool to climb the steps of the private grotto. Bloody hell, he had to kiss this woman before he went stark raving mad.

She gasped as he yanked her into the shadows of the grotto that was painted with lovely Grecian frescoes, his arms wrapping around her to haul her firmly against his chest.

“Is this why you returned early?” she demanded, her glare at odds with the rapid pulse beating at the base of her throat.

Miss Karkoff might pretend indifference, but she desired him. Her words could lie, but not her body.

“I returned because I could not stay away.” Dipping his head, Stefan buried his face in the curve of her neck. “Jasmine.”

“What?”

“You smell of jasmine.”

She shuddered, her hands lifting to clutch at his shoulders.

“Stefan, what do you want of me?”

“I should think that obvious.” He pulled back to regard her with a grim determination, his fingers easily dealing with the ribbons that held her chip bonnet tied beneath her chin. “But if you wish, I shall reveal precisely what I want of you.”

She made a sound of annoyance as he casually tossed the hat onto the flagstone floor.

“That is my favorite bonnet.”

Heat spread through his lower body, stirring his muscles in sharp anticipation.

“A charming concoction, but as you know I prefer a more natural beauty.” With a few practiced motions he had the pearl studded pins plucked from her hair, allowing the golden curls to tumble over her shoulders. With a low groan, he thrust his fingers through the thick curls. “Silken sunshine.”

Her fingers tightened on his shoulders. “You are trying to distract me.”

He brushed his lips over her brow, pausing to nuzzle the pulse hammering at her temple.

“Am I succeeding?”

“Damn you,” she said huskily.

“Such language, little dove. Those lips were meant for a far sweeter purpose.” Framing her face in his hands, Stefan angled it upward, seeking her lips in a kiss of sheer possession. Mine, a voice whispered in the back of his mind. Parting her mouth with his tongue, Stefan tasted deeply of her sweet innocence, a savage hunger humming through his body. For a moment she went rigid, as if startled by his invasion, then with a sigh, she arched closer to his body and tangled her fingers in his hair. “Yes,” he muttered against her lips, his hands smoothing up her back as he skillfully unhooked the pearl buttons.

He swept his lips over her eyes, the perfect line of her nose, before returning to her pleading lips. At the same moment, he was shifting her arms so he could tug her gown down until it pooled at her feet.

Leonida groaned, pulling back to regard him with dazed eyes. “The servants…”

“Will not trouble us here,” he promised, nuzzling that tender spot at the base of her throat that always made her shiver.

“Do they know this is where you lure hapless women?” she rasped, even as her head tilted back to allow him greater access.

“Hapless?” He laughed as he shifted to press her against the wall, his fingers tracing the scooped bodice of her shift. Her skin was as soft as the finest silk. “You are the most dangerous woman I have ever encountered, Miss Karkoff. The Emperor is wiser than I ever suspected.”

Her breath caught at his accusation. “What do you mean?”

“You are the one with the answers, not I,” he muttered, far more interested in removing her lacy corset than in discovering the truth. The undergarment dropped to the ground, swiftly followed by her thin shift. She shivered. Stefan wrapped her tightly in his arms. “And until I have the truth from you I intend to enjoy what has been offered me.”

“Stefan…” She gave a startled squeak as he bent his head to take a puckered nipple between his lips. “Oh.”

“Shh, my dove,” he murmured, savoring the sweet taste of Leonida’s skin as he explored the curve of her breast, his fingers stroking down her lower back and over the flare of her hips.

She was tiny, but perfectly shaped, and so exquisitely soft. Flawless. With a muttered curse, Stefan ripped off his cravat and jacket, his waistcoat swiftly following. Then, jerking his linen shirt over his head, he reached to grasp her hands and pressed them to his chest.

“Touch me,” he commanded roughly.

With a tiny groan she arched back to regard him with a troubled gaze.

“I have warned you that I am not my mother.”

He frowned, gripping her hips to press her firmly against his aching erection. This was hardly the moment to chat about her mother.

“So you have said, although I haven’t the least notion what this has to do with the Countess,” he growled.

Her hands trembled, but she did not pull them away from his chest. “You are not the first gentleman to presume I am eager for an affair just because my mother enjoyed such a blatant liaison with the Emperor.”

Just for a moment Stefan’s heart twisted at the sight of the vulnerability that shimmered in her wide eyes. She appeared so damned innocent with her flushed cheeks and her bright curls tumbled about her face. It stirred a protective instinct that sent a chill of alarm down his spine.

He narrowed his gaze as he studied the angelic face that might very well disguise the heart of a viper. He would be a fool to forget that for a moment.

“And you would not be the first woman to return my kisses with the hope of trapping a duke into marriage,” he smoothly countered.

She blinked, as if shocked by his words. “I would never—”

“And neither would I,” he interrupted, kissing her with a fierce demand. “I desire you,” he rasped, his lips moving down the line of her collarbone. “I ache for you. It is that simple.”

“Dear lord,” she moaned, her fingers skating over his chest as he once again found the tip of her breast to suckle her with a growing insistence. “There is nothing simple about this.”

She was right.

Lust was simple, but this…

Grimly thrusting aside the voice of warning in the back of his head, Stefan nudged her legs apart with his knee, his hand moving over her hip until he could tease the inner skin of her thigh.

She gave a small cry of pleasure and Stefan hastily covered her lips in a smothering kiss. It was not fear of discovery that troubled him; it was fear he might very well shoot anyone stupid enough to walk through the door and interrupt him.

Returning his kiss with an untutored enthusiasm, Leonida dug her nails into his back. Stefan growled his pleasure, his hand seeking the intimate cleft between her legs. She was already damp and his finger slid through the slick folds, a sweet temptation that made his erection pulse with an angry demand for release.

Guided by her soft pants and moans, Stefan caressed her with a growing urgency, goading her to even greater pleasure. She began to stir restlessly in his arms, seeking a relief to the tension he could feel clenching her muscles.

“Easy,” he murmured, grasping one of her wandering hands to press it against his arousal.

He groaned at the raw pleasure. Even through his buckskins he could feel the heat of her fingers as they curved tentatively around his shaft.

Using one hand to guide her fingers over his arousal, he used the other to continue pleasuring her, their rasping breaths the only sound to break the silence of the grotto.

“Stefan…I need…”

“I know, my dove, trust me,” he muttered, barely recognizing the irony of his words.

In this moment he could think of nothing beyond the sight of Leonida’s beautiful face as her eyes widened and her mouth parted in a silent scream of pleasure.

Her first taste of passion, but not her last, he silently swore.

Struck by her beauty, Stefan was caught off guard when her fingers tightened around him. With a strangled moan, he thrust his hips forward and his powerful release exploded. Gasping for air, he leaned heavily against her, struggling to remain upright as the shattering climax pulsed through his body.

Christ, what had the woman done to him?