| |
ALEX WASN'T SURE WHERE to go after he left the club. The house he stayed in belonged to his aunt, and he always felt like the staff was watching him. His aunt didn’t like to visit London, and they were keeping her up to date on everything he did. He wasn't ready for her to know about this sudden turn of events. She would be strongly against him marrying anyone from the working class, even if it meant replenishing his pockets.
It was too early in the day for him to go anywhere disreputable, so that left him with only one option. Hopefully the Duke of Ashford wouldn't mind the interruption at breakfast.
The butler led him into the duke's dining room even though it was too early for social calls. Alex almost felt guilty for interrupting such a happy domestic scene. The duke and his wife were flirting over their breakfast plates.
"I'm surprised to see you up this early." Alex said to Thomas Powell, the Duke of Ashford. "You used to stay in bed until after noon."
"My wife likes to be up at dawn and gives me good reason to wake up with her." Thomas gave his friend a wink.
Eloisa, his wife, was blushing but smiling. It was a shame that Thomas was blind and couldn't see how pretty she looked with that pink in her cheeks. Thomas was the golden boy of the ton, with the kind of blond-haired, blue-eyed good looks that society raved about. His wife was lovely in a less obvious way, but her soft chestnut hair and gentle brown eyes held a certain appeal to those who knew her. The two of them were a couple deeply in love and it drove the gossips mad.
"If I had such lovely company, I would rise with the dawn too." Alex enjoyed the way his elaborate flattery always made her laugh.
"We should find you a wife so you can be as happy as Thomas is." Eloisa said.
"That won't be necessary. It seems I have already found one."
A heavy silence filled the room. Both of his friends held shocked expressions with wide eyes. At least Thomas had his mouth closed.
Alex gave them a moment to recover from the shock. Neither of them knew what to say, so he tried to help.
"You could congratulate me."
"Of course. She's a lucky girl." Eloisa was giving Thomas a nudge with her elbow. "Who is she? We didn't know you were seriously courting anyone in London."
"It was a sudden opportunity that came up."
"That doesn't sound very romantic." Eloisa looked disappointed, like a child that had lost a balloon.
"Most marriages are more about business than love." said Thomas.
Thomas knew the circumstances Alex was in. Marrying a woman with wealth was one of the few acceptable options for a man of their rank. There was no judgment in his friend's expression. Perhaps if he told them what had happened they could help him feel more certain that he would make the right choice.
“That was certainly an interesting story.” Eloisa said, after Alex gave them a brief version of the night before.
“I would be tempted to think it was fiction if I wasn’t there for every minute.”
“What is she like?”
“Depends, on if you are asking about Rachel or the Raven. They appear to be two very different women that share the same person.”
“That should keep things exciting.”
Alex was still having trouble wrapping his head around the differences between the two. He would have sworn that the Raven was a woman of guile and experience, yet the women in Gerald’s office lacked that sophistication. It was difficult to decide which of the two fascinated him more.
“She is firmly set against the marriage.” Alex could still remember the way her face flushed with anger. “I had hoped my future bride would be at least willing, if not enthusiastic.”
“Finally found a woman who is immune to your flirtations?” Thomas grinned.
“I wouldn’t go that far. I don’t think it’s me she has issue with, but the institution of marriage as a whole.”
“Not every woman wants to be married.”
Eloisa said that and both men turned in her direction making her blush.
“I never wanted to marry. I enjoyed my freedom and thought I would always prefer my own company to a man’s. Perhaps she feels the same.”
“That won’t bode well for our union.”
“You will have to convince her that there is more to gain than to lose.”
“What if I can’t?”
Eloisa and Thomas were both silent. If he didn’t, then he was going to be saddled with a wife who hated him for the rest of their lives. Alex needed to give this more serious thought, so he kept his visit short and headed to his own home finally.
Rachel sitting outside his door was the last thing Alex expected when he arrived home a few hours later. He looked around, wondering if her father was waiting for him too.
"I'm here alone." Rachel moved slowly to stand. She wore a fashionable day dress in a deep green hue. Nothing about it was provocative except the woman in it.
"A woman shouldn't be traveling the city alone."
"That's because they have to protect their reputation. I don't have to worry about that."
That was true, since one didn’t worry about a bad reputation. The Raven had one built on speculation, but it would be impolite to mention it in front of the lady herself.
"You could have been the victim of criminals. The city is full of those."
"I know how to handle those types."
There was nothing in her expression that indicated she was bluffing. The thought of where she would most likely strike an attacker made him wince.
"You could have written me that you wanted to meet. Given me time to prepare." Alex felt exposed, standing there in the street with her. He knew his aunt's neighbors had their noses pressed to their windows.
"I didn't want to give you a chance to hide."
"Such a low opinion of me."
"I've learned a few things about men and you...” she paused to narrow her eyes at him. “Are a man."
Alex didn't doubt she had learned many things. Working and living at the club, naturally most would paint his sex in a negative light. He didn't like that she grouped him in with the rest of those men. Alex took pride in being different from most of his peers, at least since his bad turn of luck had changed the man he was.
"If this is going to be a long talk, I would rather do so inside."
She hesitated. Not much, but a flicker of her eyes gave her away. Rachel was not as fearless as she pretended to be when she was the Raven. The moment passed, and she nodded for him to lead the way. The butler greeted them, but Alex could feel other eyes watching them as he took her into the library.
"I want you to refuse my father's offer."
Alex should have expected something like this. It was clear that Rachel hadn’t been pleased with the conversation in her father's office. She had been livid, but Gerald had just brushed it off. Unable to convince her father to change his mind, she must have come to persuade him.
"He is a difficult man to say no to." said Alex.
"True, but you have a better chance than I do."
He couldn't help but admire her. He had never met a woman with such bold confidence before. Here she was in a private room with a man she hardly knew, and she didn't look uncomfortable. Those dark eyes stared at him without any guile, just direct attention. She wasn't going to use any of her feminine charms to persuade him. If she had, she might have been successful.
"I'm afraid I'm not able to turn down his offer, and he knows that."
"Because of the money?"
"That's the main reason, yes." He watched as Rachel reached into the dainty blue reticule dangling from her wrist and pulled out a sheet of paper. She held it out to him but didn't move any closer. She made him cross the room to read it.
"This is a contract offering me a sum of five thousand pounds when you turn twenty-five." Alex read the document she clearly wrote herself. "That's a great deal of money."
"It's a portion of what my father promised me if I reach that age unmarried. He didn't want me to be dependent on a man for my security."
More likely he didn't want his daughter to feel obligated to have a protector. He knew how easily a woman could find that was her only means to survive. His own sister, Daphne, could be forced into such a decision if he didn't turn things around for them financially.
"How old are you now?"
"Four and twenty."
That meant another year to wait. The creditors weren't going to be patient that long. Daphne would have to endure more time with Aunt Matilda. She had already spent years as a companion to that bitter old shrew, and it was slowly destroying her joyful nature. It was too long to wait.
"I'm afraid I have an immediate need for funds and can't wait for this."
Surprise flickered across her pretty face. Clearly Rachel hadn't considered he might refuse her offer. "It's only one year. Surely you would prefer that to giving up the rest of your life."
She made it sound like marriage was the same as a death sentence. Alex had never gotten that kind of reaction from a woman. They usually wanted more of his company.
"Marriage sounds a lot more comfortable than debtors’ prison. Some people even find it enjoyable."
Rachel snorted.
"It is often a business deal, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy each other."
"You want me to just ignore the things you do and pretend to be happy?"
"What exactly do you expect me to be doing?" Alex was beginning to feel insulted. He didn't like to be accused of things he hadn't done.
"I know your reputation. Gambling, drinking and a long list of women."
"I was a bit reckless in my youth, but I have learned from my mistakes. It's been a long time since I was decently scandalous."
"What about last night?"
Alex knew she was referring to their kiss. It wasn't proper, but it was hardly an indication of bad character. If they hadn't been interrupted, they might have gone too far, but she was as involved as he was.
"Already worried about me straying into the bed of another woman?"
"Not if it keeps you out of mine."
There was a slight tremble in her voice. She couldn't be frightened by the idea of intimacy, not after living in a gentleman's club. Was it just his bed she was afraid to be in?
"I'm afraid I'm not the type to be unfaithful to my wife. Once we are married, I will be loyal."
"Why?"
Alex thought about his own parents, who had been friendly in their marriage but distant. They lived separate lives but were discreet. It was a strange twist of fate that they had been in the same carriage when they died. Although not unhappy, Alex always felt his parents’ marriage was cold and not what he wanted for his own.
“I’m not that kind of man.”
She pressed those red lips together. She didn't have a biting remark for that. Alex had been uneasy about taking Gerald's offer before, but her being at his house changed things. Now he knew he was going to accept it. Life with such a woman would always be interesting.
"Why would you want to marry a woman who doesn’t want you?"
"I enjoy a challenge."
He wondered if she knew how pretty she was when she was angry. Pink brightened her cheeks and her sharp eyes glinted. It was different than the serene beauty she was when she portrayed the Raven, but no less appealing. He had to admit that the way her chest struggled for air while she huffed was fascinating to watch.
"If you think you will win me over with smooth words, you are going to be very disappointed. I will make you regret this."
He had enough of this arguing and he knew how to put an end to it. Moving too swiftly for her to run, Alex lunged across the room. There was only a moment of struggle as he captured her in his arms. He swallowed her outraged protest as he kissed her.
His memory of their previous kiss was nothing compared to living the real thing again. She was so much softer beneath his hands. Her lips taster sweeter and when the parted, the heat within was more scorching against his tongue.
Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed the full length of her body against him. This was the only reason he needed to agree to this marriage. He pulled away to see she was breathing heavy and her eyes were closed. Slowly they opened, revealing desire she couldn’t hide. He flashed her a grin. He was too focused on her face to notice the hand coming up to smack him across the cheek.
"Don't you dare do that again. I will unman you." Rachel pushed him away. "Trust me, my father taught me plenty of ways to do that."
Alex continued to rub the sore spot on his jaw as she strode away with her back straight and her head tilted up. That didn't mean he stopped smiling.