Chapter Sixteen

Julia didn’t care that she was soaked to the skin as she galloped across the field. Her bonnet had gone flying a mile back, and her shoes were sodden, but she felt no cold or fear as she charged ahead. All she wanted was to put as much distance between herself and her husband as she possibly could.

During all the time she believed they’d been getting to know one another, Gregory had been merely impatient to press his rights as a husband. He was probably weary of her presence, tired of trying again and again to have her and then depart. Well let him depart, then. She’d risk the threat of annulment rather than submit herself to a bastard like him.

The rain pattered against her face, her tears melding with the drops. Another man had left her crying in the rain. She should have guessed this was how it would turn out.

Julia screamed when lightning streaked across the heavens and her horse reared up in terror. She was a capable horsewoman, but riding sidesaddle was not the easiest way to keep a seat, and she went flying as her mount bucked her off its back. Julia landed, crying out when her ankle twisted to the left. Breathless, she lay upon her side in the tall grass and watched her horse toss its head and gallop in the direction of the stables.

“Come back!” she shouted, obviously to no effect. How could she be such a damn fool? When Julia became too angry, she allowed common sense to run away from her. No sane person would have ridden a horse farther into a storm, away from shelter.

“Well. Gregory can return to the house and have a nice hot bath and meal by himself. Then he’ll be sorry,” she grumbled, getting to her feet and limping toward a wide-branched tree. “Indeed. He’s the one who’ll truly suffer.”

If she’d been in the mood to laugh, she’d have laughed at herself. Julia collapsed beneath the tree, where she pulled off a shoe and rolled down a muddy stocking. She wasn’t much of a physician, but she didn’t think she’d broken the bone. It didn’t even hurt that much now; all she needed was to sit here and wait for the rain to die down. Perhaps Gregory would send a search party. After all, allowing his new bride to perish in a storm would look like criminal carelessness to the ton.

“Or they’d think him the cleverest man in England.” Julia sighed. “Why am I talking to myself?”

Her head lifted as she heard the thud of cantering hoofbeats coming her way. Had the horse turned back for her? She got unsteadily to her feet and discovered another rider on another horse.

Even though he was still far away, she recognized the wild tangle of dark hair and the incensed expression. So. Her husband had come looking for her after all.

Julia merely sat down and continued massaging her ankle as Gregory pulled up on his horse. The animal snorted, its breath steaming in the rain as Gregory climbed down.

“The devil were you thinking?” he roared. When the duke’s silken charm and good humor evaporated, he rather resembled a furious beast. He yanked on his horse’s reins, guiding the creature under the sheltering branches. “Get on. I won’t have you catch your death out here.”

“No, indeed. After all, you must be paid for your investment in me, mustn’t you?” Julia had no intention of going anywhere with him. If he thought he could speak that way to her and have her meekly obey him, he’d married the wrong woman. “If I allowed you to marry me with all that pomp and expense, I’d better do my wifely duties. What else am I good for, if not for that?” she snapped.

“Look. Don’t be a stubborn fool about this.”

“I’m afraid obstinacy is one of my marked characteristics.” Julia lifted her chin in defiance. “Besides, we shouldn’t go anywhere until the weather’s cleared a bit.”

She could barely hear herself over the pounding rain, and Gregory conceded the point. Grumbling, he tied his horse’s reins to a branch, then sat beside her. Julia shrugged away when her husband attempted to lay his coat upon her shoulders.

“It’s wet,” she said.

“But it’s warm. You’re in only a damn muslin gown, your shawl’s missing, and so’s your bonnet. You may be stubborn, my dear, but I hope I didn’t marry a stupid woman.”

Julia didn’t want to give in to him, but if she refused he’d be proven right. Only a fool would ignore the peril she’d placed herself in, and so Julia begrudgingly snatched the coat and wrapped it around herself. Lord, her husband’s coat was gloriously warm; his entire body was wonderfully warm, as she recalled. Even when she was this angry at him, Julia recalled their wedding night when he’d lain atop her and she blushed.

“How shall we pass the time?” Gregory looked up at the sky, water running in rivulets down his chiseled features. She pretended to ignore the exquisite picture it created.

“Stoic silence is always welcome.”

He scoffed. “I doubt you’ve gone five minutes without giving an opinion your entire life.”

“That’s not true.” Julia’s temper flared at once. So much for stoicism. “I’m perfectly capable of keeping thoughts to myself.”

“I shall count the minutes,” he drawled. “I doubt there’ll be many of them.”

Odious man. Hateful, despicable, mockingly attractive bastard. Julia stewed in the insults for a moment or two before she opened her mouth to give them voice.

“There.” Gregory appeared triumphant. “Forty-nine seconds.”

“It was longer than that!”

“I assure you, I know how to count.” Gregory drew nearer, and Julia couldn’t find it within herself to tell him to go away. “How badly are you hurt?”

“I don’t think it’s terribly sprained.” Her throat felt dry as cotton as he lifted the hem of her skirt to just beneath her knee. Gregory ran his palm along her calf, causing Julia to bite her lip. But his hand cupped her ankle, and with amazing strength yet gentleness he began to move her foot, brow furrowed in concentration as he worked. “What are you doing?” she whispered.

“Ascertaining if there’s a break,” he replied. “I’ve dealt with injuries before.”

“Oh.” All her smart words failed as Gregory continued to touch her. The man made her want to be defiant one moment, then unsure of herself the next.

“There.” He breathed out in evident relief. “Nothing’s broken.”

“As I said.” She snatched her foot away and rolled down her skirts. “Don’t touch me more than is necessary, sir.”

“You can be a damnably rude chit, did you know that?”

“I’ve often heard that like attracts like.”

“First time I’ve ever been called a chit,” he said. “I rather enjoy it.” But Gregory didn’t pull away from her. Rather, he took her in his arms, and Julia wondered if she should struggle free.

“You can’t just have your way with me in the middle of a field!”

“You’re shivering, Julia. As I said, I’d rather you didn’t catch pneumonia and die. Not until after our first anniversary, at least.”

She was indeed trembling in his embrace, though perhaps not due to the cold. Julia allowed herself to rest her cheek against the warm slope of Gregory’s shoulder. His body sheltered her as nicely as the tree. If she allowed herself to grow too comfortable, she might nod off to sleep. How he’d mock her then.

“I’ve not yet forgiven you,” she said. Gregory sighed.

“I didn’t mean those things, you understand. I’m tired from the journey.”

“That’s a long-winded way of saying ‘I’m sorry.’”

“I did apologize,” he muttered. Honestly, men were impossible creatures. Julia noticed that the rain was beginning to lessen. Hopefully soon the mist would clear and they could ride out. Her husband gave a deep, beleaguered sigh. “Returning to Lynton Park dredges up all sorts of memories. Most of them are unpleasant,” he muttered. “I’m afraid I stumbled upon one of them and snapped at you as a result.”

“Oh. Well.” She cleared her throat. “I suppose I understand what that’s like. Pennington Hall’s been ruined for me since my father’s death.”

“So I’m forgiven, then?” he asked. There was warmth at the edge of his voice now, and it made her smile almost against her will.

“I imagine riding out after me in the rain was a grand enough gesture.”

“I’m pleased to hear it.” He tilted her chin up, and his lips ghosted against hers. Julia felt the most delicious heat flooding her limbs and unfurling itself in the space between her hips. Somehow, she wanted him even more after an argument. Gregory seemed to sense it, and chuckled. “We might take advantage of this opportunity,” he whispered, kissing her neck and wringing a gasp from her lips. “There’s no one around to see us, and you’re half undressed already.”

It was likely meant to tease, but Julia thought of lying beneath him for a few heavenly moments and then watching him vanish before her eyes. He’d be gone for Spain, and she’d be left behind with her own sad memories. She flinched and pulled out of his embrace. Gregory didn’t press her; he only gazed on her with real concern.

“Tell me what’s wrong, Julia.”

“What?” She was about to tell him that nothing was wrong, but he cut her off.

“I’m not an idiot. Something’s got you frightened, and we’ll get nowhere until you bloody tell me. Are you frightened of the pain? Are you frightened of me?”

“No.” The answer came naturally to her, because she did not fear him. He excited and frustrated her, but she never worried he’d physically harm her. The damage would all be to her heart.

“What is it?”

I’m afraid that I like you too bloody much, and that once our business is concluded I’ll lose you forever. There. Now you know. But of course the words didn’t pass her lips.

“Nothing,” Julia replied. “Nothing is wrong.”

“I doubt that’s true,” he said. Gregory sounded tired now, almost as if he knew this was pointless. He didn’t press her, only embraced her in order to shelter her from the storm. Julia laid there in his arms and felt the fierce beat of his heart against her body. She wanted to feel every inch of him, of his arms and his skin, the rest of his devastating physique. Perhaps it was the way she hungered for him, or the way the rain reminded her of that morning at Pennington Hall. If she couldn’t tell Gregory how much she feared losing him, Julia could at least explain some of her hesitation.

“I was engaged once before, when I was seventeen years old,” she said quietly. Gregory didn’t respond, only allowed her the space to continue. “It was the first and last time I went to London during the Season. I met a young man named Mr. Lucas Campbell at Lady Weatherford’s engagement party. I’d never been so captivated by anyone before. We hardly spoke to another person throughout the entire affair. After that, we met however and whenever we could. He made certain to gain an invitation to every ball I frequented, and every time I attended the opera he was also there. I had more fun with him than anyone else I’ve known.”

At least, anyone until Gregory. The duke had been the first man since to delight Julia with his presence, which was half the problem itself.

“And?” Gregory murmured.

“Three weeks after we’d met, he proposed to me. Constance panicked and made immediate plans to take me away from London. But Lucas…that is, Mr. Campbell told me he’d come and fetch me. That we could elope to Gretna Green and be married inside of a week. We agreed to a place and a time; he’d come to Pennington Hall under cover of night and take me away. I remember packing that morning, ready to burst out of my skin with the excitement. I couldn’t have cared less that he had no fortune or title. All I wanted was to be with him.”

Julia had snuck out of the house around midnight, waiting near the front gate for Lucas to fetch her. She’d wondered if he’d have a carriage, or if he’d come only on horseback. She hadn’t cared either way.

Midnight came and went. Then a quarter past. By the time the clocks struck one, she’d begun to shiver. But she’d stood there, knowing that Lucas was only detained and that he’d come. Even when the rain began at five o’clock, she stood there.

Even when it was six and she knew he was never coming, she’d stood another half hour because she couldn’t bear the thought of trudging back inside of the Hall and facing Constance.

“I don’t know why he never came for me,” Julia said. Her voice sounded dull. “But I fear Constance may be right; he probably realized that I wasn’t worth the trouble.”

“Then he was the greatest fool in the fucking world,” Gregory said.

He surprised her by lifting her chin and brushing a thumb along her cheek to catch a tear. Julia hadn’t even realized she’d begun crying. How embarrassing.

“I suppose that’s one reason why I’m afraid of our union. If afraid’s the proper word.”

“I feel like even more of a bloody fool than before. I’m sorry, Julia, for those things I said,” he whispered.

“I imagine I could forgive you.” She couldn’t help smiling. Gregory pressed his forehead to hers, and she felt so warm and sheltered in that moment that the rain simply vanished around them.

“Then I suppose we’ll have to take our time with this.” Gregory gave a growl of impatience, but she felt no pressure from it. “I won’t have that imbecile sully another moment of your life.”

“He wasn’t an imbecile.” Why should Julia defend such a man? “I only mean that he was rather intelligent. Very witty.”

“Wit doesn’t matter if a man is weak.” Gregory made her face him, and Julia saw gray fire in his eyes. Though the rain had stopped and she was warm with his coat around her shoulders, she began to shiver. He held her tight, as if he would never let her go. She couldn’t recall ever feeling so secure. “I don’t care if he ran off with an heiress or got eaten by a bear on his way to claim you. The man was a bloody idiot, and I’m only grateful he didn’t succeed in making you his wife. Wretched though that makes me, I can’t help myself.” The duke kissed her once, a kiss that almost caused her to lose balance. “I don’t care how long it takes to possess you. I’m pleased with our arrangement, Julia.”

The words themselves shouldn’t have sounded passionate, but the way he said them conveyed a depth of feeling that she’d never imagined him capable of.

“Gregory,” she whispered.

“Oi! Hello there!”

A male voice shouted at them from out of the mist, and soon after a man drove toward them in an open cart, a pair of horses before him.

“Woolen. How are you?” Gregory helped Julia to stand.

“Fine, Yer Grace. Miss Winslow came upon me an’ said you and Her Grace was stranded in the storm. Came to find you, I did. Ma’am, are ye well?”

“Quite well. Thank you.”

Julia felt dizzy as Gregory and Mr. Woolen helped her into the cart and settled her comfortably. She forced Gregory to take his coat back, as there was a blanket tucked beneath sacks of grain she could use. Her husband mounted his horse, and they returned to the house as quickly as could be.

But as they drove, Julia couldn’t tear her eyes from the duke.

I’m pleased with our arrangement, Julia.

He’d listened to her story and not deemed her pathetic. Rather, he’d seemed more impressed with her than before. Julia looked up as the sky began to clear, and a hint of blue revealed itself after the storm.