“Actually, I did.” Darius pushed his plate aside and refilled his coffee as the footman returned with the brandy and poured a glass for his guest. He then told Leopold of the early walks in Hyde Park, their discussions and such. “The only reason I did not pursue her at that time was she was most insistent on remaining a spinster.”

  “How the bloody hell were you not discovered?”

  Darius shrugged. “Perhaps those who saw us wished no more attention on them, so they held their tongue.”

  “Miss Theresa Claxton, she is who you love?” Leopold asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Does she return your affection?”

  “I am not certain, but before I win her heart, I must first earn her forgiveness.”

  “For what?” Leopold demanded.

  It was because of Leopold’s dire warnings that had caused Darius to doubt. “That is a private matter between myself and Tessa.”

  Leopold stared him down, as if the weight would bring a confession to Darius’ lips, but he was not one to cower.

  When he failed, Leopold picked up the glass of brandy, drank the contents then stood. “I wish you well, but do not forget that I warned you.”

  “I will not,” Darius offered. “I hope perhaps you too may love one day.”

  “The problem is not in the loving. It is not being loved in return and the reason I have warned you to the best of my ability.” With that, Leopold turned on his heel and marched from the breakfast room.

  Darius settled back in his chair and stared ahead, wondering at his cousin’s words. The problem is not in the loving. It is not being loved in return. Who had Leopold loved and who had rejected him?

  Was that the true reason for why he was bitter?

  Tessa had not considered that besides her and her father, that her brothers and younger sister Lilith would also attend dinner. Lilith spoke little but observed much. However, Hadden and Edmond pestered Darius with questions. At first, they were polite in that they asked about America, Louisiana, and his family’s plantation in New Orleans. The questions became more pointed as to Darius’ opinion on returning to America.

  “I hope to visit as it is my former home, my family resides there, and it holds a fondness in my heart.”

  “Will you return there to live?” Hadden asked him directly.

  “My home is now in England. Chatwell Castle in Shropshire, to be exact, when I am not in London.”

  Did her brother think that Ellings, though a duke, would abandon his duties and return to his former home?

  Hadden then turned to their father. “Do you think Vanessa will return or will Crispin keep her in Greece?”

  Ah, so that was her brother’s concern. He didn’t like that his sisters may be taken far away. Where was that need to protect or even care when he had abandoned her at the MacGregor home with only a carriage and a driver?

  Tessa didn’t ask, but she did wonder.

  As dinner concluded, both Tessa and Lilith rose to leave the men to their port. This was when she became concerned. What would they say to him, and would they send Darius fleeing from their home?

  Vanessa hadn’t needed to face any of these difficulties. She and Crispin had agreed to wed before he ever spoke to father, nor had Crispin been forced to endure a family dinner in her home. And, had this not been a rule to break, Tessa would not have asked that Darius be invited.

  “Do you love him?”

  Tessa startled at Lilith’s question.

  “I am not certain.” It was a lie, but her feelings for Ellings were not something she wished to discuss with her younger sister.

  Lilith snorted.

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “You do love him and more importantly, he loves you.”

  Lilith was the quietest and most observant of the family, preferring to watch and not engage. “How are you so certain?”

  “He watches you and has a certain look, one difficult to explain, but a look of a gentleman besotted.”

  She dismissed her younger sister with a wave of her hand. “If you are referring to last night, it was because he simply wished to break another one of Claybrook’s rules.”

  “Yes, last night, and every evening this Season, as well as those last spring.”

  She stilled. “Last spring? We did not even converse or dance last spring,” she reminded Lilith. It was also a lie because nobody knew about her walks in the early morning.

  “That is what is so vexing about Society. Everyone is preening, talking, wishing to be heard, but if they simply stood back and observed, they too would have noted how often the two of you exchanged glances, or how his eyes followed you when you weren’t looking, and yours did the same when he was otherwise engaged. Your courtship began last year without a word ever being spoken.”

  Tessa would need to remember to hide her thoughts and school her features whenever her sister was about or she might reveal something most personal.

  Further, Lilith had the right of it. Ellings had fallen in love with her last spring, if he had been honest in his letter. And she had fallen in love with him.

  “Ah, the gentlemen return, and I shall take my leave.”

  “It is not as if we have a horde of guests. Only one so you will not be expected to engage in conversation.” Lilith might claim that she simply liked to observe, but the truth was, she suffered from anxiety when forced into discussions with others. She only attended functions because Father had promised that she would not need to speak or dance, she simply needed to be present. Tessa had hoped that Lilith would overcome this shyness, but after two Seasons, she had not and now Tessa wondered if Lilith ever would.

  Her father, brothers, and Ellings entered the parlor, passing Lilith who paused only long enough to dip into a curtsey and bid everyone goodnight.

  “It is a pleasant evening, Miss Theresa, would you care for a stroll outside.”

  Their gardens were not large, but they did offer privacy from her brothers. “Yes, I would like that, Your Grace.”

  He offered his arm and escorted Tessa into the cool, night air.

  “Have you forgiven me?” he asked once they were out of earshot. “Or was this invitation to simply vex Leopold once he learns.”

  “Oh, I wish to remain angry with you, but find it impossible,” she finally admitted.

  “I promise that I will never doubt you again.”

  Tessa turned to face him. “Nor will I doubt you, not that I ever did.”

  “I truly am sorry,” he murmured quietly.

  “I know and you are forgiven,” she answered.

  They stood very close beneath the moonlight sky and out of sight of anyone within her home and Tessa waited. This would be the perfect opportunity for him to kiss her and she so wished to experience another kiss as he had bestowed upon her in the carriage. Instead, he simply stared down at her.

  Then he turned and offered his arm once again, leaving Tessa quite disappointed.

  What was he about? Did Ellings no longer want to kiss her? Did he simply wish to be friends?

  This was not at all what she had expected.

  “Have you read the book I sent you?”

  Tessa frowned. He wanted to talk about the book—now! They’d had several discussions about literature last spring, and they were no longer friends who met for strolls in the park…unless that is what he wanted.

  “Yes. I did. Thank you for giving it to me. I also wish I would have read it long before now.”

  “Did you also read my letter?” His tone was quieter, and her heartbeat increased.

  Was he finally going to admit his love verbally? If so, so would she. “I did.” A dozen times, at least, even though it had been memorized the first time she glanced at his elegant script. Not that she would admit to such.

  “I meant every word written.”

  “You wish for me to pursue your person?” It was the first sentence in the second paragraph and Tessa could see it in her mind.

  “As bold as I know you to be, that might cause quite the scandal,” he teased. “It is what I wrote later,” he nearly whispered.

  Her breath hitched and she hoped Ellings meant when he spoke of love, but Tessa was too afraid to ask. What if he had changed his mind, or realized he was mistaken? He’d had the perfect opportunity to kiss her and hadn’t.

  “That your wife will not be treated as property?” she offered without the nerve to ask what she really wished to know.

  “Later in the letter.”

  “That you had wished to court me?”

  Ellings sighed and turned toward her. “You are being difficult.”

  Truly she was not. She was afraid of what he might say.

  “I do wish to court you, if you will have me. I did fall in love with you last spring and I have only fallen deeper since.”

  Tessa nearly blew out a sigh of relief.

  “I hope that you will allow me to do so and that one day you will return my feelings.”

  All she could do was smile up at him.

  “Tessa?” he prompted.

  “Your Grace, I would be honored. Further, you were not the only one who fell in love last spring during those early walks through Hyde Park.”

  “I want more than a simple courtship. What I wish is to approach your father and ask…”

  “Shhh.” Tessa placed her fingers against his lips. “If you wish to speak of a future, do so at another time.”

  Darius grasped her hand, moving her fingers from his lips. “Why?”

  “We still have rules to break and there will be no fun in doing so if you speak to my father first.”

  He frowned and narrowed his eyes. “You truly wish to break the rest of Leopold’s rules before you allow me to speak to your father?”

  Tessa grinned. “All of the rules.”

  “There is only one left.”

  “Two,” she corrected.

  Darius shook his head and waved a finger in front of her face. “Under no circumstances will I break rule fourteen.”

  Instead of arguing, Tessa smiled and turned to stroll back toward the house, and she was quite certain she heard Ellings groan.

  He may balk at ruining her, and if she were wise, she’d avoid that as well, but Tessa rather looked forward to being ruined by Ellings. They would marry in the end so where was the true harm? Of course, just because a woman is perceived ruined, in most instances she is not, simply her reputation.

  Chapter Seventeen

  They’d both attended the Richards’ Ball this evening and as he had done before, Darius danced only the first dance with Tessa and then took his leave of her. If she needed to break rules before he could ask for her hand, he would do so, and hoped that she got on with it. And then, he was rewarded by the delivery of a note for him to meet her in the library while others were going into supper.

  Finally, rule ten, never respond to a note at a ball to meet someone in the library or conservatory, could be dispensed with and Darius could call on her father tomorrow and officially ask for Tessa’s hand in marriage. However, he also knew that she wished to break all the rules, which he would not do.

  “One rule, not two,” Darius repeated as he prepared to argue with Tessa.

  With a deep breath, he opened the door to the library and stepped in. It was shrouded in darkness with the only light coming from the moon beyond the windows and the light torches in the garden.

  “Tessa?” he whispered.

  “Who goes there?”

  Darius rolled his eyes. “You know very well as you sent for me.”

  “Yes, but a miscreant still could have made their way into the mansion intent on stealing.”

  “Books?” he chuckled. “If such were to occur, they would likely be above in the bedchambers searching for jewelry. It’s difficult to fence books.”

  “Would that not depend on the book?” Tessa asked as she emerged from the shadows.

  “You are assuming miscreants read or would recognize the value.”

  Tessa blew out a sigh. “I suppose you are correct, though I feel sad for them.”

  Darius held out his hand. “Now, may we go into dinner?”

  “You only just arrived.”

  “I came in response to your note. Rule broken.”

  “There is no fun in that.” She drew closer to him. “At least kiss me.”

  Darius knew that he shouldn’t, but she was so tempting, standing in the moonlight, her dark hair shimmering with tones of auburn.

  “You did not kiss me in the garden last evening and had you not professed your heart, I may not have believed you cared.”

  “You know that I do.”

  “Then kiss me.”

  “It is not right.”

  “You also mentioned desire in your letter. Was that a falsehood?”

  She was a tempting minx and Darius stared into her cerulean eyes then grasped her waist and drew Tessa near. If she wanted a kiss, he would give her one.

  She tilted her chin as he bent, and their lips met. Gently at first, but soon, hers parted and he delved. Tessa wrapped her arms about him as Darius drew her against his body.

  They should stop, now, but he did not have the will to pull away. Tessa was intoxicating and he could not wait for the night when he’d not need to pull away.

  “I am going to ask your father about a Special License,” he murmured after he finally pulled his lips from hers.”

  “What if I wish a grand wedding?”

  He hitched a brow. “I will not wait for months of planning. I have waited already a year.”

  The corners of her mouth tipped “We can hie off to Gretna Green.”

  As much as he wished to leave that instant, Darius would not. “I would not show your father so little respect.”

  “He would not mind,” Tessa said as she rose on her toes and placed her lips against his. This time she took charge of the kissing, and he was left to return hers as best that he could. It was an assault on his control and Darius feared that he might lose the battle to have her as his hand cupped and caressed one full breast and she moaned into his mouth.

  “The best brandy is hidden away in here.”

  Tessa and Darius jumped away from the other as if they’d been burned and turned to the open door. Just inside stood her brother Hadden, his friend, and son of their host, Clive Richards, and Lord Giles Claxton, a cousin to Tessa.

  “Tessa?” Hadden questioned.

  “Oh dear,” Tessa squeaked.

  Hadden took a step in their direction, his hand fisted.

  Tessa quickly stepped between Darius and her brother.

  “I will be speaking with your father tomorrow,” Darius announced.

  Hadden glared at him. “See that you do.” He reached out to Tessa. “Come along, now.”

  She allowed her brother to pull her to the door, which now had a gathering of guests in the corridor looking in.

  Where the blazes had they come from?

  Tessa turned and looked at Ellings one last time and then she was gone.

  Though it had not been his intention to ever break rule fourteen, he had done so anyway because Tessa was now quite ruined in the eyes of the ton.

  Tessa listened first to Hadden yell and then Edmond as they took turns doing so in the carriage on their way home. Lilith was her usual quiet self, taking it all in.

  When the carriage came to a stop, her brothers then ushered her into their home and to the library in hopes of finding their father, but he was not present.

  “Where the bloody hell is he?” Hadden demanded.

  “Back at the ball. He had been in a discussion with his brother, you know, the Duke of Arscott, when you pulled me away and escorted both Tessa and me home.” Lilith smiled and settled into a chair.

  “Why did you not say anything?” Edmond demanded.

  “You gave me no chance. Neither one of you paused long enough in your berating of our sister for anyone to get a word in edgewise.”

  Lilith was always quiet and unobtrusive, except when it was necessary, such as now.

  “Does one of us return for him?” Hadden asked.

  “I would not leave him stranded. You did not even leave him a carriage.”

  “Blast! I will go.” Edmond started for the entry when the front door slammed.

  “Well, I will be off to bed.” Lilith stood. “As I am the only one who has done nothing wrong this evening, there is no reason for me to remain.”

  Tessa was not certain what to expect as she had no way of knowing what her father had heard, nor would he be pleased that his children had abandoned him.

  “Goodnight Father,” Lilith called as she continued on to her chamber.

  If ever there was a time she wanted brandy, this was it.

  Tessa crossed to the sideboard. She was already in trouble so she might as well risk Father’s displeasure on this as well.

  He stopped in the doorway and looked from one child to the other, his mouth firm and his eyes glaring.

  Tessa set the bottle of brandy aside.

  Rarely had she seen her father angry, and never this upset.

  “Tessa, you have always been bold but tonight you went too far.”

  She clasped her hands before her.

  “At least you will wed quickly.”

  He then turned to Hadden. “And all of London will know why because not only did you fail to shut the library door when you found her, allowing others to see, but you pulled her from the ball, hand locked around her wrist, as if she were a disobedient child while you sent Edmond to collect Lilith. That was the true embarrassment of this evening.”

  Hadden looked to the floor as did Edmond.

  “What occurred, or what everyone believes occurred spread quicker than the plague, for word reached me and my brother before you ever quit the house. I learned that you had left and was going after you when I watched my carriage drive away with my four children but not me.”

  He took a breath and stomped to the sideboard. “Luckily Ellings was good enough to offer me a ride home, and given the circumstances, I granted him permission to wed Tessa.”

  She’d not expected them to talk so soon and had halfway feared that her father would rather call Ellings out, even though she was the one who had instigated the entire situation.

 

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