Page 19

Laurel and Penny were still laughing over the incident at the dressmaker's an hour later as they enjoyed a cup of tea together in the drawing room of Hazelden House.

'Twas most unladylike and Laurel felt a tiny bit guilty about encouraging Julian's younger sister to behave so mischievously, but the look on the face of the woman who had abandoned Julian after he was injured, was too delightful.

"Serves her right for the way she treated Julian," Penny said, a glint in her eye.

"After the explosion at the mine, Julian was devastated.

And in so much pain. Oh, he always put on a brave face, but at night I could hear him thrashing about in his bed, moaning with anguish until Kenley was able to sooth him with a bit of laudanum. It was horrible."

Laurel had not gotten a good feeling about either woman from their demeanor but this story, along with the small amount Julian had shared with her, left a very sour taste in her mouth.

"If she had second thoughts about the courtship, it was understandable. But could she have not waited longer, until he had recovered further, before she ripped his heart out like that?"

"He had cared for her that much?" Laurel asked, noting the bite of jealousy stabbing at her.

Penny added a biscuit to her plate and thought for a moment.

Though she was younger and much less experienced in life than Laurel, Penny had a sense of maturity about her.

Like a wise older woman in the body of a sweet sixteen-year-old.

In their short acquaintance, Laurel had come to think quite highly of her new sister.

Which only added to her growing sense of shame over her plans.

"I think," Penny said, "Julian was more in love with the idea of being in love and having a family of his own than he was actually in love with Lady Edna."

"She is very beautiful," Laurel felt compelled to acknowledge. She had felt a spike of envy at the woman's glossy, smooth flaxen hair which looked like a golden halo around her head. She bet no one ever told her she had the hair of the devil. No, that head of hair was angelic.

"Yes, that is certain. And she knows it," Penny added with a smirk.

"You never cared for her?" Laurel asked, though she knew this was a poor idea and she ought to redirect the conversation.

She was the lady of the house now and she ought to set a good example for Penny.

However, good sense eluded her at the moment.

She was mystified over her husband's actions, and she told herself if she found out more about him, it might provide some answers.

And she was curious as a cat about the woman who had, at least at one time, held the affection and admiration of Julian.

Penny chose her words carefully and Laurel appreciated her for it. "She had little interest in me and I had the distinct feeling that if I did not marry quickly after she became Julian's wife, I would be shunted off to a convent or another similarly dire location."

"Surely you are mistaken. Your brother and your grandfather would not permit it." Though she had only been in residence a short time, it was obvious how much Lord Ebersole adored his granddaughter and Julian did as well, in his own, less-effusive manner.

"You are a much better choice for Julian.

And I like you much better too," Penny said, with a slight blush.

"Seeing Julian happily married would have been enough, but a new sister who is a genius with fashion and will help me through my Season?

'Tis like a dream come true. As soon as grandfather's party is over, would it be possible for us to start planning the wardrobe for my coming out? "

Laurel's mind raced. She hated the idea of lying to the girl. Just as much as she hated knowing she'd be leaving her high and dry to face her Season with just Julian and Lord Ebersole to assist her. And the dreadful designs of Mrs. Davenport.

"Why should we wait? I will begin sketching some ideas tonight and then we can talk about them."

To her surprise, Penny jumped out of her chair and crossed over to Laurel, wrapping her arms around her neck in a tight hug. "Thank you," she whispered in Laurel's ear. "You are the best thing that has happened to me in a long, long time."

That night, despite the longer days of June, Julian had managed to stay at the mine until well after the sun had gone down.

There was no shortage of work for him there, including a complete inventory of his entire office to determine what else his sticky-fingered cousin had nicked from his office.

So far, it was only the magnifying glass, which Julian surmised had been done just to let Julian know the other man had been in his office. A show of dominance.

As he handed Zeus's reins to a stable hand, he felt a pang of guilt. The boy stifled a yawn and then glanced up at Julian anxiously. "You may yawn if you are tired, Johnny." Reaching into his pocket, he handed the boy a coin. "For your troubles."

The boy's eyes lit up and he stared at the coin in wonder. "Thank you, my lord," he said, still gazing at his treasure.

"Do not tell Abrams," he warned. "This will be our secret." The head groom had a jealous streak and would no doubt take it out on the boy if he felt Johnny had gotten an advantage he believed ought to be due him.

"Yes, my lord," the boy said. "I'll take it to the grave."

"See that you do," Julian said, with equal solemnity.

As he made the short walk to Hazelden House in the warm evening air weariness began to set in. Weariness compounded by trepidation.

Last night he had slept on the settee in his dressing area.

It was the most uncomfortable night's sleep he'd had since the pain of his injuries had kept him awake.

He did not look forward to another night of the same, yet the idea that his wife would reject him again was too painful to allow him to consider joining her in the big bed.

His grandfather's birthday was just over a week away. Perhaps he would need to make another trip to London in the meantime. Sharing a room with Laurel was simply too difficult. Too much temptation and not enough resolve.

Kenley greeted him when he entered the house. After their long trip to London, he had granted his valet some personal time.

"Good evening, Kenley," Julian said. "I trust your visit with your mother was pleasant?"

Kenley held back a smirk. "She is as caustic as ever and she sends you her best wishes on your nuptials."

"Please thank her when you see her next," Julian replied.

Workers had been coming to his office all day to congratulate him on his marriage.

Playing the happy bridegroom did not come easy to him and finally he had closed his office door with instructions to Grimes that he not be disturbed unless there was an emergency.

"Cook has a warm meal for you," Kenley said. Julian was surprised at how happy it made him. He'd had little to eat all day after a less-than-satisfactory meal the night before.

He made his way to the dining room and sat down, removing the cloche from a plate of liver and veg. A footman appeared with a bottle of wine and poured a glass for him.

With a sigh, Julian began his meal. The hot food soothed him and by the time he finished he felt he could sleep well upon the lumpy settee.

Leaving the dining room, he noticed a light coming from his grandfather's study and chose to take a different route through the hall in order to get to his bedchamber.

Despite the refreshment of a meal, he was in no humor for more of his grandfather's probing.

Finally, he arrived on the second-floor wing which held his bedchamber. He had not seen Laurel, though the manor house was large enough she could have been in the library or solarium. But given the hour, he suspected she was in bed and, he hoped fervently she was sound asleep.

Opening the door stealthily, he was heartened to see the room was dark and Laurel was curled up with her back to the door, fast asleep.

He glanced at the bed as he moved toward the dressing area and she did not so much as twitch even when a floorboard squeaked.

Thank goodness he'd married a sound sleeper.

When he'd gone that morning, he'd left the dressing room door slightly ajar so he could exit and enter as quietly as possible and he was relieved to see it remained in the same position.

Stepping into the room, he stood for a moment with the door behind him allowing his vision to adjust to the utter darkness of the space.

Then a match was struck and a candle lit.

Laurel sat upon the lumpy settee, a look of great satisfaction upon her face.

"Welcome home, husband," she said. Like last night, her hair was in a single plait.

Though she wore a dressing gown, he assumed she wore a frothy nightgown beneath it.

The thought was most distracting to his sensibilities, and he suspected he would need to be on his toes for whatever had kept Laurel up, hiding and waiting for him in the dark.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked once he collected his wits about him. "I thought you were asleep." He gestured toward the bed where he'd assumed she was sleeping.

"Would you prefer to sleep on this hateful settee than to share a bed with me?" she asked and though she jutted her chin up in challenge, he could not help but note a flash of hurt crossed her face.

"Have you been sitting in here all evening? In the dark?"

"Why are you ignoring my question?"

"Why are you ignoring mine?"

"This afternoon I took a walk around the estate and found a very nice young boy in the stables. I believe he said his name is Johnny. I gave him a coin and asked him to please let me know when you had arrived home."

Despite his surprise and consternation, Julian could not help but grin. "I gave the same boy a pence for staying up late waiting for me to return."

"Looks like Johnny is going to sleep well tonight," Laurel said, with a smile. "Good for him. Now," she continued, "the question remains whether you are going to do the same? Or if you insist on sleeping in here like a vagabond."

"This is hardly the type of accommodation most vagabonds enjoy."

"True enough. It is a nice room. For keeping your clothing." She crossed her arms in front of herself.

"Why does it matter to you?" he asked. Had he not been so fatigued, he never would have entered into such a personal conversation, even if she was his wife, but it had been a trying day and his defenses were down.

"It matters because I care about you. I care that you are in good health and remain so."

"I suppose becoming a widow would be rather inconvenient."

"Do be serious!" she said, eyes flashing in the candlelight.

"I did not believe you wished to share a bed with me.

Or any close proximity, for that matter," Julian replied, straining to keep the bitter tone from his voice.

"I have trapped you in this marriage and you find me repulsive.

For that, I apologize and if you wish to seek an annulment, I will do all in my power to expedite it. "

Laurel crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head at him.

"Do you think I am a quitter? I apologize for my reaction to your kiss yesterday morning.

I was surprised and also, you must agree, an emotional and physical entanglement will only complicate matters when it is time for us to part.

It was for that reason I rebuffed your advances, not for any other.

" Her gaze held his steadily and then she stood.

"Your grandfather is not a stupid man and if you continue to sleep in here rather than in the bed, the staff will notice, if they have not already. You know how they love to gossip and it will only be a matter of time before word reaches Lord Ebersole."

"I thought he asked you to call him grandfather."

She glared at him. "Obdurate. That is what you are. Are you coming to bed or not?"

Picking up the stand holding the candle, she stood and walked straight toward him, then stared at him until he stepped aside and held the door for her.

Far be it for him to argue with a woman who insisted he join her in bed.

After setting the candle on the bedside table, Laurel drew back the covers on the bed to reveal the form which he had assumed was her fast asleep was actually a wall of pillows down the center of the mattress. She turned to look at him, one brow raised. "Left side or right?"

"I choose right," he replied. "So I can keep my eye on you."