Page 11 of The Taming of the Countess

CHAPTER ELEVEN

‘J ames, I need to talk to you.’

He glanced up from the ledgers and beckoned for Evie to come in. She wore one of her grey gowns, and in her hand she held a letter. ‘What is it?’

She handed it to him without saying anything. He unfolded it and saw the scrawled handwriting.

If you think you can avoid me forever, you’re wrong. I know where you are, and your husband cannot protect you. I promise you will pay for what you’ve done to me unless you send Penford to London with five thousand pounds.

Dunwood

The threat infuriated James, for he would never allow anyone to break apart their carefully crafted life. He and Evie had come to an understanding, and they kept separate rooms with the door locked between them. She slept in her bed, and he, in his. Their marriage was polite, and it was exactly the sort of existence he’d imagined.

Except that he craved his wife every day. And even now, he was entirely too aware of her rose-scented soap and the way her dark hair spilled over one shoulder.

He wasn’t about to let the viscount destroy her sense of comfort and safety. He stood from the desk and tossed the letter aside. ‘He will not come near you, Evie. I swear it.’

‘There’s more,’ she said quietly. ‘My mother wrote that Lord Dunwood has spread stories around London about what I did to him. And now customers are avoiding our family’s store. I need to go back.’

‘I’ll go to London and put a stop to it,’ he said.

‘And do what? You cannot force people to shop there. Especially if they believe I destroyed a viscount’s ability to walk.’ She shook her head. ‘I don’t know what to do.’

He had no intention of remaining at Penford now. Not when Evie was still being threatened. ‘I will confront Dunwood and ensure that he recognises the consequences of his own actions.’

‘James, I don’t think he’s…thinking clearly. He’s dangerous.’

‘If, by that, you mean he’s mad, I would agree. And I will not allow him to continue this behaviour. It will stop.’

‘If his gossip only hurt my family, that would be one matter,’ she said. ‘But when he’s harming the ability of women to support themselves, I cannot stand back and let that happen.’

The man’s behaviour had gone well past the desire for money. Dunwood wanted revenge after Evie had defended herself. And if that meant posing a few threats of his own, James wouldn’t hesitate. He suspected Evie’s father would be happy to join him.

‘I’ll leave in the morning,’ he promised.

‘I’m coming with you,’ she insisted. ‘I’ll do what I can to minimise the damage to Aphrodite’s Unmentionables.’

‘Absolutely not. You’re staying here.’

At that, his wife glared at him. ‘Absolutely not.’ She threw the words right back at him and took a step closer. ‘That man has caused so much harm. Do you think I intend to hide away at Penford instead of facing him again?’

‘You will stay here and remain safe,’ he shot back, closing the distance between them. Her blue eyes were flashing with anger, and he refused to back down on this. He would never endanger her.

‘Don’t ask me to stand aside and let him ruin so many lives, James,’ she responded. ‘I won’t do it.’

‘You will.’ Because he wasn’t about to let her be threatened by Dunwood again. The man wasn’t at all sane.

James rested his hands on her waist, meaning to walk past her to leave the library. But when Evie’s hands slid up to his chest, he felt the familiar flare of temptation. He should have known better than to touch her again.

‘I promised you I would tell you about any threatening notes,’ Evie said. ‘But I never promised to remain here at Penford. I don’t want to be left behind again.’

So that’s what this was about. He’d abandoned her once before, and she believed the same thing was happening once more.

She gave him a slight shove, but James held her captive in his embrace. ‘You’re going nowhere. It’s not safe, and you know this.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ she said. But there was a slight hitch in her voice, as if she hated the thought of his departure. ‘I’ll only follow you if you leave me.’

‘You’re as stubborn as Hotay,’ he said.

‘It’s not your responsibility to deal with Dunwood.’

‘You’re wrong.’ How could she believe otherwise? He fully intended to put a stop to the viscount’s behaviour. ‘I am your husband, and it’s very much my responsibility.’

‘You’re my husband in name,’ she agreed. ‘But we both know you would never have married me if you’d had another choice. You didn’t want someone like me.’

Although she spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, her words carried a weight to them—as if she believed she was unworthy. He didn’t know what to say to convince her that this marriage had been of his free will. ‘That’s not true,’ he said quietly. ‘I could have let any of the other suitors marry you.’

‘But a marriage to me wasn’t what you wanted.’ A trace of hurt underscored her words. ‘And we both have to live with that now.’

‘It’s not a hardship to be married to you, Evie. We get on well enough.’

‘In our separate rooms, living separate lives.’ She glanced away from him. ‘I know that was the condition of our marriage. But I don’t like living this way. We were supposed to remain friends.’

He reached for her hand then and rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. ‘Aren’t we still friends?’

She shook her head. ‘It doesn’t seem so. It’s lonely being married to you. I never thought it would be like this.’

He stiffened at that. ‘That’s not fair, Evie. I was honest with you from the start.’

‘You’ve been anything but honest,’ she pushed back. ‘You won’t tell me any of your reasons why you don’t want a real marriage or a family. Or why you don’t want children.’

Nor did he want to. It was far easier to push away the terrible memories by refusing to speak of them. He released her hand and regarded her. ‘I cannot give you what you want.’

‘That’s…not entirely true.’ Her face turned crimson, but she admitted, ‘We did have one night together.’ She shrugged. ‘But I suppose I wasn’t…what you wanted, so—’

She couldn’t have been any further from the truth. But he craved her with every moment of every day. Perhaps she needed to be reminded of that.

‘I care about you, Evie,’ he said. He took her by the hand and led her from the room. ‘And I’m only travelling to London to put a stop to Dunwood’s threats.’

‘Not alone, you’re not,’ she said. ‘And where are we going?’

He led her to the staircase. ‘Somewhere more private so every servant doesn’t hear this conversation.’

She followed him, her cheeks flushed. ‘I’m not going to change my mind about this. I’m not staying behind.’

No, he didn’t suppose she would. But right now, he had another way he wanted to convince her to stay. He entered her bedchamber and waited for her to follow. Then he closed the door behind him. ‘Sit down, Evie.’

‘I am not a dog.’

He moved closer to her and caught her by the waist gently. ‘Look at me, Evie. Why don’t you want my protection?’

‘Because you shouldn’t have to fight my battles for me.’

He lowered his mouth to her throat, and she inhaled sharply. Slowly, he kissed a path towards her nape and brought her hips close to his. He was already hard and aching for her.

‘And what if I want to fight for you?’

* * *

Evie didn’t know what had shifted, but the moment James kissed her throat, it was as if her body had awakened. She wanted to run her fingers through his hair and pull his mouth to hers.

His mouth drifted to her lips, and she kissed him back, loosening his own shirt. Eventually, she slid her hands to his bare chest and raised her gaze to his. ‘You’re not going to change my mind by kissing me.’

‘No, I don’t suppose I could,’ he said. ‘Maybe I’m not able to resist you any more.’ When his hands moved to the buttons of her gown, she wondered if he was trying to convince her to stay at Penford by showing affection. But if she accused him of it, he would likely stop. And she didn’t want him to.

The weeks of loneliness had taken their own toll. This was about more than an argument. She wanted to touch her husband and convince him to drop the invisible barriers between them. The thought of years like this, of living a shadow marriage, seemed impossible. Right now, he was tormenting her with each button, slowly dissolving her arguments.

‘You’ve resisted me just fine,’ she said, suppressing a shiver when his warm hands grazed her bare shoulders. You haven’t touched me in weeks.’

‘Which was a torment,’ he admitted. ‘I only meant to stay at Penford for one week.’

‘It snowed a great deal,’ she pointed out. ‘You had no choice but to stay.’

‘Didn’t I?’ he teased.

She was torn about how to respond, but more than that, she was utterly distracted when he began unlacing her corset. The touch of his hands against her under-garments only kindled her sensitive skin as he lowered her gown to her waist and loosened her stays even more. She moved her hands up the ridges of his abdomen to rest upon his heart.

‘I’m not going to change my mind about going to London,’ she said. ‘Don’t try to talk me out of it.’

‘I won’t let you endanger yourself by coming with me, Evie,’ he said against her skin. ‘And I think we should stop arguing now.’ He slid her chemise lower and bared one of her breasts. Her nipple was puckered, and he traced it with his thumb. ‘There’s nothing I want more than to watch you find fulfilment.’ To emphasise his words, he lowered his mouth to her breast and swirled his tongue across the tip.

She shuddered at the contact and was dimly aware of him guiding her into a chair. An ache centred within her, and he knelt down, still focused upon touching her. She thought he would remove the rest of her clothing, but instead, he reached beneath her skirts.

‘It’s been a long time since I touched you,’ he said against her mouth. ‘And I think it’s time we remedied that.’

She didn’t know what had changed, but his hand moved against her calf, higher to her thigh. When he reached her drawers, she jolted at the feeling of his fingers against her damp entrance. Against the fabric, he rubbed her, and she dug her fingers into his bare back.

But it was the intensity of his gaze upon her that started to unravel her senses. He was staring at her with a heated gaze, as if he wanted to bare every inch of her.

He moved his hand beneath her drawers, and she gasped when he touched her intimately. She was already wet, and as he explored her, she pulled his head down to hers, kissing him hard. She slid her tongue in his mouth, and he rewarded her by entering her body with his finger. Gently, he rubbed her, and she arched against him as he pleasured her.

‘I’m going to lock the door,’ he said. ‘And you’re going to remove that gown. I want you naked on my bed.’

His words held her captive, and her hands were shaking as she started to remove her petticoats and gown. This was what she wanted—to become his wife in all ways.

But her mind warned her that if she did this, she would only lose her heart to him again. And yet, she didn’t protest his orders. Instead, she removed her clothes, layer by layer. She didn’t know if he would make love to her again, or whether this was only about giving and receiving pleasure.

Right now, she didn’t care.

There was only her husband and this moment. She wanted so much more from this marriage. And if that meant setting aside her inhibitions and asking for what she wanted, so be it.

His eyes were heated as she finished undressing. And when she stood naked before him, she walked slowly to the bed.

‘Lie down on your back,’ he said.

But something made her bristle against his orders. She had never been the obedient sort with James. And although she had tried to settle into this house, meekness had got her nowhere.

Instead, she wanted to seize her own power. And so, she sat on the edge of the bed and stared back at him.

‘Not yet.’ When he sent her a curious look, she added, ‘It’s your turn to remove your clothing,’ she said. ‘After all, it’s only fair.’

An amused smile crossed James’s face, and he removed his jacket and shirt. His skin was still slightly tanned, and she noticed a scar across his pectoral muscle that she didn’t remember seeing in the past.

‘Now the rest,’ she ordered.

His gaze turned cryptic, and he defied her, walking closer. ‘If you want them off, I think you should remove my trousers, Evie.’

His words were a challenge that she hadn’t expected. But when he came near, she reached for the buttons. Her hands were shaking as she unfastened them one by one. Beneath her palms, she felt the hard length of him, and an ache echoed between her thighs. She tried to lower his trousers, but she had to free him from his drawers first. His shaft fascinated her, for this was the first time she’d seen him naked up close. She couldn’t stop herself from exploring his hard length, and he inhaled sharply when she curled her hand around him.

In response, he reached for her knee and pressed her legs apart. He stood between her thighs while she traced the length of his erection.

‘Is this what you wanted, Evie?’

She was afraid to answer. And truthfully, she had no idea what to do now. Did he want her to take the lead? She hesitated and started to guide him to her damp entrance.

Instead, he moved back and pressed her body against the bed. A moment later, he took her breast into his mouth, and she gasped as he teased the erect tip.

‘Do you like this?’ he asked against her bare skin.

‘Y-yes.’ Her voice came out in a husky whisper.

‘I need to remember what pleased you that night,’ he said. With one hand, he circled her nipple, caressing it until she ached to be filled by him.

Then he moved his hand up her thigh, past her damp curls, and slid a finger inside her. The sensation made her moan, for she was already so wet from her own arousal. When she lifted her gaze to his, he slid a second finger inside and began to stroke her. Her body was trembling with need, arching to meet his invasion, and she could feel the pleasure gathering inside like a wild storm.

‘I always wanted you, Evie,’ he said, his voice rough with need. ‘But I need you to stay here at Penford and remain safe while I confront Dunwood.’

‘No. I won’t.’

She had no desire to be a coward, nor was she about to take orders. Instead, she moved her hand to his erection again and matched the rhythm of his hand strokes. His expression grew darker, and when he quickened his pace, so did she. Against the head of him, she felt a slight moisture, and she knew he was close to the edge.

‘I’m not going to let you anywhere near that monster.’

He dropped to his knees and moved her legs to his shoulders. She hardly knew what was happening when his mouth came down upon her, feasting upon her intimate flesh. The first stroke of his tongue caused her to gasp as pleasure rippled through her. She was so caught up in the way he was nibbling at her, teasing the bundle of nerves that was so tense, her body moved against his mouth.

She was losing her mind, fighting to keep from screaming, and when he suckled at her, a sudden flash of release quaked within, shimmering through her body like a flame bursting into life. The rush of sensation erupted, and she cried out with the force of it.

His own breathing was ragged as he finished her, and she began to move her hand against him. She wanted to give him that same pleasure he’d given her, and she could tell that he was wound up so tightly.

Could she…make him feel the same way?

Without asking, she lowered her legs and moved him to sit upon the bed. She knelt before him and saw the moment his expression grew heated. Slowly, she lowered her mouth to his erection and kissed his shaft. Her husband jolted, and she froze. ‘Should I stop?’

‘God, no,’ he responded. His eyes were closed, and he appeared to be nearly in pain. She started to kiss him again, teasing him with her tongue, and he moved her hand to curl around the base of him.

She started to find a pace that pleased him, and he was breathing roughly as she continued to pleasure him with her mouth and tongue. His hand tangled in her hair, and she could feel his caged desperation as she took him deeper. He groaned, causing her own body to ache for another release.

But when she sucked against him, he suddenly jerked free of her mouth. He seized her leg, and lifted it over his hip, spreading her apart. He drove himself against the seam of her wetness, and she shattered a second time, her body coming apart as his shaft rubbed against her swollen flesh. A moment later, she felt a warm wetness against her stomach as he found his own release.

His heart was pounding as hard as hers, but she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. This had gone well past pleasuring one another. Hot tears burned in her eyes, but she buried her face in the sheet to hide them.

She didn’t know which was worse—being separated from him or being reminded of everything she truly wanted and couldn’t have.

* * *

James ordered their supper in a tray sent to his room. His shirt hung loosely about him, and he was thoroughly distracted by Evie, who wore only a thin dressing gown.

‘Are you as hungry as I am?’ she asked, reaching for a slice of warm bread with butter melting upon it.

His attention was fixed upon the curves barely covered by the silk. ‘Very.’

‘I should order my maid to pack my trunk,’ she started to say. He didn’t miss the stubbornness in her eyes or the way she raised her chin in defiance. Already he knew that she meant what she’d said. If he left her behind, she would follow within the hour.

James reached for his own bread and ate it, tasting the creamy butter against the crust. Mrs Marlock had given them slices of roast beef and small boiled potatoes, salted with herbs. As he ate, he considered his choices.

He needed to find another way to convince her to stay. And he could only think of one.

‘I don’t want anything to happen to you, Evie,’ he said quietly. ‘And I don’t trust Dunwood.’ Before she could speak, he added, ‘I am asking you to stay behind for your own safety. Please.’

When she started to shake her head, he added, ‘If you swear to stay at Penford, I’ll tell you about India and what happened to us there.’

She stilled at his words. ‘That’s not fair.’

‘It’s the only bargain I can offer.’ He finished eating and stood. ‘If you want to know the truth so badly, I’ll tell you. But in return, I’m asking you to wait here until I come back.’

For a long while, she stared at him, considering it. It seemed as if a thousand troubled thoughts were drifting through her mind. ‘ Will you come back?’ Her voice held a trace of disbelief.

‘On my honour,’ he answered.

She stood from the table, her own food half-eaten. ‘All right. Tell me how you were captured.’

Before he spoke, he poured himself a glass of wine and drank half of it. He needed the liquid courage before determining where to start.

‘Our ship landed at Bombay,’ he began. ‘I think what surprised me most was the intensity of the heat. I’ve never felt anything like it.’ He told her about the open marketplaces and the stalls filled with spices. ‘I tasted fruits I’ve never even seen before. Mangoes and pomegranates. Sweet bananas that were nothing like the ones I’ve had here. The food had spices and flavours that were new and delicious. At first, I loved it, and so did Matthew.

‘We spent our first few weeks exploring the city. His footman accompanied us—a new one Matthew had hired. Javas claimed he could speak the language, since his mother hailed from Calcutta. It seemed fortuitous, and we were glad to have him with us.’

He poured another glass of wine and glanced over at Evie, whose face remained impassive. But she reached for her own wine glass and took a small sip. ‘Go on.’

‘I didn’t realise, at the time, that the footman was hired by Adrian Monroe to kill Matthew. It was meant to seem like an accident, especially with so many uprisings against the British Army. It was far more dangerous in India than I’d realised it would be. And—’ He took a breath, choosing his words carefully. ‘I didn’t like the way I saw my own people treating the citizens. I saw British soldiers taunting them, and I was ashamed of their behaviour. It wasn’t right.’

‘What did you do?’

He shook his head. ‘There wasn’t much we could do. We were travellers, and we became a target for thieves. Many times, they attempted to rob us. And I noticed that Javas did nothing to defend us.’ Even now, he was torn by the anger at the footman, tangled with the knowledge that the man had had several opportunities to kill them. And yet, he hadn’t made an attempt. ‘I think Javas might have felt a sense of regret after he got to know us. But he delivered us into enemy hands.’

‘How were you captured?’ she asked.

‘It was December of 1845,’ he began. ‘Javas claimed that a sailor had told him about how we could make our fortunes in rubies if we went north.’ He took another sip of wine. ‘We sailed there, only to find that there was fighting between the British and the Sikh. Territorial disputes, mostly, and the maharaja was calling for more troops to fight. Matthew and I realised that it wasn’t safe for us to stay. We were trying to leave, but… Javas betrayed us. A young woman claimed she needed our help, and we—’ He stopped and shook his head, remembering the first time he had met Nisha Amat. ‘We believed her.’

From behind him, he heard the soft footsteps of his wife. Her hand brushed against his shoulder. The silent offer of support was what he needed to get through this.

‘The woman was his sister. The same woman you saw that night at the ball.’

Before she could say a word, he forced himself to continue. ‘After Javas robbed us of all our possessions, he turned us over to a group of rebels. I don’t think we were supposed to come back alive. Which would have made Adrian the new Earl of Arnsbury.’

Evie squeezed his palm and came closer. He held her hand in his for a moment before releasing it.

‘We were captured and taken prisoner.’ He finished his wine and crossed the room to stare out the window. ‘Nisha questioned us about the British Army’s movements.’

‘But you weren’t in the army. Surely, she must have known that.’

‘She did. But none of that mattered to her. She and the others hated the British. I think her husband was killed in one of the battles. And, after seeing what the soldiers did to her people, I understand why the rebels wanted to harm us. They were fighting to protect their land and their families. And when Javas gave us into their hands, we were the scapegoats they could use for vengeance.’

Evie came to stand beside him at the window. Outside, the night was clear, the ground frozen with a layer of snow.

‘Matthew suffered more than I did,’ he confessed. ‘I had earlier opportunities to escape, but I was afraid to act. I thought that, if I made a mistake, it would get us both killed. I kept waiting for someone to rescue us.’ He expelled a breath. ‘But Nisha could have killed both of us from the start. I didn’t realise until later that she wanted us to suffer, out of her own rage. We were always meant to die. But slowly.’ He took off his shirt and revealed the scars to her. Evie traced the ragged edge that had been carved into his flesh with a knife.

‘I’m so sorry this happened to you.’ Her expression was stricken, her eyes filled with unshed tears.

But he didn’t want her pity. Not now. ‘Matthew and I stopped talking after the first month. There was nothing to say any more. I was starting to realise that no one was coming for us.’

‘How did you escape?’ she asked softly.

James braced himself before revealing the worst of it. ‘One night, we heard a little girl crying.’ He turned to Evie, and his eyes burned with the force of his emotion. ‘I don’t know who she was or why she was there. Maybe she was the child of one of the rebels or another prisoner—I never found out. She cried for hours that night, and no one came for her. That was the night I finally stopped waiting to be rescued. Because part of me hoped I could save her.’

‘It wasn’t your fault,’ Evie said, and she took his hand again. He squeezed it, wishing he hadn’t been such a coward.

‘But it was. I waited too long to escape.’ His anger flared with self-hatred. ‘I don’t know what happened to the girl. If I had got us out sooner, maybe…’ His words broke off. He’d never seen or heard the child again. But even now, her cries haunted his nightmares.

Evie’s face was pale, but she ventured, ‘Is that why you do not wish to have children?’

He gave a nod. ‘Children are fragile. And knowing that I couldn’t help that girl, it broke something in me. If I ever lost a child of my own…’ He shook his head. ‘I’d rather be childless than ever experience that sort of grief.’

‘You mustn’t blame yourself, James,’ she said quietly.

‘I disagree,’ he said. ‘It took a child to break me out of my own cowardice. After I heard the girl crying, I was willing to take any risk to get out. By the grace of God and I don’t know what kind of luck, I attacked one of my guards and broke free on a night Nisha wasn’t there. We barely got out alive, and Matthew couldn’t walk. I had to carry him through the streets.’

He poured another glass of wine and drank half of it. ‘It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I learned the truth about why we were truly imprisoned. After I saw her again at the ball.’

He turned to look at her, and his face held regret. ‘I am sorry you faced Dunwood alone that night. But the moment I saw Nisha, her presence brought all the nightmares back. All the memories of captivity and torture. I knew our imprisonment had nothing to do with the British Army and everything to do with Adrian Monroe’s ambitions to inherit the earldom.’ He drained the rest of his wine. ‘That night, I hesitated again. But Matthew didn’t—he immediately went to Lily and protected her.’

‘What happened to Nisha?’ Evie asked. ‘I heard rumours, but—’

‘She fell upon her own blade, and Matthew was badly wounded.’ He didn’t look at his wife but admitted, ‘People were hurt because of me. Matthew never would have gone to India, had I not suggested it. So many things could have been avoided, if I’d only acted sooner.’

Evie rested her cheek against his, and he drew her into his arms, taking comfort from her. When he pulled back, he said, ‘And that’s why I will not stand by again while someone tries to harm you. I’m going to end this threat with Dunwood, once and for all.’

Evie leaned in and brushed a kiss against his mouth. He studied her face, expecting to see disappointment or loathing. But instead, there was empathy. She rested her hand against his cheek and murmured, ‘Then I’ll stay here while you go to London.’