The Reluctant Suitor

  Adriana’s suspicions were evoked anew. “Of course, I understand. You wish to have it behind you so you can get on with your life?”

  His palm moved upward between her shoulder blades, pressing her closer against him, and in gently swirling her about again, he had cause to catch his breath in sharp reaction as their thighs brushed. The contact left him battling a familiar ache, the intensity of which could’ve been likened to being hit in the gut, very much like what he had experienced weeks ago when he had watched her laughing and flirting with her courtiers outside the church. The fact that he desired her perhaps more than any woman he had ever known had dawned on him with startling clarity during those moments he had stood underneath the tree. No one could’ve even come close to guessing the difficulty he had had remaining there merely as an observer and not staking his claim on her. Her escape to her parents’ landau had frustrated him to the extent that he had been motivated to move to a place where he could continue to view the proceedings unobstructed, where his eyes could feed on her every gesture, smile, shake or nod of her bonneted head.

  Though only just awakening to sensual emotions, Adriana was not to escape unscathed. There was a slow, strength-shattering roll in the lower pit of her stomach that all but took her breath away; it definitely weakened her knees, leaving in its wake a gnawing, hungry craving that seemed to pulse at her very core. Awed by the feelings sweeping through her, she lifted her gaze to find Colton watching her closely, as if searching for something beyond her ken.

  Even as she stared up at him, fraught by confusion, he seemed unable to keep his eyes elevated. They swept downward into her bodice again as the cloth loosened over the delicious fullness. From there, his gaze roamed upward slowly over the ivory column of her throat until it reached her mouth. For a wild, mad moment he wondered what it would be like to taste her quickening breath in his mouth and kiss the tempting softness of those lips that parted in . . . Was it surprise? Or . . . passion?

  He managed a smile, but it was somewhat strained as he redirected his attention elsewhere, a much needed requirement to regain control over his mind and body. With fierce dedication he lent his thoughts to an area he was loath to recall, the battlefield whereupon he had last fought. While cannonballs hurtled down all around them, stripping life and limb from many of them, he had led a charge into that thick fray with the burgeoning knowledge that if he and his men eased their assault one whit, the day would be lost. They had fought with desperation during the whole bloody conflict, and at long last a sense of victory had finally rallied their lagging strength. In the next moment, a shell exploded nearby, sending shards of debris searing into his leg as the blast hurled him aside. Dazed, he had struggled to his feet and fought valiantly on until they had gained the day. By the next afternoon, his wound had begun to putrefy, and when he had thought of his approaching death, an image of his sire had come to mind.

  “You know as well as I that my father was said to have been a man of keen intuitive intellect,” Colton mused aloud, breaking the lengthy silence between them. “He was adamant in his belief that we would be good for each other. Call it an experiment, if you would, this courtship of ours, but I’d like to find out for myself all the reasons my father had for thinking that.” He laughed rather ruefully. “As you know, my dear, I’m a rather skeptical individual; I didn’t like having my life laid out for me in the usual customary rote . . .”—his brows shrugged upward as he made his point—“by my father. Yet I will do all I can to honor his memory as I earnestly probe the whys and wherefores of his reasoning. I can only ask that you bear with me as we go through this pretense together. The task will hardly be offensive to me. You’re an incredibly beautiful woman, Adriana, and yet, in spite of having known each other early on in our lives, we have become, as you said, little more than strangers during my absence. Before I can ask more of you, I must come to know you personally.” Tilting his head contemplatively, he asked, “Has my honesty offended you?”

  “No, Colton,” she replied, offering him a hesitant smile. “If truth be told, I prefer your frankness, for you see, in the time that it will take for you to discern my true nature, I hope to discover yours. As with any couple, getting to know each other is part of establishing a firm foundation upon which a marriage can be built. Determining the character of the other is vital in making a prudent choice before the vows are spoken. Although I cannot expect much to come from our courtship because of your past resistance, I shall be willing to give you every chance to judge whatever merits I may have as a wife.”

  “Thank you, Adriana,” he murmured softly.

  It took a moment before she could answer him, but when she did, Adriana was amazed to find her voice weak and trembling. “I know we have much to learn about each other, Colton, but I tell you truly, I’m not much changed from that little girl you once rejected. Three months from now, we may decide to take different paths other than the one your father intended for us. Should that occur, I hope we shall each be tolerant of the other’s feelings and somehow manage to remain friends for the sake of our families.”

  The corners of his lips twitched in amusement. “Strange, but I thought you had changed a great deal since I left home. As much as I’ve searched, I cannot find that light smattering of freckles that once bridged your nose.” His eyes followed the straight, delicate lines of the mentioned feature before moving to her softly curving lips. “Truth be told, my lady, I don’t recall ever being tempted to kiss that little girl I left behind.”

  Adriana gave him a challenging look. “I think, Colton, ‘twould greatly behoove you to proceed with caution.”

  “A little kiss here and there is harmless. . . .”

  “A little kiss here and there is dangerous,” she countered, thoroughly convinced of that premise where he was concerned.

  A dark brow arched wonderingly. “Are you so fearful of losing your virtue, Adriana?”

  “With you? Aye!” she answered with a finality that brooked no discussion, knowing her mother would be horror-struck if she could hear their conversation. “I’ve not wandered the world hither and yon as you have done, Colton. I’ve never been subjected to constant dangers or the uncertainty of war. I’ve always known where I would sleep, and, thus far, that has always been entirely alone. I don’t know about you, what your experiences have been, but even as a young man you seemed to have a way about you that drew young maidens to you like a swarm of bees to honey, and that, frankly, worries me. There are certain things I want from a husband, among them love, honor, fidelity, and a wealth of children we have made together. If, after this courtship, you still want me as your wife, I’ll gladly yield you all that I have to give as a wife with as much joy, passion, and devotion as I’m capable of feeling. But until that day wherein we become one, I must guard my heart, because I’m very susceptible. When I was a little girl, I simply adored you, but you broke my heart. If that were to happen again, it would be far more shattering to me the second time around.”

  “You’ve made your case, Adriana,” Colton murmured, delving into those large, ebon pools that watched him so closely in return.

  “Then may I assume that you’ll limit the persuasiveness of your manly ardor where I am concerned?”

  “I’m not sure I can make that pledge and keep it.”

  “Why not?” she asked in all innocence.

  Colton mentally sighed, wondering if the woman knew how beautiful she really was. Glancing around as he sought to find an appropriate answer, he realized suddenly that the music had stopped. In some amazement he swept a more thorough inspection around the perimeter of the dance floor. From what he was able to discern, they had been the only ones dancing for the last few moments. Everyone else had moved to the sidelines to watch them. Most of the guests simply smiled in amusement, while others were more enthusiastic and emphasized their appreciation with hearty applause and shouts of “Bravo!” and “Encore!”

  Percy teasingly heckled from a safe distance off. “You’ve been involved too l
ong in the wars, my friend. Any pretty face, and you lose your wits over her.”

  Colton chuckled good-naturedly and waved off the comment with a hand. Then he grinned down at Adriana who laughed and shrugged in spite of the fact that her cheeks were again glowing with a vivid blush. “I do believe, my dear, that we’ve stolen center stage of the Autumn Ball.”

  Twelve

  * * *

  Gracefully mimicking the flamboyance of an actress on a stage, Adriana swept a slender hand before her as she sank into a deep curtsey. To the continuing delight of their audience, Colton followed her lead with an ostentatious bow, dissolving onlookers into hearty laughter and vigorous clapping. The din proved too much for Adriana to bear. In spite of her grin, she cringed and covered her ears in an attempt to spare herself the pain of the thunderous applause.

  Not every guest was that appreciative of the ovation the couple was receiving. When Roger returned to the ballroom and realized that Adriana had been claimed by Lord Randwulf, he had forged through the guests, shouldering people rudely aside as he sought to gain an unobstructed view of the couple. Once the music had ended, he had felt his vitals twist with acrimony as he became privy to whispered comments that eagerly espoused the belief that Lord Randwulf and Lady Adriana had been made for each other simply because the couple looked positively sublime together. Over his shoulder, he had cast angry glowers toward the elderly biddies responsible for offering those galling observations, evoking highly offended gasps and derogatory comments on the crudity of the miller’s son before the lot of them had stalked off in haughty irritation with him.

  Similar praises were being heaped upon the couple by acquaintances and family members, who had gathered at the opposite end of the spacious ballroom, very near the place where Felicity and Stuart were also observing the gracious responses of the lady and the marquess. It was a comment Jaclyn made to her father that stripped away Felicity’s hopes of winning the handsome man.

  “You know, Papa, as much as Colton balked when Lord Sedgwick first proposed his betrothal to Adriana, he certainly doesn’t appear to be opposed to it now. In fact, he can’t seem to take his eyes off my sister. But then, to find another equally as beautiful as she, he’d have to travel the world twice around.”

  Gyles chortled. “She is a pretty thing, isn’t she? But then, I have two other daughters who are just as winsome.”

  Jaclyn patted her sire’s arm affectionately. “As much as Melora may object to the idea, Papa, I’ve become convinced after my lengthy absence from home that in the area of looks, Adriana has far surpassed the two of us. With her dark hair, large eyes, and height, she’s far more elegant. If I may be permitted to boast about my own sister, I’d even be wont to say that she has become a rare beauty.”

  Felicity mentally sneered at the Suttons’ eagerness to laud one of their own, casually disregarding the fact that her own father had frequently been guilty of that offense. Their compliments, however, didn’t bother her nearly as much as the news that there was already a betrothal in existence between Lord Colton and Lady Adriana. A dark, impenetrable gloom descended forthwith upon her expectations. As much as she had yearned to win Colton Wyndham for herself, that just didn’t seem feasible now with the couple committed to each other. Usually a death of one or the other or a serious indiscretion on the part of the female were the only things that terminated agreements of that sort. She couldn’t expect Lady Adriana to be so foolish as to disgrace herself in the latter fashion, and as much as Felicity was led to contemplate what advantages there would be if Ulysses threw his mistress and broke her lovely neck the next time she urged him over one of those steep hurdles she enjoyed taking, it seemed doubtful that such an event would occur so fortuitously in her own favor.

  So, how in the world would she ever be able to find another aristocrat to marry? She didn’t have the lineage to circulate in the same lofty spheres where they could be found. Although the idea of being a marchioness had temporarily spoiled her to less distinguished titles, she’d now be willing to take what she could get. At the moment, even the title of viscount seemed appealing. Still, she couldn’t imagine there’d be that many aristocrats vying for her hand, if any. She was merely an accountant’s daughter, and of late, her father had been too involved in trying to straighten out his own difficulties with her mother and grandfather to be of any help directing her. All the predictions he had made in his zeal to see her married to a member of the aristocracy were being unequivocally undermined by a simple betrothal that had obviously been in place well before she had ever come into the area.

  “You’d think Lady Adriana had a hook through Lord Colton’s nose the way he seems to be doting on her.” Indicating the couple with a toss of her blond head, Felicity hoped to draw a comparable comment from her companion, but in the lengthy silence that followed her remark, she looked aside and found Stuart’s eyes almost hungrily devouring the dark-haired woman. Unable to suppress her deepening disappointment, she questioned with wounded pride, “You, too?”

  Stuart’s brows lifted in surprise as he realized she had been addressing him. “Your pardon, Felicity. Did you say something?”

  “I did,” she replied dejectedly, “but ‘tis obvious you have another woman on your mind. You were staring so hard at Lady Adriana just now that I have to wonder why you’re standing here with me when you could just as well have bestowed all your attention on her.”

  Stuart lifted a querying brow, rather amazed at the petulance of the young woman. “I didn’t realize I was staring at her so intently.”

  “Well, you were, and making me feel like an ugly toad in the process,” she muttered. “If you’re so interested in Lady Adriana, why don’t you go over and ask her to dance? You needn’t feel constrained to stay here with me just because your brother and sister-in-law brought us here together. I’m sure Lady Adriana would be delighted to know she had captured your attention along with the rest of the other gentlemen here.”

  “Your pardon, Miss Felicity, but I believe Lord Colton and Lady Adriana are very close to being betrothed, if not that very thing,” Stuart murmured.

  Felicity shot him a mutinous glance. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have even bothered dancing with me.”

  Stuart refrained from denying the young woman’s brusque assertion. Anything he’d offer in an effort to make amends would likely be refuted, and with good cause. He had been looking at Adriana with all the yearning he had recently been feeling.

  Had Colton lent even a passing consideration to what the couple were discussing, he wouldn’t have been at all surprised, but he had no wish to devote any portion of his consideration to others at the moment, not when he was in the company of the woman who had relentlessly been haunting his dreams since his return home. Considering the fact that his father had selected the lady for him ten and six years ago was the most amazing thing about it all. How could his parent have been so insightful to have envisioned Adriana in her prime and to know that she would bestir his son’s heart as perhaps no other would? Had it all been coincidence, or had his father really been so insightful?

  Settling a hand on the far side of Adriana’s slender waist, Colton pulled her close against his side with the hope that his boldness would be enough to keep other suitors at bay until the ball was over. The difficulty would come later when he’d have to forget the way she had felt in his arms and the curiously provocative scent of roses that had filled his head.

  Adriana could hardly ignore the familiarity Colton exhibited toward her. Curiously she peered up at him, drawing his smiling regard.

  “Yes, my sweet?”

  Adriana wasn’t sure she liked coming to the rather unnerving realization that her knees were inclined to wobble whenever such smoothly spoken endearments came from the lips of this man. It certainly didn’t help her composure to feel his lean, hard fingers tightening upon her waist as he bent his head near her own to hear her response.

  “Did we not agree that we should be discreet at all times lest our pa
rents be encouraged?”

  “Did we?” he asked, as if the idea had never entered into his consideration.

  Taking into account that Colton Wyndham was no addlebrained nitwit, Adriana had no recourse but to believe he had deliberately dismissed her earlier suggestion. In spite of that probability, she pressed him to do what they had tentatively agreed on. “Do you not think we should? ‘Twould likely prove beneficial.”

  His wide shoulders lifted indolently. “I’ll have to consider such a notion at greater length, my sweet. It may hinder my ability to accurately access the integral worth of our courtship. If Father was so adamant that you’d be good for me, then surely I should delve without reserve into the matter of our relationship even when we’re with our parents.”

  Adriana almost gulped. The powerful volley of sensual persuasiveness that Colton Wyndham was capable of launching against her womanly being could reap devastating results. She hadn’t realized until her sister’s wedding how susceptible she really was to falling in love with the man. When his eyes had delved to the depths of hers, he had all but turned her heart inside out and nibbled at its tender core. Were he to continue such delectable assaults on her senses, it might well mean the collapse of her resistance and her ultimate doom. She had not yet forgotten his confident declaration about pleasuring her.

  Feeling very vulnerable to his charm, she tried to convince him otherwise. “Surely, Colton, you can see the wisdom of sparing our parents the anguish of having their expectations cruelly dashed after three months of contrived enthusiasm on your part.”