A Duchess Enraged (23 page)

"Although I
regret the pain you've suffered, I must admit that I can't feel entirely
unhappy that you've determined to end your wretched marriage," continued
Louisa merrily. "Although I would be glad to remain at your side as your
mistress, it will be so much nicer to be your wife. Think of how happy we will
be, spending all our time together, just as we did in France. And I do so look
forward to giving you an heir." She dropped her eyes shyly and managed a
simper.

Adam moved restlessly
next to her. "Louisa--" he began, but then the carriage took a gentle
turn, and he saw Allegra's carriage ahead of the on the track. His wife sat
inside it, her lapis-blue dress and the paler blue upholstery outlining the gentle
curves of her figure, setting off the brilliant sparkle in her eyes and the
glow of her hair. Adam stiffened at the sight of her, feeling the relentless
tug of his desire for her as his body responded without his permission. Louisa
gave him a knowing glance.

"Goodness, it's
your wife," she whispered, pretending profound shock. "How
embarrassing. I do hope she doesn't create a scene. I would be so
mortified." She inched closer to Adam on the seat.

Adam's lips set in a
grim line when he saw that Allegra's carriage was stopped, and the elegantly
dressed gentleman who leaned comfortably against the side of it, chatting
cheerfully with its occupant, was Lord Gresham. Allegra didn't have the
strength to stay away from him for even a few hours, he thought angrily. He
wondered jealously if Gresham had already slept with her, or if that was an
event that would be happening in the near future. He had spent the last several
hours meeting with a man who had promised that Allegra's every move would be
watched by his men, and he hoped fervently that they were already on the job.

"Isn't that Lord
Gresham?" whispered Louisa, her eyes wide. Trust Tristan, she thought, to
be there at just the right moment.

"It is
indeed," answered Adam grimly.

The carriage drew
nearer to Allegra's, and her head turned, her eyes widening momentarily as she
took in the sight of its occupants. She felt a rush of surprise as she
recognized that Louisa sat next to Adam, her arm linked possessively through
his, then a sharp pang of pain. Finally, a great sense of anger filled her,
driving away the distress and leaving her feeling cold and empty. A look of icy
contempt covered her face and she turned back to Lord Gresham without
acknowledging Adam's presence.

"Would you care
to join me, Lord Gresham?" she asked. "I would love some
company."

"With
pleasure." Tristan cast a mocking look in Adam's direction and stepped up
into the carriage, seating himself across from Allegra with careless grace.
"I was hoping you would ask."

Allegra's eyes
followed Louisa's carriage as it passed hers and continued on its way, Adam's
golden head shining brightly next to Louisa's raven one. She frowned.

"What a pity
that you only asked in order to annoy your husband," continued Tristan
smoothly.

Allegra's eyes flew
to his face and she colored self-consciously. "I didn't ask you to keep me
company because of that," she protested.

Tristan raised an
eyebrow. "Didn't you?"

Allegra wrinkled her
nose. "Perhaps...just a little. But I truly do enjoy your company, Lord
Gresham. You mustn’t think ill of me. It's just so hateful of him to flaunt
that woman in my face."

"Hateful
indeed," Tristan agreed. "And stupid. Why anyone would prefer her
company to yours, I can't imagine."

"She's much more
experienced than I am," said Allegra hesitantly. "I suppose I seem a
mere child to Adam in comparison."

Tristan smiled wryly.
Louisa's calculated words had apparently left a deep wound. For one brief
moment he felt the urge to comfort Allegra, to assure her that Adam's interest
in Louisa had been on the wane since he had first re-discovered his wife. But
then commonsense reasserted itself. Allegra's feelings didn't matter. What
mattered was that he got his revenge.

"I find her
charms overblown and obvious," countered Tristan. "And her wit is nonexistent.
Believe me, Your Grace, any gentleman would prefer your company to hers."

"Then you know
Lady Manning?" Allegra eyed him curiously, wondering if she dared question
him about her rival.

"We've
met," said Tristan coolly. "But I don't wish to discuss her. I want
to know what I can do to put a smile back on your lovely face."

Allegra fingers
played listlessly with the strings of her reticule. "I suppose I should
just get on with my life. It's just that I thought...that it seemed--" she
broke off, unwilling to expose her folly.

"You thought
that perhaps Gravesmere was coming to care for you?"

Allegra nodded.
"You probably think I'm very foolish."

"Not foolish,
no. Romantic, perhaps, and too sensitive for your own good, but not foolish. I
only wish that you had such tender feelings for me."

Allegra turned pink
under his direct gaze. Lord Gresham's admiration soothed her shattered pride.
Here was a man who found her interesting and charming and desirable. She smiled
at him tentatively. "It seems our parents were wrong when they thought
Adam and I would make a match of it. I wish now that they had never brought us
together."

"You know that
you have only to speak one word and I'll take you away from here," said
Tristan. "I would do anything for you, Your Grace."

"That isn't
possible. I've done nothing wrong, and I won't allow Lady Manning to drive me
away. But I thank you for thinking kindly of me."

Tristan leaned
forward and gazed directly into her eyes. "He isn't worth a single one of
your tears. I hope to convince you that I am the one who can truly make you
happy."

Allegra sat back
against the silken seat cushions, startled. "Lord Gresham, I appreciate
your concern for me, but now is hardly the time to...to--"

"To declare
myself to you?" Tristan took her hand in his. "Your Grace, my heart
will always be yours. I know it is scandalous of me, but I wish to bring you
happiness, to show you all the joys that you can know as a woman. Believe me, I
won't rest until you are mine."

Allegra's eyes grew
very wide. Previously Lord Gresham had spoken in general terms, of protecting
her and comforting her, and she could put his words down to simple gallantry.
But now he was making it plain that his interest went far deeper than mere
flirtation.

"My lord, this
conversation is becoming vastly improper," she protested.

"I know I should
regret that, but I don't. It pains me to see you suffering so at the hands of
your loutish husband. Please allow me to prove to you that not all men are so
unappreciative. If you were mine I would stop at nothing to make you
happy."

Allegra felt a moment
of panic at Tristan's words. While she found him agreeable and amusing, her
affections were in no way captured by the roguish baron. Indeed, she
acknowledged miserably, her every thought was of Adam. It also worried her that
Lord Gresham was no boy who could be easily used to make Adam jealous and then
brushed off. She could tell by the look in his eye that he wanted far more from
her than a pleasant flirtation. But then her sense of pride reasserted itself.
If she involved herself with Tristan, Adam would be furious, far angrier than
if he saw her with a callow youth. She could handle the baron, she told herself
firmly. He was a gentleman, after all, and wouldn't push her too hard.

Calming herself with
a deep breath, she summoned a bright smiled. "You're very kind, Lord
Gresham. I'm touched by your concern."

"I feel a great
deal more than just concern for you, Your Grace." Tristan watched her
knowingly. He guessed at her thoughts quite accurately. She meant to use him to
make her husband jealous, and then retreat again. For a moment he felt an
unbidden pang of pity for her innocent assumption. All too soon she would be
far too entangled with him to break away. He had no doubts as to his own powers
of seduction and the inevitability of Allegra succumbing to him, whether from
true desire or to hurt her husband, it mattered not at all. His eyes floated
from her face to her body, admiring the curve or her waist, the flare of her
hips under her skirt, picturing in the back of his mind the way she would look
spread-eagled on his bed, her lips parted for his kiss. A predatory glint came
into his eyes.

"My lord?"
Allegra looked puzzled. "Is something wrong?"

Tristan gathered
himself together. "Not at all. I was merely thinking of the future that we
will share. I look forward to it."

Allegra flushed.
"I've made you no promises, my lord."

"I don't need
you to." Tristan's dark eyes gazed into her blue ones, and he saw far more
there than she suspected. "I'm quite confident that we will eventually be
together. It was meant to be, I'm sure.”

The Field Marshal and
the Rake

Caroline tapped her
fingers impatiently on her knee as she scanned the park. No one observing the
serene expression on her face would guess that she had a purpose for being in
the Park today, and that her impatience was growing. As a wealthy and beautiful
young widow, she had a court of not inconsiderable proportions, despite the
general belief that all the gentlemen of London were at the feet of the Duchess
of Gravesmere. She proceeded through the park, greeting acquaintances with a
nod and a smile, stopping for a comfortable chat with good friends, taking the
occasional strolling gentleman into her carriage for a brief period. She spent
half-an-hour quite enjoyably in this way, but always she was intent on her
eventual goal. Eventually, the object of her interest appeared.

Lady Manning's
carriage, carrying that lady and her friend, the Duke of Gravesmere, approached
Caroline's on the track. The couple was deep in conversation, Louisa's eyes
gazing up adoringly into his face, and Adam didn't notice his sister until the
carriages were nearly abreast of one another. Caroline gave the pair a cold
stare.

"Gravesmere,"
she said, quite loudly enough to be heard by anyone who cared to listen.
"Whatever are you doing?"

Adam jumped
perceptibly and turned quickly to see his sister, her posture alarmingly
upright, gazing at him with raised eyebrows. He felt an instant pang of
embarrassment that she should see him with Louisa.

"Caroline! What
are you doing here?"

"I am driving in
the park, Adam, as any fool can see. It's quite a habit of mine. I was unaware
that it was a habit of yours, however."

"Dash it,
Caroline, what are you about?" asked Adam testily. "I went for a
stroll and came upon Lady Manning out for a drive. We were acquainted on the
Continent and quite naturally she invited me to join her."

"Naturally,"
responded Caroline with great sarcasm. "Poppycock. Come and drive with me,
Adam, or we shall have all London talking of your indiscretion. Not that they
aren't already."

"There is no
indiscretion in driving with a friend," protested Adam.

"It is
indiscreet if you have already been making a spectacle of yourself with the
friend. Besides, I wish for your company, though I am beginning to wonder why.
Come join me."

Louisa, though
infuriated by Caroline's high-handed tone, decided to seize the moment. She had
never been this close to any member of Adam's family and wished to ingratiate
herself with the Countess. If this woman was indeed working to thwart her
plans, it was best to attempt to disarm her. She arranged her prettiest smile
on her face.

"Your Grace,
will you not introduce me to your sister?" she said in a gentle voice.
"I have longed to meet her as you have told me so many kind things about
her."

Adam stared at her in
undisguised surprise, for he failed to remember saying anything about Caroline
to Louisa, and any comments he might have made would have reflected not her
kindness, but his lively awe of her. Caroline caught the look, and, hiding her
amusement, gave Louisa Manning a haughty stare down her straight, well bred
nose.

"You had best
not introduce us, Gravesmere, for I certainly shall not speak to her," she
said bluntly. "Come along, Adam, you have dallied away enough of the
afternoon with your friend."

Adam hesitated, torn
between the need to not be rude to his sister, particularly in a public spot,
and his plan to put Allegra in her place. Caroline sat haughtily awaiting her
brother, and Louisa deemed it best to present a meek front. Allegra had already
seen them together, and thus her aim for the day had been achieved. And she had
poured enough poisonous statements about Allegra into his ears in the past half
hour that she thought not even Caroline would be able to soothe him.

"Go with her,
Adam. I've many friends who will be glad to keep me company, and I know you
would enjoy some time with your sister. Don't worry about me."

Adam, privately
relieved to escape Louisa's smothering company, kissed her hand and climbed
down from her carriage and into Caroline's. It moved off, Caroline not even
acknowledging Louisa with a nod. Louisa stared after them, her mouth set in a
grim line. Adam's sister was overly proud and would need to be taken down a
notch when she attained her rightful position as Duchess of Gravesmere. She
prodded her coachman in the back with her parasol, indicating to him that he
should move on, and soon found a handsome young man to ride with her. Louisa
was perhaps not of the haut ton, but she was seldom without company.

"Caroline, how
could you make such a scene?" asked Adam, frowning across the carriage at
his sister. "That isn't like you!"

"Adam, how could
you be such an idiot?" mimicked Caroline. "Unfortunately, it is very
like you. Driving in the park with your mistress, of all things!"

"I told you,
Caroline, I was walking and we encountered each other. There's nothing wrong
with that."

"A chance
encounter, you say? I don't believe it for a moment, and even if I did, it
would still be very improper of you to accompany her. She is not only
exceedingly vulgar, but your name is already linked to hers in a scandalous
way. Why you must persevere in this silliness I cannot imagine."

"You had best
come to realize that I intend to make Lady Manning my Duchess, Caroline,"
said Adam. "We have been speaking of our plans this past day."

Caroline folded her
hands in her lap and attempted to keep from laughing. It seemed Louisa had been
very busy. "Really, Adam? Whatever shall you do with the perfectly
adequate duchess you have now?"

"I'll divorce
her," said Adam petulantly.

"With what
cause? You have no evidence that Allegra has been indiscreet with another
gentleman, and I don't believe you will find any. The marriage has been
consummated, as any number of servants at Gravesmere can attest to, and so
annulment is not an option. I think that perhaps Lady Manning will have to
cease her scheming and be content to remain your mistress, a circumstance for
which I can only be most grateful, she should be too, if she can keep
you."

Adam stirred
restlessly, his questions about Louisa reinforced by Caroline's attitude. But
he stubbornly dug in his heels. His family had chosen Allegra for him, and she
had been a total disaster. He would not allow them to dissuade him.

"Louisa loves me
and is loyal to me. She deserves my loyalty in return, as odd as that might
seem to you, Caroline. I know full well that you aren't romantic."

"No, I'm not
romantic at all," agreed Caroline. "A fortunate thing, as it enables
me to see that Louisa Manning isn't either. She's a very clever woman, and so
of course she isn't in love with you. Surely you know of her past?"

"Louisa has
explained it all to me, and I know that she has been vilely slandered."

"Slandered?"
echoed Caroline. "Goodness Adam, she is a tradesman's daughter who married
an impecunious baronet old enough to be her grandfather in order to gain his
title. After his death she squandered what little was left of his money on
clothes and jewels and ended up under the protection of a series of gentlemen.
Her reputation was so besmirched that she had to flee to the Continent, where
she found you ripe for the picking. What is there to explain about that?"

Adam swallowed. He
owed Louisa his support, he reminded himself. She had stood by him in difficult
circumstances. "If you were to become better acquainted with Louisa, I am
sure you would understand that she is an extraordinary woman, Caroline. You
will have to accept her eventually."

"I have no doubt
she is extraordinary, but I doubt I use the word in the same way you do. As for
accepting her--no such thing! If you think Mama or I or anyone in Society will
embrace her, then you are a great ninny. Poor breeding can perhaps be forgiven,
if there is great beauty or intelligence or wealth behind it, but indiscreet
behavior in combination with vulgarity is something else altogether! Why, she
would be cut at every turn if you were so foolish as to bring her into
Society."

Adam frowned. His
sister made Louisa appear tawdry, and his earlier doubts flooded into his mind.
He wished fervently that he still felt about Louisa the way he had only a few
weeks before.

"Then we will
remain in retirement," he countered. "I have had more than enough of
Society these past weeks, with Allegra's beaux traipsing in and out of my
house."

"What an
excellent idea," said Caroline approvingly. "Louisa Manning strikes
me as exactly the sort of woman who would wish to avoid entertainments at all
cost and would prefer to live in quiet seclusion."

Adam looked away.
"She may not prefer it," he admitted. "But she would do it for
me."

"She would do
anything at all that you wanted until that ring was placed on her finger,"
agreed Caroline. "Then she would doubtless try to force you to introduce
her to Society. What a sight that would be!"

"You don't
understand my feelings for Louisa," said Adam wearily. If the truth was
known, neither did he, he thought.

"You're right
about that. I certainly don't. As a matter of fact, I half suspect that you are
persisting in your liaison with her simply to annoy your wife. How you can
prefer that conniving female to sweet Allegra I simply cannot understand."

"Allegra is
everything Louisa is not. She is stubborn and willful and capricious,"
burst out Adam hotly.

"And lovely and
charming and well-bred and beautiful and amusing and any number of other
virtues," replied Caroline. "Really, for all that, can't you support
a bit of stubbornness?"

"You will not
convince me to accept her, nor will I give up Louisa," said Adam sullenly,
folding his arms and inspecting the back of the coachman.

Caroline sighed.
"Well Adam, I did not take you up with me in order to quarrel with you. So
perhaps we had best part for now. But I hope you will reconsider your actions,
which are far too rash. Indeed, I see someone I need to talk to. Would you mind
giving up your place?"

"Not at
all," Adam said sincerely.

Caroline signaled to
her coachman to pull up to a nearby carriage, and Adam's face darkened when he
recognized the equipage and its occupants. Allegra and Lord Gresham were
engaged in intimate conversation, and he felt a surge of fury shoot through him
at the sight of his wife's little white hand held in Tristan's large brown one.
"What the hell are you up to Caroline?" he demanded.

"Nothing at all.
I merely wish to speak to an old friend.” she turned away from Adam, “Lord
Gresham! The very man I was searching for!" she called, and hid a smile
when he jumped and turned, his dark face reflecting his discomposure.

"Lady Eskmaine.
What a surprise," he responded, cautiously.

"Why should it
be a surprise? We're quite old friends aren't we? And good afternoon, Allegra
dear. You look quite stunning this afternoon, but then, you always do. You
don't mind giving up your companion to me, do you? Indeed, I'll trade you. You
may have my passenger to keep you company."

Allegra blinked at
her sister-in-law, startled by the interruption. She wasn't sure if she was
disappointed or relieved to have her tete-a-tete with Tristan ended. She shot
Adam a quick glance and saw that a look of cold anger blanketed his face. She
gave him a glowing smile so that he wouldn't think she was in the least
affected by his sudden appearance. But her blood was pounding in her veins at
his nearness and the prospect that she might momentarily be alone with him. Why
did she have to respond to him in this way, when she felt only the mildest
affection for Tristan, who so obviously loved her?

"What the hell
do you want with Gresham?" Adam ground out, glaring at his rival. The man
still held onto Allegra's hand, and Adam was startled by the violent thoughts
that flooded his head. No matter how this tangle ended, he knew that someday he
and the baron would fight this out.

"Why, Lord
Gresham and I are well-acquainted. He called on me earlier this afternoon, and
we had the most fascinating conversation. I'm agog to continue it. Come, Adam,
don't be rude. Give up your seat to Lord Gresham. Unless you don't wish to
accompany me, sir?"

Tristan stirred
himself when Caroline turned wide, innocent eyes on him, having been
momentarily paralyzed by his admiration of her tactics. She clearly meant to
seize the bull by the horns in this matter, something he had not suspected. He
smiled slowly. There was no way he could refuse her invitation without seeming
churlish, and in one fell swoop she had not only taken him away from Allegra,
but also thrown Adam and Allegra together.

"How can I
refuse such an invitation?" he responded. "It will be my pleasure. If
you'll excuse me, Your Grace?"

Allegra murmured
something polite, and watched as Lord Gresham climbed down from his carriage
and approached Caroline's. Adam had turned to her sister and seemed to be
muttering to her under his breath, for Caroline responded with a laugh.