Damien's Destiny (3 page)

Blatantly male and powerful. And therefore dangerous.

She began to shake and found she could not stop. Still she managed a curtsey and then rose as he gave her a hand to lift her. She flinched at his touch and he raised her and immediately stepped back.

Damien detested bullies who used their powers to control others. He would not use his magical abilities in any way with Toria. He’d known for some time he wanted her but he wanted a willing Toria, not a bewitched Toria.

“You are wondering about my grandfather, Miss Victoria. He still lives. But he is tired of his earl’s duties and has gone to one of his more remote estates. He passed the title and the responsibilities to me.”

Damien had decided before appearing in his own form he didn’t want to kill off the old gent whose persona he might again find handy and so the planned explanation came easily to his tongue.

Toria accepted the lie easily enough, although Damien knew if she were more worldly she’d know what he just stated was almost impossible. An earl couldn’t pass on his title that simply. Not without dying himself.

He concentrated on making Toria accept him as harmless. A little fib or so didn’t matter. This girl was proving ever more important to him.

“My grandfather told me you usually walked together a short while and you told him of your activities during the last month. Would you consider a short walk with me? You do not know me yet, so we should be proper and stay within sight of a chaperone at all times. I see Miss Carpenter is on the patio. We could walk on the lawn just below if it pleases you.”

Her hesitation this time seemed less marked.

“Yes, my lord.” She took an obvious deep breath, stretching her gown over her chest so that Damien forced himself to avert his eyes. She was growing up so fast and so delectably. Damien heard her voice as if she were speaking under water and he jerked himself back to attention and out of his sexual near-haze.

“If you are like your grandfather, my lord, you want to hear how the last month has been for me.”

Her voice showed a little more confidence in him and Damien rejoiced.

“You are correct,” Damien said quietly. “And I will of course report to my grandfather. He has taken your education much to heart. I trust you are still enjoying yourself here?”

“Oh yes, my lord. Everyone is quite kind to me.”

Expert at reading a person’s hidden thoughts, Damien said nothing. He didn’t usually intrude unless invited but Toria had something on her mind and he thought he’d better wait. She’d soon utter her concern.

“You must be the one Lord Sinclair mentioned. The grandson who rescued me from the ocean.”

Damien hadn’t expected this.

But I should have. Certainly her teachers think she’s brilliant. I don’t want to frighten her but I can’t lie to her on anything this important
.

“Yes. I was on the beach giving my horse a rest when I happened to spot you in the water. The undertow was particularly vicious that day. I put you on my horse and Araby carried us both to the house and I gave you over to the care of my sister.”

All true. Just not the whole truth.

“Oh.” Toria looked down at the grass.“And did I mention why I was foolish enough to swim in such conditions?”

Again, an easy question. “I assumed you didn’t realize how powerful the undertow could be at that location.”

Again the truth. The undertow at his portion of the beach sometimes ran unusually strong. Not that she would have cared at the time if she’d known. She’d probably have welcomed being swept away into the vastness of the ocean.

“Oh,” she said again.

She paused awhile and then seemed to get herself under control.

“You can tell the older earl I’m still very happy here. I’m giving the younger girls swimming lessons.”

She took his arm as they turned and walked back on the patio, while Miss Carpenter stayed within sight as he’d requested. They strolled slowly, Toria’s hand the merest touch on his sleeve. Still she grew more at ease and soon answered his questions and laughed with him over some of the pranks of the younger students.

He could scarcely resist covering her small hand with his large one. Toria grew more adorable every time he saw her. He groaned inwardly.

She’d be firmly entrenched in his heart by the time she was eighteen. After all, she’d entered it from the moment he’d rescued her. His enchantment grew stronger with each visit. There were almost two more years before he could claim her. If she’d allow him to do so even then.

What in Merlin’s magic had he done to himself?

He knew it would take all the patience he could summon to overcome her deeply rooted dread of any male. The intimacies he so craved from her might haunt her throughout any marriage she made. If indeed he could persuade her to marry him. It would take all his strength to make her forget her horrible experience with her thrice-damned guardian.

But not his mage’s powers. He’d never use them with Toria.

A daunting task indeed.

When he was a child and experimenting he cast spells just for the pleasure of his power but his father took him aside for a little demonstration. Turning him into a small girl for a few minutes scared Damien almost out of his shoes. He quickly absorbed his father’s message that one didn’t casually use a rare gift without thought and consideration.

He wouldn’t charm Toria, not the love destined just for him. But when she turned eighteen, he’d finally be free to seek revenge from the scum who had taken her innocence. Before then he couldn’t take a chance of revealing her whereabouts, although he longed to wrap his hands around the bastard’s neck. As he definitely planned to do as soon as possible.

* * * * *

On her seventeenth birthday Damien presented Toria with a riding habit fashioned of blue velvet in a shade slightly darker than her glorious eyes. Black frogs decorated the buttons down the front and he’d made allowances for her developing figure.

Her face lit up before it darkened.

“But my lord, I no longer have a horse.”

“Damien,” he corrected gently. “I know, Toria but when you are eighteen I plan to take you to my sister. There you will have plenty of chances to ride.”

She raised her candid glance to his. Her eyes resembled a blue-purple pansy, the same color except her color shone beautifully clear and shining. At least in his besotted imagination.

“Haven’t I told you Debora is quite looking forward to having your company? And please examine the skirt. It’s not immediately apparent but I think you’ll like the fact the material is cleverly split. You can ride on a regular saddle at our estate, which I think you might enjoy.”

Again her expressive features lit. “I’ll be happy to visit you and your sister for a short while although I must find an occupation. I mean to pay your grandfather back for the huge amount he must be spending on me. I have some money in a trust fund, I think but I don’t know how to claim it.”

It was far too early to tell her Damien knew and was already making plans to claim her inheritance for her.

“Don’t fret, my dear. I badly need a secretary if you’d consent to assist me for a while. And then we’ll see about your claim. My lawyer can do a little investigating. Do you like your new riding habit?”

She accepted the change of topic, although she looked dubious for a moment, probably about accepting more help.

“Oh, I love the color and the style,” she said. “Will you please take it home to your sister to keep for me? I might have a hard time explaining the divided skirt to Miss Carpenter although I used to hike up my skirts and ride bareback all the time. When I was much younger, of course.”

Again her face clouded and Damien merely said, “Did you really, now? How fortuitous you like to ride freely. Debby can’t stand a sidesaddle and will be happy to keep your habit for you. The present is from both of us, of course.”

“I’d like to keep the black combs though. I feel so childish with these stupid braids hanging down my back. Now I can at least pin them on top of my head. Please thank your sister for me.”

He nodded and didn’t mention he knew what she’d just confided about her riding as well as much more about her. He certainly didn’t want to frighten her with awareness of his powers. Not at this early stage of their relationship. He’d rather see her lovely hair hanging free. He didn’t say that either. He simply admired her beauty in silence, his face and his demeanor showing no hint of his secret thoughts and wishes.

“My sister will be happy you liked the combs. I’m sure she’d like to send some others in different colors on my next visit.”

Toria beamed and started to protest but then stopped. Evidently other combs were much desired. They’d be little trouble. He’d like to give her so much more but didn’t dare.

Glad he’d cleared any possible objection to such an unusual present as the outfit, he turned the conversation to her recent studies, which now included mathematics. Damien had yet to tell her he wrote scientific papers. His latest research helped further the knowledge of how men could fly in an electric-motored plane. He’d exposed his calculations to no one as yet but they were well along and in actuality he needed someone to transcribe his mass of notes. He’d tell her when the time seemed right and hope she’d enjoy the work and not think him as just a dreamer.

Placing her small hand on his sleeve once again, he took the package from her and, tucking it easily under his other arm, started their strolling again.

At seventeen Toria was already a raving beauty. He almost dreaded how lovely she would be when she finally turned eighteen.

He would certainly be at her side on that day and take her to what she didn’t yet realize would be her future home. And when he’d installed her safely there he’d see about the scum of a guardian. Although he wouldn’t be surprised if Baron Heath soon discovered where Toria was, as Damien had no intention of keeping her presence at Tregaron a secret.

He definitely wanted to lure the bastard out of his hole.

* * * * *

The school celebrated Toria’s eighteenth birthday with a party and a huge cake. Damien thought every student must be in attendance. Evidently Toria had made good friends there and her goodbyes took a long time. Many of the younger students dashed tears from their eyes. Damien stood by watching with pride, surprised by the depth of the emotion, although he shouldn’t be. Toria was so very lovable. Even the reserved Miss Carpenter seemed sorry to see her leave. He detected a genuine emotion there, not just the loss of income and he flashed her a smile that almost made the poor woman stutter in her goodbyes.

Damien waited patiently, until Victoria finally turned away. He’d already directed her bag to be put in his carriage. She brought few dresses with her, just the ones she’d worn on her last quarterly outing. Her braided hair was twined on top of her head and secured with the three jet combs he’d given her with her riding outfit. He suspected her lovely figure, now fully in bloom, rendered her uniforms and older clothes unwearable. She’d definitely developed a gorgeous bosom, something he both applauded and regretted. Her lush body made it harder for him to conceal his emotions. He already longed to touch her every minute and those lovely swells above her narrow waist taxed his reserve.

Well, hell, and he was taking her to live with him? He must be insane.

He took her home to Tregaron.

He hid his delight as he escorted her into the mansion he loved, where Debora waited with open arms. Toria’s awestruck reaction to Tregaron’s beauty proved to be everything he’d hoped. She’d really seen little before, just the rooms she’d chosen to keep to. Tregaron had always been the estate he held closest to his heart. The four others were well enough but Tregaron was forever the property he treasured.

He reintroduced her to the most important of his staff, Jason, of course and his butler and major-domo, Stephens. This time as an honored guest, not a half-drowned waif. Then he let Debby take her upstairs to a lovely suite of rooms, where her new maid Missy drew her bath and then tucked her into a feather-downed bed.

Damien saw she was almost speechless with fatigue and new sensations. He was not displeased. She’d made no objection to her destination, although certainly Tregaron’s impressive beauty must have almost overwhelmed her with its scope and the reality of the change in her life.

She appeared the next morning as he sat with his coffee and the morning paper.

As he jumped to his feet, he saw she looked freshly rested and completely adorable. Her hair was loosely tied behind her back with one of the many wide ribbons he’d left with Missy and she wore one of the dresses he’d sketched and had made for her. All in shades of blue and green that brought out the radiant color of her eyes.

“My lord,” she began before he interrupted her.

“Toria, could you please abandon this detestable lordship business? You know me as Damien, my dear. You’ve known me now for some time. Please call me by my name. I’d be much obliged if you would.”

She nodded and then sat at the table.

As she started to thank him for the clothes he interrupted her. “As I said, you can pay me later when you obtain your funds. For now it’s Debby’s and my pleasure to provide these dresses to tide you over.”