His Obsession (28 page)

“Oh, pish tosh!” Lydia scoffed. “You’re
Elizabeth’s friend. I could certainly do no less.”

Kate smiled back at her, then began to fidget
absently with her skirt. Lydia reached over and gently covered
Kate’s hand with her own.

“You’ve become very dear to me, too, Kate.
You’re almost like the daughter I never had,” Lydia softly told
her.

Kate blushed at her praise.

“And as such, I feel it would be remiss of me
if I didn’t offer you some motherly advice,” Lydia began. “Stop
running from your husband, Kate. The earl is a powerful man, but
you’re not helpless yourself, you know?”

“What do you mean?” Kate asked.

“We women have strengths of our own. Oh, we
hide them well under a pretty smile and yards of silk and satin,
but they are there, all the same,” Lydia assured her.

“My lady, I --”

“Hiding from your husband gives him even more
power over you. Even he knows that,” Lydia reasoned. “Why do you
suppose Richard hasn’t confronted you by now?”

“I don’t know,” Kate miserably admitted.

“Because the man is waiting for you to come
to him,” Lydia explained. “If you meet him from a position of
strength, you are on equal ground.”

Slowly, Kate nodded. What Aunt Lydia said
made sense.

“You must go to the ball tonight,” Lydia
firmly declared.

Kate’s head snapped up. “What? I
couldn’t!”

“You can and you will. Richard will be
there,” Lydia assured her. “I’m certain of it.”

Kate sighed and closed her eyes. “What if
Richard sees me in front of so many people?”

“Kate, Kate. The earl is a gentleman. He
would never raise his voice to a woman, especially in the company
of so many people. Do you fear that he might strike you?”

“No,” Kate quickly replied. “Of course
not.”

“Good.”

Richard Warwick might be many things, but a
wife beater wasn’t one of them.

“When you’re at the ball, try to remain near
some of the other guests. Do not let Richard get you alone and
remember who you are. You are a countess now! You have a right to
be angry and offended. The scoundrel abandoned you, leaving you
behind like some cast off old shoe. Now, are you going to let him
get away with it?”

“No!” Kate replied with conviction.

Lydia smiled.

It was high time that Kate stopped acting
like a ninny and confront her husband on his own ground. Their
meeting was inevitable. So be it. They would approach each other on
neutral territory.

“Good,” Lydia declared, patting Kate’s hand
encouragingly. “Now, I have just the thing to --”

Lydia abruptly stopped speaking, staring at
the ring on Kate’s right hand.

“What an unusual ring,” Lydia gasped.

“Yes, isn’t it?” Kate agreed. “It was my
mother’s.”

Lydia lifted Kate’s hand higher to see the
ring a little better. The small ruby eyes in the rampant lion’s
face winked at her mysteriously. Somewhere, she’d seen this symbol
before. She simply couldn’t place it.

“Very lovely,” Lydia agreed.

“Thank you,” Kate replied.

“Now, we must get to work,” Lydia decreed
rising to her feet. “There is much to be done if we’re to have you
looking radiant in just a few short hours.”

The coaches lined up before the Fieldings’
manor house stretched for blocks in either direction. Drivers had
to negotiate for position with the harried grooms. The occupants
deemed themselves lucky indeed if they were dropped off only a
block away from the imposing edifice.

Once they’d alighted from their plain black
coach, Lydia and Elizabeth led the way toward the front gates with
Kate tripping along behind them. The entrance was magnificent. Huge
scrolls of black iron curled above massive stone pillars rising
well over their heads. Hundreds of lanterns lit the way from the
gates to the front door itself, which beckoned with a warm golden
glow.

Kate tugged her dark blue cloak around her
more closely, trying to maintain her anonymity for as long as
possible. She was a small woman and it was easy to hide behind the
crush of people. Lydia and Elizabeth remained in front of her, too,
acting like a moving wall as they slowly made their way
forward.

Once inside, it was all that they could do to
shrug out of their over garments and proceed into the receiving
line. Horatia Fielding was about the same age as Aunt Lydia, but
there the resemblance stopped. Their hostess was attired in a
gorgeous gown of gray silk with swirls of black lace, which caught
up the whole in a frothy bustle and train so stunning that
Elizabeth gasped in approval. Unfortunately, Horatia’s features
were rather stiff as her sharp eyes surveyed the guests entering
the receiving line.

Their host, Melbourne Fielding, was a
distinguished gentleman with a shock of overly long gray hair. When
he turned, the strands flopped over to cover his bald spot. The
buttons on his black cutaway coat strained over his massive paunch,
but the man’s smile was infectious.

Kate tingled with anticipation. Somehow, she
knew Richard Warwick was somewhere in the house. She could feel his
presence already. Kate reached forward to catch Elizabeth’s
elbow.

“Elizabeth, he’s here,” Kate whispered.

“Richard? Do you see him?” Elizabeth
gasped.

“Not yet.”

Lady Rathmoreson and Elizabeth were announced
and, at last, Kate stood alone. All eyes turned toward her.
Distantly, Kate heard a collective gasp of appreciation as the
ladies and gentlemen eyed her luxurious gown for the first
time.

Kate herself had been stunned when Aunt Lydia
revealed the gown to her in the privacy of her bedroom. The dress
was a lovely light gray taffeta, overshot with a skirt of silver
netting with sparkling jewels embedded into it. The bodice was cut
very low, curving lovingly over Kate’s breasts and accenting her
tiny waist. There was even a small train, which fell like a
waterfall of twinkling gems from the top of her shoulders to the
floor.

On Kate’s head, Aunt Lydia had secured a
tiara of diamonds, highlighted by a large green emerald in the
center. Matching silver earbobs were clipped to Kate’s ears,
drawing the eye upward toward her face. At her throat, a glistening
necklace of precious stones on a silver chain lent just the right
accent. A large teardrop shaped emerald hung from the chain in the
center, dangling down between her breasts. Again and again, the
crowd’s eyes were drawn to that shadow where the emerald twinkled
merrily.

“The Countess of Devonshire,” the crier
announced.

As instructed by Aunt Lydia, Kate held her
head high and glided forward to greet her host and hostess. Lord
Fielding smiled appreciatively, eyeing the emerald hanging above
her décolletage with great interest.

“Lord Fielding,” Kate murmured. “I’m
delighted to meet you.”

“As am I, my lady,” Melbourne Fielding
crooned.

“It looks to be a splendid party.”

“It is, now that you’re here, my dear,” Lord
Fielding complimented, his eyes riveted to the gem winking at
Kate’s neckline.

“Thank you.”

“Melbourne, what are you chattering about?”
Horatia chided. “You’re holding up the line.”

“Forgive me. Duty calls, don’t you know?”
Lord Fielding admitted, reluctantly releasing Kate’s hand.

Horatia eyed Kate with cool assessment as the
younger woman moved to stand before her.

“Countess,” Horatia acknowledged. “I don’t
believe you’ve been able to attend one of our balls before.”

“My lady,” Kate acknowledged, curtsying to
the older woman. “No, I don’t believe I have had the pleasure.”

“Hum. And what do you think of it so far?”
Horatia inquired.

“Your home is very beautiful,” Kate decreed.
“I believe every lady here will endeavor to match or out do you
during the holidays.”

Horatia smiled at Kate’s compliment.

“Indeed,” Horatia acknowledged, turning to
the tall gentleman standing beside her. “My son, Douglas.”

Douglas Fielding was a young man a trifle
older than Kate. Unfortunately, he was frightfully thin and gaunt.
His hands and feet seemed a little too large for his body and his
features were strained as he looked Kate over from head to toe.

“I’m delighted to meet you, Lord Fielding,”
Kate murmured, bestowing a smile upon Douglas.

“Countess,” Douglas acknowledged, bowing to
her. “Perhaps you might save me a dance later on this evening? A
waltz?”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Douglas,”
a deep masculine voice suddenly interjected.

Richard suddenly appeared beside Kate, his
large presence dominating her vision. He slipped a possessive arm
around Kate’s waist and firmly took her hand.

“You see, she’s already saved the waltz for
me. Haven’t you, darling?” Richard smoothly inquired.

Kate glanced up at him, but Richard’s face
clearly indicated that he would brook no argument from her in this
matter. Somehow, Kate forced a smile.

“Why, yes. I believe I have. Thank you for
reminding me,” Kate softly agreed. “I am sorry, my lord.”

Richard tucked Kate’s gloved hand into the
crook of his arm. Lydia and Elizabeth stared in astonishment as he
quickly led her away from the receiving line and out onto the dance
floor.

“What are you doing here?” Richard hissed,
struggling to keep his voice down.

“I would think that would be obvious,” Kate
replied, attempting to pull away a little. “I’m enjoying the
party.”

“I left you at the estate.”

“You abandoned me as soon as we were
married!” Kate accused. “I was so embarrassed. What were you
thinking?”

“I thought that you would be content to
remain there,” Richard reasoned. “Most women would.”

“Indeed? Apparently, I am not ‘most
women’.”

Richard stared at Kate’s lovely face, unable
to stifle his attraction to her. In the candles’ glow, she was
mesmerizing. The golden hue graced the smooth curves of her cheeks
and made her eyes sparkle like diamonds. Kate’s lips were red and
sweet, begging for his touch and her rapid breathing only seemed to
heighten his anticipation of the night to come.

“Obviously not,” Richard chuckled wryly.

Kate bristled as Richard masterfully whirled
her around the room. They were a striking looking couple. Many
paused to stare at the tall, handsome earl and the petite countess,
one so dark and the other so fair. Although few overheard much of
their conversation, it was clear from the stiffness of their bodies
that the two were also silently battling with each other. The
tension was almost palpable and tongues wagged as Richard and Kate
waltzed around the floor.

Another pair of eyes avidly watched the
couple from the sidelines, too. Lord Charles Lawton had just
entered the ballroom from one of the small adjoining rooms where he
had once again been neatly trounced in a game of cards. Angry and
embittered by the size of his losses, his only thought was to flee
the ballroom and return home in disgrace.

Then he saw Kate. He’d never seen Kate
looking so regal and elegant. In her gorgeous gown, complimented by
several magnificent jewels, Kate looked like a visiting princess.
With a woman like Kate in his possession, Charles felt as though he
might accomplish anything.

First, he would sell her jewels. That might
keep him in pin money for a short time. Then, Charles would turn to
extortion. What might a man pay to save the woman he loved? Ten
thousand pounds? Twenty thousand?

Charles grinned. Oh, yes. Charles could
already feel the crisp notes crackling between his fingers.
Waltzing before him was the bargaining chip he so desperately
needed.

When their dance ended, several young swains
closed in on Kate, anxious to make her acquaintance and to ask for
a dance or two. Grasping Kate’s upper arm, Richard propelled her
through the throng and out of the ballroom. Richard’s long strides
carried him across the floor at a fast pace and Kate had to trot to
keep up with him. Hurrying her down one of the side hallways, he
finally paused to open the door into the library. Quickly, he
thrust Kate inside.

Abruptly, Richard pulled Kate into his arms.
For a moment, Kate was soft and willing. Her sweet floral scent
enveloped him, teasing him with its enticing fragrance. It felt so
good to hold her. Incredibly good.

As Kate lifted her head to say something to
him, Richard seized his chance. His bold mouth covered hers in a
mind stealing kiss. Wave after wave of delicious sensations coursed
through Kate’s veins, beckoning her to new heights of passion. In a
few moments, Kate could have yielded everything to Richard,
blissfully surrendering to a night filled with untold bliss and
passion.

Somehow, a small kernel of reason still
lingered in the back of Kate’s mind. Clinging to what little
remained of her senses, Kate pushed against Richard’s chest until
he released her. Her heart was pounding and she was breathless.
Richard seemed to be similarly affected.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Kate asked,
backing away toward the fireplace.

“I request a little of your time, my lady,”
Richard grimly explained.

“Request?” Kate chuckled. “Demand, would be
more like it.”

Richard nodded briefly in acknowledgement.
Kate could turn things around to suit her however she wished, but
he
would
have this time alone with her to work things out
between them. He didn’t relish debating the finer points of their
marriage in the middle of a crowded ballroom.

“You should not have come to London,” Richard
growled.

“Indeed? And what would you have me do, stay
at home with a good book?” Kate cried, slipping behind one of the
upholstered chairs.

“Redecorate the manor, design a new plan for
the gardens, if you wish. I really don’t care, but when I leave you
at the estate, I expect you to remain there.”