His Obsession (29 page)

Kate’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Of all
of the pompous, conceited – answer me one question?”

“Yes?”

“What do you get out of all of this,
Richard?” Kate softly inquired.

Richard frowned.

“What do you mean?” he questioned.

“I realize my family benefitted greatly from
our association. Thanks to you, they have a fresh start and can
begin anew. Even though changing their ways will be difficult, I do
thank you for that,” Kate softly told him.

Richard regally nodded his head.

“But what do you receive from this – this
arrangement?” Kate queried.

“A wife, of course,” Richard confirmed.

“Ah, yes. A wife, you say?” Kate
challenged.

“Of course.”

Kate sadly shook her head. “You don’t want a
wife, my lord. You want a slave to your every whim, a simpleton who
will apparently meekly and dutifully do everything you wish without
raising an objection or voicing any thoughts of her own. I thought,
for my family’s benefit, that I could be that woman, but now - I
don’t think that I can.”

Kate was chilled by the intensity of
Richard’s gaze and turned toward the fire to warm herself.

“You see, I enjoy my freedom too much,” Kate
explained. “I can’t be just the carpet beneath your feet. I have
thoughts and feelings of my own. I’m not willing to give all of
those up just so you can have everything exactly the way that you
wish.”

Richard’s eyes narrowed ominously.

“After what I’ve done for your family --”
Richard thundered.

“I know what you’ve done and I thank you for
it. Still, I think if I had the choice I’d rather go back home.
Maybe we’ll all end up in a poorhouse somewhere, but I’d rather do
that than live the rest of my life without a single thought or
action that I can call my own,” Kate declared.

“Why you ungrateful little vixen!” Richard
barked. “Did your parents put you up to this? Did they tell you to
come to London and plead for more?”

“No!” Kate gasped. “Good heavens, no. If it
weren’t for my new friends, Elizabeth and her Aunt Lydia, I
wouldn’t have had the courage to come at all.”

Richard attempted to digest this news and
frowned as thoughts swirled in his head. Who were Kate’s newfound
friends? Whoever they were, they’d certainly done an amazing job of
reforming his little wife. He hardly recognized the woman before
him. She was a creature of fire and purpose, a consort worthy of
any nobleman from Scotland to Wales. Or perhaps, the real Kate been
there all along. Richard just hadn’t been looking.

“You ask me whether I want more of you? No,
Richard. I don’t want any more. I want less,” Kate softly informed
him.

Kate turned toward Richard and strode toward
the door with purpose.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Richard
demanded, crossing his arms across his broad chest.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to return to
the party and attempt to salvage some of the evening,” Kate
explained.

“And if I refuse?” Richard glibly
countered.

“You may attempt to stop me, of course.
Physically, you might succeed, but for everything you force me to
do, rest assured that there is a part of me that you will never
touch.”

Bravely, Kate stood her ground. Inside,
however, her heart was thundering inside her chest and she prayed
that her hands weren’t shaking as much as the butterflies in her
stomach. Kate realized that if she backed down from Richard now, he
would probably be able to order her around for the rest of their
lives. Kate couldn’t live that way any longer. Not even for her
family would she allow a man to walk all over her and subdue her
spirit.

Was it admiration that flickered briefly in
Richard’s eyes? Kate could never be certain, but suddenly, the Earl
of Devonshire stepped aside. Clapping with approval, Richard bowed
his head in acknowledgment of her victory.

Kate strode for the door and flung it wide,
almost clipping Richard in the face. Once outside, she hurried down
the hallway and was soon swallowed up by the crowd in the
ballroom.

Over the next several weeks, Kate attended
numerous balls and soirees, soaking up London’s culture like a
thirsty country sponge. Aunt Lydia and Elizabeth helped to cover
her innocent blunders and smoothed a few ruffled feathers as Kate
learned the ways of the ton.

Despite her hectic pace, Kate thought of
Richard often. Endeavoring not to dwell on his memory only seemed
to make Kate think and dream about Richard more.

Kate had been angry and confrontational the
last time they’d spoken. A part of her wanted to return to the
simple life of the country, to live a quiet existence as the
Countess of Devonshire. Then again, if she retreated now, Kate
would never win another victory with her proud and arrogant
husband. In this contest of wills, it seemed that neither one of
them would triumph.

At last, the social season was beginning to
wind down. Kate was anxious to quit the busy streets of London and
retire to the country. If the earl returned home, she would vacate
his mansion and simply move back in with her family. Shopping,
reading and riding would keep her busy well into the holidays.

So it was that Kate prepared herself for the
last ball of the season. She chose a gown of deep green satin with
a white overskirt and black accents. One of Elizabeth’s maids
artfully arranged her hair, interweaving a smooth ribbon of green
velvet through the coppery strands. Kate’s shoulders were a pale
peach above the deep neckline of her gown and a simple diamond
necklace glistened in the candlelight as Elizabeth and Kate
preceded Aunt Lydia into the ballroom.

Immediately, Elizabeth and Kate were mobbed
by over a dozen eager young noblemen. All of them were anxious to
obtain a dance and Lydia chuckled at their enthusiasm as the two
young ladies began entering the gentlemen’s names onto their dance
cards.

Presently, Kate felt that she was being
watched. Although she could not see him among the crowd, once again
she felt Richard’s presence. Richard had also attended some of the
parties and musicales, but he’d steadfastly remained aloof.
Apparently, he preferred to stay in the background, silently
observing rather than confronting her out in the open. What was he
waiting for, Kate wondered?

A short young man claimed Elizabeth for the
first dance and she chuckled a little as she winked at Kate over
the man’s head. Next, Kate was claimed by a nobleman of about her
same age. He had brown hair and a bit of a paunch. Apparently, her
partner also liked to talk about himself and Kate could do little
more than smile sweetly at him as the gentleman declared his
prowess during the latest hunt.

Suddenly, the nobleman stopped short as a
second gentleman tapped him on the shoulder. The short little man
looked crestfallen. Reluctantly, he released Kate to her new
partner.

“My lady,” Lord Charles Lawton politely
acknowledged, bowing to Kate.

“My lord,” Kate murmured.

Kate thought that the gentleman looked
strangely familiar. He stood a little taller than Kate and had a
shock of straight brown hair, which had been cut in the latest
fashion. His eyes were a pale blue, almost gray in the candlelight
and his nose and mouth seemed a little too severe for his round
face.

“Have we met before?” Kate finally
inquired.

“We were introduced at the Favershams’ ball,
I believe,” Charles smoothly replied.

“Oh, yes,” Kate agreed. “Lord Lawton. I do
recall now.”

“I must admit, I’ve been dying for the
opportunity of getting to know you better,” Charles fervently
declared.

“Really?”

“Your beauty and grace outshines them all, my
lady,” Charles gushed.

“Thank you,” Kate acknowledged, blushing at
his bounteous praise.

Charles’ gaze swept over Kate from head to
toe, his pale eyes seeming to probe to the depths of her soul. It
was a little unsettling and Kate immediately stiffened under his
regard. Quickly, Charles changed the subject to keep Kate off
balance.

“Your gown is quite stunning, my lady,”
Charles told her.

“Thank you.”

“I have not seen your husband this evening,”
Charles noted, his blue eyes scanning the crowd around the dance
floor. “Did he not accompany you?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Kate acknowledged. “I
came with friends.”

Charles grinned. “How delighted you must be
that his absence isn’t interfering with your enjoyment of the
party.”

Kate smiled weakly. There was something about
Lord Lawton that she didn’t like. Oh, he was handsome enough. His
curly brown hair and blue eyes could, no doubt, make many a maiden
swoon with envy and he had a pleasant enough face and manner.
Still, there was something about the man that bothered her a
little. Kate couldn’t put her finger on it exactly, but just being
near Lord Lawton made her skin crawl.

“I expect Richard will be along shortly,”
Kate quickly added.

Her comment had the desired effect. Charles
frowned, scanning the faces of those around them for some sign of
the Earl of Devonshire. Kate had to admit that if Richard strode
into the room at that moment, she would have been very relieved to
see him.

“Tell me, countess, what will you do now that
the season is drawing to a close?” Charles asked, waltzing her
toward the terrace doors.

“I suppose I shall return home,” Kate
explained. “The parties and balls have been most diverting, but I
shall be glad to be home for the holidays.”

“Indeed.”

“And you, my lord?” Kate inquired, neatly
turning the tables on him.

“My father has a small estate north of
London.”

“How wonderful,” Kate replied. “At least you
shall be able to spend some time with him then.”

Charles smiled politely, but did not offer a
response. In truth, if Charles darkened his father’s door one more
time, the old man would probably cast him out head first.

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?” Kate
pleasantly inquired.

“Unfortunately, no.”

“I’m sorry. Having family close to you,
especially around the holidays, is such a joy.”

Charles forced a smile and whirled Kate out
onto the terrace.

“Do you mind, my lady?” Charles inquired.
“The room is growing a trifle warm.”

“Very well,” Kate hesitantly agreed. “But
only for a few moments.”

There was only one other couple out on the
terrace, but even they had just turned to go back inside. Although
the ballroom had been too hot, Kate had to admit, the terrace was a
little chilly. The air was cool and damp. A mist of rain was
beginning to fall as well, dusting Kate’s hair, face and shoulders
with tiny beads of moisture.

“It’s beginning to rain,” Kate complained,
glancing up at the dark skies above them. “We should go back
inside.”

“Just a few minutes more. The waltz is nearly
over,” Charles pleaded.

Kate glanced doubtfully at Lord Lawton. The
terrace was entirely too dark and empty for her liking. In
addition, the inclement weather only increased her desire to return
to her friends back inside the ballroom.

Charles waltzed Kate further away from the
large double doors leading back into the ballroom. Thankfully, the
doors remained open to allow the cooling night air to enter the
room. They remained a comforting beacon to Kate. The trees
overhanging the terrace seemed filled with frightening shadows and
the wind only made the images dance and sway in some macabre
dance.

“The music has stopped,” Kate finally pointed
out.

“Has it?” Charles asked. “Forgive me. I did
not notice.”

Kate attempted to step away from Lord Lawton,
but his arm remained firmly curled around her waist.

“My lord, this is hardly proper,” Kate
protested, pushing against his chest.

“You have bewitched me, sweet lady,” Charles
crooned.

“You’re very kind, but I really think that we
should --”

“Have you ever thought that you were someone
else?” Charles proposed.

Kate frowned at Charles’ sudden change of
topic.

“What did you say?”

“When I first saw you, I swore I’d seen your
face somewhere before,” Charles explained.

Lord Lawton finally released Kate and moved
into the deeper shadows near the railing. Despite Kate’s desire to
return inside, Charles’ words intrigued her. She couldn’t help but
follow him to learn more.

“What do you mean?” Kate asked. “I’m sure
among the hundreds of people you’ve met, there must be a
resemblance among some of them.”

“Oh, no,” Charles declared. “The woman of
whom I speak was a stunning creature, the daughter of a
duchess.”

“A duchess!” Kate gasped.

“Indeed, the Duchess of Hawksbury,” Charles
confirmed.

“Hawksbury? I’ve never heard of such a
place.”

“Few have. The estate is large, but rather
secluded,” Charles explained. “It’s such a sad tale.”

It was beginning to rain a little more
heavily now, but the trees shading the terrace did provide them
with a small measure of shelter. Kate couldn’t help but feel that
she had embarked upon an intriguing adventure. Despite her
misgivings, she had to learn more.

“What happened there?” Kate inquired, caught
up in Charles’ tale.

“It seems that the daughter had some sort of
disagreement with her parents. She ran off to Gretna Green with a
rather unsavory character,” Charles added.

“Oh, no.”

“The duke and duchess tried to find her, of
course, but couldn’t locate her,” the lord explained.

“Is she – dead?” Kate hazarded to ask.

“Very dead. The duke was summoned to identify
her body,” Charles told her. “The dowager duchess died of a broken
heart a short time later.”

“Oh, my. That is a sad tale,” Kate
admitted.