Just Deserts (36 page)

‘
Damn it, Seph,’ he grunted, ‘now I can’t kill the
villain!’

Persephone looked across at him as he got to his feet.
‘Maybe he is already dead?’

Chiddingly bent over the gross body and felt the pulse.
‘No, more’s the pity. You should have struck him
harder.’

And indeed, Billy was already groaning as he came to.
Chiddingly rose to his full height and towered over him where he
lay, gazing up with terror in his baby-blue eyes.

‘
You are done for, Billy. Never show your face in town
again. If there was any honour in you at all, you would take a
pistol to your own fat head and blow your brains out.’

Then he moved away. Retrieving his greatcoat, he placed it
about Persephone’s shoulders, and then, taking her firmly by the
wrist, dragged her towards his trainer, who stood with rather dazed
eyes at the outcome of events.

‘
Tidmarsh, my dear fellow, I leave you to clear up this
mess. Deliver these scum to Bow Street and see that Siegfried takes
Indigo back to London.’

‘
You may rely on me, my lord,’ Tidmarsh said, and glanced
down to where Billy Bolsover was struggling to sit up. ‘And him, my
lord?’

‘
That?’ said Chiddingly in a voice of scorn. ‘You may toss
it in a midden.’

‘
With pleasure, my lord,’ Tidmarsh responded,
grinning.

Then without more ado, Chiddingly dragged his affianced
wife to the phaeton, lifted her without ceremony into the vehicle
and climbed in himself.

‘
And now, Persephone,’ he said, setting his horses in
motion, ‘I have only to deal with you.’

‘
I wish you had killed him,’ Persephone complained. ‘I am
sure he will do you another mischief.’

‘
Seph, I am no longer interested in Billy. Perhaps you will
be good enough to explain to me why, for one thing, you had
needlessly to expose yourself to danger—?’

‘
Needlessly? In the name of God, you should be glad I did
so. Another hour, or less, and we would have missed them
altogether.’

‘
And for another,’ Chiddingly continued, as if she
had not spoken, ‘why, you heedless,
brainless
little fool,
you interfered in a sword fight?’

‘
Fight? It was nothing of the sort and you know
it.’

‘
The man was crazed. What if he had turned on
you?’

‘
What if he had slaughtered you?’ she countered.

‘
God preserve me,’ Chiddingly exclaimed. ‘Can’t
you understand, you featherbrained fury, that I cannot
bear
to see you risk your life so recklessly?’

‘
Salla!
Do
you expect me to change my ways merely to satisfy your male
pride?’

‘
Oh, good God, is
that
what you think? I
don’t know what you deserve.’

‘
Don’t
dare
start to threaten
me,’ Persephone warned, ‘for I won’t bear it, Chid. I may be ten
times your wife, but I will
never
submit to be
browbeaten and bullied.’

‘
Beaten
you
may very well be, my girl, if this is the way you mean to go on,’
growled Chiddingly.

‘
Lay but
one
finger on me,
that’s all! One finger, barbarian. And I swear to high heaven you
will wish you had never married me!’

‘
I have not done so
yet,’
he said through
his teeth. ‘But believe me, I
will
, if I have to
drag you to the altar. And I shall break you to bridle, you little
fiend, if I die in the attempt.’

‘
Then shall I be happy to assist you, you savage,’
Persephone raged. ‘For that I would far, far rather be your
widow
than your wife!’

With an oath Chiddingly pulled up his horses, and threw his
reins into the spring clip to hold them steady.

‘
What in the world—?’ Persephone began.

But he turned and seized her by the shoulders.
‘You unmitigated little
liar!
You know very
well you are quite as passionately attached to me as I am to
you.’

‘
Yes, for I passionately
hate
you.’

Chiddingly shook her, his movements emphasising the harsh
words as they issued from his throat.

‘
Don’t—lie—to—me! You
love
me. Admit it
at once!’

Persephone brought her fists up and pummelled at
his chest. ‘I
loathe
you!’

'No!’

‘
Ooloo!
Very
well, then, if you must have it,’ she shouted, ‘
I
love
you
!’

They both went still and silent, staring at each
other. Then Persephone added, in a small defiant voice, ‘But
much
against my will. Are you satisfied?’

Chiddingly began to laugh. ‘The more so for that last. Oh,
Seph, you adorable witch, you will drive me to Bedlam and I do not
care.’

Dragging her into his arms, he kissed her hungrily. Instant
flame lit Persephone’s loins and she clung to him, heedless for a
time of her bruises, the warmth of her blood quite banishing their
pain.

‘
Oh God,’ Chiddingly groaned, ‘I am minded to cheat the
marriage bed and take you here and now.’

Persephone gurgled. ‘In a
phaeton?’

‘
Anywhere!’

But her laughter sobered him and, though he kissed her
again, and deeply, Chiddingly contented himself, as he again gave
his horses the office to start, with a warning that she beware when
once he was her husband and entitled to his marital
rights.

‘
You terrify me,’ Persephone laughed. Then she winced in
genuine discomfort. ‘Especially since you have already broke me to
pieces. And I am bruised enough today, I thank you, you
brute.’

‘
Then you have come by your deserts,’ he told her,
but his hand reached out to seize hers and bring it up to his lips
to be kissed. ‘I
can
be tender, you
see.’

Persephone snorted. ‘You are nothing but a savage and a
barbarian, and you know nothing whatever of tenderness.’

‘
Do you care to try me? Only wait until I have you down at
Faversham.’

‘
Salla!
’
Persephone cursed,
reminded of what day it was. ‘Chid, our betrothal party! Poor Pen
must be in a sad way.’

‘
On the contrary, she is doing very well. Nevertheless, we
must hurry. We may just get back in time to put in an
appearance.’

‘
Not if you drive,’ Persephone said at once. ‘You
had better let
me
take the ribbons.’

‘
If you imagine I am going to let you loose on my team, you
were never more mistaken,’ Chiddingly retorted, giving his horses
the office to start. ‘At night, too. Moreover, I have no wish to be
jolted in your neck-or-nothing reckless fashion.’

‘
Don’t be absurd. I am
never
reckless
with my horses.’

‘
I don’t know how you dare make such a claim. With my own
eyes I have seen you—’

‘
Chid, if you say one word against my driving—’

‘
Oh, good God! Any more, Persephone, and I
shall
strangle
you!’

‘
Try, that is all. Just try!’

‘
Now listen to me, my girl—’

If you have enjoyed this story, and
you have the time and the inclination, a review would be very much
appreciated. Thank you!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elizabeth Bailey
grew up in the open spaces and tropical atmosphere of
colonial Africa, one of four siblings with distinctly
unconventional parents. Reading and drama were inculcated from an
early age and both have borne adult fruit in acting, directing and
writing. Elizabeth returned to the England of Mary Quant and
geometric hair, and ended a brief secretarial career by landing in
drama school and thence treading the boards. In her thirties,
Elizabeth discovered her true métier as a writer and fulfilled an
early addiction to Georgette Heyer by launching into historical
romance. It took the proverbial lengthy apprenticeship before
Harlequin Mills & Boon accepted her first novel, but they have
overall published 18 of her novels.

Elizabeth’s writing swerved in a new
direction with the publication of the first two in a Georgian
historical crime series, THE GILDED SHROUD and THE DEATHLY PORTENT,
published by Berkley Books (Penguin US). But since she still loves
writing romance, Elizabeth is delighted with the opportunity to
publish her work independently.

More to be found at:

Follow Elizabeth Bailey on twitter @lizbwrites
or on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.bailey.391

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ELIZABETH BAILEY

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While glad of the earl’s
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