One Night Scandal (26 page)
Chapter 26
“No, Nicholas,” Sophie said, returning to his bed. At least now she understood his anger. It had nothing to do with her being with child. “I would never take that man’s money.”
Nicholas eyed her suspiciously. “He told me he left the money on your desk.”
She got up her nerve and sat down at the end of the bed. “He did. He left me a fortune to leave the country. And I had the money returned to him that very day. After hearing the stories you told me about that dreadful man how could you think I would accept anything from him?”
“Then what were we just talking about?” he asked, rubbing his temples as if in pain.
Sophie laughed softly. “I believe we were speaking of two different things. When you said, ‘He told me,’ I thought you meant Somerton had told you about the baby. I’d made him promise not to tell you or anyone else.”
“I was talking about the money.” A slow smile finally deepened the dimples in his cheeks. “You went to Somerton for support, didn’t you?”
“There was no one else I could go to,” she said, looking down at her skirts. “I hated going to him. I didn’t want to take money from him and Victoria.”
“You should have come to me,” he whispered.
She shook her head. “No, you were supposed to marry Miss Littlebury. It wasn’t appropriate. It wasn’t as if I’d been your mistress and we had a monetary agreement.”
“You were my lover,” he said softly. “You were my love. I would have done anything for you.”
Sophie heard his words and went still. Tears refused to fall but she recognized the most important word he used—were. She
had
been his love. And wasn’t now. Why did he come to Venice if not for her?
had
been his love. And wasn’t now. Why did he come to Venice if not for her?
Sophie had lost everything she’d ever wanted. The only man she had ever loved.
Nicholas.
Had she stayed in London things might have been different. But she had made a mess out of her life and now the life of her unborn child.
“I’m so sorry, Nicholas,” she whispered. “I should have told you sooner about the baby. I’ve made a mess out of everything. Your life. And my own life.”
“Sooner? When did you tell me about the baby? I figured it out when you entered the room a few minutes ago.”
She shook her head. “I sent you a note about a fortnight ago. It most likely hasn’t even arrived in London yet. I knew you had a right to know the truth.”
“Why did you wait?” he asked so softly it almost made her cry again.
“I was afraid,” she finally admitted to him and herself.
“Of what?”
Everything, her mind screamed. But one thing more than others. “That you would take my child away from me. That I’d be left alone again.”
He shook his head slowly. “What happened with Maggie was completely different, Sophie. Maggie planned to abandon my child. I could never let her do that.”
“I never would have abandoned our child, Nicholas.”
“I know that. Watching you with Emma made me see what a connection you two have. I’m assuming because of your birth. When I saw you with her I realized . . .”
Sophie nodded, encouraging him to continue.
“You are the only woman I have ever been with who asked me about Emma.”
“Indeed? She is the most important thing in your life. You must have been with some very foolish women.”
“I believe you’re right.” Slowly he reached down to the end of the bed and brought her close.
“You should be resting,” she said and then felt his forehead. “I do believe your fever is gone.”
“I wasn’t sick. I think I was overcome from the heat and had a slight fever. A few people on the ship were sick with fevers so I believe Mrs. Griffon and Emma overreacted and insisted that Dominic call the physician. Dominic knows better than to let me have laudanum.”
“Why is that?”
“It makes me sleep like the dead for hours. I hate the bloody stuff.”
She put her head back down on his chest and sighed. He gently caressed her hair.
“I love you, Sophie,” he murmured. “I knew I’d fallen in love with you the night you called on me and I found you with Emma in the salon. But I still felt I had to prove your intuition wasn’t always right. That is why I insisted on going to the Middletons’ party.”
Her throat constricted to the point she couldn’t reply. That was the night she met Emma. The little girl had touched her heart so deeply that night. But she had already become aware of her feelings for him. “I started to fall in love with you the night you came to my dinner party uninvited. Listening to you talk about Emma . . .”
She closed her eyes unable to go on.
“But you were furious with me for having an affair with Jennette.”
She nodded. “I was. And yet, the way you talked about your daughter touched my heart so deeply. I couldn’t help but wonder how different my life would have been if my father loved me as much as you do Emma.”
His arms slid down over her slightly extended belly. “I want you to come home, Sophie.”
She wanted that, too. She missed her family and friends in London. “I want to go home, too.”
“As my wife,” he whispered in her ear before kissing the outer shell.
The idea of being his marchioness still terrified her. But after weeks of being alone in Venice, she didn’t want that any longer. She wanted him. She wanted to depend on him when she was afraid. She needed to feel his arms around her, keeping her safe and loved.
Slowly, she turned in his arms. She stared into his warm brown eyes and was lost in the love she saw there. “What about Miss Littlebury? You were betrothed. Oh, Nicholas did you break off the engagement and ruin the girl?”
“I have done nothing untoward. Miss Littlebury discovered she loved Mr. Heston over me.”
She stared at him for a long moment before speaking again. “She broke it off?”
“Apparently, Mr. Heston did not wish for anyone else to learn that Miss Littlebury might be carrying his child.”
Her black brows furrowed. “Is Mr. Heston blond with green eyes—”
“And a slight scar on his chin? Yes.”
“He was the one for her,” she whispered. “He was the man I saw for her but was confused because I saw you there, too.”
“Apparently, Mr. Heston was her match.” He bent down and kissed her softly. “Just as you are my perfect match. Now, will you marry me, Sophie?”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m more certain of this than anything I’ve ever done in my life. I don’t care about the gossips. I don’t care that my father will give his inheritance away. The only thing that matters is us.”
“I love you,” she whispered before kissing him.
The feel of his tongue on hers was sweet agony. Heat built slowly through her body as she pressed herself closer to him. She never thought she could love a man as much as she did Nicholas. Slowly, she drew away with a smile.
“If my daughter was not in the next room, you would be on your back,” he said with a sensual smile.
“I think we shall have plenty of time for that.”
“Are you all right with this, Sophie? I don’t want to push you into something you aren’t comfortable with.”
Sophie released a long sigh. “I know the gossips will be wagging their tongues over our marriage and the baby. But all my friends have created some type of scandal so it must be my turn. I know they will all stand by us.”
“Stand by us.” He laughed. “Who do you think introduced Miss Littlebury to Mr. Heston? I believe they were doing their best to match us.”
She laughed and let her head drop to his shoulder. “That is why Elizabeth brought you upstairs the night of the dinner party. I thought she was just being kind to you for being left out.”
“No, and once offered the chance to be with you and our friends, I wasn’t about to leave.”
“I’m so glad you didn’t.”
“But you were furious with me,” he reminded her.
“Only because you caught me by surprise.” Her brows furrowed. “Do you really think they tried to match us?”
“Absolutely. You matched each of them so they assumed you might need some help with your match.”
“They were right,” Sophie replied with a giggle. “I had no idea what I was doing.”
“Neither did I.”
“This will cause a huge scandal,” she said with a smile as she rubbed her belly, “especially now.”
“The scandal has already started.”
She frowned and glanced up at him. “What do you mean?”
“You do not have to worry about your father claiming you because your bother has already admitted to the world that you are his sister.”
She clapped her hand over her mouth. How could Somerton have done such a foolish thing? “Why?” she mumbled. “Why would he do that?”
“Because he loves you. And Lady Genna loves you. She wants the world to know you are her half sister, too. He and all your friends want you to return to London.” He brought her hands to his lips.
Tears burned down her cheeks. “Nicholas, you told me that if you married me it might put Emma’s reputation at risk.”
He sighed. “I already told her what might happen.”
“Then perhaps you should tell me.”
He nodded. “When I was with Maggie, I told my father that I loved her and wanted to marry her. He told me she was nothing but a whore and only wanted me for my money. He arranged for me to walk in on them while they were . . .”
“Oh, my God,” she muttered. “What a dreadful man!”
“He wanted me to see that Maggie only cared about money. He paid her to have intercourse with him.” He looked away from her. “Then two months later, she came to me saying she was with child.”
She shook her head wondering how this could be scandalous to Emma. His daughter already knew she was a bastard. “I don’t understand, Nicholas.”
“I have no way of knowing if Emma is mine or my father’s child. He threatened to tell everyone the story.”
“I am dreadfully sorry, Nicholas. But this just reinforces what I have been saying. Marrying me would only cause you and your family harm.”
“I told Emma everything, Sophie. I wanted her to understand what might happen if you agree to be my wife and her mother.”
“What did she say?” she asked reluctantly. He would not be here unless he had his daughter’s blessing.
“She said that even though she’d only met you once, she believes she loves you and that you would make a perfect mother for her. And she didn’t care who her father really was because I am her true father.”
Sophie wiped a tear off her cheek. “She is a lovely young girl.”
He stopped and looked over at her with love. “And one who needs a mother who will love her regardless of her birth.”
She glanced up at the crystal chandelier.
“What are you really afraid of, Sophie?” he demanded.
“Losing you,” she whispered. “I thought if I left on my terms it would be better. But it wasn’t. I was afraid after Lady Cantwell died that the reason I couldn’t read you was because you were going to die. I couldn’t stay and watch you die. I know that sounds horrible. I’m sorry I disappointed you.”
“You could never disappoint me,” he said, approaching her slowly. “All your life people have left you alone. Your father, your mother, and even me. I should have insisted on marrying you the moment I discovered who you were. I should have done more.”
She nodded. “I don’t know how to be a marchioness, much less a duchess. I’ve never planned a ball. And I certainly don’t know the proper seating arrangements for a dinner party. I will be an embarrassment to you. I should hate to see that in your eyes.”
“You would never be that, Sophie. You have friends who can help you with anything you need to know. Just as they did for Victoria.” He wrapped his arms around her. “None of those things matter to me, sweetheart. You are the only thing that is important. I want you to be my wife, my duchess, and the mother of my children.”
Sophie blinked back the tears. Nothing she could say would dissuade him. And she didn’t want to say anything else to do so. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to let herself love him completely.
“I love you, Nicholas,” she murmured. “I love you so much that I couldn’t stand by and watch you marry another woman. And I couldn’t ruin your reputation. I didn’t know what else to do. I’m sorry I left you without telling you why.”
“Shh,” he whispered as he lowered his lips to hers. “I love you, Sophie. That is all that matters now.”
“You’re right.”
Sophie looked up at her perfect match and smiled. He was everything she ever wanted in a husband but had been afraid to dream of because of her background. She snuggled in closer as his strong arms wrapped around her tighter. Right where she wanted to stay for the rest of her life.
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