Price of Desire (41 page)

“Did you
?
You wanted me?”

How did every discussion between them end up here
?
“Yes, I wanted you
.
Doesn’t mean I should have you
.
I want many things that aren’t good for me.
”
It was too irresistible playing along
.
She let her gaze settle on the firm line where his cravat clung tight against his neck
.
Her tongue flicked across her lower lip.

Mr. Williams coughed
.
His eyes darted from one to the other.

“Perhaps, I should excuse myself
,
if you too need to have a . . . discussion.”

“Yes,
” Wulf
’s
voice was rife with demand.

“No
.
There’s no need,
” Rose cut in
.
“We can have our discussion later
.
You did say you wanted Wimberl
e
y to be part of it.”

“I am sure it will take just a moment to find him.
”
Wulf moved closer, stepping between her and Mr. Williams
.
For a flash of a second his fingers trailed across the back of her neck where she knew her curls were escaping. She shivered
.
Then as if burned he drew his hand back, and eased back
.
“He’s probably inside
.
Have you been inside at all this evening, my lady
?
Attended your own affair
?
I thought you great ladies loved these things, lived for them
.
If I’d known you had a passion for gardens I am sure I
,
too
,
could have indulged you.”

Wulf turned back to Mr. Williams, a startling flare in his eye
.
He looked upset to find her alone with the older man
.
Why was he reacting with such cold fury
?
It was more than the constant prickles that were always present between them
.
His stiff posture hinted at much more than their normal friction
.
It was almost as if he . . . no, that was ridiculous.

“Yes, M
ajor Huntington,
I have been in this evening, and even in the gardens it is possible to talk with one’s guests
.
I have, in fact, had several most surprising conversations this evening.
”
She nodded at Mr. William
s
.
“I was, as you can see, in the midst of one now
.
A most pleasant one
.
Why don’t you find Wimberl
e
y and then we can have our
discussion
.
It would be most improper for me to follow you traipsing through the gardens
.
I am sure Mr. Williams would be pleased to entertain me until you can return
.
Perhaps we may even go in and dance
.
I am suddenly quite chilled.
”
She nodded at Mr. Williams, who did not look at all comfortable
.
“Is that a waltz I hear starting?”

“Well, ah, yes.”

“Splendid.
”
She stared at Williams until he stammered.

“Would you like to dance?”

“Why, yes, I believe I would.
”
Rose turned her very best smile on Wulf
.
“Now, M
ajor
Huntington, perhaps you should be off to find Wimberly.”

Wulf glared back at her
.
If she’d been a lesser woman the marrow would have frozen in her bones
.
Instead
,
she just tilted her chin and placed her hand on Mr. Williams arm
.
It really was too bad of her to involve him like this.

They turned and headed back into the ballroom
.
Wulf’s v
oice rumbled after them
.
“I’ll take a look for Wimberl
e
y, but if he’s not to be found, then I’ll have the
discussion
myself.
”
He stomped away.

“Discussion himself?
”
Mr. Williams lifted a brow and looked at her
.
“I am clearly missing something of the conversation.”

Rose pinched her lips shut and made no comment.

“And you have no desire to enlighten me, so I’ll just offer my arm – although you are already holding it – and lead you around the room
.
At least I get the pleasure of the dance.”

He would never understand women
.
She acted upset, mad, angry even
.
What bee was in her bonnet
?
He was the one making the sacrifice
.
She was getting everything a lady could want
–
money, title – his heart clenched at the thought, and respectable position
.
What did she have to be angry about
?
She hadn’t come upon him about to receive another proposal – if that had been what was happening
.
It had certainly appeared that way, her eyes soft and Williams looking ready to bend a knee.

It was good he’d come on then when he had
.
Oh, she’d glared at his words
.
He pursed his lips
.
Her eyes certainly did flash when she was in a mood
.
And that lower lip, the way it stuck out when she lifted her chin
.

His footsteps crashed along the path
.
He would find Wimberly and then . . . then they’d get this whole thing on the way
.
Tomorrow he’d get the license and then she would be his
.
He’d didn’t let his thoughts ponder which she he was thinking about – moth
er or daughter
.
He just knew he
would not rest until it was accomplished
.
Only the drive towards the marriage held his other demons at bay, kept him from picturing the small boy he’d never met.

Thankfully
,
a blur of motion further along the path caught his attention
.
He glanced up just as a flurry of pale
pink
satin and light hair disappeared into the trees
,
taking the arbor path back to the house.

He was about to return, himself – he had no desire to stumble on anyone’s secrets
–
when Tris stepped on the path. Even in the dark hi
s skin looked flushed
.
His eyes burned with their
usual intentness
.
He made no apology, indeed, from his demeanor he appeared a man about an evening stroll
.
Still, that flush a
nd the fleeing skirts told their
own story.

Wulf resisted th
e urge to inquire
.
That was a
story for another night
.
Tonight he had his own business to attend to.

Tris smiled ruefully
.
“Is it time then
?
Are you sure this is the road you cho
o
se to follow?”

“There may be
bumps and even a skirmish or two, but my course is set.”

“Let’s get to it then
.
I’d hate to keep a lady waiting.”

Tris passed him and strode off ahead down the path, not giving Wulf time to comment on ladies who hadn’t been kept waiting.

The time had come
.
Rose watched Wulf and Wimberly enter the room as the music stopped and Williams led her to the side
.
She could feel Wulf’s glance burn into her from across the room, feel his eyes lock on her hand as it wrapped around Williams’ arm
.
With the barest nod of his head he gestured that she should join him, come to him.

Who did he think he was
?
This was her house
.
He could make his way across the room to her
.
Besides this end of the room, by the main entrance
,
a
was better place to make an announcement
.
She held his gaze and shook her head, then gestured that he should head her way.

He stopped and glared, t
urned and whispered something to Wimberly
.
The marquess smirked
.
Rose held her ground and refused to budge, they stood across a room from each other, locked in battle.

It might have continued for hours, or at least some minutes, if Lady Clarington hadn’t chosen that moment to appear
.
She descended on Wulf like some florid bird of prey, all sparkling blue, fine feathers, and deadly talons.

“M
ajor
Huntington, I was wondering where you’d gone off to
.
Have you forgotten this is my dance
?
It’s a pity we missed the waltz.”

Rose didn’t know why she heard the words among the cacophony of voices, but they reached her ears shrill and clear.

Several other heads turned in Wulf’s direction.

She couldn’t hear his reply, but his white lips said enough
.
He glanced back at her, fire and determination in his eye, and then with a jerk of the head that promised much, led Lady Clarington onto the floor.

Wimberl
e
y stood at the sideline, surveying all
.
She could see his gaze move from person to person in consideration
.
Several times his glance returned to Wulf
–
no
,
to Lady Clarington
.
Now that was a surprise
.
She wouldn’t have thought Lady Clarington would hold much appeal to such a man, but it did show that wearing a dress that was little more than a skirt with straps could catch any man’s attention.

Although, Wulf seemed to be doing his best to look anywhere but
.
His eyes were glued over Lady Clarington’s shoulder and she didn’t think she’d seen his lips move once during the dance
.
Something small and dear warmed within her
.
When his gaze sought her out again she didn’t frown quite so fiercely.

“What’s he doing with her?”

Marguerite’s words echoed her own thoughts.

“I am not sure she gave him much choice
.
I couldn’t hear the whole conversation, but from his glower I don’t think he was pleased with the matter.”

“I thought you were going to make the announcement
.
I want to be sure I don’t miss it.”

“We were just about to when the man was waylaid
.
Truthfully, it does give me one more moment of freedom.”

“Sometimes you talk such nonsense, Rose
.
If it were me I’d have run across the room to cut Lady Clarington off before she could approach him
.
How can you bear to wait
?
Don’t you want to proclaim your love to all
?
Do you think he’ll kiss you?”

“W
hat makes you think he’d . . .”

“Oh, I know it isn’t really quite the thing, not truly proper, but when have you worried about being proper
?
Besides, I’ve heard that after a betrothal is announced an ardent groom will kiss his bride to be
.
Isn’t he ardent?”

Rose didn’t know where to begin
.
She was getting tired of people casting aspersions on her propriety
.
She might not always follow along just because it was the normal thing to do, but she never stepped beyond the pale
.
And as for Wulf being ardent, well that was one conversation she was not having with Marguerite.

“I am sure he’ll come to me and we’ll make the annou
ncement right after this dance
.
As for a kiss, that really isn’t for me to say.”

“I think it is.”