Seduction (19 page)

"Forgive me," she said hastily, "I want very much to be a good wife to you but I

do not think I shall recover as quickly as you seem to believe you will. Would

you mind very much if we did not do this again right away?"

He frowned in immediate concern. "Sophy, did I hurt you badly?"

"No, no. It's just that I have no wish to do it again quite so soon. Parts of it

were… were quite pleasant, I assure you but if you do not mind, my lord, I would

prefer to wait until another night."

He winced. "I am sorry, sweetheart. It is all my fault. I meant to go much more

slowly with you." He rolled to one side and stood up beside the bed.

"Where are you going?"

"I will be back shortly," he promised.

She watched him walk through the shadows to the dresser where he poured water

from the pitcher into a bowl. Then he took a towel off the stand and soaked it.

As he returned to the bed it dawned on Sophy what he intended to do. She sat up

quickly, pulling the sheet to her throat. "No, Julian, please, I can manage by

myself."

"You must allow me, Sophy. This is yet another of a husband's privileges." He

sat down on the side of the bed and gently but firmly tugged the sheet from her

reluctant grasp. "Lie down, sweetheart, and let me make you more comfortable."

"Truthfully, Julian, I would rather you did not…"

But there was no stopping him. He urged her down onto her back. Sophy muttered

an embarrassed oath that made Julian laugh.

"There is no reason to turn reticent now, my love. It is far too late. I have

already experienced your sweet passion, remember? A few minutes ago you were

warm and damp and very welcoming. You allowed me to touch you everywhere." He

finished sponging her off and discarded the stained towel.

"Julian, I… I must ask you something," Sophy said as she quickly readjusted the

sheet to preserve some semblance of modesty.

"What is it you wish to know?" He came over to the bed and calmly climbed in

beside her.

"You told me there were ways of preventing this sort of thing from resulting in

a babe. Did you use any of those ways tonight?"

A short, tense silence settled over the bed. Julian leaned back against the

pillows, his arms folded behind his head.

"No," he finally said quite bluntly. "I did not."

"Oh." She tried to hide some of the anxiety she felt as she absorbed that

information.

"You knew what I wanted out of this arrangement when you agreed to be a proper

wife to me, Sophy."

"An heir and no trouble." Perhaps the illusion of intimacy a few minutes earlier

had been simply that, she thought dully, an illusion. There was on denying that

Julian had wanted her very much when he had come to her this evening, but she

would do well not to forget that his primary goal was to get himself an heir.

Another silence gripped the shadowed bed. Then Julian asked softly, "Would it be

so bad to bear me a son, Sophy?"

"What happens if I bear you a daughter, my lord?" she asked coolly, avoiding a

direct answer to his question.

He smiled unexpectedly. "A daughter would do very nicely, especially if she took

after her mother."

Sophy wondered how to take the compliment and decided not to question it too

deeply. "But you require a son for Ravenwood."

"Then we will just have to keep trying until we get one, won't we?" Julian

asked. He reached out and pulled her against his side, cradling her head on his

shoulder. "But I don't think we will have too much trouble making a son.

Sinclairs always produce sons and you are strong and healthy. But you did not

answer my question, Sophy. Would you mind very much if it should come about that

you conceived tonight?"

"It is very soon in our marriage, she pointed out hesitantly. "We both have much

to learn about each other. It would seem wiser to wait." Until you can learn to

love me, she added silently.

"I see no point in waiting. A babe would be good for you, Sophy.'

"Why? Because it would make me more aware of my duties and responsibilities as

your wife?" she retorted. "I assure you, I am already quite cognizant of them."

Julian sighed. "I only meant that I believe you would make a good mother. And I

think a babe of your own would perhaps make you more content with your role as a

wife."

Sophy groaned, angry at herself for having ruined the mood of tenderness and

intimacy that Julian had offered after the lovemaking. She sought to retrieve

the fragile moment with a dose of humor. Turning on her side she smiled down at

him teasingly. "Tell me, Julian, are all husbands so arrogantly certain they

know what is best for their wives?"

"Sophy, you wound me." He grimaced, striving to look both innocent and injured.

But there was relief and a hint of laughter in his eyes. "You do think me

arrogant, don't you?"

"There are times when I am unable to avoid that conclusion."

His gaze grew serious again. "I know it must seem that way to you. But in all

truth, I want to be a good husband to you, Sophy."

"I know that," she murmured gently. "It is precisely because I do know it that I

am so willing to tolerate your bouts of high-handedness. You see what an

understanding wife you have?"

He regarded her through half-lowered lids. "A paragon of a wife."

"Never doubt it for a moment. I could give lessons."

"A notion that would send chills through the other husbands of the ton. I will,

however, endeavor to keep your good intentions in mind when you are involved in

such tricks as brewing sleeping potions and reading that damnable

Wollstonecraft." He raised his head long enough to kiss Sophy soundly and then

he flopped back onto the snowy pillows. "There is something else we must discuss

tonight, my paragon of a wife."

"What is that?" She yawned, aware that she was growing sleepy. It was strange

having him in her bed but she was discovering a certain comfort in his strength

and warmth. She wondered if he would stay the night.

"You were annoyed earlier when I said that I thought we should consummate our

marriage," he began slowly.

"Only because you insisted that it was for my own good."

He smiled faintly. "Yes, I can see where you get the notion that I have a

tendency to be arrogant and high handed. But be that as it may, it is definitely

time you knew the true risk you run when you flirt with Waycott and his like."

Sophy's sleepy good humor vanished in a heartbeat. She pushed herself up on her

elbow and glared down at Julian. "I was not flirting with the Viscount."

"Yes, Sophy, you were. I will allow that you may not have realized it but I

assure you, he was looking at you as if you were a gooseberry tart covered in

cream. And every-time you smiled at him, he licked his chops."

"Julian, you exaggerate!"

He pulled her back down onto his shoulder. "No, Sophy, I do not. And Waycott is

not the only one who was salivating around you this evening. You must be very

careful of such men. Above all you must not encourage them, even unwittingly."

"Why do you fear Waycott in particular?"

"I do not fear him. But I accept the fact that he is dangerous to women and I do

not want my wife courting such danger. He would seduce you in a moment if he

thought it possible."

"Why me? There were a number of far more beautiful women at Lady Yelverton's

ball tonight."

"He will pick you above all others if the chance comes his way because you are

my wife."

"But why?"

"He bears a deep and abiding hatred for me, Sophy. Never forget that."

And suddenly everything fell into place. "Was Waycott one of Elizabeth's

lovers?" she asked without pausing to think.

Julian's jaw tightened and his expression reverted to the grim, forbidding mask

that had helped earn him the title of devil. "I have told you I do not discuss

my first wife with anyone. Not even you, Sophy."

She started to edge out of his circling arm. "Forgive me, Julian. I forgot

myself."

"Yes, you did." His arm locked around her as he felt her trying to pull away. He

ignored her small struggles. "But since you are a paragon of a wife, I am sure

it will not happen again, will it?"

Sophy stopped trying to escape the chain of his arm. She narrowed her gaze and

studied him intently. "Are you teasing me again, Julian?"

"No, madam, I assure you, I am very serious." But he was smiling that slow, lazy

smile of satisfaction that had been on his face when he had finished making love

to her. "Turn your head, sweetheart. I want to examine something." He used his

thumb to guide her chin until he had her face angled so that he could study her

eyes in the candlelight. Then he shook his head slowly. "It is just as I

feared."

"What's wrong?" she asked anxiously.

"I told myself that once I had made love to you properly, you would lose some of

that clear-eyed innocence but I was wrong. Your eyes are as clear and innocent

as they were before I bedded you. It is going to be very difficult to protect

you from Society's predators, my dear. I can see that I have only one option."

"What option is that, my lord?" Sophy asked demurely.

"I will have to spend more of my time by your side."

Julian yawned hugely. "From now on you must give me a list of your evening

engagements. I will be accompanying you whenever possible."

"Really, my lord? Are you fond of the opera?"

"I detest the opera."

Sophy grinned. "That is, indeed, a pity. Your aunt, her friend Harriett, and I

plan to go to King's Theatre tomorrow evening. Will you feel obliged to join

us?"

"A man does what he must," Julian said nobly.

EIGHT

How on earth will Fanny and Harry find us in this crush?" Sophy anxiously

surveyed the throng of carriages that filled the Haymarket near King's Theatre.

"There must be over a thousand people here tonight."

"More like three thousand." Julian took her arm in a firm grip as he guided her

into the fashionable theater. "But don't worry about Fanny and Harry. They'll

have no trouble locating us."

"Why not?"

"Because the box they use is mine," Julian explained wryly as they made their

way through the glittering crowd.

"Oh, I see. A convenient arrangement."

"Fanny has always thought so. It has saved her the cost of purchasing one of her

own."

Sophy glanced at him. "You do not mind her using it, do you?"

Julian grinned. "No. She is one of the few members of the family I can tolerate

for any length of time.'

A few minutes later Julian escorted her into a plushly appointed box, well

situated amid the five tiers of similar private boxes. Sophy sat down and gazed

in fascination out over the great horseshoe auditorium. It was filled with

bejeweled ladies and elegantly dressed men. Down in the pit, fops and dandies of

all stripes were strolling about, showing off the extremes of fashion they

favored. The sight of their ludicrously outrageous clothing made Sophy realize

she took a secret pleasure in Julian's preference for subdued, conservatively

cut garments.

It soon became apparent, however, that the real spectacle of the evening was not

taking place down in the pits or on stage, but rather in the fashionable boxes.

"It's like looking at five tiers of miniature stages," Sophy exclaimed in

laughing amusement. "Everyone is dressed to be on display and busy studying

everyone else to see who is wearing what jewels and who is visiting whom in a

box. I cannot see why you find the opera boring, Julian, with so much going on

here in the audience."

Julian leaned back in his velvet chair and cocked a brow as he looked out over

the auditorium. "You have a point, my dear. There is certainly more action up

here than there is down on the stage."

He studied the rows of theater boxes in silence for a long moment. Sophy

followed his gaze and saw it hesitate briefly on one specific box where a

stunningly garbed woman held court amid several male admirers. Sophy watched her

for a moment, suddenly curious about the attractive blond who seemed to be the

center of much attention.

"Who is that woman, Julian?"

"Which woman?" Julian asked absently, his gaze moving on to survey the other

boxes.

"The one in the third tier wearing the green gown. She must be very popular. She

appears to be surrounded by men. I don't see any other women in the box."

"Ah, that woman," Julian glanced back briefly. "You need not concern yourself

with her, Sophy. You are highly unlikely to meet her socially."

"One never knows, does one?"

"In this instance, I am quite certain."

"Julian, I cannot stand the mystery. Who is she?"

Julian sighed. "One of the Fashionable Impures," he explained in a tone that

said he found the subject distinctly boring. "There are many here tonight. The

boxes are their shop windows, so to speak."

Sophy's eyes widened. "Real ladies of the demimonde? They keep boxes here at

King's Theatre?'

"As I said, the boxes make excellent show cases for their, uh, wares."

Sophy was amazed. "But it must cost a fortune to take a box for the season."

"Not quite, but it is definitely not cheap," he admitted. "I believe the