SoundsofLove (12 page)

Julian hurried to correct Darbonne. “Surely you jest. You
edit America’s finest literary magazine.” He addressed the ladies. “Mr.
Darbonne has come to England to search for literary talent.”

“Well, I do think all my sisters are my intellectual equal
at least, and my two oldest are extraordinary. Truly, they are. You should meet
them. You could not fail to be impressed.” He was quite enthusiastic by the end
of his speech.

There was a stunned silence. Julian had never heard a man
speak this way about women, and he doubted Cathryn and Violet had either. His
own two sisters were fine ladies but not bookish. He took Cathryn’s hand,
relieved when she smiled warmly at him.

“We’ve begun a new magazine with all British authors.”

“To sell in America?” Violet asked.

“Oh, yes. They’re wild to know what you royalists are
thinking.” Darbonne chuckled and they all joined him.

“Do you publish translations?” Julian asked and he felt
Cathryn’s hand tense beneath his.

“Of what sort?”

“I’ve recently read a remarkable collection of Sappho’s
poems.”

“Sappho?” He glanced around the carriage. “That would be of
great interest. I haven’t seen a fresh translation in several decades.”

“Oh, this one is fresh.”

Cathryn jumped into the conversation. “Violet concocts the
most original word puzzles, Mr. Darbonne. Every lady of our acquaintance enjoys
solving them.”

“Indeed?”

He turned his attention to Violet and she beamed. “They’re
trivial, really.”

Julian shot Cathryn a questioning glance, but she had turned
away. False modesty
was
unbecoming. She would never be accepted as a
man’s equal if she didn’t learn to sing her own praises.

“No, Violet, they’re not. People learn new words and use
their minds. It’s a wonderful pastime.” Cathryn smiled at Julian as if unaware
of his critical perusal. Perhaps she merely meant to avoid dominating the
conversation.

Rune nodded his fervent agreement. “Yes, ‘any pastime that
keeps the brain active is good for society’. I read that recently. Good notion,
don’t you think?”

Julian roared with laughter, and it took until they reached
the side entrance to Vauxhall to explain to the startled American the source of
his amusement—and his new pride.

A grubby young man was waiting for them at the gate with two
torches, which he handed to the men. “Enjoy the evenin’ ladies and gentlemen.
There’s a warm wind tonight, but the smell off the river’s not too bad.” He
pocketed the coins Julian gave him with a nod. “Do you know the way?”

“The first pavilion?”

“Aye, that’s the one. The music and food are all there.”

“I know the way.”

In truth, he’d only been here in season with a crowd. He’d
never gone to these extremes for a woman before, but he wanted to delight
Cathryn. The owner of the gardens was also a fencing enthusiast, and he offered
this service to his friends on many occasions, but this was the first time
Julian had taken the initiative.

Entering the dark gardens carrying a thick torch, with
Cathryn by his side looking like a goddess, and his interesting new friends
laughing nearby, Julian felt a tremendous surge of satisfaction. This was to be
the beginning of many adventures with his lady, and it was vital that she be
impressed. He had to win her so thoroughly that all consideration of Hedges—or
any other man—was banished from her thoughts.

Cathryn felt as if she’d been swept into a fairy tale as
they entered the dark paths of Vauxhall Gardens and left the clattering noise
of London behind them. She clutched Julian’s arm as he led her deeper into the
silent darkness. Violet and Darbonne followed a few steps behind.

“Are you frightened of the dark, love? We’re nearly there.”
Julian held the torch closer as he peered down at her.

A breeze caught his long hair, and he shook his head to keep
it off his face. He had the windswept appearance of a lion on the prowl, and
her heart beat wildly as she considered herself his willing prey. He was going
to ravish her thoroughly before they left here tonight, and she was ready for
him to begin, but there were proprieties to observe beforehand. “I’m not
frightened of the dark, Julian. It’s very romantic. I feel we’re on a great
escapade together.”

“One that I hope will last a lifetime.”

“I hope that, as well.” She saw flickering lights ahead and
a violin began to play a soulful tune. “I love this song.”

“Good.” They entered a clearing filled with dozens of lamps
hung high in the surrounding trees. Julian handed his torch to one of the boys
waiting at the path’s end, and then he turned and swept Cathryn out into the
clearing with a graceful twirl. “Our first dance, love.”

She had never waltzed with a man, only practiced with Violet
and the household ladies. Geoffrey had not been a dancer, and no man in Oxfordshire
would have invited a married woman into such a close embrace. Nonetheless,
Julian was a superb leader, and she moved easily in harmony with him as they
swirled under the twinkling lights to the slow waltz.

Darbonne and Violet brushed by them from time to time, and
Violet’s laughter filled the glade. Cathryn’s laughter joined her friend’s as
they swept a wide circle in the delightful, dizzying dance. Even the men joined
the chorus of good humor and the fiddlers picked up the tempo. It seemed they had
entered a place where only pleasant things existed, and Cathryn was eager for
the exploration to continue. Tonight would be one to cherish, and she intended
to be an active participant. Her words in the carriage had shocked even her. To
be a man’s equal. It was a heady notion, and it came on a day when she was very
vulnerable to suggestion.

Julian slowed their pace and brought her closer to him. His
smile drew her in and his lips brushed hers. “I want tonight to be perfect for
you, love.” He drew back and scanned her boldly. “You look perfect, everything
I could want.”

She stumbled at the compliment, and he came to a stop as he
caught her. His arms were wrapped around her waist and she gazed up at him,
both of them slightly winded from the exertion of the dance. “That was my first
waltz. It was utterly perfect.”

He pulled her fully against him and she felt every inch of
his masculine presence. “Your first waltz?” He stepped back slowly into the
darkness on the edge of the clearing, still holding her waist.

“I married at nineteen, and my husband didn’t care to dance.”

He smiled. “Your husband-to-be loves to dance. We shall
waltz all over Europe.” He kissed her lightly and she sensed his control
weakening. He pulled her against him and whispered in her ear. “I want to drag
you into the bushes and make you forget the past.” He nipped at her neck
playfully, sending a shiver of delight coursing through her. “You bring out the
beast in me, Cat.” He stroked her arms as he released her. “I believe you owe a
forfeit.” He placed her hand in the crook of his arm and turned to leave the
darkness.

She didn’t hesitate. “I want you to drag me into the bushes
and make me forget the past.” It was the only thing she could think of. Indeed,
the image of Julian making love to her in the out of doors was foremost in her
thoughts. She glanced up at the black sky and wondered who would hear her cries
if she screamed her ecstasy into the night air.

His response was part huff, part grunt and all primal need.
He pulled her back deep into the shadows and pressed her against a tree. Her
ermine collar pushed up around her neck in a ruff and she nuzzled the soft fur
as he watched her intently. He held her gaze in the dim light, and she felt a
rush of cool air on her legs. He was raising her skirts and her heart began to
pound wildly. The violins began a haunting tune as he continued to stare into
her eyes. His hand made its way through her petticoats and her core began to
tremble as she fell into the depths of his gaze.

He leaned in to kiss her and his tongue swept across her
lower lip just as his fingers found their mark. “Oh, love, I meant to go easy,
but you’re wet already.”

A torrent of pleasure exploded from his touch, and she
whimpered as she clutched his shoulders.

His fingers toyed with her slick lips, and his breathing
changed to fast and furious. “This is madness.”

A thick finger slipped inside her and she moaned at the joy
of the intrusion. He bit at her neck again, and she whispered, “You can go easy
later.”

He nudged her bodice down with his chin and exposed her
nipples to the cool night air. His mouth latched on to the closest firm bud as
his finger pressed slowly in and out of her wetness with blissful results. Her
head fell back against the tree and her breath came in short pants as she
savored all the sensations he was lavishing upon her.

She felt his thick ridge nudging against her curls and a
moan of approval escaped her. “Yes.”

“I’m a cad,” he said as he urged her legs father apart and
stepped between them. He rubbed his erection across her nub and she whimpered
with delight.

“Please.”

He rubbed her again and the exquisite sensation filled her
with bliss. “Let me pleasure you this way first.”

She didn’t know of what he spoke—she wanted him inside
her—but he continued to stroke her with the tip of his staff. Suddenly she felt
the pleasure building from the point of contact and she caught his intention.
Her whimpers merged into moans and the pleasure burst over her in rolling waves
as he pressed against her with steady strokes. “Ohhh,” she cried, trying to
hide the sound in her thick collar. The explosion of sensations was too
intense. She cried out again into the darkness, unaware of anything beyond the
incessant bliss.

She was recovering with long gasps when he shifted his
weight and thrust up into her throbbing core. He did not slide in easily, and
he spread her knees farther apart and pressed himself into her slowly. “Oh,
Cat, you’re so tight.”

“I’m sorry.” She tried to still her breathing.

His chuckle surprised her. “No, love, it’s a joy for me.” He
shifted again and thrust harder, and the thickness of him made her cry out
again. “I want to do right by you,” he said with another short thrust, “but it
feels so good.”

He clasped her to him and called out his own pleasure. “Oh,
Cathryn, you’ve undone me.” She felt a trickle of warmth on her thighs as he
slid out of her. He chuckled into her ear. “That’s the first time I’ve ever
done that.”

Confusion washed over her. Had she not satisfied him? He
seemed to be finished, but she didn’t think he’d completed penetrating her.

“It’s a good sign, love,” he said as he backed away
slightly. She couldn’t see his face in the darkness but his words comforted her.
“It was an awkward angle, and you please me too much. I’ll do better next time.”

He thought he was to blame? Relief coursed through her. “I
please you too much?” He let her skirts fall and stepped back.

“Yes, and I’ve been thinking of you constantly.” His hands
cupped her breasts and he leaned over to kiss each nipple.

His words and actions sent shivers of desire coursing
through her once again. She sighed when he pulled her bodice back into place.
His eyes sought hers and he cupped her cheek gently. “You please me very much.”

“And you, my lord, are the most pleasing man I can imagine.”

“I’m glad I’ve caught your fancy.” He released her and
adjusted his trousers before offering her his arm. “Shall we rejoin the party?”

She stepped away from the tree reluctantly. “I should like
to stay here forever with you, in the darkness, making love.”

He chuckled. “I can offer forever and making love, but I
prefer the light and variety. We shall travel the world and find pleasure in
every corner.”

That was an intriguing thought. She took his arm and smiled.
“I like your version very well, but I shall always be aroused by shadowy
forests, remembering tonight.”

He led her towards the clearing some twenty steps away, just
in time to witness Darbonne leaning over Violet and kissing her upturned lips.
Julian stopped and then he edged back into the shadows. “Let’s not interrupt
them.”

Violet’s arms were wrapped around the American’s neck, and
she appeared to be enjoying herself thoroughly. In all the time Cathryn had
lived with Violet, she’d never had a sense of her as an erotic being. There had
been some mention of Mr. Pickering’s riding injury and his inability to have
children, but no details. To see her kissing a handsome stranger in the
glittering lights of Vauxhall reflected Cathryn’s own carnal experience, and
she felt a strange sensation of primal kinship with her. Life had certainly
taken an interesting turn, and she was thrilled Violet was benefiting.

“We’ve left them alone long enough.” Cathryn smoothed her
gown and straightened her cloak. “How do I look?”

“Like Sappho herself. You’re a goddess, Cathryn.”

“Excellent answer, my lord.” He threaded his fingers through
his hair to try to tame it, but the thick locks remained disheveled. She tucked
a few strands into place and he was presentable for intimate company. “I’m
suddenly famished. Shall we eat?”

He kissed her once more before they moved out of the shadows
and saw Violet and her beau dancing again. “I had
Rules
restaurant cater
our meal.”

It was only then that Cathryn appreciated where he’d brought
them. Without a crowd, the Chinese pavilion looked much larger, and two of the
supper boxes were suffused with the glow of candlelight and open clay stoves.

Julian watched the dancers with joy in his eyes, and she
shared his sense of contentment. “I thought we could share a meal with them and
then take a walk or continue dancing,” he said. His gaze returned to her and
quickly became ravenous. “Afterwards, we will have privacy, and they can choose
to stay or leave.”

“This is all most extraordinary. Thank you, darling.”

The plush cushions on the wide banquettes in the supper
boxes were alluring, and her primeval desire to stay in the cover of the forest
diminished. On the table in the center, Cathryn saw large silver trays with gleaming
domed covers, and she imagined what scrumptious delicacies must lie beneath.
The second supper box held only bottles of wine, glasses and a few smaller
trays, which Cathryn expected contained desserts—strawberries and cream
perhaps. Her stomach growled as she took Julian’s hand and led him over to the
table. Darbonne and Violet followed and a bevy of serving boys appeared from
the shadows of the supper boxes to take their cloaks and coats.

Once settled, Cathryn found the thick cushion and mounds of
pillows most comfortable. She eagerly examined the aromatic dishes as the boys
uncovered them. The oldest of the servers described each with a dramatic flair.
“Smoked duck…succulent salmon fishcakes.” These trays were lifted and brought
round for them to serve themselves from, as he continued to explain the
offerings. “Fresh game pie…delectable crown of pheasant…juicy rib eye steak
with Bernaise sauce,” he finished with a flourish and Cathryn wanted to applaud
the mouth-watering bounty. Then he pointed to several smaller platters, which
were still covered. “There we have a luscious golden treacle sponge pudding
with custard and a devilishly rich chocolate pudding.”

He offered green cider and white port to start the meal, and
everyone chose the port. There was a wine for each course, and a sweet pudding
wine completed the banquet.

For a woman accustomed to eating a single plate of simple
food per meal and an occasional glass of watered wine or sherry, it was an
overwhelming spread. Cathryn resolved to eat little the next day, as the extra
pounds too quickly turned to stones. Julian had complimented her trim figure
more than once, and she had no desire to lessen his attraction for her.

Julian edged close to her. “It looks excessive, I know, but
you ate no lunch.”

Her head snapped up to look at him. “Were you there?”

He shook his head. “Oxford’s a small town. I would have been
noticed.” He shrugged his shoulders slightly. “And you asked to go alone.”