Surrender (72 page)

 
I ought to paddle your backside," he

said.

 
Yes, my lord."

 
You have implied before now that I

have turned into a conservative prig of a

husband, but by God, madam, you have

not seen anything yet. Henceforth I intend

to show you just what a conservative prig

I can be."

 
Yes, my lord."

Before Lucas could utter further threats,

a familiar figure caught sight of them from

the terrace.

 
Oh, there you are, Vicky," Annabella

Lyndwood called cheerfully.
 
Enjoying the

gardens, I see. I want you to meet Lord

Shipton. Bertie says there's a chance he

will be offering for me one of these days

and naturally I wanted to get your opinion

on the man."

 
My wife is no longer in the business of

hiring runners to investigate her friends'

marriage prospects," Lucas said.
 
She has

decided that the time has come for her to

start acting in a more refined, conventional

fashion."

 
Oh, dear," said Annabella.
 
Are you

hoping to turn her into another Jessica

Atherton or a Perfect Miss Pilkington?

How depressing."

 
Yes,
  
Lucas,"
  
Victoria
  
asked,
  
turning

innocent eyes up to meet his grim

expression.
 
Would you like me to model

my behavior after that of Lady Atherton

or Miss Pilkington?"

 
I don't believe we need go quite that

far," Lucas muttered.
 
If you two ladies

will please excuse me, I believe I see

Tottingham standing with Lady Nettleship.

I want to see if he has read anything

interesting lately on manure. For some

reason the subject is uppermost in my

mind tonight."

Victoria watched Lucas saunter into the

ballroom and then she turned to smile at

Annabella.

 
Lovely party, isn't it?" Victoria remarked

as she removed her cloak and started

toward the open windows.

Annabella grinned.
 
Lovely. But, then,

one can always depend upon Lady Atherton

to give the perfect soiree. And I think

if we are very careful to stay close together

once we are inside, I can arrange for the

skirts of my gown to hide the dirt stains

on yours."

Three hours later Victoria sat on her

dressing-table chair and watched her

husband pace back and forth in front

of her. She had never seen him this angry.

His voice was low and dangerous and his

mood was precarious. It was clear that he

had been pushed as far as he intended to

be pushed tonight.

 
Why in God's name did you fail to

follow orders, Vicky? Answer me that,

if you can. I told you not to leave the

ballroom under any conditions. But no,

you could not be bothered to obey a

few simple instructions designed to protect

you. You must go gallivanting off into the

night at the first opportunity."

Victoria frowned.
 
What could I do

after I got that note saying you were in

danger?"

 
You could have done as you had been

told, that's what you could have done."

 
Would you have stayed behind in the

ballroom after getting such a note?" Victoria

said in an effort to defuse his anger.

 
That is beside the point. You should

never have left Jessica Atherton's house

alone and you know it."

 
I am sorry, Lucas, but I must tell you in

all honesty that if I had it to do over again,

I would do it exactly the same way."

 
And that's another point. For a sup

posedly intelligent woman, you do not

seem to learn much from your mistakes.

As soon as one adventure is concluded

nothing will do but for you to start looking

forward to the next. Well, I have news for

you, Vicky. You have climbed your last

garden wall."

 
Please, do not make rash statements

now in the heat of anger, sir. Give

yourself a chance to cool down. By

tomorrow I am certain you will see that

I acted in a reasonable manner, given the

circumstances."

 
Your idea of a reasonable manner is

totally opposite from my own."

 
I do not believe that, Lucas, not entirely.

I know I am too headstrong as far as you

are concerned and that you think me rash

on occasion, but"

 
On occasion?" He rounded on her with

an incredulous glance.
 
More like ninety

percent of the time, madam."

 
Really, my lord. Surely I am not such

a bad wife?"

He stalked past her.
 
I did not say you

were a bad wife. You are a disobedient,

wayward, reckless wife who will almost

certainly wear me out before my time if

I do not teach you some respect for your

poor, harried husband."

 
I do respect you, Lucas," she said very

earnestly.
 
I have always respected you. I

do not always approve of your actions

and sometimes you annoy me no end,

but be assured I have the greatest respect

for you."

 
Yes, you find me tolerable, do you

not?"

 
For the most part."

 
That is, of course, vastly reassuring,"

Lucas said through his teeth as he turned

and stalked back across the room.
 
I

shall remind myself that you have the

greatest respect for me and that you find

me tolerable the next time you willfully

defy me."

 
I have never actually willfully defied

you, my lord."

 
Is that right?" He swung around and

came back to her, stopping directly in

front of her.
 
What about what you did

tonight? Was not that an act of defiance?

Of disobedience?"

Victoria straightened in her chair.
 
Well,

I suppose it could be viewed as such if one

were to put the worst possible construction

on my behavior, but I never meant"

 
At least have the grace to admit you did

it because you loved me."

Victoria's eyes flew to his and a great

stillness descended on the bedchamber.

She hesitated a moment, cleared her throat

delicately, and nodded.
 
You are quite

right, my lord. That is, of course, precisely

why I did it."

 
My God, I don't believe it." Lucas

looked stunned for a moment and then

he reached down and hauled her to her

feet.
 
Say it, Vicky. After all I have been

through tonight, I deserve to have the

words at last."

She smiled tremulously.
 
I love you.

I have loved you since the beginning.

Probably since the night we met at Jessica

Atherton's party."

 
That was the real reason you rushed off

to rescue me tonight, the real reason you

would not allow me to kill Lady Rycott as

she deserved. You love me." He tightened

his arms around her, crushing her close.

 
My dearest wife. I have waited so long

to hear you say that. I thought I would

go out of my mind waiting."

 
Do you think there will ever come

a time when you will be able to say

those words to me, Lucas?" Her voice

was muffled against his dressing gown.

 
Dear God, I love you, Vicky. I think I

knew it the night I took you to that inn

and made love to you. I certainly knew

then I would never desire another woman

the way I desired you. But everything went

to hell the next day when I walked into the

conservatory and realized Jessica Atherton

had told you why she had introduced us.

All I could think of was that she had cost

me far more than she would ever realize, I

wanted to lash out at anyone and everyone.

I knew you would never believe I loved you

after that."

 
I was not in a mood to hear a declaration

of love just then. But you could have told

me later, Lucas."

 
Later you were too busy telling me that

you would graciously condescend to form

a business association with me. You made

such a point of painting our relationship

as a partnership that I grew desperate.

The only thing that gave me hope in

my darkest moments was the fact that

you never removed the amber pendant."

She looked briefly startled.
 
The pendant?

I never removed it because there

were times when it was the only thing

that gave me hope."

 
Tis your own fault for being so

stubborn," Lucas said.

Victoria fingered the pendant around

her neck.
 
You could hardly expect me

to tell you I was in love with you after

learning you had married me for my

money. Besides, you were very busy letting

me know that you were not about to give

an inch lest I take advantage of your good

nature and try to manipulate and control

you. You wanted my surrender, Lucas."

 
I may love you to distraction, my

dear, but I also understand you, at least

somewhat. You would not have been above

using any leverage you could get in our

small war and I could hardly have blamed

you for doing so. You have my utmost

respect as an opponent, but I would much

rather have you as a loving wife, Vicky."

 
Very nicely put, my lord." She hugged

him fiercely.
 
Oh, Lucas, I do love you

so."

Lucas kissed her warmly.
 
And while we

are on the subject, there is another point I

would like to clear up. I did not marry you

for your money. I started courting you for

it, I'll admit, but I wound up marrying you

because I could not imagine being wedded