Taming A Duke's Reckless Heart: Victorian Historical Romance (7 page)

TAMING A DUKE’S RECKLESS HEART

CHAPTER SIX

Barrett kept his
promise and visited the next day. Piper sat in the morning room with her cousin and her aunt. She wanted to be upstairs, but Doctor Thompson had ushered her out of the room. Now she felt useless and afraid.

The butler walked into the room, hands at his sides. “A Mr. Maddox is here to see Miss Baker.”

Her aunt’s lips pursed but she responded, “Please send him in.”

“No need.” Barrett’s voice rumbled from behind the butler.

Her aunt huffed, but Piper tucked her head and grinned. His disregard for social convention was going to drive Aunt Lizzie mad.

The ladies rose and curtseyed as Barrett bowed. He walked next to her side and took her hand, giving it a kiss.

“How are you?” His eyes pierced into her.

“I…I…” she felt tears pricking at her eyes but she was absolutely not going to cry. Straightening her shoulders, she met his gaze. “Fine.”

He gave her a soft smile and approval shone in his eyes. Then he turned to the other two women. “Lady Vesser, Viscountess, it’s a pleasure to see you both again.”

Everyone sat and Piper glanced down at the embroidery still in her hand. It was a mess. She set it aside and looked at the man in front of her, “It was most kind of you to visit today.” Her body’s response to him was becoming familiar but she wondered why he had come. While she drew strength from his presence, she understood he had more than filled his obligation to her and her mother.

As usual, his eyes were studying her intently. She glanced at Sybil, whose eyebrows were inching up her forehead. By contrast, her aunt’s were drawing tighter together in a frown of disapproval.

“How is your mother?” His voice was low and it washed over her in a comforting tone. She didn’t dare speak so she simply shook her head.

Her aunt rescued her from answering. “Her condition continues to worsen.”

“And how are you really? Don’t say fine, I know it isn’t true.” His tone was even softer.

Piper was sinking into sadness. Even Barrett’s presence wasn’t helping. Her aunt had insisted on pulling her out to a dress shop that morning. Piper had left without any dresses. While her current wardrobe was not suited to the social gatherings she would attend, it seemed so frivolous.

“She wouldn’t even shop this morning,” Sybil whispered.

“I can’t bring myself to care.” Her voice shook.

Her aunt had sniffed and said, “You’re half English. We always care.”

To keep the tears at bay, she swallowed a few times. Being in Barrett’s company left her with the oddest sensation. While she could barely make eye contact, she wanted nothing more than to feel his strong arms around her again. That was impossible. He could never marry her and she would only be with the man who took her for wife.

“If there is anything I can do to help.”

“Mr. Maddox, you have done a great deal more than I could have ever expected. I don’t know how to thank you.” She kept her eyes on the floor. She was sure if she looked at him, she would fall apart. Or throw herself at him.

“Of course.” He stayed for another half an hour making small talk and then took his leave.

Piper exhaled as he left the room and tossed herself into a chair. Without him there, she was sad, but it was a feeling she could manage. With him sitting in front of her, she was on the verge of losing control. Barrett did not call again but later in the day, a parcel arrived. It held a beautiful shawl for evenings out. “Who is it from?” She looked at her aunt.

“Mr. Maddox, of course,” her aunt replied fingering the garment.

Piper’s eyebrows rose. It was terribly improper for him to be sending her gifts. Why wasn’t her aunt more concerned?

The next day, day dresses arrived. Each was a perfect shade of blue, pale green, or cream. Her aunt insisted she try one on and it fit her perfectly. How did he know her size?

Another, more important, question nagged at her, why was he sending them?

Only one conclusion came to her mind. He wanted her to become his mistress. He was clearly attracted to her or he wouldn’t have kissed her. And wasn’t that the reason an unmarried man gave an unmarried woman gifts?

The next day, stockings, shoes and corsets arrive. Then hats, gloves, and ribbons.

She tossed the new boxes on her bed with a huff. How dare he be so bold? She would never become his mistress.

Piper was whipping herself into a frenzy. A little voice told her it was a distraction from worrying after her mother.

By the third day, she had lost all perspective and her temper.

“Piper,” her aunt called from the door. “Come downstairs. Packages have arrived for you.”

“Packages?” She glowered at Aunt Lizzie.

“Come see,” the other woman smiled, ignoring her anger.

Piper descended the stairs to see boxes being stacked in the entry. “What is all of this?”

The butler looked at her with a bored expression. “They are addressed to you from Mr. Maddox.”

“What?” she eyed the piles of boxes filling the room. All of her emotion coalesced into a single feeling she could not possibly accept another gift from him. Just by accepting them, she would be compromised if anyone ever found out. “Take them back. All of them. Load them in the carriage.”

“Piper,” her aunt called from behind her. “That isn’t necessary. We have made sure everything is proper.”

“Mr. Maddox has been too generous already. I can’t accept this.” She watched as each box was loaded back into Barrett’s carriage. She stood at the door, her anger boiling over. How dare he make such assumptions? How dare he think he could buy her like this? When every box was piled in, Piper made a sudden decision. She was going to tell him exactly why she couldn’t take the dresses. She made a dash for the carriage herself.

“Piper. What are you doing?” her aunt’s exasperated voice called.

“Returning these, I will be back shortly.” She hopped into the carriage with all of the boxes stacked around her.

She could hear her aunt coming out of the house calling to her. “Piper, this isn’t proper.”

Piper pulled down the shades. If no one saw her then no one would know. Her aunt would know, of course. Aunt Lizzie would be furious with her tonight. And, if she got caught, she would be ruined. She bit her lip. But it was too late to turn back now. Besides, Barrett needed to know he couldn’t make such assumptions about her. Yes, she had let him kiss her but she had been terribly vulnerable. He needed to be set straight.

She pulled up to Barrett’s house and her mouth nearly fell open. Her cousin had a lovely home in New York but Barrett had a palace. A really large one right on Fifth Avenue. She entered a stately set of gates and Piper breathed a little easier as the gates swung closed. No one would know she was here.

She kept forgetting Barrett was so wealthy. His dress was more casual than the peerage and his manner was direct. But his boat, his home, they spoke of wealth and affluence she had never experienced. Her mother had, but not Piper.

As the carriage pulled up, a butler stepped out. Piper peeked out as the man stepped up to speak with the driver. Seconds later the door snapped open. “May I help you?”

Piper started in surprise. He was American. “Yes, I am here to see Mr. Maddox.” She cleared her throat as she talked.

“His Grace is in a meeting right now. You will have to wait.” He somehow looked down his nose at her even as he looked up into the carriage.

Well, he might be American but he did an awfully good job of being judgmental. She looked down at herself and blushed. He had a good reason to judge. She was not fit for such a visit. She had dashed out so quickly she had neither gloves nor hat. Her dress was very simple and her hair was only loosely pulled back.

He ushered her into the house and then into a drawing room. Piper stood in the massive room and looked around. It had a cold beauty. She picked a chair and perched on it, while trying her best to look like she was comfortable and relaxed. She had spent a great deal of time with the aristocrats of England but she never got over the feeling she didn’t quite belong. While Barrett didn’t make her feel that way, his home most certainly did.

Barely a minute had passed when the door slammed open. It was so like Barrett to come crashing into a room. The thought melted some of her anger. A laugh tickled the inside of her cheeks. She held the laugh in but couldn’t quite keep the smile off her face.

His look went from black to perplexed. “Why are you here? And why are you smiling?”

“Do you always enter a situation with two pistols drawn? Literally and figuratively?” Her shoulders shook with suppressed laughter and it felt so good.

He returned the look. “Maybe. Some women are intimidated by that you know.”

She gave him a look of mock surprise. “Intimidated by you?” Piper stood to greet him and he crossed the room. “I know you wouldn’t hurt me.”

He moved until their bodies were just inches apart. His look was hungry and Piper nearly stepped back. “Perhaps you should be a little more afraid of me.”

She straightened, “I suppose I am. At least what you could do to my reputation. That is why I am returning the dresses. A woman such as myself couldn’t be seen—”

“Out in public, without gloves or hat, at a man’s house, unchaperoned?” He crossed his arms.

She blushed deeply. “Point taken. I simply could not take such a generous gift. You have already given my mother so much.”

“Piper, just take the dresses.” He uncrossed his arms and one hand reached to cup her cheek.

“To what end?” She would not let him break her concentration. She was angry with him and she would do well to remember it. Why did she lose all of her senses around him?

A seductive smile flitted across his lips. “Are you asking me if I want you to be in my bed? The answer is most definitely yes.”

Piper gasped. At that moment she went to step away but his other hand came to her waist and held her firm. She pulled harder, wanting to put some space between them. She should be outraged by his words but his proximity only filled her with longing. She would never become a man’s mistress but it was hard to be indignant with his clean masculine scent wrapping itself around her.

“Do I expect it in payment for the dresses? No, I do not. If you ever wanted to, of your own free will, then that is another matter.” His lips bent towards her and she turned her head away. They brushed her collarbone instead. Chills ran down her spine but she kept her body stiffened away from him.

“I would never.” She breathed out and her hands came to his chest to push him away. It was like trying to move a brick wall. He didn’t even budge

“I know. Which is why I will help you find a proper husband because it’s what is best for you.” He pulled her body closer despite her attempts to push him away. She pushed harder. The only thing worse than being his mistress was having him pick another man to be her husband. It was utterly ridiculous. Why would he do that?

“You would help me marry someone else?” her voice was raspy but it held her disappointment as his lips travelled from her collarbone to her neck. In some small part of her mind, Piper had hoped her mother was right and he would marry her, despite the fact she wasn’t titled. “Barrett. Please, I can’t do this…” But his mouth moving against her skin was addling her brain. She couldn’t think anymore and her resistance was weakening.