The Duke and the Dressmaker (The St. James Series) (18 page)

Chapter Twenty
-Five

Philip waited inside the library as Ardleigh’s butler searched for Phoebe. He gazed out the window thinking about all his mother had said. Was there a possibility of a true relationship with Sara? Could he picture her sitting across from him every morning at breakfast? Would he enjoy having her on his arm at the required social affairs? He didn’t need to ask himself the question about having her in his bed every night. He knew the answer to that.

What if she became as demanding as Caroline? His mother was right. Caroline was a shallow, scheming woman.
She was not the type to be a good mother. The two women shared few qualities. Even their beauty was entirely different. Caroline was dark, lush, even frightening at times. Actually, Caroline shared more qualities with Miranda Montrose. Sara’s beauty was much richer. She was intelligent and courageous. Neither quality existed in Miranda or Caroline.

Was he afraid? Probably he was
. Afraid to be hurt again. His heart had taken a beating when Caroline had left him. He didn’t know how he would feel if he ever saw her again. At first, he couldn’t wait to see her again. Now he dreaded any contact with her.

“Good afternoon, Your Grace,” Phoebe said as she rounded the corner of the library.

“Good afternoon, Lady Ardleigh. You look radiant this morning.” It wasn’t a lie. Phoebe was lovely.

“Thank you kindly, Sir. My husband and daughter are such treasures to me
I awake with a smile on my face every day. Forgive me, but I left Ardleigh outside with the baby. They have so little time together with all his responsibilities.”

“Of course, I actually came to see Lady Downey and to inquire about her welfare.” He was direct when he needed to be.

“She is improving, but she has much healing to do. Her emotions are very fragile right now. I believe it would do her good to hear your apology, Your Grace, but please do not overstay your welcome. You did say you came to apologize, did you not?” Phoebe’s eyebrow rose as she questioned him.

“Of course.
I am a man of my word, and I gave you my word yesterday that I would apologize to Lady Downey. Has she said anything about who assaulted her?” Philip was determined to find out who had attacked her.

“She could name him only as ‘Stinky.’ She told me you are aware of him
, as he is the same man that broke her first finger. Perhaps you should stay and speak with my husband after your visit.”

“Yes, I would like that.”
He followed Phoebe out of the library.

“By the way, I have medicated her,” Phoebe
said before she opened the door.

“Is she still in much pain?”

“Well, yes, but it isn’t the physical pain that concerns me, but the emotional pain. I medicated her because I could not bear to see the pain in her eyes. She is very fragile right now. I fear she is hanging on the edge. Please be careful what you say, Your Grace.”

Phoebe ushered Philip into the dayroom. Sara fac
ed the window overlooking their gardens and the river that ran through the bulk of their property. She turned when Phoebe entered the room.

Sara’s gaze locked on Philip’s when he entered
behind Phoebe. Her heart melted a bit as she recalled how much she loved his blue eyes. Phoebe had given her a bit of laudanum to ease her pain but insisted on having her walk to the dayroom to brighten her day. She had a beautiful view of the Earl of Ardleigh and his daughter playing in the gardens.

Phoebe knelt in front of her and held her hands. “The
duke would like to speak to you, Sara. Are you agreeable?”

Sara glanced up at Philip again. She nodded as she stared at him. He was so incredibly handsome. It would be acceptable because she enjoyed looking at him. How long had it been since she had seen him? She tried but couldn’t remember. She gave him a quick smile as he sat down across from her. Shivering a little at having him so close again, she wondered why he stayed away from her. Her mind was too cloudy to think. Well, it didn’t matter. She just wanted to
gaze at him.

Philip reached over and pulled her coverlet tighter on her lap. He leaned in to give her a chaste kiss on her cheek.

Oh, yes, she remembered how much she loved his scent.

“Sara, how are you? I am so sorry this happened to you. I should never have left you
alone in your shop. You trusted me to protect you and I failed. I am sorry. Can you forgive me?”

She
smiled at him. He had the whitest teeth, but he seemed upset right now. What was he saying? If she could just get him to smile, she could see his white teeth again. Then he would remind her of the Philip she knew from the night they had spent together.

“I also apologize about the necklace. To have sent them with a note was rude of me.”

She pointed to the window. “Philip, have you seen the Ardleigh’s baby, Abigail? She is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen.”

If she could just get him to smile and look at her the way he had that night at his townhouse.

“Do you know Ardleigh said he is going to teach his daughter to fish when she gets older?” He would definitely smile at the baby, wouldn’t he?

Yes, the night that he had loved her. That is what she wanted, to feel like he loved her again.

She continued in the hopes of enticing a smile from him. “My father used to take me fishing. I didn’t like to put the bait on the hooks, but I loved fishing with him.”

She wanted him to smile b
ecause she loved Philip. Had she ever told him that?

He star
ed at her, but he still would not smile.

She tried again. “
That was my favorite time with my father, you know. When we fished together, I knew he really loved me because he would tell me so. We didn’t get to spend much time together because he was so busy.”

He
continued to stare. He touched her hand. Oh! She giggled. He was so warm, just like he had been that night at his townhouse. She loved his warmth. When his arms wrapped around her, she wallowed in his heat. She remembered how wonderfully safe she felt in his arms. She loved his long eyelashes, too. Was his left eyelash wet? Why would that be?

She
tilted her head to the side. “Do you fish, Philip?” She smiled at him again.

Why wouldn’t he smile at her?

“Yes, Sara, I do fish. I would love to take you fishing sometime.” He smiled.

Her
heart burst. She leaned over and whispered in his ear. “I love you, Philip. Do you love me?”

He was silent for a moment as he peered at
her. She thought she heard a very soft, “Yes, Sara, I love you.”

She kissed him briefly on the lips and pulled back to smile at him. “Oh, are those tears, Philip?
Why? Why would you cry? Don’t you really love me?” He had to love her back. She loved him. Why was he crying?

Something was wrong.
She turned, searching for Phoebe. Her hand struggled with the coverlet before it dropped from her lap. Burning dampness in her eyes forced her to blink several times. She turned back to the window. Where was Philip? Where did he go?

She squeezed her hand tight and reached for something to grab onto, but only found air.
Pain seared through her arm and her heart at the same time.

He doesn’t love me after all.
She felt wetness on her hands. She glanced down to find tears dripping onto her lap.

Phoebe appeared in front of her.

“What’s wrong, Sara? Did Philip say something to upset you? Everything is going to be fine. Don’t worry about anything. I will take care of you.” Phoebe waved toward something at the doorway. She cradled Sara’s head against her shoulder. “I will take care of you, Sara.”

Sara sobbed in her friend
’s arms. “I love him, Phoebe. Why can’t he love me back?”

***

The Ardleighs sat in the library with Philip.

“I don’t know what I said to upset her, honestly Phoebe. I never mentioned the name ‘Stinky’ to her.”
Sara loved him? He could not erase those three words from his mind. Was it the laudanum talking? Or did it free up her true feelings? It had to be the medicine, didn’t it?

“Never mind.
I fear her mind is too fragile right now. I need to know what we can do about this man.” Phoebe directed her vision from Philip to her husband.

Had he really just told Sara that he loved her? Well, he did, didn’t he? Or did he? Was it pity he felt? His heart lurched at the scene he had just experienced. Why was his heart doing little leaps?

Stop it! Stop letting the rantings of a medicated woman affect your ability to think logically.
The sound of Ardleigh’s voice broke through his thoughts.

“What? Oh, yes. Pardon me, please. The investigator said her husband was a heavy gambler and was in debt to one of the major criminals in London. But he has yet to ascertain which one it is.
”

He stood up. “
Ardleigh, do me a favor please. Check with the investigator and see if he has found any new information. I am sorry, but I must leave. I have business to attend to.”

“What is so important,
Brentwood?” Ardleigh asked as his friend hurried through the library door.

He
glanced back over his shoulder.

“Revenge.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

The time had come for him to take charge and make amends. Philip trudged up the steps to his front door. He ignored Stevens and every other servant that stopped to stare at him. Something wasn’t right, but he didn’t care. He had bungled his life in so many ways lately. Phoebe was right, how could he have thought that of Sara?

He remembered the night they had spent together. She gave herself to him completely. It was more than her body. Her warmth, her passion, her laughter, her trust, she had given him so much. What had he given in return? Mistrust, insults, but worst of all, he had turned his back on her when she needed him most. She was not safe in her shop
, and he had known it but done nothing.

He was about to walk into the
dayroom when his mother approached him.

“I know, I know, you were right again, Mother.” He held his hands up to concede victory.

“Oh, pah, I am always right. When will you ever learn? But never mind that now. You have a visitor. I left her in your library.” She pointed back in the direction of his library.

“Mother, please, whoever it is, just
send her away. I cannot deal with anything else today.” He grumbled as he thought of having to talk to some mother that was going to push her young daughter at him.

“
No, Philip, you better handle her, because I certainly won’t. I will not deal with that kind of woman.” She spun on her heel and stalked away. “She is in the library.”

He
groaned, but obediently turned back to his library. He opened the door and froze.

“Oh, Philip.
There you are. You have kept me waiting forever. I know you must be a little angry with me, but I am sure I can think of some way to make it up to you.”

Caroline.

Caroline sat on his desk with her legs crossed and her glorious dark curls cascading over her shoulders, her large breasts nearly visible. She wore slinky red lingerie that belonged in a whorehouse.

Bloody hell! Where had she come from?

“What do you want, Caroline.” He reached behind him and closed the library door. He had to get rid of her.

“You, Philip.
I want you.” She slid off the desk and turned away from him.

“I missed you
. Didn’t you miss me? I am so sorry for what I did. But now I know. You are the only one for me. I hope you can forgive me.”

She turned around and let her
obscene nightgown slide over her body to the floor. She reached up and ran her thumbs slowly over her nipples, just the way she used to do, her guaranteed trick to make him hard instantly. He used to call them his sweet chocolates. His mouth went dry as he leaned against the door. Her voluptuous breasts overflowed her hands, her nipples turned dark and hard. As he did, instantly.

Bloody hell, betrayed by his own body.
He licked his lips as he watched her saunter over to him, swaying her hips in a perfect rhythm. He couldn’t take his eyes off her nipples, his erection so hard he was in pain. Attempting to adjust himself, he struggled to calm the blood pounding through his veins—no, pounding in his groin. Sweat gathered on his brow as he loosened his neck cloth.

“I found this beautiful ruby necklace on your desk. How does it look on me?” She fingered the red glass
before caressing the diamonds with her tongue. “Does it look as nice on me as the other necklace you gave me?” She offered him a sweet smile before she ran her tongue across her lips. Licking her finger, she ran it across her nipple, leaving a trail of wetness for him to see.

He gazed at the necklace and then into her eyes.

He finally found bliss. One glance at the coldness within her eyes was all he needed.

He deflated as fast as if he had
stepped into a pool full of ice.

Caroline’s eyes were cold, hard and calculating. There was no warmth, compassion or love as he had seen in Sara’s green eyes.

Caroline was as cold as ever. He rejoiced as he strolled around her to pick up her red gown.

“Put this on, Caroline. I am no longer interested. Better yet, where are your real clothes? Get them on and get out.”

He was free! He was finally free of the hold she’d had on him for two years. Seeing her for what she really was had liberated him like nothing else. A weight lifted from his shoulders. He sighed with delight. He turned around and leaned against his desk as he crossed his arms.

She grabbed her clothes and began dressing. “You can’t throw me out. I am your wife. This is my home
, and I am back, so deal with it, Philip.”

“No, you aren’t my wife any longer, Caroline. I divorced you. Or didn’t you receive your official notice
? Oh, sorry, you should have paid attention to your mail while you were with your lover.” He gave her a smile as false as her own. All he felt was revulsion. She had no power over him anymore.

This was beginning to be a great moment for him.

“What? Divorced me?” The comment stopped her in her tracks. Her eyes blazed as she strutted over to him. “You can’t do that. It is not allowed in the aristocracy and you know it. You married me for life!”

Her hands fisted on her hips
. She paced in a fury, shooting sparks as her words flew. “You owe me, Philip. I don’t have anything anymore. You have to provide for me. It was part of the marriage. I only agreed to marry you so I would have rights to your money for the rest of my life. I have needs, you realize. You are required to provide them.” She leaned toward him as she pounded him with her wrath.

He
ignored her. “First of all, I do have money. When you have money, as you know, you can do almost anything you want within the law. I chose to use a good portion of my wealth to divorce you. Nothing pleases me more than to be rid of you. You are a selfish, conniving bitch. Had you shown up for the proceedings, you may have been entitled to a payment, but you chose not to come. You were busy with your lover. However, I am feeling generous today. Keep the necklace. It is worth enough to pay rent somewhere for you until you can find some other fool to fall for you. I certainly don’t want that necklace to touch anyone else now that it has touched your skin.” He calmly smiled. This felt better than he had ever imagined it would.

Caroline fisted her hands at her side and stomped her foot. “Philip, you cannot do this to me!” The tears started down her cheeks.

Unfortunately for her, he was accustomed to that drama as well.

“I can, and I did.
” He stepped around her toward the door. “Gather your things, Caroline. I want you out by the time I return. Don’t come back.” He reached for the doorknob.

Her nails dug into his arms as she threw herself against his body from behind.

“Please, I will do anything. I have nowhere to go. I know you are angry. I know I embarrassed you. Punish me. Beat me, do what you will, but don’t throw me out.”

He halted at the door. Something just occurred to him.

“Philip, spank me. Take me over your knee.”

He jerked his head around and stared at her.

“Tie me to the bedpost and whip me, if you must. I can take it. Please, punish me.” Her voice turned husky. “I deserve to be punished.”

What he saw in her eyes disgusted him. He dared to gaze down and saw the evidence in her erect nipples. She was excited.

So that was it.

“Ah, the truth comes out, my dear. I wasn’t enough for you in the bedroom?” One eyebrow rose as he whispered to her.

“Philip, please, I beg you. I lost Duncan. He was the only one who knew how to satisfy me. I can show you. Tie me up.” Her breathing turned ragged, her teeth nipped her bottom lip. “Hold me down over the desk, beat me with a book. Just make it painful.”

She reached for him, massaged him. Nothing happened. Tears ran down her face as she sobbed. “Please.”

Philip pulled away as she crumpled in a heap on the floor in front of him.

“Get out, Caroline. You disgust me.”

***

Philip closed the doo
r behind him and leaned against it. He ran his hand down his face to steady himself. He could not believe what had just happened. All his questions answered in less than an hour. His ex-wife would never clutter his thoughts again. He didn’t care what she did. He hoped he never saw her again.

He gathered himself together and headed down the hallway. He found his butler
. “Stevens, make sure my ex-wife is out within the next few minutes. Do not allow her to wander around the house. In fact, have Eli take her to a hotel and pay for the night. Arrange for a week’s stay to be billed to me.”

Stevens
nodded, a slight twitch at his mouth. “Yes, Your Grace, I will do everything discretely, as usual.”

He
spun on his heel and headed for the dining room. His mother waited with a questioning look. “Everything is taken care of, Mother. May I take this moment to remind you how much I love you?” He smiled and leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek.

His mother offered her cheek with a puzzled expression. “I suppose. You
may expand on the details later.”

He
continued on his way, but then turned back. “Mother, would you do me a favor and ask Benjamin, Graham and Adam to meet me outside on the shooting range in about an hour? We have work to do.”