The Mischievous Bride (4 page)

Biting back a curse, Marcus turned to put the book on the table beside him. “I’m glad you’re finally being sensible.”

“I didn’t say I was going to be sensible about this. You asked me to come down, and I shall do it.” There was something in that teasing laughter that sent chills down his spine. He spun around, but before he made it all the way around to give her his arm, she had thrown herself from the ladder, launching her little body straight for him.

Milli plopped into Marcus’s arms as if it were an everyday occurrence. She had known he would catch her. His arms were strong and sinewy beneath his jacket. He smelled of a fine cologne, stirring her senses. She batted her eyes at him, opening her mouth to tell him thank you. But what she saw in his face was not amusing. Fire danced in those smoldering gray eyes, and they blazed a trail straight through her.

“You could have killed yourself.” His words were said with such venom, she wanted to cringe.

She drew in a deep breath, feeling rather confused at his outburst. “I would not have killed myself. It was only ten feet or so. And you are quite strong.”

“You could have hurt yourself.”

She bit her lip, staring at the muscle ticking in his jaw. “Well, I must admit, that is true.” She lifted her gaze to his. “But I had every faith in you.”

One black brow lifted in warning. “Did you?”

“Of course,” she said, trying to scramble for something to say. “You are very capable.”

“And you would throw yourself off that ladder at any strong and capable gentleman, knowing you would be safe? Do you think Hughmont was only staring at those books? Hell’s bells, he was looking at you as if you were the last morsel of food for the evening, and he was a starving urchin!”

“That’s preposterous! He was not!”

“He was!”

His piercing silver eyes had locked onto her face, and she couldn’t look away.

She swallowed, thinking he thought her rather stupid. Her heart hammered wildly. She smoothed a hand through her hair, trying to make it look more presentable.

“Well, I am no ninny. I would not have thrown myself at some mere weakling, if that is what you mean.”

He seemed to growl deep in his throat, and she felt herself slipping. She grabbed hold of his jacket. She loved this man and didn’t know why he had suddenly turned so cold to her the last year. She had tried everything to gain his attention, but nothing seemed to work. Didn’t he know how much she loved him?

His silver eyes froze on her mouth, and she wondered if she had a pimple or some other flaw. She chewed her bottom lip, hoping she could hide it.

A throbbing pain pounded in her heart. She flushed and lowered her gaze. Why couldn’t he love her?

A few seconds passed before he spoke again. “Don’t ever do that again, do you hear me? That was a stupid, idiotic thing to do.” His voice was husky and low.

A lump of emotions lodged in her throat, and she found it hard to speak.

He let her slip to the floor and towered over her, acting as if he were her father.

Milli dropped her hand from his jacket. “I vow, you have no sense of humor.”

She knew that wasn’t true because she had seen him with his brothers, laughing and loving their company. At Society events, his bright white smile had always caught the attention of some ogling female, and it made her insanely jealous.

Lord Marcus Clearbrook was the catch of the Season. Every matchmaking mama and unattached female was in the race to win the prize. But the man didn’t even know she was in the race. Drat him and his gentlemanly behavior. He probably thought because she was Elizabeth’s baby sister that she was not to be considered as a possible wife.

“Sense of humor?” he repeated curtly.

She looked up.

His furious eyes drilled into hers.

Her cheeks warmed. She stepped back, finding herself trapped against the duke’s massive mahogany desk. “Goodness, you would think—”

Without warning, he grabbed her shoulders. “Think? You had better think about the consequences of your action, because if that had been anyone but me or my brothers catching you, there’s no telling what would have happened. Thunderation, Hughmont might have caught you! Then you would have been sorry!”

Her heart beat against her chest. “La, I can assure you, I would never have jumped into the arms of some fellow without a massive amount of muscle.” She smoothed a hand over his arm and batted her lashes. “And I don’t know why I would have been sorry if Hughmont had caught me. If anything, I think I would have been sorry if he had not.”

His gaze skimmed over her, sending her stomach tingling. “You are so bold and innocent at the same time, I have no idea what to do with you.”

She lifted her chin. “I am no child. I am a woman fully grown, something you seem to forget.”

“Ah, so you are a woman fully grown, are you?”

Her nostrils flared as she glared back at him. “Yes, I am. I turned eighteen just months ago. And you know it!”

His broken laugh sent a giddy sensation down her spine, and a burning flame ignited in her belly. 

The next moment, he scooped her off her feet, making her gasp. Her heart leapt to her throat at the steely glint in his eyes. Was he so angry with her that he was going to carry her to her room and lock the door? That would be humiliating.

“Now, see here, you cannot—”

“You think Hughmont would not have swept you into his arms like this?”

“Of course not!” She wouldn’t stand for this! “You put me down this instant!”

“No.” That one word said it all. He was not going to cater to her demand. He was the only Clearbrook who never did. Drat the man!

She wiggled. He jostled. There was no way to free herself from his hold. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. “Very well. I am your prisoner. Now what?”

He sent her a warning glare that unnerved her. “I want you to understand your predicament.”

But she wouldn’t cower. “Oh, I understand everything. You are being an ogre.”

“Ogre or not, if it had not been me who had caught you, you could be in trouble. I could have been Hughmont or any other man.”

Suddenly, it made sense. “Ah, I understand. You believe a cad would take advantage of me. Well, never fear, I have yet to let a man kiss me whom I didn’t want.”

His silver eyes flashed in shock. “You have let a man kiss you?”

Well, she didn’t want to tell him that no man had ever kissed her because she was still waiting for
him
to kiss her someday. But what did it matter? He still thought her a peagoose. 

She met his glittering gaze and drew in a shaky breath. His strong arms had wrapped around her, making her heart hammer in her ears. Yet she vowed she would not show him how much he affected her. She had made a nuisance of herself as a child. But she was older and wiser now. She would show him she was a true lady.

“Who the devil have you been kissing?”

She blinked, trying to scramble for an answer. “What? Oh, I, uh, believe a woman has to kiss a good amount of toads before finding her prince.”

“You mean frogs?”

She caught the flash of amusement in his eyes and narrowed her gaze. “Toads, frogs, what does it matter?”

She struggled to get out of his hold. “Now, let me down.”

Somehow, she knew he was going to make her pay for her bold behavior, and that was something she wasn’t going to stay to watch. The Clearbrooks were a nasty bunch when they wanted to teach someone a lesson.

She was not about to be taught anything at the moment. Not by him!

“You need a good lesson, young lady.”

She gasped at the threatening look he gave her. She had seen that expression before when the Clearbrook brothers were about to start a fight.

She pressed her hands against his chest. “I won’t allow you to beat me! I won’t!”

“Beat you?” A flicker of a smile crossed his face, and before she knew it, the man captured her lips with his, taking the very breath from her lungs. His mouth was warm and caressing, clouding her mind.

Shock soon yielded to hunger. This was Marcus. Her love. Her toes curled at the touch of him. It was her first kiss, and it was wonderful.

Instinctively, she wrapped her hands around his neck and drew him toward her. Something inside her burst free. She had dreamed of him kissing her, holding her, loving her like this. She wiggled and couldn’t get close enough.

He pulled back, and she looked up at him with stars in her eyes.

His mouth thinned. His silver gaze dropped to her lips, then shifted to her eyes. Instantly, she felt the change in him. For a few tense seconds, they didn’t speak.

“Prince or frog, Millicent?” he said in a mocking tone. “Or do you need another lesson?”

She flushed beet red, feeling as if he had slapped her. Beating her would have been a better option. “Put me down!”

He gently let her slippers hit the rug beneath them. It took a few moments for her to gather her wits. She whacked at her gown, straightening it. So, the man thought he was teaching her a lesson? Well, she would teach him a thing or two.

Her heart was crumbling, but she lifted a stern brow, letting her gray eyes clash with his silver ones. “Frog, Marcus. That was a frog kiss. No, no, I daresay that was by far a
toad
kiss. Lord Hughmont and Lord Knightengale kiss better than that!”

“Knightengale? Hughmont?” His silver eyes glittered with fury.

 MiIli smiled, feeling a bit triumphant. She was ready to let out a string of other men’s names, just to see how far she could tease him, when the door opened. Drat!

“Oh, there you are, Milli, I was looking all over for you.”

It was the duchess, looking lovely in her blue silk gown with her blond curls and sapphire eyes. Jane exchanged glances with Marcus. “Oh, Marcus, I believe Roderick was looking for you. Something about government business, I believe. The general came tonight. He must have some secret information.” She gave him a smiling wink. “Why you gentlemen have to speak about politics during a ball is beyond me.”

Milli pressed a hand over her sleeve, making sure it wasn’t askew. Her knees were still trembling. She hoped Jane hadn’t noticed. She wished she had never come into the library tonight.

She tipped her lips into a smile, forcing out her words. “I’m coming, dearest. Marcus was giving me the finer points of one of Shakespeare’s plays.” She picked up the thick leather bound book and shoved it into Marcus’s stomach.

Jane raised a curious brow. “Shakespeare?”

Marcus gripped the book with a blank expression crossing his face. He stared at Jane. “I adore Shakespeare.”

While Jane walked toward Marcus, Milli stepped aside and tried to pin up her hair.

Jane glanced at the book, then tilted twinkling blue eyes Marcus’s way. “I didn’t know you were interested in
Romeo and Juliet
. You should attend those theater meetings with Milli. They gather at Lady Grantworth’s home the first Tuesday of every month.”

“Do they?” Marcus asked, setting the book aside. “I must say, I have recently found Shakespeare rather enlightening.”

The amusement in his voice hurt Milli almost as much as that fake kiss.

Without looking back, she hastened across the room, embarrassment filling every pore of her body. She would die before she let Marcus know how much he had hurt her. But just as she was about to step past the door, she stopped and spun around. Both Marcus and Jane lifted their gazes her way.

“Oh, Jane, I don’t think Marcus would enjoy the group at all.”

Jane frowned. “Why not, dearest? I think it might do him some good.”

Marcus’s face still blazed with fury as he gazed at her, but he refrained from comment.

Milli glared at him. “Well, Jane, one has to walk and speak at those meetings, not hop and croak.” And with that she was gone.

Jane stared at Marcus and frowned. “Whatever did she mean by that I wonder?”

Marcus’s shoulders shook as he picked up the book, flipped it in his hands, then settled it onto the table once again. “I hate to say it, but I believe she thinks I’m a frog.”

“A frog?” Jane let out a gentle laugh and hooked her arm in his. “Oh, Marcus, your humor is almost as dry as Roderick’s.”

Chapter Four

M
illi returned to the ball and was miserable. After her latest stunt, she was sure Marcus hated her.

Fighting back tears, she stood beside her sister on the edge of the ballroom. A sour taste crept up her throat, making her feel ill.

Candelabra filled the edges of the room, setting off the place in a blaze of light. Soft violins played in the background. Red and pink roses surrounded the crush of people dancing and talking with each other. The scent from the beautiful blossoms seeped into her brain. She gazed over the crowd. Marcus was nowhere to be found. He wasn’t going to take her into the supper room after all.

“Are you ill, Milli?” Lizzie asked gently. “You look rather feverish.”

Milli tugged at her bodice, avoiding her sister’s gaze. “No. But it is rather hot in here, is it not?”

“Perhaps you need a stroll in the gardens. I admit your admirers have been crowding you tonight. I have no idea how you can breathe. Oh, look. Marcus just stepped into the ballroom. I can ask him to take you outside before the supper bell.”

Milli’s head jerked up. “Not him!”

Lizzie narrowed her gaze on the man. “Yes, I see what you mean. There’s a flock of ladies vying for his attention. Perhaps Stephen can take you.”

“No, not Stephen. I think I shall go by myself. I am not a child, Lizzie.”

Her sister put a hand over her arm. “I know, dearest. But there is such a crowd tonight. It might not be wise venturing into the gardens alone, even if this is the duke’s home.”

Milli’s eyes twinkled. “Do you think a nefarious suitor stalks the trails, waiting to accost me?”

Lizzie chuckled. “Of course not. But men will drink, dearest. Sometimes too much.”

Milli stared across the ballroom at Marcus. He looked so handsome in his black jacket and white cravat, he made her heart stop. The ladies followed him around like dumb little ducklings. It was sickening.