Tis the Season to Be Sinful (25 page)
There was a sharp knock at the door and then Dixon entered the study. He was wearing fresh clothes, the collar of his white shirt starched, the black suit jacket crisply pressed. His hair was noticeably damp, his jaw newly shaved. A very faint odor hung about his person, but it was not overpowering. Richard resisted the surprising urge to smile.
“Harper.” Dixon acknowledged him with a sharp nod, and then turned steely eyes to the boys. “I see you have discovered the culprits of this morning’s shenanigans.”
“Edward and James are very sorry that their foolish antics caused such problems,” Richard said.
“They should be,” Dixon grumbled. “I expect they will be severely punished.”
“I can assure you that the boys will be properly disciplined,” Richard replied.
“So be it. Given that I was the injured party, I would prefer to apply the rod myself, but I will defer because this is your home. I will watch, however, to make certain you do a proper job of it. Start with the younger boy, if you please.”
James heaved a shuddering exclamation of distress. Ignoring the sound, Richard cocked his head, slowly digesting Dixon’s words. Was he jesting? Or merely trying to frighten the boys?
Dixon tilted his chin and looked Richard square in the eye. His face was dark, lined with no trace of mercy, his eyes intense with a certainty of purpose. Richard realized he should not have been all that surprised that Dixon would demand a beating as punishment. It was, however, even more jarring to discover he wanted to watch.
It had been a noxious prank, but certainly not one that warranted beating a child. Richard tried to imagine how he would feel if their positions were reversed, quickly concluding that he did not agree such a harsh reprisal was justified.
It was not a malicious prank. No one had been seriously hurt, well, except for Dixon’s pride. And truthfully Richard knew that he was partially to blame. He should have put an end to these pranks the moment they started. Instead, he had chosen to ignore them.
“Edward and James have already received their punishment,” Richard informed Dixon, deliberately offering no further elaboration.
Richard gave the boys a curt nod and they stepped forward, handing their letters of apology to Dixon and reciting their regret in quiet voices. The moment they were delivered, they scurried back to Richard’s side, standing so near he could hear their anxious breaths.
Dixon quickly read the notes, then placed them carelessly on the desk. A muscle along his jaw began to twitch. “Pull up your shirt, lad,” he said to James. “I want to see the markings of your punishment.”
“What?” James cried, looking stricken.
Richard stepped forward, placing himself between James and Dixon, cutting off any further discussion. “The boys will begin working in the stables later today to earn the money to replace your ruined clothing. They know that they were wrong and are very sorry for the trouble they have caused. They have admitted their mistake, made an appropriate apology, and have suffered the consequences. The matter is now closed.”
Dixon eyed him for a moment. “They don’t look to me as though they have suffered much at all.”
“I can assure you they have,” Richard replied, glancing down at the boys.
James’s mouth opened and closed, his face getting paler by the moment. Edward remained stoic, but his shoulder twitched with a telltale sign of nerves. Richard took another protective step forward, placing even greater distance between the children and Dixon.
The other man also advanced, his expression clouding with disgust. “Partnerships are built on trust, Harper. To be successful, there must be agreement on how important matters are to be handled.”
“Quite true,” Richard agreed. “But this is not a business matter. It’s personal and it has been resolved.”
“Not to my satisfaction,” Dixon retorted, the tone of his voice and set of his jaw letting them all know he would not yield.
Richard frowned, cursing under his breath. The potential profits, along with the time and effort already expended on the deal swam before his eyes, perched on the verge of crumbling to dust. Dixon was giving him a clear ultimatum. If he didn’t comply with the request and thrash the boys, the partnership would not continue.
A flash of annoyance and frustration shuddered through Richard’s body. Eyes cold, he glared at the boys. James’s lower lip trembled visibly. Edward’s shoulders sagged and he looked away.
Unexpected emotions slammed into Richard’s body. The boys were so stiff and motionless he wondered if they still breathed. Reading the signs of the children’s distress felt like being punched in the gut. Richard could almost feel their fear, their helplessness. Instinctively he placed a comforting hand on Edward’s shoulder. A flicker of surprise lit the boy’s face.
Richard winced. The incredulous look on his face made Richard feel mean-spirited and miserly. It was clear the very last thing Edward had expected to receive was Richard’s compassion, his understanding.
Richard turned his attention back to Dixon. “We appear to have reached an impasse,” he said forcefully.
A mere five minutes ago everything within him would have rebelled at the mere thought of speaking those words to Dixon, knowing what they might cost. Yet the moment the decision had been made, Richard knew it was the right one.
Making money was important, essential really. He must provide for his family—provide for and protect them.
Protect them all.
A part of him hoped the arrangement with Dixon could be salvaged and Richard fully intended to do all that he could to move the partnership forward.
Protect them all.
A part of him hoped the arrangement with Dixon could be salvaged and Richard fully intended to do all that he could to move the partnership forward.
All except acquiesce to Dixon’s barbaric demand that he thrash James and Edward.
Richard realized suddenly how very wrong he had been to believe he could remain impervious to any parental emotions. Something had shifted inside him the instant the boys had been threatened. The coldness he had clung to so stubbornly had cracked and the emotions had seeped through.
Richard knew now he was deluding himself believing that keeping a part of himself detached from the children would lessen the pain of his past.
For the first time he saw things clearly. He loved Juliet, and her children were an extension of her. More than that—he cared for them each in their own way.
Edward, who struggled so fiercely to be a man; James, who was so open and mischievous and full of life; Lizzy, who was sweet and innocent and lovable.
These children were the future. His future. He realized that they, along with Juliet, represented the true promise of happiness. A happiness that was so clearly within his grasp.
And he intended to reach out with both hands, take hold of it, and keep that joy. Even if it meant going against every business instinct he possessed by relinquishing an important, lucrative partnership.
Chapter 17
Despondent, Juliet sat in a chair by the fireplace. She had been pacing the drawing room for what felt like hours, her nerves stretched to the breaking point. Finally realizing her agitation was serving no useful purpose, she collapsed in the chair.
She was equal parts angry and embarrassed at the problem her sons had caused with their foolish, reckless behavior. And Richard’s refusal to see her in his bedchamber earlier had triggered a fearful sense of impending doom. She worried this incident would drive a deeper wedge between Richard and her sons and in turn between her and Richard.
Juliet sighed. This feeling of helplessness was becoming all too familiar. And impossibly annoying!
Then, just as she thought she could bear the waiting no longer, the door opened. Richard entered the room, the boys at his side. Pulse racing, Juliet jumped to her feet.
“The Dixons are leaving,” Richard announced grimly.
Oh, no!
Juliet bit her lip, hardly believing things had gone this far. “I’m so sorry.” She turned a stern gaze on Edward and James. But instead of contrary, distressed expressions, the boys were wide-eyed with respect, their gazes pinned on Richard.
Juliet bit her lip, hardly believing things had gone this far. “I’m so sorry.” She turned a stern gaze on Edward and James. But instead of contrary, distressed expressions, the boys were wide-eyed with respect, their gazes pinned on Richard.
“I’m not in the least sorry.” Richard’s face grew shuttered.
Juliet studied him, a faint light of hope entering her heart. “Is your business together successfully concluded? Have you and Mr. Dixon agreed to the terms of your partnership?”
“There will be no partnership, nor any other future business dealings with Dixon.” Lines formed on Richard’s brow.
Juliet stilled. Her chest gave a sharp squeeze. “Because of the boys?” she whispered, all of her earlier worries rushing over her like a tidal wave.
“Yes.”
“Oh, Richard.” Pursing her lips in anxiety, Juliet glanced away. “I know how important this business venture was to you, how hard and long you have worked to try and make it happen. Perhaps if I spoke with Mr. Dixon and apologized myself, then maybe—”
“No!” Richard’s roar echoed through the room, shaking the panes of glass in the window. “No one in this family is ever going to speak to that man again. Is that clear?”
Gulping at the shattering bellow, Juliet turned a frantic eye on James and Edward, but both boys were smiling. Smiling!
“Nothing is at all clear, Richard. What happened?”
“The boys made their apologies and delivered their letters,” he replied. “They were sincere and heartfelt and should have sufficiently appeased Dixon.”
Juliet sent her sons a look. Miraculously, their smiles widened. “And then?”
“He said we needed a good thrashing,” James blurted out. “And he wanted to do it himself.” James shuddered. “I was scared, Mama, but I didn’t cry.”
“What? Who?” Pulse thundering like a storm in her chest, Juliet turned to Richard for confirmation.
Richard glanced away for a moment. “Dixon thought physical punishment was in order. I disagreed, so he left.”
“He wanted to flog the boys?” A tingle of fear shivered along Juliet’s spine.
“He wouldn’t stop saying it!” Edward exclaimed in a rush. “Over and over, shouting until his face turned bright red. His cheeks even wobbled when he screamed, but it didn’t matter. Richard wouldn’t allow it.” The boy turned toward Richard, his eyes sparkling with admiration.
“Damn bully,” Richard muttered under his breath. “Dixon tried to force my hand by threatening our newly formed business partnership. That’s when I told him to go to hell. No one lays a hand on my children.”
“Oh, Richard, you didn’t say that to him, did you?”
“He did, Mama,” Edward confirmed. “He didn’t even yell. But you could tell he meant it.”
“He cursed, too,” James reported with awe. “More than once.”
Richard cleared his throat. “That’s enough, boys. The subject obviously distresses your mother, so we’ll speak no more of it.”
Pressing shaking fingertips to her brow, Juliet moved toward her sons. A shudder racked James’s frame and she recalled the quaver in his voice when he confessed how scared he had felt. Silently she pulled her younger son into a tight embrace, then loosened one arm so she could hug Edward at the same time.
“Don’t cry, Mama,” James entreated. “We’re fine.”
Juliet smoothed a hand over James’s hair. He was young and sweet. She understood Mr. Dixon’s anger, even agreed that punishment was necessary. Yet the idea of such harsh treatment for a child seemed overly cruel. Thank God Richard was there to protect them.
She met her husband’s eyes over the top of James’s head. Richard stood tall and still, his hands clasped at his waist. He, too, had been wronged by the boys’ childish pranks, but he had refused to see them physically hurt. The cost had been extreme, but he had chosen the children over a business partnership that he had previously declared among the most important of his career.
Juliet didn’t think she had ever loved him more than in that moment.
“The punishment I dispensed earlier in the schoolroom for this behavior will stand, boys,” Richard said gruffly. “Later today you will apologize to Miss Hardie and Mr. Hollingsworth, and you will start your work in the stables. Let there be no mistaking my disapproval of your actions, and your need to suffer the consequences.”
James heaved a sigh, but Edward nodded. “We were wrong,” he said. “Well, mostly I was wrong and James was foolish enough to listen to me.” Edward gave Juliet, and then Richard, a baleful look. “We are both very sorry.”
“As you should be,” Juliet interjected. “I want you to go to the nursery right now and reflect on all that has happened. You have caused a considerable amount of trouble this day, and I expect that something like this will never, ever happen again. Go on now, both of you. I’ll see you after you have eaten your supper.”
“With no dessert,” Richard added.
Edward and James nodded and obediently turned to leave. When they had reached the door, Edward looked over his shoulder. “Will you come to the nursery after supper, too?” the boy asked Richard.
“Please,” James added, the plea in his voice sincere.
Richard crossed his arms over his chest. Juliet braced herself, hoping the boys would not feel too slighted if Richard refused, but then Richard nodded sharply.
The boys yelped in delight and James gave a jump of joy. The sound jolted Juliet back to the moment. She turned to her husband, but Richard had retreated to the window, his back to her.
She waited until they were alone before speaking, staring at him in wonder. Richard stood so still he might have been carved from marble. Yet Juliet knew better. He was very much a man of flesh and bones. And deep emotions.
For the past hour she had fought despair, certain this incident would drive Richard farther away from her, separate him even more from the family she hoped to create. Apparently she could not have been more wrong.
She drew a breath. “Thank you, Richard, for defending my sons.”
She saw his hand tighten briefly into a fist. “I didn’t even realize what was happening,” he confessed, finally turning to meet her gaze. “Dixon and I had a terrible row over what punishment the deed merited. He was blustering and shouting and I was barely hearing a word of it. All I knew was that nothing in the world mattered more than protecting my boys from Dixon’s cruelty.”
“You love them,” she murmured, the joy of this realization surging through her.
“I do. Impossible as it is for me to believe.” He took a single step toward her, something deep and intense flickering in his gaze. “I love all three children. Almost as much as I love their mother.”
In silence Juliet walked to her husband. Placing her arms around his broad shoulders, she fit herself close, pressing until she felt the solid hardness of his chest against her breasts. She savored the moment, feeling all of his strength around her. His strength and his love.
They remained pressed wordlessly together for a long time before Richard spoke. “I’ve been a blind fool, haven’t I, Juliet?”
His deep voice rumbled above her head and she smiled. “Yes.”
“Denying myself a family, telling myself that I shouldn’t allow myself to truly love any of you, was ridiculous.”
“Idiotic.” Juliet’s smile widened.
Richard’s fingers stroked her gently beneath her chin, coaxing her face upward. “Stop grinning. You are supposed to console me and tell me it wasn’t my fault.”
Juliet laughed. “It wasn’t your fault. Precisely. I eventually came to understand that dedicating yourself to your business so you could provide for us financially was how you demonstrated that you cared about us, that we were important to you. I assumed you would eventually come to realize that could also mean that you loved us.”
“All of you,” he said, giving her nose an affectionate tap. “I’m so very grateful you were able to see the truth, to tolerate my oftentimes grim demeanor. Your faith in me is humbling, though I swear I will never completely understand how you tolerated me.”
Her mouth turned up in a rueful smile. “Don’t forget the sense of detachment. You worked rather hard at that, I believe.”
She saw him struggle to hold back a sigh. “You are right. I am an idiot.”
“Well, yes, I’m afraid you are a bit of a slowtop when it comes to love, but I don’t mind. Because you are
my
slowtop. My love.” Juliet’s heart constricted in her chest at his humble expression. He was so dear to her. More than a lover, more than a husband, he was a partner, a man she knew would give all that he had to make her happy, to keep her safe. Her and her children.
my
slowtop. My love.” Juliet’s heart constricted in her chest at his humble expression. He was so dear to her. More than a lover, more than a husband, he was a partner, a man she knew would give all that he had to make her happy, to keep her safe. Her and her children.
“Slow, am I?” He regarded her solemnly, but his eyes were twinkling. “Though it pains me endlessly to admit I am wrong, I will agree that learning to accept what I had lost when I was younger and having the courage to accept what you offered did take me some time to figure out.”
“Yet somehow you did.” Smiling, she reached up and traced the crease between his frowning brow with two fingers. “Clever man.”
“Impudent wench.”
“I love you, Richard.”
“Thank God.”
Her eyes locked tightly with his, and Juliet swore she could feel the love flowing between them. Her eyes began to sting, but she forcefully blinked away the tears. She drew a ragged breath, her heart bursting with happiness.
“I’m a very lucky man, aren’t I?”
“No more fortunate that I am, my love,” Juliet replied. “You saved me from my dictatorial brother-in-law, but more importantly, from a life of loneliness. I shall always be thankful.”
He laughed, the sound joyful. She smiled, her heart expanding. “You are more than I ever dreamed, Juliet.” He tangled a hand through her hair, his strong fingers delving into the tender, sensitive spot behind her earlobe. “I love you.”
She clasped her hands tightly on his upper arms, her fingers digging into the hard muscle. “Did you know that when you look at me like that, my knees get weak?”
“Only your knees?” His blue eyes deepened, and Juliet could feel her body instinctively respond to his nearness. Thankfully, it took but an instant for Richard to begin kissing her passionately.
At the feel of his lips, Juliet was quickly shivering and trembling. But there was something else she needed to say, something very important that needed to be settled between them. With great reluctance, she tore away.
“I want no restraint in our love, Richard,” she said, her voice breathless. “I shall happily give you all that I am, but in return you have to open your mind, open your heart.”
“I did. I do.”
He leaned down to kiss her again. Juliet pressed her fingers to his lips. “Truly?”
Instantly he sobered. “I’m tossing out the condoms. I understand how much having our baby means to you, and I know I can’t let the pain of my past spoil our future joy. I still worry about you becoming pregnant and birthing a baby, but I agree to let nature decide our fate.”
A baby! Juliet’s heart swelled even further. Yet practical considerations also surfaced. Richard was a lustful man, with a healthy sexual appetite.
“It might be a bit hasty to place all the condoms in the trash.” Juliet twisted his jacket lapel between her fingers. “Perhaps you should put them in a drawer. You never know, we might have a need for them someday.”
There was a notable pause. “Have you changed your mind about wanting another baby?”
“Oh, no. I would dearly love for us to have a child together.
One
child. I don’t care to be like the queen, giving birth nearly every year.”
One
child. I don’t care to be like the queen, giving birth nearly every year.”
Richard made a low sound of approval deep in his throat. “I should be able to manage one more child. Though I warn you, I shall be a tyrant, watching over you ceaselessly and demanding that you do nothing physically strenuous the entire nine months you are carrying our baby.”
“That sounds divine.” The expression on his handsome face made Juliet’s insides flutter, made her want to try and create a child that very instant.
“I’ll lock the door,” Richard whispered, correctly interpreting her expression. He was gone and back in a flash.
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