Until You (34 page)

She loved it when he called her his wife, but that was beside the point.  “Well… I wanted to take a closer look.  And…I suppose I thought I might practice,” she murmured quietly.

“Practice?”

Ashleigh merely nodded in reply.

“I assure you that those are not toys Madame.”

“Toys?” she queried, affronted by his tone.  “Nicholas, I am hardly a child looking for something to play with.  In fact, I will have you know that I am quite skilled in the art of fencing,” she stated with an air of supreme confidence, deliberately using the same arrogant tone Nicholas had just used.  In truth, she was far from skilled, but Brendon
had
taught her the fundamental skills needed, and he
had
declared her to be a natural with the blade.

Observing the haughty tilt of her chin and the cavalier expression upon her face, Nicholas foolishly blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.  “What idiot could you possibly have convinced to teach you how to fence?  Certainly not your grandfather.  Was it another one of your footmen perhaps?”

Ashleigh's hands balled into fists at Nicholas' sarcastic tone and she angrily placed them on her hips, her stance belligerent.  “I am sure that your brother would not appreciate being called an idiot, My Lord.”

“Ah yes, my brother.  I suppose I should have known that between your sleigh rides and the numerous snowball fights I heard about, you and Brendon would have found something equally foolhardy to do with your time.”

He was speaking of them as if they were two mischievous children and his mocking attitude was decidedly annoying.  “Foolhardy, My Lord?  What pray tell is so foolhardy about my learning to fence?” she demanded irately.

Nicholas regarded Ashleigh's pugnacious expression and instantly realized his mistake.  He wisely remained silent, and then groaned inwardly at her next words.

“I happen to know that
you
were the one who instructed Brendon in the art of fencing.  Therefore, I can only assume that you think it foolhardy that I would wish to learn, simply because I happen to be a female.”

Nicholas didn't miss the challenge in her voice and he couldn't help but admire her spirit.  He knew that his young wife was a far cry from the typical English rose, and if he were to be completely honest with himself, he would have to admit that he was glad.  “I apologize, I didn't mean to imply…”

“I am well aware of what you meant to imply,” Ashleigh interrupted, deliberately cutting off his apology.  “But, if your apology
is
genuine,” she said, hesitating slightly, as if she doubted the sincerity of his atonement.  “Perhaps we could put these to use,” she said, gesturing toward the rapiers still fastened securely to the wall.  “As I said before, I
would
like to practice, and according to Brendon, you are an admirable opponent.”  Ashleigh knew that Nicholas couldn't refuse without making himself look even more chauvinistic and hypocritical, and fought to restrain a smug grin.

When he didn't immediately refuse, Ashleigh knew she'd won.  “Just give me fifteen minutes to change my clothes and then I shall meet you in the ballroom,” she said, already moving toward the door.

It took Nicholas several moments to fully comprehend the fact that Ashleigh had just challenged him to a duel.  It took him even longer to come to terms with the fact that he hadn't instantly rejected her challenge.  Damn, he thought with a slight shake of his head, the little minx was too clever for her own good.  With grim resignation, he reached towards the rapiers.

Ashleigh quickly changed into the tan pair of breeches that she had packed into her case at the last minute, in the off chance she might have use of them.  With a slight grimace, she noticed that her waist was indeed thickening, but aside from being a bit snug around her mid-section, the pants fit almost perfectly.  Before Nicholas had time to change his mind, she tucked a crisp, white linen shirt into the waistband of her breeches and thrust her feet into a supple pair of brown leather boots.  Not more than ten minutes had passed before she was bounding down the stairs and hurrying towards the ballroom, her green eyes alight with anticipation.

“Ashleigh, I am not sure that this is such a wise idea,” Nicholas said a few minutes later, thinking not only of her recent illness, but of the baby's health as well.  They stood in the large ballroom at the rear of the house, facing each other, their hands resting atop the jeweled handles of the two rapiers Nicholas had easily extracted from their mountings, the same mountings that had caused Ashleigh such frustration.

“Don't be ridiculous Nicholas; Dr.
Ainsley
said that exercise is good for me.  The only reason that he has forbidden me to ride is that there is always the risk of taking a nasty fall.  However,” Ashleigh added with a touch of defiance, “I am sure that he greatly underestimated my riding abilities at the time.”

“I am quite certain that Dr.
Ainsley
had no intention of belittling your equestrian talents, my dear,” Nicholas assured his skeptical young wife.  “He is merely doing his job and I am sure that he knows what is best for ladies in your condition.”

“Yes, well at any rate, as I see no danger of taking a dangerous spill here in the ballroom,” she began, with a wicked lift of her brows.  “En
garde
!”  She stepped back and lifted her rapier in a challenging stance.

Realizing that Ashleigh was bound and determined to proceed with their match, Nicholas too stepped back and raised his own blade, determined to end the contest as quickly as possible so that Ashleigh wouldn't overly tire herself.

“Prepare to defend yourself, sir,” Ashleigh bantered, lightly touching her blade to Nicholas’.  Upon entering the room, she had noticed that Nicholas had removed his jacket and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt, revealing a small portion of his well-muscled chest.  The sight had momentarily played havoc with her senses, but she had determinedly regained her focus and was now ready to demonstrate her newly acquired skills. 

Clothed only in tight breeches and a thin linen shirt, every one of Ashleigh’s enticing curves was revealed to Nicholas as they stood just a few feet apart.  Reflexively, his thoughts flew back to the first time he had seen her, astride her mighty stallion racing across the countryside like a she-devil.  From the very first moment he'd laid eyes on her, she had affected him as no woman ever had before.  Incredibly, even now, he was affected simply by her nearness.  In truth, despite all that had transpired, it seemed that he was drawn to her now more than ever, and not just physically.  It was almost a relief to push the niggling thoughts aside as Ashleigh executed her first move and he was forced to concentrate on the matter at hand.

Nicholas was surprised by Ashleigh's quickness and agility with the blade, but although she was quite good, it was apparent that she was no match for him.  However, in spite of his original intention to end the match quickly, he had no desire to belittle her skill by taking a swift victory.  Tempering his movements, he allowed the match to continue, each thrust and parry carefully controlled by his steady hand.

If Ashleigh had thought that Brendon was an expert with the rapier, seeing Nicholas wield the deadly blade left little doubt in her mind as to who possessed the greater degree of skill.  It soon became glaringly apparent that her husband was only toying with her.  From her past experience with Brendon, Ashleigh knew that her small size and lack of upper body strength were her biggest weaknesses, and therefore her best defense was her speed and dexterity.  As their foils clashed repeatedly, the echo of steel upon steel ringing throughout the room, Ashleigh fought valiantly, struggling to fend off Nicholas' attack, waiting for him to drop his guard for the briefest moment. 

Unfortunately, Nicholas was in complete control and Ashleigh realized that drastic measures were called for if she intended to best him.  His thrusts were becoming more threatening with each passing second and she could tell that he was about to take the victory.  Deliberately, she took an awkward step, and then winced slightly as if she’d tweaked her ankle.  Nicholas noted her slight grimace, and as she’d hoped his concentration faltered.  With only the slightest bit of guilt, she lunged forward and pressed the button on the end of her blade to the center of her husband’s chest. 

The look of complete surprise on Nicholas' face caused her to burst out laughing, for he appeared utterly astounded that she had tricked him, and even more astounded that he had fallen for her deception.  “Another thing your brother taught me was to make use of every advantage, especially when one is hopelessly outmatched,” Ashleigh told him with a nod to his superior skill, once she had recovered from her laughter.

The remaining days at Thorn Hill passed in a blur of activity for Ashleigh.  During the day, she stayed busy exploring the various wings of the house and familiarizing herself with the household staff.  Then, late in the afternoons, she retired to her room to prepare for the evening meal, always wanting to look her best for Nicholas.  Although he spent a great deal of time with the architect he'd hired to renovate the house, she and Nicholas ate most of their meals together and played chess nearly every evening.  They kept their conversations light and deliberately refrained from bringing up any unpleasant memories.  With each passing day, they grew more and more comfortable in each other’s company.

“If you feel up to braving the cold, I thought you might like to see the gazebo this morning,” Nicholas suggested during breakfast.

“Oh, I would love to!”  Ashleigh exclaimed, eager to see what Nicholas and the architect had been working on for the past few days.

As they made their way to the gazebo less than a half-hour later, their booted feet left faint impressions in the light dusting of snow that covered the stone walkway.  The air was frigid, but the sun warmed Ashleigh's uplifted cheeks and she gloried in the crisp, freshness that lingered in the air.  Smiling, she gazed up into Nicholas' handsome face, feeling happier than she had in weeks.  Deliberately, she pressed closer to Nicholas and tightened her grip on his arm.

“Are you cold?” Nicholas inquired, looking down upon Ashleigh’s upturned features with concern.  “We could return to the house.”

“No, I am fine, truly,” Ashleigh assured him quickly.  “I want to see the gazebo, and it's such a beautiful day, I do not wish to be cooped up indoors any longer.  Although she still wasn't sure what had brought about the dramatic change in Nicholas’ attitude, she wasn't about to question it, and planned to continue enjoying every minute of his current affability. 

When they reached the gazebo, Ashleigh was surprised to see that the entire structure was sealed off from the elements by large panes of glass.  When she asked Nicholas about it, he explained to her that it had been specially designed so that the glass could be removed when the weather grew warm, thus allowing for a gentle breeze to blow through the openings.  Then, in the winter, the panes could be replaced to keep out the icy winter wind, allowing the gazebo to be utilized year-round.  Ashleigh thought the idea truly ingenious, for the lovely gazebo at
Glenbrooke
, one of her favorite places to spend a quiet afternoon with a book, had often gone unused throughout the long winter months.

As Nicholas escorted her through the beautiful, intricately carved wooden doorway, she noted that a large cushion-covered bench formed an inviting semi-circle along the rear of the structure.  Looking at the plush, brightly colored cushions, she could only assume that they would be exceedingly comfortable to lie upon if an amorous and adventuresome couple chose to do so.  Knowing Brendon, he would most assuredly make good use of the inviting little hideaway his brother had so thoughtfully provided, but hopefully not until after he was happily wed, for she had noted that several of the young housemaids at Thorn Hill were quite attractive.

Nicholas stood directly behind Ashleigh as she took in her surroundings, unconsciously inhaling the light, fragrant scent that always seemed to envelop her. 

Not realizing that Nicholas stood so close behind her, Ashleigh turned around to express her admiration and found herself mere inches from Nicholas’ solid frame.  Startled by his unexpected nearness, Ashleigh took a hasty step backward and then looked up at him with a shy smile.  She was still a bit disconcerted by his radical change in temperament, and she still wasn't quite sure how to act around the
new
Nicholas.  “It's wonderful,” she said simply. 

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Brendon will be amazed when he sees all the improvements you have made to Thorn Hill.” 

“I hope so. I must admit, that like Grandmother, I would not mind if Brendon spent a bit less time at sea.”

“Brendon mentioned that the two of you were very close growing up.” 

“Yes, we were.”
 
He watched curiously as Ashleigh’s expression grew troubled. 

“Nicholas, I want you to know how sorry I am for whatever discord that I have caused between the two of you.  It was never my intention to cause strife between you and your brother.  I hope you can believe that.”

“The conflict between Brendon and I was of my own doing Ashleigh, not yours.  I do not blame you for it, not in the least.”  It was true, for he knew that it was his own damnable jealousy and deeply ingrained cynicism that had caused him to misconstrue Brendon and Ashleigh’s relationship.