Wicked Proposition (48 page)

“Did you love her? She is very beautiful,”
Catherine said in a rush, her eyes filled with anguish.

“I will not lie to you. I thought I loved her,”
Nicholas admitted and shook his head. “She was married. It was
complicated, Catherine. I realized I wanted more. I broke off with
her then.”

Catherine nodded and could hardly meet his gaze.
She had little right acting this way about discovering his former
relationship with the beautiful noblewoman. She had secrets as
well. Gabriel came to mind, and a flush stole across her face.

“I acted silly,” she agreed and smiled as she
encountered his gaze. “I wanted to scratch her eyes out, if you
must know.”

Nicholas grinned and dragged her into the curve
of his arms. “Can I simply enjoy this moment without angering you
further? The thought my wife might actually be jealous makes me
feel quite pleased.”

“Do not make a habit of introducing me to your
old lovers, husband,” she grumbled and leaned into his chest. “I do
not like the way it makes me feel.”

Nicholas held her contentedly and kissed the top
of her head, recalling how Lilly had acted like she didn’t know
Catherine at all. Interesting since Catherine was her sister.

He knew he must tread carefully now. Lilly had
baited Catherine on purpose, trying to draw her out. Lilly must
believe Catherine had some agenda now that she was back in London.
Lilly would be confused, but not for long.

###

Teighan watched as Nicholas guided his wife out
of the Billingsley home. He saw a flash of amber out of the corner
of his eye. He looked at the young woman with interest as she stood
with Lord Iverleigh. There was something about her that seemed
vaguely familiar. Tieghan would have remembered had he ever met
her. She was lovely. Her full pink lips parted in a smile.

Tieghan watched as Lord Iverleigh handed her a
flute of champagne. The young woman accepted it and her long ivory
fingers encircled the flute a she sipped at it slowly.

Iverleigh looked amused at what she was saying
and laughed as he looked down at her.

Tieghan went down the stairs and approached.
Gabriel noted Tieghan’s arrival with a raised eyebrow at his
appearance and was clearly amused.

“Tieghan, it is good to see you, I trust you are
enjoying the ball?” Gabriel asked mockingly as he met the pale-eyed
gaze.

“I am enjoying it as much as you are, Lord
Iverleigh,” Tieghan muttered tightly and eyed the brunette at the
Earl’s side questioningly.

Gabriel smiled and introduced them. “Jarl
Haardrad, may I introduce Miss Madeline Hamilton.” He watched as
the Norseman bent over Madeline’s hand.

“It is an honor, Miss Hamilton,” Tieghan said.
His pale eyes noted she was far lovelier up close than from afar.
He was wondering why he had not noticed her before.

“It would be my pleasure if you would consent to
dance with me, Miss Hamilton.”

Gabriel appeared amused at Tieghan’s words. His
dark eyes sparkled with mischief as they met Tieghan’s glower. He
had no idea the giant could dance. This should prove
entertaining.

Gabriel encouraged her. He wearied of her
chatter and questions anyway. She was apparently a friend of
Catherine’s from school and was asking questions he would rather
not answer.

Tieghan had saved him from being rude. He left
the girl in his large, capable hands and bowed to the girl before
he left to return to Annabelle.

“Yes, of course, Jarl Haardrad,” Elise said with
a false brightness that Tieghan detected.

“You can always refuse, Miss Hamilton,” he said
coolly as he saw her color at his words. “I will not hold it
against you.”

“You merely surprise me, Jarl Haardrad, I
apologize for appearing rude. I should love to dance with you,” she
said sweetly and knew the pale eyes looked through her. He held out
his elbow and she took his arm as he propelled her towards the
dance floor.

Elise was dreading being tread upon by him,
fearing he would crush her toes. Damn, damn, damn, she cursed as
she smiled up at him, noting how handsome he looked tonight.
Despite herself, she was secretly pleased to have Tieghan doting
upon her now.

Elise could see the looks of jealousy from other
woman as they moved to the dance floor. She refused to give into
it. Well, alright, yes she was enjoying being envied.

He was a full head taller than any man there. He
was a solid wall of male flesh and she could not see anything
behind him. Elise was bemused at how the man had even found a
tailor to fit him in such clothing he now wore.

Elise knew well what lie beneath his fine
clothes, and felt herself becoming warm to know his body was a
thing of beauty to behold. Not one ounce of spare flesh and enough
strength to make her feel fragile for the first time in her
life.

Tieghan was very handsome when he wasn’t
brooding and wearing his fearsome scowls. She looked up at him
under her lashes and fought the urge to sigh, wondering if she
could beat him home.

Iverleigh had returned to his mistress and she
would learn nothing more this night. She was bitterly disappointed
she could not question the Earl anymore as the giant twirled her
around the floor with the other couples.

Elise’s hands trembled slightly as they rested
upon his forearms as he guided her through the steps of the dance.
She felt the hardness of those bulging muscles.

Elise was relieved he believed her to be Miss
Madeline Hamilton now, and not the snooty Miss Grey. She knew she
must tread lightly. The disguise was effective and most men were
often fooled by obvious things like hair color and clothing.
Tieghan had seen through Elise Grey.

Elise felt herself trembling. The feel of his
large hands upon her made her giddy. She was suddenly eager for the
dance to end. He made her nervous. Those pale eyes of his were
startlingly intuitive and she knew that despite his size and brawn,
he was quite intelligent. Elise fumed as she realized he was also a
Norwegian nobleman, something he had never told her.

Tieghan let her believe he was a servant first,
and then a sailor aboard Van Ryker’s ship. It somehow stung to know
he had kept his status from her. Elise was resentful of his
consideration to Miss Hamilton too, considering his treatment of
her. The only time he was ever tender with her was when he was in
bed with her. Only then did she feel any softness from him.

Tieghan seemed to enjoy their encounters, but
would look at her with disgust when it was over. He seemed to
despise them both then. Elise nearly wept with the humiliation of
it now. She should be grateful he had not exposed her yet, but
found prison suddenly more preferable than this.

Elise had never felt so horribly used. She could
hardly meet Tieghan’s appreciative pale eyes now. It was a slap in
the face to remind her why she was here. Because of her profession,
she had met few men who were not cons like them. She never trusted
them or fell for their slippery words.

Tieghan was unlike any man she had ever met. He
spoke his mind, the truth, always. He had a rigid sense of honor as
well. She knew he punished her now for disappointing him, not for
robbing his friends. He would have preferred her to be the snooty
maid than the lowly thief he thought her now.

Elise had been seven, and Madeline nine, when
Tolliver had taken them from the over-crowded orphanage in Dublin.
James was an educated man. He insisted they learn to read and
write. The man taught them to speak properly as well and lose the
heavy Irish inflection in their voices.

James taught them deportment and manners. He had
groomed them both, more than in just larceny, but of human behavior
and how to read and gauge people. How to manipulate and coerce had
been Madeline’s specialty. She worked more closely with Tolliver.
Her sister should have been an actress, she was so convincing.
Madeline’s downfall was succumbing to Thomas Sullivan and allowing
her lover to drag them all into his schemes. Tolliver had been
resistant at first and mistrustful, Elise recalled.

Madeline insisted they would make a fortune to
help him fleece the nobles in Dublin, and be gone before they
realized they were duped. Tolliver agreed. He did his part. He
acted the part of a gentleman, with Madeline as his daughter. They
lured the other nobles to join in on the business venture. Tolliver
collected their money and gave it to Sullivan.

They could have never known then he had betrayed
them. Thomas had never known Madeline had a sister, or she would be
dead too. Madeline disappeared the day Tolliver was arrested. Elise
had been worried sick as she searched the city for her sister. She
heard another tragedy had been perpetrated on the road.

Elise arrived at the morgue to see she was
right. It was her sister. She recoiled in horror, unable to believe
Madeline was dead. No one believed her when she reported Madeline’s
disappearance and her belief it was her sister who had died and not
the other young woman.

It was then she got in to the jail to see James.
He told her Thomas had betrayed them all. She wept to know James
was to hang. Tolliver had been a strangely decent man despite his
profession as a con man and a trickster. He told her where he hid
his cache of money in just such an emergency and told her to flee
Dublin before the authorities caught her too.

Elise did not stay to see James go to the
scaffold. She hid in the country at a rented cottage for a time
until the inquest over Lady Catherine’s murder passed. When she
returned, James was dead and Thomas had fled. She stayed for
another six months to figure out how Sullivan had managed it
all.

The dance ended and she was aware she had been
miles away during most of their dance. The giant had watched the
emotions playing across her face with his immobile stare. He bowed
and guided her off the floor.

Tieghan said he would get her a glass of punch.
She used the opportunity to sneak out of the ballroom and retrieve
her cloak from a footman. Elise fairly ran out the front door. She
was down the lane to where the hired conveyance waited and jumped
inside. She rapped upon the roof of the hack to alert the driver to
take her home.

Elise took the opportunity to undress quickly in
the coach, pulling her valise from under the seat and changing back
into Elise the maid in less than ten minutes. When the coach
stopped several blocks from the Van Ryker residence, she got out
and paid the driver for his time. The driver scratched his head and
wondered where the beautiful Miss Hamilton had gone as the maid
departed down the walk.

Tieghan arrived back where he had left Miss
Hamilton standing. He noted her absence grimly as he looked about
for her. Within seconds he knew she had used his absence to flee
his company.

###

Nicholas lay awake long after his wife fell
asleep. He stared at the ceiling brooding over the evening. His
eyes grew worried as he thought of his former lover.

Nicholas was sure Catherine had not recognized
Lilly as her sister. He was aware the sight of the Countess had
stirred some sort of memories. Catherine had reacted strangely when
she saw Lilly standing in front of them. He was still in shock he
had been cuckolding Gabriel with his own wife all this time and had
not known it. He realized he probably deserved the thrashing he had
gotten at the hands of Gabriel a month ago, in more ways than
one.

The look of recognition when she saw Gabriel
haunted him. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. His wife had
tried to hide the feelings he had seen pass over her face, but he
had seen them. It would not be long before his whole world came
crashing down around him.

Nicholas knew he stood to lose Catherine and
everything he held dear. He couldn’t sleep. The nightmares had come
back to him in droves.

Nicholas rolled out of bed. He left Catherine
sleeping and came down to his study.

He contemplated Lady Mary Dunleavy’s diary
grimly, believing he understood Lilly far better than she
understood herself. They were much alike in some ways. He knew what
drove her now. Lilly was hiding from the secrets within the diary.
Much like he hid from the monsters in his own past. His monsters
were men, not mere words. The damage they both did, however, often
made living with them much worse.

Nicholas understood such feelings of
self-loathing and bitter resentment only too well. His wife was an
Earls’ daughter in her own right. She should be some nobleman’s
wife, not a smuggler’s.

Nicholas had no exalted background and didn’t
even know who had fathered him. Even when he had thought Catherine
a liar and a thief, he had still felt unworthy of her. His mother
Penny rarely talked about his father when he was a little boy. When
Nicholas did ask, she would become even more abusive. He never
asked her anything again.

Nicholas had been little more than a street
urchin then. Penny had long lost her looks to gin. She couldn’t
sell her body to provide them with food and shelter anymore. It had
been his responsibility to keep them in coin. He had become quite
adept at picking pockets and house-breaking. Penny took a desperate
turn one winter’s night. She sold him for ten pounds to the flesh
peddlers…

Nicholas stopped then, rubbing his tired
eyes.

He refused to continue with those dark
thoughts.

When he had returned as an adult years later, he
had looked for his mother in the squalid alleyways of White Chapel.
He found a man he remembered as one of Penny’s drinking companions.
The man told him for a few shillings Penny had gone quite insane.
She was dragged off to an asylum where she had died eventually.

Nicholas never wept for what became of his
mother. He never cried over the depravities heaped upon him as an
innocent boy. He locked it all away. He never told anyone but Oran
Van Ryker what happened to him those many months he was locked in
that basement.