Winning a Lady's Heart (7 page)

The desolation that had gripped Nathan since he’d agreed to betray Alexandra lifted the moment she placed her hand in his and he slipped his mother’s ring on her finger. With the snow having picked up in intensity, they reluctantly set out back towards Danby Castle. Her hand nestled warmly in his, they walked with the seamless connection that had always joined them.

“I actually dined with the rather innumerable Danby family last evening. I can assure you, our absence has not been remarked upon,” he said, accurately reading her fears.

Alexandra snorted and swatted him playfully on the arm. “And I assure you, my mother will be awaiting my return. Along with any number of my male cousins.”

Nathan waggled his brows. “That sounds like a threat, love.”

“It is not a threat. I am merely stating a truth.” She paused. “You dined with my family?”

His lips quirked. “You’d be stunned to know your grandfather was quite cordial.”

She raised her brows in surprise.

“When I received Danby’s summons, I set out fully expecting to be hauled over the coals. Within the hour of my arrival, I was shown to his office prepared for a well-deserved lashing, and found myself more than surprised.”

Skepticism flickered in Alexandra’s eyes. “Following the scandalous reports on our connection, Danby was cordial?” She chewed her lip contemplatively. “That does not sound at all like the duke.”

A chuckle rumbled up from Nathan’s chest. “Compared to the chilly reception I received from certain members of your family, I’d say the duke was as warm as a cup of chocolate.”

Alexandra passed a hand over her eyes and groaned. “I cannot even imagine—”

“No, no, you cannot. In particular your sister was, ah—rather vocal in her displeasure. I spent an exceedingly long morning meal listening to Lady Olivia’s rather jaded opinions on love. She did assure me, however, that her opinions were exclusive to our circumstances”

She nodded, fighting back a smile. “Yes, that does sound like Olivia. I suppose considering your compliance with my father’s efforts to separate us, a lengthy meal with Olivia is the least of what you deserved.”

He dipped his head in agreement. “She is a very loyal and opinionated lady.”

They came in view of the fully-lit monstrosity of a home. The gentle teasing of their exchange dissipated under the actuality of their circumstances, and they continued their trek to Danby Castle.

“Mother and Father will never give their consent,” she said quietly into the winter stillness.

The despondent edge to her words pricked at Nathan and he grasped her hand in his, guiding her closer to the estate, up the steps, and to the front doors. “When did you become so grim?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Since my father schemed to separate us and you fell in line with his plan out of some kind of misguided honor,” she said dryly.

Nathan opened the door and Alexandra passed through. They wound their way through the kitchens, and through the castle’s endless corridors in contemplative silence.

He halted. “If I secured Danby’s blessing, surely your father cannot protest to a union between us. And with the marquess in London—”

“The marquess is not in London,” a voice boomed.

Nathan and Alexandra both started as they were brought face to face with the Marquess of Tewkesbury.

Why couldn’t she merely be entitled to a small bit of joy without the intrusion of life’s cold reality?

Funny that a short while ago she’d longed to see her father so she might lash out at him for hurting her. In that moment, however, all she wanted was for Nathan to leave. Alexandra’s mouth went dry with a panicky fear. “You weren’t not supposed to be here,” she blurted.

Father’s eyes narrowed, and he folded his arms across his chest. “Release my daughter, you scoundrel.”

Alexandra’s hand went slack, but Nathan determinedly held onto to her hand, giving it a firm, reassuring squeeze. His jaw hardened and all traces of warmth melted from him, replaced with a barely suppressed fury.

“Tsk, tsk,” Nathan said. “the Marquess of Tewkesbury dragging a private matter out in the foyer where any passing servant might happen to hear.”

A dull flush colored her father’s cheeks in a mottled demonstration of his rage. He held out a shaking finger. “You—”

“Are correct, Pembroke.”

Three pairs of startled eyes swiveled up and landed on Danby, who surveyed them from the landing of the first stairwell.

Nathan bent a low, respectable bow for the elder gentleman. “Your Grace.”

Danby inclined his head in acknowledgement and then fixed his ducal stare on her father. “I wouldn’t expect my son-in-law to have the good sense to be mindful of sharing private information in the middle of my foyer. Not even a bow, Tewkesbury? The…what did you call him?
Scoundrel
, before me, has far more manners than you.”

Her father dipped a hasty bow and muttered an apology that Danby pointedly ignored.

“Come, come, then. Let’s adjourn to my office.” The duke peered down the length of his hooked nose at Father. “Even you, Tewkesbury.” With that, he turned on his heel and climbed the last stairway, not needing to look back to see if the trio followed in his wake.

This time it was her father’s jaw that set so firmly, she heard his teeth grit.

Alexandra wanted to rail at her father, wanted to call him all kinds of vile insults but Nathan gave her hand another squeeze, and she took a deep breath.

“He is expecting you to be emotional and will view it as justification that you don’t know your mind to make a decision about our future. Do not give him the satisfaction,” Nathan murmured into her ear.

She nodded jerkily and with Nathan on her arm, stormed breezily by her father, and up the stairs towards Danby’s office.

The marquess called angrily after them, “Don’t think I’m going to allow you to marry my daughter.” His clumsy form clambered up the steps; his breath came in raspy pants from the exertion of his efforts.

No one said a word until they entered Danby’s offices. For one so advanced in years, the duke was surprisingly agile and quick. By the time Alexandra, Nathan, and her father entered the room, the duke was already seated behind his desk, a glower fixed to his otherwise unreadable face.

At last, Danby spoke. “Well?”

Before Alexandra could speak, her father launched into a rant. “That, scound—, ah—rogue, is not fit to marry the daughter of the Marquess of Tewkesbury, nor for that matter the granddaughter of the Duke of Danby. His father was a notorious whoreson.”

Alexandra gasped even as Nathan tensed at her side, his hands balled into tight fists.

Father continued as though there’d been no interruption. “
And
he all but killed his wife.”

Who was this man before her? How could they even share the same blood? It shamed her. She looked up to Nathan to see how he’d been affected by the tirade, except his face was set in an inscrutable mask, which seemed to further infuriate her father who turned to Nathan so quickly he nearly lost his footing. “You bastard, do you have nothing to say?”

“I do, Tewkesbury,” Danby bellowed from across the desk, the sound startling both Alexandra and her father. Nathan, however, appeared wholly unaffected by the stern tone.

“God forgive me, Tewkesbury, I thought you were a good match for my daughter. The only reason I gave you her hand was because your father and I were friends, and I respected him. There aren’t many I respect, but I respected your father. Shame on me for judging another man by his father. You are nothing like your father. Just like Pembroke is nothing like his father.”

Red splotches stained her father’s cheeks and he sputtered, attempting words. Alas, Father had never been eloquent.

Danby slammed his fist down. “Silence,” he barked. “It’s time you listened. I’ve had to accept that my daughter is miserable because of a match I put together, but I’ll not see my granddaughter committed to the same fate. You are a cowardly, conniving, manipulative fellow and undeserving of my daughter. Well, that is a mistake I cannot correct. But I can save my granddaughter the fate of allowing you to select her husband.”

Alexandra felt a sting behind her eyes and her vision blurred, turning the duke’s image into a kaleidoscope of light from the sconces and salted tears. Nathan’s hands came to rest on her shoulders, reminding her of his love and support.

“She’s my daughter,” her father blustered.

Apparently he had more backbone that she’d credited him with.

“More importantly, she is my granddaughter. Listen good and listen well, Tewkesbury.” Placing his elbows on the desktop, he leaned forward. He spoke with lethal calm. “When I issue commands, I expect them to be obeyed. I expressly bade you to remain in London. You ignored my directive. I am telling you now, Pembroke is marrying your daughter.” He paused and shifted his attention to Nathan. “I presume you want to wed my granddaughter?”

Nathan claimed Alexandra’s hand and held it aloft. The candlelight illuminated the massive diamond on her finger, sending a prism of light radiating off the walls. “More than anything, Your Grace.” His hot gaze fell on Alexandra, and he caressed her with his eyes, before returning his attention to the duke. “I love her.”

A tremulous smile tipped the corners of Alexandra’s lips.

“Well, there you have it, they are to be married.”

“Now, off, you two. I’m sure my offspring are hovering outside this office for details on what was discussed in here.”

Alexandra curtsied as Nathan bowed. Without sparing so much as a glance for her father, Alexandra started to leave. Upon reaching the door, she paused, turned, and hurried the twenty-three steps across the room to her grandfather’s seat.

She leaned down and kissed his wrinkling cheek. “Thank you so much, Grandfather. I love you,” she whispered.

His throat bobbed up and down, and he deliberately cleared it. “Off with you now, Alex.”

Alexandra rose and hurried to Nathan’s side. She smiled up at him and they took two steps to leave when Grandfather’s next words reached them.

“Oh, and Tewkesbury, with only three days until Christmas, I’m going to insist you return to London. I’ll not have you spoil any of my offspring’s Christmastide.”

Alexandra sneaked down the second stairwell of Danby Castle, stealing a peek over her shoulder to make sure one of the many cousins, aunts, uncles, or various other relatives in attendance for Christmastide were not privy to her actions.

An eager excitement to see Nathan flooded her, filled her, and for the first time she wasn’t able to count steps, stairs, or anything other than the moments it took to see him.

She reached the kitchen doors and shoved them open. In dire need of oil, the door hinges creaked. She flinched as the sound resonated from the walls like a gunshot in church.

The Duke of Danby’s doors did not creak. But then the Duke of Danby did not display affection or play the role of matchmaker, and yet this Christmastide he’d done all those things. Looking around to verify she remained alone, she stepped inside.

The soft glow from the kitchen fireplace illuminated the large room, casting the room in flickering shadows.

Until the day she was an old woman gone grey, Alexandra would always remember Nathan that Christmas night, as he stood looking at her across the long kitchen like she was the only woman in the world.

“At last,” Nathan called quietly, his deep mellifluous voice flowing over her like a silken caress. He stood beside the long, rectangular table where the staff would take supper. There were two flutes of champagne.

She moved deeper into the kitchen and stood before him. His hands clasped her at the waist, as he gently tugged her towards him.

Alexandra sighed and twisted her fingers in his luscious, dark locks and kissed him like it was their last night in the world. He tasted of dark chocolate and spice, the perfect delectable Christmas treat. Their tongues boldly sparred as they reacquainted themselves with their lover’s embrace.

Nathan’s hands traced a path over her body, the pale blue wrapper and shift she wore offering little hindrance to the heat of his skin on her own.

His hand cupped the underside of her breast and gently flicked the swollen tip as her head fell back on a guttural moan. Her legs went limp and she collapsed in his arms, but he was guiding her back to the table. The cool, hard wood of the table met her buttocks, and he settled himself between her legs.

Then his lips were tracing a seductive trail from the corner of her lips, down her cheek, along the sensitive skin on the inside of her neck. Her head fell back on a whimper.

He made to lay her down and—

Crash!

The thunderous sound of shattering crystal rent the midnight silence, and they parted, breathless, frantically searching around for the intruder.

When no cries or shouts met their scandalous actions, Nathan dropped his forehead atop hers and rubbed it back and forth, chuckling.

“I suppose that was a reminder that with all Danby’s done, I should not disrespect his household.”

Alexandra groaned in protest but wrapped her arms around him and held tight. She pressed her cheek against the crisp, clean, white linen shirt and felt the steady thump-thump-thump-thump of his heart.

“My grandfather has never been a romantic. I’ve never felt like anything more than a troublesome child to him. He’s always been a stickler for propriety and respectability, and I can never know why he was so accepting of our scandal.”

Nathan’s fingers traced a patterned circle over her back. There was a stretch of silence before he spoke. “Danby had a man in London following our courtship. His man learned of your father’s efforts as well as my reasons for complying with—with…” He trailed off, unable to speak of his role in betraying her. “When he summoned me here to Danby Castle, he asked me two questions: why did I do it? And whether I loved you?”

Alexandra leaned back and tilted her head to look at him. “And you said?”

“I can enumerate a thousand and two reasons I love her.”

And he proceeded to do just that.