Deceived. Part 12

"Oh, no, my lady! Mistress Oralia wanted no part of it at all. Only at the last minute, when it became apparent that Miss Aurora would have her way, did she give in, but she never wanted it, nor did she agree willingly." Then Martha went on to explain to the Dowager d.u.c.h.ess of Farminster the truth of the entire matter. She concluded by asking the old lady, "How on earth did your ladys.h.i.+p find out?"

The dowager smiled softly. "Aurora has seemed familiar to me from the moment I met her," she told Martha. "Then this afternoon I was in the family portrait gallery, when I came across the painting of the first duke's younger sister. She is Aurora's image, as is her sister, who was married to a Meredith. Calandra does not bear even the faintest resemblance to these ancestors. The Hawkesworths are not dark usually. Valerian gets his coloring from his French mother."

"Forgive me, lady, but are you going to tell?" Martha questioned the dowager nervously.

"How can I, Martha? Calandra was married legally, although if she were not with child, I should tell, and have my grandson annul the marriage based upon the fraud involved. However, Calandra is with child, and the child is innocent of its mother's deceit. No. I shall not tell my grandson; nor shall I tell Aurora, although I am angered by her deceptive actions. And you will say nothing either, Martha, of this conversation. Perhaps, however, your load has been lightened by the fact it will now be shared, eh?"

"Oh, my lady, I knew it was wrong, but what could I do? I am a servant, and even Mistress Oralia and Master George was forced to go along with my mistress. She can be terribly stubborn!"

The dowager patted Martha's plump hand and smiled encouragingly at her. "Go along now, Martha. Somehow it will work itself out."

Martha curtsied and departed the room.

Well, the dowager thought gloomily, her new knowledge was nothing more than an irritant. Nothing had really been accomplished by confirming her suspicions. What a fool she had been! She had been so distraught by her James's death that she hadn't been thinking clearly. She should have sent for Mistress Kimberly and her charges to come to England. Perhaps then Aurora could have been convinced that marrying Valerian Hawkesworth was not a fate worse than death. But no. Cornered, the girl had created an ingenious scheme, and it had almost worked had it not been for her little stroll through the portrait gallery today. If Mistress Kimberly had come to England, perhaps the dowager would have seen the portrait sooner and discovered that they were in the process of being deceived. Now I shall have to live with this information, she considered irritably. What a coil!

At dinner, however, her mood was barely noticed because of the sparring between Valerian and St. John over Aurora. Dear G.o.d, the dowager thought, annoyed. They are like a pair of schoolboys, and there sits Aurora, encouraging them by her very jibes. The girl must be married, and as soon as possible, before she tempts Valerian and there is a scandal! It was obvious to her that Valerian was attracted to Aurora despite his marital state. And why not? The girl was clever and amusing. She held his interest with her intellect and not simply her beauty, unlike poor Calandra, who honestly believed that beauty counted for everything. Yes, Valerian was intrigued every bit as much as his cousin was. As for St. John, it was quite apparent he wanted the girl too, and sensing the duke's interest in Aurora, baited him as had always been his habit when the two fought over something. St. John had a very wicked sense of humor, unlike Valerian, but an equally strong will. Yes, there was going to be a scandal if the dowager could not prevent it.

The meal, she suddenly realized, was over. "Take Aurora for a stroll through the gardens, St. John," the dowager said, encouraging her young relative to action. She sent a fierce look toward her grandson.

"It has surely grown chill," the duke replied, ignoring his grand-mama's silent warning. "Perhaps Aurora does not want to stroll in the evening air."

"I like the evening air," Aurora spoke up. "I will take a shawl and be quite cozy." She arose from her seat.

"And I am quite capable of keeping Aurora warm should she grow cold," St. John remarked, his amber eyes dancing with devilment.

"Behave yourself, boy!" The dowager playfully rapped his knuckles with her ivory fan. "I'll have no naughtiness!" But she chuckled as she spoke. "If your intentions are honorable, however, my dear St. John, that is an entirely different matter," she finished. Then she watched with a smile as St. John escorted a blushed Aurora from the dining room. Her look was one of satisfaction.

"h.e.l.lfire and d.a.m.nation, Grandmama," the duke swore irritably. "You would do well peddling maidenheads on the London bridge. Aurora is far too good for my cousin. Why do you encourage him?"

"Control yourself, sir," she said sternly. "Your interest in your sister-in-law becomes too obvious. You cannot have her, Valerian. You have a wife, and I know you would not disgrace the Hawkesworth name or dishonor Aurora by offering her a lesser position in your life than Calandra now holds."

"I love her," he said low, his face agonized.

"I know," his grandmother responded. "That is the tragedy, dear boy. You love her, and she would have made you a better wife than her sister, but fate had other plans for you both. Calandra, for all her faults, is expecting your heir, and Aurora must be married off as soon as is possible to prevent you from yourself, Valerian. St. John is an ideal candidate for her. He may not be t.i.tled, but he is a member of this family and a wealthy man. Aurora's dowry, while a good one, is not good enough for a t.i.tle, I fear. If she weds St. John, she will be near her sister, and that, I believe, is to the good."

"Calandra will leave Hawkes Hill as soon as she is recovered from the birth of our child," he reminded the old lady. "You know that is our bargain, and I will keep to it."

"Perhaps she will not want to go if Aurora is near," the dowager said hopefully. "In any event, Aurora must be married whether her sister remains here or departs back to London."

"I do not think I can bear to see her married to another man," the duke admitted. "What a weakling I am, Grandmama!"

"Then Aurora must return to St. Timothy with her brother and his bride when they leave in early November," the dowager said firmly.

"No!" He shook his head vehemently. "I would rather she be wed to St. John and here, where I could at least see her, than send her back to St. Timothy, where I would never see her again."

"You will have your child, Valerian, my boy," the dowager said softly. "He will need you, for he will, I believe, have no mother. Let the child become your world. You will be happy, I promise you."

Valerian Hawkesworth sighed sadly, a sound so filled with pain that it almost broke his grandmother's heart, particularly that she knew the truth, thanks to the portrait in the family gallery and Martha's forced honesty. I will forget I ever knew about this deception, she decided silently. Then she turned her head to gaze out through the dining room windows onto the garden, where Aurora walked with Justin St. John. They were merely shadows in the twilight, and she hoped that St. John would press Aurora to marry him. She wished she could hear what they were saying, and then she smiled at herself for being a nosy old lady.

"Do you sense we are being watched?" Aurora said, her voice tinged with amus.e.m.e.nt. "I can almost feel the dowager's eyes on the back of my neck." She chuckled. "I do like her so much!"

"She has come to love you," St. John said, "as have I."

"Are you about to propose to me again?" she teased him. "How many times will this make, St. John? Five? Six?"

"This will be the seventh time, Aurora, and seven has always been a fortunate number for me." He stopped walking and drew her into the circle of his arms. "This time I will not take no for an answer, my dear." He ran a finger down the side of her face, and then caught her chin between his thumb and his forefinger. "I want you, Aurora. Do you understand what I mean? I want you!" The amber eyes blazed at her.

This suddenly forceful St. John intrigued her. What had happened to the slightly bored sophisticate he had been until a moment before? This man had a dangerous edge to him, and she was fascinated. "You want me? Do you mean you want to make love to me, St. John? What a naughty suggestion to make to a respectable maiden such as myself," she answered him, her tone slightly mocking.

He laughed softly. "You do not fool me, Miss Spencer-Kimberly. Beneath that elegant and respectable missishness lies a fierce pa.s.sion that has never been stoked, but when it is, it will threaten to consume us both. I want to make love to you, Aurora, and you want me to make love to you." His arms tightened about her. "Don't you?"

Her heart was suddenly racing, and her knees were threatening to give way beneath her. His words. The intensity in his voice. It was very exciting. She had always been careful of her reputation, never allowing a gentleman to kiss her or hold her hand, and now she wondered why not. Were not women supposed to have feelings of sensuality? She certainly did. Raising her aquamarine eyes to his, she answered breathlessly, "Yes! I do want you to make to love to me, St. John. Are you shocked?"

He shook his head. "No," he said. "I can recognize a pa.s.sionate virgin when I see one, Aurora."

Instantly she was enraged. How dare he insult her in such a fas.h.i.+on. Pulling away from St. John, she slapped him. "Cad!"

"b.i.t.c.h!" he replied, yanking her roughly back into his arms. Then he kissed her, pinioning her arms back behind her so that her struggles were virtually useless.

Her first kiss. And she would remember it the rest of her life. It was not the soft and gentle thing she had always imagined. It was hard, and fierce, and demanding. For a moment she reveled in its savagery. Then she kicked him as hard as she could.

"Ouch!" he yelped, but he did not let her go. Instead, he kicked her feet out from beneath her so that they fell to the gra.s.sy path below. Restraining her, he grinned into her face. "You really are a vixen, Aurora." He bent to kiss her again, but she turned her head away from him angrily.

"Let me go," she snarled. "Let me up this instant, St. John, or I shall scream so loud, they will think there is a murder being committed!"

He forced her head back to his and found her mouth again. This time, however, his kiss was deep and intoxicatingly sweet. He knew she wanted to resist him, but she would not be able to avoid her own fiery nature. She was a virgin. A most curious virgin with an ardent bent. He gave her just enough room to breathe before pressing his lips back down upon hers, working against the pink flesh until it began to soften beneath his. A tiny sound of pleasure caught his ear. Her body moved slightly against his. He ran his tongue along her lips, pus.h.i.+ng between the twin delights and into the warm, moist grotto of her mouth, finding her tongue and stroking it hungrily with his own.

She was going to explode with the longing now sweeping over her body, Aurora thought muzzily. How could the conjunction of two mouths engender such incredible pleasure? Why had she avoided kissing until now? And why hadn't Cally told her how wonderful it was? Surely her sister could not object to this. It was pure heaven! Daringly, she entwined her tongue with his in some primitive mating, and to her surprise he shuddered almost violently, then pulled away from her, gasping for air with a groan. "More!" she commanded him.

He brushed his mouth over her teasingly, next kissing her eyelids. Turning her head aside with his palm, he nibbled a ribbon of kisses down the side of her face and neck. She felt the heat of him in the hollow between her neck and her shoulder. She arched her head and throat to give him greater access to her perfumed flesh. "Wonderful! Wonderful!" she murmured breathlessly as he moved to her chest and the swell of her small b.r.e.a.s.t.s. His hand slipped beneath her back to fumble with the laces of her gown, which he quickly undid in a most expert fas.h.i.+on. She was wearing no corset.

He repositioned them so he might draw her into his arms as they lay upon the gra.s.s. His hand pulled gently at her loosened bodice, and her b.r.e.a.s.t.s almost fell out of her chemise. For a moment he gazed in rapt awe at the two lovely orbs, and then he kissed the plump flesh pa.s.sionately, his hand unable to keep from fondling her. "G.o.d, you are so lovely," he groaned.

Mesmerized, she watched him as he caressed her, cupping a breast in the warm hollow of the palm of his hand, squeezing it tenderly, leaning over to kiss a nipple. She struggled to keep herself from crying out, but a small "Oh" escaped from between her lips. Somehow she knew that he should not be being quite so intimate with her, and she felt bound to protest. "St. John," she gasped, "I don't think you should be doing this. Oh! Oh! Ohhhh, St. John, do cease this torture!" His mouth had closed over the nipple, and was now drawing upon it. She was afire, and that place between her thighs was beginning to tingle. "St. John, in G.o.d's name, stop! It's marvelous, but I don't want to lose my virginity in the Hawkesworths' garden! Stop!" She struggled to break away from his embrace.

With a genuinely constrained groan and a deep sigh he released her. "d.a.m.nation, wench, you are too exciting for a mere mortal! I ache to possess you, Aurora. Say you will marry me!"

"I will consider it, St. John," she told him softly, for the first time seriously contemplating marriage to him. If this love play were a sample of the delights marriage had to offer, then perhaps she should take him up on his proposal. He did have the right qualifications for a husband. She enjoyed his company, and if he could stir up her pa.s.sions so quickly, then obviously she must be falling in love with him. After all, what was love anyway? Certainly no one had ever given her a rational explanation of the emotion. She seemed to be on her own.

He groaned again, rolling on his back. There was a genuinely pained look upon his face.

"Do you hurt?" she asked him innocently.

"Yes," he told her.

"Where?" she queried him. "Will it help if I rub it? I rub Cally's shoulders and feet when they ache."

A wicked grin creased St. John's face. "I'm not certain you would want to rub my injured part, Aurora, should you see the state it's in; nor am I certain you should unless we are betrothed."

"Oh, St. John, don't be such a fool!" she scolded him. "Show me what hurts this instant, and I will make it better."

In response, his fingers fumbled with the b.u.t.tons on his pantaloons, opening them to release his male member. "Ahhhh!" he exhaled as it burst forth from its painful confinement.

Amazed, Aurora stared, her gaze transfixed upon the thick, long peg of flesh that thrust up from the opening in his garment. She remembered seeing George's member when they were children swimming naked in the sea. It had looked nothing like this intimidating object. Fearless, however, she reached out to touch it, but he caught her wrist and held it.

"No," St. John told her. "If you touch me, I'll lose all control, Aurora. Turn about and avert your eyes while I lace you up. I was too constricted, which caused my discomfort. I will be all right now as long as you don't touch me. When we are married I will be delighted if you choose to caress my fine fellow, but not at this moment."

It wasn't easy, but she tore her stare away from him, pulling herself about so that her back faced him. She sat silently as he skillfully laced up her bodice. A thousand questions filled her mind. "Is it normal?" she finally said, breaking the stillness between them.

"In size?" he returned.

She nodded.

"I think so. Hawkesworth's is a wee bit bigger than mine, I believe, but it's how a man wields his member that's more important." He slipped his arms about her and kissed the nape of her neck.

"Will it hurt me?" Aurora couldn't help but lean her head back against his shoulder. I think I will marry him, she thought, but I do not think I shall tell him now. Not quite yet.

"When I relieve you of your virginity, you will feel it," he told her. "For some girls it's a sharp, brief flash of pain. For others no more than a sting of discomfort. It really depends how tightly your maidenhead is lodged, and how thick it is."

"You have obviously done this before," she remarked dryly.

"Yes," he told her, "I have, but never with a wife, Aurora."

"I have not said I would marry you, St. John." She removed his embracing arms and struggled to her feet, brus.h.i.+ng her gown off as she did so, and patting her hair back into some semblance of order.

Standing, he took her by the shoulders and turned her about, tilting her face up to his. "You will marry me, Aurora," he told her with a small smile. "You cannot resist the magic I arouse in your tempting little body, can you?"

"Cad!" she smacked at him, but only half seriously.

"b.i.t.c.h!" he retorted, giving her a quick kiss.

Then they both laughed.

"b.u.t.ton yourself, St. John, or the entire household will know what we have been about, I fear," she told him sternly.

"They will suspect it anyway," he chuckled, b.u.t.toning himself.

"You may escort me back into the house," she said loftily. "Then you must go home, St. John. Your mother is surely wondering what has happened to you. I'm certain she does not know what a devil you are."

"Alas," he said as they walked back through the gardens to the house, "I fear she does, my dear. May I come tomorrow and bring you home for tea so she may meet her future daughter-in-law?"

"St. John!" Aurora was exasperated. "I have not said yes yet. You must not presume until I do."

"Patience is not a virtue with me, Aurora," he said.

"Virtue is not a virtue with you," she riposted.

He burst out laughing, admitting, "True. True."

Entering the house, Aurora saw a light coming from beneath the library door. "Good night, St. John," she told him.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her slowly, smiling down into her eyes, nibbling tenderly upon her lower lip. "Good night, Aurora, my darling. How I long for the night when I shall not have to let you go to a lonely bed." Then he whispered softly in her ear, "I shall insist we sleep naked, and I shall caress and kiss every inch of your lovely body until you beg me to take you. And I will!" His hands were fastened about her small waist, and he held her so that her b.r.e.a.s.t.s just touched his chest. "I am going to tease and taunt you until the day that you marry me, darling. I know that that little secret place of yours is even now throbbing and wet, isn't it?"

Surprised, she nodded. "I think you are very wicked, St. John," she murmured low. "If you tease me, I shall tease you, and that fine fellow, as you call your member, will ache with longing for me even as it now does, doesn't it?" She daringly ran her tongue along his lips.

The library door opened, and the duke spoke sharply. "Go to your room, Aurora. St. John, go home. I'll have no scandal in my house."

With a chuckle Justin St. John kissed the tip of Aurora's nose, and releasing his hold on her, bowed mockingly at his cousin as he departed.

Valerian Hawkesworth had an angry look about him. "You will remember, miss, that I am your guardian while you are here in England. You will not play the strumpet again, or I will have you confined to your room on a diet of bread and water. Do you understand, Aurora?"

"I understand that you are arrogant, my lord, even as I have always believed you to be. You may force my sister to your will, but you will never force me. I shall probably marry St. John, although I have not yet decided to do so, and if you believe that I would compromise my own good name, you are sadly mistaken. I bid you good night." She ran up the staircase and hurried to the dowager's room, knocking politely.

"Yes, miss?" The dowager's Jane answered the door.

"If her ladys.h.i.+p is still awake, I should like to speak with her," Aurora said politely.

"Come in, miss, she's been waiting," Jane replied. She was a tiny woman with a cheery smile who always wore a neatly starched mobcap over her gray curls, and was utterly devoted to her mistress.

Mary Rose Hawkesworth was already settled in her bed, her nightcap with its blue silk ribbons tied beneath her chin. "Well?" she demanded. "Did he propose, and did you accept him, Aurora?"

"It was the seventh time he has proposed," she said with a small laugh. "I have always refused him."

"He has proposed to you seven times, and you refused him?" The dowager was astounded. "Gracious, child, what can you be thinking?"

"I did not refuse tonight, but neither did I accept, although I am of a mind to accept, ma'am," Aurora told her sponsor.

"Why now?" The dowager was curious. Aurora, she was discovering, could be a most unpredictable young girl. Stubborn, Martha had said.

"He kissed me," Aurora replied. "I liked it. I liked it very much, ma'am. He has been so proper and so polite until tonight. He was rather masterful this evening. I found it intriguing, and quite delicious. He is not the fop I thought him to be, and now perhaps I shall accept his offer because I believe he will be a most interesting man to have for a husband. I might even be falling in love with him."

"Ahhhh," the dowager said, nodding with approval, her eye meeting that of her servant. "You will not get a better offer, my child. St. John is well off without your dowry, and so he has no ulterior motive involved in asking for your hand. He has not sought to marry before now, although heaven knows there have been several most suitable young women he might have had. I suspect he has fallen in love with you."

"He has asked me to tea tomorrow to meet his mama," Aurora told the dowager.

"Excellent!" came the enthusiastic reply. "I shall, of course, accompany you. It will show Mistress St. John that I fully approve of any alliance contracted between her son and our family." There was a smile of utter satisfaction upon her handsome face. It was going well, and it was going to work out precisely as she had hoped. "Have you thought about when we shall have the wedding, my child?" she asked.

"I have not told St. John yes yet, ma'am." Aurora laughed.

"But you will, of course, and the sooner the better," the old lady advised her charge.

"Would late spring be too soon?" Aurora wondered. "I suppose we should probably wait a year not to appear unseemly, but I have always wanted to be married in the spring. Cally should be well recovered from her childbirth by then, and can be my attendant witness, as I was for her when she married the duke last winter."

"Spring would be a perfect time," the dowager agreed. "April or May, my child. Mid-May would be beautiful! And who cares what the old gossips say. St. John is eager, and so, I suspect, are you now." Her blue eyes twinkled mischievously at the girl. "I well remember those heady kisses of my youth. None are ever quite so sweet as those."

"I respect your experience," Aurora told her playfully. "Now, however, ma'am, I suspect that you would like to retire. I bid you good night." Impulsively, Aurora bent and kissed the dowager's wrinkled cheek. Then with a quick curtsy she was gone from the room.

Mary Rose Hawkesworth touched her cheek, and a tear rolled down her face. "Why, that sweet child," she said softly.