His Reluctant Lady Read online

  Chuckling, Christopher bid his friend good-bye and left the townhouse.

  Chapter Eleven

  Agatha dipped her quill in the ink then wrote, Now. This was his chance. He would approach her and ask her to meet him in the gardens. There was the risk of scandal should they be caught, but he didn’t dare risk her seeing the scars on his face. Perhaps if she got to know him, got to see the gentleman beneath the exterior of the monster he appeared to be, he’d take the chance and let her see him. But that moment was not now. Now, he would insist on talking to her while hidden in the shadows.

  A familiar round of tapping interrupted her. She bolted to her feet and hurried to the door of her drawing room before anyone saw her friend. She motioned for the hooded figure to enter the room and quickly checked the hallway to make sure no one was there before she shut the door. Leaning against it, she released her breath.

  “I really wish you’d give me a warning if you intend to stop by,” she told Ethan as he removed his cloak. “Though I’m surprised it took you this long.”

  “I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I’ve been dying of curiosity about your engagement. I wanted to come sooner but was detained by my wife.” He sat in the chair across from her desk and crossed his legs. “How did it come about?”

  She went to the decanter and poured him some sherry. “It wasn’t by choice.”

  “I didn’t think it would be.” He accepted the glass and took a sip of his drink. “You were as opposed to marriage as I used to be.”

  “I still am opposed to it.” She settled back in her chair and shrugged. “Your friend Christopher is unusually perceptive.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes. He figured out I write for the Tittletattle under the alias Gerard Addison and gave me an ultimatum which sealed my doom. Either he tells everyone who I am or I marry him. I didn’t have a choice.”

  His eyebrows furrowed. “Gerard Addison just wrote a tidbit about two earls wagering on a lady and an estate. How did you find out about it? Through Christopher?”

  “He might have let it slip into the conversation while I was riding with him, Lord Clement and my sister.”

  “Let it slip? That wager was something we all swore to keep a secret. I find it hard to believe he was careless with that piece of information.”

  She sighed. “All right. He told me as an act of good faith.”

  “Why would he do something so foolish?” He held up his hand. “Never mind. I already know. He has deluded himself into thinking he loves you.”

  She gasped and shifted in her chair. “I don’t think ‘deluded’ is the right word.”

  “Of course, it is. You’ve let him know, in no uncertain terms, that you don’t want to have anything to do with him. And yet he has the audacity to keep pursuing you. The gentleman has lost his mind.”

  “He’s persistent. He kept after me until he trapped me so I’d do what he wanted. I’d say he’s very clever. His wits are fully intact.” After a moment’s pause, she added, “I think he told me about those earls just so he could marry me. I believe I’m a victim.”

  Ethan rolled his eyes. “Agatha, I agree that you are some things, but a victim isn’t one of them. So he found a way to outwit you. He is aware of how much you detest marriage, isn’t he?”

  “Yes.”

  “So why does he want to marry you?”

  “He’s your friend; you tell me.”

  “I don’t know.” He glanced at her and drank more sherry. “All right. Maybe I do. It has to be his attraction to you. He came by my townhouse for a book on pleasuring a lady in bed.”

  Her jaw dropped. “He what?”

  “And that’s not the worst part. The worst part is that word is going around London that I’m the gentleman to go to if anyone needs help with his…personal…situation.” He rubbed his eyes and shook his head. “It’s horrible.”

  “That’s what’s troubling you? Good heavens, Ethan. You wanted the reputation of a rake and no one minds if a gentleman engages in rakish activities. But I’m a lady, a lady who knows firsthand how,” she shivered, “unforgettable the marital bed is. Why would you encourage him by sending him a book? You ought to be telling him to find a mistress to handle his base desires.”

  “Agatha, there’s nothing awful about the bed. I can assure you of that. Catherine pursues me more often than not. And I’m not exaggerating when I say that there are times when she tires me out.”

  “Perhaps she’s studying a certain part of you so she can draw you in her drawing pad.”

  “She’s drawn my profile a couple times.”

  “No, my dear Ethan, that’s not the part I’m talking about. I am referring to your favorite part.”

  It took a moment for her meaning to sink in and when it did, his eyes grew wide. “What?”

  “You don’t have a single piece of clothing on when she draws you.”

  His jaw dropped but then a slow smile crossed his face. “She really does that? And then she hides it so I can’t find it?”

  “Why am I not surprised you’re happy to hear this?” He was a gentleman. Of course, this news delighted him.

  He chuckled, looking much happier than he had when he entered the drawing room, and retrieved his cloak.

  “Where are you going?” Agatha asked, standing up.

  “I’m going to see my wife.”

  “Are you going to tell her I told you?” She hurried over to him, ready to stop him from leaving if he said yes. “She told all the ladies at Perry’s dinner party about it in confidence. You can’t let her know I told you.”

  He put the cloak on and turned to her. “It would serve you right, Agatha. It’s because of you Lord Pennella threatened me. Thankfully, duels have been outlawed or else I’d be in serious trouble right now.”

  “I didn’t think anyone would blame you for revealing the bet.”

  “No, but you must have known someone at White’s would have taken the blame for it.”

  She paused and finally admitted, “No, I didn’t. I assumed it would be like any other gossip I put in the Tittletattle. You’ve never had to deal with repercussions from anything I put in there before.”

  “While that’s true, no one upsets Lord Pennella without facing consequences for it.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize the matter would get serious.”

  “It may not be, as long as things get resolved quickly.”

  “You mean, as long as Lord Pennella grows bored of it and turns his attention elsewhere.”

  He pulled the hood over his head. “You needn’t worry about Catherine. I won’t tell her how I found out about her secret drawings.”

  “Thank you.”

  With a nod, he made sure no one was in the hallway before he slipped out of the room.

  ***

  Once Ethan arrived at his townhouse, he checked the drawing room. Turning to his butler, he asked, “Where’s Lady Edon?”

  “I believe she’s upstairs,” he replied. “My lord, is there something I can do for you?”

  “No, not right now.”

  Without waiting for a response, Ethan headed up the stairs and entered his bedchamber. If he was going to find her drawing pad, he had to be careful. She did a surprisingly good job of hiding it since he hadn’t been able to find it so far. What he needed was a plan. For all he knew, she could be drawing something right now. A smile tugged at his lips. Maybe she was even drawing him.

  Mindful to keep his steps soft so Catherine wouldn’t hear him, he slowly turned the doorknob connecting their bedchambers and opened it a crack. Peering through the crack, he scanned her bedchamber. He didn’t see her right away. He opened the door a bit further and caught her lounging on the daybed by the window. And better yet, she was drawing something.

  From where he stood, it was impossible to tell what she was drawing, but now that he caught her in the act, she couldn’t hide that pad somewhere. He wasn’t going to let her get away until he saw what was in that thing. Hoping she wouldn�
��t hear him, he opened the door further until he could slip through it.

  He made it halfway to her when she gasped and spun in his direction, the drawing pad clutched to her chest. “Ethan! What are you doing in here, sneaking up on me?”

  “Sneaking up on you?” he asked with a laugh. “I wasn’t sneaking up on you. You were so engrossed in your drawing that you didn’t hear me enter this room.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him then glanced at his shoes. “If that’s true, then why are you tiptoeing through here?”

  “I’m not tiptoeing. I’m stretching.” He reached toward the ceiling, making sure he stood on his toes. “It’s good for your body if you stretch.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes.” He bent down, his heels back on the floor, and touched his toes. “It’s the latest fad. All the gentlemen are doing it.”

  Her eyebrow raised, she offered a slight nod and rose from the daybed. “If you say so.”

  Curious, he followed her as she hurried to her desk. “Where are you going?”

  “I thought I’d put this away. I assume you’re in here because you wish to speak to me about something?”

  “Well, yes.” He jumped in front of her before she could put the drawing pad in a drawer. Sitting on the desk, he brought her into his arms and kissed her. “I missed you.”

  “We spent the morning together and planned to take a stroll later this afternoon.”

  “Yes, but think of the hours between those two times.” He brought his hands up her arms, aware that he was within reach of the drawing pad. “What are you drawing?”

  She shrugged. “Nothing important.”

  “Mind if I see it?”

  “There’s nothing here that will interest you,” she insisted and tried to move around him to the other side of the desk.

  He quickly scooted along the desk so that she couldn’t open any of the other drawers. “Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?”

  “I was drawing London.” She motioned to the window by the daybed. “At least the view of it from over there.”

  Sure, like he believed that one. Why draw boring old buildings when she could draw him in all his naked glory instead? He reached for the drawing pad, but she stepped back. “Come now, Catherine, I’d like to see London.”

  “Then go over to that window.”

  “I’ve seen London from that window already. I want to see it from your perspective.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you drew it and I’m very interested in what you draw.”

  “You never seemed interested in any of the flowers I’ve drawn.”

  If he’d known ‘flowers’ was code for him without clothes, he would have been most interested in them. “That’s because London is more appealing than flowers. Now, let me see.”

  “No!”

  He laughed as she jumped away from him. “You weren’t drawing London, were you?” Leaping off the desk, he lunged for her, but she sidestepped past him and bolted across the room. Not to be deterred, he ran after her. “What’s in your drawing pad?”

  “Paper,” she called out before he blocked her so she couldn’t leave the room.

  “Must be some interesting paper if you won’t show it to me.”

  She spun around and headed for the window.

  He gasped when he realized she might throw the drawing pad outside. Good heavens but what would people think if they saw drawings of him naked? He caught her as she reached the daybed and grabbed the pad from her. He let out an audible sigh of relief. That was close.

  “You know, I don’t think I should be running all over the place in my condition,” she said, patting her abdomen which was still flat. She wasn’t showing yet but it was only a matter of time before people could tell she was carrying his child.

  “Nonsense,” he replied as he took the drawing pad over to the large bed and sat down. “Ladies have been running around in a similar condition since the beginning of time. How else would they keep hiding things from their husbands?”

  Crossing her arms, she lifted her chin in the air. “You’re going to feel awfully foolish when you see it’s really London.”

  With a smirk, he shot her a pointed look and flipped the pad open. “A lady wouldn’t run off if she was drawing,” he turned his gaze to the pad, “a picture of London?” He frowned and examined the whole page, wondering if she had put him, naked, somewhere on one of the streets or perhaps in a townhouse window.

  She approached him and nodded. “Yes. It’s the view of London from the window, just as I said. Now don’t you feel foolish for not believing me?”

  She tried to grab the pad from him but he turned from her and rolled onto his stomach. No. There had to be something else to this drawing. She wouldn’t hide this drawing from him if there wasn’t something good in it. She grunted and crawled on the bed, trying once more to grab the pad from him.

  “It’s not this particular drawing, is it?” he asked, snapping his fingers. He started to flip to the previous page, but she slammed her hand on top of the pad.

  “Ethan, this is ridiculous. You’re a grown gentleman, not a child.”

  He snorted. “Like there’s a difference.”

  If she saw the way some gentlemen in White’s acted, she’d believe they were children. Shoving her hand away, a process that proved to be surprisingly difficult since she was strong for a lady, he turned the page and that’s when he saw it. He was as naked as the day he’d been born, and even though she had him standing in a meadow of flowers, there was no doubt he was the focus of her drawing.

  “See? Flowers,” she said, her face a lovely shade of pink.

  “Yes, I was wrong. You do draw flowers.” He flipped through the other drawings, and saw that he was naked in almost every single one…and surrounded by flowers. “Do I make you think of flowers?”

  “Well, no, but…” She sat up and smoothed out her dress so she didn’t have to look at him. “I felt bad for lying about drawing flowers so I figured if I drew them when I drew you, then I’d technically be telling the truth.”

  That explained a couple of drawings where she had him holding a flower, though there was nothing else around him. He studied the way she viewed him and smiled. He didn’t honestly believe the male part of him was that big, but if that’s the way she saw him, then who was he to tell her otherwise?

  “I happen to think these are the best drawings you’ve ever done,” he finally told her. “I don’t know why you didn’t want me to see them.”

  After a moment of silence, she glanced in his direction. “You seem terribly shy when it comes to matters of a more intimate nature.”

  “Do I?” He rolled onto his side and studied her.

  “Yes. I had to insist we consummate our marriage then you tend to blush whenever I mention lovemaking.”

  All right. He’d give her that. “But it’s because I wonder if you’re satisfied with our love life. I mean, if I had been experienced when we married, I’d have known what to do to please you.”

  Looking at him, she shook her head in amusement. “No. It’s because you had no experience that I’ve had so much enjoyment in bed.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense.”

  She smiled and snuggled up to him. “Maybe you have to be a lady to understand, but I love knowing I’m the only one you’ve been with. It’s not just about the physical pleasure in the act. It’s about sharing an emotional bond that brings us closer together and makes our love stronger.”

  He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, touched by her words. “And you draw me naked because of that?”

  “I like knowing I’m the only one who’s seen you naked and,” she shrugged, “I find everything about your body fascinating.”

  “Should you ever need me to pose for you, I’ll be more than happy to do so, but let’s leave the flowers out of it.”

  She giggled and kissed him. “Good because I’m tired of drawing flowers.”

  “I just hope you don’t gro
w tired of drawing me.”

  “Never.”

  “You want to draw me right now?”

  “I’d rather make love first,” she whispered, a wonderfully mischievous sparkle in her eye. “Then I’ll draw you.”

  His grin widened and he made love to her.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Hasn’t it been a wonderful day?” Christopher asked his guardian as they sat at the table for dinner.

  Perry placed his cane against the arm of his chair and studied him. “You didn’t do anything with Agatha while you were in her carriage after our dinner party, did you?”

  He gasped and glanced around the room where the servants stood in hearing distance. “Really, my cousin. I don’t see why you’d suggest such a thing!” With a self-righteous huff, he set the napkin on his lap and lifted his chin in the air. “I’ll have you know that I was a perfect gentleman the whole time. I merely worried about her health, that was all.”

  “Well, all right, though I can’t recall ever seeing you so happy.”

  “That’s because you are letting me marry the most wonderful lady in London despite my age. I didn’t think you’d approve of a marriage to her because she’s two years older than me.”

  Perry sipped his wine then set his glass back on the table. “I would have been more concerned if she had some undesirable trait.”

  Lifting his fork and knife so he could cut into his steak, Christopher asked, “Undesirable trait?”

  “If she engaged in scandalous behavior, that would have been a problem.”

  He slowly chewed his food and thought of the scandalsheets Agatha wrote for. His cousin would be appalled if he knew she did that, but that wasn’t a surprise, considering how stuffy and boring he was. However, it did make him wonder about his good friend Lord Roderick. “Roderick married his wife because of a scandal but you still talk to him.”

  “That was a misunderstanding, not a true scandal.”

  “It’s why they got married.” And poor Claire’s fate had been sealed ever since.

  “His wife is an honorable lady. That event at Lady Cadwalader’s ball was unfortunate, but it has no bearing on her as a person. She did nothing inappropriate, nor would she dream of doing so. She’s a lady through and through. I had hoped you’d find a lady of such notable standing, and as fortune has it, you have, something I applaud you for, by the way.”