In the Garden of Temptation Page 15

  “How should I know?” Catherine snapped. “I’m not in the habit of visiting my husband in his bedchamber at night—or any other time of the day for that matter.” She drew in a deep breath before continuing. “It was just too strange. I have no idea why it frightened me so.”

  And it should not have, for confrontations between Willie and her were normally fraught with rancor and contempt but never fear. Yet she sensed something under the surface, something not quite clear. She was having trouble putting her finger on a problem that insisted on shifting at the very moment she thought she might have found the answer.

  Seven years she had lived with the baron, and she had come to rely on certain constants when dealing with her enigmatic husband. Now she had no idea what he wanted from her. Did Edgar know of her liaison with Lord Ashworth?

  In the past Catherine had actually wondered if her husband had encouraged her dalliance with other men, though recently his hostility in that regard was palpable. Still, he demanded that she socialize, mingling not only with the ladies but with the gentlemen as well. Through it all she could not shake the feeling of being watched, and she felt certain Willie was the instrument by which the spying was done. This gave the skulking little toad power, undoubtedly explaining her sudden fear of him.

  “I need to sleep.” Catherine sighed wearily. “My head feels as though it might burst from my shoulders. Perhaps a few hours of rest will put a different perspective on the thing.”

  One look at Edna confirmed that the diminutive maid needed sleep, also. Dark circles embellished her heavy-lidded eyes, and she yawned grandly, emphasizing her fatigue.

  “Pardon me, my lady,” she mumbled, stifling the yawn behind her hand.

  “Edna, go to bed. I don’t want to see your poor, tired face until this afternoon. Tell the staff I am not to be disturbed and neither are you.”

  “Are you certain? If you have need of me, I would be most happy to…” The servant’s voice trailed off in drowsy confusion.

  “The only thing I have need of is rest and a lot of it. Leave me now before we both topple to the floor and find ourselves sleeping on the carpet.”

  Alone at last, Catherine quickly removed the brown dress and climbed into her bed, petticoats and all. Within moments she fell into a deep slumber punctuated by dreams of a sensuous, ethereal quality but containing no real definition. When she awoke many hours later, Catherine felt well rested, and for no reason she could fathom, a kernel of hope had been planted in her breast where previously only despair had thrived.

  *****

  “Judith! What are you doing here?”

  Adam was surprised and delighted to find his sister lounging on a settee in the drawing room as he arrived in the early dawn from his evening with Catherine.

  “Waiting for you, of course.” She skipped across the room as lightly as her increasing bulk would allow and flung her arms around her sibling’s neck. “You’ve been so long, I almost gave up on you.”

  “Ho! What is this?” Pulling back from her, Adam surveyed Judith’s swollen stomach and grinned. “It would appear my nephew is beginning to make himself known.”

  “Actually, that’s why I’ve come to town. Your niece,” she corrected him, “has made it necessary for me to visit the dressmaker. I have to purchase a new wardrobe. Isn’t it wonderful?”

  “Indeed it is. Nothing more exciting than a credible excuse for emptying your husband’s pockets. And speaking of Walter, has he accompanied you?”

  “Naturally. The dear man does not allow me to take two steps without him. I fear he will smother me before I can bring this child into the world.”

  “Not so unusual for a fellow to be concerned for his wife if she is in a delicate way. When a man’s in love…” he trailed off, aware suddenly that he was giving himself away.

  Judith sent him a measuring look. “I see.”

  Uncomfortable with the tone the conversation had taken, he cleared his throat. “Why have you chosen such an early hour to accost me? Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

  “I think it’s all in how one looks at it, don’t you?”

  “Pardon me?”

  “Dawn is that odd time of day when it can be either very early or very late. I admit it is early for me. Can the same be said for you?”

  Judith continued to study him in that peculiar, assessing manner, and Adam felt the color suffuse his complexion.

  “You aren’t going to let me wiggle free of this are you?” he asked.

  She smiled at him gently and placed her hand on his arm. “Is it serious?”

  He licked his lips. “You want to get right to it, I see.”

  He crossed the room and plopped on the settee, still warm from his sister’s tenure there. Adam ran his fingers distractedly through his hair and emitted a weary sigh.

  She followed him, her slippered feet moving noiselessly across the carpet. Sitting down next to him, Judith eased her hands through his crooked elbow, drawing him close.

  “I’m not looking for a confession, dear,” she said. “But, of course, I’m worried about you. Thing is…” she floundered then as if considering how best to tell him something unpleasant. “Mother has heard the rumors.”

  “My God,” Adam groaned, “this is all I needed.”

  Judith nodded. “She’s not happy, I can tell you. And if ever the messenger came close to losing her precious life, Lady Pennington was that person.”

  “Lady Pennington told Mother?”

  “She did and rather gleefully, I might add. Our dear parent looked as though she had been chewing on chain mail by the time the talebearer finally departed. You have no idea how frightening it was.”

  Adam chuckled. “I think I can imagine well enough. I assume this happened last evening?”

  “Just after I arrived,” she concurred. “Walter immediately disappeared, leaving me to tend to the situation. Can you believe he chose that moment to no longer be protective? I told him if he loved me and our unborn child, he would never have left me in the middle of such a bloody battlefield.” She shuddered.

  “I’m sorry, it’s really my fault.”

  “I’m not trying to make you feel any worse than you already do, but I did think you ought to be prepared for the evening to come.”

  “Are you saying Mother is lying in wait for me?”

  “Like a Bengal tiger with hunger pangs.”

  Adam winced. “You do have a way of making your point, dear heart.”

  They sat for several minutes in comfortable silence, the only sound disturbing the silence being the mantle clock as it chimed the hour.

  “Six o’clock—I suppose we should consider seeking out our respective beds for a quick nap before the storm breaks,” the earl said while in the throes of a mammoth yawn.

  “Don’t you want to tell me about your lady?” Judith asked quietly.

  He hesitated, unsure how to respond to the question. “Not much to tell, really,” Adam admitted at last. “I love her, simple as that.”

  “Is she married as I’ve heard?” Judith queried in a horrified whisper.

  “Irretrievably.” He placed his face into his hands, pressing his fingertips against his eyelids. “Loving Catherine is the greatest of joys and the severest of aches,” he stated in anguished accents.

  “My poor darling. What are you going to do?”

  “I haven’t the slightest idea. One moment I’m in the clouds and anything is possible—the next I’m in total despair.” His voice cracked, and he lifted his head to look at her. “I can’t continue on this way indefinitely, I know that. But it’s as if I’m in a carriage barreling down the road at great speed, headed in an unknown direction. I’m aware I must get off the treacherous vehicle for my own sake, but it’s more than my not wanting to end the thrilling ride—I don’t think I can.”

  “I don’t believe I like this woman,” Judith declared indignantly. “She’s caused you entirely too much pain.”

  “She suffers also.”

  “Sh
e cares for you as well?”

  “She says she does. I trust her.”

  Judith stood up and stalked several feet across the room before twirling about, looking remarkably like a round, wooden top spinning on its pointed tip.

  “Who is this lady? I can’t remember ever hearing of her before.”

  “I can hardly believe Lady Pennington did not mention names. What would be the point of repeating all that juicy gossip if the guilty parties could not be identified?”

  “All right, she did mention a name but I was so busy being nervous, I didn’t take note of it.”

  “Sweetheart,” he began patiently, “do you remember the ball Mother gave many weeks ago?” When Judith nodded, he continued. “Do you also remember a very strange gentleman who attended the party uninvited?”

  Her eyes widened in sudden understanding. “Lord Bourgeault? Your lady is married to that man? Oh my…”

  “Just so,” the earl acknowledged wryly. And truthfully, what more could he say? A reflective hush filled the room.

  “How did you meet her?”

  “We met when I accepted the baron’s invitation to visit his home.” He was exhausted now but lack of sleep was not the cause. He exhaled audibly.

  “Perhaps Mother was right,” she offered.

  “What do you mean?”

  “She said visiting the baron posed a danger to you. What she didn’t know was in what form the danger hid.”

  “I would not change anything,” her brother averred mulishly.

  “I know, dear. I wouldn’t suggest otherwise.” She held out her hand to him. “Come. I think some rest will keep the situation from appearing so hopeless.”

  He stood and, closing the distance between Judith and himself, placed an arm around her. “I know you won’t believe this, my being so full of self-pity and all, but you’ve made me feel better.”

  “If that’s true, it is no more than you deserve. I cannot count the times you let me weep my heart out on your brotherly shoulder. Tit for tat and all that.”

  “Seems a lifetime ago,” he murmured with regret as he hugged her tightly.

  She smiled. “Everything will be all right, you’ll see.”

  “I don’t expect sleep to be a panacea for what ails me, but the thought of facing Mother this evening makes me wish I could hibernate with the bears for the winter. It really ought to be against the law for a harridan to give birth.”

  “Adam!”

  “You disagree, sister dear?”

  “Of course not.” Giggling nervously, Judith glanced over her shoulder. “But I should be very careful not to let the harridan overhear my views on the matter.”

  The earl’s booming laughter preceded them up the stairs.

  *****

  CHAPTER 8

  Perhaps anticipation can be blamed for the inevitable outcome of a circumstance approached with foreboding and distaste, Adam thought twenty-four hours later. Certainly, his expectations for the evening were grim and, sad to say, he was not disappointed.

  The dinner hour began pleasantly enough. Adam felt well rested and his spirits were much improved. He had dressed carefully and despite his angst was determined to pretend nothing ominous hung in the air. Of course, he was under no illusion that simply because he wished it, his parent would cooperate.

  He entered the salon as the hour stuck eight, seemingly oblivious to the discontent that awaited him. Strolling casually across the room, he greeted his family.

  “Good evening, Mother.” He dropped a chaste kiss on the cheek the countess presented to him.

  “Good evening, Adam,” she returned in a cool voice from her seat on the sofa. “As you see, your sister and her husband have come to visit.”

  “Yes indeed,” Adam stated heartily as he grabbed his brother-in-law’s hand. “It’s wonderful to see you, Walter. Hope all goes well with you?”

  Walter looked taken aback by Adam’s enthusiasm, but he answered in kind. “Couldn’t be better, old man. I’m just working on this father thing, you know. Judith insists it’s not nearly as easy as it appears.”

  At the mention of his sister’s name, the earl turned in Judith’s direction. “It’s been much too long.” He gave her a conspiratorial wink.

  “And you, dear brother, I’ve missed you as well.”

  Lady Ashworth’s displeasure was pronounced. “If this little charade is being played out for my benefit, I suggest you both end it now. The boisterous laughter billowing through the halls this morning was enough to wake the dead. I had no idea my children were so inconsiderate.”

  “Now, Mother,” Judith said, “we were having a bit of fun. Nothing wrong with that.”

  “I recommend you two find a more appropriate way to amuse yourselves. It does not escape my attention that you two have been sharing secrets.” She took a delicate sip of her ratafia. “What is to be said will be said.”

  “Naturally, Mother,” Adam stated dryly. “You have some spleen to vent. Over the supper table is as good a time as any.”

  “Flippancy does not become you, Adam,” the countess said severely. She rose from her seat and, clucking in disapproval, led her reluctant family to the table.

  “Don’t incite her,” Judith whispered furiously to Adam as she settled into her chair.

  He smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry if it makes you uncomfortable, but she will have her say. I’m not good at waiting to be ambushed, and I’d like to have it done with. Forgive me?”

  “Always, you know that, but you’ll appreciate my wish that I didn’t have to witness this battle.”

  Adam patted her hand while glancing across the table at his brother-in-law. The usually tepid Walter wore an expression of misgiving as he surveyed his wife’s comely features. His regard shifted to the earl, and the two men shared an unspoken moment of concern.

  “If we have finished our private dialogue, perhaps we can commence our meal,” the countess offered.

  That effectively put an end to all idle chatter, and the first course was accompanied by an uneasy silence. Only the countess appeared unmoved by the tension, her steely-eyed inspection slipping from one individual to another as she slowly and very deliberately chewed her food.

  The second remove complete, Lady Ashworth set down her fork and cleared her throat. Had she trumpeted her intentions, she could not have been more obvious.

  “Adam,” she began, “certain rumors are circulating through society which, if true, are very disturbing.”

  “Perhaps you would like to be more specific, Mother,” Adam answered her tightly. “I dislike innuendo. It is difficult to give a clear answer when the question is not clear.”

  Lady Ashworth stared at her son for several moments, obviously deciding how best to continue.

  “I see. You wish for the unvarnished truth.”

  “That would be refreshing, yes.”

  “Then you shall have it,” the countess stated emphatically. “It seems a young married woman, quite beautiful I’m told, has come to town and created quite a stir.” She paused as if to emphasize her next words. “A certain well-known nobleman has begun courting this unsuitable lady openly and in a most unseemly manner.”

  “I see nothing harmful in an innocent flirtation,” Adam drawled.

  “Adam, refined people do not act out their love affairs under the noses of a prurient public. Have you no shame?”

  “I have done nothing for which I need be ashamed.”

  “If that is true, all you have to do is reassure me that the talk is grossly exaggerated. Then I will advise a little discretion, and the subject will be dropped.”

  Adam had a choice at this point to make it easy on himself. He could simply lie and repudiate the scandalmongers, but an intrinsic need to be honest robbed him of the opportunity to put the matter to rest. Somehow it seemed, if he negated the gossip, he negated Catherine. This he would not do.

  He glanced at his sister and Walter, both of whom were watching him in what appeared to be dreaded anticipat
ion. Judith shook her head imperceptibly, her eyes begging him to reconsider. He ignored her appeal, but he did suffer a pang of remorse when her face fell in disappointment.

  Adam turned to his parent. “I suppose I could tell you what you want to hear, Mother, but that would be a cowardly response and, frankly, I don’t want to compound our difficulties with a falsehood. My feelings for Lady Bourgeault are very sincere.”

  At this direct announcement, Lady Ashworth’s temper flared. “Do you have any idea the pain and disillusionment that awaits you if you persist in pursing this course of action? Only a fool allows himself to care for an individual who is out of reach.”

  “Sometimes rational consideration has little to do with it.”

  “Bah!” Lady Ashworth countered in disgust. “Since when does a man ever choose a woman with his brain? It is another part of the anatomy which does the choosing, that I can guarantee.”

  “Mother!” Judith gasped as a sound suspiciously akin to choking seized the mild-mannered Mr. Barrow.

  Adam’s felt his face flush a dull red at the coarse observation, and he drew in a deep breath in an effort to control his anger.

  “I don’t like the direction this conversation has taken. It implies disrespect for Catherine.”

  “A married woman who commences an affair with a man not her husband does not deserve respect.”

  “Catherine is a fine person, Mother.” Adam struggled now to maintain his composure. “Meet her and judge for yourself.”

  Lady Ashworth puffed up wrathfully. “How dare you? I have no intention of meeting your paramour.”

  A truly awful silence filled the dining room as the reluctant witnesses sat frozen with shock. The earl placed his hands on either side of his dinner plate and leaned forward, his jaws clenched and his narrowed eyes black with fury.

  “Do you wish, madam, for us to remain on cordial terms?” His voice, deceptively quiet, made his barely controlled rage all the more clear.

  Though Lady Ashworth appeared indifferent, she did not completely mask her sudden unease. “You know I do not want an estrangement, my dear.” Her tone was cautious.