A False Proposal (15 page)

Chapter Seventeen

Despite the sun’s reappearance, Cass couldn’t help trembling. Adam was looking at her in the strangest way. Then he smiled, slow and simmering, and said, “Do you know how incredibly lovely you are?”

Cass shook her head. She’d never thought of herself as any great beauty. But from the awed look on Adam’s face when he gazed at her, she was convinced of his sincerity. And being in his arms felt…perfect. She lifted her face and looked at him, her gaze filled with all the pent-up feelings for Adam she’d kept hidden for so long. She was sure her eyes shone with wanting him.

He seemed to return the feeling. When he covered her lips with his, she lost the ability to think. He coaxed her mouth open and she met his tongue with her own. His kiss stole her breath, her sense, her reason. Adam drew back and pressed kisses along her jaw, and on the tender skin below. In a frenzy, Cass tugged his shirt out of his waistband and slid her hands up his bare chest, skimming over its planes and curves. He felt splendid. Muscled and smooth, just as she’d imagined. Adam’s breathing hitched with her touch.

He lowered the straps of her chemise over her shoulders, then slid his hands over the delicate lawn and bared her breasts. If he let go of her, the chemise would slide all the way off and she would be completely naked. He seemed to understand what she was thinking because he said, “I won’t let go of you, love.” He kissed his way from her shoulders down to the tips of her breasts, and then, to her surprise, took one of her nipples into his mouth and sucked gently.

It was a staggering sensation. She felt it in her belly, and lower, between her legs. It made her weak, and her knees started to buckle. Suddenly, Adam’s body tensed and he drew back. She heard him mutter something under his breath, which she thought was “Bloody hell.” He pulled the straps of her chemise up around her shoulders, then moved to retrieve her stays, but she grasped his arm. “What’s wrong, Adam?”

He gave her a sheepish smile. “
This
is wrong, Cass. I don’t want to make love to you here, where any of our guests may decide to take a stroll. We can’t be sure they’ve all gone to the village.” His hand drifted up and caressed her cheek, a gesture so sweet and intimate Cass could have wept. “I want our first time to be in a bed, where I can worship you properly.”

How could she not smile at that? “You’re right, of course.” She felt a little foolish for her eagerness, her almost mad desire, to have him take her right here and right now.

He pulled her against him, pressing her against his maleness. “In case you’re in doubt of my desires…can you feel that, Cassie? I hope it proves how difficult this is for me.”

She gave an embarrassed laugh. “Yes, yes, I see. Now help me get dressed before I make a complete fool of myself.”

Walking leisurely back toward the house, they discussed what would come next. “The first thing I must do is talk to Jack. Tell him you’re willing to cooperate. Let’s hope he hasn’t changed his mind about the scheme.”

When put in those terms, “willing to cooperate” and “scheme,” the whole thing sounded so cold. So opposite of what she’d felt only a short time ago, and it made her think that perhaps they were making a mistake. But she’d known it was a sham, almost a business arrangement, and she must force herself to think about it as such, except for the intimate moments. Then it would be different. “Just to make sure we understand each other,” Cass said. “I want to see you get elected, Adam. I’ll do whatever I can to help bring that about.”

“And I meant it when I said I wanted you involved. You’ll be a real asset to my campaign.”

“What about your mother? Will you tell her the truth?”

“Absolutely not. I love her, but I’m not sure she could be trusted with the truth. She’s in society so much. One slip of the tongue is all it would take, and the news would be all over London in a matter of hours.”

Cass nodded and Adam continued. “We can tell our guests tonight at dinner, and I’ll send announcements to the papers tomorrow.” He paused for a beat. “We may have some difficulty with Jack.”

She looked at him, puzzled. “In what way? You said it was his idea to leave the decision to me, which is a miracle of sorts.”

Adam stopped abruptly. “He warned me about taking liberties with you. Said there were to be no ‘stolen kisses or secret embraces,’ or something to that effect, or he’d call me out. When I tried to reason with him, told him that people would expect us to act like an engaged couple, he said they could go to the devil.”

“Oh, dear,” Cass said. “We’ll simply have to be circumspect in his presence. It’s not as though we’ll be doing anything unseemly in public.”

“Don’t be so sure about that,” Adam said, laughing. “I haven’t demonstrated much self-control where you’re concerned.” Cass thought about the two of them exchanging intimate looks, meaningful smiles, even touches, all with other people about. It made her quiver all over.

“As I said before, he is quite right to worry about your reputation. I respect him for that.” He took her by the shoulders and studied her face. “I don’t want you hurt by this, Cassie. There is still time to change your mind.”

“No,” she said. “My mind is made up. I want this, Adam.”
I want you
.

…

Adam decided to make the announcement in the drawing room, before the assembled guests went in to dinner. After they had returned from the lake, he sought out Deborah while Cass spoke to her disagreeable cousin. He’d yet to have a chance to ask Cass how Louisa had taken the news. Deborah had been thrilled. With tears in her eyes, she’d told Adam that Cass was the very girl she’d hoped he would marry. He could tell she was dying of curiosity, but he cut off any questions, promising he’d explain everything later.

He’d had to wait for most of the day to tell Jack, since he and Jenny had not returned from their shopping expedition to the village until late. Adam asked one of the footmen to alert him when they arrived, and after a cursory greeting, he ushered Jack off to the library. When he’d poured brandies for them both, he said, “Cass has agreed to go along with the false betrothal.”

“I don’t like it,” Jack said. “It could spell ruin for her.”

“Have some faith in me, Jack. I swear I won’t let that happen.” Adam perched on the edge of the desk and studied his friend. “You don’t seem surprised.”

“I told you she might agree. Not to take anything away from your charms, but Cass does love politics. This will be her first chance to be involved rather than merely reading about it. Louisa will accuse her of neglecting her duties to Pippa because of this.”

“But surely the expectation was that Cass would eventually marry. Isn’t it time your sister had a governess?”

“Believe me, I have tried to bring Cass around to that view many times. She promised our mother, you see, that she would always look after Pip. She takes it very seriously. But Louisa has a habit of reminding Cass of her duty, and her harping on it doesn’t sit well. Did she mention it to you?”

“No, just that she dreaded telling your cousin. I don’t like that woman lording it over Cass. She told me that Louisa was her ‘cross to bear.’ It’s not right.”

“Cass does a good job of standing up to her, and I step in when necessary.”

“What’s made the woman so bitter and joyless?”

“Louisa had a failed love affair when she was young. She was once engaged to a military man. He went off to war and returned with a wife. To be honest, every time Cass shows the least interest in society, it’s obvious that Louisa is jealous. Since she never married, she doesn’t want Cass to.”

“I’m glad Cass will be spending more time away from her.”

“We can agree on that, anyway,” Jack said. He tossed back the rest of his whiskey and rose. “You haven’t forgotten about my conditions, have you?” He stood directly in front of Adam and looked him in the eye.

Adam hated lying to his friend, but he couldn’t very well say,
Your sister wants me to bed her
, could he? So despite the sharp needles of his conscience pricking him unmercifully, he simply answered, “No. I haven’t forgotten.”

…

Cass stood next to Adam, her nerves as taut as a harp string. Deborah, who had embraced Cass and whispered her sincere joy at the news, waited on his other side. Deborah’s reaction was in sharp contrast to her cousin’s. When Cass had told Louisa she was engaged to Adam, the older woman plopped down onto the nearest chair and seemed so rattled that Cass rang for a restorative drink.

“No, that cannot be,” she’d said. Cass had hidden a grin. Although she hadn’t experienced the triumphant feeling she anticipated, she still derived a good deal of satisfaction from the look of disbelief on her cousin’s face. That is, until Louisa recovered herself enough to question Cass’s commitment to Philippa’s education, her suitability as a wife to an MP, and the difficulties of being so much in society as becoming Adam’s wife would require. By the time Cass had dealt with all of it, she was feeling much less complacent.

Afterward, Cass had bathed and rested on her bed until it was time to dress for dinner. She’d let her mind drift over all that had happened that day. Overall, she felt…satisfied. Adam had certainly seemed glad of it. More than glad, she thought, when she remembered him practically ripping her clothes off her, and the awed look on his face when he had. In the end, though, she appreciated his consideration of her when he’d temporarily called a halt. Thinking what lay ahead made her heart race and her body flutter with excitement in the strangest places.

But now, when the public announcement was about to be made, she was full of misgivings. What would people think about this sudden turn of events? Would they be happy for her? Would they remember what had happened with Bentley and pity Adam? Even worse, would they think it was a patched-up business brought about by her brother and Adam to ward off a scandal? She was about to find out.

Adam had instructed the butler and one of the footmen to pour champagne for everyone, and when that was done, he said, “You are probably wondering what we are going to toast. A few weeks ago, I announced that I was standing for election. But this is an even more important—and a much more personal—announcement.” He turned and looked at Cass, and had she not known the whole thing was a ruse, she would have believed in the fierce glow in his eyes.

“I’ve asked Cass to marry me, and she has accepted. I consider myself the luckiest man in Christendom right now.”

Well. That might be laying it on a bit too thick.
She risked a quick glance at Jack, who wasn’t able to prevent one corner of his mouth quirking up.

“So I ask you to raise your glass in a toast to my bride. To Cass and our future together.” To her surprise, Adam leaned down and kissed her on the mouth. Was he issuing a challenge to her brother?

Everybody started to talk at once. Jack hugged her—it would have seemed odd if he hadn’t. Then Jenny. Cass wondered if she knew and decided from her subdued manner that she did. Hugh came up and kissed her cheek. “My brother has a lot more sense that I gave him credit for,” he said, smiling. She spoke to everyone, and only felt a little guilty when Eleanor Broxton approached her looking sheepish.

“Miss Linford, may I wish you happy? I am so embarrassed…what I said to you about Mr. Grey. I-I didn’t know.”

Cass thought it best to be truthful. “Neither did I, that night. No apology is necessary.” She squeezed the girl’s hand before letting it go.

They went into dinner, and ironically, she was finally seated next to Adam.

…

“All of Christendom, eh?” Cass asked. “Not just England, or London? Or this little corner of Surrey? That was quite a pronouncement, Adam.”

He chuckled. “Too much? I thought it sounded rather dashing, actually.” The after dinner rituals over, Adam had steered Cass toward the terrace when he’d judged that she had enough of congratulations, well wishes, and nosy questions for one evening. She looked enchanting in some sort of clingy confection that outlined all her curves. Adam didn’t think she was wearing stays. He glanced around, hoping they were alone.

“My brother and Jenny are just a few feet away.”

“Ah. We don’t want to bring Jack down on our heads this soon. How are you, Cass?”

“It has been a strange evening. The fact that we’re lying to everybody spoils things a bit.”

“I’ve suffered pangs of guilt all night, if it makes you feel any better. We must remember that our friends will soon be gone and then we can do some real work towards the election and not worry about other people.”

“Speaking of the election…I have a question for you. At Cowdray I wanted to ask you about the war, but didn’t have a chance. Would you tell me about Walcheren, Adam?”

He blinked, not expecting this. He thought she might want to know what the first steps would be in the campaign. But the war? He’d given her and her cousin a summary of what Walcheren had been like. Why did she need to know more?

“You wish to talk about the war? Tonight?” He studied her face, obviously puzzled. “You surprise me, Cass. There’s not much more to tell than I already described to you.”

“Surely that’s not true. Jack said you left out a great deal.”

He gave her a wry grin. “Remind me to thank him for that.”

Cass had been leaning with one arm propped against the stone railing, but now she stood straight and looked at him directly. “You told me at Cowdray that the main reason you wanted to stand for election was the war. As your…what shall we call me, in private, that is? Your assistant? Your helpmeet?” She laughed, but he didn’t hear any humor there. “I need—want—to know more, Adam.”