Caroline (39 page)

Alec was thinking hard, and as usual found it difficult to stay mad under the energetic fury of her attack.

"I have been called a lot of uncomplimentary names this evening!" he commented. Nicholai was struggling to his feet, and Alec went back to steady him. In a low voice, he inquired, "Am I to understand that you were defending Caro's honor here tonight?"

"That's right. Someone has to," he replied through clenched teeth.

"To be sure, dear brother," Alec smiled ironically. "Unfortunately, you needn't have bothered, for Caro has not been wronged. I was merely telling Lydia all the reasons why I can't endure the sight of her."

Nicholai's eyes widened as an embarrassed flush crept into his face.

"I suppose I ought to mind my own business," he muttered.

"It would be a wise course. I really don't appreciate your interference in my marriage, Nicky." He paused for a moment, considering. "One more thing—did Caro send you on this heroic mission?"

"No. It was all my doing. I found her crying against the arbor wall and she said she'd seen you taking Lydia in here. I was furious, I can tell you. The thought of you hurting Caro again was more than I could bear. It opened up a lot of old wounds."

Alec nodded, glancing back over his shoulder to find that Caro was gone.

"Nicky, let us call a truce and get out of here. I have a lot of awfully complicated untangling to do tonight."

He handed him a handkerchief to clean the blood off his chin, and together the brothers walked back toward the house.

Mary met them at the edge of the garden and impulsively threw her arms around Nicholai.

"Where have you been? Nicky, are you hurt? Your face! And what is wrong with Caro? She hurried through here a few moments ago looking like she'd seen a ghost!"

Alec did not bother saying goodnight as he strode through the south parlor and took the stairs three at a time. When he reached their bedroom, he flung the door open to find the chamber empty. Wheeling around, he started down the hall, only to notice that the door leading to Caro's former bedroom was closed and a light shone under it. Knocking, he shouted:

"Caro! Are you in there?"

The door opened just enough to allow Rose's long nose to peer out.

"Master Beauvisage, Mrs. Beauvisage is indisposed," she quavered.

Alec towered above her like the devil incarnate. "The hell she is! Open that door and get out of the way," he ground out in a dangerously even tone. Rose cast one sorry look back at Caro and did as she was told.

Alec slammed the door behind her retreating figure and turned to find Caro in her old Sheraton field bed with the covers pulled primly up to the ruffled neck of her bedgown. Although she strove for an icy expression, wide brown eyes and flushed cheeks gave her away. Alec casually approached the bed, regarding her with eyes as unreadable as they had been in the old days. Caro shifted uneasily and then mustered her nerve and raised her chin.

"You had no right to send Rose out or to force your way in here," she said in what she hoped was a haughty tone.

"You think not?" he returned blandly.

"No!" Caro faltered. "After all, I must have some rights—some privacy—"

"I beg to differ with you, madame. As long as you remain my wife you shall share my bed—willingly or not." Imperceptibly, he narrowed his eyes, while lifting a black brow in a questioning arch.

Caro was feeling a pleasant sort of alarm, which heightened when Alec asked, "Whatever inspired you to put on that bedgown? It is a gesture I cannot appreciate." He stopped, and Caro saw a spark flare in his eyes. "You will swelter on a warm night like this with all those bedclothes,
cherie."

With a snap of his wrist he pulled the covers away from her.

"Alec!" Caro cried, excitement and outrage mixing in her voice. "I cannot allow you to—"

"It is not necessary that you give your permission, my dear," he broke in coolly.

Leaning forward, Alec grasped the neck of her gown and ripped it halfway down the front with one easy movement. Caro saw something flicker in his eyes and, to her alarm, she felt herself shiver with an emotion quite unlike the outraged panic she knew she should have been feeling.

"How dare you?" The memory of Lydia and him disappearing into the greenhouse flashed painfully into her mind, and her anger returned. She drew the front of her gown together. "Are you so coldblooded that you can be unfaithful with one woman and still turn back to your wife that same night?"

He clenched his fists so hard that his flat nails bit into the palms and drew blood. Caro shrank back at the sight of his hands coming toward her, but he only grasped her forearms and lifted her to her knees.

"You will regret those words, Caro, and the lack of trust you have shown me," he said in a tone of voice that chilled her heart. She dropped back against the pillows when he abruptly released her, leaving her room the way he had come in. Caro cringed as the door closed with a resounding, final slam.

Chapter 28

It was a long, empty night for both Alec and Caro. Each expected the other to take the first step toward a reconciliation, but pride stood in both their ways.

Up before six o'clock, Alec dressed quickly. Without bothering to shave or button his shirt, he strode down the hall. Pierre was approaching from the opposite direction, but Alec did not slow his pace.

"I'm going riding," he growled.

"But
,
m'sieur—" he began, but his master was already on his way downstairs. Reaching the entry hall, he turned toward the door leading outside. At that moment, Caro rounded the corner of the dining room and they collided head-on, Alec's arms grasping her waist automatically to steady her. At the sight of the new cinnamon riding habit she wore, his eyes widened.

"Am I mistaken, or is it only six o'clock?"

"It is," she replied stiffly.

With that, he gripped her elbow and she half ran along beside him all the way to the stable. Silently, they mounted their horses and turned toward the meadow, Alec riding aggressively, raven hair ruffling in the fresh dawn air. At first, Caro lagged behind in an effort to ignore him, but soon realized that it would be impossible. Before long, Molly caught up to Ivan and they rode on and on at a pace that soon jolted her into forgetfulness.

The horses were growing winded when Alec reluctantly reined Ivan in near a lush thicket. Springing to the ground, he led the stallion toward the trees, and Caro followed suit. It was an incredibly beautiful spot, assailing the senses with all the best qualities of spring. The rich, soft grass was spattered with clusters of fragrant pink clover. The trees which grew close together in a circle were luxuriantly verdant; in fact the leaves were so dense that only a small amount of sunlight could penetrate the thicket. A clear stream ran along the perimeter, which Ivan and Molly found immediately, bending their handsome heads to drink.

Alec sauntered between the trees and dropped down to sit back on his heels in the bed of grass. Caro hesitated a few feet away, feeling uncomfortably nervous now that they were alone. The only sound was the quiet splashing from the stream where the horses were drinking, and with a pang Caro realized that Alec had not spoken a word to her since they left the house. His parting words the night before had frightened her, for she was only too well aware of the power of his temper. She had lain awake through the long hours of darkness, filled with bitter regret for the pride which had led her to that final confrontation with her husband. She had realized, too late, that he would not have come to her unless he intended to mend the trouble between them. A thousand times she berated herself for not going to their mutual bed in the first place. Biting her lip, she tried to decide what to do, but before she could make up her mind, Alec's voice broke the silence.

"Kindly join me," he said without looking back.

She obeyed him, scrambling over to sit down as near as she dared. When he turned to meet her eyes, Caro was appalled at the exhaustion that showed on his face. Her heart melted. Wordlessly, Alec took her shoulders and eased her back into the deep grass, leaning across to kiss her with hungry passion. When his immediate need had been abated he relaxed, turning his rough cheek against hers, then closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Caro's arms went around his broad shoulders, straining to hold him ever closer, while hot tears of relief stung her eyelids. Finally, Alec laughed softly in her ear.

"Do you mean to break my neck?" he asked. "I was hoping to call a truce!"

"I feared you would never hold me like this again."

His head went up and he brought his elbows around to brace himself off the ground as he gazed down at her. "My love, I am sure we'll have other fights as serious as this one, so you mustn't imagine I'll desert you just because I get mad."

Caro's words stumbled out: "I suppose the first one is the most frightening—especially with someone like you. I always feel like I am married to some untamed creature who must inevitably be free. It seemed that the moment had come last night! Oh, Alec, if you had only seen your face...."

He smiled a little and smoothed back her tousled curls. "Yes, I've been told that I do appear rather intimidating when I'm angry. I never thought to see you daunted, though! Come to think of it, I guess you weren't at the time—it seems to me you were quite courageous. And impertinent!"

Caro flushed, but a dimple winked in her cheek as she retorted, "And foolish, perhaps."

"I'll admit that you were tempting fortune somewhat, my darling. What I want to know is if you meant it. Did you really think I was making love to Lydia last night?"

"I—well—"

"Damn!" he ejaculated, springing to his feet. Caro watched him stride a few yards, then stop, raking a hand through his hair in aggravation. When he turned back to face her, his expression was one of barely suppressed fury.

"I really thought that you and I had built something meaningful these past months. Haven't I shown you that I love you? Have I been a fool to believe it is possible for unquestioning trust to exist in a relationship? Don't you know that the only reason I led such a varied love life in the past was because none of them were the right woman for me?" He moved back in front of her and hunkered down, roughly cupping her chin with a brown hand. "You really underestimate me, madame. Take my word for it now when I tell you that I can easily resist the allurements of any woman alive—with one exception—if I so choose."

"Who—who is the exception?" Caro quavered, her heart beating against her breastbone.

"You, for God's sake! And that's the last faithless question I want to hear from you." He paused, closing his eyes as he sought control. When he continued, his voice was low. "I believe I'll leave it at that. I had originally planned to give you a full explanation of what happened last night, but I don't care to waste my breath discussing this any further. If you can't bear it, you may go to Nicholai. He knows the whole story."

"You made up, then? I was afraid—"

"Yes," he replied briefly, then his tone lightened. "By the way, you wouldn't happen to know where Lydia ran off to, would you? I've never known her to retreat so quickly!"

Caro's cheeks grew pink as she guiltily looked away from Alec's sharp eyes. "Well—"

"Yes?"

"I asked her to leave."

A black brow flew up. "How, precisely?"

"I—ah—believe I told her to stay away from my husband or I'd have to scratch out her purple eyes," she replied in a low voice, staring at the blossoms of clover near Alec's knee. He looked at her in momentary disbelief, then slowly he began to laugh, finally tipping his head back to roar with enjoyment.

Caro watched, feeling a spark of happiness kindle and spread through her until she was laughing with him. Finally, he caught her in his arms, kissing her until Caro had to pull away to gasp for breath. Her quick breathing altered as Alec's fingers impatiently opened the tiny buttons on her new jacket and short waistcoat to cup her breasts through the expensive linen blouse she wore. With a few quick movements he untied her intricately fastened stock and, seconds later, Caro found herself lying half naked in the sweet grass, while the morning sunlight warmed her skin. She pulled Alec's shirt out of his breeches, giggling at her efforts to unbutton them, while he quickly removed her cinnamon skirt. Caro delighted in the sensations of his hard chest on top of her, and the cool, tickling grass under her, wondering if perhaps the entire experience was a dream. Alec kissed and caressed her until she was euphoric and wet with desire, then penetrated with a force that seemed to trigger an explosion inside her. Her nerves felt as if they were being bombarded by a million fiery sparks as she bent against him again and again.