Part 34 (1/2)

”Underwood claimed he loved you, but he didn't. How can you be certain the earl is telling the truth?”

Arabella gave a light shrug. ”I cannot be certain, so I will just have to trust him.”

Lily still wasn't convinced. ”If you marry him, he could make you miserable like Papa did Mama.”

”I am willing to risk it.”

In truth, she could do nothing else. She fervently wanted the kind of soul deep love that Tess had spoken about. The kind her mother had found in her second marriage. She thought-hoped-she could have that love with Marcus. But even if he didn't love her, without a doubt, her life would be unbearably empty without him. She had learned that painful lesson during this past week.

”Lily...” Arabella began, wondering how she could explain her feelings. Finally, she merely smiled. ”I intend to marry Marcus because I don't want to live without him. It is as simple as that.”

The anxious look in Lily's eyes wavered, then faded. ”If that is what you truly want...”

”It is. I want it with all my heart.”

”Thank heavens,” Victoria murmured.

Arabella met her mother's smiling gaze, then took a deep breath as she felt her bravado wavering a *

measure.

Marrying Marcus might not be so simple as she had made it sound. After their acrimonious parting, he might very well wish her in Hades. She had angered him profoundly by not trusting him enough to believe his declaration of love, and angered him still further by rejecting his offer of marriage so adamantly.

But she would convince him to forgive her, Arabella vowed, even if she had to grovel. She would start by admitting that he had won their wager. She would make him understand that she had come to her senses. And if Marcus loved her half as much as she loved him, he wouldn't let her stubborn blindness stand in the way of their happiness together.

Chapter Eighteen.

How does one grovel properly? I think I owe it to Marcus for frustrating him so.

-Arabella to f.a.n.n.y ”What in blazes has come over you, Marcus?” Heath demanded after nearly being skewered by a flurry of angry thrusts during their Monday morning fencing session at Marcus's London town house.

Halting his ferocious attack, Marcus lowered his foil and stood breathing heavily.

From the sidelines, Drew stepped forward. ”Why don't you call it a morning, old man? You are b.l.o.o.d.y dangerous with that blade.”

Marcus raked a hand through his hair. ”My apologies, Heath. I should not have taken my frustrations out on you.”

”How good of you to realize it,” Heath drawled before adding more seriously, ”I wish to h.e.l.l you would find a cure for your ailment. You have been acting like a wounded wolf ever since you returned to London.”

”I know.” His mood had been foul since parting from Arabella, despite his fiendishly intense bid to work off his frustrations.

”Why don't you simply throw Miss Loring over your shoulder and carry her off somewhere?” Heath suggested. ”If you had a month alone with her, surely you could convince her to accept your suit.”

That idea had merit, Marcus thought before shaking his head with sardonic humor. ”I haven't quite reached the point of resorting to barbarism.”

”Well, you need to do something, old fellow, before you accidently exterminate us. You would regret it, I'm certain.”

”I expect I would.” Biting back a rueful grin, Marcus withdrew to the sidelines as Drew took the floor with Heath to resume fencing practice.

He would settle for abduction if he had to, Marcus knew, tossing his rapier on a table. He d.a.m.ned sure wasn't willing to admit permanent defeat in his courts.h.i.+p of Arabella. In fact, he was devising a new plan.

His solicitors had drawn up the legal doc.u.ments granting her and her sisters independence from his guardians.h.i.+p, but he hadn't sent them yet, since he was still determining how to use them to his best advantage.

Meanwhile, he was letting his temper cool. He had wanted to throttle Arabella last week when she refused to believe his declaration of love. He'd never made that startling confession to any woman before, and having it thrown back in his teeth along with his proposal had made his blood boil.

He still felt the urge to return to Danvers Hall and shake Arabella out of her stubborn blindness. She was making a grievous mistake, letting her past ruin her future. She would miss him, he had no doubt. Just as he missed the devil out of her- The distant rap of the front door knocker intruded on Marcus's dark thoughts, but knowing his butler would answer it, he paid little attention until the sound of a familiar feminine voice followed. Marcus felt his stomach muscles clench. Arabella .

He suspected she had come to demand her emanc.i.p.ation but moved closer to the door, the better to hear.

Hobbs's forbidding voice floated down the corridor. ”His lords.h.i.+p is otherwise engaged at present, Miss Loring.”

”Ah, yes, I can tell he is fencing again. But I believe he will receive me.”

There was a notable pause while Hobbs likely debated his chances of turning her away. Evidently he realized the futility of it. ”If you will wait here, Miss Loring, I will inquire if his lords.h.i.+p is receiving at present.”

”We needn't stand on such ceremony, Hobbs...isn't it?” Arabella asked, her tone charming.

”Yes, madam, the name is Hobbs.”

”Well, Hobbs, you clearly do not approve of my calling at a bachelor's residence, and under ordinary circ.u.mstances I would agree with you. I a.s.sure you, I am usually quite proper. But in this instance, I have urgent business with Lord Danvers. And since he is my guardian, the infraction is not so very egregious, is it now?”

”Perhaps not,” the butler answered, stiff with resistance.

”Then you will allow me to see him?”

”Very well, Miss Loring, if you insist...you may follow me.”

”Oh, you needn't trouble yourself. I can find my way.” Her footsteps sounded on the marble entrance hall, then hesitated. ”Hobbs?” she called. Marcus could picture her speaking over her shoulder. ”You are *

to be admired for protecting your master's privacy. I will make certain he knows of your devotion.”

”Thank you, miss,” the butler replied, clearly exasperated.

A moment later Arabella appeared in the doorway. Although Marcus had braced himself, he felt his heart jolt at the welcome sight of her. As she paused to survey the room, heat and hunger stabbed through him. Then her gaze locked on him, and the hunger worsened.

Her expression was intensely focused, her gray eyes searching. After another heartbeat, though, she gave him a smile of such sweetness, such utter brilliance, that he felt dazed.

Arabella was the first to tear her gaze away and seek out his friends' attention. The marquess and duke had halted their practice in order to observe her.

She turned her bright smile on the two n.o.blemen as she advanced into the room. ”My lords, I hope you will forgive me for interrupting your fencing session yet again. You must think me very vexing.”

His grace, the Duke of Arden, lifted an eyebrow. ”You do seem to be making a habit of intruding on our practice, Miss Loring.”