Page 125 of Enslaved
He stared at her, then murmured, “It took me a while, but finally I read your mind.”
“Put it on for me.”
“Upstairs.”
“I have food.”
“Let’s eat it in bed.”
Their sexual hunger was blatant, but beneath the lust was a love that knew no depth. Each one’s happiness lay with the other. Like the two halves of their coin, they were not complete unless they were together.
On the very first day of the Easter Sessions, the court found the marriage of Mark Hardwick, Earl of Bath, and Lady Diana Davenport null and void on the grounds of consent. When the legal notice was brought to Hardwick Hall, Mark and Diana were ready to depart for Bristol aboard one of the earl’s vessels.
As she stood at the rail watching the swirling waters of the River Avon, Mark turned her to face him. He cupped the curve of her cheek with his long fingers. “My sweetheart, I’m sorry the marriage is dissolved, but we knew it would happen.”
She pressed her cheek into his palm. “They’re just pieces of paper … marriage certificates, annulments … they cannot declare our love null and void.”
Diana was putting the best face on it and he wanted to divert her. “After we’ve bought out all the ladies’ shops in Bristol, I think we should go to London. We can be there on your birthday, in time for you to enjoy a little revenge.”
“Oh Mark, that’s perfect! I shall go to Grosvenor Square and take back my house. Will you come with me?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Between now and your birthday, they will be scouring the country looking for you. They have only four days left to play fast and loose with your money. I intend to stay closer than your shadow. I may no longer be your husband, but be assured I am still your protector.”
That night, long after Diana had drifted off to sleep in his arms, Mark lay awake trying to decide how he would get Richard Davenport to give written consent for Diana to marry him. Her uncle would be in financial difficulties, so he would jump at a bribe. But Mark could not bring himself to reward a man who had subjected Diana to an insane asylum.
He could force Richard at gunpoint, of course, but that would leave them open to another challenge in court, and Diana had been through enough. Mark would simply have to coerce the vultures into capitulation.
He glanced down and saw her lashes lying against her cheek. He had already bought her wedding finery and addressed the invitations. He couldn’t wait to see her amethyst eyes deepen to violet when he proposed remarriage.
On her eighteenth birthday, Diana awoke in the big bed at the Savoy Hotel in London. Had the management known their marriage had been annulled, they would never have given them a suite, earl or no earl. She decided to wear red for her confrontation with her aunt and uncle, since Prudence believed no woman in red could be respectable.
Diana fastened the braided frogs on her spring walking dress, adjusted the ostrich feather to curl beneath her chin, and chose a frilly red parasol, just in case she needed a weapon.
Their first stop was the chambers of Chesterton and Barlow, where Diana affixed her signature to half-a-dozen legal documents, then a short carriage ride took them to Grosvenor Square.
The Davenports had spent the last week in Bath. Four days ago, when the court annulled Diana’s marriage, they descended upon Hardwick Hall to resume the guardianship. When Mr. Burke informed them Lady Diana was not there, they wasted a whole day obtaining a search warrant, which failed to flush the quarry.
When Mr. Burke let it slip that the bird had flown to Bristol, they followed on what proved to be a wild-goose chase. The odious Burke was obviously laughing up his sleeve at them. Now, when it was too late, Diana had the boldness to walk in and have the butler announce her!
“Good afternoon, Richard. Good afternoon, Prudence; how’s the old hip?”
The Earl of Bath’s black eyes glittered with appreciation at the way Prudence’s mouth fell open, then compressed into a lipless line.
“How you have the audacity to flaunt yourself when you are the scandal of both London and Bath is beyond me.”
“I always had audacity to spare, Prudence.” Diana smiled. “You did your best to suppress me, but as you can see, none of your pathetic little schemes worked.”
Prudence lifted a haughty chin and looked down her long nose. “At least I had the satisfaction of having your marriage annulled!”
Damn you to hellfire, Prudence, you still have the ability to hurt me.
“A word in private, Davenport?” the earl said quietly.
Alone with Prudence, Diana was determined to hide her vulnerability. “Marriage is just a piece of paper, Prudence, not really very significant to me.”
Prudence smiled cruelly. “Not when it’s declared null and void by a more significant piece of paper called an annulment!”
“Since you have such a fascination with pieces of paper, I have one for you.” Diana reached into her reticule and presented her with a document.
