Page 26 of A Night of Forever
Usually he’d simply visit one of his regular, willing partners to relieve his needs, but if this betrothal was to appear authentic, his base urges would have to remain unfulfilled.
The only outlet he had were his fantasies about her. Isobel in his arms. In his bed. Him in her arms. In her luscious body. He stifled a groan of need.
The sight of Lord Bertram’s rakish smile as he pressed his fleshy hand to her slender one, trying to look down her bosom as they danced the quadrille, made him want to stride onto the dance floor and plant the man a facer.
“She’s truly a beautiful woman.” Marisa came up next to him and slipped her arm through his. “For a man who insists this is a convenient betrothal to capture Victoria, you seem very possessive.” When he said nothing, she squeezed his arm. “Don’t let your past cloud your judgment, or stop you from opening your heart.”
He looked down at her and marveled. If anyone had suffered from Victoria’s schemes, it was Marisa. The carriage accident during her abduction had left her with serious injuries. Isobel, also in the carriage, had escaped the crash unscathed. But Marisa would now never have children of her own.
“I don’t have a heart,” he growled.
“Rubbish. You love all of us.”
He didn’t deny it. These men had stood by him at the worst moments of his life. But if they found out about his lost years…He could not bear for them to think less of him.
Marisa was looking exceptionally beautiful that evening. Her black hair was piled partly on the top of her head, but with curls flowing down her back. Her gown, a pale blue, made her look ethereal. She looked so much like her elder brother, Sebastian, he sometimes forgot to treat her like a lady, but tonight she looked so stunningly beautiful he had no trouble being careful in what he said.
“You need to relax.” Marisa continued to watch Isobel dance. “She’s not party to Victoria’s villainy.”
“Are you willing to wager Hadley’s life, my life, Evangeline’s, or Sealey’s on that possibility?”
She nodded. “I believe I am. I’ve talked with her a lot. She could just as easily have been killed in that carriage as I. She was genuinely petrified.”
Arend tried not to show his skepticism, but it was difficult. Marisa was too innocent in the ways of the world to begin to understand the depths to which people would go in order to deceive.
“I know you have trust issues,” she said quietly. “Maitland told me about what happened in Brazil.”
Arend withdrew his arm. “He had no right.”
“Don’t be angry. I wanted to understand the obsession—don’t give me that dark look, itisan obsession—you have about Isobel. It started when you accompanied her back to London after our abduction.”
“She was in that carriage for a reason,” he snapped. “Am I the only one worried that we do not know why?”
“We talked. It’s obvious, really. She was in the carriage because the kidnappers thought she was me.”
He shook his head and sighed. “She told me she’d been lured into the carriage in Victoria’s name. How could they confuse her with you if they knew she was Victoria’s stepdaughter?”
“Hmph.” He watched a frown form on Marisa’s perfect forehead. “That still does not mean she is party to Victoria’s plans.”
“It sure as hell means we should not trust her.”
Marisa turned to face him and placed a hand on his arm. “That woman in Brazil…I know she hurt you, but I can’t imagine a young debutante being capable of—”
“Daniela. Her name was Daniela, and she was a year younger than Isobel is now. Herinnocencewas what attracted me, and yet she seduced me so skillfully I did not even realize what she was doing. I thought I was wooing her when all along she was playing me for a fool. She led me into a trap, and then watched without blinking an eye as her lover slit my business partner’s throat. She would have watched him slit my throat too, had not a group of my workers stumbled upon us.”
Marisa’s gasp was lost in the music and a burst of laughter from a group of men not far away.
“Younger than Isobel?” she asked, astounded.
Why had he shared that dreadful memory? “I appreciate the fact that the world, your abduction, and your injury have not destroyed your ability to see good in people. But I’ve seen and experienced more true evil in this world than you could ever imagine.”
He hated how her young eyes studied him. What did she see?
“You are not talking about only Brazil, are you? Maitland said you disappeared for a few years but will not talk about your time away.” She moved in close and whispered, “I wish I could help ease your pain. What happened to you?”
Too much. No one could ease his pain. But he wished, just for a moment, that it were possible. It was not, so he looked away and let the hopelessness of his situation wash over him.
“Ah, there you are.” Maitland arrived at his wife’s side. He took one look at Arend’s face and said gently, “Marisa, time for some air.” And with a compassionate look that had Arend writhing, he led his wife away.
