“Do I not? Then tell me, if that is true, and you are following your heart … why give yourself to me and then chase after my nephew still?”
She was stunned. She could not believe he had just said such a thing. Whatever made him think that she chased after Freddy? It was outrageous. She calmed herself. Was he jealous of the time she spent with Freddy? She hoped he was jealous and unwisely said, “As to your nephew, can’t you see the truth of it? Freddy is a bubble of zest and good fun, and I quite adore him—”
He cut her off with an oath, stopped the curricl
e, and turned on her, his face drawn in anger, “You adore him? How much do you adore him, Serena?”
She was again astounded by the heat behind his words. Then suddenly he reached for her and crushed her in his strong arms as his lips murmured into her mouth, “Like this, my love? Do you adore him enough for this …” His mouth took hers, and his tongue danced against the velvet of hers. Some moments later, she was still reeling from the passion of his kiss, the extreme ardor of her response. He came away from her, bending his head back to look into her eyes and asked, “Like that, Serena, do you love him like that?” He took her chin and said, “Because if not, you must let him go.”
She was confused by him, by his actions. What was he doing? Why didn’t he understand? She answered hesitantly, “I have told you over and over again and in so many words, I have asked Freddy to return to school and—”
“And I believe you mean to marry him before that happens,” he answered sharply.
She was suddenly outraged with him. She had done nothing to give him such an opinion of her. She snapped, “Believe what you like, as I do that you made love to me to pry me away from your nephew.” A catch in her throat made her turn her face away. She wouldn’t allow him to see her cry.
“Blister it, yes, I thought that was what I was doing—” he started.
“Take me home, at once,” she said, and this time it was all she could do to prevent the sob from escaping. “You are a cad, and I am a fool.” Her eyes narrowed. Freddy had already agreed to return to school, but she was angry, so angry, and she lashed out without thinking. “Perhaps I shall have your nephew after all!”
“Doxy!” he seethed.
“Am I? Let’s see if you are right. You should know, I am certain you have had any number of them,” she answered, her eyes ablaze.
“You, my beauty were the best of them all, and I mean to tell my nephew immediately just how good your innocent body was beneath me. We’ll see if he wants you after that.”
“Do your worst,” she answered and turned away.
Her heart was no longer broken in two.
It was shattered, but her fury kept her from crying. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. What had moved him to behave like this? She had assumed he had come to try and wheedle out of her what he had not been able to get from his nephew about their morning’s adventure. Well, obviously she had been wrong. He had come once more to get a promise from her that she would not marry Freddy.
What was wrong with him? What was wrong with Freddy? Why hadn’t Freddy told him he meant to return to school? Why hadn’t Freddy told him she had refused his offer of marriage time and again?
It didn’t matter. How could he have spent so much time in her company and not known who she was? He couldn’t love her and spoken to her like that. He didn’t love her. Worse than that, he thought her a woman without morals because she had given herself to him.
Did she deserve that? No, dash it, she did not!
They did not speak or look at one another for the remainder of the drive.
~ Nineteen ~
A FULL MOON met Serena’s eyes. She wasn’t sure if she was thankful for its light or frightened that its rays would expose them at the wrong moment. Her horse was neatly tethered, and she stood beside the mare, wondering what was keeping Freddy.
This was mad. She had been mad to suggest it. What was she doing here at the churchyard at such an hour? What if someone discovered her missing and alerted her poor uncle? He would be sick with worry. This notion made her turn to her horse and say, “He won’t wake up, will he? And even if he does, he won’t go looking for me. Why should he?” She eyed the sky and realized that clouds were beginning to obliterate the stars and that those clouds looked stormy. The wind had picked up. This was a bad idea. Perhaps she should just return home immediately?
A sound at that moment caught her attention, and she peered through woods growing increasingly dark as more and more clouds moved in. She heard Freddy trip over a branch and swear, and nerves made her giggle. “Freddy?” she called.
“Aye,” he said, coming up to her. “Have I kept you waiting long? I know it must be past ten already.”
“No, no, but I have been getting second thoughts …” she said, still thinking perhaps they should just give what they knew to Tuthill and allow him to take it from there.
“’Pon my soul, not you! I am sorry for being late. I had the devil of a time escaping. Thought my uncle would never stay put. Every single time I started out of my room, there he was doing something or other, and watching me. I think he suspected I meant to be off. He questioned me a good part of the afternoon, but I didn’t tell him anything.” Freddy pulled a face, “He did say something strange to me about you. Said you were trying to bamboozle me into marriage and that he wouldn’t have it.” He shook his head. “I told him that he was usually a knowing one but that this time he had it all wrong.”
“Did you? What did you say to him?” she asked in a small voice.
“What should I say but the truth? I told him that you have turned me down over and over again and, in fact, demanded I leave for school. Told him that you finally got through to me in your own way, in your own time.”
“And what did he say to that?” Pieces of Serena’s heart jumped towards one another and meshed with hope leading them.