Mad Jack (Sherbrooke Brides 4)

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back to him. He leaned down and kissed her ear. She was trembling she was so angry. “How much did you hear?” he whispered into the same ear he’d kissed.

“Bastard.”

“I suppose you came down because you were afraid that Sir Henry would stab me in the gullet?”

“Yes—I wish he would have.”

“Jack, I’m your husband. Didn’t you tell me that you trusted me? Just thirty short minutes ago? Up in the Oak Room? Didn’t you swear that you trusted me?”

“I was wrong.”

He squeezed her more tightly. “Let’s find some privacy. I don’t want Sir Henry to come out and witness this. He’s not stupid, Jack. Now, for the moment, I’ve got him right where I want him. Actually, he put himself right where we want him. Come along, Jack, let’s go upstairs.”

“Bastard.”

He whistled all the way up the stairs.

She turned every few steps, shook her fist in his face, and continued with her refrain. “Bastard.”

He pulled her into the Oak Room. She immediately jerked away from him and walked over to Georgie’s pallet. She

went down on her knees and lightly touched her palm to the child’s forehead. She sat back on her heels. She said, not turning to face him, “I won’t leave Georgie.”

“No, naturally you won’t.”

She jumped to her feet and ran back at him. He managed to snag her wrists in midair. “What do you mean you won’t want me after six months?”

He pulled her against him and kissed her closed mouth. She nearly bit him, but he was fast. He held her so tightly against him that he could feel the small tremors in her body. “Ah,” he whispered in her ear, “your innocence and youth. An erotic and seductive combination.”

“But not for longer than six months. Then I’ll be old and used up and you’ll be bored with me and not mind a bit if I leave you for weeks at a time.”

“Jack, at the rate we’re proceeding with the physical part of our marriage, I daresay you won’t be used up and ready to leave for a good twenty years.”

“Why are you laughing at me? I heard what you said to my stepfather. You don’t want me and you certainly don’t want Georgie. You said you’d be sated.”

“You’re wrong about that.”

“Bastard.”

He scooped her up in his arms and tossed her onto the bed, then followed her down. “No, don’t yell at me, you’ll disturb your sister. Just lie there and give me a magnificent frown.” He kissed her, moving quickly when she tried to bite him again.

He pulled her arms over her head, holding her wrists against the pillow. “Tell me something, Jack. What do you want more than anything in the world?”

“Georgie.”

He nodded. “Good.” He waited. She said nothing. “No ‘bastard’ for me?”

Her eyes were narrowed and mean as she said slowly, “I’m considering this carefully. It will take me a while to go back over your conversation with my stepfather and filter out all my anger at you.”

“Please do.”

Suddenly her frown washed away. She actually smiled up at him, then stared at him in wonder. “Goodness, Gray, you’re the shiftiest man I’ve ever met. You’re trolling in very deep waters. You’re playing as low a villain as Sir Henry.”

“It took you long enough to recognize my great acting skills. However, I think what will really set everything right is your stepfather’s desire to marry Mrs. Finch. She doesn’t want Georgie, you see, and thus any revenge against us hasn’t got a top ranking in Sir Henry’s brain anymore.”

“Do you think she’s rich?”

“If she’s not very, very rich, then Sir Henry’s a fool, despite the level of his lust.”