“Stephanie is a” Raven paused as he searched for an appropriately descriptive term that would not also apply to Eden.
Eden recognized his sullen frown as clear evidence of the foulness of his mood. “You needn’t say it. It’s obvious you aren’t as attracted to her as she is to you.”
“I despise the bitch!” Raven took a step toward the bed, tempted to tell Eden what Stephanie thought of her, but decided against it when he saw Eden’s eyes widen with horror.
“I’m nothing like Alex, Eden. You might as well get used to that now. He always displayed the best of manners while I won’t pretend a respect I don’t feel. The only reason I even spoke to Stephanie, let alone spent any time with her, was so that Alex could be with you. I know he hoped that I’d find her attractive but I didn’t. She just never shut up long enough to notice I didn’t hear a word that she said.”
“You despise pretense, but were willing to pretend to help Alex?”
Raven’s frown deepened as he realized she had a valid point. “That is a contradiction, isn’t it?”
“Alex thought the world of you too, Raven. It’s understandable that you would go to any lengths to help each other.”
Eden was now speaking with him so calmly that Raven decided to push for whatever advantage he could gain. “What did he tell you about me?”
As always, Eden found it difficult to think when Raven’s dark glance pierced her defenses with such ruthless ease. She looked down at Alex’s letter instead. “He always spoke of you in the most glowing terms. He could not have been any more proud of you had you been his son rather than his nephew. Surely you must know that.”
Alex hadn’t told her the truth about him, Raven immediately realized. Like everyone else, Eden believed he was a blood relative. That was the greatest pretense of all, but a necessary one he would not end. “Yes, I did. That’s why I intend to take care of you as best I can. It’s what Alex wanted, so it’s what I want as well.”
“And what I want doesn’t matter?” Eden asked shyly.
Raven clasped his hands behind his back as he began to discuss her options. “Have you made some plans of your own?”
“Well no, not yet.”
“I thought not. You can continue to live here, of course, although I imagine you would be unbearably lonely without Alex’s company. The owners of the neighboring estates spend most of their time in London, but there’s always a chance they might remember to invite you to come for tea when they’re at home. The fact that you’re an American is unfortunate, because you’ll be considered an outsider by many even though you are Alex’s widow and he was quite popular. If you decide to stay here alone, I’ll leave you a list of the men who can be expected to call. Most will have titles as old as Alex’s, but they’re in need of funds and will court you for your money.”
“Raven,” Eden begged with an anguished glance. “Are you always so suspicious of people’s motives?”
“Of course. England is full of men with more prestige than wealth and you can expect every last one to try and impress you. Briarcliff now belongs to me rather than you, however, and while I will naturally provide for you as generously as Alex would have, if you remarry, that support will promptly end. The more intelligent of your suitors should realize that fairly quickly and ask you to invest in their schemes with no real intention of ever marrying you.”
“Am I supposed to thank you for that kind of advice?”
Raven regarded her perplexed expression with a knowing smile. “If you don’t now, you will later. Would you rather return to your aunt’s house in London? If so, I really must warn you that your aunt and cousin didn’t take your elopement at all well. Apparently they feel you’ve disgraced them somehow, and they’ve been badly hurt by the gossip.”
“Oh no, I knew they’d be upset, but I thought by this time”
“No. If anything, I’m afraid time will only magnify their distress. If only your country weren’t at war, you could return home to Virginia. That’s quite impossible under the circumstances, however. The effectiveness of Confederate raiders like your father’s have made passenger travel between Europe and America too dangerous to consider. It looks as though the War might continue for many years, so it may be a long while before you see your parents again.”
Eden nodded. “Yes, I know that. They sent me to Aunt Lydia to keep me safe. I’ll not ignore their wishes by risking my life to go back.”
“That’s very sensible of you,” Raven agreed in his most persuasive tone. “You really should think of yourself as Alex’s widow rather than your parents’ child anyway. His home was on Jamaica. I know he told you about it. It’s not only a beautiful place to live, but one free of the tiresome constraints of London society. You would have been happy there with him, and I think you already know how happy you’ll be there with me.”
Eden’s cheeks filled with a bright blush at the suggestive nature of that comment. “You make it sound as though my only choice is to marry you.”
“No, there is another choice I’ve not mentioned.”
“Really?” Eden asked with a delighted smile. “What is it?”
Raven knew it was unkind to dash her hopes, but did so quite willingly. “You can remain with me without the benefit of marriage. If you’d rather be my mistress than my wife, then I’ll still treat you well. You can simply refer to yourself as Alex’s widow and no one will question your presence in his home, or rather, my home.”
It was the arrogance of that offer that infuriated Eden. “I am Alex’s widow, I’d not just be calling myself that. Why couldn’t I go to Jamaica if it’s such a wonderful place? I could live there until the Civil War ends and then I could return home to Virginia.”
Raven sat down on the side of the bed, slipped his fingers through Eden’s wild mane of curls, and pulled her close for a kiss he did not end until he felt the tension that had filled her melt away. That she had as little resistance to him as he had for her seemed perfectly natural to him, and confident he would eventually bend her will to his, he sat back slightly.
“This is an enormous house, and yet we slept in the same bed. You’ll not be able to avoid me on board the Jamaican Wind, and I doubt you’ll even want to. Once we reach Jamaica, you’ll be so accustomed to sleeping with me, you’ll never want to be alone. I expect we won’t be able to keep the depth of our relationship a secret for long, but if you feel you can survive the resulting scandal, so can I.
“You know what you are as well as I do, Eden. You’re the kind of woman who enjoys being with men. There’s no reason for you to be ashamed of it. Just accept it. We’ll be going to Jamaica as lovers. Whether or not you’ll also be my wife is up to you. It’s what Alex wanted. It’s what I want. It ought to be what you want as well.”