A Husband for Mary

“That’s what I feared you’d say.” He shook his head, his face becoming serious. “It hit me like a blow to the head last night that someone must have been telling you tall tales about my life. For your information, I’ve had exactly three brief affairs. Despite the rumors, none of the ladies had living husbands at the time.”

She closed her eyes, unhappy to hear about the other women he’d successfully bedded. What he did in his private life mattered nothing to her, except that what he claimed did not match his rakish reputation. She would not be so easily fooled by some sweet words today. She knew all about his amorous exploits from gossip. She opened her eyes. “I supposed you did not swim naked in the Serpentine last year either?”

“Ah, so you heard about that too, did you?” He laughed. “Barefooted to my knees, and it was bloody cold I will tell you. Your brother dropped something, and I was a good friend and went in to fetch it.”

“You disparage my brother?” She licked her lips. They should not be speaking of these things, but it bothered her that he would lie even now. “It was said your married lover dared you to prove your devotion by swimming across.”

“Such foolishness. No wonder you think as ill of me as the duke does. You’ve both been grossly misinformed.” He snorted. He sat forward suddenly, arms resting on his thighs as he stared into her eyes. “Ask me anything, and I promise to tell you the truth.”

“What you do is none of my concern.”

“Oh, but it is. Your good opinion matters more than anything else now. I have struggled to understand why you do not like me, and I can see gossip has colored your understanding of my character.”

Mary frowned. “I know what everyone knows.”

“Not quite. You have always thought ill of me, even though I did nothing untoward. I fear you’ve been privy to malicious rumors of my so-called indiscretions. Who has filled your ears with these lies? Tell me? A friend obviously, since you do not question their intelligence.”

Mary shook her head. “I warn my friends away from you. They’d never want to marry a rake, no matter what they say to the contrary.”

He brushed aside her confession of tattling on him to her friends with the wave of his hand. “So, not a friend, but someone close to you, perhaps even closer than friendship? Family?”

Mary swallowed, suddenly made nervous by the direction of his questions. They were a little too close to the truth for comfort.

His jaw clenched suddenly, and he turned his face away for a long moment. Mary detected a soft curse slip from his lips that made her blush. He rubbed his hand over his mouth and turned back to her, eyes dull. Bleak. She was more than a little taken aback by his swift change of expression. It seemed all the joy she’d seen dancing in their depths last night had been wiped from his features. “Ellis, what is it?”

“It is as I suspected, but I still do not understand why he lied to you about me.” He stretched one hand toward her then jerked it back as if he’d not meant to reach for her. “I promise you, I am not the rake you have been led to believe. I’ll prove it to you now.”

“How?”

He stood, strolled quietly toward the open door, and peered out into the hall. He pushed the door closed a little more then returned to his spot. “I came to see how you fared after our adventure, and to discover if I had imagined last night. I am relieved beyond words that nothing has changed,” he whispered so low she almost couldn’t hear him.

He sat forward on his chair, so close to the edge that he was almost falling out of it as he continued in a softer tone, “If I were a rake, I wouldn’t have come. I wouldn’t have lost an entire night of sleep worrying about how you might feel this morning. If I were the coldhearted scoundrel, I would have moved on to my next conquest, the next woman, and been done with you. But I cannot do that. Not after last night. I feel responsible. That is why I’m here so early, too early to see Douglas. I couldn’t stay away. I have to know that you do not hate me. I could not bear it if you thought me a villain. I came for you, Mary.”

Mary gasped, utterly surprised by Ellis’s impassioned declaration. He was sincerely worried. She could see it in his eyes. Hear it in his tone. He honestly cared about her, and the possibility of her ruin was not what he hoped for. How very unlike the rake she’d expected to be faced with today.

Mary glanced toward the door quickly, profoundly affected by his words. She would set his mind to rest that no harm had come following her adventure last night, but she also desperately hoped her mother would stay away a little bit longer. “Mama sleeps very soundly,” she whispered. “I had no explanations to make about last night. Douglas, well, as I said, he stayed out. I don’t hate you, but I was shocked to discover it was you I’d kissed, and more so by my own forward behavior. I don’t know what come over me.”

“I do understand, though I prefer that you never apologize for what happened between us. Nothing you did with me was wrong as far as I’m concerned. Those unguarded hours with you is an interlude I will always treasure no matter what happens in my life.” He drew in a deep breath. “I will not make excuses for my behavior afterward. I knew immediately what was the right thing to do, and I let our history still my tongue.”

She frowned. Ellis had been understandably angry at first, but she’d thought him very kind to help her make her escape. He had no reason to aid her. “I was equally to blame. I…”

“Do let me continue.” Ellis slid to his knees on the rug before Mary and smiled up at her. He took her hand gently in his and stroked his thumb across the back of her glove in a soft caress.

She was swept back to the evening before, attracted to him, aroused by his touch and his intensity. Something she’d never experienced with him in any other setting. Sparks of lust traveled up her arm and coiled around her body until she almost couldn’t breathe. “Please do,” she whispered in a horrifyingly husky tone.

“This may be too soon, and you may need time to consider my request, but Mary Vine, would you do me the honor of accepting my hand in marriage?” Ellis asked before leaning forward to brush his lips across hers.

Chapter 6

Mary kissed him back. She couldn’t help it. Mary couldn’t stop herself stealing one more improper moment with the handsome, irresistible Ellis Worth. She touched his face, eager to never halt the madness consuming her soul. She’d gone to the masquerade hoping for adventure, and here it was, right where she’d never dreamed of finding it.

“Devi,” he whispered against her lips, skimming his hand up her side to touch her head.

She drew back to stare at him. To see the expression in his eyes that had sent her pulse flying last night. They were so close, nothing else seemed more important than him. She had so much to tell him, to explain…

Heavy footsteps pounded down the stairs, breaking her daze.

Ellis flew back into his seat with a softly uttered curse. Mary faced the door, a blush warming her cheeks at nearly being caught kissing a man she’d known and dismissed for years. She had no words to describe the state of her heart. She did not know whether to accept or decline Ellis Worth’s most flattering offer of matrimony.