Chapter 23

T he day of Lady Cobblestone's ball, Rebekah was feeling herself again. The powder took care of any tear stains on her face. Joyanna informed her that a touch of coal at the corner of each eye made her more mysterious. Rebekah would settle for average, but being among the ton, she feared they would only see her as puzzling. Not as in bamboozling or perplexing. No, with her, it would be more along the lines of awkward, or inconvenient, intolerable.

She shook herself. Tonight, she would be a new woman.

At the time of her decision to marry Aaron, she'd been under pressure. There were a hundred reasons where she'd convinced herself to go through with the wedding. Foolishly, she'd imagined that she and Aaron would have a life together. He'd shot that down with one arrow clean to the heart on the very day of their wedding. She hadn't had one inkling that he had any intention of leaving Surrey. As for the last few days, Aaron had been as polite and distant as ever.

Aunt Penelope and Rebekah took the carriage, and Aaron rode by himself. The evening was off to a grand start. She was never so glad to see another human being in her life as she was when Joyanna and Edmund came into view.

"Good evening, Rebekah. My, you look stunning." Joyanna gave her an air kiss on her cheek.

"Thank you."

"Aunt," Joyanna gave Penelope a kiss as well.

Rebekah glanced at Aaron, tuning everyone else out. He was such a handsome man. Quite tall, he commanded attention just by standing there. He'd worn his hair down, and she wanted to run her hands through the strands. Pull his head to her for a kiss. Tell him, she truly wanted to be his wife and to please, please be her husband.

"Don't you?"

Oh dear. She hadn't been paying attention. Thank goodness, Aaron answered.

"Of course, I do. I told her this evening before we left."

"When?" Penelope asked him. "You were outside by the time we came downstairs."

Aaron stared at his aunt like he'd been caught dipping his finger into a cherry pie.

"Come ladies, let us escort you to the seating." Clearly Edmund stepped in to cut the tension. He offered his arm to Joyanna and Penelope.

Aaron was left to escort Rebekah.

She would need to be more careful and stop dreaming of something that would never happen.

She and Aaron followed Edmund as he guided them to the right of the room where a row of matriarchs were already sitting. Rebekah sighed as she struggled over the nobles' names. There were too many to keep up with.

After several good evenings were tossed about, Rebekah sat beside Penelope and listened as the dear woman filled her in on the ton's gossip.

"That is Lord Feriweather, there." Penelope pointed with a tilt of her head. Heaven forbid she use her finger. "His daughter set her cap for my nephew. If you had not showed up, I suppose she would still be chasing him."

Rebekah knew Penelope was talking about Aaron. That was the first anyone had mentioned he might have had a sweetheart. Was he in love with another woman? He had denied any special feelings for anyone, or a relationship.

"Over there is Lord Wiltshire. If he asks you to dance, you should refuse."

"How would I do that?"

Penelope looked at her as if she'd grown two heads. "Say no."

I would never have thought of that.

She wanted to laugh, then the sudden thought struck her. "Why?"

Uh oh. She said that out loud.

"He's a rake. For one thing, it would ruin your reputation."

What reputation? She was married to a man who didn't want her. That reputation?

"Who knows what might happen if he pilfered you away from us."

"I don't see how that will happen, with Aaron glaring at every man that comes near me. I wouldn't be given the chance to accept or decline."

Joyanna reached over and patted Rebekah's hand. "He cares for you."

Rebekah swung her head so fast, the room blurred. "That's a good one. I didn't know you had such wild ideas, Joyanna."

"Hmmm. You like him too."

Like. Huh? Love? She wished she didn't. This ache in her chest convinced her otherwise.

"You're in love with him."

Rebekah's mouth dropped open. "Certainly not." If only denial made it so.

Joyanna smiled. "You can deny it all you want. It is clearly written on your face every time he enters a room."

Rebekah released a burdensome sigh at the same time she gave a reluctant nod.

"I knew it," Joyanna crowed.

"Shhh. Don't let anyone else hear you." Rebekah glanced to Penelope. She was engrossed in conversation with a duchess. "I will admit when I see him, I get a fluttery feeling in my stomach. It's the querist sort of feeling."

"I'm happy for you."

Rebekah smiled even though she felt a little sad.

Too bad her feelings were clearly one-sided.

From the time Edmund had said them, Aaron had not been able to get the words out of his head.

Feelings for you.

Could Rebekah have feelings for him?

Ballocks.

It didn't help that the woman in his dreams had taken on the face of his wife. The woman in his dreams stirred his desire. Just when he was about to claim her, she floated out of reach. He wondered if he would ever know her true identity.

That thought made his heart hurt. He'd dreamed of the woman for too long to let her go so easily. His wife was already slipping under his skin. She was beautiful, but something else about her attracted him. Drew him like an acquainted magnet.

He gazed over the throng of aristocrats, and zeroed in on Rebekah. An air of mystery surrounded her. Yet something almost recognizable. He supposed he should give the marriage a chance.

Good God. He was infatuated with his own wife.

He shook his head and tried concentrating on the evening.

This was not going to work. Not as long as Rebekah stood there in her alluring gown, showing off her tempting charms. Her provocative breasts would draw any man's attention, let alone have the blood pounding in his ears.

His wife.

His anger faded to frustration.

"Forgive me, old man, you seem to be otherwise occupied."

Hell. He'd not been paying attention to the bloody bore. "Suppose we talk in the morning, Sherwood."

"Given the lateness of the hour, I suppose business can wait." The man gave a nod and turned to the throng of dancers.

Good God, how was he to carry on a normal conversation when his wife was quite possibly the most enchanting woman he'd ever met?

And the most infuriating.

"Brother, you look unusually somber for a husband who has just been reunited with his bride."

"Two weeks."

"What's that?"

"She's been here two weeks. How could you bring her here without telling me?"

"It was not I who abandoned his wife."

"Still, to waylay me at a bloody ball. That's low, Nathaniel." Aaron had been shocked to say the least, but he thought he'd covered it well.

"Aunt Penelope is in charge of this parade."

"Aunt needs to tend to her own business."

"I suggest you not tell her. Besides, she likes Rebekah. She thinks you should present your wife to society."

Aaron glowered at his brother. "It is obvious she doesn't care what I think."

Nathaniel shrugged and sipped a glass of brandy.

"That's not punch."

"Your powers of deduction are equal to none, Aaron."

"Bloody blowhard. Where'd you get it?"

"Cobblestone's study."

"You just helped yourself?"

"I'm the earl."

Aaron glared at his brother.

"Cobblestone wanted a word, and we had brandy. He freshened it up before we came out here."

"Any chance I can get the same treatment?"

"Go ask."

Aaron looked around the room, then decided he didn't want to be absent from his wife. He'd damned near lost his tongue when he'd helped her remove her pelisse. As stunning a creature as he'd ever seen. Quite desirable in her Emerald green gown with the low decolletage showing entirely too much bosom. Just as he liked.

On another woman. Not his bloody wife!

"You know Aaron, you could be happy," Nathaniel said, drawing his attention. "Why not make the marriage a real one?"

Aaron had no comeback for that. His damn brother was serious. True, Rebekah was his wife. They were still playing the part of a loving couple.

"You know, brother, I didn't know if I ever wanted to marry," Aaron told him. "With the upbringing we had, I certainly never expected you to wed. Let alone, living in the very house you hated as a child. Yet here you are."

Nathaniel met his gaze, eye to eye. "Life has a way of changing our minds."

"Life, huh? I suspect Serena had a lot to do with it."

Nathaniel grinned. "You'd be right, little brother."

"I guess anything is possible." He glanced back to the droning crowd.

"Would it be so bad to give the girl a chance?"

Aaron lifted a flute of champagne from a silver tray. "I wonder what you would do, brother, if you were suddenly saddled with a wife not of your choosing." He downed the entire glass. Scowling, he turned to glare at Nathaniel. "Stay out of it." He turned to make his exit, but Nathaniel stepped directly in front of him.

"What are you planning to do?"

"Are you her protector, now, Nathaniel?" Since they were of an even height—almost—Aaron could meet him eye to eye.

"What I do with my wife is my concern."

Rebekah could feel the hair standing on the back of her neck. Great. Now she could feel him staring from across the room.

"Rebekah, I think you are wrong. Aaron does have feelings for you."

Serena drew her from her doldrums. What would Rebekah do without Serena and Joyanna? They had befriended her, carrying her through the ordeal of being Aaron's wife in public.

"I can't imagine what feelings he has, other than considering me a burden." Her eyes got all misty. She could not cry now.

"You are in love with him," Serena said softly.

Rebekah took her hanky and held it to her nose, afraid she would break down and sob. Joyanna quickly tried to comfort her.

"Oh, Rebekah. Don't be sad. I do believe Aaron cares for you, and I know just how to prove it."

"Joyanna," Serena cautioned. "What are you thinking?"

"I have an idea." She glanced about the ballroom. "Look. There's Lord Belgrave. Come along, Rebekah. I will introduce you."

"Joyanna, you can't. He's a well-known rake."

"Exactly," Joyanna replied with a smile. She guided Rebekah in his direction, and then made it seem as if the women were suddenly in Lord Belgrave's path. Joyanna pretended not to see him.

"Lady Mirabeau," he called in a loud voice. Lord Belgrave was very handsome, and all smiles. Although, his clothes seemed a bit elaborate for a man.

Joyanna fluttered her fan. "Why, Lord Belgrave. Fancy meeting you here."

"Always a pleasure. May I say, Lady Mirabeau, how utterly ravishing you look this evening?"

"Of course, you may say it, as long as my betrothed is not within hearing. He does tend to be jealous."

"I can understand. And where is my nemesis?"

Joyanna giggled. "You are a rogue, aren't you, Lord Belgrave?"

His grin was devastating. Then he looked to Rebekah. "And who is your charming companion, Lady Mirabeau?"

"Allow me to introduce you to Rebekah Greystoke." She paused for effect. "Mrs. Aaron Greystoke."

He bent slightly at the waist, but his head suddenly jerked up when Joyanna mentioned Aaron. "The devil you say. This lovely creature cannot be married."

"Rebekah," Joyanna pronounced enticingly. "This is Lord Belgrave. A known flirt. Do not believe anything he tells you."

"Now, Lady Mirabeau. Do not scare the poor dear. Mrs. Greystoke, I am charmed to make your acquaintance." He gave a bow worthy of any gentleman at court.

"Your gallantry is endearing, Lord Belgrave."

His eyes snapped with interest. "Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but your husband is the last person I would have expected to take a wife." His smile reminded her of a fat cat that had just swallowed a canary. He took her gloved hand. "Now that I have met you, I certainly understand how he became so besotted."

His thumb stroked the back of her fingers, making her a bit uncomfortable.

"May I say you are the most beautiful woman here this evening." His eyes drifted to her decolletage.

Rebekah had already been self-conscious of her low neckline showing so much bosom. Seeing this man staring at her chest so blatantly had her discomfort quickly changing to anger.

"My eyes are up here, Lord Belgrave." She tapped a finger to her cheek, just below her eye.

His shocked expression was comical. Joyanna laughed, holding her fan to cover most of her face.

"I must beg your forgiveness, again. My only excuse is that your beauty makes a man forget—only for a moment—to behave like a gentleman."

He couldn't mistake her glare for anything other than anger. She allowed him to stew, then another voice came over her shoulder.

"Belgrave." Aaron glared at the man. "Don't you have somewhere else you need to be?"

Lord Belgrave smirked. Then he centered his gaze back on her.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance Mrs. Greystoke. Good evening, Lady Mirabeau." He took another quick glance at Aaron, then turned on his heels and sauntered off.

"You are to stay away from that man."

"More orders, Aaron?"

He lifted her hand, bringing it to his lips, playing the part of devoted husband. She gritted her teeth to keep her mouth from hanging open. He placed her hand upon his sleeve. Then, Aaron lowered his head, speaking directly into her ear.

"We are leaving. Now. You may come quietly, or I will carry you kicking and screaming. The choice is yours."

Her eyes flew wide with surprise. She heard his anger in every word.

Some choice.

She glared, but his expression dared her to defy him.

"Joyanna, would you please tell Aunt Penelope, that Rebekah and I are going home?"

Joyanna grinned as if Aaron was joking. "How do you know she is ready to leave? It looked to me like she was enjoying herself."

"Too much for my liking."

Joyanna smiled at Rebekah with a coy expression. Had the woman lost her mind?

Rebekah nearly stumbled as Aaron took her arm and steered her outside. He helped her into their carriage without saying a word. He remained silent—brooding, his temple pulsing—on the ride back to the house. She thought over her actions, and came up with no reason he should be annoyed.