Lady Gone Wicked (Wicked Secrets)(63)

“But you are not hard to love,” she said, then bit her lip as though she wished to take the words back.

“I am not a good man. But greedy, selfish wretch that I am, I mean to have you anyway. I want to be happy, and nothing can ensure that except your happiness. Let me be the man who makes you happy, angel. I’ll devote my life to it, I swear I will. I do love you so. Once I thought giving you up was my penance, but now I know that loving you is my salvation. Don’t send me away.”

She blinked at him with eyes that were suddenly wet. “You love me?”

He hated that he had ever given her cause to doubt it. He ached to stroke her cheek with his fingers, to wipe away her tears.

“My God, I love you so very much. Heart, soul, and body. There is not even the smallest part of me that is not desperate for you. I need you. I gave up the marquessate for you and for James, so that you would not have to bear the burden of my folly. My only regret is that I did not have ten more titles to toss away, if only to convince you of the depth of my love.” He took a cautious step toward her. “Tell me I am not too late. Tell me—”

He got no farther. She ran toward him with a soft cry and he closed the remaining distance. He caught her in his arms, crushing her against him. “You are my lodestar, Adelaide. My soul is in your keeping. When I am lost, I have only to look at you and the way is clear. Call that wicked, if you will, but I know it is right and good and true.”

She tilted her chin up to look at him. “I do love you, Nick.”

“And I love you.” He touched his forehead to hers. “It has the strangest effect on me, angel. I actually want to be good. You must marry me. The world will be a better place with you to keep me in line.”

She laughed. “Well, when you put it like that… Yes, my love. I will marry you.”





Chapter Forty-Four


It came as something of a surprise to Adelaide that there were things she did not love about James. For example, she did not like his temper. He was a cheerful baby, but when out of sorts, his screams echoed through the house. And just now, she did not like his fascination with her emerald earbobs, which he repeatedly pulled as she dressed for tonight’s dinner party.

After the fourth tug on her ear, Adelaide sighed. “I’ll ring for the nurse.”

“No, let me have him.” Nick scooped James from her lap. He settled them both in a chair where they could watch her dress. James squirmed unhappily, but Nick shushed him. “Hush, or she’ll banish us both.”

Unlikely, Adelaide thought with a rueful smile. Since their wedding three weeks ago, she had been loath to let either out of her sight for very long.

Their wedding had been a lavish affair at St. George’s in Hanover Square. Adelaide had wanted something small and simple at Haverly, but Nick had convinced her otherwise. There was nothing the ton loved more than the ruin of a rake…except for the redemption of a rake. And la, here was both in one man!

Nick’s prediction proved accurate. His by-blow scandal had set tongues wagging for only a week—during which time he was invited to all the best balls and became a sought-after guest for dinner parties. Mothers would not want him to marry their daughters—never!—but he was so very interesting. Illegitimate children were fairly common for noblemen, but what sort of man wanted the child to live with him? What sort of man declined a marquessate in order to do so?

The wedding had been well attended, further assuring that Adelaide would not be shunned for marrying him. Even the Prince Regent had appeared, at the insistence of Montrose, who had forcefully reminded him of Nick’s service to the Crown. The royal blessing made it impossible for society to be anything but polite and accepting of the new couple.

Adelaide selected a heavy emerald-and-diamond necklace to match the earbobs.

“Look, James,” Nick said in a loud whisper. “Are those not jewels fit for a duchess?”

Adelaide met his gaze in the mirror and arched a brow. “They are lovely.”

“Next week, Alice will become Viscountess Abingdon,” Nick said as the maid fastened the clasp around Adelaide’s neck. “Does it bother you that you are only Mrs. Eastwood?”

“Only Mrs. Eastwood?” she said scornfully. “Don’t be absurd. There is no better title in my eyes.”

Nick grinned and stood, taking James with him. “The dinner tonight will be small, for there are not many left in town now that the season is over. Shall we go to Bath for the summer? A friend of mine will be staying there until he returns to India. I should like to see him again.”

Adelaide was momentarily distracted by a flying object just to the side of her vision. She turned her head sharply, but James was safely in Nick’s arms. She returned her attention to her toilette. “Did you say Bath? Lady Claire will be there with her father in August.”

“Then you will have a friend there as well,” he murmured. He paced to and fro, bouncing James as he went.

“Her father is quite interested in artifacts from India and Egypt. Your friend is from India, is he not?” she asked.

“That is quite a coincidence,” Nick said.

She narrowed her eyes. There was no such thing as a coincidence where Nicholas Eastwood was concerned. She turned to him just in time to see him hurl James into the air. “Nick!”

James squealed with laughter. Nick caught him easily. He gave a slightly guilty grin. “What? He likes it.”