Blame It on Bath Page 0,115

wore, to finally appreciate the treasure he had unwittingly gained when he married her. Who would have guessed, when she made her blunt and pragmatic proposal, the bride was of infinitely more value than the fortune?

“What a surprise to see you here,” she said.

“Is it?” He cocked his head. “You left Bath without a word of farewell, and you’re surprised to see me?”

A lovely flush rose in her cheeks, but her voice never wavered. “I trust you got my note.”

“Nearly not,” Gerard replied. “Lucien Howe took it.”

“Lucien?” A small frown pinched her brow. “How did he get it?”

“He paid the upstairs maid to steal it for him.”

“Well.” She looked down at the basket on her arm and shuffled the flowers in it. “Birdie never trusted her.”

“In its place he left what looked like a ransom note.” Gerard cleared his throat. “He should recover in good time.”

She darted a measuring look at him from under her lashes. “You struck Lucien?”

“Just once. I thought he was behind your absence.” He paused. “And then when I read your note, I thought you’d left me.”

Her chin went up a fraction. “I did.”

For some reason he liked that spark of defiance. He never could resist any challenge she threw at him. “Ah. Then all that talk of love . . . ?”

“I didn’t lie.” The pulse in her throat was throbbing noticeably. “Nor, I think, did you.”

“No, Kate, I never lied to you. I told you at the beginning I wanted to take you to bed.”

Scarlet rushed up her face. “Not because you loved me.”

“No,” he agreed. “I didn’t know you enough to love you.” He gave her a meaningful glance. “But I did want to bed you.”

“Men can bed any woman,” she said stiffly. “It means nothing.”

He paused. “Nothing,” he repeated thoughtfully. “It rarely means nothing. And sometimes, in very particular circumstances, it means a great deal.”

Then he stopped and just stood there, looking at her with those blue, blue eyes, so tall and dark and painfully attractive. Kate had hoped a few days away from him would steady her nerves and quiet her longings, but it didn’t seem to have worked that way. Her silly, stupid heart leaped into her throat when she looked down to see him standing at the foot of the terrace, and now it was beating so hard her chest hurt. He had come after her—but why? She was more defenseless than ever against the pathetic yearnings of her heart and body.

“How fascinating,” she said, hoping he didn’t see how her fingers were clenched into her palms. “One would never guess from the behavior of certain gentlemen.”

“Devil take them. We’re speaking only of one gentleman.” He laid one hand on his chest, still watching her closely.

She forced her eyebrows up. “Indeed. What did it mean, then, when you said you wished to bed me?”

“It meant I wished to be a good husband, and someday, a good father. It meant you intrigued me, with your prickly, bold manner, and I’ve never been able to ignore a challenge.”

“A challenge!” She turned away, but he caught hold of her hand and refused to let her go.

“A maddening, delicious challenge,” he repeated. She could hear the amusement lurking under his tone and tugged against his restraining hand, furious that he was laughing at her. “What sort of woman would follow me across London in the middle of the night and propose marriage? She’s impressed by my heroism, and of course by my noble father—even though that same father caused the distress that made her think I would be desperate for a wealthy wife—but she doesn’t expect ours to be a real marriage. Still, should I refuse her offer, she lists marriage to Lucien Howe and death as her only alternatives. Curious, don’t you think?”

“Very curious!” she snapped. “A clever man would have sensed a trap and fled for his life!”

He chuckled, again preventing her from storming away. “Sadly for you, my darling, I’m not that clever. You laid your trap too well. But once I was caught, I did what any prisoner would do.”

“Plot an escape?”

He stepped up right behind her, so close she could feel the heat of him at her back. Kate bit the inside of her cheek to control the desire that flared helplessly inside her. “I decided to explore my cage,” he murmured, pulling off her hat and tossing it aside. “To test my warden.” He laid his cheek against her temple and drew his fingertips up her arm