A Bound Of Honour Part 20

Juliane read the ardent question in them. Tumult wracked her heart, pus.h.i.+ng aside her carefully nourished

reservations. Slowly Adrian brushed a tendril from her cheek. His touch brought a flush to her cheeks. I must not let myself be drawn to this man, she thought, even as she yielded to the hand drawing her to him. Their lips brushed lightly. Juliane drew back. One last question had to be asked before she surrendered to the emotion pulsing through her.

"What, my angel?" Adrian asked with velvet gentleness, his desire tightly reined.

His withdrawal set Lady Juliane adrift in a sea of confusion with no lifeline near. Had she been saved, or had her chance for true happiness been lost?

Lord Adrian's shout of joy at the sight of the elegant gentleman entering was lost upon her, but the answering reply was not; it was French.

Juliane's confusion was replaced by fear and uncertainty as she rose to confront the two men gazing at

her. "Ah, I can see why you were not to be disturbed, mon ami. Most decidedly." He made a leg elegantly,moving his lace-covered hands in gallant acknowledgment of Lady Juliane. "My dear, may I present Louis Joseph Marie Coceau, Comte de Cavilon." She curtsied appropriately. "Louis, my wife, Lady Juliane." Lady Juliane glanced sharply at Lord Adrian and turned from his look. A look that could make one believe he had just introduced a woman whom he was proud and happy to call his wife. How skilful he is, she thought, hardening her heart. Lord Tretain is more dangerous than I imagined. No, Juliane amended sadly. It is your heart that threatens betrayal. She needed solitude to gain a firmer grip on her emotions.

"If you will excuse me, my lords, I must retire to dress for dinner."

"Of course, Juliane," replied Lord Adrian. He took her hand and led her to the door. "I have instructed

Bess as to which gown I wish you to wear this evening. I will come to personally escort you to dinner,"

he added lowly so only she could hear.

Failing to fathom his look, Lady Juliane glanced beyond him. "My lord," she said, nodding to the comte as she left.

Lord Adrian watched her briefly, then turned back to his friend. "Must you always have such abominable timing?" he uttered cryptically. "One would think you Frenchmen know nothing of love."

The comte puzzled over this, then laughed. "I receive your most urgent summons, bid farewell to my

most promising 'companion, and travelled in the most d.a.m.nable weather. When I arrive I am informed

that you are with your 'family' and cannot be disturbed. "Naturellement I was happy to be given occasion to make myself presentable, but to be kept waitingfor an hour by an epouse?" He c.o.c.ked his head in silent question.

"I did not think you would ever marry, mon ami. Do you not recall the time I discovered you in that little inn in Riems pretending to be a cleric? I had decided that was more than a masque."

Tretain grinned wryly. "Is that why you told the young lady there that I was dement?"

"How could I know you wished to hear her confession?" Cavilon asked as he sat with exaggerateddelicacy. "So frauduleux," he smiled. "But effective-no thanks to you." "If I recall correctly, you were able to get your proof against Monsieur Refand. Has he had opportunity to sell more English military plans since then?

"But you know," Cavilon continued, waving aside the obvious reply, "your disguise as a chevaliershortly after that must have been vastly more entertaining. That time I was no hindrance." "No," Tretain smiled warmly at his friend. "Without you my life would have been forfeit, for they had grown suspicious. But that was long ago," he shrugged the reminiscence aside. "I was very green then." "Your government did not value you highly enough, Adrian, to have used you so dangerously." "They had to know if that villain the Comte de Pauleux was using his connections to pa.s.s on false information. The treaty for the Peace of Paris was being drafted ... But that was ten years past. The

comte was not successful. Neither was the treaty," he ended wryly. "Non," Cavilon agreed. "And you continue in your dangerous ways. Lord Palmer told me of your recentjourney to France and how fruitful it proved. You not only learned the direction of the army and itsgenerals' intent, but spirited Lord Evansly to freedom as well. "I congratulate you, mon ami." The comte eyed his friend steadily. "You forget Arblay." Adrian's lips tightened into a thin line. "I was not able to secure his safety." Cavilon shrugged. "Yes, a regrettable loss but unavoidable in the circ.u.mstances. You betrayed nothing and nearly lost your life as well." "Arblay did lose his." Tretain shook his head. "But what of you? With the king executed-" "We dwell on unpleasant matters ... most desegreable," Cavilon dismissed the earl's words. "Tell me, how have you reconciled this 'work' you do for the government with your wife?" "She knows nothing of it," Tretain answered curtly. "Since Palmer now has you in his coils-do not deny it. It is the only way you could have learned as much as you did," he continued lightly. "There may be no need for my services in the future.

"Let us speak no more on it. I have a more serious matter to discuss. Come, I will explain as I dress."

Lady Juliane seethed as she paced.

Close to tears, Bess could not understand what had so upset her ladys.h.i.+p. Why, one would think she was angry at his lords.h.i.+p, and how could that be? After all, the gowns, undergarments, and accessories were the finest and most beautiful one could imagine. Bess had thought it an added touch of kindness that the earl had ordered the unpacking. He had explained that Lady Juliane was much too busy to see to it.

So why this tantrum? The servants downstairs had said that one could never understand the Quality. At this moment Bess was ready to agree.

"Oh, that scheming, abominable man," Lady Juliane muttered. She had been discomposed ever since

Bess had raised the green, watered-silk gown and held it for her to see.

All of the boxes and packets had disappeared. Juliane had stalked to the wardrobe, thrown open the doors, and gasped at the array of colours and materials within it. Looking closer, her jaw tightened.

All of her practical, serviceable gowns had been removed. "Of all the loathsome things to do," she

muttered while she paced. "Tretain could charm a snake out of his skin and the snake wouldn't know it."

The sound of male laughter echoed through the connecting pa.s.sageway into her room. In a burst of unusual temper, she grabbed the figurine on a table close at hand and threw it at the connecting door.

The figurine, predictably shatter3e against the door and stilled the laughter. A few moments later, Lord Adrian, in breeches and open-necked s.h.i.+rt, cautiously opened the door.

"Is something troubling you, my lady?" he asked in vexatious innocence.

Through clenched teeth, Lady Juliane said, "No, my lord. An accident merely."

"You have not yet begun to dress," he accused. "There is only a short time before we must ... go down."

He turned to go back to his room but paused.

"Your eyes are most beautiful." Reading her irritated response, Lord Adrian judiciously hastened to close the door behind him.

Lady Juliane started toward the door to the hall, but the sight of Bess stopped her. She would not add to

the gossip, certain that enough had already been gathered from the scene. Just once, Juliane thought, I would dearly love putting him in his place. Capitulating for the moment,she allowed Bess to a.s.sist her in arraying herself in the garments Lord Adrian had provided. Having to concede that his taste was impeccable, if a bit extravagant, only increased her anger.

When Bess had completed the finis.h.i.+ng touches, Juliane refused to look at her reflection in the mirror.

She primly sat and awaited the earl.

Rising at his knock, Lady Juliane motioned for Bess to open the door.

Lord Adrian halted when he saw Juliane, a smile of deep satisfaction on his features. "Lovely, my dear,

you are as I imagined, a statuesque Greek G.o.ddess.

"These should suit admirably." He held out a velvet-covered box.

Lady Juliane refused to take it and used her eyes to convey a volume of unspoken feelings.

Lord Adrian opened the box and handed it to Bess. He removed a delicate gold chain set with emeralds. Standing close behind Juliane, he fastened it about her neck and placed a matching bracelet upon her wrist.

At his touch, Juliane's anger turned to something quite different. She allowed him to place her hand upon his arm as they went to the hall.

Late that night, Juliane raised her head from a tear-soaked pillow, sat up in the darkness, and wiped hereyes with the edge of the sheet. You are being exceedingly missish, she reprimanded herself. You knowyou cannot tolerate such women. This p.r.o.nouncement threatened to induce a fresh bout of weeping.

Foolish woman, Juliane thought, wasting all this energy over yourself, when you should be concerned with the children.

Sadly, she admitted that from the moment she and Lord Adrian had entered the library that afternoon, she had forgotten the danger to the children. He filled her thoughts completely. His touch-his nearness-made her heart sing.

Sighing, Lady Juliane hugged her knees. I must concentrate on the children. She sighed once more.

Tomorrow I must go through with my plan before it is too late.

Rea.s.sured by her thoughts, but realizing her emotions were far too close to betraying the love she refused to recognize, Juliane fell into an uneasy sleep.

CHAPTER 16.

Bright rays of the sun reflected off the dew-covered lawn creating a carpet of sparkling diamonds s.h.i.+mmering with the promise of an excellent day.

Lady Juliane had been down to breakfast early, thereby escaping an encounter with anyone. She instructed Holdt to have a small landau ready by mid-morning and to have the cook prepare a picnic luncheon. After ordering the luncheon be placed in the landau and another wicker basket sent to her room, she went to the temporary nursery.

Alva was dressing Andre and the servant a.s.signed to help her was just finis.h.i.+ng with Leora.

Taking the babe, Lady Juliane dismissed the servant girl. "We are going for an outing this morning, Alva since it is such a pleasant day. It should be warm enough by mid-morning for just light jackets, but bring along the children's heavy wraps."

Handing Leora to Alva, she said, "Take them into the other room for breakfast. Have them ready by mid-morning. I will come for you."

"Yes, m'lady. Be something wrong?" asked Alva, hesitating at the door.

"No, of course not-go on." Juliane waited until Alva and the children were gone. Then, going to the wardrobe, she searched through it and removed several sets of the children's clothing. Coming out of the room, she a.s.sumed her most nonchalant air as she walked across the hall with her armful of clothing. She Once in her room, Lady Juliane packed the children's garments and added a few of her own things. She found it necessary to include a few of the new undergarments but was determined, even if it necessitated hards.h.i.+p, that she would not take any of the new gowns. Her packing finished, she went in search of Holdt.

The house was a hive of activity as servants worked to ready the huge ballroom and prepare the guest rooms. Lady Juliane hoped that all this activity would divert everyone's attention from her clandestine activities.

Locating Holdt, she ordered the landau to be left near the stables instead of brought to the house offering the children's desire to see Lord Adrian's animals as an excuse.

Lady Tretain collared Juliane as she made her way toward the stairs. "Come, my dear, see how well preparations are proceeding." She frowned. "From this evening on until the guests depart, I shall send Satter to do your hair. We cannot have it seen as such."

As Lady Juliane planned on being absent this evening, she thanked Lady Tretain for her kindness and allowed her to lead the way into the ballroom.

"This is the first time this room will be used since my husband's death."