Chapter 6
But the Duke of Tulloch was not, in fact, still standing near the west window overlooking the park below any longer.
He had been there, yes. However, when he saw Horatia Fairchild approach the countess, he had stealthily watched, his blood slowly simmering, as the earl’s purported mistress preenfully placed herself next to June.
The Dowager Countess was no longer beautiful in his eyes. She was no more than a strutting peacock. Strutting where she had absolutely no right to be.
June looked more and more miserable. Oh, she was hiding it fairly well. Cameron doubted any of the other guests would notice. But to him… Well, it had quickly come back to him. His familiarity with this woman–her looks, her features, her mannerisms. It was like reading a book one had already read before, but which one enjoyed more and more upon the re-reading.
That was his June. He might have enjoyed her forevermore and she him. If all had been as it should have been.
He saw her leave the room. She was turning in for the night then. He understood the desire and soon realized he had no wish to stay in the drawing room any longer without her.
He left a few moments after, walking up the grand staircase in the foyer to the second floor where his chambers lay.
The duke turned down the corridor to the eastern wing and stopped.
The countess was there. She stood on one side of the hall with her back to him, looking out a set of glass doors onto a stone terrace.
She was gazing at the sky, he realized. It was a bright, moonlit night and the stars were out in abundance. She had always enjoyed a clear summer night.
His rooms lay beyond where she stood. Her own must be in this same wing. Evidently she had assigned him his suite before realizing who he was.
He hesitated, then straightened his back and strode towards her.
There were a few things he intended to have cleared up, given a few moments alone with the lady.
June looked out at the stars. She was remembering a clear summer night just like this one. Ten years ago, she had stood under the stars in a wide open field and clasped hands with Cameron Fraser. She had sworn to always love him. To always be his.
She had meant the words. She still did.
How cruel life could be. To make you forswear yourself. To give you cause to sacrifice the things you held most precious.
“Lady Windermere.”
She whirled about.
Cameron stood there. She took a brief moment to let herself appreciate how very fine he looked, now that she was looking at him directly and they were alone.
Perhaps he was thinking much the same thing, for after a moment, June realized he was silent and staring.
Then the moment was broken. The sound of voices drifted up the stairs. Other guests were coming.
“I must go,” June said hurriedly, preparing to turn and walk to her room before she could meet up with more guests.
She was not a very good hostess, she knew. But then, who would be under the circumstances?
“Nay. I wish to speak with ye.”
Quick as a wink, the Duke of Tulloch opened the terrace doors. Then, a strong hand descended. Gripping her firmly by the arm, he pulled her onto the terrace and back into the corner behind a tall potted fern. From where they stood now, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to see them unless they opened the terrace doors and came outside themselves.
“What are you doing?” June breathed. “We can’t be here.”
Belatedly she realized how close they were.
Her back was pressed up against the cold wall of the house. The duke stood near her, standing so closely his thigh touched her hip. She could smell him, the faint scent of sandalwood and leather. She could feel the heat radiating from his body.
The night enveloped them in a velvety embrace. The summer breeze carried the scent of blooming roses and fresh grass over the terrace.
The air seemed charged. Palpable with anticipation. She felt a strange rush of exhilaration. With Cameron standing beside her, she felt oddly... free.
Beneath the canopy of the stars, she looked up at the duke.
Was he feeling what she felt?
“Does yer husband beat ye verra often?”
June sucked in her breath.
“Is that woman–Horatia–his cousin? Or his mistress?” the duke continued.
“Why can’t she be both?” The words tumbled out before June could stop them. She put a hand to her mouth.
“Indeed.” There was a wry look on Cameron’s face. “I see. I see verra well. And the other question?”
“You shouldn’t ask me such questions. Either of them. They’re… inappropriate.”
“Does anyone else ask them of ye?” The Duke of Tulloch shook his head. “Yer father. He died just after yer marriage, didna he?”
June could hardly breathe. So he had followed her life then? Watched for news of her? “He did.”
And she missed him every day. No matter what had happened or what he had done or not done, she missed him.
“Ye have no brothers. No uncles.” It was a statement of fact. Cameron knew her family. After all, he had grown up just down the road.
Still, June shook her head.
“Aye, no menfolk of any kind. So then. Who else is there to ask this of ye?” he demanded.
June stared in disbelief. “Are you claiming the right? As my… what?”
“As yer closest living male relative.” Cameron’s nostrils flared slightly. “Of a sort.”
“Of a sort,” June repeated. “A very strange sort.”
“Ye dinna deserve my care,” Cameron said bluntly.
“Then why ask me these things? I’m surprised you don’t feel I deserve exactly what I got,” June said quietly.
He hesitated then and suddenly she understood.
“You didn’t come here to invest in one of John’s schemes,” she guessed. “You came here knowing I was here. You came here to punish me.”
He moved slightly–not away from her, but closer still, lowering his head until his voice was right up against her ear.
“Aye, that I did.”
She gasped. His voice was a deep throaty rumble. She could almost feel the vibrations in his chest. His breath was hot against her ear, sending her skin turning to gooseflesh.
But his next words suppressed any feelings of lust.
“Does he beat ye often, lass?” That question again.
She could barely move. Barely nod. But slowly, nod she did.
“And that woman–she is his mistress? She bore his children, aye?”
“Aye,” June whispered. She felt tears pricking the corners of her eyes. She felt naked and ashamed, knowing that he saw her–saw it all. Knowing that he knew.
He was so close. He frightened her and intoxicated her all at once. She longed to run from him. She longed to pull him close.
Instead she stayed where she was–a small dove caged by the mighty Highlander.
And then his hands were on her waist, pulling her flush against him. She gasped as her small breasts collided with a broad, hard chest. She could feel him. Feel all of him. She felt her cheeks growing hot.
“I came here to punish ye, aye. I came here to seduce ye,” Cameron growled. “To see ye break yer vows. After what ye did to me, I didna think ‘twould be verra hard.”
“No?” June breathed. She looked up at him, at his handsome face, and swallowed. Hard.
He shook his head. “No.”
He ran his hands over her hips, tracing her curves, and she closed her eyes. It had been so long. So long since she had been touched with any kindness, let alone by a man who wanted her.
“But now that I see ye…”
“Yes?” she murmured hazily. “Now that you see me?”
Then his hands were gone. He released her and took a step back.
“Now that I see ye,” he said bluntly. “I think ye’ve been punished quite enough. Yer life seems to be a living hell and I dinna envy ye any of it.”
June closed her eyes. She should have known he was simply tormenting her. Not that she would have let things go any farther anyhow. No, not even with him.
A hand touched her chin and gently lifted it. “Here now, lass. Make no mistake of it. No woman, no matter what she did, deserves the sort of a marriage ye are trapped in.”
June opened her eyes. “Perhaps you’d let me explain to you now, how this all came to be.”
“Nay.” The duke shook his head. “I have nay wish to hear yer lies. But I’ll explain one thing to ye before I leave ye for the night. If that mon lays a hand on ye once more while I’m under this roof, I expect ye to tell me. And then the matter will be settled once and for all. I swear that to ye, by the stars ye love so well.”
He began to move away, then stopped and gave her a hard look. “Swear it.”
“Swear what?”
“Swear ye will tell me if he touches ye in anger.”
June bit her lip, then shook her head. “I can’t.”
Cameron’s eyes narrowed. “So be it. One way or another, I’ll find out.”
“He…” June made herself take a deep breath. “You have nothing to worry about. It doesn’t happen often. Today was just a mistake. A very rare mistake.”
He had already called her a liar. So what was one lie?
Cameron’s expression changed to one of disgust. “Ye canna lie to save yer life, lass. Verra well. I shouldna expect ye to tell me any truths, I suppose. But make no mistake–I’ll be watching.”
He moved towards the terrace doors. “Goodnight to ye.”
When he was gone, June sank onto a stone bench. His words hadn’t had the effect he might have intended them to.
She was afraid, yes. But not for herself.
The duke might hate her, but tonight he had also shown some of the tenderness she remembered. He was a chivalrous man, concerned for those weaker than himself. His fury over John hurting her could get him into trouble.
If John did lay hands on her again–and it was an ever-present possibility–she was afraid of what might happen. The two men might fight. Cameron was larger, yes, but John was crafty. Sometimes that could be worse.
There could even be a duel. A duel in which she had no doubt John would do everything in his power to win.
Cameron might have become a womanizing rake, but despite everything the gossip column had said, June had no doubt he was still a more honorable man than her husband.
She would not be telling him if John hurt her.
But she would try to be alone with him again, if only so that the next time they spoke she could finally speak her piece before he left for good. So that finally, he would understand why she had done what she had.
The duke seemed so certain that he had done nothing wrong in so far as June was concerned.
And yet ten years ago, she had been left feeling utterly abandoned and betrayed when he disappeared without a word.
It was a mystery she decided she had to understand before he departed her life a second time.