Page 51 of A Daring Desire

“He wants my head on a pike,” Kilbane muttered as they made their slow progress out of the room.

“He shan’t get it,” Cat said soothingly.

Kilbane shot her a glare of annoyance. “If you think I shall hide behind your skirts, think again. You will keep out of it.”

“Indeed, I shall not,” she retorted, looking at him as if he’d run mad. “I got you into this situation, if you think I would abandon you now—”

“I think nothing of the sort,” he replied, his tone softening a little. “Good God, you mad creature. You ought to be the mascot for every forlorn hope that ever was, for I believe you will never admit to your own folly in chasing after me. But I must face your father without your interference, or I have no hope of there ever being anything resembling peace between us.”

“Very well,” she said. “Though it was unhandsome of you to say I chased after you.”

“You deny it?” he asked, incredulous.

She grinned, shaking her head. “Oh, no. I was perfectly shameless, but I was determined to have you, you see.”

He let out a breath of laughter and raised her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her gloved fingers before settling her hand back on his sleeve. “Brat. Did no one ever tell you to be careful what you wish for?”

“Oh, all the time,” she replied with a shrug. “But I never listen to anyone.”

“You astonish me,” he said dryly.

Cat led him through the house, away from the milling guests and the rooms set up for refreshments and gaming, until they reached the earl’s private study.

“We shouldn’t be disturbed here,” she said, as Kilbane opened the door for her, and she walked through. There was a single lamp burning on the desk, and Cat moved to turn it up and set about lighting the others.

The door closed with a snick that made her heart jump, but she refused to be intimidated by the uncompromising look in her father’s eyes.

“What will it take to make you go back to France?” he demanded, with no preamble.

“More than you have,” Kilbane retorted, and then held up a hand before her father could rip up at him in response. “I beg your pardon, my lord. I ought not to have spoken so, but there is no money in the world that would take me away from my wife. Not now.”

“Not now?” her father said savagely. “You wish me to believe you have had a change of heart, that you give a damn about her, and that this is not some sick game you are playing with her affections?”

“Papa!” Cat exclaimed.

“You will stay out of this!” her father said, more furious than she had ever seen him.

“No! You will stay out of my marriage,” she shot back at him, moving to stand between him and her husband.

“Catherine.”

She tore her gaze from her father’s shocked countenance as Kilbane’s hand sought hers, and she turned to him.

“I never expected you to be a biddable wife, love, but do you think you could keep your word for above two minutes?” he asked, with surprising gentleness.

Cat swallowed down her chagrin and nodded. “I beg your pardon,” she said contritely, and went to stand beside her mother, reassured when her mama took her hand and gripped it tightly.

Kilbane turned back to her father. “I do not blame you for your animosity or expect anything less.”

“Generous of you,” her father replied with icy contempt.

Anger flashed in her husband’s eyes, but he mastered it, his voice quite calm when he spoke again. “You have no reason to believe me, but I have changed. The past years, and more precisely the past months, have opened my eyes. A wise man, and a better friend than I realised, once advised me not to wait until I faced the reaper before I realised what was important. I did not heed him, but his words have never left me and I know now what it was he was trying to say. I have been angry my entire life, angry and intent on blaming everyone else but myself for all the injustice I perceived in my life. I blamed your daughter for trapping me into a marriage I did not want, and I resented her for her idiocy in wilfully disregarding my every attempt to give her a disgust of me. I do not need you, or anyone, to tell me how unworthy I am of her regard, yet her regard persists, and I have determined that I shall make myself worthy of her, though I suspect my lifetime is too short to come anywhere close to doing so.”

“Very pretty,” her father said, and Cat glared at him, for her eyes were prickling with tears at her husband’s beautiful words. “And so, we are to forgive and forget your vile behaviour of the past, is that it? Does she know of all your inequity? Does she know you’ve bedded half the ton, men and women alike? Did you ever tell her you invited me to your bed? Her mother, too?”

“Lucian!” her mother said, clearly shocked he should reveal such a thing.

“Well, did he not?” her father demanded.