The Irresistible Lady Behind the Mask Read online

  “Are you foxed?” she questioned, not believing that she heard those words from Hudson after she defied him.

  Hudson grinned, making him look more handsome. Tempest swiftly lowered her gaze to his black shoes.

  “What has being foxed got to do with me bestowing compliments on my beautiful bride?”

  “I am not …” Tempest drifted to a pause when she heard the footsteps of a passing servant.

  “Come now, Tempest. Surely you’ve accepted the fact that we’re getting married in a few days. I’ve sent messages to my friends and neighbours to grace our union with their presence,” he smoothly informed her, smiling as if it was something she ought to expect.

  Tempest craned her neck to make sure the servant wasn’t within earshot before she raised her hand and stabbed a finger at his hard chest.

  “You better uninvite them, mister, because as surely as I live, there will be no wedding!” She stamped an angry foot on the carpeted floor.

  Oh, this man was so infuriating; she didn’t know what to do with him. She had lain in bed thinking of a way to get out of the house and return to London while he had sat in the study sending out wedding invitations.

  Shrugging, he only said, “We’ll see!”

  Oh, they’ll see, alright! She would make sure of that. When the ton tore him into pieces with their words for being a jilted groom, he would see clearly then.

  She stepped back to slam the door in his face, incensed that not only was his aunt aware of the sham of their betrothal but a host of others as well.

  He raised a hand to halt her actions. “I didn’t come here to trade words with you. I came here to plead with you.”

  Her eyebrows rose to her hairline. “Plead? Do you even remember how to do it?”

  He grinned and ran his fingers through his hair. “Tempest, please listen to me.”

  Tempest was surprised at the softening of his voice and his plea. Curiosity stayed her hand from shutting the door.

  “Aunt Agnes isn’t well. The truth is that she has a short time to live. Knowing how uncouth you can be, I beg you to be nice to her.”

  Typical Hudson. Begging on the one hand and insulting on the other. Why had she expected anything less in the first place?

  “She thinks we’re in love. And so, she might say things that would seem awkward. Please don’t make disparaging remarks about us. I beg you to be civil. She’s—”

  “I know how to be a lady, even if you don’t have a single gentlemanly trait in you!” Tempest retorted, insulted by the way he was carrying on about her manners.

  His lips tightened. She had managed to change his good mood, which was great to her. An angry Hudson was definitely better than a happy one who would say things to her that would get her feeling mushy all over.

  “Very well, then.”

  “I’ll let you know when I’m done with breakfast.”

  She joyfully slammed the door in his angry face. She took in ragged breaths, grateful that the encounter with him was over. When he came to take her to his aunt, she would be ready for him. At least now she knew why he had been nice to her, the lout!

  Just to rile him further, Tempest took her time in finishing off her breakfast. Then she sat leisurely for a quarter of an hour before she sent word to him that she was ready.

  Her heart slammed against her chest as Hudson led her to the room belonging to the dowager. The last time she set eyes on the woman was five years ago when she last visited the manor.

  An involuntary gasp left her lips when she saw the frail-looking woman on the bed. Aunt Agnes was genuinely ill. The woman had shrunk so much in size that her figure appeared gaunt, and her face was pinched.

  Although she was as thin as a rake, a welcoming smile was plastered on her lips. She stretched forth reedy hands to receive Tempest.

  “Oh, my darling. It’s so good to see you again after such a long time,” the happy woman said as her hands went around Tempest who sat beside her on the bed.

  Tempest was touched to see tears in the woman’s eyes when she pulled away.

  “When Hudson let the secret out of the bag only just moments before he left to fetch you, I could hardly believe my ears. I can’t tell you how delighted I am that you found each other again.”

  Tempest, while waiting for Hudson to fetch her, had placed a wall around her heart so that she wouldn’t feel anything for Aunt Agnes. But seeing the dowager’s obvious pleasure in seeing her again and her delight that she assumed she was marrying her nephew broke down the wall piece by piece. And the memories she had dreaded recollecting flooded her.

  Aunt Agnes had always been fond of Hudson and his friends. She doted on the boy then because she had no children to call her own and Hudson had lost his mother. She remembered that Hudson was like a son to Aunt Agnes.

  “I knew it was only someone who knew me would demand that the wedding take place here in my honour.”

  What in the world was the woman talking about? Tempest curved her body to look at Hudson who was standing by the window regarding them with a fond smile.

  Tempest kept the smile on her face even though she was as confused as a priest in a brothel.

  “I can’t thank you enough. Even though I won’t be able to attend because I’m to be confined to this bed because of this blasted illness, I’m so joyous.”

  As the woman went on and on talking about the wedding and Hudson, it dawned on Tempest why Hudson was in a hurry to get married. She suspected that he would only receive his inheritance from his aunt if he was married before her death.

  How callous! How coldly calculating!

  She kept her face impassive as the dowager talked about how Tempest used to be a mischievous young girl. She mentioned various exploits she had with Hudson, where she had to intervene for them not to be punished by their fathers.

  Tempest was forced to laugh happily when the dowager carried on about some of the naughty things she and Hudson did when they were much younger.

  Tempest reluctantly also recalled the kindness and good nature the dowager showed her when she was a little brat. She always came to their rescue whenever she and Hudson got into trouble with their fathers. The kind woman also intervened when she and Hudson were having one of their quarrels.

  She couldn’t help the emotion that squeezed her heart that this wonderful woman was dying. Tears glazed her eyes, but she hastily pulled them back and lowered them. This was a happy reunion. Ruining it with sad tears wasn’t allowed.

  ***

  Thick emotion tugged at Hudson’s heart as he watched the two women discuss like long-lost friends. His heart had been in his throat when his aunt started talking about his wedding to Tempest. He had been afraid the shrew would burst the bubble and tell the sick woman everything.

  Apparently, the dowager’s situation had melted Tempest’s otherwise hard heart. If only she would be this mellow with him. Instead, she was ready to fight with him at every turn.

  Hudson was immensely pleased with the way the two women were relating. It meant there would be no trouble between them. He couldn’t say if it would have been the same between Aunt Agnes and Valerie since he didn’t know much about the latter.

  Tempest could be ill-tempered most times, but she had just shown him that she could be mild-mannered when the occasion called for it. For this show of maturity, he was in her debt, and he would love to pay in kind.

  Thoughts of bedding Tempest got him straightening from the window as his trousers tightened around his clutch. Trying to hide the rising bulge, he turned to look unseeingly out of the window. She looked so fetching when she opened the door to him this morning that it had taken all the control he had in him not to push her back inside the room, slam the door, tear the lovely dress off her body, and devour her passionately.

  Hudson cursed inwardly as blood rushed to the part of his body that was begging for release. If the women were to request his attention at that moment, they would both know what he had been dwelling on. How awkward and embarrass
ing it would be. Tempest, he was sure, would find it difficult not to call him a lecherous bastard.

  Taking in and releasing slow and steady breaths, Hudson was able to bring his emotions under control again. Luckily for him, when he got a hold of his flailing emotions was when his aunt called for him.

  “Come, my boy.” She stretched out a thin hand for him to hold.

  Hudson quickly strode forward to softly grasp her hand. Aunt Agnes took Tempest’s hand and placed it in Hudson’s. Tempest hastily looked away while Hudson grinned.

  “It pleases my heart so that the two of you are together again, just as it should be, just as I prayed years ago. You’re a well-matched pair, and I thank God that you’re going to get married and have plenty of children. Although I desired to carry Hudson’s children on my laps and tell them stories, the Good Lord wants me to watch over them from heaven instead. Therefore, I’m already fulfilled. You both have my blessings in this union. May you always find peace, love, and joy in each other.”

  She dropped her hand, and Tempest quickly removed her hand from Hudson’s. A smile played at his lips at her action. He was glad his aunt didn’t notice it.

  The dowager let out a ragged breath. “I’m afraid I’ve tired myself out. But what a delightful morning it has been. You can visit me anytime you wish, Tempest. It would be lovely to talk to you every day. Perhaps your presence here might just be the cue I need for this blasted illness.” She giggled.

  “We can only hope,” Hudson said tautly for he too wished his union would lengthen her days.

  Aunt Agnes clicked her tongue. “Please send for that impudent maid of mine. I’ll prepare myself for her barbed words before she arrives. She’s sure to tell me, ‘I told you so’ when she sees how fatigued I am. Audacious chit!” The woman giggled again.

  Hudson looked away from her pinched face and the strain at the edge of her mouth. It hit him yet again that in a matter of weeks, or even days, he would say goodbye to her forever. Agony wrung inside him.

  Chapter 18

  I can’t marry him. I can’t!

  As she strode through the beautiful rose garden, thoughts of the beautiful time she just had with Hudson’s aunt filled her. It had been a delight seeing the woman again and conversing with her. But she couldn’t marry the woman’s nephew! She just couldn’t. It wasn’t just the fact that he had kidnapped her or was wanting to get his inheritance from the marriage.

  Tempest was afraid of losing her independence. Marrying Hudson meant she would have to give up living in London. She would have to live here at Strombridge with Hudson and keep the house. But she didn’t know anything about running a home. Albert did everything in her father’s household.

  Could she invite him over to teach her all she needed to know? Perhaps she could steal him from her father and pay him handsomely. With what money? If she lived in Strombridge, she would have to give up her gaming parlour, and then she would be at Hudson’s mercy. Hudson who didn’t have much to his name.

  Tempest worried her bottom lip as she bent to cut off a rose flower from its stem. One of the thorns pricked her finger, and she let out a little gasp. She was sucking her injured thumb when she heard her name. Whirling around, she saw Hudson strolling towards her with long strides. She was beginning to get used to the thundering of her heart whenever he came close to her.

  Minutes passed as they stared at each other. Tempest removed her finger from her mouth when she noticed Hudson’s gaze was locked on her lips.

  “What do you want?” she queried when the silence had gone on long enough between them and left her flustered.

  “I …” Hudson paused and ran a hand through his hair. “I just came to thank you for the kind way you treated my aunt. Thank you for not informing her how you came to be here.”

  Not expecting gratitude from him, she flushed and looked away. “Your aunt is a lovely woman even if she has a louse for a nephew.”

  Chancing a glance in his direction and expecting to see the anger in his eyes, she was surprised to see him grinning.

  “What has you in stitches?” she questioned with elevated brows.

  “You,” he simply replied, still grinning.

  “Me?”

  “Yes. There’s never a dull moment with you. You give as good as you get, which is why I believe we’re going to have a successful union.”

  Tempest sighed and turned away. “Keeping each other entertained isn’t a criterion for a good marriage, Hudson. Surely you know that.”

  “I do, but there are other factors to consider.”

  “Like?”

  “We’re friends.”

  She shook her head. “We were friends, Hudson. We aren’t anymore. My presence here doesn’t mean things have gone back to the way they used to be.”

  He stepped closer, making her back away. “It doesn’t have to be that way, Tempest. We used to be very good friends. I dare say we can be better friends now, even the best of friends.”

  “That’s only wishful thinking. We’ve both changed.”

  He nodded. “I know. That’s why I believe we will deal nicely together. Besides, we now know that we can be more than friends.”

  Tempest’s brows arched. “Meaning?”

  She knew she shouldn’t have asked when she saw the intent in his eyes as he covered the distance between them. She jerked her head nervously from his grasp as he tried to caress her face.

  He laughed. “You can’t deny the chemistry between us.”

  She couldn’t, but she’d instead be tied naked to a pole and flogged before she would admit it to him.

  “Aren’t you a tad interested in exploring it?”

  Oh, I’m not much interested, but I fear that I might lose myself so much in you, that I might never be able to find my way out again.

  She wanted to blurt out those damning words to him that would seal her fate. Instead, she bit her tongue hard to keep from saying anything.

  “Tempest,” Hudson called when she stayed silent. “Please consider Aunt Agnes. She would die a merry widow if we were to be wed.”

  Tempest darted an angry glance at him. How dare he try to use that kind woman to get her to acquiesce?

  “Don’t you dare try to bring her into it!” she warned with vehemence.

  “But this is all about her,” he answered briskly.

  Oh, she had forgotten that he was only after his inheritance so that he could squander it in gaming parlours. The oaf! Now he wanted to use emotional blackmail to get her to marry him.

  Tempest strode away from him, hoping he would get the message that she no longer wanted to continue with the conversation. He didn’t.

  Walking along with her across the cobblestones, he continued talking, trying to convince her how perfect a match they were. As they walked around the garden and into the arbor with its splendid blossoming flowers, Hudson talked about incidences they had in the past which brought out reluctant laughter from her. It reminded her of the good old days and wrought an indescribable feeling in her.

  “Tempest, please marry me,” he said with a voice laden with so much emotion, Tempest didn’t know what to say.

  Dear God, she wanted to say yes. Her resolve was weakening even though she didn’t want to be kept. The benefits of being married to Hudson flashed in her mind. She wouldn’t be marrying just any man; she would be wedded to someone who used to be her best friend and could again be one if given a chance.