The Rebel Bride by Catherine Coulter

“You were speaking of the times you abused me,” he said. “There were so many times. Could you be a trifle more specific?” Then he squeezed her hands, grinning.

“Ah, you jest with me, but it must be said. There was only the one time, really, and well you know it. Just that once. Well, the other times weren’t all that well done of me, but those, I think, were very understandable, given what you did. German bandit, ha!”

“I would appreciate it if you would contrive to forget that man and what he did. He was a fool and stupid and altogether an idiot. I’m sorry for that, Kate, very sorry.”

“But it made me remember, and even though it was dreadful and so frightening at first, well, you did help me, Julien. You got rid of the ghosts.”

He looked at her closely. “Are you certain?”

She nodded. “Yes. Just three days ago, I rode Astarte to the copse. There was nothing there, Julien, nothing at all. It was just a place. There wasn’t any more pain, any more terror.”

“Jesus,” he said, and pulled her against him again. “Thank you for coming back to me. You did it with panache. Now, tell me just one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“Tell me you love me.”

“I love you, Julien, more than anything I could ever have imagined feeling in my life. You’re part of me, deep inside me. I’ll never let you go away from me again.”

“And I will have to cock up my toes and pass to the hereafter before I leave you, sweetheart. Sarah was right, you know. I’m utterly besotted with you.”

“That’s good. A man should be besotted with his wife.”

“Excellent. Now that we’ve cleared that up, let me kiss you again. Lord, I love your mouth and your ears and your shoulders and your breasts and—” She laughed, then sighed softly when his mouth covered hers. Then he kissed each smiling dimple. He kissed her until she pulled away, gasping for breath. “By all that’s foul, you don’t know how to kiss. All right, I can see that you need me more than you can begin to imagine. Shall I teach you how to kiss properly now?”

“Do you really want your wife to kiss you with as much skill as your many mistresses?”

“Ah, all those charming females— a thing of the past. Since they are, then you will have to oblige me, don’t you think?”

“Yes, but first I must ask you something. The Haverstokes’ ridotto. I know it wasn’t well done of me, but I couldn’t help it. Why did you take Lady Sarah out onto the balcony and make love to her?”

“Who are we talking about?”

“Lady Sarah at the Haverstoke ridotto.”

“Ah, you saw that? You really were eavesdropping on that most affecting scene. No, that wasn’t well done of you at all.”

“I’m thinking of fetching a pistol, Julien.”

Although he didn’t let her out of the circle of his arms, he was silent for a moment, frowning thoughtfully. “Then I guess I don’t understand. How could you have ever doubted me if you overheard what I said to Sarah? Given, she did wrap herself around me, but that was over quickly. You were a witness, weren’t you?”

“But I saw her kissing you, I heard her speak so meanly about me and our marriage. I wanted to kill her and you, but most of all I wanted to erase myself. I didn’t do any of those things because I got vilely ill. That was humiliating too.”

“So, you got sick, did you? Then you didn’t see how I handled the situation.”

“No, I didn’t. But I would say that your splendid tactics didn’t carry the battle. After all, the lady seemed most sure of herself this evening.”

“Alas, I have this fatal charm.” He laughed and kissed her. “I’m relieved that I now have such a fiercely faithful wife to protect me from such temptations. Women— they’re always throwing themselves in front of my curricle, fainting on my doorstep, dropping their handkerchiefs at my feet or on my boots—

“Ah, be quiet, you toad! You believe yourself so irresistible, do you?” She paused and studied his face. Her fingertips traced over his mouth, his cheeks, smoothed his eyebrows. “You are, Julien. You please me very much.”