She twisted and glared at him. He was smiling, and his relaxed charm drove the air from her lungs. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips. With a sigh, she deepened the kiss and moaned when he responded. She withdrew and stared into his eyes, which glowed with unreserved passion. “Tobias?”
“Hmmm?”
“I ache.”
The tension in the room shot up perceptibly. “Do not tempt me, Olivia.”
A laugh caught in her throat. “I will endeavor to behave.”
“Do more than try, wife, succeed.”
“Thank you for taking me with you. I know it could not have been easy with you wanting to…gently clasp my neck between your hands,” she said with an unrepentant grin.
He smiled, and it was so sensually charming her breath caught. “Thank you for accompanying me. Your presence kept the demons from my head.”
She pressed her forehead against his. “I truly believe Francie will be well. Mr. Browning—”
Tobias’s hands tightened on her hips, almost painfully, and his dark brows came together in a harsh forbidding line. “He is a vile seducer who can possess no true regard for my sister. He has exposed her to scandal, ridicule, and scorn. If he held genuine affections he would have approached me for her hand.”
“And would you not have denied him?”
A scowl darkened his face.
“I am not defending Mr. Browning’s actions,” she hurriedly assured Tobias. “I am only hoping you can understand what may have prompted them to not declare themselves. Francie admires and loves you above all else. I would hate to see her grievously injured by your anger and disappointment.”
His face shuttered.
Livvie encircled his neck with her hand, gently playing with the curl of hair at his nape. “I enjoy cream of parsnip soup, boiled duck in apricot sauce, and gooseberries,” she said lightly, hoping to distract him from the dark thoughts she could see gathering in his eyes. If she could not seduce him, the best way to pass the time was to learn of each other. She was rather looking forward to it.
For a timeless moment, he said nothing, and the steady drumming of the rain on the roof and against the windows were the only sounds echoing in the small room.
“I like beef á la royale and Bakewell tarts.”
Pleasure burst inside of her, and she quickly shared something else. “One of my greatest desires is to establish myself as a respected painter.”
He frowned. “Selling your work?”
“Yes.”
“All that I own is yours. You have no need to work.”
“Wrong,” she said softly, unable to resist the temptation of kissing the cleft on his chin. “All that you own belongs to your heir…our son, if we are blessed enough in that regard. And even if I were the richest woman in the world, I would still desire to see my paintings gracing many homes and even a gallery. I’ve also thought about attending the Royal Academy.”
His breathing changed, roughening when she kissed the corner of his lips.
“For many years I dreamed of having my own money and not being dependent on a man, whether he be my father or a husband.”
Her earl tipped back his head, his dark gaze searching hers. “And why is that?”
“The months following my father’s suicide were the worst I have ever experienced. It was as if I had passed over, into a fantastical caricature of what my life had been. In this new life, misfortune and hunger were frequent companions. And this had all happened at the whim of a man, a husband, a father. All my mother could do was cry and put herself at the mercy of another man to improve our situation.”
“I see.”
“I never wanted to endure that. I wanted to be able to support myself with a comfortable living.”
He gathered her even closer. “The first thing I did the morning we married was notify my attorney to open an account in your name. A sum of twenty thousand pounds was deposited and an annuity will be added. When I die, I promise you, countess, you will be well situated financially. I also want you to select two of my un-entailed estates when we return, and they will be a part of your widow’s portion.”
Livvie could only stare at him in shock. “I…thank you.”
A disquieting silence lingered. She had never expected him to be so protective and generous. “We suffered the degradation of poverty…so says my mother. But were we truly poor? I’ve read of the slums in the newspapers, the calls for reform to help those suffering. I cannot imagine living in such squalor as what is reported. There are so many homeless children. I visited London once with Mamma while our troops were fighting Napoleon and dozens of children accosted us, begging.” She shuddered. “They were so dirty, covered in soot and grime, and they stank. In their eyes, Tobias, I only saw emptiness, despair. No hope for the future or a better tomorrow. I have been reading your arguments on how society needs to pull together and render assistance to those whom England has abandoned and…you have my deepest admiration,” she ended softly.
A glint entered his eyes, and he had the most arrested expression. “Most of the ton thinks I am foolish.”
“But not all, and those are the ones we should concentrate upon to gain their support for the thousands so in need.”
A decidedly arrogant brow arched. “We?”
“Yes…I want to help in every way I can,” she declared loyally.
“Then I will be sure to include you in Westfall’s and my next meeting.”
“I’ve heard rumors of the marquess. His daughter…”
Shadows darkened Tobias’s eyes. “She was once one of those poor and abandoned children of England. No more. The ton may not claim her, but she is loved by the marquess and his true friends.”
Livvie smiled. “I’m glad.”
His head bent and he kissed the side of her neck. Though she wanted to dally in pleasure, she feared never getting such an opportunity where they spoke with such relaxed frankness. “Tell me more of your family.”
He stilled and lifted his head. A faint sound of amusement slipped from him, though his eyes blanked. “No.”
“All I am privy to is rumors, I daresay that is not the way to gain knowledge of my new family. Did your parents love each other, despite everything?”
He slanted her a considering glance. “On many occasion my father beat my mother, quite harshly. Yet perplexingly, she loved him.”
“I do hope you are aware that you are nothing like that.”
He cocked his head and her stomach tightened to see the doubt lingering in his gaze. How could he believe such a thing?
“For years, I dreaded being like him. I was quick to temper and volatile. I got in many fights in my younger days and he was proud to say how alike we were. Father would have been even prouder if I had become a debauched rake like himself.”
Her heart thudded at his revelation. “I am so very sorry, Tobias.”
“Francie was afraid of him and it was my job to protect her. It is still my job and will always be my duty to care and protect her.” His jaw visibly clenched. “Mother started an affair because she learned of Grayson’s existence. Our father discovered and his rage knew no bounds. He beat our mother with a riding crop most severely. Francie was beside herself with tears and in a bid to silence her hysteria, he hurt her. My father and I fought…and I revealed in my character that I was just as volatile and merciless as he.” Every word he uttered was wrapped in a layer of ice and contempt.