He swept down upon her, seized her by the waist, and lifted her high into the air. "And what is your gift to me?" he demanded with a wicked grin.

"Whatever you wish, my lord." She braced herself against his shoulders and laughed in delight as he swung her around in a circle. "You have only to name your desires."

Gideon carried her back to the bed. "I intend to spend the rest of the night doing exactly that. Each and every one of them. And you shall fulfill them all."

Chapter Thirteen.

The Earl of Hardcastle was obviously not pleased to have a daughter-in-law presented to him on such short notice.

The Countess of Hardcastle was making an effort to be civil, but it was obvious she was taken aback at the announcement that her son had married so suddenly. Harriet imagined the lady was also somewhat put off by the notion of Gideon having formed an alliance with an unknown creature from Upper Biddleton.

For his part, Gideon was clearly preparing to enjoy the fireworks he had set off by arriving on his parents' doorstep with his new wife.

It was not the most comfortable welcome a new bride had ever experienced. But Harriet consoled herself with the knowledge that it probably was not the worst reception one had ever received, either.

Even though she took a philosophical stand on the matter, there was no getting around the fact that dinner was a rather strained affair. The earl sat stiffly at one end of the long table, his lady at the other.

Gideon sprawled like a great, predatory cat in his chair across from Harriet. His eyes glittered with a watchful amus.e.m.e.nt that Harriet knew could switch instantly into cold anger.

"We understand you have been in London quite recently, Harriet," Lady Hardcastle murmured.

"Yes, madam, I have." Harriet helped herself to a small portion of the tongue in red currant sauce that a footman was offering. Tongue was not one of her favorite foods. "My aunt took me there to acquire a social polish. She convinced me that I needed some, so as not to disgrace myself when I became a viscountess."

"I see," Lady Hardcastle said. "And did you? Acquire a polish, that is?"

"Well, no," Harriet admitted, adding some potatoes to her plate. She really was quite hungry, she realized. It had been a busy day, what with getting married and the long drive to Hardcastle House. "At least not a very thorough one. But I decided there was not much point in my becoming polished, as St. Justin certainly is not."

Lady Hardcastle flinched. She cast an uncertain glance down the table at the earl who grunted something beneath his breath.

Gideon grinned briefly as he picked up his winegla.s.s. "I am crushed, madam wife, that you think so little of my social skills."

Harriet frowned at him. "Well, it is perfectly true. You must admit that you enjoy baiting anyone and everyone in Society. And you are quite willing to quarrel over the smallest of matters. Do not think I have forgotten that ridiculous challenge you planned to issue to poor Applegate."

The earl looked up sharply. "What is this about a challenge?"

Lady Hardcastle's hand fluttered in the air. "Dear heaven. Surely you have not provoked a quarrel with Applegate, Gideon?"

Gideon looked bored, but his eyes were gleaming as he gazed at Harriet. "Applegate started it."

The earl bristled. "How the devil did young Applegate start anything that could possibly lead to a challenge?"

"He kidnapped Harriet. Tried to whisk her off to Gretna Green. I caught up with them yesterday on the road north," Gideon explained blandly. There was a shocked silence.

"Kidnapped her? Dear G.o.d." Lady Hardcastle's eyes darted between Gideon and Harriet. "I do not believe it."

"Just as well," Harriet said approvingly. "Because it was most certainly not a kidnapping. But St. Justin was devilishly stubborn about comprehending that it had all been nothing more than a misunderstanding. However, there is no need to concern yourselves. It is all over and done. There will be no dawn meeting. Is that not so, my lord?"

Gideon shrugged. "As you say I have agreed not to call out Applegate."

"This is rather confusing," lady Hardcastle complained.

Harriet nodded briskly. "Yes, I know. People often get confused around St. Justin. But that is his own fault, if you ask me. He does not go out of his way to enlighten anyone. Perfectly understandable, of course."

The earl gave her a belligerent glare. "What do you mean, it is understandable? Why the devil does he not explain himself?"

Harriet munched a bite of her potatoes and swallowed politely before responding. "I expect it is because he has gotten very tired of everyone always thinking the worst of him. He has decided to actively encourage them to do so. It is his perverse notion of amus.e.m.e.nt, you see."

Gideon smiled faintly and cut into the curried rabbit on his plate.

"That is ridiculous," Lady Hardcastle whispered. She gave her son a searching glance.

Harriet took a sip of her wine. "Not ridiculous, precisely. One can see how he got in the habit of it. He is very stubborn. And very arrogant. And inclined to be far too secretive about his plans. It does make things difficult from time to time."

"Charming, madam." Gideon inclined his head mockingly. "Ah, the early blissful days of married life when one's wife sees only the best qualities in her new husband. One wonders what you will think of me a year hence."

The earl paid no attention to Gideon. His gaze sharpened as he fixed it on Harriet. "I am told that your engagement to my son came about under somewhat unusual circ.u.mstances. Was that a deliberate misunderstanding, too?"

"Hardcastle, really," Lady Hardcastle admonished, her expression anxious. "That is hardly a suitable subject for the dinner table."

Harriet waved off her hostess's concern with a cheerful gesture. "Not at all. I do not mind discussing the circ.u.mstances of my engagement. It was all an unfortunate chain of events precipitated by me. I wound up quite hopelessly compromised and poor St. Justin was left with no honorable alternative but to marry me. We plan to make the best of things, do we not, my lord?" She smiled encouragingly at Gideon.

"Yes," Gideon said. "That is certainly our intention. And I must say, the best is not half bad. At least not at the moment. I feel certain Harriet will adjust to marriage quite adequately, given time."

"Hah," Harriet retorted. "It is you who will be doing the adjusting, sir."

Gideon's brows rose in silent challenge.

"Just what were the actual events that led to your engagement?" the earl asked ominously.

"Well," Harriet said, "St. Justin had set a trap to catch a ring of thieves that were using my caves to hide stolen goods."

"Hardcastle caves," Gideon corrected dryly.

"Thieves?" Lady Hardcastle looked baffled. "What on earth is this about thieves?"

"What's this?" The earl glared at Gideon. "I was not told of any thieves on Hardcastle lands."

Gideon lifted one large shoulder in a ma.s.sive, utterly negligent shrug. "You have not demonstrated much interest in what happens on your estates for some time now, sir. I saw no need to bother you with the details."

Hardcastle's eyes glittered with anger. "b.l.o.o.d.y d.a.m.ned arrogant of you, Gideon."

"Precisely my point." Harriet looked at Hardcastle with approval for his perceptive observation. "He has a strong tendency to be that way, sir. Extremely arrogant."

"Finish the tale of the thieves," Hardcastle thundered, sounding a great deal like his son when he was in a foul mood.

"Now I know where he gets the tendency," Harriet murmured.

Gideon grinned. "Tell him the rest of the story, my dear."

"Well," Harriet said obligingly, "The night of the trap, I got taken as a hostage by one of the ring. I will admit it was my fault. But the problem could have been avoided entirely if St. Justin had discussed his plan of action with me ahead of time as I had instructed."

"Dear me." Lady Hardcastle was clearly dazed. "A hostage?"

"Yes. St. Justin dashed heroically into the caves to rescue me, and by the time he got to me the tide had come in, filling the lower portion of the caverns." Harriet looked down the table at Hardcastle's scowling features. "I expect you know the tides around Upper Biddleton, sir."

"I know them." Hardcastle's bushy brows formed a solid line. "Those caves are dangerous."

"I agree with you, sir," Gideon said quietly. "But so far I have had little success in convincing my wife of that fact."

"Rubbish," Harriet snapped. "They are not dangerous if one pays sufficient attention to the tides and to charting one's path inside the cliffs. But, as I was saying, on this particular evening, St. Justin and I got trapped inside and were obliged to spend the night. So, of course, he felt he had to offer for me the next day."

"I see." Lady Hardcastle reached for her wine with fluttering fingers.

"I did my best to talk him out of it," Harriet said, warming to her subject. "I saw no reason I could not live out my days in Upper Biddleton as a ruined woman. After all, that sort of reputation would hardly get in the way of my fossil collecting. But St. Justin was most insistent."

Lady Hardcastle sputtered and nearly choked on her wine. The butler stepped forward in alarm. She waved him off. "I am fine, Hawkins."

The earl's gaze was still riveted on Harriet. "You collect fossils?"

"Yes, I do," Harriet said. She thought she recognized the spark of interest in Hardcastle's gaze. "Are you interested in geological matters, sir?"

"Was at one time. When I lived in Upper Biddleton, as a matter of fact. Found several interesting specimens."

Harriet was instantly intrigued. "Do you still have them, my lord?"

"Oh, yes. They're stored away somewhere. Haven't looked at 'em in years. I daresay Hawkins or the housekeeper could find them. Would you care to see them?"

Harriet bubbled with enthusiasm. She decided she could trust the earl with the secret of her tooth. After all, he was family now. "I should love that above all things, sir. I, myself, have discovered the most interesting tooth. Do you know anything about teeth, my lord?"

"A bit." The earl's eyes grew thoughtful. "What sort of tooth have you got?"

"My tooth is most unusual and I am still trying to identify it," Harriet explained. "It appears to be that of a large lizard, but it does not adhere to the jawbone itself, as is the case with lizards. It is set in a socket. And it appears to be the tooth of a carnivore. A very large carnivore."

"Sockets, eh? And large?" The earl paused. "Crocodile, perhaps?"

"No, sir, I am quite certain it is not a crocodile tooth. I believe it to be that of a reptile, however. A gigantic reptile."

"Very interesting," the earl murmured. "Very interesting, indeed. We shall have to go through my collection and see if I have anything that appears related. Rather forgotten what's in those boxes now."

"Could we go through them after dinner, my lord?" Harriet suggested immediately.

"Well, don't see any reason why not," Hardcastle allowed.

"Thank you, sir," Harriet breathed. "I just happen to have my tooth with me. I had it in my reticule when I was kidnapped. That is to say, when I was taken for a short ride in the country by my friends."

Gideon gave his mother a mocking glance. "And that is the end of all polite social discourse this evening unless you forcibly intervene, madam. Once my wife is launched on the subject of fossils, she is very difficult to deflect."

Lady Hardcastle took the hint. "I believe the study of fossils can wait until tomorrow," she said firmly.

Harriet tried to conceal her disappointment. "Of course, madam."

"It will take Hawkins and the housekeeper a good while to find the crates in which his lordship's old finds are stored," Lady Hardcastle added consolingly. "One cannot ask them to begin the search at this hour of the night."

"No, I suppose not," Harriet admitted. But privately she really saw no good reason at all why the staff could not be sent off to search for Hardcastle's crates of fossils. After all, it was not that late.

"Now, then, you must tell us all about the Season, Harriet," Lady Hardcastle said coaxingly. "I have not been to London for the Season in years. Not sincea"" She broke off quickly. "Well, it has been some time."

Harriet attempted to summon up polite conversation. It was difficult because she would have much preferred to have talked to the earl about fossils. "The Season is very exciting, I suppose. If one enjoys that sort of thing. My sister is enjoying herself immensely. She wants to do it all again next year."

"But you do not find it amusing?" Lady Hardcastle asked.

"No." Harriet brightened. "Except for the waltz. I do enjoy dancing the waltz with St. Justin."

Gideon raised his winegla.s.s in a silent salute. He smiled at her across the table. "The feeling is mutual, madam."

Harriet was pleased by his gallantry. "Thank you, sir." She turned back to Lady Hardcastle. "The best part about London, madam, is that I have joined the Fossils and Antiquities Society."

Hardcastle spoke up from the far end of the table. "I used to be a member. Haven't attended a meeting in years, of course."

Harriet turned back to him eagerly. "It is quite a large group now, and there are several very knowledgeable people attending meetings. Unfortunately, I have not made the acquaintance of anyone who knows a great deal about teeth."

"There she goes again," Gideon warned his mother. "You had better stop her quickly unless you want the conversation to revert to fossils."

Harriet blushed. "I beg your pardon, madam. I am frequently told I am too enthusiastic about the subject."

"Do not concern yourself," Lady Hardcastle said graciously. She glanced at her husband. "I recall when his lordship was equally enthusiastic. It has been some time since I have heard him talk about fossils. Nevertheless, it does limit the conversation somewhat. Can you tell us anything else of interest about London?"

Harriet considered that carefully. "Actually, no," she finally admitted. "To be perfectly truthful, I much prefer country life. I cannot wait to get back to Upper Biddleton so that I can go to work in my cave."

Gideon gave her an indulgent look. "As you can see, I have married the perfect wife for a man who prefers to devote himself to his family's lands."

"It will be a great pleasure to travel about with Gideon while he supervises the Hardcastle estates," Harriet said with satisfaction. "I shall be able to explore all sorts of new terrain for fossils."

"It is a relief to know I have something of value to offer you in this marriage," Gideon said. "For a while I was beginning to wonder if you were going to get anything at all useful out of our relationship. I am well aware that a few trifles such as an old t.i.tle and several profitable estates are not terribly important to a fossil collector such as yourself."

The earl and countess of Hardcastle stared at their son in amazement.

Harriet wrinkled her nose. "You see what I mean?" she said in an aside to Lady Hardcastle. "He cannot resist deliberately provoking others on occasion. It has become a habit with him."

When the meal was finally finished, Gideon sat back in his chair and watched, amused, as his mother prompted Harriet to leave the table and accompany her to the drawing room.

"Shall we leave the gentlemen to their port?" Lady Hardcastle murmured.