Of course, when she'd made her plans, she'd had no notion that she might be thrust into the position of claiming marriage to a viscount, Jared reminded himself. She had believed him to be a tutor. He was forced to admit that her plan might have worked very well had he not deceived her at the beginning of their relationship.
Jared knew that it was his own fault that he was in this outrageous situation. No doubt he deserved to be consumed with uncertainty, tormented with questions that he did not know how to ask, precariously balanced on a knife-edge of hope and despair.
Such were the consequences of reckless passion.
So be it. He smiled grimly. It was clear that nothing was for certain once a man surrendered to the raging torrent of desire. All he could do was strive to stay afloat in the swirling waters.
Tonight was his wedding night. He would let nothing stand in the way of what he craved most. Tonight when he took her to bed, Olympia would be his wife. He would revel in their lovemaking, secure in the knowledge that he at last had some tangible claim on her.
He might not be certain of her reasons for agreeing to the marriage, but he could be gloriously certain that she wanted him with the same degree of passion that he felt for her.
It was not enough to satisfy him, he realized, but it was a great deal more than what he'd had with Demetria.
The fireworks that lit the skies over Vauxhall Gardens were so spectacular that they almost succeeded in distracting Olympia from the turmoil of her thoughts.
She was married.
She still could not quite bring herself to accept the shattering reality of her new state.
Married to Jared.
It did not seem possible. The small businesslike ceremony conducted by a parson on the outskirts of the city earlier that afternoon had had an element of unreality about it.
They were bound together forever.
What if she had made a terrible mistake, Olympia thought, suddenly frantic. What if Jared never learned to love her as she loved him?
There could be no doubt that he desired her, she reminded herself. Surely she could build upon that foundation of passion.
She must build upon it.
But passion was not love. She was a woman of the world. Aunt Sophy and Aunt Ida had taught her the importance of love, they had taught her what love was and what it was not. Olympia knew very well that there was a great difference between physical desire and a deeper, more binding commitment.
She loved Jared with all her heart but she was not certain if he could allow himself to love her. Jared did not trust strong passions. He mocked his own and kept them under a tight rein.
Except when it came to making love to her, Olympia thought.
She gripped her reticule very tightly as she watched another explosion of lights in the dark sky.
Except when it came to making love to her.
Tonight she felt as bold and daring as any adventurer setting out to seek a legendary treasure. She was risking all on a wild quest to turn Jared's passion into love.
"Ooh, look at that," Ethan breathed in awe as a burst of colored fire cascaded down from the sky. He glanced at Jared who was standing beside him. "Have you ever seen anything so beautiful, sir?"
"No," Jared said, but he was watching Olympia's face, not the fireworks. "I do not believe I have."
Out of the corner of her eye, Olympia caught a glimpse of the controlled fire of Jared's gaze. He had never looked more dangerous.
Jared's gaze ignited brilliant, flashing sparks inside Olympia that were more dazzling than the display overhead. When he looked at her in that fashion she felt truly beautiful, a legend in her own right.
"I like the music very much." Hugh exclaimed. "Don't you think it is ever so exciting, Aunt Olympia?"
"Oh, yes." Olympia heard the breathlessness in her own voice and saw Jared's mouth curving in a knowing way. He knew full well that she was thinking of how he would touch her later tonight, not the music. "Very thrilling, indeed."
"A siren's song," Jared murmured for her ears alone. "And I cannot resist it."
Olympia risked another glance at his hard, unyielding profile and nearly melted beneath the masculine expectation she saw in his face.
Jared took her arm in his as the rousing strains of the music soared over the grounds of Vauxhall, delighting the crowds.
"There must be thousands of people here tonight," Robert observed.
"Two or three thousand at least," Jared said. "And that means it would be easy for any one of you to get lost." He surveyed the boys' excited faces. "I want each of you to give me your word that you will not stray out of my sight."
"Yes, sir," Robert said dutifully. He broke off to cheer as another shower of fireworks exploded in the skies.
"Yes, sir." Ethan clapped enthusiastically, his attention on the colorful display.
Hugh stared at the orchestra, his expression rapt. "Yes, sir. Is it very difficult to play a musical instrument, sir?"
Jared met Olympia's eyes. "It requires a great deal of time and effort," he said softly, "but then, most worthwhile things do. If one truly wishes to succeed in a quest, one must be willing to dedicate oneself to the task."
Olympia knew he was not talking about the task of learning to play a musical instrument. Jared was speaking directly to her. She was not quite certain what he meant, but she sensed that he was making a commitment of some kind. She smiled tremulously, aware of the heavy weight of the gold ring he had placed on her hand earlier that day.
"What about the drums?" Hugh persisted. "Perhaps they would not be so very difficult to master."
"The piano would doubtless prove more satisfactory."
"Do you think so?" Hugh looked up at him with a serious expression.
"Yes." Jared smiled slightly. "If you are interested in learning how to play a musical instrument I shall see about hiring an instructor for you."
Hugh glowed. "I should like that very much, sir."
Olympia touched Jared's arm. "You are very good to us, my lord."
Jared kissed the back of her gloved hand. "It is my pleasure."
"Where's Robert?" Ethan asked abruptly.
"He was here a minute ago," Hugh said. "Perhaps he went to get an ice. I would like one, too."
Olympia came back to her senses with a start of concern. She glanced hurriedly about. There was no sign of Robert in the crowd of excited people watching the fireworks. "He is gone, my lord. He promised he would stay close, but I do not see him."
Jared released her hand with a soft oath. "The Dark Walk."
Olympia glanced at him. "I beg your pardon?"
"I suspect Robert could not resist the temptation of a stroll along the Dark Walk."
"Oh, yes. He spoke of a dare this morning." Olympia was alarmed by Jared's grim expression. "Is the Dark Walk really so very dangerous?"
"No," Jared said. "But that is not the point. Robert gave me his word that he would stay within my sight. And now he has vanished."
"Are you going to beat him, sir?" Ethan asked uneasily.
Hugh frowned. "It was because of the dare, sir. That is why he went off."
"His reason is not important," Jared said with an ominous calm. "What matters is that he has broken his vow. But that is between Robert and me. Now then, I am going to leave your aunt in your care while I go to look for him. I shall expect to find the three of you waiting right here when I return."
"Yes, sir," Ethan whispered.
"We shall take care of Aunt Olympia," Hugh promised.