“Allow me to introduce you to the staff, and then we candiscuss just how a sinful man might go about winning the forgiveness of abeautiful woman.” The glance he gave her was positively steaming.
She had an impression that his idea of a discussion involvedsin and a bedchamber rather than a dialogue. But she was beginning to fear thatif they continued spending all their time in lovemaking they would never becomeacquainted with each other in the proper sense. Since fate had seeminglyconjured him, she wanted to know the man she had married. What harm would therebe in it?
Merely the harm of losing your heart, rebuked aninner voice.
“We shall see,” she allowed as they prepared to cross thethreshold. “We shall see.”
* * * * *
Simon had disappeared. Maggie frowned as she wanderedthrough the immense confines of Denver House on her own. While they had spentthe evening in heated lovemaking, he had left her bed before dawn. He had notappeared to break his fast, nor had he deigned to share an afternoon repastwith her. Tea too had been ignored. She had done her best to ignore his abruptand confusing desertion. She had made tentative friends with Mrs. Keynes, thehousekeeper. She had come across several footmen and maids. But her husband wasanother matter. And by the time six o’clock had arrived, she was feeling ratherperturbed with the man.
Truly, she was left with no recourse but to find him. Shehad already intruded upon a study, a library, several bedchambers and thedrawing room, to no avail. Her dudgeon growing ever higher, Maggie clipped downthe hall and selected the door nearest to her, throwing it open.
She was greeted by furniture shrouded in coverings and asliver of sunlight emerging from a distant pair of windows. She was about tomove on to the next room awaiting her inspection when it occurred to her thatthe curtains ought to have been drawn together. Instead, they appeared to havebeen deliberately opened to allow a small bit of light to enter the otherwisesomber chamber.
Awareness struck her, a sense of being watched. Shehesitated at the threshold, suspecting she had at last found Simon, butuncertain if she dared to enter. There was a solemnity to the chamber, as if itwere cloaked in secrecy, that made her wonder if she was perhaps trespassing.After all, if he had hidden himself away, there was undoubtedly a reason.
But what?
She was startled to realize that she cared enough for him toseek an answer. Drat him. When had she begun to develop atendrefor theman who had happily run off with his mistress? He certainly didn’t deserve heraffections. Or did he?
Her frown grew more severe as she stepped into the chamberat last, prodded by her self-disgust. She had thought she was made of sternerstuff. Maggie forced herself to recall that while his kisses melted her bones,he had treated her abominably. He was a cad.
She was in control. Yes, she was. She had to be, or else shewas hopelessly in his thrall, and that simply wouldn’t do. Not for even one moment.Her husband could not be trusted. His latest misadventure had reminded her, insomewhat mocking fashion, of precisely that.
Double drat him. She cleared her throat, summoning up animpression of her fierce mother. “Simon?” Her gaze darted about, but she couldsee precious little other than the hulking silhouettes of chaises and setteesthat were likely long since out of mode. No answer. She strode deeper into theroom, swearing that she could smell him. “If you are in this chamber, it wouldbe in your best interest to show yourself at once.”
She attempted to peer into a dark corner, waiting for hisresponse. None was forthcoming until, after what seemed forever, his familiarvoice stroked over her senses like a lover’s caress.
“What shall become of me if I don’t?”
A shiver of anticipation danced over her skin. At last. Hehad certainly led her on a merry chase for much of the day. She spun in a slowcircle, still unable to locate him. “Where are you?”
“Perhaps you ought to find me.” Though his voice was low andvelvety, there was an undercurrent of humor.
He was amused, was he? Her gaze narrowed as she skirted whatappeared to be an escritoire and ventured into the quadrant of the chamberwhere his voice seemed to emanate from. “You are a beast,” she informed him.“Have you no conscience?”
At her question, she shook her head, answering herself.“Foolish, wrong-headed me. Of course you haven’t a conscience.”
“I have a conscience,” he spoke up, sounding a touchindignant. “I simply ignore it.”
“I’m well aware of that, my lord,” she grumbled. Where inheaven’s name was he? She swept aside a particularly voluminous sheet offurniture covering, hoping to find him beneath it. There was only a wardrobe.“I am certain you haven’t heard your conscience since you were a lad.”
“That smarts.”
His voice was suddenly directly behind her. She turned tofind him towering over her, a dark and inviting figure. “It is merely truth,”she countered, doing her best to curtail the breathless quality threatening toovercome her voice. Today of all days she did not want to show him a hint ofweakness, for he was a hunter stalking his prey. She had few defenses againsthim other than her wits.
He stepped closer to her. “How did you find me here?”
“Fortune.” She crossed her arms over her breasts, praying hewouldn’t touch her and thereby crumble the infinitesimal wall she had builtbetween them. “Or perhaps misfortune.”
“Did you miss me, my dear?”
She had, and the realization troubled her. When had hebecome necessary to her, as essential as sunlight and fresh air? “Of coursenot,” she lied. “Mrs. Keynes is uncertain of what she ought to send to dinner.Apparently, she doesn’t wish to incur your displeasure.”
“Indeed?” He was devastatingly near to her now. His handcaught her elbow, drawing her right arm away from her body. With practicedexpertise, he trailed his fingers down the inside of her arm, catching her justwhere her sleeve gaped to reveal bare skin. He stopped at her wrist, raisingher hand to his lips for a lingering kiss.
“What is this chamber?” she asked, determined not to bedistracted by his blatant invitation to sin.
