She sighed happily and snuggled in against his warmth. “So all that’s left is to take care of the Faversill matter, and then we’ll be on our way home.”
“Any ideas on that? I know you’ve been thinking about it a lot,” said Finn.
“A few.”
“Any you’d care to share?” He turned to look at her.
She looked back, then moved even closer, her arm sliding around his neck, her leg lifting to rest on his hip. “Later,” she murmured, her body moving languorously against his.
“All right,” he sighed. “Later…”
And after she had loved him with her hands, her mouth and her body, and then straddled him, taking him deep inside and riding him slowly to the point of madness, they collapsed next to each other, sated once more.
“Will it always be like this?” she panted.
“Yes,” he groaned. “Always. Perhaps even better…”
“Impossible.” Rolling to one side she tucked her buttocks into Finn, encouraging him to hold her, spooned into her favourite position for sleeping.
“Nothing’s impossible for us, love,” he mumbled into her neck.
She was silent until she heard his breathing deepen and knew he slept. “That’s what I’m counting on, my darling Finn.”
*~~*~~*
Saying their farewells was difficult for Hecate. She knew it had been a momentous visit, although a short one. Finn had been officially accepted, she had her mother’s ring on her finger, and any doubts she’d had about her family standing behind her decisions…well, those had faded into nothingness.
There was a catch in the breath she drew as the carriage rolled away from Ridlington Chase.
Finn heard it. “We’ll be back, love. Never doubt it.”
“I know,” she nodded. “And it’s time to look forward now. To London and what we must do.”
“You’re sure that your sister and her husband won’t mind us staying?”
Hecate snorted. “Finn, Max Seton-Mowbray could settle the nation’s debts in one fell swoop if he felt so inclined.”
Finn raised an eyebrow.
“All right, maybe notallthe debts, but he is certainly comfortably situated. Mowbray House, I’m told, has almost as many rooms as Carlton House, so I don’t think there’s any fear of us all tripping over each other.”
“And then?” He looked out of the window, but she could tell his thoughts were not on the passing scenery. “What do we do then? Do we find Faversill and corner him? Tell him I saw what he did?”
“He’d laugh at you, wouldn’t he?” she said sadly. “He believes all the cards are in his hands now. He thinks he’s infallible.”
Finn’s hands clenched into fists. “He’s not.”
“No, he isn’t. But much as I know you’d like to corner him in some remote London alley, that’s not the way. Too many questions would be asked if a man of his stature and position in Society was murdered by unknown assassins. That’s the stuff of gossip and innuendo.” She touched his fist. “And the first people the authorities would question would be the Marchvilles, since the lad could still be next in line to inherit.”
“We should find that out,” said Finn. “That’s an excellent point. Even if we do manage to destroy him in some way—” he unclenched his fingers and turned his hand to grasp hers, “without violence, we have to make sure that the right family inherits their rightful title and estate.”
“Yes, we don’t want everything going to a distant DeWitt.”
Finn leaned back in the carriage. “You have an idea, don’t you?”
She turned and glanced at him. “What makes you say that?”
“Just a feeling.” He met her gaze with smiling eyes. “I get them quite a bit around you.”
