“Yes,” Adalyn endorsed. Her agreement was followed by three more firm “yes’s” from her gentlemen. “Excellent. I shall also add Jane to our team of informal Bow Street Runners.”
A laugh rippled around the room at her mention of the new force assembled in London to solve crimes and catch criminals.
“A good notion, though, Adalyn,” Daniel concluded. “A servant always has better access and is less noted. She is a loyal woman with good ears and a brain to match.”
“My thoughts exactly,” she agreed. “Plus she has already visited Trick. I’ll have her report tomorrow.” A frown crossed her features. “I hate that he is not with us. Make no mistake, decisions aside, my heart won’t be in one piece until he is returned and we are all together.”
Giles took Adalyn’s empty glass. “Easter is upon us come the first week of April, my Lady. That gives us three weeks—perhaps if we set ourselves a goal? If we cannot free him, then we should resolve to have at least some sort of idea how to proceed with our investigations.”
Adalyn stood. “I will pledge all my efforts to attain that goal.”
“And I.” The others rose and spoke as one.
“I shall sleep better tonight now that we have a plan,” she said. “Thank you all.”
They bowed, each with a smile and a look in their gazes that warmed Adalyn to her core. She turned to leave, catching Giles’s eye. He too bowed. “Good night, my Lady.”
She nodded and he returned the gesture with a slight incline of his head.
He’d remembered. Daniel would be joining her this night.
Her heart quickened at the thought of what might lie ahead.
Chapter Twenty
Adalyn paced, back and forth across the carpet in her bedroom, wondering if she was doing the right thing. Was Daniel the one to finally bring her to her full awakening?
She’d been at Wolfbridge for three months and had interacted with these men on a daily basis, growing more and more fond of their attentions, and responding to their affectionate kindness.
She was a normal and healthy woman and the arousal of physical desires as her acquaintance with her gentlemen deepened was a natural development. Her decision to act on it, and her selection of Daniel as her first…well, it seemed right. And she was prepared to rely on her instincts.
She stopped in front of the fire and let it warm her legs through her robe. She wasn’tfrightened.
That thought rippled over her brain and made her blink. She was not afraid of being intimate with Daniel, of letting him touch her and touching him in her turn.
How much she had changed over the last three months—when she’d arrived at Wolfbridge, she’d brought bad memories with her. And now? They were gone, faded images of things that might have happened to someone else. They no longer haunted her or troubled her dreams, nor would they interfere with her life going forward.
It was a joyous discovery; that she could eagerly anticipate this night without any worries. She trusted Daniel, knew he was gentle and cared deeply for her. As did they all.
She felt cherished every day, loved even, and she relied on her men for the emotional support she’d never experienced.
And now she was about to discover more of what they could offer.
A tap on the door set her heart racing.
“Come in.”
“Adalyn,” he smiled, closing the door behind him. “You’re not in bed yet?”
“Good evening, Daniel.” She couldn’t help a smile. He looked…scrumptious. His brown woollen robe echoed the brown of his eyes, glittering whisky-gold in the firelight. “I am glad you’re here.”
“As am I.” He walked to her and took her hands. “It’s been a difficult time, hasn’t it?”
She nodded. “Yes indeed. I confess to lying awake and worrying about Trick a lot, which I know doesn’t help, but…” she shrugged. “He is near and dear to me. As are you all.”
He tugged her to the bed. “Let’s get you warm and comfortable.” He untied her robe and pulled back the covers, urging her up onto the pillows.
“Join me, Daniel.” She reached out and drew the linens away from her other side.
