“Better?”
With a nod, she finished off the three-fingered pour.Her head was abuzz again but pleasantly this time.And she was safe, locked away from the world and all the nastiness in it at Aylesbury’s townhouse.
“Good, now I can say what’s on my mind.This whole thing has gotten out of hand,” he scolded.“Have you no sense whatsoever?I cannot believe that after what happened only yesterday, you would be out in the open like that.”
“I’m not entirely imprudent, nor am I beyond taking precautions,” she insisted, sensitive to his display of concern.“The tournament was very public, and I was surrounded by people just as I promised.I was never alone and had the coachman and two other footmen escort me there.Peters followed along with the play to protect me.”
“And what good was he lagging a hundred years behind you?”Aylesbury fired back.“You should have brought someone else.Bugger it all, Fiona, you should have just stayed home.”
She shook her head.“How could I have anticipated this, Harry?I couldn’t have been more public!He took me right off the course with dozens of witnesses about.And, for your information, I didn’t plan on going with just a footman or two.Connor promised to come along but he and Dorian came in at dawn this morning and were still sleeping off their intemperance.”
“There are eight other men in that household who might have escorted you.”
“Though they somehow manage to flock about at the most inconvenient times, surprisingly, no one was available.”She bit her lip and glanced at him through her lashes, noting the worry darkening his brilliant eyes.“God, Harry!Do you think I haven’t thought about it?What this means?No one knew where I was going today but my own people.Or yesterday?That means someone is out there watching me, watching my house and me every moment.Yesterday, I thought it might have been pure happenstance that they managed to follow me.”
“And after all that, you still weren’t afraid enough for your life to be more cautious?”he almost yelled at her.“You act as if this is all a game!”
“I know it isn’t a game!But no, you’re right.I wasn’t afraid yesterday.Not even when they were chasing us,” she told him, wringing her hands.It had only been afterwards that she had felt any fear, and it had all been for Harry.Harry, who risked so much for her.“Because yesterday, I had some measure of control over what happened.I had you, and I had the ability to fight back.Today...Today, he took that from me.”
Tears burned at Fiona’s eyes as the thought took root, stealing her breath.“He took that.When the blackness hit me, and I couldn’t move or fight...Well, you got your wish, Harry, because I was truly terrified at that moment.I’ve never given up control of my actions before, never lost control of my life.Never lost my choices.”
“My God, Fiona, you’re shaking like a leaf.Come here, come here,” he murmured, sitting beside her and drawing her into his arms.He stroked her hair softly, calming her.
“You win,” she whispered against his shirtfront, her fingers curling into his lapels.
“Believe me, love, I don’t want to win in this.I love your strength.I love your pluck,” he whispered.“You just haven’t got a lick of sense.”
She sniffed back a watery chuckle.“Now who’s making jokes?”
“Who says I’m joking?”
Running her palm over his crushed lapel, she shook her head against his chest.She adored the strength of that chest beneath her cheek, the strong heartbeat within.The heat radiating from him, warming her.
“I hated losing control like that.”
“Yes, I imagine you did,” he whispered.“But you can take it back.I have enough faith in you to know that you will regain it.”
Warming at the thought, she lifted her head.“You do?”
“I do.”Smoothing her hair back gently, he pressed a light kiss to her lips.
Fiona melted against him, parting her lips under that tender kiss.Her hands slid up his abdomen, over the hard ripple of muscles and over his chest before she drew back with a smile.Pushing away, she stood and went to the parlor door.
“What are you doing?”
Casting a sidelong glance and seductive grin over her shoulder, she turned the lock with an audible snick.“Just what you said.I’m regaining control of my life.”
“This isn’t exactly what I meant.”
She turned, pressing her back to the door and flattening her palms against the smooth wood.“It’s working for me.Do you mind?”
Aylesbury lifted a curious brow.“Here?”
“Right here.”She nodded, reaching up to loosen her silk tie and slide it slowly off.
“Now?”
“Oh yes.”
