Susanna lay down on her side and propped her head up on her hand. She watched him slowly remove all the outer trappings that made him the Marquess of Hawksridge. She had never seen him in such few items of clothing and she didn’t plan to miss a thing. Next, he unbuttoned his vest and then slid it off his shoulders and let it slide to the floor. With his shirt ties undone she caught a glimpse of golden-brown hair that dusted his broad chest.
Miles padded over to the bed in bare feet. Susanna looked down, he had long feet and dark hair grew on his toes. This small imperfection made her so very happy. The handsome, always perfect Marquess of Hawksridge had hairy toes. Suddenly he was leaning over her, his breath smelling of alcohol. She froze. Had she been wrong about Miles’s intentions? Had the drink erased his good sense?
He reached next to her and grabbed an extra pillow before retreating to the floor.
Susanna stared at the ceiling for several moments while her pounding heart slowed. The pillow, of course. She was such a ninny. Miles Weston would no more force himself on a woman then he would run around naked in Hyde Park. She turned back on her side and looked down over the edge of the mattress. Miles lay on his back one arm behind his head cushioned by the pillow. “Do you need a blanket?”
“No, I’m never cold.” His gaze flicked to hers. “Susanna, why are you so determined to find Mr. Marlow?”
She shrugged and propped her chin on her forearm. “I guess I have been so invested in their story I just can’t leave it unfinished.”
“But it is finished. Diana married someone else.”
“Yes, but she didn’t want to, her family arranged it. She wanted to have the kind of love match that her sister had. She envied your parents.”
Miles frowned. “I don’t think that their love match turned out any better for them.”
Susanna propped herself up on her elbows and scooted forward to see him better. “How can you say that? Do you even realize how rare love is among the ton? Didn’t you relish seeing such a positive relationship as a child?”
“I suppose it was good while it lasted. I do have fond memories of my parents’ laughter, and shared moments of tenderness. But when she died it destroyed my father. I wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone. And neither would he. He told me outright that it would have been better if he hadn’t loved her so much.”
“Oh Miles, I’m so sorry. It must have been hard on all of you to lose your mother at such a young age.”
They were both silent for some minutes. Susanna thought about the sadness of losing a loved one. Her friend Olivia had suffered such a loss not two years ago when her husband died. But she had found a second chance at love and wasn’t that the point? To embrace love when it came your way. Diana deserved to have a chance to love again.
“Also, I think part of the reason I wish to find him is that the letters between Diana and James have brought love to all the others, and I guess, I mean hope that maybe if I follow the story through to the end it will bring love my way as well.” She grimaced. “Otherwise, I will have to marry the Scot.”
Miles narrowed his eyes. “Who is the Scot?”
“My mother and father have invited Lord Gavin Macrae to visit in July. He is interested in a betrothal. They want me to give him a chance. My father didn’t say, but he thinks I’ll never marry.”
“That’s ridiculous; you have had men panting over you all season.”
“But I don’t want them and therein lies the problem. Which swain who needs my dowry shall I choose?” She gave him a wry smile. “At least Lord Macrae sent me a lovely letter that included some wit and prose.” She laid her chin back down on her arm and scrunched her nose. “But Scotland is so far away. Oh well, there is still a chance I will get kidnapped by pirates.”
Miles reached up and fingered a piece of her hair that hung over the edge of the bed. He seemed transfixed by the curl as he wound it round and round his finger. “I don’t think you should move to Scotland.”
“Oh, you don’t, do you?” Susanna was amused by his quiet statement.
“We’ll go home tomorrow. I’ll fix it, don’t you worry.” His eyes fluttered shut and his hand dropped to his chest. Then his eyes popped open again. “We are going home tomorrow. No more search for Marlow. Must take you home.” He wagged one finger at her before his eyes closed once more.
Susanna rolled onto her back. Honestly, the man was domineering even when he was drunk. She had no intention of giving up on her plan. Down below Miles began to snore softly. No, she would just have to leave him behind. A tiny kernel of guilt bloomed; he did have good intentions. But she had offered him the chance to come along. It wasn’t her fault he was too straitlaced to join in on the adventure.
She peered over the edge at him. His features, softer in sleep, had lost their imperious look. Not able to resist, she reached down and pushed his dark-blond hair off his forehead. It was as thick and soft as she’d imagined. He really was quite handsome when he wasn’t scowling. He would undoubtedly wake with a headache and be surly as a bear with a sore tooth. She would have to sneak out early. Susanna shimmied back under the covers. She would hide his boots. Just to be safe.
Chapter Seventeen
Sunlight streamed intohis eyes and Miles threw an arm across his face. He groaned as he came awake. His whole body felt stiff and his head throbbed. It was no wonder his back ached, the hard floor beneath him had hardly been comfortable. Damn him and his chivalrous code; next time he was making her sleep on the floor. He stretched his arms above his head and rolled his neck gently from side to side. What time was it?
When he sat up, he immediately realized that Susanna was not in the bed. Scrambling to his feet he glanced around the room. No dress laid over the chair, no trunk.
“Bloody hell!”
She had disappeared on him…again. He ran a hand through his hair. Looking down at his disheveled appearance he was appalled to see his shirt open and his feet bare. Had he undressed in front of Susanna? Very fuzzy memories of their conversation last night surfaced. Something about Scotland and had he talked about her toes? He crossed the room and grabbed his watch off the side table. Ten o’clock, he hadn’t slept this late since his youth.
Well, there was no use in hurrying. Maddox said the circus planned to pull out at dawn, they already had several hours’ head start on him. But he knew where they were going. He would order some food, a bath, and put himself to rights. Then he would resume this ridiculous rescue mission. And when he found Susanna, he was going to throw her over his shoulder and spank the brat. Then they were going home. He glanced around the room, now where were his boots?
*
