“My oldest sister used rice powder and rogue on my brother. Just for fun, mind you. It was totally innocent on his part. My father took exception. My brother is a year older than me. I’m the youngest.” She stirred her tea, a noticeable tremor in her hand. “Are you certain you don’t wish for a cup?”
“None for me, thank you. I have to finish the vase I’m making. Do you have everything you need from me?” The downward spiral of the conversation had dampened the mood. I wanted to ask what happened to the viscount. I refrained. Ifshe wished to share the story, she would. My guess is it would end the way many similar stories ended, with the child being punished for even hinting at having queer tendencies.
“Thank you, Your Grace, I believe I do. I’ll read this volume and take notes. As you warned, I’m certain I’ll turn a lovely shade of red. Rest assured, I’ll not have a fever.” An impish grin accompanied the statement.
“By the time you are finished reading this, you will have a fever of a different kind,” I teased.
She blushed a deeper shade of pink at my words.
Lady Lillian would be ripe for seduction after finishing the volume. She might be a lady, but she was a woman first. It was better if I was nowhere near when it happened. I wasn’t a despoiler of virgins, but I was no saint either.
“You can ring the bell, and the staff will get you anything you need. Until then, I bid you adieu.”
Chapter Eight
Lady Lillian Tapper
The duke hadn’t lied. My body was on high alert, my skin feverish. Each page was a new revelation. The male protagonists were on the trail of a murderer in Scotland. The story wasn’t much different from mine, with long looks and implied love growing between the male protagonists. I flipped each page with eagerness, entrenched in the narrative.
Brilliant.
The author was brilliant and brought each character to life. I turned the page, and my pulse jumped, the words leaping off the page. In the course of their investigations, sometimes, their adventures left them isolated.
Night had fallen, and they were ... oh my, they were kissing.
My eyes couldn’t track quickly enough while my face flamed hotter. Kissing turned to touching, and soon the chief detective was falling to his knees. Flashes of Lord Kendrick and the model jumped into my head. Surely the characters wouldn’t follow their lead—
“—Lady X?” Colt entered the room, his footfalls silent on the thick carpet.
I jumped and slapped the pages shut, my cheeks on fire. It was unconscionable to be interrupted in such a critical part of the book. “Oh, Colt, you frightened me.”
“My apologizes.” He bowed slightly, inquisitive amber eyes skimming over my face. If he noticed my flushed state, he was too much of a gentleman to comment. “I was checking to see if you were close to finishing. You said you had to leave at four. It’s quarter to the hour.”
Blasted supper party. My mother was trying to pair me up with yet another of my father’s cronies after I assured her that Lord Kendrick wasn’t courting me. Her disappointment had been profound. She hadn’t given up on finding me a spouse. I had. I glanced down at the book and debated if I should defy her. My mind had been entrenched in the story, and my body, well, needless to say, I wanted to read on. “I have another fifty pages to finish, but I suppose there is no help for it.”
With a frustrated sigh, I stood and handed him the book. I wished with all my heart I could take it with me, but Lord Kendrick had been emphatic. After reading the salacious last few chapters, I understood why.
“Lord Kendrick would like you to stop by his studio for a few minutes before you leave.” He moved to the cabinet and locked the book in its place. The brown suit he wore flattered his lean frame. He was taller than me, a plus, and handsome in a reserved manner. From my observations, he was the most normal member of the household. Granted, I had seen limited staff members. Never in my life would I have expected to see a manservant dressed as a pantomime.
After tucking my notes into the briefcase, I held it to my chest. My brother had given the leather briefcase, now worn, to me. Guilt hit me. I should never have mentioned the incident in the nursery to Lord Kendrick; it was a family affair and nobody else’s business. “He mentioned he was working on a vase for his cousin.”
“He fired it last night, but you will see it. Please follow me downstairs. The studio takes up most of the lower level.” Heallowed me to precede him down the narrow staircase, and I caught a faint whiff of clean soap.
“How long have you been in the duke’s employ?” I asked. Colt was very pleasing to look at, and my curiosity had been piqued by his seeming normalcy. Conversely, the look he had cast Lord Kendrick in the library was anything but normal. It had been heated, rather like the man in the park’s had been. Viewing Lord Kendrick and his model in action opened my eyes to a new world. It was possible that Colt was enamored of the duke. He was a very alluring man.
