Chapter Twenty-eight
Heathcliff strode into Kilmarin, whistling a tune and earning an amused grin from Sothers. After sliding a peevish glare at his longtime employee, Heathcliff ambled down the hall in search of his friend, who, he hoped, hadn’t made himselftoocomfortable in his house. Just to be sure, when he reached the library, the place he had left Lucas along with his wife and the housekeeper, he knocked on the closed door and stepped back. He could only assume Mrs. Keyes had long vacated the room and, judging by the closed door, Lucas was doing exactly what Heathcliff suspected.
There was a curse from the inside of the room in a familiar voice, and Heathcliff bit back a grin. The devil take it, he was all but certain Lucas had taken liberties with his wife in the library. Damn the man. Not that he blamed him; hell, when Heathcliff had the pleasure of secreting Samantha in the library, he’d take the same liberties.
Though, hopefully not in the same location, he thought belatedly, and made a mental note to have the servants scrub the library’s horizontal surfaces quite thoroughly.
The door opened, and Lucas ran his hand through his rather tousled hair, giving his friend an irritated glare.
“Am I interrupting something?” Heathcliff asked, arching a brow with a knowing grin.
“Not any longer,” Lucas bit out. “Come in.” He opened the door wider, and Heathcliff gave a skeptical glance inside.
Lady Liliah was smoothing her skirt as she stood to welcome him.
Satisfied that all was in order, he turned to Lucas as he crossed the threshold of the library. “How kind of you to invite me into my own library.”
“Lord knows it’s about bloody time I turn the tables on you. How many times have I found you in my office, sipping my French brandy?”
“A few.” Heathcliff shrugged, thinking that brandy sounded quite wonderful just then.
“More than a few, I’d wager,” Lucas muttered.
“I wasn’t exactly behaving badly in your study, however.” He shot Lucas a pointed stare.
A delicate gasp came from Lady Liliah, and he flashed her an apologetic grin. For what he was apologizing, he wasn’t sure. After all, they were the ones who had been behaving in a rather scandalous manner. However, he found himself in such a jolly mood that he was inclined to be more than gracious to the object of his affection’s sister.
“Did you have some other reason for your presence other than to irritate and interrupt me?” Lucas asked with an unapologetic grin.
Heathcliff turned back to him. “Do I need another reason?”
Lucas paused. “No, but it would be nice. You were the one who disappeared a short while ago . . . Care to explain that?” he asked with a wicked grin.
“I do believe I’ll go find my sister.” Lady Liliah stood, then strode past her husband. Lucas reached out and grasped her arm gently, halting her progress. When she turned to him, an inquiring expression on her face, he lowered his head and kissed her sweetly on the forehead. Heathcliff noted the quick flush of color on Lady Liliah’s cheeks before she gave her husband a warm smile, then, as he released her, she quit the room. She gave one longing look behind her, then disappeared into the hall, closing the door firmly behind her.
Lucas stared at the door for a moment, as if willing it to reopen and have his wife reenter. When that didn’t occur, he turned to his friend. “You were saying?”
Heathcliff paused, reflecting on what exactly hehadbeen saying.
Lucas must have noted his confusion. “Why you abandoned us.”
“Ah.” Heathcliff nodded, then walked to the window, which overlooked the back gardens. “It was a private matter.”
“Of that I’m absolutely certain. But because there seems to be no privacy to be had this morning . . .” Lucas said meaningfully.
Heathcliff chuckled.
“You will forgive me if I press you for further details.”
“If I must,” Heathcliff answered. “I was affirming some of the details of my engagement to Lady Samantha,” he answered vaguely.
Lucas didn’t have a ready reply, but he moved to stand beside his friend. “Oh? And was your conversation fruitful?”
Heathcliff couldn’t restrain the grin that broke out over his face at the reflection of the earlier conversation. “It was indeed.”
When Lucas didn’t offer any comment, Heathcliff turned to him, giving a questioning arch to his brow.
“It’s bloody wonderful to see you in such a state. I swear, you’re about to start spouting sonnets. I believe the sentiment you offered me, when I was in a similar state of mind, was of the moreOh, how the mighty have fallenvariety,” Lucas remarked significantly.
