“Devil and damn, I’ve missed you,” he said ardently. “But we can’t.”
She blinked at him. “We can’t?”
“I promised your papa that we would be there in the morning,” he reminded her. “It is nearing noon. We cannot be late.”
She furrowed her brow. “Why do you care if we’re late?”
“Because they are your family and are important to you. Therefore, they are important to me. My goal is to win them over—which I won’t do by showing up late.”
She stared at him. “You are serious?”
“My success wasn’t an accident,” he said earnestly. “I believe in efficiency: in setting goals and following strategies to achieve them. Before, I had my sights set on revenge. But now…”
Understanding made her heart feel so full she feared it might burst.
“Now your goal is love,” she said softly.
“Precisely. Given my past transgressions with your family, I must do things right this time. I must do right by you.” He cupped her cheek, regret in his eyes. “Now be a good girl and climb off. We only have…Christ.”
She tightened her grip, stroking his turgid shaft. He was as ready for her as she was for him. When she nipped his bottom lip, he groaned.
“Make love to me, darling. Knowing how efficient you are,” she murmured, “I am certain you will manage to do so and get us there in time.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
They arrived at Bottoms House a bit past one. Luckily, everyone had gotten a late start, and James and Evie had yet to make an appearance. Seated beside his wife in the drawing room, Conrad was trying very hard to focus on what Constable Rawlins was saying. Gigi’s nearness kept distracting him. One would think that their quick, but passionate tumble this morning would have sated him. Instead, it had the opposite effect. He had a raging appetite for his wife, and it didn’t help that her fragrance teased his nostrils and the sight of her pretty mouth crowded his head with filthy thoughts.
He reflected that one thing hadn’t changed between them and probably never would. When it came to Gigi, he would always be a beast. He was lucky that she liked their games as much as he did. In fact, he had new amusements he was dying to show her…
Catching the Marquess of Blackwood’s gaze fixed upon him, Conrad hastily shoved his thoughts back into the gutter from whence they came. By Jove, his father-in-law was like a bloodhound trained to sniff out impropriety. If he were perfectly honest, he found Blackwood slightly intimidating. He hadn’t met many men who were loving husbands and doting papas, who conducted themselves with honor in their public and personal lives. In truth, he’d never had what he would consider a role model. He wouldn’t mind learning a thing or two from Marcus Harrington.
“Now, then,” Rawlins was saying. “As I mentioned last night, during our sweep of the mill, my team and I discovered a hidden chamber filled with valuables. This morning, I matched those valuables to the list of unrecovered goods stolen by the Corrigans. I interrogated the gang members currently serving sentences, and one of them sang like a bird. Apparently, that stash was supposed to be their pension after they were released from gaol. Moreover, the hiding place of the goods wasn’t random; it was the result of an agreement between their leader and Abel Pearce.”
“Mr. Pearce was abetting the Corrigans?” Gigi said with a gasp.
Rawlins nodded. “In exchange, he received a small percentage of the profits. Based on this information, I wish to search Pearce’s former properties…with your permission, Mr. Godwin, as the new owner.”
“You have it,” Conrad said.
“I cannot believe Mr. Pearce was in cahoots with those dreadful Corrigans, who wreaked such havoc and destruction in Chuddums.” Xenia huffed with outrage. “Wait until the villagers hear about this?—”
“The news has already spread.” Rawlins cleared his throat. “As we speak, there is a melee in the village square.”
Gigi canted her head. “What is going on there?”
“As an officer of the law, I cannot condone the destruction of public property. In this case, however, it could be said that the public is acting in its own best interest and removing what many consider an eyesore.”
“The monument to Pearce,” Conrad said, bemused. “They are removing it?”
“That is one way to put it, sir.” Rawlins raised his brows. “I believe the goal is to smash it to smithereens and use the granite bits to pave a new path through the green.”
I’ll be damned. Maybe there is justice after all.
After Rawlins headed off, Gigi patted Conrad’s arm.
“See, darling?” she said brightly. “Things have a way of working out as they ought to.”
“I’ll say.” He smiled slowly. “Is it bad that I shall enjoy walking over Abel Pearce every time I cross the green?”
