It was not unlike her twin to strip out of his clothes and plunge into the cool waters, but with so many people wandering the grounds, it would be highly inappropriate.
But who am I to tell Charles, or anyone else for that matter, what is appropriate?
An image of the way the Duke had looked when she had slipped into his bedchambers flashed through her mind. She could not forget how he’d worn nothing but a long, white shirt when he kissed her so powerfully that her knees went weak.
As she and Madeline drew closer to the lake’s edge, Charles waded out of the water in a pair of thin breeches, but he was with somebody else.
Emerging from the water was a man with arms perfectly bulging at his sides. His drenched clothes stuck to his torso, tracing hisperfectly chiseled abdomen. Lavinia had to hold herself steady so that she did not swoon.
“I think we should leave, Maddie,” Lavinia said, but her friend did not seem to hear her.
“Our brothers are over there. Let’s go to them,” Madeline suggested.
She had her arm wrapped around Lavinia’s, leaving her with no choice but to go with her.
“Your Grace,” Lavinia almost gasped as they approached the two.
“Miss Fitzroy.” The Duke’s voice was coarse.
Lavinia forgot to curtsy as she was consumed by his appearance. She had seen his body before, but not thiswet. She could still remember the feel of his body against hers, even the scent of his skin, and she could vividly picture their kiss. Her mind lingered on the taste of his lips. Oh, how she longed to feel them again.
“What are you both doing here?” Charles asked in a goofy voice, his smile sly.
Lavinia was immediately brought back to the present upon hearing her twin address them. She rolled her eyes at him.
“We’re just strolling around the property,” Madeline answered.
“Would you care to join us?” Charles asked.
“No, thank you, Brother,” Lavinia quickly replied. “We were just leaving.”
She tried to drag Madeline away by the arm, but her friend would not budge.
“We would love to stay, Mr. Fitzroy,” she said excitedly.
“That is a wise choice, Lady Madeline,” Charles replied, his smile widening into a wily grin. “It is a hot day, and you show good sense by coming down to the lake. The breeze is always best here.” He lifted a hand and ruffled his wet locks, causing some tiny droplets to hit Lavinia. “I only wish I had a sister as enthusiastic as Lady Madeline here.”
Lavinia rolled her eyes at him once more.
“Well, keep wishing, dear brother,” she scoffed.
Charles and Madeline laughed. Meanwhile, the Duke tried to hide a smile that turned into the tiniest smirk.
“I shall.” Charles winked at Madeline, then said, “So, ladies, shall you run inside to find bathing costumes, or do you prefer to…”
Lavinia’s face heated at the jest, and she fought the urge to shove him into the lake.
“Mr. Fitzroy!” Madeline laughed easily, clearly better able to take the joke than Lavinia. “You scandalize me—us.”
“Well,” Charles murmured, “if you wish to enter the water, we will not tell anyone we saw you lift your skirts.”
“Charles…” This time when Lavinia spoke, her words were threaded with a warning. “Show a little decorum, please.”
“Very well.” Charles sighed happily, then cast a look at the Duke. “What do you say, Pemberton? Shall we escort our sisters to a comfortable spot?”
The Duke looked down at the grass first, indicating that he thought there was no finer place to go than where they stood. But then, suddenly, he nodded his agreement. Still, without saying a word, he offered Lavinia his arm, and she accepted it.
As they walked along the shore, she felt the urge to say something to him, but she could come up with nothing. She knew she ought to apologize for running out of his bedroom, or maybe even barging in on him in the first place, but that felt wrong because she still had not decided if she entirely regretted the time they’d spent together.
