Phoebe ignored him and pointed to a door across from where they stood. “There.”
“I don’t think—” Will began just as she headed toward it. “Christ,” he muttered and joined her. As Phoebe tested the knob, he gave a quick look around the room to make sure no one was paying them any attention.
“It’s unlocked,” she said softly and pushed the door open.
Will held his breath and followed her.
Fourteen
As Phoebe stepped into another corridor dimly lit by wall sconces, Will let out a huff behind her. “And what exactly is your plan?”
“Explore every room in this house to make sure Alice isn’t here.”
It wasn’t very efficient, but Phoebe didn’t know what else to do. Ever since Mr. Cartwright had first mentioned this Maude woman, Phoebe couldn’t shake the feeling that she held the answer to Alice’s disappearance.
Will was quiet for a long moment. “And if she is?”
Phoebe gritted her teeth. “Then we get her out.”
They reached the end of the corridor, which led to a flight of stairs. Phoebe had made it up the first step when the sound of a door shutting came from the floor above, followed by multiple pairs of footsteps and the murmur of voices. Phoebe turned to Will as the group headed closer toward the stairs. There was nowhere else to go and they would be spotted in the corridor.
“Do you mind?” Will asked.
Phoebe shook her head. She didn’t exactly know what he intended to do, but there wasn’t time to talk about it. She just had to trust him.
As the group began their descent, Will led her to a shadowedcorner near the stairs and pressed her against the wall. He drew her veil away from her shoulder, making sure her face was still covered. Then, without another word, he nuzzled into the crook of her neck. Phoebe gasped at the sensation of his rough beard rubbing against her bare skin. He began to pull back, but she brought a hand to the nape of his neck and held him there.
She actuallyhadintended to keep her promise to him and stay at home this evening. Between school and planning the bazaar, she had been more tired than usual. But while she was going over some details with her mother that afternoon, Freddie had stopped by and made a point of mentioning the latest gossip surrounding Will:
Everyone thought he would have proposed to Lady Gwen by now. I heard he evenforgotabout plans they had made to ride in Hyde Park. She waited for him for over an hour, poor thing. Wasn’t he here that day?
Phoebe had ignored her mother’s gaze burning into the side of her head and made some vague reply. But afterward, she had gone to Freddie’s room and asked to borrow something to wear. Freddie, bless her, hadn’t pestered her with too many questions, though she did make Phoebe promise to tell her everything tomorrow.
But as Will’s lips tentatively grazed her collarbone, Phoebe wasn’t so sure she could keep that promise. She let out another gasp and arched her back. Will responded by pressing his hips against hers. His hand then briefly cupped her bottom before sliding down her thigh and stopping under her knee to lift her leg up, just like the couple in the entryway. The dress was at least an inch too short, given that it was her sister’s, but that suddenly seemed an advantage, along with the extra room in the bodice.
“Oh God,” she rasped at the sensation this position created. Now she understood why the woman in the hall had been so enthusiastic.
The voices suddenly grew louder and Phoebe froze. She had completely forgotten why they had started this in the first place. Will paused too, his breath heavy and warm on her skin as what sounded like three men descended the stairs directly behind them.
“Capital place Fairbanks has created here,” one man said.
Will’s shoulders tensed beneath her fingers. Could they meanLordFairbanks? Her brain felt sluggish but she tried to focus on the conversation.
“Yes,” another agreed. “As I understand it, he intends to open more across the city.”
“Only if he can pass that bill of his and raze the competition.”
“He will,” the first man said confidently. “He always finds a way.”
“Not without the support of Ellis though.”
The other man laughed. “Fairbanks doesn’t seem worried. The duke always comes to heel.”
Now it was Phoebe’s turn to tense. Will still hadn’t moved. The first man began to say more, but they caught his attention. “Ah, what have we here?”
Will turned his face away. “Move along,” he said gruffly.
Phoebe held her breath, but the men only laughed. “Sorry, chap. Didn’t mean to interrupt. As you were.”
