A knock sounded at his bedchamber door, surprising him. “Just a moment,” he called, not about to allow any servant into the room until he’d properly disposed of the remnants of his night with Madeline.
He slid out of bed, grabbed his dressing gown from the floor, and wrapped it around himself. Then he stalked to the door and flung it open, wanting whichever servant was there to see that he was alone in the room.
“My lord,” intoned his butler, who held a silver salver in front of him.
“Antony,” he replied, nodding at the man.
“This message arrived for you early this morning. The footman who brought it asked for it to be given to you at the first opportunity.”
Justin frowned. That was odd. What sort of missive was that important? “Thank you, Antony.” Justin took the folded, waxed note from the salver.
He closed the door and made his way back to the bed, where he sat on the edge and pulled open the wax with his finger.
His eyes quickly scanned the short missive.
Lord Whitmore,
Please pay me a call at your first opportunity. I need to speak with you regarding a subject I believe you’ll find of great interest. Her name is Madeline.
Yours,
Lady Henrietta Hazelton
Chapter Twenty-Four
That morning, Maddie went about her chores with a determined verve. Lady Elizabeth wasn’t one to chatter the way Henrietta Hazelton did. Lady Elizabeth preferred silence, actually. Or at least she was quite comfortable with it. Maddie helped her mistress dress for breakfast and then an outing with her mama and sister without saying more than a handful of words. Which, unfortunately, provided Maddie with more time than she would have liked to remember her night in bed with Justin. Flashes of his mouth on different places on her body kept making her cheeks heat, and she had to constantly remind herself to return her attention to the tasks at hand.
If dear Lady Elizabeth suspected anything about Maddie’s behavior, she didn’t say a word. And if she saw the heat brighten Maddie’s cheeks from time to time, she didn’t mention it.
“Did the Duke of Thornbury arrive last night?” Maddie finally forced herself to ask in an effort to halt her errant thoughts. She’d heard the many stories of Lady Jessica wanting to meet her true love.
Lady Elizabeth sighed. “I’m afraid not. Though it’s not as if Jessa was hurting for male company.”
“Did you dance with the three required gentlemen?” Maddie asked next.
“Yes, if you count my two dances with Justin. He came to my rescue.”
An inexplicable lump formed in Maddie’s throat. That sounded like Justin, helping his sister in her time of need. Of course he’d danced with Elizabeth. He had a knack for appearing just when a lady needed a dance partner.
But why did a mention of Justin cause an ache in Maddie’s throat? It made no sense. She’d done what she’d planned. She’d spent the night with him. It has been lovely, more than lovely, actually. Unforgettable. But now it was over, and she needed to concentrate on her work. She had exorcised Lord Whitmore from her system.
Hadn’t she?
Oh, blast. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she steadfastly blinked them away.
It wasn’t until after Maddie had seen her charge off for the day that she allowed herself to retreat to her bedchamber and cry. And she didn’t cry because she regretted what had happened last night. On the contrary, she’d enjoyed it immensely. She cried because she realized that instead of banishing Justin from her thoughts once and for all as she’d expected, she’d gone and fallen in love with him. Hearing the story of how kind he was to his sister had made her realize it.
How stupid could she be? At first, she’d only thought he was handsome. But then he’d been so kind to her, giving her a position in his household and allowing her to stay despite knowing what she’d done. Telling her she could play the pianoforte whenever she liked. And then last night, when he’d danced with her again, well, it was just too much. She was only human. And now she’d given herself to him. She didn’t regret it. She’d do it again, but all it had done was make her want him even more. Make her regret that she couldn’t have him. Justin Whitmoreland was thoughtful and kind and handsome. And she loved him.
An utterly hopeless state.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Justin’s jaw was tightly clenched as he waited in Lord Hazelton’s drawing room. He didn’t care for being summoned, and he specifically didn’t care for being summoned by Henrietta Hazelton, of all obnoxious people. He suspected she’d somehow learned (probably through servants’ gossip) that Madeline was employed by his sister, and Henrietta intended to warn him that Madeline was a thief.
He already knew what he would like to say. It was none of Henrietta’s damn business and he’d employ whomever he wished at his home. Only, that’s not what he would say, because he’d already made a decision this morning about Madeline. They were no longer safe in each other’s company. She would have to go elsewhere to live. He would personally ensure she received a glowing reference, and he would provide her with all of her wages through the end of the month, plus more to ensure she was properly housed until she secured a new position. In fact, he would find her a new position himself. Yes. That’s precisely what he would do.
When Henrietta informed him of Madeline’s past, he would simply thank her for her noble intentions and tell her that he intended to find his sister a new lady’s maid at his earliest opportunity…which was true. And he didn’t give a bloody damn what Eliza had to say about it.
