She followed said voice into a darkly shuttered room and beheld his lordship slumped in a chair, drape flung aside. Every other piece of furniture in the room was still covered in dust-laden sheets, not to mention bat shit, which also littered a large portion of the floor.
“My lord,” she sighed, “tell me you are not hiding in here from your mother.”
“Damn right I am.” He motioned her over. “Come, Fox, I am desperate for my mistress.”
“I am desperately trying to ready rooms for your guests, sir. I haven’t time for?—”
“Charles, we can discuss said rooms while you sit on my lap. Now please,” he motioned again for her, insisting,“Ineedyou.”
His eyes pleaded so earnestly that she finally gave in, placing her arms about his neck to quickly kiss him.
“Thank God,” he released the words into her lips, then burrowed his face at her breast, breathing her in. “I am starved for a sensible woman right now.”
“Your mother seems quite sensible, sir.”
Lord Wells began to hurriedly unhook Charles’s dress. “She is anything but, Fox, dragging that lady all the way here just to dangle her before me, like a worm on a line. Only I’ll not be the poor fish that takes her bait, oh no.” His hand slipped inside Charles’s dress; she felt him relax the moment he found her bosom.
“You do realize how inappropriate this is, Lord Wellesley.” Charles only half admonished his lordship, her own hand playing with locks of his hair which had grown only more unruly since she’d arrived at Almsdale. She liked his hair long.
“I’ll tell you what’s inappropriate,” he grumbled. “Showing up without warning on my doorstop, that’s what, and I intend to throwMamanout just as soon as I can.”
“Then I must warn you, sir,” she whispered in his ear, “the Duchess told me she will leave only once you’ve proposed to Miss Mowry.”
“She what?” He instantly righted himself, nearly knocking her from his lap. “Tell me exactly what she said, Charles, every last word.”
Charles sighed, regretting she’d opened her mouth. “Just that, my lord. I asked how long her grace planned to stay and received said answer. She asked me to assist her even, said I was to throw you alone with the lady at every possible turn which”—she laid a finger over his lips to staunch the flow of curses hetried to loose—“I firmly declined to do. I informed the Duchess I take orders from but one master only.”
***
Wells loved that she’d just called him master, loved how her eyes shone as she did. He pulled her closer, murmuring into her chest, “Well done, Fox. At least I’ve you and Cuthbert loyal to me.” He began to pet her again, his hands roaming where they pleased.
“Roland,” she ventured, “why does she press you so to marry? You are not yet Duke, so I do not?—”
“My father is ill, Charles, though how ill I no longer know. I wrote asking him as much but have yet to receive a reply, nor can I rely onMamanto ascertain the truth of his condition.” He snorted. “She wants me wed and siring an heir before he passes, and since I failed to appease her in this respect when I was last in London”—he rolled his eyes—“it appears she’s brought London to me now instead.”
“And dare I ask what made you flee London for Cumberland, my lord?”
“I’d betrothed myself to a lady who ran off with another, leaving me at the altar, so to speak, and in the eyes of theToncuckolded. The ensuing slander to my character, whatIhad done to drive her to another man’s arms . . .” He took a breath. “Let’s just say I’d had enough of London’s rumormongering.”
“And did you care for her?”
He was surprised she asked. “Enough to be hurt by her, yes, though my pride was wounded more than my heart.” He looked straight at her. “I fancied her a good enough duchess, is all.”
“I see.” Her body tensed upon his lap.
“But I fancy you more, Charles.” His lips graced her throat. “Much, much more.”
“That is because you’ve had me, sir.” Her tone was terse.
“And who’s to say I didn’t have her, too?” he jabbed.
She huffed. “One does not bed one’s betrothed before taking her to the altar.”
“Yet I bedded you, Fox, quite the virgin bride.” His kisses deepened at her neck, suckling her tender flesh.
“I was not your bride!” She abruptly got up off his lap, her face flush with anger. “I have work to do, my lord, so you’ll excuse me now.”
He watched her hastily refasten her dress before she grabbed her bucket and rag, leaving the room in a rush. He pondered why the devil his mistress had just turned on him so, when she’d been all too willing to play but a moment before.
