His hand was already working its way beneath her skirts.“Long enough.”
Her lips quirked.Brilliant.
Unwilling to waste one second, she helped close the blinds then climbed right into his lap.He caught her in a strong hold and secured her in a position that left one hand free to assist her with all the logistics involved in this kind of tryst.
Her petticoat caught beneath her, forcing her to shift a little, and a couple of buttons holding his placket in place chose to tease them.But they worked through it together and then…
Sweet unity stole her breath.Her fingers curled over his shoulder, gripping him hard as he moved against her.Heaven help her, she’d never get tired of sharing such intimacy with her husband, of watching flames dance in his eyes as they strove to find bliss together.Of knowing they were united, not just in this but in their life’s purpose.Two bodies, one soul, ready to tear down anyone posing a threat to innocent lives.
“I love you.”Words that had to be spoken lest her heart burst with emotion.
“As I love you,” he said before crushing his mouth against hers and making sure every second that followed would leave an impression.
By the time the carriage pulled up in front of Number 13 Floral Street, Samantha feared her legs might collapse beneath her when she alit.Even catching her breath proved a challenge.Annoyingly, Adrian looked completely serene and slightly smug, like a lion who’d just had a tasty meal.
Having slid back onto the spot beside him, she smoothed her skirts, then patted her flushed cheeks.“I think I need a moment.”
“Take as long as you wish,” he purred, lounging against his corner of the cabin, his legs stretched out at an angle, ankles crossed.
She sent him a look of warning, in response to which he caught her hand and pressed an adoring kiss to the inside of her wrist.Naturally, the only possible response to this was to melt on the spot.
“Ready?”he asked a few seconds later, his voice softer than he would ever allow it to be with anyone else.
“Yes.”She followed him out of the carriage and joined him in front of the townhouse, plainly constructed of red brick that looked exactly the same as the houses on either side.The only difference was the number on the door, along with a plaque on the wall that read: DR.F.S.Preordian.
Adrian stepped forward and made use of the knocker.When no one answered, he tried again.Still, no one responded.
“He could have gone out,” Samantha said, though she doubted the possibility even as she made the suggestion.If Preordian was the respected physician Kendrick believed him to be, it made more sense for him to be seeing patients at this hour.
However, considering the chief constable had spoken with him a couple of hours earlier and he now appeared to have vanished, she suspected there to be a connection.That Preordian might have fled.
Adrian’s grim expression informed her that he thought the same.“Let’s check the back entrance.”
They walked to the end of the street and turned onto a service road that gave delivery men access to each of the homes.All had a small walled-in parcel of land in the back that provided a space for growing vegetables and hanging laundry.Several loud thumps drew Samantha’s attention toward a mostly obscured woman at one of the neighboring properties, who was in the process of beating a rug.
A wagon parked outside another home told them coal was being delivered.
They found the gate leading onto Preordian’s property, opened it, and slipped inside.Once at the door, Adrian tried the handle.Locked.He glanced toward the other homes before asking Samantha, “Can you get us inside?”
“I think so.”She pulled a couple of needle-sharp pins from her hair and stooped in order to work the lock.It didn’t take long for it to click as the tumbler was pushed upward, releasing the bolt.When she tried the handle next, the door eased open, granting them entry.
Adrian went straight to the front of the building while Samantha decided to check the rest of the house.It was sparsely furnished and lacked all hints of a feminine touch.Judging from the dining room and parlor, this wasn’t a family home by any means but rather a place in which to simply exist when one wasn’t working.
She frowned on that thought as she entered the kitchen.A quick sweep of the room told her no one had cooked here in quite a while.If ever.There weren’t even any utensils or crockery.Just a lone kettle left behind on the stove, a jar of tea, two cups with matching saucers, a bread knife, a butter knife, and one plate.
Just enough for a single person to get by.
Holding on to that thought, Samantha went to find Adrian who was busy searching cabinets in what looked like Preordian’s consultation room.She paused in the doorway.“Find anything?”
“A few receipts but nothing that tells us if he was involved in Miss Griffin’s disappearance,” he muttered.
“Same,” she said.“I’ll check the bedchambers.”
He grunted agreement and Samantha left, leaving him to continue his search for something that would provide information about the physician.The upstairs landing was a fairly small space with only two rooms jutting off it.She peeked inside the one to her right: a sitting room, judging from the two armchairs that had been placed with an oval table between.
With the room facing south, it was easy to imagine the afternoon sun spilling through the window behind them.A lovely spot for a cup of tea, though the space could have done with more décor.No rugs, paintings, or other embellishments were present.Just a shelf with a lone book placed upon it.
Samantha crossed to the shelf and collected the book.
