Hyacinth had been pacing from one end of the drawing-room to the other, waiting impatiently for Isla to arrive, but when the door opened at last and she caught sight of Lachlan entering the room on his sister’s heels, her face fell.
Dash it. She’d invited Isla for a teatime chat under the guise of discussing their gowns for Lady Entwhistle’s ball this evening, but what she really intended to do was pry the Ramseys’ terrible secret out of her. That is, if such a secret even existed. But she wouldn’t be able to wrestle a single word out of Isla with Lachlan hovering about.
Lachlan noticed her reaction, and paused in the doorway to raise an eyebrow at her. “You don’t look pleased to see me, Miss Somerset.”
Heat flooded Hyacinth’s cheeks. “No, that’s not so, Mr. Ramsey. I just, ah…well, I can’t help but remember the last time you assisted us with our ball gowns. I seem to recall a discussion about some housekeeper’s lace night caps, and there was something else as well, having to do with ‘stringy white bits.’ Yes, that’s what it was.”
“That was Ciaran,” Lachlan protested.
“Oh, never mind Lachlan, Hyacinth. We won’t be obliged to listen to his opinions regarding lace trimmings, because he isn’t staying. He and Ciaran have another appointment this afternoon. Go on, then.” Isla made a shooing motion toward the door, then plopped down on the settee. “Now, Hyacinth, about that jonquil silk gown we discussed. I think—”
“Before you two delve into the merits of jonquil silk, I need a word with you, Miss Somerset.”
Hyacinth, who was certain Lachlan wanted to discuss Lord Dixon, was tempted to refuse. All it would take was one searching look from those hazel eyes, and she’d be in danger of telling him everything. She’d have a mess on her hands, indeed. Lachlan would go after Lord Dixon at once. She simply couldn’t run that risk—not until she learned if Lord Dixon truly did have a secret that could ruin the Ramseys.
Lord Dixon was a cheat, after all. Why shouldn’t he be a liar, as well?
Still, she could see by Lachlan’s expression he wasn’t going to accept a refusal. “Yes, all right.”
He led her to the library, closed the door behind them, and eased her back against it. “You didn’t tell me the truth about what happened between you and Lord Dixon on the terrace last night. I couldn’t sleep, thinking about it.”
He was worried for her? Hyacinth’s heart threatened to pool into a warm puddle at her feet, but she forced a casual shrug. “I’m sorry you were concerned, but really, there’s nothing at all to worry about.”
His eyes narrowed, and a growl of impatience rose from his chest. “Don’t lie to me, lass. I saw your face when I came out onto the terrace last night. You were frightened. He said or did something that scared you. Tell me what it was.”
“Nothing. There was nothing, I swear it.” Hyacinth held his gaze, and prayed he wouldn’t notice the guilty flush on her cheeks. “He, ah, took me by surprise, that’s all.”
“If that’s all it is, why haven’t you told Lady Chase he’s asked to court you? Why hasn’theasked her permission? Damn it, he followed you out onto that terrace last night. He waited until you were alone and unprotected, and then he pounced on you.”
Lachlan took her shoulders in his hands, his face twisted with anger and….dear God, was that fear?
“He could have hurt you,” he rasped.
He could hurt you as well, and I can’t let him.
His fingers tightened. “Hyacinth? Tell me the truth. Christ, for all I know, hedidhurt you.”
“No. He didn’t. Lachlan, listen to me. If anything was amiss, I-I’d tell y-you.” She swallowed, but she could still taste the lie on her tongue, and Lachlan’s eyes were still shadowed with worry.
Hyacinth didn’t know what to say to convince him, but she couldn’t bear to leave him in anguish, so she did the only thing she could think of. She cupped his face in her hand, and stroked her thumb across his cheek.
His eyes drifted closed. Lachlan sighed, and let his forehead rest against hers. “Nothing can happen to you,aingeal. If you were hurt, I don’t know how I’d ever…”
He trailed off with a shake of his head. She stroked her thumb over his cheek again, shivering with pleasure at the rasp of his beard against her skin. “Nothing will happen to me. How could it, when you never take your eyes off me?”
Oh, no.No…
As soon as Hyacinth said the words, she wanted to sink into the floor. Why, she’d made it sound as if she believed he was enamored of her! Nowhe’dthinkshethought he cared for her, or perhaps he’d think she cared for him, or…well, he’d thinksomething. She could hardly tell what anymore, but it was sure to be humiliating, whatever it was.
A furious blush flooded her cheeks, and she looked away, embarrassed. “I-I—that is, what I meant to say is, I trust you to—”
Warm fingers touched her chin, and the next thing she knew she was looking into smoky, heavy-lidded hazel eyes. He lifted her hand to his mouth, and brushed his lips over the backs of her knuckles. “It’s true,leannan. I can’t take my eyes off you.”
“You mean in the, um…brotherly sort of way?”
She bit her lip, half-afraid to hear his answer, but the corners of his mouth quirked in that rare, precious smile, and he slowly shook his head. “No. Not in a brotherly way at all.”
He brushed his thumb across her lower lip, his breath catching when she parted for him, and then his mouth was on hers, so warm and gentle, teasing and licking at her lips until all that mattered was the sensual glide of his tongue against hers.
