They were the wickedest, naughtiest girls imaginable, of course, and took shameless advantage of him, but Benedict couldn’t resist them. He wanted a half dozen more of his own just like them, all of them with Georgiana’s hazel eyes.
“Never mind a bridle, Sarah. A handful of his hair will do just as well.” Susannah gave an approving nod as Sarah grabbed hold. “Right, then. Once around the garden. If ye get back to the tree in less than three minutes, ye get to keep your guineas, Lord Benedict. Longer than that, and—”
“You lose, and we get to keep ’em. Giddyup, Lord Benedict!” Sarah dug her heels into Benedict’s legs, shrieking with laughter when he took off like a shot. Susannah chased after them, hopping up and down and shouting as Benedict flew up the garden toward the fountain where all the walkways converged. He was just about to round the perimeter, panting with exertion and laughter, when a tall, slender figure emerged from the pathway leading from the back doorof the school.
A tall, slender,frowningfigure, her arms crossedover her chest.
Benedict came to a skidding halt just in time to avoid slamming into her, but not quickly enough to prevent Susannah, who was right on his heels, from crashing into him. She fell onto her backside with an ignominious thump and Sarah, whose balance had been upset by the sudden collision, dropped downon top of her.
Georgiana peered down at the two girls, her lips twitching. “Well, if that isn’t a fitting end for a forbidden footrace, I don’tknow what is.”
“Aw, we weren’t doing any harm.” Susannah jumped to her feet and dusted off the back of her skirts. “Were we, Sarah?”
“Not a thing, Miss…er, yer ladyship. Just having a bit of fun with LordBenedict here.”
Georgiana raised an eyebrow, and held out her hand.
Sarah and Susannah glanced guiltily at each other, then Sarah stuffed her hand into her skirt pocket, pulled out the two guineas she’d hidden there, and dropped them into Georgiana’s palm.
Georgiana’s fingers snapped closed around the coins. “Return Lord Haslemere’s pocket watch to him this instant, Susannah,” she ordered, waiting until Susannah reluctantly handed over the watch. “Thank you. Now, aren’t you two meant to be in French class right now?”
The girls exchanged another guilty glance, then Sarah muttered, “Yes, ma’am.”
“Then I suggest you get upstairs at once, before Madame takes a fit. You’re alreadylate as it is.”
Sarah glanced at Benedict, who did his best to produce a forbidding frown. “Do as Lady Haslemere says, you mischievous imps.”
The girls scurried off, leaving Benedict alone with his wife, who, despite her frown, couldn’t quite disguise the amusement in her eyes. “Well, Lord Haslemere? What have you to sayfor yourself?”
“Not a blessed thing.” Benedict held his hands up innocently. “Unless it’s that the Clifford schoolgirls are the most ill-behaved in all of London. It’s a scandal, the way they’re constantly leading me astray as they do.”
“Theyledyouastray, my lord? How curious. I suppose they stole those guineas and your watch out of your pocket, too.”
Benedict crept closer to her. “As to that, who can say?”
“I imagineyoucan.” Georgiana’s tone was stern, but there was no mistaking the twinkle in her eyes. “Really, my lord, I would think you’d have learned your lesson about spoiling thosegirls by now.”
Benedict edged another step closer—close enough so her skirts brushed against his legs. “It’s not me who needs to learn a lesson, Lady Haslemere. It’s you.”
“Me?” Georgiana pressed a hand to her chest. “Why, what lesson am I meant to learn, my lord?”
“Not to interrupt a footrace already in progress, of course.” Without warning, Benedict lunged for her and swept her up into his arms. “Once it’s begun, it must be finished. Fortunately, one jockey does as well as another.”
“Benedict! Put me down!”
But Benedict didn’t put her down. He raced down the garden with her laughing, shrieking, and squirming in his arms. Once they reached the quince tree, he set her carefully on her feet, her back against the trunk. “Ah. Now this is a proper reward for arace well run.”
“There are a dozen little girls upstairs in the attics waiting for me to teach them their sums, Lord Haslemere.” Even as the protest left her lips, Georgiana’s arms were already stealing around his neck.
“I’m afraid they’ll have to wait.” Benedict braced his hands against the tree on either side of her head and pressed his body close to hers. “I’m not finishedwith you yet.”
“You’re never finished with…” Georgiana trailed off with a soft gasp as Benedict’s lipsfound her neck.
“Damn right I’m not. I never will be.” He brushed the collar of her gown aside until he revealed bare skin, then proceeded to nibble and lick and kiss her until she melted against him, a sigh of surrender fallingfrom her lips.
“So sweet, princess.” Benedict settled his hands on her waist and nudged a knee between her legs until her delectable curves were flush against the length of his body. “I could spend every minute of the rest of my life tasting you, and I’d die a happy man.”
Georgiana’s breath caught on a moan when he brushed his thumbs over her breasts, her head falling back against the tree. “But you can’t…we can’t…”
