She looks at me, then her sister. “Should I have more tea sent in here?” Scarlett winks at Katherine and then leaves.
Carew looks at me with a bewildered countenance. “Not interrupting whatever is happening, but I’ll see you later tonight. The gentlemen will assemble as commanded.”
“Oh, tonight. Excellent,” I say. I’m a little bewildered myself, watching Katherine bend, hands on her bewitching hips, as she peers into my secret room as if it leads to paradise.
Chapter 32
JAHLEEL—THESECRETPLACE
Katherine looks stunned. She points to the room as I drink a second cup of tea. The weedy-herbaceous flavor has grown on me, but it pales in comparison to the taste vindication—the presence of a slightly erratic, jealous Katherine.
“You’ve hidden in here before, Jahleel?”
“Da.”
“You made me think I was crazy, but you were in there.”
I grin and down the last drop. “My great sin, I suppose, is a secret room I didn’t tell you about. And what do you do when alone? You, my dear viscountess, touched my chess set without asking. I suppose two wrongs make us equal.”
Her reddening countenance whips back to me. “The movement of the piece was to be a sign. I wanted to show you I surrender. Why else would I make such a foolish move?”
She slips a hand to her hip. The emerald fabric swings. “I wanted peace with you.”
The woman straightens but still faces the room. Then she kicks off her shoes like she’s about to walk on hallowed ground. “I’m going in.”
Barefoot, she gets my full attention and my blood pumping. “I tell Lydia to wear her stockings. This is not a good example.”
“I’m not a child.” She peers at me, then takes a step. “Upstairsis the Winter Palace. But this must be the dacha by the river. I remember, shoes off.”
I sort of made up that rule because I like her feet. “Maybe we should stay out here, and you can tell me why you touched my chess set. This move is sloppy.”
Those elegant feet flap along the polished floorboards as Katherine returns to my desk. She takes up her knight and puts it on G6. “Your king is on H8. And your pawns are on G7 and H7. You’re boxed in. Cornered, with my knight on G6, you can’t move. Checkmate. That means you lose, and I win. Thus, the sloppy move, as you put it, was so that we both would win.”
She puts down the piece. “Now get up and show me your secret room.”
I’m stunned—the orders, the brilliant chess moves, the tears in her voice as she commands me.
“A full tour, Jahleel, like you did at the dacha. I want to know all the secrets.”
My head cocks, and I glance at my mistress prancing around with bare, delicious feet. “There are no ryas in there.”
She steps up onto my boots. “If you won’t name any mistresses or admit to not taking one, distract me with this room.”
Toes wriggling, looking so perfect and touchable and free, I’m speechless.
“Move. Now.”
“Da.” Grabbing my cane, I stand and lead Katherine. We flee my book-lined study into a stark white room with shelves enclosed behind glass doors.
Half-drawn curtains make everything quite dark. I use the light coming from the study to guide me to the sconce. Once I light it, I close up the wall. The moving part of the bookcase slides over the opening. “And this is how I hide.”
Her arms fold, and she walks around as if measuring the walls.
I’m hypnotized by how freely she moves. She’s on her tiptoes, dancing about.
“I don’t remember anything like this at the dacha.” Then shegets to the bookcases and touches the door. But this is similar to the one we had in our bedchamber. “Just like the dacha. I knew it.”
“Well, it’s the room that is perfect for Carew and Scarlett to perform the cupping procedure on Mr. Thom.”
