Page 54 of An Affair at Stonecliffe

“Still, it was a pleasant inn,” she went on. “I enjoyed my time there.”

He tried to frown at her, but she returned his gaze with an expression so supremely bland that he had to press his lips together to hide a smile. “Did you? I’m so glad. I did my best to find an adequate place.” He took a sip of wine, watching her over the rim.

“Oh, it was quite...adequate.” She gave him a catlike grin as she tore off a little piece of bread and popped it in her mouth.

He turned his attention to his plate, saying, “One would hope it was somewhat more than adequate.”

Noelle chuckled. “It may have been. I would probably have to try it again to be sure.”

“Perhaps we could arrange that.”

Was it really necessary to stay away from her tonight? Here at the dining table, certainly, they could not display any inappropriate relationship—though at the moment they weren’t doing a very good job of that. During the day, it was imperative that they keep their distance and give the servants no grist for the rumor mill. But at night, when the halls were dark and the servants safely upstairs in their beds, there would be no witnesses. It wasn’t as if the butler roamed the halls searching out sinners.

If Carlisle waited until the house was silent and the staff asleep, if he went back to his own bed before the servants were up and about—in short, if he was discreet—there would be no harm done. It would be no less wrong, but at this moment, he could not bring himself to care much about right and wrong. Abstinence could wait until they went to Stonecliffe. Tonight he would spend in Noelle’s arms.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CARLISLE WAS GONE when Noelle awakened the next morning. She sighed. Of course he would have to leave her room before the servants were up, but still, it had been so pleasant waking up beside him the day before. She stretched, pleasurably aware of every inch of her body, and turned onto her side, nestling into her pillow and dreamily contemplating the night before. She smiled, thinking of Carlisle’s cautious words yesterday morning, which he had completely negated by coming to her bed last night. It would have to be different at Stonecliffe; he had been right about that. But she was very glad that they would have another night here.

He had been right, too, in saying that what they were doing was madness. It was in no way prudent or wise to take Carlisle Thorne into her bed. But she knew, just as she had known the other night when she’d taken the first step, that she was not going to break it off. Whatever might happen, she wanted these few moments of happiness.

When she went downstairs later, she found that Carlisle had already eaten and gone to his study. However, as she ate, he came back into the dining room. His eyes sparkled with devilish good humor as he sat down beside her. “I trust you slept well?”

“Indeed.” Noelle wished she could touch his hand or lay her hand against his cheek. It was so difficult to act as if there was nothing between them.

Carlisle must have felt the same way, for he nodded to the footman attending them and said, “That’s all, Forrester.” As the man left, Carlisle turned back to her. “I’ve sent notes to Diggs and to the old earl’s lawyer and his man of business, asking them to call on us today. I assume you will want to join me in the interviews.”

“I would, yes.”

He nodded and fell silent, watching her. After a moment, he leaned in a trifle closer and murmured, “I would like very much to kiss you right now.”

Noelle’s cheeks warmed, and she smiled a little impishly. “Mr. Thorne! What an improper thing to say. I’m astonished.”

“I am a bit amazed, myself.” He glanced out into the hall. It was empty, but one of the servants might walk by at any moment. With a sigh, he settled back in his chair. “I suppose I shall have to content myself with looking at you. I find that enjoyable, as well.”

“We could converse,” Noelle pointed out. “Do you think we will discover anything from Lord Drewsbury’s lawyer? Or Diggs?”

He half shrugged. “We’ll see what Diggs has turned up about Sloane and his associates. Perhaps it will be helpful. But as for the earl’s agent or lawyer telling us anything about the tontine...” He shook his head. “I don’t know. They would be the likeliest people to know about the agreement. But if they do, why have they never told me about it? I’ve been handling the earl’s affairs since his death. Frankly, I’m surprised Drewsbury himself didn’t tell me; he named me executor, after all. That’s one of the reasons I wonder if it’s all a hum.”

“But what a peculiar thing for Mr. Rutherford to have made up,” Noelle pointed out.

He nodded. “Yes, it hardly seems the first thing that would spring to one’s mind to offer as proof of one’s innocence...or even as a distraction.”

Soon Diggs arrived to tell them the results of his investigation. “Mr. Rutherford came back to England rich a few years ago. No one knows exactly how he made his fortune. He owns a shipping company, and there are rumors that he continued his smuggling trade, but he’s never been caught.”

“Smuggling has begun to die out,” Carlisle commented.

“Just so, sir. He’s bought a few other businesses. Some, uh...” He cast an uneasy glance toward Noelle. “Begging your pardon, ma’am, he owns a gambling den and a few taverns, as well. A distillery in Scotland. There are rumors of other unsavory things, but I could not confirm them. He has a house in Scotland, one in Dorset, and one here in the city. They say it’s a grand thing, used to belong to a duke. He also has a few rental houses in London.”

“A man of diverse interests.”

“I can’t say about that, sir, but he certainly seems to like to own things.”

“No signs of debt?”

Diggs shook his head. “Not that I could find. Doesn’t gamble himself. He dresses well, buys prime horseflesh, has a curricle and a landau, and probably more vehicles and horses at his other houses. But there’s no sign he’s living above his means. One of my men talked to some of Rutherford’s workers, just friendly like at the local tavern, and they said he was rich as Midas.”

“It doesn’t mean Sloane’s innocent,” Carlisle said to Noelle after Diggs left the room.