Craving (Regency Lovers 3)

by Carole Mortimer

  For the moment, the other woman did not seem capable of remembering where and when she had last seen or met Sophia, but that could change at any moment. Susan Hampton did not give the impression of forgetting anything of import, and after seeing Sophia with Weston last night, she might consider Miss Marchment to be worth investigating further. Quite what the other woman would do with that knowledge, Sophia did not know.

  “Are you…?” Robert now voiced curiously.

  “I had believed the duke to be unlike any other gentleman I have ever met,” she admitted.

  Robert’s interest deepened. “In what way?”

  In the way that Sophia seemed completely unable to resist him.

  The fact that Magnus freely admitted to having engaged in few other physical relationships only made him more attractive to her. He was not one of those gentlemen, married or not, who seemed to consider it a matter of pride to bed as many women as possible and would then boast to his friends about it. Magnus was the opposite in that he had assured her whatever happened between the two of them would remain exactly that, between the two of them. She believed him.

  At least, she had, before he allowed his sister-in-law to all but throw her out of the house like that “cat in heat”!

  That, no matter what tenderness and pleasure had come before it, was truly unforgivable.

  She sighed. “I thought in all ways, but obviously, I was wrong.” An edge of bitterness entered her voice.

  Robert’s brows rose. “The two of you had been fucking?”

  Sophia shot him an irritated glance. “I wish you would not continue to use that word.”

  “I apologize. I was merely stunned for a few moments.” His expression was one of puzzlement as he gave a shake of his head. “I distinctly remember you swearing to me ten years ago you would never allow a man to touch you ever again.”

  “I was a girl of seventeen then, and one who had been through a traumatic experience,” she defended.

  “True,” Robert allowed. “I am just surprised that after all this time, it’s a cold fish like Weston you have finally chosen to take as your lover.”

  “He is not my lover,” she protested. Nor was Magnus in the least cold beneath that veneer of aloofness. Indeed, his passion ran so hot and so deep that last night, it had threatened to melt both of them.

  She was also not being completely honest. With Robert or herself.

  She and Magnus might not be lovers in the full sense of the word, in that Magnus had not penetrated her with his cock. But he had certainly penetrated her with his tongue and fingers, bringing her to an earthshattering release, not once but three times, while taking nothing for himself.

  To add to Sophia’s humiliation, she had realized that, once returned to Royston House the previous evening, she had done so minus her drawers. She sincerely hoped Magnus had noted that fact before anyone else in his household found them.

  Although a decidedly wicked part of Sophia could not help but hope that perhaps Susan Hampton might be present when those silk drawers were discovered.

  It would confirm the other woman’s accusations, of course, and no doubt make her feel all the more vindictive. But it would also give Sophia a certain satisfaction, after Susan Hampton had been so condescending toward her the evening before, to think of the other woman’s chagrin when Sophia’s drawers proved those accusations to be correct.

  Not so satisfying to think that Clarissa might also be present, of course.

  Although Sophia doubted very much, after yesterday, she would ever have to face Clarissa as a pupil in her school.

  “You know, this might be a good thing.” Robert nodded as he sat forward to lean on one elbow as he looked at her. “Get you back on the horse, so to speak.”

  Sophia burst out laughing at the analogy. “I very much doubt Magnus Spencer has ever been likened to a horse before.” If he ever had, then it would be as a sleek thoroughbred.

  Robert eyed her knowingly. “But I bet he’s hung like one?”

  Her laughter turned to a scowl. “You seem to be obsessed with the size of the duke’s cock.”

  Her cousin gave a dismissive shrug. “I’ve often wondered if I might not be as attracted to men as I am to women,” he mused.

  Sophia’s eyes widened. “You are attracted to the Duke of Weston?”

  Robert grinned. “I could certainly see myself as the middle of a ménage à trois with him and another man or woman. He could fuck me with that enormous cock of his while I fucked—”

  “You become more outrageous every time I visit!” Sophia protested, too shocked to hide it. Nor did she believe Magnus would ever be a party to such debauchery as that.

  “I was only expressing my interest—”

  “I am aware of what you were doing, Robert.”

  He eyed her with amusement. “I have no idea why you are behaving like our maiden Aunt Celia right now, considering the sexual things you teach the young ladies at your school.”

  “I do not teach them about ménage à trois!”

  Her cousin made a face. “Why the hell not? The fact that you run a progressive school teaching young debutantes what to expect and do in bed with a man was the only reason I agreed to become one of the governors there two years ago. That and you needed my financial help at the time.” He shrugged.

  Sophia nodded. “And I am very grateful for that help.” Running a school for young ladies was not always as lucrative as it could be, and two years ago, her numbers had been down enough for the school to totter on the brink of closing altogether. If not for Robert’s financial input, it would surely have done so. “But that does not mean that my girls are future candidates for sharing your bed, with or without a third person also present!”

  “You seem determined to ruin all my fun—” Robert broke off to turn and look enquiringly at the butler as the other man stood in the doorway, a silver tray in his hand.

  “A letter has just been delivered for Miss Marchment, my lord.” The butler stepped forward at a nod from Robert to proffer the silver tray in Sophia’s direction.

  Her fingers shook slightly as she took the letter with her name written in block capitals on the front of it.

  Could Magnus possibly be writing to her to apologize for his behavior at the latter part of yesterday evening? Or, even more mortifying, for his behavior during the early part of yesterday evening?

  Sophia might have had plenty of time to recall each and every detail of their intimacy together, but that did not mean she regretted it. Nor did she want to read that Magnus did either.

  “You need to open it rather than simply look at it,” Robert encouraged once the two of them were alone.

  Sophia gave him an irritated glance. “I am not sure I should read it in front of you if you are going to continue being as annoying as you have already been this morning.”

  His grin was unrepentant. “As we grew up together, you have long known it is a part of my nature to be outrageous.”

  She sighed. “Very well.” Her fingers continued to shake as she broke the seal on the letter before unfolding it and reading the contents.

  She felt the color drain from her face once she had done so, the letter falling from her fingers and fluttering to the floor.

  It would seem that Lady Susan Hampton had remembered who she was sooner rather than later.

  Chapter 7

  “What do you mean, Sophia is not at home to me in particular?” Magnus demanded of Royston.

  “Exactly as I said, old boy,” the earl drawled, the two men facing off against each other in the drawing room at Royston House. “Despite my protests, Sophia is currently packing to return to Portsmouth later today.”

  “I demand to see her,” Magnus thundered. “Now, damn it.”

  “You may demand all you want, old boy,” Royston dismissed calmly. “But this is my house, Sophia is my guest, and, if necessary I will call for my footmen to help me escort you from the premises.”

  It annoyed Magnus intensely that the
other man kept referring to him as “old boy,” when he doubted there was even a decade difference in their ages. It displeased him even more that Royston should dare to threaten to throw him out of the house.

  He balked at putting a name to the emotion he felt at even the possibility of Sophia and Royston being lovers. If not now, then in the past. After last night, he knew for a fact that Sophia was not a virgin. Although how she and Royston had managed to remain friends after the affair was over, Magnus had no idea.

  He drew in a several calming breaths before speaking again. “Would you please tell Sophia I wish to speak with her,” he stated firmly.

  The other man grimaced. “Between you and me, this is not a good time.”

  “Why not?” Magnus demanded.

  Admittedly, he and Sophia had not parted on the best of terms the evening before, but he had come here today to explain to her exactly why that was. He had no intention of returning her silk drawers to her. They were safely stowed beneath the pillows on his bed at Weston House. But he knew Sophia deserved an explanation for his behavior before she left so abruptly.

  Surely Sophia could not be so angry with him that she would refuse to even see him? Or that she was returning to Portsmouth today because of his behavior last night?

  If so, he needed to know which part of the evening had upset her so much she was leaving London today. Their lovemaking, or his behavior afterwards.

  Royston shrugged. “She received a letter this morning which deeply upset her.”

  Magnus felt relieved to learn he was not the reason for Sophia’s departure. “A letter from whom?”

  “From someone who chose not to sign their name to such disgusting filth,” Sophia was the one to answer him.

  Magnus swung his gaze to where Sophia now stood in the doorway of the drawing room. Her face was extremely pale, her eyes appearing like dark bruises against that pallor. Even those full, red lips that he so loved to kiss were paler than normal. Nor was there an ounce of animation in her beautiful and usually expressive face.

  “I heard the two of you shouting all the way upstairs and came to investigate,” she quietly explained her presence.

  Magnus reached her side in two strides before taking both her hands in his much larger ones. “What was the content of this letter that it has upset you so much?”

  “I believe you heard Sophia say it was filth,” Royston cut in defensively. “She does not need to be asked to speak any of it out loud,” he added with obvious disapproval.

  Sophia shook her head. “It does not matter, Robert,” she said dully before turning back to Magnus. “The person who wrote the letter called me a bitch, a slut, and a whore. They also advised I stop parting my…my legs for both Royston and Weston, or suffer the consequences.”

  A red haze of anger passed over Magnus’s gaze that anyone should have called Sophia such disgusting names. Or referred to what the two of them did together as anything more than the exquisite lovemaking it was. “Do you have any idea why someone would want to send you such a disgusting letter?”

  She pulled her hands from within his before stepping away. “I assumed that, as you are one of the gentlemen referred to by name, it must be because I am staying in Royston’s home but have spent some time with you these past few days.”

  “They actually mentioned Royston and me by name?” Magnus wanted clarification of that.

  “Yes.”

  He sighed heavily. “Do you think this anonymous letter writer could be my sister-in-law?” Susan was certainly capable of such vitriol. But if it should be her, Magnus would ensure she never did such a thing ever again.

  Sophia had believed it could be the other woman, yes. Susan Hampton had certainly shown her displeasure the evening before at finding Magnus alone with her. And it was highly possible that the other woman had remembered where she knew Sophia from.

  But once she had calmed down earlier, Sophia realized it could just as easily have been someone else. Someone who knew of the scandal ten years ago. Perhaps even the same man who had ruined Sophia’s life then too.

  She had not seen Zachary Noble, the Marquis of Harrogate, since that night when her life changed forever. Although she had always considered it ironic that the man’s name should be Noble when he had behaved in completely the opposite manner toward Sophia.

  She knew from listening to Robert’s gossip that the other man was still in London and still accepted as a part of the Society which had rejected Sophia. Robert now had nothing to do with the man who had once been his friend, but that did not mean Harrogate was not still able to know exactly who came and went to Robert’s home.

  “I am making no direct accusations in regard to anyone,” she now stated evenly.

  Magnus scowled darkly. “I wish to see this letter. Perhaps I will be able to recognize the handwriting.”

  It was what Sophia had expected he might say, of course, but nevertheless she felt reluctant for him to see the words that had been written about her.

  “Now, Sophia,” he demanded.

  “Look here, old boy—”

  “If you address me in that manner one more time, I shall be forced to resort to ramming the words down your insolent throat,” Magnus warned Royston between gritted teeth before returning the focus of those piercing gray eyes to Sophia. “The letter, if you please.” His voice gentled as he spoke to her.

  Sophia stared at him for several seconds before reluctantly sliding her hand into the pocket of her gown and taking out the letter that had so upset her earlier. She handed it to Magnus before turning her back on him as he unfolded and read it. It was painful enough to have received such a letter without having to see Magnus’s face when he read the words written about her.

  “It is difficult to tell who might have written this when it is all in block capitals,” he murmured behind her.

  “Which was possibly the point?” Robert derided.

  “You—”

  “No, Magnus.” Sophia turned to face the two men as Magnus would have given her cousin another sharp set-down, which she was not sure would have remained verbal. “Behave yourself, Robert,” she snapped before looking at Magnus. “You have read the letter and admit you do not recognize the handwriting, I’d appreciate it if you would now leave.”

  “What consequences?” Magnus demanded.

  Sophia winced. She should have known that he would pick up on that comment. “How should I know?” She answered his question with a question.

  He raised dark brows. “Possibly because the letter bothered you enough that Royston says you are in the process of packing with the intention of leaving London this afternoon?”

  She shot her cousin an accusing glare before answering Magnus. “My business in London is now concluded. There is no reason for me to remain any longer.”

  “You told me you would be staying here for the rest of the week,” he reminded.

  “I changed my mind.”

  “Would you mind leaving us, Royston?” Magnus’s gaze remained fixed on Sophia despite having addressed the other man.

  “It’s my damn house—” Robert broke off as he received a silencing and icy gray stare.

  “Which is the only reason I am politely asking that you leave Sophia and me alone to discuss this matter.” The threat in Magnus’s tone was obvious. “I will not ask a second time.”

  This was a side of him Sophia had never seen before.

  At the moment, Magnus was every inch that cold and arrogant gentleman Robert had warned her lurked just beneath the surface of Weston’s outward aloof politeness.

  Magnus’s eyes were like chips of gray ice.

  Nostrils flared.

  His mouth a thin and uncompromising line.

  Jaw clenched.

  His whole body was tensed as if balanced on the edge of committing physical violence.

  Robert held his hands up in mock surrender as the other man continued to glare at him through narrowed lids. “Okay. Fine. But if you do or say anything to upset Sophi
a—”

  “I have no intention of upsetting Sophia.”

  “Intent and reality are two entirely different things,” Robert scoffed. “I am sure you did not intend to make her cry yesterday evening either, but that is exactly what she had been doing when she arrived back here after dining at your home.”

  “Robert…” she groaned in embarrassment.

  “If anyone is a cat in heat, then it is your bitch of a sister-in-law,” Robert continued unabashed. “Sophia is not only stunningly beautiful, but she is one of the kindest, bravest, and most steadfast of…friends,” he substituted for the “cousin” Sophia knew he wished to say. “She certainly should not have to put up with the insults of a woman such as Susan Hampton.”

  Magnus nodded stiffly. “I agree.”

  “To which part?” Robert challenged.

  “Robert!” Sophia believed she really was in danger of throttling her cousin if he did not stop goading Magnus in his reckless way. Not that she did not appreciate Robert defending her, as he had done since they were children, but he was only making the situation worse by challenging Magnus in this way.

  If this situation could be made any worse.

  Which she doubted.

  “All of it,” Magnus answered the other man stiffly.

  Robert nodded abruptly. “If you should need me, Sophia, just give a yell. I will only be in my study down the hallway.” He gave the other man a warning glance before departing the room.

  A room that, despite being deathly silent, was fraught with tension.

  “You told Royston of Susan’s remarks to you yesterday evening?” Magnus prompted quietly.

  Sophia stiffened. “I offered him an explanation as to why I was…upset when I arrived here, yes.”

  “You were crying.”

  Her chin rose. “I believe Robert said I had been crying before I arrived ho—here, not that I still was.”

  Magnus frowned as his feelings of jealousy returned at Sophia hearing her almost called Royston’s home her own. “You and Royston seem very…familiar with each other.” To a degree Sophia had chastised the other man as if she had a perfect right to do so.