“I cannae play the helpless fool, as some women do,” she said softly, as though she could sense his thoughts.
She was the sort of woman a man could depend upon, full of common sense. Exactly the kind of woman he would enjoy spending time with.
Lomond grunted. “Up,” he croaked.
Lady Crystal raised herself and stood back as he and Will gripped the duke’s arms and helped him as he staggered to his feet.
God help him, Aaron loved his father and couldn’t bear to see him struck down. A seed of guilt grew in his chest at how often they’d argued over the subject of marriage.
The duke’s valet came in, took one look at the duke, and ran to him, his expression stricken. “Your grace, let me help you.”
Aaron stepped back, letting the valet and Will help Lomond out of the dining room. The duchess, the dowager duchess, and the remaining servants followed closely behind, leaving him alone with Lady Crystal.
“Thank you. You saved my father’s life. For that, I am deeply in your debt.” He pulled her close, needing her. From the way she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and sank against him, she needed to hold him, too. He didn’t care that his actions were inappropriate—all he could think of was that things could have gone so very differently if she hadn’t been there.
“You’ve saved me, too, remember?” she said, her voice soft and sweet. “The angry lords at Sir Walter’s would have torn me apart.” She looked up into his eyes, and he saw warmth and something else—attraction—sparkling in her emerald-colored eyes.
“No matter. I remain in your debt. I must admit, I’m feeling guilty that I have fought with Lomond on many occasions. I vow to be better to him in future,” he said.
“It’s true that a brush with disaster can open our eyes to what’s most important,” she said.
“Thank you for your kindness. And for your courage to help. Not many women would have done so.” His father had nearly died in front of him, and he could still feel the shock of it coursing through his thundering heart.
A footman came into the room, and they broke apart. All Aaron wanted was to stay in her arms, but he had a matter to settle first.
“Send the chef to me immediately,” he told the footman, determined to get to the bottom of the duke’s collapse. When the servant left, he turned back to Lady Crystal. “I must question the chef.”
“How long has he served your house?” she asked.
“He is new. Hired by the duchess at great expense.”
Several minutes later, the chef came in, his face bleached, his eyes wide with fear. He bowed low, waiting to be addressed.
“His grace collapsed and lay on the edge of death.” Aaron snatched up a biscuit. “He couldn’t breathe after eating this.”
The man started to tremble. “I dinnae understand, my lord. I ate a biscuit myself and felt no consequence.”
Aaron closed the distance between them, looking down at the man. “Tell me now if it is poison. I’ll flay the skin off your body if you lie.”
“I’d eat poison myself before harming his grace,” the man cried out. The chef grabbed a biscuit off the table and bit into it, crumbs falling on the floor as he quickly chewed and swallowed.
Lady Crystal picked one up, too, and smelled it.
“Don’t eat that,” Aaron ordered. He couldn’t bear to see her succumb like his father. Aaron grabbed the man by the collar and hauled him up. “I’ll have you arrested if anything happens to my father.”
Tears sprouted from the chef’s eyes and rolled down his face. “I admire his grace, my lord. I didnae wish to harm him, merely to delight his senses. The peanuts are new and all the rage among the ton. I thought his grace would enjoy them.”
“Stop it, Lord Lyle,” Lady Crystal said. “Can’t you see the man is terrified?”
Aaron turned to her in surprise, not used to having his authority challenged, especially by a woman. “I mean to get to the bottom of this,” he said through gritted teeth.
“And you will, I’m sure, but the poor man is clearly telling the truth. He’s freely eaten the substance you claim is poisoned. Let him be. He cannae do more to clear his name.” She bit into the biscuit and chewed it before he could knock it from her fingers. She was either brave or mad.
He dropped the chef’s collar, ignoring the man’s blubbering, and closed the arm’s-length distance to confront Lady Crystal. “Are you insane? Spit out the biscuit immediately.”
She stared at him boldly and swallowed, putting her hands on her hips. “Why do you not eat one yourself and put the matter to rest? Or are you afeard?”
The gall of her. He snatched a biscuit off the table and bit into it, surprised by the delicious buttery flavor as it melted on his tongue. He waited. Nothing happened. He turned back to the chef, not wanting the man to see him bested by a mere lassie. “That will be all. Return to the kitchen.”
The trembling man backed out of the room, bowing low as he did so.
“Since when do you question my authority in my own house in front of my servants?” Aaron asked, fury bubbling in his veins. He wanted to put her over his knee and spank her until she begged him to stop.
And damn, if the thought didn’t arouse him…
“Since you’re too stubborn to realize when you’re wrong and are frightening a man who cannae defend himself. Let me spell something out for you very clearly, my lord. I’m not yours to command, and I never will be.”
With that, she strode out of the dining room, leaving him gasping in outrage.
Chapter Nine
Sunday
When Hilda knocked on her bedroom door and brought her a cup of tea, Crystal rubbed her eyes with exhaustion. “I barely slept last night. Have you word of the duke?”
“His symptoms have abated, I’m told, and he’s resting in his room,” Hilda said, setting the cup beside her and going to light the small fire already laid in the fireplace. “All the servants are very distressed.”
“Lord Lyle thought his father was poisoned. He accused the chef of it,” she said, thinking through the events of last night as she sipped her tea, grateful for the comfort of the expensive brew.
“The poor man came back crying and shaking into the kitchen, where I was having dinner with the household. He was quite inconsolable, but he did sing your praises. Said you set on the lord like a termagant, protected him from blame, and even ate a supposedly poisoned biscuit to prove your point.”
She eyed Hilda as the maid laid out her morning dress. “Did he really call me a termagant?”
“No, I made that up, but I’ve seen you when your gall is up.” Hilda grinned. “You made me right proud in front of all the servants.”
“I didnae like how the lord treated his chef. Oh, he’s kind enough to me and his kin, but he terrorized that poor man,” she said, troubled. “He has the temper of the devil. It took all I had to make him see sense. I thought he might beat the man.”
Hilda helped her out of her night rail and took out a pair of new fine stockings and a clean shift, laying them at the end of her bed. “Dinnae judge him too harshly, fer he was right worried. I heard he didn’t leave his father’s side all night. And he came down to the kitchens and apologized to the chef this morning.”
“He apologized? That is good to hear. Perhaps I’ve judged him too quickly. I didn’t think he was a man to humble himself to a servant.” She finished her tea and went to use the commode in the room where the strange shower contraption resided. She washed her face and hands in the washstand and rejoined Hilda to dress, sitting on the seat in front of the dresser, ready to slide on her stockings.
“I also heard you were the first lassie ever to stand up to the dowager duchess and hold yer own,” Hilda said, holding out her stockings, then slipped the shift over her head.
Crystal stood and took a deep breath in as Hilda fitted her stays.
“Do you blame me? She claimed my father fell off his horse in battle on account of him being drunk.”
Hilda gasped, and her eyes widened in horror. “Did ye box her ears for bringing dishonor to your house?”
Crystal laughed and had to suck her breath back in again so Hilda could finish tightening her stays. “At the dining table, she accused me of believing women feel desire.” She rolled her eyes and pointed to herself in mock innocence. “I’ll never live that slip down.”
“The servants were shocked at her bringing up such a lewd subject. They think the dowager is losing her mind.”
Crystal caught Hilda’s reflection in the mirror and grinned.
“I didn’t tell them it was true,” Hilda added as she helped her pull on her petticoat.
She held up the day gown, a white muslin dress embroidered with tiny flowers. Crystal put her arms into it and waited as Hilda fiddled with the buttons at the back of the gown. She sat at the dresser so Hilda could do her hair.
“I have a dilemma,” she said. “The duke is considering providing funding for educating women in his duchy. Nothing grand, just to teach them to read and write like the boys in the parish schools, but it’s a huge step forward.”
“That’s verra generous of him.” Hilda heated a pair of tongs in the fireplace and began tidying Crystal’s curls.
“But I dinnae think he’ll agree to it if he finds out I have spoken publicly about desire. So many women would benefit from the chance to learn to read and write…but he’s bound to hear about my gaff eventually.”
“Perhaps you’ll have to confess, my lady. He’ll be shocked. Even I was, and I know how outspoken you can be,” Hilda said, regarding her with a serious expression.
“I could never do that. He’s a very conservative man. It isn’t a suitable subject to raise with anyone. How I wish I had better control of my tongue.”
Sometimes she wondered if she was a normal woman, given she thought about physical pleasure every day. But desire wasn’t a subject she could talk about, not even with her sisters. Her maid would be horrified if she knew about the hole in the cellar wall. The way the footman had taken the maid like a horse…driving into her so that her breasts jiggled with the force of it—
Stop it, Crystal! There had to be some way to erase the images and the need that refused to stay buried. Just being around Lord Lyle set her pulse racing. She got to her feet, agitated and unable to quell the conflict that welled inside her. How could she influence women and create change, yet still get approval from the duke?
He was bound to hear about her recent outburst.
She’d talk to Lord Lyle. He was a lord with influence, and he didn’t think her ideas were absurd. Instead, he appeared fascinated by everything she said.
Chapter Ten
Aaron stood as Lady Crystal came into the breakfast room. With her bright green eyes and delightful blond curls styled around her face, she looked the picture of sweetness. Yet, there was a purposefulness to her stride, and the fierce directness of her gaze demonstrated her strong nature.
The delicately worked hairstyle of a bun with braids wrapped around it and lovely white dress would fool any man into thinking she was a sweet and biddable, genteel lady, not the intense and tough woman capable of finishing off her prey with a dirk.
His heart beat faster the moment she entered the room. It was as if she’d put a spell on him. He wanted nothing more than to take her as a lover and awaken the sensuality he suspected lay under her cultivated, no-nonsense exterior.
“Good morning, Lady Crystal. Please join me. It seems we have a rare moment alone this morning. The duchess has had a tray taken to her room, and William is sitting with our father.”
The footman pulled out her chair, and she took a seat across from Aaron at the small breakfast table the family used for informal occasions. He poured her a cup of freshly brewed tea. Sunshine streamed into the room despite the crispness of the spring morning.
“How fares the duke?” she asked.
Aaron rubbed his forehead, trying to massage away the tension that remained from sitting through the night and worrying over his father. “He is much improved. His breathing is no longer labored, and his lips and tongue not swollen. He wished to rise, claiming to be fully recovered, but the duchess insisted he stay abed. I sent for our Edinburgh physician at first light. I hope he will arrive soon.”
“Oh, I’m so relieved.” A sigh left her lips. “I realize I am not kin to his grace, but my great concern for his health left me barely able to sleep last night. I fear I will be poor company today.”
Aaron reached out and took her hand. Her eyes widened at his temerity, but she held his gaze as he said, “You are welcome here anytime, my lady. My father has nothing but praise for your quick thinking. This morning, I told him you ate one of the supposedly tainted biscuits, and he called you brave.” Aaron gave her a small smile. “He thoroughly approves of my bringing you here.”
She froze. Her eyes blazed, and she snatched her hand from his. “Stop speaking of me as if I’m in the running to be your wife. I didn’t come to Edinburgh to find a husband. You are simply misleading the duke.”
“But I do like you. I like the way you see the world. It would be a better place for everyone if things ran the way you think they should. I, for one, would be far happier if I could choose my partner instead of enduring this terrible hostility from my father.”
“I can see how things are for you.”
“Thank you. I suppose I’ll have to marry someone of his choice eventually, though I cannae explain how much the thought of being tied to a woman I have no regard for sickens me.” Aaron took a hothouse peach from a bowl in the middle of the table and began to peel it with a sharp knife. The fruit was perfectly ripe, the juice dripping from his fingers when he halved it. He put it on a plate and offered it to her.
“I’m sorry. Just don’t use me as a stalling tactic.” She took the peach and bit into it, her face a picture of delight as she tasted the flavor. “I was very excited when his grace considered my ideas on educating women. But therein lies the problem. I cannae give up my other views. I came to work to improve the lot of women in all respects.”
“I wouldn’t want you to give up your views, especially the one about women feeling desire.” That was what entranced him most. It must be a deep feeling if she’d burst out with it so unconventionally.
“You know I spoke out of anger. Don’t keep raising it,” she said, her cheeks flushing.
“But it’s such an interesting subject. Women never speak about such things.”
“Don’t rub it in. It makes me feel ashamed,” she said, looking down at her hands.
“Don’t be. I’m fascinated,” he said, imagining her telling him what she enjoyed in bed.
“Some men are verra interested in my beliefs on the place of women, but now I’ve met his grace, I can see he won’t be one of them. I can’t expect him to put his name and money behind my cause of educating women unless he knows what I am about. It wouldn’t be right.”
“Aye, it is something I have been thinking about, too, for he’ll find out eventually. My father was due to return to London shortly, so I thought he wouldn’t hear of your ideas, but this illness changes things.” Aaron took a bite of his peach, thinking about the problem. “I believe it’s best to tell him more about you at a later stage. The fact remains, if you wish to make a difference, you will still need a benefactor.”
“But I cannae deceive him, my lord.”
“You won’t have to. I’m prepared to back you with my own money and contacts.”
Her lips parted in surprise. “You are?”
“I thought we’d start in Edinburgh. I know a mill owner who employs many women as weavers. Mr. Macintosh is a good chap. I will sound him out as to whether he is amenable to having you educate the daughters of the weavers.”
Aaron didn’t bother to mention that he paid Macintosh well for the cloth he bought from him to use in manufacturing uniforms for the war office or that he owned the land Macintosh’s mill resided on. The man would surely be happy to accommodate this small favor.
She sat up straight and drained her cup, putting it on the table. “You’re going to great lengths to support my cause. I appreciate that.”
“Men are resistant to change. It will go easier for you if you have an introduction. But know that I’m no saint, Lady Crystal. You’re beautiful and by far the most interesting woman I’ve ever met. All night, I searched for a way to see more of you, and this is what I’ve come up with.”
“I see. You speak quite brazenly, my lord.” She met his gaze head-on, plucked a grape from the top of the bunch, and popped it in her mouth.
The guileless action made him want to kiss her and taste the sweet juice on her lips, to plunder her mouth with his tongue. He started to lean over toward her.
A footman sailed into the room and put a covered silver platter containing eggs and salmon next to the hothouse grapes, peaches, and the fresh loaf already on the table. Its homey scent permeated his nostrils, alleviating the tight sensation in his stomach but not the hardness of his cock. He pulled back in frustration.
Lady Crystal entranced him, and he intended to find a way to keep seeing her. All he needed was time alone—without the constant chaperones society demanded.
The housekeeper arrived next, unlocked the tea caddy, and prepared a second pot of tea. “You may leave us, Mrs. Burns,” he said tersely when she had placed it on the table. “See that we are not disturbed unless the duke is in need of me.”
“Yes, my lord,” she said, ushering out the footman and closing the door behind her.
Lady Crystal picked up the pot of tea and topped up both their cups. When finished, she sat back, gazing at him with unwavering eyes.
“Minx,” he muttered. She talked about desire, but he wondered how much she actually knew. He damn well wanted to be her first, to be the one to bring her unspeakable pleasure. He gritted his teeth in an attempt to calm himself.
An Unsuitable Lady for a Lord (Scottish Lords and Ladies) Page 7
