An Affair to Remember
Page 13
He shook his head, but the vision refused to leave. Instead it taunted him more. The legs curved, then parted—he moaned and dropped his head into his hands. God help him, but he hadn’t lusted this strongly over a woman since…well, since the untouchable Matilda, if truth be known.
Women had always been available to Anthony. Coming into his title at an early age, his fortune beyond respectable, he’d been pursued by hordes of matchmaking mothers and their avaricious daughters, all of whom managed to bore Anthony to tears.
Still, it had been no secret that one day he would have to provide an heir. It was his duty, after all. On reaching his thirty-fifth birthday, he’d decided the time was now and he’d gone about the business of selecting a bride just as he went about everything else—carefully and methodically, making lists and checking out financial situations. It was amazing how many of England’s great families were insolvent.
He’s almost given up hope when he’d met Charlotte. She was everything the Elliots were not—quiet, well-mannered, and gentle. Her parents had trained her well, and she would never embarrass him or cause him alarm.
Charlotte’s goals in life would be to see to his happiness and the happiness of their children and to the smooth running of Greyley House. He, in turn, would give her the benefit of his maturity and wisdom, and a handsome amount of pocket money. In return, she would provide him with an heir and make no ridiculous demands of his time.
Unlike Anna Thraxton, who would, he was certain, meddle in the affairs of any man she became entangled with.
The word “entangled” fired his imagination once more, and he was assailed with the image of his new governess, naked and impertinent, her firm round bottom just out of reach, that saucy smile aimed not at him, but at some other man who looked disgustingly besotted.
Anthony slammed a hand onto the surface of the desk, the loud noise dispelling the pictures in his mind. Good God, what was he doing? A liaison with Thraxton would be a mistake of the first order. It was unthinkable.
Or was it? She was staying under his roof, which made her convenient if nothing else. And it was certainly no sin in society’s jaded eyes to have a mistress. Some men felt compelled to do so, as a measure of their standing.
Anthony rubbed his chin and stared with unseeing eyes at the mural over his head. Anna’s exposure to the harshness of life had removed any sort of troublesome innocence she might have once had, not that he thought her experienced in sexual matters. He was fairly certain that for all her bravado, she was untouched in that one area.
The thought tantalized him further, even as he acknowledged it put an end to the possibility of having her as a mistress. She was a handful, was Thraxton, he decided with a deep sense of regret. She met him glare for glare and never so much as flinched. And she was no self-appointed martyr who would cry at the slightest imagined insult. She was also far more attractive than any governess had a right to be. So much so that he’d been in imminent danger of yanking her to him and tasting her impudent mouth no fewer than three times just today.
Perhaps it was her passionate nature that intrigued him so. Whatever Thraxton did, she did with all her heart. It was, he suspected, yet another quality that made her such a good governess, as well as such a damnable nuisance. There would be no light flirtation with a woman like her, and he knew it. As soon as he took her to bed, she’d order new curtains for the entire house. Then she’d set about organizing the furniture, perhaps even ordering that damned mural for the entryway.
Once she’d organized Greyley House to her liking, it wouldn’t be long before she cast her improving glance his way and started making suggestions to remake him. There was no way he’d even let any woman interfere with his life in such a way. No, his relationship with Thraxton would be no more than employer and employee.
That decided, Anthony sent for Dalmapple and spent several worthy hours engrossed in the business of running his estate.
Chapter 12
One should never ask a man questions about his personal life. He just might answer and then you, my dear, would have to listen.
Lady Clives-Brandley to her friend, Mrs. Fairfax, while walking the maze at Hamilton House
After a hot bath and a short rest, Anna went to the nursery, where she found the children huddled together, whispering.
“Hello, children,” she said brightly. “Planning something fun?”
Elizabeth started up from the table, her face pink. “Miss Thraxton! We were…we were…” She cast a wild glance at Desford.
He scowled and said sullenly, “We were planning on making a fort.”
Elizabeth nodded, coloring even more deeply. “Th-that’s right. A fort. We were going to make a fort.”
“Hm,” Anna said. She walked to the table and pulled out a chair. With the exception of two chairs beside the fireplace, the furnishings in the nursery were made to the children’s size. She settled into the small seat, her knees well over the edge of the table, so she clasped her arms about them. “Perhaps I can help. I used to make all sorts of forts when I was a child.”
Desford leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “If you’ve come to teach us, you are wasting your time.”
Selena copied Desford’s gesture perfectly, her bottom lip thrust forward. “Wasting your time,” she repeated.
Anna hid a smile. “I haven’t come to teach. That’s for tomorrow. For today, I thought we might just have our dinner together.”
“Dinner?” Elizabeth looked around. “You’re going to eat in here? With us?”
“Of course. It will be much more fun in here with you than in the dining room.”
Marian nodded sagely. “We ate in there once. The table came to here.” She held her hand at a level with her chin.
“It was horrible,” Elizabeth said as if suddenly remembering. “And they made us eat duck.” She shuddered.
“With orange sauce,” Marian added. “It made Richard sick.”
The children all regarded Richard with respect. He sat back in his chair with a sudden smile, showing a gap where he’d lost one of his front teeth.
At that moment Mrs. Stibbons bustled in, followed by two footmen and the faithful Lily, all carrying trays of food. Anna noticed that the meal was simply prepared and that the children ate heartily. Even Desford, who let her know he resented her presence with his sullen glances even while he ate with the gusto of a starved horse.
Lily stayed with the children after Mrs. Stibbons left. The maid quietly sat in one corner and did some mending, watching the children as they finished their meal.
Anna talked to Elizabeth. They chatted about dolls and hair and anything else that Anna thought Desford might not want to hear. Soon enough, he pushed his plate away and got up from the table. He called Richard and Marian with him and they resumed their whispered discussion. Anna watched him through narrowed eyes. “Tell me, Elizabeth, why isn’t Desford at Eton? Most boys his age would be there.”
“The earl wanted him to go, but Desford refused.”
“Greyley gave him the choice?”
Elizabeth nodded. “He was disappointed Desford didn’t wish to go. He didn’t say so, but you could tell.”
“Why didn’t Desford wish to go?”
“’Cause the earl is just trying to separate us. Like Grandmama said he would.”
Ah. So that was the way of things. “Perhaps the earl just wished Desford to have the same opportunities that he himself did. I believe the earl went to Eton when he was a child. He most likely believes the experience will help Desford.”
Elizabeth frowned. “Do you think so?”
“Oh yes. After all, had he really wished to separate you, he would have done so already. He doesn’t need an excuse.”
“Grandmama says he doesn’t want us together.”
“Perhaps she is wrong. Adults frequently are, you know.”
Elizabeth thought about this for a moment. Finally she turned to Anna, her blue gaze serious. “Are you ever wrong?”
The girl bit her lip, her brow folded as she considered this.
“There you are, Elizabeth.” It was Desford. He stood just behind Anna. “Marian wants you to come and play fort with us.”
The little girl cast a quick glance at Anna, who smiled encouragingly. “Go and play.”
Elizabeth gave her a grateful smile and hopped up from her chair. Desford turned to follow her, but Anna placed her hand on his arm.
“Desford, Elizabeth was telling me about Eton. I’m surprised you didn’t wish to go.”
A shadow crossed his face, quickly replaced by his usual sullen expression. “I don’t want to go anywhere. Not without my brother and sisters.” He pulled his arm free and went to join his siblings.
Anna stayed where she was for another half hour, watching the children play. She quickly learned that while Desford was the undisputable leader, his brother and sisters were by no means submissive followers. Marian especially seemed disinclined to listen to her eldest brother, while Elizabeth questioned his every suggestion. Richard, too, managed to indicate his displeasure by shaking his head in an emphatic “no.” Still, Desford managed to win most arguments.
It began to dawn on Anna that for an eleven-year-old, Desford showed an uncommon amount of leadership to bring such a fractious group to point. She was just wondering how to deal with Desford when a shadow fell across her and she looked up to see Greyley.
Dressed in formal evening attire, he looked devastatingly handsome, a snowy white cravat knotted about his throat, his black coat stretched across his broad shoulders. “Miss Thraxton, I wish to speak with you.”
“Of course. As soon as the children are in bed, I will—”
“Now.” His gaze flickered to the children, who watched with interest. “Please,” he added grimly.
Anna sighed and stood, then followed him out into the hallway. Once there, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at her with a frown. “Miss Thraxton, dinner is served at seven in the dining room. Lady Putney and I have been waiting.”
“I’m a governess here, not a guest. It would be highly improper for me to eat dinner with your family.”
“You’ll eat with us,” he said, implacable as ever.
He really was impossible. But he was also her employer, and Anna was not about to cross that bridge. “Lord Greyley, I cannot—”
“Anna?” Grandpapa stood in the hallway, dressed in his best black coat. He peered at her, a question in his blue eyes. “Ah, Greyley found you. The footman came to tell us it was time to go down to dinner, but you were nowhere to be found.”
“I have already eaten.”
“Then eat again,” Grandpapa said. “Come along, my dear. Everyone is waiting.”
Anna tucked a stray tendril of her hair behind one ear. She was tempted. She really was. It would be nice to join Greyley and Grandpapa every evening. She could almost picture herself sitting with them, laughing about some absurd tidbit from the children, feeling like a part of the family. Unfortunately, she knew where such imaginings got one; she’d learned about that from her first position. The memory of that horrid time blurred her imaginations to dust. “Grandpapa, I cannot eat with my employer. It would be improper.”
Greyley made a disgusted noise but she shushed him with a single look. “You should know that. Furthermore, I wish to eat with the children. It’s important that I spend as much time with my charges as possible, especially in the beginning.”
Grandpapa shook his head. “As stubborn as your grandmother. Come on, Greyley. She’s made up her mind. I can see it in her eyes.”
The earl regarded Anna for a moment before he cut a glance toward Grandpapa. “Sir Phineas, I’m glad you, at least, will be joining us. I daresay you know many interesting tidbits from Miss Thraxton’s childhood. She has the advantage of being conversant with mine through her acquaintance with my sister.”
Good Lord, the blasted man was going to trick Grandpapa into telling him all sorts of horrid stories about her. Anna opened her mouth to protest, but Grandpapa was ahead of her.
“Oh the stories I could tell,” he said gaily. “Did you know that Anna is allergic to blueberries? Swells up like a balloon. One time, when she was six, she—”
“Grandpapa, I don’t think the earl is interested in hearing about me.”
“Aren’t I?” Greyley asked.
Grandpapa waved a hand. “Never think it, my dear. The earl is interested in all his guests. Now, if you’ll excuse me, we left Lady Putney alone. Think I’ll join her until you two are finished here.” He limped away, leaving Anna and the earl in the hallway.
As Grandpapa’s footsteps faded, the earl leaned closer. “Come to dinner.”
Anna raised her eyes to his, then wished she hadn’t. He was so close she could see the gold flecks in his eyes and the firm line of his chin. “I can’t.”
“You, Miss Thraxton, are my sister’s best friend. It is only right that you eat with us in the dining hall.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“It does to me. It will also matter to Sara.”
“I will write to her and explain the situation.”
He stayed where he was, his chest not an inch from hers, his face dangerously close. The air about them hummed with vitality and Anna caught herself unconsciously tracing her bottom lip with the edge of her tongue, remembering the feel of his lips on hers.
Greyley’s gaze locked on her mouth. “Thraxton,” he said, his voice low.
A slow shiver traced down her spine, sending a delicate feathering of sensation across her skin. She felt drawn to him, as if some force was propelling her into his arms. The moment grew and stretched, neither of them moving. Just as she thought she couldn’t fight the impulse any longer, he let out his breath. “If you aren’t going to eat with us, what will you do?”
“I plan on resting in my room. I have things to do before the children begin their lessons.”
He took her arm, his fingers warm. “Then come. I will escort you there.”
Oh no, he wouldn’t. Anna wasn’t about to go anywhere near her room and that huge bed. Not with Greyley. Not while her mouth still tingled in memory of a day-old kiss. She dug her heels into the hall runner and refused to budge. “I know the way to my own room, thank you.”
His brows lowered. Anna wished he weren’t quite so tall. She wasn’t used to looking up, even a few inches. It was disconcerting and for some unknown reason, it made her want to giggle like a silly girl, which was not something she wanted to be. Ever.
But especially not now. She gave a prim sniff. “Unhand me, sir.”
“Unhand…you sound as if you think I would ravish you.”
“Men pursue women for only two reasons. The first is marriage, which is out of the question—so it must be to form an alliance.”
He stood so still he appeared to be a statue. “An alliance?”
“An unsavory alliance.” Her cheeks heated. It was damnably awkward, but it needed to be said. “I think there has been a mistake. I am not the kind of woman to engage in such activities.”
“I wasn’t going to do anything ‘unsavory.’ I was merely offering to escort you to your room. I am being polite.”
She eyed him warily. “And that’s all?”
“Miss Thraxton, I believe I once promised you that I would kiss you again only if you asked.”
Each word he made curved and moved his mouth. Anna couldn’t look away. His lips were innately beautiful, as carved and strong as the man himself. There was something about a man who knew what he wanted. Oh, it was an irritating trait, she had to admit that small fact. But it was also damnably attractive. And every time she faced Greyley and his infuriating certainty, the pull of attraction grew stronger. So strong that all she could think about was the feel of his mouth on hers, of his broad chest pressing against her breasts, of his hands…“Oh yes,” she murmured.
&n
bsp; “Yes what?” His gaze flickered across her face, lingering on her lips, her throat. “Thraxton, do you—”
She kissed him. She moved forward a few inches and placed her lips on his, a chaste sort of kiss, but a kiss nonetheless. As sad as it was her calm good sense was rudely ousted by a pair of firm, masculine lips.
Greyley didn’t hesitate. He lifted her to him, deepening the touch, his mouth hotly possessive. The heat that simmered between them exploded into an instant conflagration, and her skin flushed from the tips of her toes to the delicate skin on the back of her neck. She couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything but revel in the feelings that swept over her.
His mouth slid from hers and his breath blew hot on her cheek, tickling her ear and sending shivers of delight spiraling through her. “God, Thraxton,” he murmured against her temple. “You taste so good.”
So did he. Anna trailed her lips across his mouth, to his chin, and down the strong column of his throat. His cheek rubbed over her hair, the faint stubble catching the long strands. “Your room,” he murmured into her ear, his hand sliding across her shoulder to cup her breast.
Thousands of sensations exploded through her as he teased her nipple through her clothing. It was heaven. Anna sank against the wall, held up only by his roving, questing hands and her trembling knees. She closed her eyes and let the incredible feeling wash through her, over and over again.
“Your room,” he whispered, more urgently this time. “It’s just down the hall. Let me—”
“M-Miss Thraxton?”
Anna’s eyes flew open and she turned. There, standing outside the nursery, stood Elizabeth. She looked from Anna to Greyley with wide, shocked eyes. Greyley immediately stepped away, and Anna was left swaying in place.
She cleared her throat. “Elizabeth, Lord Greyley was just…whispering a secret.”