by Heather Boyd
“My lord,” Anna murmured as she dipped a curtsy to him.
“Might I have a moment or two of conversation?”
“Yes, of course.” She gestured him into the room, deciding where she’d sit. She chose a single straight-backed chair for herself, and Lord Sorenson took a place on the settee.
He beamed after the door shut. “You look lovely today,” he told her.
Anna blushed at the compliment and turned to her father. However, Father wasn’t beside her anymore. Her heart began to race.
“Your father will return after we have spoken,” Lord Sorenson confided. “I asked if we might speak privately and he agreed.”
Anna sank into her chair again and slowly lifted her gaze to the earl’s.
Oh dear. Alone with the handsome devil yet again.
“You know why I have come,” he murmured.
“Yes,” she admitted. He’d come because she’d been very foolish. She’d compromised herself in his arms.
“Miss Beasley, I think you will agree with me that our encounter last night was serious enough to warrant this immediate course of action.”
He had to ask. He had to say the words so that she had a chance to let him down gently and then they might never need speak of it again. Her heart began to race, and she fell back on empty pleasantries to buy time. “Did you enjoy the ball last night?”
“Indeed. I found the evening very exciting.”
“Lady Windermere will be very pleased with the attendance at her first ball as Lord Windermere’s wife.”
His expression grew puzzled. “I wasn’t speaking of the ball.”
Anna pasted an innocent expression to her face. “I was.”
His lips twitched. He rose from his seat, only to sink to one knee on the carpet before her. He caught her eye as he reached for her hand. “Miss Beasley, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
For a moment, Anna’s determination to reject him faltered. For a brief, glorious moment, Anna believed he really meant his offer. His haste in offering matrimony could be a sign of the most ardent affection.
And yet…as soon as his tongue darted out to wet his lips, she remembered last night all too clearly. He’d stolen a kiss (or two) and that was all there was between them. It was hardly enough to build a happy life upon.
She had no choice but to decline. “Lord Sorenson, your actions do you credit today but I am afraid I must refuse your kind offer.”
She expected him to hear her words, mutter his acceptance of her refusal, and then excuse himself.
Lord Sorenson did not. He shifted till he was fully kneeling and shuffled closer. “Why must you refuse me?”
His words were low, intimate, and she felt each one as if his lips were against her skin.
“Last night was an aberration. We hardly know each other.”
“That is what I thought you’d say, and you are correct. We have spent barely six hours at most under the same roof after we were introduced. Barely any time at all to know each other well enough for marriage.”
“We danced but once.”
“A lovely dance,” he murmured.
“I cannot agree to marry a stranger based on so little information.”
He grinned ruefully. “I imagine being counted as one of Lord Carmichael’s oldest friends isn’t any recommendation of my character, is it?”
“I’m sure you are a better man than he is, but…”
“But you still couldn’t consider marrying me under the circumstances,” he finished for her.
“No.” She tried to smile. “I am sorry.”
He smiled though. “I thought I would have to convince you.”
Anna waved away the effect of his smile and bravely pressed on, determined to convince him she was right. “I know Lord Wade and Lady Windermere expect news of an engagement, but all you really did promise was to call upon my father today. You have done that. If I refuse you, surely they will be satisfied.”
“If only that were the case.” He caressed her fingers, which she had utterly forgotten he held. “I think you should be allowed a chance to reconsider my offer.”
Her eyebrows rose high. “My lord, you are not listening.”
“I’m listening, but I fear you misunderstand my motivation for proposing.”
She smiled sadly. “It is all very clear. You came to keep your word. To prevent my reputation from being ruined.”
“I came to arrange to marry you. Your father was just as incredulous as you appear to be, but I must stress I am in earnest.”
“But why?”
“Because of this.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers. It was a soft kiss, tender and full of gentle exploration.
Kissing him was what had gotten her into trouble in the first place. She pushed him back. “My lord!”
“My future bride,” he said huskily, and then cleared his throat. “The memory of our kisses will keep me awake again tonight.”
She drew back to look at his face, discovering her hand rested against his cheek now. She snatched her hand back. “You didn’t sleep, either?”
He caught her hand and returned it to his face. Then he pushed his cheek against her palm. “I found myself reliving every moment of having you in my arms.”
Anna blushed. “I shouldn’t have allowed it.”
“It will be our secret.”
“Except for two witnesses.”
“Who will say nothing because I kept my promise.”
“You are honorable.”
He ginned impishly. “What if we decide upon a secret understanding between us to appease Lord Wade and Lady Windermere while I woo you properly? We can set a date to marry when we know each other better.”
That seemed fair to her, and yet—
Lord Sorenson kissed her again without warning. Anna grasped his shoulders as he swept her into a kiss unlike the others. She felt the tip of his tongue tickling her lips and when she parted them to protest, he deepened the kiss, and she forgot she meant to be good.
Anna wound her arms about his neck as he ate at her mouth like he was starving for her kisses. His arms closed around her firmly, and then he began to explore the curve of her waist and the length of her back. When his fingers caressed the back of her neck, she moaned a little against his lips.
She perhaps got a little too swept up in the kiss, because she didn’t remember Lord Sorenson saying her father would return until she heard Father outside the door, clearing his throat very loudly before he rattled the handle.
“Well,” Lord Sorenson whispered the moment he drew back. His face was flushed, and his eyes were wide and hot on hers. “Can you at least promise me you’ll consider marrying me for the right reason after that kiss?”
He sat back on his heels, eyes fixed on Anna with one brow raised, but then he returned to his chair as the door creaked open to admit her father.
Anna feared she was blushing as bright as the sun or her suitor’s red hair, and glanced down at her hands while she decided what to do and say. That was a kiss she’d not soon forget. It was a kiss she would remember forever.
He was correct about one thing too, she wouldn’t think of anything but him and his proposal now. It was a huge decision to make.
“Is everything all right, daughter?”
“It is, Papa. Lord Sorenson has asked me to marry him.” Anna glanced up finally, looking toward her suitor with a new appreciation. She didn’t want to refuse him but she also didn’t want to be rushed. There was so much about him she couldn’t know on so short an acquaintance.
Lord Sorenson’s impressively wide shoulders sagged, and then he nodded. “She has—”
“Decided to consider his offer of marriage,” she finished for him. “In my own time.”
Lord Sorenson threw her a delighted grin.
Her father gaped. “Consider it? What is there to consider?”
“I am happy with her answer, sir. In her own good time, she will decide one way or the other,” L
ord Sorenson said, still smiling at her as if her hesitation was right and proper. “There’s no reason for us to rush her until we know each other much better.”
Anna was sure her father was about to curse but he pressed his lips together tightly and didn’t argue with the earl. Anna had been on the marriage mart for two years and this was her very first offer. She’d known Lord Sorenson barely two weeks. She wanted time to become better acquainted with him…and his kisses.
When he continued to smile at her, Anna heart began to beat faster than ever. The Earl of Sorenson was actually a devil in disguise. And right now, he appeared to be a very pleased devil indeed, judging by the appreciative glances he kept throwing her way as he reassured her father yet again that he was more than happy with the delay.
She could love him for his understanding alone.
But could she marry a stranger? She wasn’t sure she knew the answer to that.
Chapter 11
“No one died last night,” Carmichael stated immediately as he stepped into Gilbert’s Town carriage outside his home.
“That we know of so far,” Gilbert warned, looking over Carmichael closely. The man appeared disheveled, as if he’d missed another night of sleep. Too much of that and he’d endanger the investigation and his health.
But he felt hope that they had passed the Friday without another loss. The question on his mind was, why not last night? Had the killer shed enough blood and quit the field entirely?
Despite the unending string of questions in his mind, Gilbert was a little distracted at the moment. He was bound for his club with the hope of running Lord Wade to ground, and then he would be calling on Lady Windermere. After receiving only a perhaps from Miss Beasley in terms of his offer of marriage, he was keen to inform Lord Wade and Lady Windermere that Anna Beasley and he had an understanding of sorts. He would court her properly, and she’d consider whether he might make an agreeable husband one day. The last thing Gilbert wanted was harmful gossip circulating about his reluctant future bride or for her to feel pressure to accept.
Carmichael stretched his legs out in the confined space. “Well, there was no screaming, or wilting debutants that I came across.”
“Miss Beasley didn’t scream.” The thought of Anna made Gilbert unusually warm even now. She was quite delightful to kiss, but very determined to make a match for the right reason. He’d not meant to compromise her, but the kisses they’d shared and been discovered indulging in were all the reason he needed to make the most important decision of his life very quickly.
It was impossible to fake such innocent, ardent responses. Anna Beasley was the one. She surprised him at every turn, including her refusal to consider accepting his proposal straight away.
“Anna yelped,” Carmichael told him. “She used to do that whenever I startled her.”
“I can’t say I blame her. By all I’ve heard, you’ve been beastly to her.”
If he and Anna were to wed, Carmichael and Anna must become friends, he suddenly decided. This childish feud Carmichael had encouraged wouldn’t be necessary once Anna was known to be betrothed to him and they eventually married. Mr. Beasley would stop looking at Lord Carmichael as a future son-in-law by then and accept she belonged to someone else. “You should be kinder.”
Carmichael studied his fingernails. “I suppose I could. However, there’s little reason to change my tactics now. Not after all the trouble I’ve taken to keep Anna from liking me. I don’t want to give her father the hope of a match between us.”
Gilbert grimaced. He wouldn’t like that, either. It had taken quite a bit of negotiation for Mr. Beasley to agree to his request for a private conversation with Anna so he could propose. “I think you’re in the clear.”
The longer courtship suited him, although he was a little uncomfortable that he might have to continue to lie to Anna about the scale of his involvement with Bow Street. She’d seen enough of death, suffered enough of a shock over Miss Goldwell’s demise. He’d shield her from anything else while the current investigation was underway and when they were married, he’d give up his pursuit of criminals for a settled and safe home life for good.
“I thought Anna seemed a little worried last night when we danced, but she would say nothing of her distress to me.” Carmichael chewed his lower lip. “Have you by chance spoken with her?”
“We’ve spoken.”
Spoken, and kissed again, too. Although he’d agreed to the delay, he was hopeful of more pleasant interludes like today’s kisses. He’d been nervous as hell until he’d kissed her. After that, well…he’d done what seemed to come very naturally between them.
“And?”
“And what?”
Carmichael frowned. “Will she tell everyone that Miss Goldwell was murdered or not? We cannot have her informing society that there may well be a madman killing off debutants.”
“She only knows about Miss Goldwell’s death. She doesn’t know about the rest,” he promised.
“A mercy, that. Miss Hayes, another close friend of Angela’s, asked me outright if I knew when Angela and her mother would return to London last night.”
Gilbert winced. “What did you say?”
“I lied, of course. I told her I’ve no idea.”
“Good. Good.”
They fell silent for a bit, and Gilbert got his bearings. They were not far from the club, where he would begin to spread the word about his pursuit of Anna Beasley, but first he should probably inform Carmichael. Soften the blow, because the man had planned to marry Miss Berry this month and he was still grieving. He didn’t like to keep secrets from his best friend.
“I lost you last night for a bit.” Carmichael observed. “Where were you?”
“Why?”
“We should compare notes on whom we spoke to. Did you see anything suspicious?”
Carmichael was becoming obsessed with the chase.
“Not me. Davis reported nothing out of the ordinary last night. The only thing I noticed was Meriwether loitering outside in the garden.”
“I know why.” Carmichael chuckled darkly. “Meriwether was once known to be courting the new Lady Windermere, in the year before her marriage. Meriwether ended up marrying some silly country chit instead. A few months later, Windermere married his current wife and they will have nothing to do with him, or his reforms, now of course. I would say there is bad blood between them.”
Gilbert grunted. “That explains his sour expression last night. What did you uncover? Anything?”
“Well, I did see something unusual but I’m not sure what to make of it.” He leaned forward in his seat, resting one hand on a knee. “Lord Wade and Lady Windermere have suddenly become confidants. I noticed her husband didn’t seem pleased at all by the private tête-à-tête they shared last night. There’s something going on there. Do you think her already bored by married life?”
Gilbert blinked at Carmichael. “It’s not what you think between them.”
Carmichael frowned. “Lady Windermere had quite the reputation before she wed. She was rumored to keep a number of lovers dangling after her, including Meriwether. Since tying the knot, she’s devoted her attention to her husband and new son exclusively. But she’s no stranger to rumor or innuendo when it involves men younger than herself.”
Gilbert sighed and cleared his throat. He would have to explain: about witnesses and kissing Anna last night. “They had a good reason to be whispering.”
“Oh?” Carmichael asked.
“I asked Miss Beasley to marry me today.”
Carmichael reached across the carriage suddenly and grabbed Gilbert by the cravat. He was shaken, and quite roughly, too. “What did you do last night to make such a sudden proposal necessary?”
Gilbert shook off Carmichael. “A kiss. Nothing more serious than that, I swear.”
“I knew it. You like her! I said you were staring at her.”
Gilbert straightened his coat and cravat, fighting a wave of shame. He’d behaved quite po
orly last night, and maybe again today, too. But as much as it pained him, he’d sworn to deal honestly with his best friend some time ago. He couldn’t lie to Carmichael and expect the same consideration in return. “Yes, well, try not to look so bloody smug about it. I admit, you were right. I haven’t stopped thinking of her since I saw her.”
Carmichael cackled. “Betrothed, and to Anna, within two weeks of coming to London. I knew it! I knew what I saw between you.”
Gilbert allowed his friend his amusement. It was the first time Carmichael had seemed genuinely happy all week. “You’ll stand up with me of course when the time comes.”
“I would be very pleased to. When is the wedding to be carried out?”
“Not soon, I suspect. Anna feels we don’t know each other well enough to actually accept my proposal, so a date has not been agreed to.”
Carmichael squinted at him, his astonishment obvious. “Did she refuse you outright?”
“No.” Gilbert shook his head. “When we were caught together last night, I blurted out a promise to visit her father today to Lord Wade and Lady Windermere, who found us together, to allay any gossip or announcement. Anna particularly did not wish to upset her father, and they agreed to say nothing as long as I called upon him today.”
“So that explains them whispering.” Carmichael glanced away. “And Anna’s odd behavior.”
“She wasn’t upset about being kissed really.” He nodded. “But it wasn’t the way a gentleman with intentions should have behaved. Being found alone together sped up the business of offering for her.”
“Once you know, you know,” Carmichael mused, wiping at his eyes with his thumb suddenly. “Nothing can stop it…except murder.”
“I’m sorry.”
“At least Anna will be happy. I imagine her father will regale me with the tale of your appearance in his study in the near future.”
“He seemed quite surprised by my presence.”
Carmichael shook his head. “Why was there no death last night?”
Gilbert sighed. So much for a pleasant diversion by talk of the living and the future. “Perhaps the murderer was distracted.”
