The image of Mr. Markham’s leaning over to kiss her rose unbidden to Letty’s mind’s eye, and she reflected that bumbling was not a word she would apply to the marquess. But she couldn’t share that with Isobel if she wanted her friend to realize that all contact with his lordship must cease. “I cannot think that we would have made a match of it,” she countered. “I was overcome by my loneliness and he was—well, I have no idea what he was doing, but it was wrong.”
Isobel shook her head and opened her mouth to respond, but Letty held up her hand. “Let us speak of something else. Discussing this again will lead nowhere. Tell me more of your plans for your excavations in Scotland.”
Isobel allowed herself to be distracted by the question, and soon she was describing in detail the progress she hoped to make that summer. So immersed were they in conversation that they failed to hear someone rapping on the door of the house, and the butler opening the door.
“Lord Eynsford,” said the butler cheerfully. “How good to see you. It has been some days since you last visited us.”
“Good afternoon, Pierce,” said the marquess, handing over his hat. “Is Lord Exencour home?”
“He is in the library, my lord.”
“I know the way,” said Phillip with a smile. He moved across the hall and opened the door to the library.
Chapter 33
Phillip found Francis seated behind his desk, frowning over a ledger. He looked up quickly, pleased to be distracted.
“Phillip! How good of you to call,” he said, rising and moving from behind his desk to shake his friend’s hand. He paused. “Lady Exencour did not see you, did she?”
“I was lucky enough to escape her notice,” said Eynsford. “Is she terribly angry with me?”
“Furious, my friend. And I’m not at all sure that I should not be as well.” Francis moved to a table, on which stood various crystal decanters. “Some brandy?”
“Please,” said the marquess. “I will not blame you at all if you throw me out, rather than offering your hospitality.”
Exencour poured two glasses of amber liquid and strolled over to his friend, handing him one. The men sipped for a moment in silence.
“Whatever were you thinking?” asked Francis finally.
Eynsford seated himself in a large chair and turned his glass slowly in his hands. “I have no idea. I can only plead that once I encountered Lady Morgan, I was enchanted and ceased to think rationally at all.”
“She is lovely,” said Lord Exencour.
“And kind, and brave, and funny, and charming,” said Eynsford fervently.
Francis’ face reflected his surprise. “So this is more than a mere dalliance,” he said.
“Did Lady Exencour not tell you that I proposed marriage?” asked Eynsford.
“She did mention it. But I thought you might have made her an offer from a sense of duty, and hoped that Lady Morgan would respond precisely as she did.”
“Do you think so poorly of me, Francis?”
“I consider you my very good friend, Phillip. But I have never seen you in love with a woman,” said Exencour seriously.
“And before you met Miss Isobel Paley, what were your dealings with the fairer sex like?” asked Eynsford, a touch of anger in his voice.
“Touché.” Francis smiled. “I suppose you are right. We were neither of us particularly considerate of a lady’s feelings in our younger days.”
“I have made a dreadful mess of this,” said the marquess. “She refuses to see me, so I cannot set it right.”
“Isobel tells me that you have been, er, intimate with Lady Morgan,” he said. “Do you think that was wise?”
“Nothing I have done in regard to Lady Morgan was wise,” said Eynsford bitterly. “I could not resist her, and I took liberties that I should not have. Why did you not stop me? You guessed my secret.”
“You would not have thanked me at the time,” said Exencour. “I imagine you would have told me to keep my advice to myself.”
The marquess laughed. “Or something stronger, perhaps. You are right, I would not have listened to anyone. Nor can I completely regret it; after all, I would not have met her otherwise, or at least not for some months, and then I would only have been able to approach her in a ballroom, or at the opera. I might never have learned how sweet and kind she is.”
Francis shook his head. “I will not share with you the details of my courtship of Isobel, but please believe that I made my fair share of missteps. Perhaps your suit will one day find favor with Lady Morgan. I urge you to be persistent, Phillip.”
“How can I be persistent when she won’t even talk to me?” Eynsford’s hand tightened on his glass.
“That, my friend, you will have to work out for yourself,” said Francis.
“Does she go to Scotland with you?” asked the marquess.
Exencour shook his head. “That will do you no good. She refused Isobel’s invitation, partly I’m sure because she fears you might also be a guest.”
Eynsford sighed. “I suppose I must be patient.”
“You might have done better if you had been in the first place,” Francis pointed out.
The marquess shook his head, and drained his glass. “I must take my leave. I did not want you to depart for the summer without apologizing for my behavior to your friend. When do you and Lady Exencour leave London?”
“In two days’ time,” replied Francis. “You could join us there, Phillip. Isobel would be glad to see you, though you will probably have to bear a scolding first.”
“Perhaps. If I cannot make Lady Morgan believe I am sincere, it may be best for me to remove myself from her vicinity.”
“You are always welcome.” Francis walked the marquess to the hall, where the men paused and shook hands.
The butler was not present, and Eynsford shrugged. “I’ll show myself out,” he said to Exencour, who nodded pleasantly and returned to the library.
Phillip strode from the library to the grand entrance to Strancaster House, but paused when he heard a soft tread on the stairs leading towards the upper floors, followed by a gasp. He looked up and saw Letitia, her hand clutching the railing, poised as though to turn and flee back up the stairs.
Eynsford’s hand flew with its own volition from his side and reached out to her. “Lady Morgan,” he said. “Please, stop.”
She hesitated, and he moved swiftly across the hall and stood looking up at her. Letitia drew in her breath at the picture he presented. She had only seen him twice before dressed as the marquess; her Mr. Markham had been a handsome man, but Eynsford’s attractiveness was magnetic. She shivered as she recalled the pleasure he had given her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked softly.
“I came to apologize to my friend Francis for abusing his friendship,” said his lordship. “It was wrong of me to deceive Lord and Lady Exencour. Not as wrong as what I did to you, but I still regret it.”
Letty bit her lip and looked away. When she gazed into his eyes, she found it very hard to remain angry with him.
“Why are you here?” he asked.
“Isobel invited me to tea. She is upstairs, haranguing her staff,” she said with a hint of humor. “I told her I could make my own way out.”
“Letitia, please let me talk to you,” Phillip begged. He approached her and very gently took her hand in his.
“We can’t talk here,” she protested, but did not withdraw her hand.
Phillip slowly led her the rest of the way down the stairs, and glanced around the hall. He spotted a door under the stairs, and gestured at it. “I suppose this must lead to the service areas and the dining room,” he said, urging her across the polished marble of the floor. “It should be unused in the afternoon, please, give me only a moment,” he continued, opening the door.
With a doubtful glance at his face, Letitia entered the hallway that was revealed. Despite herself, she desperately wanted to be in Eynsford’s company. What could possibly happen in Strancaster House, she wond
ered.
Eynsford closed the door behind them, and turned to her, so pleased to simply be in her presence that he was not at all sure of what to say.
“Lady Morgan, allow me to again express my remorse for the pain I have caused you,” he said.
Letitia looked away. “I blame myself for allowing you—allowing myself to befriend an unknown man,” she said distantly. “Please, do not concern yourself any longer with me.”
Impatiently, Eynsford closed the distance between them. “Letty,” he murmured. “Letty.” He reached out and grasped her shoulders, uncertain if he wanted to shake her, hold her, or kiss her. As he became conscious of the delicate strength of her collarbone and shoulders beneath his fingers, he softly slipped his hands over them, gently massaging her tense muscles. Letty relaxed visibly, and unable to resist, Phillip lowered his head to hers as she looked up at him. He breathed in the subtle scent of lavender and lilacs that always seemed to cling to her, and opened his mouth to speak, but found instead that his lips were touching hers.
The door to the library opened, and Isobel entered. Francis looked up at her, appreciating the grace with which she moved. She laughed when she saw the look in his eyes.
“Later, my dear,” she said. “Right now I need you to check on a trunk in our rooms. I believe it is yours, but I have no idea why it is there.”
“Surely if you are taking seven trunks, I may take one,” said Francis plaintively, but he followed his wife out of the library with a smile. As they walked towards the stairs to the upper floors, Isobel looked up.
“Do you hear voices?” she asked. “It sounds like they are coming from behind the service door.”
Francis lifted his head, and then reached out and touched Isobel’s arm, stopping her from approaching the door. “Was Lady Morgan here this afternoon?” he asked.
“She was indeed. She left some ten minutes ago.”
Francis’ raised his eyebrows. “Eynsford was here as well,” he said.
“I did not see him! Oh, Francis, what if they ran into each other?”
“I very much think they may have,” said her husband, giving the door a significant look.
Isobel looked alarmed and began to pull away from him. “Oh no, Letty must be so angry,” she said.
Francis tightened his grip on her arm. “Isobel, I fancy that there was a time when you and I would have been very unhappy should we have been interrupted,” he said softly.
“What? Oh!” Understanding dawned in Isobel’s eyes. “But Francis, I cannot allow Letitia—”
“Nonsense, my dear. Letitia is an adult, and has seen far more difficulty in her life than you have. You cannot always order her life for her. Leave them be.”
“But—” Isobel subsided at the look on Francis’ face. “I suppose you are right,” she said. “And only fancy how embarrassing it would be if they—well, if they are—”
“Exactly,” said Francis. “And so my dear, perhaps you would like to return to the library?”
Isobel, with one last curious glance at the closed door, followed her husband out of the hall.
As Letty felt the firm touch of Phillip’s mouth, her anger and disappointment vanished, burnt away by the heat of her very real love and desire for him. After experiencing the emptiness his absence had left in her days, she hadn’t the heart to resist, and parted her lips, reveling in the taste and feel of him. She melted at the caress of his hands on her shoulders and back, and stepped closer to the warmth and strength of Phillips muscular chest, enjoying the secure feeling of his arms around her.
Phillip kissed her deeply, his tongue tangling with hers in a dance of desire. He allowed his mouth to trail across her cheek, nipping at her earlobe, and then kissing down the soft, sensitive skin of her throat. Almost insensibly, he slid his hands over to push the sleeves of her dress down her shoulders, so his lips could continue downward towards her breasts, swelling above the neckline of her dress.
Phillip’s hands stroked her arms, lowering the little puff sleeves still further, then slipped down her back, to the round curves of her bottom. He gripped them and squeezed gently, then pressed her up against his rapidly swelling groin, as his lips found one exposed nipple, which he sucked gently, teasing it with his tongue into a delicate point. Letty moaned and sagged in his grasp, the emotions he generated nearly overwhelming her, as he began to give the same attention to her other breast.
Letty found herself unbuttoning Eynsford’s well-cut coat, so she could slip her hands inside, caressing his muscled chest, and then wrapping her arms around his waist, to press herself ardently against him. As she gazed up to him, Phillip rained little kisses over her face, before possessing her lips again in a kiss that made her quiver and press her thighs together as she felt the rush of moisture there.
Phillip pulled her still closer, pressing her hips into his as grasped her full muslin skirts and pulled a handful of foaming fabric upward. He lifted another handful and felt the smoothness of her round thigh under his hand, and although dimly aware that this was not exactly what he had planned, he found himself maneuvering Letitia towards the wall, where he could more easily lift her onto himself and satisfy them both.
The sound of a not too distant door closing cut through Letitia’s haze of desire, breaking the spell that held her, and she found the strength to put her hands against his chest and push him away. She shook out her skirts, and hastily pulling up the sleeves of her gown and tidying her bodice before looking at him.
“This is why we can’t meet, and you must not visit my house,” she whispered, her voice tense with anger and shame. “If you will not refrain from using my passion against me, I must, perforce, avoid your company.”
“How can you imply that I wish you harm?” he demanded. “Have I ever done aught but seek your pleasure?”
“No, you have not, but you also will not listen to me. I must learn to make my own way, before I become too close to another man.” Letty turned away, tears welling up in her eyes.
“I have tried to tell you that I am too recently widowed, and that Alfred’s behavior and your deception make it impossible for me to know my true feelings toward you, but you do not listen to me!” she cried. “These past moments are the some of the first we have spent together since I became aware of your true identity, and—and—that is what happened! I know no more about you than I did an hour ago, but I have learned I cannot trust myself near you. If you cannot wait for me, well, I am better off without you.” Letty turned on her heel, her hand shaking as she opened the door that led back to the entrance hall, and fled. Eynsford watched her go, cursing under his breath.
Pierce, who had returned to his post, handed Letitia her spencer and hat as she reached the door of the mansion, and when she was ready, bowed as he opened the door for her with an impassive face. “Good afternoon, Lady Morgan,” he said calmly. She lifted her chin and exited, her cheeks slightly flushed.
A few minutes later, Eynsford also appeared. Pierce turned to the marquess, “Your hat, your lordship,” he said, handing him his tall, curled brim beaver.
“Thank you, Pierce,” said Eynsford, feeling a bit uncomfortable, although he no particular reason to think Pierce or any of the staff had seen him with Letty. He hesitated.
“Was there something else, my lord?” inquired the butler.
“No, not at all,” responded Eynsford, who also left the house, his thoughts in turmoil.
Chapter 34
The days after Isobel's departure from London were quite trying for Lady Morgan. The weather, which was hot, exacerbated her loneliness and discomfort, making any effort seem doubly difficult. Even the children were reluctant to leave the house for their daily walk, and Letitia found their listlessness worrisome.
She thought Isobel might well have been right; a change of scenery would do her good, as well as depriving her of Dr. Wolfe's constant presence, and the children would surely benefit by a change of air. She could not, however, consider going to Scotland; she knew that Isob
el and Francis would receive her and the children with great pleasure, but she wished to care for herself, and not be running to her friends with every problem.
Letty seated herself at her elegant desk with her account books and went to work. A careful search through them revealed that a little judicious pruning of her expenses would allow her to scrape together enough money to take the children to the seaside for some weeks. In particular, the money she had set aside to buy herself a few dresses for attending parties the following fall could be sacrificed; the thought of attending functions at which she must encounter Lord Eynsford seemed totally ludicrous.
The money was not enough, of course, to go to a fashionable resort such as Brighton, but this was no deterrent to Letitia; she considered the presence of fashionable society a detriment rather than an asset. Ramsgate, she decided, would be the very thing. The people who went there were solidly middle-class and decidedly unfashionable; exactly the type of people who would pay little attention to a widow with small children who wished to enjoy the sea air.
In a short time Letitia had made all her arrangements. Isobel's solicitor, Mr. Askworth, had been only too happy to aid her in finding rooms to rent for two months, and he had assured her that they were comfortable, airy, and inexpensive. Dr. Wolfe, who had provided his opinion, although it had not been asked for, had been surprisingly agreeable about her decision. Letty wanted to roll her eyes when he told her that he was sure that some time at the seashore would give her the opportunity to make the decision he knew would make them both very happy. He also approved of her choice of Ramsgate heartily, telling her it was quite genteel. Thus, with the blessings of all concerned, Letitia prepared to exit London, determined to forget the events of the past spring and to drive the Marquess of Eynsford from her mind.
Two days before she was to leave, she was in her parlor, reviewing a list of items to be taken and those to be left in Kensington. She felt a small glow of pleasure that things had proceeded so smoothly, and she also acknowledged that the activity had allowed her to push the so attractive Marquess of Eynsford out of the forefront of her mind. She missed him dreadfully, she acknowledged, but her inability to resist his advances at the Exencour’s home had convinced her that it was best to stay away from the marquess altogether.
An Indecent Charade: Letitia's After Dark Regency Romance Page 20
