by Kit Morgan
“What?”
He stared at her a moment. He wouldn’t have kissed her if he didn’t find her attractive. Surely she’d figured that one out on her own. So why didn’t he want to say it?
“Well?” she prompted.
Oh, yes, because he didn’t want to be attracted to her. Because this wasn’t going to work. He’d best remember that. “Perhaps we should ring for some refreshment? See if anyone’s about that way.”
But she wasn’t going to let him off so easy. “First tell me what you were going to say.”
He should keep his mouth shut, but Aldrich was no coward. He was known to speak his mind, too. “Interesting,” he finally said. And yes, he was also good at keeping a woman at arm’s length.
She scrunched up her face. “What? Interesting?” Her face relaxed. “At least it’s not a turn off.”
“There you go again. I’ll never remember all these sayings of yours.”
She laughed. “Good. Then you’re less likely to remember the bad ones.”
“Bad? I’ve heard nothing bad.”
“Haven’t you?” she teased. “That’s only because you don’t know that they’re bad.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “You wouldn’t dare take advantage of my …” he made a face, just as she’d done earlier, “… ignorance.”
That made her laugh again. “Personally, I don’t think you have an ignorant bone in your body,” she said and giggled. “You’re really quite good.”
He straightened at her words. “I beg your pardon?”
“Your acting. You’re one of the best I’ve ever seen.” She headed for the library doors. “Now lets go raid the kitchen. I’m starved.”
She opened them and, not waiting for him, strode into the hall. “Acting?” he said aloud. What the bloody hell did that mean? Then it dawned on him. Did she think his attraction was an act? That his kiss meant nothing? She might as well have called him a cad when he gave her the chance. Then again, maybe he was. Though his intentions were as honorable as they could be when steeling a kiss, he was by no means pretending. And he was attracted to her. Very much so. It’d been all he could do not to take the kiss further. But he also liked her. A lot. More than he should.
He sighed in resignation. Better make that more than was safe. He could get himself into trouble with Tory Phelps. Like, the sort that took you to the alter trouble if he wasn’t careful. Then what would his peers say? The ton would view her as a heathen, a guttersnipe. She was wild, uncivilized. Why that drove him mad, he had no idea. But it did. She kept him on his toes when he was around her and he liked it. In short, she made him feel alive. If he felt any more alive he’d wind up proposing.
Aldrich left the library and headed for the kitchen. There was no sign of Tory. She must have already headed down the servant’s stairs. What a shock the cook was about to get! He hoped she didn’t chase Tory back up the stairs. She got upset when he ventured down, and he could get away with a lot in the duke’s house. All the servants liked him, with the exception of Barnes, of course. He knew the butler tolerated him for the duke’s sake, which made needling him all the more fun.
But none of the servants seemed to be around. Where were they? Aldrich turned down a short hall, descended the stairs to the servant’s level, and entered the kitchen.
Tory stood at the worktable, slicing an apple. “I don’t know where everyone is. It’s like the house is empty. Did they all go to town or something?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps they’re in the gardens somewhere. But surely we would have been informed if luncheon was to be held outside.”
“Hmm, that could be. And it is lunchtime. No wonder I’m so hungry. Apple slice?”
He took one and began to munch. “Cook keeps some very nice cheeses. I’ll fetch some.”
She nodded as she sliced up another apple. “Maybe we should go look for everyone after we’ve had a snack. In case they are having lunch in the garden and forgot to tell us. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spoil my appetite. That cook of the duke’s is the bomb.”
Aldrich was half way out of the kitchen and stopped in mid-stride. “Bomb?”
She must have caught the alarm in his voice. She laughed. “It’s not what you think. Now go on and find us some cheese to go with these apples.”
Aldrich shook his head, smiled, and continued on his way. As unorthodox as she was, he didn’t know if he could ever say goodbye to her. Maybe Duncan was right. To hell with what the ton thought of her or anyone else.
He entered the pantry and took a deep breath. He would have to make a decision. Either let go of the notion of courting her, because that’s exactly what popped into his head when he’d kissed her, or pursue the woman. But his mind and his heart hadn’t quite lined up yet.
He’d wager he wouldn’t find another like her in his lifetime. In fact he was sure of it. So that left him with two choices. Leave off and vanish after the house party, because he wasn’t about to let Tory handle the likes of the ton on her own. Oh, yes, and live a mundane life as a result. Or, pursue her and do what he could to keep her in England. Problem was, would she? Even after he made his intentions clear, she might still reject him. For all he knew, she was dallying with him. But he didn’t think so.
Either way, he’d have to decide soon. Because for some reason he felt an odd sense of urgency and couldn’t for the life of him figure out why.
Twelve
Other than a few thumps coming from down the hall where Aldrich rifled the pantry for cheese, the lower level of the house was eerily quiet. The thought of the two of them suddenly alone in the huge manor sent a chill up her spine. She felt like she was in a zombie movie, preparing to go out into danger, gleaning the lower level with Aldrich for supplies.
“Oh, stop it, Phelps,” she whispered to herself. “Daydreams get you nowhere.” And yet here she was, living one. Her dream of working abroad had come true. And, as weird a job as it was, she liked it. She especially liked a certain dark-haired man she was spending the day with. Alone for the most part, which made it even better.
She turned and looked at the high window over the sink. Good grief even the kitchen was historical. There wasn’t a faucet, but an old fashioned pump for water. With a sigh she studied it. She was thirsty. She found a glass, gave the pump a whirl, and, after a few tries, got it working. After draining her glass, she filled one for Aldrich and set it on the long worktable behind her.
She began her search for something to wrap the apple slices and cheese in when he returned. “I found some wonderful Brie. Here’s a small round.” He handed it to her.
“We’ll need a knife,” she said and glanced around.
“Leave it to me.” He searched through a nearby hutch, found a small bowl and set it on the table. “For the apples.”
Tory shrugged and tossed in the apple slices, then found a linen napkin and covered the bowl. She tucked the crockery into the crook of one arm and picked up the round of cheese. “Any luck?”
Aldrich had moved to another area of the kitchen. He found a small paring knife and joined her. “I’ll take that. You can carry the cheese.”
“Okay.” She handed him the bowl and headed for the stairs that led to the upper levels.
“Not that way.”
She turned. “Where then? How do we get out of here?”
He nodded toward a door with a half-window at the other end of the kitchen. “That leads outside.”
Tory followed him through the door to a little landing, up a set of stone stairs and into what looked like a delivery area. There were boxes and crates stacked here and there, along with an empty wagon. Tory stared at it and wondered if the duke ever hitched horses up to the thing for show.
“This way,” Aldrich headed for a path that led around the house.
She followed, studying her surroundings as they went. She hadn’t been on this side of the manor before. Actually, other than her outing with Aldrich after she first arrived and a few walks, she hadn
’t had the chance for extensive exploring of the grounds, nor the gardens for that matter. She was too busy with the duchess and speaking in halls with the man walking ahead of her.
They reached the end of the path and Aldrich offered her his arm. “Around that hedge,” he said with a nod at the tall, neatly trimmed greenery in front of them, “are the gardens. I’m sure we’ll find everyone in there somewhere.”
“I hope so. I’d hate to think they went anywhere without us. Then again, where would they go?”
“The village, most likely. It’s not like they’d travel to London.”
She laughed. “No, I wouldn’t think so.” She looked around. “There’s a village nearby?”
“Yes, just over there.” He tossed his head over his shoulder. Down the main drive and left at the lane. It’s only a twenty minute walk.”
“Really? I didn’t notice it when I came from London.”
“That’s because you came from the other direction,” he said with a smile. “I’ll take you if you’d like.”
“Sure, but let’s see if we can find out where everyone is first.”
“Right, lets.”
She took his arm and they strolled around the hedge and onto a wide, pebbled walkway. Other tall hedges grew here, and looked to be arranged into some sort of maze. “Are you sure we’re going to find them? Looks more like we’ll get lost.”
“True, but the maze isn’t that big. We’d find our way out eventually.”
She blushed. Getting lost in a hedge maze with him might be fun. But then, she shouldn’t be thinking about him that way. It had to stop. She couldn’t risk blowing this job over a kiss.
But what she shared with him wasn’t just any old kiss. Now that her head was clearer, Tory realized she’d come alive in that moment. She’d brushed it off earlier, not wanting to face that it was special. It would make being around him all the harder, and she didn’t fancy torturing her self like that. She wanted this job, needed it. To keep it she’d have to kiss Mr. Tall-dark-and-handsome, goodbye.
She smiled at the pun and concentrated on their search. Aldrich led them away from the maze and into a rose garden. “There’s a gazebo a hundred yards in that direction, but I can’t tell if anyone’s there. There’s too much shrubbery in the way.”
Tory stood on tip-toe and craned her neck. “Neither do I. You don’t think they’ve abandoned us, do you?”
“No, but … oh, wait. I know where they are.”
“You do?”
“The carnival. That has to be it.”
“What carnival?”
“In the village. They have it every year about this time.” He looked at her and grinned widely. “Shall we?”
Her heart leaped. Too bad her brain didn’t take a flying leap too. You can’t, you’re playing with fire, her mind screamed. You blow this and you might not get another chance at such a sweet job.
“Something the matter?” he asked and steered them toward a marble bench.
“No, nothing. What are we doing?”
“Sitting, if it’s all right with you. I’m hungry and I know you are.”
“Oh yes, I sort of forgot about that,” she confessed.
He narrowed his eyes as he smiled. “Other things on your mind?”
“How can there not be when everyone has disappeared?”
“Not everyone. I’m sure there are housemaids still about. The duke wouldn’t leave the place completely empty. Don’t worry, we’re not alone.”
“I wasn’t worried about being alone. As big as this place is, I’m sure it’s not empty. But it is sort of weird not to see the house regulars.”
“You mean the duke and duchess?”
“And Becky, and Barnes, and the guy with the funny long tail jacket.”
“You mean the footman?”
“Is that what you call him? I forgot.”
He laughed softly, stopped, and then looked at her.
Uh-oh. It was the same look he’d had right before he kissed her in the library, only this time, not as intense. But it was getting there. Tory gazed back, her mind gone, her heart taking its place as their eyes locked. Ah nuts, so much for the voice of reason.
His eyes roamed her face and Tory melted into a puddle. A scene from the last historical romance she’d read flashed through her brain. She was suddenly transported into a beautiful garden, wearing period clothing and sitting next to a handsome hero. Only this scene wasn’t conjured up by something in a book. This was real. She had to kiss him!
But he kissed her first. And this time, he didn’t break it so readily.
* * *
Deuce take it! He was doing it again! Why could he not restrain himself around this woman? And it wasn’t only about keeping his lips from hers, but his heart. Every time he drew too close or worse, when their lips met, Aldrich felt part of him being transported over to her, and it didn’t come back! If this kept up he’d lose himself completely. But, as Duncan pointed out days ago, would that be such a bad thing?
Problem was, right now he didn’t care. He wrapped his arms more tightly about her, felt something cold and hard against his belly, and realized it was that blasted bowl of apples. Who knew what happened to the cheese?
Finally, with as much strength as he could muster, Aldrich broke the kiss. “Tory,” he rasped and caught his breath. “No excuse, no excuse at all.”
“None,” she managed, her eyes riveted on his lips before she met his heated stare. “Aldrich, we …”
He kissed her again. He wanted to see if the same, strange phenomenon happened. His heart losing pieces of itself the longer he was with her. And it did.
“What the dickens is wrong with me?” he said when he broke the kiss again. He looked at her lips, swollen and red from his onslaught, then into her eyes. “You’ve bewitched me, Tory Phelps.”
She smiled weakly. “Glad to hear it wasn’t the apples.”
“Or the cheese,” he said with a soft chuckle.
Her eyes wandered from him to scan the ground. “Where is the cheese?”
“I don’t bloody care, do you?”
She shook her head, eyes again locked on his. “Not particularly.”
“Who’s ever left in the house is probably watching us,” he pointed out, knowing it was true. There might not have been any one downstairs or on the servant’s level, but he knew there was someone about. No doubt on the second floor at this time of day, dusting or changing linens. He glanced at the house and back. “Tongues will be wagging before dinner.”
“Maybe before tea,” she said with a shy smile.
The sight did him in. She was adorable. Beautiful. Free. And he’d bet ten shillings he could kiss her senseless. Of course, at this point he had no doubt she could kiss him senseless. “Tory …”
“Shhh.” She put a finger to his lips. “I know what you’re going to say.”
“Do you?”
She nodded. “This is stupid.”
He pulled her hand to her lap. “Senseless.”
“Dumb.”
He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. He swallowed hard. “I don’t care.”
She took a shuddering breath. “You should.”
“I don’t want to get you into trouble, poppet.”
She looked up. “What did you call me?”
“Poppet. You’ve never heard that term before?”
“No,” she said with a small shake of her head. “Not aimed at me, anyway. It’s very … British.”
He smiled. “And is sweetheart more universal for you?”
“I like poppet better.”
“Funny, so do I. It suits you.” He took a deep breath and straightened. “I’m sure the duke will know of our ‘time spent’ as soon as he comes back from the village.”
“Maybe it’s best he – and I can’t believe I’m going to suggest this – hear it from us, first.”
Aldrich could only stare. “You wish to inform the duke of this altercation of affections?”
&
nbsp; Her eyes widened. “If that means what I think it means, then … yes?”
He bit his lower lip in thought. “You wish to proclaim affections toward me and I you?”
She nodded. “It’ll be the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, I think … but … wait a minute. You mean, you feel … something for me?”
Her stammering reminded him of the duchess. Aldrich squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. Opened them. “I confess I have feelings for you.” He drew in a breath. “Of course that’s a good thing, considering what the duke will have to say about all of this.”
“And what is that? Other than maybe ‘you’re fired.’”
Puzzlement took hold of him for a moment before he said. “Certainly not. You’ll not lose your position over me. I’ll see to it. Even if I have to stay at Stantham Hall with you through your entire term as tutor.”
“Entire employ? You mean my probation period?”
“Probation …”
“Trial period. The job here in England isn’t permanent yet. It all depends on how well I do with the duchess. I do a good job and she’s pleased with the results, I’ll get to stay.”
“Of course you’ll get to stay,” he said, his voice firm. “They can’t possibly think of sending you back to America.”
“They can if I fail her.” She looked away.
Aldrich tucked a finger under her chin and lifted her face to his. “As my wife, poppet, they can’t send you anywhere I don’t want you to go.”
She froze.
Aldrich stared at her. No doubt what he’d just said would be a shock, but not this much. After all, he’d compromised her, in a manner of speaking, and her reputation would suffer unless he did the right thing. Not that he minded at this point. In fact, the more he thought about marrying her, the more his heart bridged what distance there was left between them. As soon as the words were out he felt as if he’d known her all his life and destined for each other. He was never one to romanticize this sort of thing, yet here he was, trapped by his own heart like some besotted fool. How in the span of a few hours he’d come to find himself in such a state he had no idea.
