“Oh, little lamb, you've no idea how long I've waited.”
Sophia stilled in his arms, pushing his face back so she could look into his eyes. “Why do I feel as if you're keeping something from me?”
“Because I have,” he said unapologetically. “I've kept my secrets, as I'm certain you have too.”
Sophia's face was serious as she said, “Truly, I haven't.”
Hoisting her into his arms, he carried her to his bed where he pulled back the velvet drapes and set her gingerly on the mattress. “Shall I confess to mine, then?”
“I am quite eager to hear what you have to say,” she admitted.
Samuel began untying his cravat while keeping his eyes trained on Sophia's beautiful face. “I volunteered to spy on you, to discover if you were indeed a traitor to The Crown.”
“Because you were so certain I was innocent?” she asked hopefully.
“Because I was in love with you.”
Sophia gasped as her full mouth formed an “o.” “But that can't be,” she insisted. “We drove each other mad working as partners on my brother's case.”
“Mad with distraction,” he purred as he leaned over her, placing his hands on both sides of her on the mattress. “I needed an excuse to see you again, to see you often. When the assignment arose, it originally was assigned to Fitch, but I managed to persuade the Main Office they'd made a grave mistake, convincing them my previous history with you made me the perfect candidate for the job.”
Her expression was a mixture of pleasure and surprise, which only prompted him to continue his confession. “I also knew far in advance that we'd be assigned to work on your brother's case together. Months before the official assignment was delivered, I began spying on you. I had to know if I could trust working with you or if The Crown could trust you. I learned a lot about you during that time, little lamb.”
Her brows arched skeptically. “I'm uncertain how I feel about you watching me unaware. Tell me you didn't observe anything indecent.”
Samuel smiled wickedly. “Only once. The time you had to make a quick change into your breeches behind a pile of rubbish in a darkened alley. You caught me so off guard; I had no choice but to watch.”
Sophia's face reddened as her mouth hung open. She remembered that night well but had no clue there had been a witness present as she changed. “You filthy voyeur,” she exclaimed as his smile grew wider, his dimples deepening at her horror.
“The alleyway was dark; I regrettably didn't see much.”
Socking him in the arm, she exclaimed, “You shouldn't have seen anything, you cad. Any real gentleman would've looked away.”
“I never claimed to be a gentleman, and well you know it,” he said as he bent down and placed a tender kiss on her lips in apology.
Despite her mind's protests, Sophia's body betrayed her and gave in to his kiss. “You're very devious. Have you any more secrets?” she asked curiously as her hand stroked his face, her earlier ire quickly forgotten.
He caught her hand and held it to his lips, kissing her soft palm. “Only that I can't wait another moment to ravish you.”
She glanced down at his ready body and arched a golden brow in amusement. “That is no secret, my love.”
With a low, hungry growl, he stood and tugged his shirt over his head, exposing his strong chest and chiseled abdomen. He didn't miss the look of appreciation his new wife was giving him, which made him all the more eager to have her.
Turning, he went to lay his shirt over the back of a chair when he heard her gasp. He turned to see her eyes, previously filled with desire, now filled with horror.
She bolted from the bed and came to him at once. “Oh, Samuel, does it hurt terribly?”
He glanced over one shoulder, catching some of the red welts out of the corner of his eye and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “I hardly remembered it, so distracted as I was by the task at hand.”
With a gentle but firm hand, Sophia forced him to turn around so she could get a full look at his injuries. He stiffened slightly as her soft touch came upon his back, and he heard the tears in her voice as she whispered fiercely, “If I ever see that vile man again, I'll flog him myself.”
Samuel turned around, laughter filling his eyes. “I don't doubt that in the least, my love. For his sake, I pray you never encounter one-another again.”
Without hesitation, Sophia wrapped her arms around his waist, careful not to touch his wounds, and laid her head against his bare chest. She inhaled deeply before saying, “This can be postponed.”
“What can be postponed?” he asked curiously.
“The consummation of our marriage. I do not wish to hurt you.”
A loud roar of laughter escaped his chest. “Little lamb, it is I that must be careful not to hurt you, not the other way around.”
“But your back...”
“Will be fine, as long as I do not lay on it, though there is nothing preventing you from laying on yours.”
With a wicked gleam in his eye, he scooped her up and laid her on his bed. The concern in her eyes was quickly replaced by passion as he slowly and tenderly showed her just how much he cherished her and just how capable he was, despite his injured back, of loving her completely.
By the time they were done, both of them were exhausted. Sophia laid on her side, her golden hair fanning across his pillow in tantalizing curls. He tenderly swept her hair to the side and moved in so he could hold her to his chest, fitting the entirety of her body to his. He loved the feel of her well-loved body next to his own, right where it belonged.
He gazed at her peaceful face and whispered, “Are you sure you have no secrets?”
Her eyes remained closed as a smile spread across her face. “Only one,” she confessed.
“What is it, love?”
“I wasn't sleeping the entire ride back to London from Scotland,” she admitted.
“You were awake?” he asked, surprised by her admission.
She nodded her head, causing the silky strands of hair to tickle his chest. “Almost the entire time. I found being in your arms more pleasant than I expected and feigned sleep to remain in them.”
“You little minx,” he laughed. “Perhaps you should've pursued the stage instead of spying.”
“Perhaps I still will,” she added sleepily.
Tightening his grip on her, he allowed his own weary eyes to drift closed. “Over my dead body.”
Two months later
A merry party was gathered at Tisdale Manor, a belated celebration of Samuel and Sophia's wedding. Sophia glanced around at the small gathering of her favorite people, including Levi and Lydia, Aaron and Alexandra, and her own parent's, and smiled. The only one missing was her Aunt Caroline, who she still harbored a secret hope would appear.
It was a day she never thought she'd see after returning home and confessing to her parent's that she and Samuel had eloped. It had taken them an inordinate amount of time to recover from the shock and disappointment and the humiliation at having to tell Reverend Balfour what had happened. Sophia hadn't been the least bit contrite. She knew her parents would come around, and sure enough, they had.
After the initial shock wore off, her parent's confessed they were actually quite delighted that their daughter, from a shamed family no less, had managed to snag herself an Earl, heir to the Marquess of Emberson. It gave them great hopes that polite society would soon accept them back into their good graces.
“Oh, Sophia, I'm still so delighted that everything worked out how it did,” Lydia said as she and her husband came to congratulate the pair.
“In large part because of you,” Sophia admitted. “I would never have gotten to Cornwall without your help. Thank you once more.”
“I'm just glad that Levi allowed me to come see you once more. After he discovered my part in your disappearance, he vowed he'd never allow the two of us in the same room again. He said we create nothing but havoc, though I respectfully disagree, don't you Sophia?”
>
Samuel answered for her, “Though I agree that the two of you are quite adept at finding trouble, I must admit there are times your friendship has been rather helpful. Thank you, Your Grace, for helping Sophia escape from her unwanted marriage. I shudder to think she could be wed right now to that buffoon instead of to me.”
“As do I,” Sophia added.
Lydia turned to her husband and grinned, “See, my meddling isn't always for naught.”
Ignoring his wife, Levi spoke to Samuel and Sophia, “Don't encourage the hoyden. I have a hard enough time trying to keep her under control without you two dismissing all my efforts.”
Though he attempted to sound stern, Levi's words were laced with humor, and the look he gave his wife was filled with love.
Next, Aaron and Alexandra joined the small group. Aaron clasped Samuel's hand in his own. “I trust this means you are finally ready to settle into your role as my heir? No more gallivanting around doing who-knows-what anymore.”
“Everything I want is here at Tisdale Manor, father.”
Aaron smiled, pleased by Samuel's response. “Soon you will have a sibling,” he added, gathering a very pregnant Alexandra to his side. “I trust you will be a respectable example to your brother or sister.”
“Without a doubt.”
Lord and Lady Whitworth had just joined the group when the butler scurried into the room and announced, “A missive has just been delivered for Lord Whitworth.”
Sophia gave her father a curious look as he retrieved the letter from the silver tray and quickly broke the seal on the envelope. His eyes scanned the contents before dropping it back onto the tray as he began kneading his temples. He exhaled a loud sigh.
“What is wrong, Father?” Sophia asked worriedly as she quickly rushed to his side.
“I cannot seem to get a moment of peace, that's what is wrong,” he groaned.
Curious, Sophia picked up the letter and read it for herself:
Lord Whitworth,
We regret to inform you that your sister, Lady Caroline Whitworth, has disappeared. We have been furiously investigating her disappearance since being alerted to her absence. We wish to summon you to London at once for questioning, in the hopes you may be able to assist us in our search. Please arrange to leave posthaste. I will be waiting for you.
Charles Swinton
Sophia let the letter flutter to the ground as she gasped in horror. “Aunt Caroline is missing.”
The entire party echoed her gasp. Lady Whitworth began fanning herself furiously. “That girl is nothing but a nuisance, always has been.”
Sophia ignored her mother's rude comment. “Do you know anything about where she may have gone, Father?”
“Of course I don't,” Lord Whitworth exclaimed. “She's been gallivanting around the world like a hoyden since she was barely out of the schoolroom. No one has ever been able to convince her of the indecency of her actions, least of all me. Why I was cursed with such rebellious relations, I will never know.”
Sophia bit the inside of her cheek, grateful in that moment her father didn't know how alike his sister she actually was. She wasn't sure his poor heart could handle it.
She felt Samuel come to her side, his arm going around her in support. “She was missing once if you remember,” he whispered softly into her ear. “I'm positive, just like last time, everything will work out just fine.”
“You're right,” Sophia said, though she wasn't entirely convinced. Something inside her told her this time was different.
The End...for now!
Coming Next...
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Ginny Hartman has always loved writing, and when her love for the regency era blossomed, she decided to combine the two, resulting in her first published novel, Deceiving the Duke of Kerrington, which became an Amazon Historical Romance bestseller. After completing her first Regency Romance Trilogy, she decided to venture into other eras of historical romance, enjoying the journey back in time.
Ginny's favorite thing about writing is the escape it gives her and the people who read her stories. To be among the first to be notified when her new books are released, sign up for her newsletter at http://ginnyhartman.com/newsletter-sign-up. As an added bonus, you will also receive Mrs. Tiddlyswan's Gossip Column, an exclusive addition to Ginny's newsletter that will feature periodic updates on all of your favorite heroes and heroines. You can also like her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/authorginnyhartman.
Besides writing, Ginny enjoys reading and spending time with her favorite people: her husband and three beautiful children. She also enjoys traveling the world with the love of her life and gaining inspiration for her books. She currently resides in Northern Idaho.
The Earl's Dangerous Assignment Page 15
