“I don’t believe Lady Madeline cares for the stuff, Fullerton,” said a voice from behind them.
Drat. Maddie cursed her bad luck as she turned to see Christian standing behind them. She’d been hoping to avoid another scene with him tonight. She’d known he would not approve of her plan, but she had underestimated the degree to which he would show that pique in public. He’d very nearly ruined the whole evening’s plan with his scold earlier in the evening. And it was none of his affair what she chose to wear. He was hardly a relative, and if Winterson and Deveril hadn’t scolded her, what right had he to do so?
“Ah, Gresham,” Fullerton said, completely oblivious to the cues of displeasure radiating from the other man. “Didn’t know you was here tonight. I say, that’s a dashed nice waistcoat.” Taking out a quizzing glass, Maddie’s companion surveyed the earl’s attire with the air of a scientist observing a new specimen.
“Indeed,” Maddie said, her brows raised in as haughty as manner as she could manage. “I believe peacocks suit you.”
Christian, his expression grim, gave a mocking bow to acknowledge the hit. “Lady Madeline,” he said, “There is an urgent matter we need to discuss in the library. I believe Lord Harbaugh has the very volume of Shakespeare’s sonnets I was telling you about.”
She was not interested in listening to a tirade from him. Nor would she leave the ballroom before she’d spoken more than a few words with Lady Emily, Maddie determined. “I’m sorry, my lord,” she said, “but I’m afraid I am unable to go with you.”
“Dashed pretty words, those sonnets,” Fullerton said companionably, still completely unaware of the undercurrent running between his companions. “I think I like the one about the ‘ever-fixed mark.’ Do you know that one?”
“No,” Maddie and Christian said in unison, neither one of them breaking eye contact with the other.
Undeterred, Fullerton went on. “You should look it up. It’s good reading when you want a bit of culture. I’d prefer a nice long gallop myself, but you have to stable the horses sometimes, eh?”
“I believe you really must come with me, Lady Madeline,” Monteith said through clenched teeth. “There is a message from your cousins that I need to convey.”
“I do not see why they don’t just tell me themselves,” retorted Maddie.
“They have gone home,” her nemesis said with a frown.
A flash of alarm gripped Maddie. “Cecily is all right, is she not?”
With a hint of remorse, Christian nodded. “Of course! I apologize for alarming you. Your cousin is well. Simply fatigued. And you know how protective Winterson has become. He whisked her away at the first hint of a yawn.”
Despite her annoyance, Maddie couldn’t resist smiling. “It drives her to distraction, his hovering.”
Christian smiled back at her, and Maddie felt a flutter deep in her belly. “I imagine I’d be the same way. If I had a wife. With a child on the way.”
The air between them grew charged and a thread of attraction seemed to draw them closer.
“Would you?” Maddie asked, feeling his gaze drop to her mouth.
The moment was interrupted when Fullerton spoke up. “Well, Gresham, if you’re going to show Lady Madeline the Shakespeare, I’m going to toddle off to the card room. My lady, it was a pleasure.”
Maddie struggled to pull her attention back to her escort. “What? Oh, yes, thank you, Mr. Fullerton, for the dance. I hope that you will…”
Then as if waking from a dream, she realized what was happening. “Wait, Mr. Fullerton, you mustn’t…” But he was already gone.
And Christian now had a firm grasp on her arm. She could protest but it would draw unwanted attention to them. In addition, she reflected, it was probably best to have this discussion now rather than later. If she meant to make a concerted effort to infiltrate Lady Emily’s social circle, then she would need to work in future without Christian’s interference.
Silently, she allowed him to lead her down the dark-paneled hallway. As if he’d been here before, he unerringly found the library door, and stepping aside, ushered Maddie in, firmly locking the door behind them.
For a moment, Maddie gazed appreciatively at the floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with books. She had little doubt that the book of Shakespeare’s sonnets they’d been discussing could be located on one of them. At least that part of the story to Fullerton hadn’t been a lie.
“If you are finished drooling over Harbaugh’s library,” Christian said with a hint of amusement, “I should like to discuss your plan now.”
She watched as he stalked forward, resting a hip against Harbaugh’s desk, watching her with the lazy intensity of a lion sizing up his prey. Again she thought of jungle cats. Bad, Maddie.
“I do not know what business it is of yours,” she said pertly. “I have decided to investigate the murder of Mr. Tinker and I plan to do so by getting closer to Lady Emily Fielding. There is no danger involved. It’s hardly the same thing as wandering the streets of Seven Dials, after all.”
“If you honestly believe that then you are more foolish than I imagined,” Christian said, his eyes narrow with temper. “Did you not pay any attention to what happened to your cousins these past few weeks? They have been exposed to all manner of danger, and in the finest houses in London no less.”
“Oh, do not be overly dramatic.” Maddie put her hands on her hips. “They were in the presence of madmen. This person is hardly that. In fact, I suspect he’s someone perfectly ordinary.”
“And an ordinary person might kill someone just as effectively as a madman.” He scowled. “I have seen both do so in the war. In fact, ordinary men kill more frequently than madmen, as there are more of them.”
“This is beside the point,” Maddie said with frustration. “Whatever the danger or threat, it does not matter to me. I cannot allow my brother to be accused of a murder he didn’t commit.”
“No one has accused him of anything, Maddie,” he said, with equal frustration. “He is one of several men we are looking at, true, but there is no reason for you to ride to his rescue just yet.”
“It’s only a matter of time,” she retorted, “and you know it. Linton was there at Mrs. Bailey’s with Mr. Tinker, and his disappearance that night—for all that it was innocent enough—cast the shadow of blame over him.”
Christian thrust his hands into his hair, stopping just short of yanking on it in frustration. “Maddie, I am investigating this for the Home Office. Do you not think I would tell you if there was a chance that Linton was in imminent danger of being arrested for this crime?”
“I don’t know that you would do so,” Maddie said honestly. “I know that your loyalty is to the Home Office and not to me or my brother. And I don’t blame you for it. Which is why I must discover for myself who killed Tinker. If you would just let me do so in peace, then we could both get on with it and one of us would learn the truth of the matter. As it is, you are just wasting my time by prosing on at me about my reputation, which is worth nothing if I cannot save my brother.”
“Wasting your time?” Christian demanded. “Woman, are you mad? I am trying to keep you from losing your reputation before you make yourself completely unmarriageable. Do you wish to be tied to someone like Fullerton for the rest of your life?”
“I don’t wish to be tied to anyone,” she said hotly. “In fact, I don’t wish to marry anyone at all.”
“Do you not?” Christian asked, his eyes hot with anger. “No one at all?”
Maddie took a step back from the ferocity of his gaze.
“Then you’ll miss out on this,” he said with a growl, stepping closer to her, wrapping his arms around her, and kissing her.
Hard.
* * *
He hadn’t intended to kiss her at all, but once he felt her soft lips under his and her arms snaked around his neck, he was a lost man.
There was no room in his mind for rational thought, only sensation, as he opened his mouth over hers and, inst
ead of resisting, Maddie gave a little sigh and welcomed him in. Christian had wanted to do this all evening. As soon as he saw her crossing the ballroom, head held high, in this gown that left so little to the imagination. Now that he held her pressed firmly against him, there was no need for imagination, as he reveled in the feel of her every curve molded against him. They fit together like a lock and a key. And nobody was going to be turning her key but him.
Nobody.
With a groan, he slid his tongue against hers, tempting, teasing, thrusting into the sweet hotness of her mouth. His hands were everywhere, on her arms, her back, her backside. Anywhere that he could find purchase as he tried desperately to keep them both from falling under the storm of sensation.
Sliding one hand over her back, which had been left partially bare by the daring cerulean-blue gown, he slipped his other hand over the curve of her belly and up to cup her breasts, which pebbled beneath his touch like ripe berries. She gasped as he palmed, gently plucked at them, all the while continuing to ravish her mouth. He felt a surge of triumph mixed with pleasure as she rocked her pelvis against his arousal.
Perched as he was against the desk, Christian reversed their positions, boosting her up onto the thankfully uncluttered surface. With the added support, he did what he’d been longing to do all evening, and slipped the sleeves of the gown down over her shoulders, revealing her generous breasts to his gaze. Unable to stop himself, he dipped down to take first one, then the other, in his mouth. Maddie’s gasps of pleasure, combined with the feeling of her hands in his hair, sent his pulse racing even faster.
“Easy,” he soothed, “I’ll make you feel better, sweet Maddie.”
“Please,” she gasped against his mouth as he leaned up to kiss her, sliding his hand down her leg to gather up the bottom of her skirts and petticoats. Slipping under her garments, he caressed her bare leg until he reached a pair of the sweetest little beribboned drawers he’d ever seen.
“Oh, Madeline,” he whispered, looking down at them, “I very much like these.”
But she was in no mood for compliments upon her wardrobe. And Christian didn’t blame her. Kissing her again, he reached up and found the slit in the pantalets and touched her softly at the apex of her thighs. She was wet and hot and he longed with every fiber of his being to bury himself inside her. But he was damned if he’d deflower her in the Harbaughs’ library. For now it was enough to feel her pant of need against his mouth, and the tightness of her soft body against first one finger then another.
* * *
Maddie hadn’t expected any of this tonight, but as she moved against Christian’s thrusting fingers, she couldn’t think of expectations, only need. Sharp hunger that drove her to mindless passion as she welcomed his oh-so-gifted touch. Everything—his scent, his feel, his touch—everything about him fired her need.
“More,” she gasped against him, knowing that she wouldn’t be satisfied until he was joined with her in the most primal way. “Please, Christian.”
“Shh,” he whispered, touching the center of her arousal with his thumb, sending a jolt of sensation through her. Unable to control herself, she let the shudders of pleasure course through her, until with a sharp cry, she let the maelstrom consume her and she found release.
Panting, slowly coming back to herself, Maddie felt Christian carefully pull her bodice back up to cover her bosom. Still clinging to him, she felt him kiss her gently on the top of her head, and reversing their positions again, gather her up in his arms.
“We should not have done that,” she said, resting her forehead against his shoulder.
“I disagree,” Christian said. “Wholeheartedly.”
Though she knew it would be better if she pulled away from him, she could not help but enjoy the feel of his arms around her. Even so, she pulled back a little so that she could look into his gaze. If there were any hint of triumph she’d have no choice but to disentangle herself. But she saw only warmth and affection in his blue eyes.
“Well, of course you say that,” she said crossly, “you have nothing to be ashamed of.”
He frowned. “Nor have you, Maddie. And if you think that what we just did was done only by you then you obviously missed out on the part where I put my hand up your skirt.”
That brought her to the blush. “Don’t be absurd. It’s just that you’re a man so you can do…”—she made a vague gesture with her hand—“that without any feelings of guilt. Whereas as a lady I am forbidden from such things while I am unmarried. I suppose now I’m just as fast as Lady Emily. I hadn’t thought to actually begin behaving like her quite so soon. I had hoped to work up to it.”
“You are absurd,” he said with a shake of his head. “Do you know that? Utterly absurd. I don’t wish for anyone to know we’ve been closeted in here for this long, much less what we’ve been doing. As far as I’m concerned, no one needs to know about this but us.”
“Oh,” she said, feeling her face flush in mortification. She hadn’t thought that he’d consider her beneath his touch, but she was still an Ugly Duckling after all. And he was a much-sought-after earl. He could doubtless have his pick of ladies. She had thought she’d vanquished her foolish feelings of insecurity long ago, but the encounter with Christian had lowered her defenses in a way she’d never experienced before. “I see.”
Pulling back from him, she stood and shook out her skirts. Turning away, she made sure that her bodice was straight, and patted her hair into place in preparation to leave.
“No, you don’t see,” Christian said, pushing off the desk. She felt his hands on her shoulders as he turned her to face him. “Maddie, look at me.”
When she kept her eyes downcast, he gave her a little shake. “Look at me.”
Knowing that if she refused it would just draw the thing out, she relented, infusing her glare with as much defiance as she was able to muster.
“I’m not ashamed, angel,” he said. “Not one bit. Do you really think I’d hide my association with you? The only reason I’ll keep this a secret is because it’s nobody’s business but ours. And to preserve your reputation, for all that you seem determined to ruin it. Not because I’m ashamed of you.”
“Oh.” She exhaled. “I’m sorry, I—”
“Don’t apologize,” he said, kissing her on the end of the nose. “I’m just surprised. I would have expected you—the most courageous lady I know—to draw my cork if I ever behaved so ungallantly, not go slinking off into the ballroom alone.”
“Well,” she said, flushing again at the compliment. “I suppose I was feeling a bit…”
“Vulnerable?” he asked, his eyes knowing.
“Trust me,” he continued, pulling her back into the circle of his arms, “you have nothing to be ashamed of. I have little doubt that most of the men in that ballroom would be happy to have you grace their arm for the foreseeable future. And if you wish it, I’ll parade you around the Harbaughs’ ballroom myself, growling like a mad dog at any man who dares more than a glance.”
“You’re absurd,” she said with a giggle.
He answered with a growl.
They rested in companionable silence for a moment before she continued. “Do you think that I might have turned some heads tonight? I mean enough that Lady Emily might welcome me into her set?”
She felt Christian sigh against her. “What?” she asked.
“I wish you would abandon your plans,” he said, stepping back from her, thrusting his hands into his already disheveled hair. “I am quite sure your brother would not approve, and I very much suspect that you might end up ruined as a result of this scheme—more so than your attire tonight has done.”
“I have to do something,” she told him. “If not for Linton then for Mr. Tinker’s family.”
“No one has called him a murderer,” he said in a harassed tone. “All that has happened is that he has been questioned about the murder.”
“What do you mean questioned?” she demanded. “I hadn’t heard that.”
> “I didn’t want to alarm you,” he said, his expression grim. “And neither did your brother. He wants you to stay out of the matter. And I do, too.” He had no notion of whether Linton wished her to stay out of the matter or not, but he was comfortable speaking for him nevertheless.
“Well, you’ll both need to learn to live with disappointment,” she said, patting her hair into place. “For I mean to get close to Lady Emily and to figure out which of her set is responsible for Mr. Tinker’s death.”
Christian could hardly inform her that her plan was unsuitable not only because it endangered her reputation, but primarily because Lady Emily was Linton’s mistress. God knew Linton didn’t deserve it, but Christian was reluctant to strip away the last vestige of Maddie’s affection for her brother by revealing that he was sleeping with his best friend’s widow. Besides, despite her fears of being thought as fast as Lady Emily, he suspected the suggestion of stigma from a friendship with the other woman would erase those fears entirely. Any suggestion that, as a lady, she should avoid certain people tended to push Maddie right toward the forbidden.
“If you are so hell-bent on this course of action,” he said, crossing his arms across his chest, “then let me come with you.”
“No, I…” She paused as if just now hearing him. “What do you mean come with me?”
“I will be your partner in crime,” he said simply. “When you are invited to a less than respectable party or to an outing with your new friends, you’ll take me with you. I’ll come along and be your watchdog.”
And perhaps he might be able to protect her from the sort of situation that had led his twin to her death. Clarissa hadn’t been nearly the force of nature that Maddie was proving to be, but he didn’t want to test the limits of her strength by allowing her to move in such a crowd alone.
“Why would you do that?” Maddie asked, her blue eyes narrow with suspicion.
“Because I want to know who killed Tinker as well,” he said simply. She didn’t need to know about his sister and her own brush with a very fast crowd. All she needed to know was that he did not intend to allow Maddie to risk her own life as Clarissa had done. “And I know that Winterson and Deveril, not to mention your brother, would wish for you to have some sort of protection if you’re going to jump headlong into this business.”
How to Entice an Earl Page 11
