“What’s the matter?”
There was no point in lying. Besides, she was a terrible liar. She tended to stammer when she lied. “I stubbed my toe.”
“Weren’t you watching where you walked?”
“Oh yes.” Half embarrassed and half irritated, she smirked. “I was indeed. I saw a rock and thought to myself ‘I’ll walk right into that to see if it hurts.’”
“Beautiful and sharp-witted. I like that.” He winked and continued with his swaggering.
The scoundrel! He knew she’d been staring at him. Grey stooped down at the edge of the lake under the same tree the queen had stopped to rest under. “You paused here?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“The flattened footsteps lead here in a pattern that shows someone was walking, but here they become jumbled together and unless you were all walking into each other, you had to have stopped.” He looked around and stood before walking to the tree the queen had sat under. “Did Queen Charlotte rest here?”
“Yes. We put a stool there for her. Oh! And she took her gloves off here!” Madelaine rushed over to where Grey was bent over. He reached down and came up with the queen’s ring grasped in his fingers. The ruby stone shined in the sunlight. “You found it!” Overcome with gratitude, she threw herself into his arms.
The force of her collision sent their bodies swaying backwards toward the tree, and for a breath, she thought they would fall in a tangle of arms and legs. Grey’s grunt rumbled in her ear as his solid arms encircled her waist and pulled her firm and tight against a wall of hard muscle. He righted them but made no move to release her.
Embarrassment heated her as she stared at his chest. “I’m sorry. I was overcome with excitement. Thank you.” Too mortified by her impulsive actions to look at him, she tried to pull away, but his arms tightened like bands of steel around her waist.
She glanced up.
Amusement danced and flickered in his gaze, and pleasure tipped up the corners of his mouth. “If you don’t want me to have thoughts of seducing you, then you cannot go throwing yourself into my arms. You’re quite simply irresistible.”
The world around her grew quiet and murky, and then one thought crystallized. He thought her irresistible. She was the oddball. The lady who did not fit in. She had to say something and cease staring like a simpleton. “You’re irresistible too.” Gads! What a stupid silly thing to say.
A strange glint filled Grey’s eyes. He ran a finger down her cheek. “I want to kiss you very badly.”
“Go on then.” Her heart hammered with her bold words. “Kiss me.”
He cupped her chin causing a tremor to run through her body. Grey stroked her lips with a thumb, and deep inside a pulsing need awoke. He leaned down until his lips almost touched hers. “You’re sure?”
She’d never been surer of anything in her life. “I’m certain.”
“And you believe I want more than to seduce you?”
Staring at his lips, she nodded. “I believe you.”
He groaned as his mouth came down on hers, hot and seeking. His thumb pressed against her chin, and she opened her mouth to allow him in. His tongue stroked, swirled and lit a fire within her that she feared could not be controlled. She pressed harder against him, wanting more of this new consuming feeling.
“Grey!” Lady Elizabeth’s voice cut like a clap of thunder through the silence.
He pulled away, but held Madelaine firmly by the arm.
Her knees wobbled but that she could get under control. It was her labored breathing she was unsure she could slow down. His dark gaze bore into her as he scrubbed a hand over his face. “I shouldn’t have done that, but I couldn’t resist. Forgive me?”
“How could I not? I asked you to kiss me. Remember?”
He grinned. “I quite forgot. I’m not used to being the one seduced. You muddled my wits.”
She’d muddled his wits? She’d just been kissed for the first time in her life. And what a perfect kiss. She wasn’t sure she’d think properly for days. With an embarrassed laugh, she faced Elizabeth who strode toward them with a dark scowl on her face. Madelaine ought to care that Elizabeth was angry about something, but all she could do was smile. She’d never felt so wonderful in all her life.
Grey had never liked masquerade balls or any ball really. He could never seem to allow the wallflowers to remain ignored. Their sad faces pained him, and he always ended up dancing with one, which invariably led to his having to gently divert their attention to someone else who was actually interested in marriage, and besides that, taking pity on the wallflowers hadn’t been good for his rake reputation.
Tonight was different. He was looking forward to the ball and the chance to speak with Madelaine. And to dance with her. Touch her. Twirl her around the floor. He didn’t care if there were hoards of wallflowers, someone else would have to rescue them tonight. Now, if only the damned dinner would end, so the ball could start. He intended to begin a proper courtship of Madelaine, as he’d earlier assured his sister, but this boring dinner was dragging on.
Sandwiched between the queen and Lady Grace, Grey stared across the space at Madelaine and Thorton, while imagining the meat on his platter was Thorton’s head. Grey sliced into the beef with his knife and started to chew. Thorton delved his hand under the table, and Madelaine’s back went rigid. Grey almost choked.
“Are you all right, Lord Grey?” Lady Grace asked.
He nodded while gulping in a greedy breath of air. He was going to smash Thorton’s face, if the man touched Madelaine again. Grey’s blood boiled the farther to the bench’s edge Madelaine was forced to scoot in order to avoid Thorton’s groping hands. Hell, she was in danger of tumbling to the floor any second.
Grey had to rescue her. “Your Majesty, might I be excused to go and talk to my sister. We’ve not had a chance to speak today.” That was true enough. After Madelaine had left to deliver the ring to the queen, Liz had shouted at him for a good half-hour for kissing Madelaine.
“You may be excused after you tell me of your mother. What has she been doing this past year and why have we not seen her at Court?”
“I couldn’t say.” It embarrassed him that he’d been too busy cavorting throughout London and Essex with various women to bother seeing his mother much. And when he had seen her, he’d been more interested in whether his actions had ruffled his father than to ask after his mother’s wellbeing.
The queen looked at him with knowing eyes. “A wife will settle you down, Lord Grey, and I imagine that will please your mother immensely. Then she will actually see you, instead of reading about you in the gossip sheets.”
“You’re wise as always, Your Majesty.” He took a gulp of wine to avoid further conversation and to wash down the shame threatening to choke him. He had much to atone for, and as soon as he was finished with training he would go see his parents and apologize to both of them. “If it’s acceptable, I would like to make a fresh start at being a more attentive son and brother by going to speak with Elizabeth now.”
Queen Charlotte nodded. “Of course you may.”
He started to rise, but the queen restrained him with a hand. “After you dance the first set with Lady Grace.”
“As you wish,” he said through clenched teeth and a false smile.
A half hour later he was twirling Lady Grace around the dance floor at the dictate of the queen while watching Madelaine dance with Thorton. Lady Grace prattled something in Grey’s ear. He could hear the annoying buzz of her words, but he dismissed them for the nonsense they undoubtedly were. Until she said Madelaine’s name. He snapped his eyes away from Madelaine and Thorton, who was behaving for the most part, and looked at Lady Grace. “What did you say?”
She lifted one eyebrow. “I said it looks like you have competition.”
“For what?”
“In seducing Madge.”
His hand clenched involuntarily over Lady Grace’s fingers.
“You’re hurting me.” Her wor
ds held bite.
He loosened his grip and spoke. “I’m not trying to seduce her. And her name is Madelaine.”
Lady Grace smirked as they twirled until the song ended. “That’s a very clever ploy you’ve adopted. I hope it works for you. I look forward to dancing again tomorrow night and hearing about your progress.”
“I won’t―”
“Shh,” she interrupted his effort to tell her he would not be dancing with her again. “The queen is waving to me. Hold your thoughts until tomorrow night.” She turned and slipped through the crowd. No point going after her. The damnable woman would believe what she wanted, no matter what he said.
He located Liz and Madelaine standing off to one side by the terrace doors. When he reached them, his breath caught. Madelaine was a vision from afar, but up close, her beauty stole his senses. He wanted to devote all his attention to her, but sticking to his goal to make up for being self-absorbed for too many years to count, he smiled first at his sister. “You two are the loveliest women at this ball. Liz, you make a perfect Cleopatra, and Lady Madelaine―” He finally lowered his gaze down her green, gossamer dress. His blood thickened in appreciation at the curves barely covered by the delicate material. “Who thought of your costumes?”
Madelaine’s gaze met his. “I came up with mine, and your aunt thought of Lady Elizabeth’s. I daresay she thought of your costume as well.”
“Do you know who I am?” He fingered the sheet wrapped around his body but then followed her gaze to the necklace he wore. Did she know it was a replica of a phallus? His aunt had a wicked sense of humor and love of Greek history, and it amused him to play along.
“You’re Eros. God of lust.” Some sort of sparkling powder covered Madelaine’s natural skin color, but her neck splotched red with embarrassment.
“Ha!” Liz snorted. “How appropriate for you.”
“It was appropriate,” Grey corrected. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask them both if they wanted a refreshment, but Gravenhurst’s fast approach distracted Grey.
His friend bowed to both ladies then nodded at Grey. “The king sent me to find you. He says your training is to begin tonight.”
“Tonight? I was supposed to have the day to do as I wished.”
“And you have. It is now evening. Leisure time is over. Lord Pearson has arrived and the king wishes you to learn the man’s preferences for his horses. I’m to take you to the stables.” In no position to argue, he grasped Madelaine’s gloved hand and kissed the top of it. Confounding etiquette that required women to wear gloves. He wanted to feel her soft heated skin against his lips as he had this afternoon. But it was not to be anytime soon. Unsettled, he reluctantly released her. “I’ll see you tomorrow night at dinner.”
“Perhaps not,” Gravenhurst interrupted Madelaine’s reply. “Equerry training can be long and tedious, Lady Madelaine. Lord Grey may be too tired to come to dinner.”
“I won’t be,” Grey corrected, trying to keep his annoyance with Gravenhurst’s suddenly superior attitude in hand.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“If I’m too tired to come to dinner, which I’ll not be, Liz you must promise to keep an eye on Lady Madelaine during dinner. Make sure to work out a signal with her in case she needs rescuing from Thorton.”
Liz furrowed her brow. “Why would she need rescuing from Lord Thorton?”
Madelaine’s wide gaze rested on him.
“Thorton has taken an unhealthy liking to Lady Madelaine.”
Madelaine’s lips parted in surprise. “However did you know?”
He loved that he’d finally surprised her in a good way. Maybe this would be the start of really gaining her trust. “It’s my duty as your protector.”
“We should gut the man!” Liz said.
He grinned. “That’s the Adlard spirit, Liz. But let me handle Thorton. All I want you to do is work out a signal with Lady Madelaine and intervene if you must. Spill your wine. Burst into tears. Tear your dress. Whatever it takes.”
“I won’t fail,” Liz promised.
“I know you won’t.” He chucked his sister on the chin then glanced at Madelaine. “I’ll kill the man if he continues to fail to control his hands.”
“Come on, Romeo,” Gravenhurst said. “You’ve a job to learn, and Lady Elizabeth has assured you she won’t fail your command.”
As Grey was leaving, he paused and glanced back at Madelaine. “Don’t go anywhere alone.”
She nodded.
“Promise me.”
“What a demanding protector you are.” She laughed. “I promise.”
Satisfied that she would be safe in his absence, he strode through the room behind Gravenhurst. It was probably a good thing he hadn’t had the opportunity to get to know Madelaine very well yet. He barely knew her now, and she was already a distraction at a time when he didn’t have the slightest doubt that he needed to have all his concentration focused on becoming a superb spy. She was safe, so he would simply push her from his mind, until he saw her again.
When Gravenhurst and Grey neared the stables, Grey asked, “What sort of training are we going to do?”
In the dark, Gravenhurst’s expression was unreadable. Horses neighed from within the stables, and a cold wind blew Grey’s hair over his eyes. He shoved it back as Gravenhurst said, “I’m going to train you to stay alive.” His voice had a hard edge. “Tonight I’ll start teaching you to never assume anything except that someone always wants you dead. Study your surroundings. Know your enemies.”
“Sounds like useful lessons.”
Gravenhurst snorted, grabbed a lit torch from a stand, and proceeded past the stables toward a dark, twisting path that led into the woods of the park. He stopped suddenly at the edge of the path. Grey nearly bowled him over.
“A little warning would have been considerate.”
“The men striving to kill you will not be considerate.”
“Point taken,” he conceded as Gravenhurst faced him and regarded him without a word. Insects of the night chirped around them. Music drifted on the swirling wind from the castle to fill the silence between them. It would have been pleasant, but he was tense as hell. He wanted to perform well. He didn’t want to disappoint his father.
“Take this,” Gravenhurst said and shoved the torch at him. Grey gripped it and stared at his friend’s shadowed face. Gravenhurst leaned down and came up holding two daggers. He offered one to Grey, and then headed down the path.
Grey sidestepped a gnarled tree root that rose across the ground. He pushed branches out of his way as he followed Gravenhurst deep into the woods. A branch came swinging at him, and he ducked. It hissed by his ear right before the sharp twigs slid across his cheek and left a stinging cut. “Damn it.” He couldn’t afford to be too slow in reacting to anything.
Up ahead, his friend chuckled as he crunched through fallen leaves and twigs to make his way into a clearing. Gravenhurst walked over to an iron post and with a clank slid the torch into a slot. He came to the center of the circle and beckoned to Grey. “We’ll train with daggers and fists until the torch runs out, and then we’ll train blind. Once first blood’s drawn we’ll make our way back to the castle.”
Grey’s muscles tensed in anticipation. He curled his fingers around his dagger. “You’ve never beat me in a fight.”
Gravenhurst’s robust laugh echoed in the silence. “Part of my cover, my friend.”
Grey gripped his dagger and moved toward the center of the circle.
Gravenhurst tossed his dagger from hand to hand and started circling Grey. “You’re moving slow. Your mind is elsewhere.”
Grey refocused his attention just as the whistle of steel sliced the air and filled his ears a second before Gravenhurst’s blade cut through his coat, shirt and skin.
Pain burned a path down his arm. He dropped his dagger. It hit the dirt with a thump. His arm throbbed as he removed his coat. He touched the place where the blade had sliced and his fingers met with
sticky blood. “You’ve cut me.”
“Pitiful,” Gravenhurst said. “You’re going to have to be a lot more alert if you don’t want to end up dead. Pick up your blade.”
Grey reached down and grasped his dagger. “I assume you’ve decided we need to stay.”
“Hell yes we need to stay. I didn’t expect your training to be over in less than a minute. But now I know your Achilles’ heel. Just make sure your enemies never learn it, my friend.”
“I don’t have an Achilles’ heel.” Grey lunged toward Gravenhurst and the tip of his knife snagged Gravenhurst’s coat but did not meet flesh.
“You do. But I’ll give you this, if you have to have a weakness, Lady Madelaine is a beautiful one to have.”
Five tedious days had passed since Madelaine last saw Grey at the costume ball, so when she walked around the sharp turn of the trail leading to the queen’s country house and he was standing alone by the entranceway, she quickened her step and nearly tripped over her skirts in her excitement.
Probably, she ought not to act so eager. She tried to slow down, but her feet didn’t want to cooperate. Her half-boots padded against the hardened snow as she rushed across the grass. She’d dreamed of him every night since he’d so valiantly tried to make sure Lord Thorton couldn’t bother her at dinner anymore. Dreams really hadn’t done Grey justice.
Her stomach flipped. He leaned negligently against the iron gate with a booted foot propped against the dark steel for support. The buckskins he wore encased his powerful thighs in a sinful way. That tingling sensation, that only he elicited, swept over Madelaine’s skin. His dark-colored coat had been left open to reveal the white cambric shirt next to his skin. When she reached him, she was panting from her efforts to hurry.
What A Rogue Wants Page 10
