by Kimberly Nee
He dragged the candlestick across the marble mantel and she heard a soft click. But no door magically appeared, no wall rotated to offer up a cobwebbed passage, and she looked up at him. “Well?”
“Come with me.” He led her back into the dressing room. Along the back wall, he crouched to run his hand along the baseboard. “There’s a small depression. It’s a panel. Slide it to the left, and here we are.”
She bent to peer down into the dark opening. It didn’t look at all inviting. If anything, it looked even more frightening than the possibility of bumping into one of the maids. “I don’t think I want to go in there.”
“It’s fine, love. I’ll be there and aside from a few mice, there won’t be anyone or anything else to worry about.” He smiled. “This one leads to your chambers. They were my mother’s. She was apparently shy and prim when it came to my father. And the fact that she was his maid probably only made matters worse.”
“Your mother—the former Countess of Dunning—was a maid?”
He nodded and left the dressing room, only to return with the bedside candle, now lit to throw off a small circle of light. “The head housemaid, to be exact. See? I’m not nearly as tedious as you might have thought. There’s a bit of scandal already in my family, some of which even makes the thought of a curse pale in comparison. And you never need worry about embarrassing me, as I said. That just isn’t possible. Ever.”
As he spoke, he led her down the narrow passage. It was hot and dusty, and more than once, she sneezed. She held tight to his hand, convinced that if she let go, she’d be lost forever. “There are these tunnels everywhere?”
“They aren’t tunnels, really. More like spaces between the walls. And yes, they lead from a number of rooms. One even goes into the butterfly garden, although why you’d need a secret passage for that, I haven’t the foggiest.”
She smiled. “To sneak up on the butterflies, perhaps?”
He grinned over his shoulder. At least, she thought he grinned. In the dim light, it was difficult to tell. “The first earl was a bit of an odd duck, or so I’ve heard. Perhaps madness runs in my blood as well. I’m not sure it would even surprise me, to be honest.”
“Wonderful. Should I be rethinking accepting your proposal?”
“If you do, you’ll leave me no choice but to well and truly compromise you. On one of the game tables in the game room, perhaps? Amidst the deck of Aluette cards? Tell me, what if I had kissed you that afternoon?”
“We probably would have knocked those cards all over the room,” she replied pertly.
“I wanted to. I looked over at you, having the time of your life teaching us how to play this game that made no sense, and all I could think about was getting everyone out of that room and getting you on top of that table.”
Her cheeks grew warm. “Really? I was trying to figure out how I ever matched you with Lady Rosamund, when I saw how little she truly cared for you.”
“You need remember that was exactly what I wanted.”
“So why did you change your mind?”
“What made me— Here we are.” He held the candle up to a small, somewhat rusty-looking lever, then suddenly paused. “You haven’t set anything near the door, have you? I mean, you didn’t know it was what it is, so—”
“No,” she interrupted. “I haven’t. I would be too afraid of something catching fire, so close to the hearth.”
“Well, thank God for caution.”
The lever groaned as he pulled it, and this time, the panel before them slid open easily, and she found herself coming out from behind a door that blended perfectly into the wall in her chambers.
She stood upright, arching her back to pop the kinks from it. “Your ancestor must have been a tiny little man. I don’t remember the last time I had to duck for something.”
Bennett chuckled. “Think of how I feel.” He set the candle in the holder on the bookshelf. When he turned to her again, his expression was one of utter seriousness. “You wish to know why I changed my mind?”
“Actually, yes. You were so adamant about remaining aloof and although I would love to believe I really am that irresistible, I don’t think it to be true.” She moved to the wingback chair near the hearth and curled into it. “Tell me why.”
“The day at the lake.”
“What?”
“That morning, when you were lying on the dock. When I came out onto it, you didn’t stir. Didn’t move. Didn’t jump up and act startled. And honestly, you were like something out of a dream. Your hair was loose and spread out beneath you, you had your arm up over your eyes, and your head tilted back, and all I could think about was bending down and kissing you, right here”—he brushed her pulse with his fingers—“and not stopping until you were breathless and calling my name.”
His words were low and growly and sent a chill streaking through her. He crouched down by her chair, covering her hand with his. “It’d been a long time since I’d wanted a woman and it was more than rolling about in your bed or mine. You were everything I didn’t even know could exist in a woman. Spirited, sunny, and beautiful, and so unaware of your power. You reduce grown men to mush, Elena. I’ve known Shelton my entire life, and I have never seen him tumble the way he did for you. Perhaps he would have asked for your hand. I think he would have. All I know is after that morning, you haunted me. And I knew”—his eyes narrowed—“in the end, I knew I’d regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t take that chance. You have given me the ability to see a brighter future, to think there is hope that everything will be fine. And yesterday only strengthened that.”
“Because the fall didn’t kill you?”
He nodded. “I’m still here. And God willing, I will be for many more years to come. Long enough, at least, to see scores of grandchildren running up and down these corridors and discovering the secret passages for themselves. And”—his hand curved against her cheek—“to grow old with you.”
“That is the sappiest thing I think I’ve ever heard.” She smiled, covering his hand with hers. “But thank you.”
He came up to kiss her. “Would you rather me say I look forward to more nights of you on your knees before me, as you were last eve?”
“Bennett!” She slapped him in the chest, but not very hard, and judging by the playful glint in his blue eyes, he was no more annoyed with her than she was with him. This time, she caught his face in her hands, and searched those beautiful blue eyes for a long moment before saying, “I love you.”
He held her gaze, his eyes never wavering. “I love you. And I hope you don’t mind sappy from time to time, because I do thank God for bringing you into my life, Miss Sebastiano. My journey would have been frightfully dull otherwise.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Where were you this morning?”
Elena looked up from her book as Conn came into the spacious Dunning Court library. It was a gray day, dreary and drizzling. Since the remainder of wedding guests had left shortly after breakfast and Bennett was occupied in his study, she had thought she would curl up by the fire and do a bit of reading. “I beg your pardon?”
“Early this morning. You weren’t in your room. You weren’t in the stables, checking on his lordship’s damn horse. No one saw you go for a walk. In fact”—Conn’s eyes narrowed—“no one saw you at all. Anywhere. So, where were you while his lordship was stalling me?” He crossed his arms and affixed her with a stare that looked so much like their father’s, it was amazing. “You were in his chambers the entire time, weren’t you?”
“Why does it matter?” She set the book down and pushed up from her chair. “I’m marrying him, Conn. That’s all that matters now, isn’t it?”
“I agreed to keep quiet it if didn’t happen again until you’re actually married.” He grabbed her left hand and jerked it up almost to his nose. “I don’t see a gold ring on this hand yet.”
“Technically, Bennett did stay in his own bed.”
That earned her a glower. “You k
new what I meant, Elena.”
“I thought I’d lost him, Conn.” She glared at him. “And besides, have you gone and married Miss Chandler when no one was looking?”
“I’ve done nothing where she is concerned.”
He could insist that all he liked, but the telltale hints of red along his cheekbones spoke volumes, the bloody hypocrite. She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you planning to ask to court her, then? You’ve certainly spent enough time with her to have eyebrows rising all around.”
“Why the deuce would I do that? Let eyebrows rise. Until someone can prove I’ve done something scandalous, there is no need for—”
“Conn?”
Elena groaned, rolling her eyes and swearing beneath her breath as Cordelia’s hurt-laden voice reached her ears. She hadn’t seen the lady come in and since his back was to the door, neither had Conn. He went pale beneath his olive complexion and although his lips moved, she couldn’t hear what he said.
Slowly, he turned, “Cordelia, I—”
“Is th-this t-t-true?” Cordelia’s eyes were round and wide and filled with hurt, and Elena wanted to kick herself for her loose tongue. “D-d-d-o you have n-n-n-no inten-inten—” She scowled and blurted, “No intention of marrying me?”
Conn spun about and stepped toward her. “Cordelia, I never said—”
“You sa-said I was d-d-d-ifferent. Th-th-that I was sp-sp-special. How could you?” Cordelia’s eyes grew redder with each word and shimmered beneath a veil of tears. She didn’t wait for Conn to reply, but turned heel and rushed from the library.
Conn spun back to Elena, his eyes blazing with renewed fury. “Thank you, Elena.”
“I didn’t know she was there, and, anyway, if you hadn’t told her what she wanted to hear instead of telling her the truth, you’d have nothing to be angry over. If anything, you should be angry with yourself. And she has every right to be angry with you and hurt as well.”
Conn muttered, “Hijo de puta,” and rubbed his face with both hands. “Elena, if Papi ever found out, you wouldn’t have to worry about when you married the earl. He’d kill Dunning with his bare hands.”
“He isn’t going to find out unless you tell him, nor will he find out about Cordelia if I help you win her back.” When no look of relief crossed Conn’s face, she frowned at him. “You do want to win her back, don’t you? Conn? Conn?”
“I don’t know.” He moved her book to the arm of her vacated chair and sank into it. His hands dangled between his knees. “I thought I was leaving after the wedding. I hadn’t anticipated you and the earl falling in love with each other.”
Those words sent a warm rush through her, which she tried to shove aside as she plunked down on the arm of the burgundy leather sofa. “I hadn’t, either. I thought I was going home to St. Phillippe once Claudia was married. But why would you lead Cordelia to believe something you knew couldn’t be?”
“Because I don’t know that it couldn’t be.” He ran one hand through his hair, and when he looked up, she’d never seen such confusion in his face. “I don’t know, Lena, I like her. I like her a lot, actually. I—I don’t know… Maybe…”
“Maybe what?”
He sighed. “I don’t know, is it madness to think I could stay here as well?”
“Truthfully? Yes. I don’t think you’d be happy here, Conn. Not for long, anyhow. Perhaps for several months, maybe even a year, but in the end, you would feel trapped.”
As his look became more lost, she covered his hand with hers. “That doesn’t mean you wouldn’t be happy with her. I just don’t think you’ll be happy here. Do you care about her, Conn? And I don’t mean in the I-want-to-take-you-to-bed sort of way.” Heat crept into her cheeks as his eyebrows rose, but she still ignored it. “Oh, please… I think we’ve established that I’m not a child. My point is, perhaps she would be happy being at sea, with you. Or on St. Phillippe, with your loud, boisterous, somewhat maddening family.”
“Except for you.”
“I’ll visit from time to time. And this way, everyone has somewhere to stay when you come visit England. The whole family could stay here for weeks and not see each other once.”
He smiled. “And you will be Lady Elena.”
“No, I’ll be Lady Dunning,” she said, proud of herself for getting it right. “Countess of Dunning. Imagine that, Conn. Me. A countess.”
“It will never make sense to me.” Conn took a deep breath and sank into his chair. “How did you know?”
“How did I know what?”
“How did you know—” His cheeks flushed, and he shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m even asking this, but how did you know you loved him?”
“I didn’t at first. Remember, I was supposed to find him a bride, not become the bride.” She shrugged and smiled. “And then I hated the thought of finding him someone else. All I could think about was finding something—anything—about Lady Rosamund that would take her off his list.”
“So, what happened?”
“Are you so certain you wish to know?” she asked slyly, chuckling as Conn’s face grew redder still. “That horrid Huxley man attacked me—”
“What?”
“Don’t get your hackles up, Conn. It’s all right. Nothing happened and I was fine. But Bennett was escorting me to my chambers and—”
“That’s all I need hear.”
“If it makes you feel better, I think I knew when he kissed me the first time. Out in the maze. The night I wore the kohl to dinner.”
“Lena, this doesn’t make me feel any better.”
She rolled her eyes. “You have to be honest with yourself and with Cordelia. Do you love her?”
“I don’t know.” As she leveled a long look at him, he held up both hands in a gesture of surrender. “I am being honest. I just don’t know.”
“Then you need to figure that out. But before you do, you need to apologize for using her, for lying to her, and do not lay another hand on her until you’ve sorted things out completely. It isn’t fair to her.”
“Not even a kiss? If no one else is around.”
“Connor!”
He sighed, but nodded. “Very well. I’ll do my best to curtail my scandalous behavior.”
“Conn, honestly. You aren’t this selfish. You need to sort out your feelings before you hurt her worse. Tell her you were wrong, that you were an ass, and that she should punch you in the face for your idiocy.” She rose from the sofa.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to make certain she’ll at least talk to you,” Elena called over her shoulder as she swept out of the library.
As she made her way down the corridor, she passed by a room with its door slightly ajar, and paused as she heard Bennett’s deep, elegant voice. “What the deuce are you doing here, Huxley? Did I not make myself clear enough on the night of Cousin Claudia’s wedding?”
“Dunning.” Huxley’s voice took on a wheedling note that grated on Elena. “We’ve been friends for almost three decades. Certainly, you aren’t about to let a tart come between us? Especially—”
“That tart you so casually speak of is to be my wife and I don’t take kindly to other men attempting to rape her. Silly of me, I know.”
“This was before—”
“I don’t give a bloody goddamn when it was. The fact is, you did it.”
“You choose her over me, Dunning? After all these years? After everything you and I have—”
“Enough. I want you out of Dunning Court and off Dunning land, and that’s that.”
Footsteps sounded and she darted down the corridor to duck into the next room, where she pulled the door across, just as Lord Huxley stormed by. When she was certain he was gone, she slid around the door and returned to Bennett’s study, where she peered in.
He had his back to her as he stood before a small table. Crystal sparkled in the light as he lifted a glass to his lips for a sip. She pushed the door opened and closed the space between them, sliding her ar
ms about his waist to hug him. He stiffened, heat wafting up through the linen shirt he wore to sink into her cheek as she heard the smile in his voice as he said, “I’m supposed to be working, Elena.”
“I know that. I’ll leave you to your work. I just wanted to do this.”
He relaxed then and turned to drape his arms about her shoulders. “Why?”
“Because.” She pushed up onto her toes and brushed her lips over his cheek. “And now I’ll let you get back to whatever it is you do in here. I have to go and save my brother’s skin.”
“Trouble between him and Miss Chandler?”
“You might say that.”
He bent slightly to set his glass on the table, but then caught her by the hand and stepped back. “What did he do?”
“He promised her the moon and meant not a word of it. At least, he doesn’t think he meant it. But he’s not sure. Maybe he did. And while he’s thinking it over—”
“She and her family are preparing to leave and from what I understand, Lady Montrose isn’t at all happy with either her daughter or your brother.”
Elena groaned, slapping her hand to her forehead and then peered up at him. “Why do men make promises they have no intention of keeping?”
“Because if we were always honest, no woman would ever have anything to do with us.”
She made a face at him. “That doesn’t make it right.”
“No, but at least I’m being honest.”
She slid her hand from his. “I’d best be hurrying, then, if I hope to catch Cordelia before she leaves. So, you go back to your work.” She gestured to the scattering of papers on his desk. “And I’ll go pull my brother from yet another fire.”
“I should be finished before dinner. If you like, we can go riding, or for a walk before the gong.”
She smiled, pausing in the doorway. “I think I’d like to see the butterfly garden.”
Bennett moved around to his chair, sinking into it, and returned her smile. “The butterfly garden it is.”
“I’ll be in the library. Come find me.”
He nodded and then bent over his papers once more, while she hurried above to snag Cordelia before she left Dunning Court.
