by Amelia Grey
What could he do? He couldn’t stand up but he had to get the girls out of the room. In frustration, Lyon splashed the paper into the water and yelled, “Dome!”
The girls squealed and raced out the door. He heard them collide with his valet in his bedchamber. More screams rang out.
Lyon yanked a towel off the table and wrapped it around his waist as he rose and hopped out of the tub calling for Brewster to help Dome. He should have never felt sorry for the little imps. He should have moved them out to the countryside when he’d thought about it. By the time the towel was secure and he’d made it to the top of the stairs, the girls had already reached the bottom step where Brewster was standing, blocking their exit, and Dome preventing their retreat.
The little chicks were cornered. It would serve them right if he had them both thrown in a workhouse.
“Hold them until I can dress and get down.”
Once again, Lyon found himself in too big of a hurry to confront the girls than to clothe himself properly. He threw a shirt over his head and stepped dripping wet into his trousers and then into his boots. That wasn’t the normal order or manner of dressing but ever since Adeline moved next door his whole life seemed out of harmony with what he expected. The folly and energy of the moment caused him to rapidly descend the stairs and stand towering over a tall, brown-haired, lanky girl who leaned against the wall trembling with fear and a stout freckle-cheeked younger lass who seemed perfectly calm with the disorder going on around her.
“How did you two get in here?” he asked, unbelievably calm for what had just happened.
Neither girl answered.
“The doors are locked, my lord,” Brewster insisted. “As always to protect your privacy and avoid anyone without an appointment disturbing you.”
“Are you going to cut us up and have us for your dinner?” the taller girl asked in a shaky voice.
“What?” Stunned, Lyon looked at Brewster who seemed just as shocked by her comment. What the devil was he going to do? Just a few days ago he’d tried to make amends for scaring the life out of the girls by sending a pianoforte over for them to enjoy, and they had. He’d heard them many times. Now he had to contend with this madness.
“No, of course not,” Lyon declared. “Where did you hear such nonsense?”
“It happened to a boy in a story Miss Hinson read to us,” she answered timidly.
“But the boy came back to life and was haunting the man,” the girl with the freckles covering her face added. Lyon couldn’t help but notice she didn’t appear the least perturbed by him or the fact that she’d been caught snooping in his bedchamber.
“A ghost story,” Lyon grunted. “Miss Hinson needs to be taken to task for what she reads to you.”
“It’s not scary to me, but most of the girls didn’t like it,” the redhead said.
“I can see why,” he grumbled. “Now tell me what you’re doing in my house.”
Both girls remained silent, staring up at him with their innocent-looking eyes. Lyon supposed it wasn’t up to him to question the girls anyway. Only to return them.
“All right,” he said. “Come with me.”
“Where are you taking us?” the taller girl asked.
“You can’t take us back to the school,” the shorter lass said with a tinge of defiance in her tone. She folded her arms across her chest and stared at him with her lips in a pout. “We’ll get in trouble for leaving.”
“You should. I think you are in more danger from slipping into my house than you are for slipping out of the school. Besides, I’m not taking you there. I’m taking you to Lady Wake. It will be her decision as to what’s to be done about you. Now, one of you on each side of me. Let’s go.”
Brewster quickly opened the front door. “No, we’re going out the back. There will be fewer eyes to watch us leaving if we use the garden entrance.”
Lyon stomped across the lawn at a fast pace, flanked by the errant girls who struggled to keep up with his much-longer stride. He hurried the girls alongside the tall yew and under the budding trellis, hoping they could get through fast enough that Mrs. Feversham wouldn’t see them.
He knocked loudly on Adeline’s back door and completely understood the shock in the housekeeper’s expression when she saw him standing there with the girls. “We need to see Lady Wake. Now.”
“She’s in the drawing room reading her mail.”
“Lead the way,” he said and stepped aside, nodding for the girls to follow her.
Adeline slowly rose from the secretary where she was sitting when they walked into the room. His first thought was she was the most beautiful lady he’d ever seen. The second was that she belonged to him and he would challenge any man who tried to take her away. Only thirdly did he notice the frown of surprise and confusion etching her lovely features.
The shortest girl had somehow slipped behind him and now stood beside the other girl. They were holding hands. To her credit, the taller child still looked frightened. On the other hand, the redhead still seemed quite calm. She was looking around the countess’s drawing room, taking in its blue velvet draperies, damask settees, and carved dark wood tables as if she’d been invited to do so.
Lyon knew this wasn’t the way to Adeline’s heart. He had no doubt he would once again be seen as the ogre to Adeline in this scenario. He was on her property with wet hair, half-dressed and scaring the girls.
So be it.
“Here they are, my lady,” Lyon said, the only way he knew how—in a matter-of-fact tone. “Your wandering students.”
With her gaze intent upon his face she said, “I’m not sure what you mean by that or why you are with them.”
Feeling quite sure she wasn’t going to like his answer, he said, “I’m returning them to you. They were in my home.”
She stared at the girls in disbelief. “Fanny? Mathilda? Is this true? You were in the earl’s home?”
Fanny nodded.
Lyon was certain Adeline’s legs went weak, but she straightened her shoulders and looked back at him in an accusing way. “How did they get inside your house and why were they there?”
“I have no idea,” Lyon admitted. “They were uninvited guests I assure you.”
“That can’t be.” In disbelief, Adeline walked closer to the youngsters. “Did you just walk inside his house?”
They remained silent again.
Adeline swung toward Lyon again, her soft gray skirts swishing attractively about her legs, her eyes sparkling with more questions than he had answers. “You should have had your doors locked so they couldn’t get in.”
“They were locked,” he said, trying not to be irritated with Adeline. He knew this would upset her, and it had.
She clasped her hands together at her waist and turned to Fanny. “How did you get into his house?”
“I climbed on Mathilda’s shoulders, opened a window, and crawled inside. I helped her climb in after me.”
“I can’t believe that!” she said breathlessly. “That was dangerous. You could have fallen and been injured.”
“And against the law,” Lyon muttered to himself, realizing whether or not Adeline knew it, the girls needed to be taught a lesson they wouldn’t soon forget—only it wasn’t up to him to do that. He’d have to leave chastisement up to her.
“Why would you do something like this?” Adeline asked them, clearly distraught and desperately trying to hide that fact.
“We heard a dog whimpering,” Fanny said, so innocently Lyon might have believed her himself. If he didn’t know better. “Like he was in pain and needed help.” She elbowed Mathilda.
“And starving for some food and water,” Mathilda said, her big blue eyes opening wider. “It was a puppy.” Her voice softened and her lashes fluttered as if she were remembering a happier moment, the earlier fear completely gone from her face. “He was a playful little puppy. With soft, warm fur. He was white with big black spots all over him. He wiggled a lot and he—”
“But he
couldn’t play because he sounded like he was hurt bad and needed us to help him,” Fanny said, interrupting her friend’s reminiscing.
Adeline glanced back at the earl, her eyes filled with hope and searching for him to give her a reason she could accept the paltry explanation. “A puppy. See? There was a good reason for them to have done this—they wanted to do an act of kindness.”
“I don’t have a dog, Lady Wake,” he said brusquely, his annoyance with what the girls had done beginning to show in his tone and no doubt his expression, too.
She moistened her lips. Lyon knew she was desperately attempting to make sense of what she was hearing, “Maybe it was some other kind of animal. Or maybe they heard a servant crying in distress over breaking something of great value and mistook the sound for that of a dog in pain.” She paused for a second and then added, “Maybe you should get a dog. It might help your gruff attitude.”
“My attitude was just fine until I looked up and saw these two snooping in my dressing chamber.”
“Your dressing chamber?” she repeated, obviously horrified.
Adeline’s words had hardly been above a whisper. Still Lyon couldn’t resist the urge to add, “While I was in the bath.”
Both girls snickered.
At that admission from him, Adeline gasped. “They didn’t.”
He nodded. “Don’t worry, they didn’t see anything other than newsprint in front of my face.” Hopefully. “My butler and valet quickly apprehended them and held them until I could get dressed.”
He watched Adeline inhale deeply and collect herself. “I understand. Thank you for bringing them back. I’ll have a chat with them. Later, of course.” Adeline walked past him to the doorway and called, “Mrs. Lawton, please come here.”
“We didn’t touch anything in his house,” Fanny said, swinging her friend’s hand ever so lightly.
“No, we didn’t,” Mathilda said, the earlier fear gone and a more penitent expression on her face. “It was a big house. We couldn’t find our way out after we went upstairs.”
“But you went into his house on purpose,” Adeline said earnestly. “Into his private chambers. That was wrong and very disheartening.”
“We didn’t know he’d be washing,” Fanny said. “We just wanted to see what the inside of the earl’s house looked like. We didn’t want to take anything.”
“I should hope not!” Adeline exclaimed, obviously furious this had happened and devastated she didn’t seem to know what to do about it.
“What can I do for you, my lady?” the housekeeper asked, walking up to join them.
“Take these two back to Mrs. Tallon. Tell her to put them in separate corners, their faces to the wall. She’s to watch one and you the other. I don’t want either of you to take your eyes off them until I get there. I’ll be over later to discuss what needs to be done.”
“You won’t send me back home, will you?” Fanny asked, looking up at Adeline. For the first time since she’d been caught, she had a worried expression. “My mum would be mad with me if I had to come home before I learned how to read.”
“Mine too,” Mathilda agreed. “She wants me to make her a pretty blue dress one day. It was my dad’s favorite color.”
Lyon’s stomach squeezed uncomfortably. Damnation! Why did the girls have to suddenly seem so innocent? Why did he suddenly feel such compassion for them and like he was the guilty one?
Adeline looked over to Lyon, and his heart felt as if it melted. In that moment he knew he’d do anything for her. His anger over the girls’ infringement had dissipated and in truth he didn’t want them to be sent home. They wanted to learn how to read! He didn’t want to be the cause they couldn’t have the opportunity. He gave Adeline a gentle shrug and a nod.
What could he say? Rules were broken. Children get in trouble.
“I can’t make promises about anything right now,” Adeline said, turning back to the girls. “This is serious misbehavior. I’ll have to talk to Mrs. Tallon. Off you both go with Mrs. Lawton.”
The moment the girls turned to leave Adeline folded her arms across her chest and walked back over to stand in front of the fireplace. “I can’t believe this. I thought they were all afraid of you. Well, maybe not Fanny. She doesn’t seem to be frightened of anything except going home. I don’t know why they would enter your house. Leave the school again.”
“Again?” he said, walking over to join her by the fire. “So this isn’t the first time they’ve slipped out of the school and into someone’s house?”
“No. Yes. I mean, Fanny has left the school building before but not broken into anyone’s home. Not that I know of. I don’t know what I’m going to do with her. She has been told not to do it, reprimanded, and punished.”
“Those two must have struck a good friendship between them when they met,” Lyon offered. “Or perhaps there’s a kinship. What they did took a fair amount of trusting on both their parts.”
“Perhaps even some planning, too.” She swallowed hard before shaking her head and saying, “For them to go all the way up to your chambers is just so shocking. I’m mean you were—you’re hair’s still wet.”
Lyon knew Adeline was imagining him in the bath because he was imaging her in the water with him. His body stirred. He reached up and smoothed a strand of honey-colored hair away from her beautiful, worried face. She didn’t back away but watched him do it with a soft expression that let him know she welcomed the comforting gesture. The undercurrent of sexual awareness that always flowed between them was coming startlingly alive.
“I’m not one that can give advice on children, Adeline, but I do know boarding school by its nature is difficult to adjust to for anyone. It’s constrictive especially for children who have been free to roam about alone and explore whatever’s before them be it the streets or the countryside. Suddenly being forced to live by someone else’s rules is not easy no matter your age or station in life.”
“Yes, I can understand that,” she conceded softly; but then in a stronger voice she added, “But when there are rules, we must obey them or suffer the consequences.”
He touched her hair again, thinking he could look at her all day and not grow tired, but that thought brought others with it. The more he looked at her, the longer he wanted to stay, take her in his arms, comfort her, and make her forget everything but the thrill of being in his arms again.
“I’m sorry I had to bring them over here. I thought you’d want me to. That you’d want to know.”
“Yes, of course, I needed to know.” She rubbed her arms as if she were cold. “I’ll talk with Mrs. Tallon. We must do something.”
“Nothing as harsh as sending them home, I hope,” he said, knowing how easy it was for children to get into trouble. “They both seemed concerned about disappointing their families.”
“I know, and it’s kind of you to be so forgiving after what they did, but stop trying to make me see reason right now, Lyon, and kiss me.”
He placed his hands on each side of her face and claimed her lips with a chaste, closed-mouth, but lingering kiss. His lips moved slowly across hers, pressing softly, leisurely, leaving her no doubt about how much he wanted her, but sensing Adeline only needed him to calm and reassure her that she could handle this problem with the girls.
Taking his time, he slid his hands down her cheeks. His thumbs caressed her skin, while his fingertips lightly touched the soft, sensitive areas below and behind her ears. He knew she would let him know when or if she wanted ravenous kisses and touches or just wanted to be gently kissed, touched, and held as he was doing now. It was her decision to make how far they’d go right now. He’d continue as he was doing and give her all the time she needed to decide.
Difficult as it would be, he could wait.
He wasn’t sure if either of them had had a choice in how it happened the last time they came together. It was primitive, wild, and had been destined since they’d met. Surrendering to his lovemaking today had to be her decision.
&
nbsp; With the same slow movements, he tenderly massaged the tight muscles at her nape.
She sighed against his lips.
“I feel tension inside you,” he whispered. “Does that feel good?”
“Immensely,” she answered and rolled her shoulders.
He skimmed his hands across the top of her delicately rounded shoulders, and down her firm upper arms, occasionally squeezing just enough so she could feel his strength. He wanted her to know that even though she invited the kiss, and he was taking direction from her, he was in control.
When he sensed she was completely relaxed beneath his touch and his lingering kisses, he lifted his head, looked into her eyes, and asked, “Are we alone in the house?”
She nodded. “I don’t have a maid.”
That was most unusual. He gave her a questioning smile while his hands continued to caress her. “How does a lady get by without one?”
He felt her tremble and saw she had the same troubling, faraway look in her golden brown eyes that she’d had when he’d offered her the brandy. Why would talk of a maid bring back disquieting remembrances for her? He wanted to know, but this wasn’t the time to ask. She would only turn silent on him as she had before.
Wanting only to reassure her, he bent his head and placed his nose on the soft warm skin at the slope of her neck and breathed in deeply, filling himself with her fresh, womanly scent. He wondered if she knew he felt desperate to possess her every time he touched her. Every time he looked at her.
“I prefer not to have a lot of servants around,” she said. “I have my clothing made in a simple fashion. Most of it is easy for me to get into and out of on my own. When necessary, Mrs. Lawton helps me.”
“I think we’ve found something that we have in common. I don’t want a host of servants around either.”
He claimed her lips in another slow, easy kiss that suddenly seemed more erotic than eager, breathless kisses. His hand slid down her chest to capture her breast and cover it with his palm, gently squeeze it with his fingers. A spiraling heat consumed him.
