by Merry Farmer
“She’s probably lying awake mooning over Lord Compton more than me,” Lady Hamilton said with a sniff, fanning her tear-streaked face.
“Perhaps you would allow me to escort you home, my lady,” Det. Gleason offered, presenting his arm, like any other gentleman.
“Yes, yes, I would be honored to have a hero such as yourself see me safely home. Who would have thought when I hired you for something as silly as finding an author that you would turn out to be such a treasure?” Lady Hamilton said with a moony smile for Det. Gleason. “Why, the way you brought down such a dangerous man was positively stunning.”
“I was in the army,” Det. Gleason explained. “Special services. In the court of the Japanese emperor.”
“I’m not surprised at all.” Lady Hamilton beamed at him, then, almost as an afterthought, turned to Lenore. “My dear, you can rest assured knowing that I will not reveal your literary identity. I believe you have been through quite enough already. Though I would caution you to have a bit more of a care in your future writing endeavors.”
“Yes, Lady Hamilton,” Lenore said with a solemn nod of her head. “I most certainly will.” She glanced to Phin, barely able to contain her amusement at the situation.
“Gentlemen, I bid you good evening,” Lady Hamilton said to Phin, Reese, and Freddy before turning back to Det. Gleason. “Lead on, good sir. You are a knight in shining armor.”
Once Lady Hamilton and Det. Gleason made it to the street and the crowd of curiosity seekers, Phin stepped deliberately over to shut the door, finding a way to fasten it in spite of the broken casing.
“That is just about enough of that. If I never go out in public again, it will be too soon,” he said.
“You aren’t planning to hide away, like Lady Agnes, are you?” Lenore asked, crossing to him, sliding her arms around his waist, and leaning her head on his shoulder in utter relief.
“Darling, as far as I’m concerned, I don’t even want to leave my bed for a week, as long as you’re there with me,” he laughed, kissing her forehead. “That is, if Freddy doesn’t mind.”
He and Lenore both glanced to Freddy and Reese.
Freddy shrugged. “I already told Phin that he can snatch you right out from under my nose with my blessing. We were going to work out a way to explain the turnover before Swan showed up.”
“Is that true?” Lenore glanced up at Phin.
“It is.” Phin grinned down at her as though everything were right in the world. “I know it’s traditional to ask a woman’s father for her hand in marriage, but since yours is thousands of miles away, I figured asking your fiancé would do.”
Lenore laughed and shook her head. “At least we’re no strangers to scandal now, because this is going to cause quite a stir.”
“One we will meet with grace and aplomb,” Phin said. “Or perhaps just by thumbing our noses at everyone else.”
“I like that idea.” Lenore hugged him tighter, happier than she ever would have guessed she’d be within an hour of nearly being murdered. A thought struck her, though, and she blinked, straightening. “Will you be all right?” she asked Freddy and Reese.
Her two friends looked at each other. They looked at each other like two men in love, which only made her question more important.
“We’ve managed to avoid the blackmailers and scandal-mongers so far,” Reese said with a shrug. “If the scrutiny becomes too pointed, we’ll just do what other men in our positions do and take an extended trip to the continent.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Freddy said. “I’m inclined to want to stay in London for a while to see what mischief these two get up to.”
Reese laughed and thumped Freddy’s back. His hand stayed there as his expression filled with affection. “We’d better head home and let these two sort out their next steps.” He started toward the door, Freddy with him. “I’ll have Florence pack a few things for you to wear tomorrow, since going out dressed like that is likely to cause even more of a fuss than has already been caused.” He nodded to the shirt and trousers Lenore wore.
“I’d almost forgotten I was dressed like this,” Lenore said once Freddy and Reese were gone and Phin had shut the door behind them.
“You look a fright,” Phin said, his grin heating. He adjusted his glasses and swept her with a look. “It’s highly improper for a woman to dress in men’s clothes.”
“Oh, is it?” Lenore crossed her arms, even though she knew he was joking.
“Yes. Which is why we should get you out of them as quickly as possible.”
Lenore laughed as Phin took her hand and marched across the hall and up the stairs, leading her along. “Good Lord, Phin. Not more than an hour ago, our lives were in mortal danger, and now you want to go to bed with me?”
“Love,” he said, glancing over his shoulder at her as they reached the top of the stairs and slipped into his bedroom. He closed the door behind him, finishing with, “I need to go to bed with you right now precisely because our lives were in mortal danger not more than an hour ago.”
He had a very good point. If she were honest, her heart was still racing and her body buzzing in such a way that she couldn’t have simply flopped into bed and fallen asleep, no matter how tired she was. She needed a way to expend her excess energy and to feel safe and loved in Phin’s arms.
Fortunately, he seemed to feel the same way about things as she did. He closed his arms around her with a deep sigh, pressing her body flush against his and leaning in to capture her mouth with a kiss. It was exactly what she needed, firm but tender, encompassing, and full of promise. She opened up to him, wanting nothing more than to lose herself in his embrace and to feel as though her heart had a home.
“I think we can dispense with formalities,” Phin said in a low, tempting voice, making quick work of the buttons of the waistcoat she’d donned. “Though I must say, you look utterly charming in my clothes.”
“I’ll have to wear them more often,” she said in return, flashing him an amorous smile as she mirrored his movements and peeled off his clothes. “And perhaps one of these days you can try wearing my clothes.”
Phin laughed out loud, pausing halfway through pushing the waistcoat off her shoulders and unbuckling her belt. “It wouldn’t be the first time I wore women’s clothes.”
“What?” Lenore’s hands froze in the middle of undoing the buttons of his shirt. She gaped up at him, barely able to contain her laughter.
Phin chuckled and shook his head. “It’s a long story that involves Lionel luring me into a theatrical production when we were in university.”
“Oh yes,” Lenore went on with a pretend sage look as she tugged his shirt out of his trousers and wrestled with their fastenings. “I’ve heard all about you theater people.”
“The theater is positively scandalous,” Phin agreed in a gruff voice, pulling her shirt up over her head in one, swift gesture. “Everyone knows that.”
Their silly conversation came to a quick end as he leaned in and slanted his mouth over hers once more. His kiss hit her with just enough force to leave her head spinning and her knees weak enough that she threw her arms over his shoulders for balance. That left her able to run her fingers through his hair and to lift one leg over his hip. He caught it and hitched it higher, brushing his hand along her thigh to her backside and squeezing. The gesture was heated and perfect and left her roiling with impatience to be under him in bed.
“Enough of this,” Phin growled at last, letting her leg go and stepping away from her long enough to lead her the short distance across the room to the bed. “You’re mine, and I intend to prove it to you.”
Lenore’s insides quivered at the determination in his voice. “I do believe I’ll pretend that I don’t already know we belong to each other so that you put extra effort into proving it to me,” she said breathlessly.
The hunger in his eyes cracked just long enough for Lenore to see the joy and the humor of their game before a smoldering look of intens
ity made him wolfish all over again. They shed the rest of their clothes with lightning rapidity—Lenore truly was impressed by how easy it was to undress while wearing men’s clothes and vowed to do it more often—and tumbled into Phin’s bed.
As soon as he set his glasses aside, he reached into the drawer of the bedside table and took out a French letter. Before he could open it, Lenore stayed his hand.
“I don’t think we’ll need that,” she said, fire and excitement in her eyes as she grinned up at him.
“Are you certain?” he asked, one eyebrow raised doubtfully.
“Is it usual for married people to use them?” she asked in return, her smile growing.
Another flash of joy lit Phin’s face. The intensity of the love in his eyes was enough to take Lenore’s breath away.
Before he could answer, she went on with, “You asked me in Yorkshire, but I don’t feel as though I gave you a proper answer. Does the question still stand?”
“Of course, it does,” he answered with a rush of breath. He leaned down to kiss her before she could say more, though. His body pressed into hers, his hips grinding against her sex as she wriggled into the perfect position under him. She wanted him so desperately that she wasn’t sure how she was going to be able to wait for all of the legalities to be settled before marrying him.
“In that case,” she panted once his mouth left hers to trail kisses down her neck and across her shoulder to her breasts, “I most definitely want to marry you.”
“Good,” he growled. He took a moment to lavish her breasts with kisses, nips, and licks that hardened her nipples into points and left her arching and panting against him. She could feel the tension in his body as she dug her fingertips into his shoulders. He was deliciously hot and hard as he pressed his cock against her when he returned to kissing her mouth. “But I still say we should use this,” he went on as though their conversation had never flagged, holding up the French letter he still had in his hand.
“Whatever for?” she asked, aching for him to get on with things.
“For one, I’ll last longer,” he said with a grin. “For another, the longer we put off starting a family, the more we can enjoy this.” He raked her naked and overheated body with a quick glance before meeting her eyes mischievously.
“Use the letter,” she panted, giddy with excitement.
He unwrapped it and slid it on, then wasted no time in thrusting into her. Lenore gasped and moaned at the pleasure of it all, bearing into him and meeting his thrusts enthusiastically. It felt so absolutely perfect to be one with him, to feel him filling and stretching her, that the tell-tale coil of impending orgasm built in her so fast she knew she wouldn’t be able to control it. It almost felt as though they’d skipped half of the things that made making love so enjoyable, but she didn’t care. Phin was inside of her, every danger they had faced was behind them, and they would have the rest of their lives to give each other pleasure and make each other’s lives as perfect as possible.
She burst into orgasm with a loud cry, holding nothing back as her body tightened around Phin. She gave into it, arching against him and digging her nails into his flesh. He hissed a curse that was so scandalous it nearly made her laugh, and thrust harder. In spite of his promise that he’d be able to last longer, his body tensed and a cry ripped from him moments later as he came with what she suspected was enough force to fire a cannon.
It was absolute bliss, but not nearly as wonderful as the sated calm that settled over both of them as they collapsed together, tangled and gasping for breath. The urgency of everything they felt for each other evaporated into a deep, all-encompassing love. Phin pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply until even that took too much effort. Then they simply lay in each other’s arms, overheated, but happy beyond measure.
“Who would have thought things would turn out this way for me?” Lenore asked with a happy sigh, stroking Phin’s side with her fingertips. “I’ve found the best man in the world, and we’re going to live happily ever after.”
“We most certainly are,” he agreed in a tired voice. “And we’re going to scandalize all of London as we do it.”
“Good,” Lenore said with a laugh. “London needs a little scandalizing.”
“And we’re just the couple to do it.”
He leaned in for one more kiss, his arms circling her. Lenore smiled, even as her eyes fluttered closed and exhaustion overcame her. She couldn’t remember a time when she’d been happier, and she had a feeling only blissful times awaited the two of them.
Epilogue
Twin scandals hit London in mid-November, barely a month after news of Scotland Yard arresting one Bartholomew Swan and extraditing him back to America to face multiple charges of murder hit the presses. A new issue of Nocturne suddenly found its way into the hands of every scandal-seeking member of London society. In its pages was a deliciously sordid tale of an American heiress escaping the clutches of her murderous husband and falling into the arms of her handsome, bespectacled savior. The descriptions of their adventures in bed were the most vivid and enthusiastic work of the as-yet-unknown author to date, though several readers noticed a slight shift in the author’s style, as though two people had penned the erotic tales instead of just one.
Lady Hamilton refused to comment when asked why she had dropped her effort to uncover and prosecute Nocturne’s author. She did, however, grin and gloat and whisper to anyone who would listen to her that she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, who the popular journal’s author was. Her knowledge provided her with invitations to every social event in town and made her the must-have guest at every party. Which was decidedly convenient when it came time for her to announce the engagement of Lady Agnes to Lord Compton.
The second scandal that rocked London in November was the sudden wedding between Miss Lenore Garrett and Mr. Phineas Mercer. They were at the altar in a private ceremony involving only their closest friends before the month was halfway done. The sudden transference in Miss Garrett’s affections away from a titled peer like Frederick Herrington and onto a virtual nobody was astounding. But at the same time, it was understandable that an earl of Herrington’s standing couldn’t possibly marry a divorced American, no matter how much money she brought with her. What surprised people was that Miss Garrett and Lord Herrington seemed to remain fast friends. There were even rumors—albeit unproven—that Lord Herrington had given Miss Garrett away at her exceedingly exclusive wedding ceremony.
“Let them come to whatever conclusions about the arrangements they want,” Lenore laughed as she and Phin sipped champagne with their friends at the reception Reese held for their small group after the wedding. “Society is so boring when no one has anything to gossip about.”
“I think I would prefer boring to being the center of gossip,” Lady Beatrice Lichfield said, her eyes wide with wonder as she gave her congratulations to Lenore and Phin.
“It’s far more fun than I ever would have imagined,” Lenore told her with a wink. “I highly recommend being the talk of the town.” She sent a teasing grin to Phin, who stood by her side, holding her hand and looking as though he’d won the blue ribbon at a derby.
“I don’t care if people gossip about me or not,” he said with a shrug. “As long as I have my wife by my side always.”
“That’s a lie if ever I’ve heard one.” Lionel butted into the conversation, stepping up to Phin’s side, looking as fashionable and mysterious as ever. “You’ve always loved it when people talked about you.”
“Yes, but they’ve spent all this time talking about me without knowing it’s me they’re talking about,” Phin told him.
“Oh?” Lady Beatrice blinked in confusion. “How is that possible?”
Lenore, Phin, and Lionel all exchanged looks. “Perhaps it’s best you didn’t know,” Lenore said, unable to hide her grin.
“Perhaps you’re right,” Lady Beatrice agreed with a sigh. “Harrison is always saying that innocence is bliss.” Her voice dropped at t
he end of her sentence and she glanced across the room to where her beau, Lord Harrison Manfred, was laughing at something with Lord John Darrow.
It was all Lenore could do not to grin at the wistful look in Lady Beatrice’s eyes. “Don’t worry,” she said, patting Lady Beatrice’s arm. “Your turn will come soon enough. I wager you’ll be engaged by Christmas.”
“I certainly hope so,” Lady Beatrice said before wandering over to join Lord Harrison.
“Don’t worry,” Phin echoed Lenore’s words of comfort, turning to his brother with a wink. “I’m sure you’ll be engaged by Christmas as well.”
Lionel barked a laugh that was in direct contrast to his usually preternaturally calm manner. “And pigs will be flying by Easter,” he said. Though Lenore noticed that his gaze shot directly to his friend and business associate, Mr. David Wirth, with a look of longing that Lionel wasn’t quick enough to hide. Lionel had brought the handsome, dark-haired, clever Mr. Wirth along to the reception as his guest, though Lenore wondered if he had other intentions in socializing with the man. She knew full well what Lionel’s interests were, but she hoped for his sake he was careful about it.
“Miracles can happen,” Phin said with a shrug. “We managed to convince Hazel to let Mrs. Merriweather mind Father for a week so that she and the girls could come down for the wedding.”
He nodded across the room to where Hazel was in deep discussion with Fergus O’Shea. They made quite a pair, Fergus in his wheelchair, a patch covering the eye he’d lost, and Hazel with her new gown carefully constructed to downplay her missing arm, her hair styled to draw attention away from her burned face. Knowing the two of them, they were comparing battle scars and arguing over which of them had gained more independence, in spite of their injuries.
“Maybe Lionel could work his magic and find her a suitor with a title?” Lenore suggested, buzzing with happiness to see Hazel actually enjoying herself.
