He returned the sheaf of papers to her. “I’m not certain that’s it, but I can’t fathom why they would reach out, offer you this very generous marriage portion and never want any contact. There’s a mystery there and I mean to solve it!”
“We’ve more than one mystery,” she stated. “Who was the blond man in the office? Was it Elsworth? And was he responsible for Mr. Littleton’s death?”
“I don’t know. It may have been, but that person was very physical. I can’t imagine Elsworth shoving a desk. To my knowledge, he’s never worked that hard in his life.”
Lilly didn’t comment. She could imagine it. After all, he’d been prepared to force his way into her chamber. “And if it was Elsworth? What then? Mr. Littleton deserves justice. No one is so important or above the law that they can commit such heinous crimes with impunity.”
“No, there can be no impunity for that,” he agreed. “If it was Elsworth, I will be certain that he is punished for his crimes. I’m trying to protect the family name and, to a degree, that means protecting him… but it doesn’t mean he won’t face consequences in a more discreet manner.”
Which was all well and good for them, but what of Mr. Littleton? “Are you certain someone will discover Mr. Littleton’s body? I don’t know if he has a wife or children, if someone is even worrying about him!” she said. “I hate to think of him just lying there.”
“An anonymous note was sent around to Bow Street along with the necessary sum to spur them to action. His death will be discovered and investigated,” Val promised her. “Now, let’s try to put it out of our minds. It’s hardly an auspicious event for our wedding day, now is it?”
She smiled sadly. “No, but then it seems we’ve done nothing in the regular order or way of things.”
Val laughed. “That is very true. Will you regret that?”
She cocked her head and considered her answer. “No. I don’t think I shall… I think, if what occurred in your room last night is any indication, I should have very few regrets about our marriage.”
At that less than subtle reminder, his eyes flashed with desire. “Behave, minx. Breakfast first, and then we’ll see to our other needs.”
Lilly grinned and looked away. But her grin faded quickly. There were other events from the previous night that bore discussion. “I should tell you something, but you must promise me that you won’t lose your temper.”
He gave a weary sigh. “How can I promise you that when I’ve no notion of what you’re about to tell me?”
“Well, it is upsetting, but I handled it. I took care of things and I do not need you to avenge me or anything else so silly—”
He’d leaned forward and grasped her hand in his. “Lilly… tell me.”
Her breath rushed out in a huff. “When I left your chamber last night, Elsworth was in the corridor and he followed me to my room. I ran and got there before him, locked the door… and thankfully had the presence of mind to put a chair beneath the door knob. Because he’d had the presence of mind to bring a key.”
Val’s eyes narrowed. “That isn’t presence of mind. That’s premeditation and they are very, very different things. I’ll kill him.”
“He didn’t gain entry!”
“But he tried,” Val insisted. “He came to your room with a key, intending to let himself in. And what do you think his intentions were, Lilly? To have a spot of tea and discuss the latest novels you’ve read?”
Lilly drew back and glared at him. “I don’t think I like your tone. It isn’t as if I invited him! And if you must know, I can take care of myself very well! If you don’t believe me, ask him about the cut on his forearm when next you see him!”
Her husband’s eyebrows arched upward. “You cut him?”
“Yes. It was very helpful of you to provide me with that clever walking stick and its concealed blade. It would have been more helpful if you’d told me there was a concealed blade. Luckily, I discovered it by accident just in the nick of time.”
He blinked at her. “You got it open?”
“Well, yes. It’s a simple latch really, once you know to look for it,” Lilly answered. “Don’t tell me that you haven’t mastered it?”
“I found it to be a bit tricky, honestly,” he admitted, clearly embarrassed.
She smiled at him. “It’s your hands… they’re too large. That walking stick might be intended for a person of your stature, but the handle and the mechanism are more suited to the slighter dimensions of a woman.”
“Huh,” he said. “Then perhaps I should get you fencing lessons.”
“My dearest husband, perhaps I could give you fencing lessons. I’m rather an expert,” she pointed out with no small amount of glee.
He shook his head ruefully. “Of course, you are. Remind me to thank Miss Darrow when next we meet. I owe her a debt for her somewhat irregular thoughts on the education of women.”
“I’ll be certain to mention your approval,” Lilly retorted dryly.
“We’re off topic… you distract me so that I cannot think clearly,” he admitted. “Tell me what it was that Elsworth said to you?”
“That my mother was a whore. That I was a whore. That Effie was likely a whore. He was drunk, Val, and I think under the influence of opium. He was hardly sensible. Just angry and resentful. Jealous and hungry for power he does not have, just as you suggested.”
Val shrugged. “None of that matters at this point. This… what he did… what he intended to do… it cannot go unanswered, Lilly. I will call him out.”
“You cannot,” Lilly replied. “With what I’ve gathered from things you’ve said thus far, Elsworth is really just a pawn in a game being played by others. He’s committing treason, yes, but he’s not the mastermind of it all. If you challenge him now, Val, you’ll never find out who is truly behind all of this.”
He rose and shoved his fingers into his hair in frustration. “Damn it! I don’t care. You are my wife. Even if you were not my wife, his behavior is beyond anything that could be overlooked.”
“It is. It absolutely is. But in this instance, I defended myself, and no permanent injury was done to me. He cannot say the same. When he reached into the room, I may have nicked him just a bit.”
“Just a bit?”
“It was only his forearm,” Lilly stated. “We cannot afford to be hotheaded and allow our tempers and our prides to sway us! You’ve worked too hard and sacrificed too much to ferret out just these sorts of plots to allow what was truly a minor incident to destroy everything now. For lack of a better way to put it, given enough rope, Elsworth will hang himself, as we both know.”
He halted his pacing and looked at her. “You’re right. I know you are. But when I think of it, I want to thrash him.”
She smiled. “I am your wife, as you said. If you didn’t want to thrash him for that, it would be cause for concern. But I don’t want to talk about Elsworth anymore. We are here in this beautiful house, about to partake of this lovely feast, and we’re shouting at one another because you’re angry at your cousin for something he almost did. Let it go… for now. Until we have what we need from him, at least.”
His eyes narrowed and he fixed her with a sharp gaze. “We? You’re saying that quite a bit. I wasn’t aware that my ‘spying’, as you put it, had become a joint endeavor.”
“Well, yes,” Lilly said. “I think, in all fairness, that I’ll be much better at this spying business than you are. Now, tell me precisely what your garishly-dressed friend is doing with this charmingly elegant house that looks not at all like his tastes.”
He was silent for a moment, surveying her critically. Lilly feared that he might not be willing to let the matter go. But finally, he let out a heavy and resigned sigh before saying, “This is far more understated and traditional than I would have pegged Highcliff for. He does have a flair for the dramatic.”
Recalling the other man’s outrageous clothing, Lilly made a face. But her husband was correct. The house wasn’t overly large. Built
in the Palladian style, it faced the river and offered stunning views. The staff was also limited, only the butler, the housekeeper, the cook and a pair of maids lived in. There weren’t even any footmen. A stable hand had come forward to carry their bags inside as they were shown to the dining room where an elegant breakfast, including a divine cake that Lilly thought too pretty to eat, had been laid for them. She wanted nothing to do with food. The very idea of any celebration at such a time made her feel slightly ill. But such care had been taken, it seemed wrong to disappoint the servants by not even pretending to partake and enjoy it all. Despite everything, she could still acknowledge that the scene had been set perfectly and every last detail had been taken care of.
“This is all rather unexpected,” she said. “For a man who is reported to be a confirmed bachelor, Highcliff seems to understand a great deal about what is customary following a wedding service.”
Val’s only response was a noncommittal grunt as he began filling a plate with food. “You seem very interested in Highcliff,” he finally commented as he took his seat.
“He’s intriguing,” Lilly said. “I rather suspect that there are few people in this world who know who he really is.”
“That’s true enough,” Val said. While he knew the man better than most, even he was not fully in the loop.
“How does he know Effie? In all the years I’ve known her, even after we had ceased being pupil and master, she never mentioned him to me.”
Val gestured toward her empty plate. “Why are you not eating?”
“I’m not hungry,” she said, recalling the events of the morning, and sat back. “Are they lovers?”
He choked on the bite of potatoes he’d just eaten. “I don’t know,” he answered between coughs. “Is it our business if they are?”
“Well, of course, it is,” Lilly answered. “Effie is my friend. In truth, she’s almost like my mother, certainly the only one I’ve ever known. Willa and I were very young when she found as at that horrid school and brought us back to London with her. I cannot even imagine what would have become of us at the other school. She raised us, she taught us. I like to think, though other girls came after, that we are more like family to her because we were the first. She often said there wouldn’t be a Darrow School at all if she hadn’t stumbled upon us when she did.”
“That still doesn’t give you the right to pry into her personal life,” Val said reasonably. “She is a woman grown and if she chooses to have a lover—”
“He could break her heart,” Lilly interrupted him. “And I wouldn’t like him very much if he did that.”
Val set his fork down and shoved his plate away, as if the conversation had robbed him of his appetite. “I cannot attest to what is occurring between them, but I do not believe he would toy with her affections. Whatever is said of him, he is an honorable man. Let us worry after our own hearts and allow Miss Darrow and Lord Highcliff to worry after theirs.”
Not for the first time, she was struck by how handsome he was. Beautiful, in fact, with his dark hair and flashing eyes. And memories of the previous night and the pleasure he’d shown her, as well as the pleasure he’d denied himself, assailed her. “There are a lot of things I’d like to put from my mind,” she said, “if I were to be provided with an appropriate distraction.”
“There is nothing appropriate about the distraction that you have in mind, minx,” he replied, but his lingering and heated gaze revealed that he did not mind the suggestion at all.
“Aren’t you the least bit eager?” she asked.
“You know that I am… are you certain, after the events at Mr. Littleton’s office—”
“The things that occurred in Mr. Littleton’s office are precisely the things I want to be distracted from, Husband,” she said. “Take me upstairs.”
He rose and held out his hand to her. “We’re going to scandalize the servants.”
“Oh, Valentine,” she said, rising to her feet and placing her hand in his, “I think you’re rather missing the larger picture. Our marriage will scandalize all of society. The servants in this house are the least of our concerns.”
Chapter Sixteen
As they neared the bedchamber that had been prepared for them, Val was in for an even greater surprise. For a man who eschewed romantic entanglements, Highcliff had certainly made quite an effort to set the scene for seduction. Roses and candles were everywhere even as champagne chilled on a table.
“Well, I will say this for Lord Highcliff, he continues to surprise me,” Lilly commented dryly.
“No truer words were ever spoken. It is rather unexpected but not unwelcome, however,” he said. “You should have a bit of romance and seduction.”
“I don’t need those things, you know? I have made it clear that I am already entirely seduced and completely eager to undertake the duties of the marriage bed, have I not?”
“That you refer to it as a duty and the marriage bed proves to me that you do, indeed, require romance and seduction,” he said with a soft laugh. “Now, turn around and let me unlace your gown. I know you’re eager to be shed of it.”
She shuddered, whether with anticipation or with a reminder of why they both wanted to be rid of the clothing they wore. Regardless, she turned and he began to free the lacing of her gown until the fabric sagged from her shoulders and then simply slithered down her arms to rest on her hips. With a gentle tug, it fell the rest of the way to the floor and puddled at her feet. Next, he freed her stays and her petticoat until she wore only the amethyst-colored slippers and lovely embroidered stockings and garters and a delicate chemise. She stepped away from him then and moved toward the bed.
It wasn’t shyness or hesitation on her part, because she seated herself on the bed, facing him expectantly. “If I’m going to reveal all, I certainly think it’s only fair if you do as well,” she challenged.
Val felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He’d done more of that since meeting her than he had in a very long time, he thought. Laughing, smiling, genuinely enjoying himself. Was it an indication of things to come? He didn’t know, but he certainly hoped so. “As the lady wishes,” he said, and promptly shed his coat. His waistcoat followed, along with his cravat. Then he seated himself to remove his boots.
With that task done, he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. “The breeches stay on… for now. I can’t trust myself and I certainly can’t trust you and your curious hands.”
She leaned back on the bed, resting on her elbows. The pose was unintentionally provocative, thrusting her breasts forward and highlighting just how translucent her chemise was. “Do you really mind so very much?”
Val didn’t answer. He simply rose from the settee and crossed to the bed. Without preamble or warning, he leaned down and claimed her lips in a searing kiss. His fingers delved into her dark hair, sending pins scattering as the mass of it tumbled down over her shoulders. It felt like spun silk in his hands and, without conscious thought, his fingers tightened in the mass of it, tipping her head back further, allowing him to deepen the kiss. It was more ravenous than romantic and, heaven help him, she responded in kind. And then, bolder than he’d ever imagined, she laid herself back on the bed and held out her arms to him, and he was powerless to resist such an invitation.
Climbing fully onto the bed, he held himself above her, resting his weight on his forearms as he kissed her lips, the curve of her cheek, the firm line of her jaw, and then down her neck until he could reach the delicate ribbon that tied her chemise. Tugging it free, he spread the fabric wide, baring her gorgeous breasts. The sunlight streaming through the windows painted her skin with a golden glow that made him think she might actually be the goddess she appeared to be.
“I hate telling you that you’re beautiful,” he whispered. “It seems like such a weak description of all that you are. Like some trite thing you’ve heard hundreds of times before.”
She smiled up at him. “But it didn’t matter when anyone else said it
. Only when you do.”
“Then you are without a doubt the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen… inside and out.”
Her hands came up, coasting over his chest, touching him with curiosity, her expression one of wonder. His jaw clenched and he submitted to her exploration, though he was already struggling to control his urges. Their prelude to lovemaking the night before had left him as primed as an untried youth. Shifting slightly, he came down beside her, allowing himself to do some exploring of his own. He touched her everywhere he could reach, and then tugged her chemise lower. As if she’d read his intent, she lifted her hips and he coaxed the garment over them until he could skim it over her legs and toss it aside entirely.
Only when she was laid out before him did he lean forward and place a tender kiss upon her breast. Immediately, her hand slid into his hair, urging him on, and he gave her what she wordlessly requested. He lavished attention on that tender flesh, with his hands, his mouth, his teeth—he didn’t stop until she was gasping with pleasure and writhing with need. Even then, he only shifted his attention to her other breast, offering it equally attentive ministrations. But then he slid his hand along the softness of her inner thigh, just as he had the night before. There was no need to coax for she knew precisely what awaited her. She parted her legs eagerly for him, welcoming his touch, straining toward it.
Stroking the soft, silken heat of her, finding her wet and eager for him, was nearly his undoing. But he was determined that he would bring her pleasure before seeking his own. With that thought in mind, he moved lower, pressing soft kisses over her ribs and the soft curve of her belly, until he could kneel between her parted thighs.
“What are you doing?” she asked. Her voice was tight with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation.
“Something you will like very much, I think. Trust me, Lilly?”
Barefoot in Hyde Park (The Hellion Club Book 2) Page 14
