She realized her words really were making a difference.
She stayed in the courtyard of her close until she heard the Scotts’ driver gee up the horses and drive off. Pulling her dark evening bonnet forward so it covered her face and tying the ribbons of her black pelisse coat so it showed nothing of her dress, she raced back up the stairs to the high street. If not for the street lamp, she would blend into the darkness. Searching the road, she couldn’t see Aaron’s coach. Perhaps he really had grown bored with waiting.
A common hackney cab stopped in front of her. “Need a cab?” the driver called.
“No, thank you,” she said, turning to leave. She was well aware that she could be mistaken for a woman of pleasure if she stayed where she was.
The driver climbed down from his box and strode toward her. “I have a gentleman inside who says you do,” he said quietly.
A ripple of apprehension traveled down her spine, and she stayed on the path. She didn’t want to be pulled into the coach by a villain.
The driver opened the door, and through the gloom she saw a particularly well-dressed man, handsome and well-proportioned, and her apprehension turned to elation.
The driver helped her into the hackney cab and closed the door.
“I thought I was about to be hired for my services,” she murmured.
Aaron reached out and took her hand. “How does a lady from a good family even know such services exist?”
She caught a flash of his fine white teeth and knew he was smiling. “I’m no fool. My sisters told me of such women, but I never saw them. My father had no tolerance of such things. If he discovered them in the castle, they were thrown out. In some wynds of Edinburgh, one cannae miss them. I’ve never seen so much flesh exposed.”
“True.” He chuckled. The hackney cab pulled out and began its descent down the high street.
“Where’s your coach?” she asked.
He pulled her into his arms as the cab rocked with the gait of the horses. He smelled of Albany cologne and freshly starched linen, the combination so enticing she snuggled into him, her hand sneaking under his coat to settle over the hardness of his abdomen. “After my grandmother’s comment, I didn’t dare send my coach near your premises. Dinnae fash; I know this driver, and he will be well paid for his discretion. No one expects me to travel in a hackney.”
“Good. For it seems I need to keep my reputation. I was prepared to risk my social standing to speak on behalf of women. The truth is, I didn’t think I’d be so successful when I first started my talks three months ago. Yet tonight, so many women crowded around me. They must all think as I do. Did you notice they weren’t shocked when I spoke of passion?”
“You did phrase it in a far less controversial manner, and there were more women at Sir Walter’s this time,” he said, his lips grazing her cheek. “I’m very proud of you. You are an excellent speaker.”
Warmth flushed her cheeks at his unexpected compliment…and at his intimacy. It felt so natural to be in his arms.
“I’m learning to change what I say for different audiences. I have many calling cards from those who wish to help my cause of educating women and also from those who want the property laws to change.”
She thought about what she’d said earlier—that one careless decision could destroy a woman’s life forever.
Though she put a brave face on being alone with Aaron, nervous twitters started to dance around in her stomach. She wanted to be here with him. She did. But this was the first time she would truly be alone with a man. Any man.
And if she was caught, she would lose everything important to her.
Chapter Fifteen
Crystal’s mouth dried, and she shivered with apprehension when they arrived at Aaron’s home. It was one thing to talk of breaking the rules and quite another to do so. She’d never been alone in a gentleman’s residence, unchaperoned.
“I have given the servants the evening off, except Jenson, whom I can trust to be discreet. I can scarcely believe I have you all to myself,” he said, his eyes glittering with anticipation.
She swept off her cloak and evening bonnet and handed them to him, feigning confidence. She forced down her trepidation, knowing she must learn to live her words or she’d be naught but a country fool, fresh from the Highlands.
“Such subterfuge for what should be a normal occurrence,” she said. “Men and women should be able to meet as they wish. Having to hide is ridiculous.”
“There are many reasons for the rules. A man of wealth, when he marries, wants to be sure his heirs are his own.”
“Could he not simply marry a woman of virtue rather than a woman who needs to be guarded to ensure her virginity? In the Highlands, my sisters and I could take our mounts out and ride for miles without anyone questioning our motives.”
“Aye, no doubt your Wilding kin would slaughter anyone foolish enough to bother you, then make the body disappear in a bog. Aware of it or not, you were still under your father’s protection.”
“I suppose. My father was respected and feared, and I was free to do as I wished. At least until I became of marriageable age. I dinnae like the restrictions of being a high-born woman, of having to pretend I’m delicate and foolish. I could outlearn my sisters if it pleased me to do so, outgallop and fire my musket more accurately than my male kin.”
“Yes, you have mentioned your weaponry before.”
She laughed at the expression on his face as he shrugged out of his greatcoat and hung it alongside hers on a hook by the door. Then he held his hand out to her.
She put her hand in his, and his fingers closed over hers, warm and secure.
“The problem is some women are not as honorable as they would first appear,” he said with a hitch in his voice. “One cannae always tell the difference at first. Most women in our class appear sweet and biddable because they are well-trained by their mamas. You appear to be wild, but you have more integrity in you than anyone I’ve ever met.”
She regarded him thoughtfully. The man clearly knew her. Really knew her, despite their short acquaintance.
There was something serious and sad about the turn of his mouth. She couldn’t help herself. She pressed her body against his, stood on her tippy-toes, and kissed him. His lips were firm yet hot, and pleasure coursed through her at the feel of them under hers. “Thank you. For you are right. I dinnae have a duplicitous bone in my body, but my words can get me into trouble.”
“Aye, I’ll agree with you there, but such a pretty mouth they come from. I yearn to taste more.” He gazed down at her, motioning her to go up the stairs, then followed closely behind.
She came up into a beautiful drawing room, where a fire burned brightly in the grate.
“I’ve had my housekeeper set us up here. Supper has been laid out in front of the fire. I trust you have a good appetite tonight. When you were at Lomond House, you ate like a bird.”
He strode across the room and pulled a chair out for her at a small table for two. A gorgeous fire screen decorated with peacocks protected her from the heat so that she was pleasantly warm.
“I didn’t realize you watched me so closely. You must find me fascinating.”
He smiled at that, his face luminous as the candles and firelight highlighted his pale skin against the blackness of his hair. The dim light made his eyes appear dark and penetrating as he gazed down at her. He had a firm, wide mouth, but it had given way easily when she’d pressed her lips to his downstairs.
He leaned down and grazed the side of her neck with his lips, making her shiver with the delight of it.
“I find you entrancing,” he murmured. “The way you stand in front of a crowd and speak with the fierceness of a lioness. I’ve not seen another woman do that except the dowager duchess. She seems to admire you, by the way.”
“I knew she was testing me when I met her at Lomond Hous
e. I’m not one to back down from a fight.”
“Aye, I’ve gathered that,” he said wryly. “My patronage of your cause will be in every broadsheet tomorrow. There is nothing wrong with that, but we will be closely watched, which I do object to.” He sat opposite her, poured her a glass of claret, and served her from a plate of sandwiches, cold meats, cheeses, and jellies.
“Enough, Aaron. Dinnae ply me with food. I have no wish to become drowsy while I spend time with you. It will pass too soon for my liking.”
He glanced at her and swallowed as if he hungered for her. She could well imagine him scooping her into his arms and carrying her straight to his bedroom. He took a long sip of his wine, and she wondered if he was thinking something similar.
“Tell me of the duke,” she said, picking up her wine. “Has he recovered?”
“He fares well. It is as if the choking incident never happened.”
“That is good to hear.”
“He and the duchess have left for London. The House of Lords is in session, so they will not be home until the end of July.”
She tilted her head and looked at him. “Why do you not sit in the House of Commons? Is that not where the youngbloods whet their appetites for politics?”
“I have very different politics to my father, who is Tory through and through. Like you, I believe deeply in social reform. I cannae take a seat in the House of Lords until the duke passes, but I have already taken his place on the Edinburgh Council against Unrest and Insurgency. Plus, I have my own interests I need to look after.”
“Is there still insurgency?” she asked, surprised. Any Highland rebellion had been wiped out years ago.
She pushed some ham onto her fork and ate it, enjoying the flavor, suddenly hungry. The food was so delicious, she ate heartily, starting to relax as the wine did its work.
“The committee has a large brief. It encompasses any behavior considered harmful by or to the prince regent.”
“He’s hardly one to set an example for the people,” she said drily.
He laughed, tucking in to his supper. “True.”
“I wish I had been born a man. My life and the things I want to achieve would all be so much easier.”
His eyebrows rose as if he was scarcely able to believe his ears. “That seems a strange desire. You are as far from a man as I can imagine. I, for one, am glad you are not.” His gaze traveled over her face, resting for a moment on her breasts, then moved down her body.
She sent him a cheeky smile. “That is because the things you wish to achieve are quite different.”
“You are most provocative for a young lady.” Although his tone sounded stern, his eyes were sparkling, and he hadn’t taken his gaze off her.
She drank more of her wine, the warmth of it settling in her stomach. “Too outspoken, too willful, too fierce for a lady. I fear it is something my father failed to stamp out of me. I was too much like him, which both angered him and made him proud.”
“It would be wrong to stamp out such fire. If anything, I hope to ignite it,” Aaron said huskily.
Her kin always cautioned her to think before she spoke, that her will to have her way was too strong for her own good, but their warnings went against her very nature. “I desire you, too,” she said, her voice low. “I have from the moment you stood in Sir Walter Scott’s drawing room and asked me intelligent questions. It was a meeting of minds.”
He leaned closer to her. “It is more than a meeting of minds. I think we both know that,” he said.
“With you, I have such a yearning that willnae allow me to rest at night. When I see you, I swear others will know how I feel, it is so intense.”
“Aye. Whatever this is, we must see it through, because I cannae rest, either.”
A ripple of pleasure sizzled through her at his tone. Confident, and yet vulnerability echoed, too.
He rose from his seat and pulled her into his arms. His hands cupped her face, and he leaned down, touching his mouth to hers. Gently, he licked along the seam of her lips.
Heat, delightful and wicked, went down her spine, tingling all the way to settle between her legs.
She raised her arms and wrapped them around his neck as the kiss intensified. He copied her motion, lashing her to him with his strong arms so their bodies were pressed together. She opened her lips, excited to deepen the kiss. He tasted of claret and man. She’d never experienced the strange sensation of a man’s tongue in her mouth before, and there was something distinctly addictive about the feeling it gave her. She met his tongue with her own, tasting and testing. It seemed wicked and pleasurable at the same time.
Her whole body pressed against his, and she started to tremble as he kissed her. Even her knees became weak.
He moaned deep in his throat, and she realized he was feeling it, too. Indeed, with any more encouragement, she knew he’d strip her down and take her. How she wanted him to! Even though society would surely punish her for having such a scandalous thought.
She pulled back with a moan. “This is so new, so wonderful, I feel heady. As if I’m going to faint.”
He smiled, and his eyes darkened with pleasure. “It is exactly as I imagined kissing you would be.”
“That I would feel faint, you mean?” she asked, sliding her arms from the back of his neck. “I’ve never fainted in my life.”
“I expect not. But you’ve never been kissed before, have you?” He watched her closely, as if expecting an admission of innocence.
She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “Once. By the man my father planned to contract me to.” She made a face. “I didn’t like it.”
“I should hope not,” he said with a slight frown.
That kiss certainly hadn’t been like Aaron’s. There’d been no tongue, the man’s breath had been rank, and she hadn’t trembled with need. “It was so bad I refused to marry him. My father locked me in my room and threatened to beat me. I decided I’d rather risk punishment than be stuck my whole life with a husband who kissed like a dead fish.”
He pursed his lips. “Well, I’m glad I have done better than a dead fish. Though I admit, that isn’t much competition.”
She laughed and reached for her wine. After draining the glass, she put her arms around his neck again, looser this time. “Hold me one more time, and then I shall take my leave.”
His face fell in disappointment. “Must you? I had hoped we would spend the whole night together.”
“I’m aware of that. But this isn’t something I will do without serious thought. I dinnae want to have regrets. I want to be sure that what I experience will be so pleasurable it’s worth taking the risk.” She smiled. “Like this kiss.”
He stroked her cheek, sending soft tingles through her body. “It will be far better than a kiss. I will do things to you that will leave you breathless.”
He bent and nibbled along her jawline, the sensation so exquisite that she sagged against him, tilting her head to the side to give him access to the soft skin around her throat. Her nipples tightened under her shift, and the urge to rub herself against him grew carnal. How could a simple kiss and a few nibbles do this to her? His attentions were opening up a whole new world, recalling the arousing behavior of the lascivious servants she had spied upon as a girl. There was so much she hadn’t experienced, and she desperately wanted to do so.
He moved his hands down to her bottom, gripped her, and pressed her against him, groaning deep in his throat. “I must stop, or I’ll go past the point where I willnae be able to.”
With great reluctance, she broke from him. She also teetered on the edge of a desire so intense she wanted him to whisk her up to his bedroom and fulfill every one of his promises. But she needed to know him better if they were to continue to develop trust, and only then would she go to his bed.
Yet, the kiss had built such an urgency in her, she didn’
t know how long she would be able to resist.
“I’ll call Jenson to bring the barouche around to the front. It does not carry the Lomond coat of arms,” he said, clearly disappointed.
“I want to get to know you better first,” she said to soften the blow. “Our relationship needs to mean something if I am to lose my virginity to you. I must be sure that you are more than a passing fancy.”
“A passing fancy? I thought only men had those,” he said, appearing surprised.
She stepped away from him and straightened her clothing, not wishing to look as if she’d been ravaged. “Well, that just shows you don’t know everything about women. We can tire of a gentleman’s attentions, just as men can.”
“I suppose so,” he said, walking over to the pull cord to summon the coach.
“I take it you’ve not experienced such disinterest.”
“When one is wealthy and an heir to a dukedom, that does not happen.” The sound of heavy footsteps on the stairwell signaled the arrival of Jenson. “Bring the barouche around to the front. I wish to escort Lady Crystal home.”
“Right away, my lord.” Jenson nodded and barely cast a glance in her direction before he left.
It went so smoothly between him and his driver that she wondered if this was a game Aaron had played before. Then she chided herself for her jealousy.
He escorted her downstairs, helping her into her cloak. “Will you come to supper tomorrow night?” he asked, his voice urgent.
“I cannae. I teach the weaver lassies in the morning, and in the evening I have a meeting which you cannae attend.”
“Must you keep me waiting? I want more time with you. This was naught but a stolen moment. See me tomorrow after you teach. I have a meeting in my rooms at Parliament Hall, but I shall be finished by noon. Come spend time with me there. I’ll show you my splendid offices.”
She was certain he didn’t give a fig about showing her his offices. He’d have her dress over her head in a heartbeat if she made herself available to him whenever he wished. “I cannae be at your beck and call every moment. I’m not your mistress.” But he looked so disappointed, she conceded, “But I will come to see your office with my maid.”
An Unsuitable Lady for a Lord (Scottish Lords and Ladies) Page 10