Once on the steps, Grayson reached into the open door and took Miss Mallory’s cloak from the butler, who seemed confused by how quickly she was out the door. Once the door closed, he placed the cloak over her shoulders.
The air outside seemed clearer. Lighter. Easier to pull into his lungs. How the devil was he going to spend time with Miss Mallory without feeling as though every time he stepped over her front doorstep he was walking into the lion’s den? If this visit lasted much longer, he expected to be greeted by a vicar the next time he called. He was certain Satan on a prowl for souls was not as tenacious as Mrs. Mallory.
“Look what I have.” Miss Mallory held up a small cloth bag.
“What is that?” He took her elbow and assisted her down the steps.
“Bread pieces. I thought Michael would enjoy feeding the ducks.”
“That’s a wonderful idea,” Grayson said. As they reached the bottom step, Miss Mallory turned and looked up at him, genuine concern on her pretty face. “My lord, I’m afraid I must once again apologize for my mother, and I would certainly understand if you wish to meet with the organization and other matters without me.” She reached for his hand as he helped her into the vehicle.
“No. I want you to accompany me. That was the plan.” He climbed in after her, noting that Michael was already climbing on her lap, a huge grin on his face. “Please don’t worry yourself over your mother. I assure you I can handle mothers.”
Miss Mallory adjusted Michael on her lap, offering him a kiss on his cheek. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Banfield.”
“Good afternoon.” Mrs. Banfield looked at Grayson with raised brows. He grinned back. Apparently, she was just as impressed as he was with how Michael had immediately abandoned her to go to Miss Mallory, and she had then made him comfortable on her lap as if she’d done it numerous times before. If anything was going to move him in the direction Mrs. Mallory was so frantically pulling him toward, it would be Michael’s obvious adoration of her daughter.
“I found a book in my father’s library about deafness.” Miss Mallory ran her hand up and down Michael’s arm. “One of the things mentioned was how touch is so very important to anyone suffering from deafness.”
Another point in her favor. Not that he was looking for points. He still thought a marriage between them would not be in his best interests. He could easily fall in love with Miss Mallory and he’d only just put his heart back together. He doubted it could survive another blow.
“May I borrow the book?”
She now wove her fingers through Michael’s curls, and all he could imagine was her doing the same to him. How it would feel to have her delicate fingers touching him. In more places than just his hair.
“Yes. Of course.”
He had to stop and remember his question. Oh, yes. The book. “Thank you.”
Mrs. Banfield asked Miss Mallory about her gown, and the rest of the trip was taken up with the two women discussing fashion while Grayson watched, mesmerized, as Miss Mallory and Michael formed an attachment that was both good and bad news.
Once they arrived at Hyde Park, they rode until they reached the Serpentine with the coach coming to a rolling stop. Grayson stepped out, turning to help Mrs. Banfield and Miss Mallory. Michael was so eager he was jumping up and down. It reminded him that the boy needed more stimulation since he couldn’t hear. Once they returned to Bath, hopefully with a promise from a tutor to work with Michael, he would have to be sure his son had more outings.
With Miss Mallory. Because Michael cared for her so much, he told himself.
Miss Mallory took his son by the hand and led him toward the lake. She pulled out some bread from the bag and showed it to him. Then she broke it into little pieces and threw them to the ducks that had climbed from the water, waddling toward them. Then ducks came from all directions, causing Michael to clap his hands and shout.
She handed him a few pieces, and he tossed those. It was a peaceful few minutes until Miss Mallory turned to say something to Grayson and Michael immediately dashed to the water, splashing as he reached for one of the ducks.
Grayson and Miss Mallory shouted, “Michael, stop!”
Then they turned toward each other. “He can’t hear us.” They raced to the water just as Michael’s head disappeared.
Chapter Eight
Addie reached the water after Lord Berkshire, who had scooped his son up from the lake sputtering and howling. Michael’s arms waved frantically, and he pointed over to the water, grunting.
“It is quite chilly, my lord. We must leave immediately and return Michael to your home before he develops an ague.” Addie hurried alongside the man as he huddled a wailing Michael to his chest. Seeing them coming, the driver had the carriage door opened before they even reached the vehicle.
Addie climbed in first and took Michael from Berkshire’s arms. Mrs. Banfield had a heck of a time catching up to them and arrived at the carriage out of breath. Once she was in, with Berkshire behind her, his lordship slammed the carriage door and the driver took off.
Addie clasped Michael to her chest as Berkshire fumbled out of his wool coat and handed it to Addie who wrapped it snugly around Michael. The little boy’s body was cold and saturated. She rubbed her hand over his arms and legs trying to warm him up.
He had stopped crying and lay in her arms, sniffling and shivering. Addie looked over at Lord Berkshire who was still and pale as snow. Mrs. Banfield shook her head as she regarded the boy. “We should not have gone to the park. ‘Tis best if we keep him safe at home.”
“No!” Lord Berkshire’s outburst had both Addie and Mrs. Banfield staring at him. “I do not want to continue to treat my son like a freak. Aside from his lack of hearing, he is a normal little boy with all the eagerness and curiosity of any child. I won’t deny him a childhood because he might hurt himself. Even with a perfect sense of hearing, any child could have fallen into the water.”
Mrs. Banfield sniffed her disapproval, but Addie applauded his decision. It proved again to her that Berkshire was a loving man who genuinely cared for his son.
That led her to wonder about the previous Lady Berkshire. Addie knew very little about her, except that Berkshire did not like to talk about her.
Although the trip to Berkshire townhouse was not more than a few miles, it seemed to take forever with Michael shivering in her arms. The cold water from his clothes seeped into her clothing, bringing on her own shivers. The two of them together were practically rocking the coach.
Once the carriage arrived, Berkshire didn’t wait for the driver to open the door, but jumped out and took Michael from Addie. The two women followed him up the stairs and into the house. An older and quite staid appearing butler opened the door.
“Brooks, have a hot bath drawn as quickly as possible.” Berkshire took the steps two at a time with Addie and Mrs. Banfield right behind him. As focused as she was on Michael, Addie did take time to notice the somewhat garish decor of the entrance hall and the stairway. The deep red flower-striped wallpaper almost gave her a headache. Gold colored carpet led them to a bathing room at the end of a corridor.
“Mrs. Banfield, can you please ask one of the maids to find something for Miss Mallory to wear?” Berkshire set Michael on his feet and began to rip the boy’s wet clothing off. “She will need to change into dry clothing.”
“That is not necessary, my lord. I can have the driver see me home.” Addie barely got the words past her chattering teeth. Her chin was numb with cold and her hands were freezing.
Berkshire shook his head and lifted Michael into the partially filled tub. “No. That will not do at all. By the time you made it home, you would be completely chilled.”
“My lord, there are still a few of Lady Berkshire’s gowns here. I imagine one of them will fit Miss Mallory.” A young maid entered the bathing room.
“Miss Mallory, go along with Sybil, she will find something for you to wear.”
Before Addie had a chance to thank him and insist upon being
on her way, the young, but quite strong, maid took her by the arm and led her away. Mrs. Banfield left, presumably to return to her room and Berkshire was busy sloshing warm water over his son.
Addie was not generally the superstitious type, but wearing a dead woman’s clothing did make her a tad uncomfortable. She was pleasantly surprised when the dress the maid gave her fit. Until Sybil mentioned the gown was one her ladyship wore during her confinement. Thankfully, it was quite loose around Addie’s waist, but fit her perfectly around the bust.
It was a lovely gown, more tasteful than the house’s decor. The deep blue silk flattered her complexion. Beautiful black embroidery had been stitched along the bodice, sleeves, and hem. As she dried herself with the towel that had been warmed by the fire, and dressed in Lady Berkshire’s gown, Addie thought about Michael’s mother.
She knew from ton gossip that some sort of scandal surrounded her death, but nothing more than that. Addie wasn’t even sure if she had ever met his lordship’s late wife. Was she beautiful? Did she possess all the grace and charm that Addie did not, which allowed her to marry an earl?
Sybil returned to the bedchamber that Addie had used to dress and led her to the drawing room with instructions from Berkshire. Sybil explained that she should take tea and he would join her as soon as Master Michael was settled in a nightshirt with a glass of warm milk and biscuits.
Tea arrived only a few minutes before Berkshire. “How is Michael?”
Berkshire took the seat across from her, with a tea tray filled with small cucumber, watercress, and smoked salmon sandwiches, and an array of biscuits and tarts between them.
Berkshire accepted the cup of tea Addie handed him. “Michael is in much better shape than I am.” He shook his head and popped a small sandwich into his mouth.
“These things are generally more difficult for the parent than the child. I’m glad he is better, though. I would not want something like that to put him off other adventures.”
“That will not happen. I’ve allowed Mrs. Banfield to make a great deal of the decisions with regard to Michael since I was at a loss as to what to do for the lad.” He shook his head. “I will no longer permit that. I am the boy’s father and I say he needs to be exposed to more of the world.”
“If you are able to secure the services of a tutor for him, he will be presented with a whole new way of looking at his world.” Addie took the final sip of her tea.
Grayson studied Miss Mallory as she wiped her mouth with a napkin and placed it alongside her plate.
“Is that one of my late wife’s gowns?” Margaret had never looked so good in that frock, although, if he remembered correctly, she wore that during her confinement.
“Yes,” Miss Mallory said. “I was surprised it fit me, but then Sybil informed me that the deceased Lady Berkshire made use of this particular gown before she gave birth.”
“I must say it looks far better on you.”
Miss Mallory sighed. “I take it Lady Berkshire was slender?”
Grayson nodded and leaned back in his chair, continuing to study her. “Margaret had the form of a stick. The only time she looked really well in her clothing was when she was increasing with Michael. You, on the other hand, have enough—”
“Pounds?”
“Nay. Enough curves to fill out gowns properly.”
He smiled at her raised eyebrows. “Thank you, my lord, now if you will excuse me, I think it is time for me to go home. If you could have your carriage readied, I would appreciate it.”
He tossed his napkin down and stood, circling the table and smiling when her eyes grew wide at his movement. He reached out and took both her hands in his and pulled her up. “I have a feeling that you find yourself lacking in masculine appeal.”
She just stared at him, her eyes wide, her mouth agape. Then she slowly nodded.
“You are wrong, Miss Mallory. I am very much a man, and I find you to be of a fine form. You are possessed of curves that would drive a man wild. Myself included.”
“I don’t understand . . .”
“Understand this. I’ve wanted to do this since I first laid eyes on you that morning in your bookstore.” Before he could change his mind, he cupped her cheeks in his hands and lowered his mouth.
Miss Mallory sucked in a sharp breath as his mouth covered hers. She held herself stiff until he slid his tongue along her sealed lips, and she opened. His invasion was swift and complete. He pulled her closer, all her soft warmth and luscious curves pressed up against him.
She was everything he had expected. Soft, warm, willing, and eager to learn. She gingerly touched the tip of her tongue to his and the heat exploded throughout his body. Unable to hold his hands still, he ran his palms over her back, cupped her round buttocks and pulled her against his hardness.
Miss Mallory—Addie, as he would think of her from now on—was an innocent, but she was no meek young girl. She allowed her own hands to roam over his back and shoulders, then allowed her fingers to play with the hair at his nape.
Grayson pulled back and scattered kisses over her jaw, neck, and the soft, sensitive skin under her ear. “You are so beautiful, so responsive.” Wandering into territory he should not traverse; he moved his hand to cup her generous breast. He rubbed his thumb over her already erect nipple. There was a soft moan. He wasn’t sure if it was him or her.
Addie sucked in a breath. “Oh, goodness, my lord. That feels wonderful.”
His tongue circled her ear, then he tugged gently on her earlobe with his teeth. “Grayson. My name is Grayson.” He blew softly into her ear. “Say it.”
“Grayson.” The word came out soft, whispery.
“My lord, Michael requests you read him a story.” Mrs. Banfield’s voice cut into his passion charged brain. “Oh, dear.”
Addie shoved him away and stared at him aghast. “My lord!” Her face was bright red and she was having a hard time accessing air, making her lovely breasts rise and fall.
Having had more experience with getting caught at inconvenient times, Grayson looked over at Mrs. Banfield who was grinning.
“Thank you, Mrs. Banfield, Please tell the lad I will be up shortly.”
She nodded and left the room. He looked at Addie, her palms covering her face. “Oh, I am humiliated. And ruined.”
Grayson gripped her elbow. She pulled back. He tried very hard to suppress his laughter because he knew she was embarrassed. But he felt elated. Wonderful. Excited. It all felt so right. She felt right. What he was going to do about it remained to be seen, but now he had to calm her down or she would march out of his life forever.
“Addie, please don’t be upset. I’m sorry that Mrs. Banfield interrupted us—”
Addie moaned.
“—But I am not sorry I kissed you. As I said, it was something I wanted to do from the moment we met.”
Addie looked up at him and took a deep breath. “Can you have your carriage brought around? I think I should go home.”
“Very well. But I will not send you home, I will escort you.” He was not about to let her go after what happened so she could dwell on it and probably sell her bookstore and move back with her parents.
She shook her head. “No. Michael is waiting for you.”
“While the carriage is made ready, I shall visit with him and explain, as best I can, that I will read him two stories when I return.” Before she could object again, he took her by the elbow and walked her to the front hall. “Grimsley, please have the carriage brought around. I will be escorting Miss Mallory home.”
Grayson bounded up the stairs, happier and more energetic than he’d been in years.
The following day Grayson made his promised visit to Aunt Mary. Although she had requested—nay ordered—him to bring Addie when he attended the she-dragon for tea, he arrived on Aunt’s doorstep at precisely three o’clock by himself on the day he had sent word to expect him.
“Is that my neglectful grand-nephew?” He only needed to follow Aunt Mary’s voice to know
she awaited him in the drawing room.
“It is I, Aunt. I have arrived just on time as you requested,” He strolled into her domain, once again wincing at the decor. The wall coverings, carpets, fussy paintings, and dozens of trinkets were so much Aunt Mary that she needn’t even been sitting there for him to feel her presence,
He bent to kiss her wizened cheek, the familiar scent of apples and cinnamon drifting from her. Just the smell brought back pleasant memories from his childhood.
“If memory serves, and it generally does despite my age, I requested you to bring your son and your young lady.” Aunt looked around him as if she expected them to jump out from behind.
He wasn’t exactly sure why he hadn’t brought Addie, except the kiss they shared the other day had left him feeling wonderful, but at the same time oddly out of sorts. He wasn’t quite ready to give a name to his feelings and was afraid Aunt Mary would do so before he was ready.
Ready for what he didn’t know.
“Michael took a slight dunk in the Serpentine yesterday and I am keeping him in bed for a day or so to make sure he doesn’t develop an ague. Miss Mallory was unable to join us.” He took a seat across from her just as the door opened and a footman entered pushing a tea cart.
“Pish! How is it your young boy ended up in the Serpentine? Isn’t that guardian you employ watching him carefully enough?
“It was an accident and Miss Mallory and I were there with him, as well.”
“Ha! I am willing to bet Miss Mallory was unable to come because you never invited her. I should never have left it up to you. The next time I will send an invitation.” While she chastised him, Aunt directed the footman to place the tea servings on the small table between her and Grayson. “There are a few things I wanted to ask her.”
“That’s what I was afraid of,” he murmured.
The Bookseller and the Earl Page 8