“Were they too hard to remove?” asked Arthur with a raised brow.
After a moment’s hesitation, Sir John answered. “For such an old weapon, the stones are attached remarkably well. Those bloody Vikings certainly knew what they were doing.”
“Language, Sir John,” said Arthur as he readied the case. “You’re in the presence of a lady.”
“She doesn’t fight like any lady I ever met,” grumbled Sir John.
Ignoring the governor, Vanessa lifted the sword. Surprisingly, it was lighter than she’d imagined and not as difficult to wield. After she tested it a few moments, sweeping it to and fro, she put it into the case Arthur held open for her.
“You handle a sword masterfully well,” he murmured as he pulled the case shut and put the straps over his shoulder. “One would think it’s not your first time with a blade.”
Their gaze held for a moment until they heard a snort of disgust from Sir John. “Sure. He gets to say something like that to you and gets nary but a smile. If I’d said it, I’d have been thrown out the window onto my arse.”
“If you’d only said such a thing,” said Vanessa, “I would only have slapped your face. It was your actions that resulted in your present predicament. Shall we depart Lord Arthur?”
“With pleasure, Miss Gans.”
They took their leave of Sir John, and as they left the castle they met up with the old woman and her family, who were being loaded into a wagon by a man who was quoting scripture. The old woman broke out into a grin when she saw them.
“Thank ye again, milord and milady, for getting me family out. We’re on the way to the surgeon once the preacher there gets us all loaded in.”
“How is the little girl?” asked Arthur.
“Mimsy is still a little sickly, but doin’ much better. I hope the surgeon will fix us up so we can be on our way home. I feel bad about takin’ yer money. That’s more than I seen in me whole life.”
Vanessa looked at Arthur inquiringly. He ignored her and turned to the woman. “I was only happy we could help you and your family. I have no doubt you will get more use out of it than we would have. Godspeed, madam. Have a safe journey home.”
The old woman and her family thanked them again, while the little girl smiled from her mother’s arms.
As Arthur and Vanessa began their journey back to the inn, she asked, “How much did you give them?”
He sighed. “Dumbarton’s five pounds. I shall have to ask for another loan when we send him word about our work here.”
“You didn’t have to give them all our money,” said Vanessa with a smile.
“Perhaps,” said Arthur, “I just wanted to play the knight to impress my fair damsel.”
Vanessa smiled in response, but as she walked next to the man with the sword over his shoulder, she didn’t think there had been much play-acting involved.
CHAPTER TEN
Dumbarton’s well-sprung coach made good time on the road to Nottingham, but their late start meant they’ve have to spend at least one night on the road. Arthur was quite looking forward to it, even if he had to burn every blanket in the inn to keep it from dividing their bed.
It was well past dinner when they stopped at an inn. Vanessa had spent most of the journey preparing a report for her superior, Lord Willingham, in London. She was so intent on her work she didn’t hear Arthur request one room from the innkeeper. When she opened her mouth to quietly protest, Arthur whispered, “I gave Dumbarton’s money to that unfortunate family. It’s important to spend as little as possible right now.”
Though Vanessa thought the wretch would’ve found a way to put them in the same room even if he’d had a full purse, she said nothing. She still suspected that he might try to continue on the journey without her. Sharing a room was a good way of keeping an eye on him. It’s not that she distrusted him with the sword. But she worried that he might be injured. She’d been close to capture or death on more than one of her missions. She couldn’t bear to think of him coming to harm because of her.
A fear of a different sort surfaced when they were shown to their chamber. The room seemed clean enough, but the bed was appallingly small. There was no way their bodies wouldn’t touch in such close quarters, and she feared what she’d do when that happened. All her efforts to keep herself away from temptation in the form of Lord Arthur Kellington would be for naught. She had no doubt he’d leave her alone if she told him to. She just couldn’t picture those words coming out of her mouth.
The only other alternative would be for one of them to sleep on the floor. Or possibly Dumbarton’s coach. The cushions were soft enough, although it wasn’t wide enough for her to stretch out, let alone Arthur. It had to be the bed. She looked for a spare blanket.
“Not again,” said Arthur.
“I believe it to be the wisest course of action,” she said primly, while her thoughts were anything but.
“What if I promise not to touch you? I shall give my word that I will not go near you, other than the close proximity we will be in due to the confines of that bed, which looks to be made for undersized children. But I will not touch you unnecessarily unless you ask me nicely. And, for the record, I shan’t accept any propositions that don’t include at least a modicum of begging. Besides, it’s hardly like the blanket is some impenetrable fortress.”
“But it does give a measure of privacy.”
“What makes you think I didn’t peek last night?”
“Did you?”
“I’m not saying whether I did or didn’t. I’m just pointing out the theoretical weakness of your blanket. And I only peeked a little.”
There were interrupted by the maids who entered with the tub and hot water. Arthur busied himself at the window. He was already aroused and it was everything he could do to keep from jettisoning the mission, kidnapping Vanessa and taking her to the continent where he’d spend weeks, if not years, exploring her lovely body.
Vanessa, ever the calm, cool and completely unaffected female, asked the maids to bring up a light dinner of bread and cheese. Arthur rolled his eyes at her cost-cutting ways and added meat, potatoes and dessert to her order. The maids curtsied then said the food would be up within the half hour.
When they’d gone, Arthur pulled the screen over to the bath. “You can go first sweeting,” he said.
“Will you at least look away?” she asked as she went behind the screen to get out of her clothes.
“I never make a promise I can’t keep. Tell me about your superior in London.”
“Benjamin Atkinson, Lord Willingham, has been with the Home Office since leaving university some twenty years ago.”
“Willingham,” said Arthur, trying to place the name. “Isn’t he a baron from Cornwall?”
“I believe that’s his family seat,” said Vanessa. “He speaks of them very little. From what I understand, they didn’t approve of him working for the government in what they considered an ungentlemanly profession. The peerage can be quite odd at times. The man is serving his King. You would think they’d be proud of him.”
“The peerage is nothing if not contradictory, love. How did he recruit you?”
She didn’t say anything for a moment and all Arthur could hear were the maddening splashes of her in the water. Finally, she answered, “He kept me from being transported.”
Now it was Arthur’s turn to be silent. Of all the answers he could’ve predicted, that one hadn’t been in the mix. To be in danger of being transported meant she’d been accused of a crime. He realized the splashing had stopped. “Vanessa?” he asked softly. “Are you all right?”
After a moment she answered. “I stole,” she said. “And it wasn’t even for a good reason. I wasn’t stealing to keep myself fed. Although I had done that but never been caught. No, it was for selfish reasons. But Lord Willingham arranged for my release, as long as I worked for the Home Office for three years and conducted myself honorably during that time.”
Vanessa held her breath awaiting Arthur’s reaction.
It had been a risk telling him about her past, but she felt dishonest in keeping it from him. He’d used his real name with Sir John, just as he would be doing on the next stage of their mission. She didn’t want to trick him into helping her when she was so far beneath him, and not just because of class. Arthur Kellington was honorable through and through. He should know who she really was.
Finally, he spoke. “I cannot pretend to know what you went through, sweetheart, although I would listen attentively should you choose to tell me. But I know life can be very difficult for those who aren’t born to privilege, as I was lucky enough to be. I believe I’ve already boasted of my ability to read people. Well, I know you wouldn’t have reached the decision to steal lightly.”
“Do not make excuses for me,” she said, fighting back tears. His anger or sudden coolness would be much easier to take than his kind words.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said. “Regardless of what happened in your past, Lord Willingham and Professor Dumbarton have enough faith in you to give you this mission. Obviously, you must have earned their trust. How much longer do you have to remain with the Home Office?”
“My term of service was up a year ago. I asked to stay on because I was so grateful for the second chance. And I truly believe I’m being of service to King and country.”
“And you are,” said Arthur. “I can think of no other agent who could’ve humbled the odious Sir John quite so well.” He was relieved to hear her laugh, which had been his intent. “Now, if you believe you’ve sufficiently used all the hot water, I suggest you ready yourself for dinner, since I believe our meal will be delivered shortly.”
“Oh, of course,” she said, as sounds of splashing arose from behind the screen once more. “We should ring for more hot water for you.”
Arthur could hear her rising from the water. “Don’t worry about me, love. It will be yet one more sacrifice I make for King and country. And don’t think I won’t mention it the next time I see His Majesty, foolish man that he is.”
Vanessa emerged from behind the screen, with her wet hair about her shoulders and a towel wrapped firmly around her. She looked at him shyly, as if unsure whether or not he would treat her differently after her startling revelation. But it hadn’t changed his opinion of her one whit. Or if it had, it was only to make him admire her more in overcoming the difficulties of her earlier life.
To put her mind at ease, he kissed her. “You never cease to amaze me, Vanessa. Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for my cold bath.”
* * *
After a dinner of decidedly mediocre fare, which Vanessa had eaten as if it were the finest French cuisine, they headed to bed with the dreaded blanket hanging once more between them.
“Tell me, Lord Arthur,” she said from just the other side of the blanket, after he’d made yet another improper suggestion, “how is it you’ve lived to be this old without someone taking a swing at you?”
“What makes you think they haven’t?”
“You’re telling me someone hit you?” she asked, trying to ignore the heat from his body, which was just inches away from hers.
“Many times. And that’s just counting family. I was constantly fighting with Ned and Hal, and even went up against Liam a time or two. That was before he became a duke. After that, he was too conscious of his advantage in weight and age, not to mention the toll his title had taken on him. Of course, he didn’t run entirely tame. Just a few months ago he went up against a gang of London toughs and came out very well. The man can fight. But the person who throws the best left hook in my family is Lizzie. You never expect it from her. Underestimate her at your peril.”
“Are you saying I should think myself fortunate she didn’t lay me out in Kent?”
“I’m just saying you should always expect the unexpected from her. Keep that in mind the next time you meet,” he said, resisting the desire to pull her into his arms, blanket and all. It was going to be a very long night.
“I think it rather unlikely that I shall ever see Lady Elizabeth again. It’s not as if our paths will likely cross. Can you please move over?” she asked.
“Toward you?”
“I believe you know the answer to that. I was hoping you’d give me just a bit more room.”
“I hate to disappoint you, sweeting, but I’m pretty much hanging off the bed as it is. If I move over anymore, I’ll be on the floor. And before you request it, please keep in mind my delicate aristocratic nature.”
Her bottom came in contact with the front of him and she felt his arousal. She stilled for a moment.
“Sorry, love,” he said almost – but not quite – sheepishly. “There’s not much I can do about that.”
Vanessa lay still, hoping sleep would come to her, but knowing it wouldn’t. Heat radiated off his body to envelop her. Heat and his clean, masculine scent. While he hadn’t taken time to shave, she knew his regular soap had a hint of bergamot. A rich man’s soap. A man who was very much not for her, especially now that she’d told him some of her past. She needed to remember that.
From the room next door came a rhythmic movement. Vanessa hoped she was imagining it, but as the headboard began hitting the shared wall, she knew there was no sense trying to sleep. She could only hope Arthur wouldn’t bring it to her attention.
“Have you read any good books, lately?” he asked, with the hint of choked laughter.
“I don’t get as much time to read as I would like,” she replied, trying to be heard over the increasingly loud goings on next door between a man called Alfie and his vocal, unnamed female companion. “But I do try to keep abreast of criminal reports.”
“A requirement for your position, I would imagine.”
“Indeed it is,” she said, increasingly discomfited by the couple next door. “I also read the broad sheets. I remember being quite surprised when I read Lady Elizabeth’s treatise.”
“Which was how we felt, as well.”
Alfie’s companion was now crying out to God.
“Isn’t that blasphemous?” asked Vanessa, as it became all but impossible to even pretend to ignore Alfie and his partner.
“Not necessarily,” said Arthur, still so close behind her. “I believe passion is a great gift from God. It’s quite fitting to thank Him.”
“Now you’re being blasphemous,” she said, turning on to her back, hoping it would help block out the noise from the wall which was only inches away from her.
“Do you have much experience with passion, Miss Gans?” Arthur asked, as he also turned onto his back, which pressed their bodies together all the way down their sides.
She waited for a moment before answering. “Enough to know it can be a powerful experience, but wise enough to realize it has great potential to harm.”
“True enough on both counts. Although from the sounds of it, Alfie and his lady friend are experiencing the good portion right now. And, with sleep an impossibility in the near future, I was wondering, Miss Gans, if you might like to experience a bit of pleasure yourself. I know you said we should not become lovers. But I was wondering if it might not be possible to do some exploration, without going too far.”
He held his breath as he waited for her answer. After what seemed like an eternity, she replied.
“How far would this journey take us?”
“Only as far as you’d like to go.”
After another moment of no sound other than the pounding from next door, Vanessa replied. “Very well. We can go for a small excursion. More of a stroll through Hyde Park, rather than a voyage to the continent.”
She couldn’t see his smile, but knew it was there.
“I would like to begin by doing this.” He sat up, then ripped down the blanket and the rope she’d secured to hold it up. “I am quite tempted to throw both of these into the fire, though I fear not having enough funds to replace them.” He tossed them onto the floor, instead.
He shifted so that the upper part of his body lay atop hers. She could feel hi
s naked chest press against her as his lips claimed her in a ravenous kiss. Her breasts were pressed against him, separated from skin on skin contact by only her thin shift.
Without conscious thought, her arms went around him, stroking down the sleek muscles of his back to his bottom. His rigid cock was pressed into her thigh and she longed to place it where she needed it most. She was wet and aching and knew without a doubt this was a mistake, but couldn’t bring herself to end it. It had been so long since she’d felt the weight of a man on top of her. And that had been the wrong man. Not that Lord Arthur Kellington was the right one. But she had an aching need for him at that moment. In that bed.
He kissed his way down her neck, to the breasts he’d felt but not seen during their card game. The light through the window was too dim to see much, but he couldn’t take the chance of lighting a candle for fear she’d change her mind. His imagination would just have to fill in the details until he had the opportunity to see her naked in the light. And he would have that opportunity. He’d make certain of it.
He quickly untied her shift, then greedily suckled first one breast then the other. She tasted sweet, as he’d known she would. As he continued to lay claim to her breasts, he explored her body by touch. Across the flat plane of her stomach, out to the curve of her hips. He visualized what she looked like in breeches and his cock spasmed in response. He moved his hand further down to her sleek thigh. The skin was like silk, the leg toned from riding. He inched his hand beneath her shift, up the soft skin of her inner thighs.
It was a journey he’d made many times with countless women. But no one had ever felt that good. No skin had ever been that soft. No anticipation had ever made him that hard.
As he inched his hand up her thigh, expecting to be stopped but praying he wouldn’t be, he became aware of just how much this experience meant to him. It was unsettling in its intensity, but he decided to file that away for future consideration. Right now, he had better things to contemplate.
He could feel the moist heat of her. As his fingers brushed her curls, he was scalded by her desire and knew he was just as hot. She whimpered, and it was everything he could do to not bury himself inside her. But he remembered his promise to her. A stroll through Hyde Park. Not a trip to the continent.
Never Wager Against Love (Kellington Book Three) Page 11