by Clee, Adele
Lockhart froze.
His heart thumped against his ribcage though he held his menacing expression. Had Terence or Selina spoken of that night at the inn? Was that why Terence was so adamant Lockhart should leave town? Did he fear what Justin might do? Or had Justin been there on the night of the murder?
“Going on a jaunt across the ocean is hardly considered criminal,” Lockhart countered. “But you can calm your greedy little heart. I’m not here for my father’s money. I’m here to right the wrongs of the past. So tread carefully lest you get caught in the crossfire.”
Justin’s bottom lip quivered. He smiled to mask the obvious sign of his anxiety. “Then I shall heed your advice. I imagine the battle will commence as soon as Selina arrives. Protecting your father has become somewhat of a hobby.”
With that, the fop snatched his riding crop from the chair and marched from the room.
Lockhart considered grabbing the crop from his hand and whipping him until he’d drawn blood.
“There are an awful lot of bottles here considering your father is taking laudanum to numb the pain and help him sleep.” Claudia’s voice reached across the room to pull him out of his murderous mood.
Lockhart dragged himself away from the closed door and came to join the lady who was doing a remarkable job of playing his wife. “Perhaps they don’t know what ails him and are trying different remedies.”
“Pray, who is his doctor? How long has he been suffering like this, and what is the prognosis?”
Guilt took him in a stranglehold this time as he had been too preoccupied with this own problems to consider anything else. “I doubt they would tell me if I asked.”
“Perhaps we should wait and ask Selina.” Claudia took hold of his father’s wrist, examining his pulse before lifting his lids and peering at his pupils.
“Must we?” The lack of clean air in the room made it hard to breathe. Sickness seeped from the walls. The oppressive tension in the house invaded one’s spirits, and he was in danger of being overwhelmed by a sudden sense of despair.
“We need to ask a few questions.” Claudia frowned as she studied him. “It must be hard when people attack you from every quarter.”
A man did not admit to such weaknesses. Not in front of a woman he wanted to impress. “I have a hardy constitution. It will take more than vicious words and veiled insults to bring me down.”
Claudia’s smile spoke of compassion. “Still, I feel compelled to offer comfort.”
“Then I lied. Their comments cut me to the bone.” He put his hand to his heart as if mortally wounded. “I need the love of a good woman, my darling, and you’re the only one I know.”
She tutted. “While I’m here to indulge you to a point, Hudson, you keep moving the boundaries.”
“There are no boundaries between a husband and wife.”
Claudia rolled her eyes. No doubt she was about to remind him they were merely playing roles, but the creak of a floorboard drew her attention to the door.
Selina swept into the room. Her dark eyes narrowed in disapproval. “Simmonds said you were here.” She moved to the chair, tugged off her gloves and dropped them onto the seat.
She had changed since the night he’d left her at the docks in Portsmouth. It was as if someone had blown out the light inside. The worry lines on her brow were a permanent feature. Was Terence not the doting husband she’d hoped? She had only herself to blame. Had she cast aside her doubts and joined him on his voyage things would be different. But then he would not be here now, with Miss Darling playing his loving wife. And that thought affected him more than he could say.
“We waited to see you,” Claudia said as she examined the handwritten label on one blue bottle. “This is a homemade cough suppressant, yet the label reveals nothing of its ingredients.”
Selina shrugged out of her burgundy pelisse and draped it over the chair. “Terence purchases any medicine we need from a place in New Bond Street.”
“What exactly is wrong with my father?” Lockhart demanded. “Justin was somewhat vague.”
Selina tugged at the ribbon on her bonnet and removed the hat with care. “He started vomiting, lost his appetite and struggled to find the energy to move from his bed. At night, he often wakes in pain. Terence thinks it’s better to give him laudanum, as does Justin.”
“But you don’t agree,” he said.
“If it were my choice, I would hire every available doctor to determine the cause of these ailments.”
“How long has he been suffering?” Claudia asked, picking up an odd-looking green bottle and sniffing the contents.
Selina stared down her nose at Claudia. “He’s been confused and forgetful for a few years, but things took a downward turn about a month ago.” Selina looked at Lockhart. “Around the time your friend Lord Greystone returned to town.”
Lockhart frowned. Should he be suspicious of the coincidence, or more disturbed by the fact Selina had been monitoring Lord Greystone’s movements? Did she know of the house he’d leased in Russell Square?
“So you and Justin share the responsibility?” he sought to confirm.
“Yes, and occasionally Terence takes his turn when he’s not busy elsewhere.” There was a bitterness to her tone whenever she mentioned his brother.
“Why not hire a nurse?” Claudia said.
Selina snorted. “Because it’s an unnecessary household expense.”
Meaning his mother refused to have a stranger in the house or part with precious funds. Of course, all those people involved had an ulterior motive for wanting time alone with Alfred Lockhart. Perhaps the next step while waiting for the villain to make his move was to investigate Terence’s nightly habits.
Who supplied the medicine?
Why had his brother shunned his responsibilities?
Indeed, they had learnt enough for now, and the need to be away from this house proved overwhelming.
“We should leave you to your duties,” he said, placing his hand lightly on Miss Darling’s back. “We shall return with a doctor tomorrow.”
He observed Selina to judge her reaction. She inclined her head, but her expression remained sombre. “As you wish. Noon is best. Justin has an appointment with his tailor, and I shall be here alone.”
Was that a veiled warning about Justin?
Was that her way of offering the proverbial olive branch?
He gave a curt nod and guided Claudia towards the door.
Selina waited until they’d left the room before calling him back. “Hudson?”
Lockhart returned and lingered in the doorway. “Yes?”
A weary sigh left Selina’s lips. “I—I made a mistake that night on the docks. I should have gone with you to India.”
The words should have brought a sense of satisfaction, but they did not. “It’s too late for regrets, Selina.”
She took a step towards him, hope flashing in her sad eyes. “Perhaps there’s still time to salvage something from this mess.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Perhaps there’s still time for us.”
A fool would know what she meant.
Lockhart glanced back over his shoulder to see Miss Darling’s sweet smile as she waited patiently on the landing. The muscles deep in his core ached to have her. The muscle that was his heart pumped wildly in her presence, too. Even though this was all a game, he could not hurt her to satisfy his own needs for revenge. He would not make a fool out of his wife even if he was paying for the privilege.
“Forgive me,” he said, “but I’m in love with my wife.” A part of him almost believed it was true. “My loyalty will always be with her.”
And with that, he retreated and closed the door.
Chapter Twelve
Houses and shopfronts whipped past the carriage window. Costermongers crowded the pavements, selling their wares. The cries of irate coachmen, the constant clatter of horses’ hooves, shouts and jeers filled Claudia’s head, and yet Selina Lockhart’s parting words echoed through the din. I
t was rude of her to listen, to eavesdrop. But one could not mistake the desperate longing in the woman’s voice.
“Selina still loves you.” Claudia swallowed past the lump in her throat. “That much is evident.”
As the hired help, what right had she to feel jealous?
What right had she to pester him for his opinion?
Hudson drew his attention away from the window though he looked equally lost in thought. “Selina thinks she loves me, but she’s mistaken.”
“How do you know?” Oh, she sounded so desperate for an answer, so desperate for confirmation this brazen woman meant nothing to him.
Hudson brushed his hand through his dark hair and sat forward. “May I ask you a question?”
“Of course. You may ask me anything. You know that.”
He inclined his head respectfully. “Love or reputation? Given a choice, which one would you choose?”
Which one? She did not need to ponder the question. Love. Love was the greatest gift of all. Reputation was a weak and flimsy label based on nothing more than other people’s opinions. Hypocrites who enforced rules and secretly broke them.
“Love,” she said earnestly. “I would choose love over anything.”
“Over money?”
Pangs of guilt and shame hit her in the chest. The question brought to mind her rash bargain with Mr Thorncroft. The impulsive decision stemmed from fear, fear of what might become of Emily should they have no option but to sell Falaura Glen. How would her sister cope in new surroundings? In that respect had Claudia’s actions not stemmed from love?
“I choose love,” she reiterated.
Hudson flopped back in the seat. “There you have it. If Selina loved me, she would have boarded the ship to India. I have no doubt you would have seized the opportunity.”
Claudia was beginning to believe she might do anything for this man. Such was the nature of this strange connection. Still, as much as she disliked Selina, she had to play devil’s advocate.
“Perhaps you’re letting your emotions cloud your judgement.”
His answer came in the form of a mocking snort.
“What if Selina’s only thoughts were of saving you?” she continued. “If she’d boarded that ship, you would have been the talk of the ton. What if she married your brother to divert attention away from you leaving?”
A heavy silence descended.
Hudson Lockhart narrowed his gaze as he studied her with an intensity that heated her blood. Whatever he saw caused his eyes to flare with awe and wonder, caused his mouth to curl at the corners in a sensual grin.
“Do you know something?” he eventually said, his attentive stare leaving her breathless.
“What?”
“You, my darling, are a sparkling gem amongst a pile of dull pebbles.”
Claudia gulped. Never had anyone paid her such a compliment.
“You, my darling, have such a pure and honest heart you would speak the truth even if it meant backing a potential rival.”
“Honesty is the foundation for any lasting relationship.” Her father had taught her that. Still, she’d not been honest about her reasons for wanting Mr Lockhart’s money. “And we’re in a private carriage. You don’t need to use the endearment for fear of making a faux pas.”
“No, I don’t.” The words slipped slowly from confident lips.
Silence descended once more.
This time the air sizzled with a vibrant energy that brought thoughts of his lustful kiss flooding back. To distract her mind, she glanced out of the window just as they stopped at the turnpike heading out of town.
“Where are we going? Certainly not Russell Square.”
Hudson Lockhart smiled in the devilish way that sent her heart fluttering. “I wondered when you would notice.”
She had heard him give muffled instructions to his coachman but had paid it no heed.
“Tell me, Miss Darling. If I could grant you one wish, what would it be?”
One wish? One wish was not enough.
Various thoughts and images filled her head.
You could kiss me.
You could kiss me so deeply I might never feel alone again.
“Well?” he continued. “What could I do to show my appreciation for your loyalty and abiding friendship?”
You could beg me to stay with you for more than one week.
He didn’t wait for her reply. “I’m taking you home, back to Falaura Glen.”
“Home?” To Falaura Glen? Claudia should have been elated—she longed to see Emily. But panic sent her pulse racing. “You don’t need me to play your wife anymore?” A sharp pain in her throat made it hard to swallow.
He appeared confused. “Of course I need you. I cannot do this alone, not without you. No, I promised you could visit. I know it’s a little earlier than expected but—”
Unable to contain the surge of emotion, she darted across the carriage and flung her arms around his neck. She kissed him once on the lips—a chaste kiss of appreciation, of gratitude that their time together had not come to an end.
“Thank you.” Claudia wasn’t sure why she was thanking him. Yes, she was desperate to see Emily, just as desperate to remain at his side.
Lord, when had things become so complicated?
Hudson brushed his hand gently across her cheek. “Hell, if I’d known you’d be this appreciative I would have brought you home sooner.”
Claudia kissed him again, three quick kisses on the lips. She was tired of battling her addiction. With the fourth kiss, she grew bolder. The need to taste him overruled logic and rationale. Indeed, like a slave to her will, he allowed her to take charge. He simply followed her lead—let her coax his lips apart, let her explore his mouth and drink as deeply as she needed to ease the bone-numbing fear inside.
“I trust you’re using me to practise your performance,” he said when she broke contact to catch her breath. “That kiss spoke of lust, Miss Darling, not gratitude, and certainly not love. If you’re confused, perhaps you might permit me to demonstrate the latter.”
Oh, how he loved to tease her.
“One cannot deny you need the practice.” Claudia could no longer stop her need to kiss him than she could stop the changing tides. “Show me. Show me what the kiss of love is like for you, Mr Lockhart.”
“Certainly.” He shuffled around to face her fully. His gaze softened as he looked admiringly at her hair and nose and mouth before staring deeply into her eyes.
The gold flecks circling his pupils gleamed. With every passing hour, he grew more familiar. She could draw his face from memory, recall every line, every detail.
“Don’t be impatient,” he said when she moistened her lips and sighed.
He cupped her cheeks as if she were as fragile as a porcelain doll. With the pads of his thumbs, he caressed her cheekbones in gentle strokes. Drawing her towards him, he closed his eyes. His hot breath breezed across her lips as he hovered but a centimetre away.
Her heart hammered against her ribcage as she waited for that first magical touch.
When it came, the power of it hit her deep in her core. The essence of the man she’d grown so fond of seemed to penetrate the fine skin, flooding her body with a vibrant glow. That one long, lingering kiss held her captive.
Hudson broke contact but remained just a few inches away. “If I loved you,” he whispered, “I would tell you now.”
Claudia struggled to catch her breath. Humour was the only way she might save herself from blushing, from drowning beneath these giddy emotions.
“And if I loved you, I would climb on your lap and ravage you senseless.”
His hands slipped from her cheeks as he sat back and laughed. “So you agree that love and lust work well together.”
“I admit the lines may become blurred sometimes.” She missed the warmth of his tender touch, missed the wicked way his tongue thrust into her mouth. “Equally, I lack the experience to make an informed argument.”
His sweeping g
aze caressed her body. “Oh, I don’t know. When it comes to conveying lust you do a remarkable job.”
It was easy to lust after a man like Hudson Lockhart.
It would be easy to love the lost boy, too, easy to love the enigmatic rogue who dazzled her with his witty quips and considerate gestures.
Claudia glanced at the diamond and amethyst ring gracing the finger of her left hand. It felt comfortable having it there. It felt right.
“The style suits you,” he said. “You can keep it when this is all over.” He gave a mirthless chuckle. “A token to remember one wild week in London.”
A sudden bout of nausea almost rendered her speechless. She found the courage to look at him, tried to determine whether it was the actor who spoke, her employer or the man who stared at her as if he might devour her whole.
“It has certainly been an adventure.” Claudia smiled as she moved to sit in the seat opposite. Heavens, she could play the lead in any Covent Garden show with such a convincing performance.
“Indeed, it has.”
After a minute spent feigning interest in barren autumn fields, she said, “No doubt you’ll miss your large bed in Russell Square tonight.” In the cottage, he slept in one of two twin beds in the same room as Monsieur Dariell. “I trust you’re remaining at Falaura Glen and not returning to town.”
He seemed puzzled by the comment. “I’ll stay in the cottage if you’ve no objection.”
“Why would I object?” After all, he had paid rent for another month.
Despite shrugging, a mischievous glint flashed in his eyes. “Maybe you’ve grown accustomed to having a half-naked man in your bed.”
“Half-naked?” She snorted. “You had cast off your shirt as soon as I closed my eyes.”
A guilty smile played on his lips. “All this talk of beds and nakedness might give a man amorous ideas. Perhaps we should use the next two hours wisely and both take a nap. I hardly slept a wink last night and imagine the same might be true tonight.”
“What reason might you have for not sleeping tonight?”
“I can think of a few.” Without warning, he stretched out his legs and propped his feet up on the seat beside her, and then he closed his eyes.