The Highlander and the Wallflower
Page 16
Then he took her hand and brought it to the place between her legs where she was wet. His hand remained atop hers, and he drew his mouth to her ear. He suckled at the lobe, and a jolt made her shiver.
‘Touch yourself here while I kiss you,’ he ordered. ‘I want to drive away every memory of him. I don’t want you imagining his hands there any more.’
Her shock turned to embarrassment, for she had not ever considered this. But the pressure of his hand against her intimate juncture was so tempting, she hesitated.
‘I don’t know how,’ she apologised.
With that, he held her hand again, guiding it in slow circles. Her fingertips brushed against a nodule of flesh that brought a spear of pleasure deep inside. ‘Like this,’ he said. ‘I’m going to touch your breasts, but I want you to touch yourself wherever you want. If it feels good to you, do it more.’
He eased her thighs apart and guided her hand to the wetness between her legs. Then he lay on his side so she could no longer feel the ridge of his erection. Instead, he kissed one breast while he fingered the second. He laved at her nipple in a slow, deep rhythm, and she decided to mimic it.
Never before had she touched herself. Mallencourt’s groping had made her feel dirty, and she hadn’t wanted to. But with Dalton, she understood that this was about reclaiming her own power. She experimented with one fingertip, circling the hooded nodule. It felt even better when she moved it back and forth, and an almost savage wave of arousal flooded over her. She inhaled sharply, biting back a moan.
‘That’s it,’ Dalton encouraged her. He switched to kiss the opposite breast, and his thumb rubbed her first nipple. She felt the wetness coating her fingers, and she felt the core of her body reaching and straining for more.
‘I don’t know—I can’t—’ Words failed her, for she didn’t understand what was happening.
‘Don’t speak,’ he said. ‘Just keep touching yourself. Know that I want you to experience only pleasure. Keep going, Regina. I need to see you come apart for me.’
She had no idea what he meant by that, but he put his hand atop hers. ‘It’s all right.’
He guided her fingertips to her opening, and she gasped at the sensation as she continued to explore herself. She wasn’t certain what to do, but Dalton encouraged her. ‘Put your finger inside yourself. Then move it in and out.’
She slid her middle finger into her opening, and the unexpected pleasure brought tears to her eyes. He rested the heel of his palm against her hooded flesh, and the gentle pressure felt so good, she could hardly bear it. With every stroke, she felt herself rising. Reclaiming herself.
Her breathing came in gasps, and she quickened her pace. Dalton answered it by teasing her sensitive nodule with his thumb while he stroked her nipple with his tongue.
‘Put another finger inside,’ he ordered.
She did, and her body ached at the sweet torment of the thick pressure. The sensations came together, and when Dalton caressed her, she sobbed as a tremor took her. She was afraid of what was happening, and she stopped moving her fingers, keeping them buried inside.
It didn’t matter. The feeling of his tongue and the sweet sensation of his fingers forced her over the edge. An almost violent wave of pleasure claimed her, a shimmering release that spread from between her legs down to her toes and up through her breasts. She arched her back, and Dalton rewarded her by suckling harder. She couldn’t stop herself from shaking, and he captured her mouth then, kissing her hard as she came apart in his arms.
It was shattering to feel such pleasure, and she rode the crest of the wave until her body convulsed. She could not help but cling to him, not even caring that she could feel his hard body against hers.
He would never hurt her. And tears spilled from her eyes when she realised that it might truly be possible to enjoy a real marriage with this man.
* * *
Travis Sidney stared at the note unfolded before him. He had been working on behalf of Lord Camford for weeks now, tracking down the identity of Lady Regina’s blackmailer. But now, new evidence had surfaced. He let out a sigh and pushed the paper aside.
‘This complicates matters,’ he told the magistrate. ‘It seems that a great deal was covered up in the death of Mallencourt.’
‘The law must prevail above all,’ the magistrate replied. ‘It is not for us to decide when to follow it.’
Travis knew that, and yet, he had to consider the anonymous blackmailer who had written to him. She claimed she had been there on the night Mallencourt had died. Her testimony upended everything he had been hired to do.
This was no longer a case of blackmail, but instead, a case of manslaughter. Namely, that of Baron Mallencourt, five years ago. Lord Mallencourt’s family had mistakenly believed that he had drowned in the Thames after a night of drinking.
But now, this blackmailer claimed that Mallencourt’s body had been deposited in the Thomas after he was already dead.
Travis didn’t know what he should do now. Yet, the magistrate was right. Above all else, justice should be served. ‘I’ll leave now,’ he told the magistrate. ‘Camford needs to know about this.’
But he knew the viscount wouldn’t like it at all. Not with the new threat it posed.
* * *
‘My lord, Gabriel MacKinnon is here to see you. And he has...someone with him.’ The butler appeared uneasy by the announcement, but Dalton rose from his desk and followed MacLachor. As they entered the hallway, he saw his wife returning from the garden with a basket filled with roses. Regina smiled warmly at him, and the sight of her brought an aching joy within him. Last night had given him hope that there could be so much more between them.
‘Just a moment,’ he told the butler. He crossed the hallway and stole a kiss from his wife. Her cheeks blushed, but she did not look displeased.
‘I thought the house could use some flowers.’
‘I agree.’ He imagined laying her atop a bed of rose petals, the scent mingling with her skin.
MacLachor cleared his throat. ‘My lord, this is a matter of some urgency. If you’ll just follow me.’
‘What is it?’ Regina asked.
‘Gabriel is here,’ Dalton answered. ‘With a guest, I’m told. You may come with me, if you wish.’
He saw no harm in it, though MacLachor seemed to disagree and was already shaking his head. ‘My lord, I do not think that would be wise.’
Dalton took the basket from her and set it down, taking her hand in his. ‘It will be fine.’ He led Regina towards the parlour, ignoring MacLachor’s discomfort.
But when he opened the door and saw Lord Havershire bound like a prisoner, he understood the butler’s reasoning.
Regina gasped and went to the earl. ‘Father, what has happened?’
The earl’s clothing was ragged, and Dalton recognised it as the attire Havershire had worn to the wedding. His face was dirty, and blood stained the front of his shirt. He turned his face away from his daughter and coughed heavily into his sleeve.
Gabriel met Dalton’s gaze. ‘Havershire tried to kill Frances Goodson,’ he informed them, ‘and nearly succeeded.’
‘Dear God.’ Regina dropped to her knees before her father. ‘Papa, why would you do this?’
The earl didn’t answer, but MacKinnon said, ‘He thought if Frances were dead, then the laird would marry you.’
An act of desperation, Dalton realised. One bordering on madness.
‘Papa,’ she pleaded. ‘I was never going to marry the laird.’ But the older man did not react to her words. His face was stony, as if he were lost in thought. Regina turned stricken. ‘Why would you do this?’
But the earl remained silent. Dalton suspected that the man was unable to explain anything. And in truth, Havershire was lucky to be alive. If any man tried to kill Regina, Dalton wouldn’t hesitate to protect her. The laird had shown mercy by let
ting Havershire live, and no doubt, it was for Regina’s sake.
Dalton exchanged a look with his friend, not knowing what would happen now. Gabriel let out a dark sigh. ‘Frances is fighting for her life, and Lachlan bade me to take the earl to London. He promised not to press charges, as long as he never sees Havershire again.’
‘That can be arranged,’ Dalton answered. ‘But leave him here, with us. Do not take him to London.’ In the earl’s state of unrest, he could not be trusted.
Gabriel hesitated, and then nodded. ‘I will let Lachlan believe he’s in London. But he will be your responsibility now.’
‘So be it. But he must be confined so that he cannot harm others.’ Dalton sent a pointed look towards Regina. He didn’t want her to believe the earl could come and go as he pleased. Especially when he had threatened Lachlan’s wife.
Regina gave him a nod of assent as she rose to her feet. ‘My father is very ill,’ she said to the butler. ‘He will need his own room and the care of a physician. He is suffering from consumption.’
‘I will find a room for him,’ MacLachor promised. He glanced at Dalton, who nodded permission for him to leave.
‘We need to talk in private,’ Dalton told his wife. ‘Your father can remain here in the meantime.’
‘But the ropes,’ she protested. ‘He need not be bound.’
He understood her frustration. ‘As soon as his room is prepared, we will take off the ropes,’ Dalton said. ‘And I will see to it that he has a meal. For now, we need to make some decisions.’ He offered his arm, but Regina hesitated before she took it.
He led her back to his study and closed the door. His wife appeared pale and shaken by what she had seen. ‘I don’t understand. I know Papa was angry with me for marrying you, but why would he believe he could stop the laird from marrying Miss Goodson? Why would he be that desperate?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘It seems that he lost sight of everything. All sense of right and wrong.’ Regina’s voice was numb, and she sank into a chair. ‘Perhaps the blackmailer did something. Perhaps this involved money.’
Dalton came to stand behind her, and he rested his hands upon her shoulders. ‘You needn’t worry about wealth, Regina. I will repay your father’s debts, if it is necessary.’
But his words did little to allay her worries. Although she had confided the reasons for the blackmail, there were many details she had omitted. For instance—her father’s role in Mallencourt’s death.
The scandal of near rape was bad enough, but the baron’s disappearance had a more sinister cast. Dalton went to stand before her, needing to see her eyes. ‘Regina, there is something I must know. Did someone witness your father killing Lord Mallencourt?’
‘No,’ she whispered. But her face had gone white, and he suspected that the earl had hired someone else to handle the matter, if he had not struck the killing blow.
‘You know that I will help him, for your sake.’ Dalton knelt down and cupped her face. ‘But I need to know everything.’
A tear spilled over her cheek. ‘I’m so sorry I brought you into all this.’ She pulled him close and hugged him tightly. ‘You deserved better.’
‘Don’t,’ he warned. ‘I wanted to wed you. And I still want to marry you here, one day when you’re ready.’ He leaned in to kiss her and tasted the salt from her tears. ‘We can begin anew.’
She ventured a smile. ‘I would like that.’
* * *
Regina sat beside her father, gently bathing his raw wrists. His stare was vacant, as if he had given up hope on life. She didn’t know the right words to say to him, for she couldn’t understand what had driven him to such despair. All she could do was wash the dried blood away, hoping he would speak to her.
For a long time, his hands were limp, and he gave no reaction to her ministrations. Then she finally broke the silence. ‘It will be all right, Papa. I—I am happy here with Lord Camford.’
Again, there was nothing. But she took a strip of linen and wrapped it around his left wrist. ‘You would like him, I think. He has given me everything I need.’ She tied off the bandage and took a second strip.
It seemed strange, talking about Dalton in this way. But it was true that he had given her a sense of hope, as well as a home. He had done everything to take care of her. And last night, he had given her a glimpse of what it was to be touched with love instead of force. She had warmed to it, and the memory made her body crave more.
She now wanted a true wedding with Dalton, and she believed it might be possible to one day lie with him and have children. He had given her such hopes, she longed to share them with her father. It might bring him back to reality.
‘We are going to be married again legally. This time, it will be here, according to the Scottish traditions. I have begun making the plans, and I will write to Mother to ask her to come.’
She intended to meet with Mrs Hughes today and plan the menu for the wedding feast. Then she would ask the housekeeper to have her wedding gown cleaned so Regina could wear it a second time.
As she bandaged her father’s right wrist, he started coughing again. To distract him, Regina spoke about the roses she planned to cut from the garden. She kept up a stream of conversation, but he was like a statue, with no response to her words.
At last, she could bear it no longer. She crossed her arms and regarded him. ‘Whatever possessed you to do such a thing? Why would you hurt Miss Goodson?’
‘I was very drunk,’ her father admitted. ‘I was angry and foolish. I—I don’t know why I did it. But... I do pray that she will be all right.’
‘I never wanted to marry Locharr,’ she said. ‘It was an arrangement between you and Tavin MacKinloch, nothing more.’
Her father’s face reddened, and he spoke at last. ‘It was a good match for you, Regina. Camford was not the man I chose.’
A flare of anger caught her. ‘No, but he was the man who chose me. He tried to stop me from being humiliated when Locharr ran off to marry his governess.’
Ned stared at her. ‘And whose fault was that?’
His words dug into her consciousness, and she could not believe he would be that callous. ‘You’re not blaming me for this, are you?’
He shrugged. ‘They do call you the Lady of Ice. Perhaps if you had been kinder, not so cold, he might have married you instead.’
She took a step back, feeling as if he’d slapped her. In a tremulous voice, she added, ‘You, of all people, know why I am cold to men. How can you make this my fault?’
‘It was years ago, Regina. You have to face your fear and move on.’
Which was exactly what she was trying to do. But she was done with being his pawn, obeying him without question. ‘Do not ever try to interfere with our lives again,’ she said. ‘Lachlan made his choice, and so have I.’
‘You are not married to the viscount. The ceremony was a farce.’
‘No one knows that but us,’ she pointed out. ‘And it can easily be remedied.’ She couldn’t believe that he was arguing with her after all this. ‘Dalton is a good man.’ In a low voice, she added, ‘He has offered to forgo a dowry, and he will repay your debt to Locharr.’ In a cool voice she added, ‘That is why I was supposed to wed him, is it not? You didn’t have enough money to pay the blackmailer years ago, and you borrowed from the laird.’
When he made no denial, her spirits sank. ‘Do I have any dowry at all? Or was that a lie, too?’
‘A small one. Only five thousand pounds.’ Her father sighed. ‘I made some poor investments, years ago. You’re right, that I didn’t have enough money to pay the blackmail, much less your dowry. Tavin offered to help, and he agreed that I would pay him back as part of your dowry.’ He shrugged. ‘The debt is still there, though I don’t want to give fifteen thousand pounds to MacKinloch and that governess. It was meant for you and the laird.’
Ned’s face grew pained. ‘I feel as if I’m giving money to the woman who stole the life you should have had.’
She understood his feelings, but he was honour-bound to repay his debts. The laird’s people had suffered over the years, and her dowry would have provided for their needs. ‘You don’t have to pay the money,’ she said. ‘Dalton has offered to repay the debt on our behalf.’
‘I don’t want you beholden to him, Regina.’
Her frustration only deepened. He had no right to criticise her choices, even if he only meant to protect her. ‘You mean you don’t want to be beholden.’ She glared at him and added, ‘Dalton is a viscount and the heir to an earldom. There is nothing wrong with my choice to wed him.’
‘Does he know what happened?’ Her father regarded her with a pointed look.
‘Some of it,’ she hedged. ‘Not everything.’
Ned sighed, and his shoulders lowered. A moment later, he reached for his handkerchief and coughed again. ‘I don’t want anyone else involved. It’s not too late, Regina. If you want to walk away from this marriage, it can still be done.’
But that wasn’t what she wanted at all. With Dalton, she had found a patient man who did not force her into anything she wasn’t ready for. Last night, he had shown her that the intimacy between a husband and a wife could be wondrous.
‘I will not leave him,’ she said. ‘Not after everything he has done for me.’
‘And what will you do if the blackmailer does not stop? What if...the worst is revealed?’ he demanded.
‘I will be in Scotland, under Lord Camford’s protection.’
Her father’s coughing grew worse, and he struggled to regain control. ‘I know you believe that, Regina. But I fear you cannot hide your secrets for ever.’
She met his gaze. ‘Even so, I will try.’