He was better at being unobtrusive than she was, for he continued his conversation with Lady Hargrove about their day ahead. He even allowed Genny to pull out her own chair, only offering her a droll, “How remiss of me not to assist,” as she tucked herself neatly under the table.
“We don’t follow all the formalities whilst here, and I must say, it’s a nice break from dinning around Town when you are expected to do everything by the book,” Genny said.
“I couldn’t agree more,” Lady Hargrove said, taking an indelicate bite of her eggs.
Everyone at the table laughed and tucked into their own meal. Genny focused on eating and tried to ignore the nearness of Leo, who didn’t seem to care for rules as long as no one could see that his leg kept bumping hers under the table.
When he pushed his plate away and set a cup of tea in front of him, a lemon floating on top, one of his hands disappeared under the table and found its way to her lap.
Genny froze, fork halfway to her mouth. He couldn’t be serious.
She moved her leg, attempting to shake him off, and make him understand that she did not want to do this here. Instead of her plan working, he hiked up her skirt, and settled his hand over her kneecap. He simply let it rest there, without attempting any more liberties.
She turned to him, raised one brow, gave an indiscernible shake of her head and turned back to focus on her food. Thankfully, he made no further attempt to put her out of sorts, nor did he lower her skirts again to let her resume the meal in false innocence. She’d have to find a way to get back at him for this. And she would. He had another think coming if he thought he could unsettle her and tease her at any given opportunity. Even if she did enjoy the clandestine attentions he heaped upon her.
Lady Carleton entered the parlor. “My steward has consulted his ever trustworthy farmer’s almanac and suggests it will rain later this afternoon. I think we should have our game of blind man’s buff sooner rather than later.”
Everyone put their utensils down with the announcement of a morning excursion. Breakfast would be rushed, since everyone was anxious to head out of doors into the beautiful, much cooler weather this morning.
“We could always play blind man’s buff indoors and use the whole lower level to hide from the one blinded,” Lady Hargrove suggested.
“I love the mazes here. I think we should have a go out of doors before we are trapped inside for the remainder of the day,” Charlotte responded.
“Who will be the blind man, Lady Carleton?” Mr. Torrance asked.
“An excellent question,” she said, sitting down at the head of the table in the chair her husband usually occupied. She poured herself a cup of black tea and took a small sip to test the temperature. “We can pick our names from a hat or pick straws. Shortest straw will have to be blindfolded. Now eat up everyone, we must get started.”
Since most had finished their meal already, they filed out of the room to retrieve their hats and shawls. Seeing that Charlotte was finished and ready to leave, Genny carefully dabbed her mouth with her napkin. Placing the cloth on the table, she reached for Leo’s hand clasped around her knee and tried to dislodge it as she commended Lady Carleton on the fine selection of breakfast food.
Genny had to fix her skirts before pushing her chair out. Now that most everyone had left, Leo took it upon himself to assist her. “Shall I escort you and your lovely cousin to the mazes?”
“It would be an honor,” Charlotte chimed in but stalled before exiting the breakfast parlor. “Oh, dear. I promised to meet Ariel. Genny, take my shawl since I am feeling a little warm. You can head to the mazes straightaway. I will follow you out shortly.”
No, she could absolutely not go alone with Leo, even if she wanted to. What would everyone think of such a bold action that was very much like courting? Worse, everyone might think his intentions impure, which, yes, they were, but she didn’t want anyone to so much as guess what they did when they were alone.
“I’m more than happy to escort Miss Camden to the mazes.”
“That is perfect. I will be out in a moment, too,” Lady Carleton said. “I need to consult with Cook on luncheon arrangements.”
Leo steered Genny in the direction of the door before she could provide a reason not to leave with him alone.
When they were well out of range of the house, she said, “Have you gone completely mad?”
“Have I not been on your heels every moment of every day for the past week?”
“Well, yes. But—” She paused on seeing his teasing grin.
“There can be no buts. If I don’t continue to act as I have done, and you don’t continue to resist me—and you have done a lovely job so far this morning—then we’ll be caught out.”
She realized he was right. “You’ve thought this through.”
“Yes, I’ve been thinking about this since you left this morning. About how we should carry on without drawing attention our way.”
“You didn’t go to bed after I left?”
“How could I?”
“You’ll be exhausted today.”
“It was well worth it.” He waggled his brows at her. “Besides, I can always disappear for a few hours after lunch. I will need to freshen up for this evening.”
“We have to be careful, Leo.” Her tone turned serious.
“I’m well aware of that.” His forefinger and thumb rubbed at his chin in thought. “I still think we should meet in the maze tonight.”
“It’s supposed to rain.”
“Then I will take you back to the greenhouse where we can be completely alone.”
She bumped into his shoulder, wanting so much to have his arm wrapped around her but knowing they couldn’t show such intimacy publicly. “I don’t even remember how we accomplished our affair all those years ago. I am beginning to wonder how we weren’t caught.”
“I was careful for both of us. You have nothing to fear, we seem to be able to keep a little more distance between us during the day now that we’ve matured.”
Leo threaded her arm through his. It seemed he wanted to touch her as much as she did him.
“That reminds me,” he said. “Who was that friend of yours? The one that beat out all the men in the archery competition four years ago?”
What an odd question. “You mean Helena?” She sighed. “How I miss Helena. We still write back and forth. She married well.”
“I recall. Wasn’t it to the…” He snapped his fingers as he tried to place the name. “Ah, yes, now I recall. It was to the Duke of Beaumont.”
“Yes, your memory serves you well. She has just had her first child. A little girl they named Maisie.”
“Of course I remember her. She was your friend. And I did spend a great deal of time with the two of you. So in a sense, I had a vested interest in her as well. Didn’t she meet Beaumont at this very house?”
What was he getting at? “How observant of you.”
“No, no. Hear me out in this. I think there were three marriages after that particular party. Your friend’s being the first to come to mind. I think there was also an older gent and lady.”
“I haven’t a clue who you might be referring to. There was Lord Grovestead’s eldest son who ran off to Gretna Green with one of the young ladies’ chaperones.” Reminiscing was actually quite fun to do with Leo.
Leo clapped his hands together and let out a raucous laugh that had her joining in. “What a scandal that was. I hadn’t forgotten that. That put the house in such an uproar. I think it was written about in every rag by the time I returned to London. My acquaintances were shocked to find me so well behaved.”
“There doesn’t seem to be as much scandal afoot this time around.”
“Another reason for us to be ever so vigilant,” he said.
They were thick into the maze, and almost at the center. Feeling safe in the cover of hedges, Genny pressed closer to Leo, feeling his gait through the length of her body, and matching it. Or was he matching her smaller strides?
Regardless, it was nice to relish the momentary closeness they had while alone.
“Which of my suitors did you think I would marry?”
“I had personally hoped that you would choose neither. Though the baron’s son … can’t recall his name—”
“Mr. Ewan,” she supplied.
“Ah, yes, how remiss of me. Did you have any tender feelings for the young, fresh-faced Mr. Ewan?”
Genny tsked. “I think that tone in your voice is very close to jealousy, my lord.”
“And if it is?” Leo’s hand clasped around her waist and rested firmly on her hip.
“Well, it ought not to be. It wasn’t as though you offered for my hand in marriage.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“The one thing I wanted in a husband was to share the type of connection that we had.” Genny wasn’t sure she should admit even that much, but what did she have to lose? “We got on well, but I could not marry a man I only saw as a friend. It was almost what I imagined having a brother to be like had I had one.”
“I daresay, the marriage bed would have been a trifle uncomfortable if the man felt like a brother to you.”
Genny clucked her tongue. “Don’t tease me so.”
“I enjoy it too much to quit now.” Leo tugged her closer. “Though now that I’ve had you in my bed, you don’t seem to blush nearly as much.”
Genny felt her cheeks heat under his regard, but she knew the face powder hid the telltale signs of any blush. Perhaps she should invest in her own powders? She never thought it could be so handy, and she liked the idea of covering the blushes she was prone to.
“You tease me so often that I’m growing immune to it.”
“You’ve just challenged me, my lady. I will prove you wrong before the day is through. And I’ll prove it to you before our game is complete this morning.”
She dropped his arm and let him chase her down the hedged path, giggling as she made her way to the center. He seemed to stay a few feet behind, never actually catching her. She could hear the heavy panting of his breath, and she thought she might have unintentionally aroused him. Good. He had a habit of putting her out of sorts whenever he could manage it, and she was glad to turn the tables on him for once.
She knew her way through the maze very well, having mastered the odd twists and turns her first summer here. Some of the hedges grew right over the path, making you feel locked out from the rest of the world. They occasionally broke open at the top to let the sunlight through, but before long, you’d find yourself covered by more greenery.
When she reached the center, she had every intention of pulling Leo into her arms and kissing him thoroughly before anyone else arrived. How would they explain their exertions? Perhaps no one would care.
Oh, she was acting careless.
Today was the first time she’d ventured into the maze since her arrival and everything was just as she remembered. Six double-flanked hedged paths led to the middle attraction. A large tiered fountain was the showcase here, with its naiad at the top with her breasts exposed. She held a tilted ewer that spouted water down into the basin of the fountain.
Turning in the wide round opening at the center of the maze, she stopped when she was facing Leo. He didn’t say a word. He only looked at her with dark, dilated eyes before pulling her into his arms and lowering his mouth to hers. She went to him willingly, anxious to have his taste upon her tongue again. Anxious to feel the hardness of his body against her softer one.
Why did they have to be in the presence of anyone at all? Had they been alone, she didn’t think she would ever stop kissing him. His mouth did very wicked things. So wicked and titillating that she felt the tips of her breasts peak beneath the light muslin of her dress. She wanted to appease the need to be touched by rubbing up against him, but settled for putting her arms around his shoulders and holding him tighter to her.
He lifted his mouth away from her but didn’t pull away completely. His cheek rested atop her head as he stroked her back. “I want you now.”
“The feeling is mutual,” she whispered.
“We have to stop or everyone will think that I’m carrying something in my pocket.”
She was feeling especially naughty after his morning’s teasing, so she lifted herself up on her toes, rubbing her breasts against his chest and her belly against his arousal.
Leo groaned and hugged her tight along his body. “You’re my little minx.”
Laughter from the rest of their party wasn’t far off, so she pulled away hurriedly and made sure her dress wasn’t wrinkled.
She pressed her fingers to her mouth. “Are my lips swollen?”
Leo stepped closer, like a lion stalking his mate.
“Delightfully so.” He rubbed his thumb over her parted mouth. “But don’t fret, no one will notice in a moment.”
There was a smidge of her face powder on his chin. Quickly, she reached for his face and tried to wipe the evidence away. She had to pull away too soon when Lady Hargrove came through one of the entrances. There was a tiny smear left that she hoped no one would notice. Not that they would inspect him as closely as she might.
Everyone gathered around the fountain and waited for Lady Carleton to come forward with her stack of sticks. Hiding the bottom half of them in a pouch, she held them out in front of her. “The person who draws the shortest will be blindfolded, though, I’m going to outline the changed rules for this game.”
There were oohs and ahs around their circle.
“I propose,” she said, opening a large stringed bag hanging over her arm, “that we all be blindfolded.”
“How will we find each other at all?” Lady Hargrove pointed out.
“I’ve played a version similar to this before,” Mr. Torrance said. “But how will we ensure no one goes outside of the maze.”
“I’ve stationed a footman at each exit. Should anyone accidently exit the maze, they will be guided back in the correct direction.”
“What will happen if we are caught by the person who has to find us?” Genny wasn’t sure she liked these rules. All sorts of things could go wrong, yet … yet, she could also search out Leo and no one would be the wiser.
“Then that person will sit out the rest of the game. So if you are going to hide, try to find a decent place, and be quiet. When there is one person left, the butler will call out to everyone who the winner is and the last person can remove their blindfold and make their way back to the center.”
“An ingenious idea,” Mr. Torrance said.
“The straws.” Lady Carleton stuck out the pouch that held the sticks they would pick from. “I think we should let the gentlemen choose theirs first, if no one picks the shortest stick, then the ladies can draw them out all at once.”
The gentlemen all picked long sticks from the pouch.
“And now for the ladies.” Lady Carleton had them each choose a stick without pulling it out. “Are you ready?” They all nodded their head in unison. “Pull them out then.”
They did as asked. Genny was pleased to see that she had a long stick and let out a sigh of relief.
Charlotte laughed. “Well, I’m glad I’m very familiar with this maze, because I plan to find you all within an hour.” With a coquettish smile on her face, Charlotte held up the stick half as long as anyone else’s.
“You are a wonderful sport, Lady Charlotte. Now turn about so I can fasten your blindfold.” Charlotte did as asked. “If everyone will come over here, I’ll blindfold you and walk you toward one of the paths so you can try and make your escape. You will have no more than the count of fifteen to hide.”
* * *
How had he ever thought he couldn’t get away with an afternoon tryst with the lady of his desires? Leo was glad that Genny hadn’t pulled the shorter straw. All that remained was finding her once they were given leave to hide. Though he didn’t like the idea of cheating by removing his blindfold in this superbly put together game, he might have to do just that if he wanted to sequester
and completely isolate Genny somewhere along the path. He’d have another taste of her sweet lips before the morning was through.
Once everyone was blindfolded, he felt the gentle guidance of Lady Carleton as she led him toward the path he would take. Before she left him, she said in a hushed tone, “There is a smidgen of face powder on your chin. It looks like the sort of evidence you would generally take great care to hide.”
Leo rubbed at his chin and brought his hand away to look at the evidence, realizing too late that he couldn’t see what she referred to.
“That’s better,” Lady Carleton said. “Now take care to be more circumspect when you find yourself in a similar position in a few minutes.”
He opened his mouth to say something, but to say what? Had Lady Carleton found out about last night? If Marks had said anything to the maids, he’d wring his neck and make him walk back to London.
Lady Carleton patted his arm. “Don’t worry yourself overmuch. Your secret is safe with me.”
“How…?”
“Never you worry about that. After all, this is my house. And I know everything that happens in it.” She gave him a little shove. “Now go, I’ve given everyone a head start of the counting. Miss Camden isn’t that far ahead of you.”
“I wouldn’t ever hurt Genny.”
“Yet you have done so in the past. Be careful with her. I do adore everything about her. I always have.”
Leo headed down his path, arms stretched out on either side of him, feeling the way. If Lady Carleton knew what he and Genny were about, was it possible she knew about their past affair? He’d think about the possibilities of that and what it meant after he found Genny.
Which way would she have gone? He daren’t call out her name; that might have them caught out rather quickly. Even if he did remove his blindfold he’d have to pick and choose between turns.
He hurried his pace, knowing the stones were relatively flat and the path had only one way to turn before it broke off into more forked options. He turned his ear toward the wind, catching the brief sound of rustling hedges.
Wicked Nights With a Proper Lady Page 19