by Sahara Kelly
“Evan, that smells wonderful. Cloves, if I’m not mistaken.” She licked her lips. “Another culinary masterpiece?”
“A spring ham, my Lady. I trust you’ll enjoy it.”
“I’m sure I will.”
And she did, since Evan was without peer when it came to cooking simple but delicious country dishes. Those were, in fact, the ones Adalyn enjoyed most. Rich sauces were all well and good, but she was learning that her preferences were for fresh food well prepared.
Evan provided those on a regular basis.
She kept the conversation general—a few comments on the spring planting plans began a lively discussion on when to make sure each field had the correct crop, and also whether the berry fields looked like they might produce well this year.
If the weather held, of course. There was no guarantee on that at all, and Adalyn discovered some of the perturbations that must frustrate farmers everywhere. How many people were dining at their own tables this night without thought for the months, if not years, of preparation had gone into the food on their plates?
It was a short meal; the sweet a light and tasty cake served with rich cream and cinnamon, and before long Adalyn rose from her chair.
“If you would all be kind enough to join me in the Rose room when you are done with your evening chores?” She saw the handsome faces, the bold eyes watching her, and her heart moved. They were ready to obey her every whim. And for the first time a little shiver of recognition skipped up her spine. She saw her power over them reflected in their gazes.
It was a heady moment, and she gripped the table for support.
“We must speak of several things. I would do so with all of you around me.”
“It shall be as you wish, my Lady,” Giles smiled. “Brandy, I think.”
She sighed and relaxed. “Indeed.”
The half hour it took for everyone to join her gave her a little time to think through matters of import and how best to present them.
Giles entered, followed by Jeremy, and the latter stoked the fire while the former pulled out the small cart holding the brandy decanter. He passed the first glass to Adalyn, and then poured more for the rest of them.
Jeremy took his and raised it to her in a little toast. “This is most welcome, my Lady.”
She tipped her head in acknowledgement. “I’ll agree with that, Jeremy.” She sipped, liking the warmth of the liquor and the beautiful rich colour within the crystal. She held it between her and the flames. “It is very comforting. As if someone had put a log or two on one’s internal fire.”
“Then I need a log,” grinned Daniel, walking in. “’Tis chilly out there tonight.”
“You checked on the stables?” Adalyn turned to him as he took his brandy from the cart and sat near her.
“I did. All is in good heart.”
“I’m glad. We must talk about them as well.” She put her hand to her forehead briefly. “I am afraid I will forget something important,” she admitted.
“You are most unlikely to,” responded Daniel. “You have us to remind you.”
“That’s very true. And if each of you recall a different topic, then even if I forget four things, you will be able to provide me the information I’ve lost.”
“Exactly.” Jeremy grinned.
“Exactly what?” Evan hurried in. “I apologise for keeping you all waiting. Food has to be carefully stored.”
“Never apologise for that, Evan. You are master of the Wolfbridge kitchen. And what you do takes time.” Adalyn gave him a warm smile.
“Thank you, my Lady.” He too raised his glass in a silent toast.
“Right then.” She looked around. “I must say something first, to all of you. As regards our news about Trick and his situation, I came to a decision this afternoon, which I relayed to Giles.” She took a breath. “I am devoted to all of you, and this includes Trick. You have been the most wonderful companions I can imagine, and more than I ever thought or expected or deserve.”
She held up her hand to forestall any comments.
“But I take my position here seriously, and I am very aware that I am the Lady of Wolfbridge. My heart may say one thing, but my sense of duty to the Manor has to take precedence over everything.” She swallowed. “I have chosen to refuse Baxter Fairhurst’s offer. I will not part with an inch of Wolfbridge land. Ever.”
There was little obvious reaction, but she sensed a lessening of tension. A pair of shoulders eased, there was a sigh, a very slight nod…they knew.
Reassured, she continued. “I told Giles my decision. And upon hearing it, he told me it was time I found out more about Wolfbridge and the position I now hold. Thus I learned that, difficult though it was, my choice was the right one. Had it been otherwise, I would be packing to leave right now.”
She looked at her gentlemen. “I have to assume you knew, but that the decision was mine to make. Do I wish you had informed me of these conditions before I agonised over Trick? Yes, of course. But am I glad in some ways that you didn’t? Yes to that also.”
She took a brief sip of her brandy. “This situation with Trick is a crisis, beyond a doubt. But the need for the Lady of Wolfbridge to understand her responsibilities to the Manor—and to you all—is crucial. I discovered that today. And I intend to honour it with everything that I am.”
She watched as Jeremy, Daniel and Evan glanced at each other, and then Giles. Who raised his glass. “To Lady Adalyn, Lady of Wolfbridge Manor.”
“Lady Adalyn.”
Her eyes filled with tears as she heard her name echo powerfully around the room. All she could do was nod, and swallow down the emotions clogging her throat. It would not be in keeping with her previous statements if she burst into tears and sobbed like a little girl.
So she cleared her throat. “Thank you.” She smiled at them all. “Now, let’s turn our attention to Trick. I would prefer he not languish in some horrid jail for a year. And since we cannot deal with Fairhurst, we must explore other ways of procuring his release.”
“Storm the prison?” Daniel raised his eyebrows in amusement.
“A good notion, but impractical,” she chuckled. “I’m thinking more along the lines of unmasking the real killer.”
That casual comment was greeted with dead silence.
“Er…what?” Jeremy frowned.
“You heard,” she lifted her chin. “We are people of intelligence, education and some intuition. You, more than I, mingle with our local neighbours, many of whom work for Wolfbridge, Fivetrees and regularly interact with everyone who does business with us. If someone wanted Sir Amery dead, there has to be a rumour to that effect. Or a muttering of discontent. A question about his habits—his food. Most especially his food.”
“Does he have a new supplier?” Daniel added his mite.
“Have any servants left recently?” That was Jeremy.
Evan moved to a chair and sat, crossing his legs and rotating one foot in thought. “Where did he order the foodstuffs for that fateful dinner and who prepared it?”
“You have started an interesting investigation, Lady Adalyn,” mused Giles. “It might be worth looking into the Fairhurst financial affairs. Money does seem to encourage crime.”
“I’ve heard it said that greed and passion lie most often at the root of violence,” agreed Daniel.
“I am going to try again to reach Judith,” Adalyn commented. “She should be able to grant me a few minutes, or even come here for tea. I worry that she is alone in that house, and she doesn’t have the guidance I am blessed with.” Her eyes roamed over her gentlemen.
“She was as shocked as you were when Sir Amery fell, yes?” Giles posed the question.
“She was.” Adalyn nodded. “At least as far as I could tell. And I cannot suspect her of being that good an actress to be able to mimic such emotions.”
“How old is she?” Jeremy lifted his eyebrows.
“I believe she is not yet twenty,” said Adalyn. “Her parents must have died, be
cause she was living with Sir Amery. I recall he mentioned she was recovering from a loss, and she said her uncle Amery had given her a place to live.”
“Hmm.” Evan narrowed his eyes. “That could cover a lot more than just losing parents. ’Tis a nebulous turn of phrase from both of them, I’m thinking.”
“You have a naturally suspicious mind, Evan.” Adalyn grinned. “Which is just what we need.”
“Thank you,” he inclined his head. “I rather like that.”
“So we are decided?” Giles surveyed the room. “We shall do our best to dig up any and all information we can find on Sir Amery, Miss Judith, the financial situation at Fivetrees and so on, with special attention to anyone involved in the fatal night?”
“Yes,” Adalyn endorsed. Her agreement was followed by three more firm “yes’s” from her gentlemen. “Excellent. I shall also add Jane to our team of informal Bow Street Runners.”
A laugh rippled around the room at her mention of the new force assembled in London to solve crimes and catch criminals.
“A good notion, though, Adalyn,” Daniel concluded. “A servant always has better access and is less noted. She is a loyal woman with good ears and a brain to match.”
“My thoughts exactly,” she agreed. “Plus she has already visited Trick. I’ll have her report tomorrow.” A frown crossed her features. “I hate that he is not with us. Make no mistake, decisions aside, my heart won’t be in one piece until he is returned and we are all together.”
Giles took Adalyn’s empty glass. “Easter is upon us come the first week of April, my Lady. That gives us three weeks—perhaps if we set ourselves a goal? If we cannot free him, then we should resolve to have at least some sort of idea how to proceed with our investigations.”
Adalyn stood. “I will pledge all my efforts to attain that goal.”
“And I.” The others rose and spoke as one.
“I shall sleep better tonight now that we have a plan,” she said. “Thank you all.”
They bowed, each with a smile and a look in their gazes that warmed Adalyn to her core. She turned to leave, catching Giles’s eye. He too bowed. “Good night, my Lady.”
She nodded and he returned the gesture with a slight incline of his head.
He’d remembered. Daniel would be joining her this night.
Her heart quickened at the thought of what might lie ahead.
Chapter Twenty
Adalyn paced, back and forth across the carpet in her bedroom, wondering if she was doing the right thing. Was Daniel the one to finally bring her to her full awakening?
She’d been at Wolfbridge for three months and had interacted with these men on a daily basis, growing more and more fond of their attentions, and responding to their affectionate kindness.
She was a normal and healthy woman and the arousal of physical desires as her acquaintance with her gentlemen deepened was a natural development. Her decision to act on it, and her selection of Daniel as her first…well, it seemed right. And she was prepared to rely on her instincts.
She stopped in front of the fire and let it warm her legs through her robe. She wasn’t frightened.
That thought rippled over her brain and made her blink. She was not afraid of being intimate with Daniel, of letting him touch her and touching him in her turn.
How much she had changed over the last three months—when she’d arrived at Wolfbridge, she’d brought bad memories with her. And now? They were gone, faded images of things that might have happened to someone else. They no longer haunted her or troubled her dreams, nor would they interfere with her life going forward.
It was a joyous discovery; that she could eagerly anticipate this night without any worries. She trusted Daniel, knew he was gentle and cared deeply for her. As did they all.
She felt cherished every day, loved even, and she relied on her men for the emotional support she’d never experienced.
And now she was about to discover more of what they could offer.
A tap on the door set her heart racing.
“Come in.”
“Adalyn,” he smiled, closing the door behind him. “You’re not in bed yet?”
“Good evening, Daniel.” She couldn’t help a smile. He looked…scrumptious. His brown woollen robe echoed the brown of his eyes, glittering whisky-gold in the firelight. “I am glad you’re here.”
“As am I.” He walked to her and took her hands. “It’s been a difficult time, hasn’t it?”
She nodded. “Yes indeed. I confess to lying awake and worrying about Trick a lot, which I know doesn’t help, but…” she shrugged. “He is near and dear to me. As are you all.”
He tugged her to the bed. “Let’s get you warm and comfortable.” He untied her robe and pulled back the covers, urging her up onto the pillows.
“Join me, Daniel.” She reached out and drew the linens away from her other side.
He looked at her. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I have never been more sure of anything in my life.” Her gaze held his for a long moment.
Finally he moved. “As you wish.”
Slipping off his robe, he rounded the bed and she saw his skin reflect the candlelight. Nude and beautiful to her eyes, he also slid onto the mattress, covering himself with the sheet and quilt, and resting his head on his arm as he looked at her. “Tell me what you want, Adalyn. Talk to me. I love to listen to you, you know.”
She took a breath, filling her nostrils with the unique scent that was Daniel. A mixture of leather, wool, man and a touch of sandalwood—she’d have known him in the dark.
“You all smell different,” she muttered, giving voice to her thoughts.
“We do?” He grinned.
“Oh dear, I didn’t mean that in a bad way. Do forgive me. I spoke aloud…perhaps I should not have.”
“Hush.” He put a finger to her lips. “You never have to be careful around us, Adalyn. Speak your mind always. We all would demand no less from you.”
She smiled, letting her mouth curve beneath his touch. “Very well.”
He kept his position, his fingertip drifting across her cheek and trailing over her neck as she spoke.
“Evan carries the scent of spices. Cinnamon sometimes, or rosemary…and mint. Mixed with the lavender soap he favours.”
“How about Jeremy?”
She closed her eyes. “Ah yes, Jeremy always smells fresh, especially in the mornings. I think it must be his shaving cream. Spearmint, maybe, or something like that. Not floral exactly, but a natural green kind of fragrance…” She paused, trying to identify the light touch of whatever it was that was Jeremy.
“And Trick…leather, horses, and grass—that wonderful scent of morning rides in the country. It is also uniquely him…” Her voice tapered away for a few moments. “God, Daniel. Did I do the right thing?”
He immediately closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms, cuddling her close to his chest, understanding her. “Yes, Adalyn. You did the right thing. And if Trick were here he’d agree with me, I know that for certain.”
“I’ve all but condemned him to a year of misery. That tears at my heart so much…”
“I can believe that, my dearest, but you must perceive you had no other choice.”
She sighed, nuzzling against his neck, enjoying the heat radiating from his bare skin. “I know that. Now. But when I made my decision, I had no idea of the rules of Wolfbridge.”
He stroked her, letting his arm run gently down past her elbow to her wrist and then back again. “You followed your heart, Adalyn. It led you to make the right choice, not necessarily the easy one.” He pulled her even closer and tipped up her chin to look at her. “You did exactly what the Mistress of Wolfbridge should do. And we all support you, you know that.”
“I know…” Her gaze fell to his mouth. “I know, Daniel…” she whispered, a jagged edge of want building within her as his naked body warmed hers.
“Adalyn,” he breathed. “Oh, Adalyn…”
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The kiss was inevitable; her lips parted in anticipation and his touched hers, the lightest of caresses at first, just a soft brushing against the fullness, the nerve endings vibrating in a warm rush of pleasure.
She opened for him, welcoming his tongue, sighing into his mouth as he delved within, scraping her teeth, playing with her, teasing and duelling and making her smile even as she dared to press harder against him.
Someone moaned—it was probably her—and the tiny sound made her tremble. Daniel moved away a little, his eyes glowing gold in the low light of the candle. “I want to touch you, Adalyn. Really touch you. Do you want that? Will you let me?”
She didn’t need to think about her response. She simply lifted one hand to her neck and untied the ribbon fastening her nightgown. “Help me.” She parted the fabric wide, leaving no doubt as to her wish.
“Yes,” whispered Daniel, his hands rapidly pushing her nightgown down from her shoulders and to her waist, then stripping it away from her completely. “Oh God, yes.”
His hand ran back up over her naked skin from knee to shoulder. “So soft, sweetheart. So warm…” He stroked again, delicately, making her feel like a precious piece of porcelain. His touch was tender, his hands so strong yet gentle as he soothed her, discovering the curves where her hip met her waist, and then grazing her breast as he traversed the length of her once again.
She tumbled into the growing pleasure his caresses inspired.
“You feel like…silk, like warm soft silk…” His cupped hand lingered and he leaned close, dipping his head to give the hardened bud a sweet lick. “And you taste of magic and moonlight…”
She shuddered, biting back a tiny cry of surprise as arrows of sweetly sharp delight shot through her body to that place between her legs that had begun to ache and grow damp.
“More, Daniel,” she murmured. “’Tis all new to me, this lying with a man and needing all that he can give. Wanting the pleasure, the joy, the fire of joining…”
“You shall have more, my darling, all I have to give is yours.” He spoke the words with such emotion it sounded like a vow.
Adalyn’s eyes teared up, hearing the promise in his voice, and knowing she was with a man who cherished her so deeply. “I want to touch you as well,” she whispered, reaching for him.