“It has bars on the windows and heavy locks on the doors.” It didn’t. But she didn’t have to know that.
“It will take more than bars and windows to keep a faerie under lock and key.” She sniffed and raised her nose in the air.
“Then thank God there are ropes aplenty. I will tie you to my side if I must. I did promise Robin I’d take care of you.” That was a bit of a long and sordid tale, and he still didn’t understand the half of it. “Pray tell me how you people came to exist.”
She arched a delicate brow at him. “The same way you did.” Her face flushed scarlet. “Do you really need me to tell you about reproduction?”
Damn her hide. He didn’t need her to explain anything about reproduction. This lady knew how to jab him where it hurt, though. He would have to take great care with her. He grinned slowly and leaned forward. “Please do. If you’re lacking anything in the telling of how babes are made, I’ll fill in the blanks for you. Certainly, you have questions about it.”
“Should any pressing questions arise, I’ll be sure to let you know.” She looked back out the window. Damn, he hoped that Robin finished up his business soon so he could free the harpy.
“How long do you plan to keep me there?”
“As long as it takes for Robin to finish his business.” The sooner, the better.
“I’m certain he’s done by now. So we can turn around and go back to the city.” She looked quite pleased by that idea. A smile tipped her lips and the beauty of it nearly took Finn’s breath away.
“He’ll send word when he’s done. I’ll set you free not a moment before.”
She laughed lightly, and the sound raked over his skin like silky fingertips in the night. “Only an idiot would think he can keep a faerie confined.” She snorted lightly. It was a most unladylike noise, but he found himself biting back a grin at the sound.
Finn leaned over and looked out the window at the cloud-filled sky. If he couldn’t keep her confined, the inclement weather would. Unless he was mistaken, the snow would begin to fall before they reached their destination. Then she would be as confined by the elements as she was by him. Perhaps he wouldn’t have to tie her to him. He’d have to wait and see.
***
Robin had sent a messenger to the house to ready it for company before he’d left for… wherever it was he’d gone. But that didn’t help Finn at the moment. Evidently, they’d arrived before the messenger did. None of the staff greeted them at the door. Where the devil were they? Mr. Ross should at least be nearby. He never left his post. And Mrs. Ross, the cook-housekeeper, should have been there to greet them as well. Blast and damn. Finn moved to pull off his gloves but changed his mind. It was damn cold in the house. And dark. And empty.
“Hullo,” he called. His voice echoed around the empty foyer.
“Looks like no one is home. Let’s head back to London,” Miss Thorne chirped. She started back toward the door.
“Something is wrong,” Finn murmured to himself. “Wait here,” he muttered as he started toward the kitchen. Certainly someone would be in the kitchen. But that room was empty as well. “Where the devil is everyone?”
“It appears as though your house isn’t quite ready for company,” Miss Thorne said, a satisfied smile on her face. “I believe we should make the trip back before the weather gets any worse.”
Just then, the back door opened and a tall man stepped through it. He had an apple clenched between his teeth and bit into it viciously. He stopped short when he saw Finn and Miss Thorne standing there. “Beg your pardon,” he said around the mouthful of apple. He held up one finger as he chewed and swallowed so hard that Finn could hear the gulp across the room. “My lord,” he finally croaked out. He bent at the waist, and that was when Finn finally recognized him.
“Benny?” Finn asked. That man with shoulders as broad as the doorway couldn’t possibly be Benny Ross, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ross. The last time he’d seen Benny… He couldn’t remember the last time.
“Yes, my lord,” the young man said. “It’s a brisk day, isn’t it?”
If brisk meant cold enough to freeze a man in his tracks, yes, it was. “Where are your parents?” Finn asked. “Did you receive the notice that I would be arriving?”
“Yes, my lord. We received it. That’s why I’m here. Papa took a fall down a flight of stairs a few days ago.” He held up a hand when Finn began to protest. “Don’t worry. He’s going to recover. Just got a nasty bump on the head and a sprained ankle. He’ll be right as rain in no time.”
“And Mrs. Ross?” Finn asked. Certainly she was on the premises.
“She has refused to leave Papa’s side.”
This wasn’t good. Not good at all. He had a house with no servants. An offended faerie and a house with no servants.
“That settles it,” Miss Thorne chirped. “We’ll be going back to London.” She waved at Benny and said, “It was nice meeting you.”
Benny looked to Finn for confirmation. “You’ll be leaving, then?”
Benny looked much too happy about that. “No,” Finn sighed. “We’ll be staying.”
“I was about to say, you don’t want to get caught in this storm.” Benny parted the kitchen curtains to look out. “It looks to be a nice one.”
“Is there anyone else who can come and take care of the house? One of your sisters, perhaps?” If Finn wasn’t mistaken, Benny had five sisters, all of whom were older than he was.
Benny flushed. “Oh no, my lord. Papa suggested that, and Mama said it wasn’t a good idea. What with you being a bachelor and all.”
Mrs. Ross thought he would defile one of their daughters? He shrugged. One of them was quite attractive.
“But I’ll be here for you. Mama sent a cold lunch. And I’ll go back and get the evening meal before the storm sets in fully.” He looked quite pleased with himself. He pointed toward the front door. “Shall I go and take care of the horses?”
“Build a fire, first, will you?” It was growing colder by the second. Even the kitchen, which was always hot as blazes, was cold enough to make his face numb. “In the sitting room, the library, and the bedchamber.”
Benny’s brow rose. “One bedchamber, my lord?”
Finn nodded. “Yes, just one.”
***
One bedchamber? Was the man daft? There was no possible way Claire was going to share a bedchamber with him. “Have you lost your senses?” she hissed as Benny stalked out of the kitchen toward the front of the house. “I will not share a bedchamber with you.”
“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice, Miss Thorne,” Lord Phineas drawled. “Trust me, the idea of it doesn’t settle well with me, either.”
He didn’t like the idea of sharing a bedchamber? She highly doubted that. A small part of her was momentarily offended by his comment. She’d been told she had striking features. “Why don’t you want to share a bedchamber with me?” she asked impulsively. She wanted to bite the words back as soon as they left her mouth.
“I tend to favor a warm bed partner, Miss Thorne. Not a cold one.” He stalked past her and into the corridor.
Her offense at his lack of interest was absolutely absurd. But it niggled at her more than a little. She shoved the thought aside and forced her attention back to the facts at hand. “I think we should go elsewhere. At least an inn would have staff.”
“They have staff where you come from, Miss Thorne?” He continued down the corridor toward… Where was he going? “In your land, Miss Thorne?” he prompted.
Of course. Her land was structured much like his, except hers was prettier. And in hers, things tended to be a little more fanciful. “My grandfather is one of the Trusted Few, my lord. Do not doubt my origins.”
“Trusted Few?” he parroted, his brow quirked at her. A grin tugged at his lips. Why was that amusing?
“The governing body
in our world. Much like your aristocracy. The House of Lords.”
“Only you have a house with a trusted few?” He chuckled. “Certainly, you do.” He finally came to a grand room lined with books, which must have been his library. Claire gazed at the overstuffed shelves. One of her favorite pastimes was reading, and she nearly salivated at the thought of looking through all the books. She forced her attention back to him. “When will we be leaving?”
“When Robin sends words that his business is concluded.” He dropped into a chair behind his desk and began to sort through a stack of correspondence. “Is Ramsdale really your father?”
“No.” She didn’t say more than that. Just the single word.
“Robin says differently.”
“We were raised by our grandparents.” She turned and pretended to peruse the shelves. Talking of her parents still hurt a little. She had never met them. She’d been raised with the fae, along with her brother Marcus and her sister Sophia. There were never any parents in their lives until Sophia stumbled across the Ramsdales. They’d lived in London all her life, right where she could have found them, if she’d only known they existed. Claire still hadn’t met them. Nor did she plan to. Nor did she plan to meet her human brother and sisters. The children her parents had kept.
“Would you prefer that I call you Miss Thorne? Or shall we throw out all social constraints and call one another by our first names, Claire?” he asked, a crooked grin lifting the corners of his lips.
“Miss Thorne will do nicely.” she corrected.
“You may call me, Finn, Claire.” He was taunting her. She was well aware of it. And he was enjoying it.
Benny bustled into the room with an armful of wood. “My lord?” he asked quickly. Lord Phineas motioned with an impatient hand toward the hearth. Benny began to stack wood in the grate and lit it with a quick flick of his flint.
“There,” he said, dusting his hands together. “I’ll take care of the bedchamber next.” Lord Phineas nodded, obviously distracted by the contents of his correspondence.
“Thank you, Benny,” Claire said. The boy flushed at her praise.
“I put your things in his lordship’s bedchamber.”
“That will be all, Benny,” Lord Phineas barked.
Benny bowed to her quickly and fled the room.
“You need to clear up the boy’s misconception.”
“What misconception would that be?” He looked up at her, his blue eyes flashing.
“The lad is under the impression we’ll share a bedchamber.”
Lord Phineas stood up slowly. He crossed the room to stand in front of her and bent down by her ear, where he said softly, “My darling, we are going to share a bedchamber.”
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Everlasting Enchantment
by Kathryne Kennedy
***
Powerful magic is afoot
Millicent Pantere has lived her entire life in the notorious London Underground. She cares nothing for the problems of the crown or the intrigues of society. But the ladies of the realm are acting strangely, and Millicent is coerced into tracking down the rumors of a mysterious man—a magic man who comes in the night and disappears at dawn.
And so the hunt begins
Millicent’s search leads her to one of Merlin’s legendary relics and the seductive knight whose fate is bound up with it. Centuries ago, Sir Gareth Solimere made the mistake of seducing the wrong woman, and he has been trapped ever since by a diabolical curse. He’s looking for the one who can break the enchantment—but in this world, there is no love without betrayal…
***
Praise for the Relics of Merlin series:
“Kennedy will sweep you away and into a world of magic, mayhem, and fractured love.”—Night Owl Romance
“Enchanting! This series is amazing, and I am completely hooked.”—The Long and Short of It Reviews
For more Kathryne Kennedy, visit:
www.sourcebooks.com
Double Enchantment
by Kathryne Kennedy
***
Too much of a very good thing…
High society enjoys their powers based on their rank, but Lady Jasmina Karlyle’s magic causes nothing but trouble. Her simple spell has gone horribly wrong, and now she has a twin running around the London social scene wreaking havoc on her reputation. When both she and her twin get intimately involved with gorgeous shape-shifting stallion Sir Sterling Thorn, Jasmina finds herself in the impossible position of being jealous of herself…
Still isn’t enough…
Sterling is irresistibly drawn to Jasmina. She seems to have two completely different sides to her personality though, and the confusion is driving him mad. Is love just the other side of lust…or is what he has with Jasmina much, much more than that?
***
“A hugely imaginative story with terrific characters, a complex plot, and a heartwarming love story.” —Star-Crossed Romance
For more Kathryne Kennedy, visit:
www.sourcebooks.com
Enchanting the Lady
by Kathryne Kennedy
***
Their magic lives within each one of them…
In a Victorian England with a rigid hierarchy of magic, lion shape-shifter Sir Terence Blackwell is at the bottom rung of society. Only Lady Felicity Seymour, who has no magic, no inheritance, and no prospects, may be willing to judge the man strictly on his own merits…
However deeply it may be hidden…
When family pressures push Lady Felicity into a terrible fate, she has only Sir Terence to turn to. As the two outcasts are propelled by circumstances beyond their control, they are forced to explore the unseen depths beneath society’s facade. And what they discover about each other is more real and more beautiful than they ever could have imagined…
***
“Kennedy has totally enchanted us with this book. It’s like reading an adult version of Beauty and the Beast with a bit more spunk.” —Yankee Romance Reviewers
“Casts a magic spell on the audience from the moment the heroine expects to fail her test and never lets go until the final magical revelation.” —Midwest Book Review
For more Kathryne Kennedy, visit:
www.sourcebooks.com
About the Author
As half of the Lydia Dare writing team, Tammy Falkner has cowritten ten books, including In the Heat of the Bite, A Certain Wolfish Charm, and Wolfishly Yours, which was named by Publishers Weekly one of the Top 10 Best Fall Romance Books of 2012. She is a huge fan of Regency England, and her latest series explores the theory that the fae can walk between the glittering world of the ton and their own land. The first two books in the series, A Lady and Her Magic and The Magic of “I Do,” garnered glowing reviews—RT Book Reviews said, “Funny, sexy, and enchanting romance… 4.5 Stars.”
Tammy lives on a farm in rural North Carolina with her husband and a house full of boys, a few dogs, and a cat or two. Visit her website: www.tammyfalkner.com.
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The Magic Between Us Page 25