by Lauren Smith
She tilted her head to the side. Something was different about him, and it wasn’t simply that he’d grown into a man and left the last traces of his boyhood behind. No…he had changed, and she couldn’t put her finger on how. There was a seriousness to him, a grave solemnity of a man who’d suffered tragedy and loss and now bore a heavy burden. It gave her a bittersweet longing for the young man he’d once been and a respect for the man he’d become now. One thing that had not changed was the effect of his devastating smile. He could have made a fortune bottling it and selling it to lonely hearts throughout England.
In his unbuttoned Burberry motoring coat, trousers, and cap, Leo looked every inch a man of leisure. Yet a silver pocket watch chain glinting in the sunlight lent him an air of authority and precision. An altogether different impression from the boy he’d once been who’d spent an evening capturing glow worms with her in the garden or comforting her after she’d had a rough day and scraped her knee while running about.
She remembered grinning at him so broadly her cheeks hurt as he bent down to show her a captured insect between his palms. The green light had illuminated his face as he studied the black insect. In that moment, they’d been bound together by a spell of twilight and an effervescent glow. Having to stay still, breaths held, so as not to frighten the shy glowworm into darkening her shine. Her heart clenched in longing for warm summer nights like those again. She swallowed the sudden sense of homesickness for a place she’d forced herself to try and forget.
“It was very kind of you to stop and help a lady in distress.” She offered a smile, hoping the action would lift her spirits. She had to put memories of that sixteen-year-old boy with merry, twinkling eyes and a tempting smile behind her or she’d be lost. He’s not for you; you cannot fall in love with him, not again. The Leo she faced now was businesslike and polite, with only a hint of that charming, troublemaking boy she remembered so well.
What had changed him? Had his mother been right that his father’s death and the pressures of running the estate had turned him cool and passionless? She’d heard some of the rumors about his father but wasn’t sure if they were true. Given how the whispers of his father’s mistress had persisted, it had likely affected his reception with most of the respectable families in the city. Even now she could see a hint of that resigned expression in his beautiful eyes. Where was the fiery young man who’d stolen her heart? No wonder Lady Hampton begged me to come visit him.
“I’m sorry, I haven’t introduced myself. I am the Earl of Hampton. I would be delighted to help, though I confess to knowing nothing of motorcar engines. If you permit, I shall escort you to your destination and send my mechanic to repair your automobile and return it to you.” As Leo spoke, he leaned in, placing one hand against the car beside her hip, and she shivered at the scent of him and his warmth. She had always been aware of him; like a planet hugging a distant star, she was connected to him in ways she’d never been with any other man. And that was what made him so dangerous to her. He was perhaps the one man in all of England who could tempt her into falling in love. And love would ruin all of her dreams for a brighter future as a woman with rights. Still, she had promised Lady Hampton she would visit the house and see Leo; she simply needed to guard her heart while she was here.
“My lord, it seems we are both fortunate. My destination is in fact Hampton House. I was invited by the countess for her house party.”
This caught him by surprise. His eyes narrowed slightly as his gaze swept her body. Within her tan duster covered in dirt, Ivy must have looked a fright. Not that she could have helped her appearance, but she would have loved to have met him again under better circumstances.
Comprehension showed in the widening of his eyes as he made some mental connection. “My mother invited you? You aren’t the newspaper fellow’s daughter, are you?”
The newspaper fellow? So Lady Hampton had mentioned her coming, then. Over tea, Lady Hampton had outlined a scheme to play a game upon Leo that required some level of discretion as to Ivy’s identity. Leo’s mother was convinced he would be too well behaved if he realized Ivy had once been the child he’d looked after. It would be better to hide her identity for a time so she could be treated like any other lady he might meet. The idea of deception hadn’t set well with Ivy, but she had to admit she did not want him thinking of Button during the house party.
I’ll tell him who I really am, after he has a chance to know me as a woman.
“My father is indeed the newspaperman.” She chuckled. He wasn’t the first to react that way to her father’s background. Leo’s eyes were still fixed upon her face and she tried not to wriggle under the intense scrutiny of his gaze. It made her feel warm in the oddest places, and it was much more like the Leo she’d known as a girl.
“Fortunate indeed that I found you, then.” He looked over her shoulder into the motorcar. “Your luggage?”
Before she could step out of the way, he moved, accidentally pressing her against the door. A flush of heat coursed through her in a sudden rush when he didn’t immediately step back. His eyes blazed with an unexpected interest that made her feel small and vulnerable. As though he could see through her, pick apart her soul, and study the pieces and understand her. What a terrifying thought…Never had she wanted a man to evoke such a feeling, but with him, it was exciting, rather than frightening. Ivy licked her lips and his eyes tracked the movements the way a lion would a mouse.
“Your”—he breathed deeply—“bag,” he murmured, sliding past her to reach into the Hudson. He retrieved it without any of the trouble she’d had. “This way.”
He gestured toward his auto, which was parked next to hers.
It was a lovely black Stanley Touring motorcar. Her father had almost bought the same model instead of the Hudson, but in the end he’d opted for the striking yellow auto, valuing the flash more than the extra seats.
Leo walked ahead of her, placing her luggage behind the front passenger seat.
Ivy retrieved her eye goggles and hastily got into her side of the Stanley, which earned her a raised brow by Leo, who had only just turned to try and open the door for her. For some reason, she needed a moment of space between them, at least long enough to get her breath and her good sense back. How was a woman supposed to concentrate around such an irresistible man? When he was too close, she seemed to think only of him and wonder if his lips were as soft as they looked.
Once they were driving back down the road, he turned to look at her.
“Are you traveling alone? Mother mentioned your father was coming. I’m sure she would have insisted you be escorted.” There was a note of disapproval to his voice that she didn’t like.
She hesitated before replying. “My father is coming tomorrow afternoon on the train, and he’s bringing my lady’s maid and his valet. Your mother said one of her upstairs maids could wait upon me until they arrived.”
“So was that your father’s Hudson?”
The question prickled her because his tone seemed to imply a woman could not own a motorcar. It was her father’s but only because she insisted they share a vehicle, when he offered to buy her one of her own. They didn’t need two; that would have been silly.
“It is,” she replied a tad stiffly. “But I have plenty of experience driving it.”
Let him think what he will about that.
Leo was silent for a moment. “So…you are…friends with my mother?”
Ivy nibbled her bottom lip, considering how best to answer that. Lady Hampton had always looked out for her as a child, especially when her mother fell ill. The countess was the one who had located Ivy’s father and informed him that he had a daughter. For such a service, the word friend hardly seemed adequate. Leo’s mother was a veritable godsend. But she was supposed to remember the little prank they were to play upon Leo by keeping her real name a secret for a time.
“We met in London three months ago at a charity function held by Lady Buxton.” A lie. The countess had crafted a story t
o explain how they met to keep Leo from discovering Ivy’s true identity. She also didn’t want Leo knowing that she and Ivy were involved in the Women’s Social and Political Union together. When Ivy had questioned the deceptive plan, Lady Hampton had explained her predicament vaguely, saying Leo had become too rigid, too driven, and wasn’t open in his thinking, especially toward the suffragette movement.
“He needs adventure and mystery, my dear, and you can provide both. It shall be a fun game. He needs to be shocked for his own good.”
But Ivy had grown up at Hampton House and worried the servants would recognize her. The countess had insisted that the servants who’d known her as a child had been instructed to treat her as they would any guest, not as the child they had helped raise.
Ivy had no desire for “Button” to be resurrected in Leo’s mind, and a few days of simply being herself would be fun. She would not play the deceiver long, though. She would tell Leo who she was soon; she would simply leave out his mother’s involvement in the local suffragette gathering.
Lost in thought, she didn’t immediately realize she was being a poor companion to him. A lady of good breeding would never let herself get lost in thought in the presence of her future host. She glanced at Leo and discovered he was watching her when not checking the road ahead.
“And your father? How did he meet my mother?”
“At the same event. She seemed to enjoy discussing his paper.”
Leo’s bark of laughter made her frown. “The newspaperman. Mother mentioned he was coming and is quite looking forward to it.”
She hoped her father had the good sense to follow the instructions Lady Hampton gave him and not betray Ivy’s true identity by mentioning her mother and Ivy’s past at Hampton.
Ivy shivered, now feeling the chill in the air, and rubbed her arms.
“There’s a lap rug beneath the seat.” His hand bumped into hers as they both reached for it.
“My apologies,” he murmured, and withdrew his hand. Ivy’s gloved fingers brushed over the blanket. She hastily arranged it over her lap and legs, feeling instantly warmer.
“Thank you, my lord.”
He merely nodded. The Stanley rattled and bounced worse than a coach on the road. After a few minutes, Leo spun the wheel and turned onto a gravel drive that stretched toward a massive manor house in the distance.
Hampton.
The vision of it always stole her breath. The tan stones were warm in the September sun and afternoon light glinted off the windowpanes. Fir trees dotted the open grounds in patches like spikes of deep green paint across a lighter emerald canvas. She had forgotten how vast the house was and how beautiful.
Nature blended with the house and the gardens, making it a private world where anything seemed possible. Memories of early morning mists curling around the grounds like milky tendrils stirred within her. She used to chase the peacocks across the lawn with Old John, Leo’s old butterscotch-colored cocker spaniel, the dog nipping at the thousand-eyed plumed tail feathers of the ill-tempered birds. Old John had always been called that for as long as she could remember. Had he ever been Young John? She hadn’t thought to ask. The silliness of her thoughts made her smile. Hampton had a way of reminding her of being a child again, in small ways that made her heart tighten in her chest. Like dancing rainbows in the library caught from a spinning diamond chandelier, or digging in the cool soil to plant seeds with the ancient gardener, Mr. Matthews.
A little sigh escaped Ivy as she thought of all the hours she’d spent there, the minutes ticking away, never knowing her mother would soon die and she’d lose part of herself forever. Or that she’d lose Hampton forever. Yet here she was, sitting in an automobile with Leo, coming home.
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About the Author
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Lauren Smith is an Oklahoma attorney by day, who pens adventurous and edgy romance stories by the light of her smart phone flashlight app. She knew she was destined to be a romance writer when she attempted to re-write the entire Titanic movie just to save Jack from drowning. Connecting with readers by writing emotionally moving, realistic and sexy romances no matter what time period is her passion. She’s won multiple awards in several romance subgenres including: New England Reader’s Choice Awards, Greater Detroit BookSeller’s Best Awards, and a Semi-Finalist award for the Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Award.
To connect with Lauren, visit her at:
www.laurensmithbooks.com
[email protected]
Other Titles by Lauren Smith
Historical
The League of Rogues Series
Wicked Designs
His Wicked Seduction
Her Wicked Proposal
Wicked Rivals
Her Wicked Longing
His Wicked Embrace
The Earl of Pembroke
His Wicked Secret
The Wicked Earls Club
The Earl of Pembroke
The Seduction Series
The Duelist’s Seduction
The Rakehell’s Seduction
The Rogue’s Seduction
The Gentleman’s Seduction (Coming Fall 2018)
The Sins and Scandals Series
An Earl By Any Other Name
A Gentleman Never Surrenders
A Scottish Lord for Christmas
Standalone Stories
Tempted by A Rogue
Contemporary
Ever After Series
Legally Charming
The Surrender Series
The Gilded Cuff
The Gilded Cage
The Gilded Chain
The Darkest Hour (Coming soon)
Her British Stepbrother
Forbidden: Her British Stepbrother
Seduction: Her British Stepbrother
Climax: Her British Stepbrother
Forever Be Mine (Coming soon)
Paranormal
Brothers of Ash and Fire
Grigori
Mikhail
Rurik
The Lost Barinov Dragon (coming soon)
Dark Seductions Series
The Shadows of Stormclyffe Hall
The Love Bites Series
The Bite of Winter
Brotherhood of the Blood Moon Series
Blood Moon on the Rise (coming soon)
Sci-Fi Romance
Cyborg Genesis Series
Across the Stars (coming soon)