Morgan scowled and caught her about the waist before she could back away. “Well, that’s out, because you’re marrying me.”
“Morgan—”
He cut off her words with a kiss, taking solace in her easy response, in the way she melted beneath his touch. He tasted lemons as he buried his tongue in the welcoming warmth of her luscious mouth over and over, wishing he could do more than kiss her.
Suddenly, she tore away from him, her eyes wide and her breath coming quickly. “We mustn’t do this. Not here.”
“I know,” he said regretfully as he allowed her to slip from his arms. “That’s why I’m taking you away for the day.”
“What? You can’t!”
“I can. My sister-in-law has invited you and your aunt to join her and my brother and me for an excursion into the countryside. A picnic, as it were. She has even convinced Ravenswood to come along to accompany your aunt.”
“But…but…” she sputtered.
“Remember, Juliet thinks we work here together. She told me to convince you to come with us for the day. And if I can’t manage it, she plans on coming down here to fetch you herself.” He cast her a taunting smile. “So you see, angel, you have no choice. If you don’t come out with us, she’ll show up here with my brother and ruin my entire scheme to capture the Specter. Just think of how the denizens of Spitalfields would react to see my twin descend from the Templemore coach, accompanied by footmen in full livery. You wouldn’t want to be responsible for that disaster, would you?”
“No, but…but couldn’t you talk Lady Juliet out of her plans? You should have told her you couldn’t do it or we were busy or…or…”
“Why would I do that? It was my idea.” When her confusion turned to anger, he added softly, “I wanted to be with you, angel, and I knew you’d never come out alone with me, so I engaged Juliet’s help. Now that the wheels are set in motion, you have to come.”
Her eyes narrowed. “This is blackmail, Morgan, and you know it.”
Reaching out, he caught her hand and lifted it for his kiss. “I do what I must to get what I want. And I want a day with you, ma belle ange. One day is all I ask.” He swept his other arm wide to take in the room and beyond. “Away from this, away from Spitalfields. Can’t you spare me even one day?”
She bit her lower lip, clearly undecided, though her eyes were fixed on the single window showing a perfect blue sky outside. He fancied that she tightened her grip on his hand as she stared out at the beautiful morning. “What shall I do about Lord Winthrop?”
He tugged her into his arms. “I can think of any number of suitable things—drowning, hanging, drawing and quartering—”
“Don’t be absurd,” she retorted with a weak laugh. “And I thought you said you weren’t jealous of him.”
He bent his head to nuzzle her hair and got a noseful of her sweet jasmine scent. Longing tightened a band around his chest. “I’m jealous of everyone who has your attention—the children in the Home, your aunt, Samuel…all of them. Because you give them everything while you begrudge me even a few hours…”
“And you begrudge me a lifetime,” she whispered into his cravat.
He winced. Damn her for always cutting right to the point. “I’ll begrudge you nothing today. Will you come spend the day with me?” He swept his hands along the curves of her waist, wishing they had time for more. “Please?”
“I-I can’t very well just walk out the door with you.”
“No. I’ll leave the way I came. Wait a few minutes, and call for your coach, then go fetch your aunt and join us at the Templemore town house.”
“Are you sure you want me to bring Aunt Verity? She knows you as Captain Pryce, and she’s sure to say something to your family.”
“Confound it all, I forgot about that.” He cupped her cheek. “No, that would muck things up considerably. Is there any way you could leave her at home? You could tell Juliet that she’s sick or something.”
“I’ll do that. It would hardly help for us to go to all this trouble to hide your true identity only to have my aunt blathering it everywhere.”
His breath caught. “Does that mean you’ll come?”
She cast him an arch glance. “You’re giving me no choice, are you?”
“None.”
“Then I suppose I have to, don’t I?”
“Absolutely.” The intensity of his relief that she’d said yes astonished him. “Sebastian and Juliet are taking us to an abandoned pleasure garden just outside London. He purchased it from a friend and hasn’t yet decided what to do with it. But it has ponds and waterfalls and a little arbor. I think you’ll like it.”
A smile broke over her face. “I’ll admit I could use a break from the Home.” She gestured to the desk. “And I’d much prefer a day in the country to doing the books.”
“Good.” He took a slip of paper from his pocket. “When you leave here, send your coachman to this address. We’ll be there waiting.” He tipped up her chin with one finger. “And if you haven’t come within the hour, I swear Juliet will drive down here and—”
“I know, I know. She’ll ruin your entire scheme to capture the Specter, and it’ll be all my fault.”
He chuckled. “You’re a fast learner, angel. But in case you get that little mind of yours working after I leave and think to change your plans—” Dragging her into his arms, he kissed her again, slowly, leisurely, taking his time to rouse her, letting his hands roam over the soft contours of her slender frame.
When he drew back, he was hard as iron and wishing he didn’t have to share her with his family today. “God, how I’ve missed you,” he whispered against her pinkening cheek.
“Me, too.”
They stood there a moment until a rattling of pebbles against the window made him jerk back. That was the signal he’d agreed upon with young David to indicate that Lord Winthrop and the children had come out into the hall downstairs. “I have to go,” he told her, pausing only to brush another kiss across her lips. “But I’ll see you in an hour, angel.”
Then he let himself out the way he’d come.
Clara could hardly contain her excitement as the Templemore carriage trundled out of the city. Her head told her to resent Morgan’s manipulation, but her heart thrilled to it. That he had missed her would have been enough, but for him to have gone to all this trouble…It gave her hope.
So did the way his family had welcomed her, as if they expected an announcement of marriage any day.
Take care, she cautioned herself. But it was no use. She was too happy sitting across from Morgan in this delightful carriage, too pleased to be leaving the grimy streets of London behind on such a gorgeous day, if only for a few hours.
“Are you sure Lord Templemore is all right up there?” she asked Lady Juliet.
Lady Juliet, pretty and prim, smiled fondly at Clara. “Believe me, he’s having the time of his life. Sebastian enjoys the outdoors almost as much as I do.”
They’d planned to take two carriages until Clara had arrived without her aunt. When they’d realized that by fitting in only one extra person they could leave one carriage behind, Lord Templemore had chosen to ride with the coachman, and the other four of them had crowded into the lushly appointed but cramped family carriage.
She didn’t mind the squeeze, not with Morgan across from her, his legs intimately interlaced with hers and his gaze hot upon her. In the hour since they’d left, she must have blushed half a dozen times at the way he looked at her, though she tried to suppress it whenever she caught Lord Ravenswood watching them both.
If Lady Juliet noticed the blushes, she was much too polite and well-bred to indicate it. “Do tell me,” the young woman said, half-turning toward Clara, “how does our Morgan get on at the Home? Do you feel that the place is safer now that he spends his nights there?”
Clara swallowed. She hated lying to this perfectly nice woman, yet for some reason Morgan seemed determined not to tell his family what he was doing in Spitalfields.
“Oh, yes, things are much better at night now that he’s around,” Clara murmured evasively. “I don’t know what I shall do once he’s gone.”
Lady Juliet patted her arm. “Then we’ll simply have to convince him to stay in London past the end of the wager, shan’t we?”
“The wager?”
With a groan, Morgan cast his sister-in-law a long-suffering glance. “Really, Juliet, must we talk about that today? It’s so pleasant out and—”
“Don’t tell me he hasn’t told you about his wager,” Lady Juliet exclaimed. “Why, Morgan, that’s too awful of you!”
“Yes, Morgan,” Lord Ravenswood chimed in with a smirk. “You should have told her.”
“Well, somebody should tell me,” Clara put in. “My curiosity is thoroughly roused now.”
As Morgan sighed, Lady Juliet explained. “About eight months ago, Morgan claimed that I wouldn’t be able to tell him and Sebastian apart if they were both presented to me dressed exactly alike. I told him he was wrong, and we laid a little wager upon it.”
Clara shot Morgan a teasing glance. “Really, Captain Blakely, how could you even take such a wager? A wife not be able to tell her husband from her husband’s brother? It’s ludicrous.”
Morgan raised one brow. “I thought the identical twin thing would present an obstacle.”
Clara and Lady Juliet exchanged one of those men-are-so-stupid glances. Deciding that she liked Lady Juliet already, Clara smiled impishly at Morgan. “I could distinguish you from your brother, I assure you.”
“Could you really?” His eyes darkened to smoldering coals. “Even though I’m not yet your husband?”
The word yet hung in the air, and her mouth went dry. She really wished he wouldn’t say things like that. It made Lady Juliet look speculative and Lord Ravenswood frown. “That’s got…nothing to do with it. Anybody with good observational skills could tell the two of you apart.”
“I don’t know—I have trouble with it myself,” Lord Ravenswood said dryly.
Morgan smiled his wolfish smile, clearly pleased at her claim.
Juliet clapped her hands. “Oh, we should do the wager again! We can use the same terms. Then Morgan shall be forced to spend yet another year staying out of trouble.”
Morgan’s smile vanished at once. “Don’t even think it. I don’t trust you two. And I learned my lesson the last time.”
But Clara was more interested in Juliet’s comment than all Morgan’s grousing. “What do you mean—he’d have to spend another year staying out of trouble?”
As Morgan glanced away, jaw tightening, Juliet said, “That was the agreement. When he lost the wager, he agreed not to leave England for a year and not to put himself into any danger.”
A slow smile spread over Clara’s lips. So that was why he was lying to his family about his activities in Spitalfields. Why, the little cheater!
When she glanced over to see that Lord Ravenswood had suddenly taken a great interest in straightening his gloves, her eyes narrowed. She knew exactly who’d put Morgan up to cheating on his wager, too. Both of them were scoundrels and sneaks, and they deserved to be put in their place.
“Tell me,” Clara remarked, “is Morgan so eager to put himself into danger that you can only keep him from it by a wager?”
“Oh, yes,” Lady Juliet answered, “Morgan is always throwing himself into the thick of things. Only last year he was nearly killed capturing a highwayman at Lord Ravenswood’s request. And before that, there were the pirates and the smugglers. Why, Sebastian used to worry about Morgan’s safety endlessly. Until the wager, that is.”
“I see,” Clara said. “Then I feel just awful, Lady Juliet.”
Morgan’s head shot up, and he glared a warning at Clara, but Lady Juliet merely asked, “How so?”
Clara smiled blithely at Morgan. “I’m sure it’s been terribly difficult for Captain Blakely to stay in Spitalfields under such circumstances. What with the fences and the rough men causing trouble, he’s probably wanted to break his wager a thousand times.” She flashed Lord Ravenswood a mischievous grin. “And you, his friend—how could you ask him for such a favor? Forcing him into a situation where trouble dogged him at every turn, yet he’s not allowed to act—”
“I figured he could handle it,” his lordship retorted. “Morgan has always known what’s most important in life.”
“You mean his duty to his family?” she asked with an arch smile.
“And his country.”
“Yes, but in this case his duty to his family conflicts with his duty to country.”
“Then it’s a good thing Morgan always makes the right choice, isn’t it?” Lord Ravenswood said, eyes glittering.
Her gaze locked with his, and it was on the tip of her tongue to tell him exactly what she thought of his machinations. Especially when she knew how they’d affected Morgan.
Then Morgan said, “Ah, look, we’re here.” As if to give credence to his claim, the carriage jolted to a halt. “So that’s enough talk of Spitalfields. I want to eat.”
Lady Juliet laughed. “You always want to eat. I swear, Morgan, you have a stomach the size of a cavern.”
Morgan opened the door and climbed out. “Don’t tell Lady Clara, or she’ll know where all the Home’s food has been disappearing.”
Lord Templemore appeared to help Lady Juliet down, and Morgan stepped forward to provide Clara with the same service. But he didn’t release her hand right away. He merely used it to tug her close and whisper, “I’ll get you for that later, you teasing wench.”
“As long as you don’t put yourself into danger in the process,” she whispered back, “I don’t think it’s a problem.”
With a searching glance, he took her arm. “What my family doesn’t know can’t hurt them. I only want to protect them.”
“You have a funny way of doing that.”
His jaw tightened, but he said nothing more as they joined the others.
The next two hours passed more enjoyably than Clara had expected. The pleasure garden had long ago ceased to be viable—the formal walks were overgrown, the stone fountain of Cupid riding a swan had been overtaken by lichens, thus giving the young God of Love a green beard, and the elegant bridges crossing the nearby Fleet River had not been kept up.
But the place held a ruinous charm that made strolling about it in the company of friends a soothing experience. Especially when Morgan accompanied her as closely as any courtier of old, holding her hand when nobody was looking, even stealing a kiss once behind a cherry tree in full bloom.
His unfailing attentions gave her second thoughts about her decision not to marry him. Was she being unfair to expect him to give up his chosen profession? Throughout the afternoon, she heard a great deal about his years in the navy, enough to show her he did have some stake in that life. If he’d wanted to captain a ship again so badly that he would break his wager to his family and risk his life in Spitalfields, then who was she to expect him to give it up?
Especially when his only alternative was a gentleman’s life, existing on the undoubtedly comfortable allowance his brother gave him. Though his family clearly wanted that for him, Morgan wouldn’t be content to live like that for long. He needed activity. Like her, he needed to feel useful. He had ambition, and the navy seemed the only avenue open to him.
He’d probably been too proud to admit it, but what options were left for a second son? Depending on his brother’s largesse or living on her income would chafe at him. No matter how little or how much he liked the sea, he probably saw it as his only chance for advancement.
Yet could she bear the life of a naval officer’s wife? How could she stand seeing him only from time to time? Yearning for him while he threw himself into danger at every turn? How long would it be before she hated his absences, resented raising their children alone, tired of worrying about him constantly?
Then again, whenever he kissed her…
No, she must think this through rationally. She would regret any
decision made solely on the basis of one night spent in his bed, no matter how glorious and thrilling that night had been.
“Juliet,” Morgan called out to his sister-in-law as they all strolled away from the river. “Don’t you think you’ve made me suffer long enough without sustenance? Are we ever going to eat?”
Lady Juliet laughed. “As a matter of fact, the servants are setting up our meal now, over there at the top of the hill. And there’s plenty enough even for you, I expect.”
“Thank God,” Morgan stated, tucking Clara’s hand more firmly in his elbow. “Come on, angel. Dinner is finally served.”
Dinner consisted of an astonishing array of viands, breads, and cheeses, all neatly spread upon blankets beneath the open sky. Wine and punch had been provided, as well as fruit and cold tarts. Clara hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she saw it all there.
She wasn’t the only one. The outdoor air had heightened their appetites, so they fell upon the food like ravenous hounds, sparing little energy for conversation.
But once the first edge of hunger had been blunted, Lady Juliet grew chatty again. From her seat beside her husband, she stretched out one dainty foot to poke Morgan in the knee. “You see what you’ll be missing if you sail away from us? I dare say you don’t eat this well aboard ship.”
Morgan laughed. “Why do you think I eat so much while I’m not aboard ship? I’m storing it up for the future.”
The tart Clara was eating suddenly tasted dry as dust. The mere thought of Morgan sailing away killed her appetite.
As if noticing Clara’s response, Lady Juliet turned to Lord Ravenswood, who was stretched out on the blanket with his eyes closed. “Can’t you do anything about this, sir? Must you always send him off to sea and away from his family?”
Lord Ravenswood cracked open one eye. “Don’t look at me. I’ve already offered him a lucrative position in the Home Office. It’s his for the taking whenever he wants it. Thus far he’s refused it. So I’ve done all I can to keep him here.”
Dance of Seduction Page 29