‘We’re just glad you’re all right.’ Frances leaned over and pressed a kiss to Violet’s cheek. ‘But now you need to rest.’
‘So do you.’
‘Soon.’
‘Now. You’ve done more than enough. I’m sure Mrs Gargrave’s already on her way to take charge again now the messy part’s over.’ Violet smiled sleepily. ‘Arthur, take Frances and look after her.’
They were the words he’d been waiting for. ‘You heard the woman, Frances. Come on.’
He took hold of her arm, leading her silently out of the room and down a floor to the guest quarters. The location of her bedroom was made obvious by the candle left flickering on a chest outside, though he waited until they were standing next to the door before grasping her shoulders and looking deep into her eyes.
‘Are you all right?’
‘Yes.’ She swallowed. ‘At least, I am now. An hour ago... I was so frightened, Arthur.’
‘I know. So was I.’
‘You were?’ Her eyes widened. ‘But you seemed so calm.’
‘As did you.’ He couldn’t resist any longer, enveloping her in his arms. ‘You were magnificent.’
‘We must both be good actors then.’ She made a sound that was half-sob, half-laugh and then pulled her head back, lifting her hands and wiping the palms over her cheeks. ‘The doctor said it was a difficult birth, one of the worst he’s ever seen. He doesn’t think she’ll be able to have any more children.’
‘Thank goodness. Lance will be relieved.’
‘Your poor brother was beside himself. He was trying not to show it, but you could see the fear in his eyes... He really does love her, doesn’t he?’
‘More than anyone else in the world.’
‘It must be wonderful to be loved so much.’ Her face took on a dreamy expression. ‘It’s what marriage ought to be, isn’t it?’
‘I suppose so. That and supporting and respecting and—’ his tongue almost tripped over the words ‘—being honest with each other. Those things are important, too. Here.’ He reached for the door handle, afraid that the conversation was getting out of his depth after such a long night, and led her into the bedroom Mrs Gargrave had prepared.
‘Oh.’ She took one look at the four-poster bed and exclaimed in delight. ‘That looks wonderful. I think I could sleep for a week.’
‘Then you’re welcome to. I think Lance and Violet would be more than happy for you to stay. They’d probably let you move in if you wanted.’ He picked up a poker and stirred the coals in the hearth. ‘Now, are you hungry? You ought to have something.’
‘No.’ She sat down on the side of the bed and shook her head. ‘I’m too tired to eat, but I’d love a cup of tea.’
‘Good. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t fall asleep in the meantime.’
He gave her a warning look and then hurried down to the kitchen himself. Most of the staff were still awake, sitting around a large wooden table and toasting the arrival of the new babies with a bottle of champagne.
‘Lord Scorborough!’ One of the maids leapt up at the sight of him. ‘The master told us to celebrate. He sent the bottle.’
‘I’m sure he did.’ Arthur chuckled. ‘Best drink up, then.’
‘Can I help you with anything, sir?’
‘No, I’ll manage. Don’t let me disturb you.’
He walked across to the range, ignoring half-a-dozen surprised expressions as he made a pot of tea himself and then climbed back upstairs, stopping in the bedroom doorway to look at Frances. She was half-lying, half-sitting on the bed, her shoes discarded on the floor beside her, though the rest of her clothing was still intact. Now he looked closer, however, he could see there were several damp patches, as well as specks of blood on the fabric. If she wasn’t careful she’d catch a chill.
He placed the tea on the bedside table and laid a hand gently on her shoulder. Tempted as he was to let her sleep, he doubted that anything had passed her lips since the middle of the afternoon and it was better for her to have something than nothing.
‘Frances?’ He called her name softly and she rolled over, murmuring something indistinct.
‘Frances?’ He tried again, sliding an arm beneath her shoulders this time and lifting her gently upright. ‘You need some tea. Sit up.’
‘Arthur?’ Her eyelids flickered drowsily.
‘The very same. You need to drink and get out of these clothes.’
‘I don’t care about my clothes.’
‘Well, you should. Here.’ He lifted the cup to her lips as if she were a child. ‘I’ve been told to look after you and that’s what I intend to do.’
‘Oh, very well.’ She took a mouthful and sighed appreciatively. ‘Perfect.’
‘Finish it.’
‘I hope you’re not going to be this bossy when we’re married.’
‘Worse, probably.’ He watched with satisfaction as she drained the last of the liquid. ‘Now, do you think you can manage to undress by yourself?’
‘I doubt it.’ She gave a wide yawn.
‘I’ll call a maid.’
‘No!’ She caught at his arm as he started up. ‘Don’t go. I’ll manage, but please don’t go. I don’t want to be on my own just yet. I don’t want to remember...’
She gave a visible shudder and he nodded sympathetically. ‘I know. I won’t forget tonight in a hurry either.’
‘Violet was incredible. She never gave up even when the doctor thought she wasn’t strong enough.’
‘Lance always said she was tougher than everyone thinks.’ He sat back down again, wrapping an arm around her waist and drawing her close.
‘He’s right. She’s indomitable.’
She nestled her head against his shoulder and he pressed a kiss into her hair, knowing that he should really leave instead. A gentleman, even a fiancé, oughtn’t to be alone with an unmarried woman at night, on a bed, in the near-darkness...especially a fiancé who still had secrets he needed to share with his prospective bride. He ought to get up and leave, but how could he? She was warm and soft in his arms and she’d asked him to stay, for comfort. Just for comfort... But he still had to undress her. As if the feeling of her in his arms wasn’t tempting enough...
He muttered an oath under his breath. ‘We need to get you out of this dress, Frances.’
‘Mmmm.’ She burrowed her head closer and he groaned inwardly. Her hair was tickling his neck, making every nerve ending there seem to tingle and throb with anticipation. It smelled faintly of jasmine, he noticed, but then that was her scent, his new favourite, the one that made his blood heat and his breath come in short, increasingly heavy bursts. A tremor of desire pulsed through him. Damn it all, the evening had been difficult enough. Now he had a feeling the night was going to be even more tortuous.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Frances moaned softly as Arthur moved away. She didn’t want him to move. Now that he’d woken her up, his reassuring presence was the only thing keeping memories of the afternoon and evening at bay. Violet’s pain, Lance’s barely contained panic, the doctor’s pessimistic expression...
He was right, though, she really ought to get out of her clothes. Despite the fire glowing in the hearth, her body felt damp with sweat and who knew what else. If only her fingers would do what she told them to, but they felt numb, as if they were as wearied as the rest of her.
‘I think I’ve forgotten how to do this.’ She laughed softly as she fumbled with the buttons at her neck.
‘Here.’
She let Arthur’s fingers take over, letting him unfasten the row of buttons at the front of her gown and then slide the fabric lightly over her shoulders.
‘Frances?’ His voice sounded soft and strangely guttural at the same time.
‘Mmm?’
‘I need you to stand up for a moment.’
‘Oh...yes.’
Reluctantly she forced herself to her feet, swaying slightly as she did so, though his hands were around her waist in an instant, holding her steady.
‘I’ll be quick.’ He sounded positively husky now, untying her belt and the laces of her petticoats before pushing both to the floor, leaving her in just her new lacy undergarments.
‘There. You can sit again now.’ He guided her gently downwards and then crouched in front of her, rolling her stockings slowly over her legs.
‘This is like that first day on your farm.’ She laughed, feeling vaguely delirious as the memory drifted back to her. ‘Except that I’m not injured or angry with you this time.’
‘I’m glad to hear it.’ He caught her eye and winked and she felt a rush of tenderness towards him. He was the same man, only he seemed so different from the one she’d confronted in his hallway just a couple of months before. Now he looked kinder, calmer and even more heart-stoppingly handsome, the old and new Arthurs rolled into one perfect whole.
‘Just two more days,’ he murmured, ‘unless you want to marry me tomorrow, that is? I have the special licence all ready.’
‘Tomorrow?’ She smiled at the idea. It was tempting, but what would her parents say? ‘Why so soon?’
‘Because I think perhaps we need to hurry.’
‘Why?’
‘Because of this...’ slowly he lifted one of her legs, tracing the arch of her foot with his fingertips ‘...and this...’
She gasped as he pressed a kiss to the inside of her calf. She’d never imagined that a leg could be so sensitive, but she felt wide awake again suddenly. She wasn’t entirely sure what his words meant, but the touch of his lips on her naked skin was giving her a much clearer idea. It was giving her a whole raft of new ideas, each more shocking than the last. The warmth of his breath on her body seemed to be heating her blood, too, sending a hot pulse shooting along every vein, straight to her core, as if he were touching her all over.
‘And this...’ he murmured again, sliding his lips all the way down from her knee to her ankle in one long, drawn-out caress.
She was panting now, she realised, but she didn’t care. It felt too wonderful as his lips and fingers moved over her, taking their time as if he were determined to learn every inch of her body.
‘But that’s all. For now.’ He released her again abruptly. ‘You need to get some sleep.’
‘Sleep?’ She stared at him blankly for a few seconds. What kind of insane idea was that? How could she possibly sleep when he’d just woken her up so effectively? Now that every part of her was throbbing and tingling and longing for more? She didn’t want him ever to stop.
‘Yes.’ He stood up, swinging both of her legs on to the bed as he did so. ‘You’ve had a long evening.’
‘So have you.’
‘But I was only pacing.’
He leant over her again, stroking a finger down one side of her face and cupping her cheek in his palm before kissing her tenderly on the lips. She kissed him back, feeling the heat in her veins turn into something else, a warm, fuzzy glow that seemed to envelop her whole body and make her feel sleepy again. It made her want to wrap her arms around him and pull him closer, to hold on to the feeling for a while longer.
‘I won’t go until you’re asleep.’ He smoothed his thumb over her cheek as if he’d just read her mind, sitting down on the edge of the bed and pulling the quilt up to cover her. ‘I promise.’
‘Thank you.’ She rolled on to her side, curling her legs up beneath her and regarding him through half-closed eyelids. ‘You can lie down, too, if you want.’
Amber eyes seemed to spark as if there were actual candlelight behind them. ‘Under the circumstances, I don’t think that’s a very good idea. Tonight, that is. Another time, I believe it might be the best idea I’ve ever heard. In fact, I can’t think of anything I’d like more.’
She laughed softly. ‘You know you look like your brother when you smile like that?’
‘That’s a good sign.’ He winked again. ‘Women have always found him irresistible.’
‘Really?’ She yawned. ‘Not to me. Which is funny considering that you’re twins.’
‘You prefer grumpy farmers?’
‘I suppose so.’ She closed her eyes on the words. She did like them. More than that, she loved them, or at least one in particular. She loved him. After tonight, she was more certain of that than ever. He hadn’t said that he loved her, but she knew that he liked her, that he wanted to share his life with her and now, incredible as it seemed, that he found her desirable, too. She knew he’d never reject her like Leo did because she could rely on him, too. Maybe one day he might care for her the way Lance cared for Violet, but for now, what they had was enough...
It was the last thing she thought before she drifted off to sleep.
* * *
‘Good morning, Miss Webster.’ Mrs Gargrave’s shrill voice bore a striking resemblance to a cockerel crowing in her ear.
‘Good morning.’ Frances heaved herself up on to her elbows, looking around with new eyes as the housekeeper opened the curtains and let in a burst of bright sunlight. In her bone-weary state the previous evening she’d only had eyes for the bed, or more accurately the man beside it, but now in broad daylight she could see the details of the room itself.
It was pale blue and pretty, with a vast mahogany dresser, a matching table and pair of wicker chairs by the window. There was a fresh cup of tea by the bedside and her clothes had been draped neatly over a chair. Had Arthur done that before he left? she wondered. She had no idea what time that had been, only presumably some time before Mrs Gargrave had entered. In which case, where was he now?
‘I’ve brought you a clean dress.’ The housekeeper gestured towards a gown hanging on the back of the door. ‘It’s one of mine, I’m afraid, but there was nothing else suitable. The mistress’s would all be too short.’
‘Thank you. I’ll return it as soon as possible, naturally. How is everyone this morning?’
The older woman’s stern features broke into an uncharacteristically wide smile. ‘Mrs Amberton’s feeling much better, she tells me. She’s had some sleep and breakfast, too. Captain Amberton and the babies are with her now.’
‘And... Lord Scorborough?’ She tried her best to sound nonchalant.
‘He’s having breakfast downstairs. He also suggested you might want a bath before you get dressed.’
‘Oh, yes, please!’ Frances sat up eagerly and then frowned. Arthur had suggested that? She remembered him insisting that she get out of her stained clothes the night before. Had she looked and smelled so terrible, then? A wave of embarrassment engulfed her. And he’d kissed her legs!
‘Very good.’ Mrs Gargrave nodded briskly. ‘I’ll arrange it.’
* * *
Half an hour later Frances slid into a tub filled almost to the brim with rose-petal-scented water. Never mind why Arthur had suggested it, she told herself, it felt wonderful, washing away all her anxieties from the night before and making her feel human again. Eagerly, she rubbed herself down with soap and then dipped her head under the surface, letting the bubble of the water fill her ears. She was still submerged when she heard a faint knock.
‘Yes?’ She surfaced again, expecting a maid, only to hear Arthur’s voice on the other side of the door.
‘Can I come in?’
‘Of course.’ She rolled on to her stomach and peered over the rim of the bath. ‘As long as you don’t mind.’
‘What would I mind?’ He took a few steps into the room, bearing a tray in one hand, and then stopped. ‘Ah. I didn’t think Mrs Gargrave would have arranged it quite so soon.’
She shrugged, feeling peculiarly unselfconscious, as if the water had swept away the last of her inhibitions. ‘It’s all right. I don’t mind if you don’t. You saw me in my undergarments last night.’
‘So I did.’ He moved closer towards her, though he kept his gaze averted. ‘I brought toast. I don’t suppose you want it in the bath?’
‘Bath toast?’ She giggled at the idea. ‘No, thank you, but you eat it if you like. I’ve been promised bacon and eggs later.’
‘Much better.’ He gestured at the floor beside the bath. ‘May I sit down?’
‘You may, although Mrs Gargrave might have a fit if she finds you here.’
‘Ah, but at this precise moment our fearsome housekeeper is gazing adoringly at my new niece and nephew.’ He took a bite of the toast and grinned. ‘She’ll be there for a while, trust me. Lance has finally done something she approves of.’
‘What if one of the maids comes in?’
‘Hmmm.’ He tapped his chin thoughtfully. ‘That is a problem. All right, if anyone comes in, you scream and I’ll dive under the bed. Or...’ he crossed the room again and turned the key ‘...we could just lock the door.’
‘Clever clogs.’ She made a face as he sat down on the floor beside her. ‘This was a lovely idea, though. Just what I needed.’
‘Good. Would you like me to wash your hair?’
‘Wash my...’ She blinked in surprise. ‘What?’
‘It’s not so shocking, is it?’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘We’re almost married, after all, and I won’t look at the rest of you, I promise.’
‘Won’t it be hard not to?’
‘Pull your knees up if you like. Although it really doesn’t matter. You saw me practically naked the first day we met, remember?’
‘It’s not a sight I’m likely to forget.’ She gave an exaggerated shudder. ‘I’ve had nightmares ever since.’
‘Is that so? Then I’ll strive to cover up from now on.’
‘Too late. I’m afraid I already know the worst. But you can wash my hair anyway.’ She pulled her knees up as instructed and folded her arms around them. ‘And that wasn’t the first day we met. We’ve known each other for years.’
‘I suppose so, though in some ways all that feels like a different lifetime. We were different people back then.’
The Viscount's Veiled Lady Page 19