Deception

by A. S. Fenichel

  Stuart cleared his throat from the doorway.

  Dorian took half a step back.

  “Your guest has nearly finished her…um…duties and agreed to break her fast with you.”

  He offered Lillian his arm. “Shall we?”

  As soon as she touched him, her heat penetrated layers of clothing and spread through his body. He escorted her into the dining room.

  The long elegant table had come with the house. It was out of proportion to the way he used the room. He’d never hosted a formal dinner, and most times, he supped in his study.

  He led Lillian to a long sideboard filled with meats and delights that filled the room with sumptuous aromas. After serving himself from the sideboard, Dorian sat at the head of the table. Lillian took the seat to his right. There was something perfect about her taking a seat next to him, about her being in his house, at his table.

  From the doorway, Stuart announced, “Mrs. Abigail Higginbotham.”

  Chapter 6

  Lillian expected a more dramatic entrance. Anyone who be-spelled and conjured should be outrageous in some way. The woman, in her mid-twenties, was actually quite well dressed. Perhaps the morning dress she wore was outdated and worn at the wrists, but she was clean, neat and curtsied prettily once inside the breakfast room.

  Dorian stood and bowed as if Mrs. Higginbotham was a lady of means. Lillian’s heart leaped at the sight of him. Most titled men had no regard for people they deemed beneath them, but he wasn’t put out by the fact that the lady was probably quite poor and had an unusual occupation. He treated her like a lady, crossing the room and making the introductions.

  “Mrs. Higginbotham, how good of you to come. I am Dorian Lambert and this is my associate, Miss Lillian Dellacourt.”

  “A pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir. I apologize for arriving without an invitation, but I was told your needs were urgent.” Her diction and manners indicated she was educated.

  Things were not always what they seemed, especially within The Company. Lillian herself had learned to imitate a lady during her training to become a hunter.

  Once they were all seated and eating, Lillian’s curiosity won her over, and she couldn’t resist prying for some information. “Mrs. Higginbotham, may I ask what you were doing this morning.”

  “I was laying down a circle of protection around the house.” She might have been talking about writing a letter. She said it as if it were a standard morning occupation.

  “Do you often engage in such activities in the morning?” Dorian asked.

  She nodded. “Protections spells work best at the first light of day.”

  “I see. Fascinating.”

  “How do you protect the house?” Lillian asked.

  Abigail stared back for a long beat before she responded. “I am a witch, Miss Dellacourt. It is what The Company has hired me to do.”

  Dorian leaned forward. “Are you really? Did someone inform you we had need of such a service this morning, madam?”

  She chewed a piece of sausage and swallowed. “Tom woke me in the middle of the night and delivered a note from Mr. Tybee. The note specified you needed a safe place outside of the castle. The castle is, of course, already protected. I might have come sooner, but such things must wait for the light of day.”

  “I see.” Dorian’s gaze met Lillian’s

  “Is something amiss?” Abigail asked.

  Dorian said, “I apologize, Mrs. Higginbotham. We suspected we had been followed home last night, and you have just confirmed the fact for us.”

  Abigail’s smile created a lovely transformation. “Tom has quite a habit of knowing what is happening. I guess he reported your incident back at headquarters, and then he was sent to fetch me.”

  “Well, whatever the catalyst, we are grateful for your assistance.”

  “No need to be, it is what I do. Just as you keep order within the castle and the lady kills demons, it is my purpose to protect certain structures from infestation.”

  A footman entered and held a small, silver platter out toward Dorian. He opened the message and excused himself from the breakfast room. The footman followed him out.

  Lillian found the witch a curiosity. She’d worked for The Company for over five years, and the only employee she’d ever met who was not a hunter or instructor was Dr. Barns. In one night and morning she’d met a door keeper, a witch, and Tom. She was still trying to decipher Tom’s roll within The Company. Stable-boy, messenger, or spy, she wasn’t sure.

  Lillian found Abigail intriguing. “How long have you been working for The Company, Mrs. Higginbotham?”

  “Only a few months, Miss Dellacourt. I was hired to protect the castle.”

  “You have gathered quite a lot of information in such a short time. How do you know what rolls Dorian and I play within the organization?”

  Abigail’s grin lit her face. “I’m a witch. I know things.”

  Cryptic at best. Lillian didn’t mind a challenge. “If you do not mind my asking, what did you do before joining the demon hunters?”

  “I’m surprised you know nothing about me. It seemed as if his lordship was also unfamiliar with my skills. I thought he knew everything that went on within The Company.”

  “Drake Cullum often keeps his own council. We are all only told what we need to know. So you see, you have us at a disadvantage.”

  The witch’s smile brightened. “The answer to your question is a bit complicated.”

  Lillian felt she had overstepped. She didn’t want to be rude to her companion. On the contrary, her curiosity was honest and well meant. “I will not be offended if you choose to keep your own council. My question was impertinent.”

  She waved off Lillian’s worry. “Not at all. That is not why I hesitate to tell you. To be honest, it is not a secret. I’m concerned this will be my last meal with you and the marquis, once you know of my past.”

  Lillian chuckled. “Unless you are a demon in disguise, I feel certain that will not be the case.”

  She took a deep breath and put her fork down next to her plate. “My father put me out several years ago, and I was forced to travel with a carnival for a while. I was in Kent when I met Mr. Cullum. He stopped in to have his fortune told. You can imagine my surprise when I read the things in his past and future. I suppose he was impressed, because he offered me a place to live and employment. He told me I could help your cause and perhaps better my situation.”

  Drake Cullum was a constant surprise. “Why would your father put you out, knowing you had no means to support yourself?”

  “My father is a gentleman. My particular gifts did not fit into his world, and I could not suppress them no matter how I tried.” She rubbed her arms.

  Lillian could not subdue the rage welling up in her belly, though she kept her tone even. “How old were you?”

  “Sixteen.”

  Lillian dropped her fork and gripped the edge of the table. She wanted to go out and find Higginbotham so she could strangle him.

  “You must not think so meanly of my father, Miss Dellacourt. He did not know what to do with a daughter who could see things no one else could.”

  “He should have tried harder.”

  She shrugged. “Perhaps he could have. He did his best, and I have made a life for myself, which is quite satisfying.”

  “I’m glad for you. I hope working for The Company will continue to be a fulfilling situation.” The entire conversation was inappropriate for two people who had met only a few minutes earlier, but if Abigail minded, she did not say.

  The witch sipped her chocolate and relaxed against the back of the chair.

  Lillian liked her immediately.

  Dorian returned and the personal exchange ended.

  “Is everything all right?” Lillian asked.

  “My mother has been informed that I am in town and asked for us to attend her ball this evening.”

  Lillian was sure her face betrayed her displeasure at the idea of attending a society even
t. Meeting Dorian’s mother only added to her anxiety. Abigail’s presence forced her to keep silent on the subject. Another, less intimate, question came to mind. “How did she know you were here?”

  He shrugged. “Probably the servants. My mother is aware of my occupation. I’m sure she has requested to be informed of my coming and going.”

  Abigail giggled. “Your mother sounds like a fascinating woman.”

  His grin was enough to make Lillian’s stomach tighten and make other places tingle. “She is a formidable and remarkable woman. I quite like her.”

  Abigail rose. “Fine praise from a son about his mother. I am sorry to leave in such a hurry. You are most kind to have invited me to break my fast with you, but I must be going. I have several duties to perform today.”

  Lillian rose and crossed to the witch. “It is good to meet you, Mrs. Higginbotham. I hope to see you again.”

  “Oh, I’m certain our paths will cross, Miss Dellacourt.” She curtsied and left the townhouse.

  * * * *

  Lillian didn’t let the drizzle soaking the bottom of her skirts bother her as she walked slowly through the pretty English garden. In spite of his remarkable ability to remain quietly in the shadows, she knew Dorian was there long before he stepped onto the path.

  Still, he took her breath away. She suppressed the surge of desire warring with her determination to keep her distance from the intriguing man.

  Hatless and with his hair loose, the dark waves fell about his face. He looked younger, almost innocent.

  “You are making a habit of following me.”

  “I suppose that is true. Do you mind terribly?”

  She didn’t, which was particularly surprising. “Not as much as I might have expected.”

  Her reward for honesty developed into the most delicious grin. She ached to kiss his lips until his happiness became indelible. She had not wanted to make another person happy since she’d been sold, so her mother could live a more comfortable life. She’d often wondered if it had made her happy, but she had never seen her again and so the question remained unanswered.

  Heat flashed across her cheeks. She never blushed, and yet Dorian had elicited the response almost every day. What was it about him?

  “Why are you walking in the rain?”

  “It is a lovely day, and this little drizzle feels as though it might wash away the troubles of the world. I am indulging in a fantasy.”

  He offered his arm, and she slid her hand through the crook in his elbow. “It is a lovely idea. I would love nothing more than to return to a normal life where demons were a thing of myth and tales.”

  “What would you do with your days?”

  “I might spend more time at the country estate and in London, managing my holdings far more profitably so I could give some land to Brice. I would court you properly.”

  “Is that what you are doing?” No one had ever courted her. Not many men were brave enough to woo a woman who could best them in a fight.

  “I am trying, but under very difficult circumstances.”

  “If there were no demons, I would be the unwilling mistress of an earl, or worse after he died, probably ended up in the streets. You’d never have known me and our paths might never have crossed.”

  Dorian stepped in front of her and leaned in until his lips brushed hers. His eyes were a beacon she could not look away from. His kiss sparked delight throughout her body, and she wished they were not in the garden. She wished she was naked beneath him. The kiss had been gentle as a whisper, but when he spoke, his voice was firm. “I do not believe that, Lilly. I believe we would have met and our social statuses meant nothing to me. I would court you no matter your circumstance.”

  Closing her eyes, she let the idea flow over her. “That idea is irrational as I’m sure you know.”

  “Then you feel no connection to me?”

  She could have said no and been done with the idea of courting a man who was far above her rank. It might save them both a great deal of pain and ridicule. Part of her still believed that if they consummated their relationship, he’d tire of her and they could go on as partners until Reece recuperated and returned to duty or Cullum called Dorian back to his former position. After that, she doubted she’d see very much of Dorian Lambert. He might become a memory and perhaps a pleasant one. Tell him he means nothing.

  It was sound advice. Her gut roiled at the idea of lying to him. “I did not say that. I tried to seduce you, for goodness sake.”

  “Yes, to rid us both of our desires.” His voice bit with anger.

  Touching his cheek, she leaned up and kissed his chin. “I’m sorry if that offends you. I only meant to give us both a bit of pleasure after a very unpleasant situation. I promise you I would not have done so if I did not have feelings for you. At heart, I am a very practical woman. Courting me and believing anything can come of it is naive.”

  “So you think a meaningful relationship is impossible. Does that opinion encompass all people or only you and me?”

  “I do not pretend to know what is true of all people.”

  “Some say there are no demons in the world, but we know it is not true, Lilly. Perhaps your belief is also incorrect.” His hands moved to her shoulders, down her arms, and then he pulled her close and held her.

  His scent was woodsy and warm with a touch of vanilla. It was pure Dorian. Her knees weakened. “But we know there are demons in the world.”

  “And I know I want to court you no matter the obstacles in my way.”

  She pushed away and looked up at him. “Is this wise, Dorian?”

  “Maybe not, but I cannot say I care much about wisdom at the moment.”

  The drizzle turned to steady rain. He took her hand and led her back to the house. Once inside, they rushed upstairs and into his suite.

  Lillian tugged her hand away and stayed in the doorway. She waited for him to turn and look at her. “Nothing has changed since the clearing by the pond, Dorian. I still see no future for us. I know you think lovemaking will change my mind, but I’m not an untested child. I’m a grown woman who knows her own mind. I will not let anything get in the way of my mission. Demon hunting is what I was born for. Nothing else.”

  He pulled her across the threshold and closed the door. “You paint a sad picture of your future with only mayhem and death for company. What harm is there in sharing some joy with another?”

  She’d never wanted anyone more than she desired Dorian. She’d been used by men and had even found comfort with them on occasion, but the raw need swamping her senses terrified her. Reaching up, she cupped his cheek. It was still smooth from his morning shave. She had to quell an image of a fresh beard and what his jaw might feel like in the night. “Today is a day for indulging in fantasies. That is all we could ever be. One day is all I’m willing to offer you. I will understand if you refuse, but more than that is out of the question.”

  He kissed her forehead. “Oh, Lilly, I cannot say no to you a second time. I’m only flesh and blood. But it would be a lie if I told you I intend to stop my attempts at courting you beyond today.”

  She should have walked away. He created complications in her already mad life. Her feet would not obey. She wanted more, wanted the dream. But dreams were for people of means. A woman like her could not afford to lose focus. “One day, Dorian.” The words came out on a wisp of breath.

  “We shall see, Lilly.” His kiss consumed her, pouring desire into her, and pulled passion from her.

  All thoughts of danger and foolishness flew from her mind. One day just for him, for me.

  The kiss was slow, tender, and she trembled at every touch. He explored every inch of her lips and mouth with his roaming tongue and sensual lips, peppered her with tiny kisses.

  It was an expression of romance and beauty, everything her life lacked. He continued his discovery, and with every kiss, he gave a bit of himself back to her.

  The only demons in the room were those she brought with her, and she push
ed them aside unwilling to allow the moment to end so soon. Shaking with need, she wrapped her arms around his neck and threaded her fingers through his damp hair.

  He groaned deep in his chest and pulled her tighter against him. Tall for a woman, she was still not quite as tall as he. Their bodies fit together as if made that way. Her breasts pressed against his hard chest, her thighs to his, and the juncture between them a perfect resting place for his arousal.

  In battle, Lillian’s sight and hearing improved, as did her notice of touch and smell. In Dorian’s arms, it was the same. Every nuance slowed and engulfed her. She wanted to tell him how incredible it was, but only a sigh escaped.

  He deepened the kiss while pulling pins from her hair. One at a time, each chimed to the floor.

  Her dresses’ clever design allowed her to get into and out of them herself. While pressing kisses along her cheek and neck, Dorian managed to strip her down to her chemise, boots, and weapons. He nibbled her earlobe. “Lilly, tell me you want me. Tell me this is your fantasy too.”

  She pushed his damp long-coat off his shoulders and worked the fasteners of his waistcoat. “I want you, Dorian. I want this day with you.”

  His groan rumbled in his chest. He moved her hands aside and divested himself of the waistcoat in an instant.

  Her fingers shook, making removing her knife belt from her thigh impossible. Before she could get frustrated with the buckle, he was on his knees sliding the leather free and kissing the red mark the belt left behind. Both the sight and the touch left her panting. Her sai blades had long been an extension of herself, but she hadn’t thought the removal of her weapons could be so erotic.

  He slid one long knife from her boot and eased it onto the floor. He removed the other blade.

  She’d never let anyone else touch her weapons before, and yet it was more than trust that drove her to allow it. She trusted Reece with her life, she’d even had an affair with him long ago, but he never touched her precious blades.

  Dorian looked up at her, his eyes filled with passion and something else she couldn’t name. Lillian pushed the chemise from her shoulders and let it fall in a puddle around her feet. Naked except for her high boots, her body hummed with need, and her most sensitive flesh yearned to be touched.