The Sweetest Touch

by Marie Higgins

  Explosions shot through him, and he enfolded her in his arms tighter, meeting her demanding kisses. The palms of her hands wandered over his chest, then up his shoulders before she linked her fingers around his neck, bringing her even closer. He loved the way she caressed him. He loved the way he felt more like a man in her presence than he’d ever felt while married to Gwen.

  He moved his hands over Louisa’s back, touching her everywhere, not resting in any particular area. Desires built inside him, hotter than before. Images of coupling with her as man and wife floated through his head, and he wanted more than anything to fulfill these dreams.

  Her mouth left his as she trailed her lips over his chin and down his neck while her fingers plucked at his cravat then loosened the buttons on his waistcoat. His heart flip-flopped, knowing she wanted what he did. Because his thoughts were in pure bliss right now, thinking rationally was not an option. Feeling—and loving—were upmost in his mind.

  Searching for the buttons on her gown, he frantically ran his hands over her back. When the tips of his fingers brushed across the first barrier, he fumbled to unlatch her dress. One button came loose, then a second. His heart pounded crazily against his chest, threatening to crack a rib or two.

  Before he could get the third released, a knock came upon his door. Louisa froze in his arms.

  He didn’t want to let her go. He wouldn’t. “Now is not the time. I’m busy,” he called out.

  “Your Grace, there is an urgent visitor here for you,” Hobbs said loudly.

  Grumbling, Trevor rested his face in the crook of Louisa’s neck. Deep breaths to calm himself were not helping at this particular moment, however.

  Louisa kissed the side of his face before pulling away. Swollen, red lips were evident of the ardent passionate attention he’d given her. Desire still clung to her expression when she smiled.

  “I believe you should see what is so important.”

  “You are more important.” He reached for her to bring her back into his arms, but she withdrew further to the corner of the room.

  Blowing out a frustrated breath, he raked his fingers through his hair and stomped to the door. Although irritated over the untimely appearance of his butler, what he and Louisa had been doing was not proper. He loved her and wanted to show her how much, but it wouldn’t have been right to do that until after they were married.

  Trevor stopped at the door and paused a moment to collect his wits before cracking open the door just enough to see his butler. “What is so urgent?”

  “Forgive me, Your Grace, but Lord Hawthorne is in the sitting room with an urgent message for you. He implored me to find you posthaste.”

  Trevor wanted to throttle his brother’s friend for disrupting Trevor’s intimate moment, but as his mind cleared, he realized Dominic just might have discovered something important to Louisa’s past. “Tell Lord Hawthorne I shall be in momentarily.”

  “I shall, Your Grace.”

  After closing the door, Trevor rushed through adjusting his cravat into place. Louisa stood facing a window. The buttons on her gown were already fastened. As he passed his overcoat lying on the sofa, he picked it up and shrugged into it, making his way toward Louisa.

  “My love, please forgive me—”

  She faced him and shook her head. “There is nothing to forgive. I need to return to the nursery to put the children to bed.” She helped him by fastening the buttons of his waistcoat and straightening his cravat. “We shall finish this later.” She smiled, but not fully.

  “Indeed, we shall, my love.” He kissed her once more on the lips before quitting the room, making sure he closed the door behind him.

  When he entered the sitting room, Dominic paced in front of the wide hearth, taking long strides. He stopped and fixed his gaze on Trevor.

  “We do not have a moment to lose,” Lord Hawthorne said, marching toward Trevor.

  “What is going on?”

  “Your mother is having a small dinner party tonight. Trey and Judith were invited…along with the Earl and Countess of Danvers and their nephew, Lord Wellesley and his fiancée, Miss Watson.”

  Confused, Trevor shook his head. “Why is this so urgent?”

  “Because, my good man, your mother is a meddlesome dowager. Surely you realize that. If she were to say the wrong thing to the Danvers about Louisa…”

  Trevor cursed. “By Jove, you are right, Hawthorne. We must get there immediately.”

  As Trevor hurried toward the front door, he prayed his mother wouldn’t give any information to the Danvers…or if she did, that Trey would be able to smooth things over. One way or another, Louisa’s name could not be dragged through the gossip mills, especially when he would ask her to marry him. Soon.

  Chapter Twenty

  Trevor rushed into his mother’s house with Lord Hawthorne on his heels. Bentley, the dowager’s butler, greeted them inside the door.

  “Your Grace,” he said, bowing, “what a surprise it is to see you. The dowager has a few visitors here for her dinner party—”

  “This I know, Bentley,” Trevor grumbled. “And I hope she forgives Lord Hawthorne and I for barging in on her guests.”

  The lanky butler nodded. “Should I set extra plates at the table for you?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “Your mother and her guests are still in the sitting room.”

  “Splendid.” Trevor tried to smile under the duress. “We will show ourselves in, if you don’t mind.” He didn’t wait for the butler to answer, but led Dominic toward the sitting room.

  When Trevor entered, the Earl of Danvers and Wellesley stood near the hearth visiting with Trey, while Judith, the countess, and Miss Watson sat on the sofa near the dowager. The ladies were adorned in beautiful silks and lace, and the men looked as dignified as any gentleman would at a society function.

  Trevor studied the countess a little closer this time. It had been many years since he’d had the opportunity to speak with her, and now he wanted to know if she resembled his Louisa in any way. All he could see of her now was the side of her face. It appeared the women shared the same nose and oval face. Perhaps this was Louisa’s long-lost mother after all.

  At first nobody noticed him or Lord Hawthorne, but soon, Trey’s gaze lifted and his eyes widened.

  “Kensington, Hawthorne. What a pleasant surprise.” Trey smiled and moved away from the other men. “I did not know the two of you were invited to Mother’s dinner party.”

  A gasp tore from the dowager, which directed Trevor’s attention toward her. “Mother, please forgive me for interrupting your gathering.” He stepped to her chair, bent and kissed her cheek, then moved to his sister-in-law and kissed her hand. “Judith, you are lovelier than ever. Motherhood looks good on you.” He winked.

  She chuckled. “Always the charmer, my dear brother-in-law.”

  “Oh, no. Your loving husband obtained that title quite a while ago.”

  The group laughed.

  Trevor bowed to the earl who now stood by his wife. “Good evening, Danvers. It is good to see you again.”

  “As you, Kensington.” The earl returned a bow.

  “Oh, Trevor.” His mother stood. “I—I had no idea you were coming. I should have Bentley set two more places at the table.”

  “Already done.” Trevor gave his mother a wink then turned to the others. “Please, excuse my interruption. I fear my appearance is most untimely. I hope you don’t mind conversing with a boring lord such as myself.”

  “Nonsense,” his mother said, flipping her hand.

  “It is always a pleasure to converse with you.” Countess Danvers grinned.

  Trevor looked at Wellesley and nodded. “It is good to see you again.”

  “Your Grace,” Wellesley began, “may I introduce my fiancée to you? This is Miss Eliza Watson.” He motioned his hand toward the young woman.

  “Nice to meet you, Miss Watson.”

  She curtsied. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Y
our Grace.”

  Eliza… Trevor knew he’d heard that name recently. As his mind scrambled to remember, Louisa’s voice echoed through his head. I recall Featherspoon was my friend’s uncle. Eliza was my friend from school…

  Shock punched him in the stomach and he sucked in a quick breath. He’d wondered for a while if Louisa’s parents were the Danvers, and now as he gazed upon the countess closer this time, he realized her amazing eyes were as beautiful and green as Louisa’s. Hope sprang in his chest, making it hard to breathe.

  Something didn’t make sense and Trevor’s head pounded with confusion. If Eliza’s uncle was Featherspoon, then she would have known Louisa didn’t drown as Wellesley had mentioned when referring to his cousin the other day.

  “Miss Watson, forgive me for speaking out of turn, but I think I might know your family.”

  Her face brightened. “Indeed?”

  “Do you have an uncle by the name of Percy Featherspoon?”

  Her face paled and eyes widened. “Umm… Well, yes, but my family disowned my mother’s brother many years ago.”

  “Oh, then I apologize for bringing up the uncomfortable topic.”

  She laughed, which sounded forced. “You did not know. There is nothing to apologize for.”

  At that moment, Bentley walked in and announced dinner.

  Trevor offered his arm to his mother, who took it graciously. Following them was Trey and Judith, the earl and countess, Wellesley and Miss Watson, and bringing in the rear strolled Lord Hawthorne. Once everyone had been seated, Trey started the conversation by asking about the welfare of Trevor’s twins. Deep inside, he knew his younger brother was slowly getting around to the subject of Louisa.

  “Thank you for asking,” Trevor said before taking a sip of his wine. “My children are flourishing well in their studies. Even better than before. Just recently, I have had to replace their nursemaid.”

  “Mrs. Jacobs?” Judith asked.

  “Yes. The older lady had been treating my children poorly. If not for a woman I had recently met, I would have never known about Mrs. Jacobs’ unforgiveable cruelness.”

  “Oh, dear.” Countess of Danvers gasped. “I pray your children were not harmed.”

  “Not to worry, my lady. The twins are too young and will not remember anything in a few years.”

  “I must confess,” Dominic added as the servants brought in the first course, “I have met the new nursemaid, and she is an angel sent right from heaven. Adam and Amanda adore her.”

  “How lovely.” The countess smiled as she picked up her spoon. “It is always wonderful to have such a person to care for our children.”

  “Indeed it is.” Trevor nodded.

  Trey turned to the countess. “I trust you had a similar nursemaid for your child?”

  The older woman’s cheeks darkened in a blush. “I did, although I probably spent more time with Elizabeth than the nurse.”

  Trevor paused in thought, not wanting to voice his opinion yet. If Louisa was indeed the Danvers’ daughter, why would she go by another name?

  “Forgive me, Lady Danvers,” Judith began, “but who is Elizabeth?”

  “My daughter.” Sadness clouded the older woman’s eyes. “She died when she was in her twelfth year.”

  Judith frowned. “Accept my apologies for not knowing.”

  “I thank you.” The countess looked to her husband and squeezed his hand. “It was a difficult time, but we muddled through the heartache together.” She turned her focus to Eliza. “And Miss Watson was a godsend to us during that hard time. She had been Elizabeth’s close friend in school.”

  Wellesley reached his hand and patted Eliza’s.

  Trevor bunched his hands under the table. What was going on? Frustration pounded through him almost as fast as it had when he couldn’t get the right answers from Featherspoon. If Eliza was such a close friend, and her uncle was the one who kidnapped Louisa, wouldn’t Miss Watson know?

  “How fortunate for you to know Elizabeth,” Trevor said as politely as he could before eating a spoonful of soup.

  Smiling, Miss Watson didn’t say anything. Although Trevor could tell the young woman soaked in the attention well.

  He quickly continued before anyone else spoke next. “And by the time you and Lord Wellesley start having children, I’m certain my nursemaid will be available to work for you.” He shrugged. “By that time, my children would be in need of a governess.”

  “But Kensington,” Lord Hawthorne interrupted. “I’m certain Louisa—” he said louder— “would love to be the twins’ governess as well.”

  Miss Watson’s spoon hit the porcelain bowl, drawing everyone’s attention to her. Suddenly, the pinkness Trevor had noticed in her cheeks only a few moments earlier had disappeared and her skin took on a paler color. There was even a slight shake to the young woman’s hands.

  “Oh, my dear. Are you all right?” the dowager asked.

  “I…um, yes, I’m fine.”

  “You will have to forgive her,” Wellesley said quickly, patting his fiancée’s hand again. “Miss Watson has a bittersweet fondness for the name Louisa. For about seven years, the whole family has felt this way.”

  Miss Watson grasped his hand and tightened her fingers. Wordlessly, she shook her head as she aimed her glare at Wellesley. But it seemed the man didn’t notice her silent plea as Trevor had.

  “How so?” Dominic asked.

  “Miss Watson never called my cousin by her Christian name, Elizabeth. Eliza always referred to my cousin as Louisa.”

  Excitement shot through Trevor, but he tried not to show it. He swung his gaze to Trey and Dominic, who looked as elated as Trevor felt.

  “Why is that, I wonder?” the dowager asked, who looked remarkably at ease and calm.

  The countess chuckled. “Elizabeth thought hers and Eliza’s name were too much alike, so my daughter went by her middle name, Louisa.”

  “What an odd coincidence,” Trevor’s mother added.

  “Why do you say that?” the countess inquired of the dowager before taking another sip of her soup.

  “Just that my son’s nursemaid is named Louisa, and we think she was separated from her family a long time ago.”

  Knowing his mother wasn’t tactfully trying to squeeze in the information, Trevor quickly covered his mother’s hand with his. “Now, Mother. I do not think your guests want to hear about my nursemaid’s memory loss.”

  “Memory loss, you say?” the earl asked in an anxious voice.

  “Oh, yes.” The dowager nodded to the earl before looking back at Trevor. “Go ahead, dear. Tell them about how Louisa cannot remember anything about her past.”

  “I would like to know.” The countess leaned forward in her chair, her eyes resting on Trevor.

  “As you wish.” He took a deep breath. “Approximately a month ago, I was riding home from a dinner party, when someone ran out in front of me from the shadows of the trees.” Not daring to go into much detail especially about Macgregor or stating the man’s name, Trevor explained about how he came to meet Louisa, and how she couldn’t remember anything. “The fascinating thing about all of this is that out of the few things she can remember, one of them is being raised by parents of Quality.”

  “Fascinating indeed.” The earl nodded. “How old is this young woman?”

  Trevor shrugged. “I wish I knew. The poor woman does not even remember. But if I can calculate, I would say she was…” He looked at Eliza. “Probably around Miss Watson’s age. She is a lovely woman with beautiful blonde hair, and the most amazing green eyes…”

  Miss Watson groaned and fell against Wellesley in a swoon. Those around her jumped to assist. Although Trevor stood, he didn’t rush to the woman’s side. Even from where he sat, he could tell it was all an act. Indeed, this woman knew something, and he was certain the truth would not be pleasant for Louisa—or the Danvers—to hear.

  After a few minutes of everyone fussing over Miss Watson, the earl shook his head and gaz
ed at the dowager. “I fear we must cut our evening short. Miss Watson has been out of sorts all evening—even before we came. I think we should get her home.”

  “I agree.” Trevor’s mother frowned. “This poor girl needs to rest.”

  “Indeed, she does.” Wellesley lifted Miss Watson in his arms as she groaned and placed her hand over her eyes.

  As Trey and Dominic assisted the women out to their carriages. Elation rushed through Trevor. The truth of Louisa’s past would be out soon, but not soon enough. He couldn’t rush things with the Danvers, but tonight when he returned home, he would certainly ask Louisa to be his wife.

  * * * *

  Louisa paced her bedroom floor, wringing her hands like she would wet rags. Her body felt as limp, as well. She’d overheard Trevor and Lord Hawthorne discussing their plans for the evening. Thankfully, they had not closed the door and she’d heard their conversation clearly. Of course it didn’t help that she snuck toward the room to listen, anyway.

  Dread grew in a lump at the pit of her belly the longer she thought about Trevor and Lord Hawthorne’s conversation. Trevor would know the truth soon enough, which was what Louisa wanted. But she first wanted Macgregor taken care of so he would leave the ones she loved alone.

  Her dream of being happy for the rest of her life with Trevor and his children fizzled quickly, leaving a gaping hole in her heart. All she had now were memories of their times together to cherish.

  She’d watched him and Lord Hawthorne leave atop their horses not more than ten minutes ago. Praying Trevor would forgive her for what she was about to do, she rushed to her closet and located the maid’s uniform she had worn when she first started working for Trevor.

  It didn’t take her long to change, and she threw on her black cloak and bonnet before leaving the room. She crept down the servants’ stairs and out the back door. By now, Trevor and Lord Hawthorne would have arrived at the dowager’s estate…the very same place Louisa planned to go.