“Nothing. I’m sorry. I did not mean to be rude. I was thinking how nice it would be to spend more than five minutes alone with you without us ripping each other’s clothes off.”
He drew in a breath and exhaled sharply. “I thought I was supposed to do everything in my power to make sure you have a child.”
She smiled. “I think there is little more we could do without physically harming themselves.”
Mark smiled. “Our appetites are rather impressive, aren’t they?”
She smiled, hoping to reassure him. “I suppose so, and I am not complaining, truly. It’s only that I do enjoy your company—when we aren’t arguing that is—and I thought maybe we could—”
“Forget that Reddington ever existed. And spend a nice quiet afternoon talking to one another.”
Cassandra smiled. “Can such a rakish gentleman spend an afternoon in conversation?”
“I’m as tired of the drama we’ve experienced in the last few days as you are. I know we’re not safe and won’t be until this is over, but I would like to pretend we are for a few hours.”
“I would like that very much.”
“Do you play?” he asked, gesturing toward the chess set in the corner.
“Yes. My cousin, Edward, taught me when I was ten.”
“Is this the same cousin you wrote to about Reddington’s crimes?”
She nodded. “He’s five years my elder, and he spent the summers with my family when I was little. My sisters and I all worshipped him, me especially, because he treated me like an equal rather than a silly female.”
“He sounds remarkable. I might become jealous if you continue to list his merits.”
Cassandra smiled. “He has faults like anyone else, but he is a crack shot and an excellent chess player.”
“I will not even ask if he passed along his shooting abilities as well.”
She laughed. “I’m certain you would not like the answer.”
Mark positioned the table containing the chess set by the fire, and gestured for her to join him. “I do hope your cousin is as good a player as you say. It would be nice to experience some small challenge before I beat you.”
“My, what arrogance?”
“You may be good, but you are not as good as me.”
She scowled at him. “I’d planned to go easy on you, but you are in for it now.”
“As you say, my lady.” Mark made a mocking bow.
Cassandra settled herself on a pillow by the table, but a knock interrupted them.
“Come in,” she called.
Ewen stood in the doorway. As soon as she saw him, Cassandra realized she had neglected to tell Mark about the incident in the park. He was going to be furious.
“Did the messenger boy return?” she asked.
“Yes, milady. He did and he was most helpful.”
Mark looked puzzled. “What’s happened?”
“I went for a ride in the park this morning.”
Mark’s jaw hardened in anger “I take it something more happened than you shivering in the inclement weather.”
She nodded. “Two men followed me. Sidney saw me safely home, and Ewen followed them to a tavern. He left a messenger boy with instructions to spy on them and bring any information he learned here.”
“And what did he learn?” Mark asked.
“The blond one, he’s French. His name’s Gaston. The frog one was real anxious to please him. They talked about getting another woman, since they lost the last one, and Gaston told the other one he better not mess up again or he would not get another chance.”
“Thank you, Ewen. You’ve been most helpful.”
“Glad to be of service, Mr. Foxwood. Let me know what else you need.” He turned and closed the door behind him.
Cassandra spoke quickly, hoping to avoid Mark’s anger. “Why would Gaston kill Reddington, but continue to work with the Lintons?”
“I wondered the same thing. Perhaps they set him up. Didn’t you say they had planned to accompany him to France but changed their minds?”
“I did, but I cannot imagine them having the will or the brains to devise such a scheme. I would wager they had help.”
“The Cat?”
She nodded.
“I think you are right. In the spirit of attempting to spend a pleasant afternoon, I will refrain from asking why you failed to mention this incident. However, you will not be visiting the park anymore until this is finished. In fact, I think it best you not leave the house unless I am with you.”
“Didn’t you hire guards so I could be protected when I am not with you. And didn’t they do their job today?”
“Yes, but they cannot stay as close to you as I can.”
“I will not be a prisoner here.”
“There is no need for that. I will accompany you anywhere you need to go.”
“Yes, but I will have to wait until you are available. I don’t—”
“Cassandra, I thought we weren’t going to argue today.”
“It’s impossible. We can’t talk without arguing.”
He didn’t respond. Instead, he continued setting up the board as if their disagreement had never happened. When he was done, he looked up. “Could I interest you in a wager?”
She considered refusing to accept the change of subject, but rather than be spiteful, she said, “What do you propose?”
“The loser promises to fulfill a fantasy for the winner.” His smile made him look every inch the predator. “I know exactly what I will have you do when I win.”
His voice was low and husky and heat surged through Cassandra. She also knew what she wanted to do to him when she won. She held out her hand for him to shake. “Challenge accepted.”
***
Mark loved watching Cassandra contemplating her moves. Her brow furrowed, and she nibbled on the tip of her index finger then ran it across her lower lip. He longed to draw her finger to his own mouth, to chew on it in the same manner and then nibble her other fingers, her palm, her wrist, and… He had to stop the direction of his thoughts if he wanted to survive their afternoon of celibacy. His body already ached for her.
Of course he was going to a brothel that evening. Why should he deny himself what he was going to have to pay for anyway? It wasn’t as if the women there wouldn’t be willing to satisfy him, apparently they would do anything he asked, no matter how kinky. But he had promised Cassandra he would do nothing other than talk to them, and he would not go back on his word.
He’d had enough expensive whores in the last six months to last him a lifetime. All he wanted now was Cassandra. Unless of course one of Miss Caroline’s girls could break the spell Cassandra had cast over him. They surely received all manner of odd requests, but he wondered if anyone had ever asked if they could purge a man’s heart of inconvenient feeling. He imagined himself engaging the infamous Simone and begging her to do something so extraordinary he no longer ached to make Cassandra his.
Simone might think she could fulfill this need, but she could not. No woman, no matter how talented could make him forget Cassandra. He wanted to spend every night in her bed, but worse, he wanted to spend more afternoons like this talking and enjoying her company. He wanted to know everything about her.
He watched in horror as she moved her bishop, putting his king in check. He’d been distracted by her charms, and now her success was inevitable. At least he could delay his humiliation for a little while. “I enjoyed meeting Amanda. Do I remember correctly that you also have another sister?”
Cassandra looked up surprised. “Why do you ask?”
“This is supposed to be an afternoon of congenial conversation. I thought it would be nice to know more about your family.”
Her forehead wrinkled and her eyes narrowed. “You’re sure? I don’t want to bore you.”
“Cassandra, I don’t imagine you could ever bore me.”
He watched the color come into her face. God, she was beautiful with her cheeks all flushed. He preferred for such color to come f
rom desire rather than embarrassment, but it was lovely just the same.
“I am the oldest of three sisters. The youngest of us, Eliza, is finishing her last year in the schoolroom. She will move to London to live with Aunt Claire this summer. My aunt will sponsor her first Season the following year.”
“Your aunt and not your mother?”
“Yes. Thanks to Amanda. You had a rather disastrous effect on her wits so you may not have noticed, but she is extremely determined and can be quite forceful when she needs to be.”
“She wouldn’t have learned this from her older sister, would she?”
Cassandra laughed. “She has taken after me in many things. I am afraid I am not very good at keeping my advice to myself, at least not where she is concerned.”
“Really?” He let his eyes grow wide in false shock.
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, do hush. Amanda is only two years younger than me and should have been presented in London sooner, but my father hoped to make a match for her among the men near his estate in Surrey.
“She refused several offers, and father intended to force her to marry a man old enough to be our grandfather as punishment for her recalcitrance. He threatened to harm her if she refused. I don’t know exactly what he said. She hasn’t been willing to tell me. She had no choice but to run away.”
Mark shook his head, fascinated by these strong women. “How did she get away without being harmed?”
“She sold some of her jewelry in the village, pretending father had asked her to sell it for him. A likely story since his gambling debts are legendary. That night, she climbed out of her window in a driving rainstorm and took the stage to London. When she showed up at Aunt Claire’s house, she apparently looked little better than a drowned rat. My aunt’s butler mistook her for one of the scullery maids.
“Our aunt was frantic but surprisingly supportive. I think she finally had all she could take of my father’s ill treatment of us, and her recent marriage to Lord Morgan has given her enough money to support two girls. Amanda has lived with her since that night. I don’t know what Aunt Claire said to my father, but he consented to let her sponsor both Amanda and Eliza.”
Mark listened with rapt attention to Cassandra’s explanation. Plenty of fathers threatened their daughters and forced them into horrid marriages, but it sickened him no matter how commonplace it was. If he ever met Cassandra’s father, he didn’t think he could restrain himself from showing the man exactly what he thought of his behavior.
Cassandra looked lost in the grip of unpleasant memories. He laid his hand over hers. “I admire your sister for what she did. She obviously learned from your strength.”
Cassandra sighed. “But I gave in. I did what was asked of me.”
“You married Reddington to spare your sisters. You chose your path. If you hadn’t been concerned for their welfare, you would have found a way out like Amanda did.”
“I should have tried harder to find another solution. I should have thought about going to Aunt Claire.”
Mark took her hand and enfolded it in his own. “Do you think she would have overridden your father at that point? Or do you think it took what happened to you to push her over the edge?”
“I suppose it did. I guess it’s selfish, but I often wish I could have saved them and myself too.”
Mark came around the table and pulled her into his arms. “You’ve stayed sane and determined though an experience that would have drained the spirit from most women. Sometimes pain like that serves to make us stronger.”
And in that moment, Mark knew he truly needed Cassandra, not as someone to warm his bed for a few months, but forever. He wanted to marry her, but he dared not ask. She would refuse. She would insist on her damned independence.
At least she wouldn’t turn him down because he was a bastard. She wasn’t concerned with what society thought, only with not being vulnerable to pain again. That thought gave him hope.
He would bide his time and see what he could do to convince her of the idea. But if his seed took root in her, she would marry him. He could not watch her raise his son or daughter on her own.
She brushed his hair from his forehead. “Are you stronger now after what you’ve been through?
Mark’s chest tightened. Had it made him stronger? His experience with Katherine had made him more defensive, more willing to believe the worst about people, and less willing to trust his instincts. However, it had helped him study people more carefully and listen to his intuition.
He wanted to tell Cassandra about the hell he’d been through with Katherine. But he was afraid that if he talked about it, all the horror he’d overcome would return, and he would not be able to handle seeing Katherine again. “Cassandra, I can’t talk about it. I’m sorry. I just can’t.”
“I understand.” She caressed his cheek. The simple touch of her fingers warmed him, making the cold sickness melt away.
He looked up to see Cassandra smiling. “By the way, I hope you don’t think you’ve distracted me so thoroughly that I forgot about the game.” She turned to the board and moved her rook forward, taking his bishop. “Checkmate.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Mark had heard of Miss Caroline’s when he and Katherine attended parties given by Langley’s set. Stanton and several of his other friends had recommended it during his six months of non-stop debauchery. He had frequently considered availing himself of what the women there had to offer, and he certainly had not avoided it for any moral reason. His lack of enthusiasm stemmed from the fact that Miss Caroline catered to men of the ton, and he strived to avoid everyone who reminded him of Katherine.
A footman opened the door and showed him into the drawing room where Lady Caroline herself would help him make his selection from the available girls. He was startled by the lack of overstuffed furniture, garish colors, and overly painted women he’d come to associate with brothels.
Miss Caroline’s drawing room could have been in a townhouse on Grosvenor Square, except that the women’s attire would have scandalized society matrons. The decor was tasteful, and the women were truly beautiful. They wore simple dresses that showed off their various charms. Their hair and faces were unadorned, since they had no need to distract from their flawless skin.
The footman directed him to a settee and told him Lady Caroline would join him shortly. He took the time to study the women who were entertaining gentlemen in the salon, wondering if any of them were unengaged for the evening and would fit his needs. One, a petite redhead, looked extremely young and rather shy. He wondered what had brought her there and hoped she hadn’t been forced to this life.
Perhaps he would inquire about her. A young girl would be less likely to know the ins and outs of how the brothel was run. However, she would be more easily coerced into telling him what she did know.
An older woman whose ebony hair couldn’t have been natural approached him. She looked to be nearly fifty, though her body had not an extra ounce of flesh on it.
“Mr. Foxwood?”
He nodded. “Miss Caroline?”
“I am she. How can I help you tonight, Mr. Foxwood?” She sat down beside him and allowed her hand to fall on his thigh. “I will do anything necessary to see that you are thoroughly satisfied with your experience.”
A few months ago, he would have played the game with her, flirting, telling her exactly what she could do for him. He would have been aroused by it, at least his body would have. His soul would have remained as dead as ever. Tonight, he wanted only to fulfill his obligations. “Thank you. I was wondering about the redhead by the window.”
“Ah yes. Susanna. What are you looking for this evening? All our girls have specialties. Susanna is very popular with men who like young girls.”
Mark imagined she would be. Even before Cassandra, when he was at his worst, he wouldn’t have slept with a woman who looked so young. The thought of pretending she was even younger made him feel ill.
“Yes, I can see that she would be. D
oes she have any other talents?”
Miss Caroline grinned. “She gives the most beautiful reactions to pain. I do think she rather relishes it.”
Mark forced himself to smile. She might well be one of the girls Reddington had “recruited”.
Miss Caroline slid her hand further up his leg, moving dangerously close to his cock. Thankfully his body responded as it should to a woman’s caress, despite his discomfort with the surroundings. “I see that appeals to you. Should you like to spend the evening with her then?”
“Only a few hours. I’m afraid I have an early engagement tomorrow.”
After they agreed on a price, Miss Caroline beckoned for Susanna to join them. She whispered something to the girl, probably instructions for how to handle him then ordered her to take Mark upstairs. Susanna said nothing as they ascended. She would not look him in the eye. What did she fear he would do to her? He shuddered to think of it.
She opened the door to a room and stood aside while he entered, keeping her head bowed. Luckily there were two chairs placed by a fireplace along with the large, sumptuously decorated bed. It would be easier to convince her to talk if they sat. He pushed a chair closer to the fire, hoping to warm himself, though his coldness came from his horror of what Reddington and his accomplices had done.
Susanna approached him, looking concerned, probably because he had chosen to recline here rather than get down to business. She knelt before him.
“I am yours. You may use me as you wish.” She sounded frightfully soulless as if she were a clockwork toy someone gifted with speech.
He brushed his knuckles across her cheek. “Susanna.”
She flinched.
“Look at me.”
She looked up, her eyes filled with terror. What could he do to put her at ease? “I don’t want to use you. I don’t know what Lady Caroline told you about me, but I have no desire to harm you. In fact, I only want to talk to you.”
He thought reassuring her would help, but tears came to her eyes. “Tell me how to please you. I will do anything.”
She fisted her hands tightly, and her eyes closed as if she fought not to cry. He wanted to charge downstairs and tear Lady Caroline apart. Then he would start on the men who owned this place followed by every man who condoned it by taking their pleasure with women who were obviously scared to death.
A Carnal Agreement (Regency Intrigue Book 1) Page 16