by Alice Gaynes
Her body responded. How could it not? He filled her so completely, stroking the inside of her sex. She lifted her hips to meet his thrusts while passion coiled tightly in her belly. When he groaned and pressed his head against the side of her face, she closed her eyes and surrendered to his mastery. Over and over he plunged into her, each stroke sending her closer to the edge of consciousness. This was what she’d been made for—to love this perfect man at this perfect moment. Her spirit soared and for one moment she felt as if she could look down and watch them. She could see his buttocks tensing with his thrusts, see the muscles in his shoulders straining. She could be inside both of them at once, joined as they were in this magical act.
Then her body took control as her climax neared. All thought fled, leaving nothing but the feel of his chest against her breasts, the slide of his cock inside her, the pressure against her most sensitive spot. She took a few gasping breaths and then cried out as the spasms started. He pumped harder while she came, drawing out the pleasure. Then just when she could bear no more, he growled. His whole body went stiff as his own orgasm took him and he spent inside her.
When it finally ended, he rolled onto his side and held her against him.
“Admit it now, Caroline,” he whispered. “You love me.”
She stroked his face. “James—”
“I’ve told you I love you. Why can’t you do the same?”
“Surely my body just told you.”
“I need the words. I’m going to keep you here until I get them.”
“Is that a threat or a promise?”
“Oh no,” he said. “No joking. Not now.”
Oh hell. She ought to just tell him what he wanted to hear. It was true in any case. She did love him. She’d fought so hard against feeling anything for so long but she couldn’t fight this. No one could fight this. She would tell him. In a moment. Right now nothing seemed more important than simply snuggling up to him.
The door opened. Caroline looked over to find Abby on the threshold.
Abby took one glance into the room and then turned away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you two were—”
“Not now, Abby,” Wortham said.
“I didn’t want to interrupt,” Abby said. “There’s someone here. He says he’s Cecily’s husband.”
Caroline moved away from Wortham and sat up. “Watson?”
“That was the name,” Abby said. “He’s very upset.”
“What on earth could be wrong?” Caroline rose, pulling one of the blankets around her to cover herself.
“He wouldn’t say,” Abby answered.
Cecily. Something must have happened to Cecily. “Both of you stay here. This’ll be a family matter.”
Caroline left the room and headed toward the stairs to her suite. She’d throw on a dressing gown and see to Watson. Cecily had to be all right. She had to be.
Chapter Fifteen
Caroline was still tying the belt of her dressing gown as she walked into the sitting room. The gown, the shift underneath and the slippers on her feet were all she wore but who cared about propriety? Cecily might be ill or in danger. She’d be damned if she’d get into a corset and all that other nonsense before she heard the news about her sister.
Watson sat in a chair, his head in his hands, elbows on his knees. When she entered, he looked up and then let his head sink again.
“What’s going on?” she demanded. “What’s wrong with Cecily?”
“She’s run away,” Robert said from where he stood by the mantle.
She put her hand over her heart. “You mean someone’s taken her?”
“Watson says there was no sign of force. She seems to have left on her own.”
Caroline took a breath. “Thank God. I was afraid it was serious.”
Watson looked up again. “Not serious? How can you think this isn’t serious?”
“I thought she was sick or dying. What do you mean she’s run away?”
“She’s gone,” Watson said. “Bolted. Taken some of her things and disappeared.”
Maybe Watson did have some reason to worry. Cecily had never run off before. As everyone’s pet, she’d been spoiled and had done any number of things to get her way. She had a cat’s talent for landing on her feet though. This latest would all settle itself out.
“What am I going to do?” Watson wailed.
“Eventually she’ll either come back to you or one of us,” Caroline said. “Cecily can’t exist without people around to worship her.”
Watson’s face took on a sick look. “She has plenty of that, I’m afraid.”
“Explain yourself,” Robert said.
“She didn’t leave alone.” Watson looked down at his hands.
“Out with it, man,” Robert said.
“Benson’s disappeared too.”
“The vicar?” Caroline asked.
“His younger brother. He came on a visit from London and stayed and stayed. The two of them seemed to take to each other.” Watson cleared his throat. “It was worse than I imagined.”
“Well there you are then,” Caroline said.
Watson stared at her as if she were mad.
“Cecily’s always been flighty where men were concerned.” In fact one of her biggest mistakes in men still sat downstairs at the very moment. “You of all people should know that.”
“Flighty?” Watson’s chin came up. “I must ask you to speak respectfully of my wife.”
“A great show of husbandly concern,” she said. “But honestly, she’s released you from your obligation.”
“Obligation?” he said, his voice an octave or two higher than before.
“Is there an echo in here?” she said. “You took her as a favor to our father. She’s now released you from your vows.”
“You misunderstand completely.” Watson let his mouth hang open for a few seconds as he stared at her. “I adore Cecily. She’s my whole life. Always has been.”
Robert looked at Caroline and then to Watson. “Naturally we assumed—”
“Of course you would,” the man answered. “We planned it that way.”
This didn’t make any sense. Why would Cecily plan to marry a man of no wealth and social standing? “Maybe you’d better explain about the two of you and your plan. Everything.”
“Yes well…” He paused and his expression turned decidedly sheepish. “We fell in love. Completely, utterly, hopelessly. But your parents would never have let her marry the likes of me. That’s when that Wortham fellow happened by.”
“The Marquis of Wortham?” James?
“The very one. A well-known rake. We decided to use his reputation to our advantage.”
Her stomach sank and her knees threatened to buckle. She walked to the nearest chair and sank onto it. “Go on.”
“We concocted a story that he’d seduced Cecily and then I offered to make an honest woman of her.”
“Oh God.” She covered her mouth with her hand to keep anything more from slipping out. Dear God in Heaven what had she done? “None of the story was true?”
“None. I took her virginity myself.”
A cry escaped her before she could stop it. Hardly her own voice at all but the sound of an animal in pain.
Robert was instantly by her side, his hand on her shoulder. “Our father even gave you a substantial dowry didn’t he?”
Watson looked even more ashamed of himself. “Yes.”
“Damn you,” Caroline cried. “Damn you both.”
“I don’t know why you’re upset,” Watson said. “It was a harmless lie. It didn’t hurt anyone.”
Not hurt. The years she’d spent with Oakhurst, all the unspeakable acts he’d subjected her to. The imprisonment without food or water. The tears, the rage, the nightmares.
Robert gripped her shoulder more tightly. “You fool. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I don’t know why the two of you are carrying on.” Watson rose, staring at them. “My wife—your sister�
�has run off. You must help me find her.”
“We don’t take orders from you. I ought to take you outside and thrash you,” Robert said.
Exactly the threat he’d made to Wortham. Wortham! Merciful Heaven he was still downstairs where she’d ordered him to wait. What terrible things she’d done to him. She’d degraded him the same way Oakhurst had her. She’d even humiliated his paramour and made him watch. He’d suffered it all and still treated her with kindness. He’d been innocent the whole time but he’d tolerated her abuse. He even claimed to love her.
Love her. She could almost laugh at the irony if the situation weren’t so bloody awful.
Wortham hadn’t caused her misery. Her own sister had. Cecily had had Watson’s help but she’d done it because only one thing mattered to her—herself. She ought to help him find his wife. The two of them deserved each other.
“That’s all you’re going to say?” Watson’s voice rose in volume until he was shouting. “Your sister’s missing. I can’t live without her. I can’t sleep or eat. I can’t bear to imagine her with another man.”
“Robert, find Watson a room. Take him away.”
“Come along, Watson,” Robert said.
“I demand to know what you two are going to do!” Watson shouted.
“You demand nothing.” Caroline rose and walked up to the man. She could happily have clawed at his eyes. Her expression must have told him as much because he blanched and took a step backward.
“You’ve ruined two lives with your selfishness,” she said. He’d ruined hers certainly. Maybe Wortham would recover. James. What right did she have to rage at Watson after everything she’d done to Wortham?
She turned to Robert. “For God’s sake, get him out of my sight.”
“This way, if you please,” Robert said.
Watson opened his mouth to speak and then thought better of it. Instead he followed Robert from the room.
All the anger seeped out of her. So did the joy of lying next to her lover. So did the hope that life might hold something for her after all. The old emptiness settled over her—the void that robbed her of happiness but promised to shield her from pain. She should have taken the quiet of that emptiness, given thanks for it and moved on. Instead she’d thought she’d get satisfaction from making another human being suffer as she had. What a stupid idea. If only Robert had managed talking her out of it. What in hell would she do now?
She sat on a settee and looked around. Nothing seemed real now. The room she’d seen for hundreds of times now looked two-dimensional. Flat, like an illustration.
Yes. Good. She would remain calm and she’d think her way through this. She’d let her emotions rule her for too long. From now on she’d obey her mind.
What did she know for sure? She’d kidnapped a peer of the realm and one rather high up in the hierarchy. She couldn’t even claim she had a legitimate grievance against him. That was bad, very bad.
She hadn’t done anything terribly wrong to him though. She’d only forced him to do things he would have enjoyed on his own. No wait…the dogs. Her dogs had set on him and almost killed him. Very, very bad.
Through it all, he’d known he was innocent. Maybe he’d only gone along with her seduction to convince her to let him go. Then the moment she set him free, he’d turn her over to the authorities. Logical enough. She could have tried it herself with Oakhurst if society didn’t view a wife as her husband’s property.
Wortham might just be waiting for the right time to make her account for her crimes. Well he didn’t know where he was right now and he didn’t know the location of Oakhurst’s hunting lodge in Scotland. If she drugged him and sent him back to London, that would give her time to escape. With all the money she had, she could even run to Canada or the United States if necessary. She only needed to keep her wits about her and she could survive this.
“What’s going on? I heard shouting.”
Caroline looked up to find Abby in the doorway.
Abby’s eyes widened. “What’s wrong? You’re as white as a ghost.”
“It seems Cecily’s had the laugh on all of us.”
Abby cocked her head. “Cecily.”
“Our parents, me, Wortham. Even her own husband.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Wortham didn’t seduce my sister. She made the story up.”
“Praise be,” Abby said. “I knew it. He might be a rake but he’s no cad.”
Caroline stared at her friend. Had she lost her mind? “You think that’s a good thing?”
“Well of course. Now the two of you can be happy together.” Abby studied Caroline for a moment. “Why don’t you look happy?”
“He’s innocent. Look at what I’ve done to him.”
Abby crossed the room, sat beside Caroline and grasped her hands. “He’ll forgive you. He already has.”
“What if he hasn’t? What if it’s an act?”
“Men aren’t that good at pretending.”
“Abby, think of what I’ve done.” She stared into her friend’s eyes. “I drugged him and kidnapped him.”
“Caroline…”
She squeezed Abby’s fingers. “My dogs almost tore his throat open. I drugged his lover and debased her.”
Abby bit her lip for a moment. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Do you know how many laws I’ve broken?” And she’d made Abby and Robert accomplices. More sins she’d have to atone for.
“No one will know unless Wortham brings charges against you. I don’t think that other woman will want to share her story,” Abby said.
“What’s to keep him from bringing charges?”
Abby took Caroline’s chin in her hand. “Because he loves you.”
Her vision swam. No matter how much she wanted to reject emotion, she couldn’t push away the image of him declaring his love. Only moments ago, she’d lain in his arms, her body still joined with his, while he begged her to admit her love too. God help her, she almost had. It had all been a dream—a wonderful, beautiful illusion. Love had filled her heart and for once in her adult life, she’d felt happiness within her reach. Now nothing. She wouldn’t cry. She wouldn’t give the world her tears.
“You know I’m right,” Abby said.
“I have to send him back to London.”
“No, Caroline.”
“It’s the only way.”
“I won’t let you do it,” Abby said.
“Don’t you see?” Her voice cracked. Damn it, damn it. She took a breath but her chin wobbled. “He might even think he loves me.”
She couldn’t get anything else out past “he loves me”. Just saying the words caused her throat to tighten. She bit her lip for a moment and tried again. “Once he was free, he’d see other, more beautiful women. He’d remember the scars on my back and how I got them.”
“Don’t do this to yourself, sweet.”
“I asked him once…” Her voice broke again. “I asked him once how he’d feel if we met one of Oakhurst’s friends at a party.”
“That’s all behind you.”
“I asked how he’d feel if he knew what the man had done to me.”
“None of that was any of your fault,” Abby said.
“That doesn’t matter.” A man could forgive a woman for doing the unspeakable with another man but he couldn’t forget. No one could.
“What did he say?”
“Nothing.” His silence had hurt at the time. Now it choked the breath from her lungs. “He stood there, looking as if someone had kicked him in the belly.”
Abby sighed. “I see.”
“I have to send him back.” She’d never see him again. Never feel his lips on hers, never enjoy his touch, never sleep in his warmth. She squeezed her eyes shut and took deep, even breaths. Empty. She’d make herself empty. She’d done it before. She could do it again.
“Oh, Caroline,” Abby said. “I’d hoped never to see that look on your face again.”
She opened h
er eyes and straightened. After another breath, she wiped the moisture from her cheeks. “Sending him back to his normal life is the right thing to do.”
“Not for you, it isn’t.”
“I don’t matter.” There, she’d kept her voice even. Flat. “Do whatever you have to do. Spare me the details. But take him back home without letting him know how to find this place again.”
“I won’t do it.”
She looked deeply into her friend’s eyes. “Just this one last thing. For me.”
For a moment Abby appeared ready to argue. Then she sighed again. “Very well.”
* * * * *
Margaret threw herself into Wortham’s arms the moment she found him standing in her library.
“Darling, how I’ve missed you.” She pressed her lips to his. In an earlier time, they would have followed that kiss with dozens more and then a pleasant afternoon in her bed. On a few occasions, they hadn’t made it to the bedroom but had coupled on the rug in front of the library fireplace. Today he kissed her back for a moment and then gently set her away from him.
She gave him a puzzled look. “After so much time apart, all I get is a kiss?”
“You’re very dear to me,” he answered. That wasn’t exactly a lie. They had been close. He hadn’t gotten that scene at Sans Regret out of his mind—Margaret with the two servants. Eventually that wouldn’t have mattered much, as he’d admired her lustful nature even more than her beauty. Over the past few weeks since he’d awakened in a carriage outside his house in London, he’d come to realize that only one woman could excite him now. No matter what Caroline Durant had done to him, he’d never want anyone else. He’d come here today for one reason only—Margaret knew how to get to Sans Regret.
Margaret’s brow furrowed. “Dear?”
Damn but this was hard. “We’ve been close for some time, you and me.”
Her expression turned to outright puzzlement. “We’ve been a great deal more than close.”