Wonderland By Night (Heroic Rogues Series)

by Higgins, Marie

  Quietly, she slipped out of bed and threw on a wrapper Georgia had brought to her last evening. What a dear woman—to be so kind to two strangers. And to think, this woman was Emiline’s grandmother!

  Once the garment was around Emmie’s waist and tied, she tiptoed to the full length mirror in the room, fixing her hair so it wasn’t so disheveled. For some reason, the weather over here must be helping with her fullness because she hadn’t had such wavy hair before. Acting as a lady’s companion she naturally wanted it pulled tightly back in a bun, but as she stared at her reflection, she realized that she didn’t want it that way ever again. She wanted to be the enticing woman Gabe suggested she could be.

  “Good morning, my lady.”

  Gabe’s voice startled her. She jumped and turned around. He was still on the floor, stretching. His eyes met hers, and he smiled tenderly. Panic surged through her. Why did he refer to her as my lady? He couldn’t possibly know her true identity…and she prayed he hadn’t gone to talk to Georgia sometime during the night to discover the real story.

  “Um…forgive me. Did I wake you?” she asked.

  “Not at all, my lady. I didn’t sleep well, so hearing you awaken was quite a relief.”

  Good grief! He called her my lady again. Had she talked in her sleep? “Gabe…why are you calling me my lady?”

  Rubbing his forehead, he closed his eyes. “Oh blast it. I’m not quite awake, forgive me.” He looked at her again. “I should have called you Princess, instead.”

  “But why?”

  “Because of our wager. Remember? Today starts the beginning of the week.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s right. I had forgotten.”

  “Well, luckily I have not.” He whipped off the blanket and stood. Thankfully, he was back to wearing his regular clothes.

  After another stretch, he ambled over to her and kissed her forehead. “How do you feel this morning, my darling?”

  Her heart fluttered from his endearment. “I have a headache.”

  “That’s to be expected. You received quite a shock last night.”

  She nodded. “I also did a lot of thinking.”

  “What about?”

  “I want to find my mother.”

  “Of course you do.” He winked.

  “Will…you help me?”

  His expression wavered between panic and confusion as silence hung thick in the air. She waited for him to tell her he couldn’t help her, but the longer he stared, the softer his gaze became.

  “Yes, I will.”

  “Even if it means going to Salem with me? I recall you saying how much you loathe places like that.”

  He chuckled lightly, sat on the edge of the bed and took her hands loosely in his. “I cannot believe you remembered that. But, yes, I will go with you.”

  She smiled. “Thank you. You are such an exceptional man. You may not be of noble birth, but your actions show you should be.”

  Gabe’s expression changed slightly. The color of his eyes turned darker—just the way she liked them—as he circled his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. His gaze held hers captive even as he lowered his head, and placed his lips on hers. The kiss started out soft, but when sparks ignited inside her, she clung to his shoulders and answered his passionate kiss. This was what she needed. This would help her feel better again. He definitely knew how to kiss a woman to make her swoon. Dizziness assailed her.

  She participated fully in the kiss. With every breath she seemed to draw closer to his body. She loved sliding her palms over his muscular shoulders and threading her fingers through his thick hair. Although she took pleasure in kissing him, she knew she shouldn’t. Nothing could ever become of her love if she chose to give her heart to him. He lived here, and she in England. And her father would definitely not approve of the match because Gabe didn’t have a title.

  Emmie slowed the kiss before pulling away and gazing into his eyes. So dreamy they made her knees weak. “As much as I would love to stay and continue this, I need to find Georgia.”

  “What for?” he asked, his voice deeper than she’d ever heard.

  Heat bathed her face. “Uh…womanly needs.”

  Chuckling, he withdrew and stood. “Then by all means, go find Georgia.”

  Embarrassment washed over her, yet Gabe didn’t seem to mind. As she moved toward the door, he kept his heated stare on her until she walked out of the room.

  The house was remarkably quiet as Emmie glided down stairs to the first floor. In the front room, the roaring fire in the hearth warmed the air considerably. Daring to go further into the house, she moved to the next room and walked through the archway. The dining room remained empty, too, but as she turned to leave, clanking of pots came from the adjoining room.

  She opened the door and peeked inside. Georgia stood in front of the stove with a white apron pinned to her bodice. The older woman turned and looked her way.

  Automatically, a friendly smile claimed the woman’s face. “Good morning, Emiline, dear.”

  “Good morning, Georgia.” She moved into the kitchen more. “Forgive me for disturbing you, but I wonder where you have placed my clothes.”

  “Amy is just finishing with them. She will bring them to your room when they are ready.”

  “Amy? Who is that?”

  “She’s a lady who helps me out once in a while.” Georgia’s gaze roamed over Emmie’s face and hair, then her smile widened. “Emiline? Would you like to borrow one of my daughter’s dresses for today? I’m certain wearing a lovely gown will flatter your slender figure more than the old riding habit you had on last night.”

  As much as she would have liked to turn Georgia down, Emmie couldn’t because she really wanted to feel like a lady today. Last night and this morning, Gabe had stirred such tender emotions inside her, and she wanted that feeling to continue. She also wanted to impress her grandmother and make her proud of what she’d turned out to be.

  Emmie smiled. “As long as it’s not an inconvenience.”

  “Heavens no!” Georgia put down the wooden spoon then took the pot off the stove. “Come. Let me show you where my daughter’s dresses are.” Walking past Emmie, she led her to one of the other rooms that was also on the second floor.

  The room was right next to the one she’d stayed in, except it looked more feminine, decorated in pink and blue flowers. Georgia went straight to the window and pulled open the curtains, letting the sunshine through.

  “This room was my youngest daughter’s. A few years ago, she married an Earl and so didn’t think she needed any of her clothes.” Georgia chuckled. “Her Earl buys her anything her heart desires. I worry that he’s spoiling her rotten.” She walked to an armoire and opened it to reveal several dresses.

  “My youngest daughter, Victoria, has the same built as you do—slender. I just thought you might like to wear something that will highlight your lovely face and eyes.”

  Emmie looked at each dress as if each were made from the finest silk. They were very lovely, but what was more thrilling than the pretty gowns, was that these dresses were actually from an aunt she had never known, who she knew her mother loved dearly.

  “Pick any one you would like. My daughter will not wear these anymore, so you might as well get some use out of them.”

  “I thank you, Georgia,” Emmie told her with a catch in her voice.

  Georgia moved over toward the door to leave. “There are some under garments in the drawers by the bed. Just snoop around to see what you need. Let me know if you need any help dressing. I will send Amy up if you do.”

  “No need. I have been dressing myself for quite a while now.”

  “All right. I will leave you to get dressed then. But can I have her come fix your long, lovely hair?”

  Gabe’s words rang in her ears, reminding her that she hadn’t had pretty hair since starting her role as lady’s companion. “I would love that.”

  “Splendid. I’ll send her up. Oh, and the chamber pot is
behind that screen.” Georgia left the room and closed the door behind her.

  Emmie eyed each gown carefully. Most of them still looked new, and she could tell the cloth was an expensive cut, as well. Out of all the fine gowns, only one caught her eye. The burgundy velvet dress had a black lace over-bodice, long straight sleeves, and a round neck. Without a second thought, she grabbed it and laid it on the bed. Looking through her Aunt Victoria’s drawers, she found other things needed to make her attire complete, and proceeded to change.

  After hurrying with her necessities, she stood in front of the full-length mirror fully dress. An entirely different woman stared at her from the glass. She couldn’t believe how pretty this dress made her appear. The color enhanced her face which made her brown eyes stand out more. The material hugged her bosom and emphasized womanly curves Emmie never thought she had. All in all, this dress fit her better than any dress she had ever worn. As if it was made for her.

  She took pleasure in looking this pretty and wanted to look even lovelier, so she went to Aunt Victoria’s vanity table and finished her toiletry by brushing her hair until it shined. A knock came upon the door, and when she called out to have them enter, a woman—perhaps in her thirties—walked in and introduced herself as Amy. The woman took the brush from Emmie and fashioned her hair so beautifully, it left her in awe.

  Adding a little blush to her cheeks and a rose-colored cream to her lips, Emmie tried making her face appear more feminine. She couldn’t believe the difference it made. For the first time in her life, she thought she looked beautiful. Not just passively pretty, but exotically lovely. Maybe even more so than Anna. Emmie couldn’t wait to go downstairs and show herself to her grandmother, but most importantly, to Gabe.

  The more she thought about him, the more her mouth stretched into a grin. She couldn’t believe she’d let him kiss her those few times, because certainly the duke’s daughter didn’t allow men such liberties! But how could she stop Gabe? He had acted like such a gentleman—unlike those men who tried to court her and who forced their unwanted attention on her.

  Amy smiled and gave Emmie an encouraging nod. Nervously, she left the room and made her way back downstairs. Voices rose from the dining room, that of Georgia and Gabe. Pausing before going in, Emmie took a deep breath for courage and tried to keep her heart rate under control. How would he act seeing her this way? She’d find out in a moment.

  Chapter Nine

  “And this is a miniature of my wonderful husband, God rest his soul.”

  Gabe smiled and sat patiently as Georgia showed him nearly every picture she had in her house. Such a dear woman, and it was obvious she didn’t have many guests stop by. It surprised him that her house was so grand, mainly because Emiline didn’t mention having a wealthy family.

  “And after the birth of our youngest daughter, Victoria, my wonderful husband had this house built.”

  Gabe nodded, hoping the older woman hadn’t realized he wasn’t paying much attention to her story telling. “And what a fine house it is, Georgia.”

  The woman smiled as her cheeks flourished with color—so much like her granddaughter.

  There had to be a reason Emmie was fearful of getting to know her grandmother. But more importantly, how could he get the woman he couldn’t stop thinking about to trust him—to open up and share her thoughts and dreams with him? To tell her about her life? Deep down inside, he worried that she was holding some deep dark secret.

  Then again…he held a secret from her, so he shouldn’t expect something he wasn’t ready to give himself.

  When he had first come down the stairs and found Georgia, he asked about Emmie’s whereabouts. Georgia told him Emmie was upstairs in her daughter’s bedroom changing. Now as he sat at the table talking with the older woman, he waited for Emmie. He didn’t know how much time had passed since he last laid his lonely eyes on the pretty girl, but it seemed like hours. He was just too anxious to gaze at her and stare into her mesmerizing eyes.

  This morning had been wonderful to hold and kiss her so passionately. He didn’t want it to end, and even now, he wondered when he could kiss her again. Would she allow it? She hadn’t seemed repulsed by what they’d shared earlier, so perhaps she was growing to have feelings for him just as he was for her.

  When Georgia suddenly turned quiet, he snapped out of his thoughts and focused on the woman. Her gaze was pinned to something behind him, her brown eyes widened as a smile graced her face. She nodded as if approving of what she saw.

  He turned to see what she was looking at…and almost fell out of his chair. Emiline stood just inside the room, a vision of loveliness swathed in deep purple. He’d never seen anything so beautiful before. For a moment, he had lost his breath until it all came out in a fast gush.

  Although he’d seen her in dresses before, they had always looked out of place on her. Now he knew why. Emiline didn’t belong in plain, ugly dresses. She belonged in a dress made for a princess, which was what she looked like now.

  And her hair! Never had he seen it so beautiful…or any woman’s hair done so artfully perfect.

  Slowly, he stood, not taking his eyes off her. Without being able to help it, his mouth dropped open in awe. He took in every detail about her, from the top of her styled hair to the toes of her dainty slippers, and everything in between. This dress fitted her body perfectly, showing off all of her womanly curves—curves that were always hidden by her other dresses.

  He didn’t even realize she had moved until she stood in front of him, peering into his eyes. He had no idea if she spoke, because all he could hear was the musical tune of his heart thumping wildly in his chest.

  She smiled, and his heart melted even more. On impulse, he circled his hands around her waist, closing the space between them as he pulled her body next to his. He still couldn’t think of a word to say because her beauty and grace left him dumbfounded, but really, the only thing he wanted to say was something that was best said with his lips.

  He bent his head and pressed his mouth to hers. Thankfully, she responded the way he wanted. Her arms circled his neck and she kissed him back tenderly, yet passionately. It was really only a few kisses she gave, but there was so much emotion put behind each one that made the moment so special.

  Pulling away, her face flamed red. “Gabe, we must not do this in front of Georgia.” Her voice squeaked.

  He stared mystified at her again, but at least managed a smile and a nod.

  Beside him, Georgia laughed. “Oh, no, you two go right ahead with what you were doing. I will just go into the kitchen and fix our breakfast.” She bustled off, out of the room.

  Although he wanted to pull Emiline back into his arms, he held himself from doing so. They would only get interrupted when Georgia returned.

  Emiline walked passed him to the table. Before she sat, he quickly pulled out the chair for her.

  Her bright gaze met his, sparkling as she smiled. “I thank you, Gabe.”

  He really needed to get a hold of this situation. He didn’t understand how imprudent and love struck he acted. Seeing her dressed like this was quite a shock, but he needed to somehow gain control and get his speech and actions back together the right way.

  He sat, still without taking his eyes off her. He couldn’t even if he wanted.

  “Gabe.” She giggled as her cheeks flared red. “Would you stop staring at me like that? It’s most embarrassing.”

  Chuckling lightly, he relaxed in his chair. “Forgive me, my darling Emmie. You have put me under a spell I have no wish to leave. I’m not used to seeing you look so…so…” He partook of her loveliness once more. Slower this time, enjoying everything about her once again.

  “Do I at least look like a lady?”

  He brought his gaze to her sparkling eyes. “No. You look like a princess.”

  Her cheeks colored red again. “I have never heard more flattering words.” She presented him with a soft smile. “With me dressed this way, will that make it easier for you to fol
low through on our wager?”

  He grinned. “Definitely.”

  Georgia hustled in, carrying a tray with three bowls on it. She set the bowls in front of Gabe and Emiline, then one down for herself.

  “I hope oatmeal is all right.”

  Emiline nodded. “Yes, it is. I have not tasted oatmeal in such a long time.”

  Emiline and Gabe were silent as they ate, although Georgia rattled on as she tried to keep the conversation flowing. Gabe kept sneaking glances at the adorable woman next to him, and when she peeked back, he grinned…even if food was still in his mouth.

  He thanked the good Lord above that they were away from his uncle and aunt’s house. With Emmie wearing such enthralling attire, his family would certainly swoon to see him making a total fool out of himself because of this enchantress.