The Lord and the Spy

by Slade, Heather

10

  Wren

  When Darrow and I arrived at the pub, I looked through the crowd at the bar, expecting Wilder to be waiting like he had been at Five Hertford, but I didn’t see him.

  “Shall we get a pint while we wait?” Darrow asked. “I’m sure the others will arrive any moment.”

  “Let’s, but nothing stronger than beer tonight.”

  I put my hand on my stomach, thinking it might be wiser if I skipped alcohol altogether. I’d never been accused of not being able to hold my liquor, but Wellie’s moonshine packed an unexpected wallop.

  “I can get it,” I offered when Darrow approached the bartender.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Black and tan okay?”

  “Thanks. I’ll get the next round.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Darrow look at her watch and then pull out her phone while she waited for our drinks.

  Every time the pub door opened, I caught myself watching for Wilder, and it was pissing me off. I never should’ve let Darrow talk me into sticking around for dinner tonight. How rude would it be to call for a car back to London and leave now? I wouldn’t leave my new friend here alone, but once someone else showed up, I was out of there.

  Darrow came up beside me and handed me a glass. “Here’s to cheating, stealing, fighting, and drinking.”

  I laughed. “One of my father’s favorite toasts. If you cheat, cheat death. If you steal, steal a man’s heart, in our case. If you fight, fight for a brother. If you drink, drink with me.” We clinked glasses and I took a sip.

  In a short amount of time, the pub got crowded enough that I could no longer see the front door.

  “Oh, there’s Axel,” said Darrow, putting her hand on the back of a bar stool and standing on her toes to look over the mass of people. “Huh, I don’t see Sutton, though. Maybe he’s coming with Thornton and Orina.”

  Or maybe he wasn’t coming at all. Now that Pinch, or Axel as Darrow called him, had arrived, this would be the perfect opportunity to say a hasty goodbye and head back to London. I couldn’t remember ever waiting around for a man, and I wasn’t about to start now, especially for someone like Wilder Whittaker.

  “It’s bloody crowded in here,” I heard Shiver say, and looked over to see him taking his wife’s coat before removing his. “Hello, everyone.”

  “Where’s Sutton?” Darrow asked.

  “I thought he came with you,” Shiver answered, looking at Pinch.

  “Why would you think that?”

  “Last I knew, he was headed over to see your father.”

  I put my hand on Darrow’s arm. “Listen, I’m not feeling all that well. I think it would be better if I got a lift back to London now.”

  “Oh. Right…um…do you want Axel to take you?” Darrow looked deflated, but I couldn’t let that dissuade me. After all, we’d spent the entire afternoon together.

  “I can call for car service.”

  “What’s this?” asked Shiver, coming back from the coat check.

  “Wren is going back to London.”

  “No, no,” said Shiver. “We’re having dinner. Come now.” He took my arm and led me in the direction of the dining room. “I’m sure Wild got caught up with Wellie and is just running a bit late.”

  “It isn’t that…”

  Someone greeted Shiver, and since he was no longer listening, there was no reason for me to continue. I would’ve taken the opportunity to leave, but he still had his hand on my arm.

  “Our table’s ready,” he said, giving me a little push to follow the barmaid at the same time Darrow appeared next to me, linking our arms.

  Pinch pulled out a chair for me first and then for Darrow, sneaking a kiss on her cheek as he did.

  While everyone else was being seated, I checked my phone. It was a quarter past eight, which meant Wilder was only fifteen minutes late, but that he was late at all rankled.

  I never dreamed he’d stand me up for dinner, but maybe he was. Not that he was standing me up alone; it seemed everyone was puzzled by his absence.

  An awkward silence descended on the table. Was it my imagination or was everyone sneaking uncomfortable glances at me?

  I had wound up seated with my back to the door, not wanting to be rude when Pinch held my chair, but I always sat facing the door. He and Shiver, even Orina, were probably the same way. It made me just as anxious as the empty chair next to me.

  When all those sitting across from me looked up at the same time, I knew Wilder was standing right behind me. I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding when I heard him apologize for being late.

  “I got caught up with your father,” he said, squeezing Pinch’s shoulder, who was seated on the other side of Darrow.

  Instead of walking toward me, Wilder went in the other direction, saying hello to Orina and Shiv.

  “Excuse me,” I murmured, setting my napkin on my chair and leaving the table in search of the ladies’ room. Once I found it, I went inside and rolled my shoulders, knowing it wouldn’t come close to relieving the tension spreading throughout my body.

  I looked in the mirror, horrified at how pale I was. I almost never wore makeup, but tonight I wished I had; Orina and Darrow were outrageously beautiful. Rarely did I care about measuring up to any other woman, but tonight I felt…inadequate. To my chagrin, my eyes filled with tears.

  I splashed my face with cold water, resolving again to sneak out without Wilder and his family noticing. I could send his sister a text letting her know I felt worse, not better, so I left.

  I turned my back to the mirror and rested against the sink, realizing too late that it was wet when I felt a chill spread across my backside.

  That was the nail in the coffin of what had promised to be a nice day but ended up a miserable one. I flung the door open with my mind firmly made up. I was leaving.

  “Wren, please accept my apology for being so late. I truly did get caught up with Wellie,” said Wilder, who was leaning against the wall directly in front of me.

  “You don’t owe me an explanation.”

  “I feel as though I do, about more than my tardiness.”

  “I’d really rather not—”

  “I didn’t have sex with Sanborn,” he blurted.

  I folded my arms.

  “I wouldn’t lie about it,” he added.

  “You didn’t do a very good job hiding your reaction when I mentioned her name.”

  “As I said earlier, it wasn’t the way it may have seemed.”

  “Look, if anything, it served as a wake-up call. I’m here to do a job, Agent Whittaker, not to add another notch to your scratched-up bedpost.”

  His head snapped back just slightly as though my words had slapped him. “Wren…I…”

  Had I really stunned him speechless? That hadn’t taken much.

  “Wilder…I…” I stammered like he had. “I need to make it clear that nothing is going to happen between us. I got swept away this afternoon, and I don’t intend to let it happen again. If anything, I owe you an apology.”

  Wilder quickly masked the brief glimpse of hurt, and in its place was a steely expression.

  “Very well,” he murmured. “Shall we rejoin the group?”

  “Actually, I told your sister earlier that I’m not feeling well. I’m going to skip dinner and head back to London.”

  “Of course. I’ll let the others know.”

  “Good night, Wilder,” I said, walking over to get my jacket from the coatroom.

  “What? No. I’m taking you back to town.”

  “That isn’t necessary. I’ll hire a car.”

  “Not in Bedford at this time of night, you won’t. It’s no trouble. I brought you here, promising your safe return.”

  “I’d rather make my way on my own.”

  Wilder put his arm around my shoulders and led me back into the less-crowded hallway.

  “Is this because of the thing with Amanda? I swear to you that nothing happened between us.”

  “It isn
’t that. Well, it is. Do you know why I got this assignment?” I asked, shaking my head and wondering why in the hell I was still talking.

  “Why?”

  I glared at him. Was he really trying not to smile?

  “It wasn’t the whole reason, but in part, because I don’t do this, Wilder. Men like you don’t affect me. I don’t know what happened this afternoon, but it won’t happen again.” Hadn’t I just said the very same words? Why was I repeating myself? Who was I trying to convince?

  “Join us for dinner, and then I promise I’ll give you a lift back. The truth is, I’m famished. I swear we’ll make it quick.”

  Arms still folded, I studied him.

  “Come on,” he said, tugging at my arms. “Let’s end your brief holiday in a controlled and civilized manner.”

  I fought against smiling at the words he’d used yesterday in his office. Could that really have been only yesterday?

  “Okay,” I murmured, “but we have to make it quick.” I turned to walk back to the dining room and felt Wilder’s hand on the small of my back. I should shrug it away, but I couldn’t bring myself to lose the warmth that spread through my body from just his simple touch, particularly given the chill of the cold water I’d sat in.

  Wilder held my chair, his body brushing against mine when I took my seat. I was beginning to understand why women fell so hard for the MI5 agent. The man was intoxicating. Instead of succumbing yet again, I squared my shoulders, determined to get through this dinner as I would any other where there were work colleagues present.

  “I took the liberty,” he murmured when the waitress brought me a second black and tan and one for him. “Cheers,” he said, raising his glass to mine.

  “Cheers,” I responded before setting my glass back on the table.

  “You have to take a drink,” he leaned over and whispered. “Otherwise, you negate the toast.”

  Without thinking, I raised my glass and took a sip. I saw Wilder wink, and turned my head, catching Darrow smiling at her brother.

  “Did you two enjoy your afternoon?” he asked.

  “I’d say,” said Pinch. “They were three sheets to the wind when I stopped by.”

  “Don’t lie,” said Darrow, laughing and leaning back against him. “We were nothing of the sort. Well, maybe just a little, but we did take a break for tea.”

  I could feel Wilder’s gaze resting on me. It filled me with as much warmth as his hand had on our walk back to the table.

  I turned my head to study the menu, taking great pains to slow my breathing and will the flush on my cheeks away.

  “You’re lovely when you smile,” he whispered. “You’re lovely when you don’t, too.”

  “Please, Wilder, don’t do this,” I whispered in reply, closing my eyes.

  “I wish it were that easy,” he said, looking at his own menu. “The fish and chips are outstanding.”

  11

  Wilder

  I smiled as my sister coaxed another story from Wren about her family’s ranch in Texas. Soon the two were laughing so hard it was impossible for the rest at the table not to laugh too.

  “Tell them about the lightning,” Darrow said, fanning her face.

  Wren shook her head. “I’m sure everyone is getting tired of my stories.”

  “You have to tell them this one. You must.”

  Taking a swig from her third—or was it fourth?—black and tan, I’d lost count, she and Darrow began laughing again before Wren got started.

  “Come on now,” said Pinch. “You have us all on the edge of our chairs.”

  “Okay, okay.” Wren took a deep breath and wiped away the tears that came with her absolutely adorable giggles and then cleared her throat. “Wait, one more sip.” She paused to take a drink and then scooted her chair back an inch or two from the table.

  “My brother woke me up one night, yelling something about a storm and saying that our pa was out in the barn with the cows.” She made eye contact with Darrow, who was already laughing so hard she was holding her stomach.

  “My dimwitted brother pulled me out of bed and out of the house in the middle of not just a storm, but it was thundering, and lightning was striking pretty damn close to our ranch. We made a run for the barn and found our pa, just like he’d said, with the cows.”

  Wren took a deep breath, trying to stop herself from laughing.

  “You can’t stop now!” shouted Pinch. “What in bloody hell was your pa doing with the cows?”

  “Okay, okay,” she repeated. “He’d gone out to the barn before the storm, thinking he could get a jump on our next day’s work, which was…” Wren couldn’t continue, she was giggling too hard, and Darrow looked as though she was going to fall off her chair.

  “He was…artificially inseminating a cow when a bolt of lightning hit the back of the pens.”

  “Tell the rest,” Darrow pleaded.

  “Just as we got inside, a big ball of electricity came hurling toward Pa and the cow. He’d just finished depositing the bull’s semen and got the head catch open. Quint and I watched that cow go flyin’. She got blown straight outta that chute.”

  “That isn’t the best part,” said Darrow. “The bloody cow actually got pregnant!”

  The further she’d gotten in her story, the more pronounced her accent became, which I found as adorable as her giggles.

  “Tell them the one—”

  “No,” begged Wren. “I can’t. No more stories.” She was holding her stomach. “My belly hurts.”

  My eyes met Shiver’s. My brother smiled and nodded as though he knew exactly how I was feeling in that moment, and he approved.

  “Can I get anyone a nightcap?” asked the barmaid.

  Wren looked at me and shook her head. “I’ve had too much already.”

  I looked around the table as everyone shook their heads. “Just the tab, thanks.”

  “I’ll get our coats,” said Shiver.

  “Will you get ours too?” asked Darrow, handing our brother her ticket.

  “I loved your stories,” I said, leaning closer to Wren. She weaved just slightly, perhaps from all the laughter, maybe it was the alcohol, or a combination of both. She looked as though she could fall straight to sleep.

  “Would you still like to return to London tonight?” I asked, brushing her neck with my fingertips.

  She leaned into my caress and pulled out her phone. “It’s so late.”

  “Tell me what you want, and I’ll gladly do it,” I whispered.

  Wren bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes, and when she did, I was transported back to earlier in the day when we were in the barn, ready to rip each other’s clothes off. Before she’d mentioned her boss.

  I leaned closer, and when she opened her eyes again, I was near enough that I could feel the warmth of her breath. It would be so easy to kiss her.

  She brought her lips to mine and then abruptly pulled back. “God, what am I doing?” she said more to herself than to me.

  “Shall we go?” I asked when Shiver returned with our coats.

  “Please.”

  I stood and held her chair at the same time Pinch did the same for Darrow.

  “I’m so disappointed you’re going back to London tonight. Perhaps I can convince you to come back next weekend. I so enjoyed our afternoon.”

  “As did I,” Wren answered, returning Darrow’s hug.

  “Promise you’ll bring her back, Wild.”

  “I’ll gladly do whatever Wren wants,” I said as I had moments before.

  I rested my hand on the small of her back, guiding her out the pub’s door after we’d said good night to the rest of the group.

  “I made a fool of myself tonight,” she mumbled as she waited for me to open the passenger door of my car.

  “You did not.”

  “I did. I’m sure I bored you all with my ridiculous stories.”

  I leaned into her, cupping her cheek and looking into her eyes. “You were brilliant. Darrow loves you, and so
does Orina. It was abundantly clear. Shiver and Pinch were equally enthralled.” I caressed her cheek with my thumb. “You already know that I’m your biggest fan.”

  She swayed a little and rested her head on my shoulder.

  “Let’s get you home.” I moved her away from the door so I could open it, and helped her inside.

  “How much did I have to drink?” she asked when I got in the other side.

  “Three or four pints over the course of about the same number of hours.”

  “I feel as though I had twice that.” She turned in her seat and studied me. “You didn’t put something in my drinks, did you?”

  “I’d no more do that than I would lie to you, sweet Wren.”

  “I wasn’t serious,” she murmured, closing her eyes and resting her head against the back of the seat. “I know you wouldn’t.”

  She opened her eyes when the car came to a stop and I shut off the engine.

  “Did I sleep all the way back?” she asked.

  “Yes, but we didn’t go as far as London.”

  “Where are we?”

  “We’re at the abbey, although not actually at the abbey itself. This is Dorchester House.” I got out of the car and came around to open her door.

  “Why are we here?”

  “Because you need rest.”

  “Wilder, I can’t…”

  “Shh.” I put my finger to her lips. “This is a big house with several bedrooms. I can either sleep in one where you are not, or I can go up to the abbey and spend the night. Whichever you’d prefer.”

  “You don’t have to go to the abbey.”

  I smiled. “Let’s get you inside and into bed.” I put my arm around her shoulders and guided her through the gate and to the front door.

  “You really are sweet,” she murmured as I stepped inside, turned on the lights, and reached for her hand.

  “Sweet?” I put my hand on my heart. “You wound me, woman. Please, I beg you, don’t let that get out.”

  I came back downstairs after getting her settled and poured myself a brandy. My guess was Wren had fallen asleep the minute her head hit the pillow.

  Only bothering to turn on one light, I went into the sitting room and lit a fire. I sat in the closest chair and watched as the flames bounced off the crackling wood.