by Gill, Tamara
As promised, the duke had not tried to kiss her again on their journey into town. Instead, he had purchased a pack of cards from the inn where they had broken their fast, and they had played several games of vingt-et-un before she’d begged for a reprieve to simply relax and enjoy her last few hours with the duke.
It was only a matter of time before she’d grown tired from the rocking of the carriage and had fallen asleep. That she’d woken up with her head in the duke’s lap was not what she’d imagined when she’d closed her eyes.
Evie sat up, the duke stilling as she came to sit up next to him. She glanced at him and saw that he too looked like he’d just woken up from slumber. “I do apologize, Finn. I did not mean to make use of your lap in such a way.”
He adjusted his seat, rubbing a hand over his jaw as he tried to take in his surroundings. “Do not trouble yourself, Miss Milton. No one shall ever know that we’ve slept together.”
Heat rushed up her neck to settle on her cheeks. She glanced at him quickly and read the horror that his words wrecked on his visage.
“I do apologize, Evie. My words came out wrong. I merely meant to say that our napping in the carriage was perfectly normal and not in any way untoward. We’re fully clothed, are we not?”
Evie glanced down at her gown just to make sure she was indeed fully clothed. “We’re stopping here for the night?” she asked, wanting to change the subject. How could she have fallen asleep with her head in the duke’s lap? Her mother would suffer apoplexy if she knew. As for her father, he would demand a wedding. “I thought you were taking me to my home with Molly.”
“We are,” he said, seemingly thankful for her change of subject. “It is very late, and I did not want to throw your household into an uproar at your return. My staff is expecting us, and they will have a room ready for you. No one will ever know you stayed here. It is only for one night. I shall return you to your home tomorrow should we not need to travel north after your sister.”
Evie was too tired to argue with his plan and simply took his hand, thankful for his support as she stepped out of the carriage for the first time in as many hours. Her back ached, and she leaned back, trying to loosen her tight, sore muscles. “May I have a bath brought to my room, Your Grace. I am terribly sore and tired.”
“Of course, I shall have one ordered at once.”
“Thank you.” They made their way indoors, and Evie couldn’t help but be awed by the grandeur that met her. Marble-lined the walls, a spiraling oak staircase led upstairs and large, family portraits hung along the walls, all of the dukes of the past staring down and judging her for the commoner she was.
The butler bowed, taking the duke’s greatcoat. “Your rooms are ready, Your Grace, and we have dinner waiting for you whenever you’re ready to eat.”
“Thank you, George,” Finn said, he too rolling his shoulders. “A tray in our rooms will do very well, and can you have a bath brought up for Miss Milton?”
The butler bowed once more. “Of course.” He gestured toward the staircase. “Would you like me to escort you to your room, Miss Milton?”
Evie glanced at the duke, and he smiled in agreement. “Goodnight, Miss Milton.”
“Goodnight, Your Grace.” Evie went with the servant up the long flight of stairs before walking down a well-lit passageway that too was lined with family portraits and an abundance of hothouse flowers.
She’d seen similar opulence in Ava’s, Willow’s and Hallie’s homes, and yet to see the man whom she had been kissing the past two days was as fortunate as her friends filled her with unease. Of course, she’d always known he was a duke, but she’d never seen just how wealthy he was. It made his betrothal to Lucy, and her dreams of having him for herself seem feeble, if not impossible. Made her feel inferior and unworthy. There were so many rich noblewomen who would suit him better, who had been raised to marry such a man. She was not one of them.
The butler opened the door to her room for the night, and Evie was unable to stop the gasp of delight at seeing her chamber. The walls were painted a light, bright cream, but the bedding was a rich green, the dark, wooden furniture giving the room a masculine feel, but so very beautiful. Evie stepped across the threshold, going to the bed to run her hand along the silk cover.
Just as promised, Evie broke her fast and then soaked in a bath that two footmen brought up for her. She sat before the fire, drying her hair when a light knock sounded on her door. Nerves fluttered in her stomach, and she pulled her dressing gown closed before opening it.
Evie cracked the door a little to find Finn standing before her. “Is there something wrong?” she asked, searching for words and unsure what to say now that they were alone once more and in his house. No one to interrupt them.
“I, ah…” he stammered, his attention moving over her shoulder to take in her room. “I hope you find your accommodations are to your liking.”
Evie nodded, glancing back into the space, her bed like a beacon of temptation, more so now that the duke was standing before her. “It’s lovely. I don’t think I’ve ever had such a beautiful room before.”
“You should always have beautiful things,” he said, his voice low and gravely.
Her heart twisted at his sweet words, and for a moment, she could not move. She wanted to lean up and kiss him, to take more of what she knew he could give her, but she did not. Her brazenness had seemed to have deserted her after today when he’d gone above and beyond in keeping his distance. Maybe he did not want to kiss her anymore, and she’d been fooling herself into thinking that the one kiss they had shared meant anything at all. To the duke, at least.
The thought left her depleted, and she stepped back into the room. A hand shot out and clasped her arm, pulling her back.
“Goodnight then, Evie,” he whispered, closing the space between them, his lips but a feather width from hers. Her knees threatened to give way as he closed that small space between them and kissed her. She was sure he’d meant it to be a chaste kiss, merely a goodnight between friends, but it was not chaste in any way.
The moment his lips touched hers, he deepened the kiss, his tongue twisting with hers and sending her wits to spiral. Evie reached up, clasping his shoulders to stop herself from falling to the ground at the pleasure of it. She’d wanted him to kiss her, wanted so much to be back in his arms, and for him to kiss her this time left a heady feeling spiraling through her blood. He stepped against her, walking her back until she came up against the wall beside her door. Pleasure and need shot through her, her body not her own, but his to have.
Evie had never been with a man before. Something told her this was the desire her friends had spoken about when they had discussed their marriages. How one look, a touch or small smile could send their wits spinning and make them follow their spouse to see where their interlude would lead.
“I shouldn’t want you as much as I do,” he said against her lips before kissing her again. The kiss was unlike any she’d ever known, not that she’d known any before, but chaste was not what was going on right now between them.
He kissed her as if he were starved of her touch. As if he wished to devour every ounce of her flesh. She shivered at the thought of him kissing her elsewhere, of his tongue that now tangled with hers, tasting her skin, her body, in the most private of places.
“Do not stop,” she begged, kissing him with as much desire as she could. Still, she could not get enough of him. And then his hands slipped down her body, past her breasts to settle on her hips before skating behind and clasping her bottom. He wrenched her up against his body, undulating against her core. Evie moaned, liquid heat pooling between her legs.
“Finn,” she gasped, clutching at him like a lifeline. Never had she felt as she did right now. As if she would wither and die if he did not continue what he had started. And he had started this. He had kissed her this time.
The sound of footsteps on the staircase sounded, and Finn pulled away, going to stand out in the hall just as the butler came to
ward them. “Your Grace, your steward is here, as you requested.”
“Thank you, George. Please tell Mr. Cleavers I will be down directly.”
“Of course, Your Grace,” the servant said, leaving them as quickly as he arrived.
Finn sighed, turning back toward Evie. “I should go. I need to speak to my steward about your sister and Mr. Brown. See what he can find.”
“Of course,” Evie said, taking a calming breath and hoping he did not notice that her heart beat a thousand times too fast. “Let us hope they are in London, and we can find them.”
“Yes.” The duke stepped back into her room and kissed her yet again. Evie gasped, reveling in his touch, before he wrenched free, striding down the hallway to meet his steward. Evie closed the door and slumped against it when closed. A small smile slipped onto her lips. After those two kisses, it would seem the duke was not so unaffected as he’d claimed. Perhaps there was a chance for them, after all.
Chapter 12
The following morning brought news that her sister and Mr. Brown were indeed in London and had not traveled north to Scotland. The report was both pleasing and worrying at the same time. Did Mr. Brown intend to marry Lucy at all, or was he simply enjoying his time with her away from the security of her family?
Evie sat at the breakfast table, the duke reading over the paper beside her, and she could not help but think that this is how a married couple may break their fast. The duke had told her of the news he’d found and was now reading the paper.
“We need to travel down to St. Giles and see if we can flush them out. Would you come with me?” he asked suddenly, looking at her for an answer.
Evie set her cup of tea down, unsure she’d heard him right. “You wish for me to come with you?”
“I do.” He folded his paper, placing it to his side. “Which brings me to something else that I wanted to discuss with you. Regarding your accommodations while in London.”
Evie frowned, having thought they had already discussed where she’d stay. “I thought I was returning to my normal place of residence in London.”
He studied her a moment before he said, “I want you to stay here, Evie. With me. No one knows we’re in London trying to chase down your sister to limit her ruination. If it becomes known that we are, that we are here and why, it will only make the situation worse for everyone. I have spoken to my staff and steward and notified them all that as far as they are concerned, we’re both still in Wiltshire and will not be back in London for several weeks yet.”
Evie took in his plan and could see sense in it. The thought of staying under the duke’s roof, hiding themselves away from the world with only themselves for company. “Very well, but what if we are seen? My reputation will be ruined.”
“It will not be. I will not let it.” The determination in his tone soothed the small amount of trepidation at his plan.
“If you’re sure. I will stay here with you.” Evie pushed back from the table, starting for the door. “If we’re traveling into St. Giles, I need to go change.”
“What is wrong with your gown?” the duke asked, calling after her.
Evie paused at the threshold of the room, turning to face the duke. “You should change as well. If we want to blend into those who live in that seedy part of London, you had better take off those highly polished hessian boots and superfine coat. You’ll be mugged before we take two steps from the carriage door.
Finn grinned at Evie as she disappeared out into the foyer. Warmth seeped into his bones at the knowledge she was going to stay in his home for some days. Just the two of them, nestled away from the ton, and only themselves for company.
At this point, he was becoming less and less troubled by Miss Lucy and Mr. Brown, finding them, or the scandal all of this would cause if people found out. He’d promised Evie’s father he would help in ensuring his daughter was not ruined, but other than that, there was little between him and his ex-betrothed.
Finn pushed back his chair, starting for his room to change, as Evie suggested. Under an hour later, they were in the carriage and heading down toward St. Giles. The area where his steward had heard word that Miss Lucy was staying.
Evie sat beside him in the carriage, her lip clasped between her teeth as she glanced outside. The streets of Mayfair soon gave way to the more impoverished areas of town, showcasing the struggles that the poor faced every day.
“Do not worry, Evie. I have brought a flintlock, and I’m not incapable of looking after myself.”
“But are you capable of looking after us both should we get in trouble?” She glanced back at him. “Did you bring any money? I cannot pass a child in need and not give them anything.”
He nodded and tapped the pocket on his chest. The jacket he’d borrowed from one of his stable staff was surprisingly comfortable and befitted this expedition. “I do. You may give it all away if you wish.”
She wrapped her arm about his, pulling herself close to his side. “I knew that you were a good man. A trait that you keep proving to me time and again.” Her sweet face tipped up toward his and did odd things to his insides. Finn took the opportunity to lean down and take her lips.
His body roared with possession, and he took her mouth, sliding his tongue against hers. She tasted of tea and honey that she’d put on her toast this morning. The idea of having this woman always occupied his mind as much as the idea of her in his bed, and it would not abate. Evie Milton suited him, was of similar character and sensible. She would make a good duchess and wife, even at seven and twenty.
Her hands clasped the lapels of his coat, pulling him closer, and he took the opportunity to touch her. Her dress was coarse wool, nothing like the clothes she usually wore. In fact, breaking the kiss, he took in her gown, frowning.
“What is it you have on? That cannot be comfortable,” he said, taking in the coarse wool and ill-fitting cut.
“It’s one of the scullery maid’s gowns. I paid her to use it and she was more than happy to part with it then.” She took in his own attire. “You’re looking very handsome yourself. I think I like seeing you look so very rugged.”
He chuckled, sitting back against the squabs but not before taking her hand and holding it in his lap. A simple, sweet gesture that felt as natural as kissing her did.
The carriage turned around a corner, and Finn gauged their location. “We should be there soon.”
“Do you think we’ll find Lucy today?” Evie looked up at him with expectation, and he wished he could tell her they would, but he wasn’t sure. His steward had said that although there had been sightings of the couple, the exact location of their quarters was not yet known.
“We’ll walk about the streets where I was told they had been seen. Maybe they will be out and about and we shall spot them.” Finn had taken the precaution of having two burly stable men on the back of the carriage who would be with them, and his driver was not unarmed. He’d not usually take a woman into this part of town, but Evie was the only one of them who knew what Mr. Brown looked like. He himself had never met the fellow.
A little while later, the carriage pulled up on Newman street and Finn helped Evie alight. He took in their location and those who took note of their arrival. He pulled her close and started up the narrow, cobbled street, clothing hanging across the space above their heads and children running about, their feet bare.
Evie reached into his pocket, taking the few coins he’d brought and gave one to a little girl who held out her hand. “I hate seeing children with so little. Our government should do more to help the poor.”
Finn couldn’t agree more, and he often gave to charities and orphanages. The task of pulling the poor out of their substandard living needed more than one’s duke’s funds. It required everyone to partake in their rise.
They took in the people they passed, Evie looking up and down the alleyways they crossed. The area became dank and of worse conditions the longer they walked about. “I cannot believe Lucy would stay in such an area. Mr. Bro
wn was a farmer. Surely he had some funds to pay for better lodgings than those this area offers.”
“It would seem he did not.” Finn hated telling Evie such truths, but for Lucy to be living in such conditions, away from her family and friends, there was a good chance that she had ruined herself beyond repair, and they may not be able to keep her actions private for long.
They turned up an alleyway, Evie handing out more coins to a group of children who all jumped and hooted at their windfall before running off. The lane opened up to a circular group of two-story houses. All of them were of wood construction, windows broken, and wood rotten and missing in some places. There was a decided odor of urine and human feces and Finn cringed.
Evie gasped, her body stilling beside him, and he glanced at her quickly, seeing her widened eyes and pale skin. “What is it?” he asked, taking her hand and shaking it a little when she did not answer.
“Someone threw something onto my dress from above.” Her eyes filled with tears, and Finn glanced up, seeing a smirking, large woman leaning out the window.
“’Ave a good day, my lady,” the woman said, tipping her chamber pot over the windowsill once again to ensure it was empty.
Finn glared at the lady before she disappeared inside. “Come, we’ll return home. There is always tomorrow.”
“I cannot get in your carriage with this muck on me, Finn. The smell will never come out.”
“Never mind that. I’ll buy a new carriage.” He pulled her back to where they came, never seeing Lucy or Mr. Brown on their wanderings. It did not matter, they would be found soon enough, and then Finn would ensure the blaggard married the woman he stole from her home or he didn’t know what he would do.
One thing he was certain was that he would not let Evie suffer the fate of her sister’s actions. He would not allow an ounce of scandal to touch himself or Evie.