Wicked Designs (The League of Rogues) (28 page)

“An accident, as I told you then.”

“Or perhaps the time when you demanded to have your own carriage made with my family crest on it.”

“
Oui
. I admit that was a
petite
bit presumptuous.”

“And let us not forget the reason I made you leave. You demanded I put Simkins to pasture.”

Her lips formed a
moue
. She had nothing to say to that.

“Shall I be staying in my old room?” Her hopeful tone made his skin crawl. Something wasn’t right about her here, but he couldn’t put his finger on what.

“No. I have friends visiting, as you must have guessed.”

“Indeed. I met with Lord Lennox and Lord Lonsdale earlier when they returned from
qu’est-ce que c’est
…fishing trip?” She seemed to be resisting the urge to laugh at him for enjoying his lands in such a rustic fashion. That was nothing new. “Don’t tell me you are forcing a lord to sleep in my lovely little room?”

“A guest.”

Evangeline raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “A guest?”

“Yes. A friend of mine from London. She’s staying here a while before continuing on to Scotland.”

“Very well. If you won’t tell me, and you clearly do not wish to entertain me. I suppose I should retire.” She was smiling as he showed her out of the parlor. Godric gave Mrs. Downing instructions to settle her and her things in the room at the end of the upstairs hall. The farthest room from his and Emily’s.

With Evangeline gone, Godric headed for the drawing room and found Lucien, Cedric, and Charles around a rosewood table playing Whist. Emily was cuddled up next to Ashton on a couch, listening to him read. She put a fist in her mouth stifling a yawn, and stroked Penelope. Jealousy shot through Godric. He wanted to be the one she cuddled against, his shoulder offering her a resting place. Emily glanced up as Godric took a step into the room.

The look in her eyes melted him. He relished that simple joyous expression and tucked it away in the most sacred part of his heart.

She immediately put Penelope down and slid off the couch, going to him.

“You’ve attended to your visitor?” Ashton rose and came to stand behind Emily. She looked at the two men curiously. Godric knew it must be killing her to not ask for details.

He glanced at Ashton. “She’ll dine alone. She knows she must be gone by tomorrow at noon.”

A growing sense of unease clenched his insides. Emily raised an eyebrow, and he sighed.

“Miss Evangeline Mirabeau, a former acquaintance of mine. She mistakenly thought I’d invited her here.”

Emily blinked rapidly. Her violet eyes darkened with an unreadable emotion. “Evangeline? Your lover is here?” Emily’s voice came out a little louder and sharper than she would have liked.

Godric flinched. “How did you know she was my lover?”

The other three men turned around to stare at her.

Emily hesitated, then said, “Look at the company I’m keeping. It was hardly a gamble.”

He cupped her chin, tilting her head up. “Former lover,” he admitted. “She is no longer welcome here.”

Emily wrapped her arms around Godric’s arm, searching his face for the faintest hint of deception.

He kissed her forehead. “Trust me, sweetheart. She’s nothing to me. There’s only you.” To his astonishment, he meant it. For him there was only Emily. Only her laugh, her smile, her sunny daydreams and her fierce passion. Everything beyond her was inconsequential, irrelevant.

Emily didn’t relax. She was innocent, but she was not without her natural feminine instincts to defend and protect what was hers. Godric, at least for now, was most certainly hers. If Miss Mirabeau decided to declare war over him, Emily would prove herself to be a dangerous foe. The grim determination in her face warmed him. He held her more tightly against him.

Ashton’s brows drew together. “You said she thought you’d invited her?”

“Yes. She showed me a letter she’d received. It certainly looked like my handwriting. She claimed someone must have played a prank on her.”

Ashton’s frown deepened. “Perhaps. But the timing could not be more suspicious. We’d best be on guard for mischief.”

Charles nodded. “I agree. Evangeline is an ungrateful little—”

Lucien stamped on Charles’s foot to silence him.

“When is dinner?” Emily asked Godric, still leaning into him.

“In a few hours, I imagine. Why?”

“Might I have a bath? I didn’t have a chance this morning.” She squeezed his arm.

Godric’s lips twitched in a smile.

“Of course, I’m sorry I forgot. Come with me.” He walked her out of the drawing room, leaving behind four men who knew far more about her personal life than was proper. But nothing about the League was proper, and that was the way it should be.

Emily had calmed down after the scare of Evangeline’s unexpected arrival before they reached the stairs, but her relief was short-lived. A door at the far end of the hall opened. Godric’s arm tightened beneath her grasp.

“Ah
bonsoir
, Godric!” The most attractive woman Emily had ever seen walked down the hall. She was radiant with her salmon-toned gown, large breasts and wide hips. Blonde ringlets danced down her back in perfect proportions.

Emily’s chest tightened. She expected Godric to have taken a gorgeous woman as his lover, but to see this Aphrodite in the flesh was too much to bear. By comparison, she was young and inexperienced. She could never match Evangeline in looks or mimic that lusty gaze or sway of hips. To Emily’s mortification, she realized she was no competition. If Godric wanted a real woman he could take Evangeline back without question.

Godric frowned, clearly uncomfortable with the required introduction. “Return to your room at once.” The sharp tone in his voice made both women flinch.

“But, Godric…” Evangeline began in a breathy lilting French accent.

Emily was thankful she didn’t have to exchange pleasantries with this woman. She wanted to toss her out the nearest window, preferably one overlooking a prickly rose bush. That would mar her perfect complexion nicely.

Evangeline put a well manicured hand on his arm. “I was about to seek some entertainment. Godric, are you sure you will not join me?”

Godric slid his other arm under Emily. “I have matters to attend to. My other guests are in the drawing room. I suggest you seek their company.” There was a command rippling out of those words. A command Evangeline ignored.

“You would not throw me to those wolves you call friends?”

Emily almost growled. “Wolves? Those four men downstairs are some of the most generous and charitable men in all of England. Don’t dare insult them.” Emily delivered her speech with such venom she hoped Evangeline would wither on the spot. Instead, she laughed.

“I speak in jest.” The gleam in her eyes belied her words. She turned to Godric again. “Wherever did you find such a charmingly naïve creature, Godric? Children can be so sweet when they misunderstand things.”

Child? Resentment tore through Emily’s insides. Had Godric not been standing there, she might have done something truly childish…such as pull the woman’s hair out, ringlet by blasted ringlet.

Godric rescued Emily from any further embarrassment. “You must excuse us.” As rescues went it felt more like a cowardly retreat.

Alone in the safety of her room, Emily pulled away from him.

“Why didn’t you defend me? Why didn’t you…do something?” Emily fought off the urge to shout at him. His lack of action felt like a betrayal.

Godric sat at the edge of her bed while she paced. “I wanted more than anything to take you in my arms and kiss you senseless, prove you were my woman.”

Emily’s blood heated at the thought. “Then why didn’t you?”

Godric seemed bemused. “Because she can be jealous and when she is people get hurt, my dear.”

“Are you saying you want to protect me?” This was amusing coming from the man who’d destroyed her reputation.

Godric’s lips twitched but he continued. “I don’t want her to go to the magistrate and tell him I’ve been secretly keeping you. Not before I visit your uncle once more. It could bring Blankenship back down on our heads.”

“Surely she doesn’t know why I’m here.”

“At the moment, no, but she is clever and might guess. It would be best for you to avoid her.”

She knew it was risky bringing up the truth of her feelings, but she did so anyway. “Godric, I no longer care about my reputation. I care about you.”

Godric’s arms curled around her waist. Emily surrendered, leaning back against him. He kissed her neck lightly, teasingly.

“You really mean that?” His breath stirred her hair.

“Yes. I don’t care what she thinks about me.”

He spun her around in his arms and leaned his head down, touching his forehead to hers. “No, little vixen—I meant, did you mean that you care about me?”

“Of course I care for you.” Emily’s cheeks heated. She’d admitted it once, when half asleep, but now was different. She wasn’t blinded by passion. This was her heart, exposed and aching for him to return her love.

Godric’s hands settled on her lower back, pushing her tighter to him. He kissed the corner of her mouth, and then the tip of her nose, then her chin.

“Do you love me, Emily?” He clenched her harder, the pleasure of his touch making her lightheaded with desire.

“I…”

“Answer my question.” It was a sensual rumble, not a command.

Emily shivered. “Yes. Yes, I love you!”

Sweet amusement shown in Godric’s emerald eyes. He was a sorcerer, casting love spells over her heart, stealing her soul with honeyed kisses and whispered dreams.

He lifted her chin and fixed his eyes on her. “Then rest easy. So long as you love me, you need not worry about any other woman. Do you understand?”

“I understand.” But she didn’t. He hadn’t said he loved her, but he’d promised to be faithful so long as she loved him… What on earth did that mean? Could she trust the word of a rake?

Godric released her and started towards the door. “I’ll send Libba up to prepare your bath.”

“Godric…” Emily shouldn’t have spoken. She’d set herself up for disappointment. He paused, hand resting on the door handle. He looked back at her.

“Do you love me?” God, she sounded pitiful.

The sweet, pleased expression which had rested so comfortably on his face withered. “Emily…” Her name escaped his lips in a heartrending sigh. “For me, it is not an easy question.”

I must not cry… I will not cry
. She tried to remind herself that this was the man who had abducted her and seduced her. She focused on these darker memories, or else the pain in her heart would surely strangle the very breath from her body.

“You demand an answer from me, but cannot answer in kind?” When he didn’t reply, she threw herself against him, kissing him. Emily curled her fingers into his cravat, pulling him down so she could better reach his mouth.

Pinning him against the door, she plundered his startled mouth. It hurt that he didn’t love her, but she couldn’t help loving him. Come what may, she truly, deeply loved Godric St. Laurent.

Emily broke the kiss and turned away, putting distance between them. The floorboards creaked as he took a step towards her, but came no further. Emily’s head fell, her eyes fixed on a spot on the floor, and she waited for him to say or do something.

“I…I care for you, very much.” And then he was gone, taking her heart with him. She knew with painful certainty she could never get it back.

Chapter Fourteen

Dinner that night was a far more formal affair than any other since Emily’s abduction. Prior to Evangeline’s arrival, all propriety and formality had been banished where the five lords were concerned. Now they observed every single point of etiquette, even though Evangeline wasn’t present. Libba had told Emily that Godric had ordered his former mistress to take her meals in her room. That, at least, gave Emily a tiny sense of comfort, knowing that Godric wouldn’t allow her to dine with them.

He sat at the head of the table with Emily directly to his right. The rest of the men ranged down on either side according to titled order. Well turned out, each gentlemen wore black knee breeches and well-tailored black coats. Emily wore an ice blue silk gown overlaid with a layer of silver netting. Pale stars were embroidered on her matching slippers and pearls threaded her hair like frozen dewdrops. She couldn’t believe the results Libba had wrought. She’d never looked so beautiful, never felt so beautiful before. The butterfly comb was nestled amidst the pearls in her hair. Godric’s eyes had flashed when he’d come to escort her to dinner. A proud smile had crossed his lips, which made Emily smile.

Conversation hummed all about the table as they dined on roasted pheasant and carp. The finest Wedgewood was used and the best bottle of Bordeaux filled their glasses.

Emily had Godric and Charles as her partners for table conversation. Godric said little, his eyes lingering on her only briefly before they danced along the table to the other guests.

Charles however was in his element as he regaled Emily with humorous tales of other adventures. He set his fork down and reached for a glass of wine. “Have you visited Vauxhall Gardens yet?”