Lady gambit, p.18
Lady Gambit, page 18
“I’m Delphine Chance,” she said, because she would probably be dead or working in a backstreet brothel had Aaron not come to her rescue. “Never forget it.” She paused, allowing the force of those words to penetrate his steely reserve. “That said, some things have changed.”
“Oh?” Every muscle in his face tensed.
“When I return to Fortune’s Den, I mean to purchase a membership to The Burnished Jade. I would like to visit Miss Lovelace’s club. I like her.” There was no question Aaron secretly liked her, too. “I think we could be friends.”
She should have chuckled at that, but she looked around the pretty pink bedchamber and knew it would break her heart to leave Mile End.
Who knew what would happen with Dorian? Would this be a whirlwind affair? Two people seeking comfort during a difficult time? While the past was no longer a complete blur, the future was an utter mystery.
Aaron clicked his tongue. “You’d be bored within an hour. You detest dull conversations.”
“I spend a ridiculous amount of time tidying my armoire. It’s the epitome of dull.” Though now she understood the thrill of a passionate affair. She knew what it was to love a man desperately. Dorian had awakened a hunger inside her, an insatiable zest for life.
“I imagine it’s a damn sight more interesting than the mindless activities that take place at The Burnished Jade,” he said.
Aaron spent a lot of time staring at the club. He fought against his admiration for the proprietor with the strength of a heathen army.
“Miss Lovelace is versatile and caters to all her members’ needs. She led a discussion on Marcus Aurelius’ stoicism. The ladies received lessons in the art of self-defence in case they encounter footpads.”
Aaron scoffed. “Next, she’ll be wearing trousers, smoking cheroots and lobbying parliament.”
“Miss Lovelace is all alone in the world. She has no choice but to be strong and independent. Make no mistake. She is every bit a woman.”
A muscle in Aaron’s cheek twitched. He’d either developed a tic or was busy imagining the lady’s feminine attributes. It was undoubtedly the latter because he was quick to change the subject.
“I want you to come home today.” He sat back in the chair, relaxing a little while she strived to ignore the heaviness in her chest. “Theo is much improved and needs to keep busy before he wastes away in that damned bed.”
He was right. They could not remain at Mile End forever, and Theo’s recovery was paramount.
But to leave Dorian?
To not feel his presence all around her?
It would break her heart in two.
“We’re still no closer to finding the person who shot him,” she said, trying to sound practical, not desperate. They needed to locate Nora Adkins and the mysterious Tobias Trigg. Gather evidence from Mr Powell before tackling the wicked Mrs Haggert. “We’re safe here. At least for the time being.”
“Damn it all, Delphine. I’ve spent my life taking care of you. I don’t need other men fighting my battles. Daventry and Flynn can go to hell.”
“Yet Mr Daventry is the one who discovered my true identity. Mr Flynn has helped me unlock hidden memories. That’s how we know Mrs Haggert lied.” They were close to finding the answers she craved. She could feel it in her bones. And to spend one more night with Dorian would be a dream beyond measure. “A day or two is all we need. Then I shall return home. I give you my word.”
Aaron’s intense gaze searched her face. “Very well. You’ll come home tomorrow, though you’ll not visit Mrs Haggert without me.” His expression hardened. “I’ll make that wretch pay for her vicious lies.”
A vision of Mrs Haggert burst into her mind, a firm hand dragging her from the shrubbery in Green Park. Did she know Oscar and Sofia Chadwick? Was she responsible for their demise?
“Did Mr Daventry tell you the tragic tale of my parents?”
She remembered little after the man’s grand revelation. It was as if her mind had shut down to protect her from the heartache.
Aaron frowned. “Flynn told me when I arrived. He sent for me because you were inconsolable. I suppose I should be grateful for that. Perhaps your mother died—”
“Stop! I’m not ready to hear how they perished.” There was no telling if the story was true, and she wanted to live with the image of a happy family, just for a while longer.
Giving a curt nod, Aaron stood. “I imagine Flynn will be glad to have the house to himself. I’m told he’s days away from announcing his betrothal to the Marquess of Bexley’s by-blow.”
The remark hit her like a punch to the gut.
She tried to smile, but jealousy had her in its talon-like grip. “Yes, I saw Miss Montague the other day. She’s everything a man could want in a woman. Beautiful. Intelligent. Wealthy.”
The corners of Aaron’s mouth curled in disgust. “I pity Flynn. Who wants to be shackled to an insipid creature for the rest of his days? I took him for a man with more sense.”
“One cannot help who they fall in love with.” Though she was quite certain Dorian did not love Miss Montague.
“Love? His father has no legitimate heir. Bexley has the King’s ear. No doubt Flynn will find himself with a title. The nobility bend the rules to protect their own.” Aaron’s diatribe against the aristocracy did not stop there, but she became lost in thoughts of Dorian.
There was one thing worse than neglect.
Being exploited by a selfish parent.
Keen to make a hasty retreat, she pulled back the bedclothes and stood. “On the subject of Mr Flynn, I should find him and apologise for spoiling the plans today.”
Her skirts were creased. Her hair was a tangle of knots. But it didn’t matter. The need to see Dorian was like the magnetic pull of a compass seeking its true north. It wasn’t their failure to visit Bethlem that left her dejected, but the hour they’d hoped to spend alone in his quaint bedchamber above the Old Swan.
“Flynn isn’t here,” Aaron said. “He left when I arrived.”
“Oh?” She tried not to look deflated.
“The mesmerist gave him an address for a man named Trigg. He went with Gibbs to see what he could learn about the strange fellow.”
She smiled, though the needle on her inner compass would shake erratically until Dorian walked through the door. “While I wait, I shall hunt out Mrs Maloney and beg for a piece of apple pie. I might look through Nora Adkins’ file and see if we missed anything.”
“I’ll help you. You know I hate feeling useless.”
The offer chased away the chill of disappointment. Having Aaron’s undivided attention was a gift in itself. “Are you sure? It must be getting late.”
“Aramis is opening the club tonight. Flynn insisted I remain here in his absence.”
She crossed the room and threaded her arm through his. “I have a better plan. I’ll steal the whole pie and hide in Mr Flynn’s study. You find the cream and the cutlery and meet me there.”
Amusement flashed in his eyes. “You recall what happened when we crept into the kitchen and stole Mrs Maloney’s bread pudding?”
“She made us eat every morsel. You cast up your accounts in a bucket.” It should be a horrid memory, but she had felt so close to Aaron while they’d paid their penance. “This time, we have a weapon in our arsenal.”
“We do?”
“Yes, Mrs Maloney would pardon the devil for a bottle of Garvey’s sherry.”
It was approaching midnight when Dorian returned to Mile End. After visiting Seven Dials and Bethlem Hospital, he’d stopped at the Old Swan to settle his weekly account with the landlord. Then he’d climbed the stairs to his chamber to collect a few papers and had a brief rest on the bed.
He’d done more than rest—he’d reminisced. Like a lovesick fool, he’d inhaled the traces of Delphine’s perfume on his pillow, captivated by her alluring scent.
Watching her collapse to the carriage floor had roused the devil in him. The need to end her suffering had him tearing around town, determined to find the bastard with the ruby stick.
He had found Tobias Trigg.
Buried six feet under in Cripplegate Churchyard.
His home for the last sixteen years.
Someone had stabbed the mesmerist through the heart and stolen his precious walking cane. All within walking distance of Mrs Haggert’s den of thieves in Monmouth Court.
In a fit of frustration, Dorian headed to Bethlem to throttle the truth from the Superintendent only to find the halfwit had gone home. So, he took advantage of Dr Collins’ affable nature and stole the visitors’ book while sending him on a false errand.
Indeed, he clutched the book as he stepped down from the vehicle and surveyed his home. But for the faint glow of candlelight in the study window, Mile End stood in darkness.
A pang of excitement led to lustful musings as he pictured Delphine sitting on his desk. He’d enter the room, throw the book on the chair and kiss her like there was no tomorrow.
“Do you need to go out again, Mr Flynn?”
Gibbs’ question broke his reverie.
“Not tonight.”
He needed to drive deep into the body of the woman he loved. Then he remembered Aaron Chance was visiting. Hellfire! The Chance brothers were probably up playing cards and knocking back Dorian’s best brandy.
There was no sign of Theo Chance when Dorian entered his study. Aaron sat perched behind the desk, sifting through a pile of papers. The room smelled of cinnamon and cooked apples, not liquor.
Aaron finished reading something before raising his gaze. “While you were away, we’ve been studying the notes on Nora Adkins.” With a sigh, he gestured to the wad of illegible scribblings. “There’s nothing here, only evidence to prove a case of neglect. Though I suspect some documents are missing.”
Dorian noted Delphine’s absence but said nothing. “I had some success tonight.” He prayed his luck wasn’t over. “Tobias Trigg is dead. He was murdered sixteen years ago in Seven Dials.”
He relayed the evidence in the order it had unfolded, the gossip from two shopkeepers, the epitaph on the tombstone, confirmation from an old sergeant at Bow Street.
“I’ll wager Mrs Haggert got rid of him,” Aaron said.
“It would seem that way. No one was ever charged with the crime.”
“Mrs Haggert knows how to cover her tracks.”
Dorian might have mentioned what he’d noticed in the visitors’ book he’d stolen from Bethlem, but he’d not give Aaron a reason to remain at Mile End. “We plan to question the hag tomorrow, though I doubt we’ll get a confession.”
Aaron stood abruptly. “Theo and Delphine are grateful for your hospitality but will return to Fortune’s Den tomorrow.”
“So soon?” Did his tone betray the heavy ache in his chest? Did his stance mirror the sudden turbulence he felt at the thought of Delphine leaving?
“It’s not healthy for Theo to lounge in bed. And I insist on being present when you question Mrs Haggert.” Aaron’s stone-like expression said he would not be denied. “I almost died because of that evil witch. I intend to look her in the eye and call her a liar.”
Dorian shifted uneasily. “There’s still so much we don’t know.”
He needed to call on Meldrum. The lord rarely set foot in the hospital. That changed three weeks ago when he began visiting daily.
“Meldrum is hiding something.”
Aaron nodded. “He wants to elope with Delphine.”
“Elope?” Dorian swallowed to quell his rising anger.
“I received his letter earlier today. He’s persistent, which is a surprising quality in a coward. Daventry thinks we should use Delphine to trap the lord. To discover what he’s hiding.”
“Good God! Tell me you refused.”
“I told Daventry what he could do with his plan.”
The rush of relief was almost euphoric. “We’ll discuss what to do with Meldrum once we’ve learned more from Mrs Haggert.”
“Agreed.”
The hall clock chimed the midnight hour.
A stark reminder it was too late for him to wake Delphine.
“Well, there’s much to do tomorrow,” Dorian continued, prompting Aaron to leave. “We should retire if we’re to make an early start in the morning.”
Aaron looked at him like only children and the infirm needed sleep. “I shall rouse my coachman and leave you in peace.”
“You’re welcome to stay the night.” He groaned inwardly as the words left his lips. He wanted rid of the Chance brothers. If Delphine was leaving in the morning, he hoped to catch her alone before breakfast. “Mrs James has prepared a room.”
Aaron snorted. “Aramis enjoys wrestling with reprobates. I should return to Fortune’s Den before he murders everyone in the club.”
They arranged a time to meet tomorrow, and Aaron left.
Dorian remained in his study, his conscience preventing him from rousing Delphine. He relaxed on the chaise, wishing he was lying amid a mass of clothes on the orangery floor, the raven-haired beauty straddling his lap. He downed a glass of port, wishing it was champagne and Delphine was a little tipsy.
All was quiet in the house when he finally mounted the stairs to his chamber. Although he told himself solitude was the thing he coveted most, there was a reason he kept a room in a rowdy tavern. He simply chose not to acknowledge that all men needed company to some degree.
It was dark in his chamber, but seconds after he’d closed the door, he caught a whiff of a familiar scent. Delphine’s exotic perfume assaulted his senses as he moved deeper into the vast room.
The sinful rogue inside him grinned.
He peered into the blackness. Where was she?
Keen to play the game, he checked behind the dressing screen and started stripping off his clothes. She wasn’t hiding behind the curtains nor crouched in his armoire. The enchantress was already in his bed.
He moved closer, his cock a persistent ache in his trousers.
For a moment, he thought she was sleeping. Her hair was splayed over his pillow, her breathing slow and deep. He peeled back the bedcovers to find she was naked.
Mother of all saints!
The sight of her creamy skin left him ravenous.
Despite his obvious cockstand, he slipped into bed beside her and came up on his elbow, unable to do anything but stare. He liked the feeling of having her close. A warm welcome after a gruelling day. Someone who needed him as desperately as he needed her.
Tentatively, he reached to brush her hair from her brow.
Did she know she was leaving in the morning?
She opened her eyes, her smile hitting him deep in the pit of his stomach. “I missed you tonight.” Her breath fanned his face like a prelude to a kiss. “I couldn’t wait until the morning to see you.”
The words pierced his soul.
He’d suffer a thousand lonely days just to feel the power of their undeniable bond. “You’re all I’ve thought about tonight. The fact you’re here, naked in my bed, is a gift beyond measure.”
Her palm settled on his cheek. “I know we risk everything, but I need you, Dorian. I need you to kiss me and chase away the ghosts. I need you to hold me, make love to me.”
“Love, your brother is asleep three doors down the hall.”
She touched his bare chest, her hand sliding over the muscles in his abdomen to caress his hard cock. “He won’t hear us.”
A growl of approval left him as fast as his restraint. “God help me, you know how to tempt a man.” He closed his eyes against the pleasure of her touch and the womanly scent that said she was equally aroused.
“I’ve not had to try too hard.” Her fingers moulded around his shaft, and she pumped him in slow, teasing strokes. “It’s pretty evident you want me.”
“Want you?” He trailed his fingers over the curve of her hip. “I can’t keep my damn hands off you, but we must be quiet. I’ll need to move slowly.”
“I just need you inside me.”
“Let me see to your pleasure first.”
“No.” Her hand moved from his shaft to his waist, and she was parting her legs and dragging him on top of her sumptuous body. “I’m so empty without you. I’ve longed for this moment all day. Hurry.”
The need to ease the ache, to feel her hugging his cock as he buried himself balls’ deep, made him lose his head. He forgot where they were, that he had guests in the house, that they were unmarried, and he’d likely swing from the nearest bough if caught.
He forgot everything as he eased slowly into her, everything but how wet and warm and tight she was, everything except the urge to pound like a madman and the need to make her come apart beneath him.
“I’m so damn hard tonight,” he growled. “I’m not hurting you?”
“No. It’s divine.”
She gripped his back, her fingers settling over his scars, making them the focus of his pleasure, not his pain. She raised her hips, encouraging him to banish thoughts of the past and push deep into the only place that felt like home.
“Oh, Dorian. I knew we were made for each other the moment I saw you. My life changed the moment you touched me.”
By God, he was touching her now. He closed his eyes against the feel of her hot flesh hugging him like a glove. “Do you know how badly I want you? For days, all I could think about was tearing that gold gown off your shoulders and setting my mouth to your soft skin.”
He’d taken himself in hand within an hour of leaving her … her image flooding his mind … her name breezing from his lips like fate’s knowing whisper.
“I slept with your handkerchief.” She sucked in a breath as he plunged into her again. “Even the smell of your cologne left an indelible impression upon my senses.”
Lord! He fought the desire to thrust, to rock into her so fast the bed would creak and take chunks out of the plaster. “Tonight, you’ll sleep with me. We can make love again at dawn. I’ll show you a different position. One that will benefit us both.”
“Show me now.”
“You need to be on top of me.”
With surprising strength, she gripped his hips with her thighs and encouraged him to roll onto his back. He was still buried inside her, still pushing deep, holding her close, fighting against the knowledge she would be gone in the morning.
