A Dangerous Courtship (23 page)

Veronica nodded, her heart banging a rapid beat in her breast. "Yes, Julian," she breathed, totally honest now, knowing she could never be anything but honest with this man. "Th-there was one time when I felt such stirring of emotions. Recently, as a matter of fact."

"Oh?" he murmured, gazing deeply into her eyes, so deeply that Veronica felt as though they were becoming one being. "When was that?" he urged, though she guessed he knew the answer.

"At Fountains. And at the inn in Ripon. I felt such feelings then."

Julian leaned forward in his chair, reaching out with one hand and touching the underside of Veronica's chin with the crook of his forefinger. "Ah, my lady," he whispered, "I felt the same. For whatever it is worth to you... I felt the same."

He opened his palm, gently sliding his hand back, his fingers softly caressing her jawline, then the shell of her ear. Veronica closed her eyes, pressing her face against his wrist, a soft breath escaping her as he moved his hand to gently caress the side of her neck. Incredible sensations filled her. His hand was rough and warm, just as she remembered it, and though scandalous it was for a lady to be allowing her employee, or any man not her intended, to touch her so intimately, Veronica did not care.

Whatever Julian truly was—guard, riverkeep, or some dangerous stranger who lived life on a sword's edge—Veronica knew deep, deep in her soul that here was a man she could trust... with her life, with her heart.

Slowly, she lifted her lashes, not at all surprised to see his face very close to her own. "Julian," she whispered, his name a caress.

He curved his hand against the back of her neck, his fingers smoothing into the upsweep of her hair. "I want to kiss you, Veronica. I wanted to do so that night at the inn, and every mile we travelled back to London."

"Oh, Julian..."

"So if my lady has other orders for her guard," he murmured, his gaze smoky with desire, "she'd best give them now."

Veronica smiled tremulously, lifting one hand and gently tracing a trembling finger over his lower lip. "No other orders, Julian," she whispered, moving her finger to the tender cut of his top lip.

He smiled, then lifted his other hand, covering hers and pressing a kiss to the pad of her finger. "You are so soft," he murmured against her forefinger, "so beautiful." He lifted his gaze, drawing her to him with a gentle pressure at the back of her neck.

Veronica let him, her eyes drifting half shut as he whispered a series of soft kisses over her mouth, teasing each corner of her lips, his close-cropped beard feeling wonderfully rough against her skin.

She waited for him to ravish her mouth with a deep, long kiss as he had done at Fountains. She wanted him to do so. Shockingly enough, she wanted to feel him inside her, to have him pull her body to his in a tight, heated embrace. But he did not. Somewhere along the road to London her dangerous stranger had become more civilized, and now he was torturing her with tenderness and feathery kisses that held a hint of the fiery passion she knew to be within him.

"My lovely lady," he murmured, "you deserve so much." He kissed her cheek, the bridge of her nose. "You deserve a fine home of your own—one that complements your beauty and does not threaten to swallow it in darkness as this one. Once I decipher the puzzle of the chess piece and note—"

"No," Veronica whispered, arching her neck as he trailed a path of light, lovely kisses to her jaw line. "I do not wish to speak of Rathbone's package."

"But it is what brought you to me."

"Yes, but—but once the mystery is solved, you... you will leave. You will have no reason to watch over me."

"A riverkeep turned guard has no place in your life, Veronica." He lowered his head, dropping a trail of heated kisses down the long column of her throat.

A shower of tingling sensations coursed along Veronica's spine. With shaking hands she reached for him, threading her fingers through his rich, dark hair, afraid he would draw away from her, would leave her altogether. "Please, no more talk, Julian," she whispered. "I-I am not in the mind to talk just now."

He drew back a little, lifting his face to hers. "There are things you must know about me, Veronica, one truth in particular."

Veronica felt the flutterings of fear beginning in the pit of her stomach. She shook her head, afraid to let him continue. "I-I don't want to know what drove you to Fountains, Julian. Please. I... I know that we are from opposing worlds... that you are most likely trying to tell me we have no place in each other's lives. But I don't wish to hear that, Julian. I just... I want you to kiss me. Now. Please. I vow, if you do not do the deed, do not kiss me now as thoroughly as you did at Fountains, Julian, I shall show you how truly shameless I can be and I shall
kiss
you
until your toes curl."

He laughed, a deep, husky sound in the back of his throat. "Ah, Veronica, how I would like that... but, my lovely lady, you will hear what I have to say. I—"

The doors of the library were thrust open at that moment.

Veronica let out a tiny gasp, immediately stiffening and pulling quickly away from Julian's touch, fearing that Simms had come to drag him away with the help of the authorities.

But it wasn't Simms flanked by runners who came into the room, but rather the very enchanting Lady Lily, her smile wide at sight of her sister and seemingly filling the room with a waterfall of light.

"Curses," Julian said lowly to Veronica. "We shall continue this conversation later, yes?"

She nodded as Julian got to his feet, easily reaching to offer her a hand and acting as though they'd merely been discussing the weather and had not been on the verge of making love in the library.

Veronica chanced a glance at him, wondering what his initial reaction would be in the face of Lily's supreme beauty. But much to Julian's credit, and to Veronica's vast relief, he did not go slack jawed as every other gentleman in Town had done. He merely smiled warmly at Lily and sketched a deep bow.

"You've company," said Lily, pausing at the threshold. "Do forgive me for barging in unannounced, Ronnie. I was just so excited to hear you'd returned home that I raced in here like a ninny."

"Hello, Lily. No, do not turn and leave. Come in, come in. There is nothing to forgive, you goose." Veronica turned to Julian to make introductions. "Julian, my sister, Lady Lily. Lily, this is Julian. He, uh, helped escort me home from Yorkshire."

Lily did not find that information at all suspicious or alarming, nor did she cast any judgment whatsoever on Julian, his dress, or the marks of his beating. She was truly delighted to meet him. "Hullo, sir."

"My lady," Julian said, inclining his dark head.

"I vow, sir," Lily replied, "it has been an age and longer since I have seen my sister looking so bright eyed, and even after her long journey home! I suspect your company agrees with her."

Julian smiled, lifting one brow as he glanced at Veronica. "That is my deepest hope," he replied, a softness in his gaze meant solely for Veronica.

Veronica tingled beneath it. She stepped away from him, moving to fully greet her sister. "Give me a hug, you goose. I have missed you so." She held her sister close, giving her a gentle squeeze, then moving back a pace. "You appear rather bright eyed yourself, Lil. I can see you've something to tell me."

"Yes, indeed!" enthused the beautiful Lily.

Veronica laughed, motioning for Lily to have a seat and tell all.

Garbed in a new white day dress, she looked every inch enchanting. Her baby-fine blond hair, so pale as to be almost white, was caught up in a loose bun, several wisps of which had spilled free and now framed her heart-shaped and very pleasing face. She had an aura of gentle, angelic peace about her that not even dreary Wrothram House could dispel.

Veronica watched as her sister, willow wand slim and moving with the grace of a swan, headed toward the chairs. She settled in one, Veronica in the other, and Julian, at Veronica's insistence, sat down in the chair he'd just vacated.

Lily smoothed a strand of hair from her brow, saying, "Actually, Ronnie, there are two bits of news to share—one is not totally pleasant, and the other is... a secret," she said, sending her sister a dazzling smile.

"A secret?" repeated Veronica, casting a glance at Julian, and then at the chess piece and note. "Let us have the other news first, then. Somehow I grow weary of secrets."

"Oh," said Lily, puzzled, and then, with a shake of her head, not even considering to press about what secret her sister could mean, she continued. "The first news came from Lady Jersey, who heard just this morning from Mr. Heath, who'd been summering in Bath, just as Papa has been, and, oh," she said all in a tumble of words, "I'll shall just out with it: Papa is on his way
home,
Ronnie. Mr. Heath says he should be here today or perhaps this evening."

Veronica went perfectly still, dread washing through her. She had hoped the earl would stay away for the entire summer, had hoped he might not return at all—though that last thought was cruel, she knew. No matter. It was how she felt. She did not wish to face her father, especially on the heels of her sojourn to Yorkshire and Simms's grim greeting of Julian. Doubtless the old butler would bend the earl's ear about his youngest daughter's travels and the man she'd brought into his house.

Veronica trembled as all of these thoughts tumbled through her mind. Julian, clearly noticing, reached out, touched her hand briefly with his own warm, strong one, and told her, with that simple gesture and the understanding in his black eyes, that he would stand beside her if she would but ask when the time came to greet her father.

Veronica gave him a small, tremulous smile. Then she turned her attention back to her sister, who was still speaking, oblivious to the silent communication between Veronica and Julian.

"... and so, knowing Papa most likely will not want me out and about on his first evening home, I am hoping you will promise me that we can hurry and be off before he arrives. I do so want to attend Lord and Lady Mountford's soiree this evening—oh, I
must
attend, really, because, dear Ronnie,
that
is when I shall reveal to you my secret!"

Veronica tried to hurry and catch her brain up with what her sister was saying. "Lily, goose, slow down. What secret?"

"I have
met
someone, Ronnie."

"Who?
When?" Ve
ronica asked, fearing the answers. "Did Sid introduce you, perhaps?"

"No, no, Lady Jersey introduced us, Ronnie. She asked me to dine with her the very day you left for Yorkshire and—oh," she gasped, suddenly embarrassed, "how
was
your journey, Ronnie? How rude of me not to inquire."

"It—it was fine, Lily," Veronica said, looking quickly at Julian, who seemed to take no umbrage at that less-than-apt description. To Lily, she asked, "And this person's name?"

Lily shook her head, smiled, and placed one finger against her own lips.
"That
is my secret—or rather,
part
of the secret. You will meet him this evening, at the soiree. So you see, you
must
say you will come tonight. I know that you must be exhausted from your travels, but, oh, Ronnie, I—I am so very excited about this night. And I
must
have my sister with me. Tonight of all nights."

Veronica did not like the sound of this. She could only imagine whom Lady Jersey thought appropriate to introduce to Lily.

"So we shall go there together, yes?" said Lily, getting to her feet, her blue eyes alight with delight. She leaned down, dropped a kiss to each of Veronica's cheeks, stood, and then, sending one of her thoroughly disarming smiles Julian's way, said, "Well, that is what I dashed in here to say. I shall leave you two alone—though I must say, Simms is prowling about and looking more terrifying than usual. He did brighten at the news of Papa's imminent return, however. It was very nice to have met you, Mr. Julian. I shall be in my chamber, Ronnie, getting ready for this evening. Do come talk with me."

With that, Lily headed out of the library, seeming to float over the floor, so buoyed was she by her "secret."

"Blast," muttered Veronica, standing up. "I do not like the sounds of all of this. It appears I shall have to go to this soiree and meet this 'secret' of Lily's."

Julian had risen, too, and was scooping up the chess piece, note, and sheepskin.

Veronica frowned. "Julian? What are you planning? I can see by the set of your chin that you've got some rig in motion."

"Once and for all I am going to solve the mystery of Rathbone's delivery."

"Julian,
no.
You—you cannot confront Lord Rathbone!"

"Oh? And why not?"

"For one, just look at you! You've the stamp of a ruffian with that swelled eye and cut lip, and
your clothes.
.. you... you will never be allowed to get past the man's front steps! Doubtless his servants will summon for the runners at just the sight of you!"

"I believe I know of a way to gain entry," he said, the look on his face dark and foreboding.

Veronica knew an instant fear. "Julian, do not say you would steal your way inside the man's house!"

"I didn't say that, Veronica."

"You didn't
have
to. 'Tis clear to me you've decided to take a dangerous path, but I-I forbid it! I'll not have you risking imprisonment. Please, Julian. Let Sidney deliver that odious bundle." She watched as he re-wrapped the note, now inside the chess piece, with the sheepskin. Veronica moved directly beside him, her tone nearing hysteria. "Julian, you—you don't have to involve yourself in this mess. You have been too generous with your time already. I could not bear to see you get hurt or—or hauled away by the authorities, not now... now that we... that I.... What I mean to say is... Drat, Julian, are you even
listening
to me?"