Bad Kitty (12 page)

Epilogue

“It’s quite all right, my dear,” Bram said as he urged Kitty through the door of the Ashcroft estate.

Kitty gulped as every guest in the room turned to look at them.

“Hold your head high,” Bram whispered in her ear. “There are few in this room of your station. And fewer still who can touch our wealth.”

But Kitty took little comfort in that. She had known these ladies and gentlemen all her life. Being a duchess did not change the fact she had been forced to marry. She reminded herself that it should not matter. Not to her, anyway. She loved her husband. In truth, she had loved him before she had married him.

She lifted her chin and nodded to Lord and Lady Ashcroft as Bram escorted her into the ballroom. “Good evening,” she said and allowed Lord Ashcroft to kiss the back of her gloved hand.

The banter started up again and Kitty was relieved that the curiosity she and Bram caused had abated. At least for now. The scent of mulled wines and delectable pastries filled the room. Cheerful music wafted from the violin quartet in the corner.

Kitty flashed a smile of relief at Bram.

“Whitfield!” a man’s voice boomed from across the room.

“Darling, will you be so good as to excuse me? I’ll only be a moment.”

Kitty trembled at the thought of him leaving her side but she forced a nod. As soon as Bram walked away, Kitty moved to the refreshment table and took a glass of wine from one of the servants.

“Your Grace, how lovely to see you here tonight.”

At first, Kitty did not realize the salutation had been directed at her.

“Your Grace?”

“Oh!” Kitty exclaimed, turning. But when she saw who had made the address, her blood ran cold.

It was the Duchess of Blakemore—and she looked as stunning as ever.

“Your…Grace,” Kitty stammered.

The duchess’s lips stretched into a smile that did not reach her eyes. “May I speak to you? In private?”

“Of-of course.” Kitty shot a glance to her husband’s back as the duchess guided her toward the veranda. Surely the woman only wanted to congratulate her on her recent nuptials. Still, Kitty’s pulse pounded.

Once they were outside, the duchess’s eyes flashed. “Who do you think you are? We all know you entrapped him!”

Kitty swallowed thickly but anger simmered in her veins. She parted her lips to speak but the duchess hardly gave her a chance.

“You do realize that he will continue to be
my
lover, despite the fact that you wear his ring?”

“I— Bram loves me.”

“Loves you?” she said with a laugh and then the duchess’s eyes narrowed into menacing slits. “That conniving bitch. I paid her well to make certain no one got to him.”

This time, Kitty was smart enough to remain silent. She could glean far more by acting unintelligent than by divulging information.

The duchess snorted indelicately. “Loves you?” she asked again. “Do you really believe a man like Bram Barclay is capable of love?”

“Yes,” Kitty replied simply.

“Lydia,” Bram called as he stepped onto the veranda.

Kitty’s shoulders sagged as she let out a bit of the tension she had been holding.

Bram continued. “I assume the
conniving bitch
would be one of my servants.”

Trembling, the duchess whirled on Bram. She crossed her arms over her chest and flipped her head so that one inky tendril wisped away from her forehead.

Kitty stared, her gaze darting between the two of them. Had perhaps Alice been a spy placed in Bram’s house by the duchess? Kitty’s lips parted.

“I’ve known for quite some time of Mrs. Bush’s disloyalty,” Bram said as he moved around Kitty and slipped his arm about her waist.

Mrs. Bush! The snide remarks. The fact she had assigned Kitty to the kitchen despite Bram’s request. Mrs. Bush was a spy for the duchess.

“Bram, don’t be ridiculous,” the duchess said in a blatant attempt to cover her folly.

“It is
you
who is being ridiculous, Lydia,” Bram said.

The duchess smirked. “Don’t think I won’t go to that gossip columnist, Allenby, with everything I know about you, Bram Barclay.”

Bram laughed heartily and Kitty had to fight to suppress a snicker.

The duchess’s face grew redder by the second and then she spun and stalked back into the Ashcrofts’ ballroom.

Bram turned to Kitty and lifted her chin with his index finger. Kitty gazed into his eyes.

“You have stolen my heart,” he said, his eyes warming and chasing away any memories she had of him with the Duchess of Blakemore.

Kitty’s insides tightened as they did every time he looked at her with such love and adoration in his eyes. He slanted his head down and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips. How could he be so tender at times and in such total control of her pleasure at others? Her head swam with sudden desire.

“It appears as if you have your first unpleasant task tomorrow as mistress of our estate,” he said as he brushed his thumb along her earlobe.

“Unpleasant?” Kitty asked.

Bram’s sensuous mouth drew into a smile. “On the other hand, you might enjoy terminating Mrs. Bush.”

“Most assuredly,” Kitty told him.

The laughter left his eyes and he drew in a sharp breath as he took her hand and pressed it to the bulge in his breeches. “Half an hour. Mingle with Lady Ashcroft’s guests and then meet me in the garden.”

Kitty’s nipples tightened underneath her chemise. Warmth spiraled downward and pulsed between her legs. The thought of him bending her over and taking her behind the shrubbery made her want him right now. “Half an hour?”

“Do not be tardy,” he warned. “Not even a minute—or I will most certainly punish you.”

Kitty smiled. “Yes,
Master
.”

About the Author

Growing up in the south, where the air is thick with stories steeped in legend and truth, Debra came by her love of romance novels honestly. Well…sort of. At an early age, she pilfered from her grandmother’s extensive library and has been a fan of the genre since.

A full-time freelance writer, Debra especially enjoys combining history, mystery and a touch of taboo to weave stories with unforgettable, haunted heroes.

She lives in Alabama with her sexy real life hero, a couple of smart-aleck ghosts and a diabolical black cat.

The author welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

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