His Mistress (19 page)

“It’s quite all right, everyone. I only need clove oil for Mr. Lynsted’s cuts,” she said as she looked at the cook. “Mrs. Shelton, if you could be so kind?”

“Of course, my lady,” the middle-aged woman nodded with a beaming smile as she quickly headed into a room off the kitchen to retrieve the requested item.

“Caldwell, might I trouble you for an oil lamp. I think it would be easier to tend to Mr. Lynsted’s injuries in the breakfast room.

“I believe there’s a lamp there already, my lady. Mary was polishing the silver earlier this evening.” The butler retrieved a small tin of matches from a nearby shelf and headed toward the pantry door.

“Thank you, Caldwell. That will do nicely,” Jane said with a nod then directed a quick look over her shoulder. “Tobias if you’ll go with Caldwell, I’ll be there in just a moment.”

Behind her she heard a soft laugh, but she didn’t turn her head. The man didn’t seem willing to yield to her here anymore than he had at the club. Determination made her straighten her shoulders as she heard Caldwell usher Tobias into the breakfast room.

With clove oil in hand, Jane entered the breakfast room to find Tobias seated at the table and Caldwell adjusting the intensity of the flame in the lamp. Finished with this task, Caldwell looked at Jane.

“Is there anything further you require, my lady?”

“No, thank you, Caldwell. I can manage from here,” Jane said as pulled out a chair beside Tobias with the lamp behind her to ensure his face would be well-lit.

The butler frowned his disapproval as Jane seated herself, but she scowled back with the same intensity. It was bad enough she had to deal with Irene’s interfering nature, she would not accepted similar behavior from her staff, no matter how fond she was of them. Defeated, Caldwell gave her a small nod before he bowed and left the room. Jane pulled a piece of bandage off the roll Mrs. Shelton had given her then opened the bottle of clove oil.

Lightly soaking the bandage with the viscous liquid, she turned toward Tobias who was watching her with amusement. She arched her eyebrow at him, and with a low chuckle he turned his head so she had better access to the cuts on his cheek. Jane tried not to press too hard on the cuts as she applied the medicine.

“You could have lost an eye,” she said with dismay as she peered closely at his eyelid and the corner of his eye.

“But I didn’t,” he murmured with a twist of his lips.

“You were lucky,” Jane snapped as she added more oil to the bandage. “It’s already starting to swell, and these cuts could easily become infected.”

Irritated by his nonchalant manner, she wasn’t paying close enough attention to her task and inadvertently pressed a bit too hard against his face. He sucked in a sharp breath of discomfort, and she shook her head unsympathetically.

“That was unintentional, but not undeserved,” she said sternly. “I do not enjoy seeing you hurt.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” he drawled with amusement then winced again as Jane applied more oil to his face.

“Do
not
mock me, Tobias Lynsted.” Jane jerked off another piece of bandage and soaked it in oil. “As your fiancée, I expect you to take better care of yourself.”

He stiffened slightly beneath her touch, and when he tried to turn his head in her direction, she stopped him by grasping his chin with her fingers to tilt his head away from her. With as gentle a touch as she could, Jane continued to tend to his cuts. His face was already purple on his cheekbone, and while she knew his injuries were mostly superficial, she still ached at the thought of the pain he might have suffered. She gently stroked the abrasion on top of his cheekbone.

“What were you thinking to brawl like a street fighter?” she asked quietly.

“I didn’t set out to do so.” The wry note in his voice made Jane’s fingers grow still in their application of oil to his face.

“What happened?” At her question, his face hardened with fury.

“A woman who works for me was being brutalized by her husband,” he bit out in a voice filled with quiet rage. “I stopped him.”

Jane’s heart swelled with something akin to pride. She’d known Tobias was an honorable man simply based on the work he did for Sir Arthur, but his actions tonight revealed him to be much more. Not only was he a man of high principles, he wouldn’t hesitate to use
more
than his brain to protect those unable to do so for themselves.

“And the woman? Is she all right?” Jane asked as she resumed tending to his cuts.

“Molly will be fine,” he said.

The clipped response made her think something much darker lay beneath the defense of his employee. Tension had thinned his mouth into a straight line, and his muscles were taut beneath her fingertips. With one last dab of oil, she pulled back from him.

“There. I think that will do.”

“Thank you, Jane.” A strong hand grasped hers as she reached for the bottle of oil. Her gaze flickered toward him, but he was preoccupied with staring at her hand in his. “Such soft hands for a woman of such great strength.”

Startled, she barely managed not to jerk her hand out of his. Instead she waited for several beats before she gently pulled her hand free. Jane returned her attention to cleaning up the oil and bandages in a busy fashion. As much as she hated to admit it, his words unnerved her. Eager not to examine the reason why she found his observation disturbing, Jane screwed the lid onto the oil bottle.

“Do you have family you wish to invite…invite to our wedding?” She winced inwardly at her abrupt change of subject. It signaled her reaction to his touch.

“Yes,” Tobias said with a hint of amusement as if aware of why she’d changed the topic of their conversation. “John Fordyce, who’s like a father to me, and the friends I grew up with.”

“I envy you having friendships that have stood the test of time,” she murmured as she recalled her solitary childhood. The only real friend she had was Angélique, and she couldn’t even reveal that to Tobias. How she was going to ensure her friend was at her engagement party or wedding was a riddle she’d not solved yet.

“In truth, the five of us are as close as if we had the same parents.” Tobias turned to face her, one arm resting on the back of his chair as he looked at her. “John took each of us under his wing when we were boys and raised us as his own.”

“All five of you?” she exclaimed softly.

“Yes.” Tobias nodded as a smile curved his mouth. “John ensured that all of us received a good education and were apprenticed in a field we showed an aptitude for.”

“He sounds like a remarkable man to take on not one, but five boys as his wards,” she said with quiet admiration.

“I sometimes wonder that he didn’t regret his having done so,” Tobias murmured with a hint of ironic amusement. “We were all a handful, perhaps Samuel and I gave him the most cause for worry. Caleb and Luke weren’t as prone to falling into trouble, although they were—are equally as headstrong. Eli is the easiest going of us all. He rarely gave John any reason to worry.”

The deep affection in Tobias’ voice made Jane’s heart heavy. She’d always longed to be part of a family such as he’d described. She winced as she realized how different their lives were. Despite his background, Tobias was the one who had a family that cared for him, whereas she was simply a thing her father needed to dispense with in order to achieve his own desires. A piece of property he’d paid little attention too, except when it suited his interests to do so. The thought sent a jolt of pain through her, and Jane pushed it aside and returned her attention to Tobias.

“Do they all live in London?”

“No. With the exception of Eli and myself, the rest of my family lives in Faversham, but John and the others travel to London on a regular basis,” he said. “I wrote to them about our impending marriage, and they’re eager to meet you.”

The thought of meeting Tobias’ family and failing to impress them made Jane’s mouth go dry. She’d been found wanting on so many other occasions. Silence drifted between them for a moment. The soft light of the oil lamp shimmered on the breakfast table top as Jane stared down at the dark wood. If only everything was all said and done. The longer she stayed in this house the more oppressive it became. She was beginning to understand Tobias’ need for a release. Until now, she’d not realized how much she needed to escape her father’s house. With a quick movement, she pushed away from the table and leaped to her feet.

“It’s time we publicly announce our engagement.”

Even to her ears the words sounded sharp and strident. Biting down on her lip, Jane moved to the French doors and threw them wide open. The cool night air replaced the heavy thickness of the room behind her.

“I see.” The two word statement made her look over her shoulder at him.

“No, you don’t,” she snapped. “I cannot
bear
to be in this house any longer.”

Jane turned back to stare up at the moon that had appeared from behind the clouds. Its soft light edged the brick patio, and the muted sound of conversation from the salon drifted through the dark to reach her ears. The muted voices only increased her fierce desire to escape Culverstone House. The warmth of Tobias’ hands on her shoulders jerked Jane out of her thoughts.

Despite her surprise, she didn’t turn around. There was something comforting in the way he towered over her with his body lightly pressing into hers. It was as if he were a blanket surrounding her to ensure she remained safe and warm. Heat slowly spread its way across her skin as his hands moved off her shoulders until he gently gripped her arms.

“What have they done to upset you?” The icy note of anger in his voice startled her. It indicated he cared about her feelings, and the knowledge warmed her as much as his touch.

“It’s not what they’ve done,” she said as she pulled away to face him. “It’s that I no longer wish to continue this farce Irene has written for me—for us.”

Jane knew her irritation with Irene was one of simple dislike. She found the woman calculating and insensitive. But it was the anger she felt for her father that gnawed at her. It was a raw emotion with roots burrowed deep inside her. A dark place she didn’t want to visit as it would require her to examine those feelings. All she wanted was a home of her own to run as she saw fit. A home Tobias would feel comfortable in, and perhaps in time—she halted her thoughts.

“Then how do you wish to proceed?”

Arms folded across his chest, Tobias cocked his head to one side to study her. Jane was uncertain whether he was asking what they should do or if he was merely awaiting her instructions. She drew in a breath as she debated how to answer him. With a decisive nod, she met his gaze steadily.

“I would like for us to return to the salon where you will announce our engagement. Irene will not enjoy our having trumped her, but I’ll not have that woman dictating to me any longer.”

“I think Irene has lost more battles than she has won of late.” There was amusement in Tobias’ velvety baritone voice.

“Perhaps, but I’m weary of the game. It might not be so difficult if my father…”

“If your father loved you?” The gentleness echoing in his words made Jane swallow hard.

“If he didn’t concur with Irene on everything,” she said in a stilted tone.

Tobias’ question only enhanced the pain she normally could hold at bay. Something about the quiet understanding in his voice made her believe she could trust him with her inner thoughts. Jane immediately discounted the emotion. The only person she could trust was herself. Experience had taught her that.

“As you wish. When we return to the party, I’ll make the announcement,” Tobias said. “Do you have a date in mind for the ceremony?”

“Next week.” Her quick response made him laugh softly. It wasn’t the first time she’d noticed what a nice sound it was.

“I’ve a feeling that’s a battle you will lose handily.” He grinned at her. “Why not a month from now.”

“I suppose I can survive Irene’s obnoxious, meddlesome behavior for a few more weeks.”

“I’ve no doubt of that,” he said with another laugh. “I’ve seen you defy her on more than one occasion. You can be quite persuasive and determined when you choose. I find those traits in you quite admirable.”

“Then perhaps I need to exert my persuasive nature more often,” she said with amusement. “Especially where you’re concerned.”

Jane swallowed hard as she realized how audacious her retort was. Dear Lord, if she didn’t take care she would give herself away, and she wasn’t ready to do that yet. She needed more time to understand who she was before she revealed herself. The mask she wore as Lady
Mystère
gave her a greater sense of control than when she faced him as Lady Jane Grisham.

As plain Jane, she had far more to risk than Lady
Mystère
did. Behind her mask she could be the mistress of his darkest desires, but without it there were consequences to her deception. It was the outcome of her deceit that frightened her. Tobias might despise her for having lied to him.

In the back of her mind, a voice denounced her for not admitting the real reason why she didn’t want to explain her deception. A shiver slid down her spine. If she even dared to acknowledge the reason it would send her spiraling downward just as it had once before. Bitter memories fluttered through her mind, but she quickly destroyed them. The past had nothing to do with her current state of affairs.

A low growl rumbled in Tobias’ chest. In a quick, abrupt move, he reached out to tug her into his arms. Jane gasped in surprise and blinked at the unexpected embrace. Beneath her palms, Tobias’ chest was solid as a rock, and fire suddenly engulfed her body. Heart pounding and her breathing ragged, Jane looked up at him.

The moment their gazes met, his eyes narrowed with what she thought might be recognition. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking, and her throat closed at the look of assessment that flickered in his dark eyes. Had he deduced the truth? Jane’s throat constricted at the thought. His eyes still narrowed, Tobias studied her with an intensity that made her flinch.

“Exactly
how
would you exert your persuasive abilities over me, Jane?”