Lori Brighton - [The Seduction 02] (26 page)

Elizabeth moved the few steps forward and took his large hand in hers. The size of the man before her, the scars she could feel across his fingers were only blatant reminders of how much he could hurt her, if he desired. “I can trust you. You’ve proven again and again that you are worthy of protecting us. And…and we do well together when we’re in bed.”

She couldn’t believe she had added that last bit. How she wished the ground would open and swallow her whole. But the words were out and they were true. She could think of worse things to base a marriage on. She refused to look away from him, refused to blush.

“And what happens,” he said, stepping so close the tips of his boots touched the tips of her slippers. She would not be intimidated, even though she knew he was doing his hardest to scare her off. “When society uncovers the truth about what I truly am?”

She quirked a brow. “An honorable man?”

He laughed and jerked his hand away. “A whore.”

She shook her head. “They won’t.”

“You’re an idiot if you think my sordid past won’t be made public. Not only will your mother-in-law do her best to uncover my secrets, but is highly likely that a client will recognize me.”

She hadn’t thought about that, and she supposed he did have a point. Well, no worry, she didn’t get out in society much anyway, and their estate was quite isolated. “As I don’t plan to be the toast of the
ton,
we should be quite safe tucked away here. If something does happen, well…then we will deal with the ramifications later.”

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “I don’t know if this is some sort of intention to pay me back for protecting you—”

“Of course not, I would never—”

“Then you’re mad. Completely insane.” He turned and started toward the door, his steps sure and hurried, as if he could outrun her and her question. She wasn’t so easy to dismiss.

“So,” Elizabeth called out, moving back to her little table, “does that mean you’ll think about it?”

He didn’t respond, merely disappeared into the house, leaving her alone.

Elizabeth sighed in frustration and slumped onto her chair. That hadn’t gone as well as she’d hoped. She lifted her teacup and drank. It had grown cold. With a grimace she dumped the contents into a potted rose.

Perhaps it was time to tell the truth, the complete and utter truth.

So much for dealing with the ramifications later.

He’d packed a bag. There was nothing left to do. There was nothing holding him here. So why wasn’t he out the door and on the nearest coach headed
anywhere
? Because before he left for good, Gideon was determined to uncover the truth once and for all. Unfortunately, he had to wait until the dark hours of the night, when the house grew silent and still.

The moon was high, the garden below awash in blue light. It seemed as if even the land slept. He could practically feel the deep, even breath of the world as it drifted off. He, on the other hand, had found it hard to rest since arriving. He let the curtain fall back into place and forced himself not to think of Elizabeth curled up in her bed, her warm, soft body a temptation not even a saint could refuse.

He’d headed to that conservatory intent on getting answers. Instead, the blasted woman had hit him with the most ridiculous request that had ever been made. What could he do but flee? But
his skin itched with the need for answers, and he had the strange feeling he was running out of time. He knew Elizabeth was hiding the truth from him. He could practically hear the house whispering her secrets, if only he could understand. Tonight was the perfect night to search, and Mr. Ashton’s study would be the perfect starting point. He would not be played the fool and be caught unprepared again. And he had been completely and utterly unprepared for Elizabeth’s proposal. Hell, he’d been completely unprepared for Elizabeth.

Quietly, he left his bedchamber and made his way down the long, dark hall. Desire and need spurred him forward. The lights had been extinguished long ago, but he liked the shadows. He thrived in the darkness and felt at ease. Slowly he made his way down the steps to the foyer. While Elizabeth…Elizabeth was made for the light. Even now he could picture her sitting in the conservatory sipping tea. The way her skin glowed like porcelain, the way her hair caught fire…

“Should have seen her,” he heard a maid chuckle. “Hiking her skirts for the master of the house. Rightly so, they chucked her. She’ll never work in this county again.”

“Unless Elizabeth takes her in,” Will said, laughing. A flash of light swayed over the wall, nearly hitting Gideon. “Where’d she end up anyway?”

The maid snorted. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Gideon slipped into that alcove where he had practically taken Elizabeth that day the dowager had arrived. He swore he could still smell her scent in the small space, the memory too fresh in his mind. Pure torture. For a brief moment he wondered why in the hell he was traipsing around a cold, dark estate when he could be in a warm bed with a beautiful woman.

He closed his eyes and leaned the back of his head against the wall. The answers to his past were here…begging to be discovered. He had to know for his own peace of mind, and because he couldn’t trust her until the truth was uncovered. For some reason,
he needed to trust her, even if he was leaving on the next available coach.

The two servants passed, taking the lamplight with them. Gideon waited until their footsteps faded, then moved into the foyer, letting the curtain fall back into place. He knew outside the front doors two guards were posted. Other servants walked the house every hour, and two footmen stood guard outside the children’s door. He didn’t blame Elizabeth for being overly cautious, but it sure as hell made it difficult to sneak about. He moved down another short corridor, attempting to remember the way.

The very air was charged with expectation. He felt watched in this home as he made his way toward the east wing. Watched and judged by the very Mr. Ashton. He could imagine what the old man thought of him. Gideon knew very well he wasn’t good enough for Elizabeth. Damn it all, his mind rebelled. He didn’t care; he selfishly wanted her for his own.

Gideon paused outside the study and pulled a thin, long metal object from his sleeve. One didn’t live in the slums without learning how to pick a lock. With quick work, he had the door unlocked in a few seconds. He stepped inside just as the maid’s and Will’s voices reached him.

“I’m telling ye, if they aren’t married within six months, I’ll give ye my entire week’s wages.”

Gideon closed the door softly and waited for them to pass. His heart hammered madly, but he refused to give in to his desire and move. He knew he was close to finding the answers he needed. He could feel it in his blood. But he’d waited this long, he could wait a few more minutes. If he didn’t uncover the truth, Lady Lavender would win.

“Go on then; what makes ye think she’ll settle down when there’s no need? She’s got more money than the bloody queen.”

The maid had a very good point. Gideon took in a deep breath. The place smelled of dust, cigar smoke, and old man. It smelled like a memory trapped in time. It was obvious the room was rarely
used. A mausoleum dedicated to her late husband. Gideon felt the odd need to growl at the thought. The man had been a lecherous cad who’d impregnated her sister, yet Elizabeth acted as if he was a bloody god.

“Because marriage isn’t just about money, you daft fool,” Will muttered, his voice muffled through the door. “I’ve seen them together plenty of times.”

Gideon sighed, knowing exactly who they discussed.

“Aye, I suppose he’s quite handsome. Wouldn’t mind inviting him to me bed.”

“Watch your tongue,” Will snapped. “That’s yer future lord.”

Gideon’s palms fisted. He was no one’s lord. What would they think if they knew the truth? He was nothing but a whore. Still, Elizabeth knew and she didn’t seem to mind, which made no bloody sense. With her money and beauty, the lass could practically have the prince. Then again, his entire world no longer made sense. It was as if he’d stepped out of Lady Lavender’s and into some bizarre dreamworld where everything was the opposite of what it should be.

“Jest sayin’ I wouldn’t be surprised if my lady fell for the man. He’s right handsome, he is.”

“Nah, I’m not talking about Elizabeth,” Will said, his voice fading. “It’s the way Gideon looks at her.”

Gideon rolled his eyes heavenward. Good God, was he so obvious that even a bloody footman knew he had become obsessed with the woman? When their footsteps disappeared, Gideon pushed aside thoughts of Elizabeth and moved across the room, evading the shadowy furniture.

Marry her?

It had been a jest. Or some nefarious plan afoot. More lies, more secrets. She could not have been serious. He ignored the thread of hope that whispered temptingly through his body. She didn’t truly want him. But he could not ignore the memory.

“What I’m saying is that…I’m asking…”
Her face had flushed a charming red.
“Will you marry me?”

He released a wry laugh as he knelt before Mr. Ashton’s desk. Marriage. It was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. As if a whore could marry a lady. She might have been born a servant, but Elizabeth was every bit the lady. He wouldn’t be able to step foot in a church without lightning striking him dead. Why the hell would he want to be leg-shackled to one woman for the rest of his life?

“I can trust you. You’ve proven again and again that you are worthy of protecting us.”

She might trust him, but he had yet to trust her. Besides, if it was protection she was after, Mr. Smith and the staff would serve her well enough. She could always hire more servants if she needed protection. Hell, she could hire an entire brigade with the money she obviously had. So why the hell did she want him here? There had to be more to the story than she was admitting.

“And…and we do well in bed together.”

He found a flint box and managed to light a lamp with unsteady hands, hating that she could make him feel so off-balance. Vaguely, he scanned the room. A large oak desk took up much of the area, while two leather chairs were placed near the fireplace. Bookshelves full of novels lined the walls. Typical study.

But she had been right about one thing…he could not deny they did do well in bed. More than well. Hell, even now his hands started trembling at the thought of touching her satiny skin. It certainly wasn’t her experience, for the woman had been a damn virgin their first time. So what was it about her that attracted him so? He’d had sex just about every way a man could, and with so many beautiful women most men would be sick with envy.

The light flared to life, giving a soft glow to the room. He shifted the lamp closer, setting it on the desk, and unlocked the first drawer. It was those blasted freckles. Those damn dimples. It was her laugh, such a pure and joyous sound. It was the way she loved the children even though they were not hers. Or, maybe it was the way she helped others in need. But mostly…mostly it was
because of the way she looked at him…as if he was a man. An honorable, loyal man and not the murdering whore he truly was. His hands fisted on the desktop. What would she do when she uncovered the truth?

Damn it all, the truth was she didn’t realize how badly he wished he could be the man she needed. Gideon pulled out the top drawer and dumped out the contents. If it was up to him, she would never know what he had done. Aye, he must leave as soon as possible.

Paperwork. Lots of paperwork. He shuffled through the documents. Deeds to land and a shipping company. If the land and companies were doing as well as they looked on paper, it wasn’t surprising that Elizabeth was so wealthy. He frowned, noticing two different signatures. One was the tight and no-nonsense scrawl of a man, the other flowing and delicate like a…woman. Had Elizabeth been Mr. Ashton’s secretary? He shoved the papers back into the drawer and relocked it, hiding the past once more.

Mr. Smith had said she was intelligent, and he had seen that spark in her more than once. Thoughts of Mr. Smith sent his mood spiraling. What was it about the man that he so despised? His arrogance? The way he acted as if he owned the estate? The way he looked at Gideon as if he knew exactly who and what he was? He frowned. No, he knew it was none of those things. It was the way he looked at Elizabeth, as if he knew exactly what a prize she was, even if others didn’t. Even worse, the way Elizabeth looked back at the man as if she trusted him completely.

Annoyed, he unlocked the second drawer. How desperately he wanted her to look at him that way. He pulled out the drawer and dumped the contents onto the desk. More papers. It was obvious no one had been through Mr. Ashton’s things in some time. What the hell was Elizabeth waiting for? If she didn’t keep careful attention to the businesses, someone would take advantage of her for sure. He frowned, wondering why he cared. His days here were limited. Soon, if all worked out as planned, he’d escape to
America. Start over. He didn’t need the worry and anxiety that came with caring about others.

He examined the papers with a critical eye. Nothing of interest, but there had to be something…something that would explain his unease. Something that would explain his connection to Elizabeth’s late husband. Damn it all, he didn’t believe in coincidence.

He started to shove the pile toward the drawer when a small miniature painting caught his eye. There…laying at the bottom of all the missives…a tiny portrait of two men. Gideon shoved the papers into the drawer and then settled in the soft leather chair that had been Mr. Ashton’s. One man was the late Mr. Ashton, and the other…Gideon leaned toward the lantern light. There was something oddly familiar about that face.

A shiver of apprehension scurried down his spine.

Slowly, he lifted the portrait toward the light.

The man smiling back at him was someone he thought he’d never see again.

The very devil himself…

His father.