Rory (11 page)

“Mother, you need not con–”

“Your father and I still expect you to marry, my dear.”

Good God, is marriage all the woman ever thought about?

He slouched in the chair, knowing full well it would irritate
the hell out of her. He could see her mentally counting to ten as her jaw clenched tight.

She sighed heavily and closed her eyes, for all of four seconds. “Well, I would still like to introduce you to Lady Kinkade. She is a lovely woman. About your age and widowed for several years now, I believe. I have invited her to your brother and sister-in-law’s soiree.”

Of course she had.

He saw the wheels in her mind turning, and it made him nervous.

“Please do not push your friends and acquaintances on me, Mother.”

Where the hell was Victor? Certainly it didn’t take him this long to say good-bye to his wife? He was clearly stalling.

“You will be kind to Lady Kinkade, Rory.”

“Of course I shall.” He stood, anxious to be away from her company. Kissing her on the cheek, she smiled and sat back in her seat.

He rushed toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Betsy inquired.

“I need fresh air.” Feeling guilty for leaving her alone, he asked, “Would you like to join me?”

“No, I’m exhausted from my journey. I can never sleep in the carriage. I will return to my chamber and take a long nap before dinner. Thank you for asking me.”

“Of course,” he replied, relieved and wishing Shannon had stayed.

Shannon had absolutely no desire to go shopping with Lillith, but she was in no position to argue, especially since her mistress was adamant she attend to her and Marilyn. Even more shocking, she had told her to change out of her uniform and into a dress.

So Shannon had done just that. She had hoped to leave the house before seeing Rory but had not been so fortunate. When Lillith had told her to come to the dining room when she was ready, Shannon had stalled for time, hoping that the household would be finished with breakfast and off to their own devices. Unfortunately, everyone, including Lady Rochester, had been there, and she had not been happy by Rory’s attention to Shannon at all.

Hopefully word was not circulating around the manor about a liaison between herself and Rory. When she had awoken this morning, with blood stains on the white sheets and a soreness between her thighs, she knew that she’d made a grave error. She had let her heart lead her to make a decision that could have serious consequences. What if she carried Rory’s child? If she thought her life a mess now, a baby would only complicate matters. She knew well enough what happened to pregnant servants and mistresses.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

“I am so looking forward to spending some time alone with you, Shannon. I confess I missed your companionship while we were in Wales,” Lillith said, which surprised Shannon.

“She did miss you,” Marilyn added, sitting back in the carriage seat.

“I missed you as well,” Shannon said, smiling at Lillith. The smile slipped when she walked past the window. Her brother wore a beaver hat snug on his head, and his blond hair had been pulled back into a low queue. He had dark circles beneath his eyes, and when their eyes met, he looked concerned.

It was bad enough that either one of them was in town, but together they risked an even greater chance of being discovered.

Truth be told, she had fallen into a false sense of security since Lord Graston had returned, and she’d not given much
thought to her cousin or the older gentleman she’d seen across the road from the manor the other day.

She could only hope their luck held out.

The ride into London was uneventful, and as the carriage pulled over and Zachary helped them out, Shannon reminded herself that the city was full of people and that it was akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

Unless, of course, they had been followed from the manor.

As she fell into step beside the other two women, she looked at the storefronts they passed by. Catching her reflection, she was startled, unused to seeing herself in plain clothes and her hair down. She looked like any other woman on the streets. Though her dress was plain, she did not feel like a servant.

“Aunt Lillith, let’s go in there,” Marilyn said, pointing toward a jewelry shop.

They browsed the store, looking into the glass cases, and Shannon was reminded of her mother’s jewels that had been lost in the fire. Heirlooms that had been passed down from generation to generation.

“This would look just lovely on you,” Lillith said, pointing to a beautiful cameo hanging from a gold necklace.

“Would you like to try it on, Shannon?”

“No, that is quite all right.” She couldn’t possibly afford the necklace on her wages, and honestly, when would she have the opportunity to wear it?

“Try it, Shannon,” Marilyn urged, asking the store keeper to remove the beautiful piece.

“I shall buy it for you,” Lillith said as a store assistant helped her. Shannon lifted her hair and waited while the clasp was secured.

“You are too generous, my lady.”

“There is a mirror over here,” the assistant said, motioning toward a nearby cheval mirror.

It was a beautiful cameo, and it looked lovely, but she did not want Lady Graston buying it for her. She had done so much for her and Zachary already.

“How lovely,” Marilyn said, coming up from behind Shannon and smiling. “It suits you.”

Shannon returned Marilyn’s smile, until her gaze was drawn toward a man she saw in the mirror’s reflection. Her heart sank to her stomach. It looked like Clinton.

“What is it?” Marilyn asked, glancing over her shoulder, to the street.

“Nothing. I just feel light-headed. Can we go?”

Marilyn nodded, but something in her expression made Shannon wonder if she truly believed her.

“Let us stop for tea,” Lillith said, and the store attendant quickly removed the necklace.

Lillith and Marilyn stood on either side of Shannon, obviously concerned she would faint.

She felt badly for lying, but how could she tell them that a man was following her?

She scanned the street as they left the store, and she didn’t see Clinton.

Were her eyes playing tricks on her?

They slipped into a nearby tea shop, and she breathed a sigh of relief when they sat at a table in a far corner.

Lillith handed Shannon a fan and she took it, grateful for the relief it would bring.

As the minutes passed and they were served tea, Marilyn and Lillith seemed to relax. Lady Graston stirred a teaspoon of sugar into her cup and looked at Shannon with a soft smile. “Shannon, my husband informs me that his brother has become smitten with you.”

Shannon had the cup halfway to her mouth. She took a sip
of tea and managed to set it back down without spilling it everywhere.

“I am sure he is mistaken, my lady.”

“I have seen the way he looks at you … and the way you look at him,” she continued.

“He is a handsome man,” Shannon murmured. “All the servants think so.”

“Indeed,” Marilyn said with a wink. “There is not a woman alive who would disagree. Now do not embarrass Shannon further, Aunt Lily.”

“Forgive me, my dear, I did not mean to embarrass you.”

A man stepped into the store and Shannon’s stomach lurched. It was the man she had seen across the way from the manor the other day, she was certain of it. This could not be a coincidence, especially when she had just seen her cousin.

She looked outside, hoping to see Zachary.

The man passed a woman on the way out the door. He put a hand to the brim of his hat and nodded in greeting, before taking a seat nearby.

“Are you all right, my dear?” Lillith asked, reaching for Shannon’s hand.

“I am fine, my lady. I’m just still a little dizzy.”

“You must eat something,” Marilyn said matter-of-factly.

Shannon’s mind raced. What if she told Lady Graston the truth about her cousin? Would she offer protection? But what would Zachary say?

Marilyn immediately changed the subject to the upcoming soiree, and Shannon said very little. She could feel the man watching her, and she glanced toward the storefront, wondering if her cousin was lying in wait. Or worse still, what if Clinton had Zachary?

I
t didn’t take Rory and Victor long to find the three women. They had stepped out of a tea shop and were now headed down the sidewalk.

Victor smiled and motioned for Rory to follow from across the street. Rory could see men of all ages staring at the beautiful trio, and he felt an odd combination of pride and jealousy.

When one man in particular stayed close, Rory nudged Victor. “Keep an eye on the older gentleman with the black top hat.”

Victor frowned. “He’s probably just admiring them.”

“But when they linger, he lingers. Watch him.”

Even more disconcerting was the fact that Shannon looked over her shoulder a time or two. Was she aware of the man?

“They are three beautiful women out on their own in the city. Perhaps he is merely admiring them,” Victor said. “Or hoping for an opportunity to meet them.”

The women stepped into a stationery store and the man’s steps faltered. Victor no longer smiled. The man walked by the store, then stopped and leaned against the building.

“What the hell,” Rory said, his eyes narrowing.

“Come on. Let’s surprise them. That should take care of their admirer.” Victor started across the road and Rory followed.

The man glanced at them, ran his fingers along the brim of his hat, and then started walking down the sidewalk.

“Very odd,” Victor replied. “I swear he looked right at us.”

“Indeed, he did. I have half a mind to run him down and beat him to a pulp.”

“Forget him,” Victor said, watching the man disappear in the crowd.

Rory had seen Shannon’s face, had recognized the fear in her eyes, and wondered with a sickening feeling what she was hiding.

Shannon had wondered why the store had gone so quiet all of the sudden. The presence of two handsome men in a room full of mostly women had a way of drying up conversation.

Rory’s blue eyes were on her and when he smiled, her heart gave a jolt.

“What a lovely surprise,” Lillith said, embracing her husband.

“We came to see if you’d like to take a walk in the park,” Victor said, looking pleased with himself.

“Are you sure you did not come to make sure I was not spending too much money?” Lily said teasingly.

Victor’s eyes widened in mock innocence, and Marilyn laughed aloud.

As they exited the store, Shannon strained to see past the crowded streets toward the place where they had left Zachary and the carriage.

“Are you looking for someone?” Rory asked her, and she jumped.

“Yes, my brother.”

“He is just over there, near the park,” Lillith said, motioning toward the adjacent road, where sure enough, Zachary stood near the carriage. His hat was pulled down low over his eyes.

Shannon breathed a sigh of relief.

Marilyn quickened her step, and Shannon slowed her pace to keep in time with Rory.

As they walked along the park, Shannon became increasingly aware of Rory’s appeal. There was not a single woman, or man for that matter, who did not stare at him. Next to him she felt insignificant, and even worse, when three young ladies walked by, they giggled, and she wondered if it was because of her plain dress. It had been the best she could afford on a servant’s wages.

She felt Rory’s hand on hers and every ounce of resistance evaporated. How she longed to lean into him and bury her face against his strong chest, to wrap herself in his embrace and tell him the truth about her past, and of her fears that her cousin had found them.

“I want to see you tonight,” he whispered, making the blood in her veins positively burn.

“I shall try.”

“Do more than try.”

Marilyn looked back at them and smiled. Good Lord, she hadn’t heard them, had she?

They walked around the pond in silence and she enjoyed being with him, listening to the birds in the trees, and watching people as they passed by, and yet she feared her cousin would appear.

Marilyn had stopped to talk to a friend, and Victor and Lillith were a good ways ahead.

Rory faltered and Shannon noticed how pale he had become. “You have done too much.”

He didn’t bother to deny it. “I should sit and catch my breath.”

“Lord Graston,” Shannon called out, and Victor glanced back at them, as did Lillith, whose smile quickly faded. Victor rushed toward them.

“I think the wound is bleeding,” Rory said, placing a hand inside his waistcoat. His fingers came back bloodied.

Victor cursed under his breath.

Lillith looked alarmed. “What is it?”

“We need to go home.”

“Certainly. I shall see if Marilyn can get a ride with her friends.”

“It’s nothing,” Rory replied, but Shannon could tell he was putting on a brave face for them. Sweat beaded his brow.

“I can run ahead and have the carriage meet us at the park entrance,” Shannon said, but Rory shook his head.

“No, I am fine. Just walk with me.”