The Seduction of Emily (12 page)

Emily’s father sighed heavily, not even meeting Milne’s livid glare. “Don’t be so melodramatic. Have you not already expressed the clear opinion you don’t care for Emily’s going out at dusk? Raised concerns about the areas she frequents on her outings with Annie? Well, this is the perfect solution.”

Will stared, confusion marring his thoughts let alone Milne’s. What was he talking about? How would his staying there affect Miss Darson’s outings? He stole a look at her. Her eyes were wide and her mouth dropped open. She stared at her father as though he’d sprouted another head.

Will cleared his throat. “I don’t understand, sir.”

“Neither do I.” Milne huffed. “What are you talking about?”

The old man looked at their faces in turn, smiling widely. “If Mr. Samson stays here, I can ask him the great favor of accompanying Emily on her outings in exchange for free bed and board. That way, neither I nor you have to worry about her safety when we are unable to accompany her.”

The curse that emitted from Emily’s mouth quashed the last shred of Will’s self-control. He grinned as Milne looked on as though Mr. Darson had stuck a rather lengthy stick right up his future son-in-law’s backside.

Emily leapt to her feet, upturning red wine across the tablecloth. It seeped across the linen like blood across snow.

“Emily Margaret Darson,” boomed Oliver. “I should ask Cook to swill your mouth with castor oil.”

Her face was red and her entire body shook. “Mr. Samson cannot possibly stay here. Nicholas is right. Whatever will the neighbors think to see me riding out with a strange man at my side? The whole town knows Nicholas and I are betrothed.”

He threw his hands up. “Exactly. That is why I, you, and indeed Mr. Samson can carry out this arrangement free of social consideration. Need I remind you, daughter, you are sporting a particularly large bruise on your face, your favorite walking dress is ripped at the hem, and you have scratches on your legs? I refuse to risk anything like that happening to you again.”

She snapped her gaze to Will. He wiggled his eyebrows and her face burned a deeper red. His body burned with elation. Oliver Darson had taken his plan forward two steps in one fell swoop. His skin tingled with excitement.

Now that he had infiltrated the family home, he was another step closer to seducing Emily . . . or, at least, helping her find a way out of her marriage contract. His smile wavered. If that’s what she wanted, of course.

She twisted her eyes to Milne. “Nicholas, say something. This is incredible.”

Silence.

She stamped her foot. “Nicholas!”

He started as if woken from a dream. “Yes?”

Her hands curled into fists at her sides. “Are you happy Mr. Samson is to escort me on my excursions? To drive me around town? The two of us together where everyone can see us?”

Milne’s ever-sallow complexion paled further as his lips pursed in a thin line until they disappeared entirely. Fury burned like wildfire in his eyes and his shoulders trembled.

Tension skittered across the surface of Will’s skin and his smile dissolved. Protectiveness stole through his veins. The man’s danger permeated the air.

Oliver Darson waved his hand. “Emily, leave Nicholas be. It does not matter that he’s fallen into a rare state of no opinion. You will do as I bid until I am in a box. When I say Mr. Samson is welcome to stay here and guard your well-being as a means of earning his bed and board, so be it. The arrangement will ease my mind, while giving Mr. Samson further time to search for his missing nephew. Now, let’s eat.”

He picked up his knife and fork. Emily and Milne sat and slowly reached for their cutlery. Picking up his wineglass, Will watched her bowed head for a moment before she scowled at him, her eyes shining with challenge and her jaw tight. He grinned.

This would surely be his most enjoyable masquerade yet.

Breaking eye contact, she put down her fork and dabbed at her lips with her napkin. “Are we really supposed to believe you have no ulterior motive to being here, Mr. Samson? That you did not orchestrate this to happen from the moment we met?”

Will stared, his self-satisfaction dissolving. Damn, she was good. His smile faltered. “What do you mean? My nephew—”

“Emily, that is quite enough.” Her father snapped his head up.

“Mr. Samson is now a guest in our home. I raised you to show more respect to visitors.”

Will met her unwavering gaze. She didn’t so much as turn to her father. “I merely wish Mr. Samson to prove my suspicions wrong, Papa.”

Mentally kicking himself for the stupidity of his premature celebration, Will glanced at Milne steadily watching him. He faced Miss Darson.

“Then pray tell me your suspicions so I can allay them. Your father’s offer for me to stay here is a generous one and I would desperately like to accept but if you feel uncomfortable . . .”

She rolled her eyes. “The last thing you make me feel is uncomfortable, Mr. Samson.”

Will quirked an eyebrow.

Her glare intensified. “This ridiculous idea has nothing to do with whether I can be around you or not. I am concerned with other people’s perception.”

She lied. He made her uncomfortable. The way her eyes darted to his lips, the flush at her cheeks and the rapid shift of her throat as she swallowed gave her away. She felt the connection between them. He was certain of it.

“I will merely do as your father asks. If anyone thinks it inappropriate . . .”

Her father laughed. “Believe me, Mr. Samson. There will be no problem. Any busybodies that have something to say about how I wish to ensure my daughter’s protection, they can speak to me directly. Now, enough of this debating. I have made up my mind.”

The room fell into silence as they ate. Will’s mind whirled. Did Miss Darson suspect his motives? Maybe she knew something. What if she was the first person he underestimated? He studied her.

“Please understand my nephew is alone in one of the busiest cities in England. It near kills me each hour he is missing. To have somewhere to stay for the most gracious of returns is something I am immensely grateful for. You have my word, I will honor your father’s request with the utmost decorum.”

She steadfastly met his gaze. “Yet despite your concern for your nephew’s well-being, you sit here enjoying our food as darkness falls and he could be out there somewhere walking the streets.”

Damn, she is good. Too good
. Will lowered his head. “There is nothing more I can do tonight. I struggle every day when I have to give up searching and wait for the morrow’s sunrise.”

She laughed dryly. “If my beloved nephew or cousin or even dog was missing, I would scour the streets until my eyes refused to remain open.”

Heat burned at his cheeks and a flash of victory gleamed in her eyes.

“Well?” she pressed. “Have you no response?”

Irritation simmered in Will’s gut. Self-defense raised the hairs at his nape. He shook his head. “You’re wrong, Miss Darson.”

Her eyes gleamed brighter. “Oh?”

He put down his knife and fork and dabbed his napkin to his mouth before putting his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers. He stared directly into her beautiful chocolate eyes. “When darkness falls on a city, the last thing you want to do is advertise the fact that there is a young boy walking the streets alone and afraid. There are men out there who search for these boys every single night. They don’t see a young boy, desperate and alone, they see cash in every inch of his body.”

Her smile wavered, and the light in her eyes died as his words snuffed out her glee. “That is a horrible thing to say.”

Guilt gnawed at his conscience as she paled, but it was a case of fighting for survival. He took a drink of wine. “Horrible but true. I am desperate to find him without increasing the danger that already surrounds him. If I ask too much, or come in contact with the wrong person, I advertise the fact he’s alone.”

She looked to her plate and Will turned his gaze to Milne. Milne stared straight back and said nothing.

A few moments passed before Miss Darson pushed to her feet. “Will you excuse me, gentlemen? I wish for nothing more than my bed.”

Will stood, as did Milne and her father. Will’s gut clenched when Milne took her hand in his. “On reflection, your father is right. This is your home and you are his most precious possession . . . as you will soon be mine. I am sure you and I can manage to comply with his wishes until such time as we are married, can we not?”

He didn’t wait for her answer but, instead, lifted her hand and briefly touched his lips to her skin before brushing past her. He stood in front of Mr. Darson and held out his hand. “I bid you good evening, sir.”

Oliver nodded and took his hand. “Emily is all I have, Nicholas. I will not risk her being hurt. Having Mr. Samson with her, when you are not, will ease my final days.”

Nicholas arched an eyebrow. “You will far outlive Mr. Samson’s stay, I am sure, sir.” He turned to Will, his mouth curved into a sly smile. “After all, I am sure Mr. Samson wishes to find his nephew in the quickest possible time and return him to his mother forthwith. Am I right?”

Will nodded. What the hell was this turnaround about? “Absolutely.”

Milne’s smile widened and he turned back to Emily’s father. “There you are. I expect our gracious visitor to be gone as quickly as he arrived. Now, I must go.” He gave a curt nod to Miss Darson, her father, and then Will. “I bid you all good night.”

He made for the door and disappeared into the hallway. Miss Darson stared after him before she turned and approached her father. “Good night, Papa.”

“Good night, my child.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek before lowering his weakening frame into his chair. “We will talk more in the morning.”

Will drew in a breath. It was time for him to leave, too, before anything else could be said or done to ruin this new opportunity. First, though, there was just one more thing. . . .

He coughed. “I think I will bid you good night as well. The evening has been quite eventful.” He looked to Mr. Darson. “I am grateful for your food and hospitality, sir but feel it best I allow Miss Darson to retire as she sees fit. Would it be all right if she sees me to the door before she says good night, sir? I would like to reassure her I will do my utmost to ensure people fully understand I am only accompanying her as a companion and nothing more.”

“Of course, sir. Of course. I will leave you in Emily’s fair hands. Make sure you gather your belongings together tomorrow and leave your lodging address. I will see you are picked up at midday.”

Will bowed. “Thank you, sir. You have no idea how much this will help me.”

In his peripheral vision, Miss Darson’s hands curled into fists as though trapping any chance she had of controlling this situation against her palms and holding it fast. She met his eyes and smiled as she gestured toward the open door.

“Shall we?”

Will tried not to laugh, her smile was so forced it looked painted on. “After you.”

With a final nod of good-bye to Mr. Darson, Will followed her from the room. She held her head high and her shoulders rigid as they walked along through the hallway in silence. When she curved her fingers around the handle of the front door, he covered it with his. Her breath caught and she stared down at their joined hands.

Her skin was warm and soft beneath his, the scent of her hair was flowers in springtime as it wafted beneath his nose. “Miss Darson? Will you not look at me?”

As though his voice broke an invisible spell, she whipped her hand from beneath his and spun around. Will didn’t immediately meet her gaze. He took the pleasure of lingering over her open mouth, higher over the loosened strands of her thick dark hair. Her bosom rose as she inhaled, her exhalation escaping softly from between erotically full lips.

“Is there something you wish to ask me?” The tone of her voice would have sounded infinitely superior but for the quiver residing just beneath it.

He met her eyes, knowing full well she saw his hunger. “You are very beautiful.”

Her eyes widened and he mentally willed her to move away, to open the space between them like a chasm and berate him for flattering her like a lover in her father’s home. She did not. Someone needed to take control of what was happening between them, and as time moved on, it seemed less and less likely it would be him.

She tilted her chin and held his gaze. “You should not be saying such things to me when you know there is every possibility you are to be alone with me every day until you find your nephew.”

Will arched his eyebrow and smiled as she clearly tried her very best to look at him with an expression of staunch propriety.

“I’m engaged to Mr. Milne and even though he did little to fight this situation this evening, his patience will soon wear thin. He has a temper you’d be wise never to witness.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, so continue to wear that self-satisfied expression all you want. I know what he is capable of and you do not want to be on the receiving end of it.”

Will’s smile dissolved as a stab of anger swirled hot and fast inside him. “What does that mean? You ‘know what he is capable of’? Has he struck you?” Will’s vision flashed red at the edges.

She stepped back and raised her hand to her chest. “No, of course not.”

“Are you telling me the truth?”

“Yes.”

Will trembled. He would kill him as soon as dawn broke if Milne so much as raised a finger to her. Seeing the fear in her eyes, he forced his anger into submission and pushed back the hair across his brow.

“I apologize for my brashness.” He looked to the ceiling. “I could never tolerate a woman being struck by a man. Not even a man who supposedly loves her.”

She huffed out a dry laugh. “Oh, never fear, Mr. Samson. Nicholas does not love me.” She brought her hand to her mouth. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

She threw a glance toward the closed dining room door before meeting his eyes once more. “Mr. Samson, please give me your word you will not repeat what I have just said.”

Will fought the urge to cup his hand to her jaw, to allay the fear alight in her chestnut gaze. Instead, he covered his heart with his hand. “You have my word.”