The Sweetest Kiss (Brothers of Worthington Series) (3 page)

“Miss Faraday, if you’ll be silent long enough, I can explain why we were lying on the mattress and under the blanket.” He lifted himself off the floor and stood in front of her.

She pressed her mouth into a thin line. Her tirade stopped. Only the fire shooting from her eyes coupled with her heavy breathing betrayed her anger.

“After you swooned in my arms—”

“I did
not
swoon in your arms,” she interrupted. “I hadn’t eaten this morning, and I was weak from lack of nourishment.”

“After you swooned in my arms,” he repeated stubbornly, “I thought it best if we didn’t let your searchers find you. Gossip alone can ruin a reputation, you know. Hawthorne suggested I bring you in here to hide. I didn’t want them to spread rumors that you had fled from my mother’s guardianship.”

She gasped. “Instead, you would rather they think I was…was…” She pointed to the bed. “You know… compromised?”

“No, Miss Faraday. That’s why we were both under the blanket. In case your searchers decided to peek in the window, they would not be able to see you. Or me, for that matter.”

She lifted her chin. “So they are unaware it was me?”

“I’m not certain what Hawthorne told them. However, I know he kept your name out of it. Your reputation won’t be tarnished in any way.”

Nodding, she wrung her hands against her middle. Her gaze darted around the room,
then
rested upon him.

“Then why…why did you kiss me?” she asked softly.

A grin pulled at the corners of his mouth. He couldn’t help it. The red tints in her face were adorable.

He approached her with slow steps. The closer he came, the wider her eyes opened. As he stood in front of her, he swept his fingers across her cheek in a soft caress. “I find it strange how much I enjoyed the moment, but I kissed you to keep you quiet so you wouldn’t scream and bring attention to us. My reputation was at stake as well, you know.”

“Oh!” She slapped his hand away. “You are nothing but an uncaring, inconsiderate mule’s…back-end.”

She stormed toward the door, and he chuckled. Even in her anger, she looked adorable.

He shook away the disturbing thought. She was his mother’s ward. Thinking of her this way was
not
permissible. She had disrupted his carefree life enough already. He didn’t need to add more complications.

Just as she reached the door, it opened and Hawthorne stood on the other side. His friend made an attempt to enter until he looked into Miss Faraday’s face, then he froze. She stopped in front of him and planted her hands on her hips.

“Well? Are you just going to stand there and keep me prisoner in this hut, or let me pass?”

Dominic swept his hand in front of him as he bowed mockingly.
“After you, my lady.”

Lifting her chin, she marched outside. Trey grabbed his cape and quickly followed. Dominic gave him a once over, his gaze lingering longer on Trey’s wrinkled shirt as he arched a brow.

Trey shook his head. “Don’t ask.”

Hawthorne pointed to her horse. “I found Miss Faraday’s mare grazing close by.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said.

Once she reached her horse, she grasped the reins and ran her hand over the animal’s mane. Softly, she cooed as she pressed her forehead against the horse. Trey took careful steps toward her, mainly as not to upset her.

“Forgive me for frightening you,” she said in hushed tones. “I shall never let that happen again.”

Trey knew she wasn’t talking to him, and he found it strange to think she cared enough about the animal to treat the mare so kindly. Most women he knew never acted in such a way toward an animal.

He cleared his throat and she stiffened. “Would you allow me assist you?” He motioned to the horse.

She glanced at him long enough to give him a curt nod,
then
presented her back as she prepared to mount. It surprised him when she allowed his hands to guide her up on the animal, but her rigid body proved her reluctance.

Once she was on the saddle, she glared down at him. “So, my lord, what do you plan to do with me?”

Trey smiled. “I’ll return you to your home where you shall kindly gather your things so we might leave for my mother’s estate.”

“But you are not supposed to come get me until tomorrow.”

“I’m here, so I might as well make the best out of it. Besides, if I leave you alone now, you will only try and run again.”

She shot him another evil look. “What about the search party?”

Hawthorne chuckled as he mounted his own horse. “Actually, Miss Faraday, the riders weren’t searching for you at all.”

Swinging her head toward
Nic
, she gasped. “No?”

“They were looking for a missing lad who had wandered from their hunting party.”

She groaned and buried her face in her hands.

Trey shook his head, grinning wider. “Just our luck, isn’t it Hawthorne?”

“No, old sport.” Dominic smiled.
“Just
your
luck.”

Trey stepped to his horse and mounted. He glanced over his shoulder at the young woman who now sat ramrod straight with her chin held high.
Stubborn to a fault.
“My dear Miss Faraday, are you ready?”

She arched a brow. “I suppose I’m ready, although I doubt you have forgotten my thoughts on the subject. I feel you are leading me directly into Satan’s lair.”

“Splendid. Let’s be off, then.”

Miss Faraday threw daggers at him with her glare. Trey tried not to laugh. True, he knew how she felt, but she was now his mother’s responsibility.

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt.
Correction.
Miss Faraday was soon to be
his
responsibility!

Trey grumbled under his breath. He’d promised his ailing mother he’d help with her ward. Kicking the horse into a trot, he tightened the reins in his fists. He needed to get out of this mess as soon as possible. He loathed calculating women, and from what he’d observed thus far about Miss Faraday, he suspected she was one of these women.

As Miss Faraday rode ahead of them, Trey recalled bits and pieces of their conversation. She’d mentioned meeting her fiancé before she’d swooned. Yet no other man came to her aid. If she were truly engaged, why hadn’t it been mentioned in her father’s will? And pray tell
,
why wasn’t she already entrusted to her future husband? It must have been a lie. If she’d been betrothed, her parents would have known, therefore, she would have never been given to his mother as a ward. Miss Faraday held secrets, and he didn’t want any part of it. Then again, he needed to protect his mother from entering into another scandal.

“Worthington?”

Trey turned to Dominic riding beside him. “Yes?”

“What are you going to do about her?”

He shrugged. “I wish I knew. She’s too old for the plans I had.”

“Which were?”

“Finding her a governess, of course.”

Dominic chuckled. “So there’s only one thing you can do.”

“Pray, what would that be?” Trey cocked his head.

“You must marry her to the first benefactor who asks for her hand. She’s a very hardheaded young woman, and most men find that abrasive. You need to betroth her to someone before they discover her flaws.”

“As always, you are correct, Hawthorne.
She’s a handful, to be sure.” Trey slid his gaze over her stiff posture. A wealthy, titled husband was her only hope—and Trey’s. He needed to find one soon so he could wash his hands of the mess. His mother would understand when she realized the willful streak the girl possessed.

Girl?
He chuckled softly. Not likely. The sooner she married the better. No matter how he’d enjoyed her kiss, no woman was worth the risk of marriage. His parents’ marriage proved to him a long time ago that this was something he should stay away from.
Far away.
The late fourth Duke of Kenbridge had taught his son well. Love was a crippling
emotion,
one men should never be fool enough to possess.

Miss Faraday turned and glanced at him, then slowed her horse until he caught up. Dominic urged his faster and moved ahead.

“My lord?”
She directed her question to Trey. “I wish to talk to you briefly, if I may.”

“Certainly.”

“What would it take to…well, to pay you off?”

Taken back, he gaped at her.
“Pardon?”

“I have a lot of money from my inheritance that I cannot access, due to a stipulation in the will. I love my parents dearly and miss them every day, but I cannot understand why they would think I need a guardian. My father, especially, knew how self-sufficient I am. If you allow me to collect my inheritance, I could pay you well.”

“Miss Faraday, I’m not pleased with the situation, either, but it isn’t customary for a young woman your age to be left to her own devices until she reaches her majority. You and I are stuck with each other until that time.”

“I am in my second and twentieth year.”

“But according to the law, you cannot collect your inheritance until you are five and twenty.”

“I have no desire to be the ward of your mother. I’m certain she’s an endearing woman, but I’m too old to have a guardian.”

“Perhaps, but from what I understand about your situation, your parents never sponsored you into society. My mother would be you ally in this endeavor.”

Her face paled slightly, and he detected tears. Why would she act in such a way? Before he could comment, she blinked away the betraying moisture.

“I do not wish to be sponsored, my lord.”

Through a narrowed gaze, he studied her. She must be addled. All the girls he’d ever met dreamed of having a wealthy, titled person sponsor them. Then again, because her parents were free spirited people, they probably didn’t educate her in the way she needed.

“I’m certain, Miss Faraday, your parents thought differently. From what I understand, it’s the wish of parents to have their daughter sponsored. Was your father not a viscount?”

Her jaw hardened as her lips thinned into a line. “Yes, he was, but you do not know my parents as I do, and you certainly do not know me. I’m not like most girls.”

“Obviously.”
He ran his gaze over her once more. “Perhaps you should learn to be like them. I think, Miss Faraday, this is your very problem. A problem my mother and I intend to rectify.”

Problem, my eye!

Judith was not, nor ever would be, Lord Trey’s
problem
. Unfortunately, she was stuck as their ward until she found a way out. Trey Worthington didn’t even want to listen to her protests. Judith’s parents may have raised her at their country estate, but she was far from being a country girl. They’d taught her everything she needed to know to enter society.

That wasn’t the reason she resisted. Before her parents’ untimely death, her mother had started to plan Judith’s coming out ball. Once again, tears pricked her eyes and she blinked to dry them. How could she allow the dowager to plan her ball without wishing her mother was still alive to do it herself?

Knowing the best course of action was to keep her mouth shut so she didn’t cry in front of Lord
Trey,
Judith spoke not a word until they reached her home. Before she could dismount, he jumped off his horse, hurried to her side, and helped her down.

Fool. Couldn’t he tell she didn’t want his touch? Her body still remembered his warm kiss, and she cursed her traitorous mind for being unfaithful to Alex—her secret fiancé.

He grinned. “Miss Faraday? Do you need me to escort you inside to collect your things and your servants?”

She bunched her hands into fists at her side.
“No, my lord.
I’m quite capable of doing that by myself. However, if you would like to wait in the drawing room, I shall not be very long.”

He gave her a nod. “Then you have exactly one hour to ready yourself and your belongings.”

She marched inside. When the servants ran to greet her, she flipped her hand through the air. “My escort has arrived a day early. Please see to loading the trunks as soon as possible.

She didn’t stop to see their expressions, but hurried up the stairs and to her room to change clothes. Mixed emotions swam in her head and tightened in her chest. Why hadn’t Alex met her at the cottage? Had something happened to keep him away? Although she considered him her fiancé, their engagement wasn’t legal in any way, shape, or form. So perhaps he didn’t want to marry her any longer. Tears flooded her eyes. She couldn’t let her servants see. They didn’t know about Alex. Nobody did.

Since she didn’t dare keep Lord Trey or his friend waiting for fear of what they’d do, she hurried with the organizing and met the pair outside not more than an hour later. Thankfully, the servants had spent the week packing, so they were ready. Lord Trey and the man he called Hawthorne, instructed the servants with loading the carriages. One by one, she hugged the few servants who’d be staying, people she’d known as family for several years. Tears burned her eyes as they wished her well. She climbed in the coach, and moments later, it jerked into action, carrying her to her new prison as his lordship rode in front, leading the way.