Wolfishly Yours (29 page)

After a moment, Gray nodded in agreement. “In that case, thank you, sir. I know very little about shipping, but I’m certain I can learn.”

Apparently satisfied with the outcome, Philippe Mayeux grinned like a schoolboy who’d gotten his way. “Livi can teach you all you need to know. She sat here at my knee when she should have been engaging dancing instructors or learning the art of polite conversation.”

If not, she wouldn’t have been the Livi he loved with all his heart. Gray shook his head. “I wouldn’t want her any other way.”

The twinkle reappeared in his father-in-law’s eyes. “I suppose I didn’t blunder too badly by sending her to England then, did I?”

“I am eternally grateful that you did.”

Philippe Mayeux scratched his head. “Are you wearing Etienne’s clothes?”

Gray shrugged. “That’s a bit of a long story, sir.”

“Well, then you can tell it to me on the way home. If I know Livi, she’ll wear a hole in my rug if I don’t take you there soon.”

***

Livi paced her father’s drawing room. What was taking them so long? She lifted a nail to her mouth to chew the tip.

“Will you stop?” Armand complained as he popped a fresh beignet into his mouth. “You’re making me seasick and I’m trying to eat.”

“We’re not on a ship,” she grumbled.

“No, but my cabin on the ship didn’t spin around as much as you’re making this room spin. Sit down, will you?”

Livi frowned, but she did sit on the settee beside her brother. “You don’t think Papa will really kill him, do you?”

Armand shoved another beignet into his mouth. Unable to speak legibly, he shrugged.

“Maybe I should have told Papa I’m expecting. He wouldn’t kill the father to his grandchild, would he?”

Armand choked on his snack. Eyes watering, he coughed into his fist until he cleared his throat. “You’re expecting?”

Livi didn’t think so. She supposed it was possible, but she’d just suffered through her courses last week. “No, but should I have said so?”

With an expression of relief, Armand shook his head. “I don’t think it’s ever wise to lie to Father.”

Just that moment, the large front door slammed shut. Livi bolted back to her feet.

“It’s them, Liv. Sit down and whatever you do, don’t lie.”

“Lie?” her father bellowed as he crossed the threshold into the drawing room, a smiling Gray behind him in one piece. “Who’s lying?”

“Lying in wait,” Livi said before her brother could speak. “I asked Armand if he would lie in wait for you at the offices, just to make sure Gray was all right.”

Her father narrowed his dark blue eyes on her. “Did you know when you lie, there’s a crinkle right above your nose, Liviana?”

Armand looked vindicated. “Warned you.”

“Oh, never mind all that.” Livi crossed the room and slid her hand into Gray’s. “I take it all went well?”

Papa nodded. “Chose a man who loved you. Your mother would have been proud.” Then he leaned forward and kissed her brow. “Don’t think,
mon
chaton
, that just because you’ve married some Englishman you can escape me. You’ll visit me once a year. Or I’ll visit you.”

He’d accepted Gray. Livi’s heart nearly burst from her chest. “Of course.”

“And,” Papa said, his voice full of emotion, “I’ll expect timely reports about how PRM is doing in England.”

“PRM?” Her father didn’t have any offices in England.

Papa smiled and she thought she saw a tear in his eye. “I’ll let your husband explain everything to you.” Then he stood his tallest. “Armand, a word with you in my study, if you don’t mind.”

A moment later, Livi and Gray found themselves alone in the drawing room. He pulled her into his embrace and held her tight. “That wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected.”

Livi grinned against his chest. “I told you he’d love you.”

Gray shook his head. “No. He loves you and just wants your happiness.”

“Then he has nothing to ever worry about.”

Castle Hythe, Kent

Four months later…

Maddie had always suspected that men were the most perfidious of creatures. Now she was certain of the fact. It didn’t seem to matter whether the man in question was one’s own derelict brother, a detestable fortune hunter, a disreputable gambler, or even the King of England. Not one bit. Men
were
perfidious creatures. All of them. Well, at least all of them that Maddie knew.

She leaned across the expanse of her bed and squeezed her dear friend Lady Sophia Cole’s hand. Poor Sophie was the last person Maddie would have ever imagined as a victim of men’s perfidious natures. Yet it had happened nevertheless, and there wasn’t a blasted thing either of them could do about it. Perfidious men, after all, ruled the world. However, one particularly powerful lady might be up to the challenge of that ambitious endeavor, if anyone was.

“I’m certain we’ll think of something, Soph,” she said soothingly.

Sophie shook her head as though she knew Maddie had no real hope of solving her dilemma. “Something? Shall we dress as highwaymen and rob Lord Radbourne with pistols as he returns to Kent from that farce of a trial?”

Well, that wouldn’t be the
first
plan to pop into Maddie’s mind on how to reclaim Sophie’s pilfered fortune. Still, the idea made her smile. “And don trousers? Grandmamma would be scandalized.”

Despite her new status as an impoverished gentlewoman, Sophie giggled. “Heaven forbid we scandalize the Duchess of Hythe.”

Maddie rolled her eyes. Sophie had never been a particular favorite of Maddie’s grandmother, but if ever there was a time to try and appease the duchess it was now. “Do
try
to stay on Grandmamma’s good side.”

“Does she have one?”

“Indeed she does,” Maddie declared. “And Lady Eynsford happens to live on it. So if we play our cards right—”

“What a terrible thing to say.” Sophie groaned and flopped backward across Maddie’s feather mattress and stared at the canopy above them.

Considering that Sophie’s recently deceased father had played his cards
wrong
, Maddie could see her friend’s point. “Poor turn of phrase on my part. I apologize. But you’re not listening, Soph. Lady Eynsford is the key to getting your fortune returned. Or as much of it as possible, whatever that blackguard hasn’t spent.”

Sophie pushed up on her elbows, her grey eyes intent enough to make Maddie wince inwardly. “I’m listening now.”

Maddie took a deep breath, and words just poured from her mouth. “I don’t know why, but Lord Radbourne and those brutish brothers of his follow Lord Eynsford around like a pack of puppy dogs.”

“Puppy dogs?”

“Like he’s their master or something. It is very strange. But what is more important is that I’ve never seen a man so besotted with his wife as Lord Eynsford is.”

“You’re right. That is strange.”

“Do be serious.” Maddie folded her arms across her chest. “If we are able to whisper the circumstances of your predicament to the marchioness, she could have her husband order Radbourne to return his ill-gotten gains.”

Sophie dropped back onto the bed and laughed which, considering the fact that Maddie had just suggested the best plan for restoring her friend’s place in society, was the tiniest bit irritating.

Westfield Hall, Hampshire

January 1817

Caitrin Macleod vowed never to step foot in England again—or at the very least, to keep her distance from Lycans in the future.

It was safer for everyone that way.

The visions had started days ago, wild visions where she saw wolves and their mates together under the light of the moon. There were several of them, all part of a family of Lycans. Most days, they were simply the Westfield family. But one night each month, the male members walked on four feet instead of two under the light of the full moon.

Those visions weren’t troublesome; she was quite used to them. But lingering around the edges of her visions was a wild wolf, an outsider. A danger.

She’d begun to see visions of a golden wolf, the wild one, earlier that very day. But she couldn’t tell the others what she’d seen, or she’d risk affecting the future. And she didn’t want to be the one.

Caitrin closed her eyes tightly and tried to will the vision of the Westfield wolves into her mind. She sighed with contentment when she realized all was well. None of them would return until the sun rose in the sky. The estate was empty except for her and any servant who happened to be still awake. No one would know if she donned her silk wrapper to sneak downstairs and retrieve her book while everyone was away. Maybe then she could try to get a few hours of sleep.

She crossed to the chamber door and opened it quietly. On bare feet, she padded along the corridor and down the main staircase.

Cait turned the corner into the darkened study and stopped short. Standing behind the duke’s desk was a tall man, one she’d yet to meet. Most of him was hidden in shadow, but his face was lit by the moonlight that filtered through the drapes. He was a blond Adonis, tall and lean. A vague memory of him, maybe from one of her visions, created unease within her.

“I’m sorry. I dinna ken anyone was up at this hour.” She turned to leave.

“Don’t go,” he said. Then he closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath. “You needed something in Blackmoor’s study?”

“Aye, I left a book in here yesterday when I came ta find Her Grace.”

“Having trouble sleeping?” he asked, his tone amazingly familiar. As though he’d known her for a lifetime.

“Aye. At times, I canna get thoughts out of my head.” Why had she told him that? He probably didn’t care to hear how her visions played in her mind at all hours of the day and night, preventing her rest.

He walked around the desk and perched a hip on it. His hips were narrow, his shoulders broad.
Stop ogling the man’s body, Cait.
His eyes narrowed at her, as though he knew she had a secret. She closed her eyes and tried to get a vision of him, something to tell her who he was. But her mind was blank, which was more than disconcerting.
Her mind was blank?
That had never happened before.

“I canna tell yer future,” she muttered under her breath.

“Pardon?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Ah, there’s my book,” she said, smiling at him, hoping he’d believe she hadn’t a care in the world.

Before she could turn around, he reached out and grabbed her by the waist. She couldn’t even utter a gasp as he drew her body flush against his.

“What are ye—” she began, but he covered her mouth with his, his lips hard and urgent.

She shouldn’t let a man she’d never met before take such liberties. But he smelled so good. Felt so good. Tasted so good.

Her tongue rose to meet his as a whimper of pleasure left her throat. Her heart beat wildly as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss.

Cait had been kissed before, but never like this. Never so thoroughly that she couldn’t think straight. Never so expertly that her legs threatened to buckle. Never with enough passion that she could drown in it.

Langley Downs, Hampshire

December 1816

Prisca Hawthorne was fairly certain Bedlam was in her future. Still, she couldn’t help herself. She had to leave, to see if her wolf had returned. It was a foolish thing to do, Prisca well knew. How many nights had she gone in search of him, only to return home tired and disappointed? Still, something in her soul told her she’d be successful tonight. And she never questioned that feeling; it had always been correct in the past.

She slipped into her long, wool coat as she padded across the cold marble floor. After all, it would be simply foolish to traipse around her property in the middle of night in only her flimsy nightrail. More foolish than searching for an elusive wolf.

Prisca pushed open the double glass doors that led to the veranda. The frosty winter wind swirled around her, lifting the edge of her coat and making her shiver. This was surely madness.

She quietly closed the doors behind her and rushed across the veranda, down the stone steps, and out toward her garden. The moon was full tonight, lighting her way, which made her smile. He only came to her when the moon was full. She sped up her pace.

The garden was not in bloom this time of year, but the hedgerows and topiaries still kept their form. Prisca pressed forward down the path, first around one hedge and then around another.

She spotted him and stopped in her tracks.

He
had
come.

Standing in a shaft of moonlight, the wolf seemed to be waiting for her. Prisca’s heart pounded out a familiar beat, and anticipation coursed through her veins. He was still the most magnificent creature she’d ever seen, with his regal black coat, icy blue eyes, and proud stature.

If anyone else had seen her approach the dangerous creature, her conveyance to Bedlam would have been summoned immediately. But she knew from their past encounters that he was, if not tame, of no risk to her.

She was the only one who’d ever seen the wolf. At times, she doubted he was real. In fact, it seemed like a lifetime since she’d seem him last.

Prisca smiled at the beast and stepped forward. “There you are. I didn’t know if I’d see you again.”

She sat on a stone bench and patted the space beside her.

The wolf appeared to heave a sigh, though that seemed an odd thing for him to do. Then he slowly walked toward her. He stopped before her feet, peered up at her with his cool blue eyes, and rested his head in her lap.

Prisca stroked his coarse black fur and closed her eyes, reveling in the feel of him. There was something so familiar, so comforting in the animal. Which was why she could never tell anyone about him; they’d all think she had lost her mind.

The wolf pressed closer to her, and Prisca laughed. “I missed you, too. You should visit me more often. You could even stay here,” she suggested. Wouldn’t all of Hampshire faint if they discovered she kept a wolf for a pet? “I’d take good care of you.”

The wolf closed his eyes, and Prisca scratched behind his ears. She told him all about her brothers and the goings-on around their village, just like she always had whenever he visited her. All the while, the wolf enjoyed her ministrations and seemed content to stay there forever.

Suddenly, he lifted his head with a jolt, looked her straight in the eyes, and ran out of the garden and into a copse of trees at the edge of the property as though he’d been summoned by some invisible force. It happened so fast that Prisca couldn’t even call out for him to wait.

She sighed in defeat, wondering how long it would be until she saw him again.