Authors: Gloria Harchar
He couldn
'
t have injured her, just as he couldn
'
t have killed his brother. She knew with a bone-deep certainty, with every breath she took, that he could never harm anyone—especially someone he loved.
Like her?
Did she believe he loved her? At times he was so incredibly tender, and he
'
d seemed to go against his own wishes to stay away when he agreed to go with her to Nottingham. He
'
d even come to the warehouse and saved her from Hill, and changed his silly path of neutrality in the Busby affair. Weren
'
t those signs of love? But how could she convince him?
If only her pixies
could
put a spell on him—to show him how much he deserved love and happiness, to make him understand that what they had together was a gift, a very magical gift. That seemed the only hope she had.
Nicola
had said she loved him.
Malcolm
examined the last few entries on the Yorkshire mill account, then closed the ledger.
Bloody hell
, he should have gone to inspect the operations rather than dallying in Nottingham. But he wanted to be near
Nicola
just a little longer to ensure that she was with babe, he told himself; the thought of her carrying his child made a strange sensation steal over him, a mixture of possessiveness, pride and longing. She would be a good mother. He wanted that for his son, something that he himself had never experienced, his mother too busy with soirees and lovers to make time for her boys.
He heard
Nicola
'
s soft step and the swish of her skirts as she moved about in her laboratory across the hall. He imagined the c
loth
caressing those silken
ye
t surprisingly strong thighs. His hands itched to caress her tender skin, to open her and explore that dewy femininity that drove him wild. She was like a drug. With every taste, he wanted more.
He heard the main door open and she spoke.
"
Good afternoon, Ramsey.
"
Just her voice caused a tightening of his groin. Adjusting the front of his trousers to relieve the pressure,
Malcolm
admitted he was in trouble. He had almost given up all his intentions of living aloof because of her.
"
Hello,
Nicola
. It is a good afternoon, isn
'
t it?
"
Ramsey's voice held enthusiasm.
"
You seem excited. What is happening?
"
Her love for her cousin was evident in her
tone
.
"
Since I talked to
Malcolm
and the riot was postponed, it got me to thinking about our cause. I have been meeting with some of my acquaintances, but I don
'
t want to say anything more without
Malcolm
'
s input. Is he here?
"
Malcolm
'
s curiosity surged,
and then
dipped. Nothing good ever came from Ramsey
'
s affairs.
"
Yes
, he is in his office.
Malcolm
?
"
she called.
Malcolm
realized he didn
'
t want to see the young man. The fine hairs on his neck prickled in dread.
"
To what do I owe this
... interruption?
"
he murmured as they entered his office, hoping his formality would cause Ramsey to hesitate to request anything.
The youth cocked his head, drawing his brows together,
and then
shrugged.
"
I
'
ve been thinking about what you told me concerning the stockingers. You said that I should be using my knowledge of the law to deal with their troubles. I wrote several letters to members of Parliament as you advised, but I decided to take it one step further. Several of my friends and I have been working hard with the wording of this new bill
we wish to propose. I was won
dering if you would read it.
"
He avoided glancing into those
eyes
brimming with optimism, the look that mirrored his own youth. That look of innocent anticipation tickled a ghost of a memory of his own, when he
'
d held a similar optimism as he
'
d approached his father about ways to improve the tax system. He didn
'
t want to be reminded of that, of his own foolish dreams that had led to William
'
s death.
More than ever, he was aware of
Nicola
as she stood nearby, watching the whole scene. How could her scent of lemons and wildflowers reach him from so far away? Why did his heart ache with each beat?
Hoping his expression hid the turmoil within him, he moved as if suspended in time to accept the proffered document and read it. It was good, very well written. There was youthful
exuberance in the wording. As he continued to read, he knew why Ramsey had approached him. Nevertheless, he pretended otherwise.
"
This is nicely worded, Ramsey. Good luck with it.
"
He handed back the sheath of papers.
Ramsey took it, momentarily nonplussed.
"
But
I...
that is, my friends and I were wondering if you would present it at the next Parliamentary session.
"
"
I
'
m not going to the session,
"
Malcolm
said.
"
You
'
ll have to find someone else to present it.
"
"
What? But why? You said—
"
Ramsey
'
s tone held all the bewilderment of a budding adolescent on the brink of manhood.
"
Personal reasons,
"
Malcolm
answered abruptly. He recalculated a figure in the ledger, trying to ignore the look of shocked hurt on
Nicola
'
s cousin
'
s face.
"
Now if you
'
ll excuse me,
I
have work to do.
"
But more than ever, he was aware of her unspoken disapproval.
She stood with her arms crossed, pushing her delicious breasts up and out. The disillusionment in her
eyes
was so strong the room vibrated with it. Though
Malcolm
forced himself to return his attention to the figures, he could no longer see them because all he could think of was her. In bed. With him.
But hell, even those sexual memories were illusions, because when he saw her face with those strawberry locks fanned about the pillow, he could read the disappointment in her
eyes
. Since when did it matter whether he pleased her or not? Steeling his resolve, he forced himself to stick to his decision.
Vows. He had to remember them. Those ethics he
'
d developed when he realized William had died by his hand were the only thing that had kept him sane through the
ye
ars, knowing that he would never enjoy the power of a title he had ignobly won. And that included his seat in Parliament. He owed William that much.
"
I will get you through law school. I
'
ll aid you toward becoming elected for a seat.
Bloody hell
, I
'
ll even help you with your electoral speech
"
but I
'
m not going to get involved.
"
"
So my cause is not worth your effort, is that it?
"
He barely controlled his anger.
"
This has nothing to do with the stockingers
'
plight or you. I made a vow a long time ago not to become involved with politics.
"
"
Fine, then,
"
Ramsey replied stiffly.
"
At least I can rely on the fighting techniques you showed me from India. You can
'
t take that away from me.
"
With a last scathing glance, he threw down his papers and walked out.
"
You cannot shirk your duty forever, my lord,
"
Nicola
said quietly.
Her comment
struck
Malcolm
on more than one level.
"
I can and I will, because you are mistaken about
my duty.
"
He started for the door, not wanting to discuss it. Everything was hanging by a thread. He
'
d fought so long to
atone…
"
You didn
'
t kill him,
"
she said again.
This time, he broke.
"
How do
you
know?
"
he asked fiercely.
"
Because you
'
re too
bloody
noble. I know how you studied law before the accident.
"