Anthony laid a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Dominic, I know you love Chloe and want to take care of her, but how will you be able to do that? The money you filched from my strongbox will not last forever.”
Dominic cringed, but still put up some resistance. “I’ll get a job in America.”
“But how do you think Chloe will fare on such a journey? Take a look at her, Dominic, a good look. Do you really think she’s up to a long sea voyage, at her age and in her condition, all to end up in a place where you know not a single soul? Where will you go? What kind of work will you do to support her and the baby?” Anthony’s voice was kind but relentless as he hammered home the futility of their reckless plan.
“Dominic, I know how badly you want to keep Chloe safe,” said Linnet as she put her arm around the weeping girl. “You always have. But I’m afraid you simply can’t right now. Someday you will have the necessary resources, but you’re still too young now.”
Chloe gave a huge sniff and pushed herself upright, out of Linnet’s arms. Her cheeks were pale and damp with tears, but she’d calmed. Her expression held a maturity far beyond her years. “Dominic, please come here.”
Linnet got up to let him take her place, and he carefully lowered himself to the bed. When Chloe put her arms around him, he buried his head in her lap, finally giving in to his tears.
“Shh, it’s all right, Dominic,” Chloe murmured, stroking his dark hair. “They’re right. I want more than anything to go with you, but I can’t. I’m just not strong enough.”
“I’d take care of you,” came the muffled reply.
“I know, but I can’t help thinking how upset Papa must be. How worried for both of us. I must go home, Dominic. It’s truly the right thing to do.” Chloe urged him upright. When they were facing each other, she gave him a heartbreakingly sweet smile. “Besides, I’m sure I’d be sick the entire way across the Atlantic, which would be quite horrible for both of us.”
“I wouldn’t mind one bit,” Dominic said stoutly.
“I’m sure you wouldn’t, but I would.”
The boy stared into her face as he struggled with his conflicted emotions. Finally, he capitulated. “You will write to me, won’t you?”
Chloe nodded. “Every day.”
Dominic let out a laugh that sounded more like a sob. “You will not. You hate composing letters.”
“Not if they’re to you.”
Linnet stood quietly, her chest aching with the children’s shared sorrow. They faced a long, possibly even permanent separation from the person they loved best. How would she feel if confronted with that possibility? How would she react if she knew she might never see Anthony again? The very idea harrowed her soul.
She glanced at him, her entire being filling with love. He stood gravely watching the children, ready to assist at a moment’s notice. He might be a tad arrogant and, yes, even imperious. But he would never deny anyone who needed his help, especially those most in need of a champion.
He was the best man she could ever hope to know.
As if he sensed her watching him, he turned his head and gave her a smile so loving that her breath caught. She had no choice but to smile back, probably looking like a love-struck nitwit. But she no longer cared. She loved him with all her heart.
He switched his attention back to the children. “When was the last time you had anything to eat?”
Dominic knit his brow. “We had a few rolls and some tea at the last change of horses.”
“That won’t do. I’ll arrange for a private parlor and order a meal,” Anthony said. “And I’ll also see about hiring a chaise for our return to Kew.” He cast a sardonic glance Linnet’s way. “Chloe’s isn’t the only reputation we need to worry about. I would imagine your family is growing rather concerned at your absence, especially your mother.”
Linnet pressed her fingertips to her temples. She’d forgotten all about her mother, and her younger brother and sister, too. How could she have done that? Her mamma depended on her to watch out for Peter and Amelia, and Linnet had bolted from home with hardly a second thought.
It was a forceful reminder that she and Anthony still had some obstacles to overcome, after all.
Chapter 7
Anthony silently closed the door to the St. Clares’ guest bedroom. He was supposed to be enjoying a good night’s rest after Linnet’s attempt to convince him that he was too fatigued to drive back to London after they’d returned to Kew. She’d read him quite the lecture about it, tempting Anthony to laugh at the very idea that missing one night’s sleep would affect his ability to drive his curricle safely. But the hollow, exhausted look on her sweet face and the genuine worry he saw in her eyes had sealed his lips. If staying the night at her mother’s house would give her peace of mind, so be it. She’d earned it after the emotional and physical rigors of the past few days.
Besides, there were still issues to be resolved between them, and staying a day or two would give him a prime opportunity to do that.
They’d reached Kew late in the afternoon after a relatively untroubled journey from Belkingham. Linnet had traveled in the hired chaise with Chloe, while Dominic had ridden with Anthony. The boy had been silent most of the way, and Anthony had left him alone. Dominic was genuinely shattered, and he would require time and careful handling to recover his equilibrium. Anthony had every intention of giving it to him, too. He’d grown fond of the boy in the last few weeks—he was intelligent, compassionate, and had a bone-deep sense of integrity, qualities Anthony was determined to encourage.
On their arrival, they’d taken Chloe to her father’s cottage. Her farewell to Dominic had been heart-wrenching, and only the promise that they could see each other again before Chloe left for Yorkshire had prevented Dominic from sinking into absolute despair. Fortunately, Linnet had stepped in to do what she did best—restoring order from emotional chaos. She’d fussed over the boy as effectively as any mother could, seeing that he had a proper meal and bath before sending him off to bed. Dominic was so exhausted that he’d complied without a murmur of protest.
Once Dominic was dispatched, Linnet had tried to fuss over Anthony, too. But by then she was almost dead on her feet, so he’d taken her by the shoulders, steered her toward the stairs, and ordered her to get some sleep. In a clear indication of her condition, she also complied without a murmur. Anthony had watched her climb the stairs with some regret because he wanted nothing more than to settle everything between them immediately. But Linnet was clearly too tired to be pressed.
But it was now going on three o’clock in the morning, and Linnet had been asleep for hours. It was time for him to join her because, regardless of any objections she might raise, Anthony had every intention of spending the rest of the night with her tucked safely in his arms. Any other outcome was simply out of the question.
He padded silently down the hall, past the other bedrooms to the back of the house. He opened the door to Linnet’s room and stepped inside. Pausing a moment, he let his eyes adjust to the darker gloom of the bedroom, then made his way to her bed.
She lay sprawled on her stomach, covers flung every which way. Her night rail had rucked up around her thighs, and Anthony smiled as the heat began to build in his groin. Despite the temptation offered by her sweetly rounded figure, there was something immensely endearing about her innocent, almost childlike abandon to sleep.
He pulled off his breeches and eased onto the mattress. Carefully, he slid his arms under her body and pulled her close. She stirred, coming awake as he settled her into a perfect curve against him.
“Anthony?” she whispered drowsily. “Is that you?”
“It had better be,” he said with a husky growl. “If anyone else is making a habit of climbing into your bed in the middle of the night, I’ll be extremely annoyed.”
She let out a sleep chuckle and snuggled against him. But a moment later her body went rigid. “Good God, Anthony,” she hissed, trying to wriggle around to face him. “What are you doing? This is scandalous, even for you.”
He draped a leg over her, pinning her to the mattress. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black, madam, given your complete disregard for the canons of propriety these last twenty-four hours. I can’t imagine that your joining me for a midnight drive is any less shocking than my joining you in your bed.”
When she realized he wasn’t going to let her up, she subsided with a grumble. “If you think that, my dear sir, you’ve obviously lost your mind. What time is it?”
“Three o’clock. And you’re not to worry, Miss Propriety. I will be long gone from your bed before the servants awake.”
“Well, see that you are.” Her reply ended on a large yawn.
Anthony smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I will,” he promised.
For a minute or two, she lay quietly in his arms. He was content to simply hold her, letting their heartbeats settle into a matched, comforting rhythm. Then she raised her head, trying to look at him over her shoulder.
“Not that I’m not enjoying this,” she said, “but what
are
you doing here, if I might ask?”
He gave her a little squeeze. “I simply wanted to hold you.”
“Oh, really?” she replied in a dry voice, obviously responding to the rise of his erection against her bottom. “It certainly feels like you have something else in mind.”
“You impugn my character, Miss St. Clare.”
“I’m sure I don’t.” She twisted around to face him, a pleasantly physical maneuver that Anthony thoroughly enjoyed. With her hands folded and resting on his chest, she tipped her head back to meet his gaze. In the night-shrouded bedroom, her blue eyes looked fathomless.
“Does this mean what I think it means?” she asked solemnly.
“That I still wish to marry you? What else could it mean?”
She ignored the obvious answer to that one. “Naturally, I’m grateful—”
He nipped her plump upper lip. “Grateful, are you? Is that all?”
She let out an aggrieved sigh. “Oh, very well. I’m ecstatic about it. What woman wouldn’t be overjoyed at the idea of marriage to the esteemed Sir Anthony Tait?”
“Linnet,” he growled in a warning voice.
“Don’t be an idiot, Anthony. I’ve course I want to marry you. I’m madly in love with you, although
I
must be the idiot for admitting that so freely to you.”
“Why would you think that, my sweet? You must know I return the feeling.”
Even though he could only see the outline of her features, he could sense the earnestness in her gaze. “You do? You truly love me madly?”
He pressed a brief, gentle kiss to her mouth. “Yes, Linnet. That and more. Frankly, I feel like my life would be a disaster without you, although that hardly makes any sense given the troubles you’ve gotten me into lately. And, by the by, if you breathe a word to anyone at Court that you’ve reduced me to a lovesick fool, I will lock you in a room and throw away the key.”
She gave a delicious little wriggle. “How splendid. But I will keep your secret in the strictest confidence. You may rely on me, my dear sir.”
“I do, my love. All jesting aside, I cannot imagine life without you.”
Linnet rested her forehead on his chest. “I’m so very glad you feel that way.” Emotion rippled through the simple, heartfelt words, making her voice quaver.
The only answer he could make was to pull her more deeply into his embrace. Anthony wasn’t prone to excessive sentiment, but he didn’t trust himself to speak. So, he simply held her, relishing the feel of her luscious curves against him and thanking God he’d been blessed with so precious a gift. He’d always known that Linnet was an intelligent and capable woman, but these last few days had shown him how truly magnificent she was. He’d seen her generous and loving heart, and her inexhaustible courage when protecting those most in need. She’d risked her reputation and her family’s good name to help Dominic and Chloe, and she’d done it without a second thought or a moment’s worry.
It made him realize once and for all how empty his life would be without her. She was worth any trouble or sacrifice, even though she would surely turn his well-ordered life upside down, imposing her unique stamp upon it. But from that disorder their new life would emerge, one that he couldn’t wait to begin.
When she went stiff in his arms a few moments later, he could practically hear the wheels turning in her brain. He stroked a soothing hand over her plush bottom. “What troubles you, love?”
She tensed at his caress, then settled. “I hate to put a fly in the ointment, but we haven’t discussed what to do about Mamma and the children. You know the queen does not want her to leave, and Amelia and Peter are not old enough to be on their own. Besides, the longer Mamma remains at Court, the larger her annuity will be when she finally does leave her position.” Her frustrated sigh stirred the hairs on his chest. “I’m sorry, but we can’t marry just yet. I simply can’t leave the children, no matter how much I love you.”
He rested his chin on top of her head, pretending to ponder her words. “Hmm. That is quite the dilemma. Whatever shall we do about it, I wonder?”
“Don’t you dare make fun of me,” she said, poking him in the ribs. “This is serious.”
He laughed. “Linnet, my love, I know what your family means to you, and I know how seriously you take your responsibilities. It was wrong of me to ask you to disregard them. I won’t make that mistake again.”
“I truly appreciate that sentiment, Anthony, but you do understand what this means, don’t you? I simply don’t know when the situation will change enough to allow us to marry.”
“Well, I suppose we’ll just have to have Amelia and Peter live with us until your mamma is ready to leave Court. Although we’ll have to find a bigger house. I don’t think my town house in Kensington is quite up to the challenge.”
Her head jerked up, knocking him on the chin. A moment later, she’d pushed him onto his back, and he went willingly, enjoying the feel of her climbing on top of him.
Linnet straddled him, her palms firmly planted on his shoulders. “Do you really mean it? You already have Dominic to worry about. Are you sure you want my brother and sister, too?”
Anthony let his hands drift over her waist and down to her hips. In the faint light of a summer’s dawn approaching through the window, he could see the outline of her body, the plump, perfect curves contrasting with the tension in her limbs.
“Peter, I believe, will be a good influence on Dominic, and they can keep each other company. As for Amelia, I will leave the handling of young ladies up to you.”
She tilted her head down to peer at him. Her nightcap slipped, and her hair tumbled out in a glorious spill over her full breasts, clearly outlined through the thin night rail. Anthony reached up and cupped her, gently rubbing his palm across the burgeoning tip of her nipple.
“Amelia’s coming out next year,” she managed in a breathless voice. “That’s bound to be a lot of bother and commotion.”
“I have every confidence you’ll manage the situation with your usual terrifying efficiency,” he said absently as he brought both hands up to play with her breasts. “Just consider how you’ve managed me.”
She leaned down to brush a hot, tempting kiss across his lips. “I managed you, did I?” she said with a throaty laugh. “I’ll show you managing, Sir Anthony.”
A few minutes later and with her usual aplomb, Linnet managed him exceedingly well.