sought.
Lucas, do that again. Please touch
me again."
Like this, my sweet?" His fingers worked
magic in the hot, damp area between her
legs.
God, you are beautiful, Vicky. You
respond to me as though you had been
made for me."
Please." She could barely speak as she
arched her hips and writhed again beneath
his touch.
I don't know
I can't
Please."
Yes. I know. I will. Just give yourself up
to it, darling. Do you want me?" he asked
again.
Oh, yes, yes, yes." And then she was
beyond thought, beyond speech. Something
tight and vibrant that lay coiled within her
suddenly released itself without warning,
reverberating through her body until she
was shivering. The small convulsions made
her tremble from head to toe, but she was
not cold, nor did she know any fear.
She had never felt so joyously alive in
her life.
And then she collapsed in an exhausted
little heap against Lucas's hard chest.
So beautiful. Such a sweet, hot passion."
Lucas dropped light, reassuring kisses all
over her face and throat as he withdrew his
hand from between her thighs and hastily
refastened her breeches.
I will go out of
my mind waiting for you. But I do not
think you will make me wait too long,
will you, sweetheart? You would not be
so cruel."
Victoria hesitated until she could breathe
normally before lifting her head away from
his shoulder. The carriage was already
slowing. She looked up at him, still dazed.
He was smiling faintly, a warm, knowing
expression in his eyes.
That was
." She licked her lips and tried
again.
That was very strange."
Think of it as an experiment in natural
history."
An experiment?" In spite of her odd
mood, the laughter welled up inside her,
revitalizing her and flushing away some
of the sensual lethargy that had held
her in thrall.
You are utterly impossible,
my lord."
Not at all." His smile was gentle, but
there was a disturbing heat in his eyes.
The things I want to do with you are all
quite possible. Some may be improbable,
but not impossible."
She was staring wordlessly into his eyes
when she suddenly became aware that the
carriage had stopped. She gave herself a
small shake and her fingers flew to her
untied cravat.
Good heavens, we're here.
I must get out or the coachman will think
we've fallen asleep."
She scrambled about the carriage, collecting
her walking stick and coat. As she
pushed open the door she realized that
Lucas was moving far more cautiously
than usual. She frowned at him as she
jumped down.
Are you all right?"
No."
Oh, dear, your leg."
It is not my leg that is bothering me."
He stepped down beside her and adjusted
his coat with great care.
Then what is it, Lucas?" Victoria
prodded.
Nothing you can do anything about
tonight, but rest assured I will look forward
to you resolving the problem in the near
future." He rapped on the side of the
coachman's seat with his stick.
Be so
good as to wait a few minutes. I shall
return shortly."
The
coachman
tipped
his
hat
with
a
bored air and reached for the flask he
kept under his box.
But Lucas, what is it? What is the
matter?" Victoria asked again as they
hurried around the corner and through
an alley to the garden wall.
Think back on all your studies of
natural history, particularly the details
of reproduction among the male of the
species and I'm sure the answer will come
to you."
Oh dear." She swallowed, aware that her
face was burning. She was not precisely
certain what he meant, but she was at
last getting an inkling of the probable
source of his discomfort.
Heavens. I had
no idea. Are you, uh, very uncomfortable,
my lord?"
Don't look so contrite," he said with a
quick, fleeting grin.
I am well pleased with
the results of the experiment. They were
worth any minor discomfort I am now
experiencing." He gave her an assist up the
garden wall.
And I did offer myself in the
spirit of intellectual inquiry, did I not?"
I do wish you would stop talking about
the whole thing as an experiment." Victoria
dropped down into the fragrant, shadowed
garden and stood back as he lowered
himself down beside her.
I think it will be easier for you to
think of it that way for a while." He
kissed her nose
and
stood back.
Good
night, Victoria. Sleep well."
She stood watching for a moment as
he vanished back over the wall and
then, reluctantly, she turned toward the
conservatory door. She abruptly longed for
the privacy of her room so that she could
think about what was happening between
her and Lucas.
The feelings he was arousing in her
were startling in their intensity and a little
frightening. For a few minutes there in
the coach she knew she had surrendered
a large measure of her self-control to him.
She had put herself literally in his hands
ind he had shown her the power of her
own body.
She frowned in thought as she aproached the
conservatory door. She must
not let matters get out of control. She had
to be careful. But Lucas was so different
from any other man she had ever met.
it was becoming increasingly difficult to
link logically about him. More and more
she was reacting on the basis of emotion,
and that, she knew, was dangerous.
Damn it, she thought resentfully, it
simply was not fair that a widow such
is Isabel Rycott was free to indulge in a
discreet romantic liaison while a dedicated
spinster was not granted the same privilege,
least not a spinster who was only
twenty-four. Perhaps in another ten years
she would be able to behave as she wished,
but who wanted to wait ten years to
discover the mysteries Lucas was now
revealing to her?
And who knew where Lucas would be
ten years from now, Victoria thought in
sullen disgust. He would undoubtedly be
off in the country, attending to his estates,
a wife, and several children.
It simply was not fair.
Victoria knew now that if she was ever
going to experiment with this particular
aspect of natural history, she wanted that
experiment to take place with Lucas.
Perhaps she should do as he said and
regard this entire matter from a scientific
point of view.
She was mulling over the pros and cons
of that angle when she spotted the white
silk neck scarf fluttering from the handle
of the conservatory door.
One of the servants must have left it here
when he or she went into the garden to
collect herbs for supper, she thought. But
surely she would have noticed it earlier
when she had left the house to meet
Lucas.
Curious, she lifted the scarf away from
the handle. She felt the monogram beneath
her fingers but could not read it in the pale
moonlight.
Victoria hurried indoors, paused in the
conservatory to listen for any sound, and
then decided her aunt had probably not
yet returned from the Crandalls" ball. The
Crandalls" affairs were famous for lasting
until dawn.
Victoria went upstairs and into her room
and immediately lit a candle. Then she
held the end of the scarf near the glow
of light and deciphered the monogram.
It was in the shape of an elaborately
worked
W."
Victoria's fingers shook as she carefully
folded the scarf. She had seen similar
monograms before. They had been embroidered
on the handkerchiefs and neck-cloths
of her dead stepfather, Samuel Whitlock.
The morning light poured through
the conservatory windows, illuminating
the spectacular spray of Plumeria rubra
that Victoria was endeavoring to capture
with her watercolors. She frowned at
the emerging flower portrait on her
easel, knowing her attention was not
completely on her work and wondering
if she should simply abandon the project.
Normally when she was engaged in her
sketching or painting, her concentration
was complete .
But this morning her thoughts churned,
writhed, and danced with memories of her
passion in Lucas's arms the previous night.
She had been unable to get the images
out of her head although she had spent
several fitful hours trying to calm herself.
She knew she would turn herself into
a candidate for Bedlam if she did not
sort out her confusion and make some
decisions.
There you are, Vicky, dear. I have been
looking for you." Cleo Nettleship rounded
the corner of the aisle of plants and headed
toward her niece. She was wearing a
delightful morning dress of pale coral.
Such a lovely day, is it not? I should
have known I'd find you out here." She
paused briefly, her attention caught by a
small plant on a tray.
Good heavens,
did you notice the new American iris
we got from Chester last month? It's
blooming beautifully. How exciting. I must
remember to tell Lucas."