To Catch A Fallen Spy (Brethren of the Coast Book 8) (13 page)

“I was crying, and I forgot my handkerchief, but a benevolent soul came to my rescue.” With a glowing expression, Elaine halted. “That was you?”

“Guilty as charged.” He smiled when she squeezed him with her fingers, and he flexed his muscles beneath her welcomed touch. “I always thought it a crime that the most beautiful woman in the room lurked in the shadows.”

“Oh, Ross, I want to kiss you.” Now that gem threatened to topple his heretofore-infallible self-control. “And you are not alone in your admiration, as I watched you, too.” She bit her bottom lip and cast a coy side-glance, and the world came alive. “You prefer to stand guard at the Northcote’s in the shelter of the great column near the south terrace doors. At the Eddington’s, you skulk at the back of the ballroom, using the velvet drapery for cover. And you sequestered at the rear of the bust of Oliver Cromwell, at the Richmond’s, which is how you spotted me, I suppose.”

“You see a great deal, my lady.” And he only had eyes for her.

“More than you realize.” She clucked her tongue. “And I wish to be called Mrs. Logan once we are wed.”

Ross paused and met her gaze. “But you retain your title.”

“I have no use for it.” She shrugged and thrust her chin. “And I should rather everyone know I am your wife.”

“Well said.” He turned her toward the street. “Now we should return to the carriage, as we must prepare for our final appearance before our big day.”

“Thursday approaches, my dashing fiancé.” She grinned and revealed the tiniest dimple just to the left of her luscious mouth. “And I doubt I shall sleep a wink tomorrow night.”

“Neither will I, if it makes you feel any better.” To his chagrin, usually stubborn part of his anatomy sprang to life, and he buttoned his coat.

“It does. Oh, there is Caroline.” Elaine waved to her friend. “I did not think she would attend the Promenade, as she was ill, yesterday. Pray, a moment, as I should check on the state of her health and offer my support.”

“All right.” Soon, she would be his wife, and he would forbid such frivolous social outings until he captured the villain that hunted her. “I will wait here.”

For the second time in as many minutes, Ross fought an overwhelming emotional reaction he did not quite understand. As he considered his position, he realized what drew him to Elaine, and he surmised he presented a similar lure for her.

Rubbing his neck, he rolled his shoulders and inhaled a calming breath.

Elaine gave Ross a sense of place. She grounded him. With her, he belonged to someone, and he never thought that possible. What was it Cara had said to Lance?
You are part of something more than yourself
.

Although he would never admit it aloud, his lady gave him hope for a future he thought beyond his reach. How many years had Ross spent in solitude, avoiding the normal attachments to which most people his age aspired? Too many to count.

Just then, Elaine hugged Caroline and faced Ross.

Seconds later, a runaway horse and rider veered from the road and bounded straight for Elaine and the countess of Lockwood.

“Elaine, watch out.” Amid shouts of alarm, and with nary a moment to lose, Ross tackled his bride-to be, and the mysterious assailant sped from the scene. Rolling to his side, he cradled his fiancée’s head, as the Brethren approached. “Someone give chase.”

The Nautionnier Knights scattered, but there was nothing they could do. Given the lack of available mounts, the villain escaped, and Ross cursed as he helped Elaine to her feet.

Dusting off her dress, Elaine emitted a soft sob. “Upon my word, what a reckless fool.”

“That was no reckless fool.” He adjusted her bonnet, which sat askew after the commotion, and summoned calm. “And perhaps now you are convinced that someone wishes to harm you.”

to catch a fallen spy

chapter eight

Since Caroline married
Trevor, the Brethren women assembled on the eve of each subsequent wedding to support each other and talk of things no gently bred lady of quality would ever admit to discussing. To her dismay, Elaine had always been excused early in the evening. But that night, they congregated for her.

“It can be rather shocking your first time.” Rebecca furrowed her brow.

“For me, it was an otherworldly experience.” Alex gazed at the ceiling, sighed, and shuddered visibly. “I treasure the memory.”

Sabrina poured a glass of champagne and rolled her eyes. “And it can be quite an inconvenience, until you adjust.”

Caroline tapped her cheek. “But you soon grow accustomed to it.”

Cara nodded in agreement. “Before you realize it, answering to your married name is second nature.”

Lenore snapped her fingers. “Do not disregard the benefits, because you get to shop for new stationary.”

“That is wonderful, but we have danced around the topic foremost on my mind, and I believe you know what I reference.” Impatient and nervous, Elaine focused the ladies on the primary task. Given she had made her decision to wed Ross, she left behind the hurts of the past and pledged to move forward with haste. “As no one knows what goes on behind closed doors, and you always provide the requisite information to the bride-to-be at our little festivities, I would avail myself of your combined wisdom.”

“Would you like some more champagne?” Daphne lifted the bottle.

“No, thank you.” Elaine shook her head. “You are stalling, and if I have another glass, I may not remember your advice. Please, I am terrified of the consummation.”

“Were we not all?” With a wistful countenance, Lenore smiled.

“Good heavens, no.” Rebecca snickered. “I initiated the singular event, when Dirk hesitated, as he is nothing if not honorable.”

“Do not look at me.” With a fist pressed to her bosom, Alex blinked. “As everyone knows I was pregnant with twins when I married Jason. We did not achieve that by forgoing the obvious.”

Given Alex’s admission, Elaine’s imagination ran rampant. How would her sisters react if they knew Ross installed Elaine in her own bedchamber? For the past sennight, she ventured to his townhome on Farm Street, to supervise the decoration of her private apartment and meet the domestic staff. The bitter pill of disappointment settled in her throat whenever she pondered their sleeping arrangements, as she expected to share his accommodation.

“Have you any idea what goes where?” Daphne inquired in a low tone.

“Yes.” Elaine bit her lower lip. “I apologize, Cara, but I happened upon you and Lance in the orangery at Sandgate, this summer, and that instance offered quite an education.”

Cara gasped. “How long did you watch us?”

“Not very much.” And it was an image Elaine fought to erase from her mind, as she never again wanted to glimpse Lance’s bare bottom flexing and thrusting. “My sincere regrets, but I was so startled that I just stood there.” Then Elaine conjured Ross doing the same thing to her, and her cheeks burned. “Once I gathered my wits, I ran to the house. But after that, I always made sufficient noise to warn you of my approach.”

“Well, that is half the enlightenment, right there.” Rebecca tittered. “And I would wager Ross will be gentle, so you need not worry.”

“Then what am I to do?” Elaine fanned herself, as she pictured Cara’s legs wrapped about Lance’s hips. “I mean, what are my duties?”

“Duties?” Sabrina asked in a high-pitched voice. “My dear Elaine, sex is not a chore.”

“But I do not want to simply lie there.” Shifting in her seat, Elaine tried but failed to ignore the fascinating singsong of Cara’s cries, as Lance worked his magic on his wife. Would Ross take Elaine like that? Would the agent provocateur inspire similar exultation, as Elaine speared her fingers through his hair and dug her heels into his flanks? “I want to be an active participant.”

“Trust me, you will be an active participant.” Sabrina snorted and drained her crystal flute of champagne.

“Just be sure to praise Ross’s efforts.” Caroline signaled Brie for a refill, and it struck Elaine as odd that the wives conversed so effortlessly of the enthralling subject, when society frowned on such behavior. “In fact, when your husband groans in completion, I suggest you scream, as it will sooth Ross’s pride.”

“Indeed, Caroline is correct in her counsel.” Daphne canted her head. “When it comes to coitus, men are vulnerable spirits and require profuse validation. If I am too quiet, Dalton takes it as a personal reflection of his inadequacies, and I spend half the night reassuring him that he is still hale, whole, and virile beyond compare. We must spare their feelings, in that respect.”

“So I should scream.” Elaine committed that to memory. “Alex, if I may inquire, why does Jason spank you, and does it not hurt?”

“It would hurt if he spanked me in earnest, but he does not.” Alex laughed. “His actions are merely a prelude to lovemaking, and I am not the least bit ashamed, because everyone knows my husband is a unique individual. But Jason would never do anything to cause me pain, and I must confess I enjoy what he does for me.” She leaned forward. “I recommend you give yourself time to get to know Ross and his naughty habits. Some may be more startling than others, especially if his tastes tend toward the unconventional, but what occurs in your marriage bed is your business and no one else’s. Never forget that only the two people involved in the union know what truly goes on between you, and if you are amenable, then you have done nothing wrong.”

“How fascinating and heartening.” Elaine pondered the information and another query formed in her brain. “Lenore, just how did you and Blake break that Ming vase in the Howard’s morning room?”

“The answer is rather pedestrian.” With an air of smug satisfaction, Lenore waggled her brows. “When Blake makes love, every conceivable surface and venue functions as a means to engage in his favorite activity, and floors are no exception. In short, we got carried away, rolled into a table, and toppled the expensive artifact.”

A chorus of mirth broke through the tension investing Elaine’s shoulders, and she inserted Ross into a similar fantasy.

“How peculiar.” And stimulating, as Elaine made another mental note for future reference. “Does the fear of discovery not temper the pleasure?”

“Oh, it has quite the opposite effect.” Lenore paused, when the other wives indicated their concurrence. “And you should not discount the possibilities, which are limited only by your spouse’s ingenuity and derring-do.”

“So I gather.” Elaine swallowed hard, as she considered the logistics. “Just how often do you indulge in marital relations? That is to say, how often can I anticipate Ross will partake of my…hospitality?”

“Every day, particularly at night and in the morning.” Propping elbows to knees, Caroline rested her chin in her palm. “Although Trevor is partial to afternoons, as well.”

“And after the Promenade,” added Daphne.

“Or following his usual exercise in the park.” Cara glanced left and then right. “Upon his return, Lance rides me.”

In unison, the ladies raised their glasses in toast.

“Everett is especially attentive when he returns from White’s, but he always grants me a respite so that I may heal after the birth of our children.” Brie wrinkled her nose. “Dr. Handley recommends six weeks, and it is all my shameless lord and I can do to survive the period of forced abstinence.”

“How dreadful, as I could never stay away from Jason for any length of time,” Alex proclaimed, with unimpaired aplomb, as if imparting a new sewing technique. “While I recover, he sails my back channel, exclusively.”

“Upon my word.” Elaine choked on her champagne, as she could not fathom Ross ever doing that to her. “What a gentleman.”

#

The long case clock in the hall signaled the hour, and Ross stretched his booted feet and gazed into the blaze in the hearth. At that same time tomorrow, he would be married to Elaine, and he wondered if he made a terrible mistake, saddling her with a man who could neither love nor deserve her. Somehow, some way, he would make her happy.

A commotion in the foyer brought him out of his chair, just as the Brethren invaded his study. “What on earth is going on here?”