Page 23 of Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Duchess (Wallflower Season #3)

Chapter Fourteen

K ate waited until most of the guests retired for the evening before heading to her own bed chamber.

As she left the drawing room, Andrew caught her eye and gave her a knowing look.

She lowered her head and hurried out of the room before she embarrassed herself by turning twenty shades of red.

She heard the hall clock strike thirty past ten and wondered how she could contain her anticipation.

Upstairs, Sally released her hair from its pins, and it fell in waves about her shoulder. She brushed Kate’s hair until it crackled beneath the bristles. After she had helped Kate into her nightgown, she bade her goodnight and retired to the servant’s quarters.

Kate paced the room. She couldn’t meet Andrew in her bedclothes.

It would be the height of scandal if she were caught.

She needed a simple gown. She strode over to her wardrobe and looked through the many gowns until she found a simple gown of midnight blue.

It would keep her hidden in the shadows and it was well out of fashion, so it contained none of the small buttons that her current gowns possessed.

She slipped off her nightgown and stepped into the dress.

At eleven thirty, Kate eased her door open.

She stood in her doorway listening, but everything was quiet.

Most of the guests had retired early due to the darkness from the storm, and the few who had remained in the drawing room had been yawning and fighting off sleep when Kate had retired.

The house was still. She slipped out and tiptoed past her grandmother’s door.

As she made her way down the dark hallway with only the light from a small candle in a wall sconce, she spotted Julia’s door opening.

Kate moved into the shadows and watched as Julia looked in both directions before tiptoeing down the hallway herself. Kate waited until she neared the end of their wing before quietly following her.

She had thirty minutes until she was to meet Andrew.

Time enough to determine what her friend was up to in the wee hours of the morning.

Unlike her dark gown, Julia still wore the yellow silk from earlier which made her shine like a beacon in the moonlight.

She stopped in front of a doorway, tapped lightly on it twice, then opened it.

Kate gasped. She had assigned all of the rooms and knew who awaited Julia inside.

Lord Radford! What is she up to? Kate hurried until she was across from his bedchamber and eased next to the door.

She heard the murmur of voices inside. Why would Julia meet Lord Radford in his bedchamber?

Could Julia have drank so much wine and become so distressed over Nicholas’s appearance that she had thrown all caution aside?

Kate considered knocking on the door, but to do so, might alert others to Julia’s late-night assignation.

No. She would do better to wait and speak to Julia. Perhaps Kate was mistaken.

The clock at the end of the hallway ticked slowly through the half-hour, yet Julia did not emerge.

Kate wrung her hands. She couldn’t leave.

She had to confront Julia and determine the reason for her secret visit.

Would Andrew wait for her? Kate did not know what to do. The clock’s hands moved past midnight.

In the library, Andrew paced himself. He wondered if he had been a fool to believe a midnight dalliance with Kate was a good idea.

But her lips had been so sweet beneath his and her body elicited a faster response in his own than he had ever experienced.

He had to go further. Had to see what more she would allow.

When the clock struck midnight, he stilled and waited for the door to open.

It did not. Had she changed her mind? He couldn’t believe she would deny him the pleasure she had promised with her looks and her kiss.

He would wait. Perhaps she couldn’t get away without being seen at the moment.

Or maybe Kate thought making him wait for her arrival would make his hunger for her grow.

He settled himself down on the couch to wait for her entrance.

It would never do for her to see him so eager.

The clock struck thirty minutes past midnight.

Andrew had gone from eager to disappointed.

He must have misread her attraction to him.

Despite her obstinate manner, Andrew had believed Kate would be submissive to his will in bed.

It appears she did not plan to give him the opportunity to discover the truth.

He left the library and headed back to his own chambers.

In the hallway, he spotted movement. At first, he thought it was a trick of the candlelight. Then, he waited and saw the figure move from the shadows and realized it was a woman. He slowed his steps. When he was almost upon her, he realized it was Kate.

“Kate,” he whispered.

She started and let out a small squeak but quickly clamped her hand over her own mouth. Her eyes widened when she saw that she had been caught and she shook her head and pulled him aside. “Andrew, I am so—”

Andrew cut her off. He knew whose bedchamber she stood outside.

A hot flame of jealousy flared in his gut.

Had that scoundrel Lord Radford somehow convinced Kate to attend to him?

He was furious. Not with Kate. She was innocent and trusting.

He would thrash Lord Radford to within an inch of his life.

He reached for Kate and pulled her to him. “Don’t say a word,” he whispered. “You shall not give yourself to a rake like Lord Radford. Darian is a cad and a rake. He is not worthy of a woman of caliber like yourself.”

“But I—” Kate tried to speak, but she stopped. “I am sorry. I wasn’t here to see Lord Radford.”

“Then why are you standing outside his bedroom?” Andrew was growing more confused.

“I can’t tell you.”

Andrew looked down into her brown eyes and saw she was upset.

He had spoken too harshly. He did not like that he had distressed her in any way.

He kissed her lightly on the lips, restraining the urge to ravish her.

“You can trust me, Kate. I will never mistreat you. You and you shall not give yourself to anyone but me.”

“Andrew,” Kate breathed.

His name on her lips unleashed something inside of him.

He entwined his fingers into her long curls and pulled her head back gently.

He bowed down and slowly, carefully kissed from the curve of her jawline down her throat until he reached her shoulders.

He nipped it and this caused her to moan with desire.

Unable to stop himself, he followed the line of her collarbone until he came to the swell of her breast. How he longed to release it from its confines, but he resisted and moved to her mouth.

He pressed his mouth against hers and she melted into him.

“Andrew Fitzwilliam what are you doing in the hallway with Miss Avery at this late hour!” Kate wrenched herself from Andrew’s grasp at the sound of his grandmother’s voice.

Her eyes were wide with fright, and he knew she feared for her honor.

Andrew gave her a reassuring look before turning to his grandmother.

“I could ask the same thing of you, Grandmother. Why are you roaming the hallways of Renwood Castle at this late hour?” Andrew looked down at the old woman. Next to her was the Dowager Viscountess. Both of them were still fully dressed and had apparently not retired.

“Watch your tongue, grandson. You might be the Duke of Devonport, but I have raised you since you were a boy. Lady Pembrooke and I were visiting in her sitting room, and she wanted to stretch her legs as they had grown stiff in the cold. Imagine our surprise to find you in a heated embrace with Miss Avery!” The Dowager Duchess’s dark eyes turned to Kate.

“Miss Avery. It seems that I was wrong about you. You are your brother’s sister. ”

Kate’s mouth opened and closed. She appeared unable to defend herself against his grandmother’s accusations. Andrew felt his ire rise. “Grandmother, that is not what has transpired.”

“Well, I am sure that by morning, all of London will know the character of the Avery family,” the Dowager Duchess said, scorn in her voice.

“That is my granddaughter that you are speaking of right now, Your Grace. I warn you to tread carefully,” the Dowager Viscountess’s voice had steel in it and Kate straightened slightly.

Andrew looked down at her and grasped her hand. “I happened upon Miss Avery in the hallway. She heard a sound and came out to investigate. I was on my way to my bedchamber when a mouse scurried across the hallway and right up Miss Avery’s dress.”

The Dowager Duchess peered at Kate. Kate schooled her expression and nodded.

“It’s true. I let out a squeal of fright and practically ran into His Grace.

It was an innocent mistake. I plan to speak to the servants at once to ensure that the house is free of vermin. Perhaps, I need to acquire a cat.”

Their voices had grown louder, and a few doorways opened.

Andrew saw the Viscount of Sussex pop his head out, spy several people and duck back into his room like a turtle hiding in its shell.

Lady Uxbridge opened her door and her eyes gleamed with anticipation.

She smelled a bit of gossip. Andrew found her a tiresome woman.

“Is there anything the matter,” Lady Uxbridge said, her tone eager.

“Nothing for you to concern yourself with, My Lady,” the Dowager Viscountess said. “A mouse in the house. Nothing more. Please return to bed.”

Reluctantly, Lady Uxbridge closed her door. Andrew was quite sure the woman stood on the other side, her ear pressed hard against the wood in an attempt to hear.