Page 23

"If you do not mind a bit of advice," Lady Drucilla Tinnitus said, looking as though she'd bitten into a lemon instead of a strawberry tart. "I once knew a young lady with hair an even more frightful color than yours and she used to comb honey through it to tone down the brightness."

Laurel had tried. For the sake of propriety, Lord Ebersole and Penny and for her husband, Julian, she had tried. But it was as though Lady Drucilla, or Drucy as Lord Ebersole called her, was determined to be unlikeable and she was succeeding with great aplomb and exceptional ease.

Were she not so utterly deplorable, Laurel might be impressed.

"How singularly unique," she replied, then tried to turn the conversation. "It must be lovely being a mother."

Drucilla sighed and looked across the room to where her son, Leo, was pushing cakes into his mouth at an alarming rate. Laurel was unsure where the others had gotten to, though the crash of breaking pottery down the hallway gave a hint.

"Oh, it is the most wonderful feeling to have children. I am sure the future is very bright for all the little darlings, but especially Leo. He is so much like his father."

Mention of Lord Leonard Tinnitus caused a sour taste in Laurel’s mouth.

She was well aware of Julian's opinion of his cousin and she had no reason not to believe him.

Additionally, being near Lord Tinnitus made Laurel's skin crawl, particularly when he looked at her with a salacious glint in his eye.

She gazed at Lady Drucilla with a pang of sympathy for her plight, though based on Lady Tinnitus's words and actions, she was quite pleased with herself for having landed such an outstanding husband.

Better you than me, Laurel thought.

"We were surprised to hear Julian had married. And so quickly." Drucilla's eyes darted to Laurel's stomach and then away, but the implication was clear and Laurel considered throwing her tea in her guest’s prune-like face.

"I'm sure you will find being a parent every bit as fulfilling as I do," Drucilla said, her voice dripping with faux sweetness.

In addition to not being with child, Laurel had not even done the act which caused a woman to become an expectant mother. Of course, that was not the sort of thing she would share with anyone, let alone the carp-faced Drucilla.

"To be sure," was all Laurel could say in response.

She stole a peek at the clock and wondered how much longer this torture would continue.

Penny and Lord Ebersole had abandoned her on the pretext of keeping an eye on the other children, but she knew the truth and she intended to give them both a good dressing down for it once she had a chance.

Was this some sort of family hazing event?

The only good thing she could say about this unexpected visit was it had distracted her from the news she had learned that morning about the death of Richard. She wondered if Julian had heard anything from Kenley.

Even with the rambunctious children running through the house, Laurel’s focus remained on the death of her stepbrother.

Despite everything, he was still a relative and she had been fond of her stepfather, so for the sake of the man who had raised her, she wanted to provide Richard with as much dignity in the situation as she could.

Thankfully Lord Ebersole returned with the other three Tinnitus urchins in tow, one of whom had yellow paint smeared all over his clothes. Drucilla leapt from her seat with a squeal. "Steven! Who did this to you?"

"He did it all by himself," Lord Ebersole informed her in a less-than-friendly tone.

"Apparently he did not believe me when I said you could not stay the night with us because all the rooms are being done over.

" The child squirmed in Lord Ebersole's grasp, but the older man still had the strength to control him.

"That room will have to be repainted," Lord Ebersole said. "I shall send the bill to Leonard."

Drucilla gasped. "Grandfather! Surely you cannot blame Steven for this. Obviously your workmen left paint in an area where a child could come to harm. It is a wonder he was not injured." She gazed indulgently at her son, though she did not touch his paint-smeared body.

Above this little scene Laurel's gaze met Lord Ebersole's. He rolled his eyes and she held back a giggle.

"I'm sure he will clean up just fine once you get him home," Lord Ebersole said, then proceeded to walk Steven, his mother and siblings in the direction of the front door.

"We cannot leave without Leonard," Drucilla said.

"Well, you cannot stay inside with a child dripping yellow paint, so you may wait for your husband in the garden."

He left them all on the front step of Hazelden House and closed the door with a disgusted expression on his face.

"Grandfather," Laurel said, feeling brave, "do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Of course not, my dear," he replied, his demeanor completely changed from just a moment ago. "I am always happy to chat with you."

"I understand you are considering turning the mine over to Lord Tinnitus rather than Julian. I do not mean to question your judgment, but I do wonder why you would even consider such a thing when Lord Tinnitus is clearly inferior to Julian."

Lord Ebersole grinned broadly. "I am pleased to hear you praise Julian. He is deserving of it and it is a great blessing for a man if his wife sees his value."

Laurel blushed. "I do," she replied. "More and more each day." She felt her face heat at the admission. "But that makes your position even more confusing to me."

Lord Ebersole sighed. "The mine has been in my family for generations.

I had two children, Leonard's mother and Julian's.

Leonard's mother was the elder of the two.

Of course, if they had been sons, there would have been no question as to who would take over the mine, but as the father of daughters, my options were different and I had to see if either of them had a son who would be worthy. "

"Of course," Laurel said. She did not wish to argue with Lord Ebersole but she also could not see how it was even a close decision for him.

"I know what you are thinking," Lord Ebersole said.

"But you must understand that I loved both my daughters profoundly and the idea of choosing the son of one over the other pains me.

To that end, I have given Leonard more responsibilities at the mine and left him in charge while Julian was in London.

It was my wish to give him an opportunity to head up the business on his own, so I could see how he handled the responsibility. "

Laurel nodded. "You are in a difficult situation when considering how you loved both your daughters. However, I still encourage you to select Julian. He is the best man for the job."

He winked at her. "I am looking forward to making the announcement at my birthday party."

Finally, Julian sat atop Zeus and made the journey to Hazelden.

On the reasonable assumption that Leonard had left chaos in his wake, Julian had spent the balance of the afternoon checking and double checking each person whom Leonard had spoken to at the mine and countermanding any orders he'd given.

It was a frustrating waste of his time, particularly when every fiber of his being yearned to be with Laurel, to assure himself she was not bereft over the news of her stepbrother’s death.

More than that, he simply enjoyed being near her.

She calmed the raging energy within him and challenged him to be better.

Additionally, she needed him. At least today she did. He found he wished for her to need him all the time. In fact, there had been plenty of instances where he sensed her reliance on him, such as that morning when he'd offered her his strength and comfort.

Soon she will be on her own, possibly traveling to Paris. How would he live with the worry over whether she was safe and well?

He would prefer that she stay at Rose Crest House in London. But what of Lord Gerald Onslow? Or any of the powerful men her stepbrother had crossed with his fraudulent schemes?

Even more distressing were the thoughts of good men, men with two working eyes and enough sense to see she was the most beautiful, bewitching and beguiling woman ever to set foot on the planet and any man who let her out of their grasp was a fool.

And he was the biggest fool of all, for he had agreed to let her go.

Thankfully, he did not hear any signs that the Tinnitus family and their feral children were still visiting when he and Zeus neared the estate.

He felt particularly guilty that Laurel had been forced to endure such a call without any notice, though he was confident she had acquitted herself admirably, as she always did.

Assuming Laurel was in the parlor or library or possibly strolling in the garden, he rushed up the stairs intending to go to his bedchamber to freshen up after a long day down in the mine as well as on horseback before seeking out his bride, no matter how eager he was to see her.

He still did not wish to offend her with his stench.

Opening the door to his bedchamber, he came up short.

Laurel was not in the parlor nor library nor strolling in the garden. No, she was standing in the middle of his bedchamber stark naked. Her back was to him and he knew he ought to shut the door and wait for her to exit. Pretend he had not seen the image which would forever be seared on his brain.

It was the gentlemanly thing to do. But he found himself frozen in place, mesmerized by the sight of her lithe body.

Many times he had envisioned what she looked like underneath her clothes.

On an equal number of occasions he had fantasized about stroking his hands over her body, caressing and kissing each inch of her beautiful flesh.

He had caught glimpses through the sheer gowns she wore to sleep in, but he had resisted the urge to leer at her, knowing he did not have the wherewithal to withstand the temptation.

His breath hitched in his chest as he watched her use a towel to dry herself. She had not noticed his presence. Common sense screamed for him to leave. To put as much distance between them as possible. Or at the very least, a heavy wooden door.

Heat suffused his entire body. His manhood throbbed. His heart thundered in his chest with an ache of emotion driven by more than his libido.

It was impossible to tear his gaze away from the sight before him.

The afternoon light hit the auburn strands of her luxurious hair as well as casting shadows on her slender neck.

When she lifted her right hand in order to dry her left arm, he caught a glimpse of the curve of her breast and a gasp escaped his lips.

Shocked she had not heard his involuntary reaction, he continued to watch. A peek of the pink-tinged tip of her breast came into view. He swallowed hard.

This was madness and remaining in place would only lead to a situation where he lost control and no good would come of it. Had she not made it clear she did not want an emotional entanglement? If she fell pregnant, it would only be a complication to an already complicated situation.

Though the thought of her belly swollen with his child sent a thrill through him that he'd never imagined possible.

He wanted her. That was no surprise. He'd realized it long ago. But watching her, he realized he wanted more than just the pleasure of her body. He wanted all of her. Her love. Her laughter. Her sorrows and her admiration.

All the things he had promised not to do. Not to expect or demand of her.

Taking a deep breath, he squared his shoulders and prepared to turn around and leave, casting one final glance at his wife, wishing things were different.

That he could go to her, wrap his arms around her, carry her to the bed and pay homage to her gorgeous body and soul.

Bury his hands in her glorious hair, holding her head in place so he could kiss her until she gasped for air and writhed against him.

Gathering a measure of inner strength that surprised him, he managed to exit the room, closing the door silently behind him. He paused in the hallway, drew deep breaths to steady his nerves and calm his libido.