Page 27 of Her Scandalous Rake (The Worthington Legacy #8)

N ic kept his wary eyes on Tabitha. After Tristan and Lady Hollingsworth had left the room, Tabitha started cleaning up the dishes and taking them into the kitchen. He didn’t want her out of his sight, so he helped her. She arched a curious eyebrow at him, but didn’t say anything as she went into the kitchen.

They were both far enough away from the parlor where Tristan and Lady Hollingsworth were having their talk that Tabitha couldn’t eavesdrop on them without Nic knowing, and while she cleaned the dishes, he knew she wouldn’t be trying to get away from him.

But she was nearly done, and he had a feeling that she would make her move at any minute now.

Once she wiped and put away the last dish, she remained by the cupboard with her back toward him. She didn’t move, except for when she inhaled deeply. From this view, he couldn’t tell if she was angry or just flustered. Knowing Tabitha, she was angry.

“My lord, I wish you would stop staring at me as if I were a dish of sweetmeats.”

After they’d been in silence for so long, it was refreshing to hear her voice. “And how do you know I’m staring?”

“Because I’m not a fool, my lord. What else would you look at in the kitchen?” Slowly, she turned and faced him, but stayed by the cupboard. She folded her arms and arched an eyebrow. “I hope you don’t think I’m going to stay and entertain you while Lady Hollingsworth and Lord Tristan are in the other room.”

“Actually,” he said rising from his chair, “that’s exactly what I expect. The night is still early, and I don’t wish to retire to my room.” He shrugged. “So I suppose the two of us should do something to pass the time.”

“The two of us will do nothing, my lord. My plans are to check on Sally and visit with her. What you do with your time is not my concern.”

She stepped toward the door, but he quickened his step and reached the spot, blocking her escape. “Oh, my lovely Miss Tabitha. I have been looking forward all evening to spending time with you.”

She rolled her eyes. “I fear that your idea of spending time with me does not meet with my approval. I know what you really want, Lord Hawthorne, and if you cannot recall our last conversation, let me remind you that I do not find you interesting in the least. Your twinkling eyes and knee-weakening grins will not charm me as they have done with other ladies.”

Slowly, a grin stretched his mouth. He stepped closer to her, running the tips of his fingers across her cheek. “You think I have twinkling eyes and a charming grin, do you? How very sweet of you to notice.”

Groaning, she smacked his hand away. “I did not mean it that way, my lord. Quit putting words in my mouth.”

“Oh, my lovely, I don’t need to put words in your mouth at all. You are doing just fine with that on your own. In fact, I still consider our conversations very stimulating.”

Her jaw tightened and her fisted hands were turning white. “Please let me pass, my lord.”

Nic struggled to keep a charming composure. It was hard to think of her as a killer when she looked so beautiful when angry. Her blue eyes were dark with passionate malice, yet he was still drawn to her. Heaven help him, he still wanted to see what it felt like with her locked in his embrace while he kissed her to distraction.

Good grief, what was he thinking? Indeed, she was a woman who would drive him to drink, and he had the sudden urge for a bottle of strong spirits right now.

“Could I indulge you to give me a few more minutes?” he begged, hating the fact that he’d been reduced to this level. “I really would like your company. I promise not to give you any of my charming grins, and I will try my hardest not to have my eyes twinkle.” He tried to be serious, but it was in his nature to flirt with beautiful women.

She’s a killer, he reminded himself. Unfortunately, his subconscious wasn’t listening because he still wanted to hold her and see if passion was as evident in her kiss as it was when she argued.

Soon the lines of anger on her forehead and around her mouth disappeared and she nodded. “Shall we adjourn to the sitting room, then?”

“Splendid idea.” He smiled and held out an arm for her.

Her attention moved to what he offered as a smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Lord Hawthorne, you do not have to escort me. I assure you, I can walk to the room just fine on my own.”

He opened the door and motioned his hand. “Then lead the way, my lovely.”

As he followed her into the other room, he enjoyed watching the way her gray gown molded to her womanly curves. He admired the lift of her stubborn chin, and took pleasure in studying the way her brown hair swept up into a coil, leaving him ample view of her slender neck. A neck he wouldn’t mind kissing.

Stop this! He silently scolded his thoughts as he searched the room for a decanter of spirits. Once she closed the door, she turned toward him but didn’t say a word. As before, familiarity nudged in the back of his mind. He knew her from somewhere, and until he remembered, it would drive him mad.

“My lord, would you like a drink?”

Thought you’d never ask! “Indeed, I would, Miss Tabitha.”

She moved over to the liquor tray and poured him a drink. “All Lady Hollingsworth has is port. I hope that will do.”

“It will, thank you.” He took the glass from her then nodded to the decanter. “Are you not going to have a glass?”

“Servants don’t drink with their masters.”

“Well, since I’m not your master and you did very little to conform with propriety, I think it’s appropriate. Besides, this evening we shall be equals.”

She chuckled and poured herself a drink. “Equals, my lord? I’m surprised at your behavior this evening. I’m most certain if your fellow comrades were here witnessing this, you would not be acting in such a way.”

“True, I would not. But it’s just you and I here now, so why can we not pretend to be civil to each other?”

Shrugging, she carried her glass over to the sofa and sat. He followed and sat beside her, drinking his port. Daintily, she sipped her glass as she looked at him from over the rim. In one word, she was adorable, and he wished he didn’t think that way of her.

“Tell me, Miss Tabitha. Where did you grow up? Have I ever met you before?”

“Believe it or not, most of my younger years were spent right here in this cottage.” Her gaze moved slowly around the room. “Lady Hollingsworth’s grandmother lived here and my mother was her personal maid.” She returned her attention back to him. “So unless you came here to visit, we would have never met.”

“You said you were here in your younger years. What age were you when you left?”

“I was sixteen, my lord.”

“So where have you been since then?”

She lifted the glass to her mouth again, taking her time in drinking the port. Nic wondered why she hesitated, unless she was trying to think up a lie.

“I was a laundry maid for a man who was cruel to me. After he died, Lady Hollingsworth took me in.”

Tilting his head, he studied her. Up this close, he could get lost staring into her lovely eyes. “You are not going to tell me the lord’s name?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Lord Hawthorne, I can assure you we have never met before. I don’t believe it’s any of your business who I used to work for, and the only reason you ask is because you think you know me from somewhere. I can promise you, we have never met before. Because I was a laundry maid, I was never allowed to be around my master’s guests.”

Nic grumbled under his breath. Tabitha was more intelligent than he gave her credit for. But of course she was smart. Who else could have killed two lords without leaving a trace of evidence?

“Forgive me for upsetting you, my lovely. I fear I’ve been doing that quite a lot lately, and it’s not my intention.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Then tell me, Lord Hawthorne, what exactly is your intention?”

“Just to get to know you better.” He set his empty glass on the table next to him.

“Why?”

“Because you intrigue me. Is that not enough reason?”

“No.” She placed her glass on the small table beside the sofa before turning to look at him again. “Gentlemen like yourself have no business wanting to get to know female servants so personally. There is only one reason masters want to chum with us, and it’s only for seduction. As I told you before, I will not allow that to happen.”

“And as I told you before,” he moved closer, sliding his arm along the back of the sofa until it touched her shoulder, “that is not my purpose. In fact, I’m getting quite annoyed that seduction is all you can think about.”

“ Me? ” She gasped. “I assure you, that is not what I’m thinking about at all.”

“Yet, every time we have talked, our conversations always end on this subject. Tell me why is that, especially if you never think about it as you proclaim.”

“Once again, my lord, you are putting words into my mouth.”

He dropped his focus to her lips and wished she would stop bringing his attention to that most tempting feature on her face. “Actually, I think you are trying to put ideas into my head, my lovely.”

“I am not.”

He met her heated gaze. “No? Then why are you talking to me like this? I never once mentioned seduction, and already in our short conversation, you have brought it up a few times.”

“Lord Hawthorne, not only do I wish we could cease this most improper topic, I can assure you seduction is the last thing on my mind.”

He narrowed his gaze on her and tilted his head slightly as he studied her. “You know, Miss Tabitha I believe you.”

Her eyes widened. “You do?”

“Indeed, I think I have been mistaken about you. Now I can clearly see that seduction is not what you want at all. It’s obvious that you are too frigid to be the kind of woman who is passionate.” He nodded. “Now I see why no man has claimed you for his own yet.”

She inhaled sharply and her whole body went stiff. “What?” she shrieked. “You cannot be serious.”

“Oh, I’m indeed very serious. Everything is beginning to make sense.” He gave a light laugh as he stood and walked to the liquor tray, tempted to pour himself another drink, but refrained for the moment. “You are the first woman I have come across who didn’t enjoy my attention. Now I know why.”

“That is not why!” She jumped to her feet and stormed toward him.

He held up his hands in surrender. “No need to get upset. It’s all right to admit that you are not interested in men.”

“For the love of—” She muttered something under her breath incoherently. “You are the most infuriating man I’ve ever met, and you are very wrong. I am indeed interested in men.”

“Actually, you’re not.” He grinned.

Tabitha stomped her foot. “I am!”

“Forgive me for not believing, but you have shown nothing of the sort, my lovely.”

Her face turned so red he thought it would explode. She grumbled again.

He’d give anything to know her thoughts right now. Taunting her this way was quite enjoyable, and yet, it was as if he wanted to goad her into doing something that only happened in his imagination.

Shame on him because he’d never had to sink to this level with a woman before. If teasing her and seeing the fire in her eyes wasn’t so stimulating…

“You insufferable… jackanapes! If you weren’t so thick-skulled, you’d see…” She gnashed her teeth. “Augh!”

He wanted to laugh, but he worried she’d catch on to his game. “Miss Tabitha, there is no need for name-calling. I promise I shall not speak a word to anyone about this discovery.”

Stepping closer, she clutched his shoulders. “If I didn’t hate you so much, I’d… I’d…”

“You would what, my lovely?” he said almost in a whisper, hoping she’d do what he wanted her to do.

Her gaze pierced his before it wandered over his face, coming to rest on his mouth. Dryness gathered in his throat, and he didn’t dare move, especially when her angry expression slowly disappeared and was replaced with one he never imagined he would see on her.

Before he knew what was happening, she rose on tip-toes, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Stunned at first, he didn’t know how to react, but within seconds, her body pressed more closely against his and he slid his palms around her back to bring her closer. He molded his lips to hers until they softened. At that moment, she relaxed and he had to tighten her in his embrace to keep her up.

Just as he’d imagined, her lips were soft and her kiss so gentle. Tilting his head, he deepened the kiss as his heartbeat knocked out a maddening rhythm against his chest. A heavy sigh tumbled from her throat, and she held onto him and met his urgent kisses.

Never in his life had he felt so alive and his heart raced so fast from just kissing a woman, yet he didn’t want to stop to ponder these foreign feelings. Instead, he wanted to pick her up, carry her back to the sofa, and make them a little more comfortable as they continued kissing.

He broke the kiss to do what he’d just been planning, but when her hooded eyes met his, he practically melted from her smoldering gaze. Passion was evident in her sapphire orbs, and for the life of him, he couldn’t stop staring. He’d once called her eyes amazing just to get her ire, and now he realized he’d been correct to label them such a word.

“Forgive me, my lovely,” he said in a deep, soft voice, “because I was wrong about you. Very wrong.”

A slow smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and for the first time, stars gleamed in her eyes. Her gaze dropped to his mouth again and she moved forward to kiss him once more, but just as her lips touched his, Lady Hollingsworth screamed get out immediately from the other room, followed by the loud bang of a door slamming. Both noises echoed through the house, shaking the walls.

Tabitha jumped back. Her face turning pale as her eyes widened. Her chest rose and fell quickly, and Nic was certain his breathing was just as ragged.

“I must go see to Lady Hollingsworth,” she muttered in a tone entirely too sensual and unrecognizable.

“Indeed, you should,” he said, although he really wanted her back in his arms.

Tabitha stood, having a staring war with him for a few earth-quaking moments. Before too long she blinked, turned, and left the room.

Sighing heavily, he pushed his fingers through his hair. Something was definitely wrong with him. He knew Tabitha was the one who killed Hollingsworth and Lord Elliot, yet at this moment, Nic had wanted her more than he’d ever wanted any woman. No other woman had made him so breathless and confused at the same time. And none intrigued him as much. Yet, she would be arrested soon and placed in prison.

And possibly hanged.

And there wasn’t anything he could do to stop it, even though he was halfway tempted to try.