Page 11 of Miss Thornfield’s Daring Bargain (The Troublemakers Trilogy #1)

Ashford House

London

A da spent a sleepless night waiting for news. Despite the lush bedding and warm room, it was impossible for her to relax long enough to fall asleep. After that encounter with the Viscount Sterling, it took hours for her to calm down. Even now, the thought of him filled her with rage. How was it possible that such a man had raised someone like Basil Thompson? He was a perfect example of the worst parts of English society. Ada had never struck anyone in her life, but she had very nearly punched the man and to hell with the consequences. As it was, she could hardly wait until she was out of this house and with people who didn’t make her into someone she didn’t recognize.

She trusted Basil and because she trusted him, she trusted Mr. Kingston and his abilities. There was growing anxiety in her that she had been foolish to allow herself to invest in him so deeply. After all, she’d trusted Mr. Trent too, hadn’t she? It wasn’t until Basil appeared and showed her the truth that she even understood the extent to which she had been played.

Concern washed over her. Anything could have gone wrong with the plan, and they had no idea the scale of Mr. Trent’s enterprise. What if they had gone in alone and become overpowered? What if they had brought the police force and triggered a desperate response that ended with all three of them dead? With every tick of the clock, her mind manufactured a new terror in the dark room. That age-old fear was rising within her, of being the one left behind. The last survivor.

Then there was Basil himself. She had always known that finding a husband would be a challenge. She was an oddity in English society. She had money to be sure but no arranged marriage to a nobleman like Regina or a titled father like Elodia. Finding a man who didn’t covet her sizeable dowry and ultimately plan to squander it would be difficult. Finding a man who didn’t see her Chinese heritage as something to overlook or, conversely, as something to show off at parties like an exotic pet would be almost impossible.

Basil had been an unexpected gift, despite the disagreeable circumstances. He was everything a gentleman should be, everything she could want. Dependable, loyal, honorable, clever, and compassionate. Beautiful. She kept thinking of his forget-me-not eyes, his full mouth, his body, his scent of cloves and lavender. Every time she closed her eyes, she kept remembering how soft his mouth had felt on her skin, how reassuring his hands were on her body. All she wanted was to stay in his arms until this entire nightmare was over. Part of her was beginning to think that was the only way she’d feel safe again.

Did he want her for his wife? She kept thinking of how they parted earlier. Reflecting on the tender kiss he’d left on her forehead, the overwhelming gentleness in his eyes. How could something so innocent feel so wildly intimate at the same time? She’d felt it down to her bones. For one breathless moment, she’d sworn he was going to kiss her, and she’d wanted it with a ferocity that almost frightened her.

His mother was cold comfort indeed. She had been civil, even kind, but there was no doubt in Ada’s mind that it was all for Basil’s sake. If she stayed married to Basil, she would always treat Ada as Basil’s wife and not her daughter-in-law. And she was by far the better option. The very thought of his father made her blood boil, and she hadn’t even met his brother yet. She knew it was unlikely she’d find another man who would treat her with so much respect, give her so much reassurance, and set her body on fire at the same time. Was that enough?

The worst outcome would cost her Zhenyi and leave her in a family that from all accounts despised her. The best would cost her Basil but leave her with a brother who loved her and would no doubt secure her future. Both options left her with a hole in her life.

The morning found Ada an exhausted raw nerved wreck. She stayed silent as the maid helped her dress for breakfast and styled her hair, not trusting herself to speak. She didn’t really want to be around anyone who wasn’t Basil or her brother. Should she ask for a tray to be brought up? They would likely think her stuck up but in her current mood she wasn’t inclined to care. It was likely too late to request that. What if the staff had already set up in the breakfast buffet in anticipation of her? She would be wasting their efforts for the sake of a tantrum. Better to go down. Whatever it was, she wouldn’t have to put up with it for very long.

While she walked down to the breakfast room, she weighed the odds of the likelihood the Viscountess Sterling didn’t take breakfast in bed. It was likely low, wasn’t it? It’s not as if the woman wanted her here, and she certainly wouldn’t expect any kind of company while she waited for her son to return. The scent of eggs and pork reached Ada’s nose as she entered the breakfast room, lifting her low spirits. It was a pretty room, painted in light blue with elegant fixtures and heavy dove grey curtains at the windows. The very picture of elegance and refined taste associated with nobility.

“Good morning, Adelaide.” The viscountess was seated at the round breakfast table.

“Good morning, Lady Sterling,” she replied.

“I hope you slept well.”

So calm and civil. As if her husband hadn’t behaved like a brigand. A husband who was notably missing.

“As well as I could manage, my lady,” Ada replied, picking up a plate from the sideboard and filling it with coddled eggs, fried ham, and tomatoes. She could feel annoyance pricking at her brain.

“Come sit beside me, dear.”

Dear? Perhaps she was trying to make up for it herself. It only annoyed Ada further. She didn’t have the energy to pretend or play games for the sake of appearances. However, turning down the attempt would be seen as churlish and immature, so Ada obeyed and sat beside her hostess. A glance at the viscountess’s plate told her the woman had already been there for at least an hour. She could have simply left the room but it seemed ungrateful to point it out, even if the idea of making small talk was assassinating her appetite with every passing second.

She’d learned to eat regardless of her mood long ago at school. There would always be some kind of unpleasantness whenever she moved in society. She couldn’t afford to fast whenever she was upset. Harming herself because of the actions of others only served their agenda instead of helping her. The Viscount Sterling might have been only too glad to see her hungry and pale-faced in a corner, but she wasn’t about to give him any satisfaction at all. With one deft motion, she laid her napkin across her lap and prepared to eat another meal that she wasn’t sure she’d enjoy.

“I take it the viscount will not be joining us for breakfast,” she commented.

“No. He is not disposed for company this morning.”

She imagined their subsequent talk hadn’t gone well after Ada had returned to her room. “I could have eaten in my bedroom.”

She waved her off. “No need for that. He’s not avoiding you, I’m afraid.” She gave her a wry smile and sipped her tea.

“Ah. I suppose he thinks you should have made me leave.”

The viscountess didn’t say anything, but she developed a sudden interest in her plate that lasted a few minutes while Ada cut her sausage into six equal parts.

“I hope you can understand the situation we are all finding ourselves in,” she finally said.

“Likewise.”

Euphemia sighed, her fingers tightened on her knife and fork. “Yes, I suppose you are right. We are all doing our best to cope.”

It was exhausting watching her struggle to compensate for the shortcomings of a man who didn’t acknowledge he had any. “Lady Sterling—”

“I apologize again for my husband.”

Ada looked up at her. “Lady Sterling, I do not need you to apologize on behalf of the viscount. He is more than capable of doing so himself when he is so inclined. I am also aware of how unlikely he is to apologize properly or at all. I have no interest in insincerity.”

She didn’t seem to know how to respond to that. She put down her knife and fork and rubbed her forehead with her fingers. “I would not like you to think badly of us.”

“I don’t. Basil prepared me. I wasn’t sure how accurate he was being at the time but now I see hyperbole is not in his nature.” Ada started on her now lukewarm eggs.

“I cannot imagine what he has told you about us for you to have been prepared for my husband’s behavior.” Lady Sterling scooped raspberry preserves on a golden-brown crumpet.

“Only the truth,” Ada replied. “But your husband is not unique in his beliefs or his language. I’ve been facing him all my life. If it is any comfort to you, you are no better or worse than most.”

“I’m not sure that it is. Basil’s elder brother is a bit of a cross, admittedly. Those two have never gotten along. He takes more after his father.”

“And Basil takes after you?” Ada asked, methodically scraping butter on toast.

“Well,” the older woman seemed flustered for a moment. “I suppose he did in a way. But I don’t fully understand him either.”

“But comprehension isn’t a requirement for respect or basic civility.” Ada couldn’t keep the snap of irritation out of her voice.

“Well, no,” she blinked. “I assume that is where he and I are alike?”

Ada let out the breath she’d been holding and reminded herself that this woman was the closest thing to an ally she had in this house. “Yes.”

“I suppose I could take that as a compliment, but it’s not the only reason.”

“Oh?” Ada glanced at the older woman to see her eyes fixed on her.

“I’ll admit I wasn’t pleased when I found out about this, and if I’m entirely honest, I’m still not. But I learned a long time ago that one must deal in facts before feelings. The simple fact is that you are my daughter-in-law. That particular ring on your finger was given to me by my mother. I gave it to Basil when he determined he would ask Felicity Ashwood to be his wife.”

Ada looked down at the ring on her finger and lowered her hands to her lap unconsciously. She didn’t know why. It wasn’t as if she could hide it from her. Part of her felt as though she was offending the woman by flaunting it around.

“Another fact is Basil has never been one to act rashly. He likes plans, stratagems, and order. For him to have done this, it would have taken a considerable amount of feeling. Enough to overpower that hard head of his.”

What was she trying to say? Was she trying to trick her into saying she and Basil were in love? Did she suspect them of planning this regardless of Richard’s abduction? “Richard is very dear to both of us.”

“I imagine he is. And I would have left it at simple loyalty if not for how careful he is with you, how attentive.”

She wouldn’t take the bait. She refused to entertain the idea that he wanted her. It would only get her hurt in the end. “He’s a considerate person.”

“Yes, he is. It’s in his very nature, but not like that. He can seem very rigid, but he needs sentiment to shake him up a bit. Even as a child, he was serious, but he likes affection from the right people. He looks at you the way I’ve been waiting for him to look at Miss Ashwood.”

Rigid wasn’t a word Ada would have used to describe Basil at all, but affectionate certainly was. She’d lost track of how often he’d touched her arms and her back, how often he’d taken her hand knowing she needed the contact. How he’d comforted her with words and with his body, holding her tightly when she could hold back her fears no longer. She wouldn’t have known that it wasn’t typical for him to be so physically demonstrative, and now she wasn’t sure what it meant.

“And I’ve noticed you, Miss Thornfield, are not immune to him either. You are appropriately appreciative, to your credit. Last night, however, I was worried you might strike my husband. At first, I thought it was his behavior towards you. Reason enough, I concluded, but then I realized it was something more. You didn’t like how he spoke of Basil.”

“I only conveyed my thoughts.” And apparently, she had been all too candid in the presence of a peer of the realm.

“Yes, to his father, who is not easy to deal with. The only person I’ve ever seen stand up to him like that outside of myself is… well, Basil.”

Would her behavior become an issue for him after she was gone? “Lady Sterling, I apologize if—”

“Oh hush, I appreciate your efforts on my son’s behalf. That is my point. It was a novel feeling, not being the only one to speak for him. All things considered, you didn’t have to do it. No one would have judged you for staying silent.”

“He’s protecting me. Repaying loyalty with cowardice is not in my blood.” She met the older woman’s eyes and saw something almost like humor.

“Indeed. It’s a strange position I find myself in. I’m not quite pleased, but I’m not disappointed either.”

What did that mean? Was that her way of saying she had passed muster? What an unnecessarily convoluted way to phrase it. “I suppose that was a compliment?” Ada inquired, annoyed again but at a lower level this time.

“I suppose it must be,” the viscountess replied with arched eyebrows before continuing with her breakfast.

They ate the remainder of their breakfast in silence for which Ada was grateful. When the viscountess finished her tea, she sat back in her chair and turned to Ada with a quizzical expression. “I know you married for an immediate solution to a potential issue, but I trust that you will stay married, once your brother is found.”

The one question Basil hadn’t wanted her to answer. “I will do whatever he wants. You can rest assured I will not take advantage of him after he’s helped me so much.”

“You think he’ll want an annulment?”

“I cannot speak for him,” Ada replied as tears stung her eyes. She really didn’t want to think about giving Basil up. Somehow, in that short space of time, she’d made a place for him in her heart. The idea of that space remaining vacant and aching for the rest of her life was unbearable.

“Let’s change the subject then. Do you and your brother live mostly in the country or town?”

“What?” Ada blinked in confusion, “I suppose we are mostly in the country like everyone else.”

“Do you attend the theatre?”

“Yes. My brother takes me whenever he has time, although he prefers the more serious ones.”

“You tend towards comedy and romance?”

“Yes.”

“He is a good brother then?”

“He is the best of brothers. The very best. There is no one like him in this world.” And she wanted more than anything to know that he was out of danger.

“I feel somehow I ought to thank him. He must have done a great deal for my son over the years for him to care so much about his wellbeing.”

It was the first thing the woman had said that morning that didn’t annoy her. There was a sadness on her face, or perhaps wistfulness that her son had needed to go outside of their family for a fraternal bond. “God willing, you will be able to thank him in person,” Ada replied softly.

Their eyes met for a moment and a knot in Ada’s chest loosened just enough for her to give the older woman a small but genuine smile.

They both heard the footman say, “Good morning, sir. They are in the breakfast room.”

Before Ada knew what she was doing, she’d flown to her feet and bolted across the room to the door and down the hallway to the landing. She caught Basil’s eye from where he stood at the staircase and waited for an indication of how things had gone.

The smile spread across his face slowly and he nodded once.

Without a single thought, she ran down the stairs into his arms, hugging him around his neck. He caught her midair, staggering backwards a step, and spun them in a circle. Their laughter rang out in the corridor. When he placed her down on her feet, their eyes met for an instant, then, while she was still out of breath, he leaned in and kissed her. She gasped softly into his mouth but then her eyelids fluttered shut as she leaned into him.

She hadn’t expected a kiss but the moment his mouth touched hers, she wanted it with a ferocity that would be alarming if his tongue didn’t feel so decadent tracing her lips. Her fingers curled into his shoulders on instinct as she tried to meet him kiss for kiss. His hands slid from her waist to her back and shoulders, before curling around the base of her skull and pulling her closer.

His mouth was so soft despite the roughness of his beard as it moved tenderly against hers. He kept pulling her closer, his hand wandering over her restlessly as if he couldn’t get enough. She released his shoulders to curl her hands around his neck as he adjusted the angle of his head to kiss her deeper. It was a dream, it had to be. But how could she have imagined what coffee would taste like on his lips, or how his tongue would feel against hers? How could she know how her entire body would come alive with the most exquisite heat and sensitivity?

No amount of Regina’s novels could have prepared her for the reality of being kissed by Basil. The whimper she let out when he pulled away would have been embarrassing if he hadn’t been out of breath himself. He pressed his rough cheek against hers and panted softly as he held her close. “Ada, I—”

“How is he?” she interrupted. If he apologized for that kiss she would dissolve into the floor and never recover.

“He’s at your house, clean and safe.”

“Is he faring well?” she asked.

“He’s more vexed than anything, already plotting. You know how he is.” He pulled away just enough to meet her eyes.

She laughed and nodded. Rubbing her nose against his. “I know. But he isn’t hurt?”

“He has some bruises, but I imagine he hurt them worse.”

She laughed again in relief, pressing her face into his neck. Maybe she wouldn’t have to give him up after all. Maybe it was as his mother said, he cared for her as something other than Zhenyi’s sister. He wanted her as much as she had grown to want him.

“You!” A voice bellowed from the landing above.

Ada stiffened and looked up to see Basil staring over her shoulder with a stony expression.

“Father.”

Oh God. She tried to step away from him, but he wouldn’t let her. As if he wanted her near him, especially with his father nearby. As if he wanted his father to know he wasn’t ashamed.

“You reckless, disrespectful little ingrate.” His father began and Ada could feel her temper spiking again. Who the hell was he to speak to anyone in that manner? She turned to look at him and her mouth opened to issue a scathing retort, but Basil spoke first.

“I can explain.”

“I have heard it, but I will admit to a modicum of curiosity as to what you think would excuse this behavior, or what could have possessed you to bring this girl into our family.”

Ada felt Basil’s grip on her waist tighten, as if he was trying to protect her. “Would you like to do this in the foyer or in your study?”

With one fiery look, the viscount turned on his heel and stalked down the hall to what Ada imagined was his study. Basil looked down at her and brushed his fingers over her cheek. “Do you want to hear this?” he asked.

She could have cursed herself for being a coward but the last thing she wanted was to be in the same room with that man again. If she could avoid it for the rest of her life she would. She shook her head, and he nodded before releasing her and trotting up the stairs to face off with his father.

*

When Basil had seen Ada earlier, the first thing he’d noticed were the dark circles under her eyes. He’d wondered what kind of night she had passed in his family’s house. Now, sitting in his father’s study while the man paced back and forth like an irate bear, he had his answer. The thing he’d feared most had happened, his father had met Ada and, as expected, it hadn’t gone well at all.

“Why, why would you do this? To me, to our family, to Miss Ashwood?” his father griped, and Basil marshalled every ounce of his patience to embark upon what he was certain would be another fruitless combative interaction with the man who sired him.

“It was never my intention to go against you, father.”

“Ever since you were a child you’ve been disobedient—”

“If that is true, then your shock seems a bit overdone,” he replied fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

“—but typically, your disobedience always had a benefit to you. What on earth did you get from this ?”

Ada. The answer was on his tongue where her taste still lingered with a speed that unnerved him. It was as instinctive as it was incorrect. He didn’t have Ada. A moment of madness didn’t give him anything. “As I said before, my intention was not to act against you. You said you knew why already. I assume you were told about Richard?”

“Yes, she spun that tale,” his father replied with a dismissive wave of his hand.

“It’s not a tale. It’s true.” Did he really think they had lied, or did he think Ada was the liar?

“Is it?”

“Yes. Beyond the fact that I only just got him back home last night, I was the one who told her. The overseer at their main factory was holding him for ransom to settle his debts. Rather than allow that man to succeed in ruining him and his family business through Ada, I married her to keep her and their money out of his reach. I worked with a mutual friend to find Richard and bring him home to the family he has left.”

“Thornfield has an uncle, does he not? Family of his own outside of that girl?”

“None worthy of the name,” Basil murmured thinking of both Richard and Ada’s reactions to their uncle. He’d never met the man and already he didn’t like him.

“And what of our family? Is your friend more important than us?”

“Is there an answer that would satisfy you?”

“How am I supposed to face Lord Ashwood when you’ve jilted his daughter? Especially with you flaunting your Oriental adventure around London?”

Basil’s hand tightened on the armchair as his neck flushed. Oriental adventure? “Ada is not an adventure.”

“She is not your wife; I can tell you that much.”

“The law would disagree with you.”

“I will not have it. To jilt a fine upstanding girl of good breeding like Miss Ashwood who is better than you deserve, for that . I will fix this.”

He didn’t want to think of what his father meant by that. Fix it? “I am sorry to have harmed Miss Ashwood. She didn’t deserve this.”

“No, she did not.”

“But neither did Ada or Richard.” He met his father’s steely blue eyes and not for the first time felt himself detach emotionally like an unmoored boat. “I know my explanation seems insufficient to you, but it was to help my friend in a way that only I could have. I would do it again.”

His father stared at him, eyes widening and nostrils flaring in growing outrage. “You dare to say that to me, when I have your mess to clean?”

A mess to clean. It seemed like his whole life had been a mess for his father to clean. It was bizarre, really, how every conversation they’d ever had in this room went like this one. He could speak to Felicity. He could explain everything to her as Ada had suggested. Perhaps she could even forgive him enough to pick back up their engagement. It was hardly common knowledge at the moment. The cursed problem was that he wasn’t sure he wanted to. He didn’t want to marry Felicity Ashwood and spend his life clinging to the coattails of this man, or men like him. He knew that life and the idea of it left him inexplicably drained, not physically but mentally. As if his brain could no longer cope with the idea of it. He didn’t want to be there anymore, didn’t want to look at those cold blue eyes, didn’t want to hear him say anything else about Ada or Richard.

He wanted to leave. “I don’t need you to clean anything. I can account for my actions to Miss Ashwood myself.” He rose to his feet.

“Put your ass back in that seat.”

“No,” he pushed in the chair and rubbed his forehead. He hated fighting with his father. It always left him feeling hollow and flat, as if he’d lost something in the process.

“I am not finished with you yet, boy,” he growled, stalking towards Basil.

“I am finished with this conversation. Unless there is another topic you wish to discuss, I need to get Ada back to her brother. Thank you for your… hospitality.”

“Don’t you dare!”

“Good day, my lord.” He turned and plodded towards the door. Even the air in the room seemed heavy. As he flung the door open, he took a deep breath and focused on Ada and his mother standing outside in the hall. How long had they been there? What had they heard?

“Basil,” his father spoke coolly now. “If you step outside that door, don’t you ever think of returning to this house again. Do you understand me?”

He hesitated at the threshold. The horrible finality of those words rang out into the hall, settling on his shoulders. He noticed as Ada shook her head slightly. She didn’t want him to leave. Bless her bones, she was worried about him. Only she could manage to care about his feelings at a moment like this. Even now, facing her own disgrace, knowing what his father thought of her, her first worry was his isolation. Reaching for her would be an unspeakable relief, even if he couldn’t hold onto her hands the rest of his life.

In that moment, he made his choice. “Understood,” he replied and strode forward, stopping only to pick up Ada’s bag and grab her hand before heading down the stairs and out the door to the waiting carriage.

He loaded her bag onto the back and climbed in behind Ada, settling down beside her. His eyes didn’t start burning until she slid her arms around his waist and nestled her head into his chest. Her comfort felt like home, but he didn’t like that he needed it. He should be the one comforting her after what, he was certain, was a horrible night with a man who most likely insulted her in every way possible.

Basil loved his father, but he hadn’t liked him since he was old enough to truly understand him. His father was a good enough husband, but he was just short of being a good person. Even the family he claimed to love came second to his reputation. There was nothing worth risking that.

Perhaps cutting ties was the best way to make it up to him. Then, at the very least, he’d be able to say he’d punished his son with ostracism. What had Basil gotten in return? The young woman holding him tightly. Basil knew that he’d had no business kissing her at all, let alone like that. Their arrangement was always meant to be temporary. Now she was resting against him, her arms wrapped around his waist, and he couldn’t bring himself to let her go.

Just the thought of walking away from her had his arms tightening their grip on her slight frame. She let out a contented sigh, and his heart clenched in his chest. He’d never expected to feel this much for her, never intended to rely so heavily on her honest compassion so quickly. He’d never expected her to fit in his arms as if she was made to be there or look at him as if he were the solution to every problem. It made him agree to crazy things like a marriage in Gretna Green, sleeping next to a woman whom he couldn’t make love to, and sneaking around a dockyard at night.

Leo would have managed alone, but Basil felt a personal need to be there. He wanted to be the one who protected her and gave her everything. He wanted to be the reason her eyes lit up with laughter or clouded over with desire, but he couldn’t. He was meant to keep her safe until her brother was able to protect her again. He wasn’t supposed to trick her into giving up her chance at a good match. As sheltered as she was, it would be easy for her to believe she felt more for him than she did.

An annulment wouldn’t be as easy as she expected, especially without his father’s help. He would get it done for her though, and he would do it on his own. He wouldn’t ask him for anything again, wouldn’t acknowledge him in public again. If he wanted to issue ultimatums, then he could deal with the consequences. Basil would survive on his own terms even if he had to leave England to do it. And Ada…in time she would be able to marry someone else with better prospects and a future as bright as her eyes. He would treasure these last stolen moments with her before he walked away. Before they became distant acquaintances again.

His fingertips brushed against her temple, savoring her smooth skin as he peered down at her. There were faint circles under her eyes. “Did you not sleep well?”

“I was worried about you all,” she replied, pressing her face against him. And she didn’t sleep well left alone in unfamiliar spaces. Nothing could have been more unfamiliar or uncomfortable than a house where his father was raging, he knew that well enough.

“I can only imagine what it was like for you. I’m sorry I left you there.”

“There wasn’t another place. You said so yourself.”

“Technically there was, but it was clear across town, and I thought of it too late. I wouldn’t have been able to take you there and meet Leo in time.”

“It’s already in the past. My brother is home now. I have you to thank for that.”

“And Leo.”

“Yes, give him my thanks, will you? I don’t know when I’ll see him again.”

He nodded. His fingers lingered on her face, trailing from her temple, over her soft cheek, down to her graceful jaw. He couldn’t stop touching her, not when she was pressed against him like this. Her eyes were full of eager acceptance, and her mouth dared him to take more with every fluttering breath he felt against his neck. His fingers hooked under her chin, and he leaned down to kiss her once more. One more couldn’t hurt, could it? It wouldn’t change anything, that was for sure. Her eyes fluttered closed in anticipation. His nose brushed hers, then the carriage stopped.

Damn . So that kiss in the foyer was the first and last kiss.

Basil moved her away from him and leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes as his entire body rebelled against the action. He wasn’t satisfied. He wasn’t satisfied with what he’d had. There was a growing awareness that in less than a week she had very likely ruined him for any other woman. That in less than five days he’d fallen in love with his wife. What in the hell was he meant to do with that knowledge now? No good deed goes unpunished. He could feel her eyes on him, could hear the questions she wasn’t asking. What’s wrong? Why won’t you look at me?

Should he speak up? Should he stay silent?

How long did it take to open a damn door?

“Basil,” she began, and the carriage door opened. He rushed to step out, the half-polluted air of the city a welcome change to the stifling longing of a closed carriage. His feet firmly on the solid pavement outside Richard’s fashionable London home, he held out a hand to help her out of the carriage. He kept his eyes on the white columns, the ebony door with its polished brass knocker. Well beyond what he had to offer. Richard would make her understand that. No, he had no business confessing anything. How could he dare take her from this place to his shabby home? What had passed between them would remain a tale with which to shock her grandchildren. An interlude relegated to memory, where it belonged. Whatever small disappointment she felt wouldn’t last for very long.

When her gloved hand tightened on his, he chanced a short glance to see her watching him with that small frown of concern. He was behaving like a cad. He gave her a small smile and nodded towards the door. “Go on, he’s waiting for you.”

She hesitated for a moment, before her excitement caught up with her. She nodded with a grin and spun around gathering up her skirts. He watched as she flew up the stairs to the front door, knocking on it rapidly. The butler answered, and she ran inside while he pulled down her bag and handed it to a footman to take it into the house.

Basil stared as Ada’s figure disappeared into the entrance hall. Gone. Once she saw her brother again, she would remember what all this had really been for.

“Sir?” Basil blinked hard and focused on the footman who was staring at him expectedly.

Had he asked him something? Christ, had he seen him staring at her like a lovelorn puppy? “What is it?”

“I asked if you were coming in, sir?” the footman asked.

“No,” Basil replied, before walking down the street.