Page 52 of No Match for Love (Regency Love Stories)

But Lucas could not be stopped. His exhaustion lessened his resolve, and coupled with the draw to her that had grown in the past weeks, he was helpless to her pull.

He leaned down, pausing mere inches before his lips met hers.

His mind could not stop thinking of what could have happened if he’d not been there in Colbert’s home.

What he could have lost forever.

“Lydia,” he groaned. His eyes begged a question of her, needing her to allow or deny him.

Were she to deny him, it would take every ounce of his willpower to hold back.

Though he’d avoided his feelings for some time now, a dam had broken on his control, and he found he did not want it to be rebuilt.

He did not want to hold back any longer.

She closed the space between them.

Her lips pressed against his, and the sensations that coursed through him at the contact were like nothing he’d ever experienced. Even their first kiss had not compared to this need-driven connection. Heat, awareness, relief—they all battled for control.

His hands found her jaw, angling her face to his, tilting it for perfect access. Her hands found the sleeves of his jacket and fisted in the fabric there. Her lips moved across his.

Before he lost control entirely, he pulled back. But almost immediately, he brought his lips to her cheekbone. Her jaw. Her neck.

When she sighed, he finally came to his senses. He was worse than the basest of gentlemen to kiss her like this—alone, without a promise between them.

Lucas’s emotions were swinging on a pendulum. They’d gone to the highest point he’d felt in years and were now crashing down with the realization of what he’d done.

Her eyes searched his. “I—” she began, but he cut her off.

“We... We should go inside. You need your rest.”

Her eyes were still flicking between his, a question lingering there, but she nodded.

He pushed open the carriage door and helped her out.

He led her up the stairs and opened the door, and was greeted by the sight of his mother waiting in the middle of the foyer.

Her lips were pressed together in what almost appeared to be amusement.

It was entirely at odds with their entire night. She stepped forward.

Lucas released Lydia, putting distance between them, though it was hard. “Mother, I did not know you were home.”

She glanced at Lydia with a light smile. “We received Lydia’s message and came as quickly as we could.” Her smile faltered. “Your father was organizing a group to find the two of you. We’ve been terrified at your fate. Or were... until I saw the carriage arrive.”

Lucas blinked. If she’d seen the carriage arrive, she knew they’d not immediately alighted. She might even know what had transpired inside. Her eyes pierced his in a way that said she knew exactly what he was thinking.

She shifted her attention back to Lydia. “I cannot imagine what you’ve been through. Your maid has drawn a bath. I should like to look in on you soon, if that is permissible, but I will let you rest a bit first.”

Lydia hesitated, glancing at Lucas, but then she took a step forward. “Thank you. I... Thank you.” With one last look at Lucas, she took to the stairs. Lucas watched her go as a feeling of loss drooped over him—more than it should have.

“Study, Lucas. Now.” His mother’s voice was not exactly harsh, but there was a level of command that would not be ignored. As he walked to the room, his mind began to override his heart.

He had become tangled in lies; brought injury upon his brother not once, but twice; caused Miss Faraday to be abducted and degraded by Mr. Frank Colbert; and then, as if that were not enough, he’d kissed her.

He’d lacked the constraint, the honor , to push back against his base desires and restrain himself.

He was no better than Colbert. He’d taken advantage of her as a guest in his home.

His hands clenched into fists. He’d lost control, and look where it had gotten him.

His mother closed the door behind her and turned to him.

“I know,” he said before she could speak. “I have done poorly by Miss Faraday. I accept all responsibility and will do whatever I need to rectify the situation.”

She heaved a sigh. “I cannot tell you the extent of my thankfulness that all of you returned home tonight.”

He had no answer. There had to be more to it than that.

She came closer, grasping his hand. The lines around her mouth and shadows under her eyes spoke to her exhaustion and worry. “It feels a small thing compared to the danger you were in tonight, but I will not stand for this behavior. You cannot make a habit of it.”

Lucas swallowed.

“We brought her into our home, Lucas. She is our guest . And even if she were not, I raised you to be respectful of women. You cannot dally with a woman’s emotions. I thought you were better than that. I did not think I had to worry about you .”

He wanted to say that he was not dallying with her emotions—that he genuinely cared for her—but he could not bring himself to admit it.

Because despite being true, it felt wrong.

Wrong that he would allow himself to care for her.

Wrong that he had allowed himself to lose control at all.

Once again, he’d been unable to protect those around him.

Including from himself. “What do I need to do?” he asked.

“At the very least, you need to apologize to her.”

“I will do that.” He started for the door.

Mother stepped in front of him. “Not now. She needs her rest. And we need to discuss the other aspects of your evening. Your father should be down shortly. But before you kiss her again, you must make things right.”

Lucas rubbed a hand across his chin, agitated and embarrassed.

It was the early hours of the morning, but he wished to fix everything at that exact moment.

Though he knew it was necessary, he did not want to sit in his father’s study and fill his parents in on the semi-clandestine activities in which he’d been involved.

The door opened again, revealing his father, who looked to Mother. “Charlie is resting. It seems he will make a full recovery.”

“Charlie?” Lucas asked. He’d assumed that he and Henry were well.

Father turned to him, his expression as weighted as Mother’s. “A broken wrist, several bruised ribs, and a few too many blows to the head.” He took a steadying breath. “What are you embroiled in, Lucas?”

Lucas ground his teeth in anger at himself. “And Henry?”

“He is upstairs as well. Nothing broken, but just as black-and-blue as your brother. I’ll ask again, what are you embroiled in?”

So Lucas told them. More than he’d ever told anyone.

He told them about training to become a pugilist. He told them about starting the boxing club several years ago with Colin and about fighting there under the guise of being a member of the lower class.

About the first time he and Colin had heard of one of their patrons needing a position and being unable to find one, and how Lucas was able to use his connections as Lord Berkeley to find one.

Thus, the entire enterprise was born. They were doing good work.

There was nothing wrong with it... except that it had attracted the attention of Lord Colbert and his company, and Lucas had not treated the threat with the seriousness he ought to have.

“Colbert? The viscount?” Father asked.

Lucas nodded.

“His son is Mr. Frank Colbert? The man that has been forbidden from courting Lydia?” Mother asked.

“I do not know that she has forbidden him, but she turned down his proposal.”

Mother shook her head. “No, her guardian forbade the match. Said the man was nothing but a fortune hunter and could not be allowed to court Lydia. Mr. Frank Colbert has been by twice, and Drake turned him away for me.”

Lucas’s brows pulled together. “Did Colbert know of Lord Tarrington’s wishes?”

“Yes. Lord Tarrington said he had made his wishes clear. A dance or two was fine, but nothing more. And no time alone.”

“Then how did he propose to Miss Faraday?” Lucas asked.

Mother stood. “I am going to speak with Miss Faraday about that.” Without another word, she slipped from the room.

Father turned back to Lucas. “What did you tell Lord Colbert?”

“To leave my family and friends alone or I would make sure his canal enterprise failed and his appeal to Society was ruined. More or less.”

Father watched him.

Lucas clenched his jaw. “I know it was perhaps a large threat.”

“No more than I would have made. I am just wondering if it was enough.”

“I do not know.”

Father looked thoughtful. “The Heatherdown Company, you say?”

Lucas nodded.

“The name sounds familiar.” His brow creased in thought, then lightened.

“That is it. Lord Cressward was talking to me about it between Parliament sessions. The Heatherdown Company is under some financial and legal stress to complete their canal more quickly. The... What was it? Oh yes. The Bridgeport Company made a deal with them some months back to join two parts of their canals. Bridgeport has completed theirs, but Heatherdown put their focus on the southern part of their canal first, believing it to be more financially beneficial, I believe, but now they stand to lose a great deal of money if they do not complete the contract in time. The issue is not commonly known, but Cressward is a shareholder in the Bridgeport Company, so he was privy to the information.”

Lucas was nodding. “So any delay could be immensely detrimental to Colbert and the Heatherdown shareholders.”

“Exactly.”

“I suppose that explains their zeal in persecuting my and Colin’s venture, if our taking of employees undercuts the speed of their operation.”

Father agreed. “And it tells us how we can end it.”

“Does it?”

“I know many of the shareholders of the Bridgeport Company. I will pay some visits tomorrow and fill them in on everything. By the end of the day, I imagine ties will be cut with the Heatherdown Company.” He surveyed Lucas with a knowing look.

“But everything will likely come to light regarding your club.”

Lucas nodded. “I assumed this day would come.” Something occurred to him though. “Can you keep Miss Faraday out of it?”

“Yes, though I am not sure Lord Colbert will. Where does his son come into this exactly?”

Lucas swallowed back a surge of anger at the recollection. “I’ve no clue if he has a part in the canal operation. I only know he took her from Charlie and Henry tonight, and if I am not mistaken, he was hoping to force her into marriage.”

“Being found alone with a man at night would do that.” Father raised a brow at Lucas, and Lucas knew he was indicating the fact that Lucas had been in just such a situation with Miss Faraday himself.

Needing to relieve some of his anger, Lucas ignored Father’s suggestive look and grumbled, “He forced himself on her, Father. Kissed her against her will.”

Any amount of amusement fled his father’s expression. “Truly?”

Lucas nodded, his muscles taut as if they could pummel the man at that very moment. “In front of his father and several staff members.”

“Did his father do anything?”

Lucas scoffed. “Nothing helpful.”

Father shook his head. “Miss Faraday has had a trying night. We brought her into our home to help her make an advantageous match, not to be forced into one against her will.” Again, Father’s expression turned thoughtful.

“Her reputation may suffer, Lucas. After the events of tonight— all the events—perhaps you should consider doing the honorable thing and marrying her yourself.”

Lucas balked. “No,” he said before he could stop the word, before he could admit how much he wished it to be the opposite.

Father’s brows rose, but Lucas had no time to elaborate, as the door reopened. Mother entered, closing the door behind her. “Mr. Frank Colbert proposed just last night, after Lucas left but before we’d returned. Lydia turned him down.”

Lucas thought he had already felt as terrible as he possibly could, but his stomach sank even lower. Colbert would not have been allowed in the house at that hour if Lucas had not left Miss Faraday alone. Blast, why could he not make a single intelligent decision?

“Why propose at all if he knew Lord Tarrington would forbid the match?” Lucas’s father mused aloud.

They all fell silent, lost in their own thoughts, but Lucas struggled to keep his fixated on any one thing.

After all the pain and suffering his family had gone through, if he’d just been open with his parents, his father could have helped him resolve everything with no bloodshed.

If he’d remained home tonight, Miss Faraday would have been safe from Mr. Frank Colbert.

If he’d never assumed that he could atone for his deficiencies by opening the club, there would have been no need for violence.

Essentially, if he’d been smarter and more capable, none of this would have happened.

Just like how he’d been stupid and incapable when those men attacked their carriage and Marietta died.

Father shook his head and spoke, jolting Lucas from his reverie. “There is nothing for it now. Miss Faraday is safe, our sons are safe, and we will have this all resolved in the morning. For now, let us get to sleep.”

Lucas doubted he would be getting much sleep at all.