Page 19 of One Kiss in the Shadows (Singular Sensation #12)
July 1, 1820
Hamilton House
Berkley Square
Mayfair, London
Nathaniel glanced around his drawing room that echoed with laughter and was filled with the buzz of conversation. Every member of the Rogue’s Arcade was present along with their wives, for it had been over a year since the events of that horrible night when the club had been destroyed, and lives had been lost.
Much had occurred in the intervening year, but the most important thing was that they had all been able to move forward with their lives. No longer was there underlying worry for any of them now that Lady Stover had been killed. As he stood in the doorway, he leaned a shoulder against the frame while struggling to contain his emotions.
“Why are you not in there, mingling with our guests?”
He turned at the sound of his wife’s voice, and with a grin, he led her to the end of the corridor at the rear of the townhouse. “It is a rout, darling. The host is a bit optional in these events, especially when conversation is the order of the day. Besides, you aren’t in there either. Is all well with James?” Just mentioning his son aloud made him grin again. The boy had been born late last February, no doubt a result of one of Nathaniel’s first couplings with Mallory. He would be five months old later this month.
“Calm yourself, Strathfield. Your son is quite well, if a bit of a bully.” She giggled. “He is quite commanding with the nursery staff as well as the wet nurse.” Who they’d had to hire because the babe refused to latch onto Mallory’s breast. His dear wife had taken it quite hard and was only now coming to realize it was something that happened often and no fault of her own. “Perhaps he knows he’s heir to a dukedom.”
“Or perhaps he takes after his mother in spirit and bravery.” The child certainly had more of her looks than his, at least right now. Then he roved his gaze up and down her person, a form that had a few more delicious curves since she’d given birth. “That color suits you.”
Her gown of robin’s egg blue taffeta ensured that she wouldn’t be overlooked in a crowd. When his gaze dropped to her décolletage, she drew a fingertip along the edge of her bodice, which only enhanced his attention. What he wouldn’t give to tug that gown down right now and have his way with her breasts.
“Thank you. I’ve had to order a few new gowns since I’m still unable to wear my other gowns just yet since having the babe.” As she moved, tiny clear glass beads on the skirt glimmered. “Anyway, since I just checked on our son, shouldn’t we go into the drawing room with our friends?”
“In a moment.” She put a palm on his chest, and with a tiny amount of pressure, Mallory pushed him until the wall at his back prevented further movement. “It has been an age since you visited my bed,” she said in a barely audible voice while wicked invitation shadowed her eyes.
“I was allowing you space, for didn’t your body need to heal after going through something as traumatic as a birth?”
“Yes, of course, but it’s been months.” Her hands went to his cravat, plucking at the folds of the silk. “You could have stayed away two, or possibly three, but now it has been nearly five, and I miss you so very much.”
Had his cravat always felt too tight? “I know, and I apologize. We’ll rectify that as soon as we can.”
“Tonight, I think is what you meant to say, Strathfield,” she whispered as she pushed up onto her toes. “As soon as the last guest leaves.” Then she pressed her lips to his.
It took all of three seconds before he was lost to reality. With a groan, Nathaniel settled her more comfortably into his arms and set out to kiss his wife senseless. From the speed in which his length tightened, it wholeheartedly agreed that he needed to visit her bed, and soon. Over and over their tongues met and tangled, but the moment he dared to cup one of her breasts, the clearing of a masculine throat had the two of them breaking apart.
Heat shot up the back of his neck to see the Duke of Edenthorpe standing not five feet away. “Uh, we were just—”
“I know what you were doing,” the duke said with a smug grin. “It happens to the best of us, especially when our wives look as ravishing as yours does tonight.” He gave Mallory a wink. “Good evening, Lady Strathfield.”
A blush stained her cheeks. “Good evening, Edenthorpe.” She glanced at Nathaniel. “I’ll wait for you inside.”
After she left, he met his friend’s gaze. “Apologies. I was temporarily distracted.”
“So I could see.” The duke chuckled. “If you don’t mind, though, could we arrive at the point of this gathering? Some of us are hungry and would like the canapes to arrive.”
“Of course.” Nathaniel led him to the door. “You’re certain you wish to announce this tonight?”
“It seems fitting, and we have all been adrift for far too long.” Edenthorpe shrugged. “Besides, I am looking forward to ushering in the new phase of our lives. Every one of us deserves it after what we’re suffered and survived.”
“This is true.” Then Nathaniel went into the drawing room with Edenthorpe, and all eyes turned to him. “Thank you all for coming tonight. I am honored to be surrounded by such lovely company, and I’m humbled that I can call all of you my friends. More than that, you are all my family.” Moisture rose into his eyes, but then, this was an emotional time. “Yes, this is a rout, but more than that, I have asked everyone here because there is an announcement in the offing.”
At that point, Edenthorpe stepped forward. “There is, indeed, and it’s been one that we have waited for a long time.” Though he smiled, there was an edge of sadness to the gesture, for this victory had come with a steep cost for them all. “Strathfield and I, along with Lockwood and Broadmoor, and with a generous donation from Mr. Burgess, have pooled our resources to buy a modest building in the Marylebone area.”
Murmurs moved through the assembled crowd.
Nathaniel nodded. “I’m delighted and honored to announce that as of tomorrow, the new Rogue’s Arcade club will open, and once more we will have a place where we can gather to discuss the news of the day, play cards, share meals, and enjoy a safe space that is separate from everything else we hold dear.”
“But beyond that, the new location will serve as a memory, a monument to those we lost a little more than a year ago,” Edenthorpe said in a soft voice as shadows filled his eyes. “The new club was purposefully situated in a quieter part of Town, away from the hustle and bustle of Mayfair proper because I believe we have all moved away from that. No longer are we men on the prowl or concerned with making flashy entrances or securing connections high on the instep.”
“And no longer are we in need of going through London intent on stealing gemstones and jewelry.” When a ripple of laughter moved through the crowd, he grinned. “I could tell you stories, but perhaps the new club is the perfect venue for that.” When he found his wife in the crowd and their gazes connected, his world tilted again. And he was brought back to reality. “This past year has been one of discovery and grief, of turning within each one of ourselves to remember what truly matters in this life, and to remind us that life—time—is fleeting and precious. We are not guaranteed tomorrow, so it’s imperative that we do our best to enjoy each day we do have to its fullest.”
Though a somber air filled the space, there was also a new appreciation for everything.
Edenthorpe cleared his throat. “Some of you men have been with me from the first. Others I’ve met along the way, but we are all brothers, closer than blood, brought together by the war and the sacrifices we made out on those battlefields, bonded over wounds and injuries and the rescues we have all undertaken, because friendship and love—in all its forms—are the pinnacle of our existence and the reason we continue to fight to preserve it.”
“Indeed.” Nathaniel nodded as a footman came over with flutes of champagne on a silver tray. Another footman distributed the same through the crowd until every person assembled in the room had one. “Tonight is not one for mourning. It’s for remembrance and to mark another new beginning. One of many we will experience and explore together, as a family.” He raised his flute. “Join me in toasting each other and our new future. Our children will grow up together and form new bonds. They will go places where we couldn’t imagine and put their stamps on London in ways that will make us proud... or even scandalized, for that is how it goes.”
“Hear, hear,” Edenthorpe said as he lifted his own glass. “To the men of the Rogue’s Arcade. Though all of us are broken and battered in ways both visible or not, we continue to survive with dedication and courage.”
“And to the women who are strong enough, daring enough, to love us and pull us continually into the light,” Nathaniel added with tears still in his eyes. “Here is to new beginnings built on never-ending friendships.”
The room filled with “hear, hears” as well as “huzzahs” as everyone lifted their glasses and drank the toast.
As a tear fell to his cheek, he couldn’t help but grin when Mallory made her way out of the crush and to his side. Edenthorpe sought out his own wife. Feeling far too maudlin, Nathaniel slipped his free arm about his wife, then he pressed his lips to her temple.
“Thank you for taking a chance and trusting me when you married me without knowing me,” he whispered to her then finished the remainder of his bubbly wine. “That belief in me has made all the difference.”
Mallory smiled. She laid her free hand on his chest. “I could say the same of you. After all, my lineage isn’t the best and it has taken me a long time to move past that, but I can’t wait to see where our little family goes from here.”
That was much how it was with all the rogues, and the acceptance they had found within each other was key to being strong enough to survive the lives they now led. As they navigated the future and whatever challenges would be placed in their paths, he knew there was no need to feel frightened. With friendships and love, everything could be conquered.
And that was all anyone should strive to build and find in this life.
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