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Moreland

I waited for Victoria to leave the room before sinking into a chair. The hovering footmen seemed confused, but I told them to proceed with the task of clearing the remnants of our meal.

I was more than a little unsettled to realize I’d thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

Before tonight, every dinner I’d shared with a woman had been a prelude to bedding her.

I couldn’t deny that I wanted the same from Victoria, but I wouldn’t allow myself to take advantage of her when she was so clearly distressed from the unexpected turn her life had taken.

I’d learned a fair bit about Victoria. Until recently, she’d been a dutiful daughter, but she also possessed a determination that shouldn’t have come as a surprise.

She was Rexford’s sister, after all. No doubt a fair bit of that trait came from her father.

The Duke of Sherbourne was widely known for his persistence in getting what he wanted.

But Victoria was also compassionate. She’d surprised me when she expressed concern for my safety, and I realized she would willingly sacrifice herself to save me.

I was determined to ensure that never happened.

Her intelligence and caring nature would be smothered by Heddington.

I couldn’t stomach the thought of all the things he would do to her once she became his wife.

Victoria had captured my interest the moment I saw her.

Any other man in my position—Fairfax, for one—would have wasted no time in wooing her to their bed.

With her dark hair, wide blue eyes shining from a face that was almost ethereal, no one would blame me for doing the same.

Rexford hadn’t forbidden me from pursuing Victoria, but something held me back.

Her innocence was a large part of my reticence. She was a decade younger than I, but those ten years might as well have been a hundred in terms of our experience. I couldn’t help but feel protective of her, even while I very much wanted to take her to my bed and slake my desire.

But I wouldn’t do that to her. Not yet, at any rate.

I only hoped that my tenuous grasp on my willpower would hold.

I’d almost cast it aside when I’d kissed her wrist. It was a self-indulgent moment.

I’d wanted to taste her, and the action had seemed innocent enough.

But the way she tilted slightly toward me, her eyes darting to my mouth, told me that she would have allowed me to take her in my arms and kiss her.

Once I had Victoria in my arms, though, I wouldn’t have been able to stop.

I wasn’t accustomed to denying my desires.

If I saw a woman I wanted, I pursued her.

This entire situation had me on edge. I made my way upstairs to the bedroom a footman told me had been prepared for my stay.

I couldn’t sleep, of course. How could I with Victoria sleeping just down the hall?

I lay there for some time, staring up at the ceiling and wondering if she’d locked her door.

I hadn’t tested the knob when I’d passed her bedroom, but I’d wanted to.

Finally, I gave in to the inevitable. I wouldn’t be able to sleep until I took care of my frustrated desire. I took myself in hand and allowed myself to fantasize about Victoria opening my bedroom door and crawling into bed with me. Here, in my imagination, she wouldn’t be an uncertain innocent.

When my release came, I realized that I was in over my head because it did nothing to lesson my desire for her. I shifted onto my side and tried to force myself to think of something else.

To say my sleep that night was restless would be a vast understatement. I wasn’t accustomed to waking so early in the morning, so when my valet entered my bedroom at nine o’clock with a folded note, I immediately knew something was amiss.

“Lord Rexford has asked to speak with you this morning,” he said.

I opened the note, fearing the worst, but there was no message of disaster, only a few sentences written in Clarence’s hand telling me that Rexford wanted to see me at my earliest convenience—which I knew meant right away.

I dressed quickly and made my way downstairs.

I liked a cup of tea in the morning, even if I didn’t have time to eat, so I headed to the dining room. I didn’t expect a full spread of food for breakfast, but neither did I expect to see Victoria seated at one end of the table, gazing off into the distance.

At my appearance, she jumped to her feet. “I normally have a tray sent up to my room.” Her words tumbled out in a rush. “But I didn’t know if you wanted breakfast served here.”

Recalling our pleasant evening, I very much wanted to step into the room and wait for the servants to prepare our morning meal. I could imagine all manner of pleasant ways to pass the time while we waited.

I forced thoughts back to the matter at hand. “I received a note from your brother. He wants to speak with me.”

Victoria seemed to deflate at my words, wrapping her arms around her waist.

I had an almost overwhelming urge to pull her into my arms. Instead, I clasped my hands behind my back and remained where I stood. “You’ll be safe here while I’m gone.”

She chewed her plump lower lip, and I nearly groaned in frustration as I wondered how her mouth would feel against mine.

Given her nervousness yesterday after learning about the gossip column, I expected that I would have to reassure her.

Instead, she nodded, straightened her shoulders, and dropped her arms to her sides.

In that moment, I saw in her the same spine of steel that ran through her brother.

And damn if her bravery didn’t make me want her more.

“I’m not your wife,” she said firmly. “And I’m sure men don’t spend all their time with their mistresses. People will expect to see you if we want them to believe I am, indeed, your mistress.”

She was right, of course. If I spent all my time here, people would realize I was guarding her and not ruining her.

I didn’t want to leave, but even if Rexford hadn’t summoned me, I needed to be seen.

I took my leave and forced myself to turn away from her.

I could feel her eyes on me as I made my way to the front door.

My carriage was already waiting, but before climbing in, I turned back to the footman who stood by the townhouse door. “Where would I go if I wanted to purchase drawing supplies?”