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Chapter Five

H e didn’t have to be rude. After all, he’d invited her in.

Kitty lifted her chin, and marched through the antechamber door, which Zeke promptly slammed.

The noise catapulted her into motion like a whip crack, and she ran all the way back to her bedchamber, leaped onto her bed, and squeezed herself into a tight little ball. She wanted to cry and giggle and pinch herself all at once.

But what she must do, this very moment, was commit the glorious sight of him to memory. Lord knew she’d never see Zeke Thurgood’s bare chest again.

If only she hadn’t reacted to that…that woman’s cloying perfume, she might’ve gotten to touch that supple looking skin. Just one little touch. She closed her eyes and imagined doing just that, which morphed into imagining kneading her fingers into his thick hair, and oh, Lord, him touching her.

Truly decadent thoughts. She ought to feel ashamed. But thinking them felt so good. Like the most delicious melt-in-your-mouth chocolate confection.

A while later, an odd sense of frustration eating at her, Kitty headed for the library to join Lord Claybourne.

For the next hour or so, she would munch scones and sip mint-infused tea while the two of them scanned the papers for any posts regarding one Lady Christine Hastings who’d gone missing. It had been a good long while since one had appeared. It was a good sign.

As she approached the open library doors, heated voices reverberated from within, echoing in the corridor. The earl's and, surprisingly, Zeke's. She'd assumed Zeke would be fast asleep by now.

Clearly, that was not the case.

Hovering outside the open doors, Kitty contemplated heading back to her chamber. But the earl’s booming voice froze her in place.

“…third night this week you’ve gone out only to return home well after two in the afternoon. If you’re in London only to carouse, perhaps you should take up residence in your bachelor’s apartments.”

Kitty’s heart seized at the thought. She leaned closer to catch Zeke’s reply.

“I didn’t realize my comings and goings interested you, my lord. Thought you were too caught up with your little pet.”

She sucked in a breath. He’d hardly hidden the fact he didn’t like her. Nevertheless, hearing Zeke’s scathing reference to her, first hand, stung.

“This has nothing to do with Kit,” Lord Claybourne said.

“What does it have to do with, then? Speak plainly, my lord.”

“Very well. It’s crossed my mind to wonder if you’ve taken to”—he paused—“visiting the gaming hells.”

Gaming hells? Thurgood? A gambler? She’d never guess that.

In the lengthening silence, guilt pricked her. She oughtn’t listen in on their private conversation. However, by leaving now, her boot steps would practically announce her presence.

On the other hand, if Zeke caught her hanging near the doorway, there would be hell to pay.

“Like my father, you mean?” Thurgood spoke in a low hiss. “I’m nothing like my father. But out of respect for you , I’ll answer your insult. For your information, other than the odd game at my club, no, I haven’t been gambling.”

The hurt etched into his words pulled at her insides—not that he would welcome comfort from her…er, him.

“I suppose I don’t need to ask what you have been doing, then.”

She chewed her bottom lip, half wanting to hear Zeke’s reply, half dreading it.

“I was a long time at sea.” Amused disdain laced his words.

Naive though she was, she understood his meaning. Her stomach burned as if her morning meal hadn’t agreed with her.

“You’re always a long time somewhere, aren’t you, Zeke? Somewhere far from everyone you know and hold dear. You know what I call it? Running. Even now, when you’re home you can’t stop running. But where are you running to?”

Zeke made a “pft” sound. “This is ridiculous. A ridiculous nonsensical conversation. I’m right here. Standing right in front of you.”

The earl spoke at just above a whisper, and Kitty had to strain to hear. “I worry about you, you know. I fear I’ve made the same mistakes I made with your father. If only I’d been more watchful, disciplined him more—”

“Is that what this is about? Grandfather, you have to stop blaming yourself. Father was a grown man, solely responsible for the cowardly decisions he made. He gambled away my mother’s inheritance and drank himself into oblivion, until it finally landed him six feet under.”

“Only after he lost your mother.”

“We all lost my mother, and you know his vices didn’t start then.”

“You’re still so bitter, Zeke.”

“Can you blame me? In the end what was he to me but an empty place at the table? Oh, don’t look so sad, old man,” Zeke said in a voice gruff with emotion. “Caden and I didn’t suffer overly. We had you.”

Tears leaked from Kitty’s eyes. How well she understood. She’d had parents who’d disappointed her, and a grandfather who’d loved her through it.

“If you like, I’ll move to my apartments for the remainder of my stay.”

Everything inside her railed at the statement.

“No. You’re where you should be. I’ll stay out of your affairs from now on.” The earl’s defeated tone broke Kitty’s heart.

“You seem to forget I rather like spending time with you—when your appointments with young Kit permit it.”

The earl’s chuckle lacked its usual warmth. “Why don’t you like him?”

“Who says I don’t?”

“Kit for one.”

“Really,” Zeke said, sounding amused. “For your information I don’t dislike him. I find him”—he paused—“odd.”

Odd?

“How so?”

Kitty held her breath.

“He…” Zeke hesitated before blurting, “stares at me. When he thinks I’m not looking, he studies me with those frosty green eyes. It’s…it irritates me. It’s like he wants something I have, or wants to learn my mannerisms, or maybe eat me for breakfast. In fact, just this morning—what?”

“What do you mean what?” the earl asked, his voice choked.

“You’re laughing.”

“I have something in my eye.”

He thought she stared at him? That wasn’t true. Or not often true, anyway. Oh, she could just die. She should leave, now, before she heard any further hurtful remarks. She inched backward, gliding her boots over the marble.

“Is that all?” the earl asked.

“Now that you ask, no.”

In an instant, she was back in place outside the library.

“I can’t figure out why you’re so enamored of him. Other than playing a mean game of chess and being a quick study…”

Warmth flooded her heart.

“…he speaks up far too often, and he has that scratchy voice.”

“He takes an interest in my well-being, and he can’t help it if his voice hasn’t yet changed. You can hardly fault him for that, Zeke. It’s not like you to be so unfair.”

“Perhaps I’m being, as you say, unfair, because I know you’re playing me for the fool. Either that, or he’s playing you.”

Kitty heard a rhythmic sound and realized Zeke drummed his fingers as she’d seen him do a thousand times, impatient man.

“You could tell me who he is.”

“Zeke, my boy, patience. All will be revealed in good time.”

“I knew it,” he exclaimed. “I knew there was more to Kit. Who is he? Caden’s by-blow?”

An odd, scratchy-voiced, ogling by-blow.

“Nothing like that. And I’d appreciate it if you’d leave the matter,” Lord Claybourne said.

“It’s a little late for that, isn’t it? After you’ve done everything in your power to taunt me, jamming the bugger down my throat at every turn? You’ve both had a good laugh at my expense, haven’t you?”

All too late she heard the telltale whisper of footsteps over carpet. A half second later, boot tips appeared. Then Zeke emerged. He spotted her in an instant, his smokey blue eyes going wide with shock, then smoldering with outrage.

Kitty leapt back and bumped hard into the console, unseating a porcelain vase filled with flowers in the process. She made a grab for it, but Zeke beat her to it, catching the arrangement with one hand.

He settled the vase never taking his narrow-eyes stare off her.

She gulped. “Lord Thur—”

“Grandfather!” His bellow reverberated off the walls. He grabbed the scruff of Kitty’s coat collar with one hand, lifting her bodily and swinging her around until she dangled over the library threshold. “Look what the cat dragged in.”

Kitty couldn’t breathe. Black spots danced before her eyes.

“Zeke, put Kit—put the boy down. You’re choking him, for pity’s sake.”

Zeke opened his hand.

She dropped like a stone, crumpling to her knees. An instinctual will to survive bade her drag in air. She wished to be anywhere but here, huddled on all fours. She stared into the red and black pattern of the Aubusson carpet through a blur of tears.

“Don’t tell me you’re not going to do anything about this? I’ve a mind to blister the boy’s behind.”

“Zeke, you’ll do nothing of the sort,” the earl said, stonily.

For a timeless moment, Kitty heard nothing save the sound of her own choked gasps.

“Well?” Zeke demanded.

When the earl said nothing, Zeke made a sound of disgust and lowered himself until he crouched beside Kitty. He pitched his voice low with menace. “Hope you got an earful, young man. Because it’ll be the last time you get one over on me.”

His boots made a rapid click over the marble floor as he stalked from the library. A moment later, the front door slammed hard enough to rattle the windows.

She lifted her watery gaze. Utterly miserable, she stared at the earl across the room in his usual window seat overlooking the courtyard.

“My lord,” she began in a quavering voice, then broke off. Nothing she said would make up for what she’d done.

“Kitty.” The disappointment in his voice twisted her heart.

He deserved an apology at the very least. “I’m so very sorry. After all you’ve done for me. I don’t know what came over me. I was coming to join you, and I heard voices—”

“Kitty, get up off the floor.” He patted the empty place on the seat beside him.