Page 15 of What A Rogue Wants (Lords Of Deception #1)

Eight

Retracing her steps, Madelaine plodded up the hill. Her back screamed for relief from her hunched over position, but if she stood she couldn’t see the grass near as well. At the top, she straightened and rubbed her back. “It’s hopeless.”

“Nonsense,” Elizabeth replied. “We will find the queen’s ring.”

“I don’t see how.” Madelaine waved a hand toward the lake.

Up here it looked smaller than it really was.

“Look at all the ground we covered with our morning stroll. She’s set me an impossible task.

That ring could have slipped off her finger anywhere.

I think she wants me to fail.” Madelaine slumped to the ground in defeat.

“Don’t fret.” Elizabeth sat down and patted Madelaine’s arm. “We’ll find it, and then perhaps she’ll start to see how devoted you are to her.”

Madelaine snorted. “It was kind of you to volunteer to help me, but you should go back to Frogmore and join the others for lunch.”

Elizabeth shook her head.

Madelaine stared at her new friend. She was very grateful, but she couldn’t allow her to continue to help. “I’ll be fine. There are guards everywhere out here.”

“I know that, silly. But the guards won’t help you look. And two pairs of eyes are better than one.”

“But if she’s angry with me it may filter to you.”

“Her temper will cool soon enough if it does. Besides, the costume ball tonight will put her in a fine mood.”

Without thought, Madelaine hugged Elizabeth. “I owe you for this.”

“No.” Elizabeth stood and held her hand out. “I owe you for how terrible I was.”

“You were not terrible.” Madelaine grasped Elizabeth’s hand and stood. “You were afraid. There’s a difference. Consider whatever debt you think you owe, paid. Shall we head back down the hill and around the lake once again?”

“Absolutely.” Elizabeth looked past Madelaine and grinned.

“What is it?” An infectious smile pulled at her own lips, though her situation hardly warranted anything to be happy about.

“I have a feeling our luck is about to change.”

“You do?”

Elizabeth nodded.

“What makes you feel that way?”

“Not what, but who.”

Madelaine came to her friend’s side and stared down the gentle slope of the hill they had climbed. Down, by the lake, making his way toward them was a tall, broad-shouldered man with gleaming, curly black hair. Her heart fluttered. “Whatever do you think your brother is doing out here?”

Shaking her head with a smile, Elizabeth said, “I imagine he’s looking for you. After all, he is your protector now.”

“Bite your tongue!” Madelaine exclaimed. “I told you he offered to protect me from Lord Thorton. That is all. Don’t you dare say a word. I’d die of mortification.”

Elizabeth giggled. “I doubt you’d perish, but I promise not to hint that I know Grey likes you.”

“He doesn’t like me,” Madelaine whispered, afraid he might somehow hear. He must have jogged up the hill for he was almost at the top.

“He’s my brother. I’ve known him all my life. And I tell you, you’re special. He’s offered a lot of things to a lot of women and protection was never one of them.”

“Indeed she is special,” Lord Grey said, cresting the hill. Damp, black curls clung to his forehead, and she had the urge to reach out and push the thick locks to the side. Her fingers tingled, as well as the rest of her body.

“What are you doing out here, Lord Grey?” She had no idea how to respond to his statement that she was special. She couldn’t deny the way her heart had jerked with his words, but she needed to be careful. Wanting to seduce her was not the same as wanting to court her.

“I was looking for you.”

How did every word he said manage to sound crafted for seduction? Warmth spread through her limbs. She might have stood there indefinitely staring at him if not for Elizabeth nudging her in the side. “Told you,” Elizabeth whispered near Madelaine’s ear.

“What did you tell Lady Madelaine, Liz?”

“I told her you liked her.”

“Elizabeth,” Madelaine hissed in warning. “I don’t think that at all, Lord Grey.”

“You should.” He stepped so near her, his heat enveloped her and his scent of fresh pine surrounded her.

He reached toward her, and a thousand pinpricks raced across her skin in anticipation of his touch.

Then he paused and her breath hitched. Was he reconsidering touching her?

He dropped his hand to his side, and her heart dropped a little with it.

But then he gave her a glorious smile. The same one that yesterday had made her feel as if he’d never smiled like that for anyone but her.

She trembled and prayed neither he nor his sister noticed how he affected her.

Elizabeth’s eyes protruded. “Well, this is certainly something I have never seen.”

“What is?” Madelaine asked, glad to have the attention off her.

“Grey playing by the strict rules of etiquette.” Elizabeth stared at her brother. “I had thought perhaps you didn’t know how.” Her voice held a teasing note and she was grinning.

“Of course I know how.” A wolfish smile spread across his face. “I just never met a woman I wanted to play by the rules for.” Heavens, was he serious? Was this some new ploy of seduction he was trying? She had no idea how to respond.

“Rendered you speechless, did I?”

The pompousness was more like what she expected from a libertine. Not the previous astounding admissions that had left her ridiculously giddy. She swallowed. “Your approach surprised me, that’s all.”

“My approach up the hill?” A smirk graced his full lips.

“No.” She glanced to Elizabeth for help.

“Grey, the queen lost one of her favorite rings and she’s charged Madelaine with finding it by twilight.”

Lord Greys’ eyebrows furrowed together. “Is that why you two were hunched over as you made your way up the hill?”

“You were watching us?” Madelaine couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice.

“Of course. You looked lovely with your honey hair swinging around your face. But not as lovely as earlier.”

“Earlier?” Had he really said “earlier?” She had the loveliest tingly sensation in her stomach.

He lifted his arm and pretended to draw back an arrow.

She gasped at his revelation. “Are you following me?”

“Worried?” He smirked at her.

“Should I be?”

“No. I’ll keep all your secrets. I promise.”

Her stomach fluttered but the feeling was not embarrassment. His words excited her. “I imagine you’ve made many promises to many women in your life.”

“I feel as if you two are having a private conversation even though I’m standing right here,” Elizabeth said, cutting off whatever her brother had been about to say.

“You’re quite right, sister dear. It was unpardonably rude of us. Now tell me, where was the queen when last she remembers having her ring?”

“She can’t say.” Madelaine swept her hand in front of her. “We were everywhere today. Around the lake. Up the hill. And back. It’s too much ground to search. I’ll never find it, and she’ll have one more reason to dislike me.”

“I’ll help you. I’m an excellent tracker.”

Elizabeth nodded. “He has the uncanny ability to find anything or anyone.”

An odd frown crossed Lord Grey’s face, but then it was gone. “My father and my older brother Edward taught me how to see clues most people ignore.”

She didn’t miss the change in his tone. Something bothered him.

Was he thinking of his father? She understood longing for a parent’s love.

She’d spent many useless hours hoping her mother would accept her, but there was no point dwelling on that right now.

“You’re certain you don’t mind wasting your time helping me? ”

He took her ungloved hand and squeezed it. The warmth of his fingers curled deliciously around her cold hands. However did he manage to smolder like fire with the cool wind now blowing? “Time spent with you, Lady Madelaine, will not be wasted.”

Lord help her, she wasn’t sure if he was trying to seduce her or not, but how easy it would be to fall prey to him if he was.

She shouldn’t take up his offer of help.

The sensible thing to do would be to politely decline.

But what if he was interested in her for more than seduction?

Heavens! She was just as bad as the other ladies-in-waiting who thought they would be the one to win Lord Grey’s heart.

Yet if someone could win it, why not her?

“Shall we look together?” she asked, trying her hand at boldness. The cool blue of his eyes warmed instantly as a grin lit his face.

“Together sounds perfect.” He offered her his arm.

Madelaine slipped her arm into the crook of his, but she couldn’t quite settle on where she should rest her fingers.

To clutch his upper arm would be too bold.

She wouldn’t mind a bit seeing if he was built as powerfully as she was imagining.

She could link her own hands together. That would be uncomfortable.

Before she could decide what to do, he placed her hand over his. More butterflies assaulted her stomach.

“You two go to the tea house where the walk started and search there again,” Elizabeth said.

“I’ll start here, and we can meet back in the middle at the lake.

And don’t worry—” she continued, cutting off Madelaine voicing the impropriety of being alone with Lord Grey.

“Her Majesty cannot disapprove. We are in the open, for heaven’s sake.

I can see the tea house from here, so it’s not as if you’re alone. ”

Madelaine nodded and held onto Lord Grey’s arm as they started down the hill. There was nothing weak about him, as far as she could tell. His arm could have been crafted of steel. He could easily be a soldier. Curiosity made her speak. “Why did you choose to be an equerry rather than a soldier?”

He paused and gave her a strange look. “I did not choose it. My father told me I was going to be an equerry and that was the end of the discussion.”

“You don’t seem a man to be told what to do.”

He laughed. “I’m not.”

“But here you are doing as your father has commanded.”

“Only because I planned to be the worst equerry ever. I had every intention of bending my father to my will eventually.”

“I don’t understand. You speak as if you’ve changed your mind.”

His eyebrows raised a fraction. “I’ve decided being an equerry may be more adventurous than I previously thought.”

“Really?” Madelaine startled when he took her hand again and started back down the hill. “It’s hard to imagine that watching over some preening lord’s horses could be that adventurous.”

“You’d be surprised.”

She had no idea how to interpret his statement. It seemed to her he wasn’t being truthful. Yet why would he lie? Maybe he wanted to impress her. The thought both excited and worried her.

What was she thinking? He surely could care less about impressing her.

If the most beautiful and accomplished women at Court had failed to win his heart, then she certainly had no hope with her oddness.

“Lord Grey—” She paused in her step. “—I—” Blast. A searing flush covered her face and neck.

“I don’t want to mislead you with my agreement to let you look for the queen’s ring with me.

I want your help, but I still don’t wish to be seduced. ”

“That’s good.” He twined his fingers with hers for a second before releasing her hand and looking straight at her. “I don’t wish to seduce you anymore.”

“Why not?” Her blush grew hotter. “Is it because I lack feminine accomplishments?”

When he threw back his head and laughed, embarrassment swirled in her belly. Blast him! She hated being laughed at. Everyone was always laughing at odd Lady Madelaine. She straightened her shoulders and forced herself to look him in the eyes. “There is no need to laugh at me.”

“I’m not laughing at you.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’m laughing at the absurdity of the situation.”

“You find me absurd?” She barely knew the man and already he stirred her ire. Of course, she knew better than anyone that igniting her temper was no hard task.

“No.” His smile vanished and his eyes became serious.

“I find you refreshing, beautiful and honest. It’s because you lack normal feminine accomplishments that I want to get to know you.

I’m afraid I’ve been too long living a life of debauchery, but I’ve recently discovered I would very much like to change. ”

She wanted to believe him, but really did the man think her a fool? Did he think she’d forgotten his earlier attempt to get her to meet him in the stables for a rendezvous? “When did you have this epiphany? Five minutes ago?”

“No.” He raised her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss across the back of her hand. The beat of her heart echoed in her ears. “I knew I wanted to change my wicked ways the moment you told me you wanted a husband and not a seduction.”

His words made staying mad out of the question. A pleasant warmth settled low in her belly. “So you expect me to believe you decided to change your ways just because of meeting me and learning I don’t desire to be seduced?”

“Certainly not. That would be foolish of you. I recently found myself unleashed by former self-imposed chains of stupidity. And I find I am no longer driven to do certain things.”

That foolish part of her that had always hoped her mother had been wrong and someone might find a woman who was different refreshing felt flattered that he truly seemed interested in her and curious as to what exactly had altered in his life to make him want to change. “I don’t understand.”

He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t expect you would. Might I ask you to indulge me? Let me prove to you I only want honorable things from you.”

“Only honorable things? You’re sure?” It was hard to believe it was possible, but she wanted to believe. She wanted her mother to have been wrong.

He nodded. “I’d also like to kiss you, but I don’t consider that dishonorable. And I won’t ask yet.”

“You won’t?” Her lips tingled at the thought of his mouth pressed against hers.

“No. Not yet.” He ran a finger down her cheek. She had the overwhelming desire to lean into his touch, but he pulled away. “Not until I am sure you don’t think I’m merely still trying to seduce you.”

With her blood roaring in her ears and her heart pounding, saying she believed him so his lips would find hers was on the tip of her tongue. But before she could speak, he took her hand. “Come on. The sun will go down in the next few hours and finding the ring will become much harder.”

She nodded and followed him silently down the hill. It wasn’t until they were at the very bottom that she realized she had not once glanced down to look for the queen’s ring.