Page 7 of When Jess Wainwright’s Curiosity Was Satisfied (Wainwright Sisters #4)
Chapter Seven
“ W e have a letter from Scotland?” Jess excitedly asked as soon as she heard the thud of the front door closing behind her rescuer.
Vin slowly nodded. “Our youngest sister has taken leave of her senses.”
“She’s likely the most sensible of all of us. What makes you say that?”
“She’s getting married. And she sounds smitten.”
Jess wrinkled her brow in confusion. “Who is she marrying?”
“The ogre.”
“The ogre? You don’t mean the Scot who almost packed her right back onto the train?”
“The very one. Now that she’s come to know him better, she no longer thinks he’s the beast in the story.”
Jess sighed. Though she didn’t begrudge her sister’s newfound happiness, she would sorely miss her calming presence and ready assistance. Cece had a way of soothing away the wounds Jess inflicted on others with her sharp tongue. Jess wasn’t intentionally terse, she just grew exasperated by social niceties and the reluctance of others to come out and say what they wanted and what they meant. She was more patient with her sisters, because they’d taught her to temper her impatience, and she knew what to expect from them. She hoped Gertrude was available to help her with the chorale preparations and smooth ruffled feathers.
“Are you convinced she’s happy?” Jess couldn’t fathom her sister forming such a strong attachment to a man she barely knew.
Vin’s gaze became introspective. “I am. We all knew she was at a crossroads in her life. We tried to cajole her out of those black rags for almost ten years, to let go of whatever was holding her back from enjoying life again. She found her next chapter in the wilds of Scotland, and despite the fact we don’t understand her decision, we have to respect it. As long as he respects her.”
Jess wrinkled her nose. “It sounds like he has a physicality to him.” Jess had never found large, rough men attractive. Until Cadoc Morgan. As she’d confessed to Cece, even though he wasn’t much taller than she was, his body was that of a man who carried women across thresholds and held demons at bay. And she was trying to put him out of her mind. Men like that had a raw sensuality that was overwhelming and distracted her from her work. She preferred to avoid entanglements with them because she sensed she wouldn’t be able to control those entanglements.
“A delicious one,” Vin agreed with a gleam in her eye. “I’d like to have been there when she saw what he was hiding beneath his kilt.”
“You’re incorrigible,” Jess scolded through her smile.
“I may be incorrigible, but I am also determined to protect my sisters from the folly of unwise choices. Which brings us to the next order of business - I’ve procured the items necessary to instruct you on contraception.”
“According to the queue in line at Mr. Bennett’s, a winter storm is barreling toward us. Your procurement could not have come at a more opportune time.”
Vin gave her a smug smile. “Not only do we have the opportunity, ‘tis better to have this discussion sooner rather than later. The way he looks at you is unmistakable, and you’re terribly prickly around him. Which means you’re aroused by him as well - even if it’s against your better judgment.”
Jess cleared her throat and tried to appear nonchalant. “I know he’s attracted to me. He’s said as much. But I’m as interchangeable as the next woman. The man could charm the fangs from a cobra. He’s handsome, and bedsport is likely something he excels at. If this seduction is something I agree to, why shouldn’t my deflowering be enjoyable?”
Her sister raised a hand, her face alight with laughter. “I wasn’t shaming you, sister. I’m here to ensure your dalliance, if there is to be one, is without consequences. I’ll fetch us some tea.”
As her sister walked away, Jess pondered the way it had felt to be swept into Cadoc Morgan’s arms. Like she was weightless. His chest had been like a steel drum beneath her head, and the steady beat of his heart had been soothing. The arms that had encircled her had been hard too. Lean with muscle.
She thought back to his lewd proposition. When she closed her eyes she could see the swing of his shirt when he answered the door, and the way his bared forearm had looked stretched above his head.
The promise of all that banked strength wrapped so effortlessly around her, and the gentle way he’d lain her down upon this very bed made her stomach flutter.
A clatter at the top of the stairs, and Vin’s muttered, “Blast!” snapped her from her musings. It was dangerous to become entranced by Cadoc Morgan.
The rattling teacups preceded her sister into the room. “I dropped one of the spoons at the top of the stairs,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind sharing one.”
So that’s what the noise had been. Jess bit her lip so she wouldn’t smile. Vin could mix vials, powders and potions with uncanny precision, but she was the clumsiest of her sisters when she wasn’t behind an apothecary’s counter.
Jess stirred a drop of honey into her tea and waited for her sister to speak.
“I think you should insist he wear a condom. I’ve procured some for you, but if the rumors are true about his sexual regimen, he probably already has one at his disposal.”
“If it comes to that, will I be expected to put it on?”
Vin’s grin was vivacious. “That might be titillating, but I think it depends on what his proclivities are.”
Jess grimaced. “His proclivity seems to be me. However he can have me. He’s like a bloodhound that has the scent of a fox and won’t give up the hunt. Or one of those tenacious Bow Street Runners.”
“If he wants you that badly, he’ll cater to your desires. Make it very clear from the onset you’re not letting his jolly roger anywhere near your quim unless it’s suited up.”
Vin’s crudity made her want to laugh, even as she flushed with embarrassment. “You could use the scientific names, you know.”
Her sister lifted one shoulder in a very continental expression of indifference. “I could, but why would I? Making you squirm is so much fun. I can see why Morgan enjoys teasing you.”
“Fine. I won’t let his jolly roger anywhere near my quim unless he’s suited up.”
Vin’s smile turned into a chuckle, and then a boisterous laugh, until she was bent in half, wheezing and clutching her stomach.
“I used your dreadful words, what are you laughing at?”
“Your face…” Vin wheezed. “It looked like you’d just swallowed an unripe slice of persimmon. If you’re going to allow him to seduce you, you might want to practice wiping that expression from your face. You’ll make him feel like nothing more than a naughty schoolboy.”
Jess quirked a brow. “Aren't most men nothing more than naughty schoolboys?”
“Yes, but they don’t like to be reminded of their immaturity.”
“I’ll try and eschew showing my judgment.”
“He’s probably already aware you don’t condone his behavior. From what I hear, he prefers vivacious widows. You’re a novelty, so maybe he’ll enjoy being scolded.”
Jess sincerely doubted Cadoc Morgan let anyone scold him. It would be a blow to his ego, she thought as she emptied her tea.
By the time Sunday morning arrived, both Jess and Vin were in need of fresh air and space. The snow was still piled in drifts along the lane, but the air didn’t snap with the same frigid bite that had kept them indoors for four days. As Jess buttoned her claret walking dress, she wondered if the Morgan clan would show up for the service.
The children and Cadoc’s sister Caris were always seated in the front pew, but he’d only made a single appearance. The first Sunday after their arrival, he’d sat beside his family. She remembered the tousle of dark hair revealed when he tossed his hat onto the seat beside him, and the way his hands had smoothed the unruly mess behind his ears. He hadn’t set foot in the village church since that initial foray.
She pinched her cheeks in the wavy reflection of the mirror, and told herself it was because she looked wan. He wasn’t likely to be in attendance anyway.
“Are you ready?” Vin called up from the foot of the stairs.
“Be right down,” Jess called back.
When she descended the stairs five minutes later to pull on her cloak and bonnet, Vin was waiting at the door. She narrowed her eyes. “Is that a new dress?”
“It’s one Cece finished for me before she left.”
“It suits you. I would have thought you’d save it for the pageant, but maybe you’re hoping to see a certain elusive rogue,” she slyly pointed out.
Jess was glad her back was turned, because she could feel the prickle of heat that danced over her cheeks. Vin couldn’t see her blush. “I wanted to make certain the drape and the fit were as they should be.”
Vin snorted. “As you say, Jess.”
The squat stone of the village church stood impervious to the snow. The trees that cast shade over the cemetery in the summer were ethereal with ice, but the steps and path had been swept meticulously clean.
The hubbub surrounded them as soon as they crossed the threshold. Their pew was near the middle, too far from the lit braziers to feel the heat, so they slid into their seats still bundled beneath their cloaks.
Jess’s glance went unerringly to the front of the aisle. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized he wasn’t in attendance. Caris, Davy and Ella were already seated, their heads bent over their hymnals. She pulled off her mittens and was untying her bonnet to set it on the bench beside her when the heavy oak door of the chapel swung open and shut. A chilly breeze stole in, and Jess was tempted to sit on her now bare hands.
And then she heard him. Just as she had in her schoolroom. This time he was muttering apologies for his late arrival to those he passed. His apologies were ridiculous. He wasn’t late - the vicar was still conferring with the organist, Mrs. Blevins, and had yet to make his way to the pulpit.
She looked steadfastly ahead and ignored the urge to glance sideways when she felt his eyes on her as he passed. His sudden devotion to tradition was likely a ploy to redeem his notoriety - he was a mere dilettante and had probably never cracked open a bible.
She watched as he unwound the dark blue scarf from around his neck, and remembered with acute clarity the sheen of sweat that had caressed his jawline when he’d answered the door.