Grayson, who probably caroused in London until dawn, could hardly be expected to go straight to bed.The very thought sent a sweet lethargy drifting through Kate as she remembered the way he had looked just this afternoon, all tousled and handsome in her papa’s nightshirt, and before, when he wore nothing at all…
Flushing, Kate jerked upright, struggling against the effect of the wine and memories of Grayson in a state of undress, asleep and appealing.
“I have been here before.”
Grayson’s low declaration made her start, and Kate glanced over to see him eyeing the ceiling’s elaborately carved moldings curiously.Each one held a scene from Hargate’s original grounds, though the landscape had changed since they were created.
“Impossible!”Tom snapped.
Kate was inclined to agree.The house had not seen guests in years.Besides, she would have remembered Grayson.One did not forget such a personage as the Marquess of Wroth, she thought, with a shiver.
No, she was reasonably certain Grayson had never visited Hargate.He probably was trying a new tack to pry information from them.Weary of the game, Kate would have willingly told him all, but she had learned to trust no one.
And what reason had she to make him an exception beyond the man’s word and the melting heat he seemed to conjure?She nearly snorted aloud.Undoubtedly, it was that same dangerous blaze that had made Lucy an unmarried, expectant mother.
“You ain’t never been here, and I’ll swear to that,” Tom muttered threateningly.
“Oh?And have you always held such a unique position in the household?”Grayson asked, one dark brow rising slightly.
Tom flushed.“That ain’t any of your business, is it now?”
Kate felt a throbbing behind her temples and realized she should never have indulged herself with the wine.Now, instead of stepping between the two men, she felt like letting them kill each other right there in the drawing room.
As if echoing her sentiments, Lucy yawned, covering her lips with a dainty white hand, and for a moment, Kate wished she could be as carefree as her younger sister.Lucy never worried about other people’s tempers or money or where their next meal was coming from.
Lucy had felt free to sample the forbidden pleasures of a man’s body and knew no guilt about it.Instead, she would soon be rewarded with a baby, a precious infant to love.But she would never bother to concern herself with how the child would be clothed and fed.
Shocked by her wayward thoughts, Kate started and blamed the wine.Although she had consumed only two glasses, it had been a long time since spirits were served at Hargate.Now she felt giddy, grumpy, out of sorts.And somehow, it was all Grayson’s fault.
Rising to her feet, she sent him a cool glance.“We retire early here in the country, my lord.And since you are only now recovering from a fever, I suggest you do the same.”
A lift of that infamous brow told Kate that he was surprised by her words, but he only nodded.His agreement disturbed her, perhaps more than a protest would have, for she knew how imperiously he treated all and sundry.
He would always be in control, overpowering, overwhelming, and yet the knowledge, instead of dismaying her, sent tendrils of heat snaking through her body until she colored and left the room, not caring whether he followed or not.
Although Lucy rose to accompany her sister, Kate was the one Grayson watched, his eyes drawn by the gentle sway of her hips, encased in the soft material of her trousers.She was not tall, but her legs were well-proportioned to her height.Slender and shapely and strong.Desire coursed through him.
“You keep away from her, you hear?”
Tom’s harsh voice put a damper on his ardor.
“Excuse me.Did you speak?”Grayson asked, fixing the older man with an arrogant stare.Tom must have a reckless disregard for his safety, because Grayson was in no mood to be badgered.He had been shot, abducted, and bedridden for the first time in his life.On top of all that, his unsatisfied desires made him unusually irritable.
“I got my eye on you, and that’s a fact,” Tom declared.
Although Grayson knew a grudging admiration for the old man’s protectiveness, he could not allow such insolence to continue.He rose to his feet with a deceptively lazy grace.
“I fear you will have to take your eye off of me because I’m going to have a bath, and I would like as much privacy as can be obtained in the kitchen.”Distaste crept into Grayson’s voice at the thought of such accommodations, but he needed to wash, and he had been informed that the house lacked the proper plumbing.Nor would any servants be able to prepare a tub for his use.
The old man stood and scowled up at him.“Well, don’t think I’m going to help you.You can fill those buckets yourself.Toughen you up a bit,” he added, his tone taunting.
Before Tom could draw another breath, Grayson grabbed hold of his shirtfront and slammed him up against the wall.The old man blinked and shook his head, as if to clear it, while Grayson held him fast.“And are you so certain I need… toughening up?”
Staring in amazement, Tom mutely shook his head, and Grayson quickly took advantage of his silence.
“Now, let us get something straight, Tom,” he said in a cool tone.“You will adopt an attitude of respect toward me, not because you like me, but because it is my due.I have no desire to disrupt your unusual household or to cause Kate any grief, but if you do not treat me in an appropriate manner, I will be forced to knock you senseless.”
Grayson paused to make sure that the man understood.“What shall it be?”
