“Certainly,” she said. “I am going to check next door in the pub. She is likely flirting with the bartender.”
Evan suspected otherwise but preferred not to defame her cousin if he was wrong. “I will gather Ford. Come by my room when you are ready. If need be, we can all stroll the block and look for your cousin together.”
Once she closed the door, he ran down to Robert’s room and knocked. “Althea cannot locate her cousin. Any thoughts?”
His friend gritted his teeth. “No. But did you check your room?”
Evan frowned at him in puzzlement. “Why would she be in there?”
“She may have thought— Never mind. Let’s check, shall we?” He gestured for Evan to cross the hall.
And there she was, backlit by the window, which showed how few undergarments she was wearing under her blush-toned gown.
“Rob— Oh, Cheltie. Lovely to see you.” She gave a shallow curtsy. “I beg your pardon. I thought this was my room but just realized my mistake. I believe I stopped one floor too early. If you’ll excuse me, I shall correct that immediately.”
Evan bit back a snicker at her nervous babbling. At least she recognized she was in trouble, and not just with her cousin.
As she started to brush by him, Evan caught her arm. “My dear Beth. Entering a man’s bedchamber is naughty. I believe you should be punished, don’t you?”
He was not sure if she knew he was aware of her schooling but given that knowledge and his familiarity with her penchant for trouble, he knew he could take liberties.
She gasped but did not appear afraid.
He suspected it was in a combination of excitement and nerves.
“Don’t you?” he repeated. ’Twas only fun if both parties enjoyed it, after all.
She bit her lip, and he heard a shuffle. Glancing over, he saw Robert had turned away. Excellent. He was certain both parties would appreciate his sternness.
“Yes, my lord.” She fluttered her lashes.
“Excellent. I agree. Unfortunately, I need to speak with Althea after dinner, but Ford here”—his friend whipped back around with a glare—“is quite good at correcting naughty girls’ bad behavior. He may even have some toys—ahem, tools—which could help manage that behavior through dinner?” He raised his brows at his friend.
Robert narrowed his eyes and nodded thoughtfully.
Beth’s eyes brightened.
“Right, then. You two work out the specifics,” Evan said. “Althea is coming to this room in a few minutes, and we shall await you downstairs.”
****
Althea followed Evan to the small seating area at the back of the guesthouse lobby to wait for Beth and Robert. She sat, intrigued when he pulled out a short pencil and a scrap of foolscap and sketched out the layout of the city with the curve of the River Avon curling around the east and south end of town.
She’d visited before and done the same with Brighton to determine the best opportunity for expansion. She’d also considered a second location in London, but the shops for the aristocracy were all concentrated in one area, where her existing shop already sat.
Evan marked Xs on the rough map, showing her where he’d already found apothecaries, including one that hadn’t been there on her previous trip. “We’ll want to visit them again, of course, so you can see their offerings. I perused them, but you’ll have a better eye to who might offer the fiercest competition.”
She named the two in the city center, saying, “I have already visited both of these. I did not like the quality of their wares or their proximity. I’m hoping to find a niche where there is a growing clientele or an underserved group.”
He grinned, and she preened a bit. She had a good head for business, but having one of the richest men in England acknowledge that acumen was still flattering.
Once Beth and Robert joined them, they braved the drizzle for a tavern a few blocks away that Evan recommended. Conversation remained light, with Beth squirming and Robert remaining quiet, his eyes on Beth much of the time. More than ever, Althea worried about everyone having their own rooms, knowing her cousin’s penchant for trouble.
But her attention kept veering to the predatory cat to her right. Flashes of that leonine mane between her thighs created a hunger that had nothing to do with the food on her plate. Thrice now, he’d taken her to heights she’d never dreamed with his mouth and hands. Would she survive his cock, or would her heart give out? And what a cock it was. Despite not having much opportunity to compare, she was certain Evan’s befitted a lion.
Mayhap I should worry about myself, not Beth.
She squirmed a little, and Evan’s glance flicked to her in surprise. She licked her lips, wondering if he’d want her mouth on him the way he’d put his on her.
