A man’s voice, closer to the stairs, said, “Lulu, I must go.I’m late.”
“Thank you for the tea.You know I’d rather have had—”
“I know what you’d rather have had, minx.”They both laughed.
Evie barely managed to stifle a shriek of laughter herself.Her aunt, a minx.However, there were more pressing matters.Her aunt would tell her of her latest amour when she was ready.So Evie needed to get out of the house before being seen.
Dropping the pen and capping the ink, she left everything as it was.Aunt Lou would understand and hopefully see it before the nib of the pen was ruined from dried ink.
The work boots lingering on the second stair down paused.Evie scrambled out the nearby front door and closed the portal shut with a gentle click to hurry away.
As she tromped through town toward the duke’s home, she could not recall where she’d left off in her note.Hopefully, she’d written enough that her aunt would understand.She needed more time with Xander in this lovely bubble hidden away from London and society.
When they’d made this plan, they expected Evie was unlikely to have a way to correspond with Lou.So they decided on a month to live in the duke’s household to evaluate his suitability.At that point, Louisa would write to her family and request that they join them, noting that the duke was in residence and it might be a good time to discuss the marriage contract.
Her month was up in only a few days, and Evie wasn’t ready.Oh, she’d made her decision, but further assurance that Xander cared enough to overlook her spying and follow through on the betrothal was needed.
Following the dirt road out of town, her mind wouldn’t focus on plans.Instead, scenes of Xander laid out before her like a feast flooded her vision.The prior evening’s activities played on repeat, and it was all she could do to walk a straight line.
That was it.She’d been thinking like Evie, Xander’s maid and erstwhile friend, whereas the solution lay in her true identity, a member of the Ton.As a lady, she was already compromised if her charade came to light, so she may as well enjoy the rewards.Xander needed to teach her more and to thoroughly debauch her, and she couldn’t wait.
Chapter Nineteen
Xander had not arranged for musicians this evening.In addition to being tired from the physical work at the pub, he was behind on paperwork.Hellfire, he detested all the correspondence more than anything.More than any of that, though, he needed to talk to Evie about deeds of ownership.He wasn’t sure he wanted to share the details of his plan yet, but hoped she had some information for him rather than waiting on correspondence to Lancaster the solicitor, all the way down in London.
He turned into the dining room and stopped short.
Evie’s hair was one of his favorite aspects of her beauty, but her maid’s cap usually hid it.Normally, she only removed the blasted cap at his request.Tonight, she’d taken the initiative.More, she’d left her hair down, pinned back from her face and resting on the upper swells of her breasts in shiny waves.
His breath caught in his throat.He pictured her in a lady’s gown, all fancy fabric and lower cut bodice than her serviceable maid’s dress.Satin undergarments would complement her delicate, smooth skin.Perhaps he’d indulge in buying her stays and chemises to match each dress.Either way, he had every intention of seeing her there as his duchess.
He strode to his chair.Enough talk about undergarments or the footmen in the room would know his thoughts given the cut of his trousers.
“Evie, you look lovely.Thank you for wearing your hair down.”
Tilting her head, she tucked her hair behind an ear and gave a small smile.
“I’m afraid I must keep our meal short, and forsake dancing this evening,” he said as their wine was poured and soup bowls were placed before them.
Her lips pursed in a moue of disappointment, and Xander had to fiddle with his serviette on his lap to disguise the need to rearrange his hardening cock for comfort.She said, “May I ask why?”
Because otherwise I may lay you across this table and suckle every inch of you, and my plan to keep you requires I have some modicum of decorum.
“I was out much of yesterday and today and am terribly behind on sorting through the duke’s—ahem, my—correspondence.And more arrives every day.”He was shaking his head by the time he finished the thought.If anything was going to take him out of the mood to ravish her, that stack of mail would.
“I understand.That is perhaps a mite more pressing than learning the waltz, I suppose.”Her tone was wistful.
He cast her a questioning glance with an arched brow.
“I enjoy dancing with you, Rutland.’Tis certainly more fun than polishing the furniture.”She shrugged one shoulder and grinned.
Somewhere nearby, Duncan the footman coughed.
Xander laughed, “I understand.”
“How was your day out?”she asked as the soups were removed and the main course placed before them.
“Lovely.”His out-of-practice muscles ached, but nothing beat hauling barrels for keeping fit.“I was down at the pub for much of it.”
