His fingers lifted her chin, and then she tasted the yearning, delicious heat of his lips again. He teased her mouth open with his tongue, but not in the hungry, demanding manner of his earlier kisses. This was slower, more intimate, and made her long for more.
Too soon he pulled his lips away and rested his forehead against hers. “If you deny this, you are living a different kind of lie.”
She wanted to give in so badly. Instead she retreated into the simplest excuse. “It is late.”
One side of his mouth turned up as he straightened. “So it is. We can speak more tomorrow.”
Elizabeth already felt the lack of his touch. “Good night, then.”
“Sleep well.” He lowered his voice. “And Elizabeth? Lock your door.”
Oddly, that helped her regain her composure. “Am I supposed to believe you are one of those very rare mages who cannot perform an unlocking spell?” she asked archly.
His eyes flared. “Go to bed, Elizabeth – while you still can.”
Chapter 9
Darcy spent a troubled night in an uncomfortable bed in the Dower House. Or perhaps the bed only felt uncomfortable after Elizabeth’s refusal to consider a future with him. How could she kiss him so passionately and then turn away from him? By morning he was filled with a simmering anger and judged it best to return to the main house before he saw Elizabeth and said something he would regret.
By the time he had changed into clean clothes and shaved, it was well after he usually breakfasted. He found Eversleigh still in the breakfast room, shadows under his eyes.
“How late were you up last night?” Darcy asked him.
“Too late, and my dreams were not pleasant. Textbooks of sorcery make for poor bedtime reading.”
“I can imagine. I had a late-night adventure of a different sort.” Darcy poured himself another cup of coffee as he told Eversleigh about Anne’s disturbance of the elements. “I will need to spend some time training her in how to control elemental magic. Or at least I will try. I have never taught elemental magic before, and I do not know how well Anne will respond to teaching.”
Eversleigh pursed his lips. “Indeed. She does not strike me as someone who enjoys taking direction.”
They said little more as Darcy picked at his food, his stomach too tied in knots to feel any hunger. He pushed his plate away. “I suppose we should discuss our findings of last night.” It was the last thing in theworld he wanted to do.
Eversleigh grimaced. “Let us at least do so in the comfort of the drawing room.”
They had no sooner arrived there when the sound of hoof beats made Eversleigh twitch aside a curtain and peer out the window. “It appears we have visitors. Colonel Fitzwilliam and Lord Matlock, if I am not mistaken.”
Darcy frowned. “They must have set off at dawn to arrive so early.”
“I am not surprised Lord Matlock would want to investigate immediately. We must do our best to keep him from overworking himself.”
When Lord Matlock entered the drawing room, his ashen face looked a decade older. Richard trailed after him carrying a wooden box.
Eversleigh guided Lord Matlock to a sofa. “Rest, sir. They will bring tea and refreshments shortly.”
“I must see his work room first,” Lord Matlock said wearily.
“No, sir, you must sit and rest for a few minutes. Darcy and I can tell you of our discoveries last night, so it will not be wasted time.”
Lord Matlock shook his head. “I will see it first.”
Suddenly Richard loomed over his father. “You will sit down,” he ordered. “Mother charged me with keeping you from overwork.”
The older man almost smiled as he lowered himself to sit. “And you are more frightened of her wrath than of mine.”
“Of course. Any sane man would be.”
Lord Matlock sighed. “Eversleigh, I have business with you in any case.”
“I am, as always, at your service. As it happens, I have some business with you as well,” said Eversleigh.
