She leaned over to whisper into his ear, heating his blood with her sweet scent of citrus and the shadow of cleavage revealed to his vision by her position. “When we are alone, I expect to be informed what that was about.”
Aidan licked his lips, his mind engulfed with thoughts of peeling Gwen’s gown from her slender body. His pulse quickened at the notion of taking her to bed once their guests left for the night. “When we are alone, there might not be much time for talk.”
Gwen raised her chin to look at him, her blue eyes blazing with mirrored passion. She appeared a little breathless as she stared back at him. Gwen shook her head as if to clear it. “We will make time for both.”
He smiled, lowering his free hand to knead her thigh under the table as Gwen turned back to her meal. Aidan noted the blush creeping up her neck with smug satisfaction and thought about witnessing the rosy red washing over her naked body when he …
Aidan shook his head before he lost track of where hewas sitting, in full view of his entire family, including his parents nearby.
“What was that about?”Gwen wasted no time getting to the point once they reached her bedroom. Buttercup must have sensed the tension, dropping down from the bed to scamper across the floor. She planted her paws and began to bark at Aidan in bristling outrage.
Aidan and Gwen looked at each other, and despite her resolve to insist she be included, Gwen burst into laughter.
“The trials and tribulations of being the beloved mistress to a protective pet,” remarked Aidan, his lips quirked into a crooked grin. Gwen shook her head, laughing too hard to respond but pointing at the door as she sought her composure.
Aidan opened the door he had shut seconds before, and Gwen caught her breath to sweep the offended little dog gently into the hall before quickly shutting Buttercup out.
Gwen rose and placed her fists upon her waist in the best menacing pose she could assemble. “I want to know what is going on, Aidan! Between you and Papa, there have been too many secrets. I am part of your family now!”
Aidan bit his lip. Leaning forward, he pressed a slow, firm kiss to her lips before raising his head. “You are my family now, Gwen Abbott.”
His voice was low and deep, sending a thrill through her body. She shivered in delight, stepping closer so that they were toe to toe, her breasts brushing against his chest as she tilted her head back to stare deep into his eyes.
“Obfuscation will not work, husband. Why was Lord Trafford of so much interest?”
Aidan stared down at her, before slowly lowering hishead to press another slow kiss to her lips. Then he straightened up and stepped away.
“Trafford has run off to investigate the other three suspects on our list. Something has happened to him, we do not know what, but he has disappeared. There is a note from him declaring your father’s innocence, but … there were indications of violence. Trafford might be injured.”
Gwen bit her lip. She had followed the words, but they did not make much sense. “I think … you must start at the beginning.”
Aidan nodded, beginning to pace up and down her room as he described the events of the past few weeks. How the baron had been killed. How Lily had been attacked. How Filminster had found a note revealing the motive for the murder, but not the culprit. How they had narrowed a list of suspects to Smythe and three others, and the subsequent events at Ridley House.
Gwen listened in quiet anguish until, finally, Aidan fell silent.
“You have all taken so much risk,” she eventually exclaimed. “Did you know the baron?”
Aidan shook his head.
Gwen leaned back against the door, feeling pensive as she tried to sort through her thoughts. “Trafford could be at Lady Hays’s home. She and Lord Hays leave their oldest retainers to take care of it in their absence. Servants that would have known Little Julius for many years.”
“I hope he is there. It will be difficult to confirm because we cannot simply walk up to the front door and knock. There might be people watching us, hoping we will lead them to him.”
“Do you think he uncovered the truth? Do you think he knows the identity of the murderer?”
“There is no way to know. Until we speak with Trafford, we are in the dark as we were before.”
Gwen shook her head. “That is not true. From what you have told me, the list of suspects is confirmed. You now know it must be one of those three men. Any resources that were committed to searching for other suspects can now be redirected to these specific men.”
Aidan cocked his head in thought, frowning slightly as he considered what she had said.
“I suppose you are right.”
She rolled her eyes, folding her arms over her stomach to glare at him. “I know I am right. The evidence is before you. And the letter from Trafford was clearly stated. One of the other three. No perhaps or question about it. Why else would he now be hiding? Your investigation has been successful, and you have narrowed it down to a finite number of men who could have committed the crime.”
Aidan’s expression turned into one of admiration. “You are making me regret not speaking with you on the matter before. You offer a fresh perspective.”
“I am a scholar. I consider the facts.”
