Seger sank onto the chair at his desk and stroked his chin. He gazed at the empty grate in the fireplace and let his mind wander where it would. He recalled the taste of Clara’s open mouth when he’d kissed her the night before. The memory of her irresistible sighs when he’d been busy with his hand beneath her skirts brought on an inconvenient surge of arousal that accompanied the heated recollections. Along with that came a wave of regret for what she had suffered today.
With resolve, Seger decided that he would take care of the scandal. He would see Guysborough, and ascertain what exactly had transpired, then he would ensure the man behaved himself in the future and never so much as looked at Clara again. Then Seger would call on Clara to assure her that all was well.
But who was he trying to fool?
He didn’t want to call on her to ease her mind about a scandal. He simply wanted to be in the same room with her. To touch her if possible.
With some apprehension, he rose from his chair and summoned his butler to have him ready the coach, for he had an important personal matter to attend to.
Just when Clara thought the day could not possibly provide another surprise, an under butler entered the nursery. Clara was holding John, singing a lullaby.
“You have a visitor,” he said. “The Marquess of Rawdon.”
Clara shot a glance at Sophia, who froze.
“Tell him I’ll be right down,” Clara replied, and the young man took his leave.
“What’s he doing here?” Sophia asked, picking Liam up off the floor and laying him down in his crib. “James hasn’t even returned yet. We haven’t had a chance to find out what happened.”
“You don’t think James coerced Lord Rawdon into proposing, do you? Because I will not agree to a forced wedding.”
“I don’t know.” Sophia took John out of Clara’s arms. “Just go, Clara. Don’t keep him waiting. Offer him tea. I’ll give you a few minutes before I follow.”
“Thank you. You are the best sister.”
Clara tidied her hair on the way to the drawing room. Nervous twitters gathered in her belly at the mere thought of seeing Seger again. She stopped and paused outside the drawing room doors, fighting butterflies, then entered.
The marquess stood at the window, hands clasped behind his back as he looked out. The sunlight shone on his face, illuminating the square cut of his jaw, his full lips and straight nose. All Clara’s senses came alive. Such power he could wield over her, merely by standing there, doing nothing.
He turned and faced her, and they stared at each other for several sizzling seconds. Excitement swirled in Clara’s belly.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, moving forward at last.
It was not the sort of question she would pose to a regular caller, but to say anything else to this man—whose hand she had allowed up under her skirts the night before—would be putting on airs, to say the least. They were beyond the usual protocol.
He spoke matter-of-factly. “Your brother-in-law paid me a visit today.”
Clara’s stomach careened. What happened between the two men? She couldn’t imagine.
“I was afraid he might do that,” she said apologetically.
Clara moved fully into the room but kept the sofa between herself and the marquess. She was afraid that if she were within arms’ reach of him, she would not be able to resist touching him.
“What did he say?” she asked.
“He came to warn me not to take any more risks where you are concerned, as any responsible brother-in-law would do. From now on, I may only see you in respectable settings.”
“That’s all?”
The marquess sauntered seductively around the sofa. She knew he wasn’t trying to be seductive. He simply couldn’t help it.
Feeling suddenly breathless, Clara backed up a step.
Seger stood before her, barely a foot away. “He also informed me that a possible scandal involving both you and me had come to his attention after you received a certain gentleman caller earlier today.”
Clara’s muscles tensed at the mere mention of what had occurred between her and the Duke of Guysborough. She was still shaken by it. “Did he tell you where things stood? Was he able to clear things up?”
Seger’s eyebrows drew together with surprise. “You don’t know?”
