She leant against his hand. Should he propose again? The last time he’d done it, it hadn’t ended well at all, and he didn’t want to hound her. He wanted her to be happy with him first, to know him for the man he was now. A man she might not like. Not as her husband, anyway.
He dipped his head, inhaling her lavender scent. She drew in a breath and parted her plush lips.
He wanted to be gentle, to taste her lips slowly and not scare her with his passion. But as soon as he brushed his lips against hers, the fire that always lurked inside him flared up. He thrust his tongue into her welcoming mouth and explored every corner, licking and sucking at her plush bottom lip. She tasted of tea and cream and something else sweet belonging to her. He pressed her against him, holding her with one hand on her nape and the other on her waist. She moaned, and the soft sound was like a stroke of her hand over his aching shaft. He moved his hand up from her waist to the underside of her breast. How he wished to feel its fullness in his palm, tweak the rosy peak, and hear her moan louder.
“You should thank me for interrupting you.” Quentin’s voice intruded on Hector’s heated thoughts with the same sweetness as a cold blade slipping between his ribs.
He stopped kissing Maddie but didn’t let her go.
“Lord Quentin.” Maddie brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear.
Crimson blossomed in her cheeks, turning her lips, swollen by his hard kiss, even redder. With effort, he controlled himself and didn’t dip his head to take those tempting lips again and beg her to marry him.
Quentin stood stiffly. His tall hat cast a shadow over his serious face. “You behaved in a beastly fashion to Mrs. Landon, Hector.” He shook his head as if in disapproval, but the smirk quirking up a corner of his mouth belied his inner triumph. “And now you’re causing scandal by kissing a lady in broad daylight in the middle of Hyde Park. It’s a miracle no one spotted you. The Savage Duke spoiling a maiden. You’d make the front page.”
“You’re one to talk,” Hector said.
Quentin quirked up his eyebrow. “By all means, go ahead. Tell everyone who Frances is. Her parents, friends, and the entire ton would be thrilled to know her little secret.”
It was amazing how quickly anger could spread through Hector. A moment ago, he’d felt only bliss with Maddie in his arms. Now he wanted to punch his cousin.
“You’re a disgrace for our family.”
“Tosh.” Quentin shrugged. “Instead, you should care about Mrs. Landon and Lady Naylor.”
“We’ll present our apologies to Mrs. Landon.” Maddie tilted her chin up. “As for what you saw, there was no spoiling.”
Quentin whipped his head in her direction as if realising just then she was there. “I fail to understand why you include yourself in my cousin’s predicament. He’s the one under scrutiny and has just proved to be the savage everyone fears he is.” He raked a slow glance over her. A glance Hector didn’t like. “You must have fallen for the charm of having a tryst with a savage, a forbidden fruit, because this dalliance with him will only be your downfall.”
She stepped away from Hector’s embrace, which he liked even less. “I believe Hector would be an excellent duke, and I beg you to stop talking about him as if he weren’t here.”
“He never speaks much,” Quentin said, “aside from insulting people. Thus, he deserves society’s scorn.” He touched the rim of his hat. “I’m afraid I’ll have to take some unpleasant actions, Hector.” He turned to leave but paused. “Unpleasant for you, obviously.”
twenty-three
MADDIE FOUGHT THE urge to cry. It was her fault if Hector found himself in this horrible situation. The fact he didn’t seem affected by the devastating news Ernest had delivered them made her more anxious. She opened and closed her hands on her lap, wishing to keep them busy with a pencil so as not to think.
“There must be something we can do.” Her voice sounded high-pitched to her own ears.
Ernest rubbed his forehead. A few documents were spread in front of him on the low table in her drawing room. “I’m afraid legally Lord Quentin has every right to request a medical assessment of Lord Hector’s mental abilities. His solicitor rejected my petition to divert the title to Lord Hector and replied with this request.”
“But he isn’t insane,” she said, closing her fists. “Hector is the sanest person I’ve ever met.”
Hector placed his hand over hers and squeezed it gently. “I’m not afraid of this assessment. Any doctor would realise I’m not a danger.”
Ernest shifted in his seat with a nervous twitch Maddie didn’t like. “Lord Hector—”
“Call me Hector, please.”
“Then please call me Ernest, please.”
Hector nodded.
“I was saying…” Ernest paused, which she didn’t like. He was a man with direct manners, never stalling. “I’d like to say the doctors in Harley Street are all well intentioned and professional. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Lord Quentin has led a…” He glanced at Maddie. “Shall we say a licentious life? He enjoys every illicit pleasure London has to offer. He behaves discreetly, and I myself have to admit his skill to control himself in public is impeccable, but the rumours spread. I’m not a particularly observant person and I don’t dabble in gossip. Yet I’ve noticed Lord Quentin’s habits and licentious company.” He paused to take a sip of water. “This seemingly meandering speech has a meaning. A duke cannot lead such a dissolute life without the support, spontaneous or forced, of other prominent figures in London’s society. To put it bluntly, Lord Quentin wouldn’t have to fret to find a doctor willing to produce a forged document containing blatant lies on your health.”
Hector’s hand stiffened on hers. “He wouldn’t go that far.”
Maddie trapped her quivering bottom lip between her teeth. He was so trusting of others he had no idea what people like Lord Quentin were capable of.
