Page 42 of Tempting the Marquess

Shaking his head took every bit of willpower he had. “I have to. But I’ll be back before you know it. Now…no other men in my absence, all right?”

Samantha stared at him, and heat streaked along his cheekbones. Indeed, he had said the ridiculous words out loud. “Are you…are you asking me to wait for you, William?”

A bland, noncommittal answer formed. Instead, the word “yes” broke from his lips. As if she understood the raw uncertainty churning through his mind, she went up onto her knees and wrapped her arms around his waist. Eyes closed, he allowed himself one long, luxurious moment of returning the embrace and breathing in her unique scent before pulling away. “I really have to go now. Be safe, Samantha.”

“Goodbye. I...” she whispered, her voice catching, but he forced himself to leave the bedchamber without lookingback.

At the end of the hallway, his housekeeper Mrs. Kingsley attended to a neat stack of freshly laundered linen. “Morning, my lord,” she said briskly, bobbing a curtsy. “I’ve sharpened your dagger and Jensen has cleaned your pistols. Has your satchel been oiled to waterproof it? Hmmm, perhaps I should have done it myself.”

William resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Why his mother had adored this blunt, overbearing woman with a chronic inability to mind her own business he’d never understand. But damned if he could let her go—it seemed the person who had changed your small cloths would always hold a certain amount of leverage overyou.

“Everything is fine, Mrs. Kingsley. As usual, you’ve done an exemplary job with the preparations.”

“Well, one would hope after thirty years in this household I had learned a few things. Now, do you have any instructions regarding...?”

“Regarding?” he said innocently, pretending not to understand her deliberate head tilt towards his bedchamber.

“Your overnight guest!” she snapped.

“The lady will require a bath, fresh clothing, and breakfast,” he replied in a warning tone which made her blink.

“I see,” said Mrs. Kingsley. “Well. Of course it’s none of my business—”

“You’re correct. It is not. But you, and everyone else here, will treat her as if…as if she were the lady of the house. Am I making myself clear?”

His housekeeper gasped, her eyes softening. “Yes, my lord. Of course, my lord. Rest assured we’ll mind her properly.”

“All right then. I shall rely on you to keep the home fires burning until I return.”

“Godspeed, sir.”

Inclining his head, William hurried downstairs and out the front door, throwing his satchel into an unmarked carriage waiting at the steps.

For better or worse, the mission to rescue Robert was underway.