Page 48 of The Right to Remain Single

A wave of murmurs rose from the crowd of villagers.

“Come now,” the old man rapped. “Sheer nonsense!”

“No, it’s true,” Thomasina said calmly. “Sam told me so—just before he informed me that he meant to kill me. He had planned it all so that Max would get the blame, and as the next of kin, Sam would get your entire fortune.”

The old man’s jaw worked. “He would not!”

“I think he meant you to die before you had a chance to change your will.” She allowed Mrs. Day to put a stocking on her other foot, but waved away a steaming cup of lamb’s wool. “I’m quite warm now, thank you.”

“Meant to suffocate me, I suppose,” the old man ruminated. “Well, I’m not such a fool to risk my estate getting into his hands! If anything had happened to you—” His voice cracked. “The estate would have gone in equal parts to Colin and Lord Garrison.” He glowered, master of himself once more. “And what, my girl, were you doing out there in the first place?”

“I wanted to see if Sam could have thrown the rope there,” she said. “I wanted to prove that Mr. Blakely was right, and that Max was right, too. Max warned us over and over. He’s a hero!”

“Maybe so, but you risked your own life,” Papa growled.

“I didn’t know my life was at stake. My sense of justice was outraged. And don’t you dare say I don’t have a sense of justice, or honor, or anything of the sort. Women are not fools—or at least no more than men are.”

The old man harrumphed. “I wasn’t going to say that. You’re reasonably intelligent for a girl. As for Max—I’ve always said he was a good sort of ghost!”

* * *

Plans were made to send a man down the well in the morning to retrieve Sam’s body. Thomasina was put to bed by a solicitous Mrs. Day. James wondered if he should go to her bedchamber…but probably not. She must be exhausted, and she had a twisted ankle.

But the way she’d clung to him and kissed him…surely that spoke of love.

Or maybe just relief. Whatever it meant to her, it had given him an astonishing erection at the time, and although he’d subdued it, his cock knew what it wanted—and wanted now.

“They all know I’m a hero!” Max appeared beside him on the stairs. “They can never execute me again.” He didn’t sound bitter this time, but rather deliriously happy, and James couldn’t help smiling back.

Perhaps Max had suffered humiliation and injustice over and over, as both accidents and murders, in which he’d tried to save a woman, were blamed on him over the years. Whatever he’d done the first time—and James bet it had something to do with the death of a woman—he had striven to redeem himself again and again. At last he had been recognized for the hero he was.

Max danced away down the corridor, softly singing Io Saturnalia, and disappeared. For once, he didn’t urge James to go to Thomasina. Maybe, now that she was safe, it didn’t matter to him anymore.

It mattered to James. He repaired to his own chamber, where he washed his scratched and torn hands. He removed his cravat. Before he undressed completely, he should at least check on her—bid her goodnight, and tell her…

No. His role was to wait.

Damn, he hated waiting. He needed to do something. Now.

A soft knock sounded on his door. He opened it with a whoosh of relief. “I hope you don’t mind,” Thomasina said. “I tried to postpone it, but I couldn’t sleep.”

“Postpone what?” Losing her virginity to him? His cock rose eagerly.

“I have to tell you now,” she said. “It won’t make any difference, though—I still want to go to bed with you. But if it means you can no longer do so, I shall understand.”

“I can’t imagine not wanting to go to bed with you.” He pulled her into his arms.

* * *

He kissed her, and kissed her again, so soundly and so thoroughly that Thomasina could scarcely think, much less speak. Boldly, his hands roamed her back, cupped her bum and squeezed. Through the fabric of their clothing, his erection made itself known. She shivered with desire.

“Ever since I got here,” he said, “Max has been ordering me to make you mine. I think it’s finally time.”

She opened her eyes. “He’s not here in the room, is he?”

“I hope not. I don’t want him seeing you naked.” Slowly, he raised her nightdress, running a hot hand up her legs. A pulse began to beat between her thighs. He pulled the nightdress over her head. “Oh, my beautiful darling.” His eyes were dark with lust. And love?

She didn’t know, but she didn’t want to think. Not now.