Page 42 of Miss Ellis Unleashed

“Miss Ellis,” he ground out.

“Lord Throsby,” she crooned. “It’s been too long.”

Thirteen hours or so. He had slipped from her home just as the sun was rising, while she slept. He took up her hand and squeezed it a little harder than he would with other women, to let her know he knew her game. “It has.”

“Daisy was just telling me the sad news about your cousin. I am so sorry for your loss,” the duchess interjected in a lowered voice, edging between them. She glanced down.

Max dropped Daisy’s hand when he realized he’d kept hold of it. “Thank you, your grace.”

“What’s all this?” Mamble asked, and his wife whispered the news of his future elevation.

Mamble caught his eye. “Now we will have even more to talk about.”

“I suppose we will,” Max agreed.

“I’m surprised to see you here tonight, though,” the duchess cut in, keeping her voice low. “I thought you would be with your family in the country.”

Daisy whispered in the duchess’s ear, and after a moment, she nodded and backed away. “I understand.” Then Mamble wrapped the duchess’ arm through his, and she nodded. “Well, I’m afraid we must leave you, my lord. I hope you enjoy your evening. Come along, Daisy.”

“In a moment,” Daisy said quickly. “I need to ask Lord Throsby a question.”

“Find us when you’re done with him,” the duchess requested.

Daisy nodded, but when the duchess turned away, she laughed softly and whispered, “That might be never.”

Max felt something shift in his chest, and then swell. Hope. She wanted more of him. He checked who was standing nearby before he spoke. “How did you feel this morning?”

“It’s hard to put into words,” she murmured, nodding to a passerby.

“Horrified?”

“Hardly.” She wet her lips and then turned to face the room. “Though I was surprised to wake up alone on the settee and properly dressed again.”

“Discretion seemed appropriate, and I told you I would have to leave. You were impossible to wake, by the way.”

“It was improper, wasn’t it, inviting you home like that and trying to keep you there?”

He scowled rather than grin. “That wasn’t the truly improper part.”

“No.” She fanned herself. “That part was fun.”

“Fun?”

“Seeing you like that, after all these years of scowling at me, was a delightful change.” She leaned a little closer, her breath coming fast. “You are just full of surprises lately, my lord.”

Max wanted to smirk. He scowled again instead. “Would you care for further surprises from me?”

“I could bear it very easily,” she whispered, and then her eyes fixed on a distant point in the room. She nodded and then looked up at him. “You still have your key, don’t you?”

It was in his pocket now. He’d never gone anywhere without it in years, but probably should have returned it long ago. “I do.”

“Use it tonight when you follow me home. Do excuse me. The duchess calls.”

She hurried across the room, away from him, to join the duchess and her circle. The pair immediately began to whisper again, and the duchess cast a worried glance in his direction. He’d seen them like that quite often, and although he was sure their conversation could be about him or some other scandalous thing, he wasn’t as worried anymore about where such scheming might lead Daisy.

She’d begun whispering to him now, and he’d already been invited to visit Daisy tonight. Perhaps they would discuss the future, one where her friendship with the Duchess of Mamble couldn’t come between them.

But that would be after he kissed her soundly. After he’d pinned her against the wall again and berated her for flaunting her breasts at him. He would only be satisfied again after he’d felt her small, delicate hands touch his skin. He could hardly wait for another chance to have her unbound from her gown and undone with pleasure. To excite her. Touch her body until she was panting his name again.