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Chapter Fourteen
Perhaps it was time to end this charade.
Chastity gnawed on the end of her thumb and eyed the neat swirls of Demeter’s handwriting. Acting as maid to the earl was no longer useful to the investigation and it curtailed her freedoms to follow new leads.
Oh yes, and it meant having to see Valentine every day no matter how much they avoided each other.
Heat rolled through her, landing up in her cheeks. Why could she not push that night from her mind? Remove the feel of his hands upon her? Or worse, his mouth? Here she was, a grown woman, acting as though she was a debutante having been kissed for the first time. She’d never desired a lover and Lord Kendall certainly wasn’t going to change that. Men were not for her—Valentine most especially. She could scarcely recall a single conversation between them when they had not argued.
But, by God, she’d never experienced anything like it. No matter how much they had tried to pretend it had never happened, she could not forget it nor the fact he had spilled inside her. How reckless they had been.
She dropped the letter to her side and sighed. That was it. She needed to go.
“Something the matter, love?”
She jerked away from the wall and let her shoulders drop when she spied Tom, polished cutlery in hand.
He nodded toward the letter. “Bad news of your mother?”
She opened her mouth and then closed it. She did not have more reason to lie if she intended to leave today, but she had promised Valentine her position would not be discovered and what other explanation could she give? Oh, it’s just my sister, the duke’s daughter. And by the way I’m investigating the death of a footman and, also, I spent the night with your master.
Well, perhaps that last detail could be omitted.
Instead, she nodded.
Tom glanced around. “Mrs. Cooke is in Town and she won’t be back until well past noon.”
“I—”
“If you need to go and see her, make it quick and I shall ensure you aren’t missed.”
She would only need an hour or two to see her sisters. Maybe she did not need to leave quite yet. Though, she really should. She would do it tomorrow. Tell Valentine firmly that she could do better with this investigation by herself and leave.
Easy.
“Thank you, Tom. You are a gem.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, making him chuckle and rub the spot she’d kissed.
“Go now before someone sees you.” He nudged her gently on the back with a hand.
Chastity slipped up to her room, dug out her gown, hiding it under her plain cotton day dress, and bundled it under one arm. Turning up at her father’s house creased was better than wearing her uniform, but she needed to come up with a better way to see her sisters. They would have to find a quiet spot somewhere, where no one would recognize her. Perhaps by the docks, though she loathed sending her sisters there. Far too dangerous for ladies of breeding, no matter how well she had taught them to physically defend themselves.
Oh. Except she wouldn’t need to now. Because she was going to leave of course.
Out of courtesy, she would inform Valentine and then she would tell Mrs. Cooke she needed to be with her dying mother.
Easy.
Her gaze drifted toward the window of the library. He’d be in there no doubt. Skulking and brooding and doing whatever it was Valentine did. Work for the most part it seemed. He did not entertain or have lovers or spend endless hours in gentlemen’s clubs. Really, he could not be any more different from her late husband.
That thought lingered, even once she had changed, hastened across London to Piccadilly and left herself out of breath. Why did she even compare the two? Maybe it was simply because they were the only two men she had bedded. A natural thought perhaps.
“Goodness, I did not expect you to arrive so quickly.” Demeter ushered Chastity into the drawing room and glanced her over. “You look remarkably well.”
Chastity kept her expression neutral. She did not wish to tell her sister that was likely down to the permanent blush Valentine seemed to have left her with.
“I dashed here.” She fanned her face with a hand and sank onto the sofa, the silk cushions immediately absorbing her weight and making her sigh.
She smoothed a hand over the soft fabric. If she left her position, she could be back in her own bed by tonight.
