11. Post Dinner Shower
CHAPTER 11
POST DINNER SHOWER
L ater that evening, Vouros Mansion, Vakchou Street, Plaka
The plates from the dessert course had been cleared away and small glasses of liquor delivered when Diana stood from her seat at the opposite end of the table from where her brother was holding court in the dining room of their rented house.
“My apologies, but I really must retire.” She turned to Jane and displayed an apologetic expression. “I must leave you, Miss Jane, and you gentlemen to your drinks. Do have a good evening,” she said, dipping a curtsy before she took her leave.
Marcus and Michael, Antonio Fitzsimmons, and Randolph Forster all stood and bowed as she did so, Antonio directing a questioning glance in Marcus’ direction as the young man’s sister departed.
“I’m surprised she even joined us for dinner this evening,” Marcus said as he resumed his seat. “She was up rather late last night. On the roof. She was a sport to have arranged dinner and acted as hostess for me this evening. I’m afraid I didn’t give her much notice.”
“Did you say she was on the roof?” Randy repeated.
“Indeed. She was watching the shooting stars,” Marcus explained. “I caught several arcing through the night sky last evening, and I wasn’t even up there for five minutes.”
“Are you referring to a meteor shower?” Antonio asked, his interest in the topic evident from how he leaned forward in his seat and glanced at their host.
“Indeed. Nothing like the one that happened seven years ago, though,” Marcus said, referring to the Leonid meteor storm of 1833.
Attempting to suppress a yawn, Jane said, “Well, I wasn’t up late last night, but I fear I have had too much sun on this day. I really must take my leave, or I may fall asleep here at the table,” she claimed. “Brother, I’ll send the coach back for you,” she added as she stood from the table. A sound of protest came from Marcus, but she directed a grin in Antonio’s direction. “I’m sure you and your friends have other matters you wish to discuss without a woman being present.”
The men once again stood, Michael, Antonio, and Randy bowing as Marcus escorted Jane from the dining room to the front door.
“Other matters?” Randy said in a quiet voice, once the two were out of earshot.
Antonio shrugged. “If it’s what I think it is, I’ll make it clear he needs to discuss it with Father when he is next in England,” he murmured, arching a brow.
“So... your father isn’t coming to Athens?”
The heir to the Reardon viscountcy shook his head. “He and my mother boarded a ship out of Piraeus a few days ago. We’ve already been here in Greece for a few months, you see.”
“Where?” Michael asked.
Antonio chuckled softly. “We started in the north. Epirus, Meteora, Thessaloniki...” He shrugged. “My parents have been to Athens before, and they weren’t interested in returning. Father had to be back in England—something to do with the viscountcy—and so I agreed to escort Jane here before we leave for Spain.”
Randy furrowed a brow, surprised the young man would be left to provide protection for his sister. “When are you and Miss Jane leaving?”
“We’re here for another fortnight and then we’ll board a ship to Valencia. We have an aunt who lives near there,” he explained before retaking his seat at the table. “So we’ll be her guest for a time before returning to England.”
Marcus entered the dining room. “Well, it seems we are left to enjoy our drinks, gentlemen,” he said with an expression that suggested he was disappointed.
About to return to his seat, Randy hesitated. “I, uh, I cannot help but think this is a discussion I shouldn’t be a part of.”
“I find I am in agreement with Forster. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to retire to my bedchamber,” Michael said.
Antonio and Marcus exchanged quick glances. “It’s... it’s not private,” their host assured them.
“Still... I’m rather curious about shooting stars,” Randy said.
“Oh, well, if you’d like, you’re welcome to go up on the roof,” Marcus offered. “Just keep climbing the stairs and go out the last door. Although it’s rather dark out there, there’s no need to worry that you’ll fall off the roof. It’s flat, and there’s a short wall all around it. Some chairs if you’d like to sit whilst you watch.”
Randy nodded. “Sounds cozy. Gentlemen, I’m off to the roof.”
Fairly sure his friends were discussing the future marital status of Miss Jane Fitzsimmons, Randy was glad to have an excuse to leave the dining room. Despite the open windows, the room had grown warm due to the number of lit candles in the chandelier and on the sideboard. Although they made the already elegant dining room appear more golden than the papered and mirrored walls did of their own accord, the odor of burning wax combined with the heat made the room oppressive.
Stepping out into the cooler evening air on the roof, Randy paused and inhaled deeply. He was glad for the short wall when he nearly collided with it, the night so dark he couldn’t make out anything at first. Once his eyesight adjusted to the dark, he made his way to a set of small metal chairs and a table.
Before he even sat down, he realized he wasn’t alone.
Diana was lying on her back on a thin pallet spread out on the roof, her hands resting on her midsection as she stared straight up at the night sky. Although the pallet seemed large enough for two, she was positioned in the middle of it.
“I wondered if I might find you up here,” Randy said in a quiet voice.
“And yet you came anyway,” she countered, not taking her eyes from the band of stars making up the Milky Way.
He resisted the urge to put voice to a sound of complaint. “This is an excellent location from which to view the night sky,” he remarked instead, his head dropping back to admire the stars. “No clouds and so dark.” The wall around the roof prevented the few lights from nearby houses from interfering with the view.
“No moon,” she murmured, inhaling suddenly as a streak of light arced across the inky blackness.
“I saw that,” Randy said with excitement, although the tail of the shooting star winked out almost as quickly as he caught sight of it. He moved closer to the pallet, finally glancing down on Diana.
“You’re blocking my view,” she complained, finally turning her attention to him.
Momentarily cowed—he had hoped the time they had spent together earlier that afternoon might have warmed her to him—Randy decided a bit of cheekiness might be necessary. “Might you move over a bit? Make some room for me?” he countered, undoing the two buttons of his top coat. He removed it and draped it over the edge of the nearby chair before lowering himself so he was sitting on the edge of the pallet.
She audibly scoffed and seemed about to put voice to a protest before she sighed and wriggled to her left, her hands pulling her bell skirt closer to her legs as she did so.
“Much appreciated,” he whispered at the same moment she gasped. His gaze followed hers to discover a meteor disappearing in the east. “Damnation,” he muttered, finally lying back onto the pallet. Stretching out with his hands clasped behind his head, he finally relaxed. He had left a small space between their bodies but made sure his bent elbow was above her head.
She glanced over at him before rolling her eyes. “Make yourself at home,” she whispered, although her gaze was once again directed on the sky.
“I am, thank you. We could do with a thicker mattress, though,” he commented. From the conversation during dinner, he had the impression the Henleys were used to rougher accommodations. He doubted he could sleep the night on such a thin pad.
“We?” she repeated at the same moment another meteor streaked overhead.
“Well, if you intended to sleep up here tonight,” he reasoned. He turned his head to the left. From his vantage, he could make out her profile, see the edges of the tight curls that framed her face and a nose he thought matched the shape of his younger sister’s.
“I suppose my brother told you I slept up here last night.”
Randy gave a start. “He didn’t mention it. Did you?”
“It was far too warm in my bedchamber to sleep there,” she murmured.
An odd sensation occurred behind the fly of his pantaloons, and Randy realized that by removing his top coat, he no longer had the means to hide an erection should his cock decide to do more than twitch. “Was that safe?” he asked in alarm, at the same moment another light streaked across the sky.
“I rather doubt a shooting star was going to hit me,” she replied, a hint of annoyance sounding in her voice.
“That’s not what I meant,” he replied. When he glanced down at her, he discovered she was staring at him. “And you know it,” he added with a grin.
She tittered. “This house is well away from the others in this neighborhood, and it stands far taller. I can’t imagine how someone could get up on the roof without coming up by way of the stairs.” When he gave a start, she turned her head to follow the trail of another shooting star.
“Does this happen every night?” he asked in wonder.
“No. Only for a night or two a few times a year,” she replied quietly, lifting a hand to her mouth when a yawn threatened. “There were far more last night. I take it you’ve not seen them where you’re from?”
He shook his head. “A few over the years, I suppose, but I’m usually sound asleep when it’s this dark. And then there are the clouds.”
They lay in companionable silence for several minutes as the meteors streaked overhead. Turning onto his side and holding his head up with a bent arm, Randy waited until she turned her head to regard him with an arched brow before he asked, “How does spinsterhood work, exactly?”
She scoffed, her attention once again going to the sky. “You mean you’ve never met one?”
He considered the query. “No. Every woman I’ve ever known is either too young to marry, is married, or is widowed,” he replied. “I know there used to be spinsters,” he quickly added. “I’ve read about women who were, but that was... centuries ago.”
Diana angled her head in his direction before she said, “A woman wishing to be a spinster merely remains unmarried. Lives her life wherever she pleases and does whatever she wants.”
“Within reason, I should think,” Randy murmured.
“I suppose. I wouldn’t do anything illegal,” she claimed. “My father says he’ll give me my dowry when I’m one-and-twenty. Which is next year.”
“Would you... live with someone?” Despite the dark, Randy could see when she furrowed her brows. “For protection?”
“I suppose it depends on if I’m living in England or still here. My preference would be to continue working on archaeological projects, but Father has warned me I may not be welcome unless he is the head of the team.” She sighed. “I expect I may end up back in England for a time. If so, I’ll have a lady’s maid, of course,” she said. “A staff for the house or whatever sort of abode I live in.” She turned her head to face him again. “I shan’t be alone if that’s what you’re asking.”
“But... what about...?” He swallowed.
“What about what ?” she asked, her attention now entirely on him.
“Companionship? Someone... someone to escort you to Society events and such,” he clarified. “A companion?”
She grinned as she turned her head so she was once again staring at the sky. “Not that I expect many invitations, but should they be forthcoming, I think I can manage to attend events by myself. If I live in town, I will have a small coach, of course. A cabriolet or phaeton, perhaps. Two horses.”
Randy sounded a grunt. “What about... at night?” he asked in a whisper.
She turned her head so quickly, he nearly gave a start. “What do you mean?”
Inhaling to answer, he hesitated when his cock seemed to understand what he meant before he did. He had managed to keep it in check for nearly the entire time he lay next to her, but the reminder it was night and dark and they were alone on a roof had it reacting as if it was expecting some attention. “A lover,” he croaked. “Will you take a lover?”
“A lover?” she repeated in a hoarse whisper.
“Someone to...to warm your bed. To... to pleasure you,” he stammered.
She suddenly lifted her torso from the pallet, her elbows supporting her as she stared down at him in shock. “That, sir, is none of your concern,” she stated.
Randy swallowed. “What if...?” He broke off the query when he felt the vibrations of footsteps coming up the nearby stairs. He was up and off the pallet and seated in one of the metal chairs in a matter of seconds, casually resting an ankle on the opposite knee as he clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back.
Meanwhile, Diana cursed softly and lay flat on the pallet, her hands once again held at her midsection as if she was a corpse in a coffin.
“I didn’t expect you’d be up here this long,” Marcus said as he joined Randy at the table. He held a candle stick in one hand while shielding the bit of flame with the other. “Damn, but it’s dark,” he added, continuing to hold his hand next to the flickering fire to prevent the evening breeze from blowing it out.
“Makes for perfect viewing. These meteors have really put on a show this evening, although they seem to have stopped for a time,” Randy remarked.
At that moment, a small streak had Marcus allowing a guffaw. “They’re not falling like rain, though, are they?”
“Not like rain,” Randy agreed. He straightened and plucked his top coat from the chair back. “I take it Mr. Fitzsimmons has gone home?”
“He has.” Regret sounded in Marcus’ voice.
“And did you have any luck convincing him you would make the perfect husband for his sister?”
Marcus shook his head, the gesture barely noticeable in the dark. “He said he would put in a good word with his father on my behalf, but any permission to court Miss Jane would have to come from the viscount, who it seems is currently on his way back to England.”
“Well, that’s to be expected,” Randy said, shifting in his chair. He was sure Diana was listening to every word they said. “And recommended. As I’m sure you know, Lord Reardon was a military man.”
“Captain in the British Army,” Marcus stated, straightening so he was no longer staring at the sky. “Married a Spanish aristocrat’s daughter before he went off and got wounded in the war.”
“Which is why Antonio is so damned handsome,” Randy groused. “All that wavy black hair.”
“Indeed.” Marcus chuckled. “And why his sister is so gorgeous. Accomplished, too, which is why I want her to be my viscountess when I inherit.”
Wanting desperately to see Diana’s reaction to her brother’s comment, Randy had to resist the urge to turn his head in her direction. “How is it you’ve already decided you wish to marry Jane when you only just met her... what? Yesterday?”
“I met her when I was in London for part of the Season last year,” Marcus explained. “After I finished university.” He paused a moment, as if in thought. “I don’t think she recognized me today, though. She had the oddest expression on her face at first.”
“Oh?”
Marcus shook his head. “She was most gracious, though. Seemed happy for my company. I think she may be tired of spending so much time with her brother is all.”
“I wasn’t aware,” Randy murmured. “Still, you needn’t be concerned she’ll accept an offer of marriage before you have a chance to return to England.”
Marcus grunted his displeasure.
“You can make her an offer without her father’s permission. Contingent on his agreement, of course,” Randy suggested. He stilled when he saw an expression of guilt on his friend’s face. “Or have you already?”
“I actually brought up the topic with her today. When Antonio went off to take a piss after our picnic.” He paused. “She has accepted an offer of marriage.” A hint of anger tinged his voice, which had Randy furrowing a brow.
“So... what’s the problem?”
Marcus inhaled deeply and let the breath out in a whoosh . “The offer she accepted wasn’t mine.”
Blinking several times, Randy realized what Diana had said earlier was true. The ring on Miss Jane’s finger was indeed a betrothal ring. He scoffed, though, at seeing Marcus’ expression. “Well, it wasn’t from me ,” he said, thinking he was being accused of stealing the young woman from his friend.
“True,” Marcus replied, allowing the word to go on for a few beats. “But you know the culprit.”
Randy swallowed. “I... I do?”
“Your cousin, Penton.”
Fairly sure he knew exactly how a punch in the gut felt, Randy stared at his friend for several seconds before shaking his head. “That’s... that’s not possible,” he whispered. “Well, I mean, it’s possible , but even if he did indeed propose marriage, I’m quite sure David wasn’t serious ,” he said. “Trust me when I tell you, he falls in love with every woman he meets. Besides, he... he was up on the Acropolis at the same time as I was today. Spent most of the time with Michael and Tom at the Erechtheion. Surely he would have remembered proposing to Miss Jane. Would have sought her out and reiterated his devotion to her if he was serious,” he reasoned.
“He did ,” Marcus stated, one brow arching. “While you were helping my sister with whatever it was she was doing in that temple.”
“A rubbing,” Randy quickly stated. “On one of the walls.” He cleared his throat, attempting to block the thought of her rubbing him. Imagining her hand wrapped around his manhood, her thumb stroking his tip, had him once again shifting in his chair in an attempt to stifle his body’s reaction. “How exactly did David reiterate his devotion?”
Frowning, Marcus said, “He approached us, introductions were made—although it was obvious he had already met them both—then he bowed and greeted her by not only kissing the back of her hand, but also her cheek.”
“Her cheek?”
“Her cheek,” Marcus affirmed. “Said she looked especially lovely and called her ‘my sweet’. It was most embarrassing. To make matters worse, he invited us to dinner tomorrow night at a taverna . Antonio and Jane accepted, of course, so I did as well.”
Randy was glad for the dark, for he had trouble hiding the humor he felt at his cousin’s expense. He stood, deciding it was past time he take his leave. “I’ll speak with David’s father. Discover... what he’s about and see if we can’t free up Miss Jane from her... obligation. If there truly is one.”
Marcus stood and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Much appreciated. He’s far too young to marry?—”
“As are you,” Randy countered, heading for the stairs.
“—and I don’t think it would be fair to make Jane wait so long to be wed when I would be willing to marry before the end of the year.”
Randy stopped and turned to regard his cousin with surprise. “You’re going back to England? That soon?”
Shrugging, Marcus said, “I don’t plan to stay in Greece the entire year. We have a townhouse in London where I can live.”
“You’re sure you’re ready for marriage, though? You can wait, you know. You needn’t start your nursery so soon?—”
“Jane Fitzsimmons isn’t going to wait four or five years for me,” Marcus countered.
Although he was tempted to say that if Miss Jane Fitzsimmons felt the least bit of affection for Marcus, she would wait, Randy asked, “What are the Fitzsimmonses doing tomorrow?” He skipped down the steps, relieved his host hadn’t seemed to notice Diana lying prone only a few feet away from where they had been seated.
“They’re planning to climb one of the hills—the one with the Prison of Socrates—and I’ve an invitation to join them.”
“Well, that’s something,” Randy said. He pulled on his great coat before accepting his top hat from the butler near the front door. For a moment, he was sure he caught sight of an etching in its painted wood surface, but the light changed with his movements and the effect was gone.
“This time I’m bringing the basket of food and two bottles of wine for our luncheon,” Marcus stated.
Randy winced but managed to show amusement as well. “I’ll talk to Uncle Will as soon as I’m in residence,” he promised, stepping out the front door when the butler had it opened for him. “Discover if David has spoken to him about a betrothal.” He shook his host’s hand and said, “Oh, and if you could thank your sister for me. For dinner,” he added.
“I will,” Marcus promised.
A moment later, Randy was down the short walk to the street and about to step into a waiting coach when he glanced back and up to the top of Vouros Mansion. Barely visible in silhouette against the star-studded sky stood Diana leaning on the short wall of the roof.
If she responded to his quick salute, he couldn’t see it.