Chapter Twenty
T he drizzle seemed to get colder the farther they walked. The wind whipped up occasionally, blowing tree limbs and showering them with leaves and raindrops. Adeline’s glasses had misted over almost immediately, so she’d taken them off and slid them into her jacket pocket. There was no need to see the gray landscape clearly. She plodded one foot in front of the other and dearly regretted her bravado in saying she would carry one half of the trunk.
“Can we take a small break?” she asked. They moved to the side of the road and set down the trunk. Adeline squinted as she tried to assess how far they had come. But everything looked exactly the same as it had for the past hour: green fields a plenty and a long muddy road ahead.
Malcolm pulled out his watch fob. “We have been walking at a good clip for about an hour. I’d say we have walked a least two miles.”
She flexed her fingers on the hand that had gripped her half of the trunk. “I can’t believe not a single conveyance has passed by.”
“I guess they were all smarter than us and stayed put instead of traveling in the rain. Or it could be that the downed tree has stopped all traffic this way.”
That made the most sense. Adeline watched the two men exchange a look over her head. They were making decisions without her, but she was too cold to care. All she could think about was the prospect of a warm bath and a soft bed. Perhaps she wasn’t made for adventure after all. Lucy and Vi would probably be flabbergasted she had run away—correction, been kidnapped—in the first place. She rarely left the house, let alone Mayfair.
“Lady Amberley, let me take the other side of the trunk,” Mr. Bosely said.
“No, you are injured.”
“My left arm is fit as a fiddle. You lead the horses, and I will take your place carrying the trunk.”
Malcolm bent to murmur in her ear. “Adeline, let him switch with you.”
She nodded. Mr. Bosely did look so strong and capable, and her sodden skirts were heavy and dragging with every step. She would make it up to him. Somehow. Adeline walked over to the horses and took their leads. She petted down the forehead of one of them and let him nuzzle her shoulder. “I know it is miserable out today, but soon you’ll be in a warm barn with hay to eat and fresh water.”
They began walking again, and not for the first time was she happy she had chosen half-boots to travel in. Although looking down at the dirty hem of her dress, she worried that the calfskin boots were probably ruined by the mud. She was somewhat in a daze, but her legs kept walking as her mind wandered. How many inches of rain fell each autumn in southern Britain? What percentage of the roads were paved? The fall foliage really was quite pretty this time of year, even in the rain. She peered up at the colorful blur of leaves as they passed under a copse of trees.
Malcolm began to whistle a cheerful tune as they walked. Soon, Mr. Bosely began to sing along. She didn’t recognize it, but the rhythm and cadence of the song had her perking up. The song was about a sailor who was in love with a mermaid. Adeline laughed out loud at the verse that described the mermaid’s long hair and large breasts; of course, she had large breasts. Malcolm glared at Mr. Bosely, and the poor man turned beet red. After that, they switched songs to one that described the toil of working aboard a ship. Just as peppy, the tune kept her feet moving through her exhaustion.
A short time later, the clicking of the horse’s hooves on cobblestones shook her from her musings. They were entering a small town. She pulled her spectacles from her pocket and put them on to properly look around. They were finally in Andover. She recognized the haberdashery and Smith’s Bakery. “The next street down, to the left, is the inn,” she directed.
At the inn, Mr. Bosely took the reins from her, and Malcolm guided her inside. She stood beside him at the front desk, unable to stop her teeth from chattering. The warmth of the place seemed to amplify how very chilled she was. On the left of the main room, a fire burned in a large stone fireplace. She longed to sit by it.
“We need two rooms.” Malcolm said.
“Yes, sir. These are my last two. This week’s harvest festival has us full of travelers.”
Malcolm looked over at her with a grin. “Did you hear that? I love a festival.”
Of course he did. Did this man ever let anything curb his enthusiasm? A carriage wreck, torrential rain; no, he was already looking forward to the autumn festival. She tried to muster a smile, but she couldn’t stop shivering.
Malcolm’s grin faded. “You look positively blue from cold.” He turned. “Are the rooms ready? We will need a bath set up for my wife immediately.”
“Sir, we don’t have tubs available to bring to the rooms. But we do have a bathing room of which you can take advantage. I will have the hot water started immediately.”
“And make sure the tub is clean.” Malcolm scowled at the proprietor, who nodded profusely. “Show us to our rooms.”
“Right away.” The innkeeper turned to an adolescent boy lounging in the corner. “Henry, show Lord Kingsbury and his wife to rooms eleven and twelve.”
Malcolm put an arm around her waist. “Let’s get you warmed up.”
Adeline clutched her carpet bag and nodded automatically, still reeling from Malcolm’s scowl. He had looked so ferocious. She guessed this was the side of the man who commanded a naval ship and it was very attractive. His easygoing demeanor turned sharp and demanding, sending a shiver down Adeline’s spine that had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with how she wished to have him command her, instruct her. Like before, when he kissed her in the carriage, she craved his attention.
Malcolm guided her up the stairs after Henry. The room itself was clean, and the décor simple. It was a bit smaller than other rooms she had stayed in, but then again, her father always reserved the larger suites when they journeyed. The boy stoked the fire and added more wood. Another servant arrived with her trunk and their two bags. Adeline went to stand in front of the fire, letting the delicious warmth wash over her.
“This way, sir. Your other room is right across the hallway.”
Malcolm picked up his satchel. “You’ll be all right? I’ll change, and then I’ll escort you to the bathing chamber.”
She nodded. Staring into the fire, she tried to clear the sudden image of Malcolm standing over her while she bathed. Scowling and telling her where to wash next. Her cheeks flamed. What was wrong with her? “Yes, I’m fine,” she managed to croak.
The door closed. Adeline sat heavily on one of the wooden chairs by the fireplace. Good Lord. What had his kisses unlocked in her? She had never felt so wanton in her life. She had read books describing lovemaking, but the prose had always been flowery and romantic. Neither appealing to her. And nothing that had her feeling so overheated and achy as she did now.
She peeled off her gloves and removed her sodden bonnet, laying them both on the hearth to dry by the fire. Lifting her skirts, she peeked at her mud-covered half-boots, which were certainly ruined but still the most practical shoe she had brought. She unlaced them and set them to dry as well. Next, she peeled off her velvet jacket and hung it on the other chair. It hadn’t kept her from being soaked to the bone. Her wet dress clung to her hips and thighs instead of gracefully flowing to the ground. The poor hem was stained with dirt. Perhaps it could be cleaned?
Her carpet bag had fared better than her clothing. The outside was damp, but the contents were thankfully dry. She pulled out her novel and set it on the small side table next to her. Everything else was still wrapped neatly in her chemises. Adeline pulled out the wool knit shawl and wrapped herself in its familiar warmth. She had known it would come in handy.
A knock on the door was followed by Kingsbury entering. He looked handsome with his damp hair combed neatly back. He wore fresh trousers and shirt but no waistcoat or jacket. His sleeves were rolled up, showcasing his muscled forearms. Did he know how potent his half-dressed state was? She couldn’t stop staring at his tanned arms, lightly dusted with blond hair. There was not a part of him that wasn’t gorgeous.
He followed her gaze down and looked rather sheepish. “I didn’t want to keep you waiting, so I didn’t fully dress.”
Adeline snapped her gaze back up to his face. “Oh, it’s fine. I feel positively disheveled. I am glad that you requested a bath. Let me grab a fresh dress.”
She rushed over to her trunk and pulled a sunny yellow day dress from the top of the pile. She went fishing around carefully and found her slippers. “I am all set.”
“I was told the bathing room is at the end of this corridor. I hope it is as clean as the rooms. It seems like a good inn,” he said as they exited and headed down the hallway.
“We’ve stayed here before. It is nice. Although I have never bathed here. Normally one does not get this muddy on the trip.” She rolled her eyes.
Malcolm chuckled. He opened the last door at the end of the corridor and, after a quick perusal, stepped back to allow her to go inside. The room was small but thankfully neat. A good-sized copper tub sat in the middle. It had fresh linen draped inside and was filled halfway with water.
A servant bustled into the room. “One more bucket, my lord.” The young man dumped a large bucket of water into the tub. “Clean towels are on the rack there,” he said. His gaze slid licentiously over her body. “Is there anything I can help you with, ma’am?”
Kingsbury stepped forward. “No, that will be all.” He scowled at the servant, sending that delicious shiver through her again. The servant scurried out.
Kingsbury continued to frown. “I don’t care for the way he was looking at you. And I don’t think you should be down here alone and exposed. I shall stand guard in the hallway. Take your time.”
He stepped outside and closed the door behind him. Adeline let out a long breath. It wasn’t the servant that had her worried. It was her own reaction to Kingsbury, and his broad chest and sinewy forearms, and delicious kisses. She tugged off her clothes, mourning the pair of silk stockings stained with muddy water. First, she dipped her fingers in the water. It wasn’t hot, but at least reasonably warm. Then she stepped carefully into the tub and sank down, the water rising to her breasts. The tub was long enough for her to stretch her legs out, but as she was just over five feet tall she had fairly short legs. Malcolm would never fit in this tub.
Thoughts of Malcolm in the bath rose in her mind. He would probably look glorious naked, like one of the Greek gods depicted in her books. Her nipples pebbled in the cooler air of the room. She ran her wet fingertips over them. Circling the peaked tips, she imagined that Malcolm had stayed to wash her. He would be naked to the waist so as not to dampen his shirt. He would take a cloth in his big hands and stroke it over her body slowly, thoroughly. Adeline’s hand slid around the curve of her breast, trailed down her stomach, and tangled in the curls of her mons. She moaned as she imagined his fingers finding her clit, circling and rubbing as she did now.
She opened her knees wider as she played with her sex. Malcolm would surely be a skilled lover. Perhaps he would fill her slick core with his finger. She pumped her hips up, imagining his hands stroking her body, stroking inside her. Mmmm, yes. He would bend over and capture her mouth in a searing kiss. His tongue tangling with hers while his fingers played with her sex below the water. Adeline’s breath hitched. Her clit throbbed under her fingers. Fingers that were frantic now, rubbing her pearl. She was so close to her crisis, but she didn’t want to come yet, so she stilled and pulled her hand away to drag it up and down the inside of her thigh.
In her fantasy, Malcolm would tease her, he would take his time to explore her body. Her breath came out in short pants as she thought about exploring his. Would he allow her to run her hands across his chest and tease his flat nipples? Would they be as sensitive as hers? She pinched her nipples, imagining that Malcolm would tease them with his tongue. Letting out a small moan, she found her clit again. This time, she didn’t hold back. Her fantasy of having Malcolm’s hands, his tongue, worshiping her body sent her right over the edge with his name falling from her lips.