Chapter Four
Emily
Emily picked up her hat, turning the little confection over in her hands as she gathered her wits about her.
Her limbs did not seem capable of moving. Boneless satisfaction weakened her, and with her brain soft as mush, she struggled to remind herself that the longer she sat waiting for the earl to return, the more dangerous her situation became.
What had he done to her? What magic did he possess that he could so easily cause her to see stars?
To give up control? The pleasure he’d given her was mind-boggling.
Was it always that way between a man and a woman?
Had he experienced the same soul-melting sensations?
A nagging voice inside her whispered that Wylder had not found the same completion she experienced.
A blush stained her cheeks as she recalled the hardness of his body and the way his own breath caught on itself when his lower half pressed against her own.
She touched her lips with trembling fingers, wondering that she could taste her own musky sweetness when it transferred from his mouth to hers.
Would he enjoy the same ministrations as he’d shown her?
Would her mouth on his body send him into similar spasms of intense pleasure?
There was more to this perplexing connection between them.
Lord help her, but Emily wanted to uncover all the mysterious emotions Wylder’s touch set off inside her.
Everything about the unexpected encounter intrigued her.
The way he touched her… somehow rough and tender at the same time…
gave her chill bumps. And when he kissed her…
it was as though the heavens opened up and impaled her with dozens of lightning bolts.
She sighed heavily and retrieved her reticule from the floor where it had landed earlier. What plans did Wylder have for her now? Surely, they could not return to the stilted, formal interaction of the past three years.
Emily’s jaw tightened. That was not acceptable. If anything, this interlude only proved what she’d known all along—they should be together. And despite his insistence to the contrary, his stubbornness in pushing her away and denying his feelings, Wylder must realize it as well.
But how to make her dream a reality? How could she convince the man that he was hers and she was his? What must be done to open his eyes? Ignoring her brother’s objections and Wylder’s own refusal to see his worth as a suitable husband seemed insurmountable obstructions, but there must be a way.
Nibbling a fingernail, Emily considered the options open to her.
She could plan her own ruination. And if it were public enough, her brother would have little recourse but to devise a marriage contract suitable for all parties involved. It would all be a terrible scandal, of course, but the end result justified the means.
Emily sagged against the coach seat. The idea of trapping Wylder in marriage left a sour taste in her mouth the longer she considered it. Could she, in good conscience, begin a marriage fueled by such an ignoble basis? In truth, she could not.
What if you make him desperate enough that he has no choice?
Jealousy? Could this be the simple answer to a complicated problem?
Emily had stood steadfast in declining to accept any one of the numerous marriage proposals offered in the years following her first Season.
Her parents did not understand but indulgently allowed her to do as she wished.
Mother once remarked that even if she did not marry for love, it was worth holding out for at least affection.
And Papa, well, he spoiled her so outrageously that Emily had no fear he would force her to accept a proposal she did not want.
Was jealousy her only recourse? Was Wylder capable of such emotion when it came to her?
Silly question. Of course, I can make him jealous.
Remember how strongly he reacted when he believed I might meet another gentleman in the Blackthorne gardens that night?
And just now… when I mentioned the possibility of a future husband, he reacted in a manner that indicated he did not like that idea at all.
If he thinks I might become another man’s wife…
even if I must suffer with a faux engagement as part of my plan…
he might realize how much he wants me and how difficult it will be if he lets me slip through his fingers.
He could find himself so overcome that he demands to marry me, and to the devil with my brother and his objections. Perhaps this… this is the way…
A discreet knock on the coach door shook Emily from her plans. Clutching both her hat and reticule, she slid across the seat until she hovered beside the window where the shade was still pulled down tight.
“Yes?” she answered in a low voice, intensely aware of the pleasurable ache in her private areas. Wylder’s large fingers had stretched thin, delicate tissues, and remembering how she melted in his hands left her voice husky and soft.
“Begging your pardon, milady, but His Lordship has instructed that the coach be brought around to the mews behind the house.” Robert, the coachman, sounded apologetic and slightly tense.
“I will then escort you through the servants’ quarters and into the library.
You are to await Lord Wyldewood there. Seems milord has had an unexpected visitor this morning, and the issue must be dealt with before he can join you. ”
“A visitor? At this hour of the morning?”
“Aye. It will only be a few more moments. And please, do not lift the shades, milady. This is a request directly from His Lordship.”
The coachman seemed determined to say nothing more on the subject, so Emily sat back with a murmur of confused acquiescence.
But as the coach lurched forward again, the horses snorting with harnesses jingling, her damnable curiosity assailed her.
Lifting the window shade, she peered beneath it despite Robert’s directive.
What she saw as they passed the front of Wylder’s residence sent her heart beating wildly with apprehension.
A distinctive black coach with dark green trim and the Earl of Camden’s title crest emblazoned upon its doors sat at the curb. The matched grays were as recognizable as the vehicle, and Emily groaned with frustration.
Why, why, why was her brother here, of all places? And why would Wylder continue with the plan to bring her into his home with Simon so obviously present?
While she could not know the earl’s intentions, one thing was certain.
There was no way she would allow herself to be escorted into Wylder’s townhome.
No, what she must do was make her way back out of the mews and hail a hack in accordance with her original plan.
And if she happened to be caught while sneaking back into Blackthorne Manor, she would brazen it out and hope her parents understood why she’d left the Linden ball unescorted the night before.
Perhaps they would understand she only wanted to help Penelope True escape inevitable ruination, and that impulsive decision did not account for a way for her to return home.
Emily sighed heavily as the coach came to a stop.
No, they would not understand her actions at all, although the situation was crystal clear to Emily.
They would worry that she herself would become embroiled in scandal.
And while they’d proven indulgent so far in not forcing her to marry, something of this nature would certainly change their minds in that aspect.
Robert flung open the door and lowered the steps for Emily. He held out a hand, and she allowed him to help her descend from the coach.
“If you will follow me, milady, I shall take you at once to His Lordship’s library.”
Emily stepped back a few steps with a shake of her head. “That won’t be necessary, Mister Robert. We are only a few streets from my destination, and it’s likely best that I continue on my way. Ideally, a hack will be available, but if not, perhaps one of Lord Wyldewood’s grooms could escort me?”
Robert frowned, his demeanor hesitant as he glanced from the servant quarters entrance and back to Emily. “But, milady, the earl’s explicit instructions were that I show you to the library.”
“I understand, good sir; however, I am not a parcel of goods that requires delivery. Please relay my apologies to Lord Wyldewood, but with escort or not, I intend on making my way home. I hope you recognize my determination in this matter and choose to assist me. I believe His Lordship will understand and be grateful you aided me in my decision.” She flashed the man a winsome smile.
“Of course, I’m sure you have no wish to disappoint him.
He is obviously concerned for my safety and well-being, the dear man. ”
“I’m not sure—” Robert shifted his feet and cast a glance at the groom still holding the horses by the bit.
“Oh, thank you, Mister Robert. If you can spare the young man, then he shall do perfectly for the task.” Emily looked about the small courtyard and tilted her head with another broad smile for the reluctant coachman.
She refused to contemplate how angry Wylder would be once he discovered she’d left without his express permission.
Not that she needed it, but still, he would likely be furious that she deliberately put herself in danger by making her way home.
“Now, if you will be so kind as to point me in the direction of Grosvenor Square, I shall be on my way.”