Chapter 12
CHAPTER 12
M addie approached the door, a wave of nausea overtaking her at the thought of this daring daylight escapade.
I must be mad. Stark, raving mad.
Her heart was pounding hard by the time she reached the quarters by the lake. So hard that it sounded like a drum in her chest. She gazed around fearfully, convinced that someone would see her slip inside. But no one was about.
It had been surprisingly easy to escape. She had done what the Duke asked and told them she had a headache. Lord Christopher had been concerned, offering to escort her to the kitchens for a remedy, but she had managed to fend him off.
Her mama had smiled, telling the gentleman he was so gallant, seemingly more interested in talking to him than concerned about her youngest daughter’s splitting headache.
Augusta and Selina had still been embroiled in their game of croquet and didn’t even notice her vanish. It had almost been too easy. She was starting to realize that this game of theirs was entirely possible. She was not duplicitous by nature and wasn’t familiar with the nuances of deception, the games that must be played to achieve what she wanted.
The quarters were seemingly rundown, looking like they belonged to a gamekeeper or some other servant. She wouldn’t have even glanced at them in passing. Her hand was slippery with sweat on the doorknob as she opened the door, blinking rapidly to accustom her eyes to the sudden darkness after the glare of the day.
The place was silent. She walked quickly, noting its layout. It was set out like a house, with a sitting room, a small kitchen, and one small bedroom, which, curiously, led to another room.
She gasped. The room was large and filled with furniture. A chaise lounge, bookcases packed with books, and several objets d’art . There were miniature marble sculptures, potted plants, and a large Persian rug in bright colors on the floor. Paintings hung on the walls.
“Do you like it?”
She swung around, her heart racing. The Duke was standing there, with that perpetual amused expression on his face, watching her.
“I renovated it myself,” he continued, his eyes never leaving her face. “Years ago. I collected all the items.” His eyes darkened. “And here it is, as if I never left it. I only had to get the maids to dust it.”
“Your lair,” she croaked, swallowing painfully. “Another one of your lairs.”
He laughed with delight. “Indeed. I have so many that I have lost count. I even keep a harem in one of my houses on the Continent.” He looked straight into her eyes. “Perhaps I could whisk you away to join it. I would rather like that.”
Maddie blushed fiercely, forcing herself to laugh. “You are teasing me. You do not have a harem, Your Grace. And if you do, I am certainly not inclined to join it.”
“Why ever not?” he breathed, taking a step closer to her. “It would be an adventure. And you want to be an adventuress, My Lady, remember?”
He reached out a hand, trailing it down the side of her face in a slow, seductive way, his eyes never leaving hers. Maddie shuddered at the touch. She was already on fire for him. Her whole body felt like it was turning into molten liquid.
She was in as much danger as she had ever been. It was like her body was a traitor. Why was she having so much trouble resisting him, when her mind told her it was imperative that she did?
She forced herself to take a step back, breaking the contact. He didn’t look offended at all. He just smiled in that maddening way of his, walking to a small cabinet in a corner of the room, which she saw contained bottles of liquor.
“A drink?” he asked in a mockingly polite voice.
Maddie shook her head firmly. She had already had a glass of champagne at the garden party, and there was no way she was going to consume anything else strong.
Apart from the fact that it was only mid-afternoon, and she would certainly be well into her cups if she did, she didn’t want to lose control around him. She needed her wits about her.
“As you wish,” he said, pouring himself a small glass of brandy, and then sipping it thoughtfully. “Well, what do you think of the place? You haven’t told me yet.”
Maddie gazed around the room again. “I think it is tasteful. Exactly as I would decorate a lair if I was ever to have one.”
He burst into laughter. “Indeed! Well, you are quite welcome to peruse it and take any ideas you like for your own.” He sipped his drink, gazing at her pensively. “You have been trying to avoid me. I know it. That is why you have been clinging like a limpet to my cousin for the entire afternoon.”
Maddie glared at him. “I have not been clinging to your cousin! He asked me to take a walk. It would have been abominably rude to refuse. That is all.”
He kept staring at her, sipping his drink, not saying anything. The air had shifted slightly in the room—the playful banter was gone. He seemed angry… or something else.
Her jaw dropped. Was it jealousy? Was the Duke jealous that his cousin was paying her special attention?
To her surprise, her heart surged with sudden, inexplicable joy. For if he was jealous of his cousin, it might mean that he actually liked her a bit, rather than just playing a game with her for his amusement.
But as soon as the thought occurred to her, she rejected it. He wasn’t jealous in that way. He didn’t harbor any finer feelings for her. He was just used to getting his own way, and he saw his cousin as an impediment. That was all.
“Perhaps,” he said, his face set in a hard line. “But regardless of that, you have been trying to avoid me. You have been running away like a frightened hare every single time I get close to you.”
She exhaled slowly. “Of course, I have been trying to avoid you! You disconcert me. I never know what you will say or do. And I do not want anyone else to notice that you are behaving in an unseemly manner towards me.”
“I thought you wanted to be a rebel.” He tossed back his drink, before setting the glass on the cabinet. “I thought you wanted to experience life beyond the strict confines of your position. Why do you care what they think?”
“Because I do,” she burst out, infuriated beyond measure. “Because I must! A lady’s reputation is paramount. I would be ruined if anyone suspects what is going on between us—if they even suspect the half of it.”
He shrugged. “There can be fun in ruin,” he drawled, his eyes like flint. “There can be fun in running away from everything that has ever been expected.”
They were like wary cats, waiting for the opportunity to pounce.
“Maybe for you ,” she shot back, her heart pounding. “You have the privilege of rank and your sex. Everyone expects a gentleman to sow his wild oats. Everyone turns a blind eye. It is vastly different for a lady. Oh, why do I have to explain to you how the world works?”
“You do not have to explain it,” he said curtly. “I know how the world works very well, indeed. That is why I do not give a fig about it and am determined to live my life exactly as I please.”
Maddie scowled at him, so furious she could barely contain it. There was such casual contempt in the way he spoke to her. But at least she understood him perfectly now. He had just uttered his life philosophy—his credo, which he clearly lived by.
He didn’t care about her at all. The playful banter was just manipulation, designed to soften her up, to get what he wanted from her. This was the real Duke of Everly speaking—a man who took what he wanted, when he wanted, and didn’t care who he hurt in the process.
He didn’t care if they were caught and her reputation was ruined. Apparently, she just had to take that on the chin if it happened and deem it a lark . While he sauntered off into the sunset, completely immune from damage.
Suddenly, it struck her forcibly that he might take what he could from her, and still not give her back the list. He had claimed he would, but how could she trust him at all when he was such a man? He had already stooped to blackmail, after all, in order to get what he wanted.
“I must go,” she murmured in a withering voice. “I should never have agreed to come here at all. Good day.”
She turned to leave, to rush out of this room—his lair —and out of these quarters entirely. But suddenly, there was a hand on her arm, spinning her around. Before she knew it, he had his arms around her, arching her back, bending her to submit to him, as if she were a mere twig.
Instinctively, she put her hands on his chest, to push him away. They were both panting hard. His grey eyes were glittering fiercely, and she was shocked to discover that she could feel his hardness pressing against her, quite insistently.
Oh, Lord . How have I gotten myself into this appalling situation?
“No,” she whispered, pushing against his chest feebly. “No…”
“Are you certain?” His voice was thick with desire. “Please. Just one kiss. That is all I ask of you,” he added, sounding breathless.
Her body was trembling with fierce arousal, as well as the remnants of her anger. She wanted him to kiss her. Quite desperately. She knew she would regret it… but at this moment, nothing else seemed to matter.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Oh, yes.”
He didn’t waste any time. His arms tilted her back further, and his lips descended on her own, feasting on her with a hunger that took her breath away. As if he were a starved man and he had finally stumbled upon sustenance.
Maddie felt a jolt of pure, brutal desire snake through her as she opened her mouth beneath his, as hungry for him as he was for her. His tongue plunged into her mouth, tasting her, devouring her, for what seemed like an eternity.
She was so giddy with longing by the end of it that she barely noticed when his mouth left hers, trailing down her neck, landing hot, fiery kisses on it.
She closed her eyes in pure bliss as he nibbled and softly bit her tender skin. But then, they flew open as she felt his mouth fasten on the side of her neck, towards the nape, sucking hard.
It hurt… but in a way that was almost painfully delicious. Another bolt of desire shot through her body. And now, his hands were rising upwards from her waist, skimming her bodice, roughly caressing her breasts through the thin fabric of her gown.
She felt her nipples instantly harden. She wanted him to pull away the fabric, to rip the bodice of the gown aside, and take her breasts in his hands, twirling the nipples in his fingers. She wanted it so badly that it shocked her.
She knew she was losing all sense of control, that she was becoming a malleable ragdoll beneath his touch, and that she must stop it now, before she did anything more she might live to regret.
With a mighty effort, she pushed him away, her chest rising and falling. Daniel seemed confused. His eyes were glazed, looking like he was in a trance, as if he didn’t understand where he was at all.
“I must go,” she stammered. “I… I cannot do this any longer.” Abruptly, she thought of Augusta and the fact that their mother was intent on marrying her sister off to this man. “For pity’s sake, we might be related, one day!”
He looked even more confused. “What?”
Maddie turned on her heel and fled the room before he swept her under his spell again. Her heart was racing sickeningly as she left the quarters, taking a long, winding path behind the lake and towards the grand house. She didn’t want anyone to see her. She was supposed to be resting inside with a headache.
She heard the sound of chatter and laughter from the garden party as she slunk inside. Her heart heaved with relief. The party was still in full swing, which meant that probably no one had checked on her. But that wouldn’t last forever. Already, shadows were lengthening across the lawn. Soon, they would all be drifting inside to rest before changing for dinner.
She made her way up the imposing staircase. At the top, she stopped, biting her lip. There were long hallways leading off in both directions, and she realized that she actually had no idea which room she was staying in—they had joined the garden party immediately after arrival.
I can find it . I will simply open all the doors and see which one contains my trunks.
She started walking again, quickly opening doors and shutting them. She wasn’t in danger of disturbing anyone, as they were all at the party. If she couldn’t find her room, then she would go to the servants’ hall. Someone there would know, for certain.
She opened another door. This was a very large room, larger than the others, with a magnificent four-poster mahogany bed in the center and a connecting door to another room. She gazed around in awe. She hadn’t ever seen such an impressive bedroom. It looked fit for a king.
Suddenly, she saw a dark green jacket hanging on the front of the ornate wardrobe. Her heart skipped a beat. She recognized that jacket—it belonged to the Duke of Everly. He had been wearing it the night she had sneaked away to his home in Grosvenor Square.
These are his chambers . And that door to the side connects them to the chambers that belong to the Duchess… when eventually there is one.
She felt frozen to the spot, unable to move. The urge to walk slowly around these chambers, to inspect them closely, was strong. Very strong. What would she find if she investigated? What pieces of him would she discover, this devilish man who had taken over her life out of the blue… and quite taken her peace of mind?
“Milady? Can I assist you?”
Maddie spun around. A footman was standing there, watching her intently, a quizzical expression on his face.
“Oh!” Maddie flushed, biting her lip. “I seem to be lost! I cannot find my room!”
The footman smiled. “I will help you find it, Milady. Come with me.”
Maddie followed him out of the room, feeling small and foolish. She hoped the Duke never found out about this. He would surely think she had done it deliberately.
She glanced back at the room before the door closed. He was an enigma. A puzzle she longed to solve. But it was far too dangerous.
She must stick to her resolve to stay as far away from him as possible… if only her treacherous body could be persuaded. Her Achilles heel was her overwhelming desire for him. It simply must be tempered… or she would surely lose everything.