Chapter Ten
Marcus rushed to his chambers, fighting his dimming vision all the way.
The dizziness was so bad that he reconsidered calling the physician.
It would guarantee that he would not be forced to attend Beatrice’s musical evening, and he might be able to request some laudanum from Mr. Morrison that would, at the very least, help him sleep.
However, the thought of yielding to his fear enough to summon the family physician stopped him.
It would prove that he was weak, and it would cause his grandmother to fuss over him constantly.
He would continue resisting the notion of calling for Mr. Morrison.
And he would suffer through an evening at his aunt’s, no matter how miserable he felt.
He did, however, allow himself time to rest before he summoned his valet.
He lay on his bed, thinking about the kisses he had shared with Miss Barrett.
The taste of her lips was even more intoxicating than her lavender-scented skin, and more addictive than opium.
Apart from just moments before, the desire he felt when she was in his arms with her body pressed against his was so overwhelming that it trumped all the effects of his illness.
Perhaps the cure for this sickness lies in lying with her, he thought, his dizziness forgotten at the mere thought.
He had been firmer than ever as she moved against him and ran her hands through his hair.
That firmness had yet to diminish, in fact, despite the waves of nausea he was combatting.
If it had not been for the overwhelming feeling that he would faint, he was certain he would have taken her right then.
Her moan was the sweetest sound he had ever heard.
And he knew that if he ever heard it again, he would not be able to contain himself.
***
Adelaide looked nervously at Sophia in the looking glass as she finished helping her into her green satin evening gown. She bit her lip, uncertain of the question that was plaguing her.
“Do you truly believe that the Duke could murder someone?” she asked reluctantly. “Especially someone so close to him?”
Sophia froze, looking at her mistress with wide eyes.
“His demeanour does nothing to dissuade me of the possibility,” she said. “He has done nothing but snap at his grandmother and sister, and he has not managed a polite word to you and your mother.”
Adelaide bit her cheek to keep from disputing the lady’s maid’s claims. To present her proof would be to reveal her inappropriate behavior with the duke.
She was surprised to realize that she was not worried about her reputation being further ruined.
She was worried that if their secret was discovered, she might never get the chance to be alone with the duke again.
The thought of never again feeling his lips on hers or pressing herself against his hard masculinity was horrifying.
It would have to be enough that she knew he could be gentle and tender, even if she could never tell another person.
When she was dressed, Edith met her in the hallway above the stairs. Edith embraced her, examining Adelaide’s dress while Adelaide admired the soft silk of her white lace-trimmed blue gown.
“You look beautiful,” she said, kissing Adelaide on both cheeks before linking her arm through Adelaide’s.
Adelaide smiled, smoothing a wrinkle on one of Edith’s matching gloves.
“You are a vision, Edith,” she said. “You look like a princess.”
Edith laughed, blushing at the compliment.
“We will be here all evening if we continue comparing who is prettier,” she said. “Come. I cannot wait for us to go to that soiree.”
Adelaide held her smile, but she swallowed nervously. She wondered if Lady Beatrice knew anything about her scandalous past, and how she would react if she did.
As the women descended the stairs, Adelaide saw that the Duke and Lord Thomas were both waiting.
Helena and the dowager duchess had not yet arrived, so the men stood alone.
Adelaide’s heart raced once again when she saw that the duke was dressed in a green suit that closely matched the color of her dress.
It was a plain but fashionable velvet suit trimmed with thin gold rope around the sleeve cuffs and complimented with a gold cravat.
The pantaloons were plain green velvet, but his shoes were embroidered with green to match his whole attire.
Adelaide was taking in the firmness of his body beneath the sleeves of his coat when he looked up at her.
Her breath caught as the stern set of his jaw softened and his eyes warmed in a way she had never seen.
The warning note she had received that morning was forgotten as he gave her a smile as soft as his eyes.
She had longed to melt into him and allow him to take her earlier in the library.
But as his gaze, intense in a brand-new way, thrilled and heated her with more passion than ever before, she was desperate to make that happen.
***
Edith was taking note of the apparent attraction between Adelaide and Marcus.
She smiled softly to herself, noticing how her brother smiled so gently at Adelaide, and how Adelaide’s cheeks turned a faint shade of pink.
She bit back a giggle when Adelaide’s grip tightened on her arm.
However, all that was forgotten when she realized that Thomas was looking up at her.
She faltered, grateful for Adelaide, who glanced away from Marcus and gave her a concerned look.
“Are you all, right?” she asked.
Edith nodded, unable to look away from Thomas.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I just… I am well.”
Adelaide followed her gaze, giggling softly.
“I see,” she said.
Edith nodded, but she said nothing more to her friend.
Instead, she stared in awe at Thomas. The admiration was clear in his eyes, and she wondered if hers was, as well.
His dark blue suit was almost black, whereas her dress was azure.
But they complemented each other so well that she was tempted to believe that he had read her mind about her choice of attire.
And his suit fit him so well that she could see the muscles in his shoulders and thighs, causing a slow heat to build in her stomach.
When the women reached the men, it was a long moment before any of them spoke.
“Edith, you are a vision,” Thomas said. His smile was just the right balance of warm and polite, but his eyes belied his effort to keep his voice steady.
Edith blushed and curtseyed.
“Thank you,” she said. “You look rather fetching, as well.”
Thomas grinned, his eyes still flickering with a rising flame.
“I humbly accept your compliment, my lady,” he said with a grand bow.
Marcus chuckled, studying his friend with an inquisitive eye.
“You are as humble as I am short,” he said dryly.
Beside her, Adelaide giggled. It was an odd sound, strained by an unseen tension and filled with surprise.
Edith recalled when her brother was once full of jokes and humor.
It was refreshing to hear one after such a long time.
But she did not miss Adelaide’s odd reaction, and she gave her friend a sidelong glance.
Yet when she saw her brother smile in much the same manner, she began to understand.
Could it be that Marcus fancies Adelaide, after all? She wondered with a secret smile.
The group fell silent once more as the couples stood beside one another.
Edith was aware of the heat from Thomas’s arm due to his proximity to her.
The citrus fragrance from his perfume made her body tingle, longing to be closer to breathe deeply of him.
Adelaide and Marcus continued staring at one another as if they shared an intense secret.
“Darlings, you all look wonderful,” Augusta Lockhart said as the older women descended the stairs.
Their arrival forced the respective couples to keep a respectable distance from one another, and Edith could not help feeling a bit disappointed when Thomas shifted away from her.
“This is sure to be a wonderful evening,” Helena said, beaming at her niece.
She cast a glance at Marcus, then looked back at Adelaide, who blushed and gave her aunt a shy smile.
It seemed, at the very least, that Adelaide was attracted to Marcus.
Edith bit her lip to keep her delight from showing.
It would not do to let Marcus know that she suspected a budding romance with Adelaide.
It might put him off the idea and make him push her away.
***
Lady Beatrice’s townhouse was welcoming from the first moment Adelaide saw it.
Its warm beige bricks were perfectly pristine and lined with sconces which held brightly burning torches.
She had decorated the front of her home with purple garland and green wreaths with pink flowers.
Even the butler and footmen, who were greeting the guests and escorting them inside, were wearing small yellow flowers pinned to their coats.
Guilt crept up within Adelaide as their group entered the townhouse.
The entryway and corridors were as warmly decorated, and the guests were greeted kindly by servants who were assigned to attend to them for the evening.
It seemed that Lady Beatrice’s events were as warm and inviting as she seemed to be.
Adelaide wondered if she had been wrong to be so distrustful of the woman who had birthed a gentleman as unsettling as Lord Edwin.
Crystal chandeliers cast a golden glow over the elegantly appointed music room.
However, she did not have much opportunity to admire the surroundings, as she traversed the remainder of the townhouse.
Murmurs in the crowd were soon audible, and she saw many pairs of eyes turn their attention to the duke, who had tried to slip away to a darkened corner of the room.
“The murderous beast…” said one matron, whispering behind her fan at a volume that might as well have been shouting.
Adelaide twisted her fingers in her skirts as the Duke’s expression tightened.
“Even Bath’s waters cannot wash away such sins,” said another, her gaze unabashedly fixed on the duke.
The warning message she had received burned in her mind, now fueled by the glances and whispers, which increased with each second that passed.
It was easy to believe that the words were true when so many people seemed to concur.
Yet when the Duke met her gaze at last, she saw nothing more than the man who quotes poetry with her with surprising sensitivity, whose kisses made her forget everything but the taste of his soft, decadent lips.
Adelaide was relieved when Helena and Edith chose to sit on either side of her, as the intimate setting forced all the guests to sit close to one another.
The Duke stood near the doorway, for which Adelaide could not blame him, given the sour reception he had received.
His large frame was rigid and tense as he tried to ignore the curious glances and continued murmurs from the other guests.
Adelaide wondered again about Lady Beatrice and why she would ask her nephew to expose himself to such cruelty for the sake of her gathering.
She wanted to believe that it was because she and her son were certain of the duke’s innocence.
But even as everyone chose their seats, Lord Edwin gave the Duke a cold, sidelong smirk.
Adelaide did not know how to make sense of the duke’s more distant relatives.
By all appearances, they were kind and loving, and Lord Edwin seemed very concerned about his cousin’s well-being.
However, she did not believe that truly doting relatives would behave so oddly.
“Who would like to begin this evening?” Lady Beatrice said once the quiet conversations began to die.
Everyone looked at each other, some gesturing for others to volunteer. Adelaide was still distracted when Helena gently rubbed her back.
“Darling, why don’t you perform on the pianoforte?” she asked, handing Adelaide a stack of sheet music. “It has been so long since I last heard you play, and I would love to remedy that.”
Adelaide blushed, looking around the room. She had gained a few suspicious looks, but most guests were looking at her with mild curiosity. She glanced at the duke, whose stern expression had softened imperceptibly at her aunt’s request. Could he be interested in hearing her play?
Lady Beatrice waited a moment for objections or alternate suggestions. When none came, she smiled warmly at Adelaide, motioning for her to join her.
“Come, Miss Barrett,” she said. “If you are agreeable, we would be delighted to hear you perform.”
Adelaide took a deep breath as she rose from her seat. Her aunt and Edith gave her encouraging smiles, but her nervousness was overwhelming. She had not performed publicly for some time now, and she was among people that, apart from her aunt and the duke’s family, she did not know.
She timidly approached the white pianoforte, her heart beating wildly as she took her place on the bench.
Playing the pianoforte was one of the few accomplishments from her mother’s strict training that she truly enjoyed.
However, she had only ever played in front of people who were affiliated with her family in some manner.
She looked through the sheet music her aunt had given her, choosing Mozart’s Andante grazioso from his Piano Sonata No.
11. With a nod of approval, she placed her music on the stand of the pianoforte, trying to hide the tremble in her hands.
She took two deep breaths, avoiding looking at anyone as she began to play.
However, as the first notes of the piece filled the room, Adelaide lost herself at once.
She allowed herself to imagine for a moment that she was the only one present, relishing the euphoric rush as her innate love for music returned to her.
When she dared to look up through her lashes, she saw that the duke had become transfixed.
He watched her with his lips parted as if he were struggling to keep his jaw from falling.
His usual harsh mask slipped to reveal the raw yearning she had seen just before he kissed her.
The intensity of his fervor struck her so fiercely that her fingers faltered, blundering a couple of notes.
She guided her fingers back into the proper rhythm, daring another look at the Duke.
The amazement in his eyes fueled her musical joy, and all at once, she was playing for him alone.
She could not forget the warning note, no matter how hard she tried.
Yet it conflicted with the way his gaze caressed her, just as his hands had, with as much fire as tenderness and making her chest tighten with all her uncertainty.
How could a man with blood staining his hands look at her with such gentle fondness?