Chapter 12
“Your Graces, it’s so wonderful to see you both,” James said as he approached the pair.
Edith did her best to smile, but was still feeling the sting of Laurence’s remark. She hadn’t expected high praise, but presentable?
“It is wonderful to see you again, Lord Mallowby,” she said politely.
“Oh, you do flatter me, Your Grace.” James smiled.
“Not at all,” Edith assured.
“I do say, Your Grace, it is wonderful to see you have left the cocoon of your study to grace us with your presence this evening.”
“I have been busy.”
“You say that frequently, dear friend. I am sure your charming wife and child also miss you. I suggest you keep an eye on her tonight; she looks absolutely stunning in that dress. I dare say if you do not keep an eye on her, every other man here will happily do it for you.”
Laurence’s arm tightened around hers. She glanced at him and raised an eyebrow.
“His Grace does not need to worry about such things,” she interjected. “I am not one to have wandering eyes.”
“Oh, I trust you implicitly, Your Grace,” James clarified. “It’s the other men here that I don’t trust!”
Edith snorted and covered her mouth. “Lord Mallowby, you are too much.”
“That makes me right for events like this.” James laughed. “Now, I do believe I saw your friends over there. The Duke and Duchess of Richmond?”
Oh, thank heavens.
He pointed over to where Ava and Christian were talking with a younger-looking lord. Edith was sure she had seen the blond man before; she just couldn’t place him.
“Ah, thank you for pointing them out.”
“Of course! Although I am afraid it is not altruistic. I need to borrow your husband briefly to discuss a matter of business,” James said apologetically.
“And this business cannot wait?” Laurence growled. “Or could not be dealt with through a letter?”
“If it could, do you think I would be bothering you here and now?” James asked.
Edith did her best to hold in a laugh, taking out her fan to cool her face. She saw Laurence grit his teeth.
“Fine. Let’s get on with it,” he snapped.
“I will be with the Duke and Duchess of Richmond,” Edith said before walking away.
She could feel Laurence watching her go, but she felt no need to turn back.
Ava caught her eye and smiled. “There you are, Edith.”
“Indeed. Good evening to you both,” Edith greeted warmly.
“I say, Edith, I need to introduce you to this young man,” Christian said, gesturing to the man with whom they were conversing.
The man’s green eyes landed on her, and he smiled warmly. “It’s an honor to see you again, Your Grace,” he offered.
Edith’s eyes widened in recognition. “Lord Dunwich?”
“It would appear you two are already acquainted,” Ava said with thinly veiled curiosity.
“Yes, Her Grace and I met at a charity ball a few months ago,” Lord Dunwich explained.
“The charitable causes I’ve supported have largely been his undertakings.” Edith beamed. “It’s so wonderful to see you again. How goes the building of the orphanage?”
“It goes very well,” he replied with a grin. “It should be finished by the end of the year.”
“Oh, that is wonderful news!”
The orchestra launched into a joyful waltz, and the guests began to pair off and make their way to the dance floor. Ava and Christian hung back, but Edith looked on with interest.
“Would you like to dance?” Lord Dunwich asked.
His green eyes crinkled with a genuine smile, and Edith couldn’t help but return it.
“I would be honored,” she said, taking his hand.
“Good heavens, man. What is wrong with you?” James asked with a note of impatience. “You’ve been hiding away and sulking for almost a week!”
“Not all of us can while away the hours at White’s,” Laurence shot back, picking up a glass of wine.
“I am not asking you to do that, but a response to my letter would have been marvelous.”
“I do not have the luxury of time to arrange a dinner at the moment, Lord Mallowby.”
“Then ask your wife to do it.” James frowned.
“I am sure she is busy with her charity.”
“You do not know what your wife has been doing these last few days?” James asked. “I know you are surly, and I cannot expect you to turn from a recluse to a social butterfly in one swoop, but Laurence, this is ridiculous!”
“Oh, just let me be ridiculous, Lord Mallowby,” Laurence growled.
“No!” James huffed. “That is my job!”
Laurence had to refrain from taking a sip so he didn’t spit out the wine. As much as James’s humor could grate on his nerves, he appreciated it at times.
“Fine,” he relented. “I will speak to my wife about arranging a dinner.”
“Wonderful news.” James beamed and clapped him on the shoulder.
“Your Grace!” a grating voice called out to Laurence.
He gritted his teeth as Lord Hargrove approached them. “My Lord, how can I—”
“I was hoping you had reconsidered our earlier discussion.” Lord Hargrove smiled.
Laurence gripped the stem of his wine glass so hard that it was a miracle it didn’t snap. “Now is not the time, My Lord.”
“Oh, I can hardly think of a better time!” Lord Hargrove laughed.
Laurence’s eyes darkened, and he glared at the man. “What do you mean?” he growled.
“See, I’ve come across some marvelous properties in the East End.” Lord Hargrove grinned.
A sharp stab of anger shot through Laurence’s veins. The snake had managed to snatch the properties after all.
“I see congratulations are in order.”
“It was only after I bought them that I realized you had been interested. Perhaps there is—”
“Lord Hargrove,” Laurence cut the man off. “I want to make something abundantly clear. I want nothing to do with you. Not a business relationship, not a friendship, nothing.”
Lord Hargrove froze, and his eyes widened. He clearly had not expected such a vehement rejection. “Your Grace, why—”
“You dealt with my father,” Laurence spoke over him. “Nothing good comes from working with his former associates. I have no interest in corrupt dealings, backroom deals, or harming my tenants to line my pockets.”
“I would never—”
“I have ample evidence to the contrary,” Laurence growled. “So, may I suggest you leave, and we forget we ever knew each other?”
Lord Hargrove scowled at him. He hesitated for a moment before bowing and walking away.
Laurence felt his shoulders relax. He turned back to face the dancers, sipping his drink to calm his nerves.
Any effort toward that end was quickly shattered when he saw Edith dancing. She was smiling, moving gracefully, her blonde hair looking like streams of gold in the candlelight.
But that wasn’t what bothered him. The hand of another man resting on his wife’s waist had. It was placed there much too comfortably. The way he looked at her made his blood boil. The man leaned in close, saying something he couldn’t hear, and Edith laughed.
All decorum abandoned Laurence, and he practically threw his glass on the table before marching over to them.
“I believe it’s my turn,” he growled.
“Your Grace, what are you—” Edith started.
“I said, I believe it’s my turn,” he repeated, glaring at the man.
The man nodded slowly and backed away from Edith. Once he was gone, Laurence took his place and resumed the waltz.
“What are you doing?” Edith hissed.
“Saving you from unwanted attention.”
“I can handle myself just fine.”
“Am I not allowed to assist you?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“It was implied.”
“You’ve failed to see the point. The song wasn’t over,” she protested.
“Do I look like I much care?”
“That was incredibly rude! Not only that, but you know that married couples don’t—”
“Ah, so you accept I am your husband.”
“What?” Edith snapped, glaring up at him, her eyes fierce and her cheeks red with indignation.
“Yes, I am your husband. I am allowed to dance with my wife, should I so choose to do so,” Laurence scoffed.
“But you do not do it by intimidating another gentleman into removing himself from the dance floor,” she chided.
His palm pressed against the small of her back, the need to be closer to her clawing at what remained of his sanity. No amount of wine could cool his temper or soothe his nerves. He needed her scent, her smile, her touch, and those determined eyes to be his and his alone.
He leaned in, his breath caressing her ear. “I will do what needs to be done to protect what is mine,” he growled.
She tensed in his arms, and he blinked, confused. He’d meant it as an admission, as proof of his feelings, not as a threat. Why would she flinch at that?
He pulled back to look at her. Hurt and indignation were etched on her face, and her cheeks were flushed. He searched her eyes but found only anger where determination had once been.
A chill ran down his spine. “Edith…”
The song ended, and she all but pushed him away. She curtsied deeply, her eyes shimmering.
“It was lovely to dance with you, Your Grace,” she said curtly. “I need some air now.”
“Edith, wait!” Laurence called out as she hurried away from him in the direction of the large doors that separated the ballroom from the rest of the estate.
He stayed on her heels, shadowing her breakneck path to the silent library, his heart thumping in his chest.
I can’t lose her. Not like this.
The library was blessedly dark, save for the moonlight spilling through the curtains. Her back was to him, but he could see her shoulders shaking. He carefully closed the door behind him, but the soft click seemed to act as a signal.
She spun to face him, her eyes glassy with tears.
“Edith, why—”
“You arrogant, hypocritical man!” she snapped.
Laurence was taken aback by her ire. She’d never spoken to him like that before.
“Wait, Edith, I can explain,” he started.
“You were behaving like a possessive, lovestruck imbecile out there. I was humiliated by my own husband because he felt the need to push another man away from me. Is no other man allowed to touch me? Even under social obligation? Even when you insist on keeping your distance from me?” Her voice rose and cracked.
A knot formed in his throat at the bluntness of her words. Faced with her raw fury, he found himself wholly unequipped to respond.
“Edith, please—”
“Don’t!” she cried, covering her face with her hands and taking a long, shuddering breath.
Laurence watched her for a moment, letting her compose herself, then stepped forward, gently guiding her hands away from her face. Her cheeks were damp. He hated that he had caused her such anguish.
“Edith,” he murmured. “I… I’m not made of stone. I am your husband. As much as you may try to deny it, you belong to me.”
“You’ve lost that right,” she spat.
“What?” he sputtered, dumbfounded.
“You forfeited any claim to me when you walked away,” she added. “After we…”
She looked away from him, and in the pale moonlight, he could see tears rolling down her cheeks.
The night he lost control. He had assumed that he had pushed their arrangement too far, but now…
He felt his heart crack. What a fool he was. He had tried so desperately to protect her from himself, from his darkness, and he had still hurt her.
“Edith, that’s not fair.”
“You can’t have it both ways,” she hiccupped. “You cannot touch me like I matter and then treat me like I don’t.”
“No, Edith.” His hands cupped her cheeks, forcing her to look at him.
His pride was warring with his heart. He ached to tell her everything, but if he did, he would never be able to slip back into the shadows, where he’d always managed things alone.
He took a long, steadying breath. “I’m sorry.”
The words hung in the air.
Edith searched his eyes, as if looking for deceit.
“I have been a coward and a fool,” he whispered. “I was sure that by keeping my distance, you would be better off. I lost control that night. I thought that our marriage was meant to be one of convenience, not…” He could feel his chest tightening, his eyes burning.
He let one of his hands drift from her cheek to stroke her hair. How was she so perfect that he had missed even the feel of her hair against his fingertips?
“But I never stopped thinking of you, not since that night, not since the moment I first saw you,” he admitted hoarsely.
“Every time you walk into a room, I can barely breathe for wanting you. I have tried to deny it, to pretend that I am a man of sound mind. But your voice, your scent, your touch—it all sends me spiraling into madness, and I need…”
He hadn’t realized that his eyes were damp until he blinked hard to clear his vision.
“Laurence,” Edith whispered, her eyes filled with awe. “If that’s true… if you really feel that way, then stop running from it. Stop running from me.”
He could hold back no longer.
He pulled her into a kiss, his lips desperately crushing hers with the force of suppressed need. She wrapped both arms around him and gasped against his lips, pulling them both back onto the settee before the fireplace.
“Laurence,” she groaned.
He felt himself hardening, his breeches tightening.
“Again,” he moaned, kissing her neck. “Say my name again.”
His hands quickly went to the hem of her dress and her petticoat. He pulled the garments off, throwing them away as if they had offended him. Finally, she was bare underneath him.
For a moment, he just looked down at her, taking in the sight of his beautiful, naked wife. He couldn’t help but lean down and kiss her neck, making her shudder and writhe beneath him.
“Laurence,” she moaned.
He felt a tug at his breeches and looked down. Her hands were already on the waistband.
“Please…” she whispered.
For a moment, his mind went blank with pleasure at her plea. He groaned and pulled off his clothes, his length now standing proudly between his thighs.
He was aware he was well-endowed. Edith’s eyes devoured his hard, naked body, and her delicate hands reached out to touch him. Upon feeling her soft fingers on his engorged member, he was certain he would climax.
“Is this what my wife wants?” he asked, breathless.
“It’s a good start,” she teased.
He smirked and leaned down, kissing and licking her thighs. She moaned and grabbed his hair gently. He licked her folds methodically, searching through them with the tip of his tongue for the spot that would make her cry out his name.
He sucked and caressed with fervor, as though feasting on his last meal, and when he found the spot that had made her cry out before, he drew his teeth around the sensitive area and sucked hard on the rigid nub, making her scream and buck.
That sound…
It was the most perfect sound that had reached his ears. He stood up and wiped his mouth before pressing his engorged shaft between her thighs.
“Hold onto me,” he said tenderly. “Bite my lip or neck if you feel any discomfort, and I will pause.”
She whimpered and shook with anticipation.
He lined up his length and slid into her, pushing slowly into her heated depths. She gasped and grasped at the cushions, then clutched his buttocks in encouragement. They moaned in unison as they joined together.
“You feel incredible,” he whispered in her ear.