Amelia Grey - [Rogues' Dynasty 06] (17 page)

He suddenly thought about his mother and Sir Randolph. What was it the old man had said to him?
It was something that just happened. We were not in love, and there had been no long, unrequited desire between us. The time and the place were right, and we couldn’t stop what was happening between us. That’s all there was to it. There was no long affair, no other times, just that one chance meeting that resulted in twins.

Matson finally knew what the old man meant.

Zeal is fit only for wise men but is found mostly in fools.

—Ancient Proverb

Sophia sat on the wide-striped, brocade settee in Sir Randolph’s house, sipping tea and listening to Lord Bighampton talk about his horses, his lands, and his latest attempt to see the ill King. It was easy for her to smile, nod, and show concern in all the right places. Thankfully, it was quite unnecessary for her to say a word. Lord Bighampton was happy to do all the talking.

Occasionally, Sophia would look over at her aunt Mae, who was seated in a straight-back chair near the fireplace, seemingly enthralled with every word the earl spoke. They had not had much luck in getting a gentleman interested in her by inviting them to call on Sophia. Mae needed to let gentlemen know she was open to being called on, but Sophia didn’t know how she was going to talk her into doing that when she was determined that June not know of her desire to be courted.

Because Lord Bighampton required her to say little, Sophia found it easy to let her thoughts drift to a gentleman who was far more intriguing than the earl. Every time Matson Brentwood crossed her mind, her breasts tightened and her lower abdomen quivered. Her chest ached from her heart pounding against the back of it, because she wanted to see him and be with him again. She’d lain awake the past few nights, thinking about their afternoon in the boat. The air was heavy with a damp chill, but she had never felt so warm in her life.

In her wakefulness, she had wondered if she would have been so bold and encouraged him to touch her in such intimate ways if the encompassing fog hadn’t forced her to relive the horror of the night her house burned down.

Yes, she had concluded. She had needed to be wanted, to be touched by a gentle hand, and to be reassured that even when life was unfair and took away something loved, it would give something special back to you at another time.

That afternoon she was reminded of how much she’d already lost: her mother and all her belongings, her father, and the right to marry whomever she chose. Sophia couldn’t bear the thought of losing the opportunity to have Matson show her how a man desires a woman. That was something she had control of, and she wasn’t sorry about her decision. She knew it meant she would not be an innocent for her husband, and in a way, perhaps that was a betrayal of the man, whoever he might be, but she would never be sorry she had that time with Matson.

She hadn’t seen Matson at any of the parties she’d been to since the afternoon in the boat. She hadn’t seen him at the park either. He’d told her he rode his horse every afternoon at the same time, but he hadn’t been there yesterday when she walked in the park with her aunts after a most uninspiring visit with Mr. Alfred Boyd. The man had been so boring, not even her aunt Mae was interested in him.

“What about you, Miss Hart? Were you surprised by Lord Tradesforke’s choosing couples for his May Day Fair Day event?”

Sophia cleared her throat and set her cup down on the tray. “I’m still so new to London, I think everything surprises me, my lord. I was just thinking I should send for hot tea. Would you like that?”

“Splendid idea,” he said. “Lord Snellingly told me that you like to have poetry read to you. Perhaps you could ask Miss Shevington to speak to your cook about the tea, and if she doesn’t mind, perhaps she could look for a book on poetry for me. I would love to read to you.” He turned to Mae. “Would you do that for us, Miss Shevington?”

Mae jumped up. “Oh, yes, of course, your lordship. I’d be happy to.”

Lord Bighampton rose too. “Thank you, Miss Shevington, so kind of you to be so willing.”

“Oh, no,” she said, beaming. “Not at all. I know exactly where the poetry books are in Sir Randolph’s book room. Did you have a favorite poet? I’m sure Sir Randolph will have it. His collection of books is quite extensive.”

“Any of them will do. I’ll leave it to you to choose.”

“I’ll take care of it right now,” she said eagerly, already halfway to the door. “And I’ll see to the tea too.”

“Take your time,” he called to her as she walked out of the drawing room.

Lord Bighampton surprised Sophia by sitting down very close to her on the settee. He picked up her hand from her lap and kissed it.

She smiled nervously as she pulled her hand away. “Now what were you saying about Lord Tradesforke?”

“Nothing of any consequence, Miss Hart,” he said, and without warning, grabbed her upper arms, jerked her to him, and planted his lips on hers.

Sophia was so stunned at first all she could do was shudder while his lips pressed harder and harder on hers. When she realized what was happening, she tried to pull away from the earl. His big, puffy hands tightened on her arms, alarming her. She flattened her hands on his chest and pushed as hard as she could, but he didn’t budge. She twisted her face away from his, but all that did was allow him to kiss her cheek, over her jaw, and down her neck.

She squirmed, and with the palms of her hands, tried to shove his full cheeks away from her face as she exclaimed, “What are you doing, my lord?”

“I’m kissing you, my dear,” the earl huffed breathlessly. “I know you are an innocent, but surely you know what a kiss is.”

Sophia jerked down hard with her arms and broke his hold on her. Wrenching her body to the side, she jumped up and rushed to the other side of the settee, putting it between them.

“How dare you, Lord Bighampton!” she admonished. “You should be ashamed of yourself for forcing a kiss on me.”

He rose from the sofa. “Then come willingly into my arms and favor me with another stirring kiss.”

Stirring
kiss?

“I will not. You are not behaving like a gentleman, my lord.”

Lord Bighampton quickly rounded the corner of the settee toward her. Sophia moved at a fast walk in order to keep the small sofa between them.

“I know ladies like to be chased, Miss Hart, but there is no time for that today. Miss Shevington will return soon.”

Not
soon
enough!

“I do not want to be chased,” she managed to huff out while she sped around the settee.

“I’ve already made my intentions clear to Sir Randolph, my sweet cherry blossom, and soon you will be mine.”

Sophia gasped. She rounded the corner of the settee again as the earl continued to pursue her. “I know nothing about your intentions. I have not agreed to marry you or anyone else.”

“You don’t have to,” he said, reaching out and grabbing hold of a ribbon on the waistline of her dress.

For a moment Sophia’s forward momentum was stopped, and she was yanked backward, but fearing she might be caught in his gripping arms again, she used all her strength to hurl away from him. The ribbon ripped from the fabric of her dress, but she safely darted away from him again.

“Your guardian and I will take care of everything. It’s merely a matter of formality, and we will be betrothed. Now, stop scampering away from me and stand still and let me kiss you again before Miss Shevington returns.”

“I will not allow you to kiss me again,” she said firmly, knowing that if he continued she would have to embarrass him and seek the aid of her aunts to control him.

Winded, Lord Bighampton stopped and held on to the back of the sofa. Sweat beaded his forehead and upper lip. “Stop this nonsense immediately, Miss Hart. I am quite out of breath. You might think it is amusing to lead me on a merry chase, but I do not. Now come let me kiss you.”

“Lord Bighampton, was there something you needed from my niece?”

Sophia let out a sigh of relief. She was never so thankful to hear her aunt June’s cold, judgmental voice.

The earl spun and cleared his throat loudly. He pulled on the hem of his coat and the cuffs of his shirtsleeves before saying, “No, Miss Shevington. I was just telling Miss Hart that it’s time I must be going.”

“Very well,” June said. “I’ll be happy to show you out.”

“Thank you,” he said and tried to pull the lapels of his coat together, but his large girth made that impossible. “Do say hello to Sir Randolph for me, Miss Hart. Tell him I’ll look forward to talking to him soon.”

Sophia refused to answer, and for once her aunt didn’t remind her of her manners.

The earl lifted his chin unusually high and strode out of the drawing room with her aunt on his heels. Sophia wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly chilled. She couldn’t believe she’d actually considered the possibility of making a match with that odious man. She would have to see Sir Randolph as soon as he came in and make sure he knew that she had no designs on Lord Bighampton and he could not be considered an acceptable match for her.

Sophia walked over to the window, brushed the sheer panel aside, and looked out at the hazy afternoon. Lord Bighampton was stomping toward his carriage. That meant she would soon have to make a choice between Lord Hargraves and Lord Snellingly. Neither man excited her senses.

A wave of sadness washed over her. She was caught in a trap of her own doing. The man she wanted was forbidden to her by her vow to her father. She couldn’t break that vow, and she had grave doubts any man would measure up to Matson. She feared the truth was that she had not only given her body to him, but her heart as well.

Mae walked in, carrying a book. “Where’s Lord Bighampton?”

Sophia turned away from the window. “Aunt June is seeing him out.”

“But I have a book of poetry by John Donne for him to read. I have hot tea coming.”

“Mae, where have you been?” June asked sharply as she walked into the drawing room.

Startled by her sister’s accusing tone, Mae stuttered for a moment before saying, “I was getting Lord Bighampton a book to read to Sophia, and I asked Cook to bring hot tea.”

“You left Sophia alone with Lord Bighampton, and he was not being a gentleman.”

“No,” Mae said, looking from Sophia to June. “What are you saying?”

“When I walked in, he was chasing her around the furniture, trying to kiss her!”

Mae looked stricken. “He wouldn’t.”

“He did,” June said. “I saw him. Thankfully, Sophia had the good sense to run from him.”

“Did he hurt you, Sophia?” Mae asked.

Sophia laughed lightly. “Of course not, Aunt Mae. I’m perfectly fine. I am not in the least traumatized by his behavior. Aunt June is making far too much of this. But I do think I will mark him off my list as a possible match.”

“You don’t think you’re being hasty, do you?” Mae asked. “He is so handsome and titled. I don’t think you can hold it against a gentleman for wanting to kiss you. That’s what men do.”

“That’s quite enough about kissing,” June said.

“I agree,” Sophia said. “Now, I know we don’t have another gentleman scheduled to call on me this afternoon, so would one of you mind walking with me in the park? It’s such a lovely day, and I feel the need to be outside for a little while.”

“Of course, dear,” her aunts said in unison.

“Good,” Sophia said. “I’ll go change my dress and get my bonnet and wrap.”

***

Matson sat atop his horse and surveyed St. James’s Park again. The blue sky and warm afternoon had brought many people out to enjoy a stroll or refreshments. He quickly scanned the faces of the people he could see, hoping to catch a glimpse of Sophia. He’d ridden all over the damn park twice, looking for her. He’d told her he rode Dash every afternoon about the same time. Surely she knew he wanted to see her.

Another oath of frustration whispered passed his lips. Except that he hadn’t ridden Dash yesterday or the day before, because he’d spent the entire day at Timsford’s Park, looking for that wretched little thief who had outsmarted him. Matson was determined to recover that brooch for Sophia. He wouldn’t rest until he did. He knew if he could find that brooch for her, the nightmares would leave her again.

Much to his dismay, he’d also missed seeing her at the parties he’d attended the past two nights. There were more than a half dozen parties each evening during the Season. He’d had no luck at trying to guess which one she would attend or at what time she would be there. Given how her aunts hovered over her, he would have thought they would be taking her to the larger parties, but if they had, Matson had missed her.

But this morning Matson woke knowing he couldn’t go another day without seeing Sophia. Even if it meant going to Sir Randolph’s house again and facing the wrath of Double and Trouble.

He half chuckled to himself. Had he really told Sophia he’d nicknamed her aunts? That wasn’t his finest hour, but neither was making love to her in a small boat. But there was no way either of them could have stopped what was happening between them that afternoon on the Serpentine. They had both wanted it. He had no regrets, but what about Sophia?

Did
she?

His stomach knotted, and he felt like a fist had lodged in his chest. Was that the reason he hadn’t seen her? Maybe she was remorseful. He wanted to see her and find out.

Matson started to knee his horse and make another pass through the park when he saw three women walking about one hundred yards away. His breath caught and held in his lungs. The ladies were Sophia and her aunts. They looked just as he’d seen them that first day on the street: the aunts walking on either side of her, guarding her as the ribbons on their parasols fluttered with each step they took.

He squeezed Dash’s flanks and headed the animal toward Sophia, but while about fifty yards away, he saw Sir Henry Braxton stop and talk to them. Matson halted Dash. No doubt the man was another possible beau for Miss Mae Shevington. He would wait until Sir Henry left before he approached them. He could enjoy looking at Sophia when she didn’t even know he was around.

Matson knew he was thunderstruck the first time he saw her, and that hadn’t changed. When she was around, he was sensitive to every move and every sound she made. Right now he ached to touch her.

She was the most intriguing woman he’d ever met. Something about the way she looked at him with those sparkling green eyes, smiled at him with those gorgeous lips, and took him to task over little matters as well as important things kept him coming back to her, when he should run as far away from her as possible. Sir Randolph had made it very clear he would be a part of her life. She was his heir, and Matson wanted no part of that man.