Blood Lust (16 page)

“I cannot imagine you having trouble attracting a woman.”

“A woman is one thing, my lady. A wife is quite another.”

“For a time, I thought you might be interested in Elizabeth Stanwick.” She ran her hand along the stone railing, feeling the cool surface beneath her gloves.

“You are very plainspoken, my lady.” His mouth curved up into a smile.

“I warned you of that, my lord.”

He sighed. “My family was opposed to the notion of a match between us. They prefer an alliance with a member of the nobility, but in truth I found myself taken with Elizabeth. For whatever reasons, Miss Stanwick has made it clear that her interests lie in another direction.”

He surely didn’t mean Benjamin. There was no comparison between the two men.

“Aside from Elizabeth Stanwick, there is only one other woman who interests me and that woman, my lady, is you.”

“You are telling me that you would prefer to wd Elizabeth Stanwick, but that I might possibly do instead?”

She laughed softly. Thank god she wasn’t in love with the rascal. It was hardly gratifying to be the man’s second choice.

He cursed under his breath. “That is not at all what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean, my lord?”

“I meant that I believe you and I would suit. It is purely as simple as that. You were betrothed to the duke of Sussex, yet I do not for a moment believe it was a love match. I may not be a duke, but I am an earl and a wealthy man. I would like you to consider my offer. If you are interested, we can both put an end to these tedious rounds of parties and get on with our lives.”

Katherine said nothing. The earl was certainly a outspoken man. He was handsome and wealthy, he would serve her purpose better than any man she could think of. The earl was the answer to her prayers, but yet it was William’s image that appeared in her mind. She thought of the last time with him, the day they had made love. Clasping her hands together, she looked up at the earl.

“You have taken me by surprise, my lord. I do hope you will allow me some time to consider.”

“I wouldn’t want a lengthy betrothal, Katherine. I need a wife and I want an heir. I find that I’m impatient, how that my mind is made up.”

She turned away from him, assessing those eyes of his, but he caught her chin and turned her to face him.

“I’ll make you a good husband, Katherine. You are a beautiful woman and I desire you. Later on, as the years pass, I’ll be discreet in my affairs. I’ll never embarrass you as Benjamin Spencer would have. Think about it. I believe we could make a good life together.”

Katherine watched him. This was exactly what she had wanted, and yet. . .”Is my dowry important to you, my lord?”

She would not have asked another man. She would have been afraid to take the risk. The earl wasn’t a man she would dare to deceive.

He looked at her for a moment, then shook his head.

“
No, I would have wed Elizabeth, a woman not of noble birth. If you were penniless, I would still choose you. I want a wife who suits me and a good mother for my sons. I believe you would served well at both.”

“I suppose that is some sort of compliment and yet I feel oddly disconcerted. Perhaps the truth is harder to swallow than I had believed. Perhaps, like most women, I would rather be wooed with falsehoods than this.”

“If it makes you feel better, I would not have spoken this way to any other woman. It is only out of respect for you that I did so tonight.” His eyes softened as he spoke.

Katherine smiled at him. “I suppose you are right, my lord. Perhaps we would suite. I promise I shall give it some thought.”

He lifted her hand and pressed his mouth against the back of her hand. “Thank you, my lady. Now I believe we should go back in before the gossips have another field day at our expense.”

“Yes, yes we should.” As she walked back inside the house, the knowing glances that swept over them said it was already too late.

Chapter Twelve

The article in the newspaper caught William’s eye. He read it once, then read it again. Had a certain earl, it asked, succumbed to the enticing charisma of the charming Lady K? they had been seen in company on a number of recent occasions. The earl was looking for a wife and according to the article, the lady in question also seemed eager for the match.

William cursed to himself. Damn her. She had only just climbed out of bed with him and already she was dallying with another. The thought angered him. He couldn’t remember when a woman had made him so angry. But then again, Katherine had a way of doing just that.

For the remainder of the day, she haunted his thoughts and his temper remained at just below boiling. My God, did the lady have ice running through her veins? Had she cared nothing for him? Perhaps their one hasty tryst had simply given her a taste for more.

By evening he had fueled himself into a slow-burning fury. For weeks he had been lusting after her, and yet he had left her alone. She was an innocent, he’d reasoned, he had already taken enough from her.

“Damn her!”

William began to pace around the room, when a knock sounded at the door.

“Are you ready?” Dressed entirely in black, Damien stood in the hallway.

“More than ready. One moment more in the cursed abode and I shall burst.”

Damien laughed. “The carriage awaits. We shall find him this night, I am certain. The man cannot elude us forever.”

William hoped they would find him tonight. He was itching for a fight.

“Where are we going?” he asked. They had narrowed down the list, but so far had made little progress.

“An alehouse called The Crows Nest.”

They’d have to be careful, take is slow. If this fellow, Avery deducted the reason they searched for him, he would run. They couldn’t afford for him to escape.

“Perhaps we’ll get lucky tonight,” William said, climbing into the carriage Damien had rented. They knew they would look out of place, even though they both had dressed simply and wore well worn clothes. They had to let it be known that they were searching for Avery in order to hire him. The task they had in mind required a special skill and they had heard that he was the man for the job. William hoped that Avery was arrogant enough to buy it.

It didn’t take long to reach the alehouse, a true den of thieves, located off a filthy alley. A wooden sign hung above the door, it’s red paint peeling. It was well past midnight, the place crowded with drunken men.

William shoved his way through the door and tried to ignore the stench of gin-soaked bodies. It was even harder to shove back the memories that rose as swiftly as the stench.

“Hello there.” A redhead walked up to him the moment he entered the room. “Buy a gal a drink? I promise you won’t be sorry.”

William smiled, though it was all he could do not to push the woman away as she reeked of gin and stale smoke that hovered in patches above the tables, beneath the low beams. Instead he slid an arm around her waist.

“A tankard of ale for the lady and one for my friend here.”

The woman grinned. “Right, I’ll be back before you can snap your fingers.” She was gone as fast as she had appeared, leaving William to survey the room.

“God, I hate places like this.”

Damien eyed him. “I daresay I’ve been to spots I prefer. Though it isn’t surprising a man like Avery would enjoy a place like this.”

“Here you are gents.” she set down the pewter mugs on the scarred wooden table. “When you’re finished, I’ll take you upstairs for a tumble for a bit of coin.”

William forced another smile. “As much as I’d like to, I’m afraid we’re here on business. Perhaps you might be able to help us.”

“What kind of business?”

“We’re looking for a man named Avery,” Damien said. “We’ve got a job for him that pays quite well. You’ve heard of him?”

“I have.”

Damien dropped coins between the plump mounds rising between the neckline of her blouse. When she giggled and fished it out, William caught a glimpse of her red-rouged nipples.

“So it is Avery who brings you here. Well he has been out of town for a bit. Word is that he’s due back at the end of the week. He’ll come here when he does. He lives in a garret upstairs. I can see he gets your message.”

Damien slid another coin between her breasts. “Tell him we’ll be back at might night next Tuesday.”

William added a coin of his own. “Tell him it will be well worth his while.”

“I’ll tell him. You can count of me. I promise you that.”

William smiled. “Thank you. We’ll see you next week.”

They left the alehouse, and outside William paused to take in a breath of fresh air. It wasn’t much better than the air inside. Still he was glad to be out of that place. Hopefully, Avery’s greed would bring him to their meeting.

“I don’t want to ruin the evening,” Damien said, once they were back in the rented carriage. “but there is a chance that even if we get hold of Avery, what he tells us may not lead to Benjamin.”

William’s eyes turned to Damien’s face, which moved in and out of the shadow as the carriage rolled along in the moonlight. “I know.”

But he was no longer thinking of the man. That problem he would face next week. Another, more pressing matter had returned to the forefront of his mind and he meant to do something about it.

Damien’s voice broke the silence in the carriage. “The night is young. We could stop for a drink.”

“Sorry Damien, I’m afraid I’ll have to pass.” He rapped on the top of the carriage. “Take me to Yale Square,” he called up to the driver, and in the shadows, Damien lifted a dark brow.

“Lady Katherine?”

“Yes. The lady and I have some unfinished business”

Damien smiled. “I see.”

William wondered if he did, wondered how he could when it wasn’t all that clear to him. Whatever the case, little more was said between them and eventually the carriage turned onto the square.

“Take me down the alley behind the house,” William instructed the driver.

“Good luck,” Damien called softly as he walked away, but William’s thoughts were already focused on the lady he hoped to find upstairs.

Unfortunately, when he checked the carriage house, the coach was missing. Katherine was probably attending the lavish house party being given by a certain earl. Everyone who was anyone in town was bound to be there. Since her arrival in London, Katherine had made a practice of placing herself in the middle of such affairs.

William wouldn’t have guessed her to be so taken with Society when she had been at the lodge. Obviously he was mistaken.

Clamping his jaw, he made his way among the shadows, moving quietly through the garden until he reached the rear of the house. She would be home sooner or later he reasoned. Patience wasn’t one of his virtues, but if he had good cause, he could be a very patient man.

Ignoring the chill in the house, Katherine climbed the stairs. Coal was expensive and they could no longer afford to heat empty rooms, and Thomas had already retired to his bedchamber.

Pulling her satin-trimmed pelerine from her shoulders, Katherine pushed open the door to her bedchamber and walked in. Her lady hurried in behind her to light the lamps and start a fire and then helped her undress.

Did you have a good time, my lady?”

“As good as could be expected, considering.”

After helping her undress, Katherine dismissed her lady, telling her, “It’s all right. I can do the rest myself. Go back to your bed before it gets cold and try to get some sleep.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’ll be fine. Now go.”

“Thanks be to ye, my lady.”

Her maid left the room closing he door behind her. Katherine sat down at her dressing table and began to pull the pins out of her hair. It fell down to her waist and she picked up her bristle brush to begin brushing it when a disturbance at her window caused her to stop. Turning in that direction, Katherine gasped as the shadow of a man took shape on the balcony. The doors swung open and a tall broad-shouldered figure stepped into the room.

“William!” Katherine jumped to her feet, her heart pounding. “William! What are you doing here?”

In the glow of the lamplight he came closer. “Why, I came to see you, my lady. Aren’t you glad to see me?”

“Of course I am glad, I’ve been worried about you. I was afraid someone would discover who you are.”

He started toward her, his masculine features overwhelming an otherwise feminine room. He was simply dressed, as any commoner would be, yet she had never seen a more handsome man.

When he reached the place in front of her, Katherine stared into his face, taking in his chiseled male features, her breath wedged somewhere in her throat.

“The hour is late,” he said, his eyes roaming over her thin chemise. “You must have enjoyed the evening.”

She began to feel her cheeks heat up as he boldly appraised her scanty attire. Turning away from him, she reached for her silk wrapper and pulled in on, fastening several buttons in the front.

“The evening was not one of my favorites. Truth be known, I would have preferred to have stayed home.”