Her Sudden Groom (18 page)

The day dragged by, and when he could finally wait no longer, he left to get Caroline.

“
Mr. Banks,” Marcus’ butler, Chapman, intoned when he greeted Alex at the door. “Lord Sinclair would like a word with you, sir.”

Alex frowned. “Very well. In his study, I presume.”

“
Yes, sir.”

Alex walked down the hall impatiently, hoping Marcus hadn’t changed his mind. “You wanted to see me?”

Marcus was sitting behind his desk. There was only one candlestick burning, giving off just enough light for Marcus to see his work. “Yes, I did, Alex. You’re actually later than I expected.”

“
I had a lot to do this afternoon,” Alex said inanely, glancing at the clock on the mantle to confirm he was only thirty minutes early for the time he’d told Caroline.

“
Yes, well, you occupied yourself longer than I’d thought you might.”

Alex stared unblinkingly at his friend. What was that supposed to mean? Was he supposed to be here earlier? Or did Marcus think Alex was a slobbering suitor who could do nothing but paw at Caroline’s skirts all day?

“
I meant no offense, Alex,” Marcus said, putting his quill down. “I just wanted to talk to you before you left.”

Alex sat in an empty chair. “Have you changed your mind?”

“
No. She may go. I wanted to ask a favor of you.” Marcus shifted in his seat. “We both know the events of this evening are highly unusual. Generally speaking, nobody in his right mind would allow such an outing. But I think I know you well enough to know you’d not do anything with her you shouldn’t.” He glanced away and the edges of his scarred face turned an unusual shade of pink. “The crux of it is, Alex, I know you have no plans to shame her, but anyone else who might learn of this might not. Caroline doesn’t have a suitable chaperone to accompany her in her travels tonight. Normally her maid goes with her, but tonight she can’t. She has to stay and help Olivia bathe or some other such nonsense.” He exhaled and flicked a glance out the window. “Just promise me if someone finds the two of you, you’ll take her immediately to Gretna Green.”

Alex nodded. He had no problems with Marcus’ request. “If she’s not back by breakfast, assume that’s where we’ve gone.” He stood up to leave.

“
Oh, wait a minute, if you will,” Marcus called. “I’ve something else to ask you.”

He turned back around. “Yes?”

“
What do you know of E. S. Wilson?”

Alex twisted his lips and bit the inside of his cheek in contemplation. “Not a lot, I fear. He started anonymously writing articles for
Popular Plants
about four years ago or so. I didn’t recognize the name and spent nearly two years trying to track him down, to no avail. The editors told me he sends in a batch of articles every few months. Other than that, they have no idea who he is, where he lives, or even his education.”

“
Seems to be a recluse,” Marcus suggested.

Snorting, Alex nodded. “More of one than you, it would seem. You’re at least possible to locate. He’s not.”

Marcus chuckled. “That seems to bother you.”

“
Damn straight it does,” he said, falling back into the chair he’d vacated less than a moment earlier. “I wanted to compare notes and discuss with him an experiment I was doing, but the man seems to be as elusive as the rainbow.”

“
Besides your clear irritability at his elusiveness, it sounds as if you value his opinion.” Marcus’ mouth stretched into a smile that made Alex feel like they were fifteen and carefree again.

“
I do value his opinion,” Alex conceded. “At first I did all his experiments to find a flaw. But now, after more than a year and a half, I have to admit his work wasn’t flawed at all.”

“
Do you still replicate his experiments regularly?”

“
Of course!” He loosened his cravat then pressed his elbows into his knees and leaned forward as if he were about to entrust Marcus with some highly confidential state secret. “He researches things I’d never thought to pick apart before. For example, last month he suggested—”

Marcus held up his hand to halt Alex’s longwinded speech. “I don’t need to hear it.”

“
Right,” Alex clipped, remembering who he was talking to. His eyes narrowed on Marcus. “You’re not him, are you?”

“
No. I’m afraid not,” Marcus said with a slight shake of his head. “Caroline mentioned him the other night. She said I needed to get her a subscription to that horticulture circular you read because everyone at your organization reads the articles by this fellow.” He shrugged carelessly. “I thought he might a friend of yours.”

“
No, he’s not. But, oh how I wish he were.”

Marcus grinned. “All these years certainly haven’t done much to change you. Caroline is upstairs. She’s ready to go when you are. If you hurry, you can collect her without Olivia plaguing you.”

“
I’ll be on my way, then.” Alex stood and walked to the door. His feet barely across the threshold, and he turned back around. “Marcus,” he said quietly, trying in vain to push away the gentleman inside him that was prompting him to say his next words. “Do you think I’m doing your sister wrong by jilting her for her cousin?”

“
No,” Marcus said firmly. “What you’re doing is perfectly fine. There was that addendum, remember?”

“
I remember. I just don’t want everyone to hate me when this was all over.”

“
Nobody will. Not even Olivia,” Marcus assured him. “Now, go get Caroline.”

With a nod, Alex left the room and followed Chapman to the private sitting room Caroline was occupying. He was pleasantly surprised to find Marcus had been right and he hadn’t encountered Lady Olivia when he went into the sitting room. He made a quick greeting to Miss Green and escorted her outside along with Caroline.

Miss Green’s carriage was waiting and, after she said a quick goodbye to Caroline, Alex helped her ascend.

“
Are you ready?” he asked, turning back to Caroline.

“
Yes.” She nodded her head wildly. “Where’s your carriage?” She craned her neck, looking for his invisible carriage.

Hell’s afire, in all his excitement, he’d ridden his horse, completely forgetting he’d need the carriage. Good thing she didn’t have a chaperone or that would make for one very uncomfortable ride. “I thought we’d share a horse. We’ll get there faster.”

“
Oh, all right,” she agreed, blushing furiously.

“
Your skirts are going to be a problem,” he said thoughtfully. “You’ll have to sit sideways on top of my lap.” He looked around for a large rock or a something she could stand on to mount the horse, or him, as the case may be.

“
There’s a stump over there,” she said, pointing.

“
Excellent.” Alex walked his horse to the stump and mounted. “Now, stand on the stump and I’ll help pull you on.”

She stepped up on the stump, and in one quick motion, he pulled her petite frame onto his lap. She immediately wiggled, presumably to get used to her seat.

He groaned and urged the horse to go. The sooner they left, the sooner his torture would end.

She wiggled again. “Alex, there’s something prodding me,” she said, inadvertently making the situation worse by shifting yet again.

“
I know,” he said hoarsely. “Just be still.”

“
But I can’t,” she protested. “Something hard is pressing into my underside.” She moved one of her hands to her hip and tried to push her fingers between them.

“
Stop,” he barked.

Her big blue eyes met his and her fingers stilled. “I just wanted to move it,” she explained. “I’ll not be comfortable until it goes away.”

“
Neither will I,” he muttered under his breath. “Be still and it will go away shortly.”

“
How do you know?”

He coughed. For a girl who claimed to have an interest in biological matters, she sure was naive. “I just do,” he explained evasively.

She looked at him and he avoided eye contact. “Oh, Alex, I’m so sorry,” she said suddenly, clapping a hand across her mouth. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I didn’t realize I was sitting on your erection.”

He choked on his laughter. “I do believe that’s the first time I’ve ever heard anyone of your sex use that word.”

She shrugged. “That’s what it’s called, isn’t it?”

“
Yes. Yes, it is.” He grinned. “Now, be still so it will go away.”

“
Right. Sorry.” Less than a minute later, she looked back up at him. “Alex, how long does it normally last?”

“
That all depends on you,” he said silkily.

“
Me?”

“
Yes, you. I could be in this state for hours or a matter of minutes. It all depends on you,” he murmured in her ear, then dropped a kiss on the spot where her shoulder met her neck.

She gasped. “Really?”

“
Really,” he whispered. “You have power over me you don’t even know how to use. But one day you will. I promise.”

Her body shivered. “I look forward to discovering it.”

“
I do, too. But for now, you need to be still so our guest will depart company.”

Forty-five torturous minutes later, the gazebo came into view.

He slowed his horse. “This is it,” he said, bringing his stallion to a stop by a big tree nearby. “Let me help you down.” With an ease he didn’t feel, he helped her get her feet on the ground.

“
Thank you,” she murmured, shaking out her skirt.

He jumped down. “Why don’t you go over there and wait. I’ll be right there.” He tied the reins loosely around a low limb of the tree then walked to the gazebo. He opened the door and held it for her. “After you, my dear Caro.”

She stepped into the moonlit room, Alex a step behind her.

“
Pardon me,” he said, stepping past her to light the three candles he’d put in there earlier. “I’ve brought out several of my newer books if you’d like to have a look.” On a long plank of wood that was just part of the construction of the gazebo, he’d laid out four books, all open to pages about lunar eclipses. There wasn’t a lot of room inside the gazebo, really only enough room for one person to be in here comfortably. With the two of them in such a cramped space, it was difficult to move without bumping into each other. He smiled. Perhaps the lack of space wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

Caroline barely glanced at his books before she climbed the ladder to look through the telescope. “What’s the story behind the ladder, Alex?” she asked from ten feet in the air.

He
tsk, tsked.
“As a good student of astronomy, you should know the history of the ladder.”

She looked down at him and contorted her face in a way that made him chuckle. “I prefer to study the stars when I use my telescope, not the history of how a ladder was used.”

He smiled at her frankness, then said, “Though my main academic of preference is science, and math naturally, history falls a short second. Nobody really knows that, though.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Anyway, I like to keep things historically correct if I can. Including how I set up my telescope. Early astronomers didn’t have tripods or stands like we do. Instead, they’d place ladders in front of their windows and if they wanted to see a different section of the sky, they’d move the telescope to a different rung.”

“
Fascinating.” She looked through the eyepiece then moved a lever. The telescope tube moved up, down, and sideways. “Hmm, Mr. Banks, I do believe you’ve cheated.”

“
I have not,” he said in mock indignation. “I merely said I set up my telescope to be historically correct. It wouldn’t be functional if I’d made it truly correct. I’d spend most of my night moving the thing up and down the ladder. I’d miss everything of any importance. No, I just put the ladder there to raise the scope in the air and make it appear historically correct.”