Lady In Disguise (The Langley Sisters) (10 page)

“Being a servant was what I was raised to do,” Luke said stubbornly.

“You can call me, Will, yet you still drive my bloody carriage. You lived as my equal for years yet now we are back in England you cannot make the acquaintance of a young lady who was once your friend? You, Luke Fletcher, are one of the best men I know, but you’re a bloody coward.” Will fought to hold his anger at bay. The main street of Twoaks was not the place to lose it.

“I have no wish to live a different life.” Luke said, his anger now boiling below the surface as Will’s was.

“And I say that’s horseshit!”

“Of course that’s your right, my lord.” Luke’s tone was lofty as he used Will’s title to taunt him.
 

“And what of your money, will you not use it for your family or yourself?”

“My family don’t want it, and it’s of no use to me so you use it,” Luke snapped.

“And what of Bella? Will you run and hide before she sees you?” This time it was Will doing the taunting.

Luke glared at him but Will stood his ground.
 

“Excuse me, I shall retrieve the carriage and collect Freddy.”

“I have one of our men driving it, Luke, so there is no need,” Will said as he turned away.

“I am one of your men now and also your driver and I’m fairly sure that you’ll end up in a ditch if I’m not holding the ribbons.”

The words were delivered slowly through Luke’s clenched front teeth.

“Stubborn fool,” Will said, watching his friend stalk away from him. Sucking a large cold breath of air into his lungs, he pushed Luke from his head, he would deal with him later for now he was going to follow the Langley sisters.
 

“I know where you wander, Miss Langley,” he whispered as they turned towards the baker, in minutes he was lengthening his stride to intercept them.
 

“Good morning, Olivia, Phoebe and Isabella,” Will said, sweeping off his hat and bowing deeply to the three pretty ladies before him.

“My lord, how wonderful to see you again.”

Why did he think Olivia’s greeting lacked enthusiasm?

“Again, Livvy? Surely you have not seen Lord Ryder since his return?”

Will watched Phoebe shoot a frantic glance at her elder sister and wasn’t sure why.

“I saw Lord Ryder at the cemetery a few days ago, Phoebe, I forgot to tell you.”

“Oh, well that explains it then.” Phoebe gave him a wide smile.
 

If Phoebe Langley ever tired of being a lady, she could easily take up a career as a courtesan. Even at fifteen she had exuded naughtiness, from the tip of her head to the soles of her satin slippers. Now she was a sultry woman, all curves, pouty lips and creamy complexion, and the look in her brown eyes suggested she knew exactly what a man was thinking when they looked at her. There was no doubting that she had grown into an exceptionally beautiful woman, yet he would not be joining her admirers, it was the eldest Langley sister who drew his eye.
 

“It is a pleasure to meet with you again,” Phoebe purred, lowering her long lashes.

Will guessed that flirting to Phoebe Langley was like breathing to every other woman.

“Hello, Isabella, it seems not just Thea has blossomed in my absence,” Will said, moving to take the youngest Langley’s gloved hand and kissing the back. Luke was right, she was beautiful, and like his sister she too was now a young lady deserving attention. Isabella had soft green eyes and two dimples in her cheeks and she was a close rival to her sisters for beauty, however if one really looked, they could see the pain etched deep inside. He noted that she was leaning heavily on a sturdy walking stick and felt a tug of sympathy that so much had changed in her life since he had left.
 

“Thea must be very happy you are home, my lord,” she said.

“Yes I believe she is, Isabella, as am I.”

“May I ask how Luke is?”

The look of yearning in Isabella’s eyes when she mentioned Luke was the same as his had been when he’d spoken of her.
 

“He is well and I’m sure you will see him soon,” Will said, determined to make it so.

“We are just about to purchase some of Mr Evan’s cinnamon buns,” Phoebe said, interrupting them.

“Are you?” Will sighed. “I dreamed of those buns for years.”

“They are still Livvy’s favourites,” Phoebe said, which made Will once again look at Olivia. The cool air had put a flush in her cheeks and she looked as every young lady should today: happy and trouble free. Well, she had looked that way before his arrival, now a line had formed between her eyes as she scowled at him.

“We shall detain you no longer, my lord, as I’m sure you have much to do.” Her voice was cold enough to dissuade most people. However, he was not most people.

“Actually,” Will said, walking beside Olivia as she continued on to the bakery. “I am waiting for someone, and I can think of nothing I’d like more than eating a cinnamon bun with old friends to pass the time.”

Taking her elbow, he manoeuvred her around a horse that was stomping his hooves in agitation.

“We will not be stopping to eat them, my lord, as we are charged with tending the church flowers in Mrs Popplehinge’s absence.” Olivia quickly moved away from his touch to clutch the door handle of the bakery.
 

“Surely you do not expect me to stand idly by when pretty ladies are in need of nourishment?” Will placed both his hands on Olivia’s waist, lifting her off her feet he set her down beside her sisters who stood silently watching him. “Wait here with your sisters and I shall return shortly with the buns,” he added, winking to Phoebe and Isabella, who dutifully giggled. In seconds he had disappeared inside the shop.

“You have to admit that was neatly done,” Phoebe said, her eyes on the now closed bakery door. “Perhaps between us we could simply lift Livvy out of the way when she becomes trying.”

“The idea has merits,” Bella laughed.

“H—how dare he handle me like that!”
 

Phoebe peered under the brim of Livvy’s bonnet. “You sound like one of the heroines in Bella’s books.”

“I—I, have no wish for him to buy us food,” Livvy stammered.
 

“Three of Mr Evan’s buns are hardly that, Livvy, you are overreacting to Lord Ryder’s kind gesture, and that is not like you, especially as you have already declared you no longer have any feelings for him. Now hush, because here he comes.”

 
“They had a new flavour called the plum bun, so I got a few of those as well.” Will joined the Langley sisters once again with a large package balanced in one hand. Phoebe and Bella took one each, Olivia however stood with her hands at her sides.

“Take a bun, Olivia.” He could tell that she wanted to say no, so he lifted them closer so that she could smell them. “Take one.”
 

“Thank you.” Will swallowed his smile as she reluctantly gave in.

“Would I be imposing on you lovely ladies if I accompanied you to the church? It has been many years since I entered its hallowed walls and my black soul is well deserving of a good cleansing.”

“I don’t think you will enjoy—”

“Of course!” Phoebe and Bella cried over the top of their sister, who had been about to refuse him. Both then struck out in the direction of the church, leaving her with no choice but to walk beside him.
 

Taking a large bite, Will moaned. Swallowing, he then took another. He had been right, they were the best buns in the world. His mouth was alive with the taste of cinnamon and currents. Beside him Olivia was daintily nibbling on a piece she had pulled off her bun. She briefly closed her eyes as she swallowed, a small smile played around her lips. The tip of her pink tongue appeared to lick a bit of sugar from the corner of her mouth and Will felt lust bolt through his body as he imagined that tongue licking him. Studying her bun, she then tore of another piece and repeated the entire process. Will had been propositioned in several different languages in some very imaginative ways, however watching Olivia Langley eat a cinnamon bun was the most arousing thing he had ever witnessed.

“I must thank you for the buns, Lord Ryder.”

Pulling his eyes from her mouth he looked at the back of Isabella’s head and felt his ardour cool. One did not lust after a woman when her two younger sisters walked before them.
 

“That wasn’t so hard now was it?”

“What wasn’t so hard?” she questioned, looking up at him. Hell, she had a sprinkling of sugar on her bottom lip. Memories of that lip beneath his nearly dropped him to his knees.

“Thanking me,” he said gruffly.

“I am not so rag-mannered that I would not thank you, my lord, even though I had no wish for you to purchase us buns.”

Will tipped his hat as a carriage carrying an elderly couple passed by and then looked down at Olivia once again. Thank god the sugar had gone.

“You had no wish for me to purchase you buns, or had no wish for anyone to purchase you buns?” he queried.

She tore off another piece and popped it into her mouth, making a small humming noise of appreciation.
 

“Tea is the best accompaniment to have with cinnamon buns, my lord,” she said, ignoring his question. She was good at that.

“I loathe tea.”

She looked at him, lifting one delicate eyebrow.
 

“Englishmen do not loathe tea, Lord Ryder.”

“This one does… passionately. I developed a taste for coffee when I was away.”

“Lord Ryder, do wait up!”

Will looked up as the loud voice reached him and saw several women hurrying towards them.

“Don’t look now, my lord, but three of the town’s most eligible young ladies are bearing down upon you,” Phoebe said. “I’m afraid escape is impossible at this point,” she added, her eyes alight with laughter.

“Dear God,” Will whispered as the woman smiled and waved at him. Leaning closer to Isabella and Phoebe he said, “I purchased you buns, therefore you owe me a favour, and I call in that favour now.”

“Oh, this should be good,” Phoebe said.

“I am begging you, do not leave me alone with those women.”

“I’m sure you will cope admirably, my lord, considering your past record with women, these three should not present you with any problems,” Olivia said, her tone prim.
 

 
“If you stay I shall have a dozen cinnamon buns delivered to you by sunset.”

“Done!” Livvy said promptly, Will then watched as she turned to greet the approaching woman.

“Lady Hemplewaite-Brown, Miss Chillervy, and Miss Smythe, how wonderful to see you again.”

She changed before his eyes into a giggling, chatting young lady. She was even fluttering one gloved hand around, mimicking the others. He remembered this Olivia, the fun loving, sweet temptress that had once enthralled him.

“It’s so seldom I see Livvy that way anymore, it always takes me by surprise,” Bella said, looking at the group of women that now included Phoebe.

“Why do you not see her like this anymore?” Will questioned, feeling his stomach tighten as Livvy giggled, the sound was sweet and clear.

“It won’t work, though,” Bella added, ignoring his question just like her older sister often did.
 

“What won’t work?”
 

“They won’t be deterred for long, especially by Livvy and Phoebe.”

Pulling his eyes from the soft skin at the base of Olivia’s neck, Will looked at Isabella.

“Why?” he questioned, she however just raised her brows and looked steadily back at him. Turning to the women he studied them closely, and immediately understood what Isabella was getting at.

The Langley women could wear flour sacks and be beautiful; it was in their soft skin and the way the carried themselves. They were bone deep beautiful and that would not sit well with other women. He turned back to Isabella and took her arm and placed it through his.

“Your beauty rivals your sisters, Isabella, never forget that,” he said, leading her slowly forward until they, too, stood in the chatting cooing circle of women.

 
“Lord Ryder. At last you have returned to us!”

“Ladies.” Will offered them a bow as he removed his hat.

He only had a vague idea of who all three women were as they could only be seventeen or eighteen at the most—making them considerably younger when he had left England, thus not someone who had caught the attentions of a selfish rake.
 

“Are you attending the social gatherings during the Christmas season, my lord, starting with the assembly here in town in three days’ time?”

“Ah, assembly?” Will said, looking at Olivia who just smiled back at him in that smug sort of way that suggested she was enjoying this—him, caught off guard. Well it may have been a few years since he had faced English society misses, yet he had socialized in India and remembered what was required of him.

“Here in town,” the blonde one, who he thought was named Miss Chillervy, stated.