Never Wager Against Love (Kellington Book Three) (30 page)

“Married!” said Mrs. Carter, clearly disbelieving his every
word.  “There’s only one reason a toff such as ye would be in this house with a
gel like her, and it ain’t marriage.  Are you one of the ones who was in her
room last night?  Made so much noise, kep’ me awake, they did.”

“What are you talking about, Mrs. Carter?” asked Vanessa. 
“Who was in my room last night?”

“I figured it was ye and one of yer ‘betrotheds.’  I shoulda
called the Watch…”

Vanessa didn’t hear whatever else the woman said, because
she was already running up the stairs, with Arthur close behind.

“Wait, Vanessa!” he hissed.  “Let me do this.  You go back
and call the Watch.”

“Not bloody likely!” she said, as she ran up the next flight
of stairs, then stopped before a door that was slightly cracked.  She reached
in her reticule and pulled out one of the pistols they’d borrowed from
Dumbarton.

She opened the door, to find the tiny room in complete
disarray.  Whoever had been in there had emptied the contents of her small
chest of drawers and the basket that had been on the table she used as a desk.
Her pallet had been slashed and the ticking was strewn across the room.  The
chair was upended.  Everything that might have hidden something the size of the
chalice had been thoroughly searched.  But even more distressingly, the few
articles of clothing she owned had been shredded and thrown around the room.

Arthur pulled her to his chest in an embrace.  “This wasn’t
the work of ordinary thieves,” he said, as he kissed the top of her head.

She nodded.  “Thieves would have taken everything to sell. 
Mortimer and Cassidy were here looking for the chalice.”

“Will you come back to Lynwood House with me now?” asked
Arthur softly.

“Yes,” she said.  “But only temporarily, Arthur.  Only
temporarily.”

*                    *                    *

The Kellingtons were disturbed to hear what had happened to
Vanessa’s home, and intrigued by the reactions of Sir Lawrence, Lord Willingham
and Professor Dumbarton upon learning about the chalice.  They were having yet
another family meeting in Lynwood’s study, with Riverton and Inspector
Stapleton in attendance.

“Obviously, one of them was lying,” said Hal.  “He had to
know the chalice was still missing.”

“Perhaps not,” said Stapleton.  “Mortimer and Cassidy might
not have told the man.  I believe it was they who broke into Miss Gans’s room,
presumably to look for the chalice.  They probably wanted to recover it before
whoever hired them learned it was no longer in their possession.”

“We need to find a way to draw them to Lynwood House,” said
Ned.  “And before you raise your objections again, Miss Gans, out of deference
to my wife and child, I assure you they will be well-guarded, will they not,
Liam?”

“More than a dozen footmen and grooms are on their way here
from Lynwood Manor.  I will not allow anyone under my roof to be harmed in any
way,” said Lynwood, every inch the duke.

“If we’re too well guarded, won’t it discourage the villain
from breaking in and stealing the cup?” asked Jane.

“That’s why this may take a while,” said Arthur.  “We must
have patience to outlast whoever it is.”

“I have an idea,” said Lizzie.  “Liam, you said you wanted
to throw Riverton and me a betrothal ball, did you not?”

“Yes,” said her eldest brother, “and I believe your response
was ‘hang it all, I just want to be married as soon as possible’.”               

“Well, that is still true.  But what if we were to have the
dratted ball anyway?  Perhaps the villain behind this would choose that as the
time to break in, thinking it would be an excellent distraction.”

The entire room was silent, with everyone looking at Lizzie
in varying states of shock.

Riverton broke the silence.  “My love, are you saying you
want to have a betrothal ball in hopes it will be disrupted by violent
criminals breaking into Lynwood’s safe?”

“Yes.  But that doesn’t mean I value our betrothal any
less.  I would just like to get this entire affair settled, so that you and I
can finally be married.  I think it’s a splendid idea.  One of the best I’d
ever had, in fact.”

“Considering your political treatise was the last grand idea
you came up with, this one’s not half bad,” said Ned.

“It could work,” said Stapleton, “provided you allow me to
cover the house and grounds with agents from Bow Street to ensure everyone’s
safety.”

Vanessa found it difficult to speak.  “Lady Elizabeth –
Lizzie – while I am more appreciative than words can express, this could ruin
your ball.  Even if no one is injured, and there’s certainly no guarantee of
that, if we do successfully draw these villains into the open, it will be
mayhem.  Hardly the kind of occasion to commemorate your betrothal.”

“Vanessa, if these villains infiltrate my ball, it will be
the most talked-about event for years to come.  It may even give the old
biddies something to gossip about other than my political activities.  And,
really, I don’t care one whit for the formal trappings of my betrothal.  All I
want is to marry Marcus.”  With that, she reached up and kissed him on the
cheek.

Hal groaned.  “I say we go ahead with the plan, just so we
can marry her off quicker.”

“That’s another thing,” said Vanessa.  “A ball takes months
to plan.  We must conclude this quickly.”

“Not to worry,” said Lizzie.  “Heskiss?”  She looked over at
the butler, who’d been standing by the door.  “We can throw a ball in two days’
time, can we not?”

Vanessa wasn’t sure, but it appeared the servant’s face
blanched.  “Of course, Lady Elizabeth, it would be our pleasure.”  With that,
he bowed himself out of the room.  And, if Vanessa was not mistaken, she heard
him running to the servants’ quarters.

“But, even if the ball could be organized,” said Vanessa,
“who would come on such short notice?”

“Everyone,” said Lynwood.

*                    *                    *

That night, as Vanessa got into her extremely comfortable
bed with the down comforter and silk sheets, she thought about the events of
the evening.  It was extraordinary how the Kellingtons came together to help
each other.  And they’d been so kind to her.  While Vanessa originally had had no
plans to attend the ball, thinking it would be better to lie in wait near the
safe, Arthur had immediately said that would never do.  They had invited
Dumbarton, Sir Lawrence and Willingham.  If any of the three saw she wasn’t in
attendance, they would suspect a trap.  Then, anticipating her second objection,
Lizzie said that since Vanessa’s clothing had all been ripped to shreds, she
would be happy to lend her a ball gown and arrange to have her
modiste
come around the next day to fit her.  Lizzie must have realized that even if
Vanessa’s clothing had not been destroyed, she wouldn’t have had anything nice
enough to wear to the ball.  Even the gowns Arthur had bought her would not be
elegant enough for an occasion such as that.

Vanessa turned over and tried to sleep.  It was hard not to
think of Arthur in the very next room.  If their scheme somehow worked and they
caught the thieves, her mission would draw to a close.  There would be no
legitimate reason for the two of them to see each other again.

Of course there could be an illegitimate one.  She could
become his mistress.  He hadn’t asked her, but he also hadn’t asked her again
to marry him.  They were certainly attracted to each other physically.  But,
even more importantly, they thought alike.  It had been enjoyable to work with
him on the mission.  Not only had he saved her life, but his ideas had been
quite helpful.  Lord Arthur Kellington by all appearances might be a wastrel
rake.  But he was smart, loyal, dedicated and the man she loved with her heart
and soul.

How she longed for that not to be true.

She turned over again.  Then she heard it, her doorknob
slowly turning.  She had placed her pistols out of reach since there was a
child in the house.  She grabbed the candlestick, but before she could get to
the door, Arthur stepped through it, then shut it behind him.

“You’re not going to cosh me with that, are you?” he asked.

He was there.  As if summoned by her wishes.  She didn’t
trust her voice, so she simply put the candlestick down.  It appeared he was in
his dressing gown and nothing else.  A moment later, her guess was confirmed as
he removed the dressing gown and threw it over a chair.  He slowly prowled to
the bed.  There was no other word for the way he moved.  He had the sleek grace
of a lion.  And she was more than ready for his pounce.

He pulled back the covers and joined her in bed.  Then they
attacked each other.  Hands and mouths explored.  Legs intertwined.  Whereas
before it had been slow and intense, this time it was as if they knew their
time was limited and wanted to make the most of it.  He tore her night rail
from her. 

She rolled him to his back and he let her.  She straddled
him, rubbing her core against his hard cock.  When she could take it no longer,
she lifted up and he pressed himself into her.  She was so wet, he slid in
easily.  As she began to move back and forth, they were both breathing hard,
panting heavily.  She was so wet they could hear the sound of him pounding
inside her.  The passion in her rose quickly as she rode him faster and
faster.  If she could not have him forever, she would make the most of that one
night.        

Suddenly, the passion burst out of her as she came hard.  It
was everything she could do not to scream.  He stilled as she rode out the last
few tremors.  She was about to collapse onto him, when suddenly he pressed her
to the mattress and turned her over so her sensitive breasts were abraded against
the silk sheets. 

He lay on her.  She could feel his cock, so very hard,
pressing against her bottom.  He kissed her neck, nipping gently, then spread
out to her shoulders, and back in to her spine.  He was kissing and licking and
nipping all the way down her back.  He tongued the globes of her bottom, then
spread her knees with his own, as he lifted her hips.  Her arse was sticking in
the air and he was knelt before it.  He massaged the globes of her bottom, then
positioned himself and slowly pressed his cock into her cunny. 

He was so long, so very hard.  And the position made it all
the more intense.  He slowly slid in and out a few times, but then lost
control.  He began pounding into her, his hands gripping her hips, his ballocks
bouncing against her.  The heat in her began to rise once again, matching what
she could feel coming from him.  Faster and faster they pounded against each
other.  Until finally he released his seed inside her as she exploded with
sensation.

They both collapsed onto the bed.  Sweating, barely able to
breathe, he rolled them both over and he held her in his arms.  “Marry me,” he
said.  “I need you in my life.  I cannot let you go.”

There was nothing she wanted more.  But she loved him so
much she couldn’t take him from the only world he’d ever known.  “It would
never work,” she said.

“It would.  Please say yes.”

She lay there, wrapped in his arms, her body still shaking
with her release.  But she could not say yes.  Finally, knowing he would not
leave the subject alone if he didn’t get some concession from her, she said “I
will think about it.”

He tightened his arms and kissed her gently.  “Thank you,
sweetheart,” he mumbled.  He was falling asleep.  And even though she shouldn’t
get used to being with him that way, she decided she would indulge for just a
while longer.

Until the fairy tale ended.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

For Vanessa, the next two days were a whirlwind of activity. 
In between strategy sessions with Stapleton and Arthur, she was subjected to
endless fittings with the
modiste
who was remaking Lizzie’s gown for her. 
She didn’t think all the fuss was necessary.  While she’d conceded that it was
important for her to attend the ball so as to not throw off their suspects, she’d
stated her desire to sit unobtrusively with the wallflowers.  But it was the
sometimes autocratic Duke of Lynwood who finally settled the matter.

“Miss Gans,” he said in his calm voice of authority at
dinner the night before the ball, “I do not allow my guests to be silent
spectators at my entertainments.  If you are a person I have let into my home,
you are someone we shall introduce to our other guests.”

“But your grace,” she responded, “my station is such that I
should not be a guest in your home.”

“Miss Gans, are you aware that Riverton and I count
Inspector Stapleton as a friend?  He has been a guest at many a dinner both
here and at Riverton’s table.  I believe you and he share a ‘station,’ as you
put it.  Surely, you cannot be accusing me of boorish behavior.”

All eyes turned to Vanessa.  Lizzie, she saw, had a bit of a
smirk on her face.

“Of course not, your grace.  But even if the Inspector and I
have a similar status because of our professions, there is something else you
should know.”  She looked at Arthur for a moment, then turned back to Lynwood
and took a deep breath.  It was best to get it all out now.  “My parentage is
irregular, your grace.  I am illegitimate.”  She waited for the
recriminations.  She dreaded them, because she’d come to like these people. 
But she knew there were some lines that simply could not be crossed.

But Lynwood simply shrugged elegantly.  “I cannot see how it
is a reflection of you.  Heskiss, we are ready for our next course.”

“Of course, your grace,” said the butler as he motioned for
the footmen to begin serving.

Vanessa was beginning to wonder if anyone was taking her
seriously.

“If I may,” said Jane with a smile.  “It is no secret that
Ned and I conceived Violet out of wedlock.  Indeed, he and I have only been
married these several months.   What would have been a significant scandal was
only a fairly minor source of gossip because of the actions of his grace, Lord
Riverton and the members of this family.  If they could smooth that over, I
have no doubt you shall not feel ostracized at a ball.”