The Sweetest Kiss (Brothers of Worthington Series) (5 page)

Trey ignored
Nic’s
comments, but as he walked out, Hawthorne’s laughter rang through the room. Trey scowled. What did
Nic
know? His friend hadn’t been lying next to Miss Faraday on the bed with the blanket pulled over their heads earlier this morning.
Nic
didn’t know how fast her mouth had softened beneath Trey’s, either. Ladies always enjoyed men fawning over them. He’d prove to Miss Faraday he was as gentlemanly as they came, since she had made it a point several times to tell him he wasn’t.

In the corridor, his mother was discussing Miss Faraday’s arrival with the servants. Kitchen maids wearing white aprons rushed in and out of the large dining room, carrying his mother’s precious silverware. Her strong voice gave no indication of her weakened state. She had proclaimed to be ill in the letter she’d sent him a fortnight ago asking for his help. Was she indeed ill? If not, why did she pretend?

He bounded up the stairs two at a time before marching down the hallway to his chambers. As he turned the corner and neared one of the guest rooms, the door opened. Judith sashayed out, wearing a yellow and white day dress. Her chestnut hair had been re-styled—a tight bun at the back of her neck with only three ringlets by each ear. Now he saw more of her slender neck than he wanted to, even as a lace shawl draped over her shoulders.

Before she noticed him, Trey stopped and leaned against the wall to study her. Judith seemed preoccupied studying the lock and key. Was she trying to figure out how it worked? Perhaps she wanted to keep someone out. What were the odds he was the demon in her mind at this moment?

With her beauty, he suspected her parents must have fought off plenty of suitors before they died. Now, he and his mother would be the ones with the club in hand, turning away money-hungry men seeking to fatten their purses with her inheritance. And what about the poor besotted young pups
who
would fall madly in love at first sight?

He rolled his eyes. What a waste of life, in his opinion. Why would any man want to chain themselves to one woman? Raised by parents who couldn’t stand each other, it was easy for Trey to discern what he wanted out of life. Love and marriage were not it.

His father warned him years ago that marriage was only for producing heirs. Falling in love was for fools and should be avoided. Obviously, the disastrous match between Trey’s own parents proved that theory.

Without a doubt, he would wear the title of rogue for the remainder of his days without any regrets.

A deep sigh escaped Judith before she stopped fussing with the lock. She squared her shoulders and closed the door with a final resounding click. Trey remained against the wall, so when she turned, she nearly collided with him.

She
shrieked,
her hand flying to her mouth. Eyes wide, her gaze skimmed his face, then slowly down his cravat and shirt. It only took a moment before the fright in her expression disappeared. Her face relaxed as her eyes turned a deep emerald. He hitched a quiet breath, not prepared for how lovely she looked this way.

“Forgive me for startling you, Miss Faraday.”

“I would hope so.” Her voice shook.

He glanced behind her to the door before meeting her gaze. “Are you
safely
unpacked and
secure
in your room?”

“Indeed I am, my lord. I thank you for inquiring about my welfare.”

“I suppose the lock works.” He grinned and crossed his arms over his chest.

“It does.” Her finely shaped eyebrow rose. “And I wish it to stay in working order throughout the duration of my stay.”

“As it should.”
He pulled away from the wall, dropping his arms to his side. “I expected you to be resting. Are you not exhausted from your journey?”

“Unfortunately, there is too much on my mind for me to rest. I had hoped to take a stroll in your mother’s flower gardens. I remember they were a sight to behold when I was a child.”

He nodded. “Indeed, they are.”

“Splendid. Now, if you will excuse me.”

She stepped past him, but he moved with her, matching her quick stride perfectly. She looked lovely in the simple, high-waist gown. White ribbons threading through her ringlet hair made her look so innocent. His gaze trailed down to the folded paper in her hand.
Perhaps a missive to her so-called fiancé?
Could this be the reason she tried to leave his side in such haste?

She reached the stairs and took her time descending, not looking at all in his direction. He stayed beside her every inch of the way.

“My lord, do you not have a pressing engagement? I assure you, I can handle myself without your company.”

“Nothing pressing at this moment, my dear.
In fact, I had hoped you would allow me to accompany you outside to my mother’s gardens.”

She skidded to a halt, her gaze swinging to meet his. “Are you addled?”

He arched an eyebrow.
“Of course not.
Do I look it?”

Her teeth tugged on her bottom lip as if to keep her from speaking, but a twinkle lit in her eyes.

He chuckled. “Ridiculous question, I realize.” With much tenderness, he placed his hand on her arm and she stiffened. He acted as if the contact didn’t bother him when in
reality,
the heat emanating from her nearly knocked him off his feet.

“Actually, Miss Faraday, I would enjoy your company. It has been quite some time since we talked.”

She blinked and her mouth gaped. “You
are
addled.”

He scowled. “Why do you say such a thing? Just because I want to get to know you better?”

Shrugging off his touch, she continued down the stairs, faster this time as she tried to distance herself from his side. She crumbled the piece of paper and stuffed it in her reticule.

“The boy I remembered from childhood,” she said over her shoulder, “did not want to get to know me. He was a vicious, evil person, whom I could not stand to be around.” She took a quick glance at him before putting her attention ahead of her, slowing her pace. “In fact, I’m quite certain you made the devil himself nervous.”

Trey threw back his head and laughed. “Oh, what humor you possess. Tell me, Miss Faraday, why do you hold such ill feelings toward me?”

When he opened the door for her and they both walked outside, she stopped to face him. Humor left her beautiful face. Her eyes expressed the seriousness in the moment.

“Have you forgotten our childhood? Do you not recall burning my hair and blaming it on your brother?”

“Trevor? Why would I blame him?”

“No. You blamed your brother Tristan.”

Laughter quickly left Trey as sadness filled his chest. Tristan was the one who did no wrong. Was it any wonder Trey had enjoyed blaming his sibling who was only a few years older? The reminder of his brother’s tragic death two years ago sat heavy in his chest. His jaw tightened.

“Yes, I must have forgotten,” he said in a quiet voice before turning away. He couldn’t let Judith see his emotions. It took a lot of effort to bury them, and only seconds for them to resurface. Guilt suffocated him.

“My lord?”
She touched his arm. “Did I say something wrong?”

He glanced at her slender fingers curled across his elbow. “You didn’t say anything wrong, only because you probably don’t know.”

“Know what?”

Taking a deep breath, Trey barricaded his feelings behind the icy walls of his heart and faced her. “Tristan died two years ago.”

She sucked in a quick breath as her hand flew to her mouth.
“Oh, dear heavens, no!”

“I’m afraid it’s true.”

“What happened?”

Trey’s heart fought his mind in a losing battle. He would not conjure feelings from the past that brought havoc to his life again. Tristan had allowed a woman to run his emotions, making him think of nothing else besides her, and there wasn’t anything Trey could do to stop it from happening.

“Let’s just say my brother was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he was shot.”

All because of me.

~*~*~*~

Judith blinked, trying to keep the tears from building in her eyes. Tristan had been the only brother of the three who she’d grown close to. Fate had been cruel to claim a wonderful man’s life.

She placed her hand on Trey’s forearm. “Please accept my sympathy. I will always have fond memories of Tristan. He was a kind man and will indeed be missed.”

A dark look passed over Trey’s face. “I thank you. Your thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated.”

He placed his hand over hers, his thumb gently stroking her knuckle in comfort. Heated shivers ran through her, making her heart hammer. What on earth was wrong with her? She certainly didn’t agree with the pleasurable sensations dancing through her stomach.

Why did he look so handsome in his brown breeches and black knee-boots? But it was his cream-colored ruffled shirt, white cravat, and double-breasted brown tailcoat that made him
appear
majestic. He no way resembled the highwayman she’d earlier thought him to be.

A trace of moisture formed in his eyes, but with a fast blink, it disappeared. An invisible tug pulled at her heartstrings. No. She mustn’t feel pity for him. Not after everything he’d put her through as a child, and would probably put her through as an adult.

A lump formed in her throat, making it impossible to swallow. His hypnotic gaze had her under his spell, a place she didn’t want to be. She firmly commanded herself to withdraw. Gathering her courage, she stepped away. His hand dropped to his side and relief poured through her.

The warmth in his eyes dwindled and within seconds was gone. His countenance suddenly became different from what it was a moment ago. Turning, he straightened his shoulders. When he walked ahead, she hurried to keep in step beside him.

Suddenly, she didn’t want to be alone. The crushing pain over the loss of her parents would overwhelm her again. The worst part
was knowing
Trey had experienced the same devastation when his brother died. They could share this time and talk about their feelings.
If Trey would only allow it.
Then again, Trey wasn’t the type of man who would share anything personal with a woman.

She studied his rugged features, from his square chin to his straight nose, and those irresistible lips. Again, she shook away the improper thoughts.

He cleared his throat. “So, I was a rotten boy, was I?”

Grateful he had steered them back to the topic she wished to discuss, she chuckled. “Rotten? What a polite word to describe you, my lord.”

Tilting his head back, he laughed. “I was worse?”

“Oh, yes. I was frightened out of my mind when you came near. Of course, the only time I feared for my life was when you tried to burn my hair.”

He turned his head to look at her. The melancholy in his eyes struck her as odd. Was he sorrowful for his past transgressions? She could only pray it was true.

“I did not mean to, Miss Faraday. It was an accident.”

She slowed her pace and arched an eyebrow. “You had a burning stick in one hand and my hair in the other. Pray, how was that an accident?”

“I only wanted to threaten you. Believe it or not, you were quite obstinate, and stubborn girls only tried my patience. I wanted you to leave, so I threatened to burn your hair. I never intended to actually do it, but the wind had other ideas.”

She reached up and patted her ringlets. “Indeed it had.”

“Let’s put all of that behind us now.” He flipped his hand through the air. “I would enjoy beginning afresh with you.”

Uncertainty filled her head, yet her heart did a silly flutter. “Why is that?”

“We are adults now. I promise not to singe your hair ever again.”

She laughed. “I would like it very much if we could be friends. It might take a while to forget the past, but I’m willing to try.”

“That is all I ask.”

Silence lasted only a few seconds as they turned down the path leading to the dowager’s flower garden. All around her, beautiful roses, lilacs, daisies and tulips decorated the grounds. It was as if the sun had poured golden light on the garden, infusing each flower with a heavenly scent. Closing her eyes, she took her time inhaling their sweetness. Her mother had a garden similar to this. The scent brought back pleasant memories.

When she opened her eyes, the gardener stood beside Trey, clipping a yellow rose. With a wide smile, he took the delicate blossom and offered it to her.

“Yellow is the color of friendship,” she said softly. “Are you aware of that, my lord?”

“Indeed, I
am,
which is why I’m offering this to you. Please accept this rose as a truce.”

Her heart leapt. Was he truly a gentleman? Did he indeed want to be friends or was this a ploy to trap her into doing something against her will?

Hesitantly, she took the rose and lifted it to her nose. The pleasing fragrance wafted around her, soothing her temper. “Thank you, my lord. I do enjoy flowers, roses especially.”