A Lot Like a Lady (27 page)

****

“I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your coming to deal with Mr. Dawes, your grace. I certainly was not looking forward to confronting him.”

Grey finished spelling out Harper’s name before he looked up. Regina sat stiffly on the edge of a high-back chair with her hands folded in her lap. The red brocade fabric covering the chair was worn shamefully thin.

He glanced around the sparsely furnished drawing room, so stark and different from the last time he’d seen it, and tightened his grip on the quill. Dawes had caused a lot of damage, but he wouldn’t have been able to had Grey been less immersed in his own grief.

A maid slipped into the room and Grey’s pulse quickened. From his seat at the mahogany secretary’s desk, he followed her movements as she quietly retrieved the silver tea service Regina had used to serve him refreshments. The efficient woman was older, more sedate than the maid he’d hoped to see and he bit back a sigh.

Pushing thoughts of Juliet aside, he returned his focus to the matter at hand, with a smile for his sharp-eyed stepmother. “Please… call me Grey.” A lump of sorrow filled his throat as he again heard himself begging Juliet to call him Grey. Now he understood why she’d found it so difficult.

Clearing his throat, he centered his focus once again. “I assure you, I never expected you to confront the man. It was my responsibility, and I was glad to do it. I should have brought him before the magistrate, but I think our family has suffered enough scandal.”

“I should never have been so weak in my loneliness as to befriend him. I believe my taking up with him caused far more damage than anything you might have done.” Her shoulders fell and she averted her eyes toward the window. “I cannot tell you how sorry I am for being blinded to his true motives.”

“Please…” He held up a hand. “Don’t waste another moment worrying about that scoundrel.” Grey slid the paper across the desk to her. “I have already had the accountant replenish the estate funds and noted the amount in the ledger. My London steward has also found a new manager, and Mr. Harper will be arriving with him in a week’s time to train him in his duties. His name, credentials, list of duties, and pay are noted there for you, as well as a list of positions that will need filled, such as two gardeners and another footman.” He smiled, enjoying for a moment the performance of such a mundane task. “Would you like to conduct interviews here or should I have Mr. Harper deal with it before he comes?”

“I think I can see to it, if you don’t mind, your g—Grey.” She glanced up and returned his smile, tapping on the paper he’d given her without looking at it.

He let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair. “Which brings me to your second request. Annabella.”

Tears filled Regina’s pale green eyes and a sob slipped from her lips. She covered her mouth with her fingers and blinked a few times. When she spoke, her voice was barely audible. “I have been unable to locate her or discover her whereabouts.”

Grey rose and walked around his desk to sit in the chair next to Regina. Gently, he took her hand in his. It was thin and fragile, and the only thing about Regina that gave away her vulnerability. “Why did you wait so long to contact me?”

“I… I suppose I didn’t want to bother you with the tantrums of my daughter. I feel we have caused you enough imposition as it is. And after Juliet —” She broke off, eyes wide, her face tinted with red spots of color. “I’m sorry, Grey. I… I’m sorry.” She stared toward the window again and he followed her gaze, wondering if she really saw the white lace curtain that fluttered in the light country breeze.

He waved his hand, feigning indifference. “Think no more of it. The important thing now is that we locate Annabella.”

“I heard tell that Vicar Hamilton has married and he has gone on his honeymoon.” Another sob escaped. “Oh dear, I threatened Annabella with arranging a marriage to the vicar if she refused to go to London. And one of the kitchen maids said she saw Annabella in the man’s company. Now I fear she may have married him out of spite for me.”

Grey had his doubts about that but he kept silent. “I have a man in London I use for discreet investigations. We
will
find her and bring her home.”

They stood at the same time. Grey took Regina’s hand and placed a kiss on the back. He strolled to the door, but paused before opening it. “Regina, why did you never tell me the damage I had done?”

She straightened her back and clasped her hands in front of her. “Pride. I know it might be a silly reason, but I had done nothing to warrant the
ton
treating me with such coldness. I certainly wasn’t going to try and earn their acceptance. Despite what you might think of me, status never motivated my marrying your father.” A soft smile played at the corners of her lips and a faraway look entered her eyes. “I loved him. Very much so. We had a splendid time together. He made me very happy. And at first, I missed him so much I didn’t pay attention to what was happening around me. Probably wouldn’t have if it hadn’t been for Annabella. When I realized how bleak her future had become, I knew the only way to give her a chance at a marriage with a respectable man was for her to be seen in your company. That was my only motive. Just to see my daughter happy.” Her voice broke on the last word and she lowered her eyes to the floor.

“She is lucky to have you.” Grey drew a deep breath, preparing for the customary ache when speaking of his father, surprised when none came. “And so was my father.”

Tears streamed down Regina’s cheeks. “Thank you.”

“If only you had not inherited such a fool for a son,” Grey added, smiling.

At his words, Regina laughed, a soft, subdued chuckle, barely audible. Nothing at all like Juliet’s loud guffaws.

He stiffened. His heart hammered against his chest, refusing to let him push thoughts of the golden-eyed beauty aside. Grey needed to get out of the house before he did something foolish. Like ask after her.

“If you will excuse me, Regina.” He yanked open the door. “I shall be taking my leave now.”

Stepping across the threshold, he pulled the door closed behind him and leaned back against it until he got his terrible shaking under control. A bee buzzed in and out of one of the purple flowers on the sweet-smelling vine over the door. Grey pulled in a long breath and straightened. Time to go home…back to London and the life he’d made for himself there. He pushed away from the door and crossed the yard to where he’d left Satan.

“What do you mean you took him to the stables?” Irritation crackled like a hundred insects swarming over his skin. Was it too much to expect he’d conclude his business and come out to find his horse where he’d left him?

“I-I-I’m very sorry, your grace. Lady Charity come out ’n said I were to take the stallion to the barn.”

That old biddy! I might have known.
What game was the old aunt about now?

“But
I
instructed you to keep him
here
.” The insects began to sting as they worked their way over his neck. “I should dismiss you for disobeying.”

The groom gasped and swayed slightly, his face a ghastly white and his eyes bulging. “Please, your grace. I’m so very sorry. I’ll fetch him for ye right away.” He took a step in the direction of the stable.

“Never mind. I’ll do it myself.” Grey stormed off toward the horse barn. He’d had about enough of his stepmother’s old aunts, the both of them.
I should go find Lady Charity and demand to know what she’s playing at. Inform the woman of her place.
He snorted. As if she’d ever kept to that.

He kicked a pebble and watched with satisfaction as it struck the stone fence, bounced, then tumbled into the overgrown grass. Disgusted his beloved home had gone so uncared, he cursed. Dense foliage, once pristine and neatly trimmed, now overran the walkways. Weeds and thistles smothered out the once lush green grass.

As he rounded the side of the house, the roses blooming over the gate nodded in the wind, sending their fragrance to torment him. The pink blossoms mocked Grey with their gentle beauty, and his building annoyance had him ready to pull the blasted things out and burn them.

With a loud sigh, he forced the unreasonable thought aside. His mother had planted them and loved them so much, it would be like trampling on her grave. But he wanted to be gone from this place. Wanted to be away from
her
.

Caught by surprise at the sudden image of the tawny-eyed girl with the golden hair, Grey slowed his pace, collected himself. He should feel relief at having avoided the scheming witch. True, retrieving Satan inconvenienced him, but enough to justify his anger?

Mayhap annoyance at not being able to give the girl a proper dressing down troubled him more than he’d thought. He hadn’t confronted her about her deception. Hadn’t heard her melodic voice laughing. Hadn’t stared into those amazing cat eyes. Hadn’t felt—

Grey kicked the dirt again, sending up a puff of dust, and slapped his gloves against his thigh. What did it matter to him if he ever saw her again? She’d made her choice clear when she’d slipped out of his house like a common thief.

But she wasn’t a thief, was she? Juliet might have slipped out but she hadn’t taken anything with her, had made sure his mother’s pearls had been returned.

He needed to get out of the country and back to London. Perhaps he would get away for a while, go hunting in Scotland.

Grey paused to take in a deep breath, filling his lungs with the crisp, fresh country air. Yes, getting away was the best thing. He’d make arrangements as soon as he returned to his townhouse. Maybe he’d marry one of the ladies he’d been escorting of late and it could be their wedding trip. He had arranged to take Mary — or was it Martha — to the opera next Thursday. He got along well with her father, the Earl of Tanners, so it would be an agreeable match.

Especially as she had dark brown hair and dark eyes.

Long ago, Grey had resigned himself to the future his position dictated. He started walking again. Yes, he could see no reason his life would not continue as society deemed. He’d marry into the appropriate family, produce an heir to carry on the title, and…

Then what? What would his life be like? He’d never considered it before now… never gave it a moment’s thought before
her
.

Juliet
… the breeze seemed to whisper her name as it rustled through the elm trees lining the lane. Of its own accord, Grey’s hand stole into the pocket of his long coat, seeking and finding the necklace he’d secreted there before leaving London. He stroked the pearls, his fingers easily picking out the size and shape of each. He’d planned to give them to the maid, hoping perhaps she could use them to better her life. After all he had no need of the fiendish things. He’d certainly never give them to anyone else after admiring them against her golden skin.

So why didn’t you leave them at the house for her? Regina would have seen to it Juliet received the gift.

“Because you hoped to see her, you old gudgeon,” he muttered.

A black and white bird settled on a low branch of a nearby gorse bush and began to scold, its fury nearly matching his own.

“Go away,” he said with bite in his voice. Bending, he scooped a stone from the ground and chucked it in the direction of the magpie, deliberately missing by several yards. With a final chitter, the bird took wing.

Grey let out a curse and slammed his fist against his leg hard enough to bruise. He had to stop thinking about the girl.
It has to be this place.
Though he’d never seen her there, Juliet had reminded him of his once beloved home from the beginning. Once the estate was at his back, he’d be his own man again.

He stepped into the barn and froze. Juliet stood outside the stall housing his horse petting the stallion’s neck, kissing his nose. The tattered breeches and wrinkled shirt she wore hung from her thin frame. A threadbare strip of cloth held her hair together at the nape of her neck, the once honey-gold locks were long gone, replaced by dull, dusty tresses that hung in limp strands down her back. A darker tan covered her face, but she’d lost weight and even from this distance he could tell her cheeks had become sunken.

Grey’s heart slammed against his chest, thumping out a strong beat, reaching for her, urging him toward her. Then she lifted her head and fixed him with her tawny brown eyes.

The world fell away.

Gone were the rules that said she was a servant and he was a duke. The rules that dictated he couldn’t marry below his status. He was just a man and she was the woman he loved.

With determined strides, he went to her; his eyes pinning her to the spot as he approached. Her eyes widened but she didn’t move. Without hesitation, he took hold of her arms at the elbows, slid his hands upward over the rough material of her shirt until he reached her shoulders. He parted his lips slightly, angled his head, and covered her mouth with his. Touching her sent a jolt of magnetic energy through his body all the way to his soul, and he enveloped Juliet in his arms, squeezing her tight against him as shudders wracked his body.

Grey grazed his mouth back and forth over hers and touched his tongue to her lips. Juliet wrapped her arms around his neck and parted her lips, inviting him to deepen the kiss. He needed no further encouragement. His hand circled to the back of her head, holding her close so he could possess every inch of her. She tasted of salty horse sweat and hay, but to Grey it was the sweetest flavor he’d ever experienced.

He tightened his hold, unwilling to give her a chance to break free. His whole body burst to life, stirring with a mixture of passion and love he had never known yet now could not live without. Blood flowed to his nether region at a rapid pace, and his control started to crumble. Every inch of him screamed he should take her, completely possess her, make her his in every way so she would then be bound to him forever. Instead, he gentled the kiss and cupped her cheeks in his hands. When she raised her arm, he tensed, afraid she’d push him away. But she only covered his hands with hers and sighed deeply.

Desire renewed itself and he ravished her lips again, letting his hands roam freely over her body. Bending her against him, he intensified the kiss, running his tongue over hers in a spiral, seeking every bit of her, knowing no matter how much he had, his appetite for her would never be satiated.

She clutched his waist with warm, trembling hands and then settled her body with intimate closeness against his, fanning the flames of his lust to a devastating inferno and exciting him more than if she had taken him fully in her grasp.