A Murderous Masquerade (7 page)

He was about to speak, to share his concerns when she lifted her finger to his lips. Her voice was a velvety breath on the air.

“I want you to take me with the abandon I can feel you fighting. Don’t hold anything back, Giles. I want to know that I became your wife and lover this day and I want to remember it forever as the moment I finally became a woman.” She refused to lower her gaze as Giles swallowed his uncertainty.

He couldn’t suppress the moan of desire that fell from his lips.

“Dear God! I don’t know what I ever did to deserve a woman such as you.” He drew himself up above her, spreading her legs before he lowered his body and knelt between her thighs. He bent his head lower, flicked his tongue over each breast, gently suckling and letting her writhe as the intensity of the sensations grew even greater. He left a trail of burning kisses down her stomach and dipped his tongue into her navel. Her breath hitched as he moved down even further, spread her legs wider.

He drew in a deep breath as his fingertips explored her desire dampened petals. Parting her tenderly, he saw the moisture gathering. It glistened slickly in the flickering lamp light. There was no way that he could deny himself a taste of her naked folds. His tongue slid between them and he lapped at her gently as she thrashed wildly on the sheets.

He shifted slightly and leaned across her hips, holding her fast as he draped her splayed limbs over his elbows and parted her even more. He blew on her heated body, causing her to buck and groan uncontrollably, before he dipped his head again and drank from her greedily until her legs began to spasm and her whole body tensed. He couldn’t wait any longer. He was already dripping with need and he rose quickly above her, positioning himself carefully while parting her delicate skin gently. His own eyes met her passion filled gaze as he pressed himself inside her and at long last, he thrust his aching body home.

The lamp had long since guttered out when he woke again. Anne lay curled against him, one naked leg covering his thigh and her fingers entwined in the dark mat of hair on his chest. She stirred and stretched as he moved his arm.

“My own wife, are you well?” He asked quietly.

He felt her smile against his chest as she nodded. She sucked his nipple into her mouth and pulled gently. He didn’t disappoint her. Even though they had already made love several times, he turned her so that her back faced him. Ignoring her quiet moan of protest when she thought that he didn’t want her again, he slowly lifted her thigh with one hand as he caressed her breast with the other.

“We will be late for the ball,” he whispered as he entered her gently from behind.

Her breath caught in her throat as he filled her yet again, her body quickly learning to move in rhythm with his as they rocked together once more.

“I never knew it could be like this,” she gasped and gripped his forearm as his movements became deeper and more frantic.

Giles couldn’t speak. The feel of her in his arms, her tight heat surrounding him was almost too much. He slowed his thrusts until her gasps became shallow and rapid before he turned her further, pulled up her hips so that her head rested on the pillow and plunged into her deeply from behind. Anne buried her face in the pillow as she screamed her delight at the same time as Giles emptied himself inside her once again.

It was some minutes before he could catch enough breath to roll them both back down onto the sheets and he pulled in ragged gulps of air as he stared up at the canopy above them. When he could breathe somewhere near normally again he leaned to his side and curled a lock of her silken hair around his finger.

“It will always be like this for us,” his emotion filled voice caught in his throat as he gently tugged the ringlet of hair until she snuggled deeper into his chest. “We are made to be together and while I have sorrow for Alexander on the loss of his brother I will always be grateful to Phillip for keeping the most wonderful woman in the world safe and whole for me.” He leaned down and kissed her tenderly as she sighed against his side.

After several minutes enjoying his warmth Anne brushed her lips against his skin before she sat up in the bed and looked towards the tiny slit of a window that let a breath of air into the secret room.

“Evening will soon be upon us. My father is expecting to escort me to the ball. I told him that you were my partner, but he insisted. As you will be introducing Charlotte, I hope that you will not object this last time.”

Giles grunted in annoyance. She stated a truth but he didn’t have to like it. If he was escorting his young cousin, it would be difficult to escort Anne as well.

“I will put up with it this evening for your sake, but after tonight your father will have no further claim on you. We will be married soon Anne, know that, and know that I will never let your father or your brother ever bully you again.”

She smiled down at him and leaned over to kiss him on the lips before she left the bed. She pulled a robe from over the screen and slipped her arms into it. Giles ran his fingers through his hair before drawing the sheet back and climbing from the bed. He came up behind Anne and slipped his hands around her waist before kissing her on the tender skin just below her ear.

“I have to go and see that Charlotte is alright. I should feel guilty about not spending the afternoon with her, but I don’t. Lily snaffled her away from me as soon as we arrived so I suspect that she has been looked after while you had your wicked way with me,” he teased as Anne looked back over her shoulder and fluttered her eyelashes at him. He carried on. “She’s not been out in society on many occasions before and although she is a perfectly capable, well mannered young lady, she may well become overawed with the illustrious company Alexander and Lily have invited. As her guardian I must be at her side for at least for the first hour or two of the ball.”

Anne gave an indulgent smile and wriggled out of his arms as he tried to slide a hand inside the robe.

“I watched her arrive. She is young and beautiful. Let her enjoy her first ball. I am not jealous of the time you have to devote to her. I am only pleased that she has someone as caring as you to look after her. It’s a pity that her own father and brother couldn’t be here to do it for her.” She tied the belt of the robe tightly and Giles grunted miserably as he realized that this special time in their secret retreat was over. He bent to pick up his shirt from where he had thrown it on the floor and shrugged it over his shoulders.

“It’s a pity they hadn’t died sooner. She might have had more of a chance of living in some quality. The house is in ruins, Anne. It’s going to take a fortune to put it to rights. A fortune I don’t have.” He shook his head in despair. “I have the title that opens doors but they will be immediately shut again without a decent income to go with it. At the moment I am at a loss to know what to do with the place. With the outlay needed for renovations there will be virtually no money left from this year’s income. I have already spent nearly a quarter of what was left on immediately necessary repairs, not that I know if they will be worth it in the long run. The place is vast, well, not as big as Ormond but then where is? But Caithwell is a lot bigger than White Briars and Evenleigh and I doubt that there is a single square foot of it that doesn’t need repair.” He dragged on his breeches before searching for his hastily discarded boots.

Anne picked up her own clothes and folded them into a bundle. She smiled at his worried frown.

“Don’t worry about it tonight, my darling. This evening is too special to spoil with such talk. Not that you should worry anyway, hardly any of the great houses have two ha’ pennies to rub together. Even my father is pressed for cash at the moment. He can hardly cast the first stone at you for not having a huge wealth of funds.”

Giles raised a disbelieving eyebrow as he dragged on his boots.

“Your father cannot be strapped for cash. That’s impossible.”

Anne laughed and shook her head.

“Why on earth do you think he’s been trying to marry me off to the richest men available? Foxcombe would have paid a handsome amount for me to become his wife and his children’s nursemaid.”

Giles stared at her as sweat beaded on his brow at the very thought of his beloved being sold off to the highest bidder.

“Dear God! What on earth is the man thinking? What about Edward? Cannot he marry some heiress who cares only for a title? There must be some title hungry woman willing to take on the obnoxious little prick!” He took a step towards her, standing close as he breathed in her scent. Right at this moment he didn’t want her to go anywhere near her misguided family.

Laughter tripped from Anne’s kiss swollen lips.

“Poor girl, whoever ends up saddled with him.” She pulled her wrap closer around her body and leaned into Giles’ warmth. “I must leave to make ready for tonight. Alice will wonder what has become of me even though I told her that I would be otherwise engaged until this evening.”

Giles pressed his lips to hers. Blistering heat pooled in his groin, his need for the woman in front of him nearly overpowering him once more. He forced himself to take a step back from the woman he loved so passionately.

“I had best make haste myself. I’ll meet you for the second waltz.” He glanced back at the rumpled bedclothes and noticed the tell tale marks of blood on the sheets.

Anne flushed with embarrassment and caught hold of his arms, turning him away from the evidence of their joining.

“Go! I’ll clear up here and see you at the ball shortly. Don’t forget that I will be wearing the peacock feather mask that matches the plumes in your own. I’m relying on you to escort me to supper.” She hesitated for a moment. “Lily says that she is expecting our announcement at midnight. Alexander is going to propose a champagne toast. Be aware that father or Edward might well cause a scene. I think he thought that with you out of the way, Foxcombe might come around to the idea once again.”

Giles went completely cold at the thought. He puffed out his chest and stood up to his fullest height.

“Your father and Lord Foxcombe can both go shove their ideas where the sun doesn’t shine for all I am concerned. I meant it, Anne,” he growled as he placed his hand protectively over her stomach. “I held nothing back today. You could already be carrying my child. I will not let any other man take you or my progeny from me.”

Anne covered his hand with her own as her heart swelled with love. She leaned up and kissed the column of his throat before pushing him away again.

“Never even think it. It will not happen. Go now before I have to take you back to bed with me. I am going to find it difficult to be on time as it is. If we are both absent from the ball everyone’s suspicions will be raised and your young cousin will take the brunt of the gossip. I can meet you back here later if you so desire. Lily says that only her and Alexander know of this room and the passageways leading to it.”

Giles lifted his hand to touch her cheek with his fingertips before he nodded quickly and moved over to the secret panel. He turned the heart once again and waited for the quiet click before tugging the door open and disappearing into the darkened tunnel. He lifted the lamp in the alcove and blew a last kiss to Anne as she closed the door quietly behind him.

Chapter Five

Charlotte spun round in the diaphanous, oyster pink, silk gown that Lily had loaned her. It had taken only a few stitches to make it fit her youthful figure to perfection.

“It’s beautiful! More beautiful than anything I have ever seen.”

Lily didn’t respond and Charlotte suddenly realized that she had been turning too fast for Lily to catch the movement of her lips. She stopped still and repeated her words.

Lily smiled at the girl and handed her a swansdown mask, decorated with tiny, pink seed pearls around the eyes.

“T’is you, my dear, not the gown. You are beautiful, Charlotte. Your dance car’ will be full this evening an’ your feet will be sore by midnight. Wait here an’ affix your mask. I’ll go and see if Alessander and Giles are ready to escort us.”

Charlotte nodded enthusiastically. She had been surprised at how quickly she had become used to Lily’s slightly strange voice. Lily had become totally deaf at an early age after being the victim of an accident caused by Alexander’s brother, Phillip. The explosion had cost the young girl her hearing and ultimately Phillip’s life as Lily’s father wreaked revenge on the whole of the Ormond family.

Over the intervening years she had learned to lip read almost perfectly and as long as she faced you as you spoke, there were only a few occasions when she missed someone’s words. The strange intonation of her speech soon became immaterial as after only a few hours in her company she seemed to sound perfectly normal to Charlotte. She had also noticed that Lily used her hands at the same time as speaking and it hadn’t been long before she began using some of the more obvious signs herself.

Lily had been delighted at the girl’s enthusiasm and explained that Alexander had decided that it wasn’t fair for Lily to miss out on some conversations because she could only look at one speaker at a time. He had arranged lessons for both couples and for the staff of Ormond, Evenleigh and White Briars, and now they and the staff often didn’t bother shouting out an order or a question, but just signed their requests, if they were a long way from one another.

Charlotte picked up the mask and tied it with a silk ribbon before standing in front of the enormous gilded mirror to see the whole effect. Her hair had been arranged in the most elaborate style she had ever seen. Her blonde curls piled high on the crown of her head and numerous tendrils floated about her ears and her neck. Lily’s maid had topped her creation off with an incredible, sparkling tiara that had made Charlotte tremble with dread at the thought of it escaping from her hair during the dancing.

Lily had honked her donkey bray of a laugh at her while dismissing the idea as ludicrous and after Betty had fixed it with innumerable pins, she had laughed at the idea as well. She only hoped that Betty remained awake until the small hours, for when she needed someone to come and help remove the thing.

She smiled as she looked down and lifted her gown slightly. She pointed her toes in the dainty slippers that covered her feet. They’d had to stuff the very ends with wadding to accommodate her tiny feet but apart from that everything was just perfect. She trembled at the thought of dancing. She had never been to any type of ball before and although at one point in his life John had actually cared enough to show her the steps, she had never had chance to put them in to practice. Although she had rehearsed some of the movements with Lily that afternoon she wondered if it had actually been a waste of time. Perhaps nobody would ask her to dance.

She laughed to herself. Of course Giles would take her onto the floor at least once and Alexander might do so as well, if he wasn’t too busy with his guests. There was no one else that she knew to ask her.

Her thoughts went back to the tall, quiet man who had led the horses and the carriage to the rear of the castle. It was fortunate that both Lightning and Pegasus had been collected from Caithwell and taken to Evenleigh before journeying a few days later to Ormond, but she had been slightly concerned at how one man would handle both mounts. She needn’t have worried. Alexander’s stableman had looked perfectly at ease with the huge animals.

She sighed deeply at the thought. A man who could handle those two beasts was clearly one to be reckoned with. Pegasus was apparently particularly difficult. Giles had told her that only he and the stableman at Ormond could ride him with any certainty of remaining in the saddle. Charlotte wasn’t at all surprised after seeing the man. He was of a similar height to Giles but thicker at the shoulder and slimmer at the waist. She had noticed the hardness of his muscled thighs and the power in his arms that belied his gentle hand when he had taken the reins. There had been no hesitancy on his part and the horses looked more than comfortable in his care.

She felt heat rise to her cheeks as she recalled the moment he had looked at her. The intensity of his charcoal gaze had swept over her and her heart had thrilled beneath her breast.

Laughing at her ridiculous reaction she damped down the thoughts. However hard her silly heart beat, the man could never mean anything to her. After being at her father’s and brother’s beck and call for so many years, she wasn’t likely to leap back into a life that included any men.

Well, any men except her cousin Giles. She smiled at the thought of his eager face when she had opened the parcels that he had bought her. He had obviously cared deeply enough to consider her colouring and size. Everything had fit her perfectly, including the scarily fancy chemises and petticoats which she had opened in the privacy of her room. She was surprised that he hadn’t included any corsets but a chance remark while they had been on their journey to Ormond had cleared up that mystery.

He had been talking about Lady Anne, undoubtedly the woman of his dreams, when he had suddenly gone all dreamy eyed as he described how he had noticed very early on in their relationship that she sat her horse with an uncommonly natural and easy poise. He had apparently had the cheek to remark upon it to the woman and a blushing Lady Anne had told him, through down cast lashes, that the secret was the lack of restricting undergarments.

Later, with his heart pounding furiously in his chest, Giles had helped the woman down from her horse, even though she had needed no assistance. He had laughed loudly as Charlotte blushed furiously when he told her that his roaming hands had discovered that Lady Anne had indeed been wearing very little beneath her riding habit. Certainly no hard boned corset or restricting stays, and since that day he had always preferred the look of a naturally shaped figure, not that he had ever looked at another since meeting Lady Anne, but he could now always tell if a woman was being squeezed into her shape. He didn’t like it. He preferred a more natural look.

Charlotte had been surprised at his openness with her. There was more than a ten year age gap between them and it wasn’t as if he knew her well, but they had both been perfectly companionable during the day long drive to Ormond. On several occasions Giles had taken the carved red box from his pocket and together they had turned it this way and that, discussing different ideas and pressing the tiny motifs while listening to the ‘stone’ rolling around in its hollow centre. The secret still eluded them, but Giles wasn’t concerned. He’d told her that every box had a unique design and that they would discover the trick eventually.

The door opened behind her and Lily stood on the threshold wearing her own fabulous gown that hid the swell of the precious child lying in her stomach. Her mask of flamboyant white peacock feathers matched the more subdued look of her husband’s. Giles came into the room and offered Charlotte his arm. His mask of bright feathers couldn’t hide the glint of his blue eyes. He looked severe but incredibly handsome in his well fitting coat of midnight blue superfine and thigh hugging breeches. His boots shone with a mirror polish and his rapier hung from his belt. Charlotte’s heart swelled with pride. He looked every inch a Lord and a far more handsome one than she had ever seen before. He bowed over her hand and then held out his arm. She placed her lace gloved hand over his elbow and they followed the Duke and Duchess of Ormond down to greet their guests.

Edward Ellesworth winced as he bent to pull on his boots. Never had he imagined an afternoon quite so erotic. His back and buttocks still smarted from the whipping he’d received, but he’d thoroughly enjoyed his surprisingly energetic antics with Mary at the Bear and Dragon. He hoped that he would be recovered enough to endure another session with the playful tigress very soon.

Rookwood and Latham had been similarly thrilled with their own afternoon of feminine delectations. Only one more girl had been available due to the other being needed in the taproom when a sudden and unexpectedly large funeral party descended upon the busy inn, but the remaining light-skirt, Rachael had an apparently insatiable appetite for all naked, masculine delights.

Rookwood eyes had almost rolled into the back of his head and his hips had rutted automatically as he described the moment when both he and Latham had taken the willing, screaming woman at the same time. She had apparently begged them to ask Edward to form a threesome at their next session, one that she didn’t think it reasonable to ask any payment for as she would be getting three times the amount of pleasure as the men. Rookwood had suggested that they all go back later that evening after the ball had ended and the inn had closed. Rachael would meet them in the stables. Edward’s eyes had gleamed at the thought of persuading Mary to join them. What with all the leather that would be available to her, he felt that his request might be irresistible.

He shoved his aching shoulders into his coat and walked towards the door of his room just as a knock sounded from the other side. His sister Anne stood beside their father. He had to admit that she looked very beautiful in her gown of emerald green, far more beautiful than he had ever recalled. Even behind her peacock feather mask her sparkling eyes glowed with some strange fire and what he could see of her décolletage appeared unusually flushed and full.

He frowned at her.

“You look as though you are sickening for something. Are you feeling well? Perhaps you should go back to your room. It’s unlikely that the Duke and Duchess would want their first major ball remembered solely for causing everyone to go down with the fever.”

Anne flicked her fan open and wafted her over warm face as they walked along the carpeted corridor. She had only just left the secret chamber and made it back to her own room before her maid had come in to fix her hair. Her father had arrived less than an hour later, but by that time she thought that her body had calmed from the loving it had received. It clearly hadn’t. Her father had immediately noticed the same things as her brother and enquired after her health, suggesting that she looked feverish too. She couldn’t possibly explain to them that she had spent the whole afternoon making wild and passionate love to her betrothed, so she had just suggested that she was excited to be attending her first ball now that she was out of mourning. She was looking forward to dancing and socialising again.

She tapped her brother on his arm with her fan.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Edward. I’m just pleased to be out again and I would prefer it if you tried not to spoil my delight.”

Edward sniffed disdainfully.

“The sooner you get married again, the better it will be for everyone. If you cannot bear the thought of Foxcombe, you should look at my friend Latham. He’s next in line for a title and his father is on his last legs. Plenty of blunt in that family too. The old man’s as rich as a nabob!”

Anne pulled in a gasp of shock and narrowed her eyes at her brother.

“You cannot mean it. Latham’s barely out of apron strings and is already a rake. I am at least five years older than him. How could you possibly consider him a suitable match for me? His reputation and his manners are so disgusting that I wouldn’t accept him if he was the last man on earth.”

Edward raised his eyebrows.

“You may be five years older but you’re certainly not five years wiser. Look at how you made a complete fool of yourself in front of Foxcombe with that jumped up commoner, Denvers. Just because he can call a Duke his friend, he thinks that he is above his betters. I can’t wait to take him down a peg or two if he has the gall to show his face here this weekend.”

Anne bristled angrily, her eyes flashing at her brother’s snobbish tone.

“And you consider yourself one of his betters I assume. He is the Duke’s best and bravest friend. They fought together on the Peninsular and saved each other’s lives on numerous occasions. I didn’t see you endangering your life on behalf of your country. I seem to remember you sitting on your great, fat, pompous arse and stuffing your face with candies while the real men of the country slogged it out on the battlefields.” She tore her arm from her father’s and stormed off along the corridor, turning into the ladies retiring room before either one of them could follow her.

After a shocked gasp from her father, Edward merely suggested that they let her get over her fit of temper and continue into the ballroom. They walked together and Edward craned his neck over the gathering crowds to look for his two friends. After seeing his father into the card room he turned about the supper hall, knowing that Latham and Rookwood had worked up an appetite as healthy as his own. He found them both standing against a wall, staring open mouthed at something just out of his own line of sight.

“You two look as though you’ve seen ten naked ladies writhing about the floor. What’s going on to make you drool like callow youths?”