No Decent Gentleman (34 page)

"You are encouraging his bad behavior by doing that," Adam told her, sitting close beside her on the couch, when she passed the dog a third sandwich.

Sabrina made no reply. Instead, she passed the wolfhound a fourth sandwich and gave her husband a rebellious glare.

"Did you enjoy your visit with Courtney?" he asked with forced politeness.

Sabrina knew he was dying to scold her for feeding the dog. So she offered Winston another sandwich and answered, "Prince Adolphus was visiting Uncle Charles. He told me my mother is Madame Esmeralda."

"I suspected that," Adam said.

"You did?"

He nodded. "You resemble her so much that I feared someone at your coming-out ball would comment on it. I've had news from Istanbul. My mother knows of no plot or assassins sent to kill me."

Sabrina turned her head to look at him. "Edgar Briggs tried to murder you just as he did my father."

Adam cocked a dark brow at her. "How can you be so certain?"

"Woman's intuition."

He smiled at her answer. "So why didn't your woman's intuition tell you this before?"

"Your unexpected presence in my life confounded it," Sabrina answered. "I have recovered sufficiently," she added with a smile.

"Why would Edgar Briggs want to kill me?" Adam asked.

"You ruined his scheme to gain control of the Savage lands and other assets," Sabrina answered.

Adam snapped his brows together and ordered, "Tell me more of your theory."

"Edgar killed my father because his marriage offer had been rejected," Sabrina told him. "Vicar Dingle paid me a visit and admitted that Edgar persuaded him to rule my father's death a suicide. Edgar knew that a suicide's estates are sold at auction, but he hadn't planned on your appearance or our marriage."

"Do you have any proof?" Adam asked.

Sabrina shook her head.

"Theories do not send men to the gallows," Adam said. Then he leaned close and asked, "Why were you cooking this afternoon?"

"Sometimes I cook for my own pleasure," she answered, trying hard not to leap away from him. Letting him know how nervous she felt wouldn't do at all.

"Princess, you are absolutely the worst liar I've ever met," Adam said with a smile.

"And you of all people should know what a good liar is," Sabrina shot back. "Why I do anything is none of your business."

"I am your husband," he reminded her. "I hold the receivership rights to your assets."

Not for long
, Sabrina thought. Arching a copper brow at him, she asked, "Are you baiting me?"

"Would I do that?"

"There isn't much you wouldn't do to upset me."

"Did I mention I'll be staying home for dinner?" Adam asked, changing the subject.

Sabrina stared straight ahead and mumbled, "Yes, and only old people repeat themselves."

"How about an interesting game of chess with an old man?" he whispered close to her ear.

Sabrina turned her head to look at him. In spite of herself, her lips twitched with the urge to laugh.

"Is that a smile you are struggling against?" he asked.

Sabrina burst out laughing.

"I knew I could make you smile," Adam said, putting his arm around her shoulder, his hand beginning a slow caress. "What else did you do today?"

"Lily Armstrong met me at Grosvenor Square, and the three of us visited," Sabrina told him.

Adam nibbled on her earlobe, sending delicious shivers dancing down her spine. "What did you ladies talk about all morning long?"

"Oh, this and that," she hedged.

Adam gently turned her face toward him. After gazing for a long moment into her emerald eyes, he captured her lips in a wet, devastating kiss. Their kiss lingered and melted into another. And then another.

Sabrina felt herself falling under his powerful spell and wondered at the magic in his touch. When his hand caressed her breast over her gown, she leaned into his touch and yearned to feel his naked skin caressing hers.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Sabrina returned his kiss in kind and pressed her young body against his. And then somehow her gown was unbuttoned, and his hands were cupping her breasts. He flicked his fingers across her aroused nipples, igniting a throbbing heat between her thighs.

They could fight later, Sabrina decided when Adam rose and walked across the room to close the door.

Offering her his hand, Adam helped her onto the rug near the hearth and then undressed her. His own clothing followed hers, and he lay down half on top of her. His mouth swooped down to capture hers in another kiss, and then his tongue licked its way down the column of her throat and beyond. After suckling upon her breasts, he moved lower to the crevice between her thighs and sweetly tormented the dewy pearl of her womanhood until she was delirious with passion, crying out for him to take her.

Adam rose up between her thighs. He entered her slowly and then withdrew, repeating this movement over and over and over again, rekindling her desire.

"Love me," she pleaded in a breathless whisper.

And Adam gave her what she wanted. He rode her hard, and they exploded together.

Adam fell to one side and pulled her with him. The only sound in the drawing room was their labored breathing.

And the crunch of someone eating cookies?

Adam and Sabrina snapped their gazes toward the coffee table. Taking advantage of their inattention, Winston had already devoured the cucumber sandwiches and was just finishing the last of the lemon cookies. When the wolfhound completed his meal by slurping the tea left in their cups, Adam and Sabrina howled with laughter.

"My princess," Adam said, smiling down into her face.

"My prince," Sabrina said on a sigh. Entwining her arms around his neck, she drew his handsome face toward hers, ordering, "Kiss me again ..."

Chapter 17

"
My princess
..."

Awakening with a smile, Sabrina recalled her husband's whispered words of endearment. The glow from the previous night's lovemaking remained with her still and warmed her all over.

Sabrina rolled over in her husband's bed and found his place empty. One perfect rose lay across his pillow, a gift of love for his wife. She hadn't yet forgiven him for lying to her, or for escorting Alexis to the ball the other night but she'd learned that the value of arguing was making up.

Too bad he'd already risen, Sabrina thought, leaning close to his pillow to inhale his clean masculine scent. She would have loved to feel his nakedness pressing her down in the bed.

Reliving each precious moment would be the next best thing. Sabrina snapped her eyes shut and conjured her husband's image in her mind's eye.

Again Sabrina saw his devastating smile inching closer to her face.

Again she felt the hard planes of his body caressing her softness.

Again she heard his voice—

"
Sabrina
!"

Startled, Sabrina bolted up in the bed. Clutching the coverlet to shield her naked breasts, she looked around in drowsy confusion. The voice belonged to her husband, but where—?

The bedchamber door flew open. Adam marched into the room with a whining Winston following in his wake.

Sabrina dropped her gaze to his hands. Her husband was holding a copy of
The Times
in a white-knuckled death grip.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, tossing the paper onto the bed.

Sabrina assumed he'd read the column with the piece of gossip Lily had so kindly given to the writer. But she hadn't counted on this reaction from Adam. She decided to bluff him.

"What are you talking about?" Sabrina asked, feigning innocence, her enormous emerald eyes feigning the confusion she did not possess.

Adam held her gaze captive with his piercing blue eyes, eyes that she'd loved until this moment. Those damned eyes of his seemed to see to the depths of her soul.

"Do not lie," Adam said. "I want you to tell me what this is about."

"Let me read it." Sabrina scanned the offending column, which stated, that the Marchioness of Stonehurst was intending to give the Savage title and estate to her younger sister.

"Oh, that," she said without looking up.

"Oh, that?" Adam echoed, incredulous. "Then it's true?"

Sabrina smiled brightly. "Quite generous of me to give everything to Courtney, wouldn't you say?"

"You do not have the power to give anything away to anybody," Adam informed her, his tone implying she was a simpleton. "I hold the receivership rights to your assets. Remember?"

"You did hold those rights until yesterday," Sabrina informed him, taking perverse pleasure in the surprised look that appeared on his face. "Prince Adolphus promised to revert them to me."

"Why?"

"The prince trusts my judgment."

"Damn it, Sabrina. That's not what I meant," Adam snapped. "Why do you want to control the Savage assets? Don't you trust me?"

"I needed control so I could sign them over to Courtney," Sabrina said matter-of-factly, as if that explained everything. Though she really didn't think he'd accept her answer. "What does it matter to you? You are rich beyond belief."

"I don't give a damn about your piddling inheritance, but I don't want to see it thrown away either," Adam replied, the muscle in his right cheek beginning to twitch.

Lord, but her husband looked like he wanted to throttle her. Sabrina wondered for a moment if she should tell him the truth, but then decided to keep her own counsel. If by some slim chance she was wrong about Edgar's involvement in her father's death, her husband's presence in her scheme would make the situation worse than it was. Edgar might even challenge Adam to a duel. If she kept her plan from Adam, and it proved wrong, no one would be the wiser. If her suspicions proved true, there would be time enough to tell her husband.

"Don't you realize what you've done?" Adam asked. "We were negotiating Courtney's betrothal agreement with Dudley Egremont. Now, every fortune hunter in London will be camped out on her doorstep. A few may even try to snatch her in order to assure themselves of her riches."

That is exactly what I want
, Sabrina thought, staring up at him. Briggs should be showing up on her sister's doorstep that very day.

"What is it you're not telling me?" Adam said.

Sabrina dropped her gaze to the bed. "I have nothing more to say."

"Now I'll need to speak with the prince," Adam muttered, turning to march back across the chamber to the door. "Winston, come," he called over his shoulder.

The wolfhound looked from Adam to Sabrina, who patted the bed beside her in invitation.

"Do you want to eat?" Adam asked.

Winston bounded after Adam, the master's invitation too appealing to give up.

"Traitor," Sabrina grumbled. Dogs were supposed to be loyal, weren't they? This one had a lopsided view of the world; he followed whoever offered him food.

After the door clicked shut behind her husband, Sabrina leaped out of the bed. The morning was growing old, and she wanted to get to Grosvenor Square before noon.

Returning to her own chamber, Sabrina washed hurriedly, brushed her hair back and secured it with a ribbon, and then dressed in a midnight-blue serge riding habit. She pulled on her black leather boots and grabbed a matching midnight-blue hooded cloak. She paused a moment and then retrieved Lily's weapon of last resort from her reticule. After fastening the garter with the sheath and dagger to her leg, she dropped her skirt into place.

Sabrina knew she could never use it, but wearing it meant she needn't lie to Lily when questioned about it.

Wrapping the cloak around herself, Sabrina left her chamber and walked down two flights of stairs. Higgins and Razi stood at attention in the foyer.

"Good morning," Sabrina called to them, walking across the foyer to the door.

"Good morning, my lady," Higgins greeted her with a smile.

Razi bowed from the waist as if she were a queen. "Good morning, my pr—lady."

"Are you going out, my lady?" Higgins asked. "Shall I have the carriage brought around?"

Damn
, Sabrina cursed her own stupidity. She'd been so concerned with escaping from Adam without her intentions being detected that she'd forgotten to order the carriage brought around.

Sabrina didn't want to wait for the carriage. By the time the horses were harnessed and brought around, she could already be at Grosvenor Square. The walk was a short one.

"No, I believe I'd rather walk," Sabrina told her husband's servants. "His Grace's town house is practically around the next corner. If my husband asks for me, tell him I've gone to flush a weasel out of his hole."

Upon leaving the town house, Sabrina pulled the hood of her cloak up to cover her head and started walking at a brisk pace down Park Lane. Edgar might not show up today, she told herself. If he failed to tip his hand today, she would return to Uncle Charles's town house every day for the next month as a precaution.

Sabrina turned left when she reached Upper Brook Street. From there, Grosvenor Square was only two blocks away. Within minutes, she'd reached her destination and started up the front stairs. Thankfully, she hadn't seen anyone who knew her.

"Good morning, Baxter," Sabrina greeted the duke's majordomo. "Good morning, Forbes."

"Good morning, my lady," the two majordomos chimed together, making her smile.

"Is His Grace at home this morning?" Sabrina asked.

"His Grace and Prince Adolphus have gone riding in Hyde Park," Baxter informed her.

"What about my aunt and Lady DeFaye?"

"Both ladies have gone out for the morning," Forbes told her.

Sabrina smiled. "I hope I haven't come to visit an empty house," she said.

"Lady Courtney is in the drawing room," Baxter told her.

Sabrina headed for the stairs but stopped short when Forbes added, "Lord Briggs is with her."

Edgar had wasted no time, Sabrina thought with a certain amount of satisfaction. Though it would prove nothing in a court of law, his timely arrival to visit her sister indicated his involvement in her father's murder.

Sabrina started up the stairs slowly. She hadn't reached the first landing when it occurred to her that in spite of the servants' presence in the house, Courtney and she might be in danger. After all, a man who murdered was capable of anything. She did have that ridiculously small dagger strapped to her leg but didn't think she had the courage to use it.