When His Kiss Is Wicked (27 page)

“That is the sweetest and the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me,” she whispered breathlessly, afraid she might burst into tears. “I don’t even know what to say to you.”

“Say that you will marry me.” With his green eyes pinned on her, she could not move, could not think of anything but him.

“You want to marry me?” Her voice quaked and her heart flipped over.

“Yes.”

It suddenly seemed as if the world as she knew it had simply turned upside down and nothing made sense anymore. She began to babble, “But the bookshop is…I thought…I want to work…You want—”

“I want you, Colette.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and she shivered from the contact. “I’ve come to realize that I am proud of you and the work you have accomplished here. I want you to continue making the bookshop a success.” His tone was filled with determination.

“But a countess…a marchioness…Your wife cannot work in a shop.”

“
My
wife certainly can if she wants to. If
you
want to, Colette. I have no doubt that you can do anything you put your mind to doing.”

Colette opened her mouth to speak. She closed her mouth. She opened it once again and then closed it, unable to utter a single word. She was stunned. Lucien loved her and wanted to marry her, and it did not matter to him if she still worked in the bookshop.
My bookshop.
He had given it to her. He made it possible for her to keep the shop forever. Her heart flipped over in her chest.

“Oh, Lucien, do you mean that?” she finally gasped, her voice surprising her by sounding higher than usual.

He pulled her into his arms, the papers spilling unheeded to her slippered feet on the floor. He leaned in close to her, slanting his mouth over hers, and crushed a kiss to her lips. “Yes, I mean that.”

With her mouth close to his, inhaling the scent of him, she whispered on a shaky breath, “Thank you.”

“What about ‘yes’?”

“Yes?” she asked, confused by his question.

His emerald green gaze penetrated her entire body. “Will you marry me?”

Recognition dawned. “Oh, yes!” She pulled his head to hers, spreading her fingers into his thick, dark hair, and kissed his lips. This was what she wanted more than anything in the world. “Yes, I will marry you.”

“I love you, Colette.”

“And I love you, Lucien, with all my heart.”

And that heart of Colette’s pounded with anticipation as Lucien’s mouth covered hers with a kiss. Slowly he began to walk her backward in the direction of a certain bookshelf in the history section.

Colette grinned while her husband laughed with her sisters as they all gathered around him for a photograph. After their wedding ceremony earlier that morning, Lucien had specially arranged for one of the city’s best photographers to come to Devon House to take a family portrait. The new art of photography was all the rage in London, and Lucien wanted a photograph of the entire family to commemorate the occasion. With Genevieve, Juliette, Lisette, Paulette, Yvette, Simon, and Lenora standing beside them, she and Lucien posed in front of one wall of fully stocked bookshelves in the newly renovated Devon House library.

The rather short and anxious photographer instructed them to hold very still while he arranged the camera. The large wooden camera rested on a tripod, and he fiddled with brass knobs before he lifted a dark cloth and huddled beneath it.

Before he could take their picture, however, Juliette called out, “Wait! Where is Jeffrey? He needs to be in this picture, too.”

“Yes, he should be with us,” Colette agreed, moving from her carefully posed position beside Lucien. After all they had been through together, Colette now considered Jeffrey as not just a friend but as a part of her family. She also sensed how much it would mean to him to be in this family portrait with them. And he had just returned from Paris to attend their wedding and serve as Lucien’s best man.

“You cannot move!” the photographer wailed.

“I’ll go and get him,” Lucien volunteered, lifting his hand from where it had been strategically placed on Colette’s shoulder, but not before caressing her lightly. “I shall only be a moment,” he explained to the photographer.

He left the library to retrieve Jeffrey, who was more than likely still mingling with the other wedding guests in the grand salon. After Juliette’s little scheme to make Lucien jealous, which actually had some merit to it after all, Lucien and Jeffrey had enjoyed a good laugh over Jeffrey’s part in it.

“Don’t anyone else move!” the frustrated photographer pleaded with them, throwing his hands up in the air at the groom’s departure.

Of course no one listened to him. Juliette immediately began telling Lisette that she was blocking her, while Paulette and Yvette giggled. Lenora, Simon, and Genevieve chatted amiably together.

Lucien returned momentarily with his friend following behind him. Jeffrey looked slightly befuddled and somewhat embarrassed. “I thought this was a Sinclair-Hamilton family portrait. Are you sure you wish for me to join you?”

A resounding chorus of “Yes!” answered his question. He smiled and thanked them, following the photographer’s anxious instructions for him to stand behind Yvette.

“Now, you must not move again. Remain very, very still,” the photographer murmured before diving beneath the camera cloth again.

Adjusting the long train on her sumptuous bridal gown of embroidered white silk and satin, Colette smiled as Lucien once again placed his hand upon her shoulder. This photograph, the first Colette had ever had taken in her life, marked a special day. It was not just her wedding day, but the beginning of her new life. With Lucien’s encouragement and support she could now make Hamilton’s Book Shoppe the premier book store in the city. There was nothing she could not do.

She stood perfectly still waiting for the photograph to be taken.

Everything had turned out so well. Her sisters would now be living with her and Lucien at Devon House. Simon, her new father-in-law, had been thrilled at not only gaining Colette as a daughter-in-law, but in also gaining her four sisters. Lenora had been warm in her welcome of Colette into the family, and Colette knew instinctively that they would become good friends. And even Genevieve was happy with the union. She had agreed to spend part of the year in Brighton and part of the year in London with them. Uncle Randall and Aunt Cecilia, who had attended the wedding, were more than pleased with Colette’s marriage to Lucien. Aunt Cecilia had actually kissed her on the cheek with glee!

But the best part of all was Lucien.

She glanced up at him just as the photograph was finally taken.

“And that is it!” the photographer shouted gleefully.

Lucien kissed her, whispering, “I love you.”

Happy beyond words to be married to the man she loved, she kissed him back, not caring that their parents and her sisters were all watching them. As everyone began to move from his or her positions an overwhelming sense of love flooded Colette.

Lucien took her hand in his, pulling her to his side. She moved toward him eagerly. “Doesn’t the Countess of Waverly look beautiful today?”

“Oh my, that’s me, isn’t it?” she murmured, still not used to the idea of being a countess. But it was exciting to be a countess in charge of a bookshop!

“Yes, that’s you,” he whispered in her ear.

A little thrill went through her. She had fallen in love with Lucien Sinclair that first day he entered her bookshop, and now he was her husband. Nothing could make her happier.

She tilted her head up to his, ready for another kiss.

And he kissed her.

Dear Readers,

Thank you for reading
When His Kiss Is Wicked.
I hope you enjoyed meeting the five Hamilton sisters and reading about Colette Hamilton and the Earl of Waverly as much as I enjoyed writing about them.

But what about the other four sisters, you ask? Do Juliette and Lord Eddington ever get together? Does Hamilton’s Book Shoppe become a success? Here’s a sneak peek at the first chapter of my next, as yet untitled, book. As you recall, Juliette Hamilton is as passionate as she is rebellious. She is determined to live her life her way, without anyone telling her what to do—which will bring her a great deal of excitement and romance, not to mention a few harrowing misadventures. Of course, the irrepressible Lord Jeffrey Eddington plays a special role, as well as a few unforgettable new characters, including a very handsome, very sexy sea captain with a secret of his own.

So read on to get a little preview of the next story in the Hamilton series…

Thanks for reading!
Kaitlin O’Riley
www.KaitlinORiley.com

 

London, England
Summer 1871

The evening Captain Harrison Fleming came to supper at Devon House was the night Juliette Hamilton finally made up her mind to run away.

That had been three weeks ago.

Now Juliette held her breath, her heart pounding an erratic rhythm against her chest, waiting silently in the shadows as the small group of sailors, laughing and talking in boisterous tones, walked by oblivious to her presence.
Oh, God, she was really doing this.
She was actually leaving. Leaving her sisters. Her family. Her home. A strange thrill coursed through her veins and she took a deep breath of the briny night air to fortify her shaking legs. She peered cautiously from her hiding space on the dock behind a stack of large oak barrels filled with she knew not what. The moonlit water glistened as still as glass beside the now empty dock.

All her planning had come to this moment.

There was the
Sea Minx
, docked just where Captain Fleming had said it would be.

When the last sailor had disappeared up the gangway of the ship, Juliette pulled the black cap down over her head to heighten her boyish disguise and took another deep breath, before scurrying on silent feet after them, up the ramp onto the deck of the
Sea Minx.

Juliette had somehow managed a minor miracle by reaching the dock and boarding the ship without being detected. Now began the more challenging aspect of her plan. She needed to remain hidden until they were well out to sea, when it would be too late for Captain Fleming to turn back and bring her home. Unsure where to go next, she hesitated for an instant before she ducked through a low doorway into a narrow, dimly lit passageway. Hearing male voices and heavy footsteps approaching she opened the nearest door in a blind panic and quickly found herself inside what appeared to be some sort of small storage room.

Unpleasant smells accosted her immediately, and once again she held her breath, not daring to move until the voices passed by, as her eyes slowly adjusted to the dimness. When the passageway quieted and she no longer heard voices, Juliette softly exhaled before daring to draw another breath.
Now what?
Her plan had not been so detailed as to exactly what she would do once she finally boarded the ship, aside from keeping out of sight until they had already set sail. Now she fumbled about in the cramped, dark space awash in sour smells until she found a small wooden crate upon which to sit. Thrilled with this bit of good fortune, she sat and nervously patted the little satchel she had brought with her.

She had brought enough food to last her a few days if she ate sparingly, a photographic card of her family which was taken at her sister Colette’s wedding last fall, letters with her friend Christine Dunbar’s address, some clothes, and her savings. Once she reached New York she would seek out her friend.

Then her adventure would really begin.

She had finally done it! She had successfully boarded Captain Fleming’s ship! She hugged herself in disbelief, a little stunned that she had actually accomplished her goal.

A rather strong pang of regret filled her at the thought of her four sisters when they discovered her note of explanation she had left in her bedroom. By morning her sisters would undoubtedly be overcome with worry and panic at her unexpected departure, but there was no help for it. It was time. Juliette had had to seize this opportunity to leave. She simply had to. She wanted to be free and independent and this was the only way.

As she sat in the dank and malodorous gloom, she felt the ship suddenly begin to rock beneath her and pitch forward. Loud shouts and excited cries could be heard above deck. Her heart lurched.
This was it!
There was no turning back now. The
Sea Minx
was sailing out across the Atlantic Ocean to America. Her fate was sealed, for better or for worse. For a fraction of a second she regretted her crazy desire to venture out and see the world, but then she held up her chin and grinned to herself in the dark.

She had always longed for an exciting adventure, a chance to visit exotic locales, to meet new people. However, she had not envisioned doing so in such furtive secrecy.

But that night at Devon House three weeks earlier she knew within an instant that Captain Harrison Fleming had unwittingly presented her with an advantageous opportunity to escape her regimented existence.

Perhaps it was when Captain Fleming described his beautiful clipper ship, the
Sea Minx.
The color of his eyes seemed the exact shade of the ocean on a stormy gray afternoon. Or maybe it was when he regaled them all with tales of his life at sea and his adventures in ports around the globe. He had actually
been
to exotic and foreign lands. India. China. Africa. America. The Caribbean. Captain Fleming was living the life she had only dared to dream of and it fascinated her to hear him speak.

Juliette’s brilliant scheme came to her in bits and pieces throughout the lengthy eight-course meal. She could not quite pinpoint the exact moment that the idea to stow away on his ship popped into her head, but by the end of that intimate supper party at Devon House, the beginnings of her plan had everything to do with the charismatic Captain Fleming. As soon as she learned that the adventurous sea captain planned to return to New York shortly, Juliette knew just what she had to do. She might never have this chance again.

He was her only means of getting to New York. She had to sail with him.

She had barely been able to finish her dessert for containing her wild excitement at this revolutionary idea.

“Look at Juliette, would you? She looks like the cat that ate the canary,” Lord Jeffrey Eddington had remarked to everyone gathered around the dinner table, an amused smile lurking on his boyishly handsome face, his merry eyes dancing. “Tell us now what is going on in that pretty head of yours, Juliette. Whatever are you scheming about now?”

Juliette had flashed him an irritated glance while trying to maintain an innocent expression. Leave it to Jeffrey to notice the slightest bit of change in her. In spite of being her dearest friend, he could be quite exasperating at times. If Jeffrey even suspected what she was plotting to do he would see to it that Juliette was locked in her bedchamber and under twenty-four-hour guard for the rest of her life.

She had to be very careful with him. He could spoil everything.

“I simply enjoy listening to Captain Fleming’s adventures of life at sea,” Juliette had answered Jeffrey cooly, glancing toward the tall and rugged looking man who sat to the right of her sister, Colette. They had all just been introduced to Captain Fleming that evening, because her brother-in-law, Lucien Sinclair, the Earl of Waverly, had invited him to stay at Devon House while he was conducting business in London. Apparently the two men were good friends, although Juliette had a difficult time imagining her staid and very proper brother-in-law being friends with the rather daring captain.

At her remark to Jeffrey, Captain Fleming questioned her across the long, elaborately set table. “Is that so, Miss Hamilton? And just what part of my story did you find so interesting?”

His exotic accent added to his charm, Juliette acknowledged. He sounded very American, which, of course, was only natural considering he was born in New York, but she found it intriguing nonetheless. He was vastly different from any man she had ever met in London. Juliette stared boldly into his stormy gray eyes. “I believe it was the part where you described your journey from New York to San Francisco. I felt as if I were on your ship.”

He smiled at her, and Juliette felt her heart flutter erratically. How peculiar! She had never met a man who made her heart race before. Nor had she ever expected to. At least not here at Devon House.

But she had always held out a vain hope. All through the Season last year, when her Uncle Randall had forced her and Colette to find husbands, every man she had met had bored her to tears. While Colette had been fortunate enough to fall in love with the wealthy Lucien Sinclair, the Earl of Waverly, and rescue the family from financial ruin and save the family bookshop, Juliette had had a more difficult time. Aside from becoming fast friends with Jeffrey Eddington, she had not met a single gentleman who held her interest for more than a minute. To be completely honest with herself, she knew she scared the trousers off most of the men and she took a perverse delight in doing just that. All she had to do was say something even remotely opinionated and they did not k now what to do with her. Despite her behavior, most of them became besotted with her anyway, declaring their love in the most embarrassing manner. The rest saw her as a challenge, something that they could tame or subdue. Juliette despaired of ever meeting a man who lived up to her expectations. Not even her darling Jeffrey.

No. She needed to leave London.

Not that her life in London was at all terrible. Leaving was something she simply had to do. She had harbored this unappeased restlessness inside of her for as long as she could remember and she felt smothered. If she didn’t get away from London, away from the tightly bound rules of society, even away from her family as much as she loved them, she knew she would go mad. Stark, raving mad.

Now she found herself on a ship captained by a man she barely knew. What would Harrison Fleming do when he discovered her? Would he be angry with her? Most likely. Would he punish her somehow? Perhaps, but she doubted it. Most men were full of bluster but would never lay a finger on her. Would he immediately turn the ship around and drag her back in humiliation to face Colette and Lucien? She could bear almost anything rather than that. She had come so far. She could not return now. All she had to do was remain undetected for a day or two. Aware that Captain Fleming had a schedule to keep and needed to arrive in New York before the end of the month, she doubted he would lose valuable time by sailing back to London simply to return her.

At least Juliette fervently hoped he would not.

She presumed he would be forced to keep her until they arrived in America with a plan to send her back on another ship, but by then she would have arranged to stay with her friend Christina. It was a good plan. In fact, it was the most daring she had ever come up with.

She sighed heavily, wondering how long she would have to remain in this squalid hole, but she would stay there a month if she had to. If that was what it took to get her to New York, she would gladly do it. Her legs were slowly falling asleep and her lower back was beginning to ache. She managed to lean the satchel behind her as a sort of makeshift cushion for her back. That helped a bit. There being nothing else to do, sitting there in the dark, she closed her eyes. Allowing the gentle sway of the ship to lull her, she drifted asleep.

Suddenly the door flung open with a clatter. Surprised by the unexpected intrusion, Juliette screamed shrilly, covering her mouth with her hand in a belated attempt to silence herself. She could not be found yet.
It was too soon!
Filled with bitter disappointment, and admittedly fear, she glanced up at the person responsible for ruining her hiding place.

A young man, his face awash with disbelief, stood in the dim lantern light of the passageway, startled speechless by her presence in the storage room. They stared mutely at each other for a moment before he recovered his senses. With a disapproving frown, he cried, “Hey now there, lad! We don’t allow stow-aways on board the
Sea Minx.
”

He obviously referred to Juliette’s disguise. Having sweet-talked one of the storter stable boys from Devon House into giving her his old clothes, she had donned trousers, a shirt, and a tweed cap. She thought she looked quite passable. And wearing trousers was most freeing, making her feel even more reckless and independent. No wonder men wore them! This sailor naturally assumed she was a boy. Juliette did not dare to move.

“You’ll have to come with me to see the captain.” The young man grabbed Juliette’s arm and yanked her roughly to her feet. As she stumbled into the passageway and the light fell across her face, he shouted, “Bloody hell!” He snatched the cap off her head, and her long dark hair fell in soft waves to her waist. “You’re a girl!” He stepped back from her in astonishment, his eyes round.

“Of course, I’m a girl, you simpleton,” she snapped at him, irritated that she should be found out so soon by this mere slip of a boy. Her entire plan was ruined. All her dreams now destroyed. She would never get to New York. Harrison Fleming would surely to take her back to Devon House this very night for they couldn’t be more than an hour or two out to sea by now.

“Wait until the captain sees you,” he whispered, shaking his head.

Reaching down to grab her tapestry-embroidered satchel, she thought to herself,
“Yes, just wait until the captain sees me.”
Juliette cringed inwardly at the thought of facing him. There was no help for it. Besides, he was merely a man. Like all the other men she had ever known. She could handle him easily enough. There wasn’t a man yet that she hadn’t. She squared her shoulders and followed the young sailor down the narrow passageway toward the captain’s cabin.

The door opened into a gorgeous anteroom with wood-paneled walls and gilt-framed maps. A round table with six leather-backed chairs dominated the room. Another door opened partially to reveal the captain’s private quarters. She could see a large bed within. Her eyes flashed back quickly to the oak desk, behind which stood Captain Harrison Fleming.

“I found a stow away aboard, Captain.
A girl.
She was hiding in the storage room,” the sailor explained.

Ignoring her rapidly beating heart, she stared up at the imposing figure who was in charge of the
Sea Minx
and, unintentionally, Juliette’s fate.

“Thank you for bringing our unexpected visitor to my attention,” Captain Fleming said with an even-toned voice, although his intent sea colored eyes never left Juliette’s face. “You may leave us now.”