B005R3LZ90 EBOK (32 page)

Sally's face grew hot. "You don't understand. He pretended I was Diana."

Glee came to a stop in the middle of the broad lawn and peered at Sally. "Nonsense! I know my brother, and I know he's in love with you. He has all the signs of a man who passionately loves his wife. Trust me, Diana is long forgotten, rest her sweet soul."

Sally spoke in a choked voice. "He called me Diana. When we were making love."

"Oh dear," Glee said, her face scrunching into a frown. "I daresay it was old habit. Was it during the first time?"

"The first time?"

"The first time you made love, goose!"

Sally swallowed. "Well, yes, actually."

"There you have it! Old habit, for sure. Knowing my brother, I'd say he hadn't made love to another woman since Diana, and it was only natural that her name would come to his lips—that first time—but, believe me, he loves you."

"I wish I could believe you," Sally said in a weak voice.

Glee's mouth puckered. "I think I can now understand everything."

"Everything?"

"The reason my poor brother behaves in so tortured a manner. After he called you Diana, you put a stop to sharing a bed with him, did you not?"

Sally spun to face her. "How did you know?"

"Believe me," Glee said morosely, "I know the signs of a man terribly in love with his wife and deprived of her body. I've lived with such a man for more than two years."

They walked in silence toward the lane that ran in front of Hornsby.

"You didn't tell George, did you?" Glee said.

"Tell him what?"

"Tell him he called you Diana."

"It hurt too deeply, and I'm much too proud for my own good."

"Just as I thought! Instead of apologizing for calling you by the name of his former wife, he thinks you've barred him from your bed because you don't love him. What
did
you tell him?" Glee tossed a quizzing glance at her sister.

"I . . . I didn't tell him anything. I wrote to him."

Glee turned to her, her eyes dancing. "What did you write to him?"

"I told him . . . we couldn't do that again." She drew in a deep breath. "I told him I loved him, but only like a brother."

Glee groaned. "That explains my poor brother's dejected behavior. It really wasn't a bit charitable of you to treat him so callously, you know. He's had a rough go of it."

Sally's stomach dropped. She wished she could believe her denial
did
hurt him—not that she wished to wound the poor dear. "Had I thought I was hurting him, I most certainly would not have behaved so callously, but I assure you, the only thing George loves about me is my too-willing body."

"That's not true! I've known my brother a good deal longer than you, and I'm positive he's in love with you."

Sally heaved her shoulders. "Would that I could believe there's truth to what you're saying. Unfortunately, you're only trying to make me feel better because you're such a very good friend to me."

"Pooh! I also love my brother, and I want him to be happy."

Sally could not discuss her strained relationship with George any longer. "Speaking of being happy, I could tell at whist last night that a big change has come over Blanks. And over you."

Glee smiled. A huge smile. Like the cat that caught the canary. "Yes, we are very happy indeed. We did it again, you know."

A crisp gust of wind slapped at Sally's face. "It?"

"You know,
it
." Her smile gave no sign of lessening.

That which she had done with George. That glorious mating. No wonder Glee was so happy. Sally turned and took Glee's hand, covering it with her own. "I'm so very happy for you. And for Blanks."

"No one in the world is happier than I," Glee said smugly.

They came to the lane and turned back toward the manor house. Sally saw Ebinezer bring around George's horse. She was about to become angry until she saw that it was Blanks, not George, who mounted the beast.

"By the way," Glee said, "You did a most peculiar thing in the letter you sent me to tell me of George's accident."

Sally squinted against the sun to face her sister. "What?"

"You signed it Sally Spenser. I hope that does not mean you dislike being Lady Sedgewick."

"I suppose old habits are difficult to break. I'm happy to be Lady Sedgewick, though I've never in my life been more unhappy, if you understand what I mean."

"I understand."

* * *

That night after dinner the four of them played whist. This time it was females against males. Unfortunately, that put Sally next to George at the table. He had hardly been able to utter a word to her since reading her unwelcome letter. At the same time, he had been unable to expunge her from his every thought. Most of all, he kept thinking of that blissful night she had invited him into her chamber. How could she have given herself to him so completely, then turn around and abandon him? Every kiss, every caress they had shared validated a most perfect union. She couldn't be that good of an actress! Yet, he had to accept that she did not really love him. Except as a brother.
Damn it!

Was it his recent deformity? He refused to believe he could have been that incompetent in the ways of loving a woman. Besides, she was too inexperienced to feign the climax that had drenched her, sending her into uncontrollable tremblings. No, he had been capable of fulfilling her in that way. Then, what was it?

"Your play, dearest," she murmured to him.

He glanced at her sweet face and noted she had not curled her hair. Was that to please him? He had told her he preferred her hair uncurled. His eye trailed along her golden neck to the rising and falling of her smooth little breasts. How he longed to remove that gown! He shuddered, then tossed out a card.

It was difficult to keep his mind on his play when her presence continued to evoke her sensuality. Now he had some idea of the torture Blanks had put himself through these two years past.

Only today there was something different about Blanks. A self-satisfied composure. George glanced at his sister. She possessed that same telling smile.

And suddenly George realized that when Blanks had become jealous of Willingham yesterday and fled the library, he must have confronted Glee. And nature had obviously taken its course. Had they returned to the folly where Blanks had first compromised her? A smile hitched on George's face. One victory won. His own, unfortunately, would forevermore evade him.

"Dearest," Sally said to him, placing her hand on his sleeve. "Who were those men who came to you today?"

"No one you need be concerned with." He disliked excluding his wife from this business, but it was for her own good. Anything that related to the day of the fire still had the power to send her into hysterics.

After he and Blanks won the first game, he pleaded fatigue, though it was actually his wife's debilitating presence that made him wish to leave.

* * *

Sally mounted the stairs with her husband.

"You aren't still afraid I'll fall down?" he asked with a chuckle.

"No, you've quite satisfied me that you are recovered. I'm exceedingly happy, but I daresay I do miss your company."

He stopped and peered into her eyes. It was impossible for her to forget that other night when he had looked at her with such longing, so much that she had ventured to invite him to partake of her willing body. She could not allow herself to dwell on that night. It had meant nothing to him. He only needed a man's release, not a wife's love. "I rather thought you would prefer Glee's company to mine," he said.

She climbed to the next step. "I adored being with you day and night. I'm rather a controlling creature, and I daresay I was in my element ordering you about."
And being with you every moment and caring for you and loving you with all my heart.
None of those words would her pride allow her to say.

As they drew near her door, she stiffened and grabbed the knob. She would not allow herself to be used merely for his physical gratification. She flashed a smile and said, "Good night, George. I hope you sleep well."

He did not so much as even try to brush dry lips across her forehead. He spun on his heel and went to his chambers.

Once she was in bed, she relived the hopeful conversation she had with Glee. Then she remembered Glee telling her about the signature on the letter.
Sally Spenser
. An old habit that was hard to break. She no more wished to be Sally Spenser than she wished to be residing with her odious elder brother. Nevertheless, she had referred to herself by that name.

The wrong name.

Could George have done likewise when he called her Diana? Could Glee be right?

Chapter 31

Given the fact that he had been able to sleep like a babe in the post chaise coming here, Lloyd had offered to take duty the first night. He was careful to dress all in black and even blackened his face so as not to be seen after dark when wandering about his lordship's estate. Once darkness fell, he left the big manor house, came to a thicket near the burned-out stable, and sat on a tuft of grass to wait. He wasn't sure what he was waiting for, but he would know when the time came.

His first observation came about six o'clock when the burly groom left the stable and went up to the big house for dinner. Lord Sedgewick had told him this Ebinezer took his meals at the big house. About half an hour later, the groom strolled leisurely back to the stable.

The next several hours were duller than a month-old razor. Waiting was the worst part of this blasted job. But the pay was fair, and Lloyd received a heap of pride in protecting the good and punishing the bad.

He glanced from the stable to the big house, from the big house to the stable. He watched the candles in the big house being snuffed one by one until eleven o'clock, when the house was in complete darkness. He was getting sleepy himself, but he wasn't one to take a day's pay for not doing his job. So he stayed awake. Hard as it was.

Not long after the manor house went dark, he heard the soft pounding of horse's hooves. And they weren't going to the big house, either. He sat up straight, his ears perked. The horse kept coming right toward the stable without a falter in its stride. It wasn't until the horse stopped right beside the stable that Lloyd got a good glimpse of the rider. It was a lady! He watched as she dismounted and tethered her mount. Though he was some distance away, he could tell she was pretty. But something didn't seem right. She dressed like a real lady. Quality. Now, what would a lady of the
ton
be doing coming to visit with a groom?

It seemed to him a lady met a man at this time of night for one reason and one reason only. And Lloyd distinctly disliked the idea of spying on a pair of lovers. That weren't what he was being paid to do.

Sure enough, the Ebinezer fellow came out of the stable's shadows and kissed the lady. By the looks of the kiss, it wasn't the first time the two of them had met like this. He watched as the groom took her hand and led her into the ruined building.

Lloyd hated to pry into their doings, but he was receiving good compensation for doing so. He got up and quietly made his way to the dark side of the stable and bent down low. It was a very long shot, but there was the possibility the lady was the one what paid the groom, so Lloyd told himself he had to go listening to the two of them. Better that than watching!

It was the lady he heard first. "I see you've got fresh hay for us to lie on, Ebinezer. Have you missed me this past fortnight?"

"Aye, Miss Johnson," the groom said hungrily. "But I needs to get something straight between us."

The lady spoke real throatily like. "Ebinezer, come to me."

"Not until ye promise me I'm not gonna have to do more killin'."

"I've been thinking about it, and I've decided Lord Sedgewick may have suffered enough for what he did to me. There's just one other tiny thing . . . "

"I don't want to do nothin' else. I want to come back to Bath, to Coriander House. I want to feel you lying beside me every night."

"You silly man. You know I'm always on top. Now come here."

Sweet heavens! Lloyd had just heard enough to convict the bloke! And the lady, too! Let's see, what were the facts he'd have to know? The lady was Miss Johnson of Coriander House in Bath. He could remember that without writing it down.

What he heard next was a bunch of grunting and moaning and some of the filthiest talk he'd ever heard in his one and thirty years! Thank the Good Lord, he wouldn't have to repeat that part to his lordship.

Lloyd had a strong desire to run up to the big house this very moment and wake his lordship, but he felt he hadn't done much to earn his money. The thing to do was to follow the lady in order to get even more evidence against her.

But in order to follow her, he would need a mount. He got up quietly and went back to the manor house, where he woke up his mate.

"What goin' on?" Gordon said as he rubbed his eyes.

"I've got the lady."

"What lady?"

"The one that's tryin' to destroy Lord Sedgewick. I'll need to follow her when she leaves the groom. I think she's payin' the lad with her body. What I need you to do is to go find me a mount and wait for me at the lane—in the darkest place ye can find. Ye'll need to be quiet. We can't let her see you."

Lloyd hurried back to the stable, and the two of them were still going at it. He'd wager a quarter's salary he hadn't missed a thing except more dirty talk. He never heard of no lady talking like that one. She spoke more like a whore down at the docks than a lady living in a fine house with a name!

But he had to hand it to that Ebinezer. He could go many a round with the demanding wench. Lloyd wished he had half the stamina of the strapping groom.

After a couple of hours of that, the lady said, "You must help me dress now, Ebinezer. I have to leave before the light comes."

"Ye stayin' at the inn in the village?"

"Yes, but this will be my last time here. The innkeeper keeps asking what keeps bringing me to Tottenford. And Tottenford, my dear lover, is not exactly a metropolis."