Midnight Masquerade (21 page)

As he said the words, it was as if the puzzle was being placed together right before her face, her jaw dropped as she put everything together. She had seen all the signs, and many Luke didn’t know about, why it took her this long to piece them together was beyond her.

“Typical
female
, pushing for Alastair to
say
three words in lieu of being content in
feeling
them in action and not in spoken word.
Even if he
never
says them Lia, can you really doubt the man loves you, even for a second? Use that damn brilliant mind of yours.
”

Her heart did a flip with the realization that Alastair
loved
her. Smiling brightly, she leaned up on her tip toes and kissed Luke’s cheek and threw her arms around him, “Thank you Luke.”

Hugging her softly, “You’re welcome Lili, I’ve missed that smile.”

Letting go of him, she took his hand and happily sighed, “I promise you’ll be seeing it a lot more.”

Nodding downstairs, “Come on, let me walk you to your date for the evening, perhaps for life
,
if you don’t muck things up with that silly female nonsense in your head.”

Swatting at him, “Even I am not immune to that silly female nonsense, thank you for promptly talking me out of that drivel, bah, I need a drink.” She giggled as they began to walk downstairs.

“Spoken like a tru
e Somerset Lia! What do you think of coming over tomorrow and visiting with the twins and Genevieve, you can bring your future husband too.”

Nudging
him
as they got closer to the library where she could hear the tenor of the Gideon and Alastair’s voice along with the sweet lilt of Genevieve and Helena, “He hasn’t even asked me yet, so stop talking like that you ninny head.”

“Ah, well when you keep acting like your don’t know what is in your own head and heart, what do you expect?”

“Shh! He’ll hear you. Yes, I’ll come over and bring my
future husband
, God that sounds so weird saying that,” she hissed, stopping in the hallway outside the library.

Kissing her on the cheek, “Good, I shall see your smiling face tomorrow and please don’t bring grumpy Alastair. I’d like my old friend back please, the one that is happy and smiling, just like my old sister, you might have met her before? No? Oh well, if you do happen along them tonight, or tomorrow could you invite them over as well?”

Swatting him, “Get in there you lummox!” Smiling ear to ear at his teasing. It felt incredible, and lighthearted.

Quietly whispering as he opened the door, “Yes Your Grace, Amelia
Elizabeth
Bancroft, the Duchess of Blackwell.”

Biting her lip to prevent from bursting out in laughter, she swatted him again as they burst through the door, making the entire room stop their conversations and look at them.

“Well hello you two! Seems like our feisty Lili is back, hitting your poor brot
her like that in front of guest
!” Gideon teased, putting his glass to his lips to cover his smile.

Looking around the room, Amelia saw her two sister-in-laws
sitting together on the velvet couch and
Alastair who was standing by the fire drinking with one elbow propped on the mantel looking dashing as always, and her two broth
ers, “Guest
?”

“Ouch Alastair, Lia no longer considers you a guest. I don’t know if I’d be wounded or proud of that fact.” Gideon teased.
Alastair simply grinned and winked at her.

Pointing at her eldest brother, she tried to contain her smile as she moved across the room towards Alastair, “Would you like to get hit too dear brother?”

Putting his hands up, Gideon crossed the room and gathered his wife as Luke did the sa
me, “We’ll see you two tomorrow, let’s go before she tries to fight all of us. Good luck Alastair, looks like she’s a handful tonight.
”

She stopped
in her tracks
as her
family walked out of the door with scattered goodbyes, leaving her in alone in the library with Alastair. Turning
back
around, she
locked eyes with him as he stood carelessly by the fireplace watching her with delight.

“I missed you.” She stated unashamed, for it was certainly true.

With the
slightest grin, he remained by the fireplace and took a drink before offering, “Show me.”

She saw his challenge and immediately accepted, linking her hands behind her back, she slowly crossed the room as she closed in on him. She had thought about him all day.

He was dressed for more casual than she was used to seeing him. No cravat, or jacket. Just strikingly tight black breeches
with his tall black boots and a
white
linen shirt
with several of the buttons undone
. He looked more like a pirate coming to claim her, than a noble duke who was a known favorite to the King of England as well
as other countries dignitaries.

Stepping up to the deliriously good smelling sex god, she bit her lip as she reached over and grabbed his waistband right above his cock and tugged him closer before leaning up on her tiptoes. T
aking his ear lobe into her mouth
she gave it a gentle nibble as she whispered, “I’ll show you just as soon as you relocate me to my new home.”

Running his hands over her ass, he pulled her up against him, “Your wish is my command Lia, as long as you are sure that this is what
you
want.”

“I know that I want you more than anything in this world, I know that I do not like being away from you, even for a few hours. Last night, having you beside me, waking up to your face…that is what I want forever.”

Tipping up her chin, “Then tell me why you were crying, I can see it clearly on your face. I know Luke went upstairs to get you, I couldn’t hear what Helena said to him, but I know it was about
us
.”

She knew Luke was right about so many
things;
Alastair could see her hesitation but was
misinterpreting
it. She had kept so many of her thoughts in her head that the man really didn’t know where he stood with her. She had argued with him more this past month than she had in her entire life. She knew what she had to do, she had to get them back to solid ground, where they both knew where they
stood.

“Luke helped me realize a few things that I should have seen and known, I was crying, you are correct, but it was because I’m just a silly woman who is in love with a man who is laying the world at my feet and true to my nature, I’m over thinking every damn thing instead of jumping in feet first and committing like I should have a long time ago.”

Feeling his fingers dig into her hips as she spoke her heart, she knew this is exactly what she needed to do. No more hiding her heart, no more pretending, if she was going to commit to this man, regardless if it broke her heart, she would commit fully.

“Say it Lia.” His voice velvet soft as he gently cupped her chin with both hands, staring at her as if she was the most precious thing he had ever seen.

Slipping her hand up his chest, she placed it over
his heart, “I love you Alastair.
I have loved you for so long it hurts. I’ve been a fool trying to protect myself from heartbreak, but I refuse to hide any longer. I love you Alastair Cedric Bancroft, I love
you
, not your title, not your possessions or wealth, I love the man you are. We could lose everything we have
,
but as long as I have you
,
I
wouldn’t
care.”

Before she knew what was going on, Alastair had
swung
her in
to
his arms, kissing her so sensually that she was melting as she hung onto his neck as h
e walked out of the library and carried
her upstairs to her bedroom.

Kicking in the door with his foot, he broke from their ravenous kissing to ask, “Where are your bags?”

Giggling, “How do you know I packed anything at all?”

Sitting her down, he looked at her as if he wasn’t buying her line, “
I’m the leader of the entire
army of England Lia,
I
think I’m smart enough to deduce you have your trunks packed. A woman who hands her heart to a man, says she is ready to move in with him would be prepared to leave…as you are, even if she was crying moments before coming downstairs.”

Pointing to her wardrobe, “I have a few items packed, the rest can be handled by the staff. Are you sure you’re ready for me to be under your feet all the time Alastair?”

Rolling his eyes, he walked into her wardrobe and picked up the two trunks and came back out, “Yes, I’m more than ready for you to fill my house wi
th your laughter and my bedroom
with your screams of pleasure, shall we love? The night is young and I’d love to give you the full tour of the house tonight.”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Carriage is out back, it’ll help keep you protected from prying eyes. Come,
I can’t wait to show you the house.”

Chuckling, she exited her room with him, “Alastair, I’ve been in your house before. You hold a masque ball every season, I have been to every single one since my entrance into society.”

“Aye, that you have love, but you’ve only seen the few rooms I open up for the party and my gardens. There is far more to that house than my ballroom, and you have never looked at my house as if it were yours.”

Walking down the stairs next to him as he carried her luggage, “Luke asked if we’d come over for lunch tomorrow, I haven’t seen the twins in days and I miss them.”

Exiting out the back entrance that was completely hidden from the alley for privacy, he nodded for her to enter the awaiting carriage, “I would love that, I can see to my appointments
before we go
,” nudging her inside the carriage he added, “I like that I’m being include
d as part of your family Lia. I’ve never had siblings and my parents have been gone for years
, it’ll be nice to have a family again.”

Sitting down in the padded seat, she saw Alastair ha
n
d the large trunks to his driver before entering and taking the seat across from her. She had never given much thought to the absence of family in his life, she had always been surrounded by siblings, or Helena and Hero and their parents. She couldn’t imagine growing up as an only child, how lonely it would have been.

“Alastair, I’m sorry….”

“For what?” He asked, thoroughly confused.

Reaching across the carriage, she took his hands and kissed his knuckles, “I
’ve
always had parents
until their recent deaths, and I’ve always had
siblings surrounding me all my life
, if it wasn’t my brothers
,
I always had Hero and Helena
. I can’t
imagine being an only child, or
being an orphan lik
e you were so many years ago. My heart breaks for you just thinking about it
.”

Squeezing her hands he grinned, “My parents were loving people Lia, you would have loved them. I
lost them right as I graduated Eton,
I had already known your brothers for years. After my parents died your brothers insisted upon inviting me to your family gatherings,
they took me under their wing
s
. Your brothers have been like my adoptive siblings for as long as I’ve known them. I took to my title much earlier than I had ever anticipated, yes it changed my life but this is exactly where I’m meant to be, and you are exactly whom I’m meant to share it with.”
Knocking on the top of the carriage, the elegant black carriage rolled out in the direction of Alastair’s famous London mansion as he pulled her towards him, sitting her on his lap.

“How are your ribs feeling today?” He asked, kissing her forehead and tucking her in against his body as the carriage rambled through the cobbled streets. Around them she could hear carriages passing them as people deployed to their various outing for the night, just as her brothers had.

Snuggling against him, “
Improving.”

“Improving enough to go to the Opera with me tomorrow night?”

Looking up into his blue eyes, “I would love that, but I don’t have anything packed to wear to the opera in my trunks.”

“I’ve got you covered love.
I talked to your brothers earlier today and they suggested we get you out into society as soon as you feel ready. I don’t think you are ready for a ball yet, dancing might not bode well for your ribs, but a quiet night at the opera is doable. The three men will escort our ladies to our separate boxes, and London will see
that you are did not in fact throw yourself over the edge of that balcony because you were so heartbroken that I was engaged to another.”