Part 13 (1/2)

”Mr. Bartleby, as you can see, I am otherwise engaged.” Jenny struggled against the childish urge to duck down the stairs and hide beneath her bed. But she couldn't leave. She had to get the shopkeeper out of the house before he drew more notice and ruined everything for her. ”If you do not mind, I shall call at your shop on the morrow to discuss whatever matter you find so important.”

Hoping against hope that Bartleby would simply leave, Jenny turned around to follow Edgar into the drawing room, when the shopkeeper's fingers wrapped around her upper arm and squeezed tight.

”Sir, you forget yourself!” she shrieked, a little more loudly than she should have, for her knight in s.h.i.+ning armor was inside the pa.s.sage at her side in an instant.

”Might I be of some a.s.sistance, Lady Genevieve?” Callum asked, forcefully knocking the shopkeeper's arm from Jenny's. He moved his towering body within a breath of Bartleby, forcing the shopkeeper to look straight up to meet his piercing gaze.

Bartleby began to sputter, his threatening tone reduced to a mere mouse squeak. ”I-I was just... well, her ladys.h.i.+p had admired a scarf at my establishment, but someone else acquired the item before she could purchase it. Just wanted to let her know that I'll receive another by week's end and shall keep it for her if she's still interested in purchasing it.”

Jenny was impressed with Bartleby's alacrity with a lie, but that did not excuse his brash behavior this night.

”'Tis all right.” She laid her hand on Callum's coat sleeve and he twisted at the waist and turned his chest toward her. ”I informed Mr. Bartleby that I shall make every effort to visit his shop on the morrow.”

She stepped beside Callum and wrapped her arm around the crook of his elbow as she spoke to Bartleby. ”If that is all, Mr. Bartleby, would you please excuse me so I may return to the party?”

Mr. Bartleby bobbed a quick, nervous bow, then disappeared into the stairwell that led to the kitchen below.

Callum leaned his mouth near Jenny's ear as they started through the open door to the drawing room. ”What was that all aboot?”

Jenny sighed, but turned a smile upon him. ”Honestly, my lord, I do not know... exactly. But let us put him from our minds for we have a great surprise in store for you.”

”Indeed we have.” Meredith raced to the doorway and s.n.a.t.c.hed Callum's hand. ”Come with me, Argyll, and I shall predict your future. Oh, come now, do not hedge. My predictions of the future are startlingly accurate. You will see.”

Even in the light of a single candle, no one in the room could have missed Meredith's p.r.o.nounced wink in Jenny's direction.

After supping on roasted venison, a culinary choice Jenny could have done without after their trip to Dyrham, the small party returned to the drawing room for a supposed rousing demonstration of the metaphysical. Or rather, they settled for Meredith and her bag of inane party tricks.

Still, Jenny was grateful, for without Meredith's willingness to perform, the chandeliers would be glaring down on her red and puffed face at this very minute.

While Meredith positioned the young widow into a j.a.panned chair, preparing to attempt Dr. Mesmer's famed mind control, Callum led Jenny to the settee, which was conveniently, for Jenny's hot and cracking face, located just out of the reach of candlelight.

In fact, they sat in absolute darkness.

Instead of causing Jenny worry, the idea that no one could see them was most t.i.tillating.

Like sun through a window, she could feel the blissful warmth of Callum's body beside her, could hear his slow breathing, and yet she could not see him. But neither could anyone else, a point on which he was obviously aware, for he took her hand in his, turned it over, and rubbed his thumb from her palm to the pads of her gloved fingertips.

Jenny s.h.i.+vered, and afterward felt a little embarra.s.sed at her visceral reaction.

”Jenny,” Callum whispered ever so softly.

The sound vibrated in her ear and tickled her, bringing a smile to her mouth.

”I am sorry aboot walking away from ye at the park. 'Tis no excuse, I ken, but I wasna ready to hear the truths ye spoke. Can ye fergive me?”

She turned her face toward his to reply and, not realizing he had moved his own closer, was surprised to feel her lips brush his firm lower lip.

She didn't know if he meant for their mouths to touch at all, or if he was urging her to lean in to truly kiss him. It really didn't matter. She wanted to experience his kiss again.

Needed to.

And in the ebony cloaked drawing room, she would.

She directed a wary glance across the room to where the Featherton ladies sat in the candle's tight, circular glow.

Sure that they would not be seen, Jenny turned her body more fully toward Callum and ran her hand up his broad chest, then over the rough whiskered skin along his jaw. Her left hand slid through his tousled hair, and without even a nod to propriety, she slid her hand behind his neck and pulled his mouth to hers.

Callum's breath hitched, and belatedly, Jenny realized the boldness of her desire had surprised him. Somehow, though, deep within, this pleased her immensely and emboldened her further.

Suddenly she felt strong, large hands reach around and lift her body effortlessly. Her eyes went wide in the blackness and she felt Callum settle her atop his lap. But she could not protest. Darkness might cloak even the most salacious actions, but it could not mute words.

Now it was Jenny's turn to gasp as she became aware of the hard bulge upon which she now sat.

”This is unseemly, Callum. We are not alone,” she whispered, instantly forgetting her shock as he traced the rim of her lip with the tip of his tongue, making her feel drugged and oddly drowsy.

”Shh. No one can see us, la.s.s.”

More than hearing his words, she felt them breathed hotly upon her lips, coaxing her mouth open so she might catch each one.

At once, she was obsessed with the desire to feel the contours of his body. She leaned firmly against him, pressing harder and harder as his tongue slid inside her mouth.

She felt his fingers flutter eagerly over her waist, and excitement surged inside of her as she imagined his hands touching her elsewhere. Then, as if she had willed it into occurring, his fingers began their slow climb upward over her bodice.

When his broad hand cupped her breast, she wanted to moan aloud, and indeed would have had his mouth not devoured the breath the sound rode before it escaped her.

Callum's hand moved agonizingly slowly, his fingers spreading wide, until through the gray silk, his thumb and forefinger came together around her hardened nipple and squeezed it gently.

Jenny's eyes snapped wide, and she pulled away from him, retreating to the far edge of the settee. He had supposed too much.

There were others in this room after all and only the veriest rake would dare attempt such a scandalous thing.

Oh, my word. Why had she not realized it? A wash of heat suffused her cheeks.

She had thought he was being genuine. Letting her come close, letting himself feel something for her.

But she had been wrong, hadn't she?

The walls around his heart stood ever stalwart and unbreachable.

The rogue had returned to his keep.

But then his hand reached for hers again, and gave it a rea.s.suring squeeze. ”I am sorry, Jenny. My pa.s.sions got the better of me and I regret it. I want ye, want ye somethin' fierce, but I dinna wish to lose you.”

She turned her head back to consider him, to see if the truth glistened in his eyes, but there was only darkness. Still, Jenny wondered, if for only an instant, if she had judged him unfairly.

Maybe, in all honesty, he did feel something for her-something more than needless l.u.s.t.

But it wasn't love. Mustn't fool herself about that.

Most certainly not.