Lost in a Royal Kiss (3 page)

Linnet resisted the urge to slump in her chair, suddenly weary with all the strains of the day. “You have to understand that Dominic and Chloe are very close. She’s his only true friend, from what Mr. Steele told me, and he’s devoted to her.” She sighed. “In fact, I suspect she’s his first love, although Chloe obviously doesn’t see him that way.”

“Ah. That does help explain his behavior.”

Sir Anthony fell silent, clearly thinking. Linnet left him to it, content to soak in the quiet atmosphere of his study, an elegant combination of pale draperies and walls, and dark, masculine furniture, set off by rows of bookshelves and an ornamented globe that stood by his desk.

“However, Dominic has been at Court for seven years, at the queen’s insistence,” he finally said. “What makes you think Her Majesty will be willing to let him leave on a moment’s notice? That, as I’m sure you know, is not how such matters are usually addressed within the royal household.”

Linnet did know. She’d been urging her mother for months to leave her position as sub-governess to the royal children. After Papa’s early demise left them in a precarious state, Mamma’s fortuitous appointment had elevated both their monetary and social status. But Linnet believed that her mother had done enough and that now it was time to come home. Queen Charlotte, however, was most reluctant to let Mamma go. Both the king and queen were notorious for resisting changes in their establishments, so Sir Anthony was justified in wondering what the royal reaction would be to his request.

“Prince Ernest and his brothers leave for Hanover next month, for their military training,” she explained. “There is no longer a reason for the queen to object to a change in Dominic’s status.”

“Dominic will not be going with them?”

“No. Queen Charlotte wishes to see him in the way of a respectable trade, or perhaps a position within the Church.”

Sir Anthony snorted in disbelief. “That seems unlikely.”

Linnet allowed herself a tiny smile. “I agree he is ill-suited for either choice.”

Ironically, if Dominic’s life hadn’t changed so drastically when he was a young boy, he likely would have found himself in trade. His father had been a butcher in Smithfield, but he’d died in an accident when Dominic was seven and the boy’s mother had succumbed to a fever some months later. That had thrown Dominic onto the notice of the parish, where he’d eventually been selected by the queen to be raised with the princes. It was surely one of the most ill-advised charitable impulses Linnet could imagine, since it meant Dominic had been raised far above his sphere. The boy could no more return to the shops of Smithfield than he could be recognized as a member of the royal family.

Sir Anthony turned and stretched a long arm to reclaim the brandy decanter from behind him. He poured a glass and then held up the cut-crystal bottle, lifting a questioning eyebrow at Linnet.

“No, thank you,” she said. She was already feeling muzzy-headed from her fortified tea. But she appreciated the gesture and the comfortable lack of formality between them. It was almost as if Sir Anthony was treating her like . . . a friend.

Sir Anthony absently swirled his brandy, no doubt pondering the problem she’d tossed his way. Linnet knew it was a complicated one, involving a concocted reason for why he wanted Dominic—one that would satisfy the king.

“I know it’s a lot to ask,” she blurted out. “But Dominic is in a terrible situation, and I simply can’t let him go back there.”

“Agreed, but I’m not sure I’m the best person to take him.” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk. “Why do you think I’m the appropriate guardian?”

Linnet gnawed on the corner of her bottom lip. How could she explain without sounding like someone who’d spent a considerable amount of time studying Sir Anthony’s character?

Which she had, of course.

She shrugged, hoping he would honor her request without requiring any further explanation. But of course he didn’t. Instead, he watched her with endless patience, a strangely calculating smile playing around the corners of his mouth.

Linnet blew out an exasperated breath. “It’s because I believe you would understand a boy like Dominic. The challenges he faces. Your backgrounds are nothing alike, but you were both orphaned at an early age. You also know what it means to have the weight of expectations placed on your shoulders, the sense that more is required from you than from other people.”

She hesitated when his mouth transformed from a smile into a flat line. He didn’t look precisely angry but his eyes had narrowed, and he studied her with an intensity that made her uneasy.

“Go on,” he prompted.

Linnet took hold of her flagging courage. The stakes were high, and she couldn’t afford to back down now. “You were one of the youngest magistrates in the City, and you also rose very quickly to your positions in the Home Office and at Court. It is a great honor, but difficult, I imagine, and rather isolating. Dominic is isolated, too. He needs someone to understand what that’s like for him.”

By the time she fell silent, Linnet’s pulse was racing. Sir Anthony’s eyes glittered with a hard gleam, the one that she’d learned to recognize and avoid. What kind of fool would dictate the nature of his temperament to so powerful a man?

She swallowed hard. “Forgive me,” she said. “I had no right to ask you to do this. If you can just take Dominic for a few nights until I—”

“Linnet, you mistake me.” His deep voice cut across her babble.

Drat.
She’d clearly offended him. “Yes, I know it was presumptuous of me, but—”

“My dear girl,” he said, cutting her off again with a smile so warm and enticing that the back of her neck started to tingle. “Dominic is welcome to stay with me, pending the king’s permission.”

“He is?” she managed in a weak voice.

“Yes. I simply wished to understand your reasoning.”

“Oh.” She couldn’t help fidgeting with the tips of her gloves. “And you’re not offended by what I said?”

His smile turned into a grin as he rose from his chair. She’d never seen that expression on his face, and it rendered her speechless. She was still struggling to respond when he came around the desk and gently pulled her to her feet.

“Actually, I’m rather impressed by your analysis of my character. It shows a great deal of perception.” He loomed over her, big and alarmingly attractive. Linnet had never thought of Sir Anthony as a man who could seduce a woman with only a look, but present circumstances were making her change her mind.

“And I’m flattered that you think of me enough to have made that analysis,” he said in a rumbling voice that sent the tingles from her neck straight down her spine.

“Ah, as you know,” she stammered, “one can find many interesting objects of study at the Court.”
Splendid.
Now she was babbling again.

Linnet took a step back, hitting the seat of her chair. Sir Anthony’s hand shot out to hold her steady. She stared up at him, transfixed by the heat in his gaze as his thumb stroked gently over the inside of her elbow. The thin silk of her gown was no impediment to a touch that felt like a lingering caress.

“Careful, my dear,” he murmured in a voice as deep and dark as midnight. “We can’t have you hurting yourself.”

She bobbed her head and pulled her arm from his grip. “Thank you, Sir Anthony. And I’m sure Dominic will be very grateful to you, once we tell him of his new living arrangements.”

The disconcerting heat disappeared from his eyes, replaced by surprise. “You didn’t tell him of your plans?”

Linnet sighed. “I’m sorry. I know that makes me a coward, but it’s been such a difficult day already. I wasn’t sure how he would react.” She truly hoped Sir Anthony wasn’t going to reconsider his decision.

Sir Anthony simply raised an imperious eyebrow. “I imagine he won’t be very happy about it, since I’ll be thwarting his desire for revenge and keeping him away from Chloe, at least for now.”

She nodded, feeling ashamed. “If you’ll just give me a few moments with him—”

He shook his head. “I’ll take care of it.”

“But it’s my responsibility, and I think Dominic will likely take the news better from me.”

“I doubt it,” he said after a moment’s consideration.

She couldn’t help bristling. As far as she was concerned, she’d prevented today’s incident from turning into an unmitigated disaster, and she was very well able to tell Dominic about his new living arrangements.

“That’s very kind of you, I’m sure,” she said, resisting the impulse to glare at him. Blast him, he knew it, too, because he was starting to get that coolly amused look in his eyes. “I’m partly responsible for what happened today, and I should be the person to break the news to Dominic.”

Any trace of amusement was wiped from Sir Anthony’s face. “Don’t be foolish, Linnet. You are not responsible at all. And since Dominic is now under my care—” He held up a hand to cut off her protest. “This is what you wanted, and you must trust me to do what is appropriate. The best thing you can do now is return to Kew and see to Chloe’s comfort.”

She eyed his calm, implacable features. He was doing exactly as she had wished, but she couldn’t help worrying. Linnet was used to dealing with children like Dominic. Sir Anthony wasn’t. “I still think it best if I see him before I go. So I can reassure him that everything will be fine.”

All but rolling his eyes, Sir Anthony took her elbow in a firm grip and steered her toward the door. “You must leave me to decide what is best, my dear. It’s growing late, and well past time you returned home.”

He was right, but that didn’t make his behavior any less annoying or high-handed. “It’s not as if you’re giving me any choice in the matter,” she muttered.

Sir Anthony ignored the comment and led her to her carriage. As he briskly handed her up, Linnet had the lowering sense that the warmth he had displayed in his study—and the interest in her as a
woman
—had been nothing more than a passing illusion.

Only by luck did Anthony spy his prey as she crossed the back terrace of Lady Farnsworth’s country villa and headed into the extensive gardens behind the house. Ever since Linnet had arrived at the house party two days ago, she’d done everything she could to avoid him. That first evening, she’d almost tripped over her dainty feet when she laid eyes on him, her dismay evident. She’d quickly mastered the emotion, greeting him with a polite but wary courtesy. But from that moment on she’d deftly evaded him, as she had for the last several weeks. He was beginning to feel like a circling hawk, tracking a sleek little rabbit with a talent for hiding in the underbrush.

Anthony tucked the report he’d been working on into his leather portfolio, and rose from the desk in Lady Farnsworth’s private study. The dowager countess was an old friend of his mother’s, with deep and influential ties to the royal family. She also enjoyed nothing so much as matchmaking, which suited Anthony’s needs perfectly. When, at his private request, the countess had invited Linnet to attend one of her exclusive house parties at her estate, Anthony had known it would be impossible for Linnet to refuse. An invitation from Lady Farnsworth was accounted a great honor, and only on pain of great insult did the invitee ever reply in the negative.

Although if Linnet had known Anthony would be attending, he suspected she would have risked incurring the grande dame’s displeasure. Why his prim little spinster was so intent on avoiding him was a mystery, but one he was determined to solve.

Slipping through the French doors onto the terrace, he tracked Linnet along a neatly trimmed path surrounded by high box hedges, heading in the direction of the ornamental pond at the bottom of the gardens. She carried a book and a small workbasket, probably intending to spend the morning in the summer house, a pretty and tree-shaded retreat on the pond. In this heat, it was unlikely Lady Farnsworth’s other guests would be rambling about outside.

A less-confident man might have suffered pangs of humiliation at the idea of having to resort to so much subterfuge, but Anthony had no such qualms. In fact, he excelled at subterfuge. His years in the army and in the Home Office had honed his more disreputable skills. He’d never anticipated using them on his prospective bride, but circumstances—and Linnet’s stubbornness—had forced his hand. If the challenge required the full use of those skills, then so be it.

But why she was proving such a challenge was the real question, especially since he was convinced Linnet was attracted to him. Whenever they encountered each other, she fluttered in a way she did for no other man, losing her usual calm demeanor. But some impediment held her back. He intended to discover and remove it, just as he intended that Linnet would depart Lady Farnsworth’s estate as his fiancée.

Walking between the high hedges, he took his time as he breathed in the summer air, warmly scented with lavender and the lush scent of blooming roses. It was hot enough that he had a mind to linger a few moments. He also wished to give Linnet the opportunity to settle into the gazebo. If she suspected he had deliberately followed her, she’d turn more skittish than ever. Better to make it seem like a chance encounter.

The box hedges gave way to a row of trellises swathed in riotous blooms of roses, their scent making the air heavy and fragrant. Anthony avoided the gravel path running between the wooden frames, keeping to the grass edges to soften his footfall. He didn’t want to startle her, but he wouldn’t give her the chance to escape him yet again.

The path curved to the shoreline of the large pond, bringing the charmingly rustic gazebo into view. Linnet sat on a padded bench that ringed the inside of the small structure, on the section directly overlooking the water. She’d pulled off her large-brimmed, straw hat and drawn her feet up onto the seat. Already lost in her book, her expression was dreamy and contented. Without the burden of her usual cares, she appeared a young, innocent girl, barely past the age of coming out. Anthony’s chest tightened with an unexpected and surprisingly strong emotion.

He stopped, pondering the curious sensation. It was something new, a sense of possessiveness he’d never felt before. Linnet was a capable young woman with a great deal of sense, but when she thought no one was looking—and rarely did anyone try to look past the façade she’d erected around herself—she displayed a sweet, almost wistful vulnerability that always brought Anthony’s protective instincts charging to the surface.

Because he always protected his own. It had been expected of him from an early age, and was an indelible part of who he was. But never had he wanted to protect and cherish anyone as much as he did Linnet. Anthony wanted to give her everything, and he would see to it that she got it—whether she thought she wanted it or not.

When he took a deep breath, dragging the heavily scented air into his lungs, the fragrance of roses almost made him dizzy. Or perhaps that effect was from Linnet, and the fact that she was almost within his grasp.

He let the gravel crunch underneath his booted feet as he stepped onto the path. Linnet jerked, and her gaze shot up from the book. Her lips parted on a short intake of breath, and her creamy complexion, already delicately flushed from the heat, took on a rosier hue. For long seconds, they stared at each other, and then her full mouth curved into a tremulous smile.

“Sir Anthony, you startled me. I didn’t expect to see anyone down by the lake. Not in this heat.” Then her eyes widened as she realized what she’d just given away.

He gave her an easy smile as he mounted the steps, ignoring the amusing little betrayal.

She marked her place in the book with careful precision and set it aside. Only then did she notice how she sat—like a schoolgirl, with her feet tucked under her skirts. Anthony had to bite back another smile when he saw she’d slipped out of her shoes, discarding them under the bench.

He stood over her, reading the struggle on her face as she tried to decide what to do. Remain seated with her feet hidden under her floral-printed skirts? Sit up straight, like a proper young lady? That would expose her stocking-clad feet to his gaze. But to lounge so casually on the bench in the presence of a man . . . she would surely find that unacceptable as well.

Anthony took the decision out of her hands, crouching down to retrieve her pale, low-heeled slippers. She stared at him, clearly too shocked to move. But when he reached under the edges of her skirts to find her feet, she practically fell off the bench.

“Sir Anthony,” she exclaimed in a squeaky voice. “I’m perfectly capable of putting on my own shoes.”

“Of course you are,” he replied as his hand curved around her ankle. Her feet were bare, feeling like hot silk as his hand slid over them.

A shiver trembled beneath his fingers. When he glanced up, her pupils had dilated and her lips parted on a soft gasp. Satisfaction roared through him, and it took all his self-control not to curl his hands around her calves and trail them up to the backs of her thighs.

Instead, he simply raised a questioning eyebrow as he slipped the shoes on her feet.

Blushing as red as the roses in the garden, she managed a weak smile. “It . . . it was so hot that I couldn’t bear the idea of stockings.”

“Very sensible of you,” he replied as she hastily swung her feet to the ground and rearranged her skirts. “Casual dress in this heat is eminently sensible, don’t you think?”

Her gaze traveled to his shirt, open at the collar. He, too, was dressed casually, without a neck-cloth and wearing only a waistcoat over his shirt. She stared at his throat, and then jerked her attention to some point beyond his shoulder.

“Yes, very sensible,” she said, trying to rally. “But it’s really not the kind of day where one wanders about in the heat, as you seem to be doing. Were you not working in the study this morning?”

Of course, she’d been watching him. But when Anthony gave her a lazy smile, not hiding his satisfaction, her lips thinned into a prim line. Well, as prim as he could expect when she had a mouth like a temptress—the lips soft, sweetly pink, and plump, inviting a man to kiss them just by existing.

“I heard you ask Lady Farnsworth for permission to work in her study,” she explained. “I’m just surprised to see you wandering about, that’s all.” She peered at him suspiciously. “You were just out for a stroll, weren’t you?”

Anthony made an instant decision. “Actually, I was looking for you.” He moved her book and sat beside her. “I have something I wish to discuss with you.”

She tried to edge away, but he’d made certain to gently crowd her into the corner of the bench. She had nowhere to go without having to get up and step over him.

“What is it you wish to discuss?” she asked, sounding more than a little breathless.

“Dominic. I have some concerns about him, and I thought it sensible to seek your advice, since you know him better than I do.”

“Oh . . . oh, I see.” She sounded rather disappointed.

That seemed to surprise her as much as it did him. She blinked a few times, then straightened in her seat and gazed at him with calm expectation, once more under control. With any luck, he’d soon blow that control to the heavens.

He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs as he inspected her book. The title surprised him. “
Tristram Shandy
. Are you enjoying it?” He would have thought Sterne a little too bawdy for her tastes.

She smiled. “Very much. It’s the third time I’ve read it. I always discover something new each time.”

When he gave her a quizzical smile, her shoulders pulled back a notch. “It’s funny, too,” she said with a small note of defiance.

“Yes, it is. It’s actually my favorite book.”

“Oh, that’s . . . that’s nice,” she said. Then she crinkled her nose on a wince.

He was tempted to smile. God, she was sweet, but he had no intention of making her feel uncomfortable, at least not about something like that.

“I would greatly enjoy discussing the book with you another time, but I fear my concerns about Dominic must outweigh my own pleasure.”

Her embarrassment vanished in an instant. “Of course. I shall do whatever I can to assist you. What is the problem?”

“He’s restless, and angry that I will not allow him to see Chloe. I’ve hired a tutor and a fencing master for him, and I see to it that he’s busy from dawn till dusk.” Anthony shook his head, genuinely frustrated. He might have engaged in a bit of skullduggery to run Linnet to ground, but he
did
need her advice. He truly had no idea how to handle Dominic’s volatile emotional state.

“The schedule I’ve imposed upon him should keep him too engaged to dwell on Chloe, but such is not the case,” he said, letting his exasperation show. “His tutor says he’s exceedingly bright and performs well when he applies himself, but he’s often sullen and rebellious. And on two occasions my butler has intercepted him trying to engage a hackney to take him to Kew. He’s bound to give us the slip one of these days, no matter how many servants I put to watch on him. I can only be grateful that Prince Ernest has already departed for Germany.”

He glanced over to see that Linnet was looking at him like he was ten times a fool. That brought him up straight. “What?”

She crossed her arms under her lovely breasts, momentarily distracting him.

“Have you tried actually
talking
to Dominic?” she asked with some asperity.

Anthony frowned. “About what?”

“About Chloe, of course. I’m sure he’s terribly worried about her.”

“Not about that. Not since the day you brought him to me.” He hadn’t thought it necessary since he’d assured Dominic that no harm would come to Chloe. Anthony had gone down to Kew to have a short but very sharp discussion with Prince Ernest, making it clear to the prince that if he ever went near Chloe again, Anthony would have no qualms reporting the incident to the king. Ernest had blanched the color of curdled milk. He’d made a hasty apology, along with a promise to leave the girl alone.

Anthony had also visited Chloe’s father, who had assured him that the girl was as well as could be expected. After that, there was little he could do but tell Mr. Steele to send for him if they ever needed his help.

“You went to see Chloe’s father, did you not?” Linnet asked.

“Of course. He assured me she was fine.”

The corners of her mouth turned down. “Hardly that, but I suppose you did everything you could to help. But why in heaven’s name didn’t you share that information with Dominic?”

Anthony frowned. “Because it serves no purpose for him to keep dwelling on what happened. The less he thinks about it, the better. Besides, it’s not appropriate for him to see Chloe at this juncture. The incident is still too fresh, for both of them. They will only wind each other up.”

She actually snorted, making it clear what she thought of his reasoning. “Chloe is his only friend,” she explained in a voice calibrated for half-wits. “You cannot expect him to forget her, or the incident, as you call it.”

“Of course I don’t expect him to forget,” he said with some acid of his own. “But I do expect him to behave with a degree of maturity and good sense.”

“Tell me something, Sir Anthony. Do you actually spend any time with Dominic, or did you just hand him over to your servants?”

Her narrowed gaze and sharp tone of voice clearly indicated she found him wanting. But what did she expect? His was a bachelor’s household, and he knew little about raising children. Nor, given his other responsibilities, should he be required to.

Yet another reason he needed a wife, sooner rather than later.

Unable to give her the answer she wanted, he simply shrugged his shoulders.

Linnet snorted. “That’s what I thought.” She grasped his sleeve, giving him a stern little shake. That almost startled a laugh out of him, but he managed to swallow it just in time.