him before, though his name momentarily escaped her.
Will lowered his hand from the door. “I’ll leave you be. This time.”
Lena shut the door and smiled through the glass at him. With a growl, he turned and shot the young lord a look that made his face pale. Then, hands in his pockets, he stalked into the shadows, fog swirling around his ankles.
***
“So,” Adele murmured, resting her head against the carriage seat. She was still snuggled in the black coat. “Tell me about this Will.”
“Hmm?” Lena looked up from where she’d been smoothing her skirts. “What about him?”
Adele’s eyes narrowed. A hint of her old spark was starting to warm her cheeks. “He looks like he wants to eat you up, Lena. And not in a scary manner.”
“Will? He does nothing of the sort! He’s made it quite—” And then she stopped, aware of what she was about to reveal.
“Quite…?” Adele prompted. When Lena said nothing, a weary smile stretched over her face. “You do realize I’m not going to leave it there, my dear.”
Staring out the window, Lena watched the lights glittering in the windows of Lord Harker’s mansion. It wouldn’t be long before the footman would bring Adele’s mother. Then she would be safe from prying questions.
Yet…a sudden urge welled up. The need to confide in someone, even Adele. She’d been holding so much inside her for months that she felt almost fit to bursting.
“I kissed him,” she blurted. “I don’t know why. It was always just a game I played with him. A flirtation. I never meant anything by it.” Hadn’t she? Lena frowned. She couldn’t, in truth, answer that question. “It was awful. He didn’t even kiss me back. And when I stopped…” Her cheeks were burning now. “He told me that he would tolerate my childish little games for Blade’s sake, but that he would prefer it if I didn’t throw myself at him. Especially since we were living beneath one roof.” The very memory of it turned her stomach. He’d been so angry with her he was shaking. Then he’d turned and walked away without another word.
Somehow she managed a lighthearted shrug for Adele’s sake. “The next day he moved out of the warren. And I decided it was time to return to society. There was nothing left for me in Whitechapel.”
“He never kissed you back?”
“Not even slightly.”
Adele’s eyebrows drew together. “How unusual. For I would have suspected quite the opposite, my dear. He couldn’t take his eyes off you. And when Cavendish tried to grab you, I thought he was going to kill him.”
“His loyalty is to Blade. If he allowed me to come to any harm he’d have to explain it to him. And Honoria.”
“Hmm.” Adele settled back on the seat, snuggling in wearily. “I’ll stake a hundred pounds that you’re wrong.”
“And how do we prove that?” she asked tartly. “I’m not about to ask him.”
Adele’s eyes closed. A little smile played around her lips. “Because next time, I’m certain that he’ll kiss you .”
***
The door to Lord Harker’s private study slammed open.
Colchester looked up over the rim of his glass. His gaze raked Cavendish, from the rumpled collar of his coat to the seething fury in his eyes. If he wasn’t mistaken, there was a large bruise forming against the other man’s throat.
“What the devil happened? Surely she didn’t put up that much of a fight?”
Cavendish shot him a filthy look and crossed to the liquor decanter. “You forgot to mention she had protection.” He splashed a liberal dash of blud-wein into a glass and drained it.
“Protection?” Colchester asked silkily. His eyes lifted again to that bruise. “What manner of protection?”
Cavendish lowered the glass and muttered, “Nothing.”
Colchester eased to his feet, tossing aside the newspaper he’d been reading. Below, the ball was still in full swing by the sound of it, yet he had little intention of joining the swirling throng. No, he had other
Will lowered his hand from the door. “I’ll leave you be. This time.”
Lena shut the door and smiled through the glass at him. With a growl, he turned and shot the young lord a look that made his face pale. Then, hands in his pockets, he stalked into the shadows, fog swirling around his ankles.
***
“So,” Adele murmured, resting her head against the carriage seat. She was still snuggled in the black coat. “Tell me about this Will.”
“Hmm?” Lena looked up from where she’d been smoothing her skirts. “What about him?”
Adele’s eyes narrowed. A hint of her old spark was starting to warm her cheeks. “He looks like he wants to eat you up, Lena. And not in a scary manner.”
“Will? He does nothing of the sort! He’s made it quite—” And then she stopped, aware of what she was about to reveal.
“Quite…?” Adele prompted. When Lena said nothing, a weary smile stretched over her face. “You do realize I’m not going to leave it there, my dear.”
Staring out the window, Lena watched the lights glittering in the windows of Lord Harker’s mansion. It wouldn’t be long before the footman would bring Adele’s mother. Then she would be safe from prying questions.
Yet…a sudden urge welled up. The need to confide in someone, even Adele. She’d been holding so much inside her for months that she felt almost fit to bursting.
“I kissed him,” she blurted. “I don’t know why. It was always just a game I played with him. A flirtation. I never meant anything by it.” Hadn’t she? Lena frowned. She couldn’t, in truth, answer that question. “It was awful. He didn’t even kiss me back. And when I stopped…” Her cheeks were burning now. “He told me that he would tolerate my childish little games for Blade’s sake, but that he would prefer it if I didn’t throw myself at him. Especially since we were living beneath one roof.” The very memory of it turned her stomach. He’d been so angry with her he was shaking. Then he’d turned and walked away without another word.
Somehow she managed a lighthearted shrug for Adele’s sake. “The next day he moved out of the warren. And I decided it was time to return to society. There was nothing left for me in Whitechapel.”
“He never kissed you back?”
“Not even slightly.”
Adele’s eyebrows drew together. “How unusual. For I would have suspected quite the opposite, my dear. He couldn’t take his eyes off you. And when Cavendish tried to grab you, I thought he was going to kill him.”
“His loyalty is to Blade. If he allowed me to come to any harm he’d have to explain it to him. And Honoria.”
“Hmm.” Adele settled back on the seat, snuggling in wearily. “I’ll stake a hundred pounds that you’re wrong.”
“And how do we prove that?” she asked tartly. “I’m not about to ask him.”
Adele’s eyes closed. A little smile played around her lips. “Because next time, I’m certain that he’ll kiss you .”
***
The door to Lord Harker’s private study slammed open.
Colchester looked up over the rim of his glass. His gaze raked Cavendish, from the rumpled collar of his coat to the seething fury in his eyes. If he wasn’t mistaken, there was a large bruise forming against the other man’s throat.
“What the devil happened? Surely she didn’t put up that much of a fight?”
Cavendish shot him a filthy look and crossed to the liquor decanter. “You forgot to mention she had protection.” He splashed a liberal dash of blud-wein into a glass and drained it.
“Protection?” Colchester asked silkily. His eyes lifted again to that bruise. “What manner of protection?”
Cavendish lowered the glass and muttered, “Nothing.”
Colchester eased to his feet, tossing aside the newspaper he’d been reading. Below, the ball was still in full swing by the sound of it, yet he had little intention of joining the swirling throng. No, he had other
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