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Kincaid scrambled out of the bedchamber and into the hallway, pulling on his suit coat behind him. He had overslept, missing breakfast and his meeting with Colebourne. He rushed down the stairs and into the dining area, hoping to catch the duke at luncheon. Instead, he walked into a room filled with ladies who were gathered around the table and enjoying a pot of tea.
Jacqueline’s, Lady Forrester’s, Lady Worthington’s, and the Worthington daughters’ sparkling laughter stopped at his appearance, and their curious gazes paused him in his tracks. He gulped and ran his hand through his hair. While the other ladies held a curious yet humorous expression at his predicament, Jacqueline’s gaze held a mixture of disappointment and longing. An emotion he was quite familiar with.
“Lord Kincaid, we missed you at breakfast and lunch,” Lady Forrester greeted him.
“Yes, well, I was... That is...”
“No worry. We dined buffet style and much remains. Please gather a plate. Since there is an empty seat next to Jacqueline, you may sit there.” Lady Forrester fluttered her hand toward the food.
Kincaid glanced toward Jacqueline, but she avoided his gaze. He longed to sit next to her, but he must speak with Colebourne before his opportunity slipped from his grasp. “While I find Lady Jacqueline’s company charming, I am afraid I must decline. I am late for my meeting with Colebourne.”
Lady Forrester tilted her head. “No, my lord, you had one. However, when you neglected to appear for the time Colebourne allotted you, he revoked his offer. Now, he is enjoying a ride with my husband and won’t return until dinner. Your best option is to enjoy the afternoon meal in our company.”
“I accidentally overslept,” Kincaid muttered an excuse. Even though it was pointless. It only displayed his weakness in front of the ladies present.
“An affliction my son must have suffered from, too,” Lady Worthington declared.
“And what affliction might that be, Mother?” Graham Worthington strolled into the dining room with Gray. He walked to his mother’s side and kissed her on the cheek.
Lady Worthington swatted his arm, shaking her head at his antics. “Rising at a late hour and missing time spent with your family,” she reprimanded him.
“Time spent with these brats?” Worth tugged on Eden’s and Noel Worthington’s braids.
Eden glared her annoyance at Worth while trying to bite back a smile, and Noel giggled at his teasing. Worth sauntered over to the buffet, filled a plate, and returned to sit across the table from his sisters. They kept a friendly banter passing between them while he ate.
Kincaid stayed rooted to the spot, deciding what action he should take. In the end, he sighed in resignation. There wasn’t much else for him to do but enjoy the meal with the present company. He couldn’t chase after Colebourne since he didn’t know which route he’d taken for his ride. After his evening spent over-imbibing, riding a horse around the countryside for the afternoon didn’t sit well with him. No. He would bide his time and present his case to the duke after he profusely apologized for his absence. He turned to the buffet to fill his own plate and sat next to Jacqueline, who ignored his presence once again.
“In Worth’s and Kincaid’s defense, the blame lies at my feet. I fear I allowed them to overindulge in the late evening’s entertainments,” Gray apologized in between bites.
“What entertainments?” Noel asked innocently.
Lady Worthington and Lady Forrester spoke at once.
“Lucas—”
“Lord Gray—”
Gray winced. “My apologies.”
Worth laughed and winked at his sister. “Only a card game.”
“Oh. I thought perhaps it was the overindulgence of the duke’s liquor,” Noel continued in an innocent tone.
“Noel!” Lady Worthington’s sharp warning echoed around them.
“Well, Mother, I only speak the truth. You can still smell it on Graham’s breath.”
The table erupted into laughter at Noel’s observation. Lady Worthington may try to protect her daughters from a gentleman’s vices, but after a childhood spent in the environment of an overindulged father, it was useless. It was difficult for a parent to protect their children, especially if one of them was a deprived degenerate.
The gentlemen continued to eat their lunch while the conversation flowed around the table. Kincaid kept quiet, observing Jacqueline with her family and friends. It didn’t bother him when she ignored him. It was for the best. The conversation he wished to have with her was one he couldn’t have with the party involved. He didn’t even try to hold her hand. She’d made her feelings clear, and he didn’t want to push his luck this afternoon. He’d already failed with Colebourne and had no wish to fail with her, too.
She was lovely, with her face animated as she watched the teasing banter of the Worthington clan. She even threw her own taunts into the mix, at ease in the exchange. While Jacqueline held a more serious nature than her sisters, she still enjoyed herself to the fullest in life. Her curiosity was the trait he most admired and what drew him to her.
He lost himself, remembering their first kiss.
He discovered the secret passageways by accident and went exploring one night three years ago during his stay. Jacqueline was returning from the library when he came across her. She carried an armful of books and ran into him, knocking the books from her hands. They both bent to the ground and knocked heads. As he moaned and rubbed his head, Jacqueline’s laughter took him by surprise. He expected a lecture, only ever seeing the side of her proper behavior. However, her bubbling amusement invaded his senses. He wished to hear more.
After gathering the books, he helped her rise, holding her hand and refusing to relinquish it when a spark spread from her fingertips to his. He drew her near and lowered his head, capturing her lips under his. Instead of a slap across the face for taking such liberties, she only moaned, stepping up on her tiptoes to deepen the kiss. Her innocence exploded on his tongue with each brush. Nothing so exquisite had passed between his lips before, and he craved the sweet sensation.
When he stepped back to apologize, she stopped him with a question, shocking him. “Does a man and a woman only kiss each other on the lips?”
Before he could stammer a reply, she blushed a dark shade of red and scurried off, leaving him with a hard cock and a dire urge to show Lady Jacqueline exactly where else a man kissed a woman.
It hadn’t been long after their stolen encounter that she’d granted him his wish. Her curiosity only flourished each time they made love.
“Do you not agree, Lord Kincaid?” Lady Forrester’s question invaded his memories.
He cleared his throat, forcing his thoughts away. They were not ones to have at the dining table with innocent ladies. “I apologize. My thoughts distracted my attention. What am I agreeing to?”
“How a round of charades after dinner will be an excellent diversion to the dreary weather.”
Gray and Worth moaned their disapproval. However, Kincaid wasn’t in the position to do so. He had watched the influence Lady Forrester had over the Colebourne household and knew if he could charm her, then he would soon fall into the duke’s good graces once again. “Yes. A most excellent diversion. I am looking forward to the entertainment after dinner.”
Lady Forrester’s devious grin lit her face. “I knew you would agree.”
Kincaid nodded his understanding at the lady’s unspoken declaration. However, his agreement didn’t appease the lady sitting next to him. She only tsked her disapproval. Which in return made Kincaid smile. With one small turn of a conversation, he had placed himself in favor once again.
“Where is Abigail?” Gray asked, changing the topic.
“She is sitting with Gemma while Gemma rests,” Lady Forrester answered.
Gray placed his napkin on the table before rising. “I think I will visit with them.”
“If I am to spend time with my family, where is Maggie?” Worth asked.
“Reese and Evelyn have taken Maggie with them to visit the Sinclairs for the afternoon. They waited for you to join them, but when you remained in bed, they left without you,” Lady Worthington explained.
Worth nodded. “I think I will ride to Sinclair’s estate. Do you want to join me, Kincaid?”
“Not this time. I must work on my correspondence this afternoon.”
“Very well. I will see everyone at dinner.”
After Worth departed, the rest of the other ladies made their excuses, leaving Kincaid alone with Jacqueline and Lady Forrester. Kincaid sipped at his tea, thinking of a topic of conversation to share with the ladies. However, luck swung again back toward him when a servant entered, needing Lady Forrester’s assistance in a decision for the household, leaving him alone with Jacqueline.
As soon as Aunt Susanna left, Jacqueline tried to rise, but Kincaid reached out, grasping her arm. She looked down at his strong fingers wrapped around her sleeve. His touch gentled under her stare. She fought with her emotions. When he sat next to her, she’d resisted his presence to the best of her ability. And failed miserably. Kincaid’s disappointment in missing his meeting with Uncle Theo had settled heavily in her heart. She knew how important it was to him to have her uncle’s backing. Jacqueline didn’t know the full extent of his financial downfall, but if Uncle Theo showed his support in Kincaid’s business venture, then others would fall behind it to make it successful.
His hand slid down, and he intertwined their fingers. Kincaid’s mere touch soothed her troubled thoughts. When she left him lying on the floor, she had returned to her empty bed and lain awake until the sun rose before falling into a restless sleep. The same question kept playing over and over. Why did she refuse to accept his love?
Jacqueline sat back down at the tug of his hand. She was powerless in resisting him.
“Jacqueline, can we talk?”
“What is there to discuss? We are at an impasse. I have refused your offer, and you refuse to abide by my wishes.”
“That is because your reasoning is absurd and you are stubbornly resisting what is so plainly obvious,” Kincaid argued.
Jacqueline yanked her hand away. “And what is that, Lord Kincaid?”
Kincaid sighed. Instead of coaxing Jacqueline into a pleasant conversation, he’d ignited her temper instead. How could he turn this around to his advantage? Before he could reason with Jacqueline, the servants entered to clear away the luncheon, followed by Lady Forrester.
“Thank you, Lady Jacqueline, for accepting my offer for a walk around the garden. I will finish my tea and converse with Lady Forrester while you gather your bonnet.” He stood and held out his hand, helping her rise from the chair.
Jacqueline fumed at his forwardness and wanted to swipe the smug look from his face. His comment forced her to accept his unspoken plea. As much as she wished to defy how he cornered her, Aunt Susanna wouldn’t allow her to snub the viscount.
“I shall return shortly,” Jacqueline answered in her sweetest voice.
Kincaid watched Jacqueline leave and chuckled at her reaction. Her singsong acceptance didn’t fool him for a bit. She was furious at him for trapping her into a walk, but he would use this opportunity to his full advantage.
Lady Forrester resumed her seat. “Does something amuse you, Lord Kincaid?”
He settled back in the chair. “She is in quite a snit, is she not?”
She reached to pour herself another cup of tea. “Yes, she is. And you find humor in this?”
“Why, yes, I do.”
Lady Forrester observed Lord Kincaid with interest. “Your behavior is quite peculiar, my lord.”
He chuckled. “Actually, it is quite fitting for the circumstances, Lady Forrester.”
“How so?”
Jacqueline appeared in the doorway, interrupting their conversation. However, Kincaid dangled a comment toward Lady Forrester to leave her wondering. “It falls nicely into my plans.”
Jacqueline tied her bonnet. “What falls nicely into your plans?”
“Why, you, my love.” He placed her hand in the crook of his arm and led them outdoors, away from prying ears.
“And those plans would entail what, exactly?”
“At the present, a pleasant walk with a charming companion on a glorious afternoon. Thankfully, the weather has given us a break from its misery.”
“We are far enough away. You can give up on your false pretense of polite conversation.”
Kincaid laughed. “Not only are you in a snit but prickly, too. A side of your character I have yet to experience. I must say I enjoy it immensely.”
“I am not in a snit. Nor am I prickly,” Jacqueline denied.
Kincaid pulled them behind a tree, drawing Jacqueline into his arms. He bent his head and kissed the corner of her lips. “Yes, you are, my love.”
Jacqueline tried to resist sighing from his featherlight kiss, but his teasing softened her composure and a sigh escaped. Not only a sigh, but her hands slid around his neck and into his soft hair.
Kincaid needed no other encouragement. His lips coaxed hers to open, and he ravished her mouth like a man starved. Jacqueline tightened her grip on his hair, and he pressed himself closer. His tongue stroked hers, lighting the spark of their need. As the kiss continued, Jacqueline grew softer in his arms.
“Jacqueline, I need you.”
Jacqueline tasted Kincaid’s need from his kisses. It matched her own. She should put a halt to them, but they were too delicious to stop. She only craved more of them. When had their relationship changed from the simple affair they both enjoyed into one that bordered on obsession?
Jacqueline gasped once she realized the truth and broke from the kiss. She had succumbed to the same affliction the rest of her family suffered from. The love she held for Kincaid bordered on madness.
Kincaid groaned at the loss of Jacqueline’s sweet lips. He raised his gaze, noting her pale face. Suddenly, she pulled from his grasp and ducked under his arm, backing away. With each step she took, Jacqueline’s eyes grew wider.
He took a step toward her. “Jacqueline?”
Her hand struck out to stop him from moving any closer. “Do not take another step,” she ordered.
Kincaid stopped. “What is wrong?”
“Your kisses. What else?” Desperation clung to her answer.
An arrogant smile met her reaction. “They never bothered you before. And only a few seconds ago, you were sighing into them.”
“Yes. Well, you caught me by surprise. I... That is...” Jacqueline growled. “Never mind.”
“Ahh, love, why are you fighting our attraction?”
“You know why. ‘Tis the very reason I came to your bedchamber last night.”
“Ahh, so your visit was not a dream of mine.”
“Pshh. I should have known you were too soused to remember.”
Kincaid shrugged. He led her to believe he thought her a dream when in fact he remembered every detail of her visit. There wasn’t a time in their relationship when he’d ever forgotten touching and kissing her. Any vision of Jacqueline seared itself into his memories to cherish for his lifetime. Even down to her covering him with a blanket and lying a pillow underneath his head. He might have fallen asleep, but he noticed her gentle care.
“Why did you pay me a late-night visit?”
“To convince you not to ask Uncle Theo for my hand in marriage yet.”
“Yet?” Hope vibrated from his one spoken word.
“I only need a while longer to accept your proposal. To come to terms with losing my independence.”
Kincaid moved closer toward Jacqueline. “I am not asking for you to give up any freedoms you have. I am only asking for your love, and in return, you shall have mine. Our marriage will be on our terms, not the terms of society. I would think after the time we have spent together, you would understand my character better. But as I can see, you consider me as a poor option. Literally.”
She shook her head. “No. No. You misunderstand.”
Kincaid shook his head. “No, I do not believe so. However, since I am the one who stole your virtue, you must accept our impending union. I am a gentleman who will correct my misstep. You have until Sunday before I confess my dishonor to your uncle. I had hoped for a different outcome, one without a scandal attached to it. But then our courtship screams scandal.” Kincaid released a bitter laugh. “Courtship. I even failed at that attempt with you. Yet, the love I hold for you consumes my soul and gives me the breath to keep fighting until I conquer your heart and soul.”
Kincaid strode away, leaving Jacqueline trembling from his declaration. His tone declared his intentions and spoke of a determined man who would take any lengths to accomplish his threat. Yet was it a threat or a proclamation of what he greatly desired? Jacqueline shivered as she thought about the gleam in his gaze when he spoke of the love he held for her. Never once while they lay in each other’s arms had he ever declared his feelings for her. She thought their nights were only a way to ease the ache their bodies craved. A mutual affair of the body, not one of the heart.
Jacqueline slid onto a bench. When had the sneaky emotion of love crept into their affair? It had to have happened during the madness of watching the twins and Gemma marry when Jacqueline lowered her defenses to the emotion. When she watched Selina and Duncan wed, the walls she had erected around her heart came tumbling down. The walls might have fallen, but she kept a shield around her heart to guard her from the pain of losing Griffen one day. But was the shield also keeping her from loving him freely without worrying over the unknown? Nothing in life was guaranteed. She wasn’t foolish enough to believe it was. Yet, she continued to protect her heart from suffering the heartache of losing someone she loved again.
She wanted to stomp her feet and give in to a child’s tantrum. The path of where her life traveled was so unfair at times. Why must it change? Hadn’t she suffered from enough change to last a lifetime? Now she stood on the precipice of losing Griffen’s affections if she forced him to confront her uncle with their scandalous affair. But would he dare? He had much to lose by admitting his ungentlemanly behavior. Uncle Theo would withdraw his offer of a business partnership if he hadn’t already, since Griffen had missed their meeting. He couldn’t afford to anger her uncle. No. Jacqueline didn’t believe he would.
With her newfound belief, Jacqueline rose and smoothed out her skirts before returning to the house. She would give Griffen a couple of days to wind down before continuing their affair. If she kept her distance, he would see the error of his threat and seek her forgiveness. She would continue her silent treatment throughout the meals because Aunt Susanna would continue to sit them together. And she would fill her days with her sisters and Gemma before they returned to their own homes. Soon, they would travel to Scotland to spend the holidays in Aunt Susanna’s home. By then, Kincaid would travel in the opposite direction to his estate. Their affair must end once the weekend drew near. For now, she would seduce him until he fell to her demands.
Then, and only then, she might offer him his greatest wish.