Alyssa had been spending the past few days at Breyton Hall for supper, but at Triana’s insistence, she sent word to her cousin that since the Duke and Duchess of Chiltern were in residence, she would be dining at Rosewood. Unfortunately, that must have been received as an invitation, for while they were in the parlor waiting for the butler to let them know dinner was ready, Lord and Lady Lockley chose to arrive.
Caroline sailed into the room before her husband and paused before Alyssa. Attired in a rose colored, silk gown, the shade brought out the golden highlights of her hair and the brilliance of her smile. Although nothing could change the fact that her charming, outward display was entirely superficial.
“Oh, my darling, cousin! I was overjoyed to receive your message.” She turned to Travell and fluttered her lashes, blatantly flirting with him right in front of James who looked as if he’d been dragged there against his will, which he likely had been. “I daresay it was on behalf of Lord Curdiff, wasn’t it?” She laughed gaily.
In turn, Travell looked as though he might be sick. “Indeed,” he muttered, although there was no feeling in it. Thus, he had no choice but to tell Ives to add two more to the guest list, or else appear a rude host.
Caroline ignored the edge to his tone and glanced at the other couple in the room, and then back at Alyssa, who withheld an aggrieved sigh as she stepped forward to make the introductions. “Triana, Gabriel, may I introduce, my cousin, James Breyton, Baron Lockley, and his wife Caroline. The Duke and Duchess of Chiltern.”
“Your Graces,” the blond gushed. “It’s truly an honor to be received in such revered company. I understand you’ve just returned from your honeymoon in Italy. How very romantic! I have been telling James that we should find time to see more of the continent, at least, once this dreadful business with France is over. Haven’t I, dear?”
He replied with a mere grunt, but then, she barely spared him a glance over her shoulder as she turned her attention on Triana. “I should like a thorough recounting after dinner!”
Alyssa wanted to groan. The idea of keeping her tongue in cheek through an entire meal was loathsome enough, but to be subjected to Caroline’s insufferable company afterward — it was enough to make her consider staying behind with the men for port and cigars.
“And here I thought you detested dear Caroline,” Travell murmured in her ear.
Instantly, a shiver ran up her spine. That spectacular interlude in the conservatory was still too fresh in her mind for her to think straight with him near, but she did her best to paste on a neutral expression. “I do. She completely, and likely purposefully, misinterpreted my note.”
“I rather gathered that’s what happened,” he returned. “I suppose we will just have to weather the storm.”
As Ives reappeared, Travell offered Alyssa his arm. “Shall we?”
Her heart thumped as she threaded her arm through his, and while she did her best to try to hide her inner thoughts, she was quite sure they shone out of her eyes regardless of her best attempts to shutter them.
But when Travell’s blue gaze deepened to the shade of a stormy sea, evidence that he was still fully cognizant of what had transpired between them, her breath caught.
When Alyssa glanced behind her to see if their intimate exchange had been observed, she had to withhold a smile when Triana rolled her eyes at Caroline, who was still chattering incessantly. The duke, in turn, looked as though he’d bitten into a ripe persimmon. It was apparent his first impression of her relations was not one of fondness. At least the feeling was mutual on that score.
Travell sat at the head of the table with Chiltern on his right as an honored guest, forcing him to place the baron to his left, along with Caroline. Alyssa took the chair beside Triana, for she certainly wasn’t going to choose to spend the next few courses sitting next to her.
As Triana spread her napkin in her lap, she murmured softly, “It’s no wonder you’ve been spending so much time with my brother if this is what you’re forced to endure on a daily basis.”
Alyssa’s lips twitched, grateful that Lord and Lady Lockley’s presence could give her an appropriate excuse to latch on to, rather than the truth, that she was desperately in love with the viscount.
She lifted her eyes and slid a glance in his direction. Her face warmed instantly when she saw him watching her intently over the rim of his wine glass.
Alyssa quickly returned her gaze to the soup that had been placed before her and tried to concentrate on how to eat.
“Is Lord Trenton not joining us this evening?” Caroline asked brightly. “I had rather hoped to make his acquaintance at long last.”
Alyssa looked at Travell, whose hand had tightened around his spoon. “I’m afraid not.” Caroline continued to look at him expectantly, but since he offered nothing further, she allowed the matter to drop.
In an aside to Triana, Alyssa murmured, “How was the earl faring this afternoon?”
Triana frowned slightly. “Dr. Perimore, while it is obvious he is a brilliant man, is unfortunately, not able to perform miracles.” She paused to swallow. “My father didn’t even know who I was. He kept calling me… Sophie and rattled on about being poisoned.”
Alyssa’s heart went out to Triana. It was entirely different when they had conversed, for while she respected Lord Trenton, she wasn’t his own flesh and blood. For Triana to be called the name of her father’s mistress was bad enough without being accused of treachery. “I know it wasn’t the homecoming you were envisioning, but you just have to have faith that the answers you’ve been searching for will come in time.”
Triana’s blue eyes were misty. “I have truly missed you, Aly.”
Alyssa swallowed past the lump in her throat. “And I, you.”
As they each returned to their meal, Alyssa couldn’t help but glance back at Travell — who was still watching her just as intently as ever.
She shifted her gaze and took a fortifying drink of her wine. She had the feeling she was going to need it.
***
Travell was grateful that, not only had Dr. Perimore chosen to take a tray in his father’s chamber, but also that Gabriel carried most of the conversation at dinner, regaling Lady Lockley with tales of their honeymoon adventures in Italy, mainly due to her continued persistence. As the baron drank most of his dinner and added little to the discussion, Caroline hung on the duke’s every word, and although his brother-in-law had glanced toward him several times for assistance, Travell had happily let him take the lead. Honestly, he was just glad for the reprieve, as a certain dark-haired, green-eyed woman seated farther down the table sorely distracted him.
He took another sip of his wine as the third course was served. He glanced at Alyssa over the rim and waited for her to notice him. When she did, he smiled, although she quickly glanced away. He knew he should be a bit more covert in his attentions, but when their interlude in the conservatory was still so fresh in his mind, it was hard to concentrate on anything else.
He realized he’d taken a great risk by seducing her in the midst of her prized flowers. If his sister had come upon them, he knew he’d never live down the scandal. But even if Alyssa had been compromised, he was more than willing to marry her. Hadn’t he proven this when he’d already asked her several times with the same result? While he didn’t want to resort to underhanded means to secure her hand, at the moment he wasn’t sure he was above it.
He closed his eyes temporarily and allowed his fantasies to play out, grateful that he was seated so that no one could visibly see what Alyssa did to him. For that brief moment, he relived the moment when she’d come apart in his arms. While it hadn’t been the first time he’d ever pleasured a woman, it was the first time he’d ever gained so much satisfaction from it, walking away without so much as a thought to himself. With her face flushed, her lips parted ever so slightly, the sight had been more erotic than the most practiced courtesan, skilled in the arts of temptation.
He couldn’t wait to repeat the process, already considering how he might get her alone again. It would be more difficult to accomplish now that his sister and her husband were in residence, and likely planning an extended visit since Triana knew of their father’s return, but he vowed that he would find a way. The need to see Alyssa reach her completion was suddenly as important as the air in his lungs and the blood in his veins.
He had to have it to survive.
He had to have her.
“…Lord Curdiff?”
Travell opened his eyes and glanced at Caroline, who was eyeing him curiously. “Forgive me. I fear I was woolgathering.”
She laughed and tossed her head like any other accomplished London flirt. He wasn’t impressed. “I asked if you were well, Lord Curdiff. But I suppose that answers my question.” She took a sip of her wine and licked her lips with a blatant invitation in her gaze. “I hope we weren’t boring you.”
“Not at all,” he returned tolerantly, but said nothing more on the subject, grateful when the last course was served.
“Ooh…” Caroline sighed when the dessert was brought out. “Syllabub is my favorite, Lord Curdiff. How did you know?” She fluttered her lashes at him.
“I didn’t.”
She appeared rather put out by his direct reply, but she didn’t allow it to dampen her spirits for long. Instead, she took a sip of the frothy drink and slowly licked the cream from her lips. “Delicious,” she murmured.
It was all Travell could do not to roll his eyes. Instead, he glanced toward Triana to see that she was staring at Lady Lockley with obvious disdain, while Alyssa merely contemplated her dessert with a light frown as she stirred the contents in her glass.
It was about time this meal came to an end.
He set aside his napkin and said, “I daresay I’m too full to eat another bite.”
“Indeed,” his sister agreed, rising from her chair, as if she’d been waiting for him to speak up. “Shall we retire to the parlor, ladies, and leave the gentlemen to their port?” She pointedly directed her question at Caroline, who reluctantly rose with a stiff smile.
As the trio departed, Gabriel leaned back in his chair with a sigh. “Well, that was… interesting.” He slid a dry glance at Travell. “You might have jumped in and saved me from droning on.”
Travell snorted in reply. “And deny you the appreciation of hearing your own voice? I wouldn’t dream of interfering.”
He thought he heard the duke murmur something rather crude in reply, but the baron spoke up at the same time. “I hope my coushin hashn’t been too much o’ a bother, my lord.”
He turned to Lord Lockley and tapped his finger on the table. Travell had never had much use for men who couldn’t hold their drink. He still cringed, thinking of the day he’d overindulged and make a complete fool of himself in front of Alyssa. He’d only allowed alcohol to rule his common sense a handful of times, the most recent while at Rosewood, where he regretted his actions immediately afterward. Now, he made sure to limit his intake, no matter how much he wished to drown his personal sorrows. But apparently, the baron didn’t have such qualms when it came to imbibing.
“On the contrary,” he returned evenly, “Lady Alyssa has been wonderful company for my father.”
“And for you as well, I’m shurrre.” He chuckled.
The double meaning wasn’t lost on Travell, and he didn’t appreciate it. “I hope you aren’t trying to insinuate that something untoward has occurred between us, Lord Lockley.” He chose to ignore the fact that they had just had a secret rendezvous in the conservatory, but even then she hadn’t been the one to initiate the affair. “I shouldn’t want the lady’s name injured by unfounded rumors.”
“What other conclushun could there be to shpend so much time in your company?” The baron shook his head. “Flowersh?” he added in bemusement. “Who would believe that?”
Travell clenched his fist and did his best to keep control of his growing irritation with the man, but it was difficult to do in the face of that smirk. “I hope you aren’t suggesting that you besmirch your own cousin’s honor. That would merely reflect poorly on the Breyton name.”
Instead of feeling threatened, the baron only snorted. “As if that makes any difference to me,” he spat. “My darling wife has already make me a laughingshtock with her peccadilloes. She doesn’t even try to keep her affairsh a shecret anymore.”
Gabriel had remained as a silent observer until now, but at this he spoke up. “It sounds as if you need to work on your marriage, rather than concern yourself with ruining your cousin’s reputation.”
“My coushin will not be my problem much longer.” Lord Lockley’s bloodshot eyes pinned Travell with a glare. “After she pushed me down the shtairsh, I made shure of it.”
Travell was nearly at the end of his patience. “The way I understand it,” he said slowly. “You were drunk and fell down the stairs. And considered how soused you are right now, I am inclined to believe it.” He frowned darkly. “And what do you mean that she won’t be your problem?” He could hardly grit the words out. He hadn’t been fond of the baron and his wife from the moment they called Alyssa ‘Little Mouse,’ but his respect for the man at this point was practically nonexistent.
“You’ll find out shoon enough.” He sneered.
Travell stood. “I think it’s time you returned to Breyton Hall, Lord Lockley. You have overstayed your welcome at Rosewood.”
***
Alyssa had never felt so awkward. As she sat in the parlor with Triana and Caroline, it was obvious that they had little to say to one another. Without a gentleman to flirt with, Caroline didn’t appear inclined to chat about the weather or fashion, so they merely glanced about the room in odd silence.
When Travell stepped through the door, Caroline instantly brightened, but her apparent relief was short lived, for she frowned lightly. “Where is James?”
“He’s in the carriage, as he has chosen to retire early. And since I’m sure you shouldn’t wish to keep him waiting, I suggest you return to Breyton Hall with him.”
Caroline’s mouth opened and closed several times, giving her the appearance of a fish out of water, but since she had no choice but to comply, she rose from her seat in the plush chair. However, instead of leaving immediately, she turned to Alyssa. “It appears we have overstayed our welcome.”
“Lady Alyssa will not be returning with you,” Travell said firmly. “Please have her things sent over. She is now a guest at Rosewood.”
“But—” Caroline’s lips thinned, and she shuffled her feet as though wanting to stamp her foot in annoyance. “It wouldn’t be seemly.”
Travell’s eyes glittered. “She has her maid to attend her, as well as the chaperonage of a duchess, which is more than she has at Breyton Hall. “In fact—” He took a step toward Caroline. “The way I understand it, if there is any blemish on your household, it is not due to anything that Lady Alyssa has done.” He lifted a brow as he pinned Caroline to the spot. “Do I make myself clear?”
Caroline swallowed hard. “Yes, my lord.”
Travell straightened his shoulders and turned to the side. “Good evening, Lady Lockley.”
With that final dismissal, Caroline lifted her chin and swept from the room.
The moment she was gone, Triana started laughing. “Oh, my God, Travell! That was brilliant! You really should have made a career on the stage.” She applauded for extra emphasis.
“I daresay I’m relieved as well,” Gabriel muttered. “I’m not sure how you managed as long as you did with your relations, Alyssa. You must have an iron will, or a fortitude of stone.”
“I admit it has been… challenging,” she confessed. “But I ended up spending most of my time here anyway.”
“That reminds me.” Triana arose and seemed to glide toward the door. “While we wait for your maid to return with your things, I’d love to see your roses.”
Alyssa stood as well. “Of course.”
Before they departed, Triana turned to her husband and Travell. “Don’t you boys misbehave too much while we’re gone.”
Gabriel’s eyes heated the instant they landed on his wife. “Rest assured, my love, I save all of my mischief for when I’m with you these days.”
Alyssa’s face heated at the intimacy sparking between them, and while she could feel Travell’s eyes upon her, she didn’t dare look at him. Instead, she led the way down to the conservatory. She opened the door and was met with the familiar scents of delicate floral perfume and rich dirt. As Triana walked over to her Blue Ladies, Alyssa’s focus was drawn to the brick wall where she’d been with Travell just hours earlier.
The way he’d touched her and brought her to such heights of ecstasy…
“Aly?”
She quickly snapped to attention. “What?”
Triana crossed her arms and studied her more carefully than she would have liked. “I was talking to you for five minutes. Did you not hear a word I said?”
Alyssa shifted, and said rather guiltily, “Yes?”
“Out with it.”
She tried to pretend ignorance. “Out with what?”
“Don’t play coy with me,” Triana admonished. “I’ve known you since we were still in pinafores. Something’s bothering you.” She paused and narrowed her gaze. “Did you lie to me when you said Lord and Lady Lockley didn’t mistreat you?”
Alyssa thought of James’ unwanted advances and Caroline’s little quips at her expense. “Not in the physical sense, but I could tell I was a burden to them.”
Triana walked over and gave her a hug. “Then I’m glad you’re here now. I’m proud of my brother for standing up for you. It took him long enough. Maybe there’s hope for the two of you yet.”
As she pulled back, Alyssa’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about?”
The duchess tilted her dark head to the side. “Surely you might have guessed by now that I would love nothing more than to have you as my true sister someday!”
Alyssa blinked. “Really?”
“Of course!” Triana laughed. “You don’t think I would want Travell to settle down with anyone else, do you? I’ve always thought you were a perfect match for one another.” She sighed. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t seem to get him away from his desk long enough to find out what a wonderful woman you are.” She grinned conspiratorially. “But I see things are working out on their own after all. My father’s return has proven to be providential.”
“You never told me you thought Travell and I should get married. In fact,” she pointed out, “I believe you were the one who suggested that we all go to America with Korina.”
“Yes, well,” Triana grimaced slightly. “I may have spoken out of haste because I was upset with Gabriel. But really,” she added firmly. “I think it did us all a world of good. Not only have Isabella and Rowena recently wed, but I feel confident that there will soon be bells ringing between you and Travell.”
“Don’t be so sure on that score,” Alyssa returned dryly. “And I wouldn’t go so far as to claim you were a successful matchmaker either. You were out of the country when Izzy and Ro found love. You can’t very well take credit for their marriages when you weren’t even here.”
“Perhaps not.” Triana tossed her head. “But then, all it takes is a seed of doubt to grow love’s everlasting bloom.”
Alyssa couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Tell me you didn’t just say that.”
For answer, Triana laughed once more and drew her over to her prized roses. “How about you start with telling me how you managed to take over my brother’s conservatory, and then we can discuss how we might gain control over his heart.”
While Alyssa wasn’t sure that was a feat that might ever be accomplished, she was certainly willing to gain all the advice she could.