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CLAYTON WORKED THE rest of the day in a distracted daze. He just kept thinking back to Rory and those two men, and the look of fear in her eyes as that one tried to take the diary from her. She knew better than he did what they might be capable of, but something told him that they could be driven to violence.
She didn’t think he knew Lord Bittleby, but he did. He remembered the sniveling brat had grown up around Thomas but had never be one of the more popular gentlemen. The man was a liar, a cheat, and worst of all, a cad when it came to women. It was no surprise he would stoop to these measures to find a wife.
The next day, Clayton still hadn’t been able to shake it from his mind. The way she had cried into his shirt made his chest clench. She had been genuinely scared, and he worried that she still might be. He might not be able to protect her forever, but she would be safe as long he was around. He needed to reassure her of that.
He found Rory sitting in the garden with her legs tucked up under her skirt and the diary in her hand. This part must better than the last time he found her reading it because she was so engrossed, she didn’t hear him approaching her. With her head bent, the light caught her face and it glowed. Her dusty lashes fluttered across her cheeks as she blinked, and those soft lips moved as she read. Her hair was pulled back into a simple braid, but some of it had come loose and fallen around her shoulders. He stopped for a moment and admired the beauty in front of him.
“What part of her life are you at now?”
Rory looked up and blinked at him. It took her a second to shake her head and come back to the moment at hand.
“She’s my age now,” Rory said. “She has given up on London and moved into this house for good. Her family doesn’t understand her choice, but she has her reasons.”
“Does she give those reasons?”
“Yes.” Rory gave him a smile. “She had a lover.”
Clayton liked the way her tone changed when she said that. She didn’t think badly of her aunt for it but sounded amused.
“She doesn’t give the details of who he is, especially not his name, but they met in London during her last season there.”
“Why didn’t she marry him?”
“He was Spanish, probably a displaced aristocrat. Her family never would have approved, so they kept their love a secret. That’s why she never had another season.”
Rory appeared swept away by the idea, and Clayton couldn’t help feeling a little of that too. It sounded like a very exciting story. He only hoped it didn’t have a tragic ending.
“Did you have something to talk to me about?” Rory asked. “I saw that Rex has started painting the murals on the ceiling of the ballroom.”
“Yes, he will do an excellent job. He might have been a famous painter if his life had taken a different turn.”
“What stopped him?”
“Family obligations.”
Rex never talked about his past, but Clayton had been able to discern certain things over the years. Rex was clearly from a very important family in England. His manners and speech gave away his breeding. It also became apparent he had been well educated with his ability to solve problems the way that he did. Clayton assumed that something had forced him to leave England, and family was the most common reason.
“I can understand the pressure family members can put on a person,” Rory said.
“Your brother?”
“No. Henry indulges me far too much. Our parents were very strict, though.”
“In what way?”
“They always thought I was too plump, so they were very watchful of what I ate.” Rory turned her face away from him. “I never seemed to get any thinner and I was always hungry. Henry would sneak me sweets sometimes, but he would get into a great deal of trouble when he got caught.”
“I noticed you had a fondness for things that are tasty, so I brought this for you from the inn.” Clayton pulled a basket from behind his back. It held an assortment of foods from the innkeeper’s wife. She had been delighted to pack it, especially after Rex had been flattering her all week. There were thick slices of ham, warm rolls, and some creamy cheeses the innkeeper had made himself, not to mention a few sweets that he knew would get Rory to smile.
“I’m afraid I’m not going to be very good company,” said Rory, although her eyes focused on the basket. “I’m not feeling very well.”
“Still upset about the visitors you had yesterday?”
“Yes, as well as their impending deadline.”
“This will take your mind off of it.” Clayton reached for her hand. “Let’s go find a place we can spread out.”
Toward the back of the garden there was a large open space where lavender grew. It had been a long time since the area was tended, so the flowers had grown wild. Clayton was able to clear enough of a spot for the two of them to lay out the small blanket tucked into the basket. The scent of lavender lingered in the air around them, and as Rory breathed it in, her face relaxed. Once she was comfortably seated, he sat next to her and started spreading out her choices. He watched her delight grow with each item, but he left the sweet pastries hidden for later.
As he watched her bite into the tiny sandwich she had made out of the elements, Clayton realized that Rory seldom allowed herself to enjoy things. She was always careful to watch what she was doing, who she was talking to, and what she was eating. She felt like she had to live up to such high standards that she couldn’t enjoy life.
When she thought no one was looking and her guard was down, Rory was indulgent. She licked her lips while eating food she thought she shouldn’t eat. Her cheeks were flushed, and when it came up to meet his, her gaze sparkled with joy. All the people who had overlooked her beauty in these unrestrained moments were fools.
“Tell me about Africa,” she said after she had savored a few bites in silence. “It’s not the usual place to travel.”
“It wasn’t my choice. I ended up there by accident.” The accident of being kidnapped and smuggled onto a transport ship. “Once I was there, I did the best I could to survive. I got a little bit lucky and found someone who took me under his wing.”
“That seems like a very simple answer.”
“I like the simple things.”
Clayton couldn’t afford to tell her too many details when he wasn’t sure what his mother might have said. If his story was too close to the story of Lady Ashford’s missing son, she might realize they were the same person.
“Was it difficult living over there? You were so far from your family.”
“No, I hadn’t been close to my family before I left.”
“You are holding something back.” Her eyes narrowed on him and Clayton looked away. “I have been practicing reading people’s expressions.”
“To be a better card player?”
He could see the blush bloom in her cheeks as she moved her hands to look down into her lap.
“I can tell you haven’t been playing long.” Clayton hoped to ease her embarrassment. “Lots of ladies played for money in Cape Town. It was almost a necessity to fight the boredom.”
“I thought that was why I was playing too, but now I’m not so sure. I think I might have been doing it for the attention.”
“Attention?”
“Men looked at me when we were playing. Especially if I had a partner.”
“Was that unusual?” Clayton knew if he was in a room with Rory, he couldn’t help but look at her.
“I was never one to hold their attention for more than a few casual lines of conversation. They certainly never spent an entire evening with me.”
“Not until they were trying to take your money.”
“I hadn’t realized that. I was playing for fun, so I thought they were too. Apparently I was mistaken.”
Clayton felt guilty for mentioning it and making her feel worse about the situation. This was supposed to be something to cheer her, and he had mucked it up instead. Hoping to pull out one last surprise, Clayton reached into the basket for the sweet cream and fruit tarts the innkeeper’s wife had packed. If this didn’t put Rory in a good mood, nothing would.
“Perhaps this will make you feel better.” Clayton held one of the delicate pastries out to her and watched with fascination as she caught a glimpse of it.
Those eyes of hers grew wide as she took in the delicious sight of what he was offering her. Clayton could smell the shortcrust and knew she could too as her nose twitched. The slightest hint of tongue slipped past her lips, and she was completely mesmerized. As he handed it to her, their fingers brushed, and he felt a shock run through him. She seemed unaffected by the contact and was entirely devoted to the food in her hand.
Clayton had never seen anyone enjoy anything as much as Rory enjoyed taking that first bite. Her eyes closed and her face relaxed into pure bliss. As she licked her lips clean, he could hear the slightest moan. To his embarrassment, he had to shift in his seat to hide an unexpected side effect of watching her pleasure.
“I shouldn’t be eating this,” Rory said, though she didn’t hesitate to take another tantalizing bite. “My corset is already getting too tight.”
“Then you should loosen it.”
Clayton spoke before thinking. When he realized what he’d said, he slapped his hand over his mouth. She almost spit out the bite of food she had. They looked at each other and laughed.
“Perhaps I should. I’m about to become a spinster, so I might as well be an eccentric one.”
“A loosened corset could be just the beginning. Next you might be wearing live birds on your head.” Clayton wanted to join in the fun.
“I’ve seen someone do that. Looked very uncomfortable. I could get an entire pack of spaniels. Carry one around with me at all times.”
“You would never have to worry about cats bothering you.”
“I do detest most felines. They always appear to be judging me.”
By this time, both of them were laughing so hard they had tears rolling down their cheeks. Clayton noticed that the pastry in her hand was now gone, leaving behind only a bit of cream around her mouth to show that it had ever existed. Before he knew what he was doing, Clayton reached out to rub the cream from her lips with his thumb. Upon contact, he felt that sizzle again, only this time he could see that she felt it too.
“Clayton?” Rory sounded confused. If she told him to stop, he would. When she didn’t, he leaned in closer.
At first Clayton went slowly, licking at the sweetness left behind by the pastry. As Rory began to get impatient, nipping at his lips, he deepened the kiss. Letting his tongue dip into her mouth, he found she was eager to suckle it. She had seemed so timid when he had kissed her before, but now she was hungry for it.
Her arms wrapped around his neck and dragged him down into the lavender. He used his arms to keep most of his weight off her, but he let the full length of his body meet hers. They could both feel the bulge of his arousal, but she didn’t move away from it. Instead, she ran her hands across his shoulders and whimpered into his kiss.
As he pulled away, Clayton could see the hazy look in her eyes. A catlike smile crept across her lips, and he was lost for a moment. He forgot who he was supposed to be and where they were, all he knew was how much he needed to continue making her smile like that.
Ignoring the way she nibbled on his ear, Clayton focused on the tiny black buttons up the front of her dress. He cursed as his big fingers made a mess of undoing them. Rory wasn’t going to wait; she reached between them to unfasten the dress down to her waist. Parting it, he saw her luscious skin beneath her chemise peeking above her corset. So many layers between them, but he didn’t care.
“Do you taste sweet everywhere?” Clayton whispered into her ear before nipping at her chin, enjoying the tremble he felt in her body.
He chuckled when she nodded. Leaning to the side, Clayton used his free hand to knead the soft flesh above the corset, kissing and licking his way down her neck. Glancing up, he saw her head fall back against the flowers and her eyes close.
“Rory?”
Her eyes snapped open at the sound of her name. They had changed to a deep emerald green without a hint of brown. The way she stared at him made Clayton’s heart race. The edges of his restraint were fraying quickly, and he was close to losing control.
“Clayton, are you out here taking a nap?” Clayton could hear Rex calling his name from the entrance of the garden, and it pulled him out of his haze enough to realize they couldn’t be found like this.
He carefully pulled Rory’s arms from where they were wrapped around his neck and moved his ear from where she continued to nibble at it. She was still lost in the moment and fought him at first, mumbling his name.
“Rory, you don’t want to be found in the arms of an employee,” he whispered to her.
That was enough for her eyes to snap open again, and she quickly moved away from him. She still needed to do up her buttons and put her hair in order before she could be considered decent, and Clayton knew Rex would be coming back here sooner than that.
“I’m going to go meet him toward the doors and lead him away,” Clayton told her. “Nod if you understand.”
Her head bobbed up and down vigorously.
“You couldn’t have finished the ceiling so quickly,” Clayton said as he stopped Rex on the path through the garden. “Why are you looking for me?”
“I wasn’t, but Miss Capshaw was. She came into the ballroom with her hackles up, wanting to know if I had seen you or Lady Rory. I think she suspected something was going on between you two.”
“So this was a warning?”
“I try to look out for my friend, even when he is making terrible decisions.”
“What makes you think that?”
“You have icing sugar on your shirt collar.”
“I was eating sweets.”
“On the side of you collar?”
Clayton reached up to wipe it away. “Does Darla know we were out here?”
“I don’t think so. I told her you were supposed to be working on the roof and that Lady Rory had mentioned taking a nap. I think she went to check the bedrooms. She will be relieved to find you are not in one of them.”
Clayton owed Rex no explanation, but he felt his friend deserved something. “I only wanted to comfort her. She has been having a hard time of things.”
“Those hired thugs from yesterday?”
“How did you know about them?”
“Darla couldn’t stop rambling about them and how dangerous they looked. She’s worried they will come back.”
“I made sure they wouldn’t. Not as long as we finish by the end of the week.”
“Then I suggest we stop comforting the lady of the house and finish getting all the holes patched up and pretty.”