“And I assure you that if there’s to be any kissing in dark corners, I’ll be most happy to oblige,” Lord Fairfield said, lowering his paper just enough to serve them all a cheeky smile as he waggled his eyebrows.
A chorus of giggles erupted from the debutantes, to which Lady Lindhurst responded with a very disapproving shake of her head. “There will be no kissing by you or any of the other gentlemen present, Lord Fairfield. I am supposed to be chaperoning these young ladies, along with Lady Ridgewood. We all know that a kiss can lead to so much more.” She served Alexandra a pointed stare. “And I for one have no desire to explain anything to these young ladies’ mamas. I won’t have them ruined. Do I make myself clear?”
Everyone nodded, aware of the authoritative tone behind the viscountess’ words.
There was silence for some time after, and Lucy found herself searching for something to say, but her thoughts on the matter ended at the sound of another voice. “Have you written the clues yet?” The question came from Miss Scott, who’d leaned forward in her seat in order for her to look directly at Lucy, since Lady Hyacinth was sitting between them.
“Not yet,” Lucy said with a slight shake of her head as she bit into a piece of toast with a slice of cheese on it.
“I’d be happy to offer my assistance,” Lord Fairfield said, lowering his newspaper once more and meeting her gaze. He smiled, and his whole face emanated a kindness that most men tended to keep well hidden beneath a mask of gravity.
“That is very kind of you,” she told him, “but I’ve already asked William to help, and he has…agreed.” She hesitated before saying the final word, hoping it would reinforce the story of their strained relationship.
It must have worked, for a frown settled upon Lord Fairfield’s brow, and he opened his mouth as if to speak but must have changed his mind, for he simply smiled instead and said, “Very well then,” before returning his attention to whatever riveting piece of information it was that he was reading about.
Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t think that Lord Fairfield was the man with the mask, but she mustn’t take any chances. As it was, she and William were balancing a dangerously delicate line between a strained marriage and the united front that the situation called for. They had to appear to be at odds with each other while still seeming willing enough to stand together for the sake of their guests—not an easy feat to accomplish when one look from William was enough to make Lucy’s heart race with desire.
She took another bite of her toast, conscious that a conversation was taking place around her but too preoccupied with her own thoughts to pay much attention to it. Instead, she finished her tea, excused herself from the table, and headed toward the parlor. If they were going to have a successful scavenger hunt later in the day, it was about time that she started planning for it.
Half an hour later, she was still sitting at her escritoire, trying desperately hard to come up with some clues for the scavenger hunt, only to realize that doing so was definitely not her forte. She wanted the riddles to rhyme, but when she tried painting, all she could think of was feinting. It was no use. She desperately needed William’s help and had sent the butler to find him, but that was already fifteen minutes ago according to the clock on the mantle.
She was just about to put pen to paper in yet another attempt when a low voice coming from directly behind her caused her hand to still in midair. Her stomach flipped while a rush of heat flittered down her spine. It was William, and in the next instant she felt his firm hands upon her shoulders and his breath tickling the side of her neck.
“You mustn’t,” she muttered, scarcely able to breathe for the rush of sensations coursing through her body as he leaned closer still.
“The men are busy in the study with a game of cards, and I’ve taken the precaution of closing the door,” he whispered, his lips grazing her skin in a soft caress. But just as she thought she might melt beneath his touch, he moved away and came to stand beside her instead. “You’re right though. This is a bit too risky, and besides, I’m here to help you with the clues—not to have my way with you upon the floor. There’ll be lots of time for that later.” He gave her a wink and a cheeky smile before turning serious once more. “Mind if I take a look at what you’ve come up with?”
How he was able to sound so casual when the effect his words were having on her was enough to make her mouth go dry, her stomach to flutter, and her legs to turn weak…thank God she was sitting down. With a hard swallow, she made a stoic attempt to regain her composure so she could focus on the task at hand. She pushed the paper she’d been working on toward him while he pulled up a chair and sat.
Leaning forward, he read her meager attempts at riddles and frowned. “We need to ensure that we keep everyone downstairs for this, so that leaves us with a limited number of rooms.” He returned the paper to Lucy. “How about something like this: Higher than the keys…Go and search among the trees. And then we’ll place the next clue on the frame of one of the landscape paintings in the music room.”
Lucy had to concede that it was far better than what she’d come up with so far and was more than happy to let William compose the rest of the clues while she wrote them down. Besides, it was a task that would keep her mind away from William, his close proximity, and his oh so intoxicating scent of sandalwood. She drew a deep breath, deciding to concentrate on his voice instead.
A little less than an hour later, they both agreed that the clues they’d managed to prepare for the hunt would serve quite nicely in terms of keeping the guests occupied for a decent amount of time. Lucy turned to face William, only to find him studying her intensely.
“Are you ready for this?” he asked her. His voice was soft and quiet, but his eyes remained serious.
The nervousness she’d felt earlier surfaced, but she forced it back and managed a smile. “I believe so.”
He looked skeptical but finally nodded.
“Are you ready?” she then asked in return. “After all, it is one of your friends that—”
“Whoever this turns out to be, the man we seek is no friend of mine, and when we discover his identity, Lucy, he’ll be fortunate if he leaves this house alive.” His voice was fierce, but it filled her with courage, for there was strength and determination behind it—a promise that they would succeed. And then he reached out and pulled her toward him for a hard and passionate kiss that wiped all fear and misgivings from her mind. His forehead was pressed against hers when he spoke again, his breath warm against her cheek while his hand supported the back of her head. “You’re stronger than you think, Lucy, and we’re in this together. He cannot win.”
Reaching up, she fisted her hand through his dark blonde hair and pulled him back, touching her lips against his for another, much softer, kiss—a kiss that reflected the contents of her heart. His eyes were wide with wonder when she pulled back to meet his gaze, and her voice quivered and shook when she finally spoke. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?” Creases appeared upon his forehead, as if he was actually giving the matter some serious thought, and she smiled, realizing that her declaration had struck him completely by surprise.
He shook his head a little and appeared on the verge of saying something when the door opened and Alexandra popped her head inside. “Are you almost finished? Luncheon will be ready soon.” She stepped inside and nudged the door shut, then leaned back against it as she studied each of them in turn. “You don’t appear your usual self, William. Indeed, it looks like you were about to swoon. Are you all right?”
William cleared his throat and rose, offering Lucy his hand as soon as he’d straightened his jacket. “Yes. Quite. Thank you.” Whatever it was he’d planned to say, Lucy realized that it would have to wait until later. She had expected him to look a little more pleased, however, and the fact that he didn’t—the fact that his face showed no sign of pleasure whatsoever as he guided her from the room filled her heart with a slow and aching pain.
Lucy ate her food in silence, allowing her guests to fill the room with cheerful chatter while she in turn did her best to ignore the whirlwind of emotions that was churning inside her. The man who’d haunted her nightmares for so long would soon be unveiled and brought to justice, but the man she now dreamed of every night did not appear to reciprocate her feelings. She told herself that it was only natural, considering she’d had two weeks to get to know him, while he’d only just discovered who she was the day before. But she couldn’t deny that it hurt all the same. A hand tugged at her sleeve, and she realized in a haze that it was Constance, that the meal was over, and that most of the guests had already departed from the table.
As if in a trance, she rose from her chair, linked her arm with Constance’s, and allowed her friend to lead her to the parlor, where William was already in the process of issuing instructions for the hunt. “Lady Amanda will be paired with Miss Geraldine, Miss Cleaver with Lady Hyacinth. Stanton, you’ll be partnering with Lord Fairfield, and Charles with Lord Galensbury. Those of you who are married will work with your spouses, making a total of…six teams to be exact. Lady Ridgewood and Lady Lindhurst will supervise the hunt with me and my wife, while Papa and Uncle Henry will remain here, guarding the prize.”
“There’s a prize?” Miss Scott squealed as she clapped her hands together with much enthusiasm.
“Well, it wouldn’t be as much fun if there wasn’t,” Stanton remarked dryly, earning a frown from all four debutantes. William seized the proffered moment of silence to issue a clue to each of the teams.
“I can be open or closed as I stand in my bed,” Miss Scott began reading after unfolding the piece of paper that she’d just been given. “Some like me pink and some like me red…Any idea of what it might be, Amanda?”
Lady Amanda pondered the riddle for a moment before saying, “I do believe we ought to have a look in the conservatory.”
“What does our clue say, Mary?” Ryan asked urgently, his competitive spirit appearing to rise as he watched his sister hurry off with Lord Trenton.
“Two armies face each other for battle. When players engage, there’s no time for prattle,” she said and then raised her gaze to her husband while Bryce chuckled from his seat in the corner. “Surely that must be the chess set in the library.”
“We’ll know soon enough,” Ryan remarked as he grabbed her hand and pulled her along behind him, his long strides forcing her into a near run.
As soon as the last of the contestants had left, with Ladies Ridgewood and Lindhurst on their heels, William reached for Lucy’s hand and gave it a tight squeeze. “Come on,” he said, his expression one of severity mixed with excitement, as he led her out into the hallway and toward the stairs. “Let’s get this over with.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
With a tight hold on Lucy’s arm, William guided her briskly up the stairs. He’d been careful to check that the hallway was empty before leaving the parlor and was now eager to escape out of sight before someone happened to see them. They had no time for delay or, even worse, questions.