Pleasant stood and, after donning her new pelisse, she threaded her arm through Mr. Reed’s, and they strode out into the cold, December night.
The carriage was just as elegant and well sprung as Pleasant remembered. But it was the tension surrounding her and Mr. Reed that she noticed above all the finery. It practically pulsed in the air between them. It was if they had been two different people working together over the past fortnight, whereas this evening, in all their elegant clothing, they could live out the fantasy as the duke’s daughter and the unrepentant rogue.
Monday they could return to being Mr. Reed and Miss Hill, but tonight they were simply—Pleasant and Cornell.
They moved toward each other at the same time.
He placed one hand behind her neck, while the other one clasped her waist, as his mouth hungrily crashed down on hers. He paused only long enough to trail his lips to her ear. “God, I wanted you the moment I set eyes on you in that dress,” he whispered huskily.
A shiver of longing traveled through her body when she remembered his dark, towering figure. “I want you too,” she murmured.
He growled deep in his throat and returned his lips to hers. She placed her hands over his steadily beating heart, while an answering ache of need pulsed in her core.
They both moaned in frustration when the carriage came to a stop. Before the coachman could open the door, Cornell grasped her chin and looked into her eyes. “Come home with me.”
The breath left her lungs in a rush. “Yes.” As if there was any other answer she could give. This man had captured her the moment she’d walked into his shop. She’d never wanted to give herself to anyone else, and while it might be wrong, she would give everything to him.
The door opened, and Cornell stepped down to the ground. Pleasant patted her hair to make sure the pins were all in place, and then she accepted his hand.
She looked up at the formidable townhouse and saw that indeed, her suspicions had been correct, except for one thing.
It was even more luxurious than she could have imagined.
Everything from the large columns and a brilliant, whitewashed exterior to the moment they were shown inside the gleaming foyer, and then led to the richly furnished parlor was the height of supreme elegance.
Pleasant’s fingers instantly gripped Cornell’s jacket a bit tighter. How am I going to make it through this evening? She didn’t know her dinner fork from her dessert fork. She would surely embarrass her escort—
He bent down to her ear. “You’ll do no such thing,” he murmured. Of course, that only made her horrified to learn that she’d actually spoken aloud. “Just smile and follow my lead.”
Pleasant swallowed as the earl greeted them with a polite bow. Again, she was struck by how much he favored the man at her side with his dark hair and expressive, green eyes. “Cornell. I’m so glad you accepted my invitation.” Lord Haverton turned to her, and she dipped into a slight curtsy. “And Miss Hill. A pleasure to see you again.”
“My lord.” He was so polite that the smile she offered in return was relatively easy. To imagine that he would accept two commoners into his home, even if one of them was his illegitimate half-brother, and welcome them as graciously as he might the king was rather humbling.
He held out a hand. “May I present my wife, Althea?”
Pleasant stiffened slightly as the lady strode forward, or rather glided, as it seemed her feet didn’t even touch the floor she was so elegantly mannered. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head in a multitude of curls that must have taken her ladies’ maid an hour to perfect, and the diamond earbobs and necklace she wore were undoubtedly of the finest quality, as was the silver and white gown she wore. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Mr. Reed. It’s nice to finally make your acquaintance.”
“That’s kind of you, Lady Haverton.”
The sound of small, but quick footsteps sounded outside the door, and Pleasant turned to see two small dark-haired children being led into the parlor by what could only be their nurse.
The earl walked forward and placed his hand on each of his children’s shoulders. “This is Louisa, our eldest. She’s seven. And this rapscallion—” He ruffled his son’s hair. “—is Frederick. He’s four.” He glanced at her companion. “Say hallo to your uncle, Mr. Cornell Reed.”
Louisa curtsied, while Frederick did his best attempt at a bow. She stepped forward. “It’s nice to meet you, Uncle Cornell.”
“Likewise,” he returned with a touch of humor in his deep voice.
It wasn’t until Louisa turned to Pleasant with a direct expression that she froze. Pleasant couldn’t imagine that she might be intimidated by a child, but then, something about the girl reminded her of her sister. They possessed the same rebellious spirit. So it wasn’t really surprising when she asked abruptly, “Who are you?”
“My name is Miss Hill,” she returned.
She blinked her big, brown eyes. “Are you my aunt?”
Pleasant was sure that she was blushing, but she replied evenly, “No. I’m not. I’m only a friend to your Uncle Cornell.”
Louisa regarded her a moment longer, and then she seemed to come to some sort of conclusion. She turned to her father and announced, “I should like it if she were my relation too, Papa.”
Lord Haverton chuckled. “I will speak to your uncle about it as soon as possible.”
With a satisfied nod, she smiled brilliantly at Pleasant.
At the same time, the butler announced that the meal was ready, so the nurse ushered the children back upstairs while the two couples made their way to the dining room.
Pleasant was seated next to Cornell on their host’s left at the head of the table, while his wife, Althea, sat next to her husband on his right. The moment they were seated, the crystal wine glasses were filled and soup was brought out in gold-lined china bowls. The fragrant lobster bisque assaulted her nostrils, causing her stomach to grumble.
She noticed which spoon Cornell picked up, and after the first bite, she couldn’t help but moan lightly in delight. It was delicious, probably the best thing she’d ever tasted.
“I take it that you are enjoying the first course, Miss Hill.” Lord Haverton spoke up.
This is only the first course? She nearly blurted out, but instead, she said, “Yes. It’s very good.”
“I can’t quite place the slight lilt to your accent, Miss Hill,” the countess noted. “From whence do you hail?”
“Ireland, actually.”
“How is it that you came to be in London?” she prodded, not unkindly, but merely in genuine curiosity.
