Page 61 of Claiming His Scottish Duchess
A week passed since that final conversation about Lord Mortridge, the coolness lingering as they continued to go about their days. In contrast, the village fair they were attending that day was a riot of color and sound, the calls of game vendors and melodies of a fiddler perched atop a makeshift stage swirling through the air.
Catriona watched as Lydia’s eyes, wide with wonder, darted to a stall overflowing with sugared plums.
“May I have a sweet, Uncle?” Lydia called from a few paces ahead, where she walked with some of the maids in attendance. “Please?”
“You may have anything you like,” Richard said as he waved to the maids in approval. “You may take Lydia wherever she likes, but do not venture too far. And keep a close eye on her.”
Upon their leaving, Catriona looped her arm around him and enticed him to take part in some of the games. She was determined to have fun that day. They meandered for a few minutes when they found themselves at a dart booth.
“Look at ye,” Catriona teased, her brown eyes sparkling with amusement as she watched Richard struggle to hit the target. “For one of the most powerful dukes in London, ye are remarkably bad at hittin’ the bullseye.”
“In my defense, these darts are clearly enchanted against my aim. Perhaps it’s your Scottish sorcery,” he teased, his cerulean eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled in the sunlight.
“I suppose I like enchantin’ ye,” she flirted, giving him a wink.
Catriona watched with eager eyes as his gaze roved over her body. She watched him subtly adjust his pants as he looked her up and down, then up and down again.
In earnest response, she playfully tugged her corset a bit to emphasize her generous cleavage. She batted her eyelashes at him as he missed the dartboard completely. He threw his arms up in mock surrender, shrugging off the loss as he gave her a smirk.
“Perhaps a different challenge would suit my particular talents?” he asked, raising a suggestive eyebrow.
“Aye, and what sort of feat did ye have in mind? I’m sure ye could join in the next game of Pall Mall! I bet if we hurry, we?—”
Richard’s hand snaked out of his pocket, catching hers as he gave a playful tug.
Before she knew what was happening, he pulled her away from the booth and off the main path, leading her down a narrow alleyway between two brightly decorated stalls. The sounds of the fair faded behind them, replaced by the muffled clatter of pots and pans from a nearby cook tent.
“This sort of skill,” he murmured as his voice dropped to a husky whisper. “Is my specialty, wife. I think you would do well with a reminder.”
Their lips met tentatively at first, given the space that had grown between them those last few days. It was as if they were discovering each other all over again in that way.
She was still so angry with him, and yet the rush of pent-up lust was too much to take. All she could register was the sensation of his warm lips on hers, the scent of sweet treats mingling with his masculine cologne.
His arms tightened around her waist, pulling her flush against him. She leaned deeper into his kiss, surrendering to the irresistible pull.
He pulled her lower body tight against him, giving her the opportunity to take in the heat of his hard passion as she gasped.
Try as I might, I cannae get used to this,she thought to herself.
He traced his fingers along her jawline to her clavicle. He graced his lips on her neck as he trailed his fingers deliberately lower, underneath the tight corset she was wearing. He reverently palmed her breasts, pressing himself harder against her.
“Do you have any idea the effect you have on me, woman? Do you know what you do to me?”
Catriona’s breath hitched as his fingers descended, tracing her sex over her skirts. After lingering for a moment, his hand continued its descent. He lifted her skirts and found the tender flesh between her legs. At the contact, they began kissing frantically again.
Afraid of being caught, and the noise she was involuntarily making, Catriona broke their kiss and brought her hand to her mouth. She desperately needed to brace herself as waves of pleasure flowed through her body as strong as her own blood. She was ready to spill over the edge, as he continued working her.
“Your Grace! Your Grace!Your Grace!” A cacophony of voices shouted down the alleyway. “Help, Your Grace!”
Catriona quickly steadied herself and adjusted her clothing as Richard released her. Lydia’s maids frantically stumbled down the alleyway toward them. She noted the expressions on their faces, pale and contorted with fear. The sight made Catriona’s hot blood turn to ice in an instant.
“Lydia! She’s gone! We can’t find her anywhere!” Miss Nadley cried in panic. “We’ve looked everywhere we can think of. She took off like a shot in the dark!”
“Gone? What do you mean, gone?” Richard demanded, his voice sharp with alarm as he ran his fingers through his hair.
“One minute she was watching the Punch and Judy show with us,” Miss Magnan gasped, clutching her chest and fingering thecross around her neck in silent prayer. “The next, well, she was just gone! We turned around and she wasn’t there! I don’t know how it happened!”
“It had to have been seconds,” Miss Mattuck said finally, barely able to speak. Her eyes remained fixed on the ground as she shook her head from side to side.
