Page 34 of One Dangerous Desire
A moment later Caroline inserted herself next to Rex and possessively slid her gloved hand around his arm. “Are we ready to begin?”
Henry greeted May, offered his arm, and led the way into the museum. As she followed, she sensed Rex watching her. If the earl and his sister hadn’t arrived when they did, she would’ve done something foolish. Yet she couldn’t manage an ounce of relief. Rather, she felt bound and fettered, unable to speak to him or even look his way, though she was aware of Rex moving next to her. Her every nerve attuned to the sound of his voice as he chattered with Caroline.
An hour later, the sculptures began to blur. She was exhausted with the effort of focusing on what she should and making polite conversation with Henry, rather than noting how Rex reacted to each new relic they viewed.
As they progressed through the Egyptian rooms, two couples taking one of the guided tours recognized Henry and Caroline and broke from their group. Though Henry politely introduced her, Caroline elbowed forward to embrace the young ladies. As the three began chitchatting excitedly, Henry stepped aside to speak to the gentlemen.
Out of the corner of her eye, May could see Rex standing, hands clasped behind his back and feet planted wide, staring up at the lofty ceiling. Looking up, she expected to see a mural she’d somehow missed on previous visits. Instead, she lifted a hand over her face to shield her eyes.
“Electric lighting,” he said in a pleased tone, one of those compelling smiles breaking over his face.
“They’re very bright.”
“Isn’t it wonderful?” He rushed toward her, positioned himself just behind her, and pointed to one of the colossal Egyptian busts in front of them. “See how it makes the stone glow. No other light source could bring him to life like that.” He sounded almost giddy.
“It is impressive.” May pressed her lips together to hold in a chuckle and turned her head to glance at Rex. “But that is Ramesses II, one of Egypt’s most powerful pharaohs. If he were brought to life, I suspect he’d be quite irritated to find his broken statue on display in London.”
May studied the statue’s regal face. “Can you believe it’s carved from a single piece of granite?”
When she looked back at him, Rex was grinning. “You love all of this, don’t you? The different styles of design, the colors and shapes?” He pointed to the pharaoh towering above them. “Is this your favorite sculpture in the museum, then?”
“Would you really force me to choose a favorite?” They hadn’t even visited the Elgin Room and its extraordinary Greek marble sculptures yet.
Rex’s expression turned hard and stony. He spoiled all of the light-hearted pleasure of the moment by turning his gaze toward Henry.
“Eventually, we all have to make a choice.” His tone was as hollow as it had been joyful a moment before. As he stepped away from her, May heard the click of Henry’s boot heels approaching and Caroline’s voice as she called to Rex.
“Why don’t we leave this musty old place and have some fun?” Caroline asked with a tug on Rex’s arm. “Madame Tussaud’s is just up the Marylebone Road.”
“What do you say?” Henry placed his hand gently at May’s back.
“The choice is yours, my lord.”
“Madame Tussaud’s it is.” Henry guided her away quickly. No time to cast a glance at Rex. No chance of returning to the most carefree moment they’d spent since meeting again in Ashworth’s drawing room.
“You’ll find the wax museum much more enjoyable,” Henry assured as he settled next to her in a hired hansom cab.
A pressure built at the nape of May’s neck, and she wanted to look back. To see if Rex and Caroline had secured their own cab. To know if he still looked as miserable as he had moments before. But when she turned her head, Henry was there, smiling and chatting away about the wonders they’d see at Madame Tussaud’s.
May couldn’t see Rex past the hood of the carriage, and she told herself that was for the best.
Chapter Twelve
“AFINE KNOT, if I do say so me self.” Brooks turned the mirror, giving Rex a moment to assess the expertly tied neck cloth under his chin. The young man’s gaze strayed to the gilded invitation he’d left standing on the fireplace mantel. “Lookin’ forward to this evening’s festivities, sir?”
“Mmm.”No, not at all, actually.Why had May invited him? Did she enjoy torturing him? Perhaps this was to be his punishment. Enduring evenings playing the gentleman among the blue-blooded and titled while May danced along the edges, just out of reach. If he married Devenham’s sister, and she married the man himself . . . good God, what would that make them? Brother- and sister-in-law?
Bile rose in his throat. “Get me a drink, Brooks.”
“Sir?” The young man looked around helplessly, one hand balancing a bowl of shaving water and the other gripping the strop and blade to be returned to wherever valets kept the tools of their trade.
“Never mind.” Rex reached into his inner jacket pocket and slipped a narrow silver flask out. Found among his mother’s belongings after she died, it was the only heirloom he possessed from his mother’s family, no doubt pinched by his father from hers. Now that he’d adopted her surname, the “R. L.” stamped on the side matched his initials. “On your way, and send for the carriage, Brooks.”
He drew a long dram from the flask, letting the fiery Scotch whiskey burn a trail across his tongue, scorch his throat, and travel low, heating his belly. Better a return to his days without a home, sleeping in an obliging doorway with only a bit of gut rot to warm his insides, than to become May Sedgwick’s brother.
After settling into his carriage, he lifted the bottle for another swig.Always keep your head about you, son.His mother’s oft-repeated admonition rang in his mind, and he put the liquor aside. Then bitter laughter rumbled in his chest. Easy for his mother to urge him to keep his wits when she’d never met May Sedgwick or witnessed the effect one petite heiress had upon him.
Lord, what a fool he’d been. Upon first glimpsing May’s face, he’d stumbled and nearly upended a tray of fine crystal decanters his boss had tasked him with shelving. He never imagined the existence of a face so prettily arranged or a woman who seemed to glow from the inside out. Other women craved the spotlight like moths crave a candle flame, but May didn’t even need a bit of bloody sunlight to shine. When she’d turned one of her sunny smiles his way, he’d cursed under his breath and thumped a fist against his breastbone to stop the wild rattle of his heart.
