Page 55 of Indecently Employed
Marcus held his hands up and turned to fetch something from the sideboard.
“Though you might not wish to believe it, all is well.” Rickard flashed Ajax one last hard glance before returning to the game. He picked out his shot, then bent over and lined it up. “Go ahead and ask her, if you have your doubts.”
With another crack the balls were scattered into further disarray. Ajax wasn’t quite sure how to respond; after all, the man’s words fell in line with what his moon-eyed niece had confided in him before their wedding. So, strange though it felt to him, he kept silent.
“Well, I believeIshall,” Marcus interjected with a forced lightness, returning with a tumbler he handed to Ajax. “For I also need to have words with her about placing that poor girl in your house.” He frowned at him. “I warned her.”
“What poor girl?”
“The governess.”
Feeling ambushed from both flanks, Ajax threw back the liquor and slammed the empty glass down on the billiard table. “Too late to join?” he said merrily, shucking off his jacket and depositing it on one of the high-backed, red velvet upholstered benches lining the wall.
Marcus followed him, his eyes dark, as Ajax selected a cue from the rack. The look alone suggested he suspected Ajax of something unspeakable.
It was a good thing Ajax hadn’t done anything untoward with Miss Abbotts. Like lifting her skirts and pleasuring her in the library. Or taking her to his bed where she had practically wailedhis name in ecstasy. Thank heavens he hadn’t gotten himself all mixed up in something as tawdry asthat.
“Oh no. Don’t tell me you’ve been improper with her. I know you as well as anyone could. That’s guilt on your face, isn’t it?”
Ajax sized up his nephew and his ever-present self-righteousness. For a Sedley, Marcus had always been overly concerned with justice; a real odd duck. Ajax made a show of examining the cue as he spoke. “How about this, Marcus? You rout me and I’ll tell you all you wish to know. However, if I or Rickard prevail, you’ll scurry back to Westminster, and take your fury with you, to mete out upon the life assurance companies instead of your beloved relations.”
“Don’t drag me into this,” Rickard muttered, his drink in front of his mouth. He stared at the doorway, as if contemplating his escape. “Fucking hell.”
Marcus ignored that, his brows drawn as he glowered at Ajax. “You’re defending the life assurance companies now? They’re criminals! Taking people’s money and not paying out? It’s a bloody racket, and I won’t have my work on that act mocked. Especially not byyouand whatever fleeting interest in politics you claim to now possess.” He shook his head, as if releasing some of his anger. Finally, he looked up at Ajax with disappointment in his eyes, and sighed.
Ajax wanted to grab the entire decanter of liquor, storm out the door, and hole himself up in the library. But instead he offered one his most disarming grins. “Ah, you see nephew, Idohave opinions on politics now. For the moment, anyway. Perhaps next month I’ll switch it up, try something new. Pugilism, maybe? Not far from politics, but a far better show.” He assessed the table, deciding which cue ball had the most difficult shot. He then smirked, held his stick vertically, perpendicular to the table, and brought it straight down on the yellow ball, affecting an impressive shot forward which thenarced with the spin. It struck the red with a satisfying smack, which took off for the pocket as if running back home.
He smiled at Marcus again. “You were playing yellow, were you not?”
Marcus just shook his head and sighed. Rickard muttered a curse and set his stick down on the corner of the table.
Christ, two relatives alienated thus far. And he hadn’t even seen Tiberius yet.
This wasn’t how he’d planned for things to go, especially considering he’d offered a quasi-apology to Marcus. Ajax clenched his jaw. He would have to do better. He certainly wasn’t living up to what Miss Abbotts thought of him.
Chapter Nineteen
Susanna wore her newdress, with the blue and gray stripes. She felt a little uneasy, dressing so fine when the family should be rife with sorrow. But even amid that sorrow, she wanted to feel close to him. To let him know that he was in her thoughts. To do so seemed paltry, but it was all she would be able to manage with everything so topsy-turvy. For though she had already opened her legs to him, she could not fathom being so brazen as to go to him in his familial home, with his brother not long for this world. She would never. But she hated leaving him like this, hated seeing his face as twisted and distant as when he was staring out the window of the train, with nary a wisecrack or smile coming from his lips.
As soon as she and Charlotte had cleaned up and returned downstairs, they were greeted by Ajax’s niece Harmonia, now Mrs. Rickard. Susanna had only met the lady on a few occasions prior, but had been dazzled every time by her opulent dress, easy charm, and skillful mastery of conversation. She appeared somewhat different now—more modest in both dress andmanner—but Susanna could see she still possessed a defiant confidence in herself.
Mrs. Rickard sat them down and called for tea, then immediately began interrogating both Charlotte and Susanna with all the skill and determination of a private inspector.
“So, how is Uncle Ajax?”
Charlotte made a humming noise as she thought. Susanna struggled to maintain eye contact.
Mrs. Rickard’s brown eyes snapped to hers immediately, watching shrewdly from under her thick, winged brows. Susanna wasn’t sure how to answer, so she instead attempted a feeble smile, to which Mrs. Rickard responded with a small, patronizing grin of her own. She still had not taken her eyes from her when Charlotte finally spoke.
“Gallox Castle is restless. The spirits have been watching him, all these years. They—”
“Ugh,Charlotte.” Mrs. Rickard finally took her eyes off Susanna and looked heavenward, shaking her head. “Do not go on about that when Bess is about. She’s napping upstairs at the moment, thank goodness, but mind yourself.”
She nearly hissed out the last few words, and Susanna felt herself coloring even deeper at her imperious tone.
Mrs. Rickard looked back to Susanna, studying her. “And you, Miss Abbotts? How do you find Mr. Sedley?”
Susanna’s heart raced, and she wondered whether this woman could see right through her. Susanna had never been able to tell a lie, and now she feared her honesty would cause her entire world to fall to tatters. Her cottage by the sea. Ajax bent over her, dragging hot, wet kisses along the nape of her neck, his fingers digging into the flesh of her rear. It was all about to go up in flames. Susanna could practically see the dark, wispy curls of smoke, rising listlessly from the wreckage of her life.
