Page 82 of Wicked Designs
“I need your help.” She realized that if she spoke with Jonathan alone like this, she might give him the wrong impression about her. Too late to go back now. His body already leaned slightly towards her. He even loomed like Godric. Even though she hadn’t been successful in getting Godric to talk about Jonathan, she was no fool. Some looks simply ran in the blood. He claimed he had no siblings, and he never talked of cousins so few options remained. Who was Jonathan to him?
“I’d be happy to help you.” He raised his other hand, trailing it down her bare arm. Goose bumps erupted in the wake of that slow, forbidden caress. Lord, if he wasn’t Godric’s kin then she wasn’t a woman. She smacked his hand away.
She kept his attention on the matter at hand. “Can you take me to Blackbriar tomorrow? I have to escape. I’ll be dressed as a maid and you need to give me a ride in the cart, nothing more.”
“Are you asking me to betray my master?” Rather than look scandalized, like she’d expected, the sandy-haired devil had the nerve to grin.
Emily drew in a steadying breath. “As far as I am aware, he never forbade you to take me to Blackbriar, did he? If need be, I can elude you in the village and hide so you can honestly say you couldn’t bring me back.”
Jonathan eyed her critically. “Very well, Miss Parr. But first you must tell me why you are leaving. I’ve seenthe way you look at His Grace. I can’t begin to fathom why you would want to run off.”
Emily drew a deep breath, praying she was doing the right thing. “I have to leave to save his life.”
Jonathan’s brows rose. “What?”
“It’s Blankenship, the man who came here with the magistrate. He plans to kill Godric and anyone else in his way to get to me. If I leave, he won’t have a reason to hurt anyone here.”
Suspicion narrowed the valet’s eyes. “How do you know this?”
“Godric’s mistress, Evangeline. She warned me, told me what would happen if I didn’t leave. Blankenship is mad. He’s already hired men for the job.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you? His Grace is truly in danger?”
Emily nodded. “I can’t risk anything happening to him.”
“Have you considered telling him what Evangeline told you?”
“Of course I have. But you know the man he is. Do you think he’d sit idly by under this kind of threat? No matter how matched they were?”
The valet considered her words. “No, the damned fool would rally his friends and go charging off to get killed.”
Emily’s shoulders sagged. “So you understand why I have to leave. He cannot know the truth or he will do something foolishly noble.”
“You do realize this is an extremely bad plan. Theman has a temper that makes even angels quake with fear. He won’t be happy if you leave.”
She didn’t need Jonathan’s warning, she knew the risk she was taking. “It’s a choice between hurting him and killing him, and that isn’t really a choice is it?”
Jonathan deliberated a long moment. “Very well. I’ll take you to the village if you agree to my price.” She was trapped against the door, unable to escape. His warm breath fanned her face.
She raised her chin a little, hoping it would strengthen her resolve. “What price?”
“Hmm…” He studied her, looking for what she didn’t know. “I’ll decide later. Be ready to depart tomorrow.” He gently shoved her out into the hallway.
She hastily walked back up the servants’ stairs, then the main staircase as she headed into her bedchamber on the second floor and ducked inside.
“There you are, little vixen! I’ve been waiting for you to turn up.” Godric’s voice made her jump. “Thought you could slip away from me?” Godric chuckled, his hands encircling her waist.
The tension in her body relaxed as she realized he hadn’t overheard her conversation with Jonathan.
“No, of course not. I merely had to fix my hair, a few pins felt loose.” Her hand rose to her hair as though to show she’d fixed the matter.
The predatory gaze he gave her made her ache inside. “I don’t believe you, my dear. I thought we came to an understanding.”
It irritated her that he didn’t believe her, even if she was lying. “We have. Let me go, Godric.”
“Now, now, I’ve had to play the gentleman all evening and I’m not able to last another minute behaving like a bloody saint.” His hands on her waist curled around her back and slid farther down over the curve of her bottom and clenched hard, lifting her into him.
Emily gasped.
