Page 64 of Lady Audacious
‘But has its critics for a reason. It has been proven to destroy complexions, not improve them. I have never met Mrs Peabody and might be doing her an injustice, but I have in mind an ambitious woman who wants to better her circumstances. She is doing so by encouraging her weak-willed husband to sell a dream. We all hanker after eternal youth, do we not?’ He smiled at her. ‘And I fancy you would not approve of the deception.’
‘Very likely not.’
‘Well, there you are then. Perhaps we have hit upon the reason for your brother not making contact with you. He provided for you financially and decided he had done enough. Frankly, I think you are better off not being acquainted with such a person. I also think your brother over-reacted—and certainly showed cowardice—by abandoning his own name and taking his wife’s. Sorry,’ he added belatedly.
‘Don’t be. You are not saying anything that I don’t agree with. I suppose I should think myself fortunate that he made arrangements for me. I may not have enjoyed my time at Miss Mackenzie’s, but at least it was stability, after a fashion. And I suppose he need not have left me Fox’s Reach and the funds to maintain it.’
‘His way of allaying a guilty conscience. If I were a betting man, I would wager that his wife remained in ignorance of that particular arrangement, otherwise she would have put pressure on your brother to keep the funds for his own family.’
Odile sighed. ‘Perhaps.’
‘Don’t look so downhearted, my love. We have solved the mystery and you have a better understanding of who you are. Perhaps now some new memories will emerge from the fog. Anyway, you need time to reflect and decide what you intend to do, about Fox’s Reach and everything else. If Brigstock is still in the village, I will send him packing now that I am satisfied that he has no legitimate claim upon your inheritance.’
‘I suppose you are hoping that I will sell and that you will finally be able to acquire the property,’ she said with asperity, immediately regretting her harsh tone. ‘Sorry,’ she added quickly. ‘That was uncalled for. You have been very kind, given up so much of your time for me and I…well, I just don’t understand why you would do that.’
‘Is kindness such an alien emotion in your world?’ he asked softly, cupping the side of her face softly in his hand. She felt the warmth from his palm seeping into her skin and a longing that was as alien as it was baffling spiralled through her bloodstream. ‘Do you not sense it?’
‘Sense…Sense what?’ Her voice sounded choked as desire threatened to overwhelm her, making her forget the earthshattering revelations made by a brother she had no memory of. Making her forget everything other than the thud of her own heartbeat and the feel of Reuben’s breath softly peppering her face. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Shush!’
His voice was muffled as his tongue slowly traced a path across the bridge of her nose. Odile felt waves of the most exquisite sensations thrumming through her as his tongue continued its journey of exploration.
‘I lost count,’ he protested, sitting back against the squabs again and smiling at her. ‘I was attempting to count your freckles.’
‘Don’t make fun of me!’ she protested, giving him a little push. ‘Freckles are the spawn of the devil, according to the girls at Miss Mackenzie’s establishment. They are to be abhorred and cried over and blotted out by whatever means necessary,’ she pointed out, wondering why they were discussing such an inconsequential subject when her world was on the point of imploding. Thinking there was nowhere else she would prefer to be, nothing more important to her than allowing Reuben to explore her freckles and discuss their merits, or lack thereof.
‘Miss Mackenzie’s young ladies quite mistake the matter,’ he told her in a husky voice.
Before she realised what his intentions were, he had encircled her with his arms and pulled her into a kiss that left her head spinning and her mind in even greater confusion. She forgot about everything, other than the sublime feel of his firm lips pressing against hers and the firecrackers of awareness that ignited deep inside of her as she surrendered herself to the moment. Her breathing became shallow and erratic as his tongue forced her lips apart and plundered her mouth. Heady sensations danced through her entire body as she yearned for the moment to last for eternity.
It ended as all things inevitably must, far too soon. Odile held in a protest when Reuben released her, looking as dazed as she felt by the intensity of their heated, uncontrolled and unplanned embrace.
‘Reuben, I…’
‘Shush!’ He smiled in that intimate manner of his that created havoc with her sensibilities and placed a warning finger against her lips. ‘Best say nothing at all. I should not be confusing you, especially now of all times.’
‘I am an adult,’ she pointed out, ‘accustomed to looking out for myself. In spite of everything, I am glad that I now know the truth.’
The return journey had passed in a flash. The conveyance rattled to a halt in her own stable yard and Reuben climbed down from it in order to help her alight. He held onto her hand once he had done so, raised it to his lips, then changed his mind and bestowed a brief kiss on her lips.
‘I shall call in the morning to see how you are,’ he said.
‘Thank you.’ She paused, thinking that his calling again so soon would create problems for him, not least with the forceful Miss Farquhar. But she said nothing. If he felt the need to call then she wouldn’t prevent him. ‘For everything.’
He smiled at her as he resumed his seat inside the carriage and it moved off. Odile stood where she was until it had disappeared from sight, and then sighing she turned towards the house. She caught a glimpse of Doris in the henhouse to the side of the stables and shook her head in irritation, thinking the girl spent more time with the chickens than she did attending to all her other duties combined.
‘Where have they been all day?’ Sarah demanded to know.
‘Couldn’t say,’ Nelly replied calmly, ‘but I do know that he kissed her full on the lips when he delivered her home. Not sure if I should have told you that and risked bringing on one of your episodes, but you would likely have heard about it so it’s best coming from me in private. She looked right dishevelled, apparently.’
‘Arghhh!’ Sarah threw her head back and screamed as jealousy almost crippled her. ‘It gets worse, but it cannot be allowed to go on. Did Doris speak with the roof man?’
‘She did, and he’ll do it but he wants paying up front and twice what you offered.’
Sarah rolled her eyes. ‘Of course he does. Very well, we know that Reuben is planning to call on his hussy in the morning. Forewarned is forearmed.’ Sarah reached into her reticule and extracted the correct amount—almost the last of her dwindling funds. ‘Deliver this. I have added a generous sum to reward Doris, and tell them to put the arrangements in place for the morning. Let Reuben see with his own eyes just what a doxy she is.’ Sarah glanced in the mirror and noticed her eyes gleaming with malice. ‘I shall be there too in order to watch Reuben’s reaction.’
‘Are you sure you should be?’
