Page 74 of My Gentleman Spy
Chapter Thirty-One
Hattie openedthe door to her father's sitting room. It was full of many familiar things, yet it felt like it was no longer her father's space. He had taken only a few small precious personal items with him to Sierra Leone, but the loss of even those had changed the soul of theroom.
She looked at the new gold, black, and tan Abyssinian rug which had taken the place of her father's orange and black striped one. She had to hand it to Will, he had excellent taste. The colors in the rug matched those of the six fine china plates which now hung on thewall.
She crossed to the plates. Expertly painted scenes of the ancient world adorned each plate. Her fingers itched to reach out and touchthem.
“Absolutely beautiful,” shewhispered.
“Yes, and they cost me a pretty penny,” saidWill.
She turned to see him leaning nonchalantly against the door frame. How long he had been there, she had no idea. He could move like a silent wraith when the mood so tookhim.
“Am I permitted to ask what happened to theLittles?”
If Will had terminated their services she would never forgiveherself.
“Mr. Little is in your old bedroom making up the fire and checking that the room is ready for you. Mrs. Little is downstairs in the kitchen boiling water so we can all have some of the hot chocolate I purchased earlier this morning at Fortnum and Mason. There is nothing better than a cup of cinnamon spiced Spanish chocolate after a trying evening,” hereplied.
Hattie began to shake uncontrollably. Tension and nerves, she had denied over the past days finallysurfaced.
“I'm sorry, so sorry for everything I have done,” shecried.
Will closed the door behind him and came to herside.
He put a hand to her cheek and lifted her head. Their gazes met. To her surprise she saw pain and anguish in hiseyes.
“Oh Hattie,” he murmured. She heard the rough desire in hisvoice.
He drew her into his embrace. His lips descended upon hers in a fiery caress. He was not tender or kind, but it was exactly the passionate kiss she knew he needed to give at this moment. She yielded her mouth to his, releasing her pent-up guilt into the encounter. He pulled her hard against him, and she felt the familiar hardness of his manhood. Her body screamed for sexual release with thisman.
As their tongues tangled in a passionate embrace. Hattie submitted to Will’s demands. Her hands gripped tightly to the sides of hiswaistcoat.
Finally, his lips softened in their touch. His anger was spent. Her lover from the sea returned slowly to her. His fingers slipped into her hair and gently heldher.
When he withdrew his lips, he continued to hold her for a moment, placing a soft kiss on her hair. Then he released her from hisembrace.
“Do you have any idea what you have put me through?” heasked.
She cast her eyes downward. The fingers of her right hand began to crack the knuckles on her lefthand.
Will took hold of her hand. He knew enough of her to know her nervous tell when it surfaced. She looked up at him. He was still mad at her and she knew he had every right to be so. Yet she knew he would never do anything to hurt her. Protecting others was a fundamental part of WillSaunders.
“Why did you lie to me Hattie? Even after I had discovered your real name and we had become lovers, you still chose to lie to me. Why?” hesaid.
He was right in demanding the truth from her. Guilt was her constant and unwelcome companion. She had created enough of a web of lies to keep her tangled upforever.
“I didn't tell you the truth of my circumstances because I didn't trust you,” shesaid.
Will's growl of frustration echoed in the room. Hattie winced. While she had learned to somewhat trust him, he did have a habit of making her feel small when she tried to confide inhim.
“Do you realize that getting angry when I do try to tell you the truth is not the way to go about things? I would had told you a lot more about myself if you didn't behave like a wounded beast when I try to open up to you,” shesaid.
Will shook his head. “How is it that you are able to turn this around to make it somehow my fault? You were the one who lied to the crew. You were the one who made sure I was drugged on board the boat. And you were the one who disappeared over the side of the ship the night before we docked in London, leaving me only a brief farewell note. Do you have any idea how I felt when I thought you weredead?”
Dead.
“I didn'tknow...”
