The Last Man in London (Rogues and Gentlemen Book 9) by Emma V Leech

Author:Emma V Leech [Leech, Emma V]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-06-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

“Wherein the end of their ‘fake’ love affair approaches.”

Dinah sat in bed, staring at the sunlight behind the curtains. She should be up and dressed by now, but she felt strangely lethargic. Try as she might, she could make no sense of Ben’s behaviour the previous night. She had practically handed herself to him on a plate … and he’d refused her. It was most perplexing.

He hadn’t come out and asked her to be his mistress, though she’d felt sure it was coming, until he’d kissed her, at least. That kiss had changed everything for her, so perhaps it had for him, too? Though in what way, she could not begin to understand.

For her it had been a revelation, the feelings for him that had been creeping up on her daily suddenly coalescing and crashing down upon her with such force it was frightening. Yet she had decided to give into desire, for one night, at least. She had not changed her mind about being his mistress. That path would lead her to nothing except misery; she wasn’t fool enough to think otherwise. That he would one day grow bored with her, or take a wife … It was too humiliating to consider. Yet never knowing what it might be like to be with him so intimately, that was impossible, too. So she had granted herself one night in which to take what she wanted before good sense prevailed and they finally went their separate ways.

Dinah sucked in a breath as sorrow welled in her heart. “He’s not for you, Dinah,” she scolded herself, though she knew it would not change a thing. “He was never for you.”

She jumped as the sound of someone knocking at the front door had her scurrying to the window. Ben’s carriage was parked outside, the Lancaster crest gleaming proudly on the door. Dinah exclaimed and cursed herself for being so lazy as voices sounded downstairs. Good Lord, Joe and Ben alone in a room did not sound like the best of ideas. With as much haste as she could manage, Dinah rushed about to ready herself for the day.

***

“Mornin’,” Joe nodded a greeting at Ben as he stepped back to open the door wide. “’Er ladyship ain’t up yet,” he said, jerking his head toward the stairs. “Come in and wait, though. I jus’ put the kettle on.”

Ben followed him into the house, a little surprised to be taken to the kitchen instead of the parlour. He hesitated on the threshold, unsure of if he’d been supposed to follow, and Joe turned, giving him a narrow-eyed look.

“You too high and mighty to sup tea in the kitchen wiv me?” he demanded, a curious light in his eyes.

“Not at all,” Ben replied, a little indignant, though he’d never set foot in a kitchen since he was a small boy intent on stealing cakes. That kitchen had been nothing like this one though. He sat down at the small, well-scrubbed table as the truth of Dinah’s life to date presented itself to him.

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