Unmasking the Thief by Lancaster Mary

Author:Lancaster, Mary
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2022-04-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

It was almost the first thing she told Francisco late that afternoon when he had pulled her into an unused carriage house in the mews.

Jerked almost off her feet against his hard chest, she said crossly, “You’d be well-served if I screamed or boxed your ears. Lady Wenning has invited me to her ball, and I think Thorne is behind it.”

Francisco didn’t even blink. “You think he wants to renew his advances?”

“Of course not. I think he wants to make my position with Mrs. Dove untenable. Either she will be annoyed by the governess getting above herself and dismiss me, or I will be so overwhelmed by the joys of polite society that I will resign my post at once and cling to Marion.”

“And yet,” Francisco said thoughtfully, “one would have thought he had bigger fish to fry than a stubborn almost sister-in-law.”

As though distracted, he had not released her. He still held her by one wrist, his other hand at her back, almost in waltz position, although much closer than was proper. Yet the casual nature of his hold made her hesitate to escape. She didn’t want to make a fuss about it, betray her own increasing awareness when he didn’t seem to notice she was basically in his arms. He wasn’t even looking at her but gazing over her head.

“I suspect my mother’s arrival imbued his plan with some urgency,” she said as calmly as she could. “What are his bigger fish?”

“I’m not sure,” he said. “But he is gathering about himself a large variety of powerful men, of his own party and the opposition. And then there are the generals and militia commanders. And everyone thinks very highly of him.”

Idly, his thumb brushed back and forth across her wrist, causing secret little thrills to spread across her skin. His gaze came slowly down to hers.

“Still looking for my lies and betrayal, Mr. Francis?” she said, rather proud of her steady voice.

A warm, if rueful smile touched his eyes. “No. Truth be known, I’m looking for clues that you like this closeness as much as I.”

“I can’t imagine why you would suspect such a thing.”

“You are still here,” he pointed out, lifting her hand and placing it on his shoulder.

And now, somehow, it was impossible to retreat. “Only because I am supremely indifferent to—”

“Liar,” he said softly. His hand swept down her back, drawing her against the full length of his body.

His heat spread through her like wildfire. She wanted to run. She wanted to lay her head on his shoulder and just…feel. Instead, with some vague idea of bringing one of them to their senses, she thrust her hand over his shoulder and clutched the soft, waving hair at the back of his neck. The word, “Enough!” hovered on her lips, to be commanded in her best governess voice of disapproval.

But an audible sigh of pleasure escaped his lips. His head eased back into her touch with such obvious pleasure that her scold died along with her resistance, drowned in a sudden flood of wonder and desire.

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