She didn’t know how long they stood there like that, with him touching her and her reveling in every caress. At some point they both heard the clop of horses’ hooves coming quickly down the lane. His hand fell away as she looked down the street, only to mew in dismay.
The Rees carriage was rolling toward them. Lady Rees had returned from whatever amusements this night had offered. It would be best if Lilah were not caught outside with a gentleman.
“I need to go inside,” she said.
“I will walk you to the door,” he said.
Lord, no. Everyone would know that Lord Kittrel had been alone with her. There would be too many questions from that, and she could answer none of them. “I’ll go in the back through the kitchen,” she said as she took a quick step back. “Thank you for a lovely walk.”
“Please visit Clara soon. She’ll be hurting from tonight’s disaster.”
“I will.” Then she turned on her heel and fled to the house.
Chapter Seven
Aaron took twiceas long to walk back home as he should have. He needed the time to let his embarrassing condition fade before seeing his sister. Bloody hell, if lust were the measure of a woman to marry, he would have dropped to one knee before Miss Rees right then and there. It had taken all his willpower to not kiss her and even so, he had touched her in an incredibly intimate way. He caressed only her face and neck, but the throbbing in his loins told him it had been much more than a proper touch. A kissmighthave been less of a seduction, though remembering their last kiss, probably not.
Damnation, but he enjoyed her spunk. Imagine a woman challenging his beliefs straight to his face!
Why do you perpetuate the very problem that created me?
She had no idea what he perpetuated and what he didn’t, and yet she had struck a true hit. He was expected to choose a wife from among the daughters of the elite. There were obligations to his title not to mention his position in politics, or so his mother had told him ad nauseum throughout the past year. And yet for all that, he had not been able to forget the very intriguing Miss Rees.
He made it home eventually, grumbling when he was the one who had to close the dining room windows. His servants were nowhere to be seen, and he would have been angry about that if he weren’t so appreciative of the solitude. Fortunately, his valet had made it here along with his luggage. The man greeted Aaron in the master bedroom with a hot bath nearly ready.
“Fernsby, you are a wonder,” he said gratefully.
“The water is still heating, my lord. If you would be patient for a few more minutes, I shall have it ready for you soon.”
“Plenty of time,” he said. “I need to speak with my sister first anyway.” He needed to discuss her responsibilities in the coming months. And that tonight’s disaster could not be repeated.
“I believe she is in her sitting room.”
Aaron nodded and headed down the hall. He knocked and was bid to enter, mentally bracing himself for the disaster that was his sister’s sitting room. Normally she had books, plants, rocks, and lord knew what else in a chaotic display throughout the room. She never allowed anyone to clean it, and the dust was often as bad as the clutter.
But instead of the disarray he usually saw, there was a clear organization to the room. The books were placed in a bookcase, the rocks in a box, the plants near the window, and a pathway had opened up through the room such that one could move freely through it rather than step on islands of open space.
It was a wonder.
His sister was seated on the settee, her feet curled up under her, as she read a thick book. But she looked up as he entered and so he was able to see her face as he exclaimed over the state of her parlor.
“The room looks lovely,” he said. “Much easier to move about now.”
Clara gave a distracted nod. “Lilah said the dust made her sneeze. Since we had to plan the séance, she helped me sort through everything and then stood by while the maids cleaned it.”
“Did she now?”
“She was very good with the new maids.” Clara wrinkled her nose. “Did you know there is a proper way to dust? You don’t just wave the duster around. There’s a method to it.”
“I did not,” he said as he moved a volume on astronomy to the bookcase such that he could sit on the settee. “I gather Lilah taught it to you?”
Clara pursed her lips. “Well, she taught the maids, and I listened.”
“And you didn’t mind that she took charge of the servants?”
His sister shrugged. “I didn’t want her to sneeze and she offered to help. I didn’t think you’d care.”
“I don’t care.” He smiled as he tried to encourage his sister. “But if she knows ways to manage the staff, I think it’s capital that she would share them with you.”