Lost in a Royal Kiss, Page 3

  She’d done her best, but the situation was still volatile, especially since Dominic had refused to stay away from the prince. “But I’m afraid it won’t be enough,” she said, unable to keep the fear from her voice.

  “You’re not to worry about that. I’ll speak to the prince myself. Unfortunately, it would appear that he’s following in his older brothers’ lamentable footsteps. The least I can do is make certain he never goes near Chloe again, and that he leaves Dominic alone.”

  Linnet twisted her fingers into an anxious grip. “But what will you say to him? Won’t his governor find it curious that you speak to him?” Lord Bute supervised the princes’ household, overseeing every aspect of their life on behalf of their majesties.

  “Not at all. I’m on very friendly terms with his lordship, and I do occasionally stop by the house on Kew Green to enquire after the well-being of his charges. Bute won’t think it odd in the slightest.”

  “But you don’t know—”

  “Linnet, you can trust me to handle the situation without any negative repercussions. After all, my work frequently requires me to address situations of a delicate nature.” He crossed his arms over his chest, and for a moment she was distracted by the way his muscles bulged underneath the fabric of his cutaway coat.

  Lord, she was blushing again, whether because he’d called her by her given name or because she’d unintentionally insulted him, she wasn’t sure. But Linnet was sure she hadn’t blushed so much in years. It was dratted inconvenient. “Yes, of course. Do forgive me, sir.”

  To her surprise, he took her gloved hand and lifted it to his mouth, pressing a gentle kiss on it before returning it to her lap with a brisk pat.

  “You are forgiven,” he said, returning behind the desk.

  She gave him an uncertain smile. That kiss had lingered just a moment too long, and had seemed. . . affectionate. But the brisk pat had been more paternal than anything else. As usual, the man left her completely flummoxed.

  “Now that the issue of Prince Ernest is settled,” he said, “what about Dominic? I presume you wish me to do something with him.”

  She screwed up her courage and met his gaze with what she hoped was calm determination. “I should think the solution is obvious. You must take him into your household.”

  He blinked. She’d managed to surprise him again, which meant she was pushing her luck. Sir Anthony was famous for loathing surprises as much as he loathed disorder. The idea of introducing a resentful, unhappy boy into his household would seem crazed to him.

  “I don’t mean forever,” she added quickly. “Just for now, to get him away from Prince Ernest. I dread what will happen if Dominic returns to that household.”

  Along with Ernest and his younger brothers, Dominic had moved some years ago to the separate establishment in a house on Kew Green, following in the tradition of the older princes. But the boy couldn’t possibly return there now, even for a few days. Linnet knew she was acting rashly in taking such a step without the king’s permission. That’s why she’d come to Sir Anthony in the first place. He had the influence to approach His Majesty with the request, and he could come up with a credible reason why.

  Sir Anthony tilted his head, clearly assessing her. She forced herself not to shift under his perceptive gaze.

  “Yes, that makes sense,” he said. “I can’t imagine Dominic leaving it alone, despite the dire consequences for him and Chloe.”

  Linnet resisted the urge to slump in her chair, suddenly weary with all the strains of the day. “You have to understand that Dominic and Chloe are very close. She’s his only true friend, from what Mr. Steele told me, and he’s devoted to her.” She sighed. “In fact, I suspect she’s his first love, although Chloe obviously doesn’t see him that way.”

  “Ah. That does help explain his behavior.”

  Sir Anthony fell silent, clearly thinking. Linnet left him to it, content to soak in the quiet atmosphere of his study, an elegant combination of pale draperies and walls, and dark, masculine furniture, set off by rows of bookshelves and an ornamented globe that stood by his desk.

  “However, Dominic has been at Court for seven years, at the queen’s insistence,” he finally said. “What makes you think Her Majesty will be willing to let him leave on a moment’s notice? That, as I’m sure you know, is not how such matters are usually addressed within the royal household.”

  Linnet did know. She’d been urging her mother for months to leave her position as sub-governess to the royal children. After Papa’s early demise left them in a precarious state, Mamma’s fortuitous appointment had elevated both their monetary and social status. But Linnet believed that her mother had done enough and that now it was time to come home. Queen Charlotte, however, was most reluctant to let Mamma go. Both the king and queen were notorious for resisting changes in their establishments, so Sir Anthony was justified in wondering what the royal reaction would be to his request.

  “Prince Ernest and his brothers leave for Hanover next month, for their military training,” she explained. “There is no longer a reason for the queen to object to a change in Dominic’s status.”

  “Dominic will not be going with them?”

  “No. Queen Charlotte wishes to see him in the way of a respectable trade, or perhaps a position within the Church.”

  Sir Anthony snorted in disbelief. “That seems unlikely.”

  Linnet allowed herself a tiny smile. “I agree he is ill-suited for either choice.”

  Ironically, if Dominic’s life hadn’t changed so drastically when he was a young boy, he likely would have found himself in trade. His father had been a butcher in Smithfield, but he’d died in an accident when Dominic was seven and the boy’s mother had succumbed to a fever some months later. That had thrown Dominic onto the notice of the parish, where he’d eventually been selected by the queen to be raised with the princes. It was surely one of the most ill-advised charitable impulses Linnet could imagine, since it meant Dominic had been raised far above his sphere. The boy could no more return to the shops of Smithfield than he could be recognized as a member of the royal family.

  Sir Anthony turned and stretched a long arm to reclaim the brandy decanter from behind him. He poured a glass and then held up the cut-crystal bottle, lifting a questioning eyebrow at Linnet.

  “No, thank you,” she said. She was already feeling muzzy-headed from her fortified tea. But she appreciated the gesture and the comfortable lack of formality between them. It was almost as if Sir Anthony was treating her like . . . a friend.

  Sir Anthony absently swirled his brandy, no doubt pondering the problem she’d tossed his way. Linnet knew it was a complicated one, involving a concocted reason for why he wanted Dominic—one that would satisfy the king.

  “I know it’s a lot to ask,” she blurted out. “But Dominic is in a terrible situation, and I simply can’t let him go back there.”

  “Agreed, but I’m not sure I’m the best person to take him.” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk. “Why do you think I’m the appropriate guardian?”

  Linnet gnawed on the corner of her bottom lip. How could she explain without sounding like someone who’d spent a considerable amount of time studying Sir Anthony’s character?

  Which she had, of course.

  She shrugged, hoping he would honor her request without requiring any further explanation. But of course he didn’t. Instead, he watched her with endless patience, a strangely calculating smile playing around the corners of his mouth.

  Linnet blew out an exasperated breath. “It’s because I believe you would understand a boy like Dominic. The challenges he faces. Your backgrounds are nothing alike, but you were both orphaned at an early age. You also know what it means to have the weight of expectations placed on your shoulders, the sense that more is required from you than from other people.”

  She hesitated when his mouth transformed from a smile into a flat line. He didn’t look precisely angry but his eyes had narrowed, and he studi
ed her with an intensity that made her uneasy.

  “Go on,” he prompted.

  Linnet took hold of her flagging courage. The stakes were high, and she couldn’t afford to back down now. “You were one of the youngest magistrates in the City, and you also rose very quickly to your positions in the Home Office and at Court. It is a great honor, but difficult, I imagine, and rather isolating. Dominic is isolated, too. He needs someone to understand what that’s like for him.”

  By the time she fell silent, Linnet’s pulse was racing. Sir Anthony’s eyes glittered with a hard gleam, the one that she’d learned to recognize and avoid. What kind of fool would dictate the nature of his temperament to so powerful a man?

  She swallowed hard. “Forgive me,” she said. “I had no right to ask you to do this. If you can just take Dominic for a few nights until I—”

  “Linnet, you mistake me.” His deep voice cut across her babble.

  Drat. She’d clearly offended him. “Yes, I know it was presumptuous of me, but—”

  “My dear girl,” he said, cutting her off again with a smile so warm and enticing that the back of her neck started to tingle. “Dominic is welcome to stay with me, pending the king’s permission.”

  “He is?” she managed in a weak voice.

  “Yes. I simply wished to understand your reasoning.”

  “Oh.” She couldn’t help fidgeting with the tips of her gloves. “And you’re not offended by what I said?”

  His smile turned into a grin as he rose from his chair. She’d never seen that expression on his face, and it rendered her speechless. She was still struggling to respond when he came around the desk and gently pulled her to her feet.

  “Actually, I’m rather impressed by your analysis of my character. It shows a great deal of perception.” He loomed over her, big and alarmingly attractive. Linnet had never thought of Sir Anthony as a man who could seduce a woman with only a look, but present circumstances were making her change her mind.

  “And I’m flattered that you think of me enough to have made that analysis,” he said in a rumbling voice that sent the tingles from her neck straight down her spine.

  “Ah, as you know,” she stammered, “one can find many interesting objects of study at the Court.” Splendid. Now she was babbling again.

  Linnet took a step back, hitting the seat of her chair. Sir Anthony’s hand shot out to hold her steady. She stared up at him, transfixed by the heat in his gaze as his thumb stroked gently over the inside of her elbow. The thin silk of her gown was no impediment to a touch that felt like a lingering caress.

  “Careful, my dear,” he murmured in a voice as deep and dark as midnight. “We can’t have you hurting yourself.”

  She bobbed her head and pulled her arm from his grip. “Thank you, Sir Anthony. And I’m sure Dominic will be very grateful to you, once we tell him of his new living arrangements.”

  The disconcerting heat disappeared from his eyes, replaced by surprise. “You didn’t tell him of your plans?”

  Linnet sighed. “I’m sorry. I know that makes me a coward, but it’s been such a difficult day already. I wasn’t sure how he would react.” She truly hoped Sir Anthony wasn’t going to reconsider his decision.

  Sir Anthony simply raised an imperious eyebrow. “I imagine he won’t be very happy about it, since I’ll be thwarting his desire for revenge and keeping him away from Chloe, at least for now.”

  She nodded, feeling ashamed. “If you’ll just give me a few moments with him—”

  He shook his head. “I’ll take care of it.”

  “But it’s my responsibility, and I think Dominic will likely take the news better from me.”

  “I doubt it,” he said after a moment’s consideration.

  She couldn’t help bristling. As far as she was concerned, she’d prevented today’s incident from turning into an unmitigated disaster, and she was very well able to tell Dominic about his new living arrangements.

  “That’s very kind of you, I’m sure,” she said, resisting the impulse to glare at him. Blast him, he knew it, too, because he was starting to get that coolly amused look in his eyes. “I’m partly responsible for what happened today, and I should be the person to break the news to Dominic.”

  Any trace of amusement was wiped from Sir Anthony’s face. “Don’t be foolish, Linnet. You are not responsible at all. And since Dominic is now under my care—” He held up a hand to cut off her protest. “This is what you wanted, and you must trust me to do what is appropriate. The best thing you can do now is return to Kew and see to Chloe’s comfort.”

  She eyed his calm, implacable features. He was doing exactly as she had wished, but she couldn’t help worrying. Linnet was used to dealing with children like Dominic. Sir Anthony wasn’t. “I still think it best if I see him before I go. So I can reassure him that everything will be fine.”

  All but rolling his eyes, Sir Anthony took her elbow in a firm grip and steered her toward the door. “You must leave me to decide what is best, my dear. It’s growing late, and well past time you returned home.”

  He was right, but that didn’t make his behavior any less annoying or high-handed. “It’s not as if you’re giving me any choice in the matter,” she muttered.

  Sir Anthony ignored the comment and led her to her carriage. As he briskly handed her up, Linnet had the lowering sense that the warmth he had displayed in his study—and the interest in her as a woman—had been nothing more than a passing illusion.

  Chapter 3

  Only by luck did Anthony spy his prey as she crossed the back terrace of Lady Farnsworth’s country villa and headed into the extensive gardens behind the house. Ever since Linnet had arrived at the house party two days ago, she’d done everything she could to avoid him. That first evening, she’d almost tripped over her dainty feet when she laid eyes on him, her dismay evident. She’d quickly mastered the emotion, greeting him with a polite but wary courtesy. But from that moment on she’d deftly evaded him, as she had for the last several weeks. He was beginning to feel like a circling hawk, tracking a sleek little rabbit with a talent for hiding in the underbrush.

  Anthony tucked the report he’d been working on into his leather portfolio, and rose from the desk in Lady Farnsworth’s private study. The dowager countess was an old friend of his mother’s, with deep and influential ties to the royal family. She also enjoyed nothing so much as matchmaking, which suited Anthony’s needs perfectly. When, at his private request, the countess had invited Linnet to attend one of her exclusive house parties at her estate, Anthony had known it would be impossible for Linnet to refuse. An invitation from Lady Farnsworth was accounted a great honor, and only on pain of great insult did the invitee ever reply in the negative.

  Although if Linnet had known Anthony would be attending, he suspected she would have risked incurring the grande dame’s displeasure. Why his prim little spinster was so intent on avoiding him was a mystery, but one he was determined to solve.

  Slipping through the French doors onto the terrace, he tracked Linnet along a neatly trimmed path surrounded by high box hedges, heading in the direction of the ornamental pond at the bottom of the gardens. She carried a book and a small workbasket, probably intending to spend the morning in the summer house, a pretty and tree-shaded retreat on the pond. In this heat, it was unlikely Lady Farnsworth’s other guests would be rambling about outside.

  Perfect.

  A less-confident man might have suffered pangs of humiliation at the idea of having to resort to so much subterfuge, but Anthony had no such qualms. In fact, he excelled at subterfuge. His years in the army and in the Home Office had honed his more disreputable skills. He’d never anticipated using them on his prospective bride, but circumstances—and Linnet’s stubbornness—had forced his hand. If the challenge required the full use of those skills, then so be it.

  But why she was proving such a challenge was the real question, especially since he was convinced Linnet was attracted to him. Whenever they encounte
red each other, she fluttered in a way she did for no other man, losing her usual calm demeanor. But some impediment held her back. He intended to discover and remove it, just as he intended that Linnet would depart Lady Farnsworth’s estate as his fiancée.

  Walking between the high hedges, he took his time as he breathed in the summer air, warmly scented with lavender and the lush scent of blooming roses. It was hot enough that he had a mind to linger a few moments. He also wished to give Linnet the opportunity to settle into the gazebo. If she suspected he had deliberately followed her, she’d turn more skittish than ever. Better to make it seem like a chance encounter.

  The box hedges gave way to a row of trellises swathed in riotous blooms of roses, their scent making the air heavy and fragrant. Anthony avoided the gravel path running between the wooden frames, keeping to the grass edges to soften his footfall. He didn’t want to startle her, but he wouldn’t give her the chance to escape him yet again.

  The path curved to the shoreline of the large pond, bringing the charmingly rustic gazebo into view. Linnet sat on a padded bench that ringed the inside of the small structure, on the section directly overlooking the water. She’d pulled off her large-brimmed, straw hat and drawn her feet up onto the seat. Already lost in her book, her expression was dreamy and contented. Without the burden of her usual cares, she appeared a young, innocent girl, barely past the age of coming out. Anthony’s chest tightened with an unexpected and surprisingly strong emotion.

  He stopped, pondering the curious sensation. It was something new, a sense of possessiveness he’d never felt before. Linnet was a capable young woman with a great deal of sense, but when she thought no one was looking—and rarely did anyone try to look past the façade she’d erected around herself—she displayed a sweet, almost wistful vulnerability that always brought Anthony’s protective instincts charging to the surface.