Heaven Bound (A Blakemore Family Book: Madame Lou Series Book 2) by SaraLynn Hoyt Page A
Authors: SaraLynn Hoyt
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woke and looked around groggily.
“Oh dear, what time is it? We must have become a bit too liberal with the libations.” Lady Huntingdon looked over at Addie, who was still sleeping soundly. “Jackson, you must make sure that Miss James makes it safely back to her own cabin. I would never forgive myself if something happened to her at this late hour.”
“Of course. You can rest assured that I will escort her all the way to her door.” Jack helped the unsteady Henrietta to stand up and walk across the room. “Will you be all right, Lady Huntingdon?”
“I can manage from here. My lady’s maid has probably fallen asleep on my bed. I’ll just wake Fulton up and she’ll know what to do with me.” The countess disappeared into her bedroom.
He sat across from Adeline, pouring her unfinished drink into Lady Huntingdon’s glass before adding another splash and taking a long drink himself. Adeline was even lovelier in sleep than awake. Her even breathing emphasized her rounded breasts as they rose and fell beneath the silk of her dress. Her waist was trim, and not unnaturally so. It was obvious that she probably didn’t need confining underclothes to perfect a figure that was quite fine on its own. Her golden hair was curling around her heart-shaped face and a piece was caught between her full pink lips.
Jackson resisted the urge to touch her mouth and brush the hair off her face. Instead he took another drink and then set the glass down with a loud bang. It had the desired effect of waking Addie without the necessity of touching her. Although, watching her sleepy blue eyes flutter open and those pink lips yawn widely had the unexpected and unwanted effect of setting off alarms of desire in him. He stood abruptly and turned away.
“Ah, awake at last, Adeline.” Jackson attempted to regain his control.
“Oh dear,” Adeline said obviously disoriented at finding herself waking up in a strange place. “I must have had too much of that brandy. Where did Lady Huntingdon go?”
“It’s late—she retired. Let me escort you back to your cabin.”
“Oh, no,” Adeline said standing and straightening her clothing. “I couldn’t impose on you. Besides, I’m sure I will be safe on board the ship.”
“Don’t be daft, Addie. Sailors aren’t to be trusted any more than any man when he sees a beautiful young woman wandering about alone. I insist. Besides, your father would never forgive me if I allowed any harm to come to you.”
Adeline blushed prettily at the compliment he had unintentionally given her. Apparently she was even more innocent of the world than he’d always suspected. “Come along then, it’s quite late and your father will be worried if you don’t show up soon.”
Jackson extended his arm to Adeline and however casual her touch was intended to be, it had an immediate physical effect on his person. Where had these new feelings about Addie come from, he wondered? When Clara was alive, he’d cared for her, but he had continued to look at her like a young girl. But tonight, he suddenly noticed that she had fully blossomed into a beautiful desirable woman.
Jack tried not to notice that Adeline practically had to run to keep stride with him as he hurried her through the ship, finally depositing her at her door with a gruff goodnight bow.
He found himself seeking out the cool air on deck before returning to his quarters. Jackson felt like such a cad, responding to her when she was simply trying to be nice. Adeline had no notion of what she was doing to him; the guilt she instilled in his already tortured thoughts. Thank goodness they would arrive in Liverpool in a few days and he would set off for his ancestral village in Berkshire immediately, nowhere near the London Season that Mr. James had planned for his daughter.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Emily helped Adeline dress in her factory-girl outfit. “We’re only onboard a
“Oh dear, what time is it? We must have become a bit too liberal with the libations.” Lady Huntingdon looked over at Addie, who was still sleeping soundly. “Jackson, you must make sure that Miss James makes it safely back to her own cabin. I would never forgive myself if something happened to her at this late hour.”
“Of course. You can rest assured that I will escort her all the way to her door.” Jack helped the unsteady Henrietta to stand up and walk across the room. “Will you be all right, Lady Huntingdon?”
“I can manage from here. My lady’s maid has probably fallen asleep on my bed. I’ll just wake Fulton up and she’ll know what to do with me.” The countess disappeared into her bedroom.
He sat across from Adeline, pouring her unfinished drink into Lady Huntingdon’s glass before adding another splash and taking a long drink himself. Adeline was even lovelier in sleep than awake. Her even breathing emphasized her rounded breasts as they rose and fell beneath the silk of her dress. Her waist was trim, and not unnaturally so. It was obvious that she probably didn’t need confining underclothes to perfect a figure that was quite fine on its own. Her golden hair was curling around her heart-shaped face and a piece was caught between her full pink lips.
Jackson resisted the urge to touch her mouth and brush the hair off her face. Instead he took another drink and then set the glass down with a loud bang. It had the desired effect of waking Addie without the necessity of touching her. Although, watching her sleepy blue eyes flutter open and those pink lips yawn widely had the unexpected and unwanted effect of setting off alarms of desire in him. He stood abruptly and turned away.
“Ah, awake at last, Adeline.” Jackson attempted to regain his control.
“Oh dear,” Adeline said obviously disoriented at finding herself waking up in a strange place. “I must have had too much of that brandy. Where did Lady Huntingdon go?”
“It’s late—she retired. Let me escort you back to your cabin.”
“Oh, no,” Adeline said standing and straightening her clothing. “I couldn’t impose on you. Besides, I’m sure I will be safe on board the ship.”
“Don’t be daft, Addie. Sailors aren’t to be trusted any more than any man when he sees a beautiful young woman wandering about alone. I insist. Besides, your father would never forgive me if I allowed any harm to come to you.”
Adeline blushed prettily at the compliment he had unintentionally given her. Apparently she was even more innocent of the world than he’d always suspected. “Come along then, it’s quite late and your father will be worried if you don’t show up soon.”
Jackson extended his arm to Adeline and however casual her touch was intended to be, it had an immediate physical effect on his person. Where had these new feelings about Addie come from, he wondered? When Clara was alive, he’d cared for her, but he had continued to look at her like a young girl. But tonight, he suddenly noticed that she had fully blossomed into a beautiful desirable woman.
Jack tried not to notice that Adeline practically had to run to keep stride with him as he hurried her through the ship, finally depositing her at her door with a gruff goodnight bow.
He found himself seeking out the cool air on deck before returning to his quarters. Jackson felt like such a cad, responding to her when she was simply trying to be nice. Adeline had no notion of what she was doing to him; the guilt she instilled in his already tortured thoughts. Thank goodness they would arrive in Liverpool in a few days and he would set off for his ancestral village in Berkshire immediately, nowhere near the London Season that Mr. James had planned for his daughter.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Emily helped Adeline dress in her factory-girl outfit. “We’re only onboard a
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