of his anger before that anger turned to other, more pleasurable pursuits?
Yes.
What was wrong with her? What sort of woman had she become in the twenty-four hours since her arrival here?
A woman she hardly knew, Fliss realized, as a heaviness settled in her chest. A woman who had thought only of her own pleasure when a man and horse were possibly dying. Poisoned, she had no doubt, even if Sin did, by whoever wished to kill the earl.
She looked at him sharply. “You should not stand vigil alone. I will—”
“I will not be alone. The Eckles’s head groom will be with me. You will send word down to our hostess that you are indisposed,” the earl informed her flatly. “Then you will remain here in your room until I return.”
“But that could be tomorrow morning,” Fliss protested. “What am I supposed to do shut in here all day?”
He shrugged. “Read a book. Until yesterday, it appears to have been your favorite pastime,” he taunted.
Until yesterday? What—
Fliss turned away from the scathing mockery she could see in Sin’s expression.
He knew , damn it.
How she now hungered and ached inside to feel more of the pleasure he had already given her. Of how her disappointment in his leaving had only increased that ache.
Her humiliation was complete.
Fliss raised her chin. “I would appreciate it if you would send word if—when, there is any change in either your groom’s condition, or your horse’s. I will worry otherwise,” she said as Sin looked at her enquiringly.
Sin’s initial anger at finding Fliss at the center of a handful of flirting fops when he had clearly instructed her otherwise now abated, to an extent he realized he had perhaps been a little harsh with her.
After all, she had only come here to Eckles Manor because of him. Now he knew who her husband had been, he was aware the respectable widow of Major Stephen Randall would not willingly have chosen to spend part of her summer with a house full of debauched revelers.
Her complete innocence of such behavior put her in almost as much danger as she claimed him to be, if from another source entirely.
“I will send word.” He nodded. “In return, you will do as I say this time, and also lock the door when I leave. Your maid will deliver all your meals to your room. You are not to leave this bedchamber until I return to the house and say you may.”
Fliss gasped. “You have no right!”
Sin crossed the bedchamber in two strides before grasping the tops of her arms and shaking her. “Damn it, can you not see I am doing my best to protect you? You will do as I say, Fliss.” He stared down at her intently.
In Fliss’s opinion, Sin was being overly protective in expecting her to spend all of this gloriously sunny day in her bedchamber. After all, she was not the one in danger, he was.
Besides which, she had already agreed to join Lord Adam Sterling for a picnic luncheon.
“I understand,” she answered with a noncommittal smile.
“Good.” He lowered his head and kissed her hard on the lips before releasing her just as abruptly and stepping back. “Lock the door behind me,” he repeated firmly.
Fliss kept a half smile on her face for as long as it took Sin to leave her bedchamber. That smile disappeared as she locked the door and then pressed her ear against it, listening until she heard Sin’s firm tread disappear down the hallway.
She turned to lean back against that door, fingers lifted to the lips he had just ravaged, half of her knowing the kiss had been meant as yet another way of controlling her, another part of her not caring why he had kissed her, only that he had.
She truly had become wanton in her yearnings for Sin’s attentions.
But not his domination.
She didn’t care what Sin said or instructed, there were at least half a dozen gentlemen at Eckles Manor who fitted the height, build, and hair color of the man she had heard discussing Sin’s murder. If Sin was preoccupied with the care of
Yes.
What was wrong with her? What sort of woman had she become in the twenty-four hours since her arrival here?
A woman she hardly knew, Fliss realized, as a heaviness settled in her chest. A woman who had thought only of her own pleasure when a man and horse were possibly dying. Poisoned, she had no doubt, even if Sin did, by whoever wished to kill the earl.
She looked at him sharply. “You should not stand vigil alone. I will—”
“I will not be alone. The Eckles’s head groom will be with me. You will send word down to our hostess that you are indisposed,” the earl informed her flatly. “Then you will remain here in your room until I return.”
“But that could be tomorrow morning,” Fliss protested. “What am I supposed to do shut in here all day?”
He shrugged. “Read a book. Until yesterday, it appears to have been your favorite pastime,” he taunted.
Until yesterday? What—
Fliss turned away from the scathing mockery she could see in Sin’s expression.
He knew , damn it.
How she now hungered and ached inside to feel more of the pleasure he had already given her. Of how her disappointment in his leaving had only increased that ache.
Her humiliation was complete.
Fliss raised her chin. “I would appreciate it if you would send word if—when, there is any change in either your groom’s condition, or your horse’s. I will worry otherwise,” she said as Sin looked at her enquiringly.
Sin’s initial anger at finding Fliss at the center of a handful of flirting fops when he had clearly instructed her otherwise now abated, to an extent he realized he had perhaps been a little harsh with her.
After all, she had only come here to Eckles Manor because of him. Now he knew who her husband had been, he was aware the respectable widow of Major Stephen Randall would not willingly have chosen to spend part of her summer with a house full of debauched revelers.
Her complete innocence of such behavior put her in almost as much danger as she claimed him to be, if from another source entirely.
“I will send word.” He nodded. “In return, you will do as I say this time, and also lock the door when I leave. Your maid will deliver all your meals to your room. You are not to leave this bedchamber until I return to the house and say you may.”
Fliss gasped. “You have no right!”
Sin crossed the bedchamber in two strides before grasping the tops of her arms and shaking her. “Damn it, can you not see I am doing my best to protect you? You will do as I say, Fliss.” He stared down at her intently.
In Fliss’s opinion, Sin was being overly protective in expecting her to spend all of this gloriously sunny day in her bedchamber. After all, she was not the one in danger, he was.
Besides which, she had already agreed to join Lord Adam Sterling for a picnic luncheon.
“I understand,” she answered with a noncommittal smile.
“Good.” He lowered his head and kissed her hard on the lips before releasing her just as abruptly and stepping back. “Lock the door behind me,” he repeated firmly.
Fliss kept a half smile on her face for as long as it took Sin to leave her bedchamber. That smile disappeared as she locked the door and then pressed her ear against it, listening until she heard Sin’s firm tread disappear down the hallway.
She turned to lean back against that door, fingers lifted to the lips he had just ravaged, half of her knowing the kiss had been meant as yet another way of controlling her, another part of her not caring why he had kissed her, only that he had.
She truly had become wanton in her yearnings for Sin’s attentions.
But not his domination.
She didn’t care what Sin said or instructed, there were at least half a dozen gentlemen at Eckles Manor who fitted the height, build, and hair color of the man she had heard discussing Sin’s murder. If Sin was preoccupied with the care of
Similar Books
