Page 49 of Black Widow

Mr. Clarke had acceded to each one of Crispin’s requests, fussing over him with such care and consideration that Amelia had felt superfluous when the doctor arrived. She had let Gideon usher her away, unaware he would start turning her home over the minute he walked into thedoor.

“Would you care for some refreshment?” she asked as he crawled across thecarpet.

He grunted, his face inches from the floor. Amelia sighed. After standing there a moment longer, she went to the kitchen to ask for a cold collation to be sent to the salon. She was heading to the stairs when Gideon charged into the hallway, sweeping her into a tightembrace.

“Where did yougo?”

“To the kitchen!” She gasped. “I was asking Cook to prepare us something toeat.”

Chagrined, Gideon winced and released her. “My apologies. I tend to get lost in myinvestigations.”

Despite the fright he had just given her, she had to suppress a smile. “I see… Does this mean you foundsomething?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean there was nothing there. If someone coated one of your vases or the fabric of your settee with some toxin or hallucinogen, it is entirely possible that there would be no trace of it now. Many such substances would only be efficacious for a short while before losingpotency.”

“Wouldn’t I have noticed such athing?”

He shrugged “Even trace amounts of a liquid or a powder could have done thetrick.”

Amelia nodded placatingly. She hadn’t expected him to find anything. She knew in her bones the attack had been occult in nature. But men like the earl required facts andevidence.

Would he be leaving now? Her heart constricted. She took a deep breath and braced herself for the inevitable parting. “Well, thank you for going to the trouble to look over thesalon.”

Gideon’s mouth firmed. “Amelia, I haven’t finished. I intend on examining every inch of this house and garden. In between, I will speak to all the servants from the butler to the lowliest scullery maid. They may not have slipped something into your tea, but it doesn’t absolve them of this. It’s also possible one of them saw something relevant and is afraid tospeak.”

Every inch of the house? He had just taken over an hour in the salon! How long was he planning onstaying?

“But I was just about to retire to bed…” She trailed off as his expressionsoftened.

“I promised to get to the bottom of this. Until I have, I’m not leaving you alone. I can sleep on the floor if youwish.”

“Youcan’tsleep on thefloor.”

He scoffed. “Believe me, I’ve slept in more uncomfortableplaces.”

Feeling self-conscious, Amelia stared at him. He was so handsome, soprotective…

Because of her marriage, she had denied her own needs and desires for so long it was now second nature. But last night with Gideon, she had a taste of nirvana—just enough to know there was more to feel andexperience.

Feeling very warm and very daring, Amelia put her hand on his arm. “I think you should continue with your inquiries upstairs…in mybedroom.”

Gideon blinked. Clearly, she had caught him off guard with her blatant invitation. He leaned back. “Well, in that case, I think I can postpone my search of the rest of the house until themorrow.”

Amelia was tempted to giggle to cover her awkwardness but ended up gasping instead when Gideon swept her into his arms and up thestairs.

There wasno fire in the bedroom. She should have been cold, but Amelia didn’t feel the chill in the air. If anything, she was flushed andoverheated.

The warmth came from within. It burned inside her as Gideon undressed her, removing her dress and stays until she was in nothing but her thinchemise.

“Take it off for me,” hewhispered.

Grateful that there was only the moonlight to reveal her, she wriggled, pulling the almost transparent linen over herhead.

Gideon sucked in a deep breath, his hand reaching out and touching the skin of her décolletage as if he couldn’t help himself. He ran his hand all the way down the side of her waist and over her backside, palming it and pulling her closer tohim.

She would have complained that he was still dressed were it not for the explosion of sensation when her skin encountered the rough wool of hisbreeches.

He embraced her, lifting her off her toes and laying her gently on the mattress. He stripped off his boots and waistcoat, but only managed to open his shirt before giving in to the temptation of joining her on thebed.

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