Page 52 of Taken to the Grave
She leaned closer and brushed her lips against his, though she avoided his lower lip, mindful of his injury. The slow, languid kiss, even if only concentrated to his upper lip, made him coil inside. But then, she pulled away.
“I’ll go,” she said, beginning to slide from his lap. He hauled her back into place.
“No, stay. I’ve missed you.” He kissed her again, uncaring of his painful bottom lip. Spiced notes of sherry lingered on her tongue, and during the next several minutes, Hugh’s hand renewed its earlier pursuit under the hem of her skirt. No argument interrupted the seeking of pleasure this time. He kept his mouth adhered to hers, swallowing the soft, decadent sounds she made. However, delighting in the full scope of his future bride would require leading her upstairs.
But even as he made the request, he knew she would not agree.
“I can’t. Carrigan is waiting outside. Besides, we both need rest if we are going to the Sanctuary tomorrow.”
He’d been nuzzling her neck, but now went still. “This is what I meant by too rash.”
“Not alone,” she insisted, pushing off his lap and out of his arms. She swept into the front hall. “We need to bring some Bow Street men. Who do you trust?”
Hugh followed, only to find Whitlock snoring in the porter’s chair. He shook his head and fetched Audrey’s pelisse and hat himself.
“Other than Sir Gabriel?” he said, thinking. “Stevens.”
“But he’s Tyne’s partner.”
“Yes. But Tyne is a bully, and something tells me Stevens would be happy to see him gone.” Hugh helped Audrey into her pelisse, but as he did, he turned her to face him and gripped her shoulders. “Finding the Sanctuary is only a small part of this. We need a suspect and evidence against him. At this point, we have nothing.”
“Bethany’s last known location was the Sanctuary. It should be enough for Sir Gabriel to insist on questioning someone there, especially now that we know where it is.”
Hugh nodded. “All right. I’ll visit Sir Gabriel first thing tomorrow.” He recalled his plan to visit Mr. Gye with Thornton as well. However, right then he was far too exhausted to explain what he and Thornton had theorized, about the Sanctuary having some vendetta against the pleasure gardens.
She opened the front door. “And then we will go to Burdick Close. Don’t bother to argue about my presence. The sooner we figure this out, the sooner we can marry, and that means the sooner I can discover what your specialty interestreallyis.”
Audrey then whirled through the front door, shutting it behind her. Hugh stood in the sudden silence, speechless.
“What’s your specialty interest?”
Hugh turned. Sir was on the stairs, arms and ankles crossed as he leaned against the wall.
“How long have you been standing there?” He glimpsed the opening to the study, wondering about the view from there. Thankfully, his desk and chair weren’t in sight.
“Long enough to suspect she’s always going to get what she wants.”
Hugh locked the door and after a snort from the sleeping butler, started back for his study. “Go to bed, Sir.”
Chapter
Sixteen
The shouting coming from within Michael’s study was growing to a fevered pitch, and Audrey worried that soon, people walking past on Curzon Street would even hear it.
She hesitated at the bottom of the stairs. Privacy was a sacred thing. Just because she lived under the same roof as Michael, Genie, and Cassie, it didn’t mean she needed to be part of every conversation. Or in this case, dispute. However, she’d not heard Michael bellow this significantly in a long time. Perhaps ever.
Once again, he and Cassie were quarreling over the release of her inheritance once she reached her majority. Genie was with them, but her voice was so low and calm, it was barely audible through the closed doors. Her usual pacifying presence did not seem to be having much of an effect.
Earlier, on her way to the front hall, Audrey had heard raised voices in the study. She’d been checking with the footman at the front door, to be sure no message from Hugh had been forgotten in the salver. Hugh said he would go to see Sir Gabriel first thing, and she’d been dressed and ready to hear the outcome for two hours. It was noon and she’d yet to hear from him. Passing backthrough to the stairs, she’d only intended to listen outside the study doors for a moment, but now minutes had passed.
Cassie would come straight to her afterward to divulge the argument in its entirety anyway, so for efficiency, it would be better to simply join them. She drew a breath and pushed open the study doors.
“…you are not equipped for such a thing!” Michael was saying before all eyes skipped toward Audrey.
Cassie and Genie beseeched her with pleading looks. Cassie, wanting Audrey to come to her defense, and Genie, wanting her help in diffusing the argument. Michael tossed up his arms at the addition of another female.
“Unless you would like the neighbors to discuss your private matters, I’d advise you all to lower your voices,” Audrey said. “Excepting Genie, of course.”
