Page 19 of The Swan Syndicate
“She’s one of the best seamstresses this side of London. You know how well she sews. She makes enough to only work when she needs to.”
Stella considered his answer. “I suppose knowing it was Gemini’s coins, she didn’t argue.”
He put an arm around her, and she leaned her head on his shoulder, the wineglass resting against her thigh. “Her only concern was whether there would be enough coins to help others.”
She stared up at him, her green eyes lit with amusement. “But you didn’t keep any of the coins.”
“No. I used a small amount toward repairs to the manor, but only because you requested it. The staff received extremely nice bonuses, and I gave the rest to Barrington. He traveled to London after I left for Baywood and gave it to Chester to share with the crews.”
She stabbed his chest with her finger. “I thought you’d give some of it to a charity like an orphanage or something.”
He grinned. “The Viscount of Waverly already donates money to several needy organizations both in Corsham and London. Philanthropy is alive in the aristocracy.”
“You’re a good man, Teddy.” She took his glass and set both out of the way before grabbing the blanket and crawling toward the hearth.
He crawled after her then grabbed her around the waist and rolled her to the floor. She giggled as he hugged her close. She’d be safe with Barrington and Hensley to watch over her. He was the luckiest man in the world. His only concern was in keeping her safe. They’d still have plenty of time together before the hunting party.
He ran his fingers over a lock of her hair and pushed it behind her ear. Then he let his hand wander down to her bare hip. “Do you have any idea what I’m going to do to you tonight?”
“You don’t scare me, Lord Beckworth.” Her hand touched his thigh, and an involuntary shiver coursed through him.
His chuckle was deep as he bent to lick a nipple. He took his time, enjoying and relishing every part of her. A body he already knew so well. It would be days before he’d see her again, and he wanted this night to be something she kept close until he returned.
For a brief moment, he wanted to ask her to come with him. What a fool. She needed to stay where she would be safe.Barrington would keep her occupied, teaching her the role of lady of the manor.
But her scent drove him mad, and when Stella pulled him to her, there was nothing but her. Why was he planning on leaving her? The missions weren’t his concern anymore. Jamie and the crew of theDaphnewere enough for surveillance.
“I love you, Stella.”
“I’m all yours, Teddy.”
He kissed her, then turned her over, running his hand up her back. “Then prepare yourself, Lady Caldway. Lord Beckworth is far from finished with you this evening.”
Her throaty chuckle was followed by moans of pleasure that lasted through the night.
8
Beckworth whistled as he strode through the manor. He’d just come from the stables, pleased with how well the foal and mare were doing. It was good to be home. He took a deep breath, enjoying the herbal scent that flowed through the house. Something Mrs. Walker insisted on, and his guests never complained, so he let her be.
Over the last few years, most of his time at Waverly had been spent under the yoke of his bastard father. Then he got caught up in the mystery of the Mórdha stones that took his time and almost his life. Once that business was done, Hensley lured him into his network of spies working on behalf of the Crown, primarily in London.
He rubbed his hands together against the chill in the air. They hadn’t been back a day, and Hensley laid a mission at his door. He hadn’t considered Beckworth for the task, or so he said. It was a mission for Jamie, which only made sense. To catch a smuggler, one would need a ship, and theDaphne Mariewas a sleek schooner with a seasoned and well-captained crew. A crew that was also masterful in the art of subterfuge and misdirection.
The thought of going with Jamie had lit a spark in him he hadn’t felt for some time. And with that thought, he made a quick turn into a rarely used drawing room, shutting the door behind him. He found a chair in the far corner where he would be almost invisible if someone were to enter.
He rubbed his face then pushed his hands over his head, pulling strands from his queue. What had he been thinking?
He wasn’t a single man anymore. It had been easy enough to remember that while living in Stella’s house, surrounded by her things and the new life they were building. He’d even added a few touches of his own in the house and garden. It was a good life but held little in the way of challenge.
He’d been working as a consultant in Ethan’s security business, and he kept busy learning about technology, but there wasn’t any mystery in it for him. The thrill of pursuit. Stella had confided a few weeks after he’d traveled to the future that she was concerned he wouldn’t find fulfillment. It had been one of his concerns as well.
On the other hand, his time period would be equally difficult for her over time. If she were a more submissive or demure woman, she could cope with the behavior expected of a woman. And if she had been that woman when he met her, he wouldn’t have given her a second thought other than to help because she was AJ’s friend.
But he loved Stella and chose her time period.
He never thought he’d find such deep and sustaining love. Hadn’t believed it truly existed. In this time—his time—marriages were nothing more than business arrangements or ones of convenience. He’d bedded his share of women, flirted, courted in a fashion, but love? The first time he’d caught a glimpse of it had been with AJ and Finn, but he’d assumed that to be a special case.
Then he came face to face with the ginger-haired beauty with a fiery will to match his own. Someone he could see living the rest of his life with. Perhaps building a family with.
