Page 110 of A Devil in Silk
He captured her chin, his breath on her mouth, but held back from claiming her. “Until tonight.”
He waited, watching until she disappeared inside before turning away. Anticipation thrummed in his veins. It was there when he bathed and changed for dinner, there when he paced the hall, counting the seconds until the longcase clock struck nine.
The hackney rattled up ten minutes late, testing Bentley’s patience further. “Sorry about the delay, milord. The fool beast caught the scent of a mare and wouldn’t budge till she passed.”
Bentley gave an amused snort. “I know the feeling.”
He climbed inside, expecting to join Clara, but found himself alone. Puzzled, he sat back, presuming they’d collect her en route. Yet the jarvey headed straight for Oxford Street.
Bentley rapped on the roof. “Where the devil are we going?”
The fellow glanced over his shoulder, eyes wary beneath his cap. “Beg pardon, milord, but the lady swore me to secrecy.”
He spent the next fifteen minutes imagining all manner of scenarios until the carriage drew up outside the chandler’s shop in Soho. Then he knew where to find her. The Lantern Ring. Not somewhere from her list, but his choice, proof it held a special place in her heart, too.
The jarvey tipped his cap. “Right you are, milord. We’ve reached the destination. The lady said you’d best purchase a lantern.”
Bentley smiled to himself, the memory of that night clear in his mind, the night he sensed Clara’s barriers begin to fall.
He reached into his pocket to pay, but the jarvey raised a staying hand. “The lady paid. Gave a generous tip, too.”
Bentley’s smile deepened. “Of course she did.”
“I’ll return at midnight.” And with that, the cab trundled away down the street to pick up another fare.
Bentley entered the chandler’s shop, the familiar tang of tallow and beeswax stirring more memories. He laid down a coin and accepted a lit lantern. “Thank you, Mr Hatch.”
“A nice night for a dance beneath the stars, sir.”
“Indeed it is.”
Lantern in hand, he crossed the street and slipped through the iron gate into the passage. The sensual strain of violins drifted on the night air, as potent as any aphrodisiac.
He stepped into the garden, drawn by the glow of lanterns circling the dancers. Couples moved in time with the music, their joy unburdened by wealth or title. Here, there was only love. The love of music, the love of the one person who mattered most.
He searched the crowd but found no sign of Clara, though the thrum of anticipation in his blood told him she was there.
The bowing ceased. Dancers broke apart, eyes shifting to him as the violinists raised their instruments. A new melody rose, bold, seductive, each note deliberate, as if the night itself had shifted its course.
Then she appeared. The Crimson Contessa. Rubies flared at her ears, her ebony hair a dark cascade about her shoulders. She wore no mask. Bentley’s breath caught as her gaze found him, her hand lifting in a summons he could not resist.
He set the lantern on the grass and joined her.
“Someone special told me this was a place for lovers,” she said in a sultry voice, her fingers seeking his. “Though I should warn you. I’m a poor dancer and may step on your toes.”
“Perhaps you’ve had poor partners in the past.” He slid his arm around her waist. Nothing else in his life had ever felt so right. “I may be the exception.”
“I expect so. You’re exceptional in every regard.”
“Only with you.”
She smiled. “We seem to bring out the best in each other.”
He drew her close, moving in time with the music. “Dancing is like making love. We’re always in tune.” He bent his head, brushing her lips in a gentle caress. The devouring he would save until later.
“Trust you to tease me when I can feel the press of your thighs against mine.” She smoothed her hand over his shoulder, her fingers tracing the muscle as though she longed to claim every inch of him. “Though there isn’t a moment in the day I don’t want you.”
“You’re on my mind constantly, too.” The memory of her drove him to take himself in hand hours earlier. “Now there’s no case to solve, the separation will kill me.”
