Page 35 of The Marquess of Temptation
Was it Alex's imagination, or had the young man turned pale at the name?
"Yes, Polly Jenkins. She runs the boarding house," Alex replied, a little concerned that Black's relaxed demeanour had changed so suddenly.
"And the girl?" the Captain's voice was hoarse, "The young girl from earlier?"
"Who? Oh, Emily; why she's Polly's sister, as I already told you."
Captain Black's mouth was a grim line, as he nodded his head.
"Thank you, my Lord," he said, rising to stand. "I shall go find this Miss Jenkins and beg a room for the night."
With a curt bow, the Captain left, leaving a rather bemused Alex and a tired Hestia in the kitchen.
"Shall we return to Pemberton?" Alex asked gently; his wife's eyes were heavy with sleep. He couldn't blame her --it had been an evening of revelations. His own mind was still attempting to digest the idea that a man he had worked with, for years, was capable of murder. Added to this was the guilt that he had not yet shared his suspicions with Hestia; though admitting that he thought Dubois guilty, was as good as signing the man's death warrant.
"Yes. I fear we have outstayed our welcome --it sounds like everyone has gone to bed."
Hestia allowed him to take her hand, and assist her from her chair. As she stood, she stumbled, falling against his chest. Her scent, a soft mixture of sweet florals, threatened to overwhelm him. He dropped his head, to place a chaste kiss upon her lips, but was met by an eagerness that soon turned the tender embrace rather more passionate.
"Thank you, for everything, Alex," Hestia whispered, as they broke apart. Her eyes were bright, shining with happiness as she looked up at him. "I don't know how to express how much all this means to me, except--"
She broke off and flushed, turning her face away from his shyly.
"Except what?" he asked, a little befuddled by her sudden embarrassment.
His wife went up on her tip-toes, to place a kiss on his lips. The first kiss offered and not stolen, he thought as he realised exactly how his wife wished to express her gratitude. Within his chest a lion roared victory and his body stirred at the thought of how he might finally make her his proper wife.
Though, how could he claim to be a proper husband, if he was not telling her the whole truth? Inside his head a battle raged between his conscience and his body --and he was not entirely certain who would win.
"Let's go home," he said, a little gruffly, taking her hand and leading her to the waiting carriage that would take them back to Pemberton.
