Page 52 of The Virgin and the Viscount

Initially, all she saw was a man atop a woman. Then specifics about the scene came into focus. It was Thomas, but that wasn’t Melanie beneath him. No, that was a maid and his hand was up her skirts.

“Please, my lord, stop,” she pleaded, doing her best to press her hands against his chest.

“It is your job to tend to my needs,” he ground out. “Else I’ll turn you out onto the streets, and then you’ll have to beg men to lift your skirts.”

Before Tilly could further consider her actions, she marched over, pulling Thomas back. The element of surprise worked in her favor, and she was able to knock him on his backside. Then she slammed her fist into his nose. Blood shot everywhere and he howled in pain, his hands going up to cover his face.

“Do not touch her again,” Tilly said.

Thomas came to his feet, his eyes glaring at her.

In that moment she knew Sullivan was right. He’d been right about everything. Thomas wasn’t a good man. She’d given him every benefit of the doubt, crafted excuses for him because she’d believed him to be better. All because why? Because he was average looking like herself? Because he wasn’t as handsome as Sullivan or as beautiful as her sister? She’d been a damned fool.

“You broke my nose.” He gave her a snarl of a grin, then spat on the floor. “You little bitch.” He stood and took several steps toward her.

The maid had curled herself up into a ball on the settee and was crying quietly.

“What are you going to do? Try to assault me, too?” Tilly asked.

“Do not lay one hand on my wife,” Sullivan said from behind her. His voice was deep and full of anger. “Thankfully the housekeeper heard the ruckus and alerted me to the situation.” A chill slid up her spine and tingled at the base of her neck. He came to stand behind her, put his hands on her arms, and pulled her to his chest. “You should go see about that nose. You’re bleeding all over the rug.”

Thomas cursed and spat again on the floor. “Go to the devil, Sullivan.”

“You would like that, wouldn’t you? How disappointed were you when I didn’t die in battle?” Sullivan asked.

“Of course you didn’t die. Nothing bad ever happens to you,” Thomas said.

“You sound like a petulant child,” Tilly said.

“Get out of my house,” Sullivan said, his tone even. “You are not welcome here any longer.”

Thomas cursed loudly, then stomped out of the room.

Tilly pulled herself away from Sullivan to approach the maid. She hadn’t been here long enough to have learned all of their names, but she thought this one might be Patsy. “Are you all right?”

The maid stood, and straightened her skirts. She curtsied. “Yes, my lady. Thank you. I’m sorry.” She shook her head, her bright blue eyes filled with tears. “I wasn’t told that would be part of my duties.”

“That is not part of yours or any other of my employees,” Sullivan said. “My brother is a bastard, so allow me to apologize on his behalf.”

She curtsied again, but her chin wobbled.

“Perhaps you should take the rest of the day off, Patsy,” Tilly said. “Go to the kitchens and tell them I instructed them to give you something warm to drink and one of the cook’s famous lemon tarts.”

Patsy smiled through her tears. “Thank you, my lady, that is very kind.” Then she looked to Sullivan.

“Go and do as my wife instructed,” he said.

The pretty girl nodded and fled the room.

Sullivan gripped Tilly’s arms again and turned her to face him.

“I’m sorry if I overstepped—”

But she didn’t get to finish because his lips crashed onto hers. He kissed her thoroughly, their tongues sliding against each other. Her body reacted to him immediately. She grew slippery between her thighs and her nipples tightened. It had been so long since he’d embraced her. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. She gripped his thick muscled arms, running her hands up and down the hard bulk of his biceps.

He broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers. “You are a remarkable woman, Freckles. But I have to admit that scared the hell out of me. If he had put a hand on you…”

She looked up into his warm brown eyes and she felt her heart tighten in on itself. She swallowed. “I might have been impetuous in striking Thomas. Perhaps I could have simply instructed him to get off the girl.”

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