Tina waited while he sought a starting point to the next part of his story. She was not surprised to hear about his wild years—it was part of his current reputation as a rake, and the reason he was an expert on what women wanted from their men. Not an expert on me, though.
“Evelyn was an actress. Not a famous one but she had a number of parts in famous plays and musicals. The gentlemen flocked to see her, as you can imagine. She was just as beautiful then as she is now, and hard not to notice. I set her up in her own little house, paid her bills, bought her clothing and jewelry. She seemed content with the arrangement—I think she’d done the same before with several other men.
“She just happened to be in my rooms one day when Anthony turned up, and he was smitten. She gave the impression that she was, too.”
“That must have hurt you.”
Richard gave a humorless laugh. “I was jealous and hurt. My own brother—the brother I looked on more as a father—had taken the woman I believed myself in love with. I see now that it wasn’t as simple as that. Evelyn later admitted that she’d been interested in Anthony all along, he was the heir and had more to offer her than I, and when she had the chance she made her move.”
“She still believes you are her property, you do know that?” Tina said dryly. “She warned me off. Do you have an understanding with her?”
Tina didn’t know what she expected him to say but she squeezed her hands into fists as she waited.
“Tina”—and his voice sounded weary—“Evelyn is the most entirely self-centered person I have ever had the misfortune to encounter, and I will celebrate the day I finally get her out of my life.”
Her tension eased, and she found herself tucking a hand under her cheek, moving a little closer to where Richard was lying.
“But I have an obligation,” he went on, choosing his words carefully. “If not to Evelyn, then to my brother. He loved her, poor fool, and he would want me to look after her.”
Richard was an honorable man, Tina already knew that, but it was a shame he couldn’t be a little less honorable where Evelyn was concerned. Although if he had been, Tina admitted to herself, she wouldn’t love him.
She sighed. Yes, difficult as it was to acknowledge, she did love him. Did that make her a fool, too, like Anthony?
“When he confessed to me that he and Evelyn were going to be married, Anthony tried to make it up to me. He knew how betrayed I felt—I was a selfish creature, I admit it, but I suppose I’d only ever had my brother to look up to and to care for me. To have him suddenly betray me, as I saw it, was desperately painful. He apologized over and over again and said he would do anything to make up for his action. But he was unable to give me the one thing I really wanted. So I turned my back on him and refused to see him.
“I didn’t know it then, but Anthony had been recruited by a group called the Guardians; they work for the government in matters that require secrecy.”
“You mean spies?” she said ironically. “I think I gathered that.”
“Anthony had a mission to find a man known only as the Captain. I think he did find him and was following him, but the Captain found out and, his identity under threat, struck out and killed Anthony. He was found here, not far from the house. They brought him home, and incredibly he was still alive. His wife didn’t send word to me, so I never knew. He lived for three days and never regained consciousness. He died here without my being able to tell him how much he meant to me and how sorry I was. I know he was unconscious but . . . it would have meant a great deal to me to see him once more.”
Tina was shocked. It was obvious Evelyn wasn’t a nice person but to do such a thing was cruel. She felt angry tears stinging her eyes and wiped them away with her sleeve.
“The servants were here, too, and were like family to him, after our mother died. You mustn’t think he was alone with no one but Evelyn. They made his last days as comfortable and bearable as possible. I know, because they told me.”
“What happened next?” Tina demanded huskily.
“When Anthony died, I was recruited by Sir Henry into the Guardians, and I learned that his death was probably due to the Captain. I vowed then that I would not claim any part of his legacy—the house, the rights as heir—and I would not make a happy life for myself by marrying—I knew I didn’t deserve to be happy—until I found the man who had killed my brother and brought him to justice.”
“Oh,” she said softly. “The promise. Now I understand.”
She was ashamed to think how she’d disregarded his promise, thought it nothing important, and persuaded him to break his vow for her own pleasure. He hadn’t been lying to her, not then at least. He’d been frank and honest. If anyone should feel mortified, then it was Tina.
“I couldn’t tell you everything. I’ve never spoken of my work outside the Guardians. Can you forgive me, Tina? I know I’m asking a great deal, I know I’ve hurt you and made you distrust me, but I want us to be friends again, at least.”
If she were Evelyn, no doubt she would use this moment to her full advantage, extracting all sorts of promises from him, making him beg and grovel, but Tina wasn’t Evelyn. And she didn’t want revenge. She just wanted him.
With a soft cry, Tina threw herself into his arms.
Chapter 37
Richard began to kiss her, desperate to return to the heady days he’d spent with her at Arlington Hall, when his life finally looked to be sailing out of rougher seas and into calmer waters. She seemed more than willing to oblige him, and as he cupped her breast through her nightgown, stroking the taut nipple, she moaned softly.
Suddenly neither of them was able to bear clothing between them, and he was tugging at her nightgown while she was tearing at his shirt, both frantic in their efforts to be naked. Their mouths fused, hot and needy, and he grasped the soft globes of her bottom and drew her against him, so that she could feel the rigid length of his erection.
She was already wet and ready for him, and moments later he was entering her. She welcomed him in, hooking her leg over his hip and pushing against him. The sideways position was new to her, but she didn’t seem to be fazed by it, not his Tina.
“Marvelous girl,” he gasped, his mouth open against her breast, suckling her as she let her head fall back and moaned in ecstasy.