“Oh Papa, you are such a dear and quite right. We could never just leave him here …” Babs said, putting her arms around her father and getting on her toes to kiss his cheek.
Miss Bretton breathed a sigh of relief, for she did not know how she could leave Sir Frederick as helpless as he presently was. She placed a damp, cool cloth to his head, trying to wake him, and Babs turned to his grace and clasped his hands thankfully. “You did come to the rescue—you knew exactly where the doctor was and fetched him for us. Thank you, your grace.”
“Nick … was I not Nick during our little crisis earlier?” he asked softly.
“Yes, of course, Nick it is …”
He stepped forward, put his hat on a nearby chair, took the damp cloth from Corry, and said, “Why don’t you and your cousin go downstairs for a bite to eat, and I will wake Freddy boy …”
“Oh … I could not impose …” Corry said doubtfully.
“You both have had a long morning and need to go sit and relax for a bit, have some luncheon, and then I am certain Lady Babs would like to … er … change her clothing.”
Babs laughed, gave him a naughty tilt of her shoulder, and said, “Thank you, Nick … so we shall, but what about you?”
“I had a hearty breakfast before I left home and shan’t eat until tea … now go on, I’ll take good care of Freddy.”
***
Babs sat back after devouring everything on her plate and noted that Corry was only playing with her food. “Corry … do eat. Sir Frederick will be just fine … we shall all take turns sitting with him …”
“Yes, yes, of course,” she said, playing with the pretty pearl ring on her finger. “However, I can’t help but feel … that had he not rushed to join us on this excursion …”
“You must not think like that. That wheel didn’t go flying off until the trip was nearly half done. There was no way even the best of coachmen could have noticed anything amiss,” Babs said with conviction. “It was due to come off.”
Corry’s face brightened. “Yes, yes. That does make sense …” She nibbled at her chicken and said, “Do you know, I do think I have misjudged your duke.”
“We shall see. It is probably too soon to tell,” returned Babs with a twinkle.
“Babs … Babs … there is something in the way you said that …”
His grace entered the dining galley at that moment. He strode over to the ladies, and Miss Bretton waved a hand to a chair. “Your grace … do join us …” Though her tone was polite and pleasant, it was impossible not to see the worried look in her eyes.
He allayed her fears at once. “Lady Jane relieved me and is now keeping poor Freddy very much awake. Finish your meal, and then you two can relieve her. As to sitting with you now, I can think of nothing I would rather do, but I am afraid the squire is expecting me.” He bowed himself off, but the sound of Babs chair scraping against wood brought a smile to his face.
She got to her feet and went to him, hand extended. “Thank you, your grace …” She saw the look in his eye and laughed. “Nick.”
He put her hand through his bent arm and said softly, “Come then, and do me the honor of walking me to my phaeton.”
She smiled up at him and thought, Oh faith, his devilishly twinkling blue eyes simply take all my plans and all my logic and throw them to the wind.
“Will … will we see you during Frederick’s recovery?” she asked on a whisper.
“You know, little beauty, you should probably stay away from me.”
“Yes, I know,” she answered. “But I don’t know that I want to … do you honestly wish me to?” Had those words come out of her mouth?
He took a long look at her and then with a groan pulled her to the side of the inn and had her planted against the wall. They were well out of sight, as bushes flanked them from view. “No, sweetheart, no. I want you in my way, but I make you no promises beyond this.”
He bent and brushed his lips against hers, and then as she threw herself into the kiss, he pressed her against his body, swept a hand over her full breast, and pushed his bulging cock against her. Babs felt herself transported into a world of hungry desire. Was this her?
His kiss traveled into another, but then all at once he pulled away. His gaze was filled with the primal heat he felt, and he bent once more and kissed her neck, murmuring softly, “Hell and fire, I want you, sweetheart …” His kisses traveled to the fullness of her breasts just above her squared, low bodice.
She trembled at his touch and whispered, “I want you too …”
Suddenly, he stepped away from her and held her shoulders. “Forgive me … I am a devil to do this to you …”
“But—”