She padded down the stairs, took a guess, and put away the long hall to the nether regions, her little lantern out before her as she went through the double doors. She held it high and wondered where the milk canister might be when a voice made her nearly lose her lantern as she jumped high into the air and put a free hand to her heart.
The earl chuckled.
“My lord!” she said and turned to eye him. “You nearly scared me half to death.” Her wrapper, which she had not bothered to tie, came loose, displaying her sheer nightdress beneath, and her sheer nightdress amply displayed her breasts. She should have hurried to close her wrapper around herself, but she found herself frozen in place.
“Did I? That was not my purpose,” he said coming towards her.
She saw he was clothed in a black brocade dressing gown. It was tied loosely, and his bare chest was amply displayed. For a moment, she stared. He was magnetic, and she was drawn to him.
His voice was low and husky as he moved in and took up the loose ties of her wrapper. “I don’t think, Kitty, that you should walk around the house with all your lovely assets on display.”
“I … I … didn’t know … anyone …” She moved back from him, as his touch sent startlingly shivers of anticipation through her body. The belt to her wrapper fell, and he bent to retrieve it for her. His face was an inch away from her belly, her waist, and as he slowly brought his head up, she felt his breath on her nipples, which were hard, taut, and yearning for his touch.
His hand was on her waist as he drew her to him, and she arched to his touch. His mouth closed on hers, and his tongue parted her lips and slowly invited hers to dance. She accepted, wildly, she accepted, and the kiss evolved into an erotic display of heat and desire.
His hand found and fondled her breast. He pulled the sheer material away to expose its fullness as his fingers flipped at her nipples. She felt her thighs clench, something that happened a great deal when she was near the earl. She could feel his manhood hard against her belly. She should run. She knew she should run. Gently bred maids did not lie with men before marriage. Gently bred maids … oh, but he felt right and good and heavenly. He had aroused her into wanting, and wanting became needing, and why shouldn’t gently bred maids enjoy what life could give them?
His lips traveled from her mouth, and his tongue flicked over her nipple before he began suckling there. She pressed into him. Oh, but this was beyond anything she had ever envisioned. The sensation was riveting, and an explosion of hunger swept through her brain, making her a fireball of need.
She whispered, “My lord …”
He groaned and pulled away. He stood straight and took another step back. “Forgive me. I am a cad.” He turned on his heel and marched out of the kitchen, and she stood feeling empty, lost, and trembling still with need.
He wasn’t a cad. A cad took what wasn’t offered, by any means available to him. He had not done that. He had stopped himself, in spite of the fact that she hadn’t wanted him to stop. He had not tried to seduce her—quite the opposite; it had been she, wanting, needing to seduce him. Oh yes, she knew who she was and what she was, and what she was, was in love with the earl.
She should follow him. She wanted to follow him. She moved like a puppet and found the milk she had come to the kitchen for. She poured a small bit and quickly drank it down.
She took the stairs and hesitated, wondering just where his room was, and then sighed and went to her own room. Well, she was certain of one thing. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. He seemed to have more control than she did. The notion made her smile to herself. She was in love with the Earl of Halloway, and tonight she had discovered that he might be leaning in that very same direction. All she needed to do was to bring him to a realization of it. He was a confirmed bachelor who would fight his feelings to the very end. Kitty smiled because she was willing to do whatever it took!
* * *
Kitty thought she would never sleep after her encounter with the earl. She did, however, fall right off as soon as her head hit the pillow and didn’t awake until a young chambermaid drew back the heavy ivory brocade hangings from her window, which overlooked the side courtyard of boxed flowers.
She squinted against the bright sun and demanded, “Oh, for goodness sake … what have I done?” She saw it was Bess, who she had been introduced to the night before, and asked as she tried to swallow away the dryness in her mouth, “What time is it, Bess?”
“Nine, miss.” The young maid bobbed a curtsy.
“Nine? Oh faith, nine? I am a wicked, wicked girl to sleep so long,” Kitty cried, distressed with herself.
“Bless ye, miss.” Bess giggled. “The morning has just begun. My lady won’t be up and about for another hour yet.”
Kitty laughed. “Decadent. My mornings usually start much earlier.” His face flashed before her eyes. The memory of his touch made her hot all over, and she looked away. She pulled on her wrapper, tied it tightly, and pushed into her comfortable slippers. As her maid poured her a cup of coffee and handed it to her, she moved to her window overlooking the courtyard. All she could see was his face … his blue eyes … his hunger.
The bedroom door, already partially opened, opened further, and Nanny appeared. “Ah, you are up. I am so glad.” So saying she turned and waved her hand to someone hanging back. “Do come …”
Nanny stood aside to smile at a young woman who was neatly clothed in a quiet gray gown with a lace collar. The woman’s brown curls were cut short, and a lace mop cap adorned the top of her head. She appeared to be around thirty or so, Kitty thought, and as the woman blushed pink, Kitty went forward to say, “Oh … hallo.”
“This is Mrs. Wilson, Kitty. The dowager has just this morning appointed her to be your dresser, my dear,” Nanny explained.
“My dresser?” Kitty was astonished. “Well, I am very pleased to have you, as I will need help with some of the gowns I am expected to wear.” She smiled warmly to set the woman at ease. “Mrs. Wilson …? Ah, is that nice young man I met yesterday, in the kitchen with Cook, your husband?”
Mrs. Wilson bobbed and said, “Why, yes. Imagine that, you noticing and remembering his name. My John is the head groom, works under our Max, he does.”
“Lovely,” Kitty said and smiled. “Well, Mrs. Wilson, I shall be quite honest with you. I was a country hoyden, and while I find I have an eye for fashion … I shall depend on you to make certain that eye is working correctly.”
“Mrs. Wilson has a knack with a comb and scissors as well,” Nanny said brightly. “Come … sit by your mirror, and let’s allow her to find just the right hairstyle for you.”
The next hour was spent with lively conversation between the three women about Kitty’s hair and just how it should be styled. The result was quite exceptional.