The Husband Hunt (Madison Sisters 3)

Robert left the door open so he would hear if Bet called. He started downstairs as he'd intended, but then changed his mind and moved to his room instead. He had planned to go downstairs and read to pass the time, but he'd been reading before bed last night and the book was on his bedside table. Once in the room, he decided it would be better if he read there and left his door open as well. He would be closer and could better hear if he was needed.

Lisa stirred sleepily and turned on her back, her head rolling to the side and her gaze falling on the person slumped and asleep in a chair beside the bed. Bet. While there were no lit candles or oil lamps in the bedroom, the door was wide open and enough light was splashing in from the hall that she could see well enough to make out the woman's identity. A small smile c

urved Lisa's lips at the sight. Bet was the best maid a girl could ask for. Honestly. They had pretty much grown up together and were friends as much as anything else.

A scratching sort of sound drew her attention toward the window, and Lisa peered sleepily that way to see a branch brushing against the pane. She started to glance away then, but the movement of the branch caught her attention. It was bobbing up and down against the window . . . which just seemed odd. It took her a moment to realize why. Surely a breeze would be moving it from side to side, not up and down?

After the briefest hesitation, she sat up cautiously in bed. When her stomach didn't immediately begin to rebel, Lisa released a relieved breath and slid her feet to the floor, then stood up shakily. Her bout of vomiting might be over, but the aftereffects remained.

Her stomach muscles were complaining something fierce at their abuse and she felt shaky and in need of liquid if not a full-course meal.

Ignoring that for now, Lisa made her way carefully to the window to see what was causing the strange action. She was halfway there when the branch stopped moving. Curious and a little sleepy still, she paused at the window and looked out but the light from the hall was reflecting in the glass and she couldn't see anything. After a hesitation, she opened the windows, unlatching them and pushing one out to look about.

A calm, breezeless night met her once the window was open and Lisa peered curiously at the tree outside her window, but it was now still. An owl or some other night creature must have been on the branch, she supposed, her eyes shifting upward to take in the night sky. It was starless tonight and dark as sin, she noted, breathing in the cool night air.

It was only then she noted that the smell in the room was a little unpleasant. Deciding a little fresh air would be good, she left the window open and turned to move back to the bed, debating donning her robe and going below in search of food. While her stomach was no longer rebelling, it was gnawing with hunger. Not surprising, Lisa supposed, since it was completely empty.

Grimacing at the memory of what had seemed like hours of retching - the cause of her empty stomach - Lisa paused at the bed and was reaching for the robe laid across the bottom of it when a soft shuffling sound from behind caught her ear. She stiffened and started to turn, and then managed a muffled gasp as she was grabbed from behind, something snaking around her waist and pulling her back hard against a strong hard body, even as a hand slapped across her mouth to stifle the small sound that escaped her.

Before Lisa had even fully registered what was happening, she was kicking wildly as she was lifted off the ground and dragged backward across the room toward the window. It was good fortune that saved her in the end. Her captor moved too close to the table and chair where Lisa liked to sit to read and her wildly flailing feet caught the chair and sent it tumbling.

The stubbing that her foot took made Lisa grunt into the hand over her mouth, but the sound was drowned out by the crash of the chair hitting the floor and then she saw Bet startle awake. Much to her relief, in the next moment, the maid was shrieking at the top of her lungs and on her feet, coming around the bed to try to help.

Whether it was the oncoming Bet, or the fact that her screech surely hadn't gone unheard and help would most likely be on the way that put off her attacker, Lisa didn't know. But in the next moment she was released and crashing to her knees on the bedroom's hardwood floor. Bet halted in her forward charge to kneel beside her, her gaze sliding from Lisa to the man making his getaway as she asked, "Are ye all right, Miss?"

"Aye," Lisa gasped, glancing over her shoulder in time to see her attacker just pulling himself onto the window.

"What the hell?"

Robert's voice drew her head around as he crashed into the room. She opened her mouth to explain, but apparently he'd spotted the man climbing out her window and was already charging forward. Lisa shifted to the side on her knees to get out of the way, but the fellow was already gone by the time Robert reached the window. That didn't stop him, however; quick as a whip he was following her attacker's path and climbing out of her window as well. "Oh dear," Lisa muttered and struggled quickly to her feet with Bet's help. She staggered to the window then, wincing as her knees, shins and stomach muscles all complained of their distress and recent mistreatment. Ignoring that, she bent to rest on the ledge and leaned out to see what was happening. She was just in time to see her attacker drop from the tree and race from the yard. Robert was still a good distance from the ground when he allowed himself to drop from the branches to the grass below. He landed with a grunt and then gave chase, but Lisa could see the fellow had a good start on him. He was also moving like the devil himself was on his heels, while Robert had apparently injured himself and was limping somewhat.

"Lord Langley'll never catch him," Bet said with disappointment. "Nay," Lisa agreed on a sigh and pulled the window closed once Robert left the yard and disappeared from sight.

"Shouldn't ye leave it open for Lord Langley to return?" Bet asked with a frown.

"I'm sure he'll use the front door rather than climb back up the tree," Lisa pointed out.

"Oh, aye," Bet muttered and quickly drew the drapes shut over the window, then turned to follow as Lisa limped back to the bed to lay claim to her robe as she'd intended before she was grabbed from behind. The maid's voice was worried as she asked, "How are you feeling now?"

"My stomach aches, my knees and shins hurt, and I am hungry," Lisa answered shakily, and then forced some strength into her voice and added, "I would kill for a cup of tea. "

"Do ye think it'll stay down?" Bet asked with concern. "Ye don't want to be heaving again. "

"I think it will stay down now," Lisa said wearily as she drew the robe on and tied the sash. "At least I hope it will because I could do with a cup to steady my nerves. "

"Aye," Bet said with sympathy. "Well you just sit yourself down and relax then. I shall fetch you up something. " She urged her toward the toppled chair, and then rushed forward to straighten it for her to sit in.

Lisa sat. Mostly because she was even shakier than she had been when she'd first woken up. She also didn't protest when Bet settled a blanket across her knees and tucked it around her, but she released a rather relieved sigh when the maid stopped fussing and departed to find her a drink and a snack.

Once she was alone, Lisa leaned back a little wearily, her eyes closing as she reviewed what had happened. She had no idea where her attacker had come from. She was pretty sure the tree had been empty when she'd peered out, but then it was extremely dark and with all the leaves and shadow coating the branches, Lisa supposed he may have been hidden from view. And she'd left the damned window open for him to come in after her, she thought with self-disgust.

"Lisa?"

Blinking her eyes open, she watched Robert enter with a lit candle and set it on the table by her bed before moving to stand before her.

"Are you all right?" he asked with concern.

"Aye," Lisa assured him, sitting up a little straighter in her chair. "Are you all right, Robert? You were limping as you gave chase. "

He grimaced with irritation, and admitted, "I landed badly and twisted my ankle is all. Which slowed me enough to let him get away. "

"Sit down," she suggested, waving to the bed. But rather than simply back up and settle on the edge of the bed as she'd intended, he limped around it to retrieve the chair Bet had been sleeping in. He brought it back to set in front of hers. Sitting in it with a relieved little sigh, he ran one hand through his hair and then said, "Tell me what happened. "

Lisa quickly explained about waking up, the bobbing branch and her investigation and then the attack. Once finished she sat back to await his next question. It wasn't long in coming.

"Did you see his face?"

"He was wearing some sort of hood with holes cut out for the eyes, but I didn't even get a good look at his eyes. I'm sorry," she murmured, but he shook his head.

"It's not yo

ur fault. He obviously had no desire to be recognized," he murmured, his gaze moving past her to the window, his expression thoughtful.

"You think it was my suitor," she said quietly. "Someone I would recognize if I'd seen his face. "

"Or someone who works for him that you might have recognized as well," Robert said with a shrug.

Lisa nodded, not arguing the point.

"I want you to stay away from Pembroke in the future," Robert said after a moment and she glanced up with surprise.

"Pembroke? Why him?" she asked with surprise. He was second on her list of possible husbands, right behind Findlay. The man was handsome, thoughtful and trying very hard to try to please her by arranging the picnic and such.

"Because if it weren't for his pastries making you sick, you would have been at the ball tonight. "

"It is hardly his fault if his cook's pastries made me ill," Lisa pointed out with amusement.

"It is if he added something to make you deliberately ill, Lisa," he said quietly and she blanched in dismay.

"You think he put something in the pastries to make me ill?" "All the other men were expecting you to be at the ball tonight," Robert pointed out. "In fact, most of them are probably only realizing now that you aren't going to attend tonight. But whoever attacked or sent someone to attack you knew you would not be attending the ball before that. "

"Oh, surely it is late enough that - "

"It has been exactly one hour since I left you sleeping in here, Lisa," he said quietly. "I doubt Christiana and Richard have been at the ball for more than a matter of minutes. If they have even made it through the lineup of disembarking carriages to the door yet. "

"Oh," Lisa murmured, recognizing the truth of his words. Getting into the more popular balls could be rather tedious. The narrow streets were always crowded and the carriage traffic slow on the way there, and then the lineup of disembarking carriages was always long. That was then followed by the long lineup at the actual ballroom entrance as guests waited to be announced. It could take a while to get in. Leaving was never quite as bad, but it was something of a trial as well if you waited until everyone else was leaving to head home.

"Just stay away from him for now," Robert repeated and this time she nodded, though a bit reluctantly. Really, Pembroke seemed very kind. Besides, she had rather been looking forward to the ride up the river and the picnic that was to follow the day after tomorrow. Well, she was now that she wasn't hanging over a basin. Although, now that she thought of it, if his cook was preparing the picnic, perhaps it was better to avoid it anyway. She didn't wish to be hanging over the basin again the night after tomorrow.

"Here we are," Bet said cheerfully, entering the room now with a tray in hand. "I brought ye tea and some food too, Lord Langley. I thought ye might want it after yer efforts. "

"Thank you, Bet. " Robert stood at once and moved the table beside Lisa's chair, shifting it between them for Bet to set the tray on. "That was kind of you. "

"My pleasure, my lord," Bet said, blushing slightly at the compliment as she set the tray between them. She straightened, hesitated, and then headed for the door saying, "Cook asked for my help with mending her apron so I'll just go see what I can do while you eat. Send for me if you need me. "

"Thank you, Bet," Lisa murmured as the maid left. She then turned her attention to the contents of the tray. Cold chicken, cucumber sandwiches and bumbleberry tarts filled two plates on the tray. There was also a steaming pot of tea and two cups. Lisa smiled with anticipation and pulled the nearer plate a bit closer to begin on the chicken, but paused with a drumstick to her lips, eyes widening when Robert did the honors and began to pour the tea. "I'm sorry," she said, setting the chicken leg back. "I'll do that. "

It was always the woman's place to pour the tea, but Robert just chuckled and shook his head. "No. Go ahead. You are obviously hungry. I will pour the tea. "

"Thank you," Lisa murmured, picking up her drumstick again and this time taking a bite. A little sigh of pleasure slid from her lips as the flavor of roast chicken filled her mouth. It was heavenly, even cold. But then she was hungry enough that she suspected even porridge would have tasted delicious at that point, and she disliked porridge.

"Slow down," Robert cautioned as she swallowed and immediately took a second bite. "Your stomach may still be a little tender. You don't want to make yourself sick again. "

"No, I don't," Lisa agreed dryly, forcing herself to set the drumstick down and instead pick up the tea he'd just poured for her. They were silent for a bit after that, both of them eating and enjoying the tea. It was only after they'd both pushed their plates away that Lisa glanced to him and said quietly, "Thank you, Robert. "

"For what?" he asked with surprise. "I didn't bring the food. Bet did. "

She smiled faintly at his confusion and explained, "Not for that. For . . . well, everything else," she said wryly. "For coming for me at Mrs. Morgan's. For looking out for me since then and for chasing after that man tonight. I know I have given you a hard time, but I do appreciate it. I guess my pride was just hurting a bit after that business in the carriage. But you were right," she rushed on when he would have interrupted. "While I had a crush on you while growing up, we have been too close for too long ever to turn our relationship into anything more than one resembling siblings. Now, I can't even imagine you kissing me or caressing my cheek the way Charlie did the other night. The very idea is laughable. "

Standing up, Lisa moved around the table to bend and kiss his cheek, then straightened and moved to the bed, undoing and removing her robe as she went.

"Good night, Robert," she finished around a yawn. "I hope you sleep well. I certainly shall, knowing you are here, just a shout away, to watch over me. "

She then slid into bed, pulled the covers up to her chin, and closed her eyes.

Robert stared at the bed for several minutes, her words replaying themselves in his head. She couldn't even imagine him kissing or caressing her as Findlay had? Well, he bloody well could. And he'd have done a damned sight better job than the tepid efforts he'd witnessed from Findlay at the ball the night before, he thought.

But it was a fleeting thought. His mind was full of the image of the way her robe and gown had gaped as she'd bent to kiss his cheek. He'd seen damned near all the way down to her belly button as she'd done it, though he was sure she had no clue of the view he'd had. And then when she'd tugged off her robe to crawl into bed, the neckline had dropped off on one side, revealing a good expanse of one creamy shoulder. Now she was lying there, not more than a few feet away, naked but for a thin nightgown, completely unconcerned that a red-blooded male was still sitting there. And he was red-blooded. That blood was pulsing through his body hot and strong right then.

But did Lisa care? Hell no. It seemed she'd decided he was right and she was better off with one of those addlepated idiots who had been fawning over her the last few days.

Damn. She was going to be the death of him if he didn't get this business resolved soon and get away from her, he thought grimly and stood to quickly gather the tray and carry it from the room. "Good night, Robert," Lisa murmured as he reached the door and it was the sexiest damned sound he'd ever heard: soft and sleepy, almost a whisper. He could imagine her saying his name just that way, but in sleepy greeting as he slid into bed next to her, his naked body sliding against hers.

She was definitely going to be the death of him, Robert decided. He didn't respond to her words, but simply headed silently up the hall, his expression unhappy.