The Rake's Wicked Proposal

Chapter Fourteen

‘I think it best if you regain control of your imagination now, Grace,’ Lucian drawled deliberately as he rose economically to his feet.

One look at how suddenly pale Grace had become was enough to tell him how alarmed she was by the maid’s apparent anxiety. And the unappreciative glare Grace shot in his direction before she turned to address her attention to the young maid told him that though Grace did not appreciate his mockery, it had nevertheless succeeded in calming her.

It was a pity they had been interrupted when Lucian had so been enjoying himself—the more so because he had been able to witness Grace’s arousal. Her eyes had been languorous, her lips parted; there had been a delicate flush to her cheeks and down her throat, the swell of her breasts quickly rising and falling as her arousal grew.

‘Calm yourself, Rose, and tell us what has happened to upset you.’ Lucian could never remember having seen the plump maid before, but obviously Grace recognised her and spoke briskly.

‘You’re to come back to the house immediately, miss—’

‘That does not tell us what has happened, Rose.’ Grace gave her a reproving look.

‘No, miss. I mean, yes, miss. There’s been an accident, miss.’ The young girl’s excitement began to rise once again.

‘What sort of accident?’ Lucian decided to take charge when he saw the way Grace’s hand moved convulsively to her throat, even as her pallor increased.

The maid blinked. ‘I don’t know, sir—My Lord,’ she corrected hastily. ‘I was only told to fetch Miss Hetherington because there’s been an accident—’

‘Who instructed you to come for Miss Hetherington?’ Lucian frowned his increasing impatience with this garbled account.

‘The Duke, sir. I mean His Grace, Your Lordship.’ A Welsh lilt could be heard in the girl’s voice now. Not surprising when they were only thirty miles or so from the Welsh border. ‘You’re wanted back at the house immediately, Miss Hetherington,’ she repeated breathlessly.

‘Rose, I want you to remain here and put these things back into the basket while I drive Miss Hetherington back to the house in the carriage.’ Lucian took a firm hold of Grace’s arm, knowing how disturbed she was by the maid’s news when she made none of her usual objections to his taking charge.

Grace’s thoughts were racing as she almost ran to keep up with Lucian’s strides back to the carriage. An accident, Rose had said. But what sort of an accident? And involving whom…?

Obviously not Darius, or he would not have sent the message. Or would he? The accident might not have been serious enough to render him incapable of issuing instructions—Grace believed Lucian would have to be rendered unconscious to prevent him from issuing orders!

‘For God’s sake, do as I advised and give your imagination a rest, Grace!’ Lucian was grim-faced as he helped her up into the carriage.

Grace glared down at him. ‘I did not imagine Rose’s distress.’

Lucian moved round to climb in at the other side of the carriage and take up the reins himself. ‘I believe I detected excitement in her manner rather than distress.’

Grace had also noted the almost feverish glint in the young maid’s eyes, and the flush to her cheeks. ‘Rose’s demeanour does not change the fact that Darius’s instruction was for me to return immediately.’

‘No.’

‘No?’ Grace arched surprised brows at his ready agreement.

Lucian gave an acknowledging inclination of his head even as he concentrated on driving the matched greys back to Winton Hall. There was a track from the Dower House that meandered its way through the grounds back to the main house, but it was deeply rutted and seldom used, so it was quicker and easier to travel by the road that encircled the Carlyne estate.

Much as Lucian might tell Grace to cease her imaginings, in reality he liked the sound of this latest upset in the Wynter household no more than she. The family seemed beset by accidents these last few months. Firstly Darius’s wife had fallen from her horse while hunting and broken her neck. Then there had been the loose wheel on the carriage as the Duke and Duchess drove to London with Grace for the Season—an occurrence that could have had much more serious repercussions if the wheel had actually come off. That was something that Grace did not seem to have noted as yet, but she would surely do so if she once sat down and considered the matter. Finally there had been the Duke’s sudden heart seizure, within days of the family’s arrival in London.