Chapter Twelve

Brad walked the short distance to Corbin House and knocked on the door. Franklin opened it to him before he finished knocking.

"Is Miss Esther here?" he asked, knowing that she would be. Where else would she be?

"I'm sorry Mr. Prescott, but Miss Esther is out riding."

"Oh," Brad said, unable to conceal his disappointment. "Is Rupert with her?"

"Yes, Mr. Prescott, but they should be back soon. They've been gone quite some time already."

"I think I'll wait for them," he said. "I walked here, so I don't have my horse or carriage with me."

"That is perfectly fine. Would you like to wait inside?"

"No, I think I'll wait for Miss Esther outside."

"Very good, sir." Franklin started to close the door then stopped. "I see them approaching now, sir."

"So do I," Brad said, and started off for the stable. He reached Esther just in time to assist her from her horse. "She's turning into quite the rider, isn't she, Rupert?"

"That she is, Mr. Prescott," Rupert answered.

"That's because I have such excellent teachers," Essie said, looping her arm through Brad's elbow and walking with him back to the house. "Can we sit in the garden?" she asked when they reached the library.

"Of course," Brad said, and led her to the French doors that opened onto the terrace.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Essie said.

Brad smiled. "Yes, beautiful. The sun is shining, and there is just a gentle breeze."

"I think that's what I most wish I could see. The colors of the sky and the clouds and the grass and the leaves on the trees. Lena tries to describe them to me, but I truly wish I could see them just once. She makes them sound so beautiful."

"They are, Essie. The colors of nature are the most beautiful sights in the world."

Essie breathed a deep sigh, and Brad heard so much regret in the sound that he had to fight an ache in his chest. He couldn't stop himself from holding her. The feel of her in his arms was the most exhilarating sensation he'd ever experienced.

"And I would like to see your face," she said, nestling her cheek against his chest.

Brad chuckled. "I'm glad you can't, Essie. One look at my face and you would run away in fright."

"I wouldn't. Being blind has given me the opportunity to judge people by their goodness inside, not their features on the outside. And you, Brad, possess a remarkable amount of kindness and virtue on the inside."

Essie's words warmed his heart. It had been so long since he'd had anyone see him for who he was inside and not his deformities.

Suddenly, Brad realized he cared more for Essie than he thought he could care for anyone ever again. Without considering what he was doing, he wrapped his arms more tightly around her.

Essie skimmed her hands up his chest and wound her arms around his neck. He knew she must have felt the scars that marred his chest, but she didn't react as if she'd noticed. She held him tightly and met his lips when he kissed her as if she'd been anticipating this and was hungry for it.

His kiss was deep and all-consuming. He couldn't believe how desperate he was to show her the passion he had stored inside him, the intense passion that burned inside him and ached to be released.

She met his kiss with a hunger that matched his. It was as if she'd stored an equally uncontrollable amount of desire that was as eager to find release—easily as intense as the passion that was trapped inside him.

Brad kissed her again and again, each mating of their lips assuaging a need that was desperate to find completion.

After several tumultuous minutes, Brad ended their kiss. Only then was he able to consider the ramifications of what had just happened. Their kisses had weakened Essie's knees. Her breaths were coming in rapid gasps, the same as his. She was pressed close to him and had her head nestled against his chest. Her hands cradled his cheeks, touching the horrific scars that marred his features.

He tried to turn his head to avoid her touch, but she would not let him.

"No, Brad. Don't turn away from me. Let me know you."

He froze, desperate to escape her touch, yet unable to.

She ran her fingers over his high cheekbones then down the length of his face. She followed the scar that altered his face, making him appear a grotesque figure that women had a difficult time looking at. She traced the lines of his jaw, stopping at the cleft in his chin, a cleft that every Prescott male had, then skimmed her fingers up the opposite side of his face and across his high forehead.

"You have such strong features," she said, cupping her palm to his cheek again. "You are a very handsome man, Brad. Don't ever think you aren't."

"And you are a very beautiful woman, Essie. One of the most beautiful I've ever met."

She smiled. "I didn't know you had such a golden tongue, sir."

Brad laughed. It felt strange to laugh at her silly comment. It had been a long time since he'd had something to laugh about. A long time since he'd had something that had caused him to smile. And he owed his newfound laughter and smile to Essie.

"I think we had better continue our walk, sir, or I'm going to embarrass myself and ask you to kiss me again."

"I take it you enjoyed it," he teased.

"Of course I did. Didn't you?"

Brad wanted to laugh again but thought she might misinterpret it to mean he didn't take her question seriously. He turned her in his arms and faced her as if she could see his sincere expression. "Miss Osbourne, I want you to know that I've never enjoyed a kiss more than the one we shared. Our kiss was perfect."

"Thank you, Brad," she whispered.

"You are welcome, Essie." He took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Now, I think we need to continue our walk before I embarrass myself and kiss you again. And again."

Essie looped her arm through his, and they moved forward. "This has been a perfect day. Probably the most perfect day ever," she said, and tightened her hold on his arm.

Brad thought he might have died and gone to heaven.

*

Jack strode toBrad's office, not really expecting him to be there but wanting to tell him that Barnaby was Hanover's nephew. And he had a gambling problem. Jack had seen enough club members with gambling problems to know what a life-destroying habit it was. He also knew how difficult, if not impossible, it was to overcome that compulsion.

He knocked, then entered the office, but found it empty. There was only one place he thought Brad might be—the same place he was every afternoon at this time.

Jack locked the doors to every room he'd opened and left the club. He took his horse and rode the short distance to Corbin House. Lena would be there, as well as Brad and Essie. It would be best if he told Lena and Brad what he'd discovered about Barnaby. She needed to be warned.

He dismounted and walked to the front door. Franklin opened the door before he reached it.

"Is Miss Lena here, Franklin?"

"Yes, Mr. Corbin. She's in the library. Mr. Prescott and Miss Esther are in the garden."

"Thank you, Franklin," he said, and went to the library. The door was open, and he entered without knocking.

"Jack," Lena greeted him. "Is something wrong?"

"No, Lena. I just wanted to speak with Brad, and when I couldn't find him at the club, I knew he'd be here."

She smiled. "Yes, he and Essie are in the garden. I didn't want to disturb them, so I came in here to wait until they come back into the house."

"I think they've formed quite a friendship," Jack said, pouring himself a glass of brandy.

"I think it's more than friendship, Jack. Have you seen the way they look at each other?"

"Yes," Jack said before lifting his glass to his mouth and taking a sip. "What do you think of that?"

Lena closed the book she'd been reading and placed it beside her on the settee. "I don't know, Jack. A part of me is happy for them. I've always wanted Essie to find love, and now I think she has."

"But…?"

"But…" Lena swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Essie's blind, Jack. How can she be someone's wife?"

Jack reached for Lena's hands and squeezed her fingers.

"She will have to have constant help," she continued. "What if they have children?"

"Are you worried that Brad won't be able to take care of Essie? Are you afraid she will be neglected?"

"No," she answered firmly. "But she will be a huge expense."

Jack couldn't contain his laughter.

"What?" Lena said.

"You talk about the cost of caring for Essie as if Brad can't afford to take care of her. Do you have any idea how wealthy he is? Do you have any idea how wealthy I am?"

"I know the club makes a lot of money," she answered. "I do the books, you know."

"Then you should have a fair idea of what our daily intake is."

"Yes, but you have a huge amount of expenses, too."

"Money is something neither Brad nor I will ever have to worry about. Even after I pay all the expenses for the club and Corbin House, there is still enough money remaining that I can give Brad his share and have a goodly amount left over. I have enough money in the bank that even if I never added another pound to it, I'd still have more than enough to live lavishly for the rest of my life. No, Lena. Money is one thing you will never have to be concerned over."

Jack was relieved when the French doors opened and Brad and Essie entered the library.

"Jack and Lena are here, Essie," Brad said, showing her to the sofa nearest where Jack and Lena sat. It already seemed so natural for him to describe their surroundings to Essie, to let her know who they would be joining, to fill in the puzzle pieces her mind was busily assembling.

"Were you out enjoying the nice weather?" Lena asked.

"Yes," Essie answered. "It is a beautiful day. Have you been home long?"

"Not long," Lena replied.

"Good. Would you like some tea?" Essie asked.

"Yes, I would. Let me ring for it."

But Essie was already up and moving easily toward the bellpull. She returned to her place beside Brad without the slightest hesitation.

He stood to help her sit, then walked to the sideboard and poured himself a brandy, then brought the decanter over and filled Jack's snifter.

"I take it you have something you need to discuss with me," Brad said when he settled himself on the sofa next to Essie.

"I do," Jack said. "I discovered some interesting facts today concerning our two guests, Hanover and Barnaby."

"I take it that you are concerned by what you learned," Brad said.

"Let's say our guests bear watching." Jack set his glass on the table in front of him. "At least, Barnaby does. I discovered that he is not a partner or an investor. Josiah Barnaby is Wilson Hanover's nephew."

"Well," Brad said. "That is interesting."

"Yes. Hanover told me that his sister asked him to take Barnaby under his wing to straighten him out."

"Straighten him out from what?" Brad asked.

"It seems Barnaby has a severe gambling problem."

"That explains why he was so upset when you decided to purchase whatever you could here in Willowbrook rather than having him purchase them in London."

"Why would that upset him?" Essie asked.

"While going through several of the orders from previous projects, I discovered that Barnaby inflated the amounts of items he said he ordered," Jack said.

"So, the amount that was paid for wood for the ties and metal for the rails was an amount higher than what the company owed," Brad explained.

"Which allowed Barnaby to pocket the excess money," Lena finished.

"Which lost the company several thousand pounds, and covered Barnaby's gambling debts," Jack added.

"Except, now that you pay for the materials for the railroad, he can't steal from his uncle's company any longer," Brad added.

"Which makes him unable to pay his gambling debts, no doubt making a large number of clubs and money lenders very angry."

"Does he owe your club much money?" Lena asked.

"No. And even if he did, his uncle guaranteed he would cover the debts. He doesn't want the club stuck with his nephew's vowels."

Brad focused his attention on Jack. "What do you think he's going to do, Jack?"

"I expect him to return without his uncle. He's no doubt run out of places that will extend him credit in London and needs to find other places where he can win back his losses."

"Which he will never do," Lena said.

"No," Jack replied. "Which he will never do."

"Well," Brad said. "Since he isn't a member, we can refuse to allow him to gamble until he fills out the necessary papers, which will take months."

Jack smiled. "Now I need to get back to the club. I didn't get as much done as I wanted today."

"I'll go with you. I want to make sure the doormen know not to admit Barnaby, even though he was a guest earlier today."

Jack and Brad bade Lena and Essie goodbye, and left.

"There's something else, isn't there, Jack?" Brad said when they were on their way.

Jack laughed. "You know me too well, my friend. It's almost frightening."

"Yes, I almost know you better than you know yourself. So, what is it?"

"George told me that Barnaby saw Lena leave the club today and followed her carriage to find out where she was going. Now he knows where she lives."

"Bloody hell," Brad spat.

"My feelings exactly."

"What do you think he'll do?"

"I don't know, but it won't be good."