Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

L ouise followed Christian out of the club in silence.

She noticed that there were far fewer stares this time, with her husband by her side. The members seemed to recognize that they could not misbehave or be quite so rude in his presence.

They will simply talk about me behind my back as they did before.

She smoothed her hand over her hair as they walked, ensuring that it was not disheveled, a dark heat burning beneath her skin. She had never felt so desperate for another person before. His touch set her skin on fire in a thousand new ways she had never expected.

She had rarely witnessed desire between a woman and a man. Her mother and father were demure and private in one another’s company, and over the years, her father had become scathing and cruel. She tried hard to think of a time when they had displayed some form of affection, but she came up empty.

If Christian had not stopped, I am not sure I would have either.

The knowledge was alarming. Louise had always been proud of her self-control and her steely command of her faculties. There had been many instances since the incident with Lord Fortescue where she had held her tongue in the face of biting remarks about her character.

But when it came to lust , all decorum seemed to evaporate. It was almost as though Christian was making her reckless.

She glared at his back, remembering the heat of his body against her, the vicious pleasure she had felt when he pressed her against the wall and pushed his tongue into her mouth.

She cleared her throat, glancing around as though the truth of their time together was written all over her face.

They emerged into the foyer, where the faithful Jarvis was standing as though he had been waiting for them.

“My carriage, please, Jarvis,” Christian ordered briskly.

“Already waiting for you, Your Grace,” Jarvis murmured.

Christian nodded, before turning to Louise. He looked untouchable, cold, and authoritative once more.

“I cannot leave right now,” he said. “I have some business to attend to.”

He glanced behind her at the door they had just come through and shifted his weight from foot to foot.

“Was this the associate you were meeting with?” she asked, unable to mask her curiosity.

Christian raised his eyebrows, but instead of dismissing her question as she had expected, he took a small step toward her.

“I was meeting with the constable investigating Marcus’s disappearance,” he revealed softly.

Louise felt a shiver of unease run through her. “Is there any news?”

Christian studied her for a few seconds before he sniffed and cocked his head. “Nothing. The constable wrote to me recently to tell me that they had found Marcus’s carriage, but they had not discovered a body. I was trying to ascertain if he views the case as closed or if they will continue the search.”

“And will they?”

Christian paused. “They will not.”

Louise’s shoulders slumped. This could only mean one thing…

She was desperate for Marcus to be safe, but her hope was dwindling.

“Come,” Christian said darkly, “we must get you home.”

He clicked his fingers, and a servant materialized with her coat. Christian took it and held it out to her. Louise frowned at him but did not argue, turning to allow him to drape it over her shoulders. His hands lingered on her for just a moment.

The rain was coming down in sheets as she looked out the door; the dim light from the oil lamp highlighted the deep puddles and oozing mud on the street.

As the sound of horses’ hooves approached, Christian walked out into the deluge, careless of the fat raindrops soaking him through in seconds. He waited for the carriage to arrive and waved away the footman who opened the door for her.

“Are you making sure that I leave?” she asked.

“I did tell you what would happen if you remained,” he growled. “Perhaps I should come with you in the carriage.”

“And what would you do if you did, Your Grace? ”

Christian stepped up to her, raindrops running down his sharp cheekbones, his eyes flashing. “Perhaps we should find out.”

Louise sucked in a breath, uncertain yet thrumming with desire. She was about to climb into the carriage when she heard a faint sound that she could not place.

Despite the rain, she turned around, hearing Christian’s sigh of exasperation as she listened carefully.

There it was again. A mewling little noise, like a child in pain, but half as quiet. She looked around for its source, conscious of the silent street and the ominous shadows moving in the distance. It was not wise to linger in the street at almost one o’clock in the morning, but she could not help it.

Suddenly, she thought she saw something moving across the corner of the step. Edging closer, she saw a tiny bundle on the edge of the step, soaked to the bone, its little eyes peering up at her plaintively.

“Oh my goodness, Christian. Look! It is a kitten,” she gasped, crouching down, careless of the mud staining her skirts and holding out a hand. “Come here, sweetheart.” She clicked her tongue. “Come on, sweetie,” she whispered. “It’s all right, I won’t hurt you.”

She remained in a crouched position for several minutes. The rain soaked through every layer of her clothing, but she refused to move. She was utterly drenched. She crept forward as Christian let out an exasperated growl.

“Would you get in the damn carriage, Louise? This is ridiculous.”

But she would not be deterred. As her hair slowly came loose and fell about her shoulders, she remained where she was, waiting for the animal to trust her enough to approach her.

Eventually, after what felt like hours of coaxing, she was finally able to get close enough to it to pick it up.

It was impossible to discern what color the kitten was. It was shivering violently, mewing every now and then in fear, and its fur was so soaked that it simply looked black.

“Now, what will you do with it?” Christian asked in a frustrated tone. “You are not taking that back to the house. I like things in order… and free of fur!”

Louise cradled the kitten in her arms. “What would you have me do? Leave it here to die?”

“The creature is hardly our concern. I imagine its mother abandoned it—it might be ill or the runt of the litter.”

“Do not listen to him,” Louise cooed at the little furball in her arms. “He doesn’t know how special you are, does he?”

When she looked back at him, Christian was watching her with a strange expression, but he shook it off and glowered at her.

“Louise, you are not taking that thing home with you.”

“Then we shall remain in the rain until dawn,” she replied stubbornly, sticking out her chin and hugging the kitten close to her chest.

“Can’t you be reasonable, wife?”

“I cannot believe you would leave this poor creature to fend for itself on a night like this.”

“All right, fine!” he hissed, his eyes darting to the doorway, where Jarvis was watching their exchange with amusement. “But if that thing gets under my feet, it will be out of the house within twenty-four hours. Is that understood?”

Louise climbed into the carriage, deliberately choosing not to answer him.

“Thank you, Your Grace . We are both most grateful.”

“You realize that if I die from fever after standing in the cold all night, it will be that kitten’s fault.”

“Then you had better go inside,” she said smartly and pulled the door closed behind her before the carriage took off.

She felt the warm lump in her arms snuggle deeper into her coat, and despite her soaking-wet dress, she tried to ensure that it was warm, feeling it quivering beneath her fingers.

She glanced back as the carriage slowly moved through the pouring rain and was surprised to see Christian still standing outside, showing no inclination to go back into the club. He had an odd expression on his face, as though he were trying to work something out.

Louise sat back in her seat and stroked the kitten in her arms, a smile that she could not explain playing on her lips.