In the spill of light four doors down, the silhouette of a voluptuous woman, curves displayed and tangled mass of hair falling about her shoulders, shown clearly.
More seductive whispering and the rustle of fabric.
The door opened wider and Petra could clearly see Katherine in the muted light. She appeared to be wearing little but a dressing gown loosely belted at the waist.
Petra pressed herself against the wall as Katherine looked up and peered down the hallway in her direction as if sensing someone was watching.
I really need to stop eavesdropping even if it is unintentional.
A throaty laugh was followed by a hurried conversation in a low tone to whomever lay on the other side of the door. Petra’s hand moved to press against her stomach at the sound. The silk swirled around Katherine’s ankles as she spoke, catching the light inside the room. She leaned back exposing her throat and probably a great deal of bosom.
A deep, rasp answered Katherine. Unmistakable even from where Petra stood.
Morwick.
After a quiet discussion between the two, Katherine slid through the opened door, closing it behind her with a soft click.
Petra blinked, in part to stop the prickle of water gathering behind her eyes, and also to blot out the sight of Katherine and her ample charms offering herself to Morwick. She felt terribly betrayed even though she had no reason to be. She swiped the back of her hand against the tears falling down her cheek, horrified someone would find her weeping in the hall. Morwick had never claimed to feel anything for her. Not even lust. In fact all he’d done was kiss her, make a few scandalous comments, and warn her away from him. Oh, and he’d said she resembled a rabbit.
Don’t let go.
I won’t.
Her assumption earlier had probably been correct. She’d seen the faces of both Morwick and Simon at dinner this evening, like two small boys trying to one-up the other. Morwick must have deliberately sought her out in order to annoy Simon. A comeuppance, possibly for something which had happened between them long ago at Oxford. Nothing at all to do with Petra. She was just here, conveniently allowing herself to be practically seduced by Morwick.
A choked sob bubbled up and Petra pushed the palm of her hand firmly to her lips to keep from weeping out loud. This was far worse than being the dressmaker’s dummy her mother trotted out. Or knowing Simon found her acceptably boring. She’d allowed feelings for Morwick to take root inside her heart, a terrible mistake.
Petra clutched the lamp in one hand, though it would do her little good in finding her room. Slowly she made her way by touch to her room and forced herself to stop crying like some jilted bride. Lady Pendleton and Simon had both assumed Katherine would rekindle her previous relationship with Morwick. And truthfully, she thought, fleeing into the relative safety of her chamber where Tessie stood waiting, what man would possibly chose Petra over Katherine?
“My lady?” Her maid came forward, surprised to see Petra so early in the evening.
She wiped at her eyes again. “Dust.” Petra answered to Tessie’s unspoken question as she set down the lamp. “I sneezed furiously and the lamp went dark.” She wiped at her eyes again.
Truly, she hadn’t been surprised to see Morwick and Katherine together. She was only shocked at how much it hurt.
* * *
Katherine.
Brendan tried to keep the disappointment at her appearance at his door from his face. He’d had some fleeting, ridiculous notion that it was Petra knocking on his door. The object of his desire was probably downstairs in the drawing room. Lady Pendleton would be sitting, surrounded by large amounts of Blue John, like an overdressed gnome guarding treasure in a cave. Petra would perch calmly, her slender hands clasped, as the old crone interrogated her, patiently waiting for Simon to appear and enthrall the room with how bloody important he was.
He absolutelydetestedthe possessive jealousy filling him at the thought of Petra adoring Simon in such a way.
“Hello, Brendan.” Katherine stood in the hallway, her dark hair loose and flowing down her back, clothed only in a very thin silk robe. He doubted she wore anything else underneath the silk. Katherine had always preferred to sleep naked.
“Aren’t you going to ask me in?” There was no mistaking the seductive question. His mind ran over the evening. Had he given Katherine the least bit of encouragement? Any sign he welcomed her advances?
From the corner of his eye, Brendan thought he saw a shadow move down the hall, closer to the stairs. The other guests should still be downstairs, which was why Brendan had slipped away. He’d taken a walk directly after dinner to clear his head of the mounting frustration at seeing Petra, yet unable to touch her. Also, claiming the dinner too rich was an excellent way to escape the traditional brandy and cigar with the other gentlemen. He and Simon, trapped in the close quarters of the latter’s study, would not be advisable. And he’d not wanted to pretend polite conversation once the gentlemen rejoined the ladies. He didn’t trust himself.
“Brendan,” Katherine whispered, this time louder.
He peered into the darkness of the hall but saw nothing.Thankfully.The last thing he needed was for Katherine to be discovered nearly naked outside his room. Or in his room. Simon might feel compelled to fight a duel over his sister’s non-existent honor.
“You shouldn’t be here.” He tried to shut the door.
A slender, bare foot shot out, stopping him. “I only wish to speak to you.” She pouted. “A moment, only.”
He highly doubted she was here to debate the finer points of mining with him. Katherine’s forte was not scintillating conversation, at least none that didn’t end in seduction. Reluctantly, he pulled her into his room, lest someone see her, and regretted the decision immediately.
