Page 114 of Dick Stone, Regency Stud
“I hope breakfast is just as nice.” Lud, strike him down! He was a conversational disaster!
“Maybe they’ll have rashers.”
“Don’t forget to sneak back into your room before Mrs. Harfagre wakes,” he said, kissing her on the neck and feeling his lids grow heavy. That had been a most profound draining of his sack.
“Don’t worry, Dick Stone, I’ll not let her find me here in your bed. You wouldn’t want to have to marry me.”
His eyes flew open in the dark as some tangled threads suddenly wove themselves into a very tempting bit of cloth.
Chapter 9
The reason for thegenerosity bestowed by Lord Banastre’s brother revealed itself as soon as they reached his seat, Elmwood Grange.
The household came out to greet the loaned carriage, a formal and ostentatious welcome thoroughly unexpected by Edward these days.
And then he saw Lord Leontius’s heir, a boy of nine or ten years of age, standing alongside his blond father companionably. The lad — the only child standing on the front steps — had brown hair. Brown hair resembling that of Captain Lord Edward Richard Stone, as he’d been known at the time he’d encountered the child’s mother in Portugal.
Lady Leontius was nowhere in evidence, though that wasn’t surprising; gossips always said that she’d stayed in Portugal under the spell of the sameouvidorEdward had disgraced.
When Lord Leontius came forward, he moved with studied elegance, aided by a cane. And Edward finally recalled the day a horse had landed on his leg and the breeding request he’d made shortly thereafter.
It seemed he could count on one man in this house to appreciate his conduct in Portugal.
“Dick Stone, a pleasure to have you at Elmwood.”
Edward clasped his hand in greeting and made the introductions. He introduced Tabby as a family friend — this would likely fool no one, but they had to observe proprieties when moving in society. One must think of the wives present, after all (though a good number of them had enjoyed Edward’s company in bed, so he wasn’t sure precisely who this fiction should reassure).
“And this is my son, Richard,” said Leontius, drawing the boy forward and watching with pride as he made his bows to the guests.
Edward’s heart raced in his chest. Given that he had little to do with thetonother than fucking the wives of the elite, he rarely saw the outcome of his breedings, especially not when they were nearly human in form and function.
Richard had a way of standing, both proud and deeply shy, that made Edward think of his deceased elder brother Horatio at that age. Suddenly, he wanted to skip rocks while looking manfully at a trout pond. Anything to disguise the feeling that he might cry at the thought of never watching his own child make their bows or curtsies.
“Several old compatriots plan to attend the house party this weekend. And we expect to be graced by the presence of our neighbors, the Duke and Duchess of Chevaliermont.”
Gesù, the only thing that could make this a bigger fiasco would be his former fiancée, Phily, and her licentious husband, Monty.
His eyes darted to Tabby. She was already regarding him. His girl — young woman — sent him a wink and let herself be led into the house with her head high as if she’d only ever lived in manors such as this.
***
Edward was trying to tie his cravat for the third time when he heard the door to his room click open and shut.
“If you’ve come here to finish me off, make it quick so I needn’t fiddle with this demmed cravat a moment longer,” said Edward.
“Now, why would I want to do that?” asked Tabby, poking her head around the wardrobe.
“Ahh, at last,” he said, collapsing into a well-padded chair. “Come, give me a kiss and make it all better.”
Edward held out his arms, and Tabby slid tentatively into his lap for the first time. She applied herself to fixing his neckcloth and making his cock swell.
“What’s got you in a pelter, Dick Stone?” she asked.
“I don’t think I can do it.”
“Do what?” she asked, pulling on his cravat in ways that gave him ideas of a most stimulating nature.
“Solve this problem of who claimed I committed treason.”
