Page 59 of Loving an Earl
“Who are these men?” Lilly asked, her mouth suddenly dry.
As the men took a semiconscious Redford to a small coach not far away, Langford said, “They are men I hired to investigate Redford. I’ll explain the rest in the carriage.”
Blackstone turned to them and said, “We will walk to my carriage to give you two some privacy.” He offered Emmeline his arm, and they walked on.
Langford, leaning heavily on his cane, which Lilly hadn’t even noticed until now, helped her inside the carriage. But instead of sitting opposite her, he sat beside her and reached for her gloved hand. “Don’t be angry with me, but I hired a Bow Street Runner to investigate Redford. Those were his men. They will see him delivered to a magistrate.”
She turned to look at him. “Why did you hire them in the first place?”
“The more I thought on Redford, the more convinced I was that something wasn’t right. And I’m glad I looked closer. If you had married him...” His entire body trembled. “It was he who set the fire in the barn that killed the previous viscount.”
Lilly gasped.
“The viscount had several daughters but no sons to inherit the title, and Redford was tired of waiting for him to die and let the title come to him naturally.” He groaned. “If you’d married him, no doubt he would have killed you as well before long to get his hands on your money. Bloody hell.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s all my fault you find yourself in this predicament for having his name on that blasted list I made you.”
She squeezed his hand. “It’s not your fault. He fooled all of us.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Thank you for saving me.”
“If anything had happened to you... I’m not sure what I would’ve done.”
“I’m fine now, thanks to you.”
*
Edmund supposed inthe end that it was a good thing that he’d gone a bit mad from boredom and inactivity during his recovery at his townhome in Mayfair. He’d been mostly preoccupied with visions of Lilly with Redford, that was where his madness lay. It had caused him to lash out at his servants, for which he would forever be ashamed. But Blackstone and Caldwell, who had visited daily, agreed that something was odd and untrustworthy about Redford.
So Edmund had called for a Bow Street Runner he’d worked with regarding their business and had hired him to poke about. It had taken several weeks, but the runner had done his job. Now Lilly was safe and Redford would die in Newgate or hang at the gallows for murder. He deserved no better.
When his carriage pulled up to Emmeline’s house, he wasn’t ready to let Lilly out of his sight. Still holding her hand, he swiveled in the seat and took her other hand in his as well. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that tonight. Believe me, I tried to reach you as fast as I could, but my leg, well, it still gives me trouble.”
Her lips tilted up into a beautiful smile. “You saved me. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Good night, Lilly.”
Still looking at him, her smile faltered, her expression shy and hesitant. “Would you stay with me tonight? I don’t want to be alone.” Her gaze lowered and she turned a bright shade of pink. “I don’t mean...”
He grinned and his eyes softened. “I know what you mean. And, yes. I will stay with you. I owe you for caring for me when I was recovering from my accident.”
Her head tipped up and she frowned. “You don’t owe me anything. Never mind, I’ll be fine alone.”
He touched her cheek and smiled. “That’s not what I’m staying. Forgive me for saying that I owe you. I will stay because you asked me, as a friend.” He knocked on the roof and the door opened and the stairs were pulled down. Edmund helped Lilly exit the vehicle. Harrison had the front door open as their feet hit the top step. He ignored the censuring look from the butler, but Edmund respected the man for looking out for the three unmarried ladies living here.
Lilly led the way up to her chambers and left him while she entered her dressing room. He leaned on his cane to steady himself and breathed deeply, trying to ease the sexual desire running rampant through his body. It remembered the last time he’d visited these rooms. But he was not with Lilly in her chambers tonight to sleep with her. She’d had a terrible shock and only needed the safety and comfort he could give her. And he wanted to prove to her that he was a good man. Perhaps he was not completely worthy of her, but he hoped to become such a man someday. As for now, he was at Lilly’s disposal. Whatever she needed from him, he would supply.
When Lilly emerged from her dressing room in a flowing white nightgown and matching robe, her silky blond hair touching her waist, all the air in his lungs dispersed, and he bent forward, gasping for air.
“Is something wrong?” She was at his side, touching him in no time, her voice laced with concern.
He almost laughed but swallowed it down. Laughing at a time like this would be in very bad form.Get a hold of yourself, Edmund, you fool.“No. I’m all right.” He stood up and glanced at her delicate hand on his arm. A hand that sent scorching heat curling up his arm through his shoulder and down to curl around his heart.
Her brows furrowed. “You are not acting all right.” Her hand went to his cravat. “Here, let me help you. You will feel more relaxed if you shed some of your clothing.” She untied his cravat and removed his coat and waistcoat until he stood before her in his linen shirt, breeches, and boots. “Sit, let me help you with your boots.” He stifled the groan trying to escape his throat. Did she have any idea what she was doing to him? Once his boots were removed, he wiggled his toes in his stockings and cleared his throat. “Go to bed. I’ll sleep on the chaise longue.”
She rose up on tiptoe and brushed her warm, soft lips across his cheek. “Thank you.”
As he stretched out on the chaise longue with his legs hanging over the end, he heard the rustle of the bed covers and then her sigh. He reached beneath his head for a pillow, covered his face with it and groaned.
After an hour or so, he realized there would be no sleeping tonight with the woman of his dreams so close by and making murmuring sounds in her sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Three
