Page 28 of Cruel Dynasty

“Of course.” I got up and headed back into the main house. I had no fucking clue where the loo was but I would rather wander aimless through Welbatten for eternity than show her even an ounce of weakness.

After twenty minutes, I understood what they meant when they said pride comes before the fall. Not only had I not located the bathroom, I also wasn’t entirely certain where I’d wound up. There’d been no obvious loo on the main floor, so I’d dared to go upstairs. As soon as I made it up there, I found myself too afraid to open a door to actually do it. I was about to give up and hope I could handle another drink on an already full bladder, when Beatrice’s butler appeared in the corridor.

“May I help you, Miss Belmond?” he asked quizzically.

“I was going to the loo. Beatrice told me to use hers,” I lied, hoping it didn’t sound too far fetched. “But honestly, it's been so long and I’ve had so much wine. I thought I remembered where it was, but I seem to be lost.”

“Miss Highclere’s quarters are the second on the left.” He paused for a moment.

“Yes?” I asked.

He shifted uncomfortably. “It’s not my place…”

“Oh, feel free.” After dinner and then Beatrice’s inquest regarding my sex life, I could handle anything—and if the butler had caught me in a lie, I would rather know that now than find out through someone else later.

“It’s nice to see one of Miss Highclere’s friends grown up and acting like a mature young woman,” he said in a rush.

I swallowed back a grin. Not because he’d flattered me, but because it was obvious that he found Beatrice as obnoxious as the rest of us did. “Thank you.”

“Will you be able to find your way back?” he asked.

“I think so.” It was more of a fib than a lie. I knew where the stairs were, from there, I just needed to go outside. Eventually, I’d reach the conservatory. I took my time in the loo, despite having been gone for such a long time already. I needed a break from it all. The double talk and keeping up appearances. Holden’s meaningful looks and Spencer’s guarded concern. And fucking Beatrice.

When I finally made it to the stairs, Spencer was on his way up them. He paused at the bottom.

“I thought you were lost.”

“I just needed a few minutes. Too much wine at dinner.”

“Too much Beatrice at dinner,” he said, reaching for my hand when I hit the bottom stair. “I’ve been looking for you for a while. God knows what trouble Beatrice and Holden have gotten into in our absence.”

“You left them alone?” I exhaled heavily as he steered us toward the back of the house. “Maybe we should just leave him. He obviously doesn’t want to go.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Spencer explained. “He seems torn between getting in a shag and retreat.”

“That’s a masculine dilemma if I ever heard one,” I grumbled. “Run from the woman or screw her.”

We’d only made it out the back door when Spencer stopped in his tracks and grabbed my arm. “Wait.”

“What?” I looked at him, trying to figure out what was wrong.

“It looks like we’re interrupting something.” He tipped his head toward the conservatory.

I took a step closer, unsure what he was talking about when I saw them. Without thinking, I took another step to get a better view. I couldn’t quite believe what was happening, even as I watched Holden lift Beatrice off her feet and brace her against a glass wall. I was still staring when Spencer’s arms slipped around my waist.

“Now this is an interesting predicament.”

13

My breath hitched in my throat as Spencer’s hands snaked up my body toward my breasts. He coaxed a few steps closer until we had the best possible viewing angle while still remaining hidden in the shadows. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the scene in front of me, even though Spencer was here and it felt wrong.

Because it was as though someone had lit every nerve in my body on fire. I couldn’t look away, because I didn’t want to. I was exactly what Holden claimed.

A dirty girl.

I needed to put a stop to this. Now.

But I didn’t. Spencer plumped my breast over my blouse. Then unfastened a button to slide his hand under. His thumb and index finger found my nipple and began to knead it through my bra’s lace. It pebbled into a rock hard point that sent me gasping, but still I watched Holden with Beatrice.