Page 42 of A Countess Never Tells

“And so I have.” Kitty arched her back, luxuriating in the memory of their lovemaking. “We would be there still if you hadn’t insisted.”

He frowned, which made her giggle. “Perhaps we need to repair your looks a bit more. Here.” Removing his arm from around her shoulder forced her to sit up. “Hand me that hair comb on your right side.”

Carefully, Kitty pulled the tortoise shell comb from over her ear and handed it to him.

With rapt concentration, he delicately pulled stray wisps of golden hair away from her face, tucking them in here and there.

“You do that every bit as well as any lady’s maid.”

“So many years of making ladies presentable when they had very recently been unpresentable has left me with certain skills regarding ladies’ hair.” He peeped around at her, a wicked twinkle in his eyes. “And with mending things like torn lace and sleeves.”

“Ash!”

Grinning, he continued his ministrations. “Things do get ripped in the heat of passion, my dear.” His grin widened. “I’m certain you’ll experience that eventually. There.” He pulled one more strand of hair up and tucked it in with the comb. “Much more presentable, and just in time.”

The carriage pulled up half a block from her brother’s townhouse, in the exact spot where she’d found it earlier but on the opposite side of the street. “The coachman will help you out. I dare not be seen.” He kissed her once more, passion burning through her until he broke the kiss. “’Til tonight, my love.”

“Until tonight.” She looked up and down the sidewalk, but few people were passing this time of day. She landed on the pavement and began to walk, staunchly ignoring the carriage as it pulled away and turned right at the corner. With a sigh, she crossed the road, sped around the corner to the left and flew up the steps to the front door. Before she could raise the knocker, the door jerked open, revealing Barr, looking harried.

“Miss Tate. Thank goodness. Come inside, please.” He closed the door and took her wrap. “I will inform his lordship at once.”

“Why do you say, ‘thank goodness,’ Barr? What is wrong?” Kitty tried to sound innocent, though the butler’s response gave her to believe her absence had been noted. A feeling of foreboding wrapped around her like a shroud.

“Lord and Lady Haxby have been frantically looking for you, miss. Your maid came back hours ago without you and said you’d not gone with her at all.” Barr gave her a doleful look.

Well, it had been a spur of the moment plan, not well enough thought out. Which meant this would be a very painful interview. Best get it over with as soon as possible so she could rest before dinner and Lady Northrop’s ball. “Where are they, Barr?”

“The family drawing room, miss.”

“Thank you.” Gathering her wits for battle, Kitty made her way upstairs. Loud voices erupted from the drawing room long before she pushed the door open, assumed a bright smile, and sailed in gaily, as though nothing whatsoever was wrong. “Good afternoon, Judith, John. Is there tea? I am famished.”

“Kitty!” Judith sprang up from her chaise, worried lines smoothing away as she hurried toward her. “Where on earth have you been? We were out of our minds with worry when Jolly returned without you.”

“Yes, Kitty.” John sauntered toward her, a tumbler of brandy in one hand, a piece of paper in the other. “Just where have you and Lord Ashwood been?”

A sickening memory of leaving Ash’s note on the dressing table in her chamber assailed her. Apparently, she was no good at all with intrigue. Nothing for it now but to move forward with the story she had prepared. But first, a counterattack. “I see you have been in my chamber going through my correspondence. I wouldn’t have thought that of you, John.”

“When my sister says she’s going out with her maid, yet the maid returns alone, I believe I am justified in trying to find out where she is.” He tossed the note down at her feet.

Kitty shrugged. “When you forbid me to see the man I love, brother, you force me to find other ways to circumvent your tyranny.”

“Oh, so you love the rake now, do you?” John clenched his jaw as if trying to keep himself from saying anything worse.

“I do, brother.” She stared back at him defiantly. “And he loves me.”

“Kitty, we only want what’s best for you.” Judith looked at her askance but put an arm around her and steered her toward a chair before the fire. “Here, have some tea. You’ve been gone for hours. You must be tired to death.” Her sister-in-law poured the tea, dropped in the requisite two lumps, and passed it to Kitty, with a plate of cakes and biscuits.

“Thank you, Judith.” Her friend was absolutely marvelous. Despite John’s glare, Kitty picked up the cake, devouring it in two bites. She’d no idea lovemaking could make one so hungry.

“So where were you, Kitty?” Her brother hovered overtop of her, but Kitty was so hungry, she successfully ignored him as she took up a biscuit. “Jolly returned from the haberdasher at half-past three, saying you sent her off alone. You told Judith you were going with Jolly. According to that note, you met with Lord Ashwood instead.” His glare turned icy. “So what did you do?”

“We drove in Hyde Park, as we had agreed to do on Saturday.” Kitty took a sip of tea to give her strength.

“That was at three o’clock. It is now half-past five. You have never driven around the park for more than two hours.” John’s gaze speared her like a fish on a pike. “I went to the park at four, as soon as your maid appeared without you. Lord Ashwood’s carriage was not in evidence.”

“Of course we did not drive around the park for so long, John.” Making her voice light and carefree, as though she had not just enthusiastically participated in her own ruin, Kitty smiled sweetly at her brother. “Silly old thing. After we drove around the park twice, I suggested we go to that charming little confectionary Pot and Pineapple. We got ices there—I had the raspberry and Ash had the pomegranate. We took away some bergamot chips as well.”

“I see.” John sat down beside Judith, his frown no better than before. “And you spent the remaining hour or so at the confectioner’s?”