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Augusta stirred in the big bed, aware of the hard, solid, disturbingly masculine body
beside her. The heavy scent of the recent lovemaking hovered in the air and her body was
still damp.
She opened her eyes and saw a pale moon outside the window. Slowly she stretched
out her legs, wincing at the slight soreness in her thigh muscles. It was always this way
after Harry had made love to her. She felt as though she had ridden a blooded stallion
long and hard. Or perhaps it was she who had been ridden. She smiled to herself.
"Augusta?"
"Yes, Harry?" She turned on her side and propped her elbows on his bare chest.
"There is something I would know about this night's work."
"And what is that, my lord?" She twined her fingers in the crisp mat of hair on his
chest. It was amazing how what they shared together in bed could affect both their
moods, she reflected. For example, she was no longer feeling at all belligerent and
defensive.
"Why did you not come to me immediately with that note the lad handed you this
afternoon? Why did you try to keep such a dangerous rendezvous on your own?"
Augusta sighed. "I doubt that you would understand, Harry."
"Try me."
"Even if you do understand, you will doubtless not approve."
"You have the right of it on that point. But tell me why you did not come to me with
that note, Augusta," he ordered gently. "Was it because you feared the information you
would be given would be evidence against your brother?"
"Oh, no," she said quickly. "Just the opposite, in fact. I assumed from the note that it
would be the proof I needed to remove the cloud of suspicion that hangs over Richard's
name."
"Then why did you not confide in me? You knew I would be interested in whatever
transpired tonight."
She stopped toying with his chest hair. "I wanted to show you that I could be as useful
and helpful in your investigations as your close friends."
"Sally and Sheldrake?" Harry frowned. "That was most foolish, Augusta. They have
had a great deal of experience at this kind of thing. They know how to take care of
themselves. You know nothing about conducting an investigation."
"But that is just it." She sat up beside him. "I want to learn. I want to be part of your
circle of truly close friends, the ones with whom you share your deepest thoughts. I want
to have the kind of bond with you that Sally and Peter do."
"Hell, Augusta, you are my wife," Harry muttered, exasperated. "Our bond is far more
intimate than any I share with Sally or Peter Sheldrake, I assure you."
"The only time I feel truly close to you is when we are in bed together as we are now.
And that is not enough, because even then there is a distance between us."
"There is no distance at all between us at such times, madam." He smiled as he
stroked a hand down over her hip. "Or need I remind you?"
She wriggled away from his touch. "But there is a kind of distance because you do not
love me. You only feel some physical passion for me. It is not at all the same thing."
His brow rose. "You are an expert on the difference?"
"I expect every woman is an expert on the difference between passion and love,"
Augusta retorted. " 'Tis no doubt an instinct."
"Are we going to get ourselves mired again in that useless argument with all its
confounded feminine logic?"
"No." Augusta leaned forward eagerly. " 'Tis just that I have decided if I cannot have
your love, Harry, I would have your friendship. Your close friendship. I want to be a part
of your inner circle of companions. The ones with whom you share everything. Do you
not understand, my lord?"
"No, I do not understand. You are not making sense."
"I want to feel as though I belong to your special circle of intimates. Do you not see,
my lord? It would be like being part of your real family."
"Damnation, Augusta, you are talking a lot of emotional nonsense. Hear me well,
wife, you are most certainly a part of this family." He caught hold of her chin, his eyes
intent. "And do not ever forget that fact, madam. You are not, however, a trained
intelligence agent and I will not have you playing dangerous games the way you did
tonight. Is that quite clear?"
"But I did a good job, Harry. Admit it. I brought you some very interesting evidence.
Only think, my lord. Someone went to all that trouble just to make us think that the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]