He smiled again. It felt good. He hadn’t smiled much since he had awakened in an army hospital bed, his leg hurting like blazes—unable to remember his name.
Then he spotted Elizabeth coming down the hall and his smile slid away.
Elizabeth jerked to a stop in the middle of the hallway. Traveling the opposite direction, Reese walked toward her, his blue eyes icy cold and fixed on her face.
“Good … good morning, my lord.”
“It’s closer to noon, but I’m sure that’s still early for you.”
She had been up for hours, but she didn’t say so. It didn’t matter what he thought as long as he let her stay. To that end, she had worked every day to stay out of his way.
“I was … I was wondering … I noticed your piano, the one sitting in the music room at the far end of the house. Would you mind terribly if I played it? I feel rather useless just sitting round here doing nothing. At Aldridge Park, I had begun giving Jared piano lessons. I thought perhaps I could continue.”
He just scowled. “Do what you wish.” Brushing past her, he headed down the hall to his study, where he usually squirreled himself away.
Unconsciously, Elizabeth’s hand came up to her heart. It was racing, she realized. Ridiculous. The man despised her. She had no reason to feel any sort of attraction to him.
Unfortunately, he had every reason to dislike her while she had no reason at all to dislike him. In fact, the more she was around him, the more she realized the terrible mistake she had made.
She had loved him so much.
If only she had been stronger. If only she hadn’t been so young.
But the past could not be changed. And her time here at Briarwood was limited. Soon she would have to leave for London.
At least in that regard, she had decided on a course of action. She would send Mason Holloway a letter, telling him she knew that he and Frances had been drugging her with laudanum in an effort to gain control of Jared and his fortune. She would tell him he was not welcome at Holiday House, her home outside London. Then she would hire guards to keep watch, to make certain Mason did not bully his way inside.
Once she had taken those actions, there was little more she could do. She thought that perhaps she would document the events that had occurred and what she had done to protect her son—just in case something happened to her.
Perhaps then, Mason and Frances would not be granted custody.
A shiver went through her. It was a worry that had no end.
Six
Reese heard melodic sounds coming from the music room at the far end of the house. Earlier, the jarring notes from the keyboard had been the clumsy efforts of a little boy. Now the enchanting melodies of Beethoven floated along the hall, pulling him like an inexorable force.
He reached the door and stood transfixed. In a room where most of the furniture was still hidden beneath white cotton covers, Elizabeth sat on the bench in front of the Streicher Vienna grand piano his grandfather had purchased, played, and loved.
It was built of flame mahogany, the legs ornate and partially gilded. Elizabeth’s eyes were closed as her pale fingers skimmed over the ivory keys. The boy was gone and she played for herself alone, played as if her heart filled every note. He remembered her playing for him all of those years ago, how the first time he had heard her play, he had fallen in love with her.
The rich chords of Beethoven held him immobile. He couldn’t have moved if the house had caught fire. She was smiling when she reached the end of the piece—until she opened her eyes and saw him.
Her features paled. Long seconds passed and neither of them spoke. Yet the air crackled between them, charged with an energy that heightened his pulse and made his breath quicken. The atmosphere grew dense and heavy, seemed to vibrate between them. His body stirred to life and arousal pulsed through his veins.
Her mourning dress was less formal, simple black bombazine with an inset of black crepe reaching all the way to her throat. Her raven hair was unpinned, clipped back on the sides but falling in dense curls down her back.
She was beautiful. More desirable than she had been as a girl.
His loins filled. Need poured through him. Inside his trousers, he was hard as a stone. He wanted to go to her, take her in his arms and kiss her. Wanted to drag her down on the thick Persian carpet and tear off her clothes, fill his gaze with the lush curves of her body.
Though they had made love that one time, it had been a quick, unsatisfactory coupling. He had never seen her naked as he longed to do now.
“Reese …?”
The sound came out low and throaty. She had called him by his first name as she hadn’t done before. His arousal strengthened. He found himself moving toward her, his bad leg cooperating for once.
“You play as well as ever,” he said as he reached where she sat. She rose from the bench, so close he caught the scent of her floral perfume, so near he could bend his head and capture her lips.
His brain warned him not to.
His erection throbbed, urging him to take what he wanted.
Her mouth was a dark rosebud pink, her lips full, perfectly curved and deliciously tempting. When she looked up at him and whispered his name once more, he was lost.
Bending his head, he captured her mouth and felt the warm press of her lips. They trembled slightly and he thought she might pull away, but instead those full lips softened, parted and he took her with his tongue. A soft mew escaped, half fear, half yearning. It stirred him even more and he deepened the kiss, took her without restraint.
He owed her nothing. If she accepted his advances, he would hold nothing back. He would show her the pleasure he hadn’t known how to give her before.
He caught her against him, pulled her close enough to feel his heavy erection. He felt her tremble, felt her weaken and sway against him the instant before she broke away.
Her eyes were big and round, more blue than gray, as if what had happened completely astonished her. She reached up and touched her kiss-swollen lips.
“You never … never kissed me that way before.”
He scoffed. “There are lots of things I didn’t do before. I was young and green and I was fool enough to believe we would learn those things together. I’m a different man now, Elizabeth.”
She swallowed. “Yes …”
“I’ll be happy to show you what I didn’t know before. I guarantee you will enjoy it.”
She paled. “I—I didn’t mean for that to happen. I just … I don’t know … somehow it just did.”
“You’re a widow. I’m sure you have needs. As I said, I’ll be happy to oblige you in any way you wish.”
Her chin went up. He had pushed her too far.
“I’m afraid you will have to excuse me, my lord. I need to check on Jared.”
He made no effort to stop her. In most ways he was grateful she was leaving. Silently, he cursed himself for his momentary lapse of judgment. What the hell had come over him? He knew better than to get involved with Elizabeth again.
Turning, he made his way out of the music room, trying not to think how much he wanted to kiss her again.
And so much more.
Elizabeth raced down the hall, willing her heartbeat to slow. Dear God, when she had come here, she had never imagined that Reese would want her. When they had been together, he’d been shy where women were concerned.