Confessions at Midnight

Chapter Seventeen

Some women enjoy the confines of marriage, but I embraced the freedom of widowhood, having no one to answer to but myself. I was free to concentrate my attention on one lover, or, if I so desired, allow my attention to wander to more than one gentleman.

Memoirs of a Mistress by An Anonymous Lady

'Enjoying the party?'

The question pulled Daniel's attention away from Carolyn, who stood near the punch bowl on the opposite side of the crowded room, and he turned. Matthew stood next to him, champagne glass in hand.

'Of course I'm enjoying the party.' A complete lie. He'd done his duty, chatting and mingling with the other guests, including Gideon Mayne and Charles Rayburn, who were in attendance, still hoping to find a lead in Blythe's murder. More than once he'd felt their stares boring into him.

But now that he'd fulfilled his social obligations, he wanted nothing more than to leave. With Carolyn, who, despite his best efforts, he hadn't been able to erase from his thoughts for so much as an instant. Especially after reading the explicit book she'd sent him. The brief words she'd written on the accompanying card were burned into his brain: I want all of this.

And God knows, he wanted to give it all to her. And had decided to begin right away, by employing a method used by one the Anonymous Lady's lovers. At a party they both attended, the lady's lover had purposely kept his distance, building an air of anticipation. And now he was doing his damnedest to remain aloof, but the effort was costing him. Perhaps he'd be better served to employ a different method described in the book-that of spiriting his lover away to the nearest empty room, locking the door, and proceeding to show her how much he desired her. But given the gossip he knew was already circulating regarding them being together during last night's shooting, he decided for her sake to err on the side of discretion.

Although, spiriting her away might be a better plan since that bastard Jennsen was now talking to her. And smiling at her. And damn it, she was smiling back. In fact, they were chatting like the best of friends.

'I must say I'm surprised you're enjoying the party,' said Matthew, 'because you don't look as if you are. Your countenance resembles a storm cloud.'

Bloody hell. He wiped his expression clean then tossed back a swallow of his brandy. 'The party is delightful.'

'Glad you think so. Personally, I cannot wait to get my lovely wife home and out of that very lovely gown she's wearing. Do you have plans for later this evening?'

Yes. I'm going to toss that bastard Jennsen into the nearest privet hedge. Then make love to the most beautiful woman I've ever known. 'Why do you ask?'

'Just making conversation.' He paused, then said, 'Striking couple.'

'Who?'

'Carolyn and Jennsen.'

Daniel's fingers tightened on his snifter. 'They're not a couple,' he said, proud of how nonchalant he sounded.

'I hadn't thought so, but something my wife told me not a quarter hour ago changed my mind.'

'Oh? What did she tell you?'

'Jennsen kissed her-'her' being Carolyn, of course. Not my wife. If he'd kissed my wife, I assure you he wouldn't be capable of attending a party.'

Everything inside Daniel froze. He slowly turned toward Matthew. 'I beg your pardon?'

'I said, 'If he'd kissed my wife-''

'Not that part.'

'Ah. Jennsen kissed Carolyn.'

Feeling as if he'd been stabbed, Daniel asked tersely, 'When?'

'Today.'

He shook his head. 'You're mistaken.' He had to be.

'I assure you I'm not.'

'Where?'

Matthew frowned. 'Sarah didn't say, although if I had to guess, I'd say probably in the drawing room.'

'I meant where on her body did he kiss her? Her hand? Her cheek?' While he hated the idea of it, he supposed he could refrain from tossing Jennsen on his arse for kissing her hand or cheek. He supposed.

Matthew shook his head. 'Oh, no. On her lips. According to Sarah it was quite a kiss.'

He felt as if his pores were about to spew steam. 'What the bloody hell does that mean?'

Matthew cocked at brow at his tone. 'Surely you've had ample enough lovers to know what sort of kiss 'quite' a kiss is.'

A red haze seemed to dull his vision. That bastard had kissed Carolyn. His Carolyn. He was going to do worse than toss Jennsen on his bloody colonial arse-he was going to kick it all the way back to America. He opened his mouth to speak, but in his fury no words came forth. He'd never, in his entire life, been so angry. Or so sickly jealous.

Which was ridiculous. He held no claim on Carolyn. Like all his previous lovers, she was free to do whatever she wished with whomever she wanted. As was he. The problem was that, unlike all his previous liaisons, he didn't want anyone other than her. And the possibility that she might want someone other than him, might share with someone else the intimacies that she'd shared with him, all but cleaved him in two. Clearly Jennsen was attracted to her. Was she attracted to Jennsen as well?

'What was her reaction to Jennsen's kiss?' He had to force the words past this tight throat.

'I've no idea. But she doesn't appear to be angry with him. And clearly she didn't blacken his eyes.' Matthew leaned closer. 'I was under the impression you were interested in the lady. If so, you'd best stop fannying around.'

'What makes you think I'm fannying around?'

'The fact that she's standing over there chatting and smiling with Jennsen and you're here with me is evidence enough.'

Daniel watched Jennsen hand Carolyn a fresh glass of punch and tried to banish the gut-wrenching the image of that bastard kissing his woman. Tasting her. Touching her skin. Making love to her.

She isn't your woman. She's your lover. Nothing more. Yes. Which is what he'd wanted-his usual shallow affair. And what she'd wanted-because her heart remained devoted to Edward. Christ, it was bad enough he had to compete with her dead husband's memory-a man she set on a pedestal so high as to render him a near deity. Now he had to compete with Jennsen as well? A very much alive man who clearly had no qualms about taking what he wanted. And a man who, based on the way she was smiling at him, she obviously liked.

Well, Daniel didn't have any qualms about taking what he wanted either, something Jennsen was going to discover before this evening was over.

Beside him, Matthew said in an undertone, 'Well, I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. I distinctly recall you telling me that all women look the same in the dark, so based on that theory, any woman will do as far as satisfying your lustful urges. Certainly there are a bevy of lovely females to choose from right here in this room.'

Were there? He hadn't noticed. The only woman he'd paid the slightest attention to all evening was Carolyn. Even while speaking to other women-such as Kimberly and Gwendolyn, Lady Margate, both of whom he'd once been intimate-he'd been completely aware of Carolyn. Where she was, with whom she spoke. How many times she looked in his direction. And he clearly needed to rethink his 'all women look the same in the dark' theory since Carolyn had pulverized it into dust.

Matthew made a tsking sound. 'Oh, how the mighty have fallen.'