For the first time in weeks she allowed her mind to focus on Hunter. He’d been gone so long that she had nearly forgotten how he’d looked. But more importantly, she wondered how much he might have changed. Was he coming any closer to gaining justice on the man he’d been pursuing? He never spoke of Lord Gregory in his letters, nor the women he’d likely taken to his bed, for she had no doubt he was as chaste as she’d been. But considering he was sacrificing much to see to her welfare, she had no cause to complain.
While Sephy didn’t wanted to admit it, every time she returned to visit her mother, she cringed just imagining everything that was transpiring up those stairs. It was not a life she would want for herself anymore. But after she left the duke’s house, what other choice would she have but to do so in order to survive?
Again, she shoved such dark thoughts away as she readied herself for bed and finally fell into a restless slumber.
She awoke when it was still dark.
At first she wasn’t sure what had disturbed her slumber, but then she heard some commotion coming from downstairs. With a frown, she grabbed her robe and tied it as she left her bedchamber.
She was halfway down the stairs when she realized that there were two footmen holding a sizeable trunk between them. But it was the man standing in the midst of the expanse that caused her to gasp.
The Duke of Falcourt had returned.
***
Hunter was more weary than he ever remembered, but then, it had been a rather tedious journey all the way from India. Days of sailing, followed by dusty and grueling travel had finally led him to the one place he’d dreamed about ever since he’d stepped off English shores in pursuit of the evil man who’d defiled his sister.
But his persistence had paid off, for Lord Alabaster Gregory had been arrested the moment they returned to London. Relief had swept through Hunter as the vile creature had been carted away.
At long last it was over and he was finally home.
As the footmen took his trunk away, the fine hairs on the back of his neck rose, right before he heard the gasp. He slowly turned to see a vision in a white nightdress and robe, frozen mid-way on the stairs. His throat went dry, for his little vixen had matured quite admirably during his absence. He could see her feminine outline quite clearly, and the red hair that had haunted his dreams since he’d left was even lovelier than he remembered.
But even though he’d paid a great deal of money to keep her safe while he was away, that didn’t give him the right to assume authority over her now, even if his body might demand otherwise in spite of the changes that time and maturity had wrought.
He bowed slightly. “Miss Welton.”
Instead of offering the same solemn greeting, she surprised him by rushing down the rest of the stairs and launching herself into his arms. “I’m glad you’re back,” she whispered against his chest. “I missed you.”
Hunter hesitated but a moment before he put one arm around her, the other one cradling the back of her head. He closed his eyes at the soft, warm feel of her body pressed up against him. He’d yearned for this almost as much as his own country.
Although his time in India had been a rather enlightening experience, he had yearned for things that only England could provide, like Yorkshire pudding and stag hunts — and this woman. Even though he had known Miss Welton a brief time before he’d left her, she had made a lasting impression on him. He had seen her smile in every woman’s face, her blue eyes in every wave of the ocean, and her hair flowing in the breeze in every crowded street he’d traversed. It was her letters that had kept him afloat during the most trying of times.
She pulled back to lift on her tiptoes and kiss him lightly on the lips. It was a simple, yet modest welcome, but one that caused Hunter’s blood to rush through his veins and his cock to throb with anticipation. However, he forced his urges aside and gently set her away from him.
“That is the best homecoming a man could have, but I fear we will have to talk at length in the morning. I need a bath, some food, and a good night’s rest.”
He thought he saw disappointment cross her features, and yet, she pasted on a smile. “I’ll see that it’s taken care of right away.”
She rushed off and Hunter couldn’t help but chuckle at the simple sight of her bare feet. The seventeen-year-old girl he’d purchased all those years ago was still present and that was enough of a reminder to erase the amusement from his face and climb the stairs with a heavy trod. He’d vowed to never treat her as ill as his sister had been treated at the hands of Lord Gregory. A woman was to be cherished and adored, not treated as though she was put on this earth merely to slake a man’s lust.
He walked through the door of his chamber where the footmen were already filling up the copper tub. He removed his jacket and tossed it over the side of a chair, allowing his waistcoat and cravat to follow. He stared at the discarded items and realized that he would have to employ a valet again. However, after years of fending for himself, it was odd to have servants wait on him once more.
But apparently his return in the middle of the night had aroused everyone, for not only did a maid bring in
