It was nearly midnight when the viscount arrived at his seaside habitat. He lit the torch, and then began unsaddling his horse. The stallion seemed cool enough, so he led him to his roped off bedding, saw to his water and hay, then put away his saddle and reins.

He plopped heavily down on his thick straw bed and lay back against his pillow, silently thanking Epps for all that he provided for him.

He found he couldn’t sleep, so he propped his hands behind his head and stared at the shadows on the cave wall.

He had seen no signs that Ness had visited his cave during his absence. If she had, she had not left him a note. Would she ever acknowledge him again when he got out of this mess?

Confound it all! Bloody hell! How had he allowed the woman to get under his skin like this? He was up on his feet again. He walked to his cave entrance. It was a sultry night and even the breeze off the ocean was warm.

He undid his shirt ties at the neck and unbuttoned it as he pulled it out of his breeches and let it hang. His mind was full with images of Ness, her face alight with humor, her eyes twinkling with mischief. Edward was correct. She had not given him away. She had been honorable about her promise to him, in spite of his cavalier treatment of her.

He relived his moments with her in her bedroom and closed his eyes.

It had not produced the results he had wanted. She had looked at him with eyes full of hurt and anger. He had not realized just how ugly his words sounded until he had replayed them in his mind.

He had wanted her to the point of distraction. He had assumed, from her own conversations, that she was ‘experienced’ in the art of making love. He had not thought her a maiden—did not think it now, and still he wanted her, wanted her for all time!

Burn it! He was lost in a world that was becoming less sustainable, and thinking of a future with Ness in it. How could he court her when he couldn’t travel by light of day and was wanted for murder?

And what in blazes had Edward meant about Orson and his Ness? Was Orson actually paying her court? Was she actually interested in the worthless cad?

Ah, here was the pot calling the kettle black.

He was, he admitted to himself, a rogue…and now a man hiding from the law. What right had he to think he could have her for his own? None.

It was at this moment that a sound came to his ears and he flattened himself against the inside wall of the cave entrance. His gun was with his saddle behind him, so he picked up a hefty rock, as he looked to ascertain whether or not the light from the torch would give his shadow away. It did not, but it would shine on whoever entered, as was its purpose.

Whoever it was tripped over something and voiced an impatient oath, and the viscount came to life. Indeed, before he heard her voice, he had been walking about like a man half-dead.

He stepped forward and the Naughty Ness let out a small scream before she put a hand over her mouth to stifle herself.

He saw no smile in her beautiful blue eyes, eyes that made him want to take her into his arms. She drew herself up and regarded him with a businesslike demeanor, which irritated him into making her a mock bow, and as soon as the words were out he wanted to smack himself. “Ah,” he said, “so, you are here. Does the Lady Vanessa once again seek the forbidden?”

* * *

Ness stamped her foot. He infuriated her. “Drop that rock so that I may tell you how very despicable you are!” She decided that she should immediately leave and started to turn.

He took hold of her arm. “No…don’t go, stay, Ness, please. Forgive my wayward tongue. It does not betray me, but makes a fool of me.”

She hesitated. What did he mean by that, precisely? She wasn’t sure and she eyed him suspiciously but relented. “Very well.” She had, during their exchange, dropped her horse’s reins, but her mare had trotted inside the cave and had gone immediately to Midnight, where the stallion grunted and nuzzled her.

Ness and the viscount both laughed, easing the tension of the moment. They took a moment to watch the mare pick at some of Midnight’s dinner.

She walked over to her mare and said, “Here now, Shadow, let me loosen your saddle and make you more comfortable.”

Done with settling her horse, she turned and found the viscount towering over her. She stood frozen for a moment, taken by his nearness.

He stepped back and Ness immediately moved away from the straw bed, only a couple of feet away. Why had she come here? To update him on the information she had discovered from Bess Widdons and to tell him Duncan was in town and Mary was safe because of the brilliant codicil to his will, giving Lady Penrod guardianship over Mary.

But his nearness was all too confusing. Finding herself here with him, with his glorious broad chest exposed, with his dark penetrating eyes beating a path to her heart, being alone and feeling free to be with him, close to him, was thrilling, more thrilling than anything else in her life. She had feelings for this man—deep, genuine feelings, but how could she? She didn’t really know him. In addition to those feelings was the fact that her body screamed for him. He made her feel like a wanton woman and if she looked into herself, she knew exactly what she wanted—him, all of him.  

He said, “You must be warm with that cloak so tightly wrapped around you. Allow me.” He reached and in one fluid movement had it unclasped and off her shoulders.

She wore a loose boy’s white, slightly yellowed with age, shirt. He smiled to think it probably had been her brother’s at one time. Over her perfectly shaped legs were tightly fitted breeches. On her feet, covering most of her calves, were well worn riding boots.

He looked her over slowly and smiled. She put up her chin. “I am sorry if my mode of dress doesn’t conform to the traditional. I wear what is expedient and let us understand something, my lord, I don’t give a jot for your good opinions. Those who know me could not, would not think poorly of the way I dress or live my life. I came here because there is much that has happened today that will affect your future. I don’t owe you this visit, I don’t owe you the benefit of the doubt, but I have allowed you both. I think your sister is a jewel worth saving and in order to ‘save’ her, I need must prove your innocence. She believes in it and so do I. It is my intention to clear the good name of Montlaine and that alone is why I am here this night.”

He inclined his head as though abashed.

She was suspicious of it, more so when he spoke.

“I suppose I must thank you, and I do.”

She so loved the way his silky black hair fell over his forehead and had the absurd urge to run her fingers through its glorious waves. She blinked as she silently berated herself. She must remember how arrogant, how rude…how much she…liked him.

Indeed, she liked him. In spite of everything…and that like bordered on love. It was impossible. How could she love someone she did not know? Why did she feel that she knew him right into the spirit that moved his heart?

“Don’t apologize,” she said with a wrinkle of her nose. “It would not be in keeping with the façade you wish to promote.”

He smiled. “My lady’s tongue is as sharp as her eyes are bright…both pierce me to the quick.”

She laughed. “Right then, shall we banter the night away, or shall I tell you why I am here?”

He chuckled and then slid his arm around her as he pulled her in close. “Do, my Naughty Ness, my sweetheart, tell me why you are here.”

She wanted him to kiss her like he had the other night. She wanted his hands to roam all over her, even though they weren’t married, even though it went against the ‘mores’ of her time. Society would label her a tart if they knew. A thousand and one little voices screamed that this time she was going too far and might not ever recover.

She wanted him in ways she was sure did, in fact, make her a tart. Oddly enough, the notion made her smile.

She wanted to give her hands the freedom to roam over his hard, oh so desirable body. Yes, she wanted!

Eyes wide open, she told herself, but the words that came out of her mouth surprised her. “I am not your sweetheart.”

“Are you not? Look at me, Ness. Look into my eyes and tell me what you see,” he said simply. “Admit to yourself that you are the sweetheart I am determined to have and no other.”

“Stop!” She pulled away but felt his hand still touching, still ready to draw her into him. “My lord, I am here because of what I have to tell you. The information is complicated and I am not certain how I shall begin, but I must begin. Please, don’t distract me with your…er, flirting,” she said earnestly.

He released her and gave her his back as he sprawled upon his straw bed, leaned onto one bent elbow, and looked at her and said, “Very well then, if you have something to tell me, sit, be comfortable, and tell me all.”

She sighed, but plopped down, drew up her knees to her chin for a moment, eyed him, and shook her head. “I honestly don’t know where to start…there is so much.”

“Start at the beginning and then take me through it to this moment. Start with your morning yesterday. I can tell you mine was wrought with self-recrimination.” He eyed her, then added with a wry curl of his lip, “Time is fleeting, and we wouldn’t want you to risk wasting your valuable time sparing whatever concerns you think your information will give me.”

She eyed him fulminatingly. “Wretch! Deuce take you, you thoughtless rogue. As it happens, what I am risking involving myself in yet another scrape is something that society would no doubt add to my list of deplorable achievements. Why must you always speak so sardonically?”

His smile softened and his hand went to her chin. “Forgive me, sweetheart.” He bowed his head and released her chin. “In my opinion, only the vulgar would call this last entanglement a scrape. The learned are more apt to describe it as a dilemma.”

She laughed. “You…” she looked around herself for emphasis, “would of course say that, considering your situation.”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he bent towards her, his hand reaching and sliding around her to pull her close.

He was going to kiss her and she would be forever undone. In fact, if she was honest with herself, she was already undone. It came to her then that she loved him beyond reason. She loved him and it was more than the way he looked, which was devastatingly handsome. Something in his soul had already met with hers and united. She was being fanciful and yet that was what she felt.

Instead of kissing her, he took both her hands and raised them up above her head as he placed his hands flat against hers. “Close your eyes,” he whispered.

Without question, she did what he asked.

“Do you feel it?” His voice was low and charged. “You must feel it. I couldn’t be alone in this.”

She did, she felt supercharged energy flow from his hands to hers. It was immensely erotic and she didn’t want it to stop.

It was as though a wild all-consuming need developed between them and traveled from his palms into hers, and then through her body. It was as though an invisible force took them into another universe where they looked into one another and became one.

This was impossible, she thought.

“Your spirit and mine…” he said, then she was in his arms, his mouth was on hers, and magic engulfed and surrounded them.

Not impossible, a voice in her heart cried out. Not impossible.

His kiss turned into another after another. His tongue took hers from a cotillion into a deafening waltz that spun her around and around. His kisses took her where nothing else existed but the taste and feel of his tongue on hers.

When his lips began their slow journey to her ear and down her neck, he mumbled words of need and then he said, “Ness…we were always meant for each other.”

That was it. Those were the words that rang the forever bells in her head.

Everything else was forgotten but the fact that his words felt true and this was their moment. If matters went wrong after this night. If she somehow lost him to life or to another, she would have this night, this all-consuming feeling to remember.

Truth willed out and she realized the totality of her feelings.

This was true love, and like everything else she did, she loved with whole-hearted abandonment. She loved him madly, and to the exclusion of reason.

Somehow, her shirt was off, and his hands covered her breasts as he hungrily declared their perfection. His fondling elicited sensations that were like nothing she had ever experienced. She wanted more and then he was bending and suckling at her nipples, one and then the other. Her body felt as though hot blood was coursing through it, forming puddles in her veins that bubbled with geyser explosions, and each explosion made her arch her body as he brought her to the edge of feral exhilaration.

More. She wanted more, though she couldn’t name what. She heard herself groan and wondered who that was making such lewd noises.

As he tugged at her breeches, she looked at him and laughed. With her finger, she indicated her boots, and he laughed as well, and it was a joyous sound.

“I’d wager you never had to take breeches off a woman before,” she found herself teasing. How could she be so at ease? She was. Here with him was where she belonged. Anywhere in the world with him would be right.

He grinned. “No…never before, but I fancy this won’t be the last time I’ll be removing your breeches, my sweet, because I have no intention of ever asking you to be anything or anyone you aren’t. I love you the way you are, the way you think…and I love the way you look in your breeches, with that very fine derriere of yours.”

He incited her to passion and it was with an ardor that she managed to get her boots off and kick them away. She lifted her rump as he pulled off her breeches and then she lay back on both elbows, naked and too engrossed with watching him remove the last vestiges of his clothing to feel shy. No, she wasn’t shy and he was built like a stallion in heat.

Ness had been raised in the country and had often witnessed bulls and stallions in season. She was a country girl at heart. This all seemed so natural.

She stared at his dancing cock and whispered, “Oh my,” and then when he bent to his knees and came close…

“Touch,” he said.

Without hesitation, she reached and stroked his manhood with one finger. “Oh…oh my,” she repeated, then took hold and squeezed. “So hard…you are nearly as big as our standing stud back home.”

He laughed. “Only nearly?” He stretched out alongside her and pressed his hard throbbing rod against her hip.

“You are exquisite, my love…I want to taste you…”

She believed he meant to kiss her and when he moved into position, she frowned, unsure what he was about to do.

She had no idea how he meant to taste her other than, and suddenly her legs were in the air and over his shoulders as he bent his head between her thighs. His fingers parted her private area, private no more. His tongue lapped there, his hand cupped and worked her slowly and then faster and faster still. She was bitten by feral desire. She felt something wild and erotic build up inside of her. She knew what was happening. Her dearest married friend had described a great deal, but she had not realized how she would feel or react.

His tongue worked her clit, then he started nibbling with an accompanying sound of pleasure. She knew she was lost when she couldn’t stop herself from crying out and pushing into his ministrations. She pushed hard, crying out, “Yes, yes…that…”

His finger dove inside her and she pumped at it, wanting something to…and there it was. If she could fly, this would be the sensation, she thought as her body soared.

She could see the stars blinking and exploding all around her in a place only the two of them lived. Release, sweet release came in convulsive spurts of pleasure. Her body jerked over and over again and each time delicious sensations surged through her, and all she could do was feel.

“My sweet love,” he growled on a hard note as one hand went to her nipple and rubbed and tweaked while his free hand positioned the head of his hard-on between her thighs.

She watched him with anticipation.

“Want it…want it now?” he growled.

“Yes, more, more,” she said, excited beyond her wildest dreams.

He started to push in. “You are so tight, so damn tight, love.”

“Now,” she demanded. “Want you now.”

He shoved inside a bit more and she squealed with a short spasm of pain and he stopped. “Ness!”

“Take me, my lord,” she insisted.

He pushed on and she released another short cry.

“You are a virgin.” It was almost an accusation.

“No more,” she said, and giggled.

His mouth closed on hers and as his tongue joined her tongue, he rammed himself deeper and rode her hard.

“Yes,” was all she could say as pleasure infiltrated every nerve ending.

He moved faster and each thrust made her groan and ask for more.  

He took her to new heights before he slowed his movement and whispered, “I want to stay inside you forever, love, forever.” He moved and rotated then and she reveled in the pleasure his expert manipulation of her body produced.

“Oh, my lord…yes, yes…” was all she could express. She was right at the peak and needed to complete that climb.

As he rammed her hard and brought her to point non-plus, she screamed with her climax and buried her face against his chest. He allowed himself release as he held her to him and declared, “Mine, all mine. You may be Naughty Lady Ness, but from here on, you shall be my Naughty Lady Ness.”

“Yours,” she said, and added, “as long as you are mine.”

He chuckled. “Fair enough. I accept your terms.” He eyed her. “I shouldn’t ask you now. I should wait until my name is cleared…”

“No. Your name is cleared in my eyes. Ask away,” she said.

“Ness…I love you. I know this is all whirlwind and no doubt too soon, but I want you for my bride.”

“Not too soon. I would have been disappointed if I had to return to my own bed without getting a betrothal from you,” she said, and laughed with joy.

He chuckled and cupped her chin. “I love you, Ness. I love your face, your eyes, your fucking beautiful body and I love who you are.”

“Oooh, what a naughty word. I have heard my brother say that word when he didn’t know I was about, but he didn’t use it as you just did. ‘Tis most…exciting,” she said hoarsely.

He held her to him and moaned. “You move me, Ness…” All at once, he lifted her to her hands and knees and whispered hoarsely, “Naughty Ness…are you ready for more?”

She pushed back with her rump. He laughed and rubbed her butt with his open hand and said, “Exquisite…” as he slammed into her and pumped her even as she thrust backwards to receive him. He found a spot and rubbed his cock inside of her and she said, “My lord…do that…over and over…that…”

“So I shall, but I want you to say my name,” he answered on a rough note. “Say it.”

“Don’t stop, Bret…do what you are doing, harder…oh yes, yes, Bret…”

“I love you, woman,” he said as he brought her to yet another release and as he met hers with his own, they called to each other, he held her breast and pumped the last of his seed into her.

They lay in one another’s arms and after a few moments he whispered in her ear. “Ness…I love you.”

She cuddled against him.

He frowned and she laughed and asked, “What?”

“Do you love me? You have not yet said the words.”

“Ah, have I not shown you how very much I love you? Yes, my lord…yes, my Bret, I love and adore you.”

Satisfied, he snuggled her when all at once she sat up. “Bret!”

“What is it?” He sat up as well. “Dash it! The time? I have kept you here too long…you must go.”

“Yes, but first, I have so much to tell you.”

He reached over and flipped her nipple with his finger. She scrambled away and put on her shirt. “No. This is important.”

He reached over for his own shirt. “Very well, what is it, sweetheart?”

Ness dressed as she spoke, for she wanted to get back, put Shadow away, and get to her room without being seen. Some of the servants rose very early and she couldn’t take the chance of being observed.

“I suppose I should start with Bess Widdons. She is…was Melony’s friend and a member of the coven you were accused of leading.”

“By Jupiter!”

“Yes, there…you see now, don’t you? Well, there actually was a coven of twelve girls, though I think they were all just on a lark. Their leader called himself the Master and, in fact, seduced more than just Melony. They couldn’t see his face as he wore a mask, but he tried to convince them he was you. Bess knew better because she saw you in town and went directly to the point of meeting and the Master was there already.”

“Swine,” the viscount snapped. “I shall…”

“Listen now,” she interrupted. “He allowed Melony to see who he was. Mistake. He then got her with child. Second mistake. Melony demanded marriage. He refused. She threatened him with exposure. That would have destroyed his plans. Melony was poisoned.”

“Yes, yes, I quite see, but it doesn’t bring us any closer to knowing who the devil was.” The viscount sighed heavily. “If Melony was the only one that knew his identity? How are we helped by this?”

“Indeed, he is cunning and wicked, but I have a strong suspicion that Bess did not tell me all she knows. I mean to question her further, you see, and shall have to go gently, as she is frightened, very frightened by this man.”

“Does she think he will come after her?”

“I believe she does, though she isn’t sure he knows that she was in Melony’s confidence.” Ness chewed her bottom lip.

“When you do that, love, it distracts me,” he said on a low, hungry note.

She saw an amber light deep in his dark eyes. “Do what?”

He put his thumb over her bottom lip. “Chew your lip. It makes me want to join you there.”

She felt a rush of heat startle her, but firmly said, “My dear lord, we must stick to the subject at hand.”

“Which is?” he teased.

“Bess—should we strive to protect her? Hire someone to look out for her?”

“Indeed, I shall look into it,” he said thoughtfully.

“That now brings me to our Mary,” she stuck in hurriedly. “Which, by the way, was brilliant of you…making Guss—Lady Penrod, her guardian.”

“Aye,” he said. “You would do well to remember how brilliant I am, but I cannot take the credit for that.”

“What do you mean?”

“That was all Guss’s idea, and yes, I do call her Guss as well. She had the papers drawn up a year ago after a visit the Echworths paid us at Montlaine. She couldn’t abide the notion that Mary might have to endure a guardianship from my cousin. At the time, I was not expecting to die, but I did sign it. Turns out our Guss is also brilliant.” He eyed her. “Now, I see there is more about Mary.”

When she did not immediately respond, he said sharply, “Mary—what about Mary?”

“You needn’t look as though you would like to eat me!” she said, realized what she had said and blushed furiously.

He grinned. “Oh, but I would, I most certainly would…but, first, what about Mary?”

“Mary decided to come out into the open,” she dove right in.

“What? Dash it, never say so,” he said, and it was obvious he did not approve. “Ness, tell me this wasn’t your doing?”

Ness met his stare and didn’t flinch. “Not exactly. I didn’t discourage her because…”

“My God! Ness, we are talking about the safety of my sister. What can you have had in mind?”

“Well, I thought the plan was the only one that might work…that and Bess, you see. It seemed like a two front war, only the Echworths would be the ones caught in the middle. You see, Mary is safe at Penrod, and we already had the confrontation. They know that Guss is her guardian. They will be desperate to get to her, but not before they eliminate Bess as a threat. I am not sure Bess knows anything more than what she told me, but they don’t know that…”

“Devil you say! Ness, you are the one that will be caught in the middle. You have no one to protect you with me here…”

She put up her chin. “My brother watches over Mary…”

“Dash it all to hell! How is your brother now a part of this?”

“Mary and he have become friends, though I do think she has developed a tendre in his direction. He isn’t encouraging it and with time I am sure…”

“Ness!” The viscount was on his feet, pulling her onto hers, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her ferociously.

When he finally allowed her up for air, he said, “If you or Mary get hurt…I shall become the murderer they accuse me of being.”

“None of us will get hurt. You may depend on that.”

“Right then, let’s get you up on Shadow and on your way,” he said worriedly.

“Wait, my lord…Bret, there is more,” Ness stayed him.

“Of course there is,” he said resignedly.

“Duncan has returned and he is Orson’s twin, which, of course, you knew, but I was taken aback by it.” She frowned. “There are differences between them, though.”

“I am told that Orson would have you if he could, which is quite unusual, as Orson is not in the petticoat line.”

She gave him an arched look. “Well, you do manage to stay informed. As a matter of fact, yesterday I would have agreed with you. Orson did seem very interested in me. Tonight, at dinner, however, earlier this evening, before Mary arrived and stole the show,” she laughed at his expression and hurried on, “it wasn’t Orson but Duncan who sought my favor.”

“Well, that is at least in Duncan’s character, but I tell you frankly, my Naughty Ness, I won’t have it.” He frowned.

She laughed. “Never mind that. The wonder is that I never guessed from anything anyone said that they were twins, and, Bret, there is something very odd going on.”

“What do you mean odd?”

“Duncan…well, he seemed more Orson than Orson did when they were together. It was as though I had never met Orson before, but that Duncan and I already met. I know that doesn’t make sense. It is my belief that every individual gives off something of himself/herself—an aura, if you will. It is an undefinable air peculiar to the individual. Sometimes that air or aura misleads us into false conclusions about the person’s character, sometimes not. Orson was not the person I have been socializing with—do you understand what I am saying? His scent, his manner is very different, while Duncan is totally familiar.”

“Is this because Orson lost interest in you and Duncan has picked it up?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Then what is the answer?”

She saw that while he asked the question, he wasn’t taking the issue seriously. She punched him in the arm.

“Owww. What was that for?”

“You think I am being silly. I am not. There is something here…”

“I am more interested in how you think your brother will protect Mary,” he stuck in. “Only do but observe how well he has looked after you!”

She eyed him ruefully. “He has given himself the chore of looking after Mary…not me.” She wagged a finger. “That was not a nice remark. Mary will not want to elude him or Randy, for that matter, and I am not in fear for my life, though,” she pressed up close, “perhaps I should be?”

He kissed her long and sweet and held her. “Would that I could keep you with me, my love, but I want you home, safe and sound. You need to get back before…”

“I know, as you so wisely wish, before the servants get up to start their day. I shall ride like the wind,” she answered softly.

“No, not in the dark,” he said on a frown as he kissed her ear and made a path to the hollow of her neck. “You will ride slowly, safely, for Shadow’s sake as well as yours.”

“You are quite right,” she said, and moaned as he pressed her tightly into his arms. “If ever I leave here.”

He swatted her romp. “Now off with you, Naughty Ness, but come back to me soon.”

She eyed him, her face full of mischief. “As you wish.”

A moment later, he had tightened Shadow’s girth, and as she led her mare out of the cave and into the balmy night, she heard his soft chuckle at her back even as the waves rolled in and crashed against the jutting boulders.