To Zac’s utter lack of surprise, the family proceeded with their plans to attend the hunt at Longford Castle as though their lives hadn’t been completely turned upside down by two telegrammed lines from Isaac. It was almost amusing, really, to consider just how unaffected they pretended to be, how much they felt compelled to keep up with the performative nature of their position in society.
During their preparations for the trip, he had practically sprained his eyes from rolling them so much. He wasn’t sure how he would survive the actual trip.
They were comparable to a military convoy as they rolled down the road to Leeds, then followed a winding country path to the castle. The castle itself was imposing, to say the least, a long line of staff and residents standing perfectly in two rows by the front gate to welcome their guests. Zac watched in amusement as Taylor and Nicholas shot each other what little subtle glances they could without sidestepping their duties. They seemed so obvious, yet he was sure no one else noticed.
No one, except perhaps Natalie.
Zac had not even realized she was there, but he was unsurprised to see that Lady Kathryn stood nearby, looking as annoyingly poised as ever.
“Captain Hanson,” Kathryn said, her lips turning up in the tiniest hint of a smirk as she gave a small curtsy.
“I expect you’ve heard the news,” he said plainly.
Her head snapped up and her expression turned to a scowl. “I have. Your brother was kind enough to write to me and relay the message.”
Zac noted that she had not received a message from Isaac himself, and he knew that must mean something, but it likely wasn’t something that should be discussed in public. Normally, that would not have stopped him, but there was something in Kate’s expression that almost scared him into silence.
As though realizing she had given too much away, Kate adopted an overtly neutral expression, which amused Zac. Not quite smiling, she said, “I do hope you’ll join us all for dinner. Longford throws a party like no other, and I do believe you enjoy a good party.”
“I do,” Zac replied honestly. “I hope to see you later as well.”
She nodded, but did not acknowledge his words in any other way. Zac was sure something important had passed between them, but he could not have said exactly what. He hated knowing that it would be on his mind for the rest of the evening, yet he would not arrive at any sort of answer. Lady Kathryn was simply that infuriating, and it only infuriated him more because he knew he should not have cared. She was Isaac’s problem; not his.
And yet, he could not stop thinking about her.
For much of that evening, the guests were left to explore the castle at their leisure. Zac found a few interesting tableaus to sketch, but otherwise kept finding himself occupied with thoughts of Kate. He was disappointed to see that they were not seated together at dinner. Instead, he was placed by a handful of far more boring young ladies who he was sure were meant to entice him. Under any other circumstances, they might have, but on that particular occasion, all he could see or think of was the look on Kate’s face when he had asked her about Isaac.
He truly hadn’t believed that she loved his brother. Perhaps he had been wrong. Yet, if so, shouldn’t she be pleased to learn that he was still alive?
Of course, there was still the question of just why he had gone to America rather than returning home straight away…
Perhaps, Zac realized as they made their way to the study for after dinner drinks, Kate could shed some light on that particular mystery.
He decided he would need a drink for that, but was dismayed to find that the time it took to retrieve one allowed some chinless noble to swoop in and capture Kate’s attention. Although she seemed less than enthralled with his conversation, the icy stare Kate gave Zac told him he wasn’t welcome to interrupt.
A different tactic presented itself when he realized that Taylor had given all of his attention to Nicholas and left Natalie all alone. Zac sidled up to her, unashamedly playing up his limp a bit in hopes of garnering some sympathy. Whereas Kate had always been a bit of a bully to him, Zac had seen Natalie as something of an older sister. Perhaps she would still feel the same and would open up to him.
“Lady Natalie,” he said softly, offering his drink to her in a toast. “To good news.”
“Ah, yes,” she replied, a knowing smile on her face. “We were all very pleased to hear of the Viscount’s recovery.”
“Were you indeed?” Zac asked, his voice as casual as he could manage, just a hint of amusement slipping into it.
Natalie eyed him. “Of course we were.”
“Only it seems those who have most to gain from his safe return seem to be the least happy now.” There was no point beating around the bush, Zac decided. Might as well get straight to the point; if Natalie seemed surprised or confused, he would know it immediately.
However, her face did not betray any surprise. She was smarter than Zac gave her credit for; of course she knew exactly what he was getting at. She nodded. “Only he isn’t returning straight away, is he?”
“No, indeed he is not,” Zac agreed. “One wonders the reason why. America, of all places? I think I’d rather stay in India.”
“There’s no accounting for taste,” Natalie shot back, giggling a bit at her own joke. Her expression quickly turned sober again. “I don’t see the harm in telling you. It’s only a worry at this point, and might be entirely unfounded. But you must know he did meet a woman during his last trip to America.”
“I did not know,” Zac replied. “I was in basic training at the time. Not a lot of gossiping going on there, at least not about the affairs of minor nobility.”
“Of course not,” Natalie said, narrowing her eyes a bit. “And of course, there’s no gossiping going on here.”
Zac smiled as sincerely as he could manage. “Not at all. Just two old friends talking.”
“And I think they’ve said more than enough,” Natalie replied.
Zac nodded. He knew he had already overstepped his bounds by asking her anything. It had been successful, although somehow it didn’t make him feel any better. If Kate had reason to believe that Isaac intended to break their engagement, that would certainly explain her sour mood. Still, he couldn’t help thinking that she had never been all that enamored with him anyway. Knowing she might finally be free ought to make her happy.
It also ought to make her a bit less resistant to his charms, Zac thought.
Then again, perhaps she truly wasn’t interested in him. She certainly had no lack of suitors, if this party were anything to judge by. Had she not been quite so tall, Zac wouldn’t have even been able to see her for the crowd of men around her, clamoring for a bit more of her attention.
It was all just a bit more than he could take, at least at his current alcohol level. He downed his drink quickly, then headed back to the sideboard in search of a refill. Yes, this night was going to call for quite a bit of drinking, he decided.
The more he drank, the less Zac was amused by all the various nobles who had assembled at the castle for the first night of revelry. He wandered outside, pacing up and down the walkway until his leg ached and his drink was empty. By the time he made it back inside, he saw that the party had broken up. He wasn’t too upset about missing the majority of it, not in the sort of mood he was in.
He placed his empty glass on a table, not caring how long it took the staff to find it. The grand, winding stairs were a challenge in his state, but he managed them somehow. Zac was sure someone had told him which room he was in, but he could barely remember anything before that strange conversation with Natalie. Finally, muscle memory led him to a door that looked familiar.
Just as he was about to turn the doorknob, he heard female voices. From a room a few doors down, a familiar face emerged. He struggled for a moment to recall the name that went with those soft ginger curls before it finally came to him.
“Leona.”
“Sir,” she said, jumping a bit, then freezing on the spot. Her freckled cheeks turned dark pink, and Zac found that he really enjoyed having that effect upon her.
“I apologize,” he said, taking a few steps closer to her. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Of course not,” she replied.
Zac took a few more steps, leaving them little more than a foot apart. “I suppose you’re just finishing up for the night?”
“Yes, Sir,” she said. “I’ll be going now, if that’s alright.”
“I suppose it is,” he replied. “Only, I do hate being doted on by a valet. Yet I can’t quite manage these ties on my own. I don’t suppose I could trouble you?”
“I’m no valet,” she shot back.
Zac smirked. “I think you can manage.”
“I’ll give it my best,” Leona said, beckoning Zac closer.
He obliged, crouching down just enough to allow her to reach. Her touch was gentle, but skilled, and in only a matter of seconds, she had loosened his tie. She stretched upward just a bit, and Zac knew he had read her correctly. He placed a hand on her cheek and closed the distance between them with his lips. With his other hand, he pulled her into a small alcove that he hoped would conceal them should anyone else in the castle be awake.
“I suppose you need assistance with this as well?” Leona asked, placing a hand on Zac’s chest, her delicate finger playing with a button on his shirt.
“I may,” he replied. “But allow me to be of assistance to you as well. It’s only fair.”
Before she could ask what he meant by that, Zac leaned down and pressed his lips to Leona’s neck. She let out a soft, satisfied moan, and he was happy to see he still had it. It had been quite some time since he had been with a woman, and he had to admit he wondered if the war had somehow changed him. He was pleased to see that, so far, it had not.
As he raked his fingers down Leona’s sides, she practically melted into him, even through the many layers of clothing she wore. Zac fumbled amongst her skirts to take a hold of her leg and lift it to wrap around his. With his weight balanced on his good leg, he could ease her skirts up and run his hand up her thigh.
“Sir…” She began, whatever sentence she had thought of saying fading into nothingness as Zac’s hand found its way between her legs.
She was soft and warm, and he reveled in the way she felt against his hand. The soft moans he extracted from her were equally as satisfying, although he did fear that the sound would carry. Still, he could not find it in himself to move from that spot and seek a more secluded place for this forbidden little tryst. The fact that they were risking everything to do it right then and there somehow only made it more enjoyable for Zac, and he presumed that Leona agreed.
“Have I told you how beautiful you are?” Zac asked, nudging her chin upward so that he could kiss her again.
Leona shook her head. “You have not, sir. But you’re certainly welcome to.”
“You’re beautiful,” he replied, pressing his lips to hers as he nudged her legs further apart.
His hand was soaked with her wetness now, his legs already trembling. While he enjoyed pleasuring her, he was not sure this was the best position. It was perhaps best that they not linger any longer than absolutely necessary.
With that thought in mind, Zac withdrew his hand and unbuttoned his trousers. Leona pulled away from their kiss to gaze down at him, wide eyed, as he pulled his prick out and gave it a few quick tugs. To his surprise, she wrapped her hand around his and mimicked his movements. For a ladies maid, she was full of surprises, he decided.
“My, my,” he breathed out. “Aren’t you something else?”
“As are you,” she replied. “My Lord.”
Zac wasn’t sure if she was complimenting him or forgetting his position. He decided he truly didn’t care. All he cared about right then was buried beneath three layers of petticoats and drawers. He adjusted her leg on his, wrapping it around his waist, and let her guide him into place.
“Oh my—Zachary,” she gasped out as he slipped inside of her.
“Leona,” Zac said, pressing a kiss to her neck. “Beautiful Leona.”
It took him only a moment to find a decent rhythm, planting one hand on her hip and the other on the wall behind her to steady himself. It was, perhaps, not one of his finer moments, but the hitch in her breathing said that he was doing just fine. She continued to let out soft moans and purrs, and Zac felt as though he were living for each and every noise. At that moment, he could not think of a more beautiful sound than her voice, nor a more beautiful picture than her freckled nose crinkling up in ecstasy.
It was, rather embarrassingly, over in only a matter of minutes. Zac decided to chalk that up to the alcohol he had consumed that night. In any case, Leona did not seem disappointed, her gasps and moans building to a crescendo that Zac’s rational brain thought must have awoken at least one person down the hall. The rest of him, however, did not care at all, his own release coming soon after hers in an explosion of stars behind his eyelids and tingles that started at his toes and spread throughout his body.
Altogether, he considered it a success that he did not topple over when pleasure overtook him. The smile on Leona’s face as he pulled away from her was a secondary win.
“Sir,” she breathed out, smirking. “I hope I—have been of service.”
“You have indeed,” he replied. “Perhaps more than you know.”
“If you should need anything else,” she said, stepping in close to him again and planting a hand on his chest, “you know where to find me.”
“I do indeed,” Zac replied, hoping she did not notice how much he wobbled as she touched him.
Leona stepped back then and straightened her skirts. With another quick glance up at him, she turned and walked away. Zac contemplated saying something else to her retreating figure, but could not decide what. All too soon, she vanished around a corner and his chance was gone as well.
Zac turned then to walk back to his room, but stopped in his tracks when he saw that the door next to it was open. In that same pale pink nightgown, Kathryn stood staring at him, arms crossed over her chest. The expression on her face was unreadable.
“I can’t imagine why this surprises me,” she replied. “You certainly know how to live up to expectations.”
“I’m not sure that’s a compliment.”
She narrowed her eyes. “It most certainly is not.”
“I should ask you not to breathe a word of what you saw,” Zac said, stepping in closer to her. She reeled back away from him. “I should, but I know you won’t agree to it. But I’m not going to beg.”
“That’s a shame,” Kate replied, the tiniest hint of a smirk on her lips. “I might have quite enjoyed that show.”
“I’ll refrain from being crude enough to ask how much of this show you watched. But I will say that you do surprise me. Constantly.”
“Shall I take that as a compliment?” She asked.
“It was intended as one,” Zac admitted. “Kathryn… Kate, I don’t have anything to promise you if I ask you not to tell anyone my sins. But I do hope that this recent—development, shall we say—in your life… I do hope it works out well for you. Whatever that means. I hope you get what you want.”
She glanced down for a moment, her eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks. When she glanced back up, she wore yet another unreadable expression. “I hope things work out for you as well. I would say I hope you get what you want, but I am not at all sure you know what that is.”
“Maybe I don’t,” Zac agreed, although he was becoming more and more convinced by the second that he did indeed know, and he was staring right at it.
“Now,” Kate said, taking a deep breath. “I should say goodnight. We wouldn’t want to be caught like this. Tongues would wag.”
“They would indeed,” Zac replied, unable to resist smirking at the thought of pining Kate against the wall the way he had Leona. It was a rather pleasant image.
“Goodnight,” she said, smirking as well, as though she had read his thoughts.
She turned then and slammed the door in his face. To the solid, wooden barrier between them, Zac said, “She was no you, Katie. No you at all.”