He winced and clapped a hand over her mouth. Was that a scream, or were you of a mind to sing the Doxology?
She glared at him.
He grinned at her. Mornin, Duchess.
Desperate to dislodge the gentle but firm pressure of his palm against her lips, Esmerelda sank her teeth into the tender pad below his forefinger.
He jerked his hand back, then brought it to his lips to suck on the wound. Esmerelda felt a curious stirring in her belly at the sight of his mouth where hers had so recently been.
He lowered his hand, slanting her a reproachful look." My mare used to nip like that. Until I taught her to trust me.
You certainly didnt teach her to trust you by sneaking up on her while she was sleeping. Addled by his nearness, Esmerelda sat up and glanced wildly around the room. How did you get in here?
He held up a shiny brass key.
She blinked in dismay. Do you have a key for every chamber in Calamity, Mr. Darling?
Only the ones Im paying for. He dropped the key into the pocket of his buff-colored shirt. It wasnt very hard to convince the hotel manager that the gentleman who pays for the ladys room should be allowed to come and go as he pleases.
She scooted as far away from him as the feather mattress would allow. Why, he must think
The very worst. Billy tipped back his hat with one finger, revealing an unrepentant dimple. So if you want to go ahead with that scream, it might just increase my notoriety with the ladies.
If appearances were any indication, his notoriety didnt need any increasing. If anything, he looked even more debauched than he had yesterday. A days growth of dark gold stubble shadowed his jaw, carving intriguing hollows in the clean planes of his face. A fresh bruise smudged his cheekbone. Esmerelda resisted a ridiculous urge to try and dab it away with the hem of the sheet, but she could not stop herself from touching a fingertip to the swollen split at the corner of his mouth.
Who hurt you? she murmured, thrown off balance by the depth of her dismay.
Billy caught her wrist, freezing her hand in its instinctive caress. Although he applied no pressure, she was achingly aware of his strength and the fragility of her own fine bones.
His aw-shucks affability vanished, making her realize it had been nothing but a facade all along. She would have almost sworn that something subtle had shifted in his attitude toward her. Something perilous.
I had a bad dream, he drawled.
A bar brawl, more likely, Esmerelda thought. Probably over one of the buxom occupants of Miss Mellies house.
She lowered her eyes, sliding her wrist out of his grip only because he allowed her to do so. Ive had my share of nightmares since Bartholomew disappeared. She decided now might not be the best time to confess that hed figured prominently in most of them.
At the mention of her brother, he withdrew from the bed. He stood, drawing off his hat and turning it over in his hands. A worn leather duster draped his lanky form, the shoulder cape of the flowing coat emphasizing the breadth of his own shoulders. Thats why Im here so early. I may have a lead on your brothers whereabouts. A man fitting his description has been spotted in a town south of here called Eulalie.
Before he could finish, Esmerelda had bounded out of the bed and began to paw through her trunk for a clean basque, skirt, and a set of fresh undergarments.
If I hit the trail now, Billy continued, I might just be able to catch up with him. The hardwood floor creaked beneath his boots as he started for the door.
Esmerelda spun around, hugging a pair of ruffled drawers to her breast. Oh, no, you dont! Youre not going anywhere without me. I learned my lesson from Mr. Flavil Snorton.
Im not Flavil Snorton, maam. Ill see to it that you get every penny of your moneys worth.
He replaced his hat, tilting it low over his eyes, but Esmerelda could still feel the heat of his gaze branding her tingling skin through the worn muslin of her nightgown. He seemed to be taking a perverse delight in reminding her of their unholy alliance.
And Ill see to it that you get every penny of your money, she forced herself to say crisply. As soon as my beloved grandpapa arrives from England. But only if you agree to let me accompany you to this Eulalie to look for Bartholomew. She fought the temptation to plead, sensing somehow that this man would not be swayed by whining or cajoling.
His eyes narrowed as he looked her up and down, taking her measure. Esmerelda held herself straight and tall, refusing to betray how fearful she was that he would somehow find her wanting. Just as her grandfather always had.
He finally swept off his hat and made a mocking bow. Youre the boss, Duchess.
I am not a duchess, she said stiffly. Im the granddaughter of a duke. She probably looked less like nobility than some wanton peasant with her hair unplaited and her naked toes peeping out from beneath the hem of her nightgown. I need to dress and pack my belongings. If youll excuse me ? Clutching her drawers even tighter, she nodded toward the door.
Be my guest, he replied, nodding toward the dressing screen that partitioned off one corner of the room.
Refusing to be baited into further argument, Esmerelda took her armful of clothing and ducked behind the screen, glaring at him all the while. She quickly shed her nightgown, draping it over the screen so she could scramble into her drawers and chemise. She scowled down at the remaining undergarments, realizing for the first time how impractical the confines of corset and camisole, petticoat and bustle, would be in the blazing New Mexico heat. After a moment of contemplation, she discarded everything but the petticoat. Leaving off the bustle would make her skirt hang long, but shed rather trip than swelter.
As she wrestled with the hooks of her basque, praying the thick merino would hide the absence of a corset, her nightgown began a sensual slither over the top of the screen. She was too mesmerized by its unexpected flight to reach for it until it was too late. She held her breath, oddly discomfited by a vision of Mr. Darlings calloused hands fondling the soft, skin-warmed muslin.
His voice, husky and far too near for comfort, further shattered her illusion of privacy. So are you and this brother of yours very close?
Oh, very, Esmerelda replied, relieved that hed chosen such an innocuous topic of conversation. Youd have to travel long and far to find two people so passionately devoted to each other.
How touching. I always did have a powerful hankering for a sister.
Esmerelda froze in the act of fastening the pearl buttons at her cuffs. Mr. Darlings sigh had been heartfelt, but she would have almost sworn she detected a lascivious note in his voice. She popped her head up over the top of the dressing screen to give him a suspicious look. He blinked at her, his long-lashed eyes as innocent as a lambs. Her overwrought nerves must surely be affecting her imagination, she decided.
Shaking her head, she plopped down on the low-slung dressing stool to draw on her striped stockings and kid boots. The ominous sound of paper rustling sent her bolting out from behind the screen, one boot still half-unlaced. She just barely managed to hobble over to the desk and snatch the sheet of crumpled stationery from Billys hand before he could read her unflattering description of him.
I was writing Grandpapa, she said, tucking the incriminating note behind her back, apprising him of the current situation.
Billy nodded. Thats very thoughtful of you. We wouldnt want to worry the old man, would we? Why dont you leave it at the hotel desk in case he arrives while were gone.
Esmerelda hesitated, wondering if she was only imagining the sparkle of challenge in his eyes. Her own hastily scribbled words haunted her. I have been forced to barter my virtue to a ruthless desperado. Prodded by his expectant scrutiny, she retrieved an envelope from the desk, folded the note into a neat square, and tucked it inside. After all, it wasnt as if the spiteful old man would ever actually read it.