The Heiress - Lynsay Sands [59]
Daniel was shaking his head at the words when he became aware of the sound of another approaching carriage, this time coming from the direction the Radnor carriage had gone. It was no great surprise to see the Radnor coach now returning at a much more sedate pace.
“Time to face the music,” Langley said dryly, heading for the door when it didn’t immediately open to allow the women to spill out.
Daniel merely grunted. He suspected it wasn’t a good sign that the women were staying quietly inside the carriage, and not coming out to see that they were all right. Sighing, he turned his attention to his driver and ordered him to tie the leads of their horses to the back of the Radnor carriage and then join the driver on the front. He supposed they’d have to stop at the next inn to leave the horses and his driver. The man would have to arrange for someone to collect the broken carriage and see if it could be fixed before following them back to town.
“Hello, ladies.”
Daniel glanced back to the carriage at that cheerful greeting from Langley and was in time to see the other man disappear inside the vehicle to a chorus of polite hellos. Silence fell immediately after those were said, however, and Daniel watched as Richard now approached the open door. The man glanced in, sighed at whatever he saw, and offered a more subdued “Hello, ladies,” as he entered as well.
One eyebrow rose on Daniel’s forehead at the lack of response this time. Grimacing, he supposed he too would be met with less than pleasure at this point. No doubt Suzette and Christiana would hold him and Richard accountable for dumping them at Radnor. It appeared they weren’t holding Robert accountable, however. Shrugging, Daniel decided to get it over with and offered a “hello, ladies” of his own as he reached the door. He wasn’t terribly surprised to be met with silence, so merely took a moment to see that Robert, and Richard were on one bench seat with an angry-looking Christiana squeezed between them, leaving a sour-faced Lisa and Suzette on the other. He then got in to settle between the two women.
The carriage started off at once, jolting them about, and Daniel grunted as he got an unintentional elbow in the stomach from Suzette. She murmured an apology and he nodded, but then, noting that Richard had lifted a protesting Christiana onto his lap to make more room on the opposite bench, decided it was a good idea and caught Suzette by the waist to lift her onto his own lap. He had half expected Suzette to argue the move like her sister, so was pleasantly surprised when she settled comfortably there, simply shifting so that she sat sideways and could place one arm along his shoulders.
At least it was a pleasant surprise at first, until he found himself staring at her cleavage, which was right in front of his face now. It immediately recalled him to the last occasion on which they’d been in this position and how he’d bared her breasts and made free with them, licking and suckling and—
A pinch on his earlobe recalled Daniel to where he was and the fact that his face had apparently been swooping toward Suzette’s cleavage. At least, he suddenly found himself just inches from the sweet curves of the tops of her breasts. Made aware of it, Daniel straightened at once and glanced around to see if his near slip had been noticed, but everyone else appeared to have their attention on Christiana and Richard as she reprimanded him for leaving the women behind at Radnor . . . Everyone but Suzette, that was, Daniel realized, as he noted the completely evil smile on her face as she watched him and then gave her behind a little wiggle in his lap. It occurred to him then that this was the reason she had not fought his taking her on his lap. Suzette had realized how it would affect him and was using it as punishment for his own part in the defection.
“Little minx,” he whispered.
Smile widening, Suzette shifted and wiggled about on top of him again, inadvertently leaning her breasts briefly closer to his face as she appeared to try to find