The Heiress - Lynsay Sands [61]
Daniel did try to consider that, but Suzette chose that moment to shift sideways in his lap once more, apparently returning to her original torture. He once again found himself gritting his teeth against the feel of her wiggling about on top of him, and staring at the top curves of her lovely breasts where they rose out of her gown. The conversation going on around him was suddenly a very uninteresting buzz in his ears as he watched Suzette’s breasts move with each inhalation of breath. At least it was until he heard his name again as Richard asked, “Do you have any idea, Daniel?”
His gaze shot to Richard, but he hadn’t any idea what the man was asking until Suzette ducked her head and whispered, “Do you know who George trusted enough to admit to killing Richard and taking his place?”
Daniel shook his head at once, and then cleared his throat before saying, “I have been stuck at Woodrow since Uncle Henry died last year, trying to bring the estate back up to scratch. I only left just before receiving your letter from America. I didn’t even know you—or George pretending to be you—had married. I have no idea what he’s been up to this last year or with whom.”
“It shouldn’t be too difficult to find out,” Langley put in. “There’s nothing the ton loves more than a good gossip. A question here or there should tell us who George considered a trusted friend.”
“So we need to question the staff, as well as nose out any gossip we can about what George was up to this last year and with whom . . . and I need to make arrangements for the money.” Richard paused and glanced around at them all. “Can anyone think of anything else we might do to solve matters?”
When no one else spoke up, Daniel said, “I guess we shall have to start with that and hope we uncover some useful information.”
When Richard nodded, Christiana suddenly leaned forward on his lap and retrieved a large basket from beneath the bench seat.
“What’s that?” Langley asked curiously as she began to dig through its contents
“We had Cook pack some food for the journey while we waited for the carriage to be readied,” Christiana answered.
“Food?” Richard asked hopefully.
“Yes.” Christiana glanced over her shoulder at her husband. “Did you three not think to have a basket prepared before sneaking off like thieves?”
Watching the pair as he was, Daniel was taken by surprise when Suzette suddenly shifted in his lap and leaned forward to reach for something under their own bench seat. He recovered quickly, however, and under the guise of keeping her from falling off his lap, caught her by the hips, and spread his legs a bit even as he shifted her so that she was on only one knee, riding it astride. An evil smile of his own curved his lips when he heard her gasp, and felt her grab at his calf to balance herself. As she worked to retrieve what turned out to be a second basket, he—again under the guise of preventing her falling—drew her backward along his upper leg, in a completely intentional caress.
Daniel was quite pleased with her breathless and flustered state when she straightened, and was satisfied that he’d just established that two could play at her torture game. Unfortunately, in the next moment that contentment gave way to shock when Suzette proved that she was better at it than he was, by using the basket as cover as she dropped one hand down, slid it beneath her bottom and squeezed him through his trousers.
It was then Daniel acknowledged that the wench was going to drive him mad until he got her wed . . . and probably for the rest of his life. But as she squeezed him again, he admitted that his ride to bedlam would be an enjoyable one.
Chapter Eight
I shall wait in the parlor.”
Suzette glanced to Daniel as he said that in response to Richard’s announcing he needed to change as they all left the breakfast room. They’d arrived back at the townhouse a little after four that morning and had all thought of little else but finding their beds for the night. Despite a short nap in the carriage, Suzette had been