Again the Magic (Wallflowers 0.5)(45)

In the past few months Aline had often managed to persuade Livia to accompany her to the village, and her sister’s presence always made the day go by much faster. Unfortunately Livia was nowhere to be found this afternoon. Perturbed, Aline wondered if her sister was still in the company of Mr. Shaw, as he was also absent. Surely not—Livia hadn’t spent this much time with a man in years. On the other hand, it was just possible that Shaw had been able to draw Livia out of her shell.

But was that a good thing or a bad thing? Aline fretted silently. It would be just like Livia, the contrary imp, to focus her attention on a licentious rake rather than on some upright gentleman. Smiling ruefully, Aline hoisted a heavy basket in her arms and made her way out to the carriage. The dishes clinked in the basket, while the salty tang of ham and the rich fragrance of an egg casserole rose to her nostrils.

“Oh, milady,” came a maid’s voice from behind her, as they walked from the kitchens. “Let me take that from ye, please!”

Glancing over her shoulder, Aline smiled as she saw that the young maid was already burdened with two heavy baskets. “I can manage, Gwen,” she replied, huffing slightly as she ascended a short flight of steps. An obstinate pull from a contracture scar made her right knee stiffen. Gritting her teeth, Aline forced her leg to stretch its full range of motion.

“Milady,” Gwen persisted, “if ye’ll just set it to the side, I’ll come back for it—”

“No need for that. I want to load these into the carriage and be off, as I am already pressed for t—”

Aline broke off suddenly as she saw McKenna standing near the entrance to the servants’ hall. He was talking with a giggling housemaid, casually leaning one shoulder against the wall. It seemed that his ability to charm women had not faded…he was smiling at the red-haired maid, reaching out to give a light, teasing tap beneath her chin.

Although Aline made no sound, something must have alerted McKenna to her presence. He glanced in her direction, his gaze turning wary.

Instantly the housemaid departed, while McKenna continued to stare at Aline.

She reminded herself that she had no right to feel possessive of him. After all, she was no longer a nineteen-year-old girl infatuated with a stable boy. Nevertheless, a burn of anger raced through her at the evidence that she was not the only woman that McKenna had targeted for seduction. Her face felt stiff as she continued toward the entrance hall. “Go on,” she murmured to Gwen, and the girl obediently hurried ahead of her.

McKenna reached Aline in a few long strides. His dark face was unreadable as he reached for the basket. “Let me have that.”

Aline jerked it away from him. “No, thank you.”

“You’re limping.”

His observation caused tendrils of alarm to spread through her stomach.

“I turned my ankle on the stairs,” she said shortly, resisting as he tugged the basket from her. “Let go. I don’t need your help.”

Ignoring her, McKenna carried the basket with ease, his brow creasing as he stared at her. “You should let Mrs. Faircloth bind that before it worsens.”

“It’s already feeling better,” Aline said in exasperation. “Go find someone else to bother, McKenna. I’m certain there are many other women you wish to trifle with today.”

“I wasn’t trying to seduce her.”

She responded with a speaking glance, and his dark brows lifted in mocking crescents. “You don’t believe me?” he asked.

“No, actually. I think that she is your insurance, in case you don’t succeed in bedding me.”

“First, I have no intention of bedding one of the housemaids. I was trying to get some information from her. Second, I don’t need insurance.”

The arrogance of his statement was enough to make Aline speechless. She had never met a man so abominably sure of himself—and that was fortunate, as there was not sufficient room in the civilized world to accommodate more than a handful of men like him. When she thought she could speak without stuttering, she finally asked in a clipped voice, “What information would a housemaid have that could possibly interest you?”

“I found out that she was employed here at the time of that mysterious illness of yours. I was trying to make her tell me something about it.”

Aline fixed her gaze on the knot of his cravat, her entire body tensing. “And what did she tell you?”

“Nothing. It seems that she and the rest of the servants are determined to keep your secrets.”

His answer afforded Aline boundless relief. She relaxed slightly as she replied. “There are no secrets to discover. I had a fever. Sometimes it happens to people for no apparent reason, and sends them into decline. I recovered eventually, and that was that.”

He gave her a hard stare as he replied. “I don’t buy that.”

The expression was unfamiliar, but its meaning was clear. “Obviously you will believe whatever you wish to,” she said. “I can do no more than offer you the truth.”

One of his eyebrows lifted at her tone of offended dignity. “As I learned in the past, my lady, you play fast with the truth when it suits you.”

Aline scowled at her own inability to defend her past actions, without having to tell him far more than she would ever want him to know.

Before she could reply, McKenna stunned her by pulling her to the side of the narrow passageway. He set the basket down and straightened to face her. As they stood in the hallway with their bodies almost touching, erotic urgency sang through Aline’s body. Shrinking away from him, she felt her shoulders come up against the wall.