Part 10 (1/2)
It was Friday evening; thus finding a hack proved difficult. Daisy had long since sent her own carriage home, and Northrup appeared to have tracked her down on foot. Thus, they were forced to walk to Mr. Randal's residence.
Daisy glanced at the man at her side. His casual bowler tilted at a rakish angle and his stride confident yet carefree as though he owned the very earth beneath his feet, Northrup caught the eye of every female, and some males, as they pa.s.sed. A charming fiend.
Night painted the landscape in colors of blue and charcoal. A chill touched the air, making their breath visible. His warmth beside her was a welcome thing. Daisy wrapped her fingers more securely around his forearm.
”What is that clinking sound?” Northrup shot a suspicious glance in the direction of her skirts.
”Some essential oils I took from the perfumer's shack.” She pulled out the bottle of verbena for him to see.
His nostrils flared slightly as though already scenting it. ”Why on earth would you take something out of that h.e.l.lhole?”
Daisy laughed. ”And let them go to waste when they are perfectly usable? You must be mad.”
”I should think you have wealth enough to buy your own oils should you so wish,” he said, looking bemused.
”Posh. Waste not, want not. Besides, Poppy loves verbena. I'm going to make a perfume for her with it.” She uncorked the verbena to take a whiff. The sharp lemony scent would chase away the lingering taint of death that clung to her.
Northrup reacted instantly, flinging himself away from her and covering his nose with his arm. ”Ye G.o.ds, woman, put that away. Are you trying to kill me?” A violent eruption of sneezes shook his frame.
Quelling a smile, Daisy closed up the offending bottle. ”Don't like verbena, do you?”
He gave her a repressive glare between bouts of sneezing. His hand shook as he pulled a linen kerchief free. ”Not many lycan do. It burns something fierce.”
”I shall keep that in mind, in the event you decide to get out of line.”
Northrup rolled his eyes. ”And you call me a pest.”
They walked on in silence, but she felt the weight of Northrup's stare. ”What is it?” she finally said. His attention made her insides twitch, d.a.m.n his eyes.
His b.u.t.tered-toast voice rolled over her. ”You are fearless, you know.”
She would not allow her cheeks to heat. Her cheeks ignored her. ”I am not.” She studied the sway of her skirts as she strode forward. ”I was terrified back there.”
”But you forged on, did what had to be done.” He stopped beneath a lonely lamppost, and his auburn locks, tangling about his collar, glowed under the wavering lamplight. Daisy admired them, and the clean lines of his countenance.
Northrup's head tilted as he continued to look her over as if just truly noticing she was there. ”For all your frippery, you're a brave la.s.s.”
Daisy didn't know whether to be insulted or not. ”Careful now, Northrup, or I'll start to believe you like me.”
His teeth flashed in the glow. ”I think I like you too well at that, Daisy-girl.”
His words gave sway to a spot deep inside of her. She prattled on as if she hadn't heard, lest he realize he affected her. ”You talk of frippery when it is all too apparent that you rather like playing the fop as well. Do not try to deny it.”
”I wasn't going to.” Self-deprecation colored his chuckle. ”Birds of a feather, are we?”
Her lips quirked, and she glanced away, the fluttery feeling inside her stomach making her long to run away so that it would stop. She was astounded that Northrup had let her come along with him. She couldn't account for it; Craigmore was of the decided opinion that women stayed within the home. Of course, she knew on an intellectual level that all men, thankfully, were not like Craigmore. But it did not stop her from expecting them to be.
”Northrup?”
”Mmm?”
”I apologize. For not telling you about the perfumer before I went to find him. I am not...” She took a deep, coal-tinged breath. ”I am not accustomed to having a man finding me worthy of being a partner.”
His gaze made her heart pound and her fingers shake. She hated feeling so exposed but found she hated his hurt and disappointment more.
”I would say that it was your previous partner who was unworthy.”
Really, he took her breath away at times. When he looked at her as if she mattered. Her, not Daisy the ornament, or Daisy the tease, but her. Swallowing past the tightness in her throat, she said what he deserved to hear. ”And for the other bit.”
His voice gentled, and she heard the humor hiding there. ”What bit?”
He was watching her, a smile playing about his mouth, forgiveness already softening his eyes.
”For making you think I do not trust you to keep me safe. I do. Trust you, that is.”
His smile grew. ”It relieves me to hear it, Daisy-Meg.”
There was an invitation in his voice, a lure for her to step close and forget herself.
He caught her expression and his smile grew fiendish.
”Don't go getting calf-eyed on me,” he warned with amus.e.m.e.nt. ”Or I'll start to believe that you like me, too.”
”And we couldn't have that,” Daisy said, feeling almost dizzy.
Northrup's eyes were indigo in the dim. He looked at her as though he knew her every thought. ”After all,” he said in a thick voice, ”what would happen, Daisy-Meg, if you liked me?”
She couldn't think past the heat filling her. Desperately, Daisy nibbled on the inside of her bottom lip. Control, she needed to gain control. This was why she stayed away from men, because her l.u.s.ts, once set free, were too great to contain. A small voice prodded that she hadn't been this overcome by her unlucky suitor in the alleyway the other night. Nor by the countless other men who flirted with her over the years. No, only by him. This man whom she liked all too well.
His voice was a husky whisper and a taunt that plucked at her nerves. ”What might you let me do?”
No, not with him. Not now. Carnal knowledge of the casual sort was one thing. This-he was something else. Flushed, Daisy turned and began briskly walking, taking a turn onto the main avenue. It was busier here, with people darting to and fro, sellers hawking evening fare for harried clerks on their way home.
Northrup's long legs kept pace with hers with vexing ease, his deep voice a buzz about her ears. ”So you would run from me now?” He chuckled, but the light in his eyes had dimmed. ”Don't you know we wolves like the chase? It only makes us want to-”
He said no more but froze. Daisy turned back in confusion. His expression altered to one of such pain that her breath left her.
Chapter Eleven.