Nicola Cornick Collection: The Last Rake In London / Notorious / Desired. Nicola Cornick
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she had realised that the money would not be forthcoming and had decided to cut her losses and run away with Bertie anyway. No doubt they would hope that, given time, the family would accept their nuptials.
Jack came across and took the piece of paper from Sally’s hand. ‘Not some new piece of fiction from your sister, Miss Bowes?’ he said. A frown darkened his brow as he scanned the letter. ‘In love with Bertie? What utter sentimental nonsense! I will say this for you and your sister—you are very inventive! I hardly need ask if you were party to this!’
‘Of course I was not,’ Sally said. She slewed around on the seat in order to glare at him. ‘Can you not read, Mr Kestrel? Connie apologises for deceiving me. Or are you so suspicious by nature that you think that we are in this together and that she put that in the letter merely to mislead you?’
Jack’s eyes narrowed as he reread the lines. ‘It matters little one way or the other, I suppose,’ he said dismissively, ‘since you are both as greedy and materialistic as each other.’ He gave a short laugh. ‘So your sister thought to get my uncle to pay her off and thus finance her to run away with my cousin? A cunning plan!’
Sally got slowly to her feet.
‘It’s a damnable disaster,’ she said.
Jack stared at her. ‘But surely you must be pleased, Miss Bowes?’ he said sarcastically. ‘Your sister has managed to catch herself a baron’s heir this time, no mere gentleman like Geoffrey Chavenage or John Pettifer. And even though my uncle may cut Bertie off without a penny, he cannot cancel the entail, and of course, my uncle is very sick and might die at any moment …’ Once again Sally felt the stinging contempt in his gaze. ‘It is a neatly executed swindle, I will give you that.’
‘It’s nothing of the sort,’ Sally said. ‘It is madness. My own experience teaches me that no one should marry unless they truly love one another—’ She broke off at the look of bored cynicism in Jack’s eyes.
‘You really are a piece of work, are you not, Miss Bowes?’ he said. ‘Such high-flown sentiments, such grasping avarice!’
‘Neither Mr Basset nor my sister should be contemplating matrimony with anyone,’ Sally snapped. ‘He is weak, immature and easily led and she is not in love with him, whatever she says! Your uncle will probably recover his health and live to be one hundred and in the meantime they will have no money and will fight like cat and dog and the whole marriage will be a complete fiasco and end in misery or the divorce courts within six months!’ She looked at him. ‘I suggest that you take yourself off to Gretna Green to try to prevent the marriage, Mr Kestrel, and let us hope you are not too late! They can only have had a few hours’ start.’
Jack did not move immediately, as she would have wished. Instead he stood still, watching her with a quizzical expression that disquieted her.
‘It is an excellent idea of yours to stop the wedding,’ he murmured, ‘and I fully intend to go to after the happy couple. There is just one small aspect of the plan that I would change, Miss Bowes.’
‘Well?’ Sally demanded impatiently. ‘What is it?’
‘You,’ Jack said. ‘You are coming with me.’
‘No, I am not!’ Sally was so horrified that she took a hasty step backwards and almost tripped over her skirts. Jack immediately put out a hand to steady her, but she snatched her arm from his grip.
‘You are not in a strong position to argue, Miss Bowes,’ Jack said smoothly. ‘You have just taken two hundred pounds from me.’ He paused. ‘I think that gives me the right to demand what I like from you.’
Sally shook her head. ‘No, it does not. I did not intend—’
‘What, to sell yourself to me?’ Jack raised a brow. ‘Forgive me, but I thought that that was exactly what you intended.’ He slid a hand around the nape of her neck, drawing her closer. ‘Did you think that a couple of nights was all that I wanted?’ he asked, his lips so close to hers that she could feel his breath. ‘Oh, no, Miss Bowes. I want you with me, in my bed, until I tell you otherwise.’ He rubbed his thumb experimentally over her lower lip and his eyes darkened with desire and satisfaction at the gasp she could not quite stifle.
‘I think,’ he added conversationally, ‘that I might decide to claim the ten thousand that your casino owes me, as well. That should take you a long time to pay off.’
Sally gasped and he took advantage to cover her lips with his own in a savage kiss.
‘I’ll be waiting in the car,’ he said, as he let her go. ‘Don’t take too long.’
After he had gone out Sally stalked across the room and slammed the door of Connie’s wardrobe for no more reason than it gave vent to her feelings. She had never been a violent person before she met Jack Kestrel, she thought bitterly. In two short nights he had turned her life upside down. And now, if she cared what happened to Connie, she had little choice other than to go with him. She could imagine what would happen to Connie once Jack caught up with her and Bertie Basset. He would drag Bertie back to London and leave Connie to fend for herself.
You have just taken two hundred pounds from me. I think that gives me the right to demand what I like from you.
For a brief moment, Sally put her head in her hands. Damn him, how she wanted to give the money straight back to him. But she could not, not if she did not want Nell to suffer. The deed was done now and what did it matter? Jack had believed the worst of her before, had thought she and Connie had deliberately set out to fleece Chavenage and Pettifer. His scorn had seared her to the soul so what did it matter now if he thought she was a greedy adventuress who sought to make profit out of their nights of passion? At least she had the money for Nell’s children and that made her fiercely glad.
She went into her own bedroom, drew aside the curtain, and looked down on to the street. The Lanchester was standing outside the main entrance to the club, its silver bodywork gleaming in the sunshine. Sally sighed. She had barely noticed the motor car the previous night, being conscious only of Jack and the need to get back to the club as quickly as possible. Now, as she saw the small crowd that was gathering to admire it, she thought bitterly how typical it was of Jack Kestrel to have the longest, lowest, sleekest, most ostentatious and expensive car in London—and to flaunt it outside her front door.
She pulled a small portmanteau out of the cupboard and started to pack a few necessities, trying to work out how long they might be away for. She knew she had an excellent manager in Dan, who could look after the business of the club on a day-to-day basis. And if they were to take the railway to Scotland, she supposed she would not need to be away for more than a few days. She would be back in plenty of time to put the final touches in place for the grand opening of the Crimson Salon.
‘I want you with me, in my bed, until I tell you otherwise,’ Jack had said. Sally shivered with a mixture of nervousness and sensual awareness. She could not deny that she found Jack devastatingly attractive, but she had never imagined, never dreamed, that it would be like this. That very morning she had acknowledged that she had tumbled helplessly in love with him. His poor opinion of her and callous disregard for her feelings had bruised her, but it had not destroyed the blazing awareness there was between them. She trembled to think of being once again in his bed, but she knew that she would not, could not, succumb to him again.
Resolutely putting the thought from her mind, she took an envelope from the desk, stuffed Jack’s money into it and scribbled Nell’s direction on it. Then she went to join Jack in the car.
Chapter Five
Jack glanced sideways at Sally Bowes as she sat beside him on the deep-red leather seat of the Lanchester. She looked cool, composed and very, very desirable. It took all his self-possession not to lift the saucy black veil she was wearing and kiss her luscious red mouth. She was pin neat in a black-and-white travelling outfit and picture hat that framed her face and Jack admitted to himself that he wanted to rip it all off her and make love to her on the bonnet of the Lanchester.