CHAPTER ONE

 “What must a man do to get a drink around here?”

            Adelaide didn’t bother to turn around toward the demand as she weaved gracefully through the thickening crowd at her brother’s tavern. 

            “Be patient, like everyone else,” she called over her shoulder, smiling as she did so, knowing that her answer would not be accepted with a great deal of geniality. 

            Patience. She snorted. It was the last thing these noblemen possessed.

            She knew the type – far better than she would wish. She had seen these men around the tavern far too many times, here to forget their responsibilities for the evening, having their fun with cards and drink and women.

            Not that she ever engaged as one of those women. She was here to do her job. Make her money – as much as she could with the paltry wage her brother provided – and then leave, as far away from this place as she could get, where she would build her fortune and create the place of her heart. 

            One that was nothing like this.

            “You’re a cheeky one, aren’t you?”

            Adelaide whirled around, surprised to find that the man had followed her. She was standing near the side of the room, and he leaned over her, his hand against the wall above her head. 

            She waited for the usual aversion to shudder through her, surprised when it didn’t come. 

            Instead, she felt… a strange sense of awareness wash over her, heating her from the top of her head through her toes, like a bucket of warm water poured over her. 

            Even with the air thick with the usual scents of ale, roasted meats, and pipe smoke, a sweet yet spicy scent of bay rum and citrus washed toward her, filling her senses.

            It must have been him. Why did he have to even smell good? 

            “This doesn’t look like patience,” she said, looking up at him, refusing to back down from meeting his gaze, shocked when the light blue eyes seemed to stare right through her to her soul. They crinkled in the corners as though he was laughing at her, dimples appearing in each of his cheeks.

            He was altogether too handsome for his own good, and Adelaide knew she best get as far from him as she could before she did something she might regret. 

            “Patience is overrated,” he said, leaning closer over her, making his voice even better heard over the clamor of conversation and the fiddles which had taken up in the corner. 

            She would have said that he had trapped her in this position, yet she had a feeling that if she pushed him away, he would let her go. He did not seem to hold any ill intent but instead was enjoying teasing her.

            “It’s a busy night,” she said. “I’m doing all I can to see you all served.”

            “You need help,” he observed. “This is too much for one person.”

            He wasn’t wrong. But her brother was cheap and had no interest in hiring more barmaids. He told her he believed that she was capable of doing it all. 

            Adelaide nearly rolled her eyes again, just thinking about his condescending explanation once more.

            “I can manage,” she said, “if I wasn’t waylaid by errant men who insisted on getting in my way.”

            He clutched his chest. “You wound me.”

            “I never said I was referring to you, but if you have made that assumption yourself, then that says all it needs to, does it not?”

            “You’re awfully highbrow,” he said, leaning in so that his lips lightly brushed her ear.

“For a barmaid?” she finished for him.

He shook his head. “Can I tell you a secret? I like it.”

            She reached out, placing a hand on his chest, pushing him away. 

            “It’s not for you to like or dislike. Now, unlike some people, I have a job to do. What do you want?”

            “At least I finally caught your attention. A brandy would be appreciated.” His stare became slightly more intense, the black of his eyes widening slightly within the sea of blue. “But that’s not what I truly want.”

            “No?” she raised an eyebrow, certain of what he was insinuating, but she refused to give him the benefit of seeing that she was interested in his assumption.

            She couldn’t be.

            She had promised never to be taken by any of these men, gentlemen or otherwise. They would only derail her from her plans. She had seen what could happen when one allowed men and emotions to overwhelm all else. She refused to allow it to happen to her. 

            “No,” he shook his head, causing a lock of light brown hair to fall over her forehead, and her fingers itched to push it away. “Something – someone – else has caught my attention.”

            “Well, I wish this someone the best of luck,” she said, with a smile on her own. “I have a feeling that he or she will need it with you.”

            And with that, she pushed away from the wall toward the bar to fetch this man’s brandy so that she could deliver it and move on, never having to speak to him again.

            He was trouble. 

            Trouble that she best stay as far away from as possible.

~~~~~

            Michael watched the barmaid walk away with more interest than he should have.

            Sure, he had no trouble attracting women, nor did he shy away from enjoying them. Widows, young ladies, barmaids, he wasn’t particular, although he was smart enough to know where the limits lay regarding what he could do to avoid ruin or marriage with any of them.

            Usually.

            He did slip up now and again – he was human, after all – but he always had his brother to help him out. Good old Edward. Michael didn’t think his brother had ever made a mistake in his life. 

Which was why Michael liked to keep him on his toes. Lord knew he needed it, as the man lived the most boring existence Michael had ever witnessed.

            This woman, though, she had his blood humming unlike any had in quite some time. His conquests had become too easy. This one would be a challenge. He could tell.

            She would resist him. 

            But not forever.

            He had sensed the attraction within her. He knew she was interested, even if she hadn’t admitted it to herself yet.

            When she delivered his drink, he thanked her with a nod but nothing else, and he caught her surprised eyes set upon him as though she had been expecting more.

            Good. He’d keep her guessing. 

            He watched her as she glided effortlessly through the crowd over the uneven stone floors, like a trained dancer moving across the floor around the simple tables, through the smoky establishment lit only by candles flickering in their iron scones. 

            Her long blonde hair floated in waves around her shoulders, moving with her like it had a life of its own. He was instantly jealous of the smiles she bestowed upon other men when she delivered their drinks, uncharacteristically wanting them all for himself. 

            She flitted about lightly, doing her job with a smile. 

            She was… she was sunshine, he decided, watching her dreamily. 

            Michael was awoken from his reverie by a poke in the side.

            “Ouch,” he said, with a glance at his companion. “What was that for?”

            Lord Gregory was like him – a second son with little responsibility and nowhere else to be on an evening like this.

            They were good partners, each of them here for the same reasons – a bit of fun and to win at a hand of cards if they were lucky enough.

            “You look like a besotted sod,” Gregory said, “watching that barmaid with hearts in your eyes.”

            “I do not have hearts in my eyes,” Michael retorted before his shoulders softened, and he laughed loudly. “Very well, maybe I do. Have you ever seen a more beautiful creature?”

            Lord Gregory shrugged her shoulders. “She’s fine looking, yes, but she’s a barmaid.”

            “So?”

            “So, go for her if you’d like a spot of fun. But right now, you look as if you are ready to sink to your knees before her. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, man.”

            “I’m overcome,” Michael said unabashedly with a sigh. “I cannot help myself.”

            “Well, pull it together,” Lord Gregory said. “You look like a lovesick young boy. Put your manly pants on and show her that she would be lucky to spend a night with you.”

            Michael nodded. Gregory was right. He was losing himself in this woman’s beautiful dark blue eyes and lithe body, one that he longed to run his hands over.

            When she delivered his next drink, he allowed his fingers to linger upon hers, and he could have sworn he felt the spark between them, almost like a physical charge.

            He let his gaze meet hers and knew that the pull of attraction was also present within her. 

            He just had to convince her that they should make something of this.

            The crowd was beginning to thin, and he was contemplating how to make his move when he noted that she was no longer moving as she had been. Where had she gone? He frowned as he scanned the tavern, trying to catch sight of her. 

            There – he couldn’t miss that hair anywhere. She was facing away from him, toward the bar itself. Her tray was at her side in one hand, the other balled into a fist at her hip as though she was trying to contain her emotion.

            A man stood before her, one that Michael assumed was the tavern owner. His gaze was dark, his eyes narrowed as he appeared to be berating her.

            Michael waited for her shoulders to drop as she took on his anger, but instead, they lifted, as though her own anger was rising, but she contained it, preventing herself from lashing out toward him.

             Michael half rose in his seat, although he wasn’t sure of his intention – was he inclined to defend her? Stand up for her? He had no right and was in no position to do so. He was a patron of this establishment. Sure, he might have some social clout, but he could still be tossed on his rear out the front door, and then he would lose any chance he’d had with this woman.

            Although he certainly wouldn’t miss the brandy. 

            It was cheap. Likely for the same reason this woman worked alone without any help.

            So he sat, watching, waiting for her to return to him.

            She was far more subdued when she did, and he tried to determine how best to approach this. At least Lord Gregory had wandered away and joined a card game so he wouldn’t witness this conversation.

            She didn’t meet his eye as she set his drink on the table, and he took it, placing his hand over hers before she could remove it, holding her there with him. 

            “Are you all right?” he asked quietly, indulging in the warmth of her skin under his.

            “I’m fine,” she said curtly, not meeting his eyes. 

            “What’s your name?” he asked, suddenly needing to know more than he had ever needed anything in his life.

            “Adelaide,” she said, still not looking at him, although she hadn’t moved her hand away from his.

            “Adelaide,” he said, “what could you have possibly done that would have caused someone to be so displeased with you?”

            “It is none of your concern,” she said, shaking her head, now drawing her hand away. He was filled with a sudden, desperate need to keep her with him a little longer.

            “It is, though.”

            “Why?” she said, lifting her head and finally meeting his eyes. “Why would it have anything to do with you?”

            “Because,” he said, surprising himself with the truth of his words, “seeing you treated so distresses me.”

            “It shouldn’t.”

            “No,” he agreed with her, “it shouldn’t. And yet, it does.” He leaned closer. “There’s something about you. Something that makes me want to know everything there is to know about you.”

            “I’m sure you say that to all the women,” she smirked.

            “No,” he shook his head. “I do say many flowery words, that is true, but not that. You are the first that has truly intrigued me for some time.”

            “You know nothing about me.”

            “No, I don’t,” he said. “But I want to. Meet me when the tavern closes?”

            “I shouldn’t,” she said, closing her eyes briefly.
            “But you want to.” He wrapped his hand around hers. “I’ll be waiting outside the back door if you’re interested. I have somewhere we can go. Somewhere discreet. Where we can get to know one another. Enjoy each other. Forget any troubles we have for a time. Do you want to do that? Forget?”

            He could tell she wanted to. Could see it in her eyes.

            And when she met him an hour later, he did exactly what he had promised. He took away all of her troubles for the night.

            He just didn’t realize that he was causing her so much more in the future.