Chapter 9
Rose left the kitchen without a backwards glance. She would not let him see how much the scene she had walked into and left bothered her. There was something about Emily that set her on edge. Could it be the fact that the woman touched Peirce more often than was necessary? Or could it be the fact that she now knew who the graceful woman was? How would Rose be able to compete with a woman who was exactly like Peirce’s wife?
Pushing the manor door open, she kept walking until she entered the stable. Whom was she kidding? She did not need to compete. The look on Peirce’s face when she walked in let her know how everything would settle. Emily would slowly entangle herself into his life, giving him slight reminders of the past he loved so much, then it would happen. Peirce would realize that he could have exactly what he longed for, a woman just like his wife.
She let out a frustrated noise and smacked the nearby boards, which stayed still. She looked at her hand. A small red mark had started to form, and Rose knew that there would be a mark there for quite some time. As she stared at it, she felt her anger flow away and amusement take over. Shaking her head, she laughed at herself. She did not get jealous over other women, and she did not give up when she wanted something.
Someone pulled on her hand. Her eyes rose to connect with Peirce’s. “You should not have done that,” Peirce mumbled.
She shrugged. “At times, I do not think before I act.”
Raising her hand, he flipped it as if he were inspecting the small mark. A wicked smile crossed his face as he leaned closer. Softly, his lips brushed her palm, sending her pulse racing. Pulling her hand closer, he pressed a kiss to the mark before freeing her. “All better.”
“Yes,” she whispered before clearing her throat. “All better.”
“Rose,” he began with a sigh. “She is my sister-in-law.”
“Was,” she reminded. “She was your sister-in-law. I believe that once you are no longer married to your sister, she loses the title.”
He hesitated before giving a slight nod. “You do not understand though. When I was with Elizabeth, me and Emily were close.”
Rose narrowed her eyes, but did not let jealousy rear its ugly head. “How close?”
The confused expression on his face eased all her worries, but soon, that confusion was overtaken by understanding. Laughter echoed through the stables. “You thought that I would dally with my wife’s sister? Rose, you should know me better than that. If it took me this long to allow another woman to kiss me, do you think that I would betray Elizabeth by doing so when she were alive?”
Rose shook her head. “No, but do not blame me for jumping to such conclusions. Emily does seem quite taken with you.”
“Emily?” Peirce asked with another round of laughter. “Emily is just a woman who touches everyone. She does not understand that some do not like such things.”
Rose gritted her teeth as he laughed in her face. She told him her concerns and he laughed at her. “You have seen Cassie among others?” Peirce nodded, but by his expression, Rose knew that he had no idea where she was going with the current conversation. “She touches people when she talks,” Rose continued, “but she does not get quite as close as Emily does. She is here for another reason besides a small visit. I do not know what that reason is, but there is one.”
“Are you truly concerned about Emily?” Peirce asked.
Rose shrugged. “I am not concerned that you will fall in love with her,” Rose admitted. “I worry that you will use her as a substitute for your dead wife.”
Peirce cringed, but she did not apologize. He could laugh as much as he wished, but she would be honest with him. Some things should not be viewed in amusement. Peirce may not realize it, but Emily had another motive besides visiting the man who was once married to her sister. There was more happening, and Rose wished that Peirce were not so blind as to let it pass before his eyes.
“Rose,” he mumbled while taking a step towards her. “You are the only woman who I have felt anything towards since my wife died; do not ruin it by being hateful.”
She flinched back as if he had slapped her. “I am not being hateful. I am merely telling you what I believe.”
He reached out to grab her, but she evaded his grasp. A frustrated sigh emitted from him as he took another step towards her. “What is it going to take to make you understand?”
“Understand what?” she asked.
While she was occupied with the conversation, he caught hold of her. “That I do not want Emily,” he mumbled, sliding his hand down her arm and around her waist. “I want you.”
His pressed a kiss on the side of her mouth. “Since you walked into the manor six months ago, I wanted you.” A kiss landed on her cheek. “You push all thoughts of my past from my mind when we are together, and it makes me want you.” His breath flittered across her ear. “Only you,” he whispered before taking a step away from her.
“I think I understand,” she mumbled.
She knew her face was flushed, her breathing was erratic, and her heart pounded, but Pierce appeared unfazed. Her eyes narrowed in challenge. Taking a step forward, she stood on her toes. Making her touch as light as possible, she ran her finger across his cheekbones. “Since the moment I set eyes on you, I’ve wanted you too,” she whispered. Her finger ran down his cheek until she ran it across his bottom lip. “There was only one problem.”
“What?” he breathed out.
She dropped her hand and took a step back. “You were not ready.”
“And now?”
She shrugged before walking past him. “That is up to you. Tell me, Peirce, do you think you are ready?”
His fingers curled around her arm as he pulled her against him. Looking down at her, he nodded. “Yes,” he mumbled, “I am ready.” His lips ran across hers, and she let out a sigh as he pressed closer. “Very ready.”
Peirce deepened the kiss, moaning when she ran her hand through his hair in attempt to push his face closer to her. Why had he pushed her away so often? He had no idea, but he had a feeling he would not be doing so in the future. His hand ran up her body, settling on her face in order to tilt it to where he wanted.
“Peirce!”
Rose’s hands settled on his chest. They tangled in his shirt, but instead of pulling him closer, she pushed him back. “Someone is coming.”
“Forget about them,” he whispered.
She let out a small chuckle while pushing him back a little more. “I would if it were not for the fact that it is Emily. She asked Cassie and me if had chaperones. I doubt she would like the fact that you were being improper in the stable.”
He mumbled a curse and took a step back. Glancing behind him, he saw Emily come into view with a large smile on her face, which slipped once she saw Rose. Peirce raised an eyebrow in question, making Emily smile once more. “I did not know you had company.”
“Sorry, Emily,” Rose said, taking a step around him. “We were discussing the horses. It looks like Fury is on her way to having a foal of her own.”
“That is just great,” Emily said before turning her gaze back to Pierce. “I was wondering if you would show me around the manor. Lady Moore is nowhere to be seen.”
“Have you found Colin?” Peirce asked in amusement.
Emily shook her head. “I have not seen the man since I arrived.”
“That would explain it,” Rose spoke up. “Now, I am off to find Cooper. If he is not with any of us, he must be bothering the Prince or my brother.”
“He could never bother any of us,” Peirce said as she walked out the stables.
She smiled back at him. “That is the truth.”
Emily waited until she was out of sight before turning towards him with wide eyes. “The Prince is here?”
“Yes,” he replied with a laugh. “The Prince is very much here, but do not call him that to his face, he prefers Will.”
“Will,” she whispered before stepping towards him. Placing her hand on his arm, she smiled up at him. “Will you introduce me to him? I would love to meet the Prince. Who would have thought? I came here to visit you, but if I would have known you were in the same house as Cassandra Ashmore and Prince William, I would have come sooner.”
He shook his head at her before looping her hand in his arm. Leading her away from the stables, he smiled. “Do not take it hard if neither of them speak to you for a while,” he replied. “Cassie can be overbearing when she believes someone is trying to destroy her very thought out plans.”
“What plans are those, if you do not mind me asking?”
“You would have to ask her,” Peirce mumbled. “She has a tendency to change them as she wishes.”
“I cannot wait to meet her,” Emily said.
The eagerness in her voice caused him to chuckle. How would Cassie like the attention of Emily? Peirce shrugged it off. It would be nice to see how Cassie viewed Emily. His friend had an uncanny ability to see right through a person, and as Emily tightened her grip on his arm, he had to wonder if Rose was right. Did Emily have other motives? And if she did, what were they?