Helena climaxed moments before Sebastian. Their cries of pleasure overlapped and melded. Both of them spent, he helped her sit and cradled her against his chest. His lips touched her hair, gently, reverently. “I missed you too, sweetheart. No more separations.”
An uneasy turn of her stomach made her ease from his embrace. She forced herself to take a cleansing breath to quiet her nerves. “I need to visit Aldmist Fell at least once more. There are people I must thank, and I will want to say my good-byes.”
His smile was soft, his eyes radiant. “We will visit as often as you like, assuming you will allow me to accompany you. I imagine Fergus and Ismay will be eager to return. I thought once Parliament was no longer in session we could take Gracie for a visit.”
“You want to travel to Scotland?”
He swept the hair from her forehead. “I want to see where you lived. And Fergus promised to take me fishing. Perhaps you and Gracie would like to come along too. Fergus said you are quite the angler. And he said his mother, the best cook in Aberdeenshire, will bake a pie in my honor. I am not one to turn down a sweet.”
She rolled her eyes, laughing, knowing sweets were not his weakness. “When did you and Fergus become confidants?”
“I’ll have you know Fergus and I are the best of friends now.” Sebastian tugged his trousers over his hips. “He invited me fishing when he offered his congratulations belowstairs earlier.” His eyes flew open and he jumped away from the bed. “Damnation!”
Helena gasped in surprise. Luna was clawing her way up his leg, clinging to his trousers as he hopped and tried to shake her loose. When she sank her teeth into his thigh, a string of curses poured from him.
“Luna, no!” Helena scrambled off the bed to intervene, but Sebastian pried her from his leg before she reached them.
The cat hit the floor at a run, sprang onto the desk chair and desk, then slipped on the pile of post before she gained traction and dashed into Helena’s dressing room. Letters plopped to the floor.
Sebastian turned incredulous eyes on Helena. “Did you see that hellcat? He tried to unman me.”
A laugh burst from her. “He is a she, and Luna didn’t mean to hurt you. She was playing.”
His dark scowl brought about another peal of laughter.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice muffled by her hand over her mouth. “Are you hurt?”
He lifted a brow. When his lips twitched, she knew he saw the humor too. “You could have warned me you had a guard under the bed.”
“I forgot she was in here.” She went to him to pull his buckskins down his thigh to inspect. “No broken skin, thank goodness. I hope you don’t hold this against her. She is a very sweet cat. The poor thing was a bedraggled mess when I rescued her from the rookery.”
He shook his head, smiling, as he fastened his trousers. “I suppose I didn’t look much better when you rescued me.”
“Even in your pathetic state, you were breathtaking.” She glanced at the letters strewn everywhere. “What a mess.”
Sebastian joined her on her knees to help gather the post from the floor then offered her a hand up. As she placed the mail atop the desk, an odd envelope jumped out at her. She set the letters aside and snatched it. It was addressed to her, but no sender was indicated. She turned it over and located no insignia in the wax seal either to identify who sent the letter.
Grabbing the letter opener, she broke the seal and unfolded the paper. Heavy black script was scrawled across the page.
Dear Lady Prestwick,
Unless you want everyone to know your sister is a whore and your husband won you gambling, come to the pleasure garden at midnight tomorrow with 130 pounds. Leave the money in a bag at the foot of the Handel statue. If you do not meet my demands, your story will be sold to the gossip rags.
The floor seemed to be rushing up at her, and she collapsed on the chair. She felt as if she was floating outside her body.
“Helena, what is it?” Sebastian’s voice sounded far away. “Helena?”
Dear God, this was exactly the type of thing she worried might happen. Everyone she loved would be hurt if her secrets made it into the gossip sheets.