Free Intimate 02 - Intimate Surrender by Laura Landon Page A

will we get to meet this amazing woman?”
    “Soon, Thomas. Very soon.”
    Rafe turned away from his brother to watch the females come near them. “I noticed that Miss Bartlett is still absent. Has anyone gone to check on her?”
    “Check on her?” Thomas repeated, as if Rafe had spoken a riddle.
    “Yes, Lady Adledge mentioned that she’d retired early last night. She indicated Miss Bartlett wasn’t feeling well. Is she still ill?”
    A frown deepened across his brother’s forehead, and Rafe watched the look in his eyes darken. “You seem to be quite interested in Miss Bartlett,” Thomas said.
    “How can one
not
be interested in her? She’s a very unique person.”
    Rafe felt as if Thomas intended to say something more, but Caroline approached them with Lady Laurin at her side.
    “Here you are, Rafe. I told Lord Canderly it wouldn’t be too late before we returned his daughter. Would you be so kind as to see her home?”
    Rafe smiled. Her matchmaking scheme was so obvious even the most naive person on earth couldn’t miss it. “Of course. I’d be delighted. Lady Laurin.” Rafe extended his arm for her to take.
    The young lady looked up at him with stars in her eyes—the same starry gaze he was used to seeing in every female who was searching for a husband. Only Hannah didn’t look at him like that. And she was the one female he wanted to have that look in her eyes.
    “The carriage is ready,” Caroline said, “and Lady Laurin’s maid is waiting.”
    “Perfect,” he said with a smile on his face. “Shall we?”
    Lady Laurin gave him a demure smile, then walked at his side.
    Rafe kept up a pleasant conversation as they made their way to Viscount Canderly’s estate, then spent theappropriate amount of time visiting with Lord and Lady Canderly before he said his good-byes. But his thoughts dwelt elsewhere—on Hannah and returning to make certain she had recovered and would join them for dinner.
    As he counted the miles, he could think only that it had been almost a full day since he’d seen her. That it had been more than a day since he’d been alone with her. Since he’d kissed her.
    He slapped the ribbons against the horses’ rumps and urged them to return to Wedgewood Estate faster. When he arrived, he handed the reins to a waiting stable hand, then raced up the steps and through the door the Wedgewood butler held open for him.
    “Good day, Lord Rafe,” Carver said in greeting as he took Rafe’s hat and gloves. “Lord Wedgewood is in the library. He asked that you join him.”
    Rafe breathed a sigh of impatience. He was more interested in finding Caroline and making sure Hannah was improved. “Can it wait, Carver?”
    “No, my lord. Lord Wedgewood expressed that you should join him as soon as you returned.”
    “Very well,” he said, then turned toward the library. As soon as he found out what Thomas wanted, he was going to find Caroline and…
    A footman knocked twice on the library door, then opened it for him.
    Rafe stepped into the room and stopped short. Thomas wasn’t alone.
    Seated on the floral settee in the center of the room were Caroline and her sister, the Duchess of Raeborn. In the two matching wing chairs facing them were Thomasand the Duke of Raeborn. A third chair flanked where his brother sat. It was empty. After the footman closed the door, Thomas pointed to it.
    “Come in, Rafe. Join us.”
    Rafe walked across the room and sat in the empty chair. “This looks like a pleasant, although ominous, gathering,” he said, taking the glass of brandy his brother handed him. “From the expressions on your faces,” he said, scanning the four people who made up the circle, “the topic of conversation isn’t all that pleasant.”
    “It’s not as bad as all that—” Thomas started to say before Caroline interrupted him.
    “Not
bad
,” Caroline said, “but
serious
.”
    “Has something happened to Miss Bartlett?”
    His question seemed to take everyone by surprise. The