He touched her chin, and she found him to still be grinning. “Do you actually require a reply to that question?”
She bit her lower lip to keep from smiling and failed. “No, I suppose not.”
He chuckled deep in his throat. She felt it when he pressed his lips against hers. He kept talking with their mouths touching, a gesture so intimate it startled her. “Of course, we’ll not be alone. I’ll bring Simon and the others.”
She wasn’t sure she liked the idea of so many others present and tried to lean away before she spoke, but Morgan captured the back of her head as well as the small of her back, which prevented any great movement. “I believe it would be best if we were alone.”
With their heads so close, Philomena felt as though she had front row seats to a theatre when Morgan’s eyes changed, no detail left out of the sudden shift from humor to cool sobriety. He leaned away before he spoke. “They have to come, Philomena. Otherwise, there can be no dinner. You get Creed to agree to that and I’ll come.”
She didn’t understand why his friends had to be present. She liked them all well enough but feared the others might distract Morgan and Creed from truly forming a close bond… or they could distract Morgan from attempts at killing her uncle. That thought made her nod. “All right. I’ll invite him.”
He frowned and asked, “How do you communicate with him? Where do you meet?”
She made her own expression blank and said, “I can’t say. My uncle is hiding from the public.”
“But you do see one another,” he pressed.
She placed her hands on his chest and pushed. Her efforts did nothing but irritate her. “I’m not to say, Morgan.”
“Surely, you can tell your fiancé where your uncle hides.” He lifted a dark brow.
She mirrored his expression. “Oh, so you’re willing to storm into the only place he finds any peace as opposed to having a simple dinner at my house?”
“Your uncle doesn’t deserve peace.” She saw the regret fill his eyes right after the word left him, but it was too late.
She ducked from his hold and spun out of his embrace. He started to lean toward her but stumbled and instead grabbed hold of a nearby chair. His other hand went to his side, pressing on his wound.
“Oh, are you all right?” She started toward him again.
He grabbed her the moment she was close enough, and all signs of his former injury vanished. He grinned, and she wondered how she’d fallen for his act of helplessness… twice!
His arms went around her. “Be happy that I’m coming to dinner.”
“I will,” she whispered, her back straight as she told herself to not yield. “Now, I must go.”
“Don’t be upset.” He leaned toward her throat and planted a small kiss on the edge of her high collar.
She closed her eyes but popped them open before he straightened. “I’m not.” Though she very much was. She was saddened by the fact that she was tying herself to this man, her emotions becoming entangled with him, but what she had with Morgan might never be shared with Creed.
“You are upset.” He could read her so clearly.
“I just want you to like him.”
He stole her lips for a quick kiss, but when he pulled away, his eyes were sad. He opened his mouth to speak, but a knock sounded on the door just before it opened.
Philomena stepped away as Warren’s presence filled the doorway.
“We have the song,” he said before his eyes settled on Philomena. Then he smiled and said, “Oh, sorry if I’m interrupting. I thought he was resting.”
She gasped and turned to Morgan. “You’re supposed to be asleep.”
“I’m supposed to be doing whatever I like,” he murmured with a narrowed look at Warren. Then he turned to her, and his expression softened. “Thank you for coming, Philomena. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The party was to happen during the day in the Durham mansion’s back garden. Philomena didn’t even know who would be there. She was nervous around most people until they were friends and thankfully, she usually made friends quickly.
She turned to Warren. “You and Sopherina will come, won’t you?”
His grin remained in place. “We wouldn’t miss it. Simon, Marianne, Lucas, and Nora will be there as well.”
“Excellent.” She knew when she was being dismissed and started for the door, but Morgan grabbed her hand, which stopped her.
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed them gently. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” she whispered and flowed out of the room wearing a smile.
* * *
14
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
.
.
.
* * *
“What are you doing?”
* * *
.
Morgan turned to Warren the moment Philomena disappeared. “What’s the song?”
“’I’d Marry Him Tomorrow.’” Warren leaned in the doorway, one foot crossing the other. “Apparently, it’s one of the numbers to a play that’s about to be performed here in London titled A Loan of a Lover. Opening night is next week.”
Morgan settled down into the chair behind him and sighed with relief, settling his arm on the nearby table. He’d been holding himself together during the last few minutes with Philomena, running out of both strength and words. There was nothing he could do to make her feel better about the Creed situation because there was no hope in him ever liking the man, and he did not have the ability to lie to her. She would have to know him for who he was. That was the only way anything would be right between them.
He had no illusion that his continued hatred for Creed would be a rift between them. When they had children, they would not be allowed to go near that man and once Philomena was his wife, she’d have to stop seeing him herself. His life was too dangerous to have London’s worst criminal in his family, and Philomena’s continued association with the man would only put them all in more danger.
He ran a hand over his face and looked at the window.
“Are you listening?” Warren asked.
Morgan looked at him. “No, my mind is elsewhere… I blame the laudanum.”
Warren grunted. “I blame the woman who just left the room. Is all well?”
He looked at him. “As well as it can be when the O.S.S. finds themselves invited to dine with Creed himself.”
Warren straightened. “You didn’t agree to that.”
“If he shows, we can follow him back to where he’s staying.”
Warren stared at him. “That’s a smart plan. We need to see who his new generals are, find out what he’s been up to. His old house was left without a clue.” Then he paused. “But that being said, I’m sure there are other reasons you’ve agreed to this dinner.” Warren knew him well.
“We need to find evidence against him and expose him for the fraud he is. I don’t want him around my wife.”
Warren came into the room and took the chair closest to him. “Philomena might have something to say about that.”