The Discreet Charm of Lady Mary (A Howertys Novella)

Chapter 9: Dash It All

Hell and damnation!

John hurried his steps down the hallway, wanting to reach the safety of their private chambers as quickly as possible. Could this trip get any worse? Not only had he been forced to kiss Mary, but now Dash was in attendance. What should have been a fairly simple mission, arrive at the estate, find the missing young lady, look into Hayes' dealings with the radicals, and return home, had turned into a tangled mess.

Reaching their room, he ushered Mary inside before closing the door behind them and leaning against it. He closed his eyes and cursed silently. Nothing about this mission was easy. Lady Jane was nowhere to be found. No documents regarding any involvement with the wrong people had been discovered. And Lady Mary... His body responded as the memory of her soft and pliant body against his surfaced in his mind. Kissing her had been... He groaned inwardly.

Kissing Mary had been a terrible mistake.

Glancing over to where she stood quietly on the other side of the room, he wondered what went through her mind. He had stolen her first kiss. It should have been a romantic affair with the man she intended to marry. Not being manhandled in a room of strangers. He could never give her the experience of her first kiss back. It was forever his.

Her eyes met his from across the room, and like a coward, he looked away. Because he did not want her to see the truth. He should regret that kiss. Should feel guilty.

But he didn't.

That kiss had broken him. Sent a shock through his entire being. Had they not had an audience, he wasn't sure he would have stopped. His hands still itched to pull her close again. He could still taste the slight hint of strawberries on her lips.

"John?" The soft utterance of his name made him look up, but before she could say anything further, the door behind him reverberated with a knock.

Mary readjusted her mask and nodded before he turned around and opened the door. His stomach dropped as he was met with the grinning face of their friend.

"Holy hell, Osborne! It is you!" Dash let out a delighted laugh. "I thought I recognised your sorry arse downstairs."

Leaning out to ensure there was no one in the hallway listening, John pulled the other man inside and closed the door behind them.

Dash pulled off his mask and ran a hand through his dark hair. "I'll be honest. Never thought I'd see you at a party like this."

Taking off his own mask, John crossed his arms over his chest, relieved that their friend had not paid too much attention to Mary yet. She had retreated to the far side of the room, hovering in a corner where the light from the fireplace didn't quite reach. Clever girl. Turning his attention back to Dash, he sighed. "How did you recognise me?"

"I'm not as inattentive as people seem to believe." Dash huffed. "You're a friend I've known for years. Of course I recognise you, mask or not."

"I never realised you attended these parties. Does your brother know?" John asked. Dash's older brother, the duke, was a former code breaker and still worked with the War Office occasionally. He was also part-owner of the Rose Agency. John had worked with him a few times and also met him through the duke's wife, who was a friend.

"No. Winterbourne need not know everything I'm up to." Dash smiled wryly. "It's probably better that way."

"Probably. Are you here alone? Isn't there a rule about bringing a partner?" They had fled downstairs so quickly, he'd not had time to look around to see if Dash had company.

"Why?" Dash smirked. "Worried I brought Olivia?"

John cursed. "Does everyone bloody know? Am I truly that obvious?"