Finally, he accepted he could do nothing about the telltale stain which remained on the front of his waistcoat and shirt. He would change into clean clothing the moment he was alone again.
Once Bethany had left his bedchamber after pleasuring him until he released!
What had he been thinking to have allowed such a thing to happen?
He hadn’t been thinking at all, only feeling.
Forget the formality of a duel, Julius should just bare his throat and let James strike him down for having behaved in such an impulsive and unacceptable manner toward his sister.
Except Julius was not known for behaving in the least recklessly. He was always completely in control, in any situation that might be thrown at him.
Except when that situation involved Bethany, it seemed.
He gave a self-derisive shake of his head as he emerged from behind the screen, looking somewhat less disreputable, he hoped. His pantaloons were refastened, at least, even if his open waistcoat and shirt still bore the evidence of his release, despite his attempt to remove it.
“Julius?” Bethany eyed his stern expression dubiously.
She had not behaved as a lady should, she knew that, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her. Was it any wonder that Julius now looked at her with disgust?
“Never mind,” she dismissed abruptly. “If you will excuse me, it is time for luncheon, and my uncle will be expecting me to join him.” She turned with a swish of her skirt to hurry toward the door so that she might quickly escape from the embarrassing aftermath of having forced her attentions upon Julius.
He was, despite his air of sophistication and authority, still a man when all was said and done. And like any man, from the little she knew of them, Julius would not have been able to refuse her blatant offer to pleasure him. No man would, gentleman or servant.
“Bethany!” The speaking of her name was accompanied by Julius taking a firm grasp of her arm. He tugged gently until she was once again facing him.
Her gaze remained downcast. “I apologize for causing you any embarrassment.”
“Look at me, Bethany.” His voice softened. “Please.”
She gave a low groan of mortification before slowly lifting her gaze to meet his. His expression did not look disgusted or judgmental. If anything, his gaze was warm with understanding.
“I am not embarrassed,” he instantly assured. “A little ashamed of myself,” he added in a hard voice. “But I am not embarrassed.”
“I encouraged what happened just now.”
He grimaced. “I doubt your uncle and… I doubt he would see it that way.”
“I have no intention of telling him. Do you?”
“Not merely as a means to salve my own conscience, no,” Julius answered carefully, very aware he had almost slipped up seconds ago and mentioned her brother. “I very much doubt you have any desire to be married to me at gunpoint either.”
Her eyes widened. “You think he would demand you marry me?”
Julius had always flattered himself in the past on being a good judge of character and actions. But he now knew that Adrian Metford, although Julius had dismissed him as being nothing more than a snob on the occasions the two men met in London, was also a murderer, and quite possibly other things too. One did not wake up one morning and suddenly decide to dispose of your own nephew. That had only been achieved after Metford journeyed to London with his newly orphaned nephew and niece, and it had been done with both precision and deliberation.
Since coming to Suffolk, Julius now had his suspicions in regard to the deaths of Bethany’s parents. Admittedly, those deaths had been attributed to influenza, but there were many ways in which to kill someone without detection, especially when the person you intended to slay was already known to be ill. David Metford’s death, quickly followed by the murder of his son, had left the way clear for Adrian Metford to assume the Ipswich title.
“He might.” His eyes narrowed. “Will you be meeting with the smugglers again tonight?” He frowned his disapproval if that should be the case.
She shook her head. “It will be several weeks now before they make another run. Unless they receive word of an urgent need to change those plans.” She gave him a pointed glance.
Reminding him that she had guessed, from John’s knowledge of him, exactly what he had done during the years of fighting against Napoleon.
Hopefully, it would only take days more for Julius and James to gather the information they needed to restore