They stood silently side by side for about ten more minutes while Sebastian finished questioning the other women, but nothing any of them said seemed very helpful. Heather had probably provided the best information, and unfortunately, it didn’t really tell them much they didn’t know.
At last, they took their leave, and Jocelyn told Sebastian what she’d learned as soon as the hack jerked into motion.
“Do you have any idea who this man might be?” Sebastian asked her when she finished.
“No, I’m afraid not. Heather didn’t know his name, and she thinks Evelyn burned the notes, which actually sounds true to form. She didn’t keep many personal papers.” She shook her head, entirely at a loss. “I don’t understand it. Why didn’t Evelyn tell me about these notes? Why didn’t she talk it over with me at all?” She still didn’t understand it. She’d thought that her sister shared everything with her.
“Maybe she didn’t want to worry you,” Sebastian reasoned. Then he sighed. “Don’t beat yourself up over that. There could be a hundred reasons, and most of them probably don’t have anything to do with you. But at least now we have some sort of path to follow. Good job getting this information.”
Her cheeks heated at his praise. Especially since she sensed he didn’t give it out often.
“What do we do now?” she asked, shivering a bit. The sun had gone down while they’d been in the apothecary, and now it was bitterly cold, the faint scent of snow in the air.
“Now, we get you home,” Sebastian told her, putting his arm around her and drawing her close once again. “You’re shivering, and there’s nothing else we can do tonight. Don’t forget that there are men out looking for her as we speak. Someone might turn up something tonight. If not, we’ll pick it up again in the morning.”
She sighed and pressed against him, wondering how he could still feel so warm. She’d never imagined it would feel so very right and wonderful to be in a man’s arms, and the kiss they’d shared this morning came rushing back to her. Far better to think about that than the fact that they were no closer to finding Evelyn than they’d been when they’d sat out together this morning.
Here, in the semi-privacy of the hired hack, she could let herself accept the comfort this man seemed so willing to give to her. She pressed her face against the scratchy tweed of his suit vest, simply breathing him in. Dear Lord, he smelled fantastic, bay rum and something else, something she could only describe as Sebastian. Far better than any of the perfumed dandies she’d ever known before.
Soon, she began to warm up, not just because of his heat but because a spark of her own had ignited deep within her. Something about this man made her realize that perhaps she did have some passion within her. Maybe she did have some of those mysterious needs that others spoke of.
She lifted her gaze to his, stunned by her daring. “Would you kiss me again?”
A passing lamppost threw a slice of light into the hack and caught in his bright blue eyes. “I know you’re upset. Are you sure this is what you want?”
“It’s the only thing I’m certain of right now.” She pressed her mouth to his, uncaring if this was right or wrong. Her entire world had been turned upside down today, and this man seemed to be the only thing anchoring her in place.
He stiffened for just a moment, then groaned softly and kissed her back, wrapping her tightly in his arms, chasing the last of the chill away. She sank into his kiss, letting all the fear and stress of the day melt away into pure pleasure.
She’d never imagined that it could be this consuming, this beautiful. The whole world fell away, and it was just the two of them, drowning in heat and desire.
Suddenly, the hack pulled to a stop, and the driver rapped on the roof. She pulled away and looked out the window to see that they were back in front of her house. She felt dazed, as though she’d been ripped out of a wonderful dream.
“We’re here,” she said unnecessarily, hoping that no one had caught her in her indiscretion. But the night provided a protection of its own; she could barely see Sebastian in the dark interior of the hack. Besides, who on earth would believe that the Countess of Aston had been kissing a police inspector in a hired hack on the streets of Mayfair?
“We are.” He smiled and then gave her one last lingering kiss. “Keep your chin up. I’ll speak to Blackstone in the morning and then come by and let you know if there’s any news.”
“Thank you,” she told him, wondering why she didn’t feel more awkward with him, given the intimacies they’d shared.
He got out and handed her down, squeezing her gloved hand before releasing her. “Until tomorrow then.”
She nodded and gave him one last lingering glance before turning and walking up the stairs to her house.
Her butler opened the door before she reached it, and she gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you, Winston. Has there been any word from my sister?”
“I’m afraid not, my lady.”
With a heavy sigh, Jocelyn nodded and let him help her with her coat. “I’ll be in my room if there’s any news.”
“Very good, my lady.”
Once she’d shut her bedroom door behind her, she sagged against it, feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. This had been one of the most upsetting and confusing days of her life. Her worry for her sister was crippling, but the moments she’d shared with Sebastian had been unlike anything she’d ever experienced before.
She prayed that Evelyn came home soon so that she could further explore these exciting and amazing feelings.