“What is going on?” he demanded as he faced her.
She spun on him. “How dare you ruin that for me? Just look at me! My hair is a frizzy mess, my dress has been stitched to the point of death, I couldn’t even look at him, and you forced me to show him my smile, yet he wanted to talk to me. And, now”–she threw her hands in the air—“now, I’ve lost my chance.”
Lord Andel stared at her, his mouth agape. “What are you talking about? Nothing you just said makes any sense.”
Shaking her head, she fought off her tears. “I can’t do this. If you want me to continue to help you, we don’t know each other outside of that room. Do you understand?”
“No. I do not understand.” He ran his hand through his hair, clearly exasperated.
“Then, you can talk to me tomorrow.” With that, she spun on her heel and marched back to where Lord Callum stood.
To her surprise, he appeared to be waiting for her. She let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps Lord Andel hadn’t ruined everything. Now, she would have to work twice as hard to keep the viscount’s attention, if she had in fact gained it in the first place.
“Better?” His lifted eyebrow proved he was full of curiosity.
“Much.” Feeling more confident than she had before, she took his arm and allowed him to lead her into the garden. Although her exchange with Lord Andel was behind her, she felt his eyes upon her the majority of the picnic. Not to be intimidated, she kept her head held high and managed to actually speak with the number of guests instead of cowering behind her mother.
Overall, her mother declared the outing a huge success, and Genevieve had a sinking suspicion that the achievement could be attributed to Lord Andel’s presence.
Chapter 4
Christopher sat in his carriage, his body in a most uncomfortable state. He’d spent the entire afternoon watching Miss Jubal at the picnic, and it had taken his every ounce of strength to keep his distance. Philip had thought his behavior the result of being forced to attend the event, but he had no desire to correct his brother.
Miss Jubal’s very presence confounded him. If she were in good standing within society, how did she manage to work at the House of Reform? He knew he’d been gone from London for some time, but surely they’d not changed so much to accept one of their own as a laborer.
With his thoughts drifting to the events of the day, her smile sat foremost in his mind. It was always accompanied by her fingers delicately touching her plump, red lips. He had no idea why she did that, but his body hardened further at the memory. At least, she was hiding her beauty from Callum.
A surge of jealousy invaded his thoughts. In the classroom, she belonged to him, and he didn’t like seeing the truth flaunted in front of him. Not that he truly wanted her, he assured himself. She was simply his instructor, and he felt as though she owed him an explanation if nothing else.
Once he arrived at his mistress’s house, he let out a sigh of relief. This was exactly what he needed right now. Audrey would have to be extra attentive to distract him today, but he would make sure her efforts were rewarded.
“Good afternoon, my lord. It’s been so long, I’d begun to believe you’d forgotten all about me,” she purred as she took his arm and pulled him inside.
“I’ve been busy.” His voice emerged rougher than he intended. “But, I’m in a desperate need for a distraction today.”
She drew him into the bedroom then turned to face him. “Let’s see what I can do.”
As she shimmied down his body and fell to her knees, he closed his eyes. Her hands ran across him, and she moaned in appreciation. Yes, his body was ready. The trouble was, it was an entirely different mouth he pictured. Intoxicating plump lips that formed a smile that should be outlawed. He groaned in frustration when Audrey’s hands reached for his waistband, and he took a step back from her. This was wrong.
“I can’t do this.” He ran a hand through his hair.
Looking up at him in amusement, she sat back on the floor, her breasts seductively pushing forward. “I can clearly see that you can, so what is the problem?”
He walked toward the bed and sat down on the edge. Not for the first time in his life, he felt broken. Nothing had ever been easy for him, and this was no different. For years he carried all his troubles inside, and the idea of unburdening himself overwhelmed.
“Do you think we could talk instead?”
With a smile he was unaccustomed to seeing from her as there was nothing even remotely sensual about it, she rose and sat beside him. “I’d love to, and judging from your current state and what just happened, I suspect it’s about a woman.”
Cringing, he wondered how he could be that transparent. “There is a woman.”
“Have you told her how you feel?”
“You misunderstand completely. I have no romantic feelings for the lady at all. It’s different. She’s different. From the moment I’ve met her, she’s plagued me. I can’t seem to get her out of my mind, and I don’t know why.”
“Perhaps you feel something for her that you don’t want to admit?”
He stood and crossed the room, not liking her comment one bit. “No. My future is planned, and it does not involve her. She may be beautiful, but she’s not for me. Besides, her interest lies in another, and she doesn’t even like me.”
Audrey laughed as she stretched out on the bed. “Either you are afraid of a little competition or you are afraid of this girl. When I look at you, I see someone who can make a woman forget her name, so this other gentleman doesn’t have a chance.”
Angry, he faced her. “As I told you, my future doesn’t include her or any other complications. I’m looking for something easy and simple. Not complicated and messy.”
“Then, it’s a good thing this lady is interested in another man. If that’s what you want, then you don’t deserve her.”
Feeling even more frustrated than when he’d arrived, Christopher left Audrey’s house. She would need to find a new protector. From the outcome of his past two visits to her, she could no longer hold his interest. He needed to find another woman. An image of unruly, brown hair sparkling with golden flecks in the sun accosted him. Perhaps it was as simple as a blonde no longer held the power to keep his attention. Yes. That was definitely the trouble.
When he arrived home, his brother didn’t even comment. The break in the man’s normal behavior was curious. However, as Christopher passed by the entry table, he caught sight of a few missives ready to be sent out. Judging from the various forms of address, he could tell they were responses to invitations. He clutched them in his hand and moved toward the hallway in which his brother had disappeared.
“Philip!” he called, his irritation reaching an all-time high.
“Yes?” A note of innocence rose in his brother’s voice as he poked his head out of the doorway.
“I think you and I need to speak in the garden.”
His brother lifted an amused brow. “The garden? Why not here? Or, in the study?”
Gritting his teeth, Christopher tried to keep his calm. “Because, if we talk in the garden I may not kill you.”
Philip grinned. “The garden it is.”
Unfortunately, the outside air did nothing to dull the tempest from breaking inside him. He couldn’t attend any more engagements. Seeing Miss Jubal with the viscount and her no contact policy would lead him to violence. Although he couldn’t explain why, he just knew he couldn’t handle it.
He held up the cards to his brother. “What are these?”
“I believe they are response cards.” Philip blinked, nonplussed.
“Considering they are sealed with my crest, I assume you answered in the negative.”
Philip ran a hand across the back of his neck. “You really shouldn’t leave your signet ring on your desk like that. There is
no telling what could happen if it fell into the wrong hands.”
“Like yours?” Christopher glared. He’d never worn adornments when visiting his mistress. Clearly, he needed to lock up his possessions within his own house.
“The picnic went so well, I believed a few more events would—”
“Well? Did we attend the same event? After that, I’m sure I have no desire to attend any such function ever again.” Christopher’s voice rose in emphasis.
With a shake of his head, Philip looked away. “That’s not what I saw. You seemed rather taken with one particular lady. And, when she rejected you, the resulting sulking was quite telling about your readiness to attend these functions. In addition, I was approached by a number of women who had inquiries over you. I’d imagine you could have a rather pleasant time in London if you so choose.”
“You misinterpreted the situation. Miss Jubal is an acquaintance of mine. I didn’t like the company she was keeping, and she didn’t appreciate me telling her so,” Christopher quickly explained to keep his brother from knowing the truth. “Then, I was forced to watch her the rest of the time to make sure she was safe.”
Philip laughed. “Is that all? Brother, you should have come to me. Callum is a good sort. He will treat her properly. The lady will fare well in his care. Now, the next event shall be different. Keep your eyes on the eligible ladies. There are a few in particular I’d like to point out to you.”
As his brother went on about ladies whom he cared nothing about, all he could think about was the fact Philip passed over Miss Jubal as an option for him. From her unusual, yet distressing comments, it was clear this was her first encounter with Callum, so she couldn’t be spoken for. Therefore, why did Philip discount her when he spoke of eligible ladies?
That was one question for which he was determined to find an answer.
~ ~ ~
Genevieve smoothed her dress for the thousandth time as she sat waiting for Lord Andel. Yesterday was a particularly difficult day for her, and she knew she owed him an apology. As such, and with her mother being so pleased by her progress, she’d allowed her to arrive early to her lesson today. However, Lord Andel was late.
As the seconds ticked by, they felt like hours. She’d begun to feel as though he was done with her. And, although she wasn’t sure she would need to resort to working for Lady Constance any longer, the idea bothered her. She wasn’t ready to give him up.
When the earl walked through the door, relief seeped into her core. She had to force herself to refrain from smiling as she stood to greet him. Then, her nerves accosted her and her shoulders sagged. How was she supposed to do this? Treat him as if nothing had happened, or begin by apologizing?
“Am I allowed to speak to you in here, or do you have more rules?”
Heat flashed up her face, and she cringed. “I’m so sorry, my lord. I never should have said those things to you. Normally, I wouldn’t have dreamed of it, but I was trying so hard, and then you showed up and you were angry. I just couldn’t help myself.”
He put up a hand. “Let’s take this one step at a time. Judging from your presence yesterday, I would say you have a place in society, yet you teach. Let’s begin with your father.”
“My father is Viscount Burleson.” She dropped her head in shame for deceiving him by omission as she watched his footsteps move about the room.
“How did you come about this position?”
Taking a deep breath, she knew she had to do this. “The day you walked in here, I had also arrived seeking help from the House of Reform. I’m not an instructor.”
His movement stopped, and she could feel his eyes upon her. “I don’t understand.”
Considering she was already humiliated beyond measure with her outburst yesterday, she didn’t see a point in keeping anything from him. “I’m not very adept when it comes to conversing with men. My mother thought the House of Reform could help me. Then, when you arrived, they decided we could help each other.”
Lord Andel snorted. “How am I supposed to believe this? You never showed even the slightest amount of trouble when conversing with me, and I didn’t see you falter with the viscount either.”
She let out a breath. “It’s the truth. You can confirm it with Lady Constance if you’d like. However, no one outside of this building and my parents are aware of the arrangement.”
“For argument’s sake, we shall say I believe you. Now, tell me all the rest.”
Her eyes met his then. They were hard and with his arms crossed over his chest, she could tell he was still quite angry. She didn’t know what he wanted or how she would ever be able to obtain his forgiveness.
“The rest, my lord?”
He took a step toward her. “With everything we’ve gone through, I think it’s time to drop the titles. I’m Christopher.”
Her throat dried. She couldn’t call him by his Christian name, nor could she allow him to call her by hers. His proximity taunted her as memories of their kiss assaulted her. Although she knew why he’d done it, she couldn’t stop thinking about his lips upon hers . . . or stop wanting him to kiss her again.
“This is improper,” she whispered, trying desperately not to look at his mouth.
“Tell me your name. I know you want to. I can see it in your eyes, so you can’t deny it.”
He moved in closer and she could smell the scent of his soap. Her senses were on fire. Would he kiss her if she told him? Did she dare?
“I—I don’t like my name,” she admitted, still absorbed in the spell he’d woven around her.
He drew back and just like that, it was broken. “You don’t? Why ever not? Now you must tell me what it is.”
She sighed. “It’s unnecessarily long and used by my mother to control me as she refuses to allow anyone to call me by anything shorter. Even my nanny was denied when I was a child.”
“Are you going to make me guess?”
Rolling her eyes, she threw her hands in the air. “Very well. It’s Genevieve.”
“Genevieve,” he said it almost lovingly. “It’s beautiful. But, now that we have our names out of the way, tell me about your hair, your dress, and more importantly, your smile.”
Unable to look at him, she spun around. She couldn’t believe she’d said those things. This punishment was much worse than anything she’d expected, as it was difficult to list one’s shortcomings and deal with them individually.
Not truly wanting him to hear, she pitched her voice low. “I’ve had two seasons, this is likely my last chance. You simply caught me at my worst. I tried to change my dress, my hair, and hide my smile to become more . . . I don’t know, attractive, I guess.”
Tears filled her eyes. Definitely, the most humiliating thing she’d ever had to admit. And, likely her plan didn’t work. As she thought over the afternoon, she recalled Lord Callum’s eyes seeking out Lord Andel quite frequently. Had he only feigned interest in her since the earl had given him trouble at the beginning? That was very likely.
His hand touched her shoulder, and she stiffened.
“Genny,” he whispered, eliciting a shiver from her. “You never had to do anything to make yourself more attractive. And your smile . . . Don’t ever hide it again.”
She shook her head, still keeping her back to him. “I don’t understand you at all. First, you tell me to hide it, and now you tell me not to.”
Her voice wobbled, and he cursed. She didn’t want to be weak, but over the short time she’d known him, he had turned her into an emotional wreck. From one moment to the next, she didn’t know what to do.
When he spun her around, she didn’t resist.
“I didn’t tell you to stop smiling because there was something wrong with your smile. Your lips are . . . mesmerizing.” His dark gaze fell to her mouth. “And, I can promise you one thin
g. If you smile at me, I will kiss you.”
Shocked, her mouth fell open, and he groaned.
“Or that,” he rasped. “Definitely, if you do that.”
She froze as his face slowly moved closer to hers as if to make sure she was agreeable. Her heart hammered in her chest. She couldn’t refuse if she wanted to. When his lips touched hers, she melted, allowing him to gather her into his arms.
Warmth and safety enveloped her, and she clutched his coat for support. Exactly like before, he moved his mouth over hers, but this time, she tried to match his movements. She knew her opportunities for these experiences would be limited, so she intended to make the most of this.
He pulled back much too soon, anger in his gaze. “I gave you every opportunity to tell me no. To push me away.”
Confused, she took a step back. “Is that what you wanted me to do?”
“No, that’s not what I wanted, damn it. I want you to stop teasing me and kiss me. Really kiss me.” He ran a hand through his hair, clearly exasperated.
“I thought that’s what I was doing.” Her eyes widened, dear God, she’d done it wrong. Now, her humiliation was complete. She cleared her throat, trying to hold back her tears. “I think it would be best if we go back to student and instructor and forget all about this.”
“I don’t believe it.” He shook his head slowly, looking at her as if he’d never seen her before. “You’re right, Miss Jubal. Instructor and student from now on.”
“Is there a problem?” Hannah appeared in the doorway, her eyes shrewd.
Genevieve cursed her luck that her friend should be the one to check in. Still, she put on a smile for Hannah. It would never do for anyone to find out the truth.
“Everything is well.” Genevieve praised her even voice. “We are simply practicing real life scenarios.”
Lord Andel smiled. “Voulez-vous avoir un siège?”
To Teach A Gentleman Page 5
