Breaking the Rules

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  With a wicked grin, he got up and pulled the ties holding the curtains of the bed apart.

  Amused, she got up on her elbows and watched as he proceeded to draw all of the curtains shut around the bed. “Something tells me you don’t plan to go back to your room any time soon.”

  He drew the last curtain shut, sealing them in darkness and then returned to her. He gave her another kiss then said, “You’re right. I’m not going back to my room. Not until the sun comes out.” He lowered his head to one of her breasts and kissed it.

  She let out a contented sigh. “Good. I don’t want you to leave.”

  “Even though it means you won’t get much sleep?”

  “I can sleep later.”

  He cupped her breast in his hand and let his thumb trace the ridge of her nipple. “That’s true. There’s always the ride back home in the carriage.”

  She murmured her agreement and ran her fingers along his back, eager for the promise of more lovemaking.

  “My advice is that you take advantage of the carriage to sleep because once we’re home, I’m going to take you to my den, and I won’t be playing a game of chess with you.”

  Her heartbeat picked up. “Oh? What will you do to me?”

  “I’ll do this.” He brought his hand between her legs and proceeded to show her exactly what she could expect.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Two days later, Roger and Lilly were playing chess in the den when the butler notified him that Aaron was in the drawing room. Surprised since Aaron didn’t make it a habit of coming to his townhouse, Roger promised Lilly he wouldn’t be long and went to see what his friend wanted.

  When he reached the drawing room, he saw that Aaron was pacing in front of the windows. Roger was ready to ask him what was bothering him, but as soon as Aaron saw him, he let out an audible sigh of relief and hurried over to him.

  “Thank goodness you’re all right,” Aaron said. “You never came back to my townhouse since the other night, and you haven’t been at White’s. I was beginning to think something terrible happened to you.”

  Roger laughed. “Really?”

  “Well, it’s not like you to disappear.”

  “I didn’t disappear. I’ve been with my wife.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it turned out that she does love me and wants a good marriage.”

  Aaron rolled his eyes.

  “I know you find that hard to believe after all that’s happened. I don’t blame you for being skeptical. I wouldn’t have believed it, either, a couple of days ago. But we talked through everything, and I realized she wasn’t trying to control me so I’d do her bidding like a lovesick fool.”

  Aaron studied him for a long moment. “It’s obvious you believe that.”

  “I don’t believe it. I know it.”

  Aaron still didn’t seem convinced.

  “I can bring her in here so you can talk to her if you want,” Roger offered.

  “No, that’s all right. As long as you believe it, I suppose that’s all that matters.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to talk to her? It might put your mind at ease.”

  “I came to see you, not her. You’re the one I was worried about.” He gave him another careful look. “You look happier than I’ve seen you in a long time.”

  Roger considered encouraging Aaron to talk with Lilly again, but he recalled what Aaron had told him about the way his mother had treated his father and decided against it. Considering how difficult it must have been for Aaron to reveal that part of his past, Roger didn’t want to mention it. What Aaron most needed was to put the past behind him.

  After a moment, Roger said, “You’re right. I am happier than I’ve been in a long time.”

  “The last thing I want to do is get in the way of your happiness.” He glanced at the doorway, and for a moment, Roger thought Lilly had come to the room, but there wasn’t anyone there. “Regardless of what happens, I want you to know that you can always come to my townhouse for refuge.”

  Roger couldn’t help but be touched. It wasn’t everyone who was unwavering in their loyalty. Once Aaron decided he was on someone’s side, he stayed there no matter what. “You’re a good friend, Aaron.” Maybe someday, Aaron would get to know Lilly and they might get along, but that day wasn’t today, and Roger knew better than to force it. “Are you going to White’s today?”

  “I was at White’s. I went there before I came here.”

  “I’m playing a game of chess with Lilly right now, but I can go to White’s this afternoon.” When he caught the way Aaron’s eyebrow arched, he added, “I don’t need Lilly’s permission to go to White’s. I can go there whenever I want.”

  “Since you love chess and cards, at least I know you’re not suffering. I’ll be at White’s later today.”

  “As it so happens, she’s a good chess player,” Roger said as he followed his friend out of the drawing room.

  Aaron glanced back at him. “I hope she’s not better than me.”

  “No, she’s not better than you.”

  “Good. The day a lady is better than I am at chess is the day I stop playing the game.”

  Roger smiled but resisted the urge to laugh.

  “What? You find that amusing?” Aaron asked. “I take the game seriously.”

  “I do, too, but there’s no reason to stop playing just because a lady can win it.”

  “If a lady can win a strategy game, then the gentleman she defeats might as well admit she’ll get the best of him in other areas. I hope you keep your wits about you.”

  “Sometimes losing can be worth it,” Roger said as the two reached the entryway. Noting the footman, he lowered his voice and added, “If you make the right kind of wager, you can end up doing something interesting in bed.” He shot his friend a pointed look.

  “If you’re losing in order to receive some enjoyment, then I heartily approve the scheme.” He went to the footman and accepted the hat and coat the footman handed him. He turned back to Roger. “May your chess game go in your favor.”

  Chuckling, Roger shook his head then hurried back to the den.

  ***

  “I don’t understand why you won’t go outside,” Roger said as he and Lilly sat on the settee in the drawing room the next day. “I’m not ashamed to be seen in public with you. The weather’s perfect.” With a grin and a gentle nudge, he added, “We can even stop by a shop so you can buy something.”

  Lilly smiled but refused to relent. “I can’t go out in public with you. People will talk if they see us together.”

  “They’re already talking.”

  “But their focus is on me. Your involvement with me could hurt you.”

  “We’re married.”

  “Yes, but that’s because I trapped you into the marriage. People blame me for the scandal. They don’t blame you for it.”

  He took her hand in his and squeezed it. “I keep telling you that I don’t care what they say.”

  “Yes, but it still worries me. I can’t forget how Lord Steinbeck acted when I went to White’s. He said if Emilia or I did anything to upset him, he would put us in a book a shame which would haunt us for three generations.”

  Roger laughed. “No one pays any attention to that book. Lord Edon’s antics have been recorded in there, and Lord Steinbeck still can’t get him out of White’s.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  At once, she felt better. While she’d thought Lord Steinbeck’s warning had been absurd, a small part of her wondered if getting into that book could have such an impact. She didn’t want Roger’s association with her to unwittingly get him marked down in it.

  “Not everyone cares for the rules, Lilly,” Roger said. “Life is easier if you follow them, but you can still be happy if you don’t.”

  “I just don’t want to adversely affect your standing in the Ton.”

  He leaned toward her and kissed her. “I understand what you’re doing, but I’m
the one who should decide if I’m willing to be adversely affected, shouldn’t I?”

  She searched for a reason to argue with him, but none came to mind. He was right. He was a grown gentleman, not a child. It wasn’t her place to tell him what he should or shouldn’t do. But still… “I don’t want to do anything else to hurt you,” she said.

  “I know you don’t, and because of that, you won’t.”

  He gave her a heartwarming smile that melted the last of her resolve. She didn’t know how she’d ever managed to say no to him in the past. There was no other gentleman who could make her feel so weak yet safe at the same time.

  “All right, I’ll go for a walk with you,” she said. “Maybe no one will realize who I am since I won’t be wearing my blonde wig.”

  “You do realize that if people thought I was with another lady, it would cause a far bigger scandal than what you did at the ball.”

  “Oh. In that case, I should wear the wig.”

  She got ready to stand up, but he stopped her. “Don’t do that. I prefer you as you are. If someone thinks you’re another lady, I’ll correct them.”

  She touched her hair. It was pulled back in a flattering style, and the truth was, she liked it more than the wig because he liked her dark hair. She enjoyed doing what she could to please him. When he was happy, things around her were so much better. She used to think that real happiness came from having others do things for her. She was quickly learning the opposite was actually true.

  He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. “As long as we’re together, everything will be fine.”

  She relaxed. “You’re right.”

  “I want everyone to know I’m happy with our marriage.” He encouraged her to stand up. “Let’s get our hats and coats and enjoy the nice day.”

  She kissed him. “I love you.”

  “I know.” He slipped his arm around her waist and led her out of the room.

  ***

  “I can’t believe you went out in public,” Kitty told Lilly later that day as she, Emilia, and Lilly sipped tea in the drawing room. “People in town are talking about it. Lady Cadwalader is very upset.”

  Lilly rolled her eyes. “Lady Cadwalader is always upset.” She was just glad that Roger had chosen to ignore the way some of the people had either stared at them or whispered to each other. She didn’t know if they thought they were being subtle about their disapproval, but if they were trying to be, they failed miserably. “I wish people would pay more attention to what’s going on in their own lives instead of other people’s.”

  “If they did that, then what would give them meaning?” Emilia asked, not hiding her sarcasm as she picked up a scone. “I hate it as much as you do, but trying to convince them to do it is pointless. It gives people like Lord and Lady Cadwalader a reason to feel superior. I’m glad you kissed Roger at their ball. I wish I hadn’t rushed out of that ball before it happened. I bet it was quite a sight.”

  “It was,” Lilly said. “Lady Cadwalader’s friends threw me out of the townhouse so fast that I thought I was flying out of there.”

  Emilia, who’d just started chewing on a part of her scone, had to pick up a cloth napkin and put it over her mouth so she didn’t spit out her food when she started to laugh. “You’re terrible, Lilly.” She wrapped the napkin into a ball. “You knew I wouldn’t be able to swallow the scone if you made me laugh.”

  Lilly shrugged but winked at Kitty.

  “I assume Roger forgave you for the scandal since he was at the park with you,” Kitty said.

  “He did,” Lilly replied, “and he didn’t mind that people were watching us. To be honest, he has a lot more courage than I do. I’m the one who was hiding all this time. He had to encourage me to get out there.”

  “I think he realized the Ton’s rules are nonsense,” Emilia said. “And he’s right. I don’t care what the Cadwaladers or their friends think.”

  “That’s easy to say until you upset them.” Lilly sipped her tea. “I’m just glad Roger is happy being married to me. I’ll never take his love for granted ever again.”

  “Good,” Emilia said. “And I’m proud of you for going out in public without a disguise on. Although…I suppose without the wig, people didn’t notice who you were right away.” Emilia took another bite of her scone, and this time, she managed to swallow it. “You look better without the wig. I don’t know why you wore that blonde thing for so long.”

  “I thought gentlemen preferred blondes,” Lilly replied. “You have such gorgeous hair. It almost looks like gold when you’re in the sun or candlelight.”

  Emilia smiled. “I appreciate the compliment, but not all gentlemen prefer blondes.”

  “You really think so?” Kitty asked, touching her dark hair.

  “I know it,” Emilia replied. “I’ve overheard a couple of gentlemen at a ball discussing how pretty some of the ladies were, and they mentioned a couple of brunettes.”

  “I wish I had been there to overhear that,” Kitty said.

  Emilia picked up a scone from the tray. “Not all ladies prefer gentlemen with the same hair color. It’s the same for ladies. Different people prefer different things.”

  Kitty bit her lower lip as if she wasn’t sure whether she should believe her or not.

  “Emilia’s right,” Lilly told Kitty. “Gentlemen aren’t all that different from ladies.”

  “As a married lady, she knows it’s true,” Emilia added with a twinkle in her eye.

  “I’m glad you and Roger are happy,” Kitty said. “I was secretly hoping you’d marry him when we started our first Season.”

  “You were?” Lilly asked in surprise. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “Because I thought who you married should be your choice.” Kitty sipped her tea.

  “We’re just glad you didn’t end up with Lord Hedwrett,” Emilia said. “I recently discovered something awful about him. Do you want to hear about it?”

  “No,” Lilly replied. “I know enough about him as it is. I don’t want to know anything else.”

  Kitty glanced from one friend to the other. “I didn’t hear anything about him.”

  “Be glad for it,” Lilly said as she selected a crumpet. “He tried to talk my brother-in-law into letting him spend a night in bed with my sister.”

  Kitty gasped.

  “That’s all I know,” Lilly began, “and that’s all I want to know.”

  Emilia grimaced. “What I heard was even worse, but we won’t dwell on that. Let’s talk about something else.”

  Kitty nodded. “I didn’t think it was that awful. I thought you were going to say he was caught doing something embarrassing like snorting when he laughed.”

  Emilia rolled her eyes. “No, that would be Lord Valentine.”

  Kitty’s eyebrows furrowed as she turned toward Emilia. “I thought you were happier about the prospect of being Lord Valentine’s wife.”

  “Why did you think that?” Emilia asked.

  Kitty shrugged. “I heard you read the banns with him.”

  “You read the banns with him?” Lilly asked in surprise as she focused on Emilia.

  “I can’t get out of the marriage,” Emilia said, “but I’ve come up with a plan so I don’t have to live with him.”

  “How are you going to do that?” Kitty asked.

  Emilia finished her scone. “I’m going to make myself unattractive to him.”

  “Are you going to be like Lord Hedwrett?” Kitty asked, her eyes nearly popping out of her head.

  Lilly shook her head. “Of course not. She’s not going to do that.” She glanced at Emilia in interest. “What are you going to do? Lord Valentine is in love with you. I can’t imagine there’s anything you can do to make him want to live in another townhouse.” Then a thought occurred to her. “Unless you’re hoping to humiliate him by getting him involved in a scandal.”

  “I doubt that will work,” Kitty said. “Roger forgave Lilly. Lord Valentine will forgive you if yo
u did the same thing Lilly did.”

  “I’m not going to create a scandal,” Emilia replied. “I’m just going to make myself as unattractive as possible. The reason why I don’t want to be around him is because he’s unappealing. All I have to do is be the same way. As we’ve established earlier, gentlemen and ladies are similar.”

  “You’re going to be the lady version of Lord Valentine?” Lilly asked, just to make sure she understood her friend’s plan.

  Emilia nodded. “I won’t be exactly like him. I think he will figure out what I’m doing if I do that, but I have a couple of ideas on what he might not like.”

  “I don’t know,” Lilly said. “He really wanted to have a dinner party with you, me, and Roger. I think he’d do anything to be in the same room with you.”

  “There’s bound to be something that he’ll find so disgusting that he won’t want to be with me,” Emilia replied. “It might take some effort, but I’ll get my own townhouse. Then, at long last, I’ll be content with the marriage.”

  “I feel a bit sorry for him,” Kitty said.

  “Would you like to take my place?” Emilia asked. Her eyes lit up with hope. “If you created a scandal, you could marry him instead. I’ll be more than happy to help.”

  Kitty winced. “No, I don’t want to marry him. I have no attraction for him at all.”

  “So why do you feel sorry for him?” Emilia asked.

  Kitty winced again. “I suppose I don’t when I look at things from your perspective.” She glanced at Lilly. “We’re not very nice ladies to talk about a gentleman this way.”

  “At least she’s marrying him,” Lilly told Kitty. “And, as she said, she’s going to arrange it so that it’s his idea to live apart. This way, his feelings won’t get hurt.”

  “I suppose it is nicer than coming out and telling him you don’t want to live in the same townhouse with him,” Kitty replied.

  “It’s all I can think of at this point,” Emilia said.

  “If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know,” Lilly offered. “It’s my fault you’re in this predicament.”