The Irish Duke

by Virginia Henley

  Louisa felt euphoric. There was no room for sadness that this would be her last time onstage. She dipped down in a graceful curtsy and bestowed a radiant smile on him when he applauded. She stopped worrying about what was to come. Nothing could erase the joyfulness that filled her heart. This was a fantasy and she didn’t want it to end. She had experienced her glorious moment in the sun and was ready and willing to pay the piper.

  Eventually they became aware of someone clearing his throat. They looked over at an elderly stagehand, hovering in the wings.

  “Beggin’ yer pardon, m’lord, I’m waitin’ to put out the lights an’ lock up.”

  “I’m sorry, Lady Lu. Your Covent Garden performance has come to an end.”

  “Don’t be sorry, James. I shall take the magic with me.”

  When they left the darkened theater, they walked past the Covent Garden flower sellers. Phineas had brought Abercorn’s carriage at the appointed time. James opened the door and followed Louisa inside. He sat opposite her so he could enjoy her radiant beauty. Her eyes were filled with stars and her lips curved with the exquisite pleasure of her once-in-a-lifetime experience.

  “I had a terrible attack of butterflies fluttering in my belly, but once I stepped onto the stage, they disappeared like magic.”

  “Your performance was so professional you made the other girls look like amateurs.”

  “I loved every single moment of it and basked shamelessly in the applause.”

  “You earned it.”

  “Thank you . . . for the compliment and for making it all possible.”

  “Making you happy gives me pleasure, Louisa.”

  The carriage was bowling down Piccadilly far too fast to turn onto Half Moon Street, and Louisa thought he must be taking her home to Belgrave Square. But at the last moment Phineas took the corner on two wheels and reined in the horses in front of Abercorn’s townhouse.

  She laughed. “Is he drunk?”

  “How can one tell? He’s Irish.” They laughed together.

  James jumped from the carriage and helped her to alight. They went up the front steps together and he opened the front door with his key. He removed her cloak and hung it on the hallstand, then gestured toward the staircase. “After you, m’lady.”

  She gathered up her skirts and ascended the stairs. As he followed her, his closeness took her breath away. She touched her cheek. “I should remove my stage makeup.”

  “Why don’t I draw you a bath? Phineas has gone round the corner to Shepherd’s Market to get us some supper.” He guided her toward a bathing room and turned the taps on a huge claw- footed bathtub. “You’ll be finished by the time he’s ready to serve us.”

  Louisa stared at the closed door. He gave me no chance to refuse. And why the devil should I refuse? I need to bathe after my energetic performance. She glanced around the room, noting plenty of towels and a man’s green velvet robe. She felt the temperature of the water and turned off the taps. She removed the red wig, undressed quickly, picked up a tablet of sandalwood-scented soap, and stepped into the tub. She washed her face three times to get rid of the greasepaint. As she washed her arms and legs, she sang the male lead’s song from The Brigand. She was proud that she had learned all the parts.

  Louisa pulled the plug, stepped from the water, and picked up a thirsty towel. Instead of dressing, she decided to be bold and pulled on the robe. She glanced in the mirror and saw that her dark hair had formed tiny tendrils about her face from the dampness of the room. Without the red wig, she looked like herself again. She suddenly became aware of her nakedness beneath the robe. She almost lost her nerve and decided to put her clothes on, but something stopped her. I am an actress about to play the role of a lifetime. This is my one chance to be wild and wicked. She admired her seductive smile in the mirror. This is my night. I shall outperform Kitty Kelly in every way!

  She was still exhilarated from performing at Covent Garden, and her euphoric mood had not diminished one iota. She radiated happiness and, amazingly, she did not dread what was to come. Rather, she looked forward to the challenge. Nothing could compare with the pleasure Abercorn had given her and she was perfectly willing to pay the piper. I enjoyed the kisses I shared with James. She refused to dwell on thoughts of further intimacy. A night with the attractive devil will cure me of my naïveté.

  She opened the door and immediately detected a spicy aroma in the air that she identified as curry. Then she saw Abercorn. He had removed his formal jacket and neck cloth, and the whiteness of his shirt contrasted against his tanned face and black hair. She saw his eyes take in the dark green robe, and her heart skipped a beat.

  “Are you hungry, Lu?”

  She suddenly realized that she was starving. “Yes, indeed I am.”

  He led the way into a small dining room and she saw that he had put her flowers in water. He held a chair for her and when she sat down, he dropped a kiss on the top of her head then moved around the table to sit opposite her. He removed a silver cover from a brace of roast partridge and another from a dish of curried rice with chestnuts. He poured champagne into two crystal flutes.

  “It smells good.” Louisa noted that Phineas was nowhere to be seen.

  He picked up his glass. “I propose a toast to Lady Lu’s smashing performance.”

  “Thank you.” She picked up her glass and sipped the champagne. “What’s a fitting toast to an Irishman?”

  He grinned. “Here’s to you and here’s to me, and if someday we disagree . . . sod you, here’s to me!”

  Louisa threw back her head and laughed. She realized it felt wonderful to laugh. “I love irreverent humor.”

  “Most Irish humor is irreverent, I warrant.” He served them each with a partridge and a heap of curried rice. “Eat before it gets cold.” He tore off a leg and bit into it.

  Louisa, using her fingers, did the same. “Mm, the skin is so crispy.” She devoured the leg and tore off a wing. “My appetite is insatiable tonight. I had fish and chips earlier at the theater.”

  “Were they wrapped in newspaper?”

  “Yes! I never experienced food served in newspaper before. It was delicious.”

  “I wager there are many delicious things you’ve never experienced.”

  Louisa blushed. She took a swig of champagne to give her confidence.

  James finished his food long before Louisa did. He leaned back, enjoying the dainty way she ate. When she was done and declared she couldn’t manage another bite, he uncovered dessert.

  Her eyes sparkled. “I cannot resist blackberries and cream.”

  After her first mouthful, James came around the table, lifted her, and sat her in his lap. He picked up a spoon. “Let me feed you?” he asked huskily.

  She could feel the heat from his thighs through the robe. Her skin began to tingle and she wondered if it was the wine or Abercorn that was affecting her so strangely. She opened her mouth and almost melted at the exquisite taste of the blackberries and cream.

  When she licked her lips, he captured her mouth in a long kiss. He pushed the robe from her shoulders and his hands caressed her silken skin. “Ambrosia,” he murmured. Then he lifted her glass to her lips and she sipped the champagne.

  She thought of the Song of Solomon. He is staying me with flagons. “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth,” she whispered.

  He picked her up, deftly leaving the robe behind, and carried her to the sitting room where a cozy fire had been lit. With one arm still firmly around her, he let her slide down his body, until her soft breasts rested against his powerful chest. When he captured her mouth, she felt his marble-hard erection against her soft belly.

  Her arms glided up around his neck and she stood on tiptoe so that her mons rested against his cock. His embrace made her conscious of every pulse of her blood. She was completely intoxicated with the role she was playing. A frisson of desire spiraled through her, until she wanted to scream with excitement. This is truly a night for new and thrilling sensations!
<
br />   James slid to his knees before her and kissed the sensitive silken skin beneath her breasts. He pressed hungry warm lips to her belly and dipped his tongue into her navel. Then he pulled her down to lie on the fur rug, spread her hair out, and gazed down at her with adoring eyes.

  The luxurious fur against her naked flesh made her feel seductively beautiful for the first time in her life. She loved his male scent and the feel of his hand as he caressed her breasts and her belly. Then it moved lower to toy with the curls on her high mons. She gasped as his fingertips slipped into her woman’s cleft and when he circled her tiny bud, she arched up with a cry of arousal.

  James wanted to bring her to climax without tearing her hymen, which called for very gentle and delicate manipulation. He must touch her with the delicacy of a butterfly’s wings and control his lust to plunge inside her. As the pads of his fingertips stroked her softly, over and over, he felt her shudder with longing. He knew a need to taste her and his lips took possession of hers. He slid his tongue inside the delicious cave of her hot mouth and thrust in and out, imitating what he ached to do with his cock.

  The velvet magic of his tongue aroused her desire, and her woman’s center began to throb with the insistent strokes of his fingertips. Her pleasure went higher and higher in ever-widening circles of intensity. She felt as if she were floating in a sea of bliss, then suddenly she erupted and dissolved into a thousand delicious fragments.

  His palm gently cupped her cheek and he gazed down into her slumberous green eyes. “Lady Louisa, will you marry me?”

  She came out of her trance in an instant, and pulled away from him sharply. “Of course I won’t marry you!”

  His dark brows drew together in a frown. “You promised to pay the price.”

  “I am willing to pay the price. I will spend the night with you.”

  He looked at her with regret. “I don’t want you for one night, Lu. I want you for a lifetime. With me, it’s all or nothing.”

  Louisa gasped. She was humiliated at his rejection. Suddenly all the beautiful magic of the night was melting away and she hated him for destroying her happiness. “Then it’s nothing! Go to the devil, Abercorn.”

  She was halfway to the door before she realized she was naked. She was mortified that she had discarded her clothes along with her inhibitions. Without looking at him, she raised her chin and marched to the bathing room. She put on her petticoat and gown, fastened it, and then pulled on her stockings and garters. She wanted to fly at him and rake her nails down his cheeks. That would destroy your last scrap of dignity, her inner voice warned. If you want to keep your pride, simply ignore the Irish swine.

  She left the bathing room and retraced her steps. There was no need to ignore Abercorn. He wasn’t there. In his place stood Phineas.

  “I have instructions to take you home, my lady.”

  The lump in her throat made it difficult to murmur her thanks. She followed him downstairs to the front door, where she donned her cloak and stuffed the red wig into her pocket. She had been right all along. The handsomest men were by far the most arrogant and selfish. She vowed that she would remember this lesson in humiliation so that she would never be tempted to repeat it.

  James Hamilton stood at an upper window, ruefully watching his carriage depart for Belgrave Square. Arranging for Louisa to achieve her heart’s desire had made her the happiest female in London tonight. He knew that would be his sole reward. He was sorry he had snatched her joy away but regretted even more her refusal to marry him.

  Her euphoric mood made her so desirable, I was sorely tempted to make love to her. She was perfectly willing to let me have my way for one night. He smiled wryly. There was only one thing that stopped me. I don’t want Lu to be promiscuous like her sister. I want her to remain sweet and innocent until she becomes my wife.

  Her dream began happily enough. She was in Woburn’s beautiful garden picking flowers. Their heady fragrance filled her senses. She gathered an armful of blue lupins and their peppery scent floated in the air about her. Suddenly, she looked down and saw that her white dress was covered with blood. Her lovely dream had turned into a nightmare. She dropped the lupins in shock. She was obviously having a miscarriage and losing her baby. It was the thing she feared most. She heard screams, and fear for her mother rose up and threatened to overwhelm her. No! No! Help me . . . please help me. Then she realized it was not her mother’s screams she could hear, it was her own.

  Louisa awoke in a panic. She pulled down the covers and examined her nightgown. Relief swept over her when she saw the pristine white garment was not covered in blood. She drew up her knees and wrapped her arms around them. It slowly dawned upon her why she had had the nightmare. Abercorn had asked her to marry him, and she equated marriage with having children. When you bore a child, you risked having a miscarriage or even a dead baby.

  Fate saved me tonight. If I had allowed Abercorn to make love to me even one time, he could have planted his seed. She got out of bed and turned up the lamp. She saw that Georgy’s bed was empty. Lu took the key to her secret desk drawer from its hiding place and took out her journal. She dipped her pen and wrote: Tonight I had the terrifying recurring dream where I am covered with blood. It began as usual in the garden picking lupins. It used to be Mother who suffered the miscarriage, but lately I have taken her place. I realize it was Abercorn’s proposal of marriage that brought on the nightmare. I have a mortal fear of marriage and all it entails.

  Louisa’s feelings of dread left her once she had written in her journal. Her thoughts winged back to Covent Garden Theatre. Tonight I fulfilled the dream of a lifetime. The corners of her mouth curved in a secret smile. I’ll write about singing and dancing on the stage tonight. I want to relive the feeling of bliss it gave me. I must never forget the euphoria I experienced when the entire audience applauded my performance. She dipped in her pen and began to write. By the time she finished, she had recaptured all the joy and magic of her experience on the stage. Her heart overflowed with happiness. Louisa locked her journal away and began to dance.

  The Duke and Duchess of Bedford returned to Belgrave Square a week later.

  “Rachel was a good little patient, but Alexander behaved like a savage. He scratched the tops off all his chicken pox and refused to take his medicine,” Georgina declared. “He disobeyed all the doctor’s orders and now insists he will be a physician when he grows up, so he can give the orders.”

  “You are a marvelous nurse, darling,” her husband declared. “You have more patience than any woman in London.”

  She’s had lots of practice, Louisa thought silently. “I’m glad they are recovered.”

  “Did anything interesting develop while I was away?” Their mother looked expectantly at her daughters.

  Georgy looked like the cat that had swallowed the cream, but she refused to divulge a specific name. “I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Father doesn’t receive a formal call in the near future from a certain noble who has been dangling after me.”

  Her mother looked pleased and asked archly, “I take it that if he receives an offer for your hand, you would like him to accept it?”

  “I do, I do, indeed I do!” Georgy said emphatically.

  Her mother looked at Louisa. “What about you, darling? If he receives an offer for you, do you want him to accept it?”

  “I don’t, I don’t, indeed I do not!” she said emphatically.

  “Lu, darling, I have no idea why you are so averse to the opposite sex. You certainly don’t take after me. Men are my favorite people, with the exception of Lady Holland, and now I come to think of it, I even prefer Henry to Beth.”

  “These invitations came while you were away, Mother.” Georgy handed her the cards. “I took the liberty of accepting the one from your friend Dorothy Cavendish, Countess of Carlisle. She’s hosting a ball at Devonshire House tomorrow night.”

  “Oh, how lovely. It is years since I’ve been to Devonshire House. You will be astonished at its opulenc
e. Her husband, George Howard, is Lord Privy Seal in Grey’s government, so of course the Greys will be there.” Georgina gave her daughter a speculative look. “Is it by any chance George Grey you are hoping will offer for you?”

  Georgy laughed. “Though it would be a feather in any lady’s cap to snare the prime minister’s son, I’m hoping for a far more noble catch.”

  I wager that Georgy is talking about William Cavendish, Lord Burlington, who is heir to the powerful Duke of Devonshire, Louisa thought. She’s eager to go to Devonshire House tomorrow night because she hopes someday to own it.

  “Well, there is no harm in aiming high, so long as your affections are involved.” Her mother glanced through the rest of the invitations. “I can’t believe it’s mid-July. Where has the summer gone?”

  I’ll be glad when the season is over. I’m looking forward to leaving London’s marriage market behind and going to Scotland. Lu had more sense than to voice her thoughts aloud.

  The Russells arrived fashionably late at Devonshire House the following night. Georgina caught up on old times with her childhood friend Dorothy Howard, and John was soon discussing politics with her husband, the Earl of Carlisle. Both men had recently received the Order of the Garter.

  Georgy took it upon herself to explore the magnificent mansion and could not disguise her proprietary air. When she spotted Lord Burlington, she made her way around the ballroom floor until she was standing beside him. She gave him an inviting sideways glance and ran the tip of her tongue around her lips.

  William winked at her as his hand surreptitiously caressed her bottom.

  He’s imagining his cock in my mouth right now. But he knows the only way to get what he wants is to offer for me.

  George Grey asked her to dance. She threw William a provocative glance and replied, “I’d love to.”

  Supper was to be served at midnight, but before everyone left the ballroom, the lights were turned up and the Earl and Countess of Carlisle ascended the dais where the musicians were playing. Dorothy held up her hands for silence. It took a few minutes for the noise to subside.