Her Notorious Viscount

by Jenna Petersen

  She hoped they never lost their freshness since that night could never be repeated.

  Lady Ridgefield turned away. “I want to apologize to you, my dear.”

  Jane was pulled from her fantasies in an instant. Lady Ridgefield was so flighty and silly it was rare for her to ever sound serious. But now she sounded dejected.

  “Apologize? Whatever for?”

  Her employer…former employer gave her a sheepish side glance. “I never even thought of bringing you out into Society until Lady Bledsoe brought the subject up. I merely kept you as my companion because I thought it was right, that I was helping you. But seeing you so happy as you make your return…it makes me realize just how selfish I was.”

  “My dearest Lady Ridgefield, how can you say that?” Jane caught her hand and drew the other woman away from the crowd. “You have been the kindest, most wonderful friend and employer I ever could have dreamed of having. I came to you with no references, no experience, and you took me on with naught but faith to go upon. I came to you.” Jane blinked as tears stung her eyes.

  Lady Ridgefield shifted, almost as if she were uncomfortable. “Yes. But you were not unhappy with me?”

  “Of course not.” Jane squeezed her hands. “And I never expected anyone to help me return to Society. I was not pining for it. I promise you.”

  That seemed to brighten the other woman, for she smiled. “Good. I admit that has been weighing on me the past few days. But now we are here and I vow you will be the center of all attention before this night is through. Or at least until Lord Stoneworth appears and takes it all.”

  Jane stiffened at the mention of Nicholas’s name. They had not spoken since she slipped from his bed early the morning before. And yet he had been on her mind ever since. As the ball grew nearer, so did her anticipation. She would see him again. He had not yet arrived, but she was counting the moments.

  “Will he be here tonight?” she asked, doing her best to appear innocent when she was desperate for any word of him.

  Lady Ridgefield nodded. “I can only hope this reintroduction into Society will go better than the last. But his dear mother seems to think it will be well.”

  Before Jane could dig for more information, a voice cut through the crowed. “Why, is that Jane Fenton?”

  She looked up to see Georgiana Mortimer making her way through the groups of people toward her. They had come out into Society the same year and had even been friends. But Georgiana had not spoken, nor even looked at Jane since her father died. And now she was Countess St. James, married to a powerful and much older man.

  Jane braced herself for the encounter.

  “My dear, don’t you look lovely? It is so nice to see you back at these events,” her former friend said before she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to each of Jane’s cheeks.

  Jane stood in stunned silence for a moment, then briefly pondered reminding Georgiana that she had been at virtually every event the other woman had attended during the past year, but held her tongue.

  Her silence didn’t seem to affect Georgiana in the least, for she was already greeting Lady Ridgefield and babbling on about gowns or something equally frivolous.

  “Do you remember Elizabeth and Hermione from our old group?” Georgiana continued, squeezing Jane’s hands gently.

  “Y-yes,” she finally stammered.

  Georgiana flashed a brilliant grin. “They are here tonight, as well. Elizabeth married a duke, you know. Or…he will be a duke once his father is dead. Poor Hermione is still unmarried, but I hear Marquis Waterbury is interested in her, though I seem to recall he danced with you a few times when we all came out. At any rate, we would love if you would come and talk to us. We’re just over by the terrace doors there.”

  She motioned across the room to indicate where the other girls stood. Jane smiled, and the two waved simultaneously.

  “I…” She hesitated.

  Lady Ridgefield smiled. “Of course she will. What a wonderful chance to reacquaint yourselves.”

  “Excellent. I’ll see you in just a moment, Jane. And good evening, Lady Ridgefield,” Georgiana said before she swept off into the crowd.

  Jane stared after her. When the young woman was out of earshot, she turned back to Lady Ridgefield in astonishment.

  “None of them have even looked at me since…I cannot remember when. In fact, I think Hermione may have given me the cut direct right after my brother was declared dead and I told my cousin I would not take his money. Why would they—”

  “You have powerful friends now,” Lady Ridgefield said with a smile. “Lady Bledsoe, especially, has been praising you to the heavens. She is paving your way, my dear. And you should accept her help, for she has far more influence than I. Now go be with your friends and enjoy yourself. I shall come and do my chaperone duties later.”

  Jane nodded as her former employer gave her a little shove toward the women across the room. As Jane dutifully made her way to them, her mind spun. It was somewhat humiliating that her acceptance was born from the praise of other women. And as she looked around the room, acknowledging unexpected hellos and smiles from those around her, Jane was surprised to find that she didn’t feel like she belonged here anymore.

  She didn’t belong in either the servant world or the one she had been raised in. Just like Nicholas. He said over and over that he didn’t belong in this world, although he had been willing to sacrifice everything he enjoyed and held dear to make the effort to fit in.

  “There she is,” Georgiana said, motioning Jane into her group. “You remember everyone, don’t you?”

  Jane nodded as the other women said hello and exchanged awkward hugs. Even though they were welcoming her, she couldn’t help but feel a distance from them. After all, these women had all but forgotten she existed when she fell onto harder times. None had reached out to her or even given her common courtesy. Even now, she could see their friendliness was only caused by a desire to impress Jane’s influential sponsors.

  “I believe that is the prettiest dress in the room,” Elizabeth, now Lady Comnouck, said with a smile that was almost sincere. “That color complements your eyes very nicely. But you were always one of the prettier girls in our set.”

  Jane glanced down at the dark blue dress she wore. Although she would never admit it, she had spent a good deal of time staring at herself in the mirror tonight after she had been dressed. It was like looking at a stranger. A princess.

  “Thank you,” she said with a blush. “It is a lovely gown.”

  “Indeed,” Hermione said with a quick glance up and down Jane’s frame. “I suppose Lady Ridgefield and Lady Bledsoe’s money can do wonders.”

  Jane frowned at the catty remark and the other women quickly changed the subject as Hermione sipped her drink and stared off into the crowd with disinterest. Again their talk turned to frivolous things. Clothing and who was marrying whom. Jane had begun to allow her mind to drift off when a buzz in the crowd drew her attention.

  “There he is,” Elizabeth whispered, though her tone was anything but soft. “Is it a wager?”

  “Who?” Jane asked, but already she knew why the crowd had begun to shift and move. An electric energy had entered the air, an awareness throughout her every pore that could only signal the arrival of one person.

  Nicholas.

  She craned her neck to see, and suddenly the crowd parted and there he was. She smiled as she thought of how much this was like the first time she saw him. And how little.

  That night he had been feral, dark, dangerous. And he was still all those things, but he was dressed impeccably, he was shaved neatly, and his dangerous nature was tamed to the extent that most people would not even notice it because they were drawn to his other good qualities.

  “It’s Nicholas Stoneworth, your patron’s son,” Hermione provided with a sour expression. “We’ve been wagering over his failure tonight. I say he will make a spectacle of himself within the first hour. Elizabeth says two, and Georgiana here is ve
ry kind. She believes he’ll last to midnight before he reveals his true nature.”

  Jane turned on the women with a gasp. Standing together, their necks craned to see over the crowd, their faces filled with joy at the potential for someone else’s pain, they reminded her of a nest of vipers.

  “What about it, Jane,” Georgiana said with a giggle. “Will you throw in a pound?”

  “She might not have a pound, Georgie,” Hermione said, her cruel gaze falling on Jane.

  “I have the money,” Jane said softly. “But I wouldn’t place a bet on his failure. In fact, I will bet you all twenty pounds that he succeeds beyond anyone’s wildest imaginings. I will wager thirty that Hermione here is leaning on his arm, trying to catch his eye before the Season is over.”

  With that, she spun on her heel and left the gaping women behind. The moment her back was turned, she regretted her outburst. Making enemies was tantamount to spitting in the faces of Lady Bledsoe and Lady Ridgefield. But worse, it might cause talk about her relationship with Nicholas. Defending him so passionately was only bound to cause trouble.

  Except that she couldn’t let their nastiness stand. Not after he had worked so hard and long. Not after they had both sacrificed so much for his success.

  She stopped at the edge of the dance floor and watched Nicholas surreptitiously. He was gliding into the room with grace, but now she recognized his movements as the calculations they were. He had the same subtle stance that he did the night he sparred with Rage. Waiting for an attack, planning a counter to it. Only this time, they were not physical battles.

  He looked impeccable. He was wearing the waistcoat she had once complimented when she saw his newly designed clothing. The one that brought out the startling contrast of his bright, intense eyes. His jacket fit perfectly across broad shoulders. She watched closely to see if he was feeling any remnants of the attack on him earlier in the week, but he didn’t so much as flinch as he stepped into the room and shook the hands of those around him.

  And there were plenty of hands to shake. Jane smiled as man after man approached him, taking a moment to say their hellos. Nicholas’s expression was perfect. Cool, detached, but not unfriendly. A far cry from the growling, half-drunk barbarian she had first seen across a room just like this one.

  Lady Bledsoe stepped up to her son with a smile and said something. He laughed in response, and Jane found herself smiling along with him. He almost looked like he was enjoying this, though she knew his true feelings on gatherings of this kind.

  Then his mother motioned to someone behind her, and a small group of young women stepped forward. Jane’s heart sank as Nicholas kissed their hands and smiled as they were introduced. By the twittering giggles of the women and their blushes, it seemed that he would have no trouble in that realm, either.

  Jane turned away, no longer as pleased by his triumphant return to Society as she had been. In fact, she felt…She wasn’t sure what it was. It wasn’t anger, and it wasn’t jealousy. Well, perhaps a small bit of jealousy, but that wasn’t the main thrust of the painful emotions that clouded her mind.

  It was sadness.

  She should have been happy for him. Their training had clearly been successful, at least at first blush. And she had no doubt Nicholas would continue to work toward respectability, if only to protect his brother’s reputation. But she wasn’t happy. For this night, this success he was finding here, it signaled the true end of the nights they had shared. The reality of the situation was becoming very clear to her. He would marry some woman just like those his mother had introduced him to a moment ago.

  And Jane would become a footnote in his past. Another woman who had shared his bed for a brief night. At some point, he might not even recall her name.

  She swallowed hard.

  “I beg your pardon?”

  With a start, Jane turned toward the male voice that had interrupted her reverie. A young man stood at her side, dark eyes friendly and open.

  “I’m sorry, I suppose I was woolgathering,” Jane said, remembering her manners.

  “You are Jane Fenton, are you not?” the gentleman said. When Jane nodded, he continued, “I have been looking for your chaperone to be properly introduced, but I cannot wait a moment longer. I am Bertram Eggertan. I wondered if you would be willing to dance the next with me?”

  Jane hesitated. Her heart was certainly not in the mood for dancing. She glanced one last time at Nicholas. He was surrounded by ladies now and seemed quite engrossed by their conversation.

  She straightened her shoulders. She and Nicholas Stoneworth were on very different paths now. It was how it had to be.

  “Yes, Mister Eggertan. I would be most pleased to dance the next with you,” she said as she held out her hand.

  “Your party is quite a success,” Nicholas said, taking a sip of his drink.

  “As are you, my dear,” his mother said with a smile.

  Nicholas hesitated before he answered because his attention was drawn, just as it had been all night, to Jane. She was spinning across the dance floor in the arms of yet another gentleman. She looked to be having a good time, too. Which set his teeth on edge.

  “Thank you,” he finally managed to say, returning his attention to his mother. He forced a smile. “I am far from perfect. I think I offended Lord Glenamara when I mispronounced his name. And I’m certain I cursed in front of Lady Wilkshire.”

  His mother shrugged one shoulder. “You cannot be expected to know all over night. These things take time.”

  “As you well know.” He winked at her. “Jane told me you have been aware of my doings all this time. Smart of you to keep her from telling me.”

  “Ah, Jane,” Lady Bledsoe said on a sigh as her gaze slipped to the woman in question.

  Which forced Nicholas to do the same. Thankfully she was finished with her latest conquest and was now standing with a small group of women, chatting quietly. He was pleased until two men approached with punch for her. He sighed.

  “She is a dear girl,” his mother said softly, but he felt her attention on him even as she continued to look at Jane. “I hope my influence can help her retain some position in Society. What do you think of her? You spent a great deal of time with her over the past few weeks, did you not?”

  Nicholas stiffened as every moment of the time he’d spent with Jane flashed through his mind, but especially that last night when she had given him her body so sweetly.

  “I have never known anyone like her in my life,” he said softly. “She is a lady in every sense of the word. And a great friend to have.”

  “It sounds as though you were lucky to have her,” his mother mused as she turned her stare back to him. “You know, she seems to be doing quite well in Society tonight. She has gained some acceptance and is catching the attention of a few men in the lower gentry.”

  “Good.” He choked on the word. “She deserves every happiness.”

  “Indeed,” his mother said softly. Then her smile brightened her face. “Now, you have not danced tonight and you must. Look, Jane has no partner and the waltz is to be played next.”

  Nicholas stared at his mother. She wasn’t being particularly subtle about the fact that she was pushing him in Jane’s direction. It surprised him. Surely she knew that Jane would need a respectable man to be fully accepted. And he would need a powerful woman for the same reasons.

  “She is surrounded by admirers, Mama,” he said.

  “She is. But I’m certain if you pressed your suit, she would abandon them for you.” His mother arched a brow and then turned to walk away.

  Nicholas watched her go. She was right, of course. If he went and demanded a dance from Jane, none of those untitled ninnies holding court around her would stop him. But was that right? He was no gentleman, not in his heart. And they were.

  Except he wanted to dance with Jane. He wanted his first dance to be with her. He found himself moving toward her, almost as if he were drawn to her by some unspoken power.

  “Ex
cuse me, gentlemen,” he said as he shouldered his way into the group around her. They parted immediately, as did Jane’s lips. And he saw all his own desire, all his own longing, mirrored in her eyes. “I believe this dance is mine.”

  Chapter 22

  Jane’s hand shook as she placed it in Nicholas’s and they waited for the music to start. When he had asked…actually demanded that she dance with him, there had been no polite way to refuse. If a woman of her rank turned him down, it would cause no end of trouble for them both.

  Of course, a large portion of her agreement wasn’t because she wanted to protect either of their reputations. It was because she wanted to be here with him. And as the first strains of the waltz began, she let herself forget everything else and just feel what it was like to be in his arms.

  “You have certainly been popular tonight, Jane,” Nicholas said softly as they began to move to the music.

  She blushed. “Not popular. I have only danced three times.”

  “Four,” he corrected quietly. “I was counting. And you have been brought punch by five different men on four occasions.”

  Jane swallowed hard with the realization that he had been tracking her movements so closely.

  “You have been popular yourself,” she countered when she remembered how to speak. “There has scarce been a time when you were not surrounded by admiring women.”

  “I don’t remember any of their names.”

  Nicholas suddenly executed a graceful movement, maneuvering them around another couple with ease. Jane’s eyes widened.

  “You are a wonderful dancer,” she said in astonishment, for certainly she had not taught him the surety and grace he was displaying now. With a quick glance, she saw those around the edge of the dance floor watching them with approval.

  “I am,” he said with a cockiness that made her laugh. She thrilled at the fact that Nicholas retained some part of his true personality, despite all pressures for him to transform away from it.