by HELEN HARDT
“I’m so sorry, Ally,” Sophie said. “He just arrived a few moments ago, and I was explaining that you were being looked for. I’m thrilled you’re here and all right, of course. I never dreamed he’d come out of the parlor.”
“He’ll probably want nothing more to do with me,” Alexandra said. “I look an absolute fright.”
“If he doesn’t want you because of how you look, he’s not worth your time anyway,” Sophie said.
“Rubbish, Sophie.” Alexandra shook her head. “Please excuse me. I must see to a bath and then have a nap.
“You don’t wish to take a meal?” Evan said.
“Not at the moment. I’ve suddenly lost my appetite.” Alexandra ambled up the stairway.
“Sophie,” Evan said, “would you care to join me in a meal?”
Sophie nodded. “I haven’t been able to eat due to worry. Suddenly, I have quite a hunger. Plus, I’m anxious to hear all about your ordeal.”
Sophie joined him in the informal dining room while he ate and told her of the carriage accident and how they’d found shelter. Of course he left out the part where he’d slept with her sister.
“How very terrible for the coachman,” Sophie said. “But how very fortunate for the two of you. I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to Ally.”
“She is fine, though a bit frazzled,” Evan said. “She’ll be all right. Have you heard any word from my father?”
Sophie shook her head. “I doubt we will. Why would they send word while on a wedding trip?”
“Just some business dealings I was hoping to get his input on,” Evan said. “Jacob and his solicitor are due here within a few weeks, and I need to have up-to-date information. I guess it will fall to me to get things in order.”
“Yes, please don’t bother your father,” Sophie said. “He and my mother have waited so long for happiness. They do so deserve it.”
Evan swallowed the bite of chicken sandwich he’d been chewing. Sophie was right. He’d learned a lot about what her mother had endured during her first marriage, and he did want her to have happiness now. He was still a bit irked that his father hadn’t found that kind of happiness with his own mother, but at least his mother had been taken care of and had lived a good life. If only she could have had love…
But what of love? Evan himself had been ready to marry Lady Rose Jameson, and though he cared for her, he hadn’t been in love with her nor she with him. Was love simply an illusion? Love was not the act itself. He’d engaged in the act many times, but had never loved the one he was with.
Though with Alexandra… He’d felt something different—something almost primal and protective. But no, it wasn’t love.
Not that he’d know the difference.
Evan finished his meal. “If you’ll excuse me, Sophie, I must get cleaned up after our…difficulty.”
“Yes, of course.” Sophie rose as well. “I’ll see to my sister. In fact, I’ll have Chef prepare her a tray. She must eat something.”
Evan nodded and climbed the two flights of stairs to his suite on the third floor. He bid Redmond to prepare him a bath. When the tub was ready, he peeled off his soiled clothing and lowered himself into the steaming water.
Ah, heaven.
“Do you require anything else, my lord?” his valet asked.
“No, Redmond. You may go. I may just sit here until the water becomes tepid.”
“I couldn’t help but notice your bruising. Do you wish me to call your physician?”
“No, there’s no need. We were thrown a bit in the carriage. I assure you a hot bath is the best medicine for me right now.” That, and perhaps another tumble with Alexandra. But that wouldn’t happen.
“Very well, then.” Redmond bowed and left the room, only to come back a moment later. “I beg pardon, sir, but Mr. Graves requests an audience with you.”
“Can’t it wait? I’m exhausted.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but he says it’s of the utmost importance.”
Evan sighed. “Fine, send him in.”
Graves entered, the expression on his face unreadable. “Forgive the intrusion, my lord, but I received an urgent message from your printing office in Bath.”
“Well, what is it?”
“I’m sorry, my lord, but I was told that only you could read the missive.”
Evan let out a breath. Why now? All he wanted was a warm bath and his own bed. And then, of course, perhaps another meal later.
“Redmond,” he said, “fetch my robe please.”
Evan dried quickly and stepped into the robe that Redmond held for him. He turned back to Graves and took the letter the butler was still holding. Sighing, he broke the seal and took out the folded piece of parchment.
He widened his eyes. “Thank you, Graves. You may go. Redmond, please ready my grey suit. I’m going to have to go into Bath.”
* * *
Having finished her bath, Ally sat in front of the looking glass, combing out the snarls from her finally clean hair.
A knock at the door startled her.
“Yes, who is it?”
“It’s just me,” came Sophie’s voice from the other side of the door.
“Of course, do come in,” Ally said.
The door opened, and Sophie ambled in, carrying a tray. “I figured you would be hungry,” she said. “I know you must have been fraught with embarrassment when Mr. Landon saw you so disheveled, but still, Ally, you must eat. You haven’t eaten in nearly two days.”
Her sister was right, of course. Ally was hungry. But so many images were swirling in her mind. The intimate moments she had shared with Evan, and then the man she intended to marry, Mr. Landon, seeing her looking no better than a common peasant. She sighed. How would he ever feel the same way about her? He thought of her as glamorous and socially intelligent. Not that she felt that way herself. Her past wouldn’t allow that. But damn it, no one would know of her past if she could help it. No one but Sophie and her mother knew now. Well, except for Evan, and he had assured her his confidence. Up until now, she had put on a good show for Mr. Landon. Perhaps he would understand that she had been in a carriage accident and had been without amenities for two days. If only he hadn’t been there to see her when she returned.
“Thank you, Sophie.”
Sophie set the tray on the table and uncovered it. “Chef outdid himself today. Roast chicken sandwiches with tomato and fresh mozzarella salad and creamed vegetable marrow. Lemon spice cake for dessert.”
Ally feared it would all taste like sawdust to her right now. But her stomach wasn’t going to allow her to wait any longer for sustenance. “Do join me, won’t you, Sophie?”
“Of course. Evan told me about your ordeal over lunch, but I need to hear your version. It must have been horrid, Ally. I don’t know how you got through it.”
Ally shook her head. “Really, Sophie, we’ve been through so much worse. This was merely an inconvenience.”
“I’m so very glad Evan was with you. I know you are angry that he wouldn’t let you travel alone, but thank goodness he was there. What would you have done if he hadn’t been?”
Probably not made a huge mistake. But of course she couldn’t bring voice to those words. Even though her intimate moments with Evan were the most precious moments she’d ever experienced, they had been a mistake. Still, Sophie was right. If Evan hadn’t been there, Ally might not have survived. But she was not going to appear weak. “I would have been just fine, Sophie. Goodness, if there was one thing life with Mother and Father taught us, it was how to take care of ourselves.”
“During life with Mother and Father, we were never without shelter.”
“Yes, that is true. However, there were certainly times when I went to bed hungry.”
“Well perhaps our bellies weren’t always filled to the brim as they are now,” Sophie said, “but you went nearly two days with no food at all.”
“We had water. Fresh water at that, from the rain.”
“I�
��m just so thankful that neither of you were seriously injured. And also that you were able to find the small shack for shelter. What did you do while you were there?”
Ally couldn’t help a small smile. If her sister only knew! She’d lost her virginity to the man least likely to have taken it. But Sophie could never know that. Mother and the earl could never know that. She needn’t fear anything from Evan. He would want to keep this as quiet as she did.
“We talked a bit. He wanted to know about our childhood, but I was quite vague.” Ally hated lying to her sister, but she didn’t want Sophie to be embarrassed around Evan. “He told me a little bit about his mother, and about how he wished she had been loved by his father, the way he loves Mama.”
“I’m glad you kept it vague about our childhood,” Sophie said. “It’s not that I’m ashamed of it, but it was just so horrible I would rather pretend it never happened. The more people who know, the more I can’t erase it.”
“It’s a part of who we are, Sophie. Believe me, I wish it had never happened either. But it did, and like it or not, it has shaped who we are. We just can’t let it color our futures.”
Sophie sighed. “You are correct, of course. What else did you do in the shack? If you were vague about our childhood, I can’t imagine that you spent forty-eight hours talking about Evan’s mother.”
No, they certainly hadn’t. Her cheeks warmed as visions of making love with Evan twirled in her mind. “We were lucky enough to find a deck of cards in one of the cupboards. We played a little whist.”
“With only two of you?”
Oh, she had put her foot in it now. Why hadn’t she said some other game? Of course, she was ignorant as to card games. “We had to change the rules a bit. But at least it was something to do.” Now please, Sophie, don’t ask me any more questions.
“I’m just happy you’re all right.” Sophie smiled. “Do you feel you should see a physician?”
“Oh, heavens, no. I’m absolutely fine. A little banged and bruised is all. Millicent brought me a headache powder, and it’s already starting to help. The warm bath did wonders also.”
Ally filled her plate from the tray. The food did look good. She took a bite of chicken sandwich. Her mouth was dry, but she chewed and swallowed with a loud gulp. It didn’t taste like sawdust after all.
* * *
“My lord, we were just getting ready to close.” Mr. Jenkins, the clerk at the printing office walked toward Evan.
“I’m afraid I’m going to need some information.”
“Of course, my lord. What may I help you with?”
“You can tell me, Jenkins, why I was summoned near the end of the workday, when I have just returned from being stranded from a carriage accident, to be informed that my company has been printing obscene material.”
Confessions of Lady Prudence
by Madame O
“Oh, my lady.” She sighed. “Your breath on my neck, it’s so…so…”
I pressed my nearly nude body against her still fully clothed back, my nipples poking into the soft cotton of her garment. I blew against her neck, the wisps of hairs drifting slowly.
“My dear Hattie,” I said, “I still wish to see you unclothed.”
Slowly and deliberately I untied the laces on the back of her gown. Most servants in our household don’t wear foundation garments, and I quivered with excitement. Only a gown and a chemise stood between me and Hattie’s ripe flesh.
She did not stop me as I eased her gown and then her chemise over her shoulders. They landed in a brown-and-ivory puddle at her feet. I turned her to face me, and we were so close our pert breasts touched, sending a tingle to my core.
“May I touch your lovely bubbies?” I asked.
She nodded shakily.
Her brown nipples beckoned. They were already tight under my appraisal. Oh, Amelia, they were nearly as lovely as yours! I cupped the ripe mounds and thumbed the buds lightly.
Hattie swayed backward against the bed. “Oh…my lady…”
“It feels nice, doesn’t it?” I said. “Let me pinch your lovely nipples, Hattie.” I took both between thumb and forefinger and squeezed hard.
“Oh my!” Hattie gasped.
I pinched her harder. “Do you feel something between your legs, dear heart?”
“My lady, oh my! Yes, it’s a tickle, it’s a…”
I plunged one hand into her drawers to find her pussy. Slick, dear Amelia. Slick as dew. I wanted to rip off those offending drawers and suck her cunny dry then and there! But I settled for finding her nub and touching it ever so lightly.
She gasped and trembled against me. “My lady, that feels…oh!”
I continued to slide my fingers over her clitoris whilst I twisted one nipple with my other hand. “Might I kiss this nipple, my dear?” I asked.
“Please,” she begged.
I lowered my lips to the lovely bud and flicked my tongue over it, still working her hard button with my other hand. I itched to slide a finger into her quim, but I held off. Slowly, Amelia, the way you taught me. I closed my lips around the nipple and sucked. Such softness beneath my tongue, Amelia. How I’ve missed frolicking with you! I kissed the flesh around the nipple, and then clamped back on, nibbling gently.
Her quim gushed over my hand. Oh, that I had a hard cock to shove into her at that moment! But alas, I’d have to settle for eating that delicious cunt. And that would wait until later.
And then…oh, Amelia, it was thrilling! She climaxed against my hand, my lips still around her nipple. She quivered against me, moaning, groaning, and I bit down hard on that tight little nipple. By now, I was so wet I was ready to climax again myself without much coaxing.
Chapter 9
Jenkins reddened. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, my lord.”
“Someone found an underground newspaper circulating in Bath. Apparently it’s been traced back to this printing house.”
“Where did you get this information?”
“From a loyal source, I assure you. Now do you care to tell me what is going on?”
Jenkins cleared his throat. “You’d have to ask the night crew, my lord. I can assure you that nothing of that sort has come through on my watch.”
Evan looked into the back—the whirring of the presses, the typographers making prints… He loved the printing and publishing business. He loved printed matter, especially books, and now that the industrial revolution had dawned, the demand for mass produced printed media was high.
He had bought the business—which also included branches in London and in Edinburgh—a few years ago. His business was now thriving and was responsible for the majority of the printing in the area. He prided himself on having the newest presses and was delving into lithography as well. Evan had attended the great exhibition organized by the Queen’s husband, Prince Albert, in 1851. It had attracted 13,000 exhibitors from all industrial nations. Evan had taken advantage of the new technology he witnessed during the exhibition and had brought as much of it as he could to his business. While he printed newspapers and flyers and material for the theaters and other businesses in town, he prided himself on his printed novels, and most recently on his new color printing. There was no careless work at his company—no upside-down lowercase B was ever used for a lowercase G. Nor did his company use the excessive ornamentation that was so prevalent in current society. This was a high class operation.
Evan knew that his brother, Jacob, would never insist that he leave the Brighton estate once he inherited the earldom, but Evan did not want to be a burden on his family. He had decided long ago that he would make his own way in the world, and he had done quite well for himself. Perhaps he was not worth as much as Alexandra’s Mr. Landon, but he was well on his way.
Drat. Why had he thought of Alexandra and Mr. Landon? The man was nowhere near good enough for her. She was smart and beautiful and had been through so much in her short life. She deserved better than a common philanderer.
“Very well,
then,” Evan said. “I shall return early in the morning before the night clerks leave. And we shall get to the bottom of this.”
Evan left the building and got into his carriage. Then he thought better and spoke to the coachman. “We won’t be going home after all. I’d like to take a room in town for the evening.”
“Of course, my lord. Which inn would you prefer?”
“Wherever I can get the best meal. I need a few hours of sleep before I sneak in on the night crew.”
* * *
After gorging herself on the meal Sophie had brought her, Ally changed into her night rail and readied for bed. Exhaustion weighed heavily upon her. She ached all over, though the headache powder had helped a bit. The biggest problem was that she couldn’t get her new stepbrother out of her mind. Though still sore between her legs, she longed for more of him.
She would definitely keep to herself her pact to sleep with Mr. Landon. That is, if he would look twice in her direction after seeing her at her worst. She would have to look spectacularly dazzling the next time they came in contact, and she had every intention of doing just that. Her cousin Lily owned an amazing red velvet dress that she had worn the night her betrothal to the duke was announced. It was audacious, yet Lily had stolen the entire evening by wearing such an outrageous costume. Ally was built quite a bit like Lily—tall, full bosom, narrow hips. She was quite sure the dress would show off her best assets as it had for Lily. Surely Lily would allow her to borrow the dress. The only problem was the fabric was a velvet and really too warm for the summer.
No, the red dress would not work after all. She would have to summon Lily’s modiste to come and make her a new dress, one that would make Mr. Landon’s eyes pop out of his head and make sure he totally forgot the image he had seen of her earlier today.
Of course, Evan would never allow her to leave the house wearing a dress anything like Lily’s red dress. She would have to find a way to get back to London without him. He had mentioned attending a few balls in London. The season would be over in a couple of weeks, when Parliament closed in early August.
