by HELEN HARDT
“I don’t dare, sir. My stepbrother might—”
“Lord Evan is in the city today,” Mr. Landon said. “I saw him taking breakfast at the Grand House several hours ago.”
Breakfast at a hotel? He had spent the night out? A dull thud landed in Ally’s belly. She swiftly pushed it away. What did she care? He could break his fast anywhere. He was certainly no concern of hers.
“He may still be there, for all I know,” Ally said. “But I can’t take the chance. He might have come home after you saw him and could walk in on us at any moment.”
“Darling Alexandra, your decision pains me. But alas, I am a patient man, and I can wait to sample your lovely jewels. However, I cannot wait forever.” He rose.
Was that some sort of ultimatum? It did not sit well with Ally. She had to work with haste to get him to marry her before he grew tired of waiting.
“Sir, I will be at least one of the balls. If you will wait for me, I promise you will not be disappointed.”
“I do look forward to that with bated breath, my lady.” Mr. Landon bowed and saw himself out of the parlor.
Ally let out a sigh. She’d made up her mind months ago that she would marry Mr. Landon. And if she had to give him a taste of her nipples, she would do so, but not in this house. She would do so at a ball, out on the terrace in a dark corner. In fact, she would let him do whatever he wanted. She just had to make sure someone was watching.
She adjusted the sleeves of her dress and picked up her novel. A few moments later, Sophie entered.
Ally looked up. “Did you enjoy your nap, Sophie?”
Sophie’s eyes looked sunken and sad. “Not especially.”
“Is something the matter, Sophie?”
“Oh goodness, nothing to get me so upset. After all you and Evan went through over the past couple of days, I feel like a shallow ninny for being bothered by anything.”
“You could never be shallow, Sophie dear.” Ally patted the seat next to her. “Come and tell me what is bothering you.”
Sophie sat down, wringing her hands. “Lord Van Arden stopped by to call on me while you and Evan were gone.”
“Yes? Were you not happy to see him?”
Sophie shook her head and sniffled. “Of course I was happy to see him. The problem is he was not exactly thrilled to see me.”
“Then why on earth did he come here?”
“It’s all so silly really. He came to tell me that he would no longer be coming by. He has fallen in love with a common woman.”
Ire pulsed through Alexandra. “How dare he? That little snake.”
Sophie sniffed. “Oh, Ally, it’s not his fault he fell in love with someone else. I do wish I had kissed him though. I know I said I would never allow any liberties, but a girl gets curious. And who knows when I will get another opportunity? Gentlemen aren’t exactly lining up for my favors. I fear I will end up like Mother, twenty-five and no prospects due to my timid nature. I don’t want to be forced into marriage the way she was.”
Ally embraced her sister in a tight hug. “You are only twenty-three. Not twenty-five. And you know very well Mother and the earl would never force you into anything. She wants better for us.”
Sophie pulled out of Ally’s embrace. She grabbed a handkerchief out of her pocket and wiped her eyes and nose. “I know Van Arden wasn’t the catch of the season, but he was a nice man, a gentle man, and I know he would never have hurt me.”
“It seems to me he has hurt you,” Ally said.
“I meant physically. The way our father hurt Mama.”
Ally nodded. “Unfortunately, there are all kinds of hurt, Sophie. I wish I could shield you from all of it.”
Sophie gulped. “You shield me from enough of it, dear sister. I always hated how he picked on you and hurt you. May God forgive me for not being able to stand up for you.”
“There’s nothing to forgive. The man was a tyrant. Believe me, he didn’t even hurt me after a while. You get numb to it. I almost felt powerful, to be honest. It was like I had this control over him. I could make him want to hurt me, and I had the power not to be hurt.”
“You’re so strong, Ally. I envy you.”
“You have no reason to envy me. You are beautiful and smart, and any man who doesn’t want you is an idiot.”
Sophie let out a shaky laugh. “You always could make me smile.”
“What were your feelings for Van Arden? Did you fancy yourself in love with him?”
Sophie shook her head. “If what Lily and Rose said is true, and you know without a doubt when you’re in love, no, I was not in love with Van Arden. But I was very fond of him, and I think I could have been happy as his wife.”
Despite the experiences of Lily and Rose, Alexandra still wasn’t sure she believed in love. Love had never been a requirement for her own marriage. She didn’t love Mr. Landon, and she didn’t labor under any delusion that he loved her. Sophie, though, would hold out for love. And her sister needn’t worry. Ally would have plenty of money to take care of Sophie if need be. Never would her sister be forced into a loveless and abusive marriage like their mother had been. Ally would see to that.
“He is not the last man on earth, Sophie. There are others, and the right one will find you.”
“I do hope you’re right. I couldn’t bear the thought of being forced into an unhappy marriage.”
“Sophie, I’ll say it again. Mother and the earl would never force you into anything. She knows better than anyone that spinsterhood is preferable to an abusive situation.”
“Spinsterhood? I can’t bear the thought of that either.” Sophie wiped her eyes again with her lace handkerchief. “Perhaps I should have allowed a few kisses. Van Arden was never insistent, but he did ask a couple of times.”
Ally wasn’t certain how to respond. She had done her share of kissing, but it was out of her own curiosity rather than to give the gentleman in question anything. Today she had the chance to allow Mr. Landon a few more liberties, and she had wanted to try, but her heart hadn’t really been in it. Her curiosity had been sated. She had done what she wanted and more with Evan.
“If you are not comfortable with allowing him a kiss, you did the right thing,” Ally said. “When you are ready to give a kiss, you will know, and you will be doing it for yourself, not for someone else.”
“Is that how you truly feel, Ally? Did you truly only allow Mr. Landon liberties because you wanted them?”
“Absolutely. I have the intention to marry Mr. Landon, but I myself was curious. And if my curiosity can help me show a gentleman that my treasures are worth sampling for the rest of his life, all the better. But believe me, Sophie, I wanted the liberties as much as he did.”
“But it’s not ladylike to want such things. As ladies, we are supposed to be the sensible gender and rebel against our baser instincts.”
“Yes, that is what convention dictates, is it not? However, we are all human beings, and women have needs just as gentlemen do.”
“Ally! How can you speak of such things? Ladies aren’t supposed to have such thoughts.”
“How can you even say that anymore? You and I have both watched Lily and Rose succumb to their baser desires, and neither of them regretted it one bit. I’ve done a lot of reading, Sophie, and there are parts of the female anatomy that are meant solely for pleasure.”
“My goodness, those cheap novels—if one can even call them such—cannot be relied upon for accurate information.”
“I’m not talking about the novels, though they are terribly amusing and you would do well to read a couple of them. I am talking about basic anatomy. Have you perused the library here at the estate? The earl has myriad reference books, and the library over at Lily and the duke’s estate has even more. You know what a voracious reader I am. I’ve devoured nearly all of them.”
“My goodness, Ally, what on earth could you be speaking about?”
“I’m speaking about sexual desire, Sophie.”
Ally smiled as h
er sister’s cheeks turned red as a beet.
“No need to be embarrassed, sister dear. Did you know that women have an organ in the body whose sole function is sexual pleasure?”
“Ally, really. Must we discuss this? And of course men have an organ for sexual pleasure as well. Even a lady as naïve as I knows that.”
“Well, of course. But that organ has several functions other than sexual pleasure. Excretion for one, procreation for another. The organ I’m talking about has only one function, and that organ is found only on the female body.”
“You can’t possibly be serious.”
“Oh, I am more than serious. In fact I—”
Ally and her sister both looked up as the parlor door opened swiftly. Evan stood in the doorway, his large frame nearly taking up the entire space.
“Sophie, Alexandra, I must speak with you.”
Sophie, her cheeks still bright red, said, “Of course, Evan, what is it?”
“I’m afraid some business has come up that I cannot ignore. I will not be able to take you to London for the last balls of the season as I promised.”
“Well of course, we understand—”
“The hell we do.” Ally stood, clenching her fists. “I will return to London, with or without you.”
Confessions of Lady Prudence
by Madame O
Hattie squirmed beneath me. “My lady, ’tis not proper. You shouldn’t—”
And then my mouth was upon her. Oh, Amelia, you can’t imagine how sweet the taste of her pussy. If only Christophe had been there and I were sitting on his face grinding into him as I ate my fill of Hattie. She writhed against my probing tongue as I continued to plunder her sweetness. When she finally erupted, convulsing against me, I slowed my attack.
I knew she wasn’t ready to return my favor, and I was willing to wait. But now, she having experienced such sweet diversion for the first time, I hoped it would be easy to convince her to join Christophe and me at our next lesson.
“Hattie, dearest,” I said, “would you like to experience even more pleasure?”
“My lady, I’m not sure there is any pleasure that could be more fulfilling than what I just felt.”
I couldn’t help chuckling a bit, dear Amelia. Such naïvety! And to think, if not for you, I would still be as naïve as innocent Hattie. “My dear, I can assure you that we have only scratched the surface of pleasure. My art instructor, Christophe, has given me amazing gratification, and I wish for you to experience it as well.”
“I don’t know…” She reddened from head to toe and wrapped her arms over her succulent breasts. “What we just did was scandalous enough. I don’t know if I should partake in any more such activities.”
“Didn’t I just tell you only moments ago never to deny yourself pleasure?” I smiled.
“You did, indeed, and I certainly would like to experience more…”
“If you felt being with a woman was scandalous, perhaps you will find being with a man slightly less so.” I raised my eyebrows and smiled again.
“Perhaps…”
And then, Amelia, I knew I had her. I so look forward to my next lesson with Christophe. I hope very much he will bring Mr. Peck with him.
I shall write again when I have more exciting adventures to tell you. Until then, I remain yours, affectionately,
Prudence
Chapter 11
And here we go again. Evan sighed. The woman was bound and determined to get to London. Evan doubted very much it had anything to do with her friend, Miss Hortense Stafford or whomever it was. Knowing Alexandra, she had something completely different up her sleeve. Still, he had made a promise to her, and he hated having to break it. Plus, Sophie certainly deserved to get off this estate and have some amusement, as well. Shy and timid she may be, but she had seemed to enjoy the balls they’d attended at the duke’s estate.
“My apologies to both of you,” he said calmly. “I know you were looking forward to seeing the end of the season. However, there is a problem at one of my businesses in the city of Bath, and I must get it resolved.”
“Well, that is not an issue as I see it,” Alexandra said. “Sophie and I can simply travel to London alone and attend the balls.”
“You know damned well”—Evan jerked when Sophie gasped at his language—“that I cannot allow the two of you to travel to London alone. Look at what happened last time we tried to go. You and I ended up stranded.”
“Oh, for God’s sake, Evan, we just won’t travel during the worst rainstorm of the century. Surely that won’t happen again.” Alexandra stomped her foot on the Oriental rug.
“Ally,” Sophie said, “if we can’t go to the balls, it’s not the end of the world. We shall both have our seasons next year.”
“It’s not the damned season—”
Sophie gasped again at Alexandra’s words.
“—I’m concerned about. I just want to have a little bit of fun. Ever since Mother and the earl left on their wedding trip a month ago, we’ve been stuck here. I’ve nearly exhausted all the literature in the library, and I’ve knitted and crocheted so many baby booties that I want to hurl my crumpets.”
“I am very sorry,” Evan said again. “If there were any other way—”
“Of course there is another way,” Alexandra said. “If it’s a chaperone you are concerned about, send us with one of the servants—one you trust completely. I’m sure he would be happy to escort the two of us to the balls in London.”
Oh, Alexandra was beautiful, and when she got that dander up, sexuality just oozed from her pores. Evan felt feral. He wanted to run to her and crush his mouth to hers in a carnal and passionate kiss. But he couldn’t—not in front of Sophie. And not at all, for that matter. She had refused his suit, and she no doubt would not appreciate any more of his attentions. He’d have to hope like hell he hadn’t impregnated her.
The thought of his child growing in her belly filled him with a raw and possessive need. To see her body change, to see a baby born with her chestnut hair… But no. It would be much better if she was not with child.
“Don’t be absurd. I can hardly have the two of you attending London society balls on the arms of a servant.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s just not done, that is why.” He turned and then looked back over his shoulder. “And I’ll not hear one more word about this.”
“Oh, you will hear more than one word about this,” came Alexandra’s voice from behind him. “You can be certain of that.”
Evan closed the door to the parlor a bit more loudly than he meant to. He walked quickly to his office on the first floor. His father, being aware of his business investments, had allowed him to use a room on the estate for his work. He sank down into his leather chair. The musky scent of cowhide wafted to his nose. What was he going to do about Alexandra? She never left his mind. Even when he was focused on work, still her visage tormented him behind his eyes, her berry scent always in his nose, and the touch of her skin a memory beneath his fingertips.
He shuffled some papers on his desk, looking for a particular file, when a knock sounded on the door.
“Yes?” he said.
“It’s Graves, my lord.”
“Yes, Graves, do come in.”
Graves entered with an envelope. “This was just delivered for you.” He laid the message on the desk.
“Thank you,” Evan said. “Tell me, what has been going on about the estate while I’ve been gone?”
“It has been quiet, my lord. We did have one caller.”
“And who was that?”
“Mr. Nathan Landon. He came to call upon Lady Alexandra.”
Jealousy stirred in Evan’s gut. Why was Nathan Landon hanging around Alexandra? Landon was a notorious skirt chaser. The peers put up with him because he was a cousin to the Duke of Lybrook. He wasn’t sure why Lybrook himself had allowed his wife’s cousin to associate with Landon, knowing the type of man he was. An astute businessman, yes, and ni
ce enough—but Evan had seen Landon in many situations that even gentlemen of ill repute would not be seen in. Somehow, he had to steer Alexandra away from Landon. Keeping her out of London would be a good start, but what could he do about Landon coming to call?
In truth, he needed to resolve this problem at his printing business, but he could easily have one of his associates look into it. It was not a big enough issue to require his presence. God knew he wasn’t the first business owner to deal with the dregs of the city trying to use his business for their own gain. Still, it gave him an excuse to stay in Bath rather than travel to London for the remaining few weeks of the season. And that would keep Alexandra right here where she belonged.
“My lord?”
Evan jerked in his chair. He had quite forgotten that Graves still stood in front of him. “And anyone other than Mr. Landon?”
“No. As I said, it has been quiet.”
“Very well, then. You may go, Graves.”
The door had no sooner closed than Alexandra stormed in, her face red, her fists clenched, her beautiful lips trembling.
“We need to talk,” she said.
“I can’t imagine what about. Other than the fact that I’d appreciate a knock before you barge into my office.”
“You know damned well what we need to talk about. I am going to London. My friend is expecting me. And you promised to escort me to the end of the season balls.”
“Yes, I know that,” he said calmly. “However, as I said before, there is some unforeseen business that requires my attention.”
“Summon your brother. He should be spending his time here anyway. It will be his estate someday. Instead, he’s living it up in London, he and his intended. He should be here taking care of business while your father is out of the country. That is his responsibility, not yours. Why would any business keep you here? You’re nothing but a second son.”
The derision in her words sent an arrow through his heart. She truly did look down upon his station. “My brother is seeing to the estate while he’s in London, and he and his solicitor are due here in a little more than a week.” Evan’s hands shook. Though his legs ached to stand and thunder toward Alexandra, he glued his behind to the chair. “The business to which I’m referring is my own, not the estate’s.”
