by Jane Charles
Stop being foolish. She clearly saw something that didn’t exist. She was simply being fanciful, or had been anyway. Jordan Trent didn’t care who he hurt as long as he could add more ladies to his list of conquests each Season.
“Come with me,” Millicent hissed in Audrey’s ear and she grasped her arm and drew her to the opposite side of the drawing room.
“What is wrong?” The color was high in her friend’s cheeks and her brown eyes were brighter than normal. Had she taken a fever?
“He is mine you know.”
Audrey stared at Millicent, almost afraid to ask who since Millicent tended to forget she had a husband.
“Jordan Trent is mine and I need you to remember that.”
“Millicent, you are married to Lord Lydell.”
She dismissed Audrey’s comment with a wave of her hand. “That hardly matters.”
“It matters a great deal. You cannot have Mr. Trent because you have a husband.”
Millicent laughed. “Married ladies take lovers all of the time.”
“That doesn’t make it right,” Audrey warned her. What had happened to her friend? They had both been raised with the same morals and taught the difference between right and wrong. Never once were they told it was acceptable to take a lover.
Millicent grasped Audrey’s hand. “Dear, sweet Audrey, I shouldn’t expect you to understand.”
“Understand what,” Audrey asked slowly.
“I know that last spring you believed Jordan may have been interested in courting you.”
Yes, she had, but Audrey wasn’t going to confirm it to her friend.
“It was me he wanted all along.” Millicent placed her hand on Audrey’s cheek, much like a mother does when comforting a child. “He was simply playing with you until we could be together.”
“If he wanted you so badly, why didn’t he marry you?” Audrey found herself asking.
Millicent sighed and folded her hands together. “Mother and Father would never have allowed it.”
“He ruined you.” Audrey said in a low voice. “He snuck into your bedchamber and ruined you. They should have demanded that he marry you.”
“They would have if he had a title, of that I am sure.” Millicent shrugged.
“I am sorry for you, but further pursuit of Jordan Trent does not make the situation right,” Audrey reminded her.
“How can I expect you to understand,” Millicent sighed. “You’ve never been in love.”
“You are in love with Jordan Trent?” Of course, this shouldn’t be a surprise.
“And he loves me.”
“He doesn’t seem very torn apart about the fact you two are not together,” Audrey offered dryly.
Sadness cloaked her eyes. “He is able to hide it better than I.”
Audrey seriously doubted Jordan Trent loved anyone, especially Millicent. Yet, she thought she knew his character once and had been wrong. Who was to say she read him any better now?
“I saw how he looked at you this evening when you walked in.”
This caught her attention. “Exactly how?” she asked slowly.
“The way he did when you hoped he would show an interest in courting you.”
Trent’s eyes used to darken to a cobalt blue when they danced. Is that what Millicent meant?
“I don’t want you hurt again. I am sure Jordan simply feels the need to pursue another woman because we cannot be together openly, but you should know, he will always love me.”
Audrey’s stomach churned. She didn’t want to think of Millicent and Mr. Trent together and she certainly had no intention of being any gentleman’s second choice.
“He might even pursue you once again but it is simply so he can be closer to me since we are such dear friends.” She smiled sweetly.
She never realized Millicent thought so little of her in that Audrey could only gain the attention of a gentleman who couldn’t have what he really wanted. She had never been so insulted in her life.
“It is a great tragedy that we cannot openly acknowledge how we feel, but I am sure you understand that it wouldn’t be proper.” Millicent sighed. “We are destined to be apart except for those few precious moments we can snatch to be together.”
Her friend was mad. For the first time in her life Audrey was seriously questioning Millicent’s sanity. As children she had always been the overly dramatic one and Audrey had thought she had grown out of it, but perhaps not. Next she would be quoting lines from Romeo and Juliet.
Millicent reached over and squeezed Audrey’s hand one last time. “I just wanted to warn you. Know that if Jordan does show an interest again he is only doing it out of loneliness and because he can’t have me. He will never love you as he loves me.”
“I have no intention of being courted by Jordan Trent so you can put that worry to rest.”
“I am sure you say that now, but he is irresistible.”
That was a true enough statement, but Audrey had been strong when she learned the truth and would remain so. “I can easily resist him,” Audrey assured Millicent.
“I am so glad to hear that because I would hate to see something dreadful happen to you if you fell under his spell.”
A chill ran up Audrey’s spine. What exactly did Millicent mean by dreadful? That she would fall in love with a man who didn’t love her? That he would be forever pining for Millicent? Or something much more dire? Regardless, Millicent needed to realize that she had to get over her infatuation, or even love, for Jordan Trent. “Besides, it isn’t me he plans to pursue.” She focused on Millicent, looking her in the eye. “I believe he has an interest in Lady Rothsbury.”
Millicent pulled back and frowned. “I am sure you are wrong. She must have been crushed when he rejected her last evening.”
“I don’t believe anyone suffered a rejection,” Audrey practically snorted.
“Of course he turned down her advances.” Millicent laughed. “I know Jordan would never pursue her, and she is the one who approached him in the ballroom and took him outside. Clearly she wanted something he wasn’t willing to provide otherwise he wouldn’t have returned so quickly.”
Audrey took a deep breath. This may crush Millicent but someone had to make the woman see sense. “That is because they were making arrangements.”
“How would you know?” Millicent asked with condescension.
“Because I saw him leaving her house early this morning, wearing the same clothing he had on at the ball the night before.
All color drained from Millicent’s face, before she shook her head and laughed. “He is simply lonely and gentlemen do have needs.”
Audrey hitched an eyebrow. Would Millicent make excuses at every turn?
“I don’t expect you to know anything about that, but one day, after you are married, you will understand what a gentleman really wants. A lady simply has to provide it and he won’t stray far.”
With that, Millicent turned and swept out of the room leaving Audrey to stare after her.
Jordan left the gentlemen to their port and cigars and stepped into the hall. Usually he enjoyed the manly ritual following formal dining but he longed to find Miss Montgomery. She had agreed to finally tell him what he had done to make her hate him. Once he had the answer Jordan knew he could make it right.
“There you are. I was hoping you wouldn’t keep me waiting,” Lady Lydell announced as she flounced down the hall.
Jordan turned to see if Lydell had followed him out of the room but nobody was there. Why would she think he would seek her out? “I beg your pardon.”
Her smile was seductive, almost catlike and Jordan found himself taking a step back.
“Don’t play coy with me, Jordan.”
He hitched an eyebrow. Since when did she have leave to call him by his given name?
“We both know the time we are apart is unbearable.”
Unbearable? He barely knew the woman. He looked around, hoping a servant, or anyone would enter the hall. Was it too unmanly to run back into th
e dining room?
Lady Lydell reached out and grabbed his jacket. Jordan tried to shake her off but the woman had a death grip.
“Come to me tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes,” her voice was low and sultry as if she were trying to be seductive.
If she were trying to seduce him it was having the opposite affect and Jordan couldn’t wait to get out of her clutches, literally, since she had both hands anchored on his jacket preventing him from going anywhere. He kept backing up until his was stopped by the hard plaster on the wall.
“After Lydell leaves for Parliament.” She ran a tongue over her upper lip. “I’ll be waiting for you so we can renew our relationship.”
“Relationship?” Was this woman mad?
“One night was not enough for me and I am certain it wasn’t for you.”
“One night?” His throat was closing. What the bloody hell was she talking about?
“I need you, Jordan. Don’t make me wait any longer.” She went up on her toes as a hand came around the back of his head, trying to force his face towards hers. He was not going to kiss her. For one thing, he had absolutely no desire to taste those lips and second, she was married to Lydell. He wasn’t a close friend, but friend enough and even if he wasn’t, Jordan never toyed with married women.
He fought against her hand and grabbed her upper arms, forcing her away from him. “I am afraid you are mistaken.”
Lady Lydell’s bottom lip jutted out in a pout. “I should have known you would be this way. The entire situation must have hurt you deeply.”
“What situation?” Jordan knew he shouldn’t have raised his voice but the woman was not in her right mind.
“My marriage to Lydell of course.”
Jordan pushed her further away and stepped into the hall. He wasn’t about to let her get him against a wall again. “I wish you much joy in your marriage. Now, if you will excuse me.” He turned to find Lydell standing in the doorway of the dining room. Lydell shook his head sadly and returned inside. Good Lord, how much had the man witnessed. Hopefully he saw enough to know that Jordan was not the pursuer. Jordan turned on his heel to march toward the drawing room where the ladies had gathered only to find Miss Montgomery watching him and Lady Lydell. He stifled a groan. Would she believe him if he explained, or did she assume the worst?
“Bloody hell!” he muttered under his breath and left the house. He would give his sister and Brachton his excuses later, once he figured out how to explain this odd situation.
Audrey took a deep breath and exhaled as she stepped inside Hyde Park. This was exactly what she needed. A quiet walk in the fresh air to clear her mind. It was early enough so she shouldn’t be disturbed. The only people in the park at this time were nurses, nannies or governesses with their charges and a few gentlemen riding along Rotten Row. She needed to think and make sense of what she had witnessed last evening and her room had become far too confining, especially after tossing and turning all night.
Had she been wrong about Jordan Trent? Whatever notions Millicent had about their relationship were fanciful indeed, but just how fanciful. If she read Mr. Trent’s expression correctly, the man almost panicked and had a look of utter terror on his face when Millicent had him backed against the wall. While Millicent was going on about meeting him and talking about their relationship Mr. Trent had been dumbfounded. Had Millicent invented the entire situation?
No. Audrey shook the thought from her head. What woman would create a tale as damaging as being bedded without the benefit of marriage? Yet, she couldn’t believe her parents wouldn’t have forced Mr. Trent to marry Millicent if he had seduced her.
But why claim Mr. Trent to be the father if he hadn’t even been intimate with her?
Audrey rubbed her temples, wishing the headache that had plagued her since yesterday would disappear.
“Are you alright, Miss Montgomery?”
Audrey turned and offered her maid a weak smile. “I am fine. I just need to work something through.”
The young woman nodded and continued walking a few paces behind Audrey.
“Audrey, is that you?”
She turned to find Millicent strolling beside a carriage being pushed by a servant. She was the last person Audrey wanted to see at the moment.
Her friend hurried to catch up and Audrey stopped to wait for her.
“I am so glad I found you.”
Audrey straightened. “Were you looking for me?” Did she wish to warn her away from Jordan Trent again?
“Well, not you, just anyone who could help break up the tedium of strolling in the park at such an unfashionable hour.”
Audrey fought the need to roll her eyes. “If you don’t wish to be out, why are you?”
Millicent groaned. “Lydell said that I take the baby for a walk.” She gestured toward the carriage. “It is uncivilized to be out so early. That is why we employ a nurse, but Lydell insisted.”
She had not yet seen the child and Audrey walked around to peer into the stroller. The round-faced cherub with light blue eyes stared up at her. Audrey felt a hitch in her heart. Would she ever have a child?
“Isn’t she the image of her father?”
As much as Audrey had tried in the past, and today, she could never recognize a parent in the features of an infant. People saw what they wanted. To Audrey, they were adorable little creatures who looked like themselves. “I suppose so,” she answered instead of offering her true thoughts.
“So you understand why you can’t have Jordan.”
Audrey stifled a sigh and looked at Millicent.
“We have a bond.” Millicent gestured to the baby. “Nothing ties two people together more than sharing a child.”
Audrey had rarely seen such evidence but she wasn’t about to argue with Millicent. She had come to the park to think and not be bothered.
“Well, I will leave you to your walk.”
She took a step forward but Millicent grabbed her arm. “Don’t leave me. I can’t very well carry on a conversation with the maid and it is so boring simply walking.”
Was it too rude to inform the woman that she wished to be alone?
“Let’s see who is riding today?” No doubt she was hoping Mr. Trent was out. Audrey dearly hoped he was not because those were the two people she did not want to be around. Yet, if he were riding, it would give her an opportunity to see them interact. If her suspicions were correct, then she had made a ghastly mistake last Season. But, she shouldn’t jump to conclusions. She needed facts.
“Millicent, did you know Mr. Trent was going to come to your room that evening at the house party?”
“Oh no,” she brightened, her face becoming flushed. “It was a surprise.”
“What did you say when he walked in? You must have been shocked that he would do something so scandalous.”
A dreamy look came over Millicent’s face. “I was sound asleep. It had been raining all night, and dark as ink, so I was able to sleep like a baby, until…”
“Until,” Audrey prompted.
“He slid into bed beside me.” Millicent sighed.
Maybe she didn’t want to know the details but unfortunately, they were important.
“You didn’t see him.”
“I didn’t need to.”
“Yet you are certain it was Jordan Trent.”
Millicent’s face lost all happiness and she wheeled on Audrey and shook her finger at her. “Don’t start in on me like my parents.”
Audrey took a step back. “Pardon?”
“I will tell you what happened and nobody can tell me differently.”
“Very well,” Audrey said slowly. “What happened?”
“When he came to my bed of course I was frightened.”
Audrey would have jumped out of bed and screamed loud enough to wake the household but that was neither here nor there.
“How did you know it was Mr. Trent if you couldn’t see him?”
Her bright smile r
eturned again. “He told me.”
“And you believed him?”
“Of course, how couldn’t I, after what he said to me.”
Audrey’s stomach tightened, but she ignored the discomfort. “What did he say?”
“That he was aware of my wanting his attention in London but it was too difficult to court me with so many people watching.” She sighed and the dreamy look returned. “His voice was low and quiet, not at all like he normally sounds. It sent shivers down my spine. He insisted that what we could share was special.” She turned and smiled. “He apologized for arriving late to the party,” Millicent added as an afterthought.
“He arrived late?” Audrey interrupted her.
Millicent blinked. “Why yes. It was three days into the party and he hadn’t arrived yet, not even by the time I retired, but I was watching for him. I asked the servants and hosts often when he was expected but nobody knew.”
Audrey had a sinking suspicion that Jordan Trent had never been in Millicent’s bed. “Go on.” She encouraged. “What else did he say?”
“He was aware of my desire to be with him and he felt the same.” Millicent brought her hands to her breasts and sighed. “Then he made love to me.”
“Who found him in your bed?” She needed to know who would corroborate Millicent’s story though Audrey now suspected it was nothing but a fairytale.
Millicent heaved a sigh. “He left while I was sleeping. Had I known he would do such a thing I would have remained awake.”
“Then how did anyone know?”
“My maid told my parents,” Millicent ground out. “But I’ve dismissed her.”
“He did get you with child so they had a right to know.”
Millicent was shaking her head. “Nobody will believe me, except you.”
“I don’t understand.”
Millicent scowled and narrowed her eyes. “That blackguard ruined everything. Why wouldn’t he just leave me alone? He was constantly pursuing me at the house party and knew I was waiting for Jordan.”
“Who?”
“Lydell,” Millicent cried.
“He married you. I don’t see how he ruined anything.”
Millicent huffed and crossed her arms over her chest and glared. “After Jordan left my room that night, he snuck in while I was sleeping. I can only assume he saw Jordan leave and took a chance.”
