by Liz Cole
The pain in his head wasn’t so bad considering the amount of drink in which he’d indulged the night before. He lay for a moment going over the previous night’s events. He had won more than he had lost at cards—which was a surprise, considering he was deeper in his cups than he would normally allow—and had been smart enough to quit while he still had a sizeable amount of coin to his benefit. However, the fact he didn’t remember returning to his room or getting into bed bothered him a bit. He rarely imbibed to that degree, anything could have happened to him in that state. He could have been set upon by footpads, woken in a strange woman’s bed and ended up with the pox—no, he was relieved to be lucky on that score.
He stretched and took mental inventory of his body. Other than the pounding in his head and the taste of a dry woolen sock in his mouth, he felt relaxed and surprisingly well rested.
It was probably time to get up and ready himself to leave, Kolton thought lazily. He wasn’t looking forward to the long ride home to his house in London, but at least he didn’t have to deal with Amanda’s constant chatter and not so subtle hints about changing his unmarried state. His life was fine just the way it was at the moment. He wasn’t opposed to marriage at this point in his life per se; he just hadn’t found a woman he felt an overwhelming desire to wed.
Yes, he definitely would not miss Amanda’s tendency to go on and on about the blissful state of matrimony and parenthood, nor would he miss her other favorite topics of conversation: fashion and the latest bits of juicy gossip.
At least Pru would make a decent companion for the ride home. She didn’t run off at the mouth like most women. Pru was amiable and conducted herself with quiet poise. She would probably read most of the ride and share pleasant, non-irritating, conversation with him. He didn’t normally spend time with her, though he had escorted her to balls and functions regularly during her one and only season. After that one exposure to the marriage mart, she’d refused to waste her time being a wallflower when she could be enjoying a good book. She’d told his stepmother just that when the poor woman tried to convince Pru to have a second season.
He did agree with his stepmother about one thing. Pru didn’t even try to make an impression. She wore drab colors, dresses that made her look dowdy and chubby, and pulled her hair back tightly in a severe chignon at the back of her head. And those spectacles! It wasn’t as if she needed them for anything other than reading, but she never took them off just the same. It was easy for society’s eligible bachelors to skip over her in favor of one of the prettier maidens looking for husbands. Pru, it seemed, was destined to remain on the shelf.
Kolton threw back the covers and got out of bed. He needed to relieve his bladder in the worst way. When he was done filling the chamber pot, he noticed dried blood on his member. Bloody hell! What happened last night?
He moved to the washstand, poured some water into the washbasin, and quickly cleaned himself off. He was relieved to find no injury. But, if there was no injury, how did that explain the blood? It obviously wasn’t his …
He quickly finished washing and threw on his trousers from the evening before. Where was his shaving kit? Rupert would not have packed it before Kolton was finished dressing. His valet was nothing if not predictable in his routine. Just the same, it wouldn’t be much trouble to retrieve it from his traveling bag.
If he could find it.
His bag was nowhere to be found. Damn! Had the universe decided to pick today to play nasty with him?
Perhaps it was by the door to the suite along with the trunks.
Kolton retrieved the shirt he’d worn the evening before and tossed it on as he left his room. As he expected them to be, both his and Pru’s trunks were packed and ready by the door. Her valise was there, but his was not.
Completely confused, and more than a little irritated by this point, Kolton returned to his bedroom and froze mid stomp.
The bed was made, his clothes laid out, his valise sat open on the bed, and his shaving kit was where he usually kept it on the washstand.
Was he going mad?
He closed his eyes, praying that when he opened them there would be a logical explanation for everything.
Warily, he opened one eye, and slammed it shut. He squeezed his lids tighter together then opened them. Nothing had changed.
This was totally ridiculous. Where was Rupert?
He stalked back out into the main room and looked around. Pru’s door was open. He looked inside. She wasn’t there but…
Bloody hell!
***
Kolton was pacing his room when Rupert arrived with coffee. Kolton immediately stopped pacing, sat, and gratefully accepted a cup from his valet.
“Shall I shave you this morning, my lord?” the man asked crisply. Rupert’s unusually curt tone momentarily caught Kolton’s attention.
“Yes. Yes, Rupert, that will be fine,” he answered distractedly. “I will have my morning coffee then you may proceed.”
“Very good sir,” the valet replied, still sounding a bit stiff.
They had grown up together at Kolton’s family estate, Rupert taking the position as Kolton’s valet when they were both barely men. Because of their long friendship, Kolton didn’t mind Rupert’s tendency to speak his mind on occasion when the other man deemed it necessary. But rarely had Kolton been presented with Rupert’s displeasure and today, of all days, Kolton did not feel up to dragging the source of Rupert’s disapproval from him.
Good god, could he have really bedded Prudence? The evidence was there; he’d awakened in her bed with blood on his member and, upon further investigation, he’d found blood on the mattress. When he tried to remember the previous night, he could only make out fuzzy flashes of a woman’s moans and a supple body beneath him.
No, Kolton, wait …
No, stop! …
He vaguely recalled hearing those words. They repeated over and over in his head. Had she tried to stop him? He hadn’t forced her had he? The thought made him nauseous. He’d never forced a woman. But, if his tangled memories were correct, the truth was painfully clear; she had tried to stop him.
Why had he done it? He had been drinking…had he even known it was Prudence he was bedding? He fought to recall more of their encounter. No, he hadn’t realized he was with Prudence; he would have halted at once if he’d suspected it was her in bed with him.
He must have thought she was Helena; the lovely, talented, and widowed Lady Whenton whom he was bedding back in London. No, there was no mistaking the wonderfully inviting curves he recalled beneath him with the shapely, yet slender, Helena. But, then again, he wouldn’t have associated the luscious body he recalled with its slim waist, full, firm breasts, and softly rounded hips with the somewhat plump and nondescript Prudence he knew either.
Oh, God, did she know he thought she was another woman? How utterly demeaning for her. And thoroughly disgraceful of him.
He had never thought of Pru in such an unseemly manner. He had always put her in the ‘sister’ category as far as women went. She had been only six when her parents died and she came to live with her second cousin, his stepmother, Victoria. Eight years her senior, he had spent little time with the shy youngster in the few short weeks after she arrived and he had gone off to school.
She had grown into a quiet, gangly girl when he’d returned from Oxford, but he remembered noticing the unusual blue-green color of her eyes and thinking that she would grow into a lovely young woman some day. A few months later, she’d left London to attend the same prestigious girls’ school that Amanda had attended. She had come home only for holidays and to attend his father’s funeral. On that occasion, she had stayed with the family for a few weeks, but Kolton remembered little of that painful time.
When Pru finished school and returned home for her come out, he hadn’t recognized her. She had looked nothing like the pretty young woman he’d imagined she would grow into. Instead, she’d looked much as she did now—frumpy.
Prudence always se
emed to melt into the background, as if preferring to study the world instead of being part of it. People had overlooked Pru in favor of prettier, more vivacious young women, and sadly, so had he. He realized he’d never taken the time to know her as a person. She had always just been Pru; reserved and unassuming, more likely to be found with her nose in a book than discussing fashion or sharing gossip. He knew nothing of her interests, dreams of the future—he didn’t even know her favorite color.
And, now, to have taken her virginity in such a way, possibly without her consent, made him realize she deserved much more than an apology from him. Although, now that he thought about their encounter, he did vaguely remember giving her some pleasure. As a matter of fact, he distinctly recalled being aroused by her moans of pleasure, his own orgasm brought on by her cry of completion.
Placing his cup on the table next to his chair, Kolton motioned that he was ready for his shave. Rupert had him prepared and lathered in no time.
“So, my lord, what do you intend to do about Lady Prudence?” Rupert asked casually as he placed the razor against Kolton’s throat and slowly began his first upward sweep of the blade.
Kolton barely kept himself from jumping out of his seat and getting his throat slit in the process. “Pardon?” Did he actually just squeak? He cleared his throat. “What was that, Rupert?” There, that sounded better, much more aloof, and hopefully not as guilty as he felt.
“Lady Prudence,” Rupert repeated, wiping off the blade with exaggerated care before continuing his chore. “What are your intentions toward her now that you have…changed her circumstances, shall we say?”
“Changed her circumstances? Get that bloody thing away from me before you succeed in decapitating me,” Kolton grumbled, slapping away the hand holding the razor to his throat. “What? ‘No less than I deserve’? Stop mumbling man and come straight out with it. I should have known there was an ulterior motive behind your offer of a shave when you know I usually see to the task myself.”
“Had an overwhelming desire to be close to you with a sharp instrument this morning, sir,” Rupert confessed without remorse.
“And what does that mean?” Kolton snapped angrily as he snatched the razor from the unrepentant valet’s hand and proceeded to finish the job himself.
“It means, my lord, that I never thought I would see the day when you would take advantage of a young lady, especially a sweet creature such as Lady Prudence.”
Kolton wiped the last traces of soap from his face and flopped back down in his chair with a heavy sigh. He didn’t question how the man knew what had happened. Rupert had an uncanny knack of finding things out—whether one wanted him to or not. “Neither did I, Rupert. Neither did I.”
“So, what were you thinking, bedding her?” Rupert asked indignantly.
Kolton straightened and looked down his nose at his insolent employee. “I need not explain myself to you; do not presume to be impertinent with me.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, my lord,” came Rupert’s tart reply. “If nothing else, my lord, I know my place.”
Kolton cursed under his breath. “I’m sorry. This situation has me more than a bit rattled.”
“I should say so.”
The steam went out of Kolton. He sagged back in the chair, closing his eyes with a weary sigh, and pinched the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb. “In utter truth, Rupert, I have no idea how this happened. I can pretty much assume I know what happened, but not how it came about.”
“I don’t understand, my lord, are you saying you didn’t mean to bed her?” The look on his valet’s face clearly indicated he found that bit of information incredible. “Are you trying to say it was some sort of accident? ‘Sorry m’lady, it just slipped.’” he quipped.
“This is no joke, Rupert. No, damn it, I didn’t mean to bed her! It’s no bloody excuse, I know, but I was too far gone from drink last night, and I believe I mistook Pru’s room for mine.”
“And Lady Prudence for a common trollop?” Rupert added unhelpfully.
“As horrid as it sounds, that is about the truth of the matter, I’m afraid.”
“Bloody, hell! Pardon me, my lord.”
“No, Rupert, that was precisely my choice of words this morning when I realized what must have—did—happen last night.”
“I hope you didn’t share your sentiments with the lady, my lord. I mean, reacting in such a way with a woman you have just bedded is about the worst—”
“No, no,” Kolton interrupted, “she was gone when I woke this morning. I have no idea how she feels or what she thinks of what happened.”
“Well then,” Rupert said helping him into his coat, “that brings us back to my original question. What do you intend to do?”
“The only thing I can do,” Kolton sighed. “Marry her.”
Chapter Four
Prudence finished her breakfast and attempted to appear absorbed in the book she had open in front of her. As she began reading the same page for the fourth time, she glanced surreptitiously around the lobby as she waited for Kolton to arrive and they could be underway. When she saw no sign of him, she turned her attention back to her book.
“Ready to leave, Pru?”
Startled by the deep, satiny voice that trickled over her nerve endings like warm honey, Prudence glanced up to find the object of her thoughts standing directly in front of her. How had she not notice him approach? He looked none the worse for wear she noted, her gaze finding no sign of ill effect from the evening before as it flitted over his face. It surprised her a little, considering his night of drinking and… Well, other activities.
No. She was not going to think about last night! She would surely blush furiously, and he would no doubt notice and wonder at it. If she was going to brazen her way through this and stick to her plan, she couldn’t give herself away so easily.
“Quite ready.” She smiled pleasantly at him. “And you, my lord? Have you eaten?”
The earl studied her curiously for a moment, an almost imperceptible frown wrinkling his brow before it disappeared, and his expression was once again one of polite interest.
Oh no! Did he remember? If he did…? She pushed the thought away. He didn’t. If anything, he was most likely, and understandably, curious as to how he ended up in her room this morning. He may assume the worst, but was, hopefully, unable to recall the details. She had worked out a good plan. If he had any concerns about what had happened between them last night, she was prepared to put them to rest.
Stick to the plan, Prudence, and everything will be fine.
“Actually, yes, I dined in my room,” he replied, the thoughtful expression returning for a moment. Prudence fought to keep from showing any sign of how nervous she truly was. “Well,” he said clapping his hands together and giving a robust sigh. “We should be on our way then.” Though his expression and stance were nonchalant, something in his eyes gave Prudence the unsettling impression that he was not as lighthearted as he seemed.
As he took her hand and helped her to her feet, Prudence repeated silently to herself: last night never happened…Last night never happened. However, the litany did little to dampen the heat growing inside her at the light touch of her gloved hand in his.
As they walked from the building, he placed his hand possessively on her lower back, and steered her toward the waiting coach. She couldn’t stop the flush that flew to her cheeks at the warmth of his hand. It seeped through the layers of clothing separating them, bringing back with startling clarity the memory of how the same hand had caressed her so intimately only a few short hours before. She carefully kept her expression neutral as he helped her into the vehicle.
***
Pru was behaving as if nothing was out of the ordinary, and it took Kolton completely off guard. They shared some small talk, commented on the weather, how the heat of the last few days had finally passed, and their hope that this respite would prove to make their trip back to London comfortable.
When a l
ull came in conversation, Pru picked up her book. Excusing herself to read for a bit, she settled into her seat and began to read as if she hadn’t a care in the world. Kolton sat back in his seat. Stretching out his legs in front of him and crossing his ankles, he considered how to proceed.
“You have been reading the same page for a good thirty minutes, my dear,” He stated when he could stand to wait no longer.
“Oh! I thought you had fallen asleep. You have been so quiet,” she replied with a poor attempt at merriment.
“Pru, we need to discuss what happened last night.”
Her shoulders sagged and she sighed deeply. “Really, Kolton, I completely understand why you would be disturbed at mistaking my room for yours, especially in the state you were in, but no harm was done.”
Kolton lifted a brow and narrowed his eyes. “Really? No harm done? How do you come to that conclusion?”
“Well, you know. Oh, perhaps you don’t recall,” she added with a small frown. “Once I realized you had perhaps imbibed more than you should, rather than make an issue and direct you back to your own room, I simply slipped out and spent the rest of the night in Amanda’s. So really, as I said, no harm was done.” She finished her story with a smile.
“I see,” he said rubbing his chin. “Well, that is a perfectly good explanation for how I came to be in your bed this morning.”
“Well, yes. It is, after all, how you got there.”
Yes, being drunk was how he got there, but as to the rest? Not bloody likely.
“Mmm, yes. But it does not explain—” he paused for dramatic effect as he looked her straight in the eye, “—the blood I found on the sheets. Do you also have an explanation for that?”
She blinked a couple of times, then her cheeks flamed, her eyes growing round and glassy. Apparently, when she concocted her fool story, she hadn’t considered explaining away the evidence of the loss of her maidenhead. Kolton was interested to see what excuse she would come up with. Just as he expected, a quick look of triumph flashed in her eyes before she lowered them to her clasped hands and voiced the only logical excuse she could use.
