Persuading Prudence

by Liz Cole

  “It would be my pleasure, my lady.” He brought her hand to his lips and gave her a slight bow before he headed off in the direction of the refreshment table.

  Prudence located the retiring room and slipped behind the screen to take care of her most pressing of needs. She was in the process of setting herself to rights when a group of women entered with a rustling of skirts and conversation.

  “…I have never met her, but she is very beautiful.”

  “I suppose,” a second, older voice replied. “If one were interested in that type.”

  Prudence stood silent, hoping the two would leave without noticing her.

  The door opened again.

  “What do you mean ‘that type’?” the first woman asked.

  “Well, the dark, overly rounded kind,” the second voice replied. “It is disgraceful how the men gawk at her like she is some delicacy they are eager to gobble up. A woman like that is better suited to the roll of mistress. She certainly doesn’t look like a countess.”

  Prudence stifled a gasp and frowned, her mouth hanging open in outrage.

  “A countess?” a third voice Prudence recognized as Lady Hope enquired. “Are you referring to Lady Prudence?”

  “Of course,” the second voice replied. “You must agree she is quite unacceptable for an earl. I hear that she is the daughter of a baron, you know. And the way she dresses! A woman her age should wear more modest clothing, but Lady Prudence flaunts herself like a bitch in heat.”

  The other women gasped in response. “Aunt Helena!” the second woman cried in horror.

  Prudence gritted her teeth, her hands fisting at her sides.

  “What a nasty thing to say!” Lady Hope spat. “She is close to your age, and you have no problem ‘flaunting’ yourself. Why if that neckline were any lower, your breasts would be completely on display instead of simply threatening to tumble out of your bodice!”

  “Well!” huffed the woman. “You impertinent little—”

  “Don’t you take that outraged tone with me, you vicious hag. At least I have the courage to insult you to your face.”

  Prudence bit back a snort of laughter. The girl had pluck.

  “And who might you be, you insolent little gutter snipe? How dare you speak to me that way?”

  “I am Lady Hope Kingsley.”

  “Stoneville’s daughter?” The woman sounded shocked; understandable, considering she had just insulted the daughter of one of the most powerful men in England. “Well,” the woman replied in an icy tone, apparently deciding to brazen out the situation. “Your father has much to learn about raising a proper young lady, that much is evident!”

  “I would say your parents were quite well versed in how to raise a cowardly, backstabbing shrew. And it shows. They must be so proud.”

  “I do not have to stand here and listen to this!”

  “I wish you wouldn’t. You are a tiresome woman; your departure would brighten the room quite nicely.”

  The woman huffed and Prudence heard the door slam shut. She wanted to clap her hands and cheer for Lady Hope. Prudence would never have the nerve to stand up to such a woman.

  “I must apologize for my aunt,” the younger woman who had remained behind said with a note of embarrassment. “I believe she had hopes of marrying the earl herself.”

  “As would the majority of the unattached women in society, I would assume. Well, it is obviously a good thing for the earl she didn’t,” Lady Hope huffed. “No offense, but his life would have been miserable.”

  Prudence nodded silently in agreement, and heard a soft giggle from the other side of the screen. “I quite agree. My aunt is not one of my favorite people, and I honestly do not share her assessment of Lady Prudence. It is nice to meet you Lady Hope. My name is Lady Constance Warring; my father is the Earl of Brookshire.”

  Prudence decided it was safe to let presence be known. She wanted to thank Lady Hope for standing up for her, and she was curious to meet Lady Constance.

  She cleared her throat pointedly and stepped out from behind the screen. She was met by two pair of wide eyes and two identical slack jaws.

  “Lady Prudence,” they chorused, their voices filled with shocked horror.

  Prudence smiled reassuringly. “I would like to thank you both for your flattering opinion of me. Lady Constance? It is nice to meet you.”

  “I am so sorry you had to hear all that,” Lady Constance, a delicate young woman with honey-gold curls and light blue eyes apologized, her face going from pale to crimson.

  “I’m not,” Prudence replied lifting a brow while pursing her lips with suppressed amusement. “It is always interesting to hear what people really think. It is a rare occurrence among the ton.”

  Prudence turned to Lady Hope. She could see her more clearly now that there was sufficient light. Her hair was lighter than Prudence had first thought. So blonde in fact that it almost appeared white. She had a pixie face with wide eyes Prudence thought might be blue or possibly green, framed by dark lashes and brows a shade or two darker than her hair.

  “Thank you for defending me so…diligently.”

  Lady Hope raised her chin defiantly. “I hate it when people speak so nastily behind each other’s backs. You didn’t deserve to be talked about in such a way.”

  “Yes,” Lady Constance agreed. “Please accept my most sincere apologies on behalf of my aunt, Lady Whenton. I am truly sorry.”

  The girl looked genuinely miserable about what had happened. “It is over, all in the past. No need to dwell on it. I accept your apology. You have no control over what others say; I certainly do not hold you responsible.”

  Prudence knew Lady Whenton in passing. The young widow was attractive, but vain in Prudence’s opinion. She did recall Kolton had joined the lady and some mutual friends on some outings, but to think Kolton would propose?

  Perhaps they had been having an affair. The thought made her stomach roll. She knew Kolton hadn’t been a monk, but the idea of coming face to face with a woman she knew he had slept with made her nauseous.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “I fear I am growing too old to spend all night at these functions,” Victoria lamented as she waived her fan in front of her face. “They are crowded, always stiflingly hot, and the dancing wears me out.”

  “We have stayed long enough. If you wish to leave, I am sure Pru and Victor wouldn’t mind leaving before the festivities end.” Kolton surveyed the crowd for his betrothed who was dancing with the Viscount of Trentmont. He was an old but harmless lecher whose eyes came to the level of Pru’s breasts, to which he was now conversing, as Pru appeared to be politely attempting not to notice. It was a good thing the man’s age had him one foot in the grave or Kolton would feel much more obliged to plant him a facer.

  Kolton sighed. Marrying a woman of Prudence’s breathtaking countenance would have at least one drawback after all. But Victor had been right. Pru was a woman of good character. She was his, and he knew she wouldn’t stray. He should just sit back and enjoy the fact that so many other men wished they were in his shoes. As long as they didn’t step over the line, there was no reason to be bothered with jealousy.

  “Oh, here comes Victor,” Victoria exclaimed as she caught sight of his brother headed their way. “I could ask him to escort me home if you and Pru would like to stay longer.”

  “No, no, mother. If I don’t miss my guess, Pru has probably had quite enough excitement for one evening.”

  “You are probably right. She does appear a bit wilted,” Victoria observed in a hushed voice as the aged viscount escorted Pru back toward them.

  The viscount returned Pru to Kolton’s side, his eyes never leaving her ample bosom as he thanked her for the dance. When he departed, Pru turned to Kolton with a discrete roll of her eyes and a deep sigh.

  Kolton leaned close to her ear. “Did your breasts enjoy their dance with the viscount?”

  Pru muffled a chuckle with her hand and swatted him with her fan. “It is not fu
nny, Kolton,” she chastened him with an expression which attempted to appear firm, but came up sadly lacking. “I swear, I was afraid I would have to retire after the dance to wipe the drool off the front of my dress,” she whispered back.

  Kolton bit back a bark of laughter. Her sense of humor was one of the many things he admired about her. “I believed we have made a proper showing of ourselves if you would like to return home.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Victor announced as he joined them. “I had some of the furniture I ordered delivered to my new townhouse just this morning and am looking forward to spending the rest of the evening in my new bed.”

  “You needn’t move out, you know. The house here is more than large enough to accommodate the four of us,” Kolton reminded him.

  “Quite right, you know, but there comes a time when a man needs to launch his own ship, so to speak.”

  Kolton raised a wry brow. He had a pretty good idea what ‘ship’ his brother wanted to launch, and why his sibling was not anxious to readily have the rest of the family privy to which ports he chose to ‘dock’ it in.

  “Yes, well,” Kolton said clearing his throat, “Just remember to visit your family on occasion.”

  “Do not fret, dear brother. I intend to make it a point to be quite the nuisance when the spirit moves me.”

  “Well, I, for one, will miss you terribly,” Pru informed him as the group headed for the door after they bid their hostess good evening.

  “Ah, sweet cousin, you warm my heart,” Victor replied, placing his hand over his heart with exaggerated emotion.

  Pru sighed and shook her head. “Honestly, Victor, I will need boots and a shovel if you don’t stop layering it on so thick.”

  “I quite agree,” Victoria chimed in as their carriage pulled up.

  Victor sighed dramatically as he handed his stepmother into the waiting coach. “You will miss my complimentary disposition when I am gone, just you wait and see.”

  Kolton helped Pru enter the coach after Victoria. He then turned to his brother and gave him a hearty slap on the back. “That, brother, remains to be seen.”

  ***

  Kolton finished the last of his scotch and set the empty glass aside. He’d dismissed Rupert an hour ago, and was now seated in his private sitting room waiting for enough time to pass so he could safely go to Pru.

  It felt like forever since he’d held her in his arms. He couldn’t wait for the blasted wedding to be done with. He hated sneaking about his own house in order to be with the woman he loved.

  Kolton shook his head. Loved? Did he love Pru?

  There was really no sense in denying it. He did love her. When had it started? When she turned his first proposal down flat? Or had it been during their time in the cabin when he got his first glimpse of the real Pru, the beautiful woman with a quixotic sense of humor?

  He’d never met a woman like her. She asked nothing from him. Didn’t care about money or title, and they could spend time together without the need to fill lulls in conversation with idle chatter. She didn’t toady to him, but stood her ground. Pru was passionate, beautiful, and made him feel…whole.

  But what of her feelings for him? Did she love him? He thought she might be beginning to. He couldn’t say why he felt that way; it was just something he sensed. She said she wasn’t looking for love, but that didn’t me she couldn’t love him.

  He drummed his fingers impatiently on the arm of the chair and looked at the clock on the mantle. He would give it another ten minutes …

  The hell he would.

  Kolton stood and strode purposely to the door.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Prudence put down the book she was reading when she heard the light knock on her door. She hadn’t been able to concentrate on it anyway. She couldn’t stop thinking about her feelings for Kolton and what to do about them.

  He’d said that he wanted a real marriage with love, affection, trust, and fidelity. She wanted that as well, but could he provide it for her? Would it last? What if something happened to test that love?

  She climbed out of bed and checked herself over briefly in the mirror. She’d been expecting him, even put on her best nightgown and brushed her hair until it shined. She had also prepared herself for their lovemaking with the contents of the little box.

  Satisfied with what she saw in the mirror – or at least as satisfied as she could get – Prudence crossed the room and opened the door. Kolton entered without a word and shut the door behind him. He turned the key in the lock before taking her in his arms and kissing her senseless.

  “I’ve missed you, Pru,” he said with a sigh as he loosened his hold and gazed down at her. There was something different about the way he looked at her. His eyes traveled intently over her features, his expression filled with desire, but there was something else there, something softer.

  “You silly man,” she said with a smile, sliding her arms around his neck and running her fingers through his silky brown hair, “We were together but two hours ago.”

  “Not like this,” he answered, nuzzling her neck. “Not as closely, and especially not with so little between us.” He flexed his hips, sliding his hard member against her belly, his robe providing little barrier between them. She shivered, her body responding at once as arousal licked at her womb, the apex of her thighs growing moist, drenched with desire.

  “You know, we really shouldn’t do this, we are bound to be found out,” she reminded him without much conviction as she tilted her head to the side, giving him easier access to her neck.

  “You are most assuredly correct,” he agreed, his lips traveling along her jaw. “But it appears I am not the most patient of men. Waiting weeks to be with you again is something which seems beyond my ability to endure.”

  He took her mouth with his. Instead of the hungry, plundering kiss she expected, his lips were gentle and persuasive, as if she were something fragile and cherished he was afraid might shatter. Prudence felt a surge of emotion well up inside her, a sense of warmth that wanted to overflow and wrap Kolton in its embrace. She pressed her body against him, unable to get close enough as she poured all her love into her kiss.

  Kolton gave a soft groan and deepened the kiss, his tongue slipping past her lips to stroke hers gently. His hands traveled over her back, reaching down to clasp her bottom and pull her against his flexing hips. Prudence’s heart rate accelerated and her breathing grew light and rapid.

  Kolton pulled back panting. “I need you now Pru, all of you,” he said in a husky voice. Prudence looked into his eyes and was shocked by what she saw. It wasn’t the heated, hungry look she’d seen before. She struggled to put her finger on exactly what it was, something needy, almost desperate; something that pulled at her heart.

  He swept her up in his arms and carried her to the bed where he laid her down and stripped her of her nightgown. He unbelted his robe, tossing it aside, and stretched his hard length atop her.

  He groaned as he slid his arms around her and molded her body against him. “You feel so good. I don’t think I will ever be able to get enough of you,” he whispered before he lowered his head and kissed her deeply.

  Little whimpers and sighs escaped her as he ran his hands and lips over her, making her blood boil as it raced through her veins and the area between her legs burn with need.

  “Kolton, please,” she begged breathlessly when she could take no more.

  “Yes, love, yes.” He parted her thighs, positioning himself at her entrance, and entered her in one long deep thrust.

  He paused when he was fully seated inside her, tilting his head back and closing his eyes. “Oh, God, sweetheart, the feel of you…what you do to me…” He opened his eyes and gazed down at her with tender possessiveness as he began moving his hips, sliding his hard staff in and out of her, setting a slow deliberate pace.

  Prudence wrapped her arms around him and matched his movements with her own, her eyes never leaving his. She couldn’t look away, his expression captiv
ated her, made her heart race and sweet pleasure unfurl within her.

  His hips moved faster, his brows furrowing, his expression turning urgent and raw. “God, Pru,” he rasped his voice heavy with emotion, “I love you.” He lowered his head and took her mouth in a hungry kiss.

  Prudence’s eyes flew wide open.

  Oh my God! He said he loved me.

  The realization sent her spinning out of control. Her body suddenly was not her own, but his—she was his. Her climax seized her with a strength she’d never experienced before. She writhed and arched beneath him, grinding her hips against his as spasms of pleasure wracked her body.

  ***

  Kolton groaned loudly, thrusting harder, his sacks heavy and tight with unspent passion. He crushed her to him, burying his face in her shoulder. “Pru. Oh, Pru,” he choked as every muscle stiffened and strained toward his own release. His control evaporated; his body no longer under his control. Pumping his cock madly in and out of her, he flew over the edge. Throwing back his head, he gave a choked cry. He dropped his head and kissed her with all the wild passion seizing every fiber of his being as his seed shot from him in forceful jets.

  As the shudders of pleasure wracking his body slowly eased, Kolton collapsed. He kissed her over and over. He couldn’t stop, couldn’t get enough, couldn’t keep his hips from continuing to move against her. His chest felt full to bursting with a myriad of emotions; love, tenderness, protectiveness, joy.

  His movements soon slowed to a stop and he raised himself to his elbows and gazed down into her face. Her eyes were wide, filled with wonder and surprise as she stared back at him.

  He’d said it. Said he loved her. He had not really meant to tell her so soon, but hadn’t been able to help himself. How would she react?

  “W-What? Did you say what I think you did, Kolton?”

  Not with tears of joy and immediate confession of love in return, apparently. Not that he had really expected it, but it would have been nice.