His Impetuous Deputante (A Gentleman's Guide to Once Upon a Time - Book 1)

by Charles, Jane

  She pushed the thought away. She should not be thinking of doing anything with Lord Sandlin. She wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  “I must say, I am impressed you lasted a week before leaving your guardian’s side,” Taylor’s voice came from behind her.

  Why couldn’t someone else approach her? Both Mr. Chambers and Mr. Parker were pleasant enough and didn’t make her wish for things she would never have. She didn’t wonder what it would be like to be really kissed or held by either of them. Only Lord Sandlin made her think the unthinkable. And here he was, behind her, ready to swoop in if she made even the most minor misstep. It grated on her nerves. “You’re premature, my lord. I don’t believe I am in trouble yet.”

  “I have decided to use preventative measures this evening.”

  “You have no need to worry. I don’t intend on straying further than this spot and if anyone approaches me, I will deliver a delightfully scathing set down.”

  “A bit testy this evening?” He chuckled as he came to stand beside her. “I certainly wouldn’t want to be the one feeling the sharp edge of your tongue. Perhaps it is good I came along now, before you filleted some young man taken with your charm.”

  Phoebe only offered a disgusted look to his buoyant behavior before turning her attention back to the gardens, wishing he would leave.

  “What is bothering you this evening, Lady Phoebe?”

  She sighed heavily. “Why does anything have to be bothering me? I just wished for some peace and cool air. It is quite stifling in there.” She gestured toward the ballroom.

  “I agree. Would you care for a stroll?”

  She turned to face him, a skeptical look on her face. Then she remembered their encounter at Vauxhall Gardens, a memory never far from her thoughts. “No, thank you. I have learned my lesson,” she bit out, then turned away again.

  “Lady Phoebe, I wasn’t testing you. I just thought you might like to walk.” His tone softened.

  Phoebe would much rather it were a test. She could deal with his lecturing her, but not his thoughtfulness. “I just want to be alone, Lord Sandlin. Just go inside please. Go find a wife. I recall you mentioning you were lonely. Well, there are a number of young ladies within who would be more than happy to keep you company.”

  He stared at her; his eyes bore into her. After a moment he spoke. “If that is your wish. Good evening.” Turning, he walked away.

  His footsteps stopped at the side of the door and he resumed his position as guard once again. He was too close to allow the peace she needed.

  * * *

  As the date of the house party drew close, Phoebe made plans to find suitable matches for Noah and his friends. She had already talked Janine into inviting Lady Draden, who finally accepted upon the insistence of Noah and Phoebe. She narrowed her choices for Lord Sandlin down to three, yet couldn’t decide which would be better as she kept finding fault with each. As she hadn’t been given a chance to get to know Parker or Chambers very well, she had decided that at a more intimate gathering, perhaps they would all learn about each other and make a match.

  “Why did you invite all of these gentlemen?” Phoebe asked Janine out of curiosity, afraid they were for her.

  “Each come from good families, have no bad habits, and are interested in furthering their acquaintance with you.”

  It was what she feared. “I have no interest in any of these gentlemen. Nor have I changed my mind about marriage.”

  Noah rolled his eyes and stood to pace. “I understand. However, you must keep up appearances.”

  “Why,” Phoebe demanded and stood.

  He turned and his eyes bore into hers. “Because it would make your mother happy.”

  Phoebe huffed. She sat back down and reached for a lemon cake. “Mother knows that I have no interest in anyone who has pursued me.”

  “Then who are you interested in?” Janine asked. “There must be someone.”

  Phoebe was grateful to have a mouth full of food so she did not have to tell a falsehood, and shrugged her shoulders.

  Noah ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Very well, then. If you have no one in particular you would like us to invite, then you will settle for those who are there.”

  “But. . .”

  “Phoebe,” he interrupted. “You have not given any of them a chance.”

  “I have too. I’ve danced with each of them.”

  “Yet you turn down their invitations to stroll in the park, or any other type of outing for that matter.”

  Phoebe frowned and shrugged. “They bore me.”

  “Well, until you come up with a non-boring alternative, these gentlemen are the ones whom you will spend time with.” Noah strode from the room in frustration.

  At least a few of her friends were interested in some of the gentlemen who were invited so it wouldn’t be a complete loss or waste of time, Phoebe consoled herself. Now, as long as Noah didn’t make her spend time with the individuals, other than in a group setting, all would be well.

  Four days before they were to depart, Phoebe sat in the parlor with her new friends. There were seven young women who had also made their appearances this Season and were looking forward to the house party. Sipping tea and nibbling on cakes, they talked with excitement about the coming weekend. Phoebe had been honest with each of them about her plans not to marry, but that she wanted to find suitable wives for her brother and his friends.

  “There is one problem,” Lady Bettina began.

  “What would that be?” She was sure she had covered all the grounds.

  “You,” Lady Bettina offered quietly.

  “Why me?” Phoebe wasn’t sure if she should feel insulted.

  “Not you exactly...” Lady Bettina started.

  Lady Corinna cut her off. “The only reason your brother and the rogues will be there is to keep an eye on you. They won’t even notice the rest of us if you are wandering about.”

  Phoebe bit her lower lip. They were right. Noah and his watchdogs were everywhere she was. Slowly a smile came to her lips and gleam to her eye. “You know, I find I am tiring very easily of late. I think I will take the opportunity this weekend to retire very early on a regular basis. You won’t be offended, will you?”

  Her friends matched her smile and burst into laughter. “You are wonderful, Phoebe.”

  So the plans were set. She would have fun during the day, but before dinner she would retire to her room, claiming to be exhausted. If her brother pressed for explanations she would come up with some plausible excuse that he would believe, though she had no idea what it would be at the moment.

  * * *

  Settling in her bed with a book, Phoebe tried to read, but voices of those attending the house party kept drifting up to her. It was still early by London standards. Six months ago she would have been asleep already. Feeling restless and unable to concentrate on her book, Phoebe dressed once again. Not wanting to alert anyone, she crept down the backstairs and into the night, where she strolled the gardens, in the shadows. She felt free. What a wonderful plan she had. She was able to provide her friends with opportunity and gain a brief period of freedom for herself.

  Noting a few people had wandered outside, she advanced further into the shadows and began walking the sheltered trails. Hearing whispers and quiet laughter, she wandered further down the paths, curious as to who felt the need for such privacy, knowing full well she should return. As usual, she was unable to keep her curiosity at bay.

  Proceeding as quietly as she could, she stopped until two profiles came into sight. A woman, with her back against a tree, was laughing up at a man. Phoebe recognized the woman as one who arrived shortly before dinner, but didn’t know her name. She could not see the gentleman’s face because it was currently hidden by the woman’s neck.

  Her face heated with embarrassment when she saw how the man was pressing his entire body against the woman’s. Phoebe started to retreat as the woman clutched his upper arms and moaned. And then the man raised
his head.

  Grinning down at the woman was Lord Sandlin. Phoebe’s stomach churned. He smiled seductively, slipped his hand down the woman’s leg and began to pull her skirt up.

  “Say it, Kat,” Sandlin insisted. “Is this what you want?”

  The woman didn’t answer, but simply threw her arms around him and drew him down for a kiss. He kissed her back and began lifting the skirt in earnest.

  Tears flooded Phoebe’s eyes and she turned to run toward the house, only to catch her foot on a bench. She was slung onto the path. Stifling a scream she attempted to get up, but found her ankle too painful to hold her weight.

  Chapter 9

  Taylor tried to convince himself he was in heaven. Katrina Patterson, a fairly young widow, had sent hints and veiled invitations his way, but he hadn’t had the opportunity until now to pursue her. It hadn’t taken them long to leave the crowd and stroll into the darkness. So filled with need over the past weeks, he availed himself to this occasion. Finally, he would be able to banish Phoebe from his thoughts. At least that was his goal when he began kissing Kat. Things were moving quickly and he had difficulty keeping the seduction under control. It appeared the young widow was more anxious than she had let on. Waiting for his own desire to rise, confident that it would, given there had been no difficulty whenever Phoebe was present, Taylor began to lift the widow’s skirts.

  A muted cry, not of pleasure, came from a distance. Taylor pulled his head back to see if Kat had somehow made the sound. Kat appeared as startled as he and both looked in the direction of the path. He pulled away and quietly walked down until he came upon a figure sitting on the ground, head bent, rocking back and forth. Cursing under his breath, he approached and realized the figure was none other than Lady Phoebe. Of all people to come across in the garden, she was the last person he wanted to see, needed to see, but should have expected to see. As he approached her, he quickly realized she was in pain and leaned over her anxiously.

  * * *

  Phoebe knew he was there the instant he came around the corner, causing her eyes to flood with tears of humiliation more than pain. Biting her bottom lip to keep from crying out, she kept her head down and rocked, trying to keep everything inside.

  “I should have known,” the woman hissed. “When you are through with the child, come to me.” She turned and stomped away.

  “Kat, wait,” Lord Sandlin called after her. “You can’t leave me alone out here with Lady Phoebe.”

  The woman gave a dry laugh. “Does she bite?”

  “You know what I mean. If someone should come across us.”

  “That is not my problem, darling.”

  Phoebe looked up as she disappeared around the bend in the path. Would she send someone out here? They couldn’t be discovered, not like this. Perhaps if the woman named Kat said something to Noah. He would be angry but at least her reputation would not be ruined.

  “Do you think she will send help?”

  “Doubtful.” Sandlin kneeled beside her. “What hurts?”

  “My ankle,” she answered between clenched teeth. Never would she let him know that the anguish in her heart was the true cause of her pain.

  He sat on the ground next to her and inspected her foot. “I believe you twisted it.”

  “So I gathered,” she retorted, angry at him and at herself for being here in the first place.

  “Don’t get angry with me. I thought you had retired.”

  “I couldn’t sleep after all and decided to take a stroll.”

  “In the gardens alone? We have had this talk.”

  “As everyone believed I was in bed, I didn’t see the harm,” Phoebe argued back. “Besides, we are in the country. I always walk at night when I can’t sleep.”

  “I don’t think it is broken, but I wouldn’t suggest you walk on it just yet.”

  “No problem, I’ll just spend the night here admiring the stars.” She tilted her head back, wishing he would leave.

  He sat back and chuckled. “Shall I retrieve a blanket and pillow, Lady Phoebe?”

  She too began to see the humor in this ridiculous situation, now that her ankle no longer throbbed. “Why thank you, Lord Sandlin, that would be most appreciated.” She smiled back at him, no longer crying, burying her inner pain.

  The look in his eyes softened toward her. Lifting a hand, he brushed a tear from her cheek yet he didn’t take his hand away.

  Phoebe, who had never been touched with tenderness such as this realized she had stepped beyond her normal, comfortable parameters. Something was in his eyes she couldn’t define. Something that had never been there before. All she wanted to do at the moment was get away from him and try to forget what she had seen and pretend he wasn’t with another woman, doing things she barely understood herself. If only he would not look at her with such tenderness. At that moment, she much preferred the irritation she so often saw in his eyes.

  She lowered her lashes. “I am sorry to intrude on your, um, privacy,” she offered in a quiet voice.

  Sandlin pulled his hand from her face. “It was a mistake.”

  “I know. I won’t leave the safety of my room again.”

  He opened his mouth to say something, and then must have thought better of it. His eyes scanned the garden. “We need to get you back to the house.”

  “I know. If you can help me up, I am sure I can make it back on my own and you can find your friend.” She tried not to let her pain be heard in her voice.

  “You can’t begin to walk back to the house on that ankle.” He scooped her off the ground.

  The impact of being held shocked her. His touch burned and Phoebe wanted to get away. Sandlin was strong, handsome and she felt protected. She also experienced things she couldn’t begin to describe, such as the tingling at the back of her legs and the odd churn in her stomach. Maybe she should have eaten dinner.

  She needed to get control of the situation and her own feelings. Control was impossible with him holding her. Her mind only wanted to focus on how wonderful his arms felt beneath her knees, cradling her in security against his body. “You can’t exactly march out of here carrying me in your arms. Even I, lacking good judgment on occasion, know that.”

  Sandlin stopped just within the darkness. Stepping back down the path, he walked until he found a bench and lowered her onto it, then lifted the injured ankle for inspection once again. After assessing the damage, he took a seat beside her. “You certainly can’t walk back by yourself.”

  “I can hop on one foot.” She would grasp at any hopeful option at this moment, no matter how ridiculous.

  A side of Sandlin’s mouth turned up. “I am sure nobody would notice.”

  Phoebe stifled a groan as she placed her elbows on her knees, chin in her palms.

  * * *

  Taylor’s amusement turned to irritation. She was completely unaware of him as a man, which didn’t surprise him. If she had any idea how her very presence affected him, she would run screaming from the shadows, hurt ankle or not. She certainly wouldn’t be sitting as she was, allowing such a sweet view of her full, creamy breasts. To make matters worse, for Taylor at least, he was also aware she wasn’t wearing a corset, having discovered that fact when he lifted her in his arms. He would be surprised if she had any undergarments at all beneath the dress, which further tortured his mind and body as he shifted to find a more comfortable sitting position. Thank goodness it was dark or she would be able to see her effect on him. An effect the willing widow had been unable to produce.

  “So, what do we do?” She finally asked.

  “We sit and wait.”

  “For what?”

  “For everyone to retire so I can sneak you back into the house.”

  She groaned. “You don’t need to stay. Just come back and get me when it is safe. There is no reason why you should miss the party or...”

  “I am not going anywhere.”

  “I am perfectly fine. It is just an ankle.”

  “Perhaps, but what if
someone comes upon you. It is not as if you could get away.”

  She looked at him with irritation. “I’ll scream.”

  “By then the damage would be done, alerting everyone that you are out here alone with a man.”

  “Not if you explain you left me here.”

  “Much worse. Society would love that. First you meet me alone, and then another man, in one night. Do you truly want to avoid marriage that badly?”

  “No,” she ground out. “I don’t. Someday I do hope to marry and have children. I just don’t see how it is possible, or fair to the rest of my family.”

  Somehow the fact that she wasn’t totally against marriage and wanted children made him feel better. Though he didn’t know why, as it really wouldn’t affect where he stood. “Then it is settled. I stay.” Assuming the same comfortable position she had adopted, he tried not to look at her. He also hoped nobody found them or he would have hell to pay with Felding. There was no easy way out of this situation until all had retired and then he just hoped they didn’t run into anyone in the halls as the guests crept secretly from one bedroom to another, under the cloak of darkness for promised liaisons.

  “Why don’t you think marriage is possible and how could it be unfair to your family?”

  Lady Phoebe sighed and twirled a curl around her finger. “My sisters would be better suited for marriage than I. Noah must marry because he is the heir.”

  “I still don’t see how that should determine whether you marry or not.”

  She sat up and turned to him. “My mother will never walk again and her health is not the best.”