Martin was always popular with the ladies. His light brown curls and muscular frame were the immediate draw, but once his green eyes exhibited even a hint of interest, women could not stay away. If Martin was alone this evening, it was by choice.
Still, Nicholas kept his voice casual, as if he were merely interested in more gossip. “Did Lord Courtenay leave his bride heartbroken?”
“Hardly! He did leave her incredibly wealthy, however.”
Before Nicholas could reply, he saw Lady Courtenay once more, only this time his heart sank. It should have been a relief that the vivacious creature had recovered from his refusal. Unfortunately she was conversing, much too closely, with Lord Dimsdale, London’s most notorious roué.
Nicholas tore his gaze away. The widow was not his concern. She would learn soon enough how to handle herself amongst the ton. She would need to, being possessed of a large fortune and a guileless, trusting nature.
He gave his attention to a beauty passing by who gave him a winning smile filled with unmistakable promises. Normally he would spend some time flirting and trading banter with the young woman, a prelude to several pleasurable hours for both of them. But he could not seem to concentrate. His eyes kept searching for Lady Courtenay.
Nicholas watched as she continued to laugh with Lord Dimsdale. Had she just asked him to be her lover? He nearly growled at the thought. Lady Courtenay was not experienced enough to deal with a man of such exceedingly low morals. Nicholas had chivalrously protected her from a liaison with himself—a rake who had once viewed himself as an honorable man.
The unsavory Lord Dimsdale, on the other hand, was guaranteed to wreak havoc with the sweetness that was Lady Courtenay, destroying everything that was remarkable about her.
Nicholas tried to turn away once more. Yet his conscience needled him. His rejection had driven Lady Courtenay to a choice that would prove disastrous for her. He already lived with the regret from a similar action in his past. He had no desire to add to that legacy.
He spun on his heel and stalked across the room.
Chapter Three
“You do me a great honor, Lord Dimsdale.” Juliana smiled as pleasantly as possible, though she was not certain how much longer she could maintain the pretense. “But I am quite out of breath, and the heat is so stifling. I shall have to sit out this next dance.”
She moved to disengage herself, but he would not hear of it. “Nonsense! The intricacies of the dance shall divert you from any discomfort.” He squeezed her hands more tightly. “I am convinced of it.”
Juliana nodded, allowing Lord Dimsdale to believe he had won the battle. She had spent too many years under the thumb of her strong-willed parents, and her disinterested husband, to cede control for very long. If necessary, she would escape by pretending to faint in the midst of the other guests.
They took their places in the dance line, and slowly approached each other in the center, bowing as did the nearby dancers. Lord Dimsdale smiled in what he clearly believed was a seductive fashion, but he was woefully misinformed.
If not for that lascivious grin, he might have been considered rather handsome. Not in the same way Lord Blaise was, with his lustrous dark hair and those blue eyes sparkling with secret mischief.
She nearly misstepped. Lord Blaise’s unexpected refusal had been disheartening. Yet she had relished his admission that he found her too desirable, especially once she learned it was a rather exclusive membership.
Unfortunately it had done nothing to further her plans for an amorous liaison. Now, after two dances with Lord Dimsdale, she began to wonder if she would ever find a suitable candidate. Especially one who could measure up to her first preference.
Juliana stepped forward once more, doing her best to keep a modicum of distance between her and Lord Dimsdale this time. She even turned her head slightly so she would not have to see his leering grin directed at her bosom.
In the next instant, her waist was circled by a strong arm, pulling her tightly against an undeniably firm physique. She gasped, spinning to give Lord Dimsdale a strong rebuke. The words died on her lips.
It was Lord Blaise.
Her heart pounded in a rhythm completely at odds with the music played so cheerfully by the orchestra. Where had he come from? How had he managed to displace Lord Dimsdale?
Lord Blaise spun her around expertly, his lips lifted in a grin as he enjoyed her undisguised shock. “I have reconsidered your delightful proposition,” he said in a low voice.
Juliana opened her mouth to reply, but the dance required her to sweep to the side, swirling with another gentleman. Lord Blaise kept his gaze on her the entire time he danced with his new partner. She tried not to shiver, but it was impossible.
Why had he changed his mind? She gulped. Did it even matter?
When he returned to her side, he brushed against her, scandalously so. The buttons of his jacket pressed against her bodice in an unexpectedly pleasurable manner, and his breath tickled her ear. The brazen intimacy of it all made her lightheaded.
A genuine swoon was likely to occur at any moment.
This was not at all what she had anticipated. She had wanted a lighthearted dalliance, to prove she was finally in charge of her pleasure, as well as her fate. But it was clear she had misjudged Lord Blaise’s suitability.
He was much too desirable.
“It was a suggestion, not a proposition,” she finally said, struggling to keep her voice steady. “An ill-considered one. Which is why I have chosen to withdraw it.”
He pretended to frown. “Then I must beg you to reconsider.”
His voice cajoled her, tempting her with promises of pleasure she had never experienced, but had spent many hours imagining, and with this very man.
“It is giving me a megrim,” she said, “all this reconsidering.”
“I shall make your decision an easy one.” He leaned in even closer, his voice a seductive whisper. “After twelve days with me, you will reconsider taking any other lover again.”
She tried to mask her swift intake of breath, but failed. The flush on her cheeks was bound to reveal her unabashed interest anyway. He twirled her in his arms, waiting patiently, as if confident she would convince herself to take this daring step.
“Twelve days?” she finally asked. “Why twelve days?”
“How else can one celebrate all that Christmas has to offer?”
He spun her around once more, his hand at her waist, his eyes piercing her with unmistakable desire. She clasped his arms tightly, her body humming with the passion he elicited so effortlessly.
All at once the music stopped, and Juliana stood there, ready to grab his hand and rush off to commence this amorous adventure she had craved for so long. Her heart pounded with unbearable excitement.
Yet there was also a tinge of fear. She was completely out of her depth. This would be her first affair, while he—
No doubt the devil himself took advice from Lord Blaise on how to be wicked.
It was madness to consider a liaison with him.
Relent, her soul pleaded. Just this once.
It was what she had wanted, after all. She had come here tonight for this very reason. How could she possibly refuse now?
But then his lips lifted in another slow grin. He was much too sure of himself—and her capitulation.
No, that was not something she could offer. Not after a lifetime of doing so.
Juliana inhaled a ragged breath. “Good night, Lord Blaise.”
She gave him a brief curtsey and raced out of the ballroom before her legs, or her resolve, could give way.
~ * ~
Nicholas stood there, stunned, for the second time that evening. And both times at the hand of this maddening, yet intriguing, young woman.
“She is not worth your trouble.” Lord Dimsdale sidled next to him, his broad smile an insincere one. “There are easier conquests than that one. Though I confess there is something rather charming about her—and her large fortune.”
/>
Nicholas ground his teeth together. Lady Courtenay possessed many more charming qualities than her fortune. Even though she had decided against a dalliance with him, Nicholas was determined to do everything possible to keep her safely away from Lord Dimsdale.
“If it is an easy conquest you seek,” Nicholas said, “then perhaps you should heed your own advice. Or have you made your way through the entire female population in London already?”
Lord Dimsdale tipped his head back and laughed. “Perhaps I have. I always prefer to be one step ahead of you.”
Despite his distaste for the man, Nicholas managed a grin, as though they were the best of comrades. “It might be best if you left Lady Courtenay alone.”
“It sounds like you might call me out.” Lord Dimsdale gave Nicholas a mocking look. “Shall I expect your seconds to pay me a visit on the morrow?”
Nicholas shook his head. “I merely meant there were some whisperings earlier. About where your interests lie.”
Lord Dimsdale beamed. “I am not surprised that my interest in Lady Courtenay has been noted already.”
“But this was about—” Nicholas pretended to hesitate, and then he lowered his voice. “There was a great deal of speculation about the one with whom Lord Courtenay spent his final moments.”
Lord Dimsdale’s arrogant expression turned to shock. “It was not me!”
“Of course I immediately came to your defense,” Nicholas lied. “But you know how the ton is irresistibly drawn to tales such as these.” He gave the man his most sympathetic look. “Which is why I suggested you reconsider having your name linked with hers. At least until the next nine days’ wonder captures the ton’s fancy.”
Lord Dimsdale’s lips tightened. Nicholas probably should have felt at least a twinge of remorse, causing the man such distress. But how could he let Lady Courtenay fall into this licentious man’s clutches? Doing so would certainly eclipse any of Nicholas’s past sins.
He could also rest easy knowing his methods might ensure the future wellbeing of another innocent heiress.
“I have been contemplating a sojourn to the continent,” Lord Dimsdale finally said, struggling to make it sound truthful.
“What a splendid plan.” Nicholas smiled as if it were the best news he had ever heard. “I am certain you shall enjoy the Christmas festivities there.”
Lord Dimsdale gave a bow that bordered on insolent, clearly unhappy at being outmaneuvered. “Allow me to wish you the most joyous of holidays.”
“I fully anticipate they will be,” Nicholas replied, but Lord Dimsdale was striding across the room, unable to hear his hopeful words.
Chapter Four
Juliana absentmindedly tapped the pen against her writing desk. Instead of giving the task to her personal secretary, she had composed several invitations that morning herself, needing the distraction of ink-filled words appearing as if by magic, accompanied by the scratching of the nib against parchment.
Still, she frowned at the growing pile of invitations for the lavish holiday party she had hoped would not be necessary. If only Lord Blaise had not hindered her plans, forcing her to acknowledge just how misguided her scheme had been.
She nearly groaned at what a muddle it had become. “It was quite simple at the outset.”
“What was quite simple?”
Juliana looked up to see Madeleine carrying a tea tray into the sunlit room, setting it down on a nearby table. Although they had been friends since childhood, their bond had grown stronger during Juliana’s unusual, unwanted marriage, and even more so when Madeleine’s naval hero husband had perished at sea.
“My plan to embark on a whirlwind affair was meant to be simple,” Juliana explained with a grin. “Yet I was refused, and later was asked to reconsider, but then I refused.”
Madeleine shook her blonde head, laughing softly as she poured tea into two Sèvres cups. She handed one to Juliana. “This is a tale I cannot wait to hear, in detail.”
“Then sit, and I shall regale you with the entire story.”
Madeleine gazed pointedly at the stack of invitations. “You have definitely decided against the affair with Lord Blaise?”
“It seems the wisest course of action. And what better way to find someone who might suit me than hosting a holiday party?”
“I agree. But it is hard to imagine there were no other possibilities last night.”
“Lord Dimsdale made his intentions quite clear. Unfortunately it reminded me of how difficult it was with Lord Courtenay.” Juliana shuddered at the memories. “Those few times he attempted to…”
“Beget an heir.”
Juliana nodded. “I want to experience it differently, with a lover who is devoted to my pleasure.”
“To experience it the way it was meant to be.”
“Yes! But my plan for a simple, pleasurable dalliance has proved more difficult than I anticipated.”
Juliana’s thoughts wandered to how delicious—sinfully delicious—it had felt to be in Lord Blaise’s arms. Her entire being ached to be in his embrace again. Yet those feelings had proved so overwhelming she had frightened herself away from attempting it.
“What has made it difficult? Other than you being refused, and you refusing him in turn.”
Madeleine took a delicate sip of tea, lifting her eyebrow to encourage the rest of Juliana’s confession. The tactic never failed.
“It appears there is another extreme,” Juliana began. “One I had not expected. One that borders on too pleasurable. Too passionate.”
Madeleine’s laughter was utterly delighted. “Then bring this man to me. I shall have him for myself.”
“It quite made me lose my nerve! I wanted to be the one determining the rules, and the outcome, of the affair. But a mere dance with Lord Blaise and I was shaky and breathless and unable to utter a coherent phrase.”
“Yes,” Madeline said, grinning. “He is definitely the one you want for your lover.”
“But when it is over, and he has left, as I fully expect him to, how do I return to my normal day-to-day life?” Juliana tried, but failed, to mask her sigh. “I cannot imagine I would be unchanged by such an experience.”
“That is what you wanted, though, is it not? To be changed by a love affair?”
“Yes,” she admitted. “But I do not wish to be reduced to nothing afterwards. I have spent enough of my life being buffeted about by other’s plans for me.” She paused. “It is why I now believe I should find someone else, someone who is less likely to engage my emotions, or my heart.”
“I wish you luck with that quest.” Madeleine’s sympathetic smile softened her words. “For I suspect your heart has been engaged already.”
“It has not. I favor him a little.” When Madeleine’s eyebrows shot up with patent disbelief, Juliana added, “Perhaps more than a little. And with good reason. If you could see how intently he regarded me, as if we were the only two in that entire crowded ballroom…”
She picked up one of the folded invitations and used it to fan her overheated face.
“Then you know how he will regard you when you are the only two in the room.”
Juliana fanned her face more rapidly. “I hope you have some smelling salts at hand, for I am about to swoon, right here into my tea.”
Madeleine laughed once more. “You have spoken of this affair for months on end. I have heard little else but your hopes and plans for Lord Blaise, and now you have talked yourself out of it before it has even commenced.”
“After my encounter with him last night, it became apparent that I was attempting something for which I am ill-prepared. I know nothing of the rules for these things. You do, though, having had an affair or two.”
“A lady never admits to more than that,” Madeleine said, her eyes atwinkle.
“See? Another rule I need to know.”
“That is not exactly a rule. I don’t know that there really are any when it comes to affairs. Well, except for one.”
Juliana
leaned forward expectantly. “What is it?”
“To spend as much time as possible in the bedchamber.” Madeleine laughed. “Or racing to return to the bedchamber. Or thinking about what has transpired in the bedchamber—” She settled into her chair, gazing off into the distance, her expression nothing short of dreamy. “There is nothing more delightful than waking to a man in the morning, his warm body curled around yours, recommencing what sent both of you to sleep the previous night.”
Juliana felt a stab of envy. She had never experienced what her friend described with such rapture. Madeleine had loved her husband, and been devastated at his death, yet she had managed to find happiness with another love, or two, in spite of that.
Juliana had missed out on so much already. Did she want to miss out on even more?
Before she could answer her own question, there was a discreet knock at the door. Her butler, Sanders, entered, proffering a letter on a silver salver.
She stood up, grabbing it, knowing already who had written it. She walked to the window overlooking the garden, opening the missive while trying to settle her heart into a normal rhythm.
It was impossible once she read Lord Blaise’s brief note:
My Christmas gift to you –
Twelve entertaining days.
Twelve sleepless nights.
I await the pleasure of your response.
Juliana plopped into a nearby chair, fanning herself so briskly with the letter her curls fluttered wildly. Lord Blaise had taken a simple everyday salutation and imbued it with a meaning that could not be mistaken.
Was it madness to accept such an offer? Perhaps it was. She should pack her belongings and head this instant to Bedlam, taking up permanent residence there.
Yet how could she resist? The few moments she had spent in Lord Blaise’s proximity had been impossibly arousing. It was not difficult to imagine what the man could accomplish in twelve days and twelve nights.
Juliana dropped her head against the back of the chair, staring at the ceiling, wishing it contained the answers to her dilemma.
Lord Misrule (The Matchmaking Earl Book 1) Page 2
