His Hand-Me-Down Countess: The Lustful Lords, Book 1

by Sorcha Mowbray

  * * *

  Exhausted from another night of late meetings as the railway board restructured the business, Stone let himself into the foyer of his home. Parsons, his butler in town, stumbled into the hall bearing a lamp.

  “I thought I told you not to wait up for me tonight,” Stone said as he shed his coat and hat.

  “You did, my lord. However, there was a change in circumstance that I felt you needed to be aware of upon your return.”

  “And that is?”

  “Lady Stonemere’s arrival earlier this evening, or rather last night, as it is now near dawn, my lord.”

  Stone groaned. He should have known she was not content when she had not replied to his last two notes. Her first reply to his initial word of extension was gracious and caring. She’d wished him well and a speedy return. Then he’d sent another one two days later and heard nothing from her. The last one had been sent two days before, so with a day for travel, she’d likely got it yesterday morning, which meant her arrival was her response. There was little doubt in his mind that he was in dun territory with his wife. “Very good. I appreciate the warning, Parsons.”

  He dismissed the man and climbed the stairs to find his bed. Angry wife or not, there was little he could do about it without some sleep to refresh his brain. Surely, with that accomplished, he’d figure out how to address Theo.

  * * *

  Morning came far too early. Stone rose from a fitful, nightmare-plagued sleep and called for Evers. In the fortnight away from his wife, his nightmares had grown worse. It seemed when he slept with her, his nights were calmer and more restful. His ever-vigilant valet, with his prematurely gray hair and perceptive dark eyes that seemed to take in everything while bearing witness to nothing, had him turned out in a trice. He plunged into the breakfast room expecting to find an irate wife waiting for him.

  Instead, he found a sedate Theo calmly sipping tea as she nibbled a brioche. “Good morning, husband.”

  Her greeting, while not warm, was not cold. It was staid. Indifferent, even. His short hairs rose in warning that all was not as it seemed. “Good morning, wife.” He pecked her cheek and took a seat next to her.

  “I am glad to see you are up and about. I assumed you would sleep the day away after being out all night.” Her hand trembled ever so slightly as she set the teacup back on the saucer.

  She was unquestionably not as calm as she appeared. “Yes, well, my business ran into the early hours of the morning. I’ve only snatched a few hours of sleep so I can return from whence I came.”

  “I see. And is this the business that has kept you in London for the duration of our honeymoon?” She sipped her tea again. However, Stone noted the obvious strain around her lips and eyes. Not to mention that if she gripped the china any more tightly, the handle might snap clean off.

  “It is.” He slugged a cup of coffee in one bitter swallow and stood with a roll in hand. “I must be off. I’ll be at the London and Southwestern Railway office all day, I’m afraid.”

  “Will I see you for dinner?”

  His stomach sank. “I highly doubt it. We are in the process of restructuring things in an attempt to avoid a railroad workers’ strike. I’m afraid until the matter is resolved, I shall be spending a great many hours away from home.”

  “Very well. I shall take pains to entertain myself.” Theo nodded regally to him and continued sipping her tea.

  Then she looked away from him in—of all things—dismissal. Angry, confused, and bristling to show her just who was in control, but out of time, Stone stomped out of the house and headed off to the office. He needed to end this madness immediately, and then he needed to deal with his petulant little wife. His only hope was that she wouldn’t get into too much trouble alone in London.

  Chapter 9

  Upon Stone’s departure, Theo rose and hurled her teacup into the fireplace. The crash of the shards did nothing to alleviate her fury. Did he really believe that she would accept such hogwash? At the office? Peers of the realm simply did not work. And if they did involve themselves in trade, they did not spend long hours doing that which their managers and other employees could accomplish on their behalf.

  But, she argued back, she had no proof that things were not as he described. She had no clues to suggest he might be keeping a mistress. However, that could change soon enough. If he would not be coming home for meals, then she would find this office of his and bring a meal to him. If he was where he said he would be, then she could at least rule out infidelity as an issue.

  Now, what had he called the place? Oh yes, the London and Southwestern Railway. She rose and went to the kitchen to meet with Mrs. Beats, the cook, and arranged for a basket to be prepared for lunch. Next, she sent one of the footmen off to discover the location of the railway office so that her driver would not get lost on the way there. Finally, she went upstairs to see what she might wear for a confrontation with her husband.

  Three hours later, she sat in their carriage dressed in another House of Worth creation that consisted of a series of flounces in front paired with an overskirt that gathered back at the sides. The neckline was a bit daring, with a lovely plunge that exposed her collarbones and a small bit of décolleté. The cinnamon-colored gown brought out the blue in her eyes and was the height of elegance. She couldn’t imagine not turning her husband’s head.

  Upon her arrival to the offices, she swept in, followed by Mary, who toted the large basket Mrs. Beats had prepared. Inside, the poor clerk who greeted her stammered and sputtered as he tried to deal with a lady in a place of business.

  “Please let the Earl of Stonemere know that his wife has come calling,” she declared with a boldness she fabricated brilliantly.

  “My lady, he’s in meetings. I-I… What I mean to say is I cannot simply barge in there and interrupt such tense negotiations.” The man had visibly paled at the notion of interrupting.

  “Very well, then I shall announce myself. Come along, Mary.” She moved past the reed-thin man with all the delicacy of a battleship. Her wide skirts parted the clerks like the prow of a ship slicing through the ocean.

  She sailed toward the single closed door adjacent to the clerks’ spaces and turned the knob. Inside, she found two men on their feet, shouting at each other, and her husband, with his head in his hands. Theo stopped short at the scene before her. One thought leaped to mind: not a woman. As the door banged loudly against the wall, all eyes turned to her. The men who had been seated rose belatedly.

  Taking a bracing breath, she moved forward again as the clerk trailed in her wake, along with Mary. She walked around the long table to a flabbergasted Stone and kissed his cheek. Then she retreated to where Mary had placed the basket at the end of the long mahogany table. “Gentlemen, I do apologize for bursting in on you like this. However, when my husband informed me that he would not be home for a meal yet again, I simply could not let it pass.” She smiled as the men cleared their throats. “Please, do take your seats, all of you.” She lifted her brow at the quarrelsome pair, who continued to shoot daggers at each other.

  Perhaps she’d interrupted at an opportune time. “Fortunately, Mrs. Beats tends to spoil us, and so I am certain I have enough food in here to feed an army, let alone you fine gentlemen.” She opened the basket and produced its contents. There were various cold meats, bread, cheese, and even a jug of ale of which the lot of them appeared in dire need.

  “Theo, what gave you the idea—” Stone started, but she refused to allow him to finish.

  “Now, darling, I know you are likely cross with me. But I just worried so about you locked in this room day and night”—she emphasized the word for his benefit—“and I simply had to come ensure you were taking care of yourself. And of course, as I expected, you are not. So, may I suggest that you men take a short recess from your labors and enjoy this fine fare?”

  She dared to glance around the room, and found the men occupying themselves with anything from smoothing their suits to jotting notes in a le
dger. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at their discomfort. “Afterward, perhaps you can resume your discussions with clearer heads, if not a sunnier disposition.” She stared confidently down the length of the table at her husband, who produced a baleful glare that promised retribution later. “As for me, I shall be off. I have an afternoon full of calls and other nonsense. Thank you for your forbearance, gentlemen. Stone, I shall see you at home—for dinner.”

  Her parting shot was a gauntlet thrown. If he failed to be at home for said meal, then he would truly know the wrath of a woman. This foray would prove child’s play compared to what her devious little mind would work up. She departed the railway offices with the same aplomb she had borne upon arrival. In the carriage with Mary and off to her sister’s home, she collapsed in laughter. The look upon the men’s faces as she’d sailed into the room and laid out luncheon was worth every ounce of retribution she might receive. And she was certain she would be experiencing some retaliation from her husband. The question was, what kind? On the heels of mirth came dread. Brazen as she’d been while storming his castle, her stomach knotted and her brow furrowed as she realized that her impulsive nature had possibly once again gotten her into trouble. And this time, it might have damaged her husband’s work.

  * * *

  Stone watched as his wife departed in a whirlwind of cinnamon skirts. The men in the room all looked as stunned as he felt. “That, gentlemen, was the new Countess of Stonemere. I apologize for my wife’s interruption; however, I believe she may be on to something. Let us take a break to enjoy the food that she has delivered, and then we can resume negotiations.” Stone stood and made his way to the impromptu buffet.

  Slowly, the men agreed, and they took some time to prepare plates and pour themselves ale.

  Captain Chambers looked at him and smiled. “That is a clever woman you have married, my lord. I daresay she took one look at the situation and sized it up rather accurately.”

  Stone chuckled. “You would be correct. My wife has a knack for adventure. I fear she will keep me rather busy curtailing some of her more exciting forays if I do not stay on top of things.”

  The other men chuckled good-naturedly and slapped him on the shoulder. Even the union representative and the office manager had settled down from their argument long enough to enjoy the food. Half an hour later, Stone set his remnants aside and addressed the group again.

  “As my wife has made it abundantly clear that I am to be home for dinner this evening, let us see if we can’t come to some compromise on the hours and wages of the rail workers. We all want the same thing, for the railway to continue operations.”

  The men agreed, uttering a series of “hear, hears” before they got down to business. Unfortunately for Stone, he found it a bit hard to focus on anything but the fantasy of lifting those saucy skirts and helping himself to his wife’s abundant charms.

  * * *

  Theo alighted at her sister’s home and promptly knocked on the door. Fortunately, it was the time of day to come calling, not that propriety would have stopped her. She sent Mary around back, glided into the foyer, and then made her way to the main salon.

  There Theo found her sister and Lady Heartfield. With her piercing green eyes and fashionably pale hair, Lady Heartfield was a stunning woman.

  Theo stopped before the two women as though they were her personal tribunal. “Oh Lizzy, I’ve gone and made a muck of things!”

  “Theo, made a muck of what?” Lizzy rose to embrace her sister.

  “Why, my marriage, of course. I swear sometimes I am an addlepated fool.” She sank onto the settee and whipped out her fan. Her face was flushed with embarrassment after her visit to the railway offices, and now Lady Heartfield would bear witness to her humiliation.

  “What have you done?” Lizzy sat next to her and placed a supportive arm around her shoulders.

  Sometimes it was hard to believe that Lizzy was the younger sister and Theo was the elder. She sighed and related the events through the last hour. At the end of her tale, Lady Heartfield and Lizzy both gasped.

  “I know I overstepped by barging in, but I had to know. My imagination had begun to concoct all manner of outlandish possibilities. It’s not as though Stone possesses a sterling reputation.” As she retold her story, she had come to a new resolve. One born of practicality and a desire to experience more of the deliciously naughty things her husband had shown her in their marriage bed.

  Lizzy gasped again. “Theo, you shouldn’t say such things.”

  She refused to play the naïve miss. She had heard rumors of her husband’s and his friend’s escapades long before their engagement. There was little point in feigning ignorance. “It’s true. We all pretended not to know about his little club of friends. But they aren’t called the Lustful Lords because they gather to take tea and break bread.”

  Lady Heartfield laughed. “Very astute, dear girl. You must be practical about your husband’s true nature.”

  “Yes, I must. Which is why I plan to seduce him.” She ignored the little thrill of excitement at the notion.

  “But, Theo—”

  “No, Lizzy, I’ll not hear it. I know that you and Carlisle are deliriously happy, but you had to show him you wouldn’t break. I need to show Stone—well, that’s my problem. I don’t know. I don’t know if he is afraid of hurting me or if he fears repulsing me, or perhaps…” She drew a deep breath and ventured her darkest fear. “Perhaps I repulse him. I did ask if my wantonness upset him, and he assured me that Mama had only part of the scenario right. Which I found odd.”

  “What part did he suggest she had right, Lady Stonemere?” Lady Heartfield queried.

  “Oh, please, as it seems I have laid out the sordid details of my marriage before you, you simply must call me Theo.”

  “Very well, and you shall call me Marie. Now, what part did she have right?”

  Theo glanced from one woman to the other, chewed her lip, and then blurted it out. “He said men like to be in control, but they don’t wish for us to just lie there.”

  Marie smiled and nodded in confirmation, as did Theo’s sister. “That has been my experience,” Lizzy offered coyly.

  “But I thought you seduced Carlisle somehow or other to show him you were as eager as he.” Theo’s mind raced with a profusion of questions.

  “I did, but once I showed him I was game, he undoubtedly took the reins.” Lizzy tucked her nose into her teacup, though it failed to hide the blush on her cheeks.

  “Quite right. Theo, dear, many men, particularly men like your husband, have a desire—one that is rather base and elemental, mind you—to possess the one they bed. To somehow mark her as theirs. For some, it is as simple as placing a ring on their finger, but for a rare breed, there is more to it. They harbor a greater need to control the world around them and those things in it. Including, in some cases, their lovers.”

  “Stone is rather stuffy at times. He has a difficult time being spontaneous.” Theo flashed a smile. “Well, except in bed.”

  “Does he please you in bed?” Lizzy had ceased hiding behind her cup.

  “He has the two nights we’ve lain together. That is what has me worried. I thought perhaps he had a mistress, but now I don’t think so. Not after my surprise visit to his office. But I’m afraid I don’t know enough about his life to be able to tell if I offend him in bed or if I come up short. Mayhap there is more truth in his reputation than we cared to admit and I do not garner his interest beyond the requirement to procreate?” Theo’s lip began to tremble. She willed back the despair and the accompanying tears, but they both failed to cooperate. Failure was not something she had ever accepted well, and to fail at possibly the most important thing in her life—her marriage—was too much.

  “Oh, Theo.” Lizzy wrapped her in a tight hug as she let her tears fall.

  After a few moments’ indulgence, she wiped away the wetness and sat up straight. “I’m sorry for such an unseemly display, but I am at a loss as to what to do ne
xt.”

  Chapter 10

  Theo looked from her sister to Marie. Under normal circumstances, she was not one to take advice, but for once, she felt truly out of her depth. A sly smile curved Marie’s lips, and hope blossomed in Theo’s chest.

  “Well, I daresay the man is holding back for much the same reasons as Carlisle did with Lizzy.” Marie sipped her tea.

  Lizzy blushed. “Yes, but if the rumors are to be believed, Stonemere was quite the reprobate, unlike my husband, who was more concerned about the size differences.”

  “And still similar issues. At the heart of things is a misguided belief that a wife cannot also be a lover.” Marie focused on Theo. “If you wish to seduce your husband, you must be armed with all the erotic knowledge available to you. You will need to ferret out what excites him, what stimulates his lust, and how best to pleasure him as well as yourself. Are you prepared to take on that challenge, Theo?”

  Her heart hammered in her chest. Fear of what she might learn both about her husband and herself gave her pause. Could they survive as a couple if she learned something truly abhorrent about him? Or worse, herself? “I-I don’t know. I won’t lie and say I’m not filled to the brim with trepidation, but I also don’t believe I can survive a soulless marriage. I thought I could, but having had a glimpse of what could be possible…”

  “I know it’s a difficult step. I thought I might faint as I dithered over the decision.” Lizzy squeezed Theo’s hand in reassurance. “But in the end, he was worth fighting for.”

  Just under her breastbone, a tiny flame of love flickered to life. “I’ll do it. You’re right, Lizzy, he is worth the fight, or I wouldn’t have married him despite that contract. Where do we begin, Marie?”

  “I have an old friend who will be of great assistance to us. She owns a private club called The Market. An evening tour of that establishment will go a long way to teaching you all the sensual and erotic possibilities that abound. I shall arrange for us to have tea with her at Pierce House. You can meet her and explain your unique situation.”