John changed the subject, and they discussed politics until it was time to retire. But once he was in bed, thoughts of Georgina flooded his imagination. Eugene Beauharnais is her own age. By all accounts he is handsome and has proved himself on the battlefield. She is bound to find him attractive.
The disturbing thoughts kept him awake for hours. He wanted her to stop mourning Francis, yet perversely he did not want her to give her heart to any other man. Though he had tried to curb his longing for Georgina Gordon, he had not succeeded.
“I want her for myself.” For the first time he said it aloud. The admission added to the guilt he felt at desiring the woman his brother had chosen. John thumped his pillows in frustration, and vowed to stop being obsessed with her.
Next morning at the breakfast table, John realized his obsession was stronger than ever. “Henry, at the risk of offending you, may I broach a subject that is personal?”
“I don’t offend easily.”
“When Beth’s husband divorced her, how did the two of you survive the scandal?”
“She suffered a great deal of shame and guilt, and I was powerless to stop the gossip. But, amazingly, once we were married and she became Lady Holland, we were accepted back into society as if it had never happened. Surely you know there is nothing more hypocritical than the British aristocracy?”
“You are right, of course. When my wife died, I was completely ostracized by her sisters. But the moment I became the Duke of Bedford, both Lady Bath and Lady Bradford wrote me ingratiating letters, suddenly expressing belated concern for my motherless sons and hoping they would be welcome at Woburn.” John laughed bitterly. “Not a bloody chance.”
“What prompted you to ask about Beth’s divorce?”
John glanced at Henry and their eyes met. “There is a lady I am interested in. She has been touched by scandal, and I am deeply concerned for her. Since I am in double mourning, I am afraid my attentions would be deemed decadent and fuel horrendous gossip—I do not wish to cause her more pain.” John looked away.
Good God, you are in love with Georgina Gordon. Henry chose his words carefully. “Tongues will wag, of course. But if you make the lady Duchess of Bedford, the ton will fawn upon her.”
John was suddenly filled with misgivings. First and foremost was the fear that she would refuse him, and on top of that, he wondered what possible excuse he could have for showing up in Paris. Yet he knew his longing was eating a hole inside of him. John cursed himself for a coward. What the hellfire is the matter with you? If you want her, go and get her!
“Georgina, you cannot go to the Tuileries Palace reception in that drab gray dress. You look like a dowdy old maid.” The Duchess of Gordon was garbed in sapphire-blue lace with an ostrich feather fan dyed to match. “Ah, here is Louisa. Look how deliciously feminine your sister looks in her lavender tulle. Go and change at once, Georgy.v
Louisa spoke up quickly. “There’s no time, Mother. Marquis Cornwallis and Charles are waiting in the carriage to give you a ride. We cannot be late.”
“Mother, go with Louisa. I shall stay home.”
“Stay home? That is out of the question. You know Eugene Beauharnais is smitten with you. He’s been dancing attendance on you for a month—we cannot let this one slip through our fingers.”
Louisa looked from her mother to her sister. “Did I miss something while my eyes were rolling?”
“She’s at it again ... shoving me into the arms of another suitor before the last one is cold in his grave.”
“Georgina, this is the chance of a lifetime. Josephine Bonaparte will give her son anything he wants, and it’s perfectly obvious to everyone that he wants you. Go and change.”
“There’s no time. It’s rude to keep the marquis waiting.”
“Off you go, Louisa. You may tell Marquis Cornwallis to send the carriage back for us. Georgy and I will be fashionably late.v
When they were alone, Jane rounded on her youngest daughter. “You have a rare opportunity to outdo all of your sisters in the marriage market. A connection with Napoleon Bonaparte’s family will be a dynastic match. All London will be agog!”
“I’m already the talk of London,” Georgina said with asperity. “Eugene is a boy . . . this is just an infatuation.”
“A boy your own age. You should be able to wrap him around your little finger and have him panting to get you into bed. If you’d just seduce him, you could be the most envied woman in England and France. I shall wait for you while you go and change into something that will—v
“Make him pant?vGeorgina asked sweetly. “In that case, Mother, you will be waiting until dawn.”
“Welcome to Paris, Your Grace.vLord Charles Whitworth, the British ambassador, shook John Russell’s hand warmly. “I have had a suite prepared for you here at the embassy.”
“I appreciate your kind hospitality, Charles.”
“I know it’s short notice, but having the Duke of Bedford accompany me to Napoleon’s reception at the Tuileries Palace tonight will lend me a good deal of consequence.”
“I would be honored.” An invitation to the Tuileries on his first night in Paris could not have fit in better with his plans.
When John and the ambassador’s party arrived, they ascended the Tuileries stairs, which were guarded by double rows of French grenadiers. Then they passed through three antechambers where uniformed musicians were playing military music. In the gold salon he was presented to Josephine, who was arrayed in diamonds. John was amused that her slumberous eyes frankly assessed his tall physique, and her sensual smile told him she liked what she saw.
As they moved into the great hall where they would dine, liveried footmen lined the walls.
“This is far more ostentatious than anything at Saint James’s Palace.” John’s polite smile hid his amusement.
“The formality of Napoleon’s court is rather extraordinary,” Whitworth conceded.
John’s glance swept the mirrored chamber, searching among the guests for Georgina. He longed to see her, yet at the same time he hoped she would not be in attendance. The ambassador stopped to speak with Marquis Cornwallis and his son, Lord Brome. John’s eyes were drawn to Brome’s beautiful wife, and he realized it was Georgina’s sister Louisa. She wore a diaphanous gown in the latest Parisian style, which exposed her breasts in a daring fashion. John’s amusement deserted him.
Whitworth introduced him to Markoff, the Russian ambassador, and then a fanfare of trumpets silenced the guests as Napoleon and Josephine entered the glittering chamber. As the first consul escorted his wife to the dais and John saw that she stood head and shoulders above Bonaparte, some of his amusement returned.
Once all the guests were seated, the liveried footmen moved as one to the long tables and began to fill the glasses with French champagne. Napoleon proposed a toast to his guests, and then the servers began to bring in the first course.
The Duchess of Gordon swept into the chamber, not disconcerted in the least that she and her daughter had arrived late. She marched down to the dais, sank into a curtsy, and with great aplomb took a seat on the front row.
John’s gaze was riveted on Georgina. She was wearing a gray silk gown with a demure neckline. Her eyes were downcast, and her lashes formed dark crescents on her pale cheeks. His heart went out to her as he silently cursed Jane Gordon’s brazen audacity.
He was surprised to see a young man and a young lady eagerly jump up as Georgina approached. The pair guided her to a seat they had obviously been saving for her.
John immediately identified the young man as Eugene Beauharnais, and guessed that the young female was his sister, Hortense. John’s heart sank. Their attentive familiarity showed that they adored Georgina.
It was easy to see that young Beauharnais was enamored of the English beauty, but John was shrewd enough to suspect that Bonaparte’s insatiable thirst for power would drive him to seek a marital alliance for Eugene with a European princess. The boy’s heart may be broken, but he will obey N
apoleon’s orders.
After dinner, the guests mingled in yet another sumptuous chamber of the Tuileries Palace. Whitworth introduced John to many foreign dignitaries, but after having to politely greet three French generals, he excused himself. They were our bloody enemies only two months ago.
Determined to see Georgina, he spotted the Duchess of Gordon and her daughter Louisa holding forth with Josephine Bonaparte. Some distance away, Georgina stood talking with Hortense and, as luck would have it, Lady Holland. John did not approach them, but stood quietly, content to simply admire her from a distance.
As if Georgina sensed his presence, she raised her lashes and gazed at him in amazement. “John.” She moved toward him, mesmerized. “You came to Paris.” Her eyes were filled with wonder, and a light blush tinted her pale cheeks.
Lady Holland turned and saw him. “John, darling!” she cried happily. “How lovely to see you. The change of scene will do you a world of good. Where are you staying?”
“The British ambassador was good enough to put me up at the embassy.” He glanced at Georgina. “It’s just a short visit.”
“How marvelous. My apartment is nearby on the Champs-Élysées. Well, actually, all of us are there. It’s the most beautiful avenue in the world. Number 15. Promise you’ll visit me tomorrow?”
John lowered his voice. “As a good friend, may I ask a favor?”
“Why, of course.”
“I’ll come at four, if you promise to invite Lady Georgina.v
Beth’s eyes widened. “I will arrange it.v
Georgina brought her young friend forward. “It gives me great pleasure to present Hortense Beauharnais. This is John Russell, the Duke of Bedford.”
He greeted the girl in French and gallantly kissed her hand.
The lovely gesture took Georgina’s breath away. Garbed in elegant black, wearing his own dark hair, he looked more French than English. Is it possible he came to Paris to see me? His nearness made her pulse race, and she shivered.
“You are cold, Lady Georgina.” Eugene Beauharnais seemed to appear from nowhere, and solicitously placed a velvet wrap about her shoulders. “May I bring you wine, mon cher ami?”
Georgina murmured, “No, thank you,” and stood by quietly while Hortense introduced her brother to the duke.
John looked at him closely. The young man had an easy smile, and he wore his dark hair clipped close in the style of a Roman statue. When he fought the Austrians, Napoleon made him a colonel. What lady
wouldn’t find him irresistible? He bowed to the company. “I believe my host is preparing to leave, so I will bid you au revoir, ladies.” His glance met Georgina’s and held for long moments. “Until we meet again.”
“Good afternoon, ladies. It was most kind of you to invite me, Beth.” John was relieved to see that Georgina was in Lady Holland’s sitting room when he arrived. He had not been at all sure she would come.
“I trust you left my husband well?v
“Extremely well, though I know he misses you. He is happy you are enjoying yourself, and bracing himself for your dress bills.”
Beth laughed. “What brings you to Paris, Your Grace?”
“Woburn is in need of refurbishing. The Paris shops are incomparable. This morning I bought some clocks.”
“Shopping is one of life’s pleasures. It lifts the spirits.” Beth saw his attention was elsewhere. “If you’ll excuse me, I shall go and see about some tea.”
John took a chair close to Georgina. Her black silk dress emphasized her pallor. “Beth is right, shopping does lift the spirits. I think it’s time you set aside these mourning weeds. I know wearing black is supposedly a sign of respect, but outward appearances aren’t what count. It’s what you feel on the inside. Georgina, you are not a widow. You are not compelled to drape yourself in black.”
“You would not think ill of me?” she asked uncertainly.
“I could never think ill of you, Georgina. Both of us loved Francis, and we will always miss him. Like me, you would probably prefer to mourn him privately, in your heart. But you are far too young and lovely to grieve for the rest of your life.”
You would think ill of me if you knew I detested Francis! Privately, in my heart, there is room only for you. Georgina lowered her lashes, afraid that John would read her thoughts.
“Mother is hosting a ball tomorrow night. She insists that I attend, but I told her it wouldn’t be proper.”
He smiled at her. “You never used to pass up an opportunity to be improper. That’s the Georgina I long to see.”
Her heart skipped a beat, and she looked at him from beneath her lashes. “I will attend the ball if you will come.”
“I will come only if you promise to dance with me. Let’s be improper together?” he invited.
She caught her breath. John Russell, are you flirting with me?
“Tomorrow you must go shopping with Beth and buy one of these outrageously sophisticated Parisian gowns that will make every female green with envy, and every man rabid with desire.v
You are flirting with me! Georgina’s heart began to sing.
Lady Holland returned wheeling a tea cart. John conveyed a smile of thanks for giving him time alone with Georgina. To be polite, he accepted a cup of tea and a slice of gâteau.
He set down his empty plate. “This has been delightful. We must do it again before I leave.”
“When will that be, Your Grace?” Beth asked.
John glanced at Georgina. “When I have everything I came for.” He stood up to leave. “May I escort you home, Lady Georgina?”
“Yes ... thank you,”she said quickly, and bade Beth good-bye.
When they were outside, she said, “Our house isn’t far. It’s this way, toward the Place de la Concorde.”
He held out his arm, and she placed her hand on it, hoping he could not hear her heart hammering in her breast. They strolled beneath the shade trees along the Champs-Élysées as the carriages drove by and dusk began to fall. “Paris in the springtime is so lovely and romantic. I want you to enjoy every moment of it.”
“Mmm, I can smell the chestnut blossoms.”
“Your senses are reawakening.”
His deep voice sent a delicious frisson of happiness spiraling inside her. You came to Paris to see me . . . I know you did!
The Duchess of Gordon’s ball was well attended by the English who were visiting Paris. Even those ladies of the ton who gossiped about Jane behind her back were eager to rub shoulders with the new elite members of French society. Lady Bessborough’s daughter Caro was making her debut tonight, attending her first grown-up affair, and the Duchess of Cumberland had persuaded Charles James Fox and his wife, Elizabeth, to accompany her.
The Duchess of Gordon preened as she introduced Madame Juliette Recamier and the Duchess of Abrantes to her English guests. At ten o’clock came the moment everyone had been waiting for. Josephine Bonaparte, along with her son and daughter, arrived and it was Jane’s crowning achievement. Tonight, she had become the leading London hostess in Paris.
“John, I’ve been watching for you,” Lady Holland chided him. “It’s almost midnight—I thought you had changed your mind.”
“May I partner you in the contradance, Beth?”
“That will more than make up for your tardiness, Your Grace.”
“I expected reels and strathspeys would dominate the evening.”
Beth laughed. “Nothing so indecorous. The Duchess of Gordon is bent on impressing the first consul’s lady with her elegant grace and dignity.”
“Did you persuade Lady Georgina to go shopping?”
“I did. You may not approve the results, however. Her new gown has caused quite a stir among both the ladies and the men.”
“I don’t see her.” John’s glance again swept the ballroom.
“Eugene Beauharnais has escorted her to the supper room.” Beth watched for his reaction, but his dark eyes told her nothing. “Jane Gordon is watching us. She seemed shocked when y
ou arrived, but now she looks quite smug.”
Across the room, Lady Bessborough asked Jane, “What on earth is Bedford doing at your ball? The man is in double mourning.”
Jane Gordon had asked herself that same question when he had appeared, but the obvious answer had come to her immediately. “John Russell is on a noble errand, fulfilling his brother’s last request. With his dying breath, Francis asked John to deliver a lock of his hair to Georgina. This will finally put an end to any doubts that the pair was engaged to be married.v
With satisfaction, Jane watched Henrietta Bessborough hurry off to speak with Lady Susannah Stafford. Her son was Granville Leveson Gower, and Jane knew Susannah’s letters to London would convey every detail of what she had seen and heard tonight.
John saw Georgina return to the ballroom, accompanied by both Eugene and Hortense Beauharnais. He hung back until the next dance was announced, and then he walked a direct path to her. She was wearing a blush-pink empire-style gown that was deliciously diaphanous. Her upswept hair was styled in a profusion of tiny curls, held in place with pink rosebuds. She looks like the icing on a cake. He had an overwhelming desire to taste her.
She did not see him until he bowed before her. “John.” When she said his name, it was half whisper and half sigh.
“May I have this dance, Lady Georgina?”
She hesitated slightly. “It is a waltz.” This was the latest dance sweeping Paris. It was considered extremely bold and daring because the gentleman held his partner in his arms.
“That is precisely why I have chosen this dance.” He held out his hand in invitation.
Georgina placed her hand in his and felt his fingers curl about hers possessively. Then he wrapped his arm about her and swept her onto the ballroom floor. Her breasts rose and fell with the thrill of being held close in John’s arms, and she was breathless from the excitement of dancing the waltz with everyone’s eyes on them. “You make me feel very wicked.”
The Decadent Duke Page 28
