Hot Historicals Bundle with An Invitation to Sin, The Naked Baron, When His Kiss Is Wicked, & Mastering the Marquess

by Jo Beverley

  “Colette, I—”

  “Don’t speak to me. I can’t bear it.”

  “It’s not what you think, Colette,” he attempted to explain, unable to bear the pain in her expression. “I didn’t buy the building to atone for sleeping with you at all. I bought it be—”

  “Get out before I scream.”

  “Fine,” he said as he stalked through the doorway. As he turned back to say one more thing, the door slammed in his face. Stunned, Lucien stood there, clutching his waistcoat and jacket in his arms, staring at the “Closed” sign swinging wildly in the door of Hamilton’s Book Shoppe.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Table for Two

  The next evening Lord Jeffrey Eddington escorted Colette and Juliette to their last ball before moving to Brighton. Once again, Lady Hayvenhurst was hosting the final of her lavish parties of the Season, and her many guests crowded the grand ballroom.

  Colette had no desire to attend such an affair, but Juliette had cajoled her for hours until she had consented to accompany her and Jeffrey to the party.

  “Really, Colette. This is our last chance for a bit of fun in town before we are relegated to the country. Who knows what can happen tonight? Forget about Lucien Sinclair and the bookshop and just enjoy yourself,” her sister had suggested earlier that evening.

  If only she could forget Lucien Sinclair. Colette had been unable to think of anyone or anything but Lucien Sinclair for weeks now. After their scene in the bookshop the night before, she truly never wanted to see him again. Not only did she cringe at the memory of her own behavior, but the impact of Lucien’s words had left her sick to her stomach.

  Dressed in her best gown of ice pink with a little bustle covered in baby rosettes, she had allowed Lisette to curl her hair in an elegant arrangement down one shoulder. Carrying a pink silk reticule and a lacy fan, she attempted a smile as Jeffrey handed her a glass of sparkling champagne.

  “Are you smiling at me or the champagne?” he questioned her with a gleam in his eye.

  She really did smile then, even laughed, for Jeffrey’s lighthearted mood was contagious. “At the champagne, of course.”

  “Not me?”

  He did look remarkably handsome in his black evening clothes. His dark hair was neatly combed and his clean-shaven face accented the masculine lines of his face. “I wouldn’t wish for you to get an inflated head, my dearest Lord Eddington.”

  “I couldn’t possibly,” he scoffed easily. “Now drink up. We’re going to have fun this evening! Let’s celebrate your last evening out in London with a little style.”

  Jeffrey tipped his glass to hers and Colette mimicked his motions, taking a sip of the cool and sparkling liquid. She smiled brightly and made a concerted effort to have fun, even if it killed her. She scanned the crowded ballroom, wishing to see Lucien and yet dreading it at the same time.

  “Where has Juliette wandered off to now?” he asked.

  “My aunt and uncle have cornered her, wishing to introduce her to Count Someone. It’s my uncle’s last attempt to marry one of us off.”

  “Well, she is in good hands, and you are stuck alone with me. Now, let’s go outside for some air, shall we?”

  Placing her hand on his arm, and careful not to spill her drink, she followed Jeffrey out to the veranda. They found two unoccupied chairs arranged around a small, round wrought-iron table in a secluded section of the veranda and made themselves comfortable. A cluster of candles flickered in glass holders in the center of the table. A long reflecting pool at the edge of the veranda had been filled with floating candles and, as if Lady Hayvenhurst had ordered it herself, hundreds of stars glistened in the warm summer sky. It was a lovely spot. They could enjoy the night air and still hear strains of the music from the orchestra.

  “You look quite stunning this evening,” he said.

  “You are very kind,” she responded. She would have thought she might feel uncomfortable being alone with him after their kiss in his carriage, but he had a way of making her feel entirely at ease. He possessed the kind of charm that instantly won people over. She paused before saying, “There is something I’ve been wondering about you, Jeffrey.”

  “What is that?”

  “Why is it you have not married yet?” Colette asked, suddenly curious.

  He winked at her. “Are you asking me to marry you, Colette?”

  She laughed at his teasing. “I asked you a serious question.”

  He inclined his head to her. “I’ve yet to meet a woman I cared to make my wife.”

  “Ah. So you are optimistic that a bride is in your future?”

  “Absolutely. I’m just not ready to settle down yet.”

  “Lucien is ready, though, isn’t he?” Colette could not help herself from questioning his friend.

  “Supposedly,” Jeffrey said. “But I for one think he is making a terrible mistake.”

  “A mistake in getting married or in his choice of a bride?”

  “Faith Bromleigh is not the right woman for him.”

  Colette silently agreed with him, although she kept that opinion to herself. “Wasn’t he engaged once before?” She casually sipped her champagne, surprised to see that she had almost finished the glass.

  “Yes.” Jeffrey rolled his blue eyes skyward in disgust. “Now that engagement was an unmitigated disaster!”

  “What was she like?” She had tried to imagine the type of woman Lucien might propose to and could not picture one.

  “Virginia Warren was beautiful, witty, very sophisticated. Lucien was head over heels in love with her.”

  Even though she was still enraged over his callous treatment of her in trying to buy her off with the shop, her stomach knotted in reflex at the thought of Lucien in love with another woman. A beautiful, clever, and sophisticated woman, no less. She did not believe he was truly in love with Lady Faith Bromleigh and suspected that he was interested in marrying her only because Faith was everything Colette was not. But head over heels in love? Lucien? How would he act? What would he say? How would one detect that he was head over heels in love?

  She questioned Jeffrey, “Why didn’t they get married if they were so in love?”

  “I said Lucien was in love. I didn’t say Virginia was,” he remarked cryptically.

  “Oh…” Colette let that bit of news sink in before daring to ask, “Can you tell me what happened? Who broke off the engagement?”

  Jeffrey glanced around the veranda at the various people milling about and lowered his voice, leaning his head closer to Colette’s to avoid being overheard. “First tell me why you wish to know.”

  She sat up straight, blinking.

  He placed his hand gently over hers, which rested on the table between them. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”

  “I hate him.”

  He shook his head knowingly. “No, you don’t.”

  “Yes, I do,” she reiterated firmly.

  “You can’t fool me, Colette.”

  “Fine. Think what you like, but tell me what happened.”

  He gazed at her intently before resuming his story. “Virginia was a spoiled, malicious woman who was never satisfied with what she had. Nothing was good enough for her, not even Lucien. I tried to warn him, but sometimes not even your closest friends can save you from disaster.”

  Fascinated, Colette nodded for him to continue.

  “Lucien will never talk about her, but I made no such promise myself.” Jeffrey flashed her a wicked, secretive grin.

  “Go on,” she prompted, dying to know what happened between Lucien and this woman.

  Jeffrey’s smile disappeared and again his voice dropped to a low whisper. “At first there were rumors about Virginia’s behavior, which Lucien flatly denied and deliberately ignored. I had heard from a reliable source that Virginia had entertained, shall we say, a certain gentleman who was an acquaintance of mine. I warned him, because I had sensed she was nothing but trouble from the start, but Lucien was blind to every
thing except the exotic and sultry Virginia. They scheduled the wedding, which was heartily approved by both families. The week before the wedding, he caught her with the aforementioned gentleman.” He paused pointedly. “And I am providing you with the edited version of the events.”

  Colette gasped and covered her mouth hastily with her elbow-length-pink-gloved hand. “Oh, that’s dreadful.”

  “Believe me, it was. I had the unfortunate honor of being present when Lucien discovered the truth. He would never have told me about it otherwise.”

  Colette sat unmoving. A part of her felt sorry for Lucien, but a bigger part of her was thrilled that Lucien had suffered the pain of heartbreak. It was only fair, since he had broken her heart. Still the entire story left her feeling oddly unsettled and conflicted.

  “And being the gentleman he is,” Jeffrey continued, “he let everyone assume he was the one who broke off the engagement. He protected Virginia. He took on the scandal, while Virginia’s parents packed her off to Europe, ostensibly to mend her broken heart.”

  “I had no idea,” she breathed. This glimpse into Lucien’s past had surprised her. Lucien seemed so confident and sure of himself, it was difficult to imagine him wounded in such a way. If Virginia Warren’s reckless passion had devastated him, what about her own reckless behavior with him? What must he think of her?

  Jeffrey leaned in closer to her, his forehead almost touching hers. “Virginia broke his heart, and Lucien’s never quite been the same since. Until he met you, Colette.”

  She glanced away from Jeffrey. Until he met me? Is Lucien in love with me? As she let all this sink in, she finished off the last of the champagne in her glass.

  “Don’t look now, but you will never guess who just stepped out on the veranda,” Jeffrey whispered low.

  Of course, Colette could not help but look. There was Lucien Sinclair, the Earl of Stancliff, with the pale Faith Bromleigh by his side. She had hoped against hope that Lucien would not be in attendance that evening. Apparently luck was not on her side. And Lucien looked stunningly handsome, his height and broad shoulders accentuated by his elegant black suit. Vivid images of those naked shoulders, the strong muscled arms, and the smooth planes of his chest assailed her, causing her to suck in her breath at the sight of him. Only last night those arms were around her, holding her, pulling her against him. Only last night he made passionate love to her. Against a bookshelf, for heaven’s sake!

  And then he thoroughly humiliated her by presenting her with the bookshop to compensate for his unwillingness to marry her.

  Desperately wishing she could simply disappear, Colette had no choice but to remain where she was, watching in utter dread as Lucien and Faith Bromleigh advanced toward the little wrought-iron table where she sat with Jeffrey. The air suddenly grew charged with a palpable tension.

  “Good evening, Lady Faith,” Jeffrey said, his hand still covering Colette’s before he stood to greet her. “Hello, Lucien.”

  Lucien nodded to Jeffrey, but his dark green eyes remained locked on Colette as he made the introductions. “Faith, this is Miss Colette Hamilton. Miss Hamilton, this is Lady Faith Bromleigh.”

  With her heart flipping wildly in her chest, Colette could not look away from him. Lucien’s eyes raked her body as if he could see through her pink gown, and she felt herself grow heated under his intent gaze. She could still feel his insistent lips on hers, his gentle hands caressing her, his hardened body moving within her, her legs wrapped around his hips. Oh God. Torn between wanting to slap his handsome face or throw herself in his strong arms, she could only stare helplessly back at him.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Hamilton,” Faith said softly.

  A wave of nausea so strong she feared she might be sick right then and there washed over Colette as she murmured a faint greeting to the woman Lucien intended to marry. Completely unsure of what she said and barely able to look at Faith Bromleigh, Colette could only endure the powerful force of Lucien’s gaze on her as she struggled to maintain her composure.

  “Miss Hamilton, I must admit that I have heard wonderful things about your bookshop.”

  “Oh?” Colette mumbled awkwardly, still staring at Lucien.

  “Yes, perhaps I shall stop by.”

  “That would be lovely,” Colette heard herself say. The thought of Lucien’s future bride visiting Hamilton’s left her cold inside. Yet it hardly mattered to her at this point who came to the shop, since she was leaving for Brighton.

  “Are you enjoying Lady Hayvenhurst’s party?” Jeffrey came to her rescue by asking Faith a question.

  “Yes,” she murmured. “Thank you.”

  “We were just coming out for a bit of air,” Lucien explained hurriedly. “We did not mean to intrude.”

  “You weren’t intruding,” Jeffrey said in an easy tone. “Colette and I were simply discussing our futures.”

  Finally breaking his gaze with Colette, Lucien actually flinched at Jeffrey’s cryptic remark. “Well, we shall let you resume your conversation, then. Good evening.”

  As Lucien and Faith made their way along the crowded veranda, Jeffrey sat back down, once again placing his hand over Colette’s in a touching show of support. “Are you all right?” he asked, his eyes narrowed in concern.

  The compassion in his voice made her feel even more like crying than she already did from Lucien’s presence. Colette merely nodded, unable to speak.

  “Have another glass of champagne,” Jeffrey suggested. “You look rather pale.” He motioned to a passing footman, taking two more crystal champagne flutes from his silver tray. He placed one glass in front of Colette. “Drink.”

  With her hand trembling, she sipped the cool liquid a little more quickly than she had intended to.

  “Easy there.” Jeffrey took the empty glass from her with a grim expression. “I didn’t mean for you to polish off the entire thing.”

  Feeling dizzier than she had before but slightly calmer, she gave Jeffrey a blank gaze.

  “Oh, my beautiful Colette. You have it bad,” he said sympathetically, leaning his head closer to hers and patting her hand.

  “I’m fine,” she said, although it felt as if her tongue had suddenly grown heavier.

  “I’ve known Lucien for a very long time,” Jeffrey confided. “He’s one of the most intelligent men I’ve ever met, and he’s my best friend. Yet I can’t help but think he’s a complete idiot.”

  Colette raised her eyes to him. “Because of me?”

  “Yes, because of you,” he confirmed heartily. “He’s a fool to let you go.”

  “It’s most likely for the best,” she said with a weary sigh. “We’re so different, we probably wouldn’t suit anyway. He would make me give up the shop. I’m not at all like Faith Bromleigh. She’s a lady,” she managed to say before a slight hiccup escaped her. She covered her mouth with her hand, hoping Jeffrey had not noticed.

  “I hadn’t realized you’d never met her before,” Jeffrey remarked. “She’s terribly wrong for Lucien. However, their engagement is not official in any way. Lucien has not even asked her yet, so there’s still time.”

  “Time for what?” She felt so light-headed it was difficult to focus on what Jeffrey was saying to her.

  “Time for him to come to his senses and realize that you are the woman he should marry.”

  Jeffrey was so sweet to worry about her, but he did not know the truth. She had to break the news to him. “Well, that is never going to happen, Jeffrey. Lucien practically told me so already.” Colette picked up Jeffrey’s full glass of champagne and took a rather large sip.

  Jeffrey took the glass of champagne away from her, his look quite intent and questioning. “What have you discussed with him?”

  Jeffrey was so easy to confide in because he really cared about her. She suddenly felt she could tell him anything. The words rolled off her tongue quite effortlessly. “Lucien won’t ever marry me, Jeffrey. Even after what happened with us that night at Devon House, he said so. E
ven after what we did last night…” She reached for his champagne again.

  This time Jeffrey simply handed the glass to her. “Oh, Colette,” he whispered, his expression unexpectedly somber. “This has gone further than I thought.”

  “What has?” Colette managed to ask before hiccupping loudly. She took another gulp of champagne.

  “Good heavens, Jeffrey! Did you get my sister intoxicated?” Juliette cried in a shocked whisper as she joined them at the table.

  Jeffrey gave Juliette a grim look. “Not intentionally, but she does seem headed that way. Although it proved to be a most enlightening conversation for me.” He glanced back toward Colette. “Are you feeling well?”

  “I am perfectly fine.” Colette’s words sounded slurred even to herself, but she felt absolutely wonderful. She lifted the glass to her lips and took another swallow, finishing off the last of the champagne.

  “Oh, no, you don’t!” With a swift movement, Juliette swiped the champagne flute from Colette’s grasp, as well as the empty one from the table, and handed both to a footman, instructing him to bring glasses of water. Quickly. “Honestly,” Juliette remonstrated them, “must I do everything myself?”

  “Do what?” Colette murmured, vaguely irritated that her sister would not allow her to have any more lovely champagne. She blinked, her head spinning slightly.

  “Never mind,” Juliette instructed her, focusing her attention on Jeffrey. “He saw you together?”