Maura’s Special Spinster’s Society (The Spinster’s Society) (A Regency Romance Book)

by Charlotte Stone

  “Especially now that your ghost may be human,” Genie added. “And your father has just been made a lord after discovering something quite rare. You’ll likely return to London with men begging for your hand.”

  Maura, still leaning on Lorena, smiled at her friends. She’d never had siblings, but at that moment, she truly felt part of this Sisterhood. She looked around at their tender expressions. Some held their own tears back as if feeling the pain that dwelled within Maura. They were right. Perhaps, somewhere, there was a man who’d want her, even love her, but deep in her soul, she’d always want Julius. His smiles were like a perfect day and when she received them, especially the secret ones he rarely shared with others, Maura knew that nothing could ruin her day. And his eyes. She marveled at the way he watched her, as though nothing else existed.

  She’d known he’d wanted her in bed. She’d foolishly hoped he’d felt more.

  Maybe he just wasn’t capable of it. Maybe his mother had ruined him so severely that he’d never love anyone.

  Or maybe it was simply her.

  She closed her eyes and pain nipped her heart. He’d marry someone else one day and he may even grow to love that woman. That lady would become friends with the Brothers. That woman might even become a Spinster. “Dear God.” She thought she might be ill. Her head felt heavy. She was tired.

  “Why don’t you rest?” Lorena said.

  The other women cleared the bed and said their goodnights before clearing the room. Lorena stayed and positioned herself in the bed alongside Maura. It reminded her of how they’d done this as children. Before Albion’s death.

  Maura turned around and met her cousin’s eyes. Even in the quiet light of the fireplace, they glittered with warmth. “Won’t Emmett miss you?”

  Lorena took her hand, her soft fingers squeezing Maura’s. “He’ll understand. Besides, I wish to be present when Albion makes his phantom appearance. I’ll banish him for you and make sure he never returns.” No woman was braver than Lorena.

  It humored Maura that Lorena didn’t know just how many demons she’d banished from Maura’s past already. Lorena had lost both her parents and though she’d taken time to mourn them, she’d not let the tragedy keep her down. She’d risen from her blacks and put on bright clothes and pretty smiles that held the power to move hearts and maybe even mountains. She’d made the Brotherhood and the Spinsters a family that seemed closer than blood.

  Her friendship and acceptance had done wonders for Maura’s confidence when she’d first left Bedlam. She was stronger now. She owed her cousin a great debt and decided that moment that she’d not cower tomorrow. Tonight, she’d weep. Tomorrow she’d be strong.

  Tears rolled down Maura’s cheeks to hit the pillow. “Thank you, Lorena, but you’ve no reason to fear Albion. He’s never come while I’ve been to Cort Castle.”

  “Never?”

  Maura shook her head.

  “Don’t you find that strange?” Lorena asked.

  Maura wouldn’t have a few days ago, but now… Morris still had enough men to outfit an army. Could it be that her ghost truly was a man?

  She tried to think of what Lorena would do if she were in this situation.

  She’d likely fight him, using a fire poker for a weapon.

  And not even an earl could make Lorena cower.

  Could Maura stand in the face of a marquess?

  Maura closed her eyes and tried not to think about the kiss. Then when that failed, she tried to not think about what happened after the kiss. That was a little easier. Sleep was still a struggle to find, but when it came, she had no thoughts at all.

  * * *

  chapter 23

  * * *

  Maura woke to the sound of breathing and opened her eyes slowly. Light flooded the room and it took a moment to adjust before she could see. The other side of the bed lay vacant, yet the sheets showed signs that they’d been disturbed.

  She didn’t have to try and remember what had happened last evening. Even before she’d fully come awake, the memories had been there, present behind her closed eyes. There was also an unpleasantness, a pain she couldn’t pin to any particular place on her body. It was a hurt that no one could see and no doctor could cure. It went beyond heartache.

  She heard the deep breath again and slowly turned her body toward the side of the room where the sun came through the windows. At first, his silhouette was hard to see, but her heart began to race when she realized who was sitting at her bedside. The sunlight that tangled in his blond curls transforming them into a halo meant it could only be one person.

  She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed and then stilled.

  Julius was asleep, slouched in a chair, and he didn’t at all look at peace. He was brooding with a slight scowl upon his features. He hadn’t even bothered to change from the suit he’d worn yesterday evening. His jacket rested behind him on the chair and he’d undone his shirt. One heavy arm dangled over the chair arm, nearly reaching the floor while the other lay tucked at his side. His legs were spread. His boots were still on. He’d moved the chair about two feet from her, positioning himself close.

  She smiled at the sight of him and then bit her lip. What was he doing here? She could ask him, but he seemed so tired. She didn’t want to wake him.

  And she knew she had to be a fright. She touched her own hair and realized she’d not bothered to braid it the previous night. She started to smooth it and then stopped. Why bother? This man had already professed to never be capable of loving her. Sensible hair wouldn’t matter.

  In fact, she didn’t feel like being very sensible at all at the moment.

  “Julius!”

  His eyes opened with a start and caught her gaze in an instant. Her pulse jumped. She watched the rise and fall of his chest, enthralled by the sight of it for some strange reason.

  She tensed as he began to speak. His voice was deeper in the morning, a fact she wished she hadn’t known. “Is there a certain reason you shouted my name as though the castle were under attack?”

  She sunk back onto her bed and then stilled, remembering that she refused to cower before him. “Is there a reason you’re in my room and Lorena is not?”

  “I told Lorena to return to her room, that I would watch over you. I wanted to meet your phantom admirer.” He straightened and then stretched, throwing his arms over his head. She heard a solid crack before he relaxed again. “Did he come?”

  She was still struggling to understand why he’d felt the need to watch over her. It seemed his pity had no limits. He’d even sacrifice sleep for her. It made her feel terrible. “He doesn’t come while I’m at Cort Castle.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t know.”

  His brows went up. “You don’t find that suspicious?”

  “I didn’t until recently.”

  He leaned forward, an action that brought him rather closer. “So, you believe Frank’s theory. You think he’s merely a man?”

  Merely a man? She barely knew what the question meant when she compared it to the men she knew, especially Julius, who was extraordinarily beautiful even at first light.

  Still, the fact remained that she wasn’t sure, though this she didn’t share with Julius. He thought her mad, and she no longer cared to change his mind.

  In fact…

  “No, I think Frank wrong. I think Albion doesn’t come here, because the castle is already haunted by far too many ghosts. All those young men who died in James’ war, I see them, circling the castle. It was why I was spinning in the courtyard. I wanted to dance for them.” She watched for his response.

  Julius gaze flickered over her and then he sighed. “Well, a word of advice for the next time you wish to dance for a bunch of soldiers, dead or alive…” He lowered his voice as though they weren’t the only ones in the room. “Remove your clothes. That’ll really show your appreciation for their efforts.”

  She narrowed her gaze. She knew he still thought her mentally deranged.
He likely believed her story, yet it hadn’t sent him running from her room. Instead, he sat there seeming unmoved by her tale.

  “Why are you here?” she asked again.

  “I already told you.” His jaw held golden stubble from the previous day and Maura found she liked it. It made him seem fiercer.

  “You can’t fight a ghost. They can’t be hurt,” she said. “Besides, Albion never comes when I have company. He likes to meet with me alone.” She kept herself from shivering even as her stomach twisted painfully at the thought of being visited not by a ghost, but a man who could have hurt her.

  Julius’s look immediately became hostile. “Were you attracted to Albion?”

  “Yes. We might have married had he lived.” One day. It was true. Their families had jested on the very fact often. She remembered that as a child.

  Then she thought of something the ghost said a few years ago. He’d made comment about their arranged marriage as well. It meant the ghost had to be Albion, and if Albion was dead then it meant he was not a man.

  She was mad.

  Or Albion was alive. She didn’t know what to think.

  “What’s going on in that head of yours?” Julius asked, clearly studying her face. He’d also drawn closer and she gasped when his hands went to her hair. He lifted the strands and set them behind her shoulder.

  “You have beautiful hair,” he whispered. His fingers grazed her cheek as he tucked a few more curls behind her ear.

  * * *

  chapter 24

  * * *

  Maura remained frozen by the touch, his words, and the onslaught of emotions that gathered within her. She wanted to shout to send him away or at least tell him to stop touching her, to stop crowding her.

  His hands swept through her hair again, grazing her scalp, and she closed her eyes and pressed her lips together to suppress a moan.

  She’d barely relaxed her mouth before she felt the pressure of his. His lips were firm and hard. He used her hair, gentle tugs, to control the kiss and send her back against the bed. She landed, and he followed. His weight felt wonderful against her. Her breasts crushed under his heavy chest. His hands were in her hair. His tongue brushed hers. She knew the moves now and kept with his leisurely pace.

  “Better,” he whispered. “Much better.” He released her hair and placed his hands at her sides, one holding him up while the other began to explore her body.

  He cupped her breast and they both moaned.

  * * *

  Julius wished he could pretend like his kissing Maura had been accidental, but he’d known from the moment he’d opened his eyes that he’d not leave the room without tasting her again. She’d been too damn gorgeous to resist with her large blue eyes and wild hair. In her bed-rumpled night rail, she had him spellbound even before she opened her mouth to utter pure madness.

  He’d been hard before he kissed her, his cock ached as he squeezed her small breasts, falling in love with the feel of them in his palm. He panted into her mouth. He ran his fingers over her nipple and her soft cries sent whatever blood that remained in his head to his manhood.

  He broke the kiss, so he could watch her as he played with her, pinching and plucking the peaks of her breasts. Her nipple pearled underneath his fingers, her face twisted with passion and the sweet agony of need.

  He almost came just staring at her and knew he’d made the right decision to come to her after the men met in the parlor rather than seeking out a courtesan. He’d have missed this bewildering moment had he slept anywhere else.

  He’d remained forever fixed in this moment if he could, but since he could not, he planned to enjoy it while he could.

  He lowered his head to her throat and inhaled then nipped at the pulse that beat wildly against his mouth before sliding his lips down to her breast. He took her other nipple between his lips and felt her stiffen right before she shook. Her fingers locked into his hair, holding him in place as her body trembled beneath him. “Oh! Please. Yes.” Her thrashing legs rubbed sweetly against his arousal. He pressed himself into her thigh, rocking against her as she convulsed and released a final cry.

  She relaxed, and his mouth released her tasty nipple. The wet cotton allowed the rosy bud to peek through. His other hand remained on her breast and he rested his head on her shoulder, far too comfortable to move.

  She released his head, slowly, her fingers sliding away before falling to her stomach.

  The scent of her fulfillment began to rise in the air and Julius breathed it in deeply. Then he squeezed her breast again, knowing the action was as possessive as any other.

  Her fingers moved to his trousers. “Do you…”

  He took his hand from her breast and pulled her hand away. “Don’t touch me there. It’s... tender.” He’d come as well, and she could likely feel his seed against her thigh. It had already soaked through his trousers.

  “Is it always that way after…?” Her voice trailed off.

  He lifted his head and found her eyes with a grin. “For a woman so well read about the activities in the bedchamber, I believed you capable of bawdy talk.”

  She smiled sweetly, her cheeks reddened, partly in exhaustion and embarrassment. “Are you going to answer the question?”

  He lifted her hand to his lips. “No, it’s not, but small clothes and trousers are not the best things to rub against one’s cock.”

  Her eyes flashed at the word. Even with all her books, she was still a maiden.

  He tried to stop himself from asking but couldn’t. “Am I the first to bring you to completion?”

  She shook her head and the motion stung more than he’d thought it would. “I’ve managed to figure out how to do it myself.”

  His flaccid shaft began to harden again.

  * * *

  Maura watched Julius’s eyes darken and a thrill went through her. Her breast ached in the most splendid way and moisture clung to her thighs. She’d never done this with any man before and while she’d enjoyed it greatly, she knew it could never happen again. This was just part of the fun of a country party for him, yet for her, it was becoming so much more.

  He’d been right to assume the act of lovemaking would make him so much more important. Even now, she wished to cling to him and he’d yet to enter her body.

  When he began to lower his head, she pushed at his chest hard enough to stop him and then rolled away before coming to her feet. “You should go.” She needed to speak to the Spinsters. Her sisters. She needed to work toward a solution to her problem that didn’t involve Julius.

  She had a feeling she’d known what Lorena had been doing when she’d left Julius alone to watch her through the night. Her cousin could have easily told him what she already knew. Albion wouldn’t come to her here.

  She didn’t look at Julius again as she moved to her water basin and pitcher. She heard the bed creak when he rose and her fingers around the pitcher shook as he neared.

  He stopped just behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. The touch was light as though he knew she’d shake it off otherwise. “I’ve come to a decision about us.”

  Us? Hadn’t they already made it clear to one another that there would never be an us? She’d not marry him for anything less than love and he’d never love her. So, while his nearness stirred her emotions, she knew better than to let them grow. She needed him to leave so she could get herself together. “What… decision did you make?” She prepared for something that would cut at her heart.

  His mouth pressed against her ear. “I’ve decided that I’ll not take you until our wedding night.”

  * * *

  chapter 25

  * * *

  Maura’s lungs constricted, and she released the pitcher before she turned around. His expression was careful. Calculated. Hers, she knew, was not. “I already told you I’d not marry you.”

  He crowded her again. Her bottom hit the sideboard and his arms rested on either side. “You’ve yet to find another solution to your problem, so I�
�ve decided to write to the vicar tonight. If I can persuade him with enough coin, he’ll pretend to have read the banns and we’ll marry in a matter of days.”

  “You’ve decided all of this on your own?” she asked.

  “You’ve a better solution?” he asked mockingly.

  The pain of the previous day returned. “Not yet, but I’m sure my cousin will think of something.”

  She saw Julius’s entire body stiffen. “No.”

  “What?”

  “Whatever Lorena suggests, don’t do it. It’ll only lead to trouble. Has everyone lost their minds or is it just me who realizes this?”

  Maura turned away and took a breath. He didn’t know how his words stung. “You should go.” She stared down at his hands on the sideboard, watched them flex, and then leave her sight as he walked toward the door.

  “The sooner you accept this, the better this will go for the both of us.”

  She closed her eyes and said nothing, unable to tell if he were friend or enemy anymore. Couldn’t he see that any marriage between them would be a disaster?

  “I’ll see you downstairs.” He closed the door and Maura ran to lock it behind him. Then she hurriedly readied for the day and went to in search of any of the Spinsters. It was time they formed a plan or some sort, any plan that would keep her out of Julius’s bed in three days’ time.

  She blessedly found all the Spinsters together in duchess’s boudoir.

  Lorena sat on the couch surrounded by the others and looked up with a wide smile. “Oh, Maura. Good morning. How did you sleep?”

  Maura tried to think of how she should reply. She was very angry with her cousin, but the pleasure Julius had brought to her body made it hard for her to feel anything but a sense of ease. It was hard to fight when she felt so wonderful.

  “You look different.” This came from Genie. Her head was tilted to the side, a long red curl hanging from her ear. “You look… brighter.”

  “Yes,” Sophia agreed with a smile. “You must have slept well then?”