by Vikki Vaught
“Yes, I would enjoy that. It is quite warm this evening.” While strolling around the terrace, Helen looked up at the sky. “It’s a lovely evening tonight. Look at all the stars. Don’t they seem to be brighter than usual? I’ve always loved the night sky, and if I see a shooting star, I make a wish.”
Hanford looked directly into Helen’s piercing blue eyes. “I agree. It is a beautiful evening. I was hoping I’d see you here tonight. I enjoyed spending time with you last year and hope we can do that again this year. You look so lovely in the moonlight…it illuminates your radiant skin…I just have to touch your lovely face.”
Hanford pulled her into his arms, touched her cheek with the back of his hand, and then he kissed her. Helen felt her heartbeat accelerate as he deepened his kiss. When she felt his tongue run across her lips, she parted hers in surprise, and he slid his tongue into her mouth.
No one had ever kissed Helen like this, not that she’d allowed many to kiss her, but there had been a few who tried. Her knees grew weak from all the sensations that were running through her as she gloried in his kiss. Taking his hand, he gently cupped her breast and squeezed her nipple through the bodice of her gown.
Helen felt as if she would swoon from the excitement of it all. Just as he started to slide his hand into the décolletage of her gown, a noise from behind startled them. She felt him begin to pull back and was disappointed that he was ending their embrace. Of course, it was just as well that he’d stopped. Helen would die if she ended up compromised. As much as she wanted to marry Hanford, she wouldn’t want it forced on them.
Hanford stepped back. “Did you hear something? We need to return to the ballroom before anyone notices how long we’ve been gone. Come, my dear. Let me escort you back to Lady Helton.” He offered her his arm, and they headed back to the ballroom.
When they entered the ballroom, Hanford led her over to Lady Helton who was sitting with some of her friends and took his leave. Helen watched him as he left the ballroom. Surely, he must return her regard, because that kiss had been simply marvelous, and she was just sorry he’d ended it when they heard that noise. At least she knew she would be seeing him tomorrow, when he came to pick her up for their drive.
Hanford made his way to the card room. Shaking his head, he sighed. As lovely as he found Lady Helen, he knew he wouldn’t pursue her with marriage on his mind. While she was quite an heiress and would enrich his coffers, she couldn’t bring him the property he wanted so badly. Lady Penelope would do that.
Lady Penelope’s father, the Earl of Stanton, didn’t have any other children, so she was his only heir. Since most of his holdings weren’t entailed, she would inherit everything. Yes, Lady Penelope would be whom he took to wife, not Lady Helen, but in the meantime he would take advantage of Helen’s infatuation for him and enjoy her company while Lady Penelope went to visit her great-aunt.
Besides, if Lord Stanton thought he was pursuing Lady Helen, then it might help him in his negotiations for his daughter’s hand. Not only could he end up gaining more from Lord Stanton, he would have the pleasure of enjoying Lady Helen’s company. He would love to get her in his bed. With all those gorgeous red-gold curls and her fiery blue eyes, he was sure that she would be a hellcat in bed.
Of course, Hanford knew he’d have to be careful because Lady Helen’s brother wouldn’t take it well if he ruined his sister. Everyone knew the Duke of Sanderford had a temper, but Hanford knew her brother would never do anything to hurt his sister’s reputation, so he should be safe as long as he was careful.
Oh yes, a little dalliance would definitely be pleasurable.
Just thinking about how Helen had felt in his arms earlier had his loins tightening with desire. She’d melted in his arms when he’d touched her breast. It was too bad he’d heard that noise because he was sure Helen would have let him take further liberties. Her naiveté would definitely play to his advantage.
Spying his friend, the Marquess of Elton, Hanford went over and joined him. As he sat down, Elton asked, “Did you just dance the supper dance with Lady Helen and then take her out onto the terrace? I thought you were in negotiations for Lady Penelope’s hand. Didn’t you tell me you wanted Lord Stanton’s lands since they border yours?”
Hanford glanced around the card room and then leaned in closer. “Oh, you’re right about my intentions in regards to Lady Penelope. I should be reaching an agreement by the end of next month with her father, but I find Lady Helen delightful company, and a little dalliance can do no harm. It shan’t interfere with my plans to marry Lady Penelope.”
Elton dropped his voice. “You might want to be careful. The Duke of Sanderford will not like you doing anything to hurt his sister. He’s very protective of both his sisters. He can be quite ill-tempered at times, especially if someone in his family is involved.”
“I’ll be discreet. All I’m doing is dancing with her, and I’m taking her driving tomorrow. Lady Penelope is leaving first thing in the morning to go visit her elderly aunt. She shan’t know anything about the time I’ll be spending with Lady Helen. Now enough about that, let’s get the game underway. I plan to win that money back from you that you won from me earlier.”
Chapter 2
April 1820
Shortly after Helen’s dance with Hanford, her party left to go home. When they returned to the house, she told Lady Helton goodnight and went up to bed. Once Sally, her maid, helped her into her night rail, she dismissed her. She sat down at her dressing table and began to brush her thick red-gold hair until it shone. She’d cut it short this past winter, and while sometimes she missed her long hair, most of the time she enjoyed the freedom her short hair gave her.
As Helen climbed into bed, she thought about the evening and knew her feelings had grown much stronger for Hanford. She wondered where that kiss would have led if they hadn’t heard that noise. She probably should have protested when he touched her breast, but it felt so exciting, she hadn’t wanted him to stop. Of course, she wasn’t sure what would have come next, because he was the first man she’d ever allowed to take such liberties. As she heard the clock strike two, she closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Helen went about her morning ablutions, and Sally laid out her new day dress, a soft pale blue with white trim, which brought out the color of her eyes. She was due to meet Susan so she hurriedly finished getting ready. They had arranged to go to the orphanage. Helen enjoyed playing with the children. Whenever she spent time with them, she remembered how much she enjoyed playing with her nieces and nephews.
Children were one of the reasons that Helen had decided it was time to get married. She longed to have children of her own. Besides, she was almost three and twenty, and she would be considered on the shelf if she didn’t marry within the next year or two. Hanford would suit her very well. Since he was a bit older, she knew he’d be more than ready to set up his nursery.
Looking up at the clock, Helen hurried out of her room. All this daydreaming wasn’t like her at all, but of course, she’d never felt this way about a gentleman before. Just thinking about being in Hanford’s arms sent delicious sensations swirling in the pit of her stomach.
When Helen entered the breakfast room, Kathryn was already there. She went to the sideboard and filled her plate with sausages, coddled eggs, and a muffin, then took a seat across from Kathryn. “Where were you most of the evening, last night? I never saw you at all, from the time we arrived, until we left the ball. Have you met someone interesting?”
As Kathryn toyed with her eggs, she replied, “I spent most of the evening talking to Lord Walling. He’s an art connoisseur and has quite a collection. He’s offered to let me see it, and Aunt Miriam said we could go to his home this morning. I can’t wait to see his collection. I also danced quite a bit, and I actually had a very pleasant evening. What about you? What did you do most of the evening?”
Helen took a bite of her muffin, then wiped her mouth with her napkin. “Kathryn, Lord Walling must
be at least sixty. I know you love your art, but you’re going to miss out on all the fun of the season if you spend time with old men like him. I danced the supper dance with the Duke of Somerset, and we took a stroll on the terrace. I think he returns my regard, because he kissed me and asked me to go driving with him this afternoon.”
With a wary expression on her face, Kathryn replied, “Helen you need to be careful. I don’t know that you should have let him kiss you. If anyone had seen you kissing, you would have ended up compromised. I know you care about him a great deal, but I don’t trust him. Something just doesn’t seem right with him.”
“Oh Kathryn, you’re wrong. The duke is a fine upstanding gentleman. He would never do anything to hurt me. You just wait and see. He’ll be asking me to marry him very soon, because I’m sure he returns my feelings.” Helen had finished her breakfast by this time so she stood up. “Well, I need to leave. I’m meeting Susan at the orphanage at ten o’clock. Are you interested in coming with me?”
Kathryn rolled her eyes and retorted with an exasperated tone, “Remember, I’m going to Lord Walling’s house this morning with Aunt Miriam. I’ll go with you next time. Enjoy your drive with the duke, but…be careful.”
Helen hurried up to her room to get her pelisse, and then she left for St. Mark’s. She took Sally and the footman, Charles, with her for propriety’s sake. Finding it to be such a lovely day, she decided to walk.
Susan was already waiting for her when she arrived at the orphanage, and Helen rushed over to her. “Sorry if I’m a little late. I misjudged the time. Since the weather was so pleasant today, I decided to walk. I hope you haven’t been waiting long. Did you have a nice evening last night?”
With her usual enthusiasm, Susan replied, “I just got here, so no, I haven’t been waiting long. I had an excellent time last night. I enjoyed seeing several of my friends, and the food was exceptional. I saw you dancing with the Duke of Somerset last night, and the supper dance at that! It’s not often that he dances the supper dance. What’s going on between the two of you?”
“Oh Susan, it was so exciting. He’s such a wonderful dancer, and I think I’m falling in love with him. We went for a walk on the terrace after supper, and I…let him kiss me,” Helen answered with a dreamy look in her eyes.
“My goodness, Helen. Where were you when he kissed you? That was certainly very bold of him. If someone had stumbled across you, you would have been compromised. Is that the first time he’s kissed you, or did he kiss you last year too?”
“No one saw us. You sound just like Kathryn! He did kiss me once last year at the end of the season, but this kiss was quite different, much more exciting! It made me feel tingly all over, and I can’t wait for him to do it again!”
“Helen, you need to be very careful. I don’t want to see you get hurt. The duke has avoided marriage for many years, so he could be toying with you. Please protect yourself. I would hate it if you got your hopes up only to have them dashed.”
Helen didn’t want to hear any more talk like this. “Well, I believe he’s serious in his intentions towards me. He would never toy with my affections, because he just isn’t that type of man. I don’t understand why you and Kathryn can’t just be happy for me!” Helen looked up and saw the children coming out. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore, and the children are coming anyway.”
They had a pleasant time playing with the children, and as they were leaving, they agreed to meet again in three days. After a pleasurable walk back, Helen arrived home just in time for luncheon. Aunt Miriam and Kathryn had returned from Lord Walling’s, and Kathryn was raving about all the incredible objets d’ art in his collection. Helen knew she was also getting very excited about starting the Art Institute on Monday, but Helen felt that Kathryn was getting entirely too obsessed about it.
Helen was happy for Kathryn, because she knew her art meant a great deal to her, but it did seem that Kathryn didn’t want to do or think about anything else. Helen just hoped she’d still take time to enjoy the season.
After luncheon, Bradford handed her a letter from Melody. She wrote that she missed them, but that she hoped they were having a wonderful time in London. The children were all healthy and growing bigger each day. Henry was getting nervous about the baby. The waiting was extremely difficult for him, and there were still six weeks before the child was due to make its appearance.
The duke arrived promptly at four o’clock for their drive. Hanford looked so handsome today in his deep gray dress coat and light gray embroidered waistcoat, which made his unusual silver eyes sparkle. His snowy white cravat was tied in an intricate pattern, and he had on black breeches and black tasseled Hessian boots. As usual, Hanford was dressed in the height of fashion, which was one of the things Helen liked best about him.
While driving in his high perch phaeton through Hyde Park, they talked and laughed the entire time. As Helen glanced around, just enjoying this time with Hanford, she couldn’t help noticing all the gorgeous flowers scattered throughout the gardens. The scent from all these flowers was quite intoxicating.
Hanford pulled back on the reins to slow down the horses. “Lady Helen, thank you for coming with me today. You look very pretty today. The sun is shining so brightly, it brings out the gold in your beautiful hair.”
“Why, thank you, Your Grace.” Helen was so pleased he had noticed her appearance and awarded him a brilliant smile.
Hanford looked over at Helen and asked, “How are you enjoying the season?”
“I’ve enjoyed it quite a bit so far. We went to Drury Lane the other night and saw A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and it was wonderful. We’ve also gone to the opera. I’ve always loved music ever since I was a small child. I play the pianoforte, but I don’t sing. I leave the singing to my sister-in-law, the duchess. She has an amazing voice. I always think of angels whenever I hear her.”
“I must hear the duchess some time. I play the pianoforte as well. I find it very relaxing after a difficult day in Parliament. I’ve been working on getting a bill passed, and I’m getting quite a bit of opposition from the Whigs. I don’t want to bore you, so enough about that. Let’s just enjoy the rest of our drive.”
The only problem with the drive was that it was over much too quickly for Helen. When they returned to Lady Helton’s house, he helped her down out of the phaeton, and he held her hand longer than was necessary. Every time Hanford touched her, she felt such a strong connection to him. She just knew…she was falling in love with him.
Over the next fortnight, Hanford and Helen saw each other almost every day. Either at one of the parties they both attended, or he would take her driving. They even went riding a few times, which Helen particularly enjoyed. He hadn’t tried to kiss her again. Helen was disappointed, but she just knew he would ask her to marry him soon. They had so much to talk about when they were together. Today they were going on a picnic, and she hoped he would say something about how he felt then.
Hanford picked her up at eleven o’clock, and he already had a picnic lunch with him that his chef had prepared for them. When they arrived at Hyde Park, they found a nice spot by the Serpentine and spread out a blanket. He unpacked the basket, and there was roasted quail, several kinds of cheeses, and a bottle of champagne. There were also some luscious looking strawberries with clotted cream for dessert.
While they ate their food, Hanford’s silver eyes were staring intensely at her, and it sent shivers up her spine. He took a juicy red strawberry, which he had dipped in the clotted cream, and fed it to her. When she took a bite, a drop of the cream fell on her chin, and he wiped it off. He slowly licked the cream off his finger while staring deeply into her eyes. Helen felt a tingling sensation rush to her belly, and her hands were trembling. She just knew she would die if he didn’t kiss her today.
After they finished the strawberries, he stood up and reached for her hand. “Why don’t we take a walk?” While they were walking along the bank of the Serpentine, he continued their convers
ation. “Lady Helen, I’m glad we’ve been spending time together, and I feel as if we’ve gotten to know each other much better, don’t you?” Then, looking deeply into her eyes, he murmured, “You’re looking incredibly beautiful today. You quite take…my breath away.”
They walked by a secluded area with plenty of bushes and trees. He pulled her behind a huge oak tree so no one could see them, and he kissed her. He ran his tongue across her lips, and when she sighed and parted her lips, he slipped his tongue inside, deepening the kiss. Slowly, he rubbed her breast through the silk of her gown, and her nipple grew taut. Her breathing became shallow, and her heart was beating rapidly. Slipping his hand inside the neckline of her dress, he gently squeezed her nipple. Then he tugged her bodice down, lowered his head and flicked his tongue over her nipple, then sucked it into his mouth. The most incredible sensations began to run through her body.
Before Helen could take in what he was doing, Hanford pulled up the hem of her gown and ran his hand up her thigh. Even though fear rushed through her body, scared that they would be discovered and knowing she shouldn’t be allowing such liberties, Helen couldn’t seem to make herself say anything that would stop him. He touched her red-gold curls, dipped a finger in them, and touched a magical spot between her legs. Her knees trembled so badly that she felt as if they couldn’t hold her up. Running his finger around this sensitive spot, he brushed the tip of his finger across it.
Heat snaked through Helen, spreading deeply in her belly. He started to rub himself up against her, and she felt something hard against her belly. Their tongues twining as they kissed, something was building inside her, winding tighter and tighter. He started groaning and panting as he began to unbutton his pantaloons. Helen’s heart felt as if it would jump out of her chest, but then when she realized what he was doing, she pushed him away, even though part of her didn’t want him to stop. Mortified over what had almost happened, she bowed her head in embarrassment and shame, crying out, “Stop…Stop!”
