The Irresistible Lady Behind the Mask

by Emily Honeyfield

  “Mary, you know I don’t take kindly to gossip,” Tempest sternly reminded the maid who kept curtsying and offering words of apology.

  So, the servants knew she was out on an afternoon ride with Hudson. Although she didn’t run the household, leaving it for their able butler, Albert, to do that, she had warned the household staff never to indulge in gossip. She guessed it was too much to hope that as they did their duties, they wouldn’t be whispering behind their hands. She would have to speak to Albert about it. Word getting out that Hudson called on her and they spent a long time together in each other’s company would irritate her. Not that she cared what the ton said about her, she just didn’t fancy being a topic of discussion.

  Sighing, she turned away from the mirror and took her reticule from the bed. Not bothering to say a word to the now sober and regretful maid, she walked out of the room in a twizzle of silk.

  Tempest descended the red-carpeted stairs. She willed her pulse not to race at the reality of not only seeing Hudson that afternoon but going on a ride with him as well.

  Tempest froze on the steps when Albert opened the oaken front door to admit the subject of her thoughts into the grand hallway. Hudson towered over the short butler, garbed in all-black attire, except for his immaculate white shirt and cravat which were a sharp contrast to the rest of his clothing.

  He slowly walked to the foot of the stairs, appraising her with admiration. His bold gaze swept over her from the top of her glorious red hair, trailing down to stop her at her mouth, before continuing its journey down to her breasts, her waist, and her dainty green satin slippers.

  His mouth curled in a sensuous smile before it elevated to capture her eyes. The scorching gaze made Tempest afraid that if she took one more step, she might miss her footing and then end up tumbling down the stairs in a whirl of silk. That would surely make Hudson’s day because she knew for a fact that before he helped her up, he would have a good laugh.

  Steadying her racing nerves and trying to look as if she didn’t have a care in the world, which was surprisingly difficult in Hudson’s presence, she cautiously descended the stairs one at a time.

  How delightful! A man who knows how to be punctual,” she threw at him when she reached the foot of the stairs forestalling whatever he wanted to say.

  He grinned and raised nonchalant hands. “For my sins. Perhaps that’s one of my flaws. I was too punctual for your devious plans.”

  Keeping her face expressionless, she said, “Shall we?”

  “We shall,” he concurred with a grin. She made to go past him, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm. “But first, I mustn’t fail to tell you how ravishing you look. Is this,” his penetrating gaze trailed her from head to foot before holding her eyes in his, “for my benefit? To soften my mind against the treacherousness of your ways?”

  Tempest, eyeing him with blazing fury even as sparks flew in her body, removed her hand from his grasp. “You wish, Hudson,” she coldly intoned. “Whatever I’m doing now is for Valerie and no one else.”

  Chuckling, he remarked, “Are you trying to convince yourself or me?”

  Turning away, she snapped, “You can think whatever you want, Hudson. Personally, I don’t care.”

  “Really?” He swung her into his arms when she made to walk away.

  A sharp gasp released from her lips when his arm slid around her waist, drawing her closer. Her hands instinctively went up to his chest to push him away, but they instead stayed as they felt the solid masculine strength of his body.

  “Is that normal?” she asked irrelevantly about his rapidly beating heart.

  “Not when you’re this close to me,” he muttered in a voice laden with huskiness.

  Tempest’s lips parted as she lifted her head to gaze into his blue eyes. Her cheeks grew warm with awareness, so did the rest of her body. Her view lowered to his thin sculptured lips. At the moment when his head descended, reality struck, and she hastily and regrettably pulled away. It was terribly wrong for her to be attracted so much to Hudson. They were going to her house to resolve issues. How could she be thinking of kissing him or allowing him to take liberties with her in her own hallway!

  Swiftly, she swung from his arms and walked to the front door. Albert appeared from nowhere, his face stoically discreet. Tempest blushed. He must have seen what just transpired between her and Hudson, but she could trust Albert not to breathe a word of it to anyone.

  “Thank you, Albert. I’ll be back soon,” she informed the butler who nodded after opening the door for her escape.

  Tempest carefully descended the marble steps to the waiting carriage with the Danvers crest inscribed in gold on the door. The footman helped her up the steps of the dark blue conveyance.

  Tempest gave a little stare when she registered that there was a woman, dressed in a sultry red dress seated on the padded seat of the lavish carriage with its opulent interior.

  Settling on the seat opposite the woman, she said, “I beg your pardon, I didn’t know of your presence in here.”

  Before the woman could respond, Hudson deftly hefted himself into the carriage and gave her a cold smile.

  “Someone ought to teach you some manners, Miss Haddington,” he murmured tautly as he sat beside her.

  “I’ll see the person teaches you first!” she threw at him with the same tautness.

  Hudson offered her a grim smile and turned his attention to the woman who had been looking at them with something close to amusement in her grey eyes.

  The baron’s daughter blushed and looked away. She usually wasn’t so uncouth, but Hudson always managed to rub her the wrong way.

  “Tempest, meet my cousin, Beatrice. Beatrice, this is Miss Tempest Haddington.” Hudson curtly introduced the two women. Then he proceeded to stretch his long legs out in the spacious coach.

  The woman nodded coolly at Tempest, gave her a small smile, and turned her attention to the window to look out as the carriage went down Tempest’s street.

  Cousin! Tempest almost had apoplexy that instant.

  Cousin, my foot!

  Tempest didn’t think the woman was in any way related to Hudson, at least not in a familiar manner he was trying to portray.

  From the curve of the woman’s face as she continued to stare out the window, Tempest had a nagging feeling that the woman was vaguely familiar. She knew she had made her acquaintance before, but she couldn’t remember where.

  She yearned to ask Hudson who the woman truly was and why she was accompanying them to Valerie’s place. However, she couldn’t do that as the infuriating man was asleep beside her; seemingly as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

  In sleep, if he actually was indulging in it, he looked younger; like the childhood friend she had known years ago. His features were relaxed, making her long to push back the lock of hair that had fallen across his forehead.

  Tempest sensed the so-called Beatrice’s scrutiny on her. She turned her gaze in her direction and blushed when she noted that the woman was observing her with blatant amusement.

  Feeling her face turning red, Tempest looked away from the dark-haired woman. Her thoughts began to wander on the relationship between Hudson and the woman.

  Was she there to serve as Plan B if Valerie refused to take him back? How could a woman come along on such a trip if she knew she was to play second fiddle? Tempest slowly shook her head. Some women were both desperate and shameless.

  Eyeing the woman from the corner of her eye as she pretended to be interested in her gown, Tempest regarded the woman’s dress which had her breasts in full display. The creamy moulds would no doubt ensnare a man of Hudson’s passion. Perhaps he intended keeping her as his mistress. Could it be that he was just coming from her place after slaking his lust with her? And she had insisted on coming along?

  Tempest’s face puckered into a frown. This wouldn’t do at all. Valerie couldn’t marry a man who was just coming straight from his mistress’s arms. She would have nothing to do with the arra
ngement any longer. Hudson would get the shock of his life when they arrived at Valerie’s house.

  A tiny voice asked her if she was doing it for chivalry or jealousy? Tempest reddened. Of course, she wasn’t doing it out of envy. Hudson could bed anyone he so chose; it wasn’t of any concern to her. Her primary care was her cousin.

  Oh, she couldn’t wait to get to Valerie’s residence, so she could laugh in Hudson’s face. Joyfully, she would tell him that she had had a change of heart because she believed one thing to be true about him after the way he had sought to seduce her after their getting acquainted again. And the audacity he had taking his mistress along for the ride.

  A voice warned her to be careful with her accusations, but she pushed it aside. Hudson couldn’t deny the fact that he had been doing everything to get her into his bed or anywhere convenient for that matter. Why, he had tried to kiss her only a short moment ago.

  Tempest, smiling like a ninny, leaned back on the comfortable seat. Anticipation bubbled inside her at the scene that would soon take place. It was with relish she would watch Hudson’s dark brow cock as his blue eyes became darker as they narrowed in anger. This time, he wouldn’t be able to come after her. She would tell Albert to always inform him that she was out if he came calling. She would go as far as expunging his name from her club if he tried to reach her there.

  Squelching the remorse in her heart, she looked out the window and became startled. Blinking, she drew closer to the window. The carriage had missed several turns to Valerie’s London home and was now heading straight out of the city.

  Swiftly, she turned to the still-slumbering man and nudged him awake roughly.

  “For God’s sake, Tempest. Can’t a man catch a few winks?” he complained and unfolded from his reclining position.

  Ignoring his complaint, she pointed at the window, alarm registering in her features.

  “You must speak to your coachman. He’s not heading for Valerie’s place but out of London!”

  She was almost hysterical now because something told her that the man hadn’t made a mistake. The smug smile on Hudson’s face confirmed her worse fears.

  She was being kidnapped by Hudson!

  Chapter 15

  Hudson observed with enjoyment as Tempest lost the entire colour on her beautiful face. He wanted to laugh until tears rolled down from his eyes. He, however, kept a straight face. She would soon come to realise the dilemma she was in.

  Withdrawing his scrutiny from her, he shared a conspiratorial smile with Beatrice. The lady of dubious character who he had met during one of his visits to Tempest’s gaming parlour stared at the stunned kidnapped woman with pity.

  It was no bother to Hudson that the woman was of ill-repute who frequented gaming parlours. She was the only one who he knew would agree to his devious plan of chaperoning a kidnapped woman. A handsome reward awaited her at the end of this adventure.

  “Hudson!” Tempest shrieked beside him like a banshee. “I demand that you take me back to London immediately!”

  With a lazy smile playing at his lips, Hudson regarded Tempest with humour.

  “You and what army, my sweet?”

  “Don’t you dare call me that,” she snapped angrily.

  His smiled broadened at her reprimand, incensing her further. Her hands fisted, and she looked about ready to strike him. He was prepared for any violence on his person. Retaliation in kind was not the way she envisaged would be deliciously sweet. The thought of his lips on her succulent ones got him hardening instantly.

  “Hudson! Let me out of the carriage this minute! I’ll walk back to London if I have to,” she demanded fiercely. Her nose flared, and her lips tightened.

  “Don’t be such a bore, Tempest. Sit back and enjoy the ride,” he ordered, trying for a bored expression.

  His eyes widened with alarm when the irate woman turned sharply and reached for the door of the carriage to throw herself out just as the driver slowed down to navigate a sharp bend.

  With sharp reflexes, he leaned forward, put his arm across her waist, and drew her back into his solid embrace.

  “Let me go!” She wriggled to be set free.

  If you continue doing that, moppet, I might just tell Gibson to stop the carriage at the nearest hill so that we can put the cart before the horse,” he whispered huskily into her ears.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” she questioned tautly.

  “You’ll find out soon enough,” he replied with a smile and let go of her.

  Hudson caught her when she swiftly turned to grace his face with a slap. He tutted at her.

  “Oh, no, darling,” he warned lightly, “any violence on my person would also constitute stopping at an inn.”

  Tempest’s colour turned a rosy hue. She whirled to fix angry eyes on Beatrice who had been observing them with humorous enjoyment.

  “You would allow a man to do such to a fellow woman?”

  Beatrice shrugged and smiled. “He paid me to be your chaperone, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

  “It’s all about money to you?”

  The woman shrugged again with a bland expression on her face. “One way or the other.”

  “Then I’ll match whatever he paid you,” she announced with all form of seriousness in her tone. “I’ll pay you double … no triple of what he’s paid you.”

  Hudson almost burst into laughter. Tempest was still as cantankerous as ever. Always trying to find a way out of a dire situation.

  “Well, what’s your answer?” she prompted when Beatrice didn’t say anything but regarded her steadily.

  “I say you should sort your issues with Mr Danvers without involving me!”

  Tempest blanched. “But you are already involved.”

  “Only just.”

  “I’ll have you arrested for aiding and abetting a kidnapping!”

  Hudson acknowledged that the exchange had gone on long enough. He decided to intervene.

  “Tempest, please leave Beatrice out of this.”

  As if just recalling that he was still in the carriage, she whirled on her seat to throw daggers with her eyes at him. His brow arched with amusement.

  “You’re a vile, loathsome, conceited, insufferable, uncultured pig! she hissed at him as she almost choked on her ire. “I’ll have you drawn and quartered for this!”

  Hudson’s shoulders shook with silent laughter. She looked like an avenging angel sent down from heaven to slay her victims. This promised to be one interesting journey back home.

  Nevertheless, his humour faltered when he noticed her shoulders slumping. It wasn’t his intention to break her spirit. He just wanted to teach her a lesson that she wouldn’t forget in a hurry. Tempest would have to learn the hard way in minding her business.

  ***

  As the carriage moved progressively through lush slanting hills, Tempest’s heart sank. There was no getting out of this. Hudson had successfully carried out his plan without her having an inkling of it.

  Tempest pondered on when he started hatching out the plan to kidnap her. Pride wouldn’t let her question him about it.

  “You won’t get away with this!” she promised ominously.