The Viscount Who Seduced Her (Steamy Historical Regency)

by Scarlett Osborne

  Betsey could see that Grace was blushing, and did not meet her eye when she spoke. On a different day she might have tried to learn more about this, but today she had other things on her mind, so she simply said, “I’m quite well, thank you,” before picking up the silverware and beginning to polish.

  She was nearly finished with the silverware when the door opened, and her brother, Simon, walked in holding a chair. He was followed by several other servants all carrying extra chairs to be added to the table.

  Simon nodded to Betsey by way of greeting and she nodded back, continuing her work. Simon had been away with the Earl on business, so Betsey had not seen him for several days. She would have liked to talk to him, but as with Grace, she was unable to do so today. It seemed that Simon was in a similar position, for he quickly placed his chair at the dining room table and left the room again.

  Betsey barely had a moment to breathe in-between tasks, which on the whole she thought was a positive thing, since it distracted her from her anxiety about the ball. Lady Paulina, as the lady of the house, made most of the decisions about decorations, food, and entertainment for the ball.

  She spent much of her time talking with Mrs. Campbell about these details, while Betsey helped the rest of the staff to execute these plans. In spite of this, Lady Paulina was still prone to fits of sullenness and spent a good deal of time alone in her bedroom when she was not with Mrs. Campbell.

  When Betsey finally returned to her mistress’s room, she found Lady Paulina pacing nervously in front of the window. Immediately, Betsey walked over to her and took her hands, forcing Lady Paulina to stand still for a moment.

  “My Lady,” Betsey said, in the calmest voice she could manage. “Preparations are coming along nicely for this evening; you need not worry about a thing.”

  “Thank you, Betsey,” Lady Paulina said, still sounding nervous. “I am sure that everything will be lovely. I know that you have been working hard on my costume, and I am eager to see the finished product.”

  “Well, it is nearly time to get ready, My Lady,” Betsey said. Although she was distracted by thoughts of her own plans to dance with the Viscount, Betsey could not help but share in her mistress’s excitement.

  When first she had heard of her plan to dance with another gentleman, she had been frustrated on the Viscount’s behalf. Now that Betsey, herself, was planning to do something equally, if not more, reckless, her perspective had shifted somewhat.

  There was something extremely romantic about Lady Paulina’s plan, and she would look incredibly beautiful in the costume that Betsey had made. She was generally modest, but she could not help but feel proud of the work she had done on the costume.

  Lady Paulina looked excited and clapped her hands at the thought of getting dressed for the ball. She may have been overwhelmed by the complexity of her romantic prospects, but nothing could distract Lady Paulina from her love of beautiful clothes.

  “Oh Betsey, I cannot wait to try it on!” Lady Paulina exclaimed, “Shall we begin?”

  “I suppose we should, My Lady, your hair will take some time to arrange properly.”

  Betsey helped Lady Paulina out of the gown she had been wearing for the day, and placed it in the clothes-press. Lady Paulina stood before her in her long linen shift, and Betsey directed her to sit at her vanity so that she could begin work on her hair.

  As Betsey unpinned her mistress’s hair and began to brush it, she imagined letting her own hair down. The dark tresses would flow down her back, nearly to her waist. She imagined the Viscount running his nimble fingers through them as he pulled her close to him, and a shiver ran down her spine. Stop it. I must not think those things right now.

  Forcing herself to return her attention to Lady Paulina, Betsey continued brushing her hair and said, “Have you spoken to your father since he returned from town?”

  “A bit,” Lady Paulina said with a sigh. “We have taken our meals together and discussed such riveting subjects as the weather, but nothing of any seriousness.”

  “Are you still angry with him, My Lady?” Betsey asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. In spite of his many flaws, Lady Paulina was devoted to her father, and Betsey could not help but wonder if there was anything that would change that.

  “I…” Lady Paulina began, and then paused, looking thoughtfully at her reflection in the looking glass. After a moment she continued, “I am disappointed that he would so blatantly disregard my happiness, but I cannot stay angry with him when I know that he believes he is acting in my best interest.”

  Betsey nodded gravely at this—it was what she had expected. If Lady Paulina’s marriage to the Viscount of Somerwich turned out to be a happy one, or even just a tolerable one, Lady Paulina would almost certainly come to forgive her father entirely. Even if the marriage turned out to be miserable, Betsey thought that her mistress would likely forgive her father in time.

  She contemplated this as she separated Lady Paulina’s hair into several sections and began to braid one of them. After a moment, Betsey forced herself to place her full attention on arranging her mistress’s hair. She began to weave roses and myrtle flowers into the braid, and then repeated the process on another section of hair, before intertwining the braids in an intricate pattern.

  Betsey had practiced this style on Lady Paulina several times over the past week, making changes here and there until they had both agreed that it was perfect. She must be careful to arrange it in exactly the same way now. Betsey worked in silence for some time, twisting and pinning the hair to ensure that it would remain in place all evening.

  When she had finally finished, Betsey stepped back to admire her work. She studied it crucially, reached out to adjust a few flowers and add an extra pin, and then pronounced herself satisfied. Lady Paulina picked up a small hand mirror and turned around to check the reflection of the back of her head in the larger looking glass.

  “Oh Betsey,” she said, sounding truly delighted. “It is even more beautiful than the last time we practiced. Thank you!”

  Betsey smiled warmly at Lady Paulina, “Thank you, My Lady, you are too kind!”

  Once her hair was arranged, Betsey helped Lady Paulina into her gown. It was a delicate garment of many layers of sheer white fabric, artfully draped to form a fitted bodice and full skirts. The sleeves were made with only one layer of the gauzy fabric, making them almost transparent.

  Once the dress was in place, Betsey placed a thin belt of braided gold cord under Lady Paulina’s bust, and cinched it tightly. The belt accentuated Lady Paulina’s slim waist, and her pale skin looked luminous next to the soft white fabric of her gown. A dark green velvet ribbon, hung with a soft golden rose brooch, tied about her neck completed the costume.

  “Oh, My Lady!” Betsey said, admiring her mistress’s beauty as well as her own handiwork. “You are as lovely as the real Aphrodite!”

  Lady Paulina examined her reflection in the full-length looking glass, turning to see herself from all sides. For the first time in over a week, Betsey saw a genuine smile spreading across her mistress’s face.

  “Oh, thank you, Betsey! Thank you so much! I feel more beautiful than ever in my life.”

  Betsey smiled at Lady Paulina, feeling more emotional than she might have expected. Tonight was the culmination of much hard work, and would be the beginning of a new era for Lady Paulina, as well as for herself.

  “You are too kind, My Lady, truly. You will be the belle of the ball, there can be no doubt.”

  Lady Paulina smiled, and before long began to giggle. Betsey soon found herself giggling along with her mistress. She could not have said why she was laughing—perhaps it was nerves at the thought of what she was about to do, or perhaps it was relief to see Lady Paulina happy once again after her long period of sadness.

  Whatever the reason might have been, it took several minutes before Betsey and Lady Paulina had calmed themselves again. When finally they did, Lady Paulina took Betsey’s hands in her own, and looked into
her eyes.

  “If tonight goes according to plan, it will change my life forever,” Lady Paulina said, sounding grave. “Whatever may happen, I feel that I must tell you how grateful I am to have your friendship, Betsey.”

  Betsey felt a pang of guilt for her plans to dance with the Viscount of Somerwich. Lady Paulina had no romantic feelings for him, but if he was to be her husband, then dancing with him would be a betrayal of sorts. She had experienced this thought many times in the past several days, but just as she had done previously, she pushed it aside.

  “Thank you,” Lady Paulina continued, “For making me look more beautiful than I ever have. Tonight will be my only chance to dance with my true love. Tonight, I will create a memory that I shall cherish forever, something secret to hold onto when I am married to another gentleman.”

  Betsey no longer begrudged Lady Paulina this wish, having now an understanding of irrational love. However, hearing it articulated so clearly, Betsey felt that she could dance with the Viscount with an entirely clear conscience.

  “I hope that tonight will be everything you hope for, My Lady,” Betsey said, meaning every word she spoke.

  A moment later, it was time for the ball to begin. Betsey escorted Lady Paulina out to the hall and then returned to her bedchamber. Working quickly, she put away Lady Paulina’s discarded clothes, and began to change into her own costume.

  Hidden away in her small bedroom, which adjoined her mistress’s, Betsey found her gown. She brought it into Lady Paulina’s room and began to get ready. For the first time, Betsey sat down at the vanity where she had stood behind Lady Paulina, arranging her hair, so many times.

  Doing her own hair meant that Betsey would not be able to do anything nearly so elaborate as what Lady Paulina wore, but she thought there was a kind of beauty in simplicity, and did not regret this. She removed her cap, and allowed her long dark hair to flow down her back.

  Betsey arranged her hair in one long plait, tying the end with a length of shimmering blue fabric. She wrapped the fabric around her plait and twisted the entire arrangement into an elegant bun at the nape of her neck, securing it with the same hairpins she had used on her mistress just an hour ago.

  Next Betsey dusted her face, neck and chest with a fine white powder that shimmered when it caught the light. Turning from side to side, she checked her reflection to make sure that she had applied the powder evenly. Betsey was pleased to see that the effect of the powder in the candlelight was quite beautiful.

  She could hear music beginning to play downstairs, and knew that she must hurry. She would need to enter the ballroom when no one was looking, and it would be best if she was neither among the first, nor the last to arrive.

  Quickly, she pulled off the dress she had worn all day, and replaced it with the one she had borrowed from Lady Paulina. It was of pale blue silk with delicate white lace at the bust and hem. Betsey had made a full skirt of the same sheer white material she had used for Lady Paulina’s costume. When placed over the pale blue silk, it looked like newly fallen snow.

  To complete her costume, Betsey placed a white mask over her eyes. Small silver beads framed the eyes, and small white feathers sprang forth from the outside corners. Betsey studied her reflection carefully in the mirror. The mask made the shape of her face look entirely different and she felt confident that she would not be recognized.

  Her heart began to race, a combination of excitement and nervousness. Betsey took a deep breath to steady herself before walking to the door of the bedchamber. Then, pressing her ear to the door, she listened carefully to make sure that no one was lurking in the hallway.

  Hearing nothing, she opened the door a crack and peeked out to make sure that no one was there. To her great relief, the corridor was quite empty. Betsey walked out of the bedchamber and descended the stairs. She saw no one else on her way to the ballroom, and breathed a sigh of relief as she entered.

  Chapter 15

  Michael had arrived at the masquerade ball in his family’s carriage. He was fashionably a few minutes late, but not so late as to be rude. As soon as he arrived, he had been escorted to the ballroom where he was announced, and then greeted by Lady Paulina.

  “You look quite dashing, My Lord. Or should I call you Captain?” she asked, looking admiringly at his sea captain’s uniform.

  Michael felt a wave of relief wash over him at the realization that Lady Paulina seemed much more inclined to make conversation this evening than she had been at any of their previous meetings. Perhaps his tailor had been right—perhaps the masquerade was allowing her to let her guard down in a way she had not felt able to do previously. Whatever the reason might be, Michael was pleased with the result.

  “You may call me anything you wish, My Lady,” he replied with a genuine smile. “And may I call you Aphrodite?”

  “Right in one, My Lord!” Lady Paulina said, returning his smile. “I must say that I am impressed that you guessed so easily. Are you interested in the classics?”

  “Well, I must admit that I know more about Philosophy than mythology,” he replied. “But I am quite interested in the Ancient Greeks.”

  Soon, Michael found himself discussing Ancient Greece with Lady Paulina. As it transpired, she was quite knowledgeable about the subject, and they were able to carry on a pleasant conversation. Michael felt that, while he might not fall passionately in love with her tonight, perhaps they could at least be friendly. And perhaps that was foundation enough for a happy marriage. Indeed, it was more foundation than many other aristocratic marriages.

  When a waltz began to play, Michael offered his arm to Lady Paulina and led her to the dance floor. As they danced, he observed that her movements were graceful and practiced. He was reminded that she had spent her life training for occasions such as these, much in the same way that he had spent his whole life training for a career in politics.

  Lady Paulina’s training had been more successful than his own, it would seem. At this thought, Michael could not help laughing slightly to himself. Lady Paulina looked at him searchingly.

  “Is something wrong, My Lord?” she asked, sounding confused.

  “Oh no, My Lady, nothing is wrong at all! I was merely thinking about what a good dancer you are.”

  Lady Paulina looked even more confused at these words, and Michael realized, belatedly, that she must have thought he meant that he was laughing at her dancing.

  “I am sorry, My Lady, that is not what I meant,” he said, feeling awkward. “I was laughing at my own lack of skill, at the fact that you are so much better at dancing than I am.”

  “Oh,” Lady Paulina said, still sounding a bit uncertain. “You are a very good dancer, My Lord.”

  Her voice was less warm now than it had been earlier, as though she were reciting memorized lines and no longer speaking from the heart. Michael could have kicked himself for misspeaking in this way, but he could see that the damage was done, and he thought that trying to explain himself further would do more harm than good.

  Sighing deeply, he said, “Please forgive me, My Lady, I misspoke and I assure you that I meant no offense.”

  “There is no need to apologize, My Lord, I understand completely.”

  When the waltz ended, they walked off the dance floor and did not speak for a few moments. After a time, they agreed that it would only be proper for each of them to dance with some of the other guests in attendance, and they parted ways, with the understanding that they would share another dance later in the evening.

  * * *

  When Betsey entered the ballroom, the masquerade was in full effect. She found herself surrounded by pirates, fairies, court jesters, fortune tellers, and priests. Beautiful music filled the air, and the room sparkled in the light of hundreds of candles.

  Betsey had imagined events such as this, ever since her mistress had made her debut and begun attending them, but she had never actually seen anything like it. It was more magnificent than she had even imagined, and she suddenly understood why t
he members of the ton were always so keen to attend them.

  From across the room, she saw Lady Paulina dancing with a tall gentleman in a long black velvet robe with a Venetian looking mask. His face was fully covered, so Betsey could not have guessed who he might be, but based on Lady Paulina’s body language, and the warmth and happiness that seemed to radiate from her person, Betsey thought it must be the object of her affection.

  In any event, she felt certain that it was not the Viscount of Somerwich. The gentleman with whom Lady Paulina danced was tall, but not as tall as the Viscount, nor as broad of shoulder. She scanned the room to see where the object of her own affections might be.

  At first Betsey was distressed not to see him in the crowd, but she reminded herself that it would be hard to pick out one individual in a sea of masked faces. She managed to remain calm by repeating this to herself and taking deep, steadying breaths.

  After a few moments, a handsome gentleman in a sea captain’s uniform approached her. She realized that it was the Viscount of Somerwich, and felt a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. Why did I ever think that this was a good idea? Why would he ever wish to dance with me?