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‘I sometimes find that the interests of gentlemen are less than worthy. It is a tribute to my naïveté and not my lowered standards.’
‘So you and Barton are not…?’ He spoke a trifle too hastily and his hand tightened on her waist.
‘He made an offer that had nothing to do with matrimony, and I gave him a set-down. More than once.’ She frowned. ‘At the end of the evening I will probably have to give him another, since he ignored the others. And he tricked me into coming here, for reasons I’d rather not discuss.’
He blinked down at her and his hand relaxed. He was holding her in the same loose grip as before, as though he was confident that she would stay with him, even if he had no hold on her. ‘Well, then. Perhaps I was misinformed.’
‘Most definitely you were.’
He looked bemused. ‘Then I hope you will not think it too rude when I will ask you to keep the man who is not your lover, though he seems to think he will be, occupied while I pay an unaccompanied visit to his study.’
‘And how do you expect me to do that?’
‘Use your imagination. A quarter of an hour is all I need and easily worth the hundred guineas I left in your room.’
The dance came to an end and he led her from the floor. ‘Your Grace, it was an unexpected pleasure. Now, if you will excuse me?’ There was the slightest inclination of his head, which seemed to hint that he had business to attend to, and that the clock was ticking.
She glanced across the room, and somewhere in the distance a clock chimed the three-quarter hour. Very well, then. She would give him fifteen minutes. It was a small price for the money he had given her. She glanced around the room, searching for Barton, and saw him too close to the stairs that must lead to the study. ‘My lord?’ She had hoped to ask him to dance, and out of the corner of her eye, noticed that the orchestra had chosen that inopportune moment to take refreshment. Very well, then. It was near enough the end of the evening. Now was as good a time as any to retrieve the necklace. ‘If I might speak to you?’
‘Certainly, my dear.’ He bowed low over her hand. ‘What is it?’
She resisted the urge to inform him that she was not now, nor ever wished to be, his dear. ‘In private.’
‘My study, then.’ He turned to lead her to the exact place that she did not wish to be.
‘Not so private as all that, I think. The garden, perhaps? It is quiet enough there.’
‘And most romantic in the moonlight.’
She bit back another retort. There would be time enough in fifteen minutes to set him straight.
He took her hand and led her to the balcony doors, and, at the back of her mind, she felt a minute pass. And another, as he led her outside, and down the stone steps to the garden. When they were in the darkness and a distance from the house, he turned to her and smiled. ‘To what do I owe this sudden desire to be alone with me? Have you reconsidered my offer?’
‘You know very well the reason. Have I performed to your satisfaction in this little farce?’
‘Most admirably. We can make it a regular occurrence, if you wish.’
‘But I do not wish,’ she said firmly. ‘I have told you over and over again.’
‘And yet, you agreed to do it tonight. And it was a delightful evening. Not so terrible as you made it out to be, I’m sure.’
‘There was only one reason I agreed to come, and you know it full well.’
‘Ah, the necklace.’ He reached into his pocket, and produced the rubies, holding them in front of her.
She snatched the thing from his hand and secreted it in her reticule, turning to go back to the house, no longer caring about Smythe and his fifteen minutes.
Barton’s fingers closed on her upper arm, holding her in place. She attempted to pull away, and he tightened his grip, ever so slightly. To struggle further might leave bruises on her skin. She imagined the shame of going back into the ballroom, the red marks of a man’s fingers already blossoming on her arm.
She stayed still.
‘Willing to stay with me, after all?’
‘I do not wish my behaviour to create gossip.’
He smiled, realising that he’d won again. ‘And why would a rumour frighten you? If I am in the wrong, and you do not wish to be with me, then surely you could appeal to one of the many gentlemen of your acquaintance for assistance?’ He snapped his fingers. ‘But that is right. Many of the gentlemen here have received set-downs from you, have they not? They are likely to be more sympathetic to my plight. Over and over again, you allow men to lead you to the fence, and then you do not jump.’
‘That is not the way it has been at all,’ she argued. ‘I had no idea that the gentlemen in question did not intend marriage. Or you, for that matter. I never sought anything less.’
Barton smiled. ‘How refreshingly naïve you are. I think it is the combination of experience and naïveté that attracts me to you. You believe it is possible to go back to the way things were, before you married, and to have a second chance at a husband and a family. But you will never again be that young and innocent. When men look at you, they know that you are too old to guarantee a first child, but fully ripe for all the pleasures that a man might wish to experience with a woman. When we look at you, my dear, we know that you know precisely what will happen when you are alone with us.’
He smiled and drew closer. ‘I can see it, even now. The lust sizzles in your eyes. You fear scandal, more than you fear my touch. I can steal a kiss, perhaps a caress in the darkness. These things do not alarm you so much as the thought that someone might catch us at it. I suspect that you would have no problem giving yourself freely, if you could be assured of the discretion of your partner. Take this instance. If you do not submit, you must walk away from me, and I have but to call out and draw attention to the fact that you are with me, or squeeze your arm, ever so slightly.’ He tightened his grip, and then relaxed it again, as he felt her submit. ‘Then people will notice that we were alone together, and there will be even more talk than there already is.’
‘People will think you a brute for forcing yourself on a woman.’
‘Since the woman is yourself, and you just spent the evening at my side as hostess, I doubt that anyone will assume force. It is far more likely that they will assume you were a willing participant in anything that might have occurred. The assumptions of a curious society will be confirmed, the minute you complain. Or you can allow me to kiss you, here in the dark, and we can return to the ballroom separately. No one will be the wiser.’
Damn her for her foolishness in thinking she could win against Barton in his own house. She had gained the necklace, only to lose more ground. And damn Mr Smythe for using her as well. He had been gone more than fifteen minutes, she was sure of it. And he thought nothing of leaving her in the clutches of Barton. Now that Smythe had what he wanted, he had forgotten her.
It would do no good to fight Barton now. If she gave in, perhaps the incident would pass quickly, and she might escape. She closed her eyes and tipped her head up to meet him as he leaned in and kissed her.
And she did nothing to stop him, because he was right. The last thing she needed was more gossip. When he wished for her to open her mouth, she did that as well. She could but hope that he would not take things too far in so public a place. And after tonight, scandal or no, she would not be alone with him again.
He was doing his best to arouse feelings in her, and she took great pleasure in ignoring the attempt. If he wished to make love to her, then let him. But eventually, when she did not respond, he would lose interest and let her go. In the meantime, she would see to it that the experience was not so pleasurable as he imagined.
He was working industriously on her mouth, and his hands were on her shoulders. It was only a matter of time before they strayed lower.
She was disappointed to find that she felt neither desire nor outrage at the fact. Her mind felt strangely detached from her body, uninterested in the proceedings and wishing only to go home and put the experience behind her. Let him do what he wished and be done with it. It had been so long since she’d felt anything at all, she doubted that Barton could move her with his fumblings.
As though he’d heard her thoughts, Barton’s hand began a slow descent towards the swell of her breast.
And then he pulled away from her with an oath. There was the sound of someone crashing clumsily through the ornamental shrubbery, soft, tuneless whistling growing louder as the intruder approached.
Barton took off in the direction of the sound. ‘Here, you. What do you think you’re doing?’
‘Trying to find my way out of this damn briar patch.’
Constance strangled a laugh. It was Mr Smythe, making it clear to all within earshot that he was done with whatever business he’d been up to.
‘I only wanted a breath of air. Two steps from the house and I was lost in the wilderness. I’ve a good mind to complain to the host.’
‘I am the host, you drunken idiot. And you’re stepping on my rose-bushes.’ Jack was furious.
Constance stepped off the path and disappeared into the darkness, leaning against a tree and giving way to silent giggles.
There was a pause as an apparently drunken Smythe took stock of the situation. ‘Roses? So I am. Oh, well. No harm done. The spindly little things were half-dead, anyway. Could have used more water.’
‘They are in perfect health. And they are imported from France.’
‘Well, that’s your problem. Get yourself some proper English flowers. Just as pretty and not so delicate.’
‘Get off of my yard, you drunken buffoon! I invited you here, Smythe, on the recommendation of a friend. I can see I was mistaken in the courtesy and it will not be repeated. Kindly take yourself from the premises, before I have you forcibly removed.’
‘I was going. Going. Know where I’m not wanted.’ She could hear more crashing, as Smythe wandered noisily away in the direction of the street, trampling more expensive landscaping as he went.
There was more swearing from Barton as he came back in her direction, and softly called her name.
She stepped behind a tree, scarcely daring to breathe.
He walked within an arm’s length of her, but she stayed still in the shadows and let him pass.
Barton released another quiet oath, and turned in the direction of the house, probably hoping to find her there.
She smiled in satisfaction. Let him look. She had the necklace again. There was no reason to stay a moment longer. It was not a chill night, she had no wrap. She could find her own way to the street through the garden, without taking leave of the host.
She turned into the darkness. At least she thought she could find her way to the street. If the house was behind her, then surely…
‘Allow me.’ A hand reached out of the darkness, and caught her arm.
She gasped. ‘Smythe.’
‘The same.’
‘I thought you had gone.’
‘And leave you alone in the dark? I think not. Do you have a carriage back at the house?’
‘Barton sent a coach for me. I assumed that I would find a friend to escort me home.’
‘And so you have. I will see you home, if you can leave immediately. I suspect I am no longer welcome in Barton’s home.’ She could see his grin in the darkness.
She smiled in return. ‘And I have no wish to return. It suits me well.’
‘Excellent.’ It was impossible to tell, but he sounded sincerely pleased to have her company. He slipped his arm through hers and lead her in the direction of the street.
A thrill shot through her at the idea of being alone in the dark with him again, far from the safety of the house. Anything could happen and no one would be the wiser.
‘You should not be so careless with your reputation, your Grace.’
‘I beg your pardon?’
His voice was gentle, but held a hint of disapproval. ‘You were alone in the garden. With Barton, I mean.’
‘Only because you wished me to distract him,’ she said acerbically. ‘You left the method to me.’
‘And I did not expect you to choose that one, after what you said to me as we danced. Did you wish for him to kiss you?’
‘Not particularly.’
There was a hesitation. ‘Did you enjoy it?’
‘That is a very impertinent question.’
‘And that is a very evasive answer.’
‘But it is all you will get from me,’ she said. ‘Did you at least get what you were searching for?’
‘No, I did not. And what makes you think I was searching for anything?’
She tipped her head to the side, considering. ‘I am not sure. But I hope, if you merely intended burglary, you would not want or need to involve me in it.’
He nodded. ‘That is true. And do not worry. It will not happen again. I have involved you too much already.’
‘That is all right,’ she said hurriedly. ‘It was not too great a burden.’
‘Allowing Barton to kiss you in the moonlight.’ There was a cynical bite to his words that did not escape her.
‘It was only a kiss,’ she responded.
‘Oh, really? But a kiss can be a dangerous thing, if done correctly.’ He swung her body into his and wrapped his arms around her. ‘Allow me to demonstrate.’ And then he brought his mouth down upon hers.
It was as it had been on the night in her room. His kiss was as heady and romantic as the smell of the roses in the garden, and she relaxed into it, letting it awaken her senses.
She slipped her arms inside his coat, and felt the muscles of his back and shoulders tense as her fingers touched him. His arms strained to pull her closer to him, and he stroked her tongue with his, varying the pressure of his lips against hers from punishing firmness to a featherlight touch. When he released her mouth, she caught him about the waist and arched her body away from him, baring her throat and willing him to kiss her there, and lower.
He accepted the invitation and his lips trailed fire down her neck to rest on her shoulder. ‘Do you enjoy it when I kiss you?’ he murmured into her skin.
‘Yes.’ She shuddered against him.
He ran a finger inside the neckline of her gown and pulled the dress away from her body, pushing to slide it down her arm. He planted a kiss just under the place where her dress should end, and she gasped.
He laughed and his finger traced her collarbone. ‘I am going to kiss you there again. Hard enough to mark you. No one will know it but we two, because your gown will hide all. Would you like that?’
‘Yes.’ She shocked herself by saying it, knowing that it was true. ‘Oh, yes.’
‘I thought you might.’ And he lowered his head again, and she felt him suck on the flesh, felt the feeling run through her all the way to her toes.
It was the work of a moment. And then it was over. He leaned his head against her ear and whispered, ‘If you would kiss, then do not give them cheaply to one such as Barton. Choose someone worthy of your affection.’ He walked her the last few steps through the trees and they came out at the bend of the drive. He whistled once and a carriage appeared from out of the darkness. Black and unmarked, with black horses and a driver muffled beyond recognition.
Smythe gave instructions to the driver and then he handed her up into the carriage, shutting the door behind her.
She leaned out of the window to where he stood in the road. ‘Are you not coming as well?’
‘My man will see you home.’ There was hunger in his eyes as he stared up into her face. ‘You are safer with him tonight than alone in a carriage with me.’
‘But how will you get home?’ And where is home? And are you alone there? She was bursting with unasked questions.
He smiled at her, his face dim in the light from the carriage lamps. ‘Never worry about me, your Grace. I have ways. Until we meet again.’ He bowed to her as the carriage pulled away and he disappeared into the darkness behind her.
