Once Upon an Accident 02 - Lessons in Seduction (12 page)

In which Lady Cicely discovers there is more than music to enjoy at a
musicale.

Cicely sighed as she slowly walked to the door of the retiring room.

Although excited by the attention she had received all evening, it had begun to tire her. Her mouth hurt from the plastered smile she’d worn as men spoke to her breasts. Usually men had a tendency to either ignore her completely or talk to her while eyeing other women, considering how to graciously escape being saddled with her companionship. The constant activity around her was starting to wear on her nerves, and after only one day.

She had never liked crowds, but she had been sure she would find it all so thrilling it wouldn’t matter. Her list of possible prospects had dwindled in the last few hours. Every eligible candidate had made a complete and utter ass out of himself trying to vie for her regard.

And, true to her luck, the one man she craved had only tossed her dark looks all night. Despair threatened to engulf her. She had been so sure her plan was a sound one. She knew without a doubt that getting one of the men who had danced attendance on her that evening to take her up on the offer would be no problem whatsoever. But since that kiss, she wanted no one but Douglas.

“Lady Cicely.”

She barely repressed the groan as she heard Cummings’ voice. He approached her from behind as she faced him. Turning her back on a man with ulterior motives was never a good thing. At least he had the decency to announce himself. For some odd reason, Lady Cicely found she had no difficulty picturing the earl skulking about in some gloomy alley. She shivered slightly.

“Lord Cummings. Whatever are you doing here?” She asked the question as she donned an expression of innocence, knowing exactly why the idiot had followed her. Smiling, she hid her disgust and Cummings’

grin widened. Did every man in the world think revealing her true figure made her ignorant? They acted as if she would not remember all their years of inattention.

“As if you did not know?” he said coyly.

His practiced flirting left a cold ball of frustration in her tummy. In all her years of being out in society, she had yearned for the passionate looks other women received. She had stupidly thought the games lovers played would be thrilling.

Cicely had never been so wrong in her assumptions. In one day she had gone from wallflower to Original in the eyes of the ton. She found the new role irritating. How did women like Anna take this? Not once did any of them try to engage her in interesting conversation. They talked of fashion and gossip, most of which she found as fascinating as a blank piece of paper.

When he stepped a shade too close for her comfort, she backed up.

His feral smile told her he knew exactly how he was making her feel.

Another shiver snaked up her spine. “I believe you are implying that I would know your thoughts, sir. I can assure you that I do not.” But she did and it was making her think twice about ever talking to the man again.

Lust flashed across his features and darkened his eyes.

Instead of the feeling of warmth Douglas’ touch gave her, icy fear slithered through her. They were totally and utterly alone, and as she heard the musicians warming their instruments, she realized that any protest on her part would not be noticed. She was quite capable of being loud if the situation called for it but not quite that loud.

He crowded her against the wall, stepping so close she was aware of how the primal instinct to flee clawed at her stomach and called out a warning in her mind. Panic made her pulse throb, knowing that even if a person were to discover them before anything untoward happened, she would still be ruined.

Unaccustomed to flirtations and machinations of the ton behind closed doors and in dark corridors, she hadn’t realized retiring to the privacy of a ladies’ chamber alone was so dangerous. Or at least it hadn’t been for her before tonight.

Cummings placed a hand on the wall beside her head, leaning closer.

She tried to shrink away from him, her alarm growing as she felt his hot breath against her face. The scent of onions mingled with brandy—not to mention body odor—caused bile to rise in her throat.

As she watched him raise his free hand toward her, she knew she had to act, but something in her stayed frozen. Her mind kept screaming she should run or at the very least scream for help. But she could not do it. Her feet felt odd and heavy. Her vision swam and a strange muted buzz sounded in her ears. It was as if she were not even there. As if she were watching from somewhere else, wondering just why she did not fight back. She closed her eyes, not wanting to watch.

“Lady Cicely.”

Relief coursed through her when she heard Douglas’ voice from behind Cummings. A breath she had not realized she had been holding escaped from between her lips and she opened her eyes.

Cummings, idiot that he was, slowly retreated, thinking he had set in motion his plan. Little did he know she had no intention of ruining her reputation with him. She would spend her life as an outcast before she would marry a man who kept a mistress and smelled of onions.

“Ah, you found us out, Ethingham.” The self-satisfaction was barely concealed in his nasty, brandy-slurred voice.

Douglas briefly looked from Cummings to her, his eyes taking in the situation. His face was void of expression, telling her nothing of his feelings.

“Are you saying you will call on Lord Penwyth in the morning?”

Douglas’ voice was flat, emotionless.

There was a beat of silence. Panic raced through Cicely at the thought of what Sebastian would do to Cummings. She did not want her cousins to suffer because of her stupidity. Wanting to ensure both men understood her intentions, she stepped around Cummings and faced Douglas squarely.

“I do not believe that necessary, Your Grace.”

Douglas’ attention zeroed in on her as Cummings chuckled. She didn’t know who she loathed more for their arrogance.

Cummings decided to take control. “Darling, Ethingham has discovered us in a most compromising situation. Your reputation will be in tatters. You truly have no choice.”

His assured tone had her gnashing her teeth. Irritation had her turning around to face the offending earl. “First, I dare say he will not spread tales of this. Unlike you, he can hold his tongue. Second, just so you understand the situation, I would be happy to live out the rest of my life in a state of disgrace and die alone rather than marry someone as insulting and foul as you.”

Even in the dim candlelight, she could see the color seep from his face.

“Who do you think you are?” The utter amazement in his voice had her rushing ahead without much thought.

“A woman with enough good sense to see the truth. You are beneath me.”

His eyes narrowed as his lips curled into a snarl. “Your mother spread her legs for anyone with money.”

Embarrassment held her immobile. What he said was true. Her mother had had a horrible standing but until this moment, no one assumed Cicely would be the same.

Years of suppressed anger started to bubble. Her own mother had mocked her about her lack of beauty and grace, and now she was having to defend her honor because of her mother’s behavior.

“Perhaps you should have pursued her then.”

“You little bitch.” Disgust dripped from his tone as he took a step closer to her. “I should teach you a lesson.” He raised his hand as if to smack her but Douglas stopped him with one sentence.

“If you will have your seconds call upon me, Cummings, I know that we can set a dawn appointment.”

“What?”

Both she and Cummings yelled the question as she turned to face Douglas.

Douglas did not look at Cummings but focused his attention on her.

“I told him to have his seconds call upon me.”

The cold, unemotional voice did not fool her. She could feel his barely suppressed anger boiling beneath the calm surface. Those small muscles in his jaw ticked furiously. Apparently, Cummings did not realize his danger.

“I say, Ethingham. You have never been one to fight over a woman.

Especially one of her ilk. A dawn appointment would be foolish, serving only to tarnish your name as well as hers.”

Her stomach roiled and a new wave of bile rose in her throat.

Cummings’ words hit her like a physical blow. A man ready to force a woman into marriage because of his own failings was the slimiest of creatures. Even so, she knew he was right. Her mother’s reputation, even before she plotted to kill Colleen, had been horrid. The fact that a bloodsucker like Cummings recognized that sent anger spiraling through her. How many years would she pay for her mother’s behavior, for her father’s gambling, whoring ways?

And this man, who was one of the lowest forms of society’s predators, felt he had the right to judge her by her parents’ actions. She wanted to spin on him, to claw his cold, bloodshot eyes out. Before she could do anything, Douglas spoke.

“I realize now that you do not understand me. You will leave here and see if you can dig up some acquaintances to act as seconds. Then we can set a meeting. But, if you do not disappear from my presence immediately, I will tear your bloody arms from your body and beat you senseless with them.”

For a moment, there was no sound but the music from the hall.

Cicely was stunned by the vehemence in Douglas’s voice. She had known he was upset, but she’d had no idea just how furious he was. This type of anger didn’t run hot, didn’t have a man losing his head. This was calculated and cold and much more dangerous.

His face could have been carved out of stone. His stoic expression, the bleak, vacant look of his eyes, replaced the man she had known before. This man would not flinch at causing pain to another human.

Her heart rate accelerated. A chill wrapped itself around her core.

Taking a breath hurt.

“I…” Cummings swallowed noisily. “I think—”

Irritated by his stupidity and fearing Douglas would hurt the man, Cicely spun around.

“For goodness’ sake, you idiot, leave.” Her voice was only a furious whisper, but his eyes widened when he comprehended the threat.

Without looking at Douglas again, Cummings fled down the hall.

Cicely drew in a breath, her chest tight from the confrontation, from her worry. She smoothed her hands down the front of her dress and was surprised when they shook. It took her a few more moments to compose herself before she turned to face Douglas.

“That was completely unnecessary, Your Grace.”

He studied her dispassionately before saying, “I believe it was.”

Annoyed, she asked, “And why do you think you even had a right to act on my behalf?”

“Why?”

She nodded instead of answering. Otherwise she might offend him by calling him names. Her nerves were pushed to their limit. The day had been long and tiring, and while she appreciated his timing, she did not like his cold tone. After years of being an obligation, she was sick of it.

She wanted something more, something he did not want to offer.

“I assumed after you practically ravished me the other night, I had the right to step in to save your reputation.”

“Ravished you?” Her temper snapped. The day had been bad. The musicale had been horrible. The crowds unnerving. Cummings’ insults beyond irritating, but Douglas’ arrogance… “Really, Your Grace, are you sure you know what you are talking about? You did not know it was me at the time, so I had but one assumption left me.”

“Really? That being?” He sounded utterly bored. As if the conversation was no more important than picking lint off his clothes.

“I assumed you allowed anonymous women to attack you.”

Something shifted in his eyes, as if he came to some kind of understanding. “While I did not know it was you, you knew it was I.”

Not a question but a statement. She stared at the flickering flame of a nearby wall sconce. Mortified by what he must think of her, especially now that he had found her with Cummings, she had to blink away the tears burning the backs of her eyes.

“You think I would just allow any man to touch me like that?” Her voice was a mere whisper.

“I just thought—”

“You thought I had made an assignation with another man and mistook you for him.” She did not blame him. Considering that she had taunted him with her list of men, it was understandable that he would jump to that conclusion. Even comprehending his reasoning did not stop the pain. The ache in her heart almost tore it into two pieces. One side still desperately clinging to her feelings for him, the other dead or dying.

It made little difference. It took every bit of control she had not to dissolve into a puddle of tears.

“Cicely—”

“No. No. Don’t.” She shook her head. Knowing that he apparently thought no more of her than many thought of her deceased mother— Douglas privy to the worst of it—was just the icing on top of everything else. She might not be ruined to society, but she had fallen from grace. “I understand now. I see why you think so little of me. I truly”—her voice hitched as she fought against the sob that tried to escape—“I understand.”

She turned, trying to escape, to hide away from her reality. One she had created, crafted and molded into the mess it was. Like a featherbrain, she’d thought a new dress and a new hairstyle would change everything. But it had done nothing except attract the lowest forms of life.

Douglas took hold of her upper arm before she could flee.

“Come.”

She was too surprised by his actions to say anything as he wandered down the hall, dragging her after him. He found a door that was unlocked and ushered her inside. Not willing to face his censure, she shook free of him and moved further into the room. It looked as if it was some sort of morning room, with its feminine design. She heard Douglas shut the door then the lock click.

“Do you want to tell me what that was all about?” He had softened his voice, but she didn’t want sympathy or pity. Cicely was tired of being on the receiving end of that particular feeling.

“Why? What would it change? You’ve already made your assumptions.”