To Love A Lord of London (Wardington Park; Raptures of Royalty) (5 page)

Nathaniel’s gloved hands cupped her face, and he held her close as he said, “Enchanting.” The simple word rolled over her like warm velvet. Then he was kissing her again. Amy’s arms wrapped around his neck as she felt him walk them into a corner of the balcony that was completely cast in black. Their breathing came rough and rushed as Nathaniel played with her mouth, plying her open. “For the first time ever, I find myself struggling between the desire to kiss you or listen to you speak poetry endlessly.”

Amy smiled against his lips. No one had ever said such things to her. Everything about Nathaniel seemed to capture her every sense, mind, and body.

As if hearing her thoughts, he smiled against her lips and then she felt the smile fall and the moment grew serious. “Skip the season, and simply be with me.”

Amy’s voice caught. The entire night had taken the most wonderful turn. “I…” She didn’t know what to say. She smiled brightly, not because he could see it, but because she simply couldn’t help it. Lord Nathaniel had proposed to her. So quickly. “Well, I’m sure if we ask my uncle, he’ll approve of us marrying.”

N
athaniel stilled
, “That’s not what I meant.”

Amy shook her head, not understanding, but still in the glow of their kiss. “Well, of course, we should court first, and—”

Nathaniel was silent. Too silent. He sighed, “Amy, I have no intentions of marrying you.”

She closed her eyes, searching for the hidden message in his words because there was no way he could mean what he’d said… not after they’d just…

As if realizing for the first time where they were, Amy placed her hands on his chest, wishing for space. “What do you mean? What else would I skip the season for?”

“
T
o become my mistress
.”

It was as though a hand closed around her throat. She pushed him, and he gave her enough room to move away toward the more lit location on the balcony. Turning around, she didn’t know what to say. Then she decided that there really was nothing to be said. She made her way toward the door but stopped when she felt Nathaniel’s hand reach out and wrap around her wrist.

“Wait.”

Not being able to help herself, she turned and stared at him, and once again, found him to be the most handsome man she’d ever set her eyes on.

“Think about it, Amy.” He moved closer to her. “We fit so well together.” His other hand came up and caressed her cheek. The tone of his voice dropped an octave. “Can’t you feel it?”

She could, but... She backed away again. “No.”

Nathaniel’s entire face lit up with surprise. “No?”

She shook her head, unwilling to say it again.

He narrowed his eyes, staring at her, and then his eyes softened and he spoke without emotion, “You’ll fail.”

“
W
hat
?”

“In London. You’ll fail. No one will have you now. Not after the commotion you caused in the dining hall.”

Amy held his eyes as the cold around her began to seep through the jacket he’d lent her. Realizing she still wore it, she took it off and threw it at him. The pain caused by his words began to blind her as she quickly turned away and ran. How one man could make her feel so cherished only to crush her spirits was more than she should bear. She’d thought… for a moment… that there had been more to him. More to them. But, now she knew that the stories the women had told about Nathaniel were true. He was not the marrying type, but neither was Amy the mistress type. Touching the cross that hung around her neck, she looked up and realized she had no idea where she was. The noise of the dinner party was gone, and as she looked around, she found herself in a library. Her fingers went to the cross again.

“Miss Ott?”

“
I
’ll teach
you what you need to know. What other fears do you have? ”

A
my spun around
, her heart racing as her eyes caught the movement by a fireplace, which sat by a large oak desk. Duke Wardington.

T
he duke stared at her
, his green eyes so much like his sons that it made Amy’s chest hurt. Surely, no man had aged better than he. It was no reason Nathaniel would offer Amy such a scandalous position in his life. He was no better than the man who’d sired him.

Wardington set the papers in his hand down on the table and then said, “Dinner ended. The ladies are in the tea room.”

Amy looked toward the door. “I should join them then.”

“
W
ait
.”

Turning to him, she could see his eyes narrowed. “Are you sure we haven’t met before?”

Amy frowned, “I’m sure, Your Grace.”

He nodded, “You simply look very familiar to me.”

Amy looked nothing like her mother. Her mother had been beautiful, so she was sure he had her confused with someone else.

His next words broke into her thoughts, “Did Nathaniel find you?”

Amy’s head snapped up to his. Her eyes wide, giving herself away.

“Yes, then.” Wardington nodded and grabbed the papers on his desk once more. Walking toward her, Amy couldn’t help but be impressed by the way that Wardington moved. He had a stride that spoke of his power, distinguishing him from all others, titled or not. He came to a stop five feet away from her. “Did he proposition you?”

Amy looked away.

A flash of something went over his face. Disappointment? “Well, Miss Ott, I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into. The outcome from the affair may not be what you’re expecting—”

“I told him no.” Then she backed away from him, not pretending to hide her glare, all the while wondering what the matter was with this family. Obviously, they’d all heard one too many a ‘yes’ over the years.

Surprise played in his eyes. “No?”

A
my gave a hard nod
.

Wardington’s lips spread into a grin, and then he laughed. Loudly. The noise filled the room, and the intensity of it forced the man nearly to his knees. At first Amy believed him to be laughing at her. After all, she was very much ruined for the seasons, destined to be a spinster or marry below her new station in life. But moments later, his words reassured her. “Oh, I would have loved to see his face after that.”

“Well, I hope never to see his face again!” Amy gasped and covered her mouth, not understanding the woman she was becoming.

Wardington laughed again and then when he sobered, his face transformed into something… dark. “Oh, I do like you, Miss Ott.”

A
my backed away
.

The duke grinned. “Don’t fear, Miss Ott. I have no desire for you, but I believe a partnership will benefit us immensely.”

“No, thank you.”

“But, you haven’t even heard my proposal.”

She shook her head, heading toward the door once more.

“What if I told you that I could make you the belle of the ball?”

She didn’t trust him, but she couldn’t help but to ask, “What ball?”

“Every ball.” He walked toward her again, slowly, like a wolf who’d finally cornered its prey. “Every soirée, every party. The entire season.”

Amy’s mind couldn’t even begin to picture such an event. She chuckled, “Me? The belle of the ball?” She laughed again and shook her head. “Impossible.” Though, it wasn’t everyday that a duke presented such a tempting offer.
Impossible,
she told herself
.

He lifted a white brow, “Why do you believe it so impossible?”

Amy didn’t know where to begin… at least… not out loud. There were many reasons she’d feared the season. “I know nothing of the decorum of the peerage.”

“
G
ood
. Most of them were created for failure at happiness.” A hand waved in the air, dismissing the excuse. “I’ll teach you what you need to know. What other fears do you have?”

Amy looked stunned. “You? Teach me?” Now she was really laughing. “Isn’t that a woman’s job? Perhaps, a governess?”

He shrugged a shoulder, “Yes, a job taught by another failed women who’d had nothing better to do than to become governess.”

Amy didn’t disagree with that. “Why me?” She supposed that was the most pressing question.

“Because you make my son’s eyes light up.”

Amy swallowed back the feeling of elation. She’d thought the same thing at one time. “But, Nathaniel doesn’t wish to marry.”

W
ardington leaned
on the back of a nearby chair, propping an arm up. “He can very well change his mind by the end of the season, I guarantee you.” He gestured for her to have a seat in one of the wingback chairs by the fire.

Crossing her arms, she looked around. “I’m sure someone is looking for me.”

“I’ll have a maid tell your uncle that you went ahead home and make sure you get there before he does.” He headed toward to door to do as he’d told her while Amy skirted around him and dropped down into the seat right before he took his own.

When he returned, he took the seat next to hers, crossed his legs, and rested his hands on the chair arm. Then he smiled, “So, Amy. Tell me about yourself.”

Her heart bottomed out. “What do you need to know?”

“Everything.” He leaned back and held her eyes. “If you’re to marry my son, I think it only fair that I know more about you, don’t you agree?”

A
my did
, but she didn’t want anyone outside of her family to know the truth. She’d tell him as much as she could. “My mother was the daughter to the late Duke Hensmen. She ran away to marry a mason.”

He nodded, “Yes, I know that much. Your uncle told me the story. What else?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your mother died?”

“Yes.”

“And your father?”

She swallowed. “Dead as well.”

“Any debts?”

“None.”

“Trouble with the law?”

“No.”

He nodded again, still holding her eyes. Then he asked, “Are you a virtuous woman?”

She didn’t have to guess what he meant. Her hand once again found the tiny cross underneath her glove. “Yes.” She remained a virgin.

He nodded once and stood. “Once you get to London, come around to my townhouse. We’ll begin immediately.”

Amy stood as well, unsure of what to say. “Thank you.” She supposed those to be the right words. After all, how many women had the aid of a future father-in-law, a duke no less, to help prepare them for the season!

W
ardington walked
over to the door, just as it was opening.

Jane stuck her head in and gasped, “Oh, I didn’t know there was anyone…” She looked between the two people in the room. To Wardington, she said, “Your Grace.”

“Miss Croftman,” The duke didn’t even blink, acting as though nothing were amiss with a young woman and a rogue found in the same room alone. “I found Miss Ott. Perhaps, you’d like to see her home?”

Jane’s eyes fluttered a few time ,and then she said, “Oh, yes! So good of you to find her, Your Grace! I was just looking for her. Come, Amy.” She smiled then, showing too many teeth.

Amy ran toward the door and didn’t look back. The night had not gone as planned, but if she could just manage to hold onto her secrets—those old and new—she just might find the one thing she’d always been looking for. Happiness.

N
athaniel closed
his eyes and leaned back in his chair as he wondered just how much more he could take of this torture.
Not very long
, he thought. Opening his eyes, he turned to look at his brother Mark, who was going on and on again about some mathematical theorem that was discovered just that year.

M
ark was scribbling
on a paper on the tea table in front of him while his other hand waved in the air. He smiled as he spoke nonstop about his theory.

“Enough!” Nathaniel lifted his hands in surrender. “Mark, please.”

His brother opened his mouth to continue and then stopped, leaving only the energetic noise of the shop’s other patrons to fill the silence. The brothers, Nathaniel, Mark, and Andrew, were all at Le Cafe, a place on Bond Street known for good coffee and better conversation. It was a popular establishment, credited for being a place of open minds, and boasted the best in coffee as well as debate. Across the room, a group of men were discussing the newest issues of parliament. Andrew, unable to resist, was amongst the loud men, each sure that their way was more correct than the other, rallying their allies behind them to cheer them on. When the Dawntons had first started coming here, Nathaniel had laughed at them all, believing the discussions to be pointless, but after awhile, he’d come to the understanding that much was not just discussed, but decided inside the four walls of Le Cafe.

M
ark got his attention again
. “Well, allow me to simply show you how this works until our writer arrives.”

Nathaniel stood, spotting his arrival at the door and grinned. ‘Too late. He’s here.”

Sir Rudolph Vow spotted Nathaniel from across the room and waved him over. The two men had met at Eton, only to be reunited a few years after Nathaniel finished at Oxford. Spotting one another at a play last season, Nathaniel had found out that not only was Vow another fan of the theatre, but that his personal work was also outstanding. They’d both decided to meet so that Nathaniel could see the finished script and they could hash out the logistics on seeing the play move from paper to vision. Mark was present to make the financial talk go smoothly.

“
S
ir Vow
.”

“Lord Dawnton.” He turned to Mark, shaking his hand as well. “My lord.”

The three men took a seat.

Nathaniel laughed, “So, you’ve finished the play?”

Vow handed Nathaniel a stack of papers. “Just this morning. It’s a beauty, too. Romantic. Comedic. Some dark drama.”

Nathaniel glanced through the papers. “Well, if it’s anything like the beginning, I’m sure it’s good. How much do you think it will take to put it on?”

Vow quoted a number. A high number.

Nathaniel turned to him. “So much?” It wasn’t so much that he didn’t have it or couldn’t get other investors onto the project, he simply hadn’t expected the amount.

Vow nodded, “We’d want to get the very best actors, costumes, sets, but I promise you, it’ll be worth it.”

Nathaniel reached into his pocket. “I suppose you’re right.”

Mark cut in, “But, we’ll be needing a budget first. One that shows the entire accumulation of funds. We’d need to know exactly where every shilling is going.”

V
ow looked shocked
.

Nathaniel laughed and spoke to Vow, “Of course, a budget would be best.” He’d expected one of those, but then he turned to Mark. “But, every shilling? Perhaps, we could work with estimations?” He didn’t think a few shillings was worth counting.

Mark turned to him, “Every shilling and receipts from the vendors for supplies.”

Nathaniel stared at Mark and then turned to Vow and smiled, “This is why I bring him. I usually avoid the messy stuff. I simply wish to enjoy the play and take credit for putting it on.”

Vow smiled at them both and then pulled another sheet of paper from his pocket. “I got a budget right here, though… it isn’t quite down to the shilling.” He handed the paper over to Mark, who quickly began to read it over. Vow continued to talk. “There will be silk gowns and a lead actress with the voice of an angel.” Then Vow leaned forward and whispered, “And the face of one as well.”

N
athaniel smiled
, thinking of the other pleasures one could find at the theatre. A flash of brown hair and brown eyes captured his mind. Amy. How he’d love to take her to the play, buy her the finest gown, and have her sit with him in his box at Covent Garden. She’d look beautiful on his arm, and he wouldn’t mind at all if they happened to get distracted by...

Mark had only spent a moment glancing at the document before he looked up. “I’ll need the invoices from the vendors, guaranteeing these figures.”

Vow held Mark’s eyes and then nodded and stood. “Very well. I can have it to you in a few months. For now, we should move ahead with the auditions and—”

“Figures first,” Mark said, getting to his own feet, towering over the other man. It was not only Mark’s mind that awed people, but he had a Dawnton attitude as well. “So, I suppose we’ll be seeing you in a few months.”

“Give me two weeks.” Vow was no longer smiling.

N
athaniel stood and reached out
, giving the man a check. “Take this to get us started with auditions.” The check wasn’t much, but it would do. “Take it to my banker, and he’ll cash it for you.” Then he shook the other man’s hand. “I’ll read over the play and look forward to seeing you in two weeks.”

Vow took the hand, and the check, and then left.

Nathaniel asked once he was gone, “Was that completely necessary? If you’re going to stop us before we begin, then the play will never be ready for show by the end of the season.”

Mark showed no emotion in his green eyes as he said, “The man had overpriced everything.”

Nathaniel shrugged, “Of course he has. You never want to send a budget in simply to ask for more money later when things go missing or break. Budgets change.”

“And I’ll be here to look over all the changes as they come.”

“Very well.”

“I just don’t want you to lose.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?” Mark asked.

N
athaniel smiled
, “Because even if he gets a few extra coins now, I have the manuscript.” He waved the document in his hand. “And I guarantee that I would have no trouble putting this thing on without him and long before he could gain the capital to do it on his own. So, if I find out that he’s tried to play me, the money that I would make after production would be sufficient payback. After all, if he gave me the play and I just gave him funds in front of an entire room, who’s to say I hadn’t simply payed for the script?”

Mark stared at the papers and then at his brother. “Your conscience?”

Nathaniel frowned, “I don’t believe I have one of those.”

Mark blinked, “Was this your plan all along? To swindle him?”

Nathaniel frowned in return. “No, but insurances must be made in all things.”

“Hmm, and to think they call me the cold one.”

Nathaniel took a bow.

Mark headed toward the exit.

“Where are you going?”

“The Professor’s.”

N
athaniel frowned
. The Professor, or Dr. John Peters, was an old man who’d once taught at Oxford before he’d been dismissed for going off subject. Now, he opened his home up to a few ‘like-minded individuals’ as a place of study and mathematical discussion. To Nathaniel, the man was a nut, but Mark, along with a few others, believed him to be a genius… not that those two characteristics couldn’t exist together.

He’d just retaken his seat when a servant girl came over and asked if he needed more coffee.

Nathaniel gestured to his cup.

The woman began to pour, all the while giving Nathaniel what he assumed to be her most charming smile.

“What though the radiance which was once so bright, be not forever taken from my sight.”

The girl smiled and said, “You’re pretty well with words. You ever think about publishing a book?”

N
athaniel had
to force his face from showing his disappointment at the woman for not knowing that the line had already been published in a book by William Wordsworth.

When the woman’s smile began to fall, Nathaniel slid his into place, immediately causing the waitress’s own smile to return.

“What a great idea,” he said. “Should it happen, I’ll make sure to dedicate it to you.”

The woman’s smile grew, and then she skirted away, leaving Nathaniel to his thoughts. Had he been speaking to Amy, he wouldn’t have had this problem. Had he said the words to Amy, not only would she have known the author, but also the right book.

He sighed thinking about their moment on the balcony two weeks ago. Tonight would be the first of many parties for the season, and Nathaniel had every intention of going… if only to see her again. He admitted to himself that the last time they’d spoken, it hadn’t gone well. He shouldn’t have told her that she’d fail at the season. Not then. Not when she’d been vulnerable enough to ask him if she was truly beautiful. He’d seen her weakness and gone for the kill… only to find that Amy hid an inner strength that defied every other woman he knew.

H
e’d slipped
, losing his charm, which was something that didn’t usually happen.

It was all Amy’s fault. She was the reason Nathaniel hadn’t been himself. He hadn’t been himself since that morning he had run into her. Upon Nathaniel’s arrival to London, women had begun to throw themselves at his feet, stepping over one another just to be near… and he’d turned them all away. Because of her.

Dismissing Amy from his mind, he opened the manuscript and began to read.