A Ladys Pleasure (3 page)

Richard smiled. “I must admit that seeing your marital bliss has almost changed my mind about marriage…”

Stephen shook his head. “Almost?”

“Indeed, almost. Unfortunately, as my mother keeps telling me, I am not getting any younger. I am five-and-thirty, Stephen. It’s time I set up my nursery. I need an heir. So, yes, I am contemplating putting my neck in the parson’s mousetrap.”

The expression on his friend’s face was priceless. “Egads, man. I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Quite. I have been ‘looking ‘round’ as my mother calls it for a likely bride. And I have to tell you, my friend, the pickings are very slim indeed. Whey-faced young chits scarce out of the schoolroom who can’t hold an intelligent conversation on anything other than bonnets and dressmakers. Or daring merry widows whose bedroom antics have fueled the gossips for years. I shudder to think what my son would be like with such for a mother. I was beginning to think that you had found the last acceptable candidate in your Caroline, and then, as if a gift from fate, I meet the oh-so-intriguing Lady Morely. There is something quite different about the lady. I haven’t been quite so fascinated by a female in a long time. I think she just might make an acceptable candidate.”

“You need to be aware that she is not eager to marry again.” Stephen offered the warning. “In fact, I’ve heard her tell Caroline that she is adamantly against it.”

“Yes. I am aware of that. But I have a plan to persuade her otherwise.”

“A plan? What is it?”

“Why, I plan to seduce her into marrying me, of course. What else?”

Stephen choked back a laugh. “I still can’t believe you’re considering marrying her.

You haven’t even seen her without her…” his hand gestured over his own body,

“costume. I’m surprised you’d want to exert yourself without some more concrete proof that the lady is worth it.”

“You’ve seen her without it?”

Stephen smiled. “Yes.”

“Do you think she’s worth the effort?”

“Oh, absolutely. No doubt about it. Though she’s not a diamond of the first water, by any means. Still, the lady does have something…unique to offer.”

He sank the last billiard ball and grinned in satisfaction. “That’s what I thought.

She’s perfect.”

Lily stood near her friend and smiled as Caroline introduced her to yet another eligible gentleman. Obviously the morning’s conversation had done little good in discouraging Caro’s determination to find Lily a man. Dinner had ended a short time before, and Lily was counting the minutes until she could make her exit without causing comment. She just had to keep smiling and make polite conversation for another half hour or so before she could plead a headache and escape to her room.

The look of blind panic on the men’s faces as they realized that Caroline was trying her hand at matchmaking almost caused her to laugh out loud. They were obviously horrified at the thought of being coupled with such a dowd as her current appearance projected, but Caroline soldiered on. Lily had to give her credit for sheer fortitude.

As she pretended to listen to Caroline chatter on to Lord Something-or-Other about a ball they’d both attended in London recently, the hair on the back of Lily’s neck stood up.

It felt as if someone were watching her. Surreptitiously she moved her glasses to the tip of her nose so she could see clearly and glanced around the crowded drawing room. She spotted no one who seemed to be aware of her at all until her gaze clashed with a dark brown one across the room. It was the Duke of Carlisle, whom she had met that morning outside Caroline’s private sitting room.

His bold stare raked over her before coming back to meet her gaze with a challenging one of his own. He quirked an eyebrow, and she raised her chin, determined to stare him down. Odious fellow. One side of his mouth lifted in amusement. What was he staring at? And what did he find so entertaining?

She’d deliberately dressed this evening in a manner designed to make her fade into the woodwork, her dress a dull brown and another of those caps that Caroline detested covered her black curls. She was certain she’d done nothing to attract his attention. Yet she knew without a shadow of a doubt that for some reason she had managed to do exactly that. Her eyes narrowed, and his mouth kicked up into a full-fledged grin that she had to admit made him even more attractive, if that was humanly possible. He lifted his glass in a silent toast to her before taking a sip.

Oh, yes, Caroline had been right about that, at least. The duke was an absolutely delicious specimen of masculine perfection. Taller than most of the men in the room, he had a broad-shouldered athletic build without being brawny. He wore a well-cut jacket of dark blue worsted over tight-fitting tan breeches with an air of casual elegance.

Combined with dark hair and darker eyes and a face that was all sharp angles and planes, he was a man difficult to overlook and practically impossible to ignore. But ignore him she would.

Deliberately turning her back to him, she joined in the conversation between Caroline and her current candidate for Lily’s attention. Only a few moments passed before she felt someone standing next to her. A quick glance out of the corner of her eye confirmed her suspicion that the duke had joined them.

“Caroline, you’re looking absolutely ravishing this evening.” The duke lifted his hostess’s hand to drop a light kiss on it. “Lady Morley.” He nodded.

“Your Grace.” She shifted her body slightly to the right in an effort to put some distance between herself and the duke, but he subtly shifted with her. She shot him an annoyed glance, but he just smiled innocently.

He turned to the gentleman. “And Williams. How is your father these days? Still hard at work drafting that Education Reform bill?”

The man Caroline had been speaking to answered, and Lily let the conversation flow around her without paying much attention. She must be imagining that the duke had joined their group because of her, she assured herself. As a connoisseur of beautiful women, she was positive he would find nothing noteworthy in her current mode of dress.

No, he had simply joined them to pay his respects to Caroline, as was proper.

“Would you care to take a stroll through the gardens, Lady Morely? You look a trifle warm.” The low rumble of his voice startled her, and her eyes widened in panic as she met Caro’s delighted gaze.

“I don’t think…”

“Oh, but you must, Lily,” her friend, the traitor, urged unashamedly. “His Grace can show you the new water feature we’ve added since your last visit. It is simply divine.”

Lily wanted to strangle her.

“It would be my pleasure,” the duke murmured. “If you’ll excuse us.” With that, the hateful man drew her arm through his and began strolling towards the open French doors and onto the back verandah, leaving Lily no alternative but to go with him or dig in her heels and cause a scene.

She went quietly until they had left the room but balked at the top of the steps leading down into the garden, for some reason quite desperate to get away from him.

“Really, Your Grace. This isn’t necessary. I’m quite sure that there are other ladies here more deserving of your kind attentions. I can’t imagine why you would invite me for a stroll.”

He smiled slightly, his dark eyes studying her so closely she felt a blush rising to her cheeks. She was hyper-aware of his body near hers, of the subtle odor of some expensively masculine cologne combined with a wilder scent that she was sure belonged to the duke alone. She never reacted this way to any gentleman, no matter how attractive.

It was unnerving. “Well, the truth is, my lady, that I wished to have a private conversation with you, and I thought that a stroll through the gardens might provide the perfect…venue. I’d rather not have prying ears around to overhear.”

She was startled. “A private conversation? What on earth could you need to speak with me about, sir? We’ve never even met before today.”

“Please.” He nodded toward the steps and urged her forward, continuing down and onto one of the garden paths to join the few other couples who had decided to take advantage of the pleasant night air. They’d strolled for a few moments in silence, with Lily feeling more and more confused. They had moved deeper into the garden before he spoke again. “It’s true that we are only new acquaintances, but I feel that I know you very well. Stephen and Caroline speak of you quite often, you know. It’s surprising we haven’t met before now, considering your close friendship with Caroline and mine with Stephen.”

“I don’t leave my home often, Your Grace.”

“Ah, yes. You prefer the peace and quiet of the countryside, I understand. But I would have expected you to have attended the wedding of such a close friend.”

“I’m afraid I had contracted a terrible cold and so was unable to make the journey.”

“Ahh…” He paused as they passed a stone bench, directing Lily past the jutting edge she was about to bump into. Halting her with one hand, he reached out and lifted her spectacles from her face with his other.

Pure bafflement held her still for a moment before she could react. Finally she found her voice. “What…Your Grace, please give me back my glasses. This instant.” Lily was furious and wary. How dare he presume so.

“Well, my dear, I would, but I fear you would end our little walk bruised and possibly battered as you blindly made your way around these curving pathways wearing these glasses through which you can hardly see. The stonework is not quite as forgiving as Caro and Stephen’s furnishings. Indeed, I believe I saw you bump into two tables, a sofa, and some sort of ancient Egyptian statuary tonight. Are you aware you spent nearly five minutes conversing to the back of Lord Welling’s head during dinner? No, I didn’t think so. I think I prefer you actually be able to see me while I’m speaking to you. You don’t need your disguise out here.” With that, she watched as he folded the spectacles and placed them in his pocket, and she felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. He knew about her disguise.

She decided to bluff it out. “I don’t know what you—”

“Please, Lily. May I call you Lily? It’s how Stephen and Caroline refer to you, and I’d rather not be so formal right now, if you don’t mind. After all, I’m sure we’re going to become…close…friends.”

She huffed, feeling an unusual warmth in her belly at the intimate note in his voice.

A twinge of panic sped through her at her reaction. She straightened her spine and used her sternest voice. “No, I do not give you leave to use my Christian name, Your Grace. In fact, I’d prefer henceforward you not address me at all. You are quite unforgivably presumptuous, sir. Now, if you don’t mind, I think we should return. I fear I’m growing quite fatigued.”

He reached out as she moved to walk past him and took hold of her arm. “Please. A moment more.”

She saw him smile again and wanted to scream in frustration. Lifting her chin, she nodded for him to continue, “Say whatever it is you feel you need to say. I am eager to be done with this conversation, Your Grace.”

His lower lip trembled a bit, and she had the impression he was trying not to laugh.

He certainly seemed to find her amusing. Or maybe he was just a lackwit who didn’t realize when he was being insulted. Though she was afraid it was the former rather than the latter case.

“I fear I must make a confession to you, Lily,” he continued as though she hadn’t spoken, and her eyebrows rose in surprise.

“What kind of confession could you possibly to make to me, Your Grace? As I said before, we’re virtually strangers.” She made her voice as cold as she could, striving to keep the tremble out of it.

“I’m afraid I…accidentally…overheard the conversation you had with Caroline this morning.”

A sinking feeling came over her. “Conversation?” Good Lord, did he mean… “You were eavesdropping?” she gasped out, closing her eyes in horror as memories of all that was said during that discussion came back to her in a resounding rush. What a disaster.

She opened her eyes and glared. “For shame, sir.”

“Yes, I know. I am thoroughly disgusted with myself.” She just stared at him in disbelief. He didn’t sound at all disgusted. On the contrary, he sounded quite pleased.

“But I just couldn’t help myself. I found the exchange quite…enthralling.”

Her cheeks heated, and she jerked her arm from his. “I find your total lack of manners appalling, sir. It is obvious you are completely unrepentant, so don’t try to cozen me with your empty flattery.”

He laughed. Actually had the gall to laugh at her. “Oh, my dear. You are simply priceless. I don’t think I have ever known anyone like you before in my life.” He stepped back, his eyes studying tonight’s gown. It had a high, ruched neckline and long sleeves.

Again, it was quite ill-fitting, giving no hint of her generous curves. “I must say, your disguise is quite thorough. Again. Though why you want to hide your light under a barrel still confounds me.”

“You know exactly why since you listened to a private conversation that was none of your concern. I’m sure I was quite clear. I have no desire, Your Grace, to have to fend off the attentions of unwanted suitors.” She glared at him, knowing he would understand that she was including him in her statement.

“
Touché
, my dear.” He grinned again, and she wanted to stomp her foot. “But why do you not welcome such attentions?”

Her chin lifted. “I find that gentlemen have nothing to offer me of which I wish to avail myself.” There. That should put the scoundrel in his place. But no. He laughed again.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, my lady.” His hand reached out, and one finger slid down the curve of her cheek. She jerked back from his touch, but the heat of that brief caress lingered on her skin in a way that shocked her. “I believe that the right man might have much to offer you.”

“Much what? Much flattery? Much effrontery? Much arrogant condescension?”

“Much pleasure, Lily. Very much pleasure.” His voice was the low purr of a predatory beast, and she shivered in reaction but attempted to brazen it out.

“Humph. It has been my experience that men are concerned mainly with their own pleasures and not those of their partners.”