One Night Scandal (7 page)
“Yes, other than my better parts.”
“Very well,” she replied and returned her gaze to his handsome face. “I believe you are a very caring man. Is your daughter home tonight?”
“No. I—”
“Would never bring a woman into the house when your daughter was home,” she finished for him. “It would be inappropriate.”
“Exactly. And you think that is an asset?”
“Oh, yes. I should hate to think you believe it is all right to make love to a woman who wasn’t your wife with your daughter upstairs.”
“What else?”
“I do believe you are fishing for compliments, Nicholas,” she said with a little laugh.
“Perhaps. But it’s not often a woman gives them to a man.”
Sophie frowned. “Indeed? Why is that?”
“I believe most women think they are the ones who should be complimented.”
“Well that is foolish, indeed. A compliment should be given no matter who the person is.” Sophie smiled and then kissed him softly. “For example, you are a magnificent kisser.”
“As are you, sweetheart.” He brought her closer and kissed her until she desired far more than a kiss. “Now tell me, what is it that you used to allow me to stay inside you?”
“A sponge soaked in vinegar.”
“And that works?”
“So my mother told me.” Sophie giggled. “Considering I lost count of how many men she’s had over the past twenty-six years, and yet only became pregnant once, I think we’re safe.”
He rolled her onto her back and pressed his body on top of her. “And is it safe for more than once in a night?”
“I believe it is,” she replied with a grin.
“Thank God.” He brushed his tongue over her pebbled nipple.
“But, Nicholas, I should be leaving.”
“Hmm,” he said, suckling her. He raised his head and stared down at her. “I believe we have a few more minutes.”
Unable to look away or deny him anything, she nodded. “I think you might be right.”
And as his head returned to her breasts, she was certain that just this one night might be far more than her heart could survive.
Chapter 7
The roll of thunder rippled through her house, rattling the windows. Never a fan of thunderstorms, she wrapped her arms around Nicholas. Hearing his heartbeat in her ear calmed her irrational fears.
“It’s just a small storm,” he whispered in her ear.
“I know. Just not one of my favorite things.” Sophie smiled against his chest. “Although, I don’t mind so much with you here.”
“I’ll keep you safe, Sophie.”
She wondered if that was possible. Almost every night for the past week they’d met in her house and made glorious love. Many of those nights, they would talk until the pink rays of dawn slowly crossed the sky. They wouldn’t be able to keep this up much longer. Gossip was bound to happen.
Sophie almost laughed at that excuse. She paid her servants extremely well not to speak of her private affairs. But she might need to use it as a reason to keep Nicholas away. Already, her heart was becoming involved when she had made a promise that love would not come between them. A promise she forced him to make.
How would it look if she suddenly decided she loved him?
The more time she spent in his company, the more her heart ached for him. She would have to end things soon. But not quite yet.
“Sophie,” he whispered.
She lifted her head up and stared down into his amber eyes. “Yes?”
He moved his thumb across her lower lip. “Elizabeth has invited me to the opera tomorrow night. There will be an extra seat in their box. Would you care to join me?”
She blew out a long breath. She might be able to keep the gossip down in her own house, but never at the opera house.
Before she could answer, he added, “You would sit with Elizabeth while I sit behind with Kendal. There would be nothing improper about it.”
“She asked me if I wished to attend with her yesterday. However, she never mentioned that you would be joining us.” Now Sophie had to rethink her attendance. Oh, how she wanted to go. But could she? “Improper or not, it will only cause talk.”
“I do not care.”
“I do,” she replied. “My business depends on how I comport myself. Being seen with you would make people think we are lovers.”
“We are,” he said with a sensual grin. “Elizabeth will tell everyone that you attended as her guest and I as Kendal’s guest.”
Sophie frowned as she tried to think of another way to dissuade him. The only problem was she didn’t want to discourage him. She rarely went to the opera except when accompanying one of her friends. Most of those times she had gone with Elizabeth before her marriage so perhaps no one would think improperly of Sophie being there with them. Or maybe she was strictly telling herself this just to have more time with him.
“I suppose as long as I arrive with Elizabeth and her husband it would be all right.”
He kissed her lightly. “Excellent.”
“This might cause some talk.”
“It is an innocent outing to the opera with my cousin and your dearest friend. Nothing more.”
She bit down on her lower lip. “You are certain?”
“Yes,” he said with a low laugh. “Stop worrying about what others think of you. Now will you attend?”
She supposed a marquess didn’t need to worry about such things. But a woman in her position did. She wasn’t certain how her father would react if he discovered she attended the opera with Nicholas in the same box. He might even believe she had taken after her mother, which at this point Sophie might agree that she had. Although, Sophie didn’t think she would be able to become any man’s mistress. It was difficult enough being Nicholas’s lover without letting her emotions get in the way.
“Sophie?”
She blinked and realized he’d been waiting for her reply. “Very well, Nicholas. I will do my best to stop worrying about what others think of me.”
“Good.” He reached over and picked up a book on her nightstand. “Now what are you reading?”
She tried unsuccessfully to snatch the book out of his hand. “Let me have that!”
Nicholas laughed as he kept it out of her reach. “Hmm, what do we have here?
The Wanderer.
”
The Wanderer.
”
“Yes. Have you read it?” She highly doubted he would have read such a feminine based novel.
“Actually, I have,” he replied with a smile. “I believe Fanny Burney does an excellent job showing the plight of women without families to assist them.”
One thing she found fascinating was Nicholas’s interest in reading. Although, she could barely contain her surprise at his choice of books. “Now, why would you find that so interesting?”
“My daughter might have ended up just like poor Juliet.”
“True, but she has family.”
“As did Juliet.”
“Yes, but her family refused to claim her.” Much like Sophie’s own father. She glanced away from Nicholas, blinking furiously. “Perhaps that is why I connected with the story. I have no one.”
While not exactly true, no one could learn of her father’s identity nor her brother or sisters. But Sophie knew she had wonderful friends here, too.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. He leaned toward her and kissed her slowly. “But I think you are wrong when you say you have no one.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think what you need is right in front of you.”
“What do you mean?”
“What you’re looking for is right here.”
She stared at him more convinced than ever that they were getting far too intimate with each other. The idea of falling in love with a man she couldn’t have terrified her. She would not end up like her mother—alone and dependent on other men for security. Or worse, dependent on her daughter for shelter.
He moved away and tossed the coverlet off his naked body. “I should leave now.”
“Yes,” she whispered. Their relationship may have crossed into an area she could not let it go.
Nicholas arrived at the opera house alone. While Elizabeth suggested he drive with them, he knew it would cause Sophie more tension. He wanted this night to be special for her. In truth, he wanted every night to be magical for her.
In thirteen years of being with women, he’d never found one who made him feel so comfortable. They could talk about anything or nothing at all. He’d never felt so comfortable in complete quiet with a woman. Normally the silence meant an argument had arisen. But not with Sophie.
Her rule of not falling in love might be in grave danger. He knew he was halfway there already.
If only he knew how she felt.
He strolled toward the Duke of Kendal’s box, nodding to acquaintances as he walked. Hopefully, people would show some deference to Kendal and Elizabeth by not speaking of Sophie and Nicholas.
He reached the box and a liveried footman opened the door for him.
“Good evening, my lord.”
With a quick nod to the footman, Nicholas entered the box. Four gilt and embroidered chairs faced the stage. Elizabeth smiled at him as he walked inside.
“Your Grace,” he said to Kendal.
“Ancroft.”
“Nicholas, I am so glad you decided to join us,” Elizabeth said. For appearances, she introduced him formally to Sophie.
Nicholas bowed over her hand with a smile. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Reynard.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
He couldn’t help but notice she watched his every move as he headed for his seat next to Kendal. Once seated, he made some polite conversation with the duke before the orchestra started to play. Instead of paying attention to the opera, he watched Sophie.
Why had he never noticed the length of her slender neck? Or the way her hair shimmered like ebony in the flickering candlelight. The more time he spent with her, the more he was coming to terms with his feelings for her. He’d observed pain in her eyes last evening when discussing Fanny Burney’s book. Sophie desperately wanted a family. Something he wanted, too.
Perhaps in a few more weeks, he could broach the topic of marriage again.
He smiled at her mesmerized face. So intent on the opera, she hadn’t even noticed his gaze remained strictly on her. But Elizabeth had. She reached back and slapped his thigh with her fan.
“I believe you should give the opera a bit more of your attention, Nicholas,” she whispered.
He knew she scolded him only to protect Sophie. If anyone else in the audience perceived his attraction to her, Sophie’s reputation might be damaged. And Sophie would rightly blame him if that happened.
Moving his attention to the stage, he attempted to watch the performance. Only his gaze kept sliding to her. He wanted to strip that emerald gown slowly from her body. His thoughts turned to the erotic as he imagined untying her stays and dropping her shift to the floor.
He had to stop. Thankfully, the intermission halted his excruciating ordeal but left him with a slight problem. Being a gentleman, he should offer to retrieve a glass of lemonade for Sophie. But there was no way he could stand up right now.
Sophie turned toward him with a smile. “Wasn’t that beautiful, Lord Ancroft?”
She had no idea how lovely she looked tonight. “Lovely, indeed, Miss Reynard.”
Elizabeth ordered lemonade from the footman, saving him the embarrassment of standing up while his trousers were tented. The door opened and several young men stood in the threshold, staring directly at Sophie. Nicholas had not counted on this unexpected event.
“Good evening, Lord Riverdale,” Elizabeth said as the viscount entered the room.
“Good evening, Your Graces,” Riverdale said and then nodded toward Nicholas, “And you, my lord.” He looked longingly over at Sophie.
Several other men scrambled into the room, in search of an introduction. Nicholas rose and moved to the back wall to watch the scene from afar. His cousin presented Sophie to each of the men in the room. Several glanced back at Nicholas as if to verify that he was not her protector.
He had no doubt that every man in the room wanted only one thing from her. Flexing his hands in frustration, he waited for the crowd to leave. Sophie blushed at the compliments given her and smiled at all the men. Jealousy rippled through him as he watched her speak directly with Riverdale in hushed tones.
Never in all the years he’d been with women had he felt such protectiveness over a woman, except his daughter. But the way he wanted to protect Sophie felt completely different. He barely stifled the urge to pull her away from all those men and growl at them. Instead, he released a long held breath.
Finally the men shuffled out of the box allowing Nicholas to return to his seat. Sophie and Elizabeth pulled out their fans and waved them in front of their flushed faces. They looked at each other and giggled as the opera resumed.
Nicholas stared at Sophie knowing he was in deep trouble.
Three nights after her trip to the opera, Sophie heard the slow tap of a cane and smiled, knowing Lady Cantwell was here for her weekly reading. The woman usually only wanted to know about her grandchildren’s lives. But the last time she was here she surprised Sophie with questions about love. Perhaps the older lady had an infatuation.
“That walk gets longer every week,” the woman stated as she entered the room.
“Come in, Lady Cantwell,” Sophie said with a grin.
“Did you order my tea?”
The woman would only drink her special blend, which Sophie received a shipment of from the lady’s housekeeper every month. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Good, I am parched.” Lady Cantwell ambled toward the table and sat down. “Pour.”
Sophie would never stand such rudeness from her other clients, but Lady Cantwell was special. The woman was a little cantankerous but she knew the business of the
ton
, so Sophie never minded. She’d gleaned all sorts of information from the woman. She poured the tea and then sat down across from her.
ton
, so Sophie never minded. She’d gleaned all sorts of information from the woman. She poured the tea and then sat down across from her.
“Now, I heard a rumor that you were seen in the company of a certain marquess a few nights ago.”
Sophie gulped her tea and burned her tongue in the process. “No, ma’am. I attended the opera with the Duchess of Kendal three nights ago. The marquess also attended as a guest of the duke’s. I had not met the man before that night.”
Lady Cantwell tilted her head and cackled. “Of course. Is he responsible for all the flowers in the entry?”
“No. There were several young men who visited the box during intermission”—she leaned forward for effect—“but I believe most of their intentions are not proper.”
“I assure you, Miss Reynard, men have not changed in sixty years. The men of my youth would take one look at you and your background and assume you are only here for their pleasures. Do not be fooled by their advances.”
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