She waved a hand. “La, Halsten! I am already compromised. It affords me freedom to be merry.”
“It does not give you carte blanche to be careless.”
“Halsten, you really are a wet blanket and quite the hypocrite.”
He bristled at the truth in her words. In truth, he was a hypocrite. He would see Isabella returned safely home and salvage her honor, but he had had no qualms in inviting Miss Herwood to Chateau Follet. While he had known, before he had first propositioned Miss Herwood, that she was no longer in possession of her maidenhead, he need not have risked what little remained of her reputation for his own selfish interests. He vowed to make it up to Miss Herwood and see that she never again had to frequent gaming hells to support her family.
“But if you must play the protector,” Isabella continued, “I will consider returning to my father on one condition.”
“And what is that?”
“That you escort me.”
“I am escorting Miss Sherwood back to London tomorrow.”
“Madame can part with a carriage and footman for the day.”
She smiled up at him. Halsten looked away. Perhaps she was not as guileless as she seemed.
This was hardly a part of his plan, which had focused on separating Devon and Isabella. It had worked well. The Earl had been informed anonymously that his son was pursuing the daughter of the Duke of Trent, who was known for his temper and penchant to avenge any slight to his family. Halsten knew Devon to have a healthy fear of his own father and so would not gainsay the Earl.
Halsten had no desire to leave Follet, but he was weary of having to keep an eye on Isabella , and he had but one more day to enjoy his time with Miss Herwood. If Isabella stayed, he could not be assured that she would come to no harm. She was moody and reckless.
If he left, his time with Miss Herwood would be at an end.
He barely wanted to contemplate the thought; yet, a premature end to his association with Miss Herwood was perhaps the wiser course. He was developing far too great an attachment to her. Though he wanted nothing more than to be buried deep inside of her once more, and his experience with her in the East Wing had ignited his desire and protectiveness further, staying another day would simply satisfy his self-indulgent lust.
“Very well,” he said to Isabella. “We depart in two hours’ time. I will inform Miss Sherwood.”
“I prefer your company alone.”
He raised a brow at her.
“I admit to being hasty in turning down your solicitations last Season,” she explained. “But having seen you here at the Chateau, you have become a more interesting person. I think we should improve our acquaintance.”
“If you return to Trent in my company alone, there will be talk.”
“If you insist on taking Miss Sherwood, I insist on staying.”
“Isabella, you’re being childish.”
She pursed her lips. “Miss Sherwood seems quite capable. Given her years, I am sure she is accustomed to handling herself.”
Halsten gave her a stern look, but it was true that he trusted Miss Herwood to be on her own much more than he would trust Isabella.
“I will consider it only if Miss Sherwood does not object,” he said.
“She dictates the terms, does she?”
He did not miss the irony, and oddly, he welcomed the opportunity for Miss Herwood to make the decision.
“Unlike Lord Devon, I believe in ensuring that my guests are well cared for. If you will pardon me, I have to attend Miss Sherwood.”
He bowed and left Isabella to her frown.
* * * * *
“Leaving? Today?” Deana echoed as she turned to look at Rockwell standing in the doorway to her chamber with his hands behind him.
She had just changed into another gown, for one of Madame Follet’s terriers had leaped upon her in the garden, casting mud on her previous gown.
“If you are amenable,” he said. “You would have use of one of Madame Follet’s carriages, and Bhadra would accompany you all the way to London.”
“And you?”
“I mean to escort Lady Isabella to her father. With Lord Devon gone, she requires someone to look after her.”
That explained it, Deana thought to herself wryly.
“But if you have a wish to stay, I will honor my duty as your host.”
She frowned. He saw her as his duty?
“And as far as I am concerned, you have fulfilled your end of our bargain,” he said. “I will have the balance owed to you deposited into an account within two days’ time.”
“Thank you.”
She pretended to study the options of ribbons for her hair, too consumed with a rush of sadness to look at him. She had not anticipated their time would come to such an abrupt end, but she had no desire to keep him from the Lady Isabella. Why should she not depart? So that she could enjoy his company for one more day? To what end? Parting ways was undoubtedly the wiser course of action.
When she felt she had mastery over her feelings, she said, “If it is convenient for you, my lord, I am amenable to any arrangement you see fit.”
He seemed relieved, and she knew then she had made the right decision. He approached her and held out a box he had been holding behind him.
“I wish to gift you these.”
Opening the lid, he revealed the Indian jewelry she had worn the other day. Her eyes lighted at the sight of the exquisite baubles, but she knew she could not accept.
“Your last gift to me went to a pawnbroker,” she said, embarrassed. “These are too fine for such a fate.”
“Then keep them.”
She would have, but she needed no reminders of him. “Our arrangement was for a hundred pounds. I require—nor wish for—anything more.”
To her surprise, he appeared rather hurt.
“Your generosity, Lord Rockwell, is beyond the pale. You have done enough for me, and I have enjoyed my stay here beyond expectation.”
Her words seemed to cheer him. He brought her hand to his lips. “Miss Herwood, you are a woman of great exception.”
She smiled. He stared at her intensely. She withdrew her hand.
“I should prepare my valise,” she said, hoping he would leave before her composure diminished.
“Of course.”
He bowed and took his leave. Deana stared at the closed door for several minutes.
Oh dear. She missed him already.
* * * * *
Her time with Lord Rockwell had been short but intense. And as the carriage pulled away from Chateau Follet, Deana willed herself not to be sentimental.
Bhadra was uncommonly talkative, and Deana wondered if Rockwell had instructed the maid to lighten the dullness of the ride back to town. But no one could replace the company of Lord Rockwell. Memories of her time with him kept assaulting her mind—his caresses of her in the beautiful sari, the gallop on horseback, being trussed up to the bed as he tormented her, their tête-à-tête along the stream, and the feel of him inside of her as her body came undone. She would not soon forget him.
Chapter Seventeen
TO ISABELLA’S APPARENT DISAPPOINTMENT, Halsten insisted on riding alongside the carriage for most of the way to Trent. Toward evening, he rode ahead and found a posting inn to stay at for the night.
During their dinner at the inn, Isabella prattled on about various people they knew. “Elizabeth Marley is being courted by James Thomas, of all people. She was partial to Harry, but he had his eye on that American heiress. You remember her? She had such a dark complexion. I wonder that they do not care as much for their features there?”
Halsten had no interest in conversing and idly wondered if this was what a marriage to Isabella would be like. She seemed interested that he renew his hand, and perhaps now that Miss Herwood was out of his life, he should buckle down and be done with marriage.
But, ah, Miss Herwood. What would it be like to be married to her? Would he be able to stay himself from ravishing her all
day long? There was so much more he could do with her. To her. His shaft stiffened at the thought.
“Traveling can be dreadfully dull,” Isabella said. “Perhaps we can amuse ourselves with a game of cards after dinner?”
“We’ve a long day’s journey ahead,” Halsten responded. “An early bedtime would be best.”
He wanted nothing more than to kick off his boots in the privacy of his room and jerk himself to thoughts of Miss Herwood. He wondered if her journey had been pleasant. He had insisted on the finer of Marguerite’s carriages and that Pierre, her favorite manservant, ride alongside the driver and footman.
“Mon dieu, only the best for your Miss Sherwood,” Marguerite had remarked as she stood before her new acquisition, a statue of Eros with wings flared wide and large like the feathers of a Peacock, his body twisted so that one could observe the countenance and the curve of the buttocks.
“The artist studied with Antonio Canova,” Marguerite continued. “Is the derriere not perfection?”
She turned and eyed Halsten. “I wonder if you have not been struck by his arrow?”
“Madame?” he responded.
“My dear Rockwell, I am une femme. I sense things. While my chateau is dedicated to carnal pursuits, its walls are not impervious to more tender feelings.”
Halsten turned to the marble statue. Perhaps he had fallen in love with Miss Herwood. He was sophisticated enough to realize his passion stemmed from more than his fleshly desires for her.
He turned to Marguerite. “The arse is perfect.”
* * * * *
The knock at the door surprised Halsten just as he was about to snuff the candle. Throwing a banyan around himself, he went to answer the door.
Expecting the innkeeper or the innkeeper’s wife, he instead found Isabella in her ruffled nightgown and shawl.
“Is something the matter?” he asked.
“May I enter?”
He hesitated but reluctantly stepped aside. She swept into his room and appraised his quarters. She looked at the bed.
“A luxury compared to the duet beds in the East Wing,” she murmured, stepping towards him. “Did you enjoy last night?”
“I hope never to set eyes on Lord Devon again.”
She looked to his groin. “That did not stop your…arousal.”
“Isabella, what is it you wish?”
“In truth, I care little for Lord Devon myself. But he is gone. As is Miss Sherwood. The time is ours.”
He stared at her as she peered up at him. For a fleeting moment, he considered that she could help him forget Miss Herwood.
He sighed. “Isabella, go back to you room.”
“La, you have not turned into a gentleman of a sudden? How tiresome that would be.”
“As the daughter of the Duke of Trent, you still have a world of possibilities before you. Do not waste your attentions on me.”
“Why not? Did you not seek my favors?”
“I have not renewed my suit.”
“But you and I have much in common. We are kindred spirits, thanks to Chateau Follet.”
He considered her statement. A wife with the same penchants in that realm was certainly attractive.
“We are not suited in other ways.”
She reached out to him and fingered the cloth of his banyan. “Do you not seek in a wife beauty, breeding, and youth?”
And intelligence, compassion, and fortitude, he added silently.
She slipped her hand beneath the banyan to his chest. “Or do you prefer women of Miss Sherwood’s sort? Older and less refined?”
He pulled away from her, angered by her petty disparagement of Miss Herwood.
“I prefer a field unplowed by the likes of Lord Devon.”
They were rude words, but he did not regret them in the heat of the moment. Isabella stared at him, stunned, then colored quickly when she realized his implication.
“You do prefer Miss Sherwood. I wonder if your time spent in India has lowered your standards? Alas, you could have done much better.”
She lifted her chin and stalked out of his room.
She did not speak to him the entire remainder of the journey the following day. The Duke was much surprised to see his daughter as well as the Baron Rockwell. Isabella claimed convincingly that the air in London was a bit stifling and she missed her mother.
“Our paths crossed, and I saw no reason not to escort your daughter home,” Halsten explained when the Duke turned to him.
Despite the late hour, Halsten declined the Duke’s invitation to stay. If the Duke had any thoughts that Halsten intended to pursue Isabella, Halsten wished to put an end to such thinking by preferring an inn and departing from Trent as soon as possible.
* * * * *
“Well?”
Halsten pulled his gaze from the wall and turned to the lovely young woman seated to his left at the breakfast table. Lucille had dark hair, a petite frame, and large, round, innocent eyes that she used to great effect on most persons.
His sister scowled. “You are most unlike yourself, Hal. Did you not hear a word of what I said?”
“No,” he admitted.
He could smell the Darjeeling tea at the table. The scent reminded him of India. And Miss Herwood. He had thought of nothing else since departing Chateau Follet, though he had thought his time there would satiate and purge his need for her. He could fool himself into thinking it was because he had failed to spend that third and final night with her, but his passion for her had only grown. If anything, his shortened time had saved him from becoming irretrievably enamored.
What stayed him was the lack of reciprocity. She had a carnal attraction to him. That much he was sure. Unlike many other women, save for the unfortunate strumpets who gave of their bodies for commerce, Miss Herwood had a pragmatism that no doubt allowed her to separate corporal desire from the heart. She had given no indication that she wished for more than their business arrangement. He had given her the opportunity to have that final night together, and she had declined. She had even refused his gift of the jewelry.
“Hal, need I ask a third time?”
“Forgive me, Lucille,” he said with a concerted effort to hear what she had to say.
She narrowed her eyes. “What has become of you? Are you ill?”
“Please ask your question—for the last time.”
“Am I not to go to London this Season or will you continue your rule as tyrant?”
He smiled. “I have no qualms with being a tyrant.”
“How am I to improve my wardrobe properly? The millinery here cannot compare to what London offers.”
“Come, Lucille. We both know that your primary interest in London is a certain young soldier.”
Seeing she could not fool her brother and guardian, she relented. “You would find him a good and worthy person if you took the chance to acquaint yourself with him. But you would prefer to judge him afar, purely upon his station in life, and cast away my chance at happiness.”
“I want you well taken care of, Lucy.”
“Will you cease to be my brother when I am married? Are we—you—without means? When you describe the poverty you’ve seen in India, are we not wealthy beyond compare?”
He stared at Lucille, surprised by her articulation. Had she matured in the months since last he saw her?
“Perhaps you seek wealth or breeding for your marriage,” she continued. “I seek the happiness and love that Mother and Father had.”
“And you think this soldier can provide it?”
“Yes. Perhaps. But how will I make a better determination sitting here practicing spinsterhood?”
He almost laughed. Pouring himself a cup of the Darjeeling, he recalled his conversation with Miss Herwood. Matters of the heart are rarely rational, she had said. But Lucille had offered very rational rebuffs to him. Perhaps he could trust Lucy with making the proper judgment at the end of the day?
Miss Herwood had also urged a more gentle approach, less didactic—
or tyrannical, in Lucy’s eyes. He thought of Isabella and shuddered inwardly. He dared not think Lucy would behave in a similar manner. He found himself wanting to seek Miss Herwood’s counsel. Looking at Lucille, he wondered if the two women would get along. It was an attractive prospect.
“Very well, you may accompany me when I return to London,” he said.
Lucy squealed and knocked over her bowl of sweetmeats in her haste to embrace him. He nearly dropped his cup of tea as she threw her arms about him.
She pulled back. “And will you meet Wilson?”
“If I must.”
She tightened her embrace. He smiled to himself. At least he could make one woman happy.
“Wilson will be so excited to meet you—and nervous. He holds you in high esteem, given all that I have told him.”
“That I am tyrant.”
“That, too.”
“I reserve the right to resume my tyranny at any moment.”
“Yes, yes,” she said as she returned to her seat. “When do we depart?”
“But I have just arrived. I have had a most tiring journey from Trent and thought to stay here at least a fortnight.”
Her mission accomplished, Lucille fell upon her breakfast with improved appetite. “Why were you in Trent?”
“I had the opportunity to escort Lady Isabella home.”
“Oh. Her.”
He raised his brows at her tone.
Lucille cut into her sausage. “I know her only a little but am not taken by her. She seemed a trifle silly to me.”
She looked at Halsten. “I would you could find the proper woman for yourself.”
Miss Herwood came instantly to mind. He pushed the vision of her away, but he humored Lucy. “And what would constitute a proper woman in your eyes?”
“One that you love.”
“Ah, it is that simple.”
“Of course she must be your intellectual equal, fit your disposition, and stir your passions. But all that is merely fodder for love.”
“I see you are a philosopher of romance.”
“Mother and Father had love between them. They seemed much happier than those whose marriages lacked the same. I know you seek a suitable wife for my sake and the sake of the barony, but I would sooner see you happy, Halsten.”
An Improper Proposition (A Steamy Regency Romance) Page 16