by Wells, Nancy
“Lady Isabella, how do you fare this morning?” he asked. “I waited for you last night, but you never returned.”
She had fled last night without a farewell to the man who was waiting for her in the ballroom. She had told him that she would return shortly after fetching a glass of lemonade, but she never returned. Her mother had been kind enough to save her from meeting him with puffed eyes.
“I was not feeling well, my lord. I had to leave early.”
She released the breath she had been holding when he got a worried expression on his face. He had bought her lie. He did not suspect that she was lying to him and had avoided him on purpose. She had no desire to end her magical night by seeing his face after meeting a handsome stranger. It made her feel a little bad, but not so much as to feel embarrassed about lying to him.
“That is sad news, my lady. How do you feel now?”
She ignored her mother’s angry glare because she was aware that her mother would force her to engage him in conversation and keep him company. He was the only man who had shown an interest in courting her, but she did not like him. Maybe, if she had never met Russell, she would have considered Lord Harley as a candidate for her husband, but things were different now.
“A mild headache but otherwise good.”
She feigned a wince, swaying a bit and ignored the coughing of her sister. She was overselling her act with her dramatics, but she did not care. As long as the old man bought her act, everything would be fine in the end.
“I was hoping to have a conversation with you, Lady Isabella, but maybe some other time when you are not under the weather.”
Her mother was giving her a hard stare, silently commanding her to engage in a cordial conversation with him, but she was ignoring her mother. She had no desire to encourage him in pursuing her. She would rather have the memory of the stranger then spend a lifetime with this man.
“As you wish, my lord.”
She excused herself and went to her room. As expected, her sister followed her. She lay unceremoniously on her bed, releasing a sigh of disappointment.
“Are you sure, you know the meaning of a handsome pirate?” Margaret asked from the doorway.
“I will box your ears if you do not cease tormenting me,” she said, groaning loudly.
“Should I fetch a dictionary for you, Bella?”
She threw a pillow at her sister who avoided the flying object by slamming the door shut. The pillow bounced off the door while she heard the retreating footsteps of her sister and giggling sounds.
* * *
Russell and Shane were staying with Elliot for a few days. Their presence was welcomed by his wife but not by him. Elliot did not like their banter and unwanted remarks on every topic, but this was precisely the reason for their stay. The twins loved to make fun of Elliot.
The morning after the ball, Russell was whistling a merry tune, unaware of his surroundings. The thoughts of the girl on the balcony were still fresh in his mind, which was why he did not see the approaching figure of his brother until he collided with him.
“Are you blind?” Shane glared at him, rubbing his forehead. “I was right in front of you.”
Russell rolled his eyes at the theatrics of his brother. He was exaggerating the situation by rubbing his forehead. He collided with his chest, not his head. If he had not seen his brother coming his way, then surely Shane had seen him coming. His brother could have easily changed his course and avoided the collision, but there was a strong possibility that his brother deliberately collided with him.
“Sorry, Brother,” Russell said. “I did not see the rascal who intentionally stood in my way.”
Shane grinned in his signature wolfish manner. Russell was right about his brother. His grin only lasted for a few moments before he got a horrified expression on his face. Russell followed the line of his brother’s gaze to his dress. He groaned when he realized his mistake. He had not changed into the clothing his brother had hand-picked for him. It was their routine to select a dress code for the entire week. They always dressed in the same clothes and cut their hair to the same length because Shane wanted to be seen as a mirror image of each other.
“How can you do this to me?” Shane said accusingly. “We had a deal.”
Shane grabbed him by his shoulders and shook him hard. Shane was his only family left in the world; he would do anything to keep him happy. His brother insisted on looking like replicas of one another and he never questioned his reasons. If his brother wanted to fool people with their charade, then he would gladly remain a mirror image of him.
“Enough with the theatrics, Shane. No one will tell us apart even if we forego the same dress for one day.”
“Blasphemy!” Shane gasped.
For the children who were found near a church, they were as far away from God as possible. Shane’s use of the term ‘blasphemy’ so loosely was a testament to their level of devotion to the church. If the priest who had once compared them to demons saw them now, he would probably burn them at the stake.
“Fine.” He sighed deeply. “I am changing into the damn clothing if it would make you leave me the hell alone.”
He turned around, taking a few steps when he felt his brother’s presence behind him. He looked inquisitively at his brother, asking for his purpose in following him. He had already agreed to his insane demands, so why was he still hovering near him?
“I am coming with you,” Shane said.
He knew how to change his brother’s mind. They were practically the other half of each other. They were both aware of each other’s flaws and weaknesses, but they had boundaries too. Despite the requests of whores at the establishment of Madam Sabrina, they had never shared a woman. They had no desire to see each other’s bodies. They might look the same, but they were different people. Despite what others might think about them, they had some boundaries established between them.
“Do you want to see me disrobe?” Russel asked.
Russell rolled his eyes when his brother stumbled and faltered in his tracks. He did not believe for one moment that his brother had truly stumbled. His brother was being over dramatic which was a norm for him. He also knew that if their roles were reversed, he might have acted in the same manner.
“Fair point,” Shane said. “I trust you to follow a few simple rules.”
Russell mumbled a few colorful words under his breath and turned back to change. He blamed his Siren for this mishap. She had been predominantly on his mind ever since he had left her on the balcony. His heart yearned for one more song of the Siren.
When he had changed his attire and returned, his brother was already gone. Any other day, he might have gone looking for his brother, but he had no desire to think about his irksome brother when he could recall the sweet memory of a Siren’s call.
He was wandering in the gardens when he felt a presence behind him. He looked back and found a blonde-haired girl standing behind him. The orphan who was once afraid of her own shadow was now standing with an aristocratic grace of a true duchess. She was married to Elliot, who was a fearsome duke to others, but not for his wife and the twins. Russell had played a little matchmaking between them in the beginning, but they had found love in each other’s arms of their own accord.
“I have a favor to ask you,” she said.
He was not sure whether she intended to speak with him or his brother. Elliot was fair game to them, but she was off limits to their mischievous behavior. Elliot would literally do them bodily harm if they caused grief to his wife and he had no intention of getting smacked around by his friend.
“Do you know my name?” he asked.
“You are Russell,” she replied.
“What makes you think that?” he asked, still not convinced. “I could be Shane for all you know.”
She smiled sheepishly, fidgeting from one foot to another. Elliot might have taught her many things about being a proper duchess, but he could never take away her innocence. He suspected that it was a deli
berate move on Elliot’s part. Elliot adored the innocence that surrounded his wife.
“I would have believed that, but I have already mistaken him for you a few moments ago.”
Russell laughed, imagining her going after his brother and asking for a favor. He knew his brother would have felt more uncomfortable than she at that moment. For all his big talk, Shane would never take advantage of a woman, even if no one could suspect his identity.
“What can I do for you, Your Grace?” he asked, wiping tears from his eyes.
She did not get angry with him for making fun of her. She blushed at his bawdy laughter but did not stomp away like any other lady might have done at that moment.
He thought of his Siren. What would be her reaction if he misbehaved before her? Would she box his ears or scream for help? He wished for the former case because the latter would spoil all his imaginations.
“I heard we have new neighbors. I wanted to greet them properly by visiting them.”
He understood her underlying meaning. For some strange reason, she was asking him to accompany her to meet the new neighbors. He had far more important things to look into than meeting some strangers. He could not avoid his duties to the authorities. He was trailing a dangerous criminal these days who was involved in the illegal supply of weapons and drugs.
“Why are you asking me this? Surely someone from the household could accompany you?”
She had personal maids and a number of other servants at her beck and call. They loved her more than they feared Elliot. There was a reason for her request, and he had a mind to dig deeper before agreeing to help her.
“Elliot would worry unnecessarily if he knew I had met strangers. I cannot trust anyone to be discreet about it without him pulling the information from them. Everyone else is obligated to answer to him, but you are not.”
He would do anything for her, even tolerate the boring company of some pompous noblemen, but he did not want to jump into a situation that might hurt his friend. He did not want to aid and abet her if she was hiding something from her husband.
“Why are you interested in meeting with them if you know it would make your husband worried?”
“I heard rather upsetting news this morning from one of the maids. A young lady was not favored by the society.”
Russell’s expressions softened. It was not long ago when Emily felt abandoned by everyone. She had endured hardships in life and now she was helping another who might feel alone too. She had a good heart. Elliot was lucky to have her in his life.
“And you want to welcome her because you feel a kinship to her.”
He completed the unspoken words in her sentence. He recalled the orphan who was tormented by her aunt until Elliot came into her life and brought happiness to her. It was natural for her to feel a connection to someone who was being mistreated by society.
“Is it bad to think that?”
She was looking expectantly at him, waiting for his sage advice. He could not bring himself to lie and avoid going with her. He would gladly endure a few uncomfortable moments to make her happy. After all, she was trying to help another human being.
“No, it is not. It only shows that you have a beautiful soul, Your Grace.”
Russell agreed to escort her to the neighbors’ house, but that did not mean he was happy to spend time in the company of strangers. Russell was always reluctant to meet people he knew nothing about, but he put a stoic expression on his face to appease the duchess.
“You can leave me at their entrance and then collect me in a few moments,” she said. “I know you have no desire to meet and greet them. You are doing this for my sake. Willy and my maids will be with me. I only need you to reassure Elliot of my safety when he asks you.”
Russell smiled. His displeasure at the news of spending time with strangers was evident on his face. The duchess had read his expression like an open book. He should feel bad about being so expressive, but he was not going to press his luck. He was usually good at hiding his true feelings, but the thoughts of that girl had made him sloppy today.
* * *
When Emily and her maids went inside the house of their neighbors, he was about to turn around, but a movement in an open window caught his attention. A lady was brushing her hair and her lips were moving silently. She seemed to be humming to herself. He could not see the face of the girl from the distance, but the way his heart was pounding, it could only be his Siren. She was the only woman who could make his heart beat erratically. He should leave her be and mind his own business, but his body had a mind of its own when it came to her. He ascended a tree, jumped on the roof and sneaked inside her room through the window in broad daylight.
Isabella was deep in thought, sitting on a small ottoman before the dresser, unaware of the intruder who had turned up inside her room through the open window. She was humming the same tune that had attracted the stranger. An irrational part in her mind believed that he would come again if she hummed the same melody. She knew she was being silly, but a yearning heart would desire the impossible.
She heard a knock coming from her door. She did not want to be grilled by her sister’s questions again. Seeing Lord Harley had brought melancholy to her beautiful morning. She had wished for the handsome stranger, but her wish was not granted.
“Go away, Margaret,” she yelled.
The knocking came again, this time more insistent. She turned around, ready to reprimand her sister. Her words died inside her mouth when she saw him leaning against her window. The knocking had come from the window, not the door.
She was shell-shocked for a long time, gawking at the stranger. She rubbed her eyes, shook her head, but the image did not change. She was expecting him to vanish before her eyes like the night before.
“How is this possible?” she asked. “Are you a ghost? No. Wait. You cannot be a ghost because I felt your touch last night.”
She was blabbering. She was responding to her own questions, without giving him time to respond. She was busy trying to make sense of her reality, so she did not see him coming towards her until she felt his hands on her shoulders. She looked above at his towering figure. Just like the night before, he had the same mischievous smile on his face.
“Fate has a way of bringing us together, my Siren. I thought I would never see you again, but fate had other plans in store for us.”
Her eyes got wide when she saw him dipping his head towards her. She leaned back on the ottoman, away from his face. She looked towards the unlocked door and squirmed on her seat. She was not a fool to misunderstand his intentions.
“What are you doing?” she asked, gulping audibly.
She could not avert her gaze from his lips. She should object, but her mind and body were betraying her. She should say no to him when he palmed her face and leaned his head down again, but she did not protest because she wanted to feel his plump lips against her mouth.
She closed her eyes, anticipating the magical moment when he would touch her lips, but to her disappointment, he did not connect their lips. His mouth was hovering above her mouth, but not covering the few millimeters that remained between them.
“I am stealing a kiss,” he said.
Her breath hitched. She had forgotten about her question. Thinking about his lips and then hearing him declare it out loud was not the same. For some inexplicable reason, her breath became shortened.
“Why?” she whispered.
She was not sure why she was asking this question. Maybe she wanted to hear his voice again or maybe she wanted to prolong this moment for as long as possible. When it came to him, her mind stopped producing rational thoughts.
“Our night was supposed to end with a kiss. I am collecting my due.”
He was waiting for her to make up her mind about the kiss. He could read from her reactions that she wanted him to connect their lips, but he wanted to hear her say it. He wanted her to ask for a kiss.
He waited patiently for a long time, but he lost his control wh
en her tongue came out and wet her lips. He kissed her hard on her mouth without wasting another moment. She tasted like a forbidden fruit that was always out of his reach.
He did not have to fight for entry to her mouth because she took the initiative herself by pushing her tongue into his mouth. They were both thirsty for each other. No matter how much they drank from the moment, their thirst was not quenching.
Their spell was broken when a knock came at the door. He did not want to leave her, but he did not want to ruin her reputation either. Emily was waiting to meet her downstairs. It would humiliate both her and the duchess if he were found in her chamber at this moment. He moved away from her reluctantly and moved back towards the window opening.
“We will be seeing one another again,” he said, looking back before climbing out the window. “I promise you this.”
When he vanished from her sight, she touched her lips gingerly with the tips of her fingers and smiled. She was filled with joy at the prospect of meeting him again. Her room was not on the ground floor. She imagined him climbing the drainpipe to reach her window and it made their meeting more interesting.
Before this day, she had yearned for a handsome suitor to come knocking at her door and now a handsome man was scaling the walls to get to her.
It was the second time they had met, yet they did not bother to ask about their private lives. She knew nothing about him, but she was still aching all over to feel him close to her again. She craved the touch of her handsome pirate who did not bother to ask her name. She should protest, but she liked the name he had given her more than her own name.
“Are you in there, my lady?”
She was brought back to the present by the sound of a maid. She had forgotten about the knocking at the door. She looked back at her reflection in the mirror and stifled her gasp. Her lips were swollen while her hair was all messed up. She brushed her hair with wild frenzy and gave permission to the maid to enter her chambers.