“Juliet, Lady Juliet Gale.” She slid her tongue along her lower lip before catching it between her teeth. It was all she could do to keep herself from reaching for him and pressing her lips back to his.
“I will stop if that is truly your wish.” He brushed his lips against hers. A soft and sweet meeting of his flesh to hers. “Tell me you dislike my kisses.” He brushed his lips against hers a second time. “Say it is so, and I will leave you to your book.”
Her mouth went dry as she stared into his passion-glazed eyes. She really ought to tell him to go. Demand that he do so and deny enjoying his kisses. Yet, she could not find the words. Instead, she asked, “What is your name?”
He gave a devilish grin. “Giles Fortescue, and I am going to kiss you now.”
Surely, she’d gone mad, for she leaned in, desperate for him to do that very thing. She welcomed the press of his lips against hers and sank into the kiss. Juliet relished the desire burning within her as she gave herself over to him.
A woman’s shriek broke through the fog of Juliet’s mind a moment before Giles released her. She stared over his shoulder in shock and freight at the woman standing just inside the door. Her blood ran cold as the woman pointed at them and yelled. “He’s compromised her!”
Juliet’s heart tumbled at the sight of two older matrons standing several paces behind the younger woman. She’d wager that everyone in attendance would hear of this by hours end.
She closed her eyes and shook her head. Her reputation would soon be in tatters, and she had no one save for herself to blame.
She really should have stopped him.
Chapter 3
“There is no reason to carry on, Kitty,” Giles said, his voice firm as he took two long strides toward her. He wanted to wring her neck! But then, he could scarcely blame the woman. He had set up a tryst with her, then quickly forgotten when he came upon Juliet.
Of course, Kitty would be angry. But, bloody hell, she had no cause to scream and carry on. Juliet would be ruined if anyone else came upon this little scene.
He froze at the sight of the countess and baroness standing further back in the hall. Too late, for others were already paying witness. He’d had every intention to put an end to Kitty’s outburst and gain her silence on what she’d witnessed. But now…
Bloody hell. He could have succeeded where Kitty was concerned, but there was nothing he could do about the gossiping matrons. The thought sobered him, the effects of the brandy he’d consumed being no match for the fine mess he now faced. He patted his coat, wishing for more brandy to magically appear in his decanter as he faced the three women crowding the doorway.
The countess strode forward, her lips pressed into a disapproving pucker as she shook her head in a slow back-and-forth manner. She pointed one wagging finger at Giles and said, “You will marry her.”
“With due haste,” the Baroness added. Her ample red cheeks shook with the force of her words and furry.
Giles’s stomach churned and his pulse speed. “I am sure we can sort this out.” He turned his peering gaze on Kitty. “Lady Lambert can attest to my claim that nothing untoward happened here.” He turned a challenging gaze on her, “Isn’t that right, Lady Lambert?” he asked, his tone demanding and cold.
Kitty crossed her arms over her bust and huffed a furious sigh. “You had your hand under her skirts. Her legs were spread, and the two of you were kissing. Nothing untoward, my foot! You were ravishing her!” She said, with venom dripping from her tongue. “You ruined the girl, and quite thoroughly, I might add.”
Giles cringed inwardly as he wished Kitty had not added anything to the discussion. Why the duce had he thought she would help?
“I can explain,” Juliet said. She must have slid from the table because she marched past Giles without sparing him a glance. “This is all a mistake,” she continued. “A rather large one, I will admit, but still, all is not as it seems.”
The countess stared at Juliet. “Regardless of the circumstances, dear, he compromised you. Now he must do right and marry you,” the countess said with authority. “You must stand up for yourself.”
“There is no need for—” Juliet argued, but the countess cut her off before she could expound.
“There is every need, Lady Juliet,” the countess said, her tone brooking no argument. “You are ruined and will remain such if he does not wed you.”
“I am not ruined,” Juliet continued to argue despite the countess’s firm tone. “My virtue is fully intact.”
“No one will ever believe that,” Kitty drawled. “Why with a rogue like him… it’s laughable.” She laughed as she finished speaking, and the sound sent ice down Giles’s spine.
He should step in and help the lady make her case, but at this point, words failed him. He had indeed taken liberties with Lady Juliet. The sort that gave him intimate knowledge of her and quiet toughly ruined her. He’d wager no other man knew the curve of her silken thigh, or the sweet sound of her pleasure filled moans.
The baroness drew closer, then turned her angry glare on Giles, snapping him from his pondering. She pointed her gnarled finger at him once more and said, “That reprobate took liberties with you. He will marry you.”
Giles cringed as the matron turned back to Juliet. “It is his duty and yours as well. Where are your parents?”
Juliet peered at the collected company; her cheeks flushed scarlet and blue eyes flashed with anger. “That is none of your business. I must speak to the duke,” she said, then notched her chin with defiance as she strode toward the door, paying no heed to the women blocking her path.
Giles fought the urge to ravish her again. To make that becoming blush painting her cheeks spread to her toes. He fisted his hands at his side and stood in place as she strode toward the door. Thorne would kill him, but she was right. If anyone could help now, it was he.
Perhaps Giles should follow her and speak with Thorne himself.
Bloody hell, he would give his left arm for more liquor right now.
Both arms to be between the fair Juliet’s thighs.
Pressing his eyes closed for a heartbeat, he shook the thoughts away. Surely he was daft to stand here thinking of booze and frigging while his freedom hung in the wind.
As Juliet reached the door, Kitty stepped into her path and took hold of her arm. Juliet narrowed her eyes on Kitty. “Take your hand from me,” she seethed, her back stiff and head held high. She wasn’t the least bit cowed by Kitty, and it made Giles want her all the more.
“The duke is right here. Say what you must.” Kitty nodded toward Giles, and white-hot anger surged through him. How had he ever wished to spend time with the venomous creature? “Isn’t that right, Cleburne?”
Juliet’s blue eyes rounded as she looked at him, her gaze full of fury. She jerked her arm free from Kitty’s hold and fled.
Giles felt a stab of regret as he watched her expression change the moment Kitty spoke his titled name. He should have told Lady Juliet when she asked who he was. Undoubtedly, the lady knew of him—knew what a reprobate he was reported to be.
Giles strode toward Kitty, a menacing set to his jaw. “Are you satisfied now?” He asked, disdain thick in his throat.
She gave a bone-chilling smile. “Quite.” Then turned and walked away.
He exhaled a deep breath as he scrubbed his hand over his face. He had to find Thorne and Juliet. If he must marry the chit…
Well, he could think of worse fates. But he’d not give into facing the vicar just yet. Not before he had a chance to smooth this over. He started toward the door.
“I think not,” the countess said, then slammed the door and turned the key, locking him inside. “You will wait here,” she called from the other side.
So be it, then. Giles blew out a slow breath and pulled his decanter from his coat. He tipped it against his lips, but scarcely a drop of brandy met his tongue.
Resigned to wait, Giles stretched out on a nearby sofa, crossed his feet at the ankles, and
leaned back against the armrest.
Chapter 4
After sending a footman to retrieve Olivia and Thorne, Juliet went to the duke’s office to wait for them. Her heart raced, her breathing quick and tears threatening as she paced the floor, waiting for them. If anyone could save her, it would be her friends.
She stopped pacing and worried her bottom lip as she stared into the fire crackling in the hearth. She wished she could cast herself into the flames.
No, she wished she could cast the Duke of Cleburne into them. Had she known that was the man kissing her, she would have fled straightaway no matter how much she had enjoyed the contact. He was infamous for his debauchery and affairs. She could not marry such a man.
What the devil was taking Olivia and Thorne so long.
Juliet exhaled a calming breath when they, at last, entered the office. “Thank God you are here. You must help me.” She turned imploring eyes on her friends. “There has been a terrible mistake,” Juliet continued, her mind racing as quick as her heartbeat.
“Without question, we will.” Olivia came to her side and wrapped her arm around Juliet’s shoulders. “But first, you must tell us what happened?”
“Lady Herbert and Lady Stanford say I have been compromised. And Lady Lambert, the vile creature, agrees with their opinion,” Juliet pulled in a breath, “but it is a mistake. A terrible misunderstanding.” Juliet turned her gaze to meet Thorne’s. “You have to help me. I cannot marry Gil… Cleburne.”
Drat and blast! She’d nearly used the rogue’s given name. Her anger blossomed anew, for she’d not have made the mistake if he’d revealed his true identity from the start. And judging by the way Thorne’s eyes narrowed, her mistake had not escaped him.
Olivia rounded on her husband. “I told you there was danger in inviting such characters. Not all peers are worthy of inclusion!” She pointed her fan toward Juliet. “And now look what’s happened.”
“Do calm down,” he said. “Let us understand the situation before you jump to conclusions.”
Olivia paced over to him. “Calm down? Truly? Your reprobate friend compromised my dearest friend, and you are telling me to calm down!” She seethed. “I warned you inviting him would lead to trouble.”
“But he did not ruin me. He merely kissed me.” Juliet folded her arms over her chest. “This is a mistake. A colossal mistake, and surely Thorne can undo the damage.”
“See, darling, nothing to fret over. It is a misunderstanding, and I am quite certain we can sort it out.” Thorne reached for Olivia, but she stepped out of his reach and returned to Juliet’s side. He scowled for a brief moment, then directed his words to Juliet, “Tell us what happened?”
Juliet swallowed past the rising lump in her throat and notched her chin in a show of confidence she did not really feel. “I required a few moments to myself, so I left the ball in favor of the library. It was my intention to select a new book, then return to the ball. I found one that intrigued me and was standing with my back to the door reading when Cleburne mistook me for another lady.”
Juliet angled her head to study Juliet. “Then you were caught? Alone with him?”
“Not exactly, there is more.” Juliet nibbled her lower lip before blurting out the rest. “He kissed me, and when the others discovered us, his hand was under my skirt.” Her cheeks burned at the admission, and she quickly added, “He thought I was another.”
Thorne’s face flushed as his gaze turned angry. “He will marry you. I will see to it.”
Juliet shook her head, her mind frantic as she processed it all and tried to determine what to say or do next. She had not recognized Cleburne, for she’d never meet him, but she well knew his reputation. The Duke of Cleburne was a notorious rake and well understood to be a renowned lover.
She could not marry a man, such as him. Her stomach rolled, but she ignored the sick feeling and squared her shoulders in defiance. “Surely, I am not to be punished for a mistake. He did not intend to kiss me. He thought I was another, and I do not wish to marry him all due to a case of mistaken identity. Please fix this,” she begged.
Olivia rested her hands on Juliet’s arms and stared into her eyes, understanding and sympathy in her warm gaze. “Thorne is correct. You were irrevocably compromised no matter who Cleburne thought you were. If you refuse to wed him, the choice will see you ruined. Your parents will not stand for the scandal that is sure to follow.”
Juliet fought the tears welling in her eyes. She knew Olivia spoke the truth, but how could she marry such a man? She’d be destined for misery. Marring him would destroy all of her dreams of love. Any hope of happiness would be forever gone.
Olivia closed her eyes and drew in a breath. “We will all pay the price if you refuse. Louisa and Catherine too.” Olivia shook her head as if clearing her mind. “I know you wanted love, Juliet, but this situation…” her words trailed off.
“The countess and baroness are renowned gossips, and I would wager Lady Lambert is out for blood. At this very moment, the three of them are in the ballroom. Soon everyone in attendance will know what they saw,” Thorne finished speaking for his wife.
Olivia reached for Juliet’s hand and gave an encouraging squeeze. “Of course, we will support you regardless of the fallout.”
Juliet’s eyes welled with unshed tears as she considered her situation. Olivia and Thorne were right. She’d not marry at all if she did wed Cleburne. No one would ever believe a rogue such as he left her a maiden. Especially not with Lady Lambert spreading the salacious details of what she’d caught them doing.
Regardless of what happened now, Juliet would not find love, and if Catherine and Louisa paid the price for her mistake… Juliet would never forgive herself.
She pressed her eyes closed for a heartbeat and willed the moisture to subside before meeting Thorne’s gaze. “The countess locked Cleburne in the library. If he agrees, I will marry him.”
Olivia wrapped her arms around Juliet, then nodded to her husband.
Thorne clenched then unclenched his jaw before saying, “I will speak with him at once. He will stand by you, Juliet. I assure you he is not so bad as they make him out to be.” Thorne turned his attention to Olivia. “Stay here. I will return with Cleburne, and we will all go down together to announce their betrothal.”
Chapter 5
“What the devil.” Giles crossed his hands over his head to stop the onslaught of thwacks.
“Good, you’re awake,” Thorne growled, his tone dripping with anger.
Giles opened his eyes to find Thorne glaring at him. It came as no surprise, given what he had done. Still, the man could have woken him in a more civil way.
Did their years of friendship count for nothing?
Giles uncrossed his ankles but made no move to rise. “Tell me you’ve brought brandy?” he said. “I am far too sober.”
“I came to discuss Lady Juliet Gale.” Thorne kicked the sofa Giles was lounging on. “Get up.”
Giles blew out a slow breath as he met his friend’s angry gaze. “About that—”
Thorne fisted his hands at his sides as he said, “Lady Juliet is my wife’s dear friend. An innocent lady whose parents entrusted her to me, and I will defend her honor. You will either marry her or face my pistols at dawn.”
“Good God, man.” Giles sat up, his gaze holding Thorne’s. “You would shoot your oldest friend?”
“If needs must,” Thorne seethed. He shook his head. “Do tell me you have more honor than to ruin an innocent then refuse marriage.”
Pushing to his feet, Giles gave an amused grin. So much fuss over such a small chit.
“Keep grinning like that, and I will shoot you now.” Thorne took a menacing step.
Giles held out his hand, his palm facing Thorne. “There is no need for such overt violence,” he drawled as he smoothed his cravat. “What would your mother think? The dear girl could not abide fighting, let alone dueling.”
“In this case, she would understand.” Thorne lunged
at Giles, but Giles rounded the sofa before Thorne could capture him. “I am only messing with you. Relax old chap. I’ll marry the girl.”
“Right you will,” Thorne said, his tone firm.
Just then, a knock sounded, and Thorne turned to the door. “Enter.”
Both men stood silently as a maid carried in a tray and placed it on a nearby table before backing from the room.
Thorne strolled to the table and took up the kettle. “It’s coffee to sober you up before we announce your betrothal.”
“I would rather be foxed,” Cleburne said as he accepted the cup. Though in truth, he had mixed feelings on that particular score. If he had not been sauced earlier, he likely would not be in this mess. All the same, it was easier to face such chaos when one had fortification.
He sipped his coffee, his mind replaying the last hours’ events.
Truth be told, he knew he should have released the lady the moment he realized she was not Kitty. But Juliet was so damn beautiful. Her lips so luscious, he could not ignore them. Then a taste was not nearly enough. He simply could not help but sample her, and once he did, all thoughts of Kitty fled his mind.
Bloody hell, he’d even forgotten their planned tryst. Such behavior was not above him, but the sloppiness of the situation, that was. He had always been careful not to get tangled up with innocent ladies, as well as to keep his assignations private.
What was it about the fair Juliet that caused him to lose all control? Regardless, she did not bear the blame for their discovery.
This was all his fault, and he would do the right and honorable thing. Thorne’s assessment of his character was correct—Thorne did posses honor—too much integrity to toss the poor girl to the wolves of the ton.
Thorne’s expression softened as he said, “Juliet is not only dear to Olivia, my sisters and I also have a care for her.”
Have Yourself a Merry Little Scandal: a Christmas collection of Historical Romance (Have Yourself a Merry Little... Book 1) Page 52