Scandals of Lustful Ladies: A Historical Regency Romance Collection

by Meghan Sloan

  Marina smiled, inclining her head. “Miss Sinclair.” Her eyes swept over Alice, from top to toe. “I thought it about time that I meet the lady who is now taking my place and marrying my fiancé.” She gave a dazzling smile, exposing even, white teeth.

  Everyone laughed a little uncomfortably. Alice felt her face flush.

  “May I introduce my dear friend, Charlotte Hayward,” said Alice.

  The lady inclined her head again but didn’t say anything.

  “Please,” said Alice. “Will you sit down? I shall call for tea directly.”

  The two ladies sat down, side-by-side, on the settee. Alice felt at a complete disadvantage. She was wearing an old gown, suitable for a day at home, and her hair had been swept back into a plain bun, styled in no particular fashion. Marina St. George, on the other hand, was dressed meticulously, looking as though she were attending a fashionable soiree.

  After ringing for the tea she sat opposite them, next to Charlotte. Quickly, she glanced at her friend. Charlotte looked as bewildered as she felt as she gazed at the two ladies. Why were they here without announcement? It was polite to notify the household if a house call was imminent. As far as she knew, no note had been received.

  It is like an ambush, thought Alice darkly. I do not like it.

  She forced a smile onto her face. “Are you both out making a number of house visits today?”

  Lucy smiled, a bit apologetically. “I hope you do not mind the intrusion, Alice. I did want to send a note in advance, but Marina was rather keen to finally meet you…”

  “It is no intrusion at all,” said Alice politely. “I am as eager to make Miss St. George’s acquaintance as she seems to be to make mine.” An outright lie. She did not dare to look at Charlotte as she uttered it.

  Marina was looking around the room. But finally, her eyes came back to rest on Alice. Her gaze was bold and she did not drop it, even after a minute. Alice shifted uncomfortably in her chair, almost squirming under the lady’s scrutiny.

  The moment was blessedly interrupted by the arrival of the tea. While Alice poured the cups, and offered scones and lemon slices, she could feel Marina’s gaze on her the whole time.

  “I am surprised that we have not met prior, Miss Sinclair,” declared Marina, sipping her tea. “You have lived in Bath your whole life?”

  Alice nodded. “I have, Miss St. George,” she replied. “Perhaps we just ran in different circles.”

  “Perhaps,” said Marina reflectively. “Silas and I were always out and about, though. He never left my side for an instant. He always insisted on accompanying me. We were as thick as thieves. But then, he was head-over-heels in love with me.”

  Alice prickled slightly. The fact of Marina’s love affair with Silas was common knowledge, as was his devotion to her. She didn’t know why the lady had to press the point.

  “It is strange to think of it now,” continued Marina, a slight smile playing around her lips. “At the beginning, I had so many suitors that I did not know which to choose. But Silas was so persistent, claiming that there was no other woman for him but me, and that he could not live without me. I was won over in the end, by his wooing.”

  Alice sipped her tea, not knowing how to respond. Charlotte didn’t seem to know how, either. She was gazing at Marina warily, almost as if she was both fascinated and repelled by her. Lucy just looked uncomfortable, shifting restlessly on the settee.

  Marina laughed. “He told me that our love was written in the stars,” she said slowly. “He said that it was destiny, and that nothing could ever keep us apart.” She sipped her tea again. “One wonders how such devotion could be turned around in such a short space of time. I wonder if perhaps loneliness has turned his head, just a little.”

  “I think that Mr. Wilmington knows his own mind,” said Charlotte, in a hard voice. “Feelings can change, Miss St. George. Sometimes, love affairs run their course, after all.”

  “Perhaps,” said Marina calmly, putting down her teacup. “Silas is constant, and steadfast. Those are two of his many qualities. Once he has committed to something, he will stick with it, through thick and thin. He entered the engagement with you, Miss Sinclair, with good intentions, and now…well, now I fear he is such a gentleman that he thinks he must continue with it, whatever his private feelings may be.”

  Alice’s face reddened. She felt as if she had just been slapped. This lady was insinuating that Silas was only keeping on with his engagement to her out of a sense of duty, and that he still loved Marina, deep down.

  The lady looked wide-eyed and innocent, her large violet eyes unblinking as she gazed at Alice. She knew now why people had claimed that Marina St. George was like a force of nature. She had a powerful presence, and Alice felt like the lady could make people bend to her will. Marina was formidable, indeed.

  She took a deep breath. She must respond to her and show her that she was not a pushover. That she would not be manipulated by her. Silas had assured her that he loved her, and that he wanted to marry her.

  “I am glad to see you in such good health,” she said, sipping her tea. “The whole town is abuzz with talk of your return. Tell me, is it true that you cannot remember even a single thing of what happened to you, or anything that occurred, in all the months that you were gone? It seems remarkable, indeed.”

  Marina gazed at her steadily. “It is quite remarkable, but alas, my memory is gone entirely. Perhaps it is a blessing, for I cannot imagine that anything I remember would be good.” She paused. “But I do not live in the past. I am returned now and find that all is topsy-turvy in my absence. That things have happened that are perhaps not for the best.”

  “Life has a strange way of working things out,” said Alice slowly. “Time progresses. Surely, you could not have expected, once you realised how much time had passed while you were missing, that life would stay exactly the same?”

  Marina laughed softly. “Of course, I am not silly, Miss Sinclair! Things change, that is to be expected.” She paused. “Tell me, have you and Silas set a date, for your wedding?”

  Alice shook her head. “Not yet. We have been waiting…”

  “That is strange,” said Marina. “Silas was so aflame with love for me that he declared that he could not delay in making me his own. Soon after our engagement was announced, a wedding date was set, within the month.” She paused. “I wonder why he is delaying, in talking to you and your father about setting your own?”

  “There is no delay,” said Alice stiffly. “We have only been engaged six weeks, after all. It will happen, in proper course. We have no need to rush anything, for we have nothing to prove, to anyone.”

  “Of course you do not,” said Marina, in a slightly patronising voice. “It will happen, in its own good time, I am sure! You will make a lovely bride, Miss Sinclair. Just make sure that you do not choose a gown that is too frilly. With your diminutive stature you would surely be swamped in such a dress and look like a little girl entirely.” She paused. “Silas would prefer to see an elegant lady swanning up the aisle to him. He was always so admiring of my figure. He told me that he preferred a tall lady, that little women left him completely cold. But I am sure with clever dressmaking, he will not even notice, my dear.”

  Lucy looked appalled, glancing at her friend sideways, but she did not speak. Alice could feel Charlotte’s anger, almost like a presence of its own, next to her. But her friend knew how to control it. The only indication was that her knuckles were slightly white, where she tightly gripped her teacup.

  “Indeed,” said Alice, through gritted teeth. “When the time comes to choose a gown, it shall be done with all due thought and skill. Thank you for your concern, Miss St. George. It is so much appreciated.”

  “It is my pleasure,” declared the lady, shaking her golden ringlets. “I was almost his bride, you know, so I have a few tips up my sleeve. If you need any help with arrangements, please let me know, I would be only too happy to accommodate. Silas always said I had impeccable taste.”


  Alice almost snorted out her tea at the very thought of Marina St. George becoming her unofficial wedding planner. “I will keep it in mind.”

  The lady suddenly stood up. “Well, it has been a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Sinclair. And Miss Hayward, of course. But we have other places to be and must not dally.” She stared down at Lucy, who was still seated. “Come, Lucy. You know I do not like to linger, once the decision is made.”

  Lucy jumped to her feet, placing down her teacup. “It has been a pleasure, Alice, and Charlotte. I do apologise again, for the intrusion…”

  “It has been a pleasure to see you, Lucy,” said Alice, smiling. “How have you been, since Hill Lodge?”

  “Oh, fairly well, going to a few events…”

  “Lucy.” Marina’s voice was sharp. “Come along. Good day, ladies.”

  Alice and Charlotte stood up. “Good day.”

  They swept out of the room without another word, Lucy trailing behind Marina like a lady in waiting serving her queen.

  ***

  Alice was still shaking ten minutes after they had left. Charlotte ordered more tea as they sat by the fire trying to unravel the unexpected visit.

  “Why did she come?” asked Alice, staring at Charlotte. “I simply do not understand. She only stayed for less than fifteen minutes.”

  Charlotte refreshed their tea, handing Alice’s cup back to her. “That woman was on a mission,” she said darkly. “Done up like the Queen of Sheba, for a house call, with poor Lucy tottering behind her like a minion.” She paused. “Marina St. George is not taking this lying down, Alice. She wants to get Silas back.”

  Alice frowned. “I don’t understand. He told me that she had taken the news of their broken engagement graciously. He said that she had even wished him well, with ours.”

  Charlotte sighed. “She wants to get him on side, Alice. She is doing that by pretending to be happy about it. This visit was strategic. She wants to sow the seeds of doubt in you, that Silas truly loves her, and not you. Do not entertain her for a minute, my dear.”

  Alice bit her lip. The lady had seemed like she was on a mission. But was there truth in what she said? Even a grain of it?

  She had been so worried ever since she had become engaged to Silas that she could never compare to the magnificent Marina St. George. And seeing the lady in the flesh had heightened her anxiety. The lady was flawless, almost perfection personified. At least, in her outward beauty. Her character was another matter entirely.

  But then, perhaps that was just a result of what she had been through. All the trauma. Silas had always insisted that Marina was a lovely person, as well as physically beautiful – he would hardly have fallen so deeply in love wither her otherwise.

  She took a deep breath. “Perhaps she is not quite herself, yet,” she said slowly. “Who knows how losing one’s memory would affect someone’s personality. I should not be hasty in my appraisal of her.”

  Charlotte raised her eyebrows. “Alice, that woman was not acting like someone in the throes of recovery from great distress and memory loss,” she said tartly. “She was deliberate, and she was calculating. I have my doubts that she has lost her memory at all. Marina St. George strikes me as a game-player – a quite skilled game-player. You should be on your guard with her.”

  “But why would she want Silas back, if she knows that he loves me now and not her?” she asked, puzzled. “Why would she want him, if she knows that he does not love her like that anymore?”

  Charlotte shrugged. “It might just be about possession, Alice. I have heard of such things before. She wants him because she believes that he is hers, that is all.” She paused. “Perhaps it has become a competition for her – to make Silas love her again, just to prove that she can. To take him back off you, just for the sake of it.”

  “I cannot believe it,” said Alice, shaking her head. “Silas would never have been so ardently in love with someone who was so calculating and cold.”

  “Perhaps Silas never knew about that side of her,” said Charlotte pensively. “Perhaps there is a whole other side to Marina St. George that he has never seen. And she is probably not showing that side to him now either, if he thinks that she is being so gracious in defeat.” She paused. “And sometimes, dear Alice, a man can become enslaved to a woman through passion, despite her character flaws. I have read of it, in novels.”

  Alice sipped her tea reflectively. She had read of such liaisons in novels too. It had seemed thrilling at the time, so far removed from her own life. A chaste life, where such passion was something only to be dreamt about. How could she hope to know the hearts of men and women and how they worked? She had no experience with men at all.

  Now she was in the very heart of such passion. Right in the eye of the storm.

  A lady who had been jilted. A man who loved them both. And she was just little Alice Sinclair, stuck right in the middle of it, trying to make sense of it all.

  Chapter 20

  Silas tossed another log onto the fire, where it hissed and spat, before settling down. The flames were almost mesmerising. The day lay before him and he was intending to go and see Alice. He had been dreaming of her last night and woken up in a sweat of desire. It had taken him a long time to go back to sleep. And even then she had haunted his dreams again.

  He sat down, picking up his book before lying it aside restlessly. He didn’t feel like reading. He didn’t feel like doing anything, except seeing Alice. Perhaps he could suggest a short walk in the country again. Her mother or Charlotte Hayward would accompany them, of course, but perhaps they could creep away and find a private spot for a few moments. Perhaps he would be able to kiss and pleasure her again…

  He shivered at the very thought. It was so very tempting. But on the other hand, perhaps their time together would be better spent talking with her father about their impending wedding day. He wanted to set a clear date as soon as possible, and then…well, they could be alone together as much as they wanted.

  He frowned as he thought about it. But then there was the problem of Marina. Should they announce their wedding date when she had so recently returned? It seemed in poor taste, considering the circumstances. It would crush her even more, and he didn’t want to make it more difficult for her than it already was. She was already reeling, from the discovery that he no longer wanted to marry her and instead wanted to marry someone else. It would be a low blow.

  He gritted his teeth in frustration. He didn’t want to wait, but he had no choice. It was the least he could do, for Marina. Alice would understand. She knew how hard it was for his ex-fiancée. Soon, Marina would start to recover. She would start to socialise again, and perhaps even meet another gentleman. When that happened, he would know it was the right time to announce their wedding date.

  He was still dreaming of Alice and that walk in the country when the door opened. It was his mother, her mouth set in a grim line.

  He stood up slowly. “Mother? What is it?”

  “Marina St. George is here,” she announced quickly. “No note, just a knock at the door, like a common labourer.” She took a deep breath. “She claims that she must see you. That it is imperative.”

  Silas felt his heart sink. She was here again, just arriving out of the blue, unannounced, like she had the other day when Nicholas had been here. Why did she keep doing this?

  He nodded slowly. “You can send her in, Mother. I shall receive her.”

  His mother pursed her lips. “As you wish,” she said crisply. “I shall send for tea. Do you require me to stay here, as chaperone?” She didn’t look pleased at the prospect.

  “We shall be fine,” he said slowly. “I am sure it shall only be a short visit after all.”

  She nodded. “Silas…be careful. She is dressed like Boadicea, going into battle. Do not let her turn your head again. Remember your commitment to Alice.”