The first strains of the waltz were just beginning when he put his hand on her waist and whispered, “I am here to claim my waltz, Violet.” He could feel her warmth beneath his hand. It made him long to touch her without so many layers of clothing between them.
She turned in his arms and he swept her onto the dance floor.
“I saw you talking to Robert earlier – not that I was looking for you,” she added hastily. “What were you discussing?”
They had been discussing her, of course. But he couldn’t very well tell her that. “What makes you think we were saying anything suitable for a young lady’s ears?”
“I am quite certain you weren’t, but that would make it all the more interesting.”
“Minx. Are you enjoying your big night?”
“I do not know why people attach so much importance to a debut ball. I certainly hope it is not the most special night in my life, as some claim it will be. While I appreciate everything my family has done to make it happen, there are many other occasions I look forward to.”
“Such as?” Wes loved the way her distinctive green eyes lit up when she was arguing a matter of importance. He was not quite sure what she was saying since all cogent thought had flown out of his head the moment he’d taken her into his arms, but it seemed polite to ask.
“Such as when I help bring a babe into the world. I love helping Mama with the births. I am not quite as fond of helping those who have had accidents involving a great deal of blood. But the babies are wonderful. Are you listening to me?”
“Of course I am! What a question.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, as well she might. “Is Letty enjoying the evening? Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to speak with her much. Who is she dancing with?” Violet looked around the ballroom, once again giving Wes a tantalizing view of her neck.
“She is with Robert, but they are not dancing.”
“Really? How very interesting.”
Why was she interested? Robert had always said he and Violet were like brother and sister. But did she see him as something else?
Now Wes narrowed his eyes.
“What is the matter?” she asked. “You look like you ate something which did not appreciate having been eaten.”
“I am perfectly well, I assure you. What is your interest in Robert and Letty?”
“She is one of my best friends. I just wanted to ensure she was with a decent supper partner.”
“And I suppose you believe Robert is a brilliant supper partner.”
“Are you certain you are not unwell?”
“I am perfectly fine, I assure you!” he all but bellowed at her. Unfortunately, they had just passed Lord Arthur Kellington and he turned to stare.
Great. All he needed was England’s great spymaster out to get him.
“I am not sure why you would ask me to dance only to spend the entire time scowling at me and barking out questions. This is not how I envisioned this dance would go.”
“You envisioned this dance?”
She narrowed her eyes are him. “I did not envision this dance, as much as the night of my debut ball. Well, not the entire ball as much as one thing in particular.” She shook her head and stopped speaking.
And Wes was consumed with the idea of kissing the lips which were now so firmly pressed together. “Tell me what you wondered about.”
“You will only laugh.”
“I probably won’t only laugh. I may also tease you about this incessantly for years to come.” At her frown, he quickly added. “Pray forgive me for my attempt at humor. Tell me what you envisioned.”
She considered it a moment. “I was hoping I might be kissed for the first time.”
Wes stopped them mid-waltz. “And who the devil was going to do that?” They were almost run over by another couple, so he moved them toward the terrace doors and lowered his voice to slightly less than a roar.
“Stop bellowing,” said Violet, her color heightened. “You are making a scene. Another moment of this will bring my entire family down upon your head and I am quite certain you do not wish for that to happen.”
He certainly didn’t, but he also did not believe he could have this conversation and not become overheated by anger and any number of emotions. He took her hand and escorted her out the terrace doors.
* * *
Violet did not know which mad impulse had made her blurt out her dream of being kissed. But Wes had been in such a foul mood as they were dancing, while she had longed for that waltz for a lifetime. She was now being escorted outside by the object of her affections as if she were about to be scolded. And she was done with being told what to do by this man.
“I hope you have a good reason for making me miss my own ball,” said Violet, who was breathless from either their fast pace or the fact that Wes was holding her hand.
“I would like to know what you’re about, trying to be kissed,” said Wes, as he finally came to a halt. “I also hope you didn’t tell any other man about your intentions. You could be compromised in the middle of the ballroom, then be forced to marry. And trust me when I say not a single man in there is worthy of you.”
“Do you really think I am a henwit?”
“Of course not. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
“Then why do you think I would tell just anyone that I wished to be kissed? My family would be appalled, my papa most of all.”
“Why did you tell me?”
That was the question, wasn’t it? She knew why she had told him. She wanted him to be the one to kiss her. But would he? There was only one way to find out. “I told you because I thought you might be the one to kiss me.” When his eyes widened and he pulled back with insulting speed she added, “In the interest of science, of course. You and I have spent many an hour discussing the heavens. I thought this might be a similar experiment, as well.”
“You wish to kiss me as an experiment? That hardly seems flattering.”
“Yet, I believe you will be able to withstand the insult of it. You must instigate the kiss for I would make quite a mull of it. This way I can sit back and be kissed with minimal room for error.”
He stared at her and for a moment, Violet thought he would march her back into the ballroom and straight to her papa. But then he reached out and slowly pulled her toward him. “This is against my better judgment,” he said, his lips just inches from hers.
“That hardly seems flattering,” she said with a smile, throwing his words back at him.
“You are the one who is making this into a science experiment.” He slid one hand onto her waist, as he nuzzled the side of her head.
He was six inches taller than she, which seemed the perfect height. He lowered his head and she went on her tiptoes, wobbling just a bit. He pulled her against him to steady her, which had the opposite effect than intended since the feel of her breasts pressed to his chest made her knees weak. He tightened his arm around her, just as he brought his lips to hers.
At that moment, all of Violet’s senses came alive. She could feel the warmth of his body, the soft but firm pressure of his lips. She had dreamed of this moment for years, but her imagination was nothing compared to the reality. Then he parted her lips and his tongue touched hers.
And everything which had come before paled in comparison.
She melted into him and he held her so closely it was hard to tell if she was pressed merely to him or all the way into him. She heard him moan, which made her move a hand into his hair. She felt heat rushing to her stomach and lower. She could feel the hardness of him press against her softness and, God help her, she could not stop herself from rubbing against him. That brought on another moan as his hand slid down her back to her bottom. As they continued to kiss, she knew this was the best night of her life and it had absolutely nothing to do with her come-out.
They remained together like that for a moment, until she felt him stiffen, then slowly back away. At first her body refused to be parted from his and
he held her again. But then he kissed her on top of her head. “Someone is coming,” he said.
She could not imagine what he was talking about. As far as she knew, no one else existed except the two of them. “Who…” But then she heard it. Someone must have opened the doors to the terrace because she could hear the sounds of people in the ballroom. The beautiful waltz had ended and now people were making their way to supper. She wished they did not have to go in. Letty and Robert would understand if they stayed away. She wasn’t sure they could go in, since she couldn’t disguise her smile, which extended ear to ear. She imagined Wes looked much like she did.
She looked up to see him looking quite the opposite.
* * *
Damnation! How had it come to this? Wes could not believe he had been just moments away from finding the nearest somewhat flat surface and making Violet his. This innocent girl whom he’d known for years had just been all womanly curves and heat as he’d had the best kiss of his life. And if a mere kiss was like this, what would it be like when they made love?
He groaned aloud, vaguely aware Violet was staring at him with some curiosity. He could not even think of seducing her. Well, it was too late to stop himself from thinking about it. He would probably spend much of the night imagining making love to her in great detail. But this was Violet. She deserved more in a husband than a third son who had not decided how to support a wife and family. He had a modest inheritance which would provide an adequate income for the rest of his life, but wasn’t sufficient for a man with a family. He had postponed making a decision about his future, but now that he’d had that kiss…
He would be the veriest of cads to kiss Violet again knowing he could not follow it up honorably with a proposal or even the promise of one. And he could not imagine spending the rest of the evening with her without trying to kiss her again.
“We should return to the ballroom before anyone misses us,” he whispered in her ear, then regretted the very motion because his senses filled with her scent.
Before she could say anything, he all but pulled her across the terrace to the doors lest he change his mind. Fortunately, he found Lorton and Letty almost immediately.
“Lorton,” he said. “Please escort Violet into supper. Unfortunately, I must make my excuses and depart.”
“But why?” asked Violet unable to keep the disappointment from her voice.
He could not meet her eyes, but Wes also took care to avoid looking at Lorton or Letty. He was quite certain his friend was none too happy with his unforgivable rudeness and he knew Letty must have a thousand questions, starting with just what he and Violet had been doing on the terrace.
He wanted to take Violet’s hand, but knew he could not when there were too many witnesses. “I would like to stay, but cannot. I hope to explain one day. Enjoy the rest of your evening. You look beautiful.”
With that, he bowed and tore himself away.
CHAPTER TEN
Marston Vale, 1837, Two Years Later
Violet lay on the small balcony of her bedchamber and looked up into the midnight sky. It was a warm July night and it had not been enough to simply throw open the doors to breathe in the sweet summer air. She needed to lie on cushions and look up at the stars. To search them, really. And to use them to send a message to Wes so many miles away.
After disappearing from her debut ball two years earlier, Wes had made his way to America to study the law. He had wanted to do so in London, but his father had made it impossible. Mayhew believed being a barrister was nothing more than working in trade, which he would not tolerate. Wes would have gone against his father’s wishes, but the powerful earl had made it known that anyone helping his son would suffer his wrath. As a result, Wes had been unable to find anyone to help him.
He had then gone to America to study in Philadelphia. Violet knew this since she had received a letter from him laying out in detail his plans for the future, but not saying one word about their glorious kiss and why he had run away so soon after the event. Or if she would ever play a part in that future of his.
She had lain awake trying to forget that kiss, all the while immortalizing it in her mind. She had even begun to think the kiss had not been nearly as wonderful as she remembered. Except she knew it had been. And she would always know that until the day she died.
Though Wes had not written to her since that letter – it would be improper, of course – she had been apprised of his life from the letters he had written to both Robert and Letty. Each time they told her they had news, she held her breath. On the one hand, she was anxious to hear every last detail about his life, especially when he would be returning to London. But she also dreaded the day she would learn he was betrothed and would soon marry.
She knew she was being foolish. He obviously had no desire to marry her. If he had, he never would have left without saying good-bye. She sometimes wondered why he had kissed her if he had no romantic interest in her. But she had heard men did not value kisses the way ladies did. He likely did not even remember it. He had probably just kissed her to grant her wish, then had gone on his way as if life had not just changed forever.
She tried to be rational. She had wanted to be kissed on the night of her come-out ball and she had been. Indeed, she had been kissed very well. She should simply be grateful for that and think no more about it.
If only it were that simple.
Robert and Letty had told her that Wes had done very well in his studies. Violet’s Aunt Melanie told her he had been putting his knowledge to good use by volunteering for the Kellington charity in Philadelphia which helped former prostitutes start over in America. She was glad he was helping. But she missed him and hoped he would return to London. And that was why she talked to the stars.
Philadelphia was so far away that it was still day there when it turned to night in England. She sent her wishes for his well-being and safe return to the stars, then hoped he would somehow get the message. She knew she was being completely fanciful, but she could not stop her heart’s yearning, no matter what her brain said.
She lay on the cushions, looking up at the night sky, hoping against hope that he would return soon. That he would come home to her.
With that thought, she drifted off to sleep.
* * *
Marston Vale, Three Weeks Later
Wes slowed his phaeton as he neared the village. It was the prudent course of action since there were a few people milling about, as well as assorted dogs and toddlers who could dart out into the lane with no warning. It was nothing like the crowded streets of Philadelphia, where he had spent the last two years learning the law. He had heard so much about the village where Violet had grown up, that he felt like he knew it, though this was only his first visit.
But the real reason he had slowed his phaeton was because he was nervous. Extremely nervous. He had longed to see Violet every day he had been gone and had cursed himself as a fool for ever leaving before telling her what was in his heart. No matter how many times he had justified his decision to leave, one fact kept coming back again and again. He loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. And now he finally had the means to support her. He had not made much money in America, but he was determined to find a position in London which would supplement his inheritance. His father would not dare stop him now. He had enjoyed working with Melanie Kellington’s charity in Philadelphia and had helped them a great deal. He had also found meaning and purpose in his work. He just hoped he had redeemed himself in Violet’s eyes.
Lorton had been terribly angry with him for leaving Violet’s come-out so suddenly. But after Wes had explained why he had left and his reasons for going to America, Lorton had finally understood. Well, actually, Lorton had been livid when Wes confided that he’d kissed Violet, but had calmed down a bit when Wes assured him that he wanted to do the right thing.
Wes had not been entirely forthcoming about the kiss. He had described it as the lightest touching of lips, which had been enough to
anger Lorton to the point they had almost come to blows. If Wes had described the true nature of the kiss, he might not have been well enough to make the journey to America. Lorton might have a weak leg, but he had become a formidable fighter through the years.
Wes had thought about that kiss for two long years and there had been nothing innocent about it. Even now he could taste Violet, could feel her in his arms. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her again as soon as possible and even more thoroughly this time.
He just hoped she wouldn’t kick him out of her family home in the meantime.
Wes finally turned into the drive which would take him back to his love. The house, though larger than most in the village, was only a fraction the size of his family’s country estate. He knew Lady Jane had inherited the property from her parents and it was here that she had supported herself and her daughter by working as the unofficial surgeon in the village. When Lady Jane had married, she and Lord Edward had remained there so she could continue her important work. It was a remarkably enlightened attitude for the son of a duke. But Wes could understand why a man would do anything to make his wife happy.
Wes was still a fair distance from the house when the door opened and Daniel ran out. “Wes!” the fifteen-year-old cried out. “I told you it was Wes,” he said, as he poked his head back inside.
In response, his brothers and sisters all came running out, laughing and excited.
All except Violet, who was nowhere in sight.
Lord Edward and Lady Jane came out, smiling and waving, even as the grooms approached to take his phaeton.
Wes drew to a halt, then leapt down to greet everyone. “Daniel, I would not have recognized you. You are almost as tall as your father.”
Daniel beamed, as Wes had known he would. Daniel adored his father and was at the age when he couldn’t wait to grow up.
“I am anxious to hear your tips on how to survive Eton. It has not always been easy.”
Never and Always (Emerson Book 6) Page 6