Seduced by an Irresistible Lady: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Henrietta Harding

“If things continue the way they are, definitely.”

  “Who could have thought your opinion about marriage could change so quickly?” Helena asked.

  Lady Lavinia smiled.

  “Who told you it has changed?” Lady Lavinia said.

  “You might as well tell him no when he asks for your hand in marriage in the near future,” Helena said.

  Lady Lavinia laughed again, the laughter bubbling up her throat till it escaped between her lips. Her mouth was wide open, and Helena saw the pink of her tongue between two rows of small white teeth.

  “So where is he now?” Helena asked.

  “You forget that my cousins were first his friends before he knew me. He’s with them although I’m sure he would have preferred to be with me. He asked if he should come along. I told him not to bother,” Lady Lavinia said.

  “Why? I and Justina would have loved to see him, greater ammunition with which to tease you,” Helena said.

  Lady Lavinia smiled.

  “I knew you would still see him sooner or later. And gossip like this is why I didn’t want him to come,” Lady Lavinia said.

  That’s true.

  “So you plan to soon leave me as a spinster,” Helena said.

  “Woah, let’s slow down a bit. You are speaking as if we are engaged, officially or unofficially. He hasn’t even mentioned marriage,” Lady Lavinia said.

  “Who’s getting engaged officially?” Miss Justina said as she came back to them.

  Helena looked at her standing maid.

  “Do I have any?” she asked her.

  “Yes, ma’am, you have two white gowns. You’ve hardly worn one, so you can wear it whenever you please without starting up a fuss,” Miss Justina said.

  “What of white shoes, hat, all the other accessories?” Helena asked.

  “The only thing you have in the colour white, asides your gowns are your socks, of which you have too many pairs.”

  Helena shook her head. She could not avoid shopping. She could only reduce it.

  “So is Lady Lavinia getting engaged?” Miss Justina asked.

  “It’s in the works obviously,” Helena said eying Lady Lavinia. “Despite Lavinia’s claim that it’s not.”

  Lady Lavinia did not speak. There was a smile still occupying her mouth.

  “Who would have thought of that? Lady Lavinia – freedom from the chains of marriage – getting married? Well, stranger things have happened,” Miss Justina said.

  This time, Lady Lavinia made to playfully beat Miss Justina, but the maid was watchful and quick. She slipped to the side and burst into laughter along with her mistress.

  “I didn’t say I was getting married,” Lady Lavinia said.

  “But from all indications, Prince Drew is rather interested in you and you in him. There’s only one thing that could result from such affectations,” Helena said.

  “So Miss Helena, now that your best friend is plotting and scheming to leave you in this dance of spinsterhood, do not tell me your feet do not tire?” Miss Justina said.

  Lady Helena laughed.

  “They tire, they tire, I tell you.”

  “What we need now is a man worthy enough, eligible enough to be brought up to scratch,” Miss Justina said.

  Dr Frederick Cooper, the handsome physician with a touch like fire.

  Her fingers tingled as she remembered the effect the doctor had on her. He would have been a great fit. She still wanted to see him, but her family issues demanded more than the weightless pockets of a physician. They demanded deep pockets and heavy vaults.

  Like the pockets of the Duke of Beaufort, they demand Lord Jeffrey Rutledge.

  “Why seek one when the best of them is showing interest? You are hot commodity among the ton, Helena. Set your hooks into Lord Jeffrey, make him yours,” Lady Lavinia said.

  Helena laughed. She had never set out to get any man in her life. She was more interested in books and following the juiciest gist at any moment. She did have feminine wiles. She had teased many a man only to stop them in their tracks while they attempted to come closer. And she had heard that Lord Jeffrey could be strict and domineering. Those were the kind of men she avoided.

  “You’d have to be careful with him, though. They say he could be mean,” Miss Justina said.

  Helena nodded.

  “A lot of things we hear are grossly overrated,” Lady Lavinia said.

  Helena looked at her friend. Lavinia was desperate for Helena to be in the same boat with her.

  “You really want me to be with him,” Helena said.

  “Oh, the blues if we could get married on the same day,” Lady Lavinia said.

  Helena saw Miss Justina cover her blush with an arm. Lady Lavinia could be so hilarious sometimes. Helena wondered if she was making the right decision. She had felt something with the doctor. She hardly knew this rich Lord. She shook her head. There was no choice. Now she had set her sights on Lord Jeffrey, she had to work towards getting him.

  Chapter 6

  White Faced

  Helena stared at herself in her big mirror. She dazzled. She was almost completely white. The white dress and accessories were like a second skin, rhyming perfectly with the bleached colour of her flawless skin. The gown had a dipping neckline with an even sharper dive at her cleavage, revealing the creamy elevations of her breasts. She imagined the effect she would have on any interested man. She puckered her lips, the red even more evident against the white colour of her apparel. Her lips were like a beacon, the way they stood out. Her eyes were plain as always, someone not so observant would take them to be white, along with her dress. She had a red brooch pinned at the middle of her neckline, just above the slit. She had chosen to wear a small hat with long nets that covered her entire face.

  Mystery girl.

  She laughed. She had never been so careful about what she put on to a ball. She turned to the side and glimpsed the reaching slit in the middle at the back of her dress. Her white skin was exposed till the slit ended at the upper regions of her back. She raised her left arm and flapped the white fan it held. She had bought the fan when she went shopping along with Lady Lavinia, Miss Justina, and Lady Lavinia’s cousins. Prince Drew had not come along. Helena had still not seen him. She really was eager to see the man that had taken her friend’s heart. But first, she needed to get downstairs so she got to the ball early enough. There was a short knock on her door.

  “Justina.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I’m done. I’m coming out,” Helena said.

  Miss Justina said nothing. The knock had been to remind Helena, and she didn’t need to be reminded. She walked out of the room, pushing her room door open gently so as not to hit Miss Justina if she was behind it. She wasn’t. Miss Justina was walking towards the sitting room. Helena walked behind her, taking her steps carefully. She didn’t want anything happening to her dress. She wanted to look as mesmerising as this till she got to the dance.

  Lady Lavinia had decided they would meet at the ball. She was attending along with Prince Drew and her twin cousins. As Helena pushed the entrance door open, she imagined what Lord Jeffrey would say upon seeing her. She imagined he would be mesmerised and bereft of words, stuttering as his tongue refused to cooperate with his surprised mind.

  Stop imagining impossible situations.

  Lord Jeffrey was a sophisticated gentleman. She had not spoken to him, but she knew someone of such a high stature who was so known among the ton was going to be of excellent composure.

  “He wouldn’t fumble for words but hide his surprise with a slew of flattering words.”

  Her soliloquy quieted her wild mind. Helena walked down the stairs to the waiting coach. Miss Justina stood by the open door, waiting for her mistress to get in. Helena carefully went in, watching the end of her gown closely to ensure it didn’t hang to any corner. Miss Justina stepped in after her.

  “You look magnificent, Miss Helena,” Miss Justina said.

  Helena smiled. She f
elt hot and flapped her fan, sending a soft current on her face. She expected to feel cooler when the coach started moving properly.

  “Thank you, Justina. You don’t look bad yourself.”

  Helena chided herself for her well told lie because she had been so engrossed in her own appearance that she did not remember to appraise her maid. She studied her now. Miss Justina was in white too but chose to punctuate with a black hat, black fan and black shoes. She did not have as big a bust as Helena, so her gown didn’t look so full around the chest. She opted for a gown with a high neckline. Her caramel skin blunted the shock of the black on the white. She wasn’t looking bad.

  “I’m sure you took extra care to look this impressive,” Miss Justina said. Helena blushed.

  Of course, I did.

  “Not really, I knew I had to look really good so I looked it. I cannot remove the fact that I have another reason why I am attending this ball, though, but it’s not the single reason I took my time,” Helena said.

  Miss Justina looked at her mistress and nodded before breaking into a smile and looking outside the window as the coach went out the gate of their house.

  Who am I fooling? Definitely not Justina.

  Helena said nothing more. She would only look more defensive.

  “Is it a long trip to the Duke of Beaufort’s house? I have forgotten the length of time I spent on the road last year when I travelled there,” Helena said.

  Miss Justina shook her head, indicating she didn’t know. She leaned forward and opened the window behind the driver.

  “Mr Booth,” she said.

  “Yes, Miss Justina,” the driver answered.

  “Is it a long trip to Beaufort?”

  “Not too long, Miss Justina. It won’t be more than an hour; we shouldn’t tarry more than ten minutes if it is,” he replied.

  “Thank you,” Miss Justina answered before shutting the window and sitting on her seat.

  “About an hour,” she said to Helena.

  Helena had heard. She nodded and looked outside. They were moving at quite a quick pace. Huge gates separated by tall trees sped past them. They were still in Strabolgi. Helena closed her eyes. She wasn’t sure she could stay awake for the whole trip, except if it was bumpy.

  “The doctor could be at the ball.”

  Helena looked to Miss Justina. She had completely forgotten about the doctor in the furore of preparation. Miss Justina had this ability to know what she wanted despite what she said or did. Helena smiled.

  Justina knows I took a liking to that doctor.

  “He might. Why do you say so?” Helena asked.

  “You told him you would love to see him at the summer parties.”

  “Yes, I did. He knows many high placed families and will surely receive invites to a lot of their parties. He not being at them would probably be due to his busy schedule, not for a lack of invite. I expect to see him at this one.”

  “I prefer the doctor to Lord Jeffrey,” Miss Justina said.

  “Have you had interaction with Lord Jeffrey?” Helena asked.

  “I have not, not personally. I have seen him with other women, though. He was at the Midwestern ball about a year ago. We both attended that, do you remember?”

  Helena remembered. She didn’t remember seeing the Duke’s son there, though, but it was entirely possible that she had missed him.

  “Yes, I do. I didn’t see him.”

  “He came with someone. I don’t know the chit, an unfamiliar debutante. He still managed to flirt with about two other women, right in the presence of the debutante.”

  Helena chuckled.

  “You really observed him.”

  “I did.”

  “Do not worry, Justina. I am a match for any man,” Helena said.

  “The doctor was courteous and cultured. I could see that you were attracted to him. And he to you,” Miss Justina said.

  “Justina,” Helena exclaimed in a high pitched voice before smiling widely.

  Miss Justina knew her like her favourite book. Well, it wasn’t a surprise.

  I know Justina too, fantastically.

  Miss Justina had been with her since she was eight. She was a child of the former chief matron of their house. The matron died suddenly, leaving her child with no one to care for her. Lady Henrietta decided then to make Justina a companion and maid for Helena. They had been together since then. They never fought, and despite their closeness, Lady Justina knew her place.

  “Lord Jeffrey suits me better,” Helena said.

  “How do you know that? You haven’t even met him,” Miss Justina replied in a surprised tone.

  You wouldn’t understand.

  “Don’t bother. It’s a matter of the heart. This is what I want,” Helena said decisively.

  Miss Justina pursed her lips together. Helena was sure she still wanted to speak on the matter, but she held her tongue and didn’t speak about it anymore.

  Helena watched the changing view as the coach moved along. Her eyelids soon felt too heavy for her to carry. She let them be and fell asleep as her eyelids closed.

  There was a nudge on her right shoulder. Helena opened her eyes slowly. She didn’t look to Miss Justina tapping her to wake up; instead, she looked outside. They were in a town, on a calm street. A man on a horse rode past their coach. He looked into the carriage and nodded his head as their gazes met. Helena nodded slightly back. She turned to Miss Justina.

  “We are almost there?”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  Helena looked at her dress. There was nothing wrong. She placed her right hand down and noticed the small purse beside her.

  “You brought my white purse for me,” Helena said in a voice that was still sleepy.

  “Yes, you told me to pick it up for you this morning. I guessed you had forgotten,” Miss Justina replied.

  “Is there a handkerchief in it?” Helena asked.

  “Of course, what use is a bag without that?”

  Helena smiled widely. She opened the bag and picked up the handkerchief from its soft inside.

  “You’re a darling,” Helena said.

  Miss Justina didn’t respond. Her smile was telling enough. The coach stopped. Helena heard Mr Booth speaking to someone outside the coach.

  “Look outside the window and check what’s going on,” Helena said.

  Miss Justina leaned out the window. She quickly brought her head back in.

  “The gate to the Duke’s house is closed and manned by security. I think they are trying to confirm who is coming in,” Miss Justina said.

  This is new.

  Most balls were attended purely by people of the ton. People of lower station just did not attend high class balls; it was norm. There was no screening process.

  “Were invites given?” Helena asked.

  “No, not that I know of,” Miss Justina said.

  The coach started moving again. Helena saw two men standing beside the open gate as their coach rode in. They bowed stiffly as the coach passed. Helena nodded back. She could see lines of coaches packed inside the compound beside the fence.

  “We aren’t as early as I thought we would be,” Helena said to Miss Justina.

  “I think we are. It’s just that this event is being hosted by a very prominent man. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out many people had come from very far countries for this,” Miss Justina replied.

  Helena replied. That was entirely possible. Their coach had ridden to a stop. They waited for Mr Booth to open the door. When the door opened, Helena felt a cool wind current flow in. Miss Justina went out first, taking her time getting down from the coach. Helena picked up her purse and held tight to her fan. She went out gingerly.

  Mr Booth closed the door behind her and went back to the driver’s seat. He rode the coach away from the front of the stairwell. There were people at the top of the stairwell looking at them. Helena looked around them. The compound of the Duke was huge. The house looked to be right in the middle of the compound. Th
ere was an arrangement of shrubs going all around the house. Some of those shrubs had flowers blooming, dotting the greenery with many different colours. She could see red, pink, and green but not white. There were stewards going around the compound, helping drivers with the position of their carriages, helping some people carrying heavy bags around the back of the house.

  “You first ma’am,” Miss Justina said.