Seduced by an Irresistible Lady: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Henrietta Harding

  Dr Frederick nodded, inwardly agreeing with the opinions of his dresser. He waited till the coach was perfectly still before alighting.

  “Find a lovely spot to park the coach and join me inside, Frank. But do make yourself available as these parties can be notoriously tiring, and I would not like to search all over for you when I intend to leave,” Dr Frederick said.

  Mister Frank gave a solemn reply and rode the coach on, in search of where to harbour the vehicle.

  Dr Frederick walked into the open door and met a crowd. He was aware he wasn’t early but hadn’t expected so many people at a private ball.

  How many people did this woman invite?

  He walked in between people, snuggling and pushing till he came to the big door at the end of the room. It was open and led to a hall that was surprisingly big and spacious. Dr Frederick reasoned that it would also fill in a short while, but one could at least enjoy a dance with a willing damsel. People were already dancing. The lady of the day must have already had her dance, Dr Frederick opined. Dr Frederick walked by the edge of the dance set, skirting duos and trios of ladies who spoke rather loudly.

  I can’t still understand why balls are always noisy affairs.

  Dr Frederick walked to the tail of the dance.

  “It will be easier to find a willing partner here,” he said to himself.

  He looked at the end of the hall, and just in front of the playing instrumentalists, he saw a handsome man speaking to some stewards.

  That’s probably the master of ceremonies.

  Two young women suddenly walked in front of him, threatening to step on his shoes in their careless bustle. Dr Frederick swore under his breath and took two steps back, unwilling to allow them to invade his space. He tried not to listen to their gossip, but their voices were too loud and energy too enchanting for him not to be interested.

  “I hear the Duke of Cornwall will soon be here,” the first chit said.

  She was taller but younger. Her skin was sallow, not quite as bright as the other woman’s skin, and despite her greater youth, she wasn’t as handsome as the shorter woman. Dr Frederick noticed she wasn’t settled and kept stretching her neck.

  That is surely a failing attempt to see the head of the dance.

  “Oh dear me, I pray a quickening of his horses as I shall not tarry here for too long,” the shorter damsel replied.

  “Why? Where do you plan to run off to?”

  “I cannot be seen by Miss Morgana, and you do know how sharp her eyes are,” the shorter one said.

  “They are?”

  “An owl could not lay claim to such discerning eyes. She would force me to join her train which is not necessarily a bad thing as she has privileges very few women enjoy.”

  “If I were you, I would throw myself to the head of the dance where it is a surety that she lays her eyes on me,” the taller one replied evidently taken by the promise of privileged enjoyment.

  “I worry for what would be said of me if I am spotted among women of such moral paucity. She’s not one for which one could spare kind words, you know,” she said, nudging her friend to look to her.

  “Well said, Bethany, and women in this town are said to have tongues sharper than knives,” her taller friend responded.

  “Alas! Here come Miss Morgana and her infamous train,” the short woman exclaimed.

  “Hide yourself quickly lest she sets her eyes upon you.”

  But instead of going in the opposite direction from the approaching Miss Morgana, the shorter woman was moving towards her.

  “Why do you take such a risky path?” her taller friend asked, following her.

  “You forget that there exists no better hiding place like plain sight. Tarry not, let us position ourselves behind the musicians as they play. Miss Morgana would never think of searching for me there,” her friend answered.

  “Very true, she would never suspect,” Dr Frederick heard her friend respond.

  Dr Frederick laughed at the hypocrisy of the shorter woman and apparent stupidity of her friend in lacking to see through her friend’s falsehood.

  He saw a plump woman wearing a dress that revealed too much flesh. There were about five younger women behind her. The woman wore a white muslin gown with a plunging neckline. She had great size, and so her bust was greatly revealed. The reveal of cream skin made Dr Frederick remember the white skin of Miss Helena’s bust, the soft press of her nipples in his mouth. He pushed the thoughts away.

  The woman was greatly adorned with jewellery.

  That has to be Miss Morgana, and her train.

  What was obvious from the women following her was that there was an attempt to style themselves after her. But her sheer size made her more remarkable. There was a ruckus behind her that made her turn. Some of the women in her train turned with her. Space appeared in the midst of the crowd at the door as people stepped out of the way; someone of great importance was coming in. Miss Morgana smiled on seeing the person and waited for the person to get to her. Dr Frederick couldn’t get a glimpse of who it was, but he reasoned it was a man, probably the Duke of Cornwall. Dr Frederick finally saw the man as he kissed Miss Morgana’s hand. It wasn’t the Duke, it was someone he hadn’t even thought of.

  Lord Jeffrey, What business could you have with Miss Morgana that makes her so elated to see you?

  More than a few words of greeting were passed between them. Lord Jeffrey turned to one of the debutantes in Miss Morgana’s train. He shook her hand and said a few words into her ear, which made her smile, before going back the way he came.

  He couldn’t be leaving already? He just got here.

  Dr Frederick’s attention was carried away by a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Mister Frank standing behind him.

  “Frank, I didn’t see you come in,” Dr Frederick said.

  “No sir, you wouldn’t. I just came in and saw that you had your attention on Lord Jeffrey as he entered. I assumed I would catch you in the middle of a dance with a beautiful chit,” Mister Frank replied.

  “I assumed I would see one that catches my attention, but alas, no one worthy,” Dr Frederick said.

  “Many women stand without partners at the tail of the dance,” Mister Frank said, pointing to the young women still awaiting invitation from men.

  He didn’t see any man standing at the edge asides himself and Mister Frank. Dr Frederick shook his head.

  “I do not depict an enviable image, but I do prefer my loneliness to the rudderless conversations that I would be required to create if I was to engage a woman. Do not fashion yourself to be like me, find yourself a dance partner,” Dr Frederick said.

  “I do intend to do that. I don’t think you’d choose to be like this for long, though. I did catch a glimpse of Miss Helena in the waiting room. She’s sure to walk in here soon,” Mister Frank said.

  Dr Frederick was surprised.

  “Are you certain it was her?”

  “As certain as my name being Frank,” Mister Frank answered.

  Dr Frederick sighed. He was happy Miss Helena was here, but he wondered why she had told him she would be engaged, only to attend the very party he asked to chaperone her to.

  “Did you see her with any partner?” Dr Frederick asked him.

  “She was here with her maid, the dark coloured lady I saw in their sitting room. Asides her, I saw no one else at her side,” Mister Frank said.

  Dr Frederick nodded. He was tempted to go back out to meet her, but there was no need for that. She would surely come into the dance room.

  The music slowed to a stop as the set ended and dancing couples curtseyed to one another before breaking apart.

  “Now is a great chance to share a dance with a fitting woman among those just relieved of their partners,” Mister Frank said.

  “Do not worry, Frank. Ask a girl to dance so you can start with the next set. I will join you.”

  Mister Frank tipped his hat and walked into the crowd. Dr Frederick tailed him not, his mind fo
cused on the surprising appearance of Miss Helena. After a pause of a few minutes, the musicians started playing once again. It was the second dance of the day. Men led women to the floor once again. Dr Frederick looked towards the door, and he saw Miss Helena, coming into the room with her maid behind her.

  She wore a pink gown with a high collar. Her maid wore a dress similar to hers but with a neckline that didn’t reach up to her shoulders. Dr Frederick started walking towards her. He had to manoeuvre between people to get to her. Her maid saw him first and spoke into Miss Helena’s ears. Miss Helena looked up and saw Dr Frederick. Dr Frederick was expecting a smile that matched his, but her reaction was far more subdued.

  Is something wrong?

  They were almost within speaking distance when an arm tugged at Miss Helena’s gloved hand. It was Lord Jeffrey. She wasn’t surprised to see him and spoke a few words with him. He started leading her to the dance floor. Anger bristled within Dr Frederick as he saw Miss Helena look longingly to him. Her eyes spoke apologies and a promise of an explanation.

  I don’t need it. I have no claim to you.

  Dr Frederick stopped walking. He stood riveted to the spot, but his eyes followed her till she stopped at the middle of the hall with Lord Jeffrey and curtseyed for the initiation of the dance. It wasn’t a difficult one, Dr Frederick noticed. Everyone seemed capable of doing it efficiently. Lord Jeffrey did it masterfully. Dr Frederick was vexed at the admiration he felt for the flawless manner Lord Jeffrey’s body moved. He glided through the air, making it easy for Miss Helena to follow. Dr Frederick turned.

  It is a rather distasteful sight.

  “Dr Frederick,” he heard behind him.

  Dr Frederick turned back to see Miss Justina, standing just behind him. She had drawn closer while he had stared at Miss Helena as she left.

  “You look wonderful,” Dr Frederick said after fulfilling his initial greeting devoir.

  “Thank you, Doctor. I was of the thought that you intended to have a word with Miss Helena,” she said.

  Dr Frederick did not reply immediately. He needed to craft his answer to make sense.

  “I did, just for greeting, though, before she got taken by Lord Jeffrey,” he said.

  “Yes, I noticed that too.”

  “Was it you who chaperoned her here?” Dr Frederick asked.

  Miss Justina laughed. She had a perfect set of small, white teeth. Dr Frederick wondered if he had another joke in store that could make her uncover those gems once again.

  “I am everywhere with her. I do not think I would do as a chaperone. She came here with Lord Jeffrey. He, in fact, drove us here from home with his barouche.”

  “A very fine vehicle, that barouche,” Miss Justina added in a reminiscent tone.

  “I was of the opinion that she was engaged for the day,” Dr Frederick said.

  “Engaged? I wasn’t aware of any such engagements. Why would you think that?” Miss Justina asked.

  “Ah, do not be bothered, Miss Justina. It was probably a mistake on my part,” Dr Frederick said.

  Why would she tell me she was engaged if she wasn’t?

  “I am inclined to, but since you have requested that I shouldn’t be, I won’t be,” Miss Justina replied.

  Dr Frederick said nothing. He felt a cocktail of wonder and anger cooking up inside him. He did not feel like dancing.

  That is exactly what I should do to take my mind away from this disturbing discovery.

  “Would it be a bother if you shared a dance with me?” Dr Frederick asked Miss Justina.

  Her mouth was a tight line as her eyes opened wide. Dr Frederick smiled gently, soaking in the laughter that almost erupted at her shocked response.

  “Of course, it wouldn’t be in the least,” Miss Justina replied at last when she managed to get a grip.

  Dr Frederick took the hand she offered and walked with her to the dance floor. They joined at the tail of the dance, but Dr Frederick was familiar with the dance steps and soon matched the steps of the other dancers. He noticed a lack of speed in Miss Justina’s movement. She wasn’t familiar with the dance and had been absent at the beginning when, Dr Frederick assumed, Miss Morgana would have shown the desired steps. She did do well enough to follow his lead and mask her deficiency. The violinist played a high pitched melody, signalling a quickening of steps.

  Dr Frederick pulled Miss Justina closer. Her hand rested in the small of his back. She was a smaller woman than Miss Helena, and his hand wrapped around her all the way to her other side. He felt no impression upon his chest by her bust despite the proximity.

  If I held Miss Helena at this distance, her bust would press into my chest. It would be a struggle to keep my concentration.

  There was no scent from Miss Justina; nothing sweet or sickly. Dr Frederick felt easy around her. He was glad at the absence of small things that threatened to make him lose control when he was with Miss Helena. He could think clearly, despite the nearness of Miss Justina’s skin to his. And when the violinist dropped back to the normal tune, Miss Justina drew back, setting her face directly opposite his.

  Despite her low station, she wasn’t in the least intimidated. She met his gaze and stared back into his eyes. Dr Frederick observed her face closely. She was beautiful, in a different way from her mistress. Her face held angles that were totally absent in Miss Helena’s. Her skin, though a stark contrast in complexion to her mistress’, was just as glossy. And her lips were small, smaller than Miss Helena. Her lower lip had a puckered middle, forming a small sharp peak.

  She is beautiful but holds no allure like Miss Helena.

  His thoughts made him forgetful of the pattern of dance, and he had to apologise profusely as he was caught unprepared when every couple turned in a swift movement. Dr Frederick managed to do so, belatedly but just by a little, such that only Miss Justina noticed.

  “What could capture your thoughts so, Dr Frederick? Is it a worry that could be shared?” Miss Justina asked.

  “No, nothing serious,” Dr Frederick replied.

  “Do not mind my careless footing,” he added.

  Miss Justina laughed again, but her mouth was not open wide enough to show her teeth. Dr Frederick shook his head.

  “My footing has been rather poor all night. You have guided me through without much fuss,” Miss Justina said.

  Dr Frederick laughed.

  That was true.

  He looked past her shoulder and saw Lord Jeffrey dancing with Miss Helena. As if by signal, Miss Helena raised her eyes at the same time and met his gaze. Dr Frederick tried smiling, but he wasn’t happy at her. The smile didn’t come off. He stopped trying after a few seconds of feeling awkward. She drew closer to Lord Jeffrey and pushed her head above his shoulders. Dr Frederick saw her mouth move but couldn’t grasp the words she spoke. He wondered about the propriety of what she was doing.

  How would Lord Jeffrey react if he saw her do this?

  Her lips moved again, but Dr Frederick couldn’t read them properly. Miss Helena noticed and dropped her eyes. She drew her neck back from Lord Jeffrey’s shoulder.

  “You seem very distracted. Is there something of interest behind me?” Miss Justina asked, causing him to look back at her.

  Dr Frederick shook his head. He had shown very bad manners in this dance. He didn’t want to apologise just to fall short once again. Dr Frederick looked back to Miss Justina’s face. He managed to keep his focus on Miss Justina and finish the dance without garnering any tacit rebuke or recall from Miss Justina.

  The danced ended as Dr Frederick curtseyed and led Miss Justina away from the dance floor.

  “Thank you for a lovely dance,” Dr Frederick told her.

  Dr Frederick kissed her gloved hand after a short bow.

  “I would advise that you find a way to clear your mind. You were mighty absent during the dance,” Miss Justina said.

  “I am sorry for the way my mind drifted away,” Dr Frederick replied.

  “Dr Frederick, I see you
found yourself a partner.”

  Dr Frederick smiled.

  “I hope you are enjoying yourself, missus,” Mister Frank said with a tip of his hat.

  “I am. Dr Frederick is a master dancer,” Miss Justina replied.

  “Yes, he is. You’d be surprised at the number of dances, he knows,” Mister Frank replied.

  Dr Frederick looked into the dispersing crowd. He scanned the faces for Miss Helena, or Lord Jeffrey, knowing he would find her once he saw him. He didn’t see her anywhere.

  “If you will excuse me, Dr Frederick, I need to find Miss Helena,” Miss Justina said.