“Of course,” Dr Frederick replied her.
“I am also on my way outside. It seems I need some air,” Mister Frank replied.
Dr Frederick saw that Mister Frank did have droplets of sweat on his face. He kept pulling his collar, trying to put a gap between the shirt’s collar and his neck. The room was stuffy, Dr Frederick agreed, and could demand a momentary escape from some.
“If I could be your escort,” Mister Frank said to Miss Justina.
“I would love that,” she replied.
Dr Frederick watched them walk out of the room. The supper dance was soon to start, and the room was already full of people. Dr Frederick started towards the door, intending to seek out Miss Helena before the supper dance started.
Lord Jeffrey might attempt to have a second dance with her, to stamp his intent and make it public.
Miss Helena’s appearance with him to the ball was a signal of acceptance to Lord Jeffrey, Dr Frederick assumed, since she had rejected his request just to attend the dance with Lord Jeffrey. Dr Frederick still couldn’t push the curiosity away. He needed to talk to her.
Everything that happened in the garden, was it just child’s play to her? Does she give her body to men as she fancies?
Dr Frederick shook his head; a futile attempt to shrug the confusion that tormented him. She had prevented him from ultimate satisfaction, and he thought it was because she had come to a particular realisation.
A woman like that does not go to such extents of flirtation or coquetry.
Dr Frederick was reaching the door when Miss Helena walked back into the room. Her left hand held a handkerchief and mopped her face rapidly. Dr Fredrick wondered why there was so much fuss over balls, a character he sometimes exhibited, as they were so uncomfortable at times. He called at her as he neared her, causing her to look up to him.
“Miss Helena, I had been meaning to talk to your all evening,” Dr Frederick said.
Even to him, his voice was much more cheery than he felt. He clamped down on the discontent that had gathered from her actions that day.
“Even I,” Miss Helena replied.
The effect of sweat showed on her face as the room’s lighting bounced off her skin. Her brow shone with water reflecting the light. Miss Helena dapped her brow again, cleaning off the watery mirrors.
“I see you made it to the ball.”
“Yes, I did. The engagement I had was cancelled; I decided to accept Lord Jeffrey’s invitation,” she explained.
Dr Frederick compared what she said with what Miss Justina had told him.
She’s lying.
“So where is your partner now?” Dr Frederick asked.
“I cannot find him anywhere. Surely, he is held up somewhere by a person or group interested in making small talk,” Miss Helena answered.
The supper dance was starting. Couples moved back in pairs to the dance floor. Dr Frederick saw his chance and took it.
“Could you spare me one dance, Miss Helena?”
Miss Helena smiled. The way her face brightened thawed Dr Frederick’s icy ire; he stretched his hand to her.
“I would love to,” Miss Helena replied.
She placed her small palm in his. Dr Frederick held on tight to her gloved hand. For someone who was looking so hot, her palm felt very cool.
“Helena.”
Dr Frederick was about to look to see who called her, but Miss Helena pushed him forward.
“Please do not look back, lead me to the dance,” Miss Helena said to him.
Dr Frederick was confused.
What is going on?
They joined the dance, and only then did Dr Frederick look over her head in the direction of the caller. It was Lord Jeffrey. Dr Fredrick had never seen him look so angry.
“It is Lord Jeffrey,” he said into her ear.
“I know.”
Dr Frederick said nothing.
What game do you play?
“Your friend is a good acquaintance of the hostess,” Dr Frederick said.
“Which of my friends?” Miss Helena asked.
“I saw Lord Jeffrey having a conversation with Miss Morgana. They seemed rather chummy,” Dr Frederick said.
Miss Helena raised an eyebrow. She was meditative for a few seconds.
“I have little knowledge of Lord Jeffrey’s acquaintances, but I am aware that he is a very popular man. Of course, he would be on speaking terms with someone as –” Miss Helena’s voice cracked.
“–uhm, popular as Miss Morgana,” she completed.
Dr Frederick smiled.
Unpopular is a more fitting qualifier for Miss Morgana.
They stopped talking and focused on the dance. Dr Frederick concentrated, holding tight to Miss Helena and trying to avoid the errors of his last dance. It was a difficult task.
His hand could not go completely around her back, resting around the right side of her back. To get a comfortable hold, Dr Frederick had to drop his hand to her hip, an intimate gesture that had her eyes meet his gaze. She drew closer to him to give him more leverage, pushing herself onto him. Dr Frederick’s head swooned in the pressure of her softness. The impact of her soft body elicited memories in Dr Frederick’s mind. He tried to take away such thoughts by concentrating on her face. But the fullness of her lip and the soft crinkle that etched her cheeks reminded him of the salty taste of her lip in his mouth and the sweet smell of her hair. Lord Frederick mumbled apologetic words that came out as a jumble of inaudible sounds when his member rose and pushed itself onto Miss Helena’s belly.
Miss Helena, to his surprise, didn’t jump back in shock. She smiled softly and pushed herself more into him. The snugness of the dance covered his member’s rebellious act, and Miss Helena looked to have embraced it. She dropped the arm behind his back and moved it between them in a swift motion.
Dr Frederick looked at the other couples; they didn’t know what she just did. In a move that would have looked like Miss Helena dropping her arm on her lap and returning it, Miss Helena had put her hand around his erect member and massaged it quickly. Dr Frederick consciously closed his agape mouth after a short while. He wasn’t sure, but there was a hint of her smile on the set of her face.
Chapter 17
Save my day
Helena tried hard to keep a straight face. She had been naughty now with her gripping him. She decided not to take that kind of chance anymore. Compared to her dance with Lord Jeffrey, Dr Frederick made her feel at ease and alive to him. His breath on her face was warm and welcome. Helena had stopped looking at his face. She wasn’t sure she had the will to hold herself from kissing him if she set her eyes on his seductive mouth any longer. His member was a reminder of their unfinished business in the garden. The ache it evoked in her midriff made her regret her actions.
Damn my chaste, I would have satisfied this rampaging hunger that gives my heart no rest.
She didn’t want to make a decision she would only regret. Now, that decision was looking even more regrettable. Dr Frederick was bolder now and had lowered his hand from the build of her hip. His hand was lower and held her by the curve of her bottom. His fingers rubbed gently, generating a building sensation that throbbed between her legs. Helena pressed her face onto Dr Frederick’s neck and bit on his skin. Dr Frederick’s hand stilled but continued almost immediately after. Helena wasn’t sure she could take any more of his teasing. She was desperate to take her concentration off him to keep control.
She looked over his shoulders. At the end of the set, directly opposite them, stood Lord Jeffrey, looking at Helena with the greatest amount of anger she had seen in anyone. Helena dropped her gaze immediately, intimidated by the glare of his dark eyes.
What nonsense am I doing?
Helena raised her eyes back to meet his, stare for stare. She steeled her gaze, sending a message of defiance to Lord Jeffrey. Lord Jeffrey smiled eerily and shook his head. He stood just outside the arena and looked like coming between the rows of dancing couples to break her dance
with Dr Frederick.
That would be the height of impropriety, and just as disgraceful as the act of claiming sole dancing rights to another woman. But what is the rationale in my actions? Aren’t I supposed to allow him the second dance and therefore make his intentions public?
Helena shook her head. She had acted on the spur of the moment, the thumping beat of her heart when Dr Frederick had asked for the second dance. Regardless of that fact, her plan was hers alone. Lord Jeffrey had no right to feel insulted.
A squat man of wide proportions walked up to Lord Jeffrey.
Mr Victor Harding.
“He would not be pleased to see his friend angry over me. He would even show greater displeasure if Lord Jeffrey tells him the reason for his pique,” Helena said.
“What?” Dr Frederick asked.
“Don’t bother,” Helena replied.
She saw Lord Jeffrey turn to Mr Harding and speak some words accompanied by charged demonstrations. Helena shook her head. Mr Harding would never take her side or be the voice of reason. The man had a grudge with her. He was a man given to bouts of drunkenness. During one of such episodes, he started giving false tale of the state of affairs in Europe a few hundred years ago. Helena, being a good student of history, had corrected him. He was the type of man to be easily insulted by a woman’s tongue and had reacted as thus. Helena couldn’t remember all she said that day. “Revolting, overfed bag of ignorant flesh” had been some of the words she had used to describe him after his insulting tirade. And now he was staring at her with a displeasure that humorously made his fat face look better.
Helena heard the instruments play to a crescendo. The dance was coming to an end. Lord Jeffrey would surely come to her now. As the dance ended, Helena rushed a curtsey and moved away from Dr Frederick.
“I was hoping to share more conversation, and maybe a seat by your side during the supper,” Dr Frederick said.
Helena shook her head as she moved away.
“I would love to Dr Frederick, but I need to get Justina,” Helena said.
She turned and started walking out of the room. She looked to where Lord Jeffrey had stood and couldn’t find him there. Just as she was going out the door, Mr Harding moved her way.
“Mr Harding, I hope you are enjoying your ball,” she said with as much amicability as she could muster.
“I am. A coquette like you will surely be revelling in pleasure now.”
Helena shook her head. She forced down the acerbic reply that almost rasped off her tongue.
“This is our first conversation today, Mr Harding. Am I mistaken to assume you would act as the man you are and leave the emotions struck up by words spoken in the events that involved them?” she replied, referring to their last conflict.
“I have but your animalistic character repeats itself, even the best of men isn’t enough for you. I cannot but infer that–”
Helena raised her hand to slap his face only to have it held back. She was surprised to see gloves on the hand on her wrist. She looked back to see Miss Justina.
“He is not worth it,” Miss Justina said quietly.
Helena looked back at Mr Harding. He had seen the reaction he elicited in her. It drew a pleased smile to his face. Helena shook her head and walked into the waiting room. Miss Justina followed.
“Thank you, you arrived just at the nick of time. I was about to slap the senses off his swollen head,” Helena said.
Miss Justina chuckled.
“I doubt you would have done that, even if you felt like it. You have too much good sense to draw such unwanted attention to yourself.”
“I felt like it,” Helena said, smiling as she spoke.
“I need to mention something to you. I saw one of Miss Morgana’s girls, a debutante. I saw her with–”
“Helena,” Lord Jeffrey’s voice boomed behind them.
Startled, they both turned to face him. He wasn’t smiling. He looked at Miss Justina as if she was intruding, impeding on their privacy. Helena saw Miss Justina drop her gaze and turn away. Helena held her hand, holding her back while keeping her gaze level with Lord Jeffrey. Lord Jeffrey laughed.
“You do not know me, Helena,” he said.
“I am not sure I want to,” Helena replied.
“Do I need to say more before you realise this is supposed to be a private conversation?” Lord Jeffrey said to Miss Justina.
“Don’t worry. I won’t be far behind,” Miss Justina said, drawing her hand away from her mistress and walking away.
Helena gritted her teeth at Lord Jeffrey’s caustic dismissal of her maid.
My oldest friend.
“You have no right to tell off any of my friends,” Helena said.
“Or maid,” she added when Lord Jeffrey raised his brow.
“And you have no right to be angry at my choice not to share the supper dance with you,” she said.
“I am not angry yet, Helena. My anger is not something you want to see. I am displeased at your blatant refusal to heed my call,” Lord Jeffrey answered.
Helena thought once about denying hearing his call. She thought about it only once.
“I know you. You were about to demand that I dance with you. Dr Frederick had asked me already,” she said.
Lord Jeffrey moved closer to her. Helena could see the small quivers his lower lip did. His long eyelashes shaded his eyes. There was a scowl, so set in his face Helena wasn’t sure it wasn’t always there.
“I brought you here. I am the Marquess of Beaufort. If I feel I am due a dance, I am due a dance. And your due–” Lord Jeffrey said. He brought his face close to hers. His breath was hot on her face. Helena felt the intensity of his gaze and looked lower. He smelt of lavender, and there was a red stain on the collar of his shirt.
“–your right, is to give me one,” he completed.
“I owe you no such thing,” Helena said.
A few eyes were starting to linger on them. Helena turned and walked towards the entrance door, away from Lord Jeffrey.
“Will you not have supper?” Lord Jeffrey asked.
His voice was normal, friendly.
It’s only because people are watching us.
“You can have mine. I am going home,” Helena replied icily.
“You’d do well to wait; let me drive you home,” Lord Jeffrey said, coming closer and holding her hand.
Helena drew her hand out.
“You can stay; I’ll get home myself,” she said.
Lord Jeffrey smiled and left her hand. Helena walked out of the entrance and ran down the stairs. Her eyes were cloudy. Lord Jeffrey had damaged her mood for the rest of the ball.
This is exactly the kind of time Lavinia weaves her magic. Where is she anyway? She told me she’d attend with Prince Drew.
Helena looked around. She saw no signs of her friend or friend’s suitor. She looked back at the door and saw Miss Justina coming down the stairs.
“Have you seen Lavinia here?” Helena asked her maid.
Miss Justina shook her head.
“I want to leave,” Helena said.
“How? Lord Jeffrey brought us in his barouche. It was assumed he would take us back,” Miss Justina said.
“That’s why he let me go. He knows he is our only way home,” Helena said, in sudden realisation.
“He isn’t the only way,” Miss Justina said.
Helena looked at her and saw her staring up the stairs. Dr Frederick and his dresser were coming down the stairs to them.
“I am sure Dr Frederick would see it as no bother at all to take us home in his coach,” Miss Justina said.
Dr Frederick got to the bottom of the stairs and walked to Helena.
“I saw you storm out of the dance. Is there any problem?” he asked.
Helena shook her head.
Dr Frederick was at the heart of her problems with Lord Jeffrey. And even as she always wanted to be with him, it was only sensible that she left him out of this. She was about to state that there was no
problem, and she was only out because she needed air when Miss Justina spoke.
“Yes, Doctor. Miss Helena needs to get home now, and we have no vehicle,” she said.
Helena looked at her maid in disbelief.
“Why? That would be no problem at all. It would be a pleasure. I was starting to get rather fed up with the musty air in there anyway,” Dr Frederick said.
Seduced by an Irresistible Lady: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 20