Becoming A Lady

by Marie Higgins

  He pulled away just enough to look at her. She winked. “Trust me, he’s bluffing,” she said again softly.

  A grin stole across his once worried face, and he winked back.

  “Oh, thank you, Mr. Seton.” Dorothy stepped away from him. “Forgive me for nearly swooning, but I’m better now.”

  “Are you certain?” he asked, trying his best to look concerned, but the gleam of humor in his eyes told a different story.

  “Indeed, I am.” She pushed him back to the card game.

  Now with an air of confidence about him, Mr. Seton finished the game—and won. Just as she knew he would.

  “I must say, Seton,” Lord Feenley said, “your luck has changed since Miss Paxton arrived.”

  “I’ll admit it has. Perhaps I should keep her by my side a little longer.”

  The other men laughed, and Dorothy’s heart skipped a beat. She wished Mr. Seton would quit saying things like that, and especially looking at her as if she were a buffet of sweetmeats. She couldn’t have these feelings for him. Her heartbreak would be just like her mother’s.

  “Forgive me, Mr. Seton, but I must decline your most tempting offer. My companion and I were taking a turn around the deck.” She sank in another curtsey. The men stood and bowed before she and Miss P left the table.

  Dorothy really didn’t want to leave the card game because it reminded her of home, but she couldn’t watch Mr. Seton’s dancing eyes when he looked upon her. She walked directly to the ship’s railing and leaned on it. Taking a deep breath, she breathed in the fresh sea air, hoping to clear her head.

  “Oh, look,” Miss Peabody exclaimed. “There is Lady Blackwood. I haven’t seen her in years.”

  Dorothy glanced at the woman her companion pointed to. “Miss Peabody, if you’d like to go chat with her, feel free to do so. I’ll be fine by myself for a few minutes.”

  “Are you certain? I shan’t be gone long.”

  “Yes, I’ll be fine. Now go.”

  The older woman waddled away, leaving Dorothy to her thoughts. Finally! Miss P was a sweet lady, but Dorothy needed room to breathe without a Mother-hen watching her every move. Being cooped up with the older woman was driving Dorothy insane, and she didn’t know how much more of the lady’s sweetness she could stand.

  Then again, perhaps it was better to be with Miss P than with Calvin Seton. That man made her nervous…in such a way that she’d never experienced before. The way his eyes partook of her not too long ago made her actually feel pretty. Like a lady. In all these years, she always thought it didn’t matter if men treated her like one of them.

  Until now.

  Until Mr. Seton entered her life.

  “May I ask what you are thinking?”

  Mr. Seton’s deep voice made her jump. As she swung around, she didn’t realize how close he was until she bumped into him. His arms wrapped around her and tightened, keeping them from toppling over and causing a scene.

  She placed her hands on his chest to push away from him, but the warmth from his arms, and his smoldering gaze kept her in place.

  This was not a good thing at all, but heaven help her, she didn’t want to leave.

  Chapter Five

  Calvin couldn’t believe the transformation Miss Paxton had undergone. She didn’t even resemble the ill-mannered woman he’d met a few days ago with wild hair and a maid’s drab clothes who chewed with her mouth open. Instead, a beautiful lady stood before him. Very close to him, in fact. For the life of him, he couldn’t keep from staring into her astonishing eyes, and his limbs refused to move.

  How long he stood holding her this way, he didn’t know, but he wasn’t the only one whose gaze devoured the other. The way she looked upon him with smoldering eyes growing darker by the second nearly had him begging for a kiss. And he was not a man who begged for anything. In his cavalry unit, he was admired for his ability to remain in control. Yet where was his control now?

  “Mr. Seton?” Her voice sounded deeper than usual. “Are you all right?”

  He could have laughed out loud. He was definitely not all right! “I’m fine, Miss Paxton.”

  “Please, call me Dorothy,” she whispered. “At least when we’re alone.”

  “Dorothy—” He paused, enjoying the way her name breezed across his lips. “You are amazing.”

  “Pardon me?”

  What did I just say? Quickly, he snapped out of the dream she’d somehow put him under and reluctantly withdrew. Emptiness invaded him, and he wished he could take her back in his arms again. Impossible!

  “Um, I mean, your transformation is utterly amazing,” he said to correct his blunder. “Miss Peabody has done a remarkable job, has she not?”

  Dorothy shrugged. “I suppose.”

  “You look very much like a lady, I might add.” He skimmed his gaze over her attire again. “And you walk like a lady as well.”

  “I would hope so. Miss P would have me locked in my room until I glided to her satisfaction.”

  “Miss P?”

  She shrugged. “Yes, my companion.”

  He chuckled. “I assume you don’t call her that to her face.”

  “Of course not. It wouldn’t be proper.”

  “You are correct. Miss Peabody would have the vapors if you did.”

  “She’d have the vapors if she knew I also refer to her as a barracuda.”

  His laughter grew. “No, do not let her know that, either.”

  “So let’s keep this between us.” Dorothy smiled.

  “Splendid idea.” He took another step back and leaned against the railing.

  Silence lasted only a few moments, before Dorothy touched his arm. “Mr. Seton, I want to thank you for what you have done to help my brother.”

  He smiled. “You are most welcome.”

  “The doctor you found to treat Jeremy is wonderful.”

  “I must say, your brother’s health perked up considerably before we left New York. Do you not agree?”

  “Wholeheartedly. It still astounds me what miracles could happen with the right physician and treatment.”

  “You are correct, Dorothy. Jeremy’s health improved by the minute.”

  “I thank you again.”

  Calvin cocked his head and grinned. “And I would like to thank you for helping me with that card game. I did win more money than I lost, thank heavens.”

  “It’s obvious you are not good at playing cards.”

  He shook his head. “I’ll admit it’s not one of my favorite pastimes. Most gentlemen enjoy the sport, but not me.”

  “Well, that’s a good thing, because you would need to have lessons, much the way I’m receiving them from Miss P,” she answered in a sharp tone.

  “How are you getting along with your companion?”

  “As well as could be expected, I suppose.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “The older woman will eventually make me lose my mind, especially if she keeps me trapped in my small room.” She tugged at the ribbons under her chin. “And this bonnet is going to chafe my skin, I just know it.” Her hands moved to the cloak and swept down her chest. “This blasted garment is heavy, and I fear if I were to fall overboard, I’d sink clear to the bottom of the ocean within seconds.”

  He grinned. “Come now, Dorothy. Dressing like a lady can’t be that horrid.”

  “It’s worse.” She threw up her hands in emphasis. “Do you know that I’m not wearing anything under this gown—all but for my stockings, of course.”

  The shock from her loud words had him stepping closer to her and covering her mouth. “Shh… You don’t want the whole ship to know.”

  She removed his hand, but still held it close to her. “I’m certain the whole ship does know, especially if every woman is dressed like me.” She leaned closer. “According to Miss P, I cannot wear my drawers—since she thinks it’s scandalous for a noble woman to wear such a garment—and this frigid weather is freezing my nether region.”

  Calvin should
scold her for discussing such delicate subjects with a man. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to correct her. Especially when most every word that came from her mouth made him laugh. It’d been too long since he had enjoyed himself so much with a woman. Then again, the women he usually consorted with were never like Miss Paxton.

  Shaking his head slowly, he grinned. “Dorothy, you really should not say such things in the company of a man.”

  Her forehead furrowed. “Why not?”

  Of their own accord, his fingers caressed her knuckles and the palm of her hand. “Because it will give the man improper thoughts.”

  The small lines in her face disappeared and softness covered her expression. “Is that what’s happening to you now?” She moved closer until her breasts brushed against his hand. “Are you having improper thoughts about me?”

  Oh good grief, was he ever! Seeing her this beautiful—and innocent—gave him the urge to take her in his arms and smother her with kisses. Of course, he could not act on his thoughts. If her grandfather ever discovered Calvin’s interest—

  “Mr. Seton, there you are.”

  Miss Peabody’s shrill voice made him jerk away from Dorothy as if she were on fire. Well, something was on fire, since he suddenly felt like he couldn’t breathe due to his burning lungs.

  He pasted a smile to his lips and hesitantly faced the older woman. “Miss Peabody, did you have a nice visit with your friend?”

  “Indeed, I did.” She frowned. “But I fear you are vexed with me for leaving Miss Paxton’s side.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Dorothy answered. “I wasn’t by myself for very long before Mr. Seton kept me company.”

  He nodded. “Miss Paxton is correct. I’m not upset in the least.” Except for when their conversation was interrupted.

  “Splendid. We can now continue our stroll along the deck,” Miss Peabody said.

  Calvin turned to Dorothy and offered his arm. “You don’t mind if I join you?”

  A mischievous grin stole across her beautiful face. “Of course not. Miss Peabody and I would be delighted.”

  She placed her gloved hand around the crook of his arm, and he felt like a prince escorting such a lovely lady. Prince? He shook the thought away. He needed to stop thinking in such a way. This was Dorothy Paxton for goodness sake. Not a princess!

  Calvin tried to join in the mundane conversation Miss Peabody had started about the weather, which led to traveling on a ship, but he couldn’t. All he could do was focus on the lovely woman beside him who was doing her best to answer politely even though her tone of voice indicated how bored she was with the current topic. He even caught her a few times rolling her eyes when Miss Peabody looked away.

  He knew the companion was carrying on this particular conversation to see if Dorothy could converse properly, which so far she proved she could—except for when they were alone, anyway. For the life of him, he couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d like to do with her if they were alone.

  The wind shifted and became a little stronger. Miss Peabody held on to her bonnet with one hand—even though he didn’t think it was going anywhere tied to her head so tightly—and bundled the cloak around her neck with her other hand.

  “This weather is so unpredictable, do you not agree, Mr. Seton?”

  “Indeed, I do. But that’s to be expected when traveling on a ship.”

  Another gush of wind came up behind them. Miss Peabody stumbled, and Calvin quickly grabbed her.

  “I thank you, Mr. Seton, but I fear I won’t be able to handle much more of this. Miss Paxton and I shall have to quit the deck and return to our rooms.”

  “Actually, Miss Peabody,” Dorothy quickly said, “I’m not ready to quit the deck. I’m enjoying the stroll immensely, and I don’t mind the wind.”

  Calvin patted the companion’s hand. “If you would like to return to your room, I shall take over the responsibility of entertaining Miss Paxton.”

  The woman blinked the wind out of her eyes. “But that’s not proper.”

  “Of course it is. The deck is still full of people. It’ll be no different if I was with Miss Paxton at a ball.”

  “Well…” the companion said hesitantly as she glanced around at the others. “If you say so, then I’ll believe you.”

  “I assure you, it’s proper.”

  She gave a small curtsey. “Then if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to leave before I’m blown away.”

  “I’ll be down in a while, Miss Peabody,” Dorothy called after her.

  Once the older woman left, Dorothy chuckled. She met Calvin’s gaze and shook her head.

  “I can’t believe you lied to her!”

  “Pardon me? How, pray tell, did I lie?”

  “By telling her this is proper.”

  “But it is.” He swept his hand around the deck. “We have many people to be our chaperones while we take a turn around the deck together.”

  “We do now.” She stepped closer and squeezed his arm. “But what will happen when they all leave?”

  “Why would they leave?”

  Another gust of wind blew, bringing with it a spray of water from the ocean. She nodded toward the people again. “I assume the weather is too cold for such gentle-bred people. They are leaving now.”

  By Jove, Dorothy was correct. Because of the stronger winds, more people were rushing toward the stairs, heading for their rooms and shelter. Soon there would just be a handful of people, and maybe only Calvin and Dorothy.

  Excitement shot through him. They’d be alone at last!

  Chapter Six

  Dorothy knew that certain gleam in a man’s eyes and the hooded way he gazed at a woman. The look of desire was evident in Calvin’s expression. This wasn’t the first time a man had looked at her in such a way—granted, the men were usually extremely intoxicated when they’d done this to her before—but this was certainly the first time her heartbeat hammered so hard it nearly broke a rib. And she couldn’t recall ever staring at a man and thinking she’d never seen anyone so handsome, and who smelled so good. Then again, she was used to the pungent scent of tobacco and alcohol clinging to men’s clothes.

  Calvin had rubbed his leg a few times during their stroll. It surprised her that he didn’t want to return to his room as well if his leg was paining him.

  Another strong gust of wind came up from behind them and literally shoved her against Calvin. She braced her hands on his hard chest as he clutched her shoulders.

  “This blasted wind,” she muttered.

  He chuckled. “I must agree. It seems as if this wind has plans of its own, and we are reluctant to fight it.”

  Although her palms felt good right where they rested, she really must step back. Being this close was dangerous to her state of mind. Yet she couldn’t get her legs to cooperate, especially with the wind fighting her.

  For the life of her, all she could do was study his face—slightly stubbled square chin, straight nose, dreamy green eyes…and heaven help her, his tempting lips. Those lips were hard to tear her gaze away from.

  “Dorothy? Are you ill?”

  She nodded. “I believe so, yes.”

  The corner of his lips lifted. “Then perhaps you would like me to escort you back to your room.”

  She really should allow him to do that. The chilly air would eventually create icicles on her legs, and the spray from the ocean would drench her if she stayed out here any longer. Yet going to her room at this particular moment was out of the question since Miss P would only pound Dorothy with more etiquette lessons.

  She forced herself to step away from him. “Heavens, no. Why would I want to return to that stuffy old room?” She turned and faced the deck, taking in deep breaths of the sea air. “I’d rather be out in the open where I don’t run into a wall every eight steps.”

  He took her hand and hooked it over his arm, continuing their stroll. His limp became more prominent, which worried her.

  “Mr. Seton, might I enquire to how your leg is ho
lding up in this chilly weather?”

  His body stiffened, and suddenly, the pleasant expression he’d been wearing turned into a mask of indifference. “Why do you ask?”

  “I don’t wish you to be uncomfortable during our stroll.”

  He ran his hand over his thigh again. “I must admit, the coldness makes it ache more than I’d like, but I shall be fine.” He patted her hand over his elbow. “Not to worry. I’ll keep you outdoors as long as you are able.”

  “You may regret making the promise.”

  A few more people scurried below deck, and now only a handful of couples were left. Dorothy expected them to flee to their rooms within minutes as well.

  “Please forgive me for making you stay with Miss Peabody in such close quarters,” Calvin continued, “but you must understand your lessons are extremely important.”

  “I understand about the lessons, but what confuses me is why my grandfather expects me to act like the rest of his grandchildren when I was brought up in such a vastly different manner. He knows what kind of woman my mother was, so I’m certain the duke knows how I turned out.”

  Calvin stopped them by some large crates that helped block the wind. It also helped block them from the others.

  “I’m doing this for you, Dorothy. I want your family to see you as a lady, just as they should,” he said as he gently caressed her cheek. “If they knew you like I do, they would see you for the wonderful, kind woman you really are.”

  Although his words warmed her, she wondered if he’d lost his mind. He couldn’t possibly be speaking of her. “Pray, Calvin, who are you referring to? Because I know you’re not thinking of me.”

  He chuckled. “Indeed, I am.”

  She liked the way his voice deepened, and the way his eyes darkened. She especially enjoyed the warmth from his stroke on her cheek, erasing the chill on her skin and creating different stirrings in her body that left her far from cold.

  “Dorothy Paxton, you are a delight to be around, and I’m sure once your family gets to know you, they’ll think the same.”

  Confused, she arched an eyebrow. “A delight? That’s a different way to say it. Not too long ago, you had said my personality was forthright. Have you perhaps changed your mind?”