Two Dukes and a Lady

by Lorna James

  “What are you daydreaming about now?” her Uncle Jonathan snarled as he brushed by her to collect his mail from the table.

  “I’m merely waiting for the Dukes of Densmore and Tennison to escort me for lunch at Birch’s.”

  He harrumphed. “Have your hat set a little high, don’t you think?”

  “Whatever do you mean?”

  “Even the loveliest of virgins haven’t been able to tie either of those rakehells down.” Jonathan sniffed. “I daresay used goods won’t appeal to them.”

  Clenching her jaw, Lily refused to let him see how much his words had cut into her. He had always been a sour old man. It was no wonder he never married. All he cared about was hounds, horses, and hunting.

  “Don’t be absurd,” she started to say. But what was the point? Nothing she could say would change her uncle’s mind, and he was probably right. But she was going to ask Charles to marry her anyway. The worst he could do was laugh, and then she’d turn right around and ask William. And when they were both insensate from making fun of her, she could wallop them soundly around their heads and discuss her situation seriously.

  If they were even nice about it and could promise discretion, maybe she would dare to have an affair with one of them before she got married again. If that were her only chance at a brief moment of passion, she would do her best not to squander it.

  The butler announced the dukes’ arrival, and after what seemed an interminable length of small talk with her uncle about some inventor named Alexander Graham Bell, they were headed off in a good clip. Apparently, her uncle didn’t care a fig if they were unchaperoned or not in the closed carriage. Lily faced the two men, who shifted and darted glances at each other enough for her to recognize they were up to some mischief. She tried to wait them out by staring out the side window of the Landau, but the fast pace of the horses made her a little dizzy.

  “Have you thought about finding me a husband?” Lily broke the silence.

  The two shared a guilty look. That was it. They were going to suggest she marry one of her uncle’s peers. Lily shook her head in exasperation. Probably one of the aging lechers who had outlasted his poor wife and was now looking for something new in the bedroom. Not if she could help it.

  “I have been thinking,” she went on before they could answer. “And I have the perfect solution.” She felt her face heating up. This wasn’t as easy as she’d first thought it was going to be. She could handle if they laughed at her. But what if this ruined their friendship? She bit her lip.

  “What is the perfect solution?” William asked, with a trace of challenge in his voice.

  “I want you to know,” she said, straightening her shoulders, “this was a hard decision for me. I actually had to toss a coin.”

  Charles sighed. “What are you talking about?”

  “Will you marry me? Charles, that is? Of course, if that’s too repugnant, William, I would love it if you would do me the honors.”

  They both blinked and gaped at her.

  “Close your mouths. You look like fish,” she snapped.

  William recovered first and put his hand over his mouth, then coughed to stifle his laughter. She kicked him in the knee.

  “Ow, Lily. First you wound me by not having me as your first choice, and now you mean to cripple me.”

  “I realize I have no dowry and I bring nothing to the marriage but the clothes on my back—” And a blackmailer and the taint of scandal.

  “Yes,” Charles said.

  “In addition to a wretched first marriage to an American smuggler.” Lily looked at her borrowed black gloves. She hadn’t really thought this out completely. Hearing it aloud sounded like a disaster.

  William pointed to his knee. “You’ve scuffed my best trousers.”

  “Yes,” Charles said.

  “Oh, stop complaining. Charles, what did you say?” Lily asked, as she had been too busy being cross at William and had missed what Charles had said.

  “Yes, I will consent to be your bridegroom. I will announce our engagement immediately. I don’t see any need to have a long, drawn-out courtship. I shall have the banns read as soon as possible, and then we’ll have an engagement party at William’s house.” He looked at William, who nodded. “I would say September will give us sufficient time to have everything ready for our wedding.”

  “Close your mouth,” William said. “Now you’re the one who looks like a fish.”

  Lily snapped her lips together. “You might need to know how severe my money problems are.” What if I tell him about the blackmailer and he rescinds his offer?

  “I’ll have my solicitor set you up with a bank account with enough funds to take care of matters that come up, as well as paying for the wedding expenses.”

  “I’ll help out with that as well,” William offered.

  Charles nodded.

  “I can’t believe… I mean I expected… But you have to see…” Lily couldn’t form a complete sentence. If she had her own account, they would never know she was paying a blackmailer, and all of George’s sins could be buried with him.

  “There is one small thing I do require of you, though,” Charles said.

  “We require of you,” William put in.

  “Anything,” Lily said, unable to stop the wild smile from bursting across her face. She was going to marry one of her childhood loves. Her dreams were going to come true. It was almost too good to be true. She narrowed her eyes at them. She knew those expressions on their faces too well. “What?”

  “Those rumors you heard about William and me?” Charles gestured to his friend.

  “I do not wish to hear about your conquests, and I expect you to be faithful to your marriage vows and for you not to lead him astray, William.” Lily shook her finger at both of them.

  “You see,” William said, leaning forward and taking her hand in his. “We’ve discussed this already and you have fallen right into our trap.” He turned her arm over and kissed her wrist.

  She could feel the impact of that kiss through the silk of her gloves and it thudded in her chest. Lily cast a guilty look at Charles, but he only leaned back in his seat and smiled lazily at her. He looked like a giant cat toying with a mouse.

  “I want you as my wife as well,” William said.

  “Oh, William.” She sighed. “If I could only have two husbands, you would be my only other choice.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” he said and tugged her forward so she sprawled between them.

  “Except that’s not going to happen.”

  “Shut up, Charles,” William said between his teeth.

  They moved to give her a little room, but she was wedged tightly, trapped. William kissed her, a sweet brush of his lips over hers. She turned to Charles to explain that she didn’t want to make him angry, and he kissed her just as sweetly. They took turns kissing her, turning her head with a light touch on her chin. When Charles deepened the kiss, William leaned in and whispered in her ear.

  “You may be married in the eyes of the Church and God to Charles. But you will also be a wife to me behind closed doors.” He traced the shell of her ear with his tongue.

  Lily gasped in shock, but Charles’s mouth muffled it. While she was coming to terms with that outrageous, impossible statement, William kissed down to her neck. Heat flooded through her and a little moan escaped her as she remembered how they had pleasured her at the party. Charles left her mouth, turning her head to William who increased the urgency of the kiss. William’s mouth asked, demanded for her to open wider and she complied, giving him everything.

  Charles cupped her breasts and kissed the top of her décolletage. Her widow’s clothes were too tight, too restraining. The carriage hit a bump, and they were jostled apart. Taking a deep breath, Lily placed her hands on her burning cheeks.

  “Are you jesting with me? Are you trying to see if now that I am widowed, I’ve become a loose woman without morals?” Lily was afraid her actions had already pointed that out.


  “My darling, we’ve known each other since we were children. I know what type of woman you are.” William caressed her cheek with the back of his hand.

  Lily wondered if they would still feel that way if they knew she was going to pay someone to keep silent so she could leave all of George’s business dealings in America. What if the blackmailer decided that a hundred pounds wasn’t enough?

  Even if it would ruin this perfect moment, she opened her mouth to tell them everything. She took a deep, shaking breath, but Charles forestalled her.

  He took her hand. “William and I are inseparable and have shared everything since we were boys. You’ve always known that. Is it so much of a surprise that we want to share you? How could we choose who would have you? We lost you once. We will not lose you again. You will be my wife and you will grow accustomed to William in our bed.”

  “At the same time?” she asked, distracted by the image that was unbelievable in its audacity. In the past, she had allowed them both to touch and kiss her at the same time. But sleeping with both of them? Especially when she was married to Charles, but intimate with William at the same time. It was a sin. It was infidelity. Why, why even bother with marriage at all?

  “Charles,” William chided. “Let her make her own decision. It must be a great shock to her.”

  “You’ve done this before?” she said. “Shared a woman.”

  Confusion, jealousy, and excitement chased around inside her.

  “More than once,” Charles said.

  “Almost all of them.” William nodded.

  “Aren’t you jealous?” Lily asked. “I would rip some harpy’s hair out if she wanted you in bed.”

  “Which one of us?” William asked.

  “Either one of you,” she admitted.

  “So you are not offended?” Charles asked.

  “Exasperated,” she said. “But I’m not surprised. I’m not sure if I can be a wife to you both—I don’t know how.”

  It couldn’t even be possible. Yet, she had read about the Church of Latter-Day Saints who had what they called plural marriages, although the United States government didn’t approve. And then there were the Native American tribes where the men also had many wives. Yet she’d never heard of a woman having more than one husband. Was she really considering this? Was this really happening, or had the stress of the past few months driven her insane? Surely, she was imagining all of this from a mental institution that her uncle was grudgingly paying for.

  Lily hid a hysterical giggle behind her glove.

  “We’ll teach you,” Charles said. “In the months coming up to the ceremony, you’ll have plenty of time to get used to us.”

  “How will we keep this a secret? Imagine the scandal if anyone finds out. Charles, your brother was always jealous of you. He would destroy your name out of spite if we’re caught.”

  “I haven’t been caught yet,” Charles said. “His attention is more on my business and financial matters.”

  Lily swallowed hard, as fear filled her gut. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.” What if the blackmailer decided to go to Sebastian instead?

  Charles laughed. “That wasn’t a ‘no.’”

  “I told you of George’s dishonesty,” she started, needing to tell him everything, but Charles cut her off.

  “I never want to hear his name again. He is your past. We are your future.”

  Lily wanted to believe that so badly. Tears pricked at her eyes. “I don’t want anything to ever hurt you. Are you not jealous of each other?”

  There was a slight pause that went on longer than she thought necessary.

  “Of course not,” Charles said.

  “It sounds like our bride is willing,” William said, avoiding the question, but his face was so full of happiness, she couldn’t hold it against him.

  “I’d be an imbecile not to be,” Lily said. “You are my first loves. My only loves. And I don’t have to choose between you? I can’t see that there is a downside to this. Except for the risks we take. What of children?”

  “They’ll all be legitimate heirs,” Charles said. “But please, not for many years. I would be an awful father. I’m far too selfish. I’ve waited five years for you. I want more than that when it’s just you and me and William.”

  “But if it happens, how will we know whose is yours and whose is William’s?”

  Charles shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “But your lineage,” Lily turned to William. “What about your heirs?”

  He shuddered. “I abhor children,” he said. “They give me hives.”

  “William.” She rolled her eyes. “You need an heir to carry on your line.”

  “Let it go to my cousin when I kick off. If I have any say to it, the coffers will be empty, and he’s welcome to the title. I will be too busy enjoying my secret wife.” William kissed her again and reason fled.

  Charles nibbled on her neck and she put her arms around both of them. There had to be other issues she should be addressing. But with the influx of money, all of her problems should be solved. The blackmailer gave her a little niggle of alarm, but she was confident that as long as she paid the sum, everything would be just fine. Part of her knew the solution was too neat and too perfect. Perhaps, she had fallen and hit her head and when she woke up this would all be a beautiful dream. But until that happened, she was going to enjoy every minute of the debauchery.

  Charles’s hands were thrilling and bold. William’s mouth was as addicting as sugared tarts. Her body remembered these wifely intimacies, just never with this much longing.

  “I will enjoy teaching you how to pleasure us,” William said as the carriage jostled to a stop in front of Birch’s.

  Charles helped put her clothing to rights, and by the time the driver had opened the door, they all looked respectable again.

  Chapter Seven

  Charles was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly his marriage plans were moving forward. His mother was overjoyed that he was finally settling down, and she had grown sentimental at the thought of the poor, helpless widow from a good home being returned to her one true love. Even his upstart brother, Sebastian, had seemed mollified for the moment.

  He and William were now planning the engagement ball at the Duke of Tennison’s residence, which, in truth, was much more opulent than his own. William swore he would spare no expense, so French champagnes and Russian caviar had been ordered, as well as a fitting for Lily’s gown that they were promised would be decadently extravagant. They were both thankful that Lily was finally going to be out of black and wearing a lovely shade of lavender, although Charles hoped she would continue to wear the black stockings and corset underneath. If not, he made a mental note to at least sketch her in them.

  “Brandy, cognac, cigars?” he asked, making sure that the real essentials were taken care of.

  “You know I placed those orders first,” William answered.

  “How many people?’

  “About a hundred, give or take.”

  “The music?”

  “I’ve asked Lady Penn to handle that, as she really knows the best, and will make sure that they are available.” William walked over to the decanter holding the brandy they both loved so much. “Have a drink with me to celebrate a job well done.” He poured two snifters and handed Charles a glass of the amber liquid. “To us.”

  As Charles was about to raise his glass, the doors to the study were flung open and an irate Countess Hainaut burst into the room, her green eyes blaring in a plumage of feathers on both her hat and cloak.

  “I cannot believe you had the audacity to announce your engagement to this American parvenue without so much as a word to me.” She held a copy of The London Times in her gloved hand and shook it at the two of them.

  Charles was closest to her, so he put his glass down and put his hand across her back. “My dear Richilde. I did not mean to offend you, but you had to have known that was coming.”

  She pulled away angrily. “Spar
e me your insincere excuses. I have been waiting to hear from either of you for over a week. You have missed our weekly assignations, and my letters were returned unopened.”

  It was now William’s turn. “Countess, darling, these things happened so quickly that my dear friend just got caught up in the excitement.”

  She pulled her kid gloves off and waved a hand dismissively at him.

  “There is no excuse for you, either.”

  “I have been busy with the planning of my dearest friend’s engagement.”

  “In all the years I’ve known you, you have never been too busy for an afternoon in my bed.”

  William scooped up Charles’s untouched glass of brandy and placed it in the countess’s hand. “In all the years you have known me, my best friend has never once been engaged to be married.”

  She downed the brandy in one gulp and pointed a long fingernail at him. “Don’t think that I don’t know what is really going on here.”

  William brought the brandy decanter to her and filled her glass again. “My dearest Richilde,” he said, trying to get her to sit on the leather sofa. “There is nothing going on here. Charles has simply remembered his heart and has proposed to his childhood sweetheart, who has miraculously been returned to him though God’s providence.”

  “You may be able to tell that conneries to your mothers, but I know the two of you better than you know yourselves, and I know what you have been doing with the Widow Drew.”

  “You need to stop this nonsense,” Charles said.

  “No,” she said, stepping closer to his face. She was a tall woman, and she looked him almost directly in the eye. “It is you who need to stop this foolishness. I have my spies.”

  “There is nothing for your ‘spies’ to report,” Charles said, frowning. He did seem to remember that Richilde and Lady Penn shared a pastry chef, who was now being brought in to work on the engagement party.