by Wendy Vella
“Yes, loath as I am to stop, we cannot continue.” He lifted her and placed her on the seat opposite, and Hannah could not drag her eyes from the passion she saw blazing in his eyes. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. It was a heady thought.
“I won’t apologize.”
She listened to the steady clip-clop of hooves for several tense seconds before she answered him. “I would not ask you to, when I-I enjoyed the kiss as much as you. But I am sorry for provoking you. I fear that of late I am not myself and have turned even more shrewish. Forgive me, Alex, I seem to be either antagonizing you or in a sullen mood, and it is not like me. In fact, I wish I could take back those words I said to my father about our relationship, and we were once again the people we were.” Because I fear we never will be again, she added silently.
His breathing was ragged, his hair mussed, and those small imperfections in a man who rarely had them told her how much he, like she, was affected by what they had shared.
“Forgive me for my actions also, Hannah. It seems you are correct, I do have a temper and you tweaked it. It will not happen again.”
“The fault is mine, not yours, Alex, and I shall endeavor in future to be better behaved.”
His lips tilted upward. “The perfect lady? Somehow I doubt you are capable of that, Miss Wooller.”
“Alex, I said earlier that we should stop this, and now more than ever I believe that. I am making you unhappy, and I never wanted that. And now this.” Hannah waved her hand around. “After tonight I will put a stop to this, because I fear it will soon be too late to minimize the damage that has already been done between us and in the eyes of society. People are already talking of us in marital terms and that will not do.”
“You will not. We will see this out until the end of the season, and I want to hear nothing more on the matter, Hannah.” His jaw was clenched. “We have an agreement, and I expect you to honor it as will I.”
“But—”
“It is done, and I do not wish to speak of it again.”
Hannah said nothing further, but in her heart she knew that she had to stop this soon, before it was impossible to do so without a scandal. She was not concerned for herself, but Alex deserved more. He was one of society’s favorite sons and she had no wish to be responsible for changing that.
When the carriage drew to a halt, she prepared to leave, but Alex’s hands stopped her.
“You would create quite the sensation arriving like that, my sweet.” His hands adjusted her bodice, tugging it higher.
“You did not think to tell me that before now?” She looked down to where his hands were adjusting a band of lace.
His eyes were wicked, but he remained silent, simply releasing her to step from the carriage before holding out a hand for her to follow. She attempted to sail past him, but he simply took her hand and rested it on his arm, and together they entered the house.
“I hate wearing masks.” Alex moaned as he bent so she could tie a black one to his head minutes later.
“I quite like the anonymity,” Hannah said, selecting white and handing it to Alex for him to do the same.
“Gemmell must always outdo everyone,” Alex whispered to her as they entered the ballroom and skirted the room. There was a tower of champagne glasses before them, and beneath were servants dressed in gold-and-black livery.
“Do you remember last year they attempted to make everyone remove their footwear and sit on the floor on large silk pillows?”
“Yes.” Hannah nodded. “I remember because Phoebe refused, stating her slippers were made to match her gown and the entire ensemble would not work. She told Lord Gemmell that were she to remove her shoes, she may as well remove her dress also.”
“To which Lord Gemmell, I’m sure, insisted she remove her shoes,” Alex drawled.
“Her sisters and I believe she could commit murder and walk away a free woman if the judge were a man.”
“I have no doubt. Hannah, do you see that man there?”
“The one to the left of the Duchess of Braithe?” Hannah said, following his gaze. “Who, by the way, should not wear that particular shade of puce.” Hannah searched the man’s features. As if sensing her, he turned and looked at her and Alex. A shiver of awareness went through her as she studied the long narrow face and small black eyes through the holes of his black mask.
“Yes. Do you recognize him at all?”
“No, but he is wearing a mask. Should I?” She looked at Alex and noted his expression was serious. “Alex, is there a problem?”
“No.” He smiled. “I just thought I recognized him. Now remember, Hannah, if McDonald approaches you, be polite and move away. No dancing with him.”
“He is not a threat to me, Alex, and dancing with him here is surely no danger?”
“I mean it, Hannah. He is not to be trusted.”
“What do you know of him to have formed this opinion?”
“Nothing, but I am still investigating him, and his behavior should be enough to deter you from conversing with him anyway.”
“Why are you investigating him? For heaven’s sake, Alex, what harm could he possibly do here in London with the eyes of society upon him?”
“Just do as I say, please, Hannah.” He was deadly serious so she yielded.
“All right, I will do the best I can without seeming rude.”
He wasn’t happy with her answer but said nothing further, instead leading her to the dance floor. They danced a Cotillion and then Alex left her with Olivia and Phoebe and, before long, they were surrounded by people.
“I’m sure no one recognizes us, Hannah,” Livvy said, patting her mask. “But Phoebe, however, is hard to disguise, and everyone wants to be her friend these days. She’s become something of a leader among society, which never fails to amuse Bella and me, considering how they all disliked her during her first season.”
“They disliked her because she was a threat, Livvy; now she’s wed to a powerful man, she’s everything they aspire to be. And the men,”—Hannah sighed—“well, they just want to be near her.”
“Your father must be extremely pleased that you have secured the hand of Mr. Hetherington, Miss Wooller. After all, is this not your fourth season?”
“You are too kind.” Hannah smiled at Lady Tillerby. The woman had set her sights on Alex for her daughter last season, and was not pleased that Hannah appeared to have succeeded where her darling Lavinia had not.
“Of course, I’m sure Mr. Hetherington is most pleased with his prospective increasing fortunes. After all,” her gaze raked Hannah from head to toe, “I’m sure there had to be some incentive.”
Hannah heard Phoebe’s teeth snap together and knew her friend would be wading into this conversation in seconds if she did not put an end to it. She did not want Phoebe defending her when she had done nothing to deserve such loyalty.
Like her, Lady Tillerby had chosen a white mask, and her eyes were shooting Hannah spiteful looks through the small holes.
“Indeed, we are most fortunate, Lady Tillerby. And you, dear Lavinia.” Hannah looked at the girl standing silently at her mother’s side, also shooting poisonous looks her way. “Have you received any offers yet?”
“Well—” Lavinia spluttered.
“Oh, dear,” Hannah said with false sympathy. “You must not give up hope. I’m sure just as I did you will eventually find a man willing to overlook your numerous flaws.”
“My daughter is not flawed!”
“Of course not.” Hannah patted the woman’s hand with fake sympathy. “I’m sure she will secure a match this season and if not, then perhaps next.”
“Bitch!” Phoebe hissed as the women walked away.
“Don’t get excited, Phoebe, it is not good for you.” Hannah squeezed her friend’s fingers, before dipping into a curtsey as Benjamin Hetherington appeared at her side.
“Lady Tillerby and her daughter looked like they swallowed something foul. My guess is they were conversing with you and my de
arest sister-in-law.”
“That creature was insulting Hannah, Ben.”
“Was she, by God?” He shot a dark look at the retreating Tillerby woman. “I bet I know what about.”
“Hannah won the heart of Alex and not that dreadful Lavinia,” Phoebe said. “Hateful creature.”
“I have won no one’s heart, as I have already explained, Phoebe,” Hannah said, trying to calm her irate friend. “Alex are I are merely friends who—”
“Yes, yes.” Phoebe waved her hand about. “Some nonsense about exploring your feelings for each other, I believe.”
“It is not nonsense,” Hannah said, hating the entire charade she had concocted more every time she had a conversation like this with people she cared for. Lying was very wearing upon the soul. “And on the subject of Lady Tillerby, I know she is simply voicing the thoughts of many, so I should not have reacted as I did.”
“You had a right to defend yourself,” Phoebe said. “That woman was merely jealous that Alex has fixed his attentions on you and not her daughter.”
“Very possibly,” Hannah said, looking around in the hopes that the uncomfortable conversation would move on to something else. “But I should have risen above the pettiness.”
The room was filled with masked people, and one thing Hannah had noticed about this kind of event was that a mask seemed to make people believe they were unrecognizable. They did and said things that usually were done behind closed doors, or whispered behind hands. It was disconcerting. Young ladies were especially liberated on such a night, and a constant challenge to their chaperones.
“I don’t believe she was voicing the thoughts of all that many people, Hannah,” Ben said.
“Don’t wrap it up in a bow, Benjamin, we all know that I was unpopular, but now less so, due to your brother showing a slight, and I will say again, slight,” Hannah looked at Phoebe, who in turn rolled her eyes, “interest in me.”
“Alex said you were a mouthy woman.”
“I?” Hannah placed a hand on her chest before looking up at Ben. “But, sir, I am just a simple soul.”
“My brother has my unending sympathy.”
Hannah made herself smile, even though inside her stomach was twisting into knots. This man was Alex’s other half, and she had forced him to lie to his twin. “Surely knowing him as you do, I also deserve sympathy?”
“There is that,” Ben said. “Phoebe, Finn told me to tell you he is procuring you some lemonade and then he will be taking you to sit down when he arrives.”
“He’s a very sweet man.” She sighed, rubbing her spine. “But don’t tell him I said that.”
“Too late.” Finn appeared, holding a glass. “I found a seat for you, wife,”
“I will see you later, Hannah.”
“Of course.” She watched as Finn placed an arm around his wife and guided her across the room.
“He is a good man, your brother.”
“They both are,” Ben said, holding out his hand. “Will you dance with me, Miss Wooller?”
“Most kind of you to ask, Mr. Hetherington.”
He was the same size as Alex, and they were both handsome men, but there the difference stopped. Firstly, there was the fact that Hannah’s pulse did not gallop when he was near, and secondly… well, he was simply not Alex.
“Do you read Roman literature, Ben?”
“Egads, no!” He looked horrified. “I read Greek literature.”
He laughed as she tapped his hand.
“The thing is, Hannah, I realized early on that I would need to constantly educate myself to keep up with my brothers. Finn has the sharpest mind of any person I know, and Alex is a close second.”
“Which puts you second equal or third?”
“Oh, I’m above Alex,” he said with a sweet smile, his eyes twinkling through the holes of his mask. “But I work extremely hard to stay there.”
“And If I asked him, he would say he was above you, I’m sure.”
“Yes, but he’d be lying.”
She laughed because he was a sweet, funny man and one of the few that Hannah felt comfortable enough to be herself with.
“He told me, Hannah, just so you know that you have an ally in your charade should you need one.”
“Oh dear. Surely you are extremely angry?”
“I’m not angry, actually, and I think it’s wonderful to see my brother shaken up a little. He’s always so—”
“Perfect,” Hannah said.
“I would never call him that, Hannah, so do not ask it of me, or indeed say to him I even thought it.”
“Do you compete over everything?”
“Yes, but we are brothers and friends first and foremost, so we always settle our disagreements.”
“Has he always been so fastidious over his appearance?” Hannah did not feel guilty about questioning Ben about his brother. She had no one else to ask, and Alex intrigued her, but she did not want him to know that.
“Always. Even as boys he had to start the day immaculately presented. By the end of it I had usually ripped his shirt and torn his shorts, but he would start the next day the same.”
“He shouldn’t be so masculine, considering the effort he puts into his appearance, yet he is,” Hannah mused, and then wished she hadn’t, as Ben had a calculating look in his eyes now.
“There is a great deal more to my brother than most people see, Hannah.”
“I have seen some of that lately, and I must say it is encouraging to know he is not as sickeningly amiable as I had always believed. He has a temper and several other vices that please me immensely, Ben.”
Ben’s laugh reminded Hannah of Alex.
“He is a good man, Hannah, and I would not see him hurt; or you for that matter. So my only caution would be to tread carefully, and end this before it reaches the point of no return.”
His words unsettled her enough that she missed a step. “Oh, of course, and I am sorry to have done this to him, Ben, but I assure you that neither of us will be hurt.”
He did not speak again as the dance ended, but his words had left Hannah uneasy as she had the feeling it would be she who got hurt when this charade with Alex was over.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Alex scratched the bridge of his nose where the mask rubbed it. Silly bloody things, he thought, prowling around the edges of the ballroom. He was searching for two men. Lord McDonald, who it seemed, much to his relief, had decided not to attend, and the man he had recognized when he and Hannah arrived. There was no doubting it was him, because he had seen him twice before. Hannah had said she did not recognize him, and Alex believed her; she wasn’t that good at hiding her thoughts.
Hannah. He sighed quietly.
His body had been screaming at him in the carriage to touch her, ease her dress aside and run his hand over her body, taste her. God, she had him hard. He wanted to cup her breasts, raise them to his mouth, and kiss all that luscious skin.
“Mr. Hetherington.”
“Lady Galloway.” Alex nodded to the woman who had plagued him incessantly to notice her daughter before his relationship with Hannah had become public knowledge. Not stopping to converse, he continued to prowl until he found Finn laughing at something Will Ryder was saying. Phoebe was seated a few feet away, sipping from a glass and looking angelic.
“Even masked I can see the angry look in your eyes, Alex. Care to share what ails you?” Will asked.
“No I don’t, but thank you for asking.”
“Alex?” Finn looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Is all well with you?”
“I am fine, Finn, honestly. I was just thinking about a proposition I need to discuss with Ace,” he lied, which was becoming something of a habit. Hannah was right, this would need to come to a head one way or the other.
Finn’s face relaxed. “That’s all right then.”
“Good evening.”
Alex stepped back to allow Lord Wooller to join their circle. “Your business is concluded, Woolly? I unders
tand from Hannah there was some problem you had to rush away to deal with.”
“Yes, I thank you for asking, Alex. The matter is settled now.”
The man did not look his usual jovial self; in fact he looked as downcast as he had when Alex had visited their home the day he had become Hannah’s beau. Obviously he and his daughter were still at odds with each other.
“Are you well, Woolly?” Will asked. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“I am well thank you, Will; it is my daughter causing me concern not my heart.”
“You know your daughter better than anyone, Woolly, did you really think she would not be upset that you had increased her dowry and subsequently received the unwanted attentions of several men?” Alex said. He had always respected Lord Wooller, but in this he had been wrong, and he had hurt Hannah. Alex was fast realizing that he didn’t like the thought of her suffering in any way.
Woolly’s sigh was heavy. “To my detriment, I did not, Alex, and as the man who now holds my daughter’s heart, you’ll forgive me.”
Alex looked around and found Ben partnering Hannah on the dance floor. What would it be like to have her heart? To know that all that passion and intensity was his? He thought it would be wonderful. Light caught her hair, and the diamond pins sparkled under the chandelier. Then she laughed at something his brother said, and Alex felt another lance of jealousy. It was becoming all too familiar.
“She will come about, Woolly, she just needs time.”
“She and I have never been at odds like this before, Alex. We’ve argued, she’s thrown things at me, and we’ve yelled, but we always forgave each other. This time is different.”
“Why did you do it now, Woolly?” Will asked the question. “Surely you knew that the interest would unsettle Hannah. Did you think she would sit idly by when things around her were changing, and not by her hand?”
“I need Hannah settled with a good man; only then will I know that both my girls will be cared for.” Woolly gave Alex a look that he guessed many fathers had given over the passage of time. “They are more precious to me than I can ever say, Alex, and I know that you will care for them as I would.”