Juliet shook her head, her eyes round with wonder. “You are not merely a master and his footman who use one another to slake your lust. You are lovers.”
“Without a doubt.” Nick wiped his cock with a napkin and buttoned his breeches. “We care for each other very much. However, as much love as we feel for each other, we can also share with you.” He paused for a long moment, allowing his words sufficient time to sink in. “If you would do me the honor of becoming my wife, Lady Juliet, you would gain not only my love, but William’s, as well.”
She glanced at Will, who lay sprawled on the blanket, his body limp and sated. “And you? Do you feel the same?”
“I do, my lady,” Will replied. “I cannot imagine anything more wonderful than to have you as my mistress.”
“The choice, then, is yours, my lady,” Nick said. “You may either stay with us or return to your father’s estate, where your life would be as it was before.” He waited the space of perhaps three heartbeats before seeking the answer that would change all their lives for the better. “Which shall it be?”
Chapter Four
Juliet tried to recall the last time she’d been given a choice. Even her father’s gardeners told her what seeds to plant and which roses to prune. The best she could tell, she’d hadn’t been allowed to make a decision about much of anything in the past five years, perhaps even longer than that.
No, just this morning, I had a choice of which dress to wear. Considering the number of beautiful gowns she’d discovered in her wardrobe, the decision had been a difficult one. She had William to thank for that dilemma. That gesture alone was enough to make her fall in love with him.
She gave herself a mental slap. A lady didn’t fall for a man simply because he provided her with gorgeous dresses. Still, what William had done ranked up there as one of the nicest, most thoughtful things anyone had done for her in a very long time—eclipsed only by Rotherford’s kind invitation.
Acceptance of his proposal hovered on the tip of her tongue. There would be no going back once this decision was made. She reminded herself that these men were virtual strangers, and she knew very little of their history or character.
But I do know my father. And Rotherford and William were nothing like him. That fact alone made her long to declare her intention never to go home again. They’d shown her what her life could be like if she chose them, and though she acknowledged her attraction to both men, one question remained.
“Why me?”
Rotherford frowned. “I beg your pardon?”
She gazed unflinchingly into his eyes. He was handsome, distinguished, and titled. Granted, she was the daughter of an earl, but there was still the matter of her disgrace to be considered. “Out of all the available ladies in the world, why are you offering for me?”
“I should have thought that was obvious.”
“Perhaps it is to you, but I cannot comprehend it myself. Is it because my reputation is already in tatters and cannot get any worse?”
He arched a skeptical brow. “Do you really believe that?”
Juliet shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know what to believe. You bring me here, entrust me with your secret, and then give me a choice of staying with you or going back home as though nothing ever happened.” She glanced at William, who still lay unabashedly naked right before her very eyes. “But something did happen. Something that affected me in a most profound manner.” She had been witness to an act of love, not simply one of lust or passion—one that had left her mind in turmoil.
Rotherford smiled at his footman. “Seems you were right, Will.”
“About what?” Juliet asked, her bewilderment growing.
“He was the one to suggest that we show, rather than tell you about our relationship.”
“I see,” said Juliet. “Yes, he was quite correct. Had you told me, I would not have understood.”
“But still, you are hesitant.”
She nodded. “I am having a difficult time understanding how love can be shared between three people.”
“Have you never considered how parents can have many children and still love each of them?”
Her face fell. “My lord, I have never known that kind of love. At least, not from my father. My mother seems to love me, although she is unwilling to take my side in any dispute.”
Rotherford nodded. “While I will admit that your beauty first caught my eye, your situation also intrigued me. You understand what it means to be punished for succumbing to your desires.” His gaze shifted to William. “Will and I love one another, yet no one in this world knows of our love. Except you. He was hired as a footman, and when the valet who had served me since I was a boy retired, he took on those duties.
“I never felt the need to find another valet, particularly when the arrangement suited our needs so well. Everyone in my household assumes that William sleeps in the dressing room adjoining my bedchamber. We cannot display our affection except in private, and we have never been discovered.” He smiled, but the strain showed in his eyes. “I suspect you understand how it feels to be forced to hide your feelings for the one you love.”
“Yes, I do,” she admitted. “However, you still must keep that secret.”
“But we share it with you now,” William said. “And if one woman ever needed the love of two men, you are that woman.”
Juliet certainly couldn’t argue with his logic. As unloved as she’d felt throughout most of her existence, an entire army might not be enough to make her believe it—which perhaps explained why she’d been so willing to risk everything for a few stolen kisses with a stable lad.
Closing her eyes, she recalled the moment when she first understood that her sole purpose in life was to further any plans her father might have. Whether she fell in love or not, she would be married to a man of the earl’s choosing. Her own hopes and dreams were completely irrelevant.
Even now, her father would see her marriage to Rotherford as a victory. “You haven’t promised the earl your vote, have you?”
“No. He may only be complying with my wishes in order to gain my support. However, I have made no mention of it.” Rotherford traced the outline of her cheek with a fingertip, sending tendrils of some emotion she was at a loss to name curling throughout her person. “We cannot guarantee that everything will always be perfect between us, but we can promise to do our best to ensure your happiness.”
Juliet sighed. Whatever happened, the one thing she could guarantee was that she would never betray the trust these men had placed in her. They had taken a tremendous risk in telling her their secret. If only she could find a way to trust them as much as they trusted her.
The fact that she was attracted to both men and was already well on the way to liking them gave their relationship a better chance of succeeding than many marriages. Most matches among people of her class were arranged in order to improve one partner’s social or financial status, often trading one for the other. Love was rarely a factor.
In a way, she’d been lucky. If she’d never been disgraced, she might’ve already been married off to a man she despised. Then again, in that other life, Rotherford might’ve met her during the Season, perhaps even offered for her.
In that moment, she realized that they had placed a very powerful weapon in her hands. What she’d seen and done was more than enough to trap Rotherford into marriage. Or, if she’d been so inclined, she could destroy them both simply by reporting what she’d witnessed. And yet, despite their vulnerability, they were still giving her a choice—a choice she wouldn’t have had if her father had instigated the match.
Juliet was enough of a realist to know that one’s future could change on a whim and one’s happiness along with it. Even a blissful union could turn sour as years passed, and for the moment, the odds were even—perhaps even stacked in her favor. These men had at least promised to try to make her happy. Many wives were never even given that tiny grain of hope, and advantageous proposals weren’t handed out to disgraced spinster
s every day. She’d be a fool to turn them down.
“My lord, I thank you, and I accept your gracious offer of marriage.”
* * * *
William’s heart leaped to his throat. “Does your acceptance include both of us?”
Juliet rolled her eyes. “Yes, William—although, having never heard of such an arrangement before, you must forgive my uncertainty in knowing how best to refer to it. Since I cannot marry both of you, I can only promise to do my best to make the two of you happy.” Her lips curved into a smile as her eyes swept the length of his naked body. “There, now. Does that cover everything?”
“Indeed it does, my lady.” Taking what he assumed was a hint, Will sat up and reached for his clothes. “I hope we did not…embarrass you.”
“A little, perhaps,” she admitted. “However, I cannot say I did not enjoy the performance.”
Nick grinned. “A lesser woman would have run screaming for the hills.”
“I imagine so,” Juliet agreed.
“But you did not,” Will said. “And having you watch us was very…”
“Stimulating,” Nick finished for him with a suggestive lift of his brow.
Blood rushed to Will’s groin once again, and his cock, which had relaxed slightly, grew rigid as he recalled having spent himself in her mouth. He’d never done such a thing with a lady before and was still amazed at how willing she’d been. He was in her debt to the point that he would’ve promised her the world, if only it had been his to give.
However, not even the smallest part of the world belonged to him. He had only his service, his devotion, and his love to offer her. They were hers for the taking. He was hers for the taking. Somehow, his feelings toward her were different from the way he felt about Nick. He would always love the viscount and forever be his devoted servant, but…
I am her slave. No other word came close to expressing his connection to her. The astonishing thing was how quickly it had happened. Nick had known her longer—perhaps it was his description of her that made Will accept her so easily. Nonetheless, as he stepped into his trousers and buttoned his shirt, he wanted to leave them off and never wear them again in her presence.
Her naked slave boy…The mere thought made him long to be just that.
But, of course, he could do nothing of the kind. The other servants would get wind of it eventually, and what happened after that would depend on how open-minded those men and women were. Somehow, Will didn’t think they’d be open enough for any of it to continue. Nick and Juliet would still be married, but what would happen to the poor footman?
He would be the one forced out of the ménage—no legal recourse, no rights, no nothing. She could promise to be Nick’s wife, and the law would hold her to that vow. William had no hold on anything. The precarious nature of their relationship nearly made him ill.
Giving both of them a weak smile, William set about gathering up the remains of their luncheon. He’d stowed everything in the hamper and was folding up the blanket when Nick put a hand on his shoulder.
“Is something troubling you?”
As always, Nick’s deep, caressing murmur sent legions of thrills skittering down his spine. “No, my lord. I am simply…overcome by the turn of events.”
“Overcome? With what? A fit of the sullens? Pangs of regret? You should be rejoicing. Come now, William. Out with it.”
Juliet’s nod revealed her understanding of his situation. “You and I are in the same boat, are we not? We have no rights whatsoever.”
“What the devil do you mean by that?” Nick demanded.
“She speaks the truth,” Will replied. “As your wife, she becomes your property, and I am merely your servant.”
The viscount’s glare should’ve struck terror in their hearts, and perhaps it would have, had Juliet not rescued them both with her tinkling laugh.
“We seem to have driven him to Point Nonplus,” she remarked.
“I’ll say, you have,” Nick agreed. “What about love, Will? What about our feelings for one another? Do you mean to say those feelings mean nothing?”
Will had no idea what to say.
Fortunately, Juliet did. “I’m sure they mean a great deal to him, but you must see that you have the upper hand in this arrangement.” She paused, frowning. “I cannot call it a marriage, but that is essentially what it is—a marriage between three people. And it must remain a secret. How shall we ever do it?”
“We would have to be discreet in the extreme,” Will said, finding his tongue at last. “No one could ever know.”
Juliet nodded. “Our children couldn’t even know the truth. Do we each feel that we can live our lives in secret?”
Taking the blanket from Will, Nick shoved it beneath the carriage seat and rounded on Juliet. “Now, hold on. You accepted my proposal, my lady. Do you mean to go back on your promise?”
“No,” she replied. “But William has brought my attention to a peculiar dilemma. Should we ever be discovered, he would be the one to suffer.”
“Which is why we will be damned careful,” Nick declared, turning to Will. “D’you really believe I’ve spent all this time loving you and never given this so much as a thought?”
“No,” Will said slowly. “I don’t.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “But if it comes to that, I will be the one to go.”
“I don’t want you to go, Will.” Nick’s tone was gentle, pleading. “I loved you long before I knew Juliet existed. I’ll not give you up so easily.”
Juliet smiled. “I thought as much. Good to hear it, though—is it not, William?”
“It is, indeed,” Will said as relief washed through him.
She truly did understand. Nick, on the other hand, clearly did not. “What the deuce are the two of you talking about?”
“Poor Nick.” Juliet took his hand, giving it a soothing pat. “I suppose you cannot help being a viscount, any more than my father can help being an earl.”
Nick stared at her, bewilderment written plainly on his face. “I suppose not, but what has that got to do with anything?”
She clucked her tongue. “You are among the privileged few—one of those people we address as ‘my lord.’ But in truth, you are not a lord, any more than Will is or I am. We are all simply people. Some richer, some poorer, some more intelligent and others as dumb as dirt, but we all matter. We all have dreams and hopes and plans. The fact that you are in our plans makes you what you are. Not what you possess.”
“Love,” Nick whispered. “You are talking about love.”
“Of course,” Will said. “I love you. You love me. We will both love Juliet. She will be ours forever.”
“And to do this, we, what? Set sail for America?”
Juliet snorted a laugh. “Not likely. A more Puritanical society has seldom existed. No, what we must do is fall madly in love and live happily ever after.”
“What drivel,” Will said. “All we have to do is make love. The emotion will follow.”
Nick waved this aside. “None of that now, Will. I need to think about this.”
“Then think. But you might want to drive us home first. Then you can think.”
* * * *
Nick felt as though a whirlwind had scooped him up and thrown him into the sky. Will untethered the horses while Nick assisted Juliet into the phaeton. Taking the seat beside her, he gathered up the reins as Will released the horses and climbed up behind them.
The strangest moments of his life had just passed, and he had no idea what to make of them. He was a peer with a title and an estate and a seat in the House of Lords. Yet these two people meant more to him than any of those things. Well, William did. He wasn’t sure about Juliet—yet. Her steady gaze and enigmatic smile confused him. Had he made a mistake? Would she blow their world apart or be the cement that held it together? Nick had no idea. He drove his horses onward, waving at the people they passed. Did they see him as a lord or as a man? He’d never considered the matter before.
“I still
don’t understand,” he said at last. “Are we a threesome or not?”
“We are, Nicholas,” Juliet replied. “But we are an equal threesome, whether William likes being told what to do or not.”
“I am your slave, my lady,” Will declared. “I will fall at your feet and do whatever you ask of me.”
“Hmph.” Reaching back, she smacked his arm with her fan. “Good thing I’m not the insane, sadistic type.”
Nick’s eyes widened. “My God. Where did you ever hear—”
“I did not hear any of it,” she said with a wry smile. “I read it—in books.”
“She reads quite a lot,” Will said. “Hadn’t you noticed?”
“I have now. Tell me, Juliet. Have you come across any tales of a woman in love with two men?”
“No,” she replied. “Perhaps I shall write one myself.”
She writes books? “Oh, really?”
“I have been known to dabble with pen and paper on occasion. Nothing published, of course—my father would never allow it—however, if I am ever to write such a book, I must first do some research.” Her smile grew coy. “Would you care to assist me?”
“I believe I would—at least, I think I do.” Nick couldn’t help thinking he’d fallen into a story that was already in the process of being written—and he was not the author.
“And you, William?” she asked. “May I include you? I have already tasted a man’s cock and seen one man—what was the word you used? Fuck?—another. I am very much interested to learn how two men make love to one woman—although, I must admit, I have my suspicions.”
“As I have said before, I shall be your slave,” Will replied. “Yours to command in any manner you see fit. However, if you were to ask me for any ideas I might have on the subject, I would be more than willing to share them with you.”
“What are your ideas, Will?” she asked. “I would very much like to hear them.”
The Sextet Presents… The Lady Takes a Pair [In Days of Olde] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 4