The Desires of a Countess

by Jenna Petersen

  He barely noticed the niceties that were being said around him until Ginny nodded toward the door. “We should be off or we’ll be more than fashionably late.”

  Nodding, he said, “I thought we’d take two vehicles so we won’t be uncomfortable. Mama, you could ride with Adam and Mrs. Percy, and Lady Westdale, I thought you could ride with me.”

  Ginny’s eyes grew wide and Simon smiled. Oh, the things he could do during the short ride across London.

  “I think your mother should ride with us, Mr. Webber,” Ginny said before she turned away to smile at Sarah. “After all, we want to make our entrance together, don’t we?”

  Simon frowned. Didn’t she want to be alone with him? He’d seen the desire in her eyes when she’d come into the room, but now she seemed to want to hide that away from him under some guise of propriety. Or perhaps his mother’s comfort was her only concern.

  “Very well. Adam will you escort Mrs. Percy?” he asked, but was surprised to see that his first mate had already linked arms with the pretty widow.

  They made an odd pair. Harriet was fair and petite, while Adam was huge and dark from work in the sun. But somehow, despite the disparity in their sizes and colorings, their match seemed to work. And if the sparkle in both their eyes was any indication, neither one cared what the world thought of them anyway.

  “With pleasure.” Adam grinned at Harriet as they swept out the door. “We’ll see you there.”

  Ginny gave Simon a thin smile before she turned to his mother and took her arm. “Mrs. Webber, shall we go?”

  The two women began to walk out the door in front of Simon. He heard his mother say she was nervous and then Ginny’s soothing words of comfort. Though it pleased him that the women seemed to be developing a friendship, he was still at a loss as to why Ginny would wish to avoid him. Especially when they’d grown so close during the past few days.

  But as he watched her help his mother into the carriage, he smiled. Before the end of the night he would have a moment alone with her, and he’d wipe away whatever shyness kept her from looking at him the way he was looking at her.

  ***

  The carriage pulled to a smooth stop in front of Lord and Lady Hornsbey’s London estate. The beautiful house rose up before them in an attempt to dwarf anything and everything else around it. Simon sniffed his distaste as he left the vehicle first and offered a hand to assist the two ladies. While he understood the ton had to keep up appearances, this was ridiculous. One by one they tried to outdo each other and London was rapidly spiraling further and further out of control. Where there had once been beauty, now there were unsightly buildings and the cloying stench of smoke and humanity.

  He grasped his mother’s hand first and assisted her to the ground. She smiled up at him when he gave her palm a squeeze, then he leaned back up to help Ginny down. She stared at his outstretched hand for a long moment before she accepted it. The electricity between them was immediate, as it always was, and from the way she parted her lips with a small gasp, she felt it too. But as soon as her slippered feet hit the ground, she drew away from him and the arm he offered to her as escort.

  “You should take Sarah’s arm,” she said softly as she turned her gaze to the ground. “She’s nervous and may need you to lean on, especially in the first few moments after we’re announced when the stares and murmurs will be at their worst.”

  Simon frowned as she turned away and began a slow walk up the drive toward the house alone. Why was she pulling away from him? Hadn’t they moved passed that the night they’d made love in her bed and shared their thoughts and secrets? When she’d confessed to him the extent of Henry’s abuse, he thought they’d turned a corner together.

  Perhaps he was wrong.

  “Ready, Mama?” he asked as Ginny whispered their names to the footman at the door.

  “As ready as I can be.” she answered. He felt her tremble and squeezed her tighter.

  “Lady Westdale, Mr. Simon Webber and Mrs. Sarah Webber,” the man announced over the throng. Immediately the room quieted a fraction and heads turned to gape at the threesome. Though Ginny hardened herself to the stares, Simon could see the anxiety on her face as much as he could feel it in the way his mother gripped his arm tighter.

  As they stepped down into the foyer and headed toward the ballroom, Ginny nodded to a well-dressed woman in ostrich feathers and pearls.

  “Good evening Lady Ravenswood,” she said.

  In response, the woman gave a cool nod, but when her eyes fell to Sarah, she sniffed and turned away. Simon gasped. His mother had been given the cut direct by one of the most influential women of the ton. Even Ginny’s presence had moved Sarah no closer to a return to her former status.

  Ginny frowned as she turned back to Sarah. “She’s a nasty beast anyway. Don’t worry about her in the slightest.”

  Sarah nodded, but tears glistened in her eyes nonetheless. Ginny’s face softened at the sight of them, but her sympathy did little for Simon. Perhaps Ginny could smooth over one such incident, but if Lady Ravenswood cut them, others would follow suit. His mother would leave the ball humiliated with no chances for a future in the upper ranks.

  “Ginny!”

  Simon looked up at the voice that had come from across the room. Ginny’s mother waved as she hurried past a few people with Marion Jordan, Noah’s wife close in tow. When she’d reached them, the older woman pressed her daughter’s hand with a wide smile.

  “Oh, I’m so glad you made it. It is a crush, isn’t it?” Without waiting for an answer, Tabitha turned to Sarah. “Mrs. Webber, how nice it is to see you back in Society. Perhaps you don’t remember me but-”

  “Of course I do, my lady. My, when we first met you’d just married. I was so sorry to hear of your husband’s death.”

  “Thank you so much.” Tabitha smiled as she placed a gentle hand on Sarah’s arm. “Allow me to introduce me favorite daughter-in-law, Marion. She’s the wife of my son, the Marquis of Woodbury.”

  Marion laughed and the kindness in her brown eyes was as genuine as Tabitha’s. “I am your only daughter-in-law, so don’t tease. I’m so pleased to meet you, Mrs. Webber. And Ginny, I’ve heard so much about you from your brother.” The young woman hugged Ginny briefly.

  “I’m sorry we missed each other yesterday afternoon,” Ginny answered with a smile. “And where is Audrey?”

  Marion laughed. “Griffin argued with her all day about coming tonight, but she insisted. The man is completely besotted and is tending to her like a mother hen. But I believe she’s somewhere around here. I saw her earlier.”

  Simon watched in wonder as the Jordan women swept his mother into their conversation and made it completely and publicly clear that she was a friend of their family and not to be ignored. And as he watched the room, others were noticing the same. Women who’d whispered behind their fans when his mother had entered were now pausing to say hello as they passed by.

  His mother looked positively giddy as she chatted with the Jordans and nodded to old friends. Simon knew some were only being polite out of deference to the Jordan family, but others looked truly pleased to see Sarah back in Society again.

  “Your mother looks to be enjoying the party,” Noah said as he came up beside Simon to offer him one of the drinks he held in each hand.

  “Yes. Your family’s doing.” Simon turned to the man with a smile. “I thank you all for that.”

  “Thank us for what?” Noah asked with a blank stare, but Simon could tell he understood.

  “Ladies,” Noah said as he angled his way into the chatting group of women. “I feel the urge to dance. Marion, my love, you won’t mind if I take Mrs. Webber out for a turn on the floor? My mother tells me she was the most graceful dancer in her day.”

  Marion laughed. “You dance with whomever you like, but make sure you climb into our carriage at the end of the night.”

  He placed a kiss on the inside of her wrist and tossed her a dashing smile. “Is there any other?”

/>   Simon grinned as his mother was swept onto the ballroom floor by the man who’d once been considered the biggest catch in London. It was done. With just a few words and gestures by the Jordans, his mother had been accepted back into Society as if nothing had happened. He had no doubt she’d be invited to balls and parties on her own right from now on, and that she would be cut by no one.

  And it was all because of Ginny. She’d gone to her family, the family she’d worked so hard to distance herself from, and had asked them to accept his mother into their social circle.

  He scanned the crowd for her. She’d slipped away during some of the chatter, and he’d lost track of her in the sea of bobbing heads and smiling faces. His breath caught when he saw her chatting with Audrey and her husband on the edge of the dance floor. He straightened his cravat as he began to cross the room. He needed to be by her side. They would dance, and he’d tell her just how much it meant to him that she’d fought her fears and faced her family, all in an attempt to assist his mother.

  A group of giggling debutantes moved in front of him, blocking his view of Ginny and Audrey for a brief moment. He nodded to the girls in frustration and they dissolved into titters of laughter as they shot him flirtatious looks before moving out of his way. By the time they’d cleared aside, Ginny was gone and only Audrey remained by the parameter of the dance floor, watching him approach with curiosity in her blue eyes.

  “Good evening, Mr. Webber,” she said when he’d reached her side.

  “Lady Berenger, how nice to see you again.” He scanned the room for Ginny. “Did I see your sister here a moment ago?”

  Audrey’s gaze narrowed slightly, but her smile remained unchanged. “Yes, she was here. I’m not certain where she might have scurried off to, but I’m sure she’ll be back in no time at all.” She tilted her head toward the dance floor. “As you can see, my husband has deserted me in favor of a waltz with Mama. Perhaps you’ll keep me company while I wait for his return?”

  Simon pursed his lips. As much as he found himself liking Audrey, who had so many qualities that reminded him of her sister, he wanted to find Ginny. But Audrey stared at him expectantly and he was forced to nod.

  “Of course, my lady. I’d be honored to stand at your side.”

  Her eyes met his and it was clear she recognized the truth, but despite that, she smiled. “Thank you so much. And thank you for taking such good care of my sister. The whole family has commented on how happy she looks. Especially when you’re around.”

  Simon arched an eyebrow. So Lady Berenger was fishing for information about his relationship with her sister. Once a spy, always a spy. But he wasn’t about to tell her what she wanted to know. Without a doubt, he knew Ginny wouldn’t appreciate that. And how could he define a relationship he didn’t really understand himself?

  “I’m pleased you sense she’s happy,” he said with a wry smile. “She deserves to be.”

  The playfulness in Audrey’s eyes faded. “Yes. Her marriage wasn’t a good one. I hope that doesn’t offend you, Mr. Webber. I know Lord Westdale was your cousin.”

  “If he weren’t dead, I’d hunt him down himself,” Simon muttered under his breath. After seeing Ginny’s scars and hearing her painful past with the man, he could have easily ripped his cousin limb from limb.

  He glanced over to see Lady Berenger’s eyes wide and a half-smile of appreciation touched her lips. “I beg your pardon?”

  He twisted his mouth. Perhaps that wasn’t the right thing to say in a crowded ballroom amongst mixed company. “Trust me, my lady, I feel no affection for my late cousin.”

  Audrey rested a hand on the swell of her belly and cocked her head to one side to examine him closely. “Perhaps your affections lie with my sister, instead.”

  Simon froze. They were treading into dangerous waters now. He had to choose each word of response carefully. “I’ve come to care for Ginny and consider her my friend. I would never want to see her in pain.”

  “Yes.” Audrey slowly nodded her head. “I can see that.” Her eyes softened in kindness as the music came to an end. “I see my husband and Noah coming this way, so you needn’t hold yourself up by keeping me company anymore. Perhaps you’ll find Ginny out on the terrace getting a breath of air. I seem to remember her saying something to that affect earlier.”

  Simon tilted his head to look at her closer. Though she’d pretended not to know where Ginny was when he’d approached, it was clear she’d been aware all along. She’d wanted him to stay in order to get to know him better, and to test him. Had the fact that she’d revealed her sister’s whereabouts meant he’d passed that test?

  He smiled. “Thank you, my lady. Enjoy the rest of the ball.”

  She nodded. “You too, Mr. Webber.”

  As he worked his way through the crowd, he smiled to himself. He intended to do just that.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Ginny rubbed her bare arms as she gazed out over the terrace to the gardens below. In the distance, the glittering lights of London twinkled as lamps were lit or flickered out. With a sigh, she pushed a lock of red hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear.

  She was an awful person, using her pregnant sister to put off the man she loved. But when she’d seen Simon stalking across the room toward her with that predatory look in his gorgeous eyes, she’d known she wouldn’t be able to resist him, no matter how hard she tried. Audrey’s intervention had been her only chance to slip away.

  It was the coward’s way out, yes, but being near him, loving him when she had to push him away was just too much. It was hard enough to think about, let alone do.

  Why couldn’t things just be easy? Why couldn’t Simon Webber have had a hunch or bad breath or no teeth? Better yet, why couldn’t he have been the ogre she’d once believed him to be? As cruel as his cousin, but with more power to hurt her son. Then she could have sent him away without a second thought and gone on with the life she’d been leading in Westdale. A life where she was isolated but hadn’t yet realized just how lonely she was.

  But no. He had to be devastatingly handsome. And infuriating. And good. And sensual. He had to sweep her off her feet with kisses and good intentions, and make her fall in love with him. And now she had to make some terrible choices.

  She straightened up as a shock of awareness ripped through her. He was there. She felt him come up behind her before he uttered a word or touched her. Slowly she turned and her knees went weak.

  This was the second time she’d seen him in formal attire. The first was the night they’d made love right after her arrival in London. Her stomach had flipped when he’d come into her room with his eyes blazing. And now her reaction was just as intense. There was something in her that only came to life when he was near. And it was a part of her she loved, even though she was loathe to admit it. She loved feeling sensual and aware, like she was truly alive for the first time.

  “H-hello,” she managed to stammer out with a weak smile.

  “Good evening.” He held out a crystal glass. “I brought you champagne.”

  “Thank you.” She reached out and a flash of memory hit her. This was how their whole relationship had started. He’d offered her the tumbler of sherry and their fingers had met. Ever since that moment, she’d been obsessed with his touch. Clearing her throat, she managed to take the glass without brushing his hand.

  Turning away, she downed the bubbly drink in one unladylike swig.

  She heard Simon’s laugh behind her and turned to face him. He had a boyish grin on his face. “Perhaps I should have brought you two drinks.”

  “No.” She shook her head with a smile. “It would have gone to my head.”

  He arched an eyebrow. “I think I’d like to see you just a bit tipsy, my lady. I believe it would be very enjoyable.”

  She let out a short laugh, but couldn’t deny the tension coursing between them. He wanted to touch her, and she wanted it too. But she had to avoid that or she wouldn’t be able to stay away from him. She’
d surrender, and there had already been more than enough of that.

  She tilted her head toward the ballroom. “Your mother looks very happy.”

  The flicker of desire in his eyes paled as he glanced back over his shoulder. Sarah was spinning around the ballroom floor with a man Ginny didn’t recognize. Even though they couldn’t hear it from outside, she was laughing. He smiled.

  “Yes, she’s having a wonderful time.” He turned back to her. “And it’s all because of you.”

  Despite herself, Ginny felt her cheeks fill with a happy blush. “No.”

  “Yes.” He took a step closer, and she jumped. “You asked your family to take her under their wing because you knew the ton wouldn’t dare snub a friend of the Jordan’s. You did that.”

  With a shrug, she turned away. “I like your mother. I hate to see her so alone and missing her place in Society so much.”

  Simon reached out and his fingertips brushed the top of her arm. “I know it must have been difficult for you to reach out to your family, but you did it anyway. Why? Surely not just because you liked a lady you’d just met.”

  She shivered as his other arm came around her, but still didn’t turn. Feeling his body heat pressed against her back was hard enough.

  “You wanted her back in Society so much,” she whispered as his warm breath caressed her bare neck.

  “So you gave her a place for me?” he asked as he leaned down to brush his lips along her hairline.

  She caught her breath at the tingles created by his mouth. “Y-yes.”

  How was she able to talk when she could barely breathe? And what was he doing that was making her vision blur like that?

  “You’ve given her back some of what my father took away,” he said as he trailed his lips across her neck and gently sucked. “So I thank you.”

  Ginny found herself leaning back against Simon’s chest with her heart pounding. She had to stop this madness. Not only was it counterproductive to her plans, but anyone could exit the ballroom and see the two of them locked together like this. She could only imagine the ramifications of that impropriety.