“Good evening, Your Grace,” she finally said smoothly. “I am glad you were able to join us.”
Did he look grateful that she had just taken him away from Lady Victoria’s grasp? She had the overwhelming urge to hide another smile behind her napkin but fought it. There was definitely relief and gratitude in his expression.
“As am I. How could I pass up such a wonderful meal and such interesting company?”
The comment brought a slight blush to her cheeks. She was still so unused to receiving compliments that she didn’t quite know how to accept them. “You’re too kind.”
His lips quirked. “I’ve embarrassed you. I apologize.”
“No.” She shook her head slightly. “Please don’t apologize. I fear I’m not used to receiving compliments.”
His look of astonishment confused her. “You can’t be serious. Surely you jest.”
Could he honestly not know that she was a wallflower? She had always just assumed that he asked her to dance after he had danced with Lady Sera because he felt sorry for her. Could he have not realized her situation because he had been so enraptured by Lady Sera?
Leaning forward slightly, Lady Victoria came into her view, clearly listening to their conversation. “Come now, Wathersby. You can’t be ignorant that Lady Aubrey rarely dances or that she is seldom the sole company of other men.”
Heat stained Aubrey’s cheeks again, but this time the color had nothing to do with being flustered by compliments and everything to do with shame. Lady Victoria’s comment had come out in a sugary voice, the tone sounding kind to anyone that overheard it, but her words were meant to demean, to belittle Aubrey in front of the duke.
Bradford’s face became shuttered, hard, as he looked at Lady Victoria. If Aubrey had ever wondered about his feelings toward Lady Victoria, she wouldn’t now. His distaste for her was easily read. At least for her, who had years of experience watching others. He was not pleased. In fact, he looked furious.
“All I know is that I have found Lady Aubrey to be anything but boring and am never disappointed in any circumstance where we have danced or conversed. She is very accomplished in both aspects, and I’d conclude that any man would be fortunate to have her as a partner.”
The table quieted around them at the duke’s defense of her. Several of the mens’ eyes wandered to her, discretely perusing her figure, reevaluating her after hearing the duke’s interest. And the light in their eyes caused her to blush.
Aubrey hadn’t had so much male attention in her life, excluding the maquerade, and it was a little unnerving. These bachelors were looking at her with admiration, with interest.
Seeing that their conversation was no longer private, and that the men’s attention had settled on Aubrey, Lady Victoria smiled coyly. No doubt trying to gain back their attention. “Lady Aubrey is indeed an excellent companion. I never meant to imply otherwise.”
The duke’s hand clenched at his side, only visible to her eyes. He was upset, furious with Lady Victoria. If she didn’t do something, he might say something he would regret.
Reaching forward with her right hand, she took a drink to distract others from seeing the other hand she placed on his arm. He stilled, but gave no indication she was resting her hand on his forearm. Placing his hand on top of hers, he gave a light squeeze as if in appreciation for stopping him from making a mistake before she slid her hand out from under his.
Under the tablecloth, she briskly rubbed the tingles out of her palm. She had meant to reach out to stop him, but instead she had been more affected than she ever thought possible. She had touched him countless times before and had never had this reaction. Why now? Had his interest in her as the masquerade woman, his kiss, unlocked something inside her that had lain dormant?
The rest of the meal was rather uneventful compared to the first half. Conversation mainly stayed to what activities they would be indulging in while in the country, at least until the women left to allow the men to enjoy their brandy and cigars.
Hot tea was waiting on the sideboard in the sitting room as the women filed in. Usually a rather feminine room, the Viscount’s sitting room was neither masculine nor feminine, allowing both genders to feel comfortable in the spacious room. The furniture was neither dainty nor overwhelming, as men’s furniture tended to be, but was a mixture of larger frames with fabric of soft cream. Whoever had decorated this room was a genius, managing to make it comfortable for both genders.
“I don’t know what you thought you were doing earlier, but the duke is mine. Consider this a warning.”
The words were said to her back, but Aubrey wasn’t ignorant of who said them. Turning slowly, she found Lady Victoria watching her, her gaze piercing into hers. The other women were already sitting with their tea across the room, oblivious to their conversation.
Aubrey normally strayed away from confrontation, but in this instance, she couldn’t. “I’m sorry, I hadn’t heard a betrothal announcement. In my mind, and every other debutant’s here, he is still single.”
Lady Victoria’s eyebrows slashed down, the icy glare evident in her features. “You fool,” she hissed. “If you continue conversing with the duke, I guarantee you will regret it.” A cruel laugh escaped her lips. “Others would only feel sorry for you, and the other men, whom you might still have a chance of making a match with, would only see you as rejected by a powerful man. No man wants a woman who was rejected by another. She is tainted, you see.” She examined her nails before looking back at her. “Your chances would be completely ruined.”
“I see. And no doubt further damaged by any rumors that would happen to circulate about me being compromised.” Her eyebrows rose with mock realization. “Oh, didn’t that just happen to someone recently? That’s right, Lady Sera.”
Hands fisting at her side, Lady Victoria’s relaxed appearance completely vanished. “Look here, Lady Aubrey. I will ruin you. Count on that. Regardless of whether you stay away from Wathersby or not, I will make sure your life is a living hell and that you are a pariah, completely shunned by all good society.”
A calmness Aubrey had never felt washed over her. Tilting her head to the side, she looked at Lady Victoria with fresh eyes. “You know, I kind of feel sorry for you. You are so consumed with catching the duke that you have no clue how others despise you, no clue that you have no true friends, and no idea that men, especially Wathersby, know what kind of viper you are.”
Lady Victoria sputtered, clearly unused to others delivering such a set down to her, but Lady Aubrey didn’t care. Breezing past her, she joined the other women in conversation, none of which had any clue about what had just transpired at the sideboard.
Why Aubrey felt as if a challenge had been issued, she had no idea. But a sense of freedom rose up inside her, a freedom that allowed her to shuck off the stigma that had surrounded her since her first season when she was a shy young girl. That girl was gone now but it had been easy to continue to remain on the sidelines of the parties. No more.
Aubrey was ready to live, and no one, especially Lady Victoria, was going to stop her.
Keeping up with the women’s conversation, she barely noticed when the men filed into the room. Lady Victoria immediately pounced on the duke, claiming his attention, keeping him trapped by his gentlemanly manners.
Aubrey couldn’t help but watch him. She was drawn to him, but couldn’t explain it. He didn’t search her out though. He seemed distracted, seemed to be scanning the crowd for something. Or someone.
Was he still looking for her? For the masked woman? Even as she thought it, an awareness settled over her.
It doesn’t matter who you are, he had said. He would find her. His final gaze that night had promised that, and he hadn’t forgotten.
Secretly, she admitted that she wouldn’t forget either. Ever.
She was determined to change, to not be the shy wallflower that everyone knew her as, and tonight was as good as any.
Looking up from her seat, she focused her attention
on Lord Acton, smiling invitingly, her lashes lowered coyly as she had seen other women do.
Surprisingly, it worked. Stopping in mid-conversation with another gentleman, he made his way over to her. “You summoned me, my lady?” he asked flirtatiously.
“Yes, Lord Acton, I seem to be devoid of conversation.” She tossed him a flirtatious smile he seemed to lap up.
“Well then, I shall have to do my best to amuse you,” he said as he took the seat next to her, beginning to relate a tale that would have even the most dour matron smiling.
While his attentions didn’t have the flash of fire that Bradford’s did, they were still enjoyable. Why had she shied away from this for so long?
Over the next half hour, several more men had been drawn into their conversation, clearly enchanted by her laughter and her new openness. The interest she saw in their eyes flattered her, the attention they lathered on her amused her.
For an instant she felt grateful for Lady Victoria’s confrontation. It was what she had needed to completely push her over the edge, to free her from the bonds that had kept her from reaching out to others. While she rusty, and no where near completely comfortable, it was a start.
Looking up at Lady Victoria, she was surprised to see her gone, and for Bradford to be standing against the window staring at her, the heat in his eyes evident.
Had he been watching her this whole time? She laughed on cue to one of the men’s jokes, but she hadn’t heard it over the thrumming of her heart. Did he recognize her as the masquerade woman now that she was more outgoing?
He turned his eyes away first, and when they returned to her they were devoid of the passion that had been in them earlier. She couldn’t look at him anymore.
He clearly desired her, but he was still fighting it. It must be hurting him. To be feeling an attraction for her so soon after he gave his word of honor to another. He didn’t know she was the masked woman, and he would feel like he was being disloyal.
She felt moved to approach him, to tell him who she was and to stop his guilt, but she couldn’t. She wouldn’t.
She didn’t want him to want her because she was some mystery woman that he had pledged himself to. If he pledged himself to her, she wanted him to know who she was, to know her and to still want her.
Then, and only then, would she tell him who she was.
CHAPTER 5
After two days of enduring the sight of Lady Victoria cornering the duke, Aubrey had had enough. With the occasional longing looks that Bradford had sent her before cutting them off and regaining his composure, Aubrey was ready to run back to London.
“Bitsy, please go to the stables and have a horse readied immediately. I wish to ride.”
“Shall I request a groom to accompany you?”
“Yes.”
After yanking off her gloves, she fished out a dark blue riding habit.
“Would you like some help dressing? I’m sure it will take Bitsy a while to get to the stables.” Charlotte tossed the book she was reading on her bed and reached for the dress to unfasten the few buttons at the back of the neck that held the material together.
“Thanks.”
“Feeling stifled?”
Aubrey nodded stiffly. What else was there to say? Besides the masquerade, there wasn’t anything else to tell. True, the duke had been looking at her with passion in his eyes, but it wasn’t anything more than what her sister received on a daily basis.
Charlotte helped pull Aubrey’s dress over her head before settling the shining blue material in its place. “I don’t blame you. I think everyone is a bit disgusted with Lady Victoria’s advances. Not only is she corning the duke every chance she gets, but she also seems determined to keep all the other men on her string.” She made a sound of pure disgust. “How she happens to have a brother as decent as Viscount Lawrence, I’ll forever have to wonder.”
Her sister began to fasten the impossibly long row of buttons down her back. “Lord Lawrence? I had not known you were very well acquainted with him.”
“Oh, I’m not.” In the mirror, Aubrey caught sight of a blush on her sister’s cheeks. “I’m just basing my opinion on the few moments when we were introduced and from what I have seen of his character thus far.”
It was strange that her sister was a bit flustered, but Aubrey didn’t press it. “Yes, now that you mention it, I am quite surprised too. I guess with his many businesses the ton hasn’t had very much opportunity to get to know him. In any case, he doesn’t seem the type to haunt the London ballrooms.”
“True,” her sister said, seeming distracted. “There. All finished.”
Aubrey shifted in her dress, trying to settle it in a comfortable position. “Excellent. I feel as if I will explode if I’m forced to stay indoors for too much longer.”
Charlotte grinned. “Will you be home for luncheon? I’m sure mother will want to know.”
Fastening her matching gloves, Aubrey nodded. “I expect so.” Aubrey gave her sister one last smile before heading toward the door.
“Have fun,” her sister called out to her as she left.
It didn’t take her too long to get to the back of the house, close to the stables. It was mainly quiet throughout the manor at this time in the morning, as the guests opted to spend the early hours relaxing in their rooms after staying up so late.
The servants were up though. It seemed as if their lives never slowed, their work never ceased. Aubrey was always grateful she had been born into wealth, knowing that the life of a servant was a difficult one, and she tried to never take her servants for granted. She knew that her life was an easy one because of their hard work, and she was grateful to them.
The sun was shining brightly as she walked outside. The warmth of the sun’s rays instantly gave heat to her skin. The world always looked so fresh and clean in the country, a stark contrast to the dirty and constantly smoggy city of London.
While London was captivating with its glittering parties and smooth sparkling stone, it had nothing to compare to the beauty of the lush rolling green hills and the crystalline sky of the country.
Turning the corner, Aubrey sighed in delight at the snowy white mare that was saddled, knowing that was her mount.
“What a beauty you are,” she whispered to the animal as she petted his nose. The gorgeous creature seemed to agree and nuzzled deeper into her hand. A soft laugh escaped her lips.
“She’s breathtaking.”
The deep, masculine voice startled her out of her focus on the animal. Her gaze jerked up, locking onto the gold flecks in the duke’s eyes. She wanted to sigh and lay her forehead against the horse’s, but didn’t. In habit, she curved her lips slightly, trying to appear at ease. “Yes, she is. I was just telling her that very same thing.”
A stable hand exited the stable at that moment, leading a glossy black stallion that seemed to be chomping at the bit. “I am sorry my lady, I wasn’t able to ready another horse yet for a groomsman. Give me a moment and I will see to it,” he said, handing the reigns of the horse to the duke.
“That won’t be necessary. I shall accompany her this morning,” he told the stable hand before turning toward her. “If that is agreeable to you, of course.”
The warring emotions made her feel sick. She wanted to be alone, wanted to be able to get away from everything and calm her emotions a bit. But the opportunity to be alone with him, to get to know him without being interrupted by Lady Victoria or anyone else, was too good to pass up.
“Of course.”
“Allow me.” He moved to help her onto her mount and she closed her eyes as his scent slammed into her. The smell of sandalwood and his soap was so powerful she thought she would fall into his arms then and there. All the sensations she had felt the night of the masquerade came rushing back to her, the feeling of her heart beating so heavily she thought it would fall out of her chest, the feel of his lips on hers, his hair in her hands.
The feelings assaulted her, and the desire that ripped through h
er again must have shown through her eyes, because his were suddenly darker, more dangerous.
He had to feel the same pull between them.
Hands at her waist, she wasn’t sure if he was going to lift her onto the horse or into his arms. Recklessly, she wanted to be against him. To feel his hard muscles against her curves one last time.
With a sound of frustration that seemed to rip from his soul, he lifted her easily onto the back of her mount.
“I’ll follow your lead.” His voice sounded a bit husky.
With a nod, she led her horse off quickly. She needed a moment alone, a moment to gather her composure.
She cursed. One touch from him and she had melted, ready to give him all. And she couldn’t. She wouldn’t. It was ridiculous that she was competing with herself. But she wanted to win. She wanted to win as Lady Aubrey, not as the irresistible, desirable, masquerade woman.
If all she could have was this short time alone with him, she would take it. Take it and relish it. He was hers, if only for a morning.
After fifteen minutes at a gallop, she reigned in her horse. Her breath calm, a serene smile on her face, she turned to allow him to pull up beside her.
“I was wondering if you planned to leave me in the dust the entire morning,” he smiled ruefully.
She couldn’t help but chuckle. “It did cross my mind. I apologize, but I am unused to company on my rides. I find that my mind wanders, and I am not much for conversation.”
“It is not a problem. I am mostly the same way. My mind fixes to problems that I haven’t been able to solve. I’ve always found it astonishing that flying at neck breaking speeds gives me a clarity of thought that I can’t find anywhere else.”
“Yes, exactly.” She gave him a true smile of pleasure. It wasn’t often that someone had that same experience while riding. Speaking with others throughout the years, she had found that she was singular in that aspect. “I have not met another who shares that trait.”
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