Only a Marquess Will Do: To Marry a Rogue, Book 4

by Gill, Tamara

  "Unlikely," Albert said, adjusting his cravat and checking his hair. "The hall is one of the largest in the country."

  Was the man nervous? It was his first time out in society since her lessons had commenced. And although they had covered several situations that his lordship may come across during courtship, mostly they had been unable to keep from slipping into each other's arms. A most peculiar situation that Victoria needed to handle with care.

  She liked Lord Melvin very much, and to hurt him with her choice of future, one that did not involve a second husband, was the last thing she wished to do.

  "I'm sure we shall arrive soon, and then we may meet the local populace, dance until our feet are bruised, and drink until we're merry."

  "You shall do only two of those things, Victoria," her mother chided. "To drink until one is merry is not a pastime that you are ever to take part in."

  Victoria chuckled just as the carriage lurched forward several yards, and it was their turn to roll to a stop before the doors. "How wonderful. We're here," she declared, not bothering to answer her mama, who sometimes thought all her children, even the married ones, not yet old enough to know their boundaries.

  Two young men ran to the carriage door, one opening the door while the other quickly lay down the steps. She supposed the ducal crest on the side of the carriage pulled not just their attention but several guests who mingled outside.

  The music, lively, the hall full of laughter and conversation, floated out onto the street. Victoria stepped down from the vehicle and adjusted her gown as she waited for her mama. Albert and Josh stood nearby, both of them watching the guests outside scrutinize their every move.

  "Come, Mama," Victoria said, taking her arm and walking up the short path to the doors. Albert nodded and spoke to several people, introducing them to the duke and his family before they stepped inside the hall.

  It was a large building indeed. Albert was not wrong about that. An orchestra sat on an upstairs balcony, gifting the room with music without taking up the ballroom floor space. The room was a mixture of people of all social statuses. A servant announced them to the room, and several families started toward them, one being Miss Eberhardt. Unfortunately, the one woman whom Josh seemed almost desperate to meet again, Lady Sophie, was nowhere to be seen.

  The introductions, the conversation took several minutes. Still, it felt like hours by the time they had located themselves halfway into the room, watching the dancers be carefree on the floor, enjoying their night of revelry.

  "You see, Lord Melvin, it is not so very bad to be sociable. You are enjoying yourself, are you not?"

  He stood beside her, clapping his hands in time with the music. "I find it most charming, and even more so since I have you by my side," he teased. "Will you dance a set with me?"

  Victoria smiled, seeing no harm in one set. She took his hand, not caring how forward the action may appear. Albert was her friend, and she would hold his hand if she so wished. "I would love to dance. I did not think you would ask me."

  Without warning, he dragged her into the throng of revelers to take part. They laughed, twirled, twisted, danced, and waltzed through several sets. The room was cloudy with smoke, sweat, and a multitude of perfumes.

  Victoria was pleased she had worn a gown of less-conspicuous means. Had she worn one of her gowns from the season just past, they would have looked untouchable and unapproachable. As it were, several guests did not come up to speak to them, even to wish them well, but certainly, the local gentry seemed delighted that they were not so high in the instep that they would forgo such an event.

  This was good for Albert too. He needed to learn how to interact with others, even after she returned home to Dunsleigh. "You must ask several young ladies to dance tonight. I insist, or I shall think that all my lessons were in vain."

  He shook his head, looking less than pleased to be asked to do such a thing. "What would you say if I said I only wished to dance with you, my lady? Would you deny me?"

  She could no sooner deny him than she could deny herself a sweetmeat—her favorite dessert. "No, I shall not deny you, but please, Albert. Do this for yourself if not for me. You must practice. And the people here care for you. You will not be denied a willing dance partner. I'm sure of it."

  He spun her into a turn during a minuet, coming to stand at her back. His breath whispered against her ear, and she fought not to lean back in his arms, revel in his closeness.

  "Whom should I choose that would please, my lady? If you so wish, I shall dance with whomever you like."

  Victoria glanced about the room as best as she could. Several young ladies were watching them, and she could see the admiration, the small amount of jealousy in their gazes at the marquess, their local lord dancing with a woman who was not one of them.

  "What about Miss Thompson, whom I was introduced to earlier this evening? She seemed lovely and not at all unfriendly to anyone, not even those who are less fortunate than the heiress." The young woman's father had made a fortune in coal, and as dirty as such an industry was, money still rose just as well in society as a title.

  "I shall ask her to dance next if it pleases you. Now, will you please enjoy what is left of our time? Or will I need to ask you for a second set this evening?"

  To dance with Lord Melvin was an honor, but she knew she could not monopolize his time. He was here for one reason and one reason only. To meet suitable, eligible young ladies to fill the role of Marchioness Melvin. The notion left a sour taste in her mouth, but at the end of the dance, she fixed a smile on her lips and watched as Lord Melvin led Miss Thompson out onto the floor for a waltz.

  She was a tall woman, similar in height to Victoria. But where she was fair-haired, Miss Thomson was as dark as night. Her long, dark eyelashes fanned out over bright, almond-shaped eyes.

  The woman was striking, and Lord Melvin seemed to be engaging her in lively conversation that they were both enjoying.

  "Are you going to let him waltz off into the sunset with another young woman? Are you not the least bit envious, sister?" Josh prodded her, watching his friend as well. "I thought when you fled from the pianoforte the other evening that you disliked seeing Lord Melvin in the arms of another."

  Victoria sighed, schooling her features to one of pride instead of the unease she felt bubbling up in her soul. "Lord Melvin wishes to marry, and I do not. It would be wrong of me to keep him from his desires when we are only friends."

  "Friends, you say?" her brother said, rubbing his chin in thought. "The man is in love with you, and you're only friends?"

  The word love twirled around in her mind. Lord Melvin was not in love with her. Lust, yes. But love. No. They did not feel such things. It was impossible. He knew that she was his friend, helping him. He would not be so foolish to allow himself to fall in love with her. Josh was addled and nothing more.

  "Do not be absurd. Lord Melvin is, right as we speak, putting into practice all that I taught him. Why would you suggest such a thing about your friend? That is unkind."

  "It is more unkind, sister, to steer a man toward affection and rip it away as if it is not returned. When everyone who sees you together knows that it is."

  "I adore Lord Melvin. He is my friend."

  Her brother shook his head. "You are now dishonest with yourself, which is even worse than being false with Melvin. You had better not learn your mind too late, Victoria, and come to regret your stubborn designs on life. Do so, and you may rue that choice and never recover from it."

  "What are you saying?" she demanded, although a small part of her knew what Josh was alluding to. That she was so fixed on her course that she may miss the greatest opportunity gifted her.

  Josh stared down at her with a patient smile. "I know you wish to remain alone. I do not blame you to protect yourself after Armstrong. Your desires to travel the world, remain a widow protect you from life. But think about that life for one moment, many years from now, when you're elderly, your family have all married and
are busy with their own families. What will you have then? I fear that you will be lonely. I do not want you to be unhappy in your older years."

  "I will not be unhappy. I shall have all of your children to keep me company and those of our sisters." Victoria loved her brother for his kindness, his concerns, but they were unfounded. No matter what her future held, one thing she was certain of, and that was her decision never to have children. It just wasn't in the cards for her, wasn’t something she desired. She hoped her family would accept this fact and move on from pressuring her.

  "You will not have family around you all the time, Victoria. Do please think rationally over this."

  Victoria fought not to glare at her sibling. She glanced back to the dance floor only to see Albert leaning down as Miss Thompson whispered something in his ear. She narrowed her eyes. Was the lady truly interested in Albert? She supposed she would be. Anyone would be. It should not surprise her that just as men chased women about town, that ladies would show their interest as well.

  She took a calming breath, stemming the emotions that roiled inside of her at seeing him so close to another. It was a reaction she needed to heed and squash.

  She did not like feeling left out, and, with her brother chastising her on her wants for the future, the enjoyment of the evening diminished somewhat.

  "If you'll excuse me. I think Mama is gesturing for me to attend her." Victoria moved away, not looking to where she was going, only that she knew she needed air. She spied her mother and ensured she went in the opposite direction. If Josh saw her maneuver, she did not heed.

  The front doors to the hall beckoned, and without looking back, she left, strolling around the side of the building. Outside, the moonlit night bathed the surrounding park and grass in dappled light. There were several groups of people mingling outside, taking the air. Victoria spied a seat a little along the wall, just where the shadow of an elm tree blocked out the moonlight.

  She sat, gazing out into the park beyond, thinking over her brother's words, thinking of Albert.

  Tonight was supposed to be so easy. She was to help him toward marriage, yet thinking of him with another left her at sixes and sevens. She did not like seeing Miss Thompson in his arms, happy and too familiar after such a short introduction.

  "Victoria?"

  She jumped at the sound of her name before liquid warmth flowed through her at the sight of Albert standing only a few feet from her. He was so tall and broad, and devishly handsome. She inwardly sighed, hating that she would hurt him. Mayhap not tonight, but soon.

  "I saw you hasten outside, and I thought something may have upset you."

  He came and sat beside her, laying her shawl over her shoulders that he'd been kind enough to claim for her.

  "I am well. My brother is insistent I do my duty for a second time and marry. He even went as far as to say that you're in love with me and that I should consider you for a husband. If you can believe that," she said, hoping he would dissuade her of the thought. He barked out a laugh, but even to her it sounded as hollow as her own words.

  * * *

  Albert thought furiously on how to answer Victoria. What to say to a woman who had declared what he was feeling. He wanted her as his wife, loved her most ardently, and nothing, no matter how many ladies waltzed in his arms, would change that.

  Even while dancing with Miss Thompson, he knew Victoria’s whereabouts, who she was speaking to, and when she had left. "Your family is seeing a possibility of us because we're spending so much time together, that is all. I suppose they know me, and it's only normal that they would think we suit," he said, keeping to their original plan for lessons on how to court a woman when one was as awkward as he was around the opposite sex.

  He'd done very well this evening. His conversations with Miss Thompson were distinguished, and he'd not made a fool of himself once. "You would be pleased with me had you been dancing alone with Miss Thompson and me. I asked her about her likes and dislikes, her favorite flower, and dance. What her ancestral home is like and if she is attending London next Season. And I did it all without choking on my words out of fear of her reply."

  "And did she reply to you?" Victoria asked him, meeting his gaze.

  He reached out, smoothing the small worry line between her brows. "She did. In fact, she was more than forward with her responses."

  "Do you think you would like to court her in town next year?" she asked, biting her lip.

  Albert checked to see the location of the other guests and delightfully found this side of the hall now deserted. He leaned down, closing the space between them, and kissed her, stopping her from biting the sweet, plump lip of hers.

  She melted against him, reaching up to run her hands into his hair. He loved the feel of her taking what she wanted, holding him close so she could kiss him back with as much fire as his own had been.

  The kiss turned in an instant, demanding and hot. His tongue tangled with hers, their bodies thrust against each other, seeking contact and fulfilling a need that burned as hot as the sun. She tasted of champagne, a heady flavor intoxicating his mind. "Victoria, we should stop. We'll be caught," he said, taking her lips yet again, wanting to snatch her up and sit her on his lap.

  Damn, he wanted to do a lot more than that to her. He wanted her in his bed now and forever.

  "Do you think that Miss Thompson would kiss you so? Or that Lady Sophie would satisfy you as I do?"

  "No, I do not. Nor do I think about them in such a way," he admitted, even though he knew he should not. He could not allow Victoria to believe that he, too, just like her brother, wished for them to be more than friends. For now, they needed to retain the teacher-student relationship they had settled into, if only to give him time to win her.

  "You make me question my decisions, Albert. I do not know what I shall do when you're looking at me the way you are now."

  He stared down at her. To him, Victoria was the most beautiful woman he had ever met in his life. He had based several characters on her and had wanted her with such fierce desire that sometimes sleep eluded him.

  "I do not mean to make your life challenging. I know what you wish for in your future, and we have an agreement for lessons on etiquette and courtship. I should like to continue those. Come," he said, pulling her to stand. "Come inside and dance with me. There is to be a second waltz soon. I do not wish to dance with anyone else but you."

  She grinned, allowing him to pull her up. She placed her hand atop his, and they started back indoors.

  "I would like to dance with you too," he heard her say, and hope seized his soul.

  Perchance there was a possibility for them if he stepped carefully about Victoria. The risk was certainly worth taking.

  Chapter 27

  Albert swept Victoria into the waltz, moving effortlessly around the throng of dancers partaking in the dance. She stared up at him, his sweet, handsome face lovely to gaze upon and admire.

  An overwhelming deluge of emotions washed over her with how much she adored him. His friendship and honesty, his sweet, understanding nature. He made her question her dreams. If only he had courted her before Armstrong. The sting of that man's deception would never have happened. Perhaps then she would not be so wary of the marriage state. Or the fact that no matter how much you thought you knew someone, it could all be a mask—a lie.

  Something told her, however, that marriage to Albert would be different, for he was different. But how could she be true to herself, give up what she longed for just because the man guiding her about the room made her want other things too?

  She closed her eyes a moment, forcing her thoughts to clear. She would not debate her life right now, this instant. Instead, she would throw herself into the Camberley dance, this waltz, and enjoy herself until the sun broke on the horizon.

  Albert pulled her close for a spin, his hand grazing the small of her back. His thumb brushed her spine, and she shivered, savoring his touch. The man had an uncanny ability to draw her in—a dangerous g
ift for a woman such as herself, set on her way and refusing to detour.

  "Will you meet me later tonight? We could go over what you thought of my conduct here at the dance this evening. Guide me on what you think I could improve on if you like."

  She grinned up at him, looking forward to when they would return home so she may be alone with him. Do what she so desperately wanted to do with him right now. Kiss him, tease him, learn new things with him from the sketchbook.

  "I think you're doing very well already, my lord. You could, I suppose, hold me a little closer."

  His gaze burned into hers, and heat licked up her spine. "Like this," he asked, pulling her the tiniest bit nearer to him. Her breasts brushed the lapels of his coat. She sucked in a breath, advancing closer still to tease her body the way she liked.

  "Yes, just like that."

  A muscle worked in his jaw. Victoria wanted to reach up and clasp his face, kiss him, no matter what scandal broke after the fact.

  "Have you been studying the book?" he whispered, leaning down toward her ear. His warm breath tickled her, and she shivered. "Is there anything in particular that has caught your attention you would like to try? That you think my future bride would enjoy?"

  There had been one drawing in the sketch that she had looked at and studied for many hours. That of a woman, kissing a man's erect shaft. Smaller illustrations showed the woman taking the man fully into her mouth. The memory of him kissing her between the legs made her ache, and she supposed it would be the same for him. Or at least that is what she assumed.

  "There is one thing that looks to be safe to try." And she supposed when he married, he could ask his wife to perform a similar act if she were so inclined.

  His lips twisted into a wicked grin. "And what is it?"

  Victoria pushed her hips to graze his buckskin breeches. Albert's eyes widened, but he did not say anything, merely stared at her in a way that made her want to leave the dance right now.

  She looked about, checking they were as alone as they could be during a waltz. "I want to kiss you. But not on your lips. I want to kiss you here," she admitted, moving against him yet again.