Stumbling over both her words and her feet, Noelle hurried for the door, snatching up her cape and bonnet as she went. She didn’t want him. Sex was for procreation and not for sport. Only men seemed to find it such. Women saw it as practical and a duty. A duty she had no interest in pursuing.
Sadly, her body wasn’t in agreement.
A light fog rolling across London helped soothe the heat in her face and body as she hurried to retrieve her gig from the small stable behind the town house and climbed onto the seat. Taking up the reins, she snapped them over the back of the horse, thankful she’d chosen to drive herself this morning rather than take a hackney. The fresh air helped to ease the burn in her cheeks.
Beneath the bonnet, she thinned her lips and wondered how many men who had danced with her, laughed with her, all properly behaved, shamelessly enjoyed chasing naked doxies around. How many men who had pursued her in the years after her coming-out were the same men who swapped mistresses at the house party?
How many wives knew of their husband’s despicable behavior and could say nothing?
Did Eva or Margaret know such things were happening under their noses whenever they attended a society function? There was no telling what information Eva knew and kept to herself. She’d wandered among courtesans, listened to their gossip, for years.
What had her shy sister Margaret learned from the courtesans during the weeks when she lived among them?
There was a brief time last year when Noelle had insisted Margaret don a courtesan disguise and enter the school in order to get information on the mysterious Eva. Having a third and illegitimate sister could have caused problems had the connection come out publicly. But both Harrington sisters had learned fairly soon that Eva wasn’t at all what they’d expected, nor did she want anything from them. They’d quickly grown to love their father’s secret daughter.
This courtesan rescuer with a big heart.
A thread of anger crept up her spine. She knew men of circumstance took mistresses, courtesans, but what of their families? Didn’t they care that their behavior could shame their wives, their children?
Her father had loved Eva’s courtesan mother, Charlotte, and she’d born him a daughter. Noelle and Margaret’s mother had lived to make him miserable long before Charlotte had come along, so how could Noelle have resented his happiness?
The conversation with Bliss and Edolie confirmed what she already knew in her heart. Spinsterhood was a far better path for her. She’d never lie awake at night, knowing the man she’d vowed to cherish for her lifetime might be mistress swapping with other husbands. And she’d never risk her heart.
A few hours later, Noelle called for the maid, Elsie, to help her into her costume. The young maid was easier to dupe than Martha, who never did anything for Noelle without first battering her with questions about who, what, and where she was going, and why. Martha was a mother hen in a maid’s serviceable clothing.
If she was to convince Gavin she could go through with her plot, she had to convince him she was taking no chances with her reputation. “No one will recognize you now, My Lady,” Elsie said, and made one last adjustment to the wig. Noelle leaned in for a better look in the mirror.
Beneath a crown of dark brown hair and enough powder and rouge for three women, she hardly recognized herself. A beauty patch had been placed above the corner of her mouth, and Elsie had lined her eyes in black for a dramatic flair. The gown was gold satin and cut low, tight to the waist. The fabric flowed in watery waves to her feet.
Noelle had convinced Elsie she was attending a costume party where the best-costumed guest would win a prize, and she wanted to be well disguised.
In truth, there was only one man she needed to convince that her disguise would fool anyone who knew her. If Gavin didn’t recognize her, she’d be satisfied.
“It is perfect,” she said. It was perfect. She’d be horribly disappointed if he quickly caught on to her ruse. If he, a man she’d known only a few days, saw through her disguise, then how would she fare with men who’d known her for years?
The maid nodded. “Your own mother wouldn’t know you.”
Sliding on her gloves, Noelle spun one last time before the mirror. She quelled a tightening in her stomach and nodded while Elsie drifted off to tidy up the room.
“Let us hope Mister Blackwell doesn’t,” Noelle mumbled. If she fooled Gavin enough to make her point, then this evening would be a success. She could attend the courtesan ball without any worry she’d be exposed and ruined. They could publicly trick the thieves into making a mistake and catch them before they could do more harm.
But first she had to fool Gavin.
She walked down the stairs and found her footman waiting. He smiled. “I followed the gentleman from White’s. He went to a carnival with two friends, Milady. I have hired a coach to take you there.”
“Thank you, Timothy.”
Noelle nipped nervously on her bottom lip as she left the town house.
Chapter Twelve
Gavin wandered through the carnival with no particular destination in mind. He’d allowed two young acquaintances, Cyril, Lord Creighton, and Hugh, Lord Sinclair, to drag him from White’s for a chance to meet young women at the carnival. They’d managed to keep him in tow for a short while before the duo vanished into the crowd, chasing after a pair of young women dressed in bright skirts.
Truthfully, he wasn’t put out to be left behind. After the morning he’d spent with Noelle, he wasn’t in the mood to socialize. His thoughts were bleak as he worried what sort of mischief she might come upon if she broke her vow and decided to venture out on her own.
For all her bravado, the woman was innocent about anything outside the protective walls of society. All parents gave their children a general warning about staying out of certain parts of London, especially at night, and away from certain types of people. If she decided to toss aside caution and wander about the seedier areas alone, there was no telling what might happen.
No, Noelle was intelligent. She wouldn’t willingly risk her life or virtue. Whatever trouble she might stumble into would be entirely accidental. That was what worried him most.
He’d failed to come up with a way to extricate her from this mess and convince her he had the situation well in hand. He believed her patience was limited. Eventually, she’d take matters into her own gloved hands.
Gavin wandered for a few minutes more. He’d taken care tonight to make sure he hadn’t been followed. Watching over his shoulder, closely examining every shadow, tensing up at every noise was growing tiresome. He almost wished he had been followed so he could release some of his pent-up frustration on the footpads with his fists.
Fatigue pressed on him, and he longed to spend the rest of the night buried in bed if he couldn’t spend it pummeling his attackers or, better, buried in Noelle.
The situation was becoming dire. He needed some relief from the tightly wound state his body was in. He ached for and wanted Noelle desperately, but he knew she was beyond his reach, unless he wanted to risk a wedding.
Truthfully, they had no promises between them. He was free to pursue other conquests. Perhaps if he found a woman to ease his needs, he could settle for treating Noelle like a friend or business acquaintance.
Oddly, the thought of bedding anyone but her left him feeling woefully disappointed.
Laugher turned his attention to a fellow in red and yellow silks with his face painted white. He watched the performer juggle five wooden balls at once, then clapped politely when the man bowed for his audience. Gavin tossed a couple of coins in the direction of a tin cup and turned back toward the entrance to the park.
A flash of gold caught his eye. A stunning woman floated slowly across his line of vision. She was lovely, made up in the extravagant style of another century with a high wig and tightly cinched waist. The dress flowed in waves down her body, leaving no delicate curve untouched. In the sea of carnival goers, she was a beacon of shimmering color in the flickeri
ng torchlight.
He watched her as she wandered around the carnival, clearly looking for someone. The sway of her trim hips and the curve of her back enticed him, and he imagined the delight of trailing kisses along the length of her body. Not since Noelle and, before her, Anne had a woman caused his extremities to take more than a brief and casual interest.
Gavin noticed rather quickly that she wasn’t chaperoned. By the cut of her dress, he suspected she was a courtesan, a very expensive courtesan. It was quite possible she was looking for her lover as she ventured about alone. In the heated state he’d been in since meeting Noelle, and knowing there was little chance he could take her to bed without those dreaded wedding vows, this woman would certainly be a delightful substitution.
Sidestepping around a group of young bucks, he waited until she passed into the narrow shadows between two tents before maneuvering to cut her off.
She snapped upright with a small cry as Gavin appeared in front of her. Her kohl-lined eyes widened for a second before she calmed down, obviously realizing he wasn’t a footpad out to rob her.
In the encompassing darkness, he couldn’t make out the color of her eyes, but it didn’t matter. The intensity with which she looked at him from beneath a palette of heavy face paint and curls left him feeling she wasn’t at all put out by his unexpected appearance. In fact, she looked intrigued.
“Looking for someone?” he asked softly. Her mouth curled up at the corners. She drew her gaze down his frame, and he could see she wasn’t uninterested. Truthfully, she was clearly admiring what she saw beneath his blue coat and breeches.
“It depends.” Her voice was low and husky. Beneath the fringe of loose brown curls that partially obscured her features, she looked at him sidelong, her lips slightly parted. “I’m not looking for just anyone.”
The invitation was clear, and he stepped close. He caught her gloved hand and pressed it to his lips. The woman was seeking a lover. A wealthy lover. And though he found the maddening Noelle delightfully enticing, her innocence would always be a barrier between them.
Perhaps if they had met years into the future, when he was settled and ready to be shackled, then he’d consider Noelle as a candidate for marriage. For now, he’d keep his attachments financial and lusty.
“I think an arrangement can be made. I am not without means.” He didn’t care if he was rushing into an arrangement that might prove unsuitable if their personalities didn’t fit. He usually took his time when selecting a lover. However, it had been months since he’d bedded a woman, and this one was sending all sorts of amorous thoughts and feelings through his body. At this point, he’d risk all, pay anything to have her.
A flash of white teeth followed his offer. She leaned against him with her full breasts, and the scent of lavender filled his senses. Though he preferred lemon and cinnamon, he found he could settle quite well for lavender if it meant bedding this glorious creature in gold.
“Then perhaps we can move to your carriage and finalize our arrangement.” The husky-breathless sound of her voice, and the soft flesh rising to view in two perfect mounds from beneath her corset, hardened his cock painfully. He nodded, distracted. If he didn’t get beneath her skirts in the next few minutes, he’d spill himself into his breeches.
He took her hand and slid his arm about her waist. She was a perfect fit. She leaned into him, tucking herself close as he hurried toward a row of waiting carriages. He spotted the crest of Lord Creighton and knew the chap wouldn’t be put off if Gavin borrowed the coach for a tryst.
Quickly, he ushered his new mistress toward the coach at a rapid clip, a soft giggle following his haste. He jerked the door open and all but pushed her inside the nearly black interior. She spun and dropped onto the seat, her back against the squabs. She sighed softly as he knelt over her, pushed a knee between her thighs, and pressed his mouth against the curve of her neck. The sweet warmth of her skin burned through her dress. His body was fully and blindly aware of nothing else but her.
She let out a low mewling sound as he slid a hand up from her hip to her waist, to cup one of her delightful breasts.
Lud, she was driving him to insanity! He liked to savor a coupling, enjoy the smell and taste of a woman’s soft flesh. Not this time. His first moments with his new courtesan would be brief and without preliminaries.
He lifted his head to capture her mouth. The taste of her sweet lips and her passionate response sealed the contract between them. He didn’t need to see what was beneath her clothing to know by her kiss that he’d be fully satisfied with their arrangement.
Gavin slid down her body and pressed his mouth against the silky curve of her right breast. She moaned helplessly and shifted beneath him. The creamy swell rose against his mouth, and he drew his tongue over her skin like a starving man.
“Your name,” he urged. “I must have your name.”
“Noelle,” she breathed. “It is Noelle.”
Gavin froze, his mouth still pressed to her breast. Slowly, he lifted his head, stunned. He reached behind her to shove open the curtain. With equal care, she slid back the wig to expose a cascade of blonde hair and dropped the item to the floor, her eyes wary. Even without the curls to shadow her face, and beneath the thick paint that covered her features, he’d know those wide amber eyes anywhere.
“Noelle?” His voice sounded harsh and distant through his heavy breathing. She’d claimed to be able to carry off the charade, and he’d not believed her. He had clearly misjudged her abilities to fool anyone, much less him. And she’d done so brilliantly. He’d not recognized her. Not once.
“I chose lavender.” She reached up to stroke his chest. The sweetness of the simple and tentative caress showed she was no longer the fiery courtesan beneath him. She was the innocent Noelle. “I knew you’d recognize the lemon.”
Foolish, that was how he felt. After all their meetings, after all the times he’d kissed her, held her against him, she’d duped him. Surprise quickly faded to anger.
“You certainly learned your lessons well, My Lady.” He jerked up her skirts and ground his erection against her woman’s core beneath her drawers. She gasped. Good. She needed to learn a lesson. Terrible things could happen when a woman foolishly enticed a man.
“Mister Blackwell . . .” Eyes wide, she stilled. Then he felt her hips shift, and she pressed against his erection. It was an instinctive reaction and not feigned. His stomach flipped. In spite of his previous suspicions that she was playing games with him by feigning desire, she did truly want him. He saw it in her eyes.
All his doubts fell away. This was no game.
“Goodness,” she breathed. Sprawled beneath him, her hair flowing in hopeless tangles around her shoulders, she was wanton and so very beautiful.
He instantly released her and sat back against the squabs. If he didn’t put some distance between them, he’d take her violently and passionately, here in the borrowed coach.
“No.” Noelle rose to her knees. “I need you. I ache so desperately. Please help me, Gavin.” She reached to cup his face and pressed kisses along his cheek and jaw. He grabbed for her hand, but she was determined. She crawled over him, pressing fervent kisses until she was straddling his hips. In spite of his mind telling him this was wrong, she wasn’t a courtesan, he couldn’t help feeling such overwhelming desire for her, and he ached painfully in both his mind and body.
“We cannot,” he said roughly, his teeth clenched, as she slid her body up against his. She was so warm and willing. His reserve began to crack. “You are an innocent.”
“I am a spinster,” Noelle gasped as she settled firmly over his erection and cupped both the back of his head and the side of his face with her gloved hands.
Arching against him, she kissed him hard on the lips. With a growl, he opened his mouth, slanting his lips over hers. She thrust her tongue between his teeth, and he nearly exploded.
She pulled back and said against his mouth, “You will not ruin me. I will never wed.”
“Move back.” She slid back to his knees and watched as he freed his erection. She gasped again, her eyes filled with both hunger and uncertainty. Before she could fully assess the situation and flee screaming from the coach, he caught her around the hips and settled her covered core atop his cock.
She stared deeply into his eyes as he ground against her. After a moment, she must have understood his intention, and she pressed herself more firmly against him to match his motions.
A low gasp escaped her mouth, and Gavin pulled her face down to his. He kissed her soundly, her little moans and whimpers driving him onward. He lifted a hand between them and loosened her bodice. Two perfect breasts sprang free. Noelle let out a cry when he broke the kiss and captured a dusky peak between his teeth. Her eager body drove him as he moved to suckle her other breast, his hunger taking on a life of its own.
His courtesan-thief rocked like a wild thing as he ground against her, seeking a release, her own pleasure. Gavin had no time to concern himself with who might be listening outside the coach as he tugged the nipple deep into his mouth. Noelle dropped her head back and called out his name.
Shudders rippled through her, and his body clenched. Half a second later, he spilled his seed onto the clothing between them with a sharp groan. Noelle slumped with a gasp onto his chest.
Gavin closed his eyes and nuzzled his face into her hair. The powerful near-coupling had left him spent. He ran a hand up her back, listening to her uneven breaths begin to slow.
Never had he shared such an intimate act with a woman that did not follow with his cock inside a silky sheath. He’d satisfied them both without removing a stitch of her clothing. Noelle was still innocent—technically, perhaps—though certainly no longer as innocent as before. He felt a flood of warm emotion for the maddening miss and knew he’d never look at her again without remembering her eager response to his touch.
The Accidental Courtesan Page 12