Hot Historicals Bundle with An Invitation to Sin, The Naked Baron, When His Kiss Is Wicked, & Mastering the Marquess

by Jo Beverley

  Lucien had made his decision at the Hayvenhursts’ ball which young lady he intended to pursue. He had spent the evening doing his homework, finding out all he could about her. She came from a well-respected and dignified family. Not a hint of scandal had ever touched her. She possessed clear blue eyes, a smallish nose, and light blond hair, done in simple curls. But most importantly in his view, a general air of steadiness and earnestness surrounded her, indicating she would eventually make a fine wife and mother.

  He went in search of Lady Faith Bromleigh.

  Not even an hour later, Lucien learned that it was quite a challenge to maintain an interesting conversation with a paragon of virtue. He had asked her about the weather, her general health, the various guests at the party, the music being played, the food being served, and the intricacies of the steps being danced. Lady Faith Bromleigh murmured simple yesses and noes with alarming regularity and did not venture an opinion on anything. There was only so much a fellow could say in response to such banal replies, and he had run out of topics upon which to question her. Especially with her mother hovering around them like a hawk, giving him sharp looks.

  Lucien needed a drink. A strong one.

  “Are you thirsty?” he asked her, if only to have an excuse to escape for a little while. “May I get a glass of champagne for you?”

  “No, thank you,” she murmured demurely, her eyes downcast. “I would prefer punch or lemonade, please.”

  This was the type of woman he wanted, so why did he find her behavior so irritating? She was exactly what he had prescribed for himself. She did not argue, but bowed her head in deference to him. She smiled sweetly and possessed a calm and serene manner. She would never cause him a moment’s worry.

  Then, across the ballroom, he saw Colette Hamilton, and completely lost his train of thought.

  Waltzing in the arms of Jeffrey Eddington, of all people, Colette laughed at something he was saying to her and her face lit up with merriment. In that moment the differences between Faith and Colette were glaringly exposed to him. Colette’s exquisite beauty was infinitely more appealing than Faith’s plain looks, but the beautiful and lively Colette was too modern and opinionated, full of passionate ideas and determination. Her strong, spirited nature, although nowhere near to that of the impetuous Juliette, filled him with apprehension. Other emotions, some best unmentioned and under control, flooded him at the thought of her.

  He would definitely be better off with Lady Faith Bromleigh.

  Yet Lucien felt an unexpected tightening in the pit of his stomach at the sight of Colette with his best friend. Strange.

  He went to get Lady Faith a glass of punch, and for himself something much stronger.

  “You are a delightful dancer, Miss Hamilton,” Lord Jeffrey Eddington said with a seductive grin.

  “Thank you very much,” Colette replied, unable to resist his genuine charm. “You are a very fine dancer yourself.”

  Lord Eddington had somehow managed to finagle a dance with her before her Uncle Randall could protest. And Colette had been thrilled. She found that she liked Lord Jeffrey Eddington very much, in spite of his scandalous reputation. She agreed with Juliette’s appraisal of him. He had a warm and easy manner about him. He also had a way of making a woman feel as if she were the only woman in the room.

  They waltzed together quite easily, and for the first time all week Colette was actually enjoying herself. Lord Eddington made her laugh. He was irreverent and lighthearted, ignoring all the stuffy social rules that had been pounded into her head by Uncle Randall and Aunt Cecilia.

  As the last strains of “The Blue Danube” came to an end, the orchestra began readying for the next dance. Lord Eddington escorted her from the floor.

  “Would you care to rest for a bit?” he asked.

  “That would be lovely. Thank you.”

  A footman walked by with a tray of glasses and Lord Eddington took one for Colette and for himself.

  “Have some champagne,” he offered with a gleam in his eye.

  “Thank you again, Lord Eddington.” Taking the glass from his hand, she glanced nervously around the room, but did not see her aunt and uncle. They must have cornered Juliette somewhere. Relaxing somewhat, Colette sipped the bubbly liquid, feeling its coolness slide down her throat.

  Colette could not help but notice that Jeffrey Eddington was very handsome. His facial structure was noble and elegant, with an angular jaw. He had deep azure eyes, which were fringed with long, dark lashes. He had an attractive mouth, too, warm and quick to smile. Lord Eddington’s charm was just as powerfully attractive as his good looks, and she found her pulse quickening when he gazed at her.

  “You are much sweeter than your sister,” he commented in a light tone.

  “Yes, that is true. Juliette is somewhat impulsive.”

  “Somewhat?” he asked incredulously.

  “Point conceded. She can be quite a trial at times,” she corrected herself.

  “But that’s what I love about Juliette, her spirit,” he explained. “No one could, or should, ever tame her.”

  Something in his voice caused Colette to look closer at Jeffrey. She could not help but ask him, “Have you feelings for her?”

  “I’ll admit that at first I was attracted by her beauty, but I now feel that Juliette and I are too much alike and more suited to be just friends.”

  Admiring his honesty, she acknowledged his good judgment. “You are more than likely right about that. But I am curious about you, Lord Eddington. Tell me about yourself.” Colette had heard of his illegitimate birth and scandalous reputation from her uncle, and wondered what he was doing flirting with her. Marriage was definitely not on his agenda, yet quite obviously on hers.

  “Oh, that’s a dull tale.”

  “Surely not!” she encouraged him. “I highly suspect that anything in relation to you would not be dull.”

  “I’m just a man.” He held his hands out in mock helplessness.

  “Just a man?” Colette laughed at his false humility. “Well, my lord, could you please tell me why a man such as yourself is so interested in ladies such as Juliette and myself?”

  “Honestly?”

  She tilted her head in his direction. “That would be nice.”

  He seemed slightly embarrassed. His gaze lowered before he glanced back up at her. “I like you both. I have no sisters of my own and I feel a little protective of the two you.”

  “That’s very gallant of you, Lord Eddington, but what makes you think we need protecting?”

  Jeffrey flashed her a charming smile. “Isn’t it obvious? Your sister is trouble just waiting to happen, your uncle is intent on selling you both to the highest bidder, and it seems someone should be protecting you from those like myself.”

  Colette smiled then. “Ah, but who will protect us from you?”

  Jeffrey laughed loudly. “You are a wise lady, Miss Hamilton.”

  “And you would be wise to remember that,” she challenged him.

  At that moment she spotted Lucien Sinclair crossing the room, carrying two crystal glasses. After spending that afternoon with him in the bookshop, she felt even more intrigued with the man. He had sparred with Juliette as if he’d known her for years, befriended and gained the undying loyalty of Paulette in an instant, and had left her feeling completely unlike herself. Although they had laughed and talked easily together selecting a few books she thought his father might enjoy, she felt an impossibly strong and magnetic undercurrent of feeling between them that left her quite breathless when she was near him.

  Now curious to see where Lucien Sinclair was going, and for just whom he was carrying a glass of champagne, she craned her head, but could not see through the crowd of guests. She lost sight of him as he entered one of the withdrawing rooms. A pang of disappointment shot through her.

  “Watching someone in particular?” Jeffrey asked with a meaningful glance.

  Although she sensed that Lord Eddington knew full well whom she had
been staring at, she was embarrassed to be caught doing so. Colette blushed. “I thought I saw Lord Waverly across the room, but I must have been mistaken.”

  Jeffrey regarded her carefully before saying, “You were not mistaken. That was Lord Waverly. He’s a very good friend of mine. We’ve known each other since we were boys.”

  Here was a perfect source of information for Colette’s burning questions. “Does he always behave so maddeningly?”

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “Well…” she began, “sometimes he seems so disapproving, close-minded, and stuffy, and then he can suddenly be lighthearted and charming.”

  “You find him charming, do you?” Jeffrey gave her a questioning glance.

  “Perhaps,” was her noncommittal response. She supposed Lucien Sinclair was charming in a maddening way.

  “Well, I shall only say that Lucien has suffered in his life and he is often harder on himself than he needs to be.”

  Colette so wanted to know more about Lucien Sinclair, but bit her tongue so as not to seem like she was prying.

  “Uh-oh,” Jeffrey muttered low. “I’m afraid we are in for it now.”

  “What is it?”

  “Here comes your aunt, and she looks decidedly unhappy.”

  Aunt Cecilia swooped down upon them in a flurry, her pale face pinched in disapproval, obviously dismayed to discover Colette with Lord Eddington, a man not inclined to enter into matrimony.

  “Colette, I have been looking for you everywhere. Good evening, Lord Eddington.” She gave a brief nod in his direction, her thin lips pursed in silent displeasure of his dallying with her niece.

  “Good evening, Lady Hamilton,” Jeffrey said with a most polite stance. “That shade of lavender complements your eyes most attractively.”

  Colette was stunned to note that her prim aunt actually looked flustered by Jeffrey’s compliment.

  “Why thank you, Lord Eddington.” The faintest hint of a smile quickly vanished from Aunt Cecilia’s face as she turned to her niece. “Now you must come with me, Colette. Your uncle wishes to introduce you to Baron Sheffield.”

  “Yes, Aunt Cecilia.” She turned back to Jeffrey and smiled at him. “Thank you for a lovely time.”

  As her aunt dragged her away, she felt sure Jeffrey was winking at her.

  Chapter Six

  A Kiss Is Just a Kiss

  “With your face, you should have every eligible bachelor falling at your feet. Instead I see you with Lord Eddington, and everyone knows he will never settle down.” Uncle Randall scolded Colette with an impatient wag of his finger.

  Aunt Cecilia added quietly, “For all his charm and good looks, Jeffrey Eddington is a complete waste of all our time and effort.”

  Uncle Randall continued to rant his disapproval of her behavior. “You need to focus your attentions on the proper kind of gentleman. Wealthy but suitable gentlemen very interested in marriage. The ones I choose for you.”

  “But the men you see as potential husbands for us are old enough to be our father,” Colette retorted heatedly. And the most unattractive, she added to herself.

  Aunt Cecilia snapped, her tone bitter, “Because they are the ones with the money, Colette. And the ones desperate enough for a wife to put up with you and your appalling lack of any kind of a dowry. Marriage is a serious business, and if you are still harboring any romantic illusions, you can just forget about them.”

  Groaning inwardly, Colette remained silent. She had no romantic illusions where marriage was concerned. She had learned that from watching her own parents.

  Uncle Randall took hold her arm with greater force than necessary and pulled her close to him, stating, “I’m going to introduce you to Baron Sheffield now and you will be polite and flattering to him. He’s extremely wealthy, having invested wisely in the textile market, and looking for a young bride to bear his children. He’s been out of the country for some months and just returned. I’ve spoken to him about you, and he has watched you all evening and thinks you are quite lovely. He is also under the misguided impression that you have a disposition to match your looks. Don’t you dare disappoint him with your modern ideas until after the wedding! Can you do that?”

  Nodding, Colette glared at her uncle but did not respond, however much she longed to do so with a cutting remark. Somehow she managed to pull her arm from his grasp and took a step away from him.

  “Now, here he comes. This is could be a very profitable venture, Colette. Smile and behave,” Uncle Randall whispered sharply through the clenched teeth of his forced smile.

  Colette looked up and her heart sank at the sight before her. Lumbering in their direction was a very large man who had to be at least forty if he was a day. He was younger than some of the doddering old fools she had met earlier, but his manner immediately repulsed her. With heavily pomaded black hair and a thick black beard, he smiled crookedly as he neared them, revealing tobacco-stained teeth.

  “Ah, Baron Sheffield,” Uncle Randall began with a feigned tone of happiness. “I would like to introduce you to my beautiful niece, Miss Colette Hamilton. Colette, dearest, this is Baron Chester Sheffield.”

  The distasteful man presented a gloved hand for Colette to take; yet she shuddered at his touch just the same.

  “I have been most anxious to meet you, Miss Hamilton,” he said, with an obvious leer down the front of her peach silk gown.

  Colette gritted her teeth and pasted a smile on her face, wishing she could slap the lascivious expression from his face. At that moment she hated her uncle. “It’s an honor to meet you, too, sir.”

  “I regret I cannot ask you to dance, Miss Hamilton. I have never been fond of dancing and prefer other entertainments.”

  “That’s quite all right,” she answered, very relieved, but not surprised, that dancing did not appeal to him. The man could hardly walk. She gathered that most endeavors that required any sort of physical exertion repelled him.

  “Shall we go out on the terrace for a breath of fresh air?” he asked, his relentless gaze piercing her.

  “That’s a wonderful idea,” Aunt Cecilia chimed in cheerily, ignoring the blatant look of disgust on Colette’s face. “We shall leave you with Baron Sheffield for a few moments while we see to your sister.” Aunt Cecilia’s sharp eyes told her in no uncertain terms to not refuse the baron’s invitation.

  Before Colette could utter a protest, Baron Sheffield had a firm hand on her arm and he led her through a pair of French doors to the terrace. An enormous full moon glistened high in the sky, and the night air felt cool upon her skin. Colette breathed deeply of it so she did not have to smell Baron Sheffield.

  “So, tell me about yourself, Miss Hamilton,” he suggested amiably, as they made their way across the slate stones.

  Ignoring the stench of stale cigar smoke around him, she responded, “I fear there is not much to tell. I am sure my uncle told you everything you need to know about me.” That we are desperate for money and I am apparently available to the highest bidder?

  “Ah, such modesty. I admire that trait in a woman. It’s such a rarity nowadays. Nevertheless I’m still curious as to why a lovely young lady such as yourself is not yet married. Why is that?”

  Did she imagine that his hand clutched her arm tighter? Or that he was deliberately leading her from the gaslit terrace onto the darkened brick pathway to the more shadowy garden beyond? Did he actually think to make a romantic overture to her? She almost laughed in his face.

  Fed up with men pulling her this way and that all evening, Colette stopped walking before they reached the tall shrubbery that blocked their view of the house. Her abrupt movement catching him off guard, he turned and glanced at her shrewdly.

  “You haven’t answered my question, Miss Hamilton.”

  “Perhaps you should first tell me why you are not yet married, sir.”

  His squinty eyes peered at her more closely. “Well, you do have a bit of spark in you after all. From your uncle’s descriptions I th
ought you would be a meek little kitten.”

  “Well then, please let me rid you of that notion right here and now,” she declared, staring back at him. She was not about to go off in the dark with this man, no matter what her uncle said. And there was no way she was going to marry him either. They were not that desperate. “If it is an obedient wife you seek, then I am afraid you have been greatly misled by my uncle where I am concerned.”

  “I know how to handle a disobedient wife, Miss Hamilton. Make no mistake about that.” He grinned, lowering his face close to hers, and the stench of his breath made her head spin. “But I do indeed intend to find out if what I am about to purchase is worth my good money.”

  “Purchase?” she echoed with indignation. But then again, wasn’t that what her uncle was doing? Selling her and Juliette? In essence, wasn’t that what the marriage mart was all about in the end? A simple exchange of property?

  Before she realized his intent, Baron Sheffield’s clammy lips were pressed against hers as he pulled her tight against his barrel chest. She was no match for his large size, and he swung her around easily enough, lifting her off her feet and moving her farther into the shadowy area behind the bushes. As she struggled against the suffocating girth of him, she did not know which was worse, his rough whiskers scraping against her face or his fetid breath assailing her nostrils. She managed to pull her mouth from his, but his hands were still locked on her upper arms, holding her in place.

  “Let go of me!” she cried, not caring at this point who saw them together or that her reputation would be ruined in the process. She simply wanted the odious beast to release her. Then at least she could outrun the man.

  “Ah, the little kitten has claws!” He breathed hotly against her neck. “I think you might just be worth that much money after all.”

  “Let me go!”

  Colette kicked her slippered foot against his leg as hard as she could, but it had no effect upon him. With her eyes tightly closed, she swung her head from side to side to avoid his wet fish lips and struggled to try to pull herself away from his forceful grip.