Gentleman's Guide 01 - His Impetuous Debutante (16 page)

“
That is how she sees
you?” Noah tilted his head, his eyes narrowed as if he wasn’t sure
he agreed.

“
She is petrified of how
you will react and that you will force the very thing we have
discussed, which is why I let her believe our secret would remain
just that. No, Phoebe only holds me in the mildest of affections
and acts as comfortable around me as she does you.” He paused as he
remembered the evening before. “You don’t even want to know some of
the questions she has asked me. Just last night she asked me to
untie her corset so she could be comfortable.” Taylor stopped
suddenly and looked at Noah. “I probably shouldn’t have mentioned
that last part.”

“
Under normal
circumstances, no. But, as it stands, I am sure it won’t be the
last time she asks you to play ladies maid.” They were both in
better humor as they reached the door.

Their laughter died when they realized
Phoebe was sitting up on the couch looking around, clutching her
blanket to her breast. Taylor suffered a quick intake of
breath.

“
Good morning, sweet
sister,” Noah offered with barely a smile.

Phoebe went white at the sight of him.
“This is not what it looks like. Taylor, explain before he does
anything rash like threaten to shoot you.”

“
See what I mean?” Taylor
walked past Noah and made himself comfortable, waiting for the
show.

“
I have no intention of
shooting your betrothed.”

Her mouth fell open. “My what? Noah
you can’t.”

“
I can and I
have.”

“
Nothing
happened.”

“
It doesn’t matter. Your
presence was missed last evening, as well as Taylor’s. To save your
reputation dear sister, I ended up lying to the entire
gathering.”

“
What do you mean?” Taylor
and Phoebe asked in unison.

Not bothering to sit, Noah continued.
“I explained that a betrothal has already been in place but Sandlin
wanted you to have a Season before you were married.”

“
Apparently, I got tired
of waiting and decided to force my hand,”

Taylor barked out
laughter. While it wouldn’t completely untarnish her reputation,
the fault lay with him and this indiscretion would be forgiven by
the
ton.

“
So, you see, you have no
reason to hurry back to the house. Feel free to return when you are
ready. We will discuss the plans later.” With that he shut the
door. Phoebe just stared at the door, Taylor watched her
carefully.

“
He can’t do that. It is
so unfair,” she cried.

“
What would you have him
do?” Taylor asked dryly.

“
I don’t know. But it is
so unfair.” Phoebe grumbled as she flung herself back on the
pillows.

Taylor sighed. He hadn’t expected
happy excitement but her misery was quite unsettling. Walking to
her, he sat on the edge of the couch and took her hands. “I know
you love someone else Phoebe, though you won’t tell me who. Believe
me, as much as I hate to say it, even if he had wanted you, his
family probably wouldn’t allow it now.”

She stared at him as if he were a
fool, tears pooling in her eyes. “I meant unfair to you. Not
me.”

“
Unfair to me?”

“
Yes. You don’t want a
wife who is a constant irritation, as I have been to you. You will
grow to hate me for being forced into this, and I could never bear
that.”

“
I could never grow to
hate you Phoebe.” Taylor was touched that she was concerned about
him.

“
But you would. It always
happens. I should have made another provision with my brother that
he not force any man to marry me even if I did love him.” Her voice
trailed off and she looked away, afraid she had said too
much.

“
It is a little late to be
changing your rules.” Taylor chuckled. “For now we need to play
along with his story.”

“
Oh, you don’t understand
at all.” Tears were falling down her face now and it tore him
apart.

Maybe this was a mistake. “I am sorry
you are so upset about having to marry me. I’ll be a good husband
to you, Phoebe.”

“
I don’t think I could
live with you day after day, knowing how I feel and knowing you
don’t feel the same.” She was becoming hysterical and Taylor feared
she would be overcome by a fit of vapors, though Phoebe was the
last person he ever thought would suffer such an
ailment.

Taylor hoped he was beginning to
understand her ranting, and prayed he was right. “How do you
feel?”

“
Haven’t you been
listening to a word I said?” She screeched and he leaned back,
hopeful for her answer. “Who do you think I was talking about last
night? It was you. I admit it. Now my brother dictates that I must
marry you. Don’t you see? I couldn’t survive living with you.
Loving you the way I do, while you see this marriage as a duty
because we spent an innocent night together.”

She loved him. It began to sink in,
warming his heart and moving outward, warming his entire body.
Slowly he began to smile at her, but she was much too upset to
notice.

“
It will be just like
everyone else’s marriage. You’ll take mistresses, which I would
hate, but I couldn’t say a word. It would be different if you
wanted to marry me, but you don’t. So go after my brother and talk
him out of this.” She ended by pointing to the door, unaware she
had let the blanket slip, revealing her chemise, a thin one at
that, breasts rising heavily in her emotional state as she
struggled to breathe.

He just sat there staring at her,
drinking in her indignant beauty, a grin on his face.

“
Why aren’t you going
after him?”

“
I have something better
in mind.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to
hers.

She pushed him back before she was
overcome with weakness. “Taylor, don’t make this any worse on me. I
am humiliated enough at having blurted all this out to
you.”

“
Phoebe. Do be quiet.” He
placed a hand behind her head and pulled her to him and began
kissing her again, not allowing her to push away. Slowly her lips
softened and Taylor deepened the kiss, realizing that Phoebe had
never been kissed before in her life. How wonderful. Tracing her
lips with his tongue, she began to open her mouth to him. It was
the sweetest kiss in his memory and the only kiss in hers.
Reluctantly he pulled away, and she just looked at him in wide-eyed
wonder. “Now may I say a few things?”

Phoebe nodded. “Your brother is not
forcing me into anything. Truth be told I have wanted you for
weeks.”

She eyed him with
suspicion.

“
No, I am not just saying
this to make you feel better.” Her look didn’t change. “Yesterday
morning I decided that I had to leave London because I was afraid I
would end up doing exactly what I just did.” He was not used to
sharing his feelings but knew he must if she were to believe him.
“Phoebe, I have never felt for a woman what I feel for you. With
you as my wife, I could never imagine taking a mistress, nor even
wanting one. I think I fell in love with you the first time I
pulled you from the balcony and fell deeper and deeper in love each
time you managed to show your reckless nature.”

“
You have been married
twice. Surely you felt something before?”

“
As much as I regret it,
no. They were the marriages you were afraid of having. They were
all based on title.” He ran his fingers through his hair, worried
he would bungle this. “Do you know how hard it was for me last
night to sit and listen to you talk about the man who had your
affection, wishing it was me?”

Tears formed in her eyes again, but
these happy ones he could deal with. A little doubt still showed
through and he continued. “Phoebe I would never tell you this if it
weren’t true. You should know by now how honest I am.” He was
rewarded with her sweet smile.

“
You really do love me?”
Her voice was so quiet he almost couldn’t hear her.

“
Yes I do.”

Her face lit with joy and
Taylor knew he was the luckiest man in the world. His heart light
with relief, Taylor pulled her into his arms again, breathing in
her lilac scent, realizing he would never have to live without it
again. He knew he needed to pull away before it was too late. They
were betrothed,
not
married. Taking the blanket he drew it up over her, covering
her sufficiently.

“
Sorry.” Her cheeks pinked
and Phoebe lowered her head.

“
Don’t ever apologize for
showing yourself to me.” He put a finger beneath her chin and
lifted her face so she could look at him. “Once we are married, I
don’t intend for blankets to ever come between us
again.”

Her eyes widened with
shock.

“
I am sorry. I didn’t mean
to scare you.”

“
I have just never seen
you look this way,” she muttered.

“
It is the side I have
kept hidden from you.” He gave her a wolfish grin. “Do you have any
idea what the look means?”

“
I think so. You want what
you were attempting to do with the widow the other
night?”

Chuckling, he answered, “In a sense,
but I wanted you much more. She was a poor
substitution.”

Phoebe frowned, her brow wrinkled in
confusion.

“
Though it may not sound
like it, my dearest Phoebe, it is actually a compliment where you
are concerned.”

“
Oh.”

“
Let’s save this
discussion for after we are married. Then if you have any
questions, I will try and answer them.” Her innocence would never
allow her to understand. He also realized he had scared her. Taking
her in his arms, he kissed her again. Phoebe didn’t even attempt to
fight. As his kiss deepened, her one good arm clutched his and he
slowly lowered her back against the pillows. He should stop now,
before it was too late, but all will to do so had left him. This
was the most wonderful experience. The warm feelings beginning to
brew in her body were most certainly wicked.

Tentatively, she touched her tongue to
his, much as he had been doing to her. Taylor groaned low and his
sweet kiss took on a more fierce tone. She wound a hand through his
hair, anchoring him to her. His hand slid up her body.

He needed to stop, get away from her
and go jump in the creek, yet his mind had no control over his
desires and he trailed kisses down her neck when a hand found the
breast it sought. Phoebe moaned and arched her back.

With a groan Taylor pulled himself
away. This went much further than he ever intended but not nearly
as far as he wished. Phoebe’s eyes were dazed with newly awakened
passion and he pulled her blanket back up.

“
I believe I am beginning
to understand why so many people sneak off into
gardens.”

Taylor pulled her into his arms and
kissed the top of her head. “If you liked my attentions that well
my dear, I promise to kiss you like that every day.”

“
I think I would like that
very much.”

They sat there for a long while,
content and happy to be together as Taylor tried to bring his own
body under control. It was very difficult as he was unable to wipe
her passionate response from his mind. It would be a very good
marriage indeed. Now if he could only control himself until they
were married. A special license was definitely in order.

The following weeks were a flurry of
activity for Phoebe. Between shopping, being fitted for her wedding
gown, and attending balls, routs, the opera, breakfasts and
picnics, she barely had time to rest. Taylor escorted her
everywhere at night and their invitations only increased with the
news of the impending nuptials.

“
Are you positive shopping
is really a necessary activity?” Phoebe groaned to Janine. “How
many fripperies can one person look at in one day?”

Janine laughed and pulled her into a
haberdasher. “You still need to complete your
trousseau.”

“
Why?” Phoebe had never
enjoyed shopping. If she needed something, she took her list, went
into town, obtained the items and returned home. This strolling
from shop to shop was an incredible waste of time, at least as far
as she was concerned.

Janine looked at her, opened her
mouth, and then closed it. An odd look on her face as if she wasn’t
sure how to answer. “You just do, that is all.” She clamped her
lips shut and picked up an emerald green cap and placed it on
Phoebe’s head. “This is perfect. It brings out your
eyes.”

Which Phoebe rolled in
response.

The two stepped out into the sunshine,
new hat in hand. “Can we return home now?”

Janine sighed. “I suppose so. I swear,
there must be something wrong with you. I’ve never known a young
lady who did not enjoy shopping.”

Phoebe shrugged her shoulders. She had
no answer, and it wasn’t the first time someone had wondered about
her for one reason or another.

“
I can’t wait to relax and
remove these shoes.” And sample the lemon cake cook had been baking
when she left. The smell had wafted to her in the foyer and Phoebe
had been about to head toward the kitchen when Janine pulled her
out the front door. The heavenly smell had stayed with her during
the torturous adventure in shopping.