His Spoilt Lady (4 page)

Linnett gazed
in amazement as she entered the ballroom. The magnificent
chandeliers twinkled and sparkled in the light of a hundred
candles. The large ornate mirrors that hung on all four walls
reflected the soft flickering light and the colourful twirling
couples as they danced to the violins and harpsichord. The music
was provided by a group of local ladies who had volunteered to play
for the dance that evening. The wooded floor had been highly
polished and gleamed with a rich mellow glow. The silks and satins
of the guests’ clothes shimmered, their jewels sparkling,
reflecting the light caught from the glowing candles and lamps that
lined the walls. Linnett gazed around her with delight, one foot
tapping in tune with the music. “There you are, puss! My dear, may
I present you to Colonel and Lady Stanhope.” Sir Thomas beamed at
Linnett and she dutifully smiled and curtsied. “Colonel, Madam,”
she murmured politely.

“The Colonel
will shortly be leaving for the Colonies, Linnett,” her father
began, but a cough from just behind her startled Linnett so much
that she spun around rather too quickly and collided with John
Foster. She unbalanced and tripped sideways over his feet. Linnett
started to stumble, but before she could fall farther, she found
herself caught up in a pair of strong arms and pressed firmly
against a broad chest, a pair of amused grey eyes gazing down into
her own.

Linnett felt
the vibrations rumble deep in his chest as he apologised, “My fault
entirely, I startled you. Please forgive me. Are you quite
recovered, Miss Wainwright?”

Linnett glared
up at John and took a step back away from him. “You simpleton!”
Linnett hissed. “What do you think you are doing creeping up behind
me like that? Now everybody is looking at us. Leave me at once! Oh,
and Mr. Foster, do try to remember it is
Lady,
not
Miss!”

John held on
fast to the delectable little spitfire and shook her slightly,
saying, “This is quite unnecessary behaviour, Linnett. I simply
wished to meet the Colonel. My home is in Boston where the Colonel
is to be posted. In a crush such as this, people are bound to fall
over one another. Now calm down and come and dance with me.”

He smiled
roguishly down at her, and just for a moment she was tempted. He
looked quite different when he smiled like that, and he
was
rather good-looking. Lottie was right, she realised with surprise.
He was even impeccably dressed that evening, although he lacked the
fashionable touches that Linnett so admired in Lord Charles’s
choice of attire. John wore plain knee breeches and silk stockings
in white, a plain high-necked white shirt and stock, topped by a
deep wine-coloured dress coat edged in black velvet. His highly
polished black shoes were unadorned by fashionable buckles or bows.
His dark brown hair was left unpowdered and simply tied back with
black velvet ribbon.

Unfortunately
at that moment, Linnett caught sight of Miss Nancy Trubane, a rival
for Lord Charles’s affections. The pretty brunette was giggling and
pointing in their direction. Then Linnett realised with horror that
the person Nancy was giggling with was no other than her beloved
Charles. Lord Charles stood watching them with one knee
nonchalantly bent and one hand lazily swinging an eye glass. A tall
young man with fair good looks, twinkling blue eyes and an affable,
if slightly affected, nature, he was dressed in the very height of
fashion, sporting a tall powdered wig, a beautiful satin coat of
pale blue, frocked in gold. A large diamond pin in his white silk
stock winked and sparkled, catching the light as he turned,
laughing and chatting to the dimpled and giggling Miss Trubane.

Lord Charles
was ruled by his very forceful mother; this formidable lady had
decreed that her only son should marry her best friend’s daughter,
Nancy. This was a match that the two mothers had contrived to bring
about since their children were in short skirts. Charles was a
rather weak man who hated confrontation and felt contented in the
company of the mild-mannered and frivolous Nancy. Whenever he
complained about his Mamma’s high-handedness to Nancy, she would
soothe him and restore his good humour.

Linnett looked
around for some distraction, but her father and his acquaintances
had wandered away so she swung her attentions back to John, who had
given up the idea that Linnett might agree to dance with him and
was about to walk away. Linnett cried out, “Stop! Do not leave me
standing here quite alone! Quickly -- take me over to fetch
lemonade.” Linnett grabbed hold of his arm.

“I thought you
wished me to leave you alone?” John raised a quizzical brow.

“Well, now I’ve
changed my mind! A lady’s prerogative you know! After all, it is
the very least you can do, after knocking me over like that.”
Linnett grasped John’s coat sleeve to stop him walking away.

“Linnett, for
the last time, I did not knock you over; you walked into me. Since
you have no wish to dance, I shall waste no more of your precious
time. I bid you a good evening.” John plucked her hand from his
sleeve, bowed curtly, turned and strode away, quickly disappearing
as he weaved amongst the press of people in the crowded room.

“Odious man!”
gasped Linnett, flabbergasted. “What an objectionable vile man he
is!”

“To whom are
you referring...surely you cannot mean moi?” asked an amused voice
at her side. Linnett spun around startled.

“Oh, Charles,
my dearest, hullo, no of course not you! I mean that odious man
John Foster of Boston America, my father’s business partner. He is
such a rude ignoramius! Did you witness him cannon into me? I
cannot believe that he nearly knocked me over completely.”

“I believe I
might have seen something of the kind.” After years of living with
a difficult mother, Charles found it advisable to wholeheartedly
agree with any female whose ire was up.

“An oaf indeed.
I declare, what a crush!” he said. “Come, dear girl, and do let us
dance. I have something I
particularly
need to discuss with
you tonight.”

Charles took
Linnett’s hand and led her through the crowd onto the dance floor,
where they danced in a reel. Afterwards, breathless and laughing,
they made their way over to the refreshments. Linnett took her
lemon drink from the footman and sipped the cool, deliciously
refreshing liquid. She glanced around the other dancers, spotting
John amongst them. He was partnered with a pretty red-headed girl.
Linnett was surprised by the twinge of envy she felt as she watched
their progress across the dance floor. John was an accomplished
dancer, and Linnett wondered how an American trader had learned to
dance so well. Charles interrupted her musings. “Linnett, would you
care to step outside with me? I do rather need to talk to you.”

This is it,
thought Linnett, shivering with excitement. At last he is going to
propose! “Of course, Charles dear, but I rather need to visit the
powder room first...”

Charles’s mouth
turned down. “Linnett, you look absolutely fine. You have no need
of powder and what not. Come along with me now!”

Linnett found
herself propelled none too gently across the dance floor. “Charles!
For heaven’s sake stop, Charles!” Lord Charles wasn’t listening,
and when he reached the other side of the dance floor, he opened
the French doors that led out onto a large balcony. The walls
surrounding were covered with roses and honey suckle, forming an
arching bower that gave them some privacy from within. The flowers
gave off a deliciously heavy perfume. Charles closed the doors
quietly behind them and then walked to the stone balustrade of the
balcony that looked out over the gardens.

Linnett took a
deep breath of sweet scented air, leaning on the edge of the
balustrade before turning to Charles.

“What a
heavenly place,” she said. “It reminds me of the balcony scene in
Romeo and Juliet, it is so romantic. Don’t you think so, Charles?
Charles...are you listening to me?”

He was
distractedly plucking the petals from a yellow rose and frowning.
“I beg your pardon? Oh, yes, it is quite lovely, I do agree. The
thing is this, Linnett... we’ve known each other nearly all our
lives, and we are good friends, are we not?" Excitedly, Linnett
held her breath, her heart beating fast. Charles blurted, “I really
value your friendship, and I would like to ask you your opinion
about something, um, well something rather delicate....”

Linnett’s eyes
shone as she cried, “Oh Charles, yes! The answer is yes! Oh my
darling, darling! Charles? Charles, is something wrong?....
Charles!” Charles had taken a step backwards, and he had a look of
absolute horror on his face.

He grasped
Linnett’s wrists pulling them from his neck where she had reached
up to twine them. “I say, old girl! No, Linnett! No... no. Huge
misunderstanding. Sorry...so sorry! Not us, not you, not you at
all...but Nancy!"

Linnett felt
her face freeze, and suddenly she felt nauseated. Nancy? Oh,
God.

“Nancy!?...
Charles.... Nancy! For Goodness sake, Charles! You mean to tell
me... you dragged me out here to talk about... Nancy?"

Charles looked
wretched.

“Yes. I am so
sorry, Linny, I thought you had guessed! My wretched mother has had
us paired off since babyhood. Nancy’s mother is my mother’s closest
friend, you see,” Charles said, running a hand distractedly through
his hair. He was quite unprepared for what happened next.

Charles was
suddenly propelled backwards over the balustrade, his white
satin-clad legs disappearing over the edge, leaving one shiny black
buckled shoe behind on the balcony floor. Linnett leaned out over
the edge and peered down into the darkness. There had been a loud
splash shortly after Lord Charles had fallen, but since then, only
silence.

“My word, but
we are out of sorts this evening,” a deep male voice drawled from
behind her. Linnett spun around, and her hand flew up to her mouth
in surprise. “Mercy...Oh... It’s you! You scared me half out of my
wits!”

John stood
leaning against the wall, one eyebrow quirked, and said, “I do hope
you haven’t killed that poor unfortunate boy.”

“Well, I’m sure
I don’t know what you mean,” Linnett said, lifting her chin
defensively.

John stepped
forward and stooped to retrieve the black shoe that Charles had
left behind when he fell. Holding it up, he examined it critically
“Oh come now, this is hardly Cinderella’s slipper, is it? I watched
the whole thing, Linnett. You didn’t think I would let my future
wife disappear out onto a balcony with another man and not keep a
close watch on the pair of you? You pushed him over the side....oh
yes you did, Linnett!” John wagged his finger at her as Linnett
shook her head in denial. “I saw you do it!"

Linnett spun
away from him, vexed, giving a snort of derision. Oh, why couldn’t
the wretched man go away and leave her in peace? Ignoring John,
Linnett peered over the balustrade down into the darkness calling
in a loud whisper. “Charlie, Charles are you alright? CHARLIE- CAN-
YOU- HEAR- ME? Um, perhaps, Mr. Foster, you would be good enough to
call to him? Your voice may carry better than mine.”

John stayed
where he was and said, “I have no intention of leaning over that
wall and ending up as the erstwhile Lord Charles did, you
know.”

Linnett whipped
around to face him. “What do you know about it? Absolutely
nothing!”

Linnett
recalled his earlier words, something about his future bride. “I
don’t know where you acquired the idea that I would consent to
marry you, but while you are here, let me put you straight once and
for all,
Mr. Foster,
-- I would not marry you if you were
the last man on this earth! Is that clear enough for you? You may
finish your business with my father and return to whatever
uncivilised place you came from and
leave me in peace
!”

John stepped
forward and grasped Linnett by her shoulders, giving her a little
shake. His slate-coloured eyes bore down into hers. Linnett
glowered up at him defiantly; she shoved her hands up between them,
attempting to push his hands off her shoulders.

“Let go of me,
you arrogant swine!”

John tightened
his grip, his fingers digging into her tender flesh as he yanked
her into his arms, crushing her tight against his chest. And then,
he did what he had been wanting to do since he had first laid eyes
on her. His mouth came down hard upon hers, and he kissed her
thoroughly.

Linnett’s
reaction when he released her was sluggish. She was paralysed with
shock, frozen at first and then amazed by his audacity, but then
she struggled to be free of him. Linnett succeeded in kicking his
shins and stamping on his feet, but John didn’t flinch; he pulled
her back into a firm embrace, his arms tightening around her.
Strangely, then, Linnett found that because he held her so fast and
she couldn’t pull away, she began to relax. The clean male smell of
him aroused her senses as his body warmth seeped through the flimsy
material of her gown, warming her flesh, lulling her. She could
feel the steady beat of his heart and the slow sensuous pressure of
his lips made her languid, her lips responding of their own accord
to his.

Linnett was
suddenly and acutely aware of her own body, her breasts pressed up
against John’s hard chest. Her heart sped up, and blood raced
through her veins, desire she had never experienced before holding
her enthralled, and it was as if time stood still. Everything was
his kiss. Linnett’s lips moved involuntarily, responding to the
hypnotic, sensuous rhythm of his mouth and the impudent flicking of
his tongue against her lips. Compliantly, she parted her lips,
allowing his tongue entrance; she was intensely excited by the
unexpected invasion of her virginal mouth.