Once Upon an Accident 02 - Lessons in Seduction (11 page)

Her staunch support of the younger woman warmed his heart even as the memory of that night years earlier chilled his blood.

“Now, Colleen, I just mean in experience. Your cousin does not have the best reputation. He is known to be a bit of a rake.”

She sniffed at that, settled against the leather again and crossed her arms. “I know another man who was a bit of a rake before settling down.”

He smiled. “Well, there is that. I am sure her appearance just took him by surprise. There is a…significant change in her figure.”

“
Sebastian
. I cannot believe you said that.” But he could hear the amusement in her voice.

“He is a man.”

“But he had seen her earlier today at The Historical Society meeting.”

That caught his attention. Briefly, he pondered it. “He attended a meeting?”

His wife nodded. That made Sebastian pause. Colleen wiggled her foot to get him to continue. As he did her bidding, he thought back to the look Ethingham had given his cousin and sighed. Ethingham was a hard man to read. He should be. He’d spent years building up the walls around him. He’d had to be three different people all the time. The proper son, regardless of his improper parents. The duke, inheriting the title too early to be easy. And the man he was with his friends. Counting himself fortunate to be among the few Ethingham considered friends, Sebastian wondered if he even knew the real Douglas.

“I don’t know. I’ll keep an eye on him and make sure Daniel does too.”

She smiled at him. His body vibrated and his cock hardened in record time.

“Now that I have pleased you, wife, how about coming over here to please us both?”

She slid over the sofa and pressed her body against his. “I will see what I can do about that, husband.” It was the last coherent thing either of them said for quite some time.

Douglas frowned at the Earl of Cummings as he once again dipped his attention to Cicely’s breasts. It was the third time in less than ten minutes the fool had done that. It wasn’t as if he was the only one, either. Every man who had chatted with her that evening had not been able to tear his gaze away from her chest. As if they had not seen bare flesh before.

At that moment he was ashamed of his sex. Never before had he witnessed such an embarrassing display. Granted, being a man, he understood the fascination, but he could control himself. Apparently, he was the only male in the vicinity who could. Cicely had managed to gain lustful looks from every eligible—and not-so-eligible—gentleman in attendance. From the second they’d entered the Smythe mansion, men had been buzzing around her. Their behavior was worse than the slavering idiots from The Historical Society earlier today.

As for Cicely, she had said little to those attending her, but she’d held her own. He could tell by the way she hesitated before speaking that she was nervous with the attention. Still, Douglas worried that with the interest she was garnering, she might seize the opportunity to find a willing man from her list. That he could not have, so he had stayed by her side since they had arrived. It had not deterred the men one bit.

She drew in a deep breath, attracting his notice and that of her gathered harem. The swell of her breasts rose further over the edge of her bodice and he swore he heard a sigh of appreciation from several of the men. Anger and arousal threaded through his blood. He shifted his feet to relieve the tension in his groin.

Since she had appeared on the stairs that evening, his body had throbbed. It took every bit of his willpower not to touch her.

Possessiveness had driven ahead of his attraction the moment they had made their way into the crowd. It was not like him at all to act this way over a woman—especially one he had only kissed—but he could not seem to stop.

Cummings cleared his voice nervously. “Of course, I had not attended a meeting until today, but I found the discussion invigorating.” His tone had turned adoring. Douglas had to fight the urge not to box the nitwit’s ears.

He threw Cummings a disgusted look, but the man never noticed. A mixture of calculation and adulation colored the younger man’s expression. He would probably ask to lick the bottom of her feet. Before he could point out that attending a meeting to hear another lecher talk about the Roman Empire did not make one an appropriate suitor, Lady Victoria made her way through the throng surrounding Cicely. She gave Douglas an odd look, but said nothing about his choice to guard her niece.

“Cicely, darling, your cousin has seats for us and the musicians are setting up so they should be starting soon.”

“If you will excuse me, gentlemen.” Cicely smiled at the hounds sniffing around her skirts then offered Douglas a look of warning. “I must do as my aunt bids.”

With that, she slid seductively through the crowd, attracting the attention of every last rake in the room.

Just where had this goddess come from? She looked different, yes, but now she even moved differently. There was a sway to her hips that was not there before.

As she bent to talk to the Dowager Duchess of Fillmore, a waiter dropped a tray of refreshments, the crystal crashing to the floor. Shards of glass flew in every direction. Douglas sighed, a long one of resignation and understanding. He had a rather definite feeling accidents would become a normal occurrence from men around Cicely.

He followed her to her seat, only to find her aunt situated on one side of her and her cousin on the other. There was an open seat next to Lady Anna. Knowing that if he made an issue out of the seating people would take notice, he swallowed his objection and took the seat. After settling into his chair, he decided to do his damnedest to ignore the throb of arousal pulsing in his veins and concentrate on the music.

By the time intermission rolled around, Douglas knew without a shadow of a doubt he was crazy. He’d lost his mind and any sense of judgment he possessed. Where he was, what he was doing proved it.

He’d sat through the singularly worst performance he had ever seen, just so he could keep a watchful eye on Cicely, worried she might ruin her reputation. Never before had he worried about virgins and their purity. The only thought he gave them was how to avoid them. But now, here he stood, watching from across the room, as a young baron fell under her spell when she smiled at him.

A tangle of lust and protectiveness, not to mention aggravation, kept him in a foul mood for most of the night. In one moment he was ready to shoot any number of the men gathering around her seeking to gain her attention. In the next, he was ready to tear that damned red dress from her beautiful, proud, pale shoulders and explore every curve barely concealed beneath.

The throb of desire that had gripped him earlier that evening would not subside. The best thing would be to leave, find a woman and relieve his torment. It had been weeks since he’d had a woman and he definitely needed the release. But the memory of that simple kiss still haunted him on a nightly basis and it was now going to worsen with the image of her in that dress. For the first time in years, Douglas had actually awakened in the middle of an orgasm. He hadn’t done that since his teen years.

Cicely laughed at something Cummings said—that hound had come sniffing around her skirt again—and Douglas mashed his teeth together.

Cummings was the worst sort of rake. Speculation ran high and fast through those in the know about how long it would be before the young earl ended up in debtor’s prison. There were bets on the books at White’s on how much longer the earl would be a free man.

With the mounting debt from his taste for cards, not to mention his expensive mistress who reportedly fancied jewels, the new earl was sinking the earldom into complete devastation. He’d lose it. The only question was how soon.

Several generations of Cummings had been known for their wanton ways. They were always fond of the drink, women and dice. But this one…this one was worse than the others Douglas had heard about.

There had been rumors of a sadistic appetite that made even the most jaded Cyprian avoid Cummings.

Not that Ethingham’s own grandfather or father had been much better than Cummings or his relatives. But Ethingham was never in any danger of being lost. The title remained in his family and mostly untarnished through the years. His family line was known for their acute business acumen, despite the drink. But there were other things worse than the bottle. Things like a volatile temper and a sense that they were entitled to do as they damn well pleased made life for any and all who lived within the confines of the Ethingham house an unpleasant experience.

“I have always wondered why you stayed unmarried for so long.”

Lady Victoria’s soft voice caused Douglas to start. When he glanced to his right, he found her patiently standing next to him and realized just how lost in his thoughts he’d become. Deciding that it best to take a short break from his obsession with Lady Cicely and her harem of admirers, he turned to face the dowager. Although, the word dowager was deceptive. It brought to mind older women, cranky with their lot in life and convinced the entire world needed to know it. At least, it did to him.

Yet, Lady Victoria would never fit into that category. Even in her fifties, she still possessed the beauty she had when she debuted. Rumor circulating amongst the ladies was that her husband, a complete and utter rake, a legend in his own right, had taken one look at her and fallen, hard. It was understandable with her fair features, blue eyes and rounded figure. She apparently had led him on a merry chase, knowing his reputation as she did. It had taken him the entire season to convince her of his intentions and his heart. Legend held true when he passed. To this day, women Douglas spoke with, those who recounted the tale, sighed when discussing Lady Victoria and her late husband.

Not comfortable with the conversation, his voice was not pleasant when he responded. “I believe most of the ton think it ill-mannered to discuss such matters, especially with a duke who rather likes to keep his private life private.”

She smiled sweetly. “But when said duke is family, I believe the rules can be…stretched.”

He opened his mouth to refute the assumption that every Ware had made since his relationship to Colleen had been exposed, when more laughter sounded from where Cicely stood with her enthusiasts. The crowd had grown by three or four, the men pressing closer to gain her attention. He curled his fingers into his palms and drew in a calming breath. The need to make his way through the throng and claim her as his own almost beat out his better sense. It wasn’t his right to feel so possessive, but he didn’t give a damn.

He eyed several of the newer attendees and ground his teeth together.

Cicely would have no problem finding a man who would eagerly offer to fulfill her request. Among their nondescript faces could be the man who would taste her passion, hear her moans, be the center of her attentions.

Anger whipped through him at the thought of any of them even thinking about touching her. He looked over the crowd of gentlemen, noting their expressions, trying to remember if she had danced with any of them the other night. Was one of them the man she had planned to meet? Had she made plans for another elicit rendezvous?

“Your Grace, I believe growling at musicales is also considered ill-mannered by the ton.”

He did not miss the amusement in her voice as he turned back to the older woman.

“I believe when you are a duke you are allowed to do exactly what you please.” The coldness of his reply had the laughter draining from her expression and Douglas cursed himself. The words and tone were not his. They were ingrained in him, perhaps from birth, perhaps before.

When he got in a temper, he had a tendency to sound like his father and grandfather. It was something he’d tried his best to hide and definitely did not act upon. But at times, his breeding reared its ugly head. “I apologize, my lady. I find myself in bad humor since listening to the performance.”

Some of the color returned to her face, and her eyes softened. “That is understandable considering the performance.”

A flash of red caught his eye and he glanced to see Cicely leaving behind her bevy of gentlemen. It only took a few moments for Cummings to separate himself from the others and follow her down the hall. Did women make an assignation at a musicale? Even the boldest of experienced women were more discreet.

The man had not been all that tactful about separating himself from the group. Cummings needed that generous dowry set on her and more than likely would compromise Lady Cicely to gain it. Granted, Douglas wondered why it had taken Cummings so long to act on it, but he was sure it had to do with her newly discovered assets.

“If you will excuse me, my lady, I find myself in need of fresh air.”

Casting a knowing look in the direction of where he had last seen Cicely, she said, “Douglas, I know that you are…uncomfortable when we try to include you in our family.” He opened his mouth to argue the point but she waved his protest away. “I see it in your reserved behavior, the way you hold yourself apart from us at gatherings. It is understandable considering your family.”

Embarrassment and dread engulfed him. Not many people knew of his family’s troubles, but there was no doubt that Lady Victoria had heard something. The worst of it would be if she knew the whole horrid tale of his childhood. He liked to conceal just how hellish his life had been until his grandfather had passed away after losing a duel.

“Now, do not look like that. I wanted to say that if you ever need to talk, you know Sebastian would be happy to listen.”

The offer was decidedly odd. Although Victoria did take interest in her children’s pursuits, she did not meddle like most mothers. To offer Sebastian as a sounding board was out of character.

When he said nothing she smiled again. “Go. I do not trust that Cummings fellow. Knowing how much money that family needs, his motives are sure to be questioned.”

Douglas silently cursed when he realized that both Cummings and Cicely had been gone for several minutes. Yet at the same time, he felt his resolve reinforced. Lady Victoria was sending him on this errand. She did not approve either. Bowing his leave of Lady Victoria, Douglas hurried off to ensure that nothing nefarious happened between Cummings and Cicely.