Price of Desire (39 page)

What a beginning to her ball, the dancing hadn’t yet begun and she’d already turned away one suitor
.
She leaned against the wall inhaling the first scent of the summer flowers
.
Did nothing ever go as planned
?
It always had before.

Prance, two, three
.
Pranc
e, two, three
.
Wulf glared at
the top of his partner’s head
.
What on earth was he doing on the dance floor?

“Really, M
ajor
Huntington
.
You should look more like you’re enjoying yourself and less like you’ve taken a mortal blow
.
If I didn’t know what delightful company I was, I fear I’d be much insulted.
”
Lady Smythe-Burke graced him with
a
nod.

“Forgive me, my lady
.
I meant no offense.”

“I am sure you didn’t, otherwise I’d never have dragged my tired bones out on the floor
.
Don’t know why they don’t hold these affairs in the morning when people are fresh
.
Never thought of it before, but really it would be most sensible
.
I’ll have to suggest it when I get back to town
.
The morning ball
.
I just might start a fashion
.
Not that I’ve needed to be fashionable.”

“I am grateful that you drag
ged . . . that is to say . . .
”

“Quit while you’re ahead, M
ajor
Huntington
.
Didn’t you learn that in the army
?
Yes, I know you’re grateful I grabbed you before Lady Clarington did
.
Don’t think I haven’t noticed which way she’s been sniffing
.
Pity Lady Burberry disappeared before things got started
.
Most unbecoming of her
.
She should have waited until the dancing started
.
If I hadn’t talked to the musicians they’d have waited for her to return to begin
.
Don’t know what she’s thinking
.
You haven’t upset her, have you?”

“Me?
”

“Don’t play coy with me, M
ajor
Huntington
.
I’ve seen you watching her
.
Man’s only thinking one thing when he gets that look in his eye
.
You’d better do right by her – regardless of what I stand to win
.
Still, not quite sure why she invited you to begin with
.
I thought the guest list fine the way it was
.
I could have warned her there’d be trouble if she didn’t take my advice.”

“Trouble, I hardly think . . .”

“That’s the problem with men, hardly think at all
.
It’s
we
ladies have to straighten everything out
.
You arrive, mess up a perfectly good plan, then when the poor woman’s moping in the garden, because a man won’t do the right thing, you dance like you haven’t a care in the world.”

Dance like he hadn’t a care in the world – the old biddy had dragged him onto the floor
.
And as for Rose moping, surely she was just taking a breath of air
.
Admittedly it was odd that she’d disappeared before the festivities started, but she should be rejoicing not sorrowful
.
She’d gotten what every lady schemed for.

But, she hadn’t looked happy, not once since she’d accepted his proposal
.
What more could she possibly want
?
He would find the lady and inquire.

Rose’s eyes drifted shut as she gave in to the magic of the evening
.
The day’s clouds and drizzle had dissipated, leaving a clear sky above the lightly misted garden
.
She had stood here, in this very spot, on so many other evenings, enjoying the bounty of her labors.

She rested her head back against the cool stones of the wall, unmindful of her careful curls
.
She had not expected to be so tired
.
The emotional turmoil of the last day had left her drained
.
It was imperative that she rejoin her guests and push along the festivities, but it all felt like so much wasted effort
.

The decisions had all been made, all that remained was the announcement
.
She should not dread it so much
.
If only Wulf liked her in the slightest
.
Contemplating spending the rest of her life with a man who expressed such contempt was not a joyful proposition.

Not that she had expected to find much joy in remarriage, but neither had she thought to discover biting pain. She filled her lungs with the garden air, warm, moist, full of life.

She would not give in to despair
.
She’d begun to admire Wulf in these last days, to appreciate the strong, secure man that he was
.
Surely with time he would come to see the same in her, to realize she had never acted from greed or the desire for social power
.

Sommerton’s high-pitched voice intruded on her thoughts. “Excuse me, Lady Burberry
.
I noticed you were not leading the dancing and thought perhaps you lacked a partner
.
I would be most pleased to offer myself
.
I am most accomplished.”

She turned towards him, away from the garden
.
“You are correct, my lord
.
I have been most neglectful of my guests.”

“Glad you realize it.”

She blinked at him.

“My dear lady, I hadn’t wanted to mention it
.
But, it really was quite thoughtless of you to not take your proper place opening the dancing
.
It’s fortunate Lady Smythe-Burke was there to cover for you.”

“And you think you should tell me this because . . .”

“Well . . .” He stopped before entering the ballroom
.
“I want to be sure.”

Rose stopped beside him, measuring the proper distance between them with her eyes.

“You want to be sure of what?”

“Of you.”

“I am afraid I don’t take your meaning.
”
Did that sound as off put
ting
as she felt?

“In the circles that we move in appearances must be considered at all times
.
No matter how much I might stand to win,
I know I would never consider . . .”

“I believe that’s the part I don’t comprehend
.
What do my actions have to do with you?”

They stood a good two feet apart, the light from the ballroom shining out at them.

“That should be self evident.”

“Evidently
,
it is not.”

“My Lady Burberry,
I decided we had reached an understanding
.
It seemed most fitting
.
A man of my standing and impeccable
manners and woman of your . .
.”

“Fortune.”

“I would of course never have put it so bluntly, but, yes
.
We seem a proper match and as such I believed we had reached an understanding.”

“Was I to be informed of this understanding?”

Sommerton took a step closer
.
Rose took one back.

“I believed you would take it for granted
.
When we spoke the other night, the look in your eyes, I could see how much you admired me
.
The logical next step was clear.”

“I am afraid my eyes must have been so clouded with admiration that I missed it.”

“Yes, quite understandable
.
I should have considered the possibility.
”
She stepped back again, until her back pressed against the wall.

“Yes, you should have
.
I do not want to disappoint you
,
Lord Sommerton, but I . . .”

“There’s really no need for such maidenly airs.
”
He stepped forward until only inches remained between him and her trapped body
.
“You’ve been married
.
We can be plain with each other.”

“But, I haven’t said that . . .”

“There’s no need for words when I can see your desires in your eyes.”

If he could see her thoughts and desires he’d be running in the other direction
.
Rose longed to give him one good shove
.
Being a lady was very trying on occasion and this was definitely one of those occasions.

“Really, I must ask you to step back
.
I am afraid the heat is making me lightheaded.”

“Oh come
,
my dear, we know it’s not the heat
.
Why not just admit to what springs between us.”

He bent forward, pressing her further against the wall
.
She could see the gleam in his eye, feel his hot, sticky breath as he brought his mouth closer
.

“Please,
Lord Sommerton, you must . . .
”

He fastened his lips to hers with suction that would have done a fish proud
.
She squirmed and wiggled, fought the urge to kick, and with a decided twist of her neck finally freed her mouth
.

“Always liked a feisty one
.
Glad you like to play, too.
”

“I believe you misunderstood me
.
I don’t believe that I, that we
. . .”

“Want to wait
until
after the ceremony do you?
”
He stepped back and gave her enough space to draw a breath.

“Yes
–
that is, no, I never said that . . .”

He moved closer and pressed hard against her until she could feel him, all of him
.
She squirmed with discomfort
.
His eyes were fastened on her bodice and she began to wonder if her breasts were festooned with jewels the amount of attention they were drawing this evening.

“Surely, even if you want to wait, a little kiss and tickle won’t hurt?”

He bent his head again, aiming far lower than her lips.

Unable to take it anymore, she gave a decided shove and slipped to the side.

For a brief moment he looked disconcerted, but then a bright smile spread across his face.

“Oh, you are a treasure
.
Like to lead the chase do you
?
Just as long as you know who will finish it.”

She should stay and make her intentions clear, but fearing another fish-kiss, she took a great gulp of air and with a silent ‘thank you’ she fled back towards the ballroom.

“Must see to my guests.”

“Of course, my dear, we’ll continue this later.”

Not if she could run fast enough they wouldn’t
.
Maybe there would be some advantages to getting betrothed to Wulf that evening after all.

Where the hell was she
?
He ducked out of the dance thinking he’d seen her on the terrace, but the only one there was Sommerton, sucking on a cheroot and looking all too pleased with himself.

Wulf walked down the steps and into the darkness
.
Was she so determi
ned to avoid him, to avoid their
announcement
?
It made no sense
.
She had to be here somewhere
.
She was the hostess
.
The sooner they could get the deed accomplished the better
.
He would not relax until he knew she was his.

             
             
Chapter F
ourteen