Price of Desire (42 page)

“You think I should demand a kiss
?
How can you even think such a thing
?
A lady would never ask for a kiss.”

“Well, not exactly ask, but tilt your head, press your lips out a bit, and stare at his lips
.
That’s how a lady asks for a kiss.”

Rose looked at her sister
,
aghast. “Marguerite, wherever did you hear such a thing
?
I am not even going to ask if you’ve ever tried it.”

“Well,
of course, I haven’t.
”
A tell
tale blush marked her cheek.

This bore looking into
.
Rose tucked her own worries into a back pocket and took her sister’s hand.

“Lord Simon hasn’t . . .”

Marguerite turned redder
,
her glance darting across the room to where Lord Simon stood behind Wimberly
.
“Of course not, his mother would never . . .”

“His mother seems otherwise occupied
.
Are you sure he never . . .
I know you would never . . . we
ll
,
I’ve never talked to you about men
.
I assumed
Mary would have, but if I think back to what she told me before I married Burberry . . .
w
ell, I should speak to you.”

Marguerite was prone to blushes, but Rose had never before seen her the color of a polished apple
.
“Surely this isn’t the place.”

“No, you’re right
.
But, i
f Lord Simon or someone else – i
t wasn’t Sir Barton
,
was it?
”
Rose had no problem imagining Sir Barton cornering her young sister in some hallway.

“No, no
.
Rose, I am sorry I’ve caused you such a worry, but really I must assure you I’ve never been kissed – other than by you, Mama, and Anna
.
Not even father ever place
d
his lips to me.”

“If you say so.
”
Why was Marguerite such a deep shade if nothing had happened
?
“So how do you know how to ask for a kiss?”

“Emily, the vicar’s oldest daughter, she’s promised to the village school master and she explained to us all.”

“Just don’t tell Mary
.
Your
mother would
never let you visit again if she
knew you were learning such things.”

“Yes, s
ister.
”
Marguerite glanced
at the twirling dancers and then looked back
.
“Can I ask you one thing
,
though?”

“I suppose.
”

“What did Mama tell you?”

Rose knew her own cheeks pinkened
.
Still it couldn’t hurt to tell Marguerite that
.
“Mary said to lie down, close my eyes and it would all be over soon
.
All true, but not quite the way it sounds
.
But, we’ve already decided that is the conversation for another day
.
Besides, the music is coming to an end.
”
Her eyes instinctively sought Wulf’s large frame as he walked from the floor – towards her
.
Lady Clarington hurried along behind him, but he paid her no notice.

He would end this foolishness now
.
He locked his gaze on his target and moved forward with purpose
.
This time there would be no delay
.
She stood proud before him, her queenly mantle wrapped about her, her chin raised at that slight angle he must admit he found delightful
.
Her gaze dropped to his feet, traced the path to her own feet
.
She raised her eyes again, as a slow easy smile spread across her face, the first natural one he’d seen that evening
.
It stayed his desire to stop in the middle of the floor and force her forward
.
He would let her have her victory
.

Damn, but she was a lady
.
The thought passed without bitterness
.
Only a lady could conquer with a smile and a nod
.
He reached her side and
,
taking her hand in his
,
raised it to his lips
.
He could feel her quiver through the thin fabric of her gloves.

“Shall we?
”
His words sounded hoarse to his own ears.

“Wimberl
e
y
is making his way across the room, but Lady Smythe-Burke seems determined to lay siege.”

He drew a deep breath in and slowly released it
.
“Having waited this long, what are a few more moments?”

“A few more moments
?
I thought you’d engaged Lady Smythe-Burke in conversation
.
It is never brief.
”

“You’ve never seen the marquess
at his best
.
It should be an
interesting standoff.”

“If you say so.
”
Her measured words reverberated with doubt.

He crooked his own smile and together they stood and watched as Lady Smythe-Burke laid her hand on Tris’s arm
.
Tris stopped and turned to her
.
He did not lift his gaze to her face, but kept it pinned on the hand
that
held his sleeve
.
The lady did not step back but rather her lips moved with increasing speed
.
A careful grin lit Tris’s face until he raised his glance to meet Lady Smythe-Burke’s full glare
.
They nodded to each other and proceeded across the room together.

“Compromise?” Was that laughter he heard in her voice?

“It appears that way
.
I’d not have thought it
.
Wimberl
e
y rarely backs down.”

“Well, he didn’t actually, did he?
”
Rose turned fully tow
ards him and in meeting the glow of
her eyes something hard cracked within him
.
He had not realized how long it had been since he shared a laugh.

Her fingers wiggled in his hand and he realized he had not released it after the earlier kiss
.
Was he so comfortable with her that he was not even aware that they still touched
?
The idea shook him hard
.
What was happening to him
?

“It is really time then
,
isn’t it?
”
Her voice was soft and hesitant and he found himself longing to offer reassurance
.
He met her gaze squarely and simply nodded
.
He did not know what words were right.

“Wimberly informs be he has something to say, something regarding the two of you.
”
Lady Smythe-Burke faced Rose
.
“This was not in our plans.”

“No, it was not, but somehow unavoidabl
e,”
Rose answered.

Lady Smythe-Burke drew her shoulders back
.
“Is it wise?”

“Does wisdom enter into these things?
”

“I thought that was the point of your whole endeavor, to use your brain in choosing a fitting husband.”

Wulf could not let that one pass
.
“And would no woman with a brain
would
choose me?”

“That remains to be seen
.
It would all depend on the reason for the choosing.”

Wulf glanced at Tris
,
hoping for back-up
.
All he got was a grin
.
Tris was clearly enjoying this too much.

“And what would be a g
ood reason?” Wulf and Rose
spoke together
.
He glanced at her as a deep flush spread from her neckline.

“That
,
I’ll leave the two of you to determine
.
I’ve a feeling you haven’t yet
.
The young never do see straight about these things or when they do they still head off somewhere else
.
I had a pup once who’d bury the most delicious bones in the same spot every time
.
He’d still insist on digging all through the flowers before getting it right
.
Foolish dog never did w
ant to take the easy route
.
We
ll
,
I am off to stand by Lady Clarington
.
That’s a show I want to see
.
I’ve manners enough to say congratulations, although good luck might be more appropriate.”

Lady Smythe-Burke sailed off,
all sails
to the wind.

Without further word Tris turned to the gathered company
.
With the barest flick of a wrist he silenced the band, every eye turned to him
.
Wulf would never understand how the man accomplished so much with so little effort.

“Ladies and gentlemen, gathered company, I’ve a very pleasurable announcement to make
.
My good friend and often comrade, M
ajor
Beowulf Huntington has asked me to share with you the news that
our dear Lady Burberry has agreed to his offer of
matrimony
.
They intend . . .
”

Before he could finish the sentence
,
Matson came rushing into the room, his hurry so great that his feet slid on the polished floor.

Chapter
Fifteen

The butler stopped, turned and stepped back, abashed
.
He
had
clearly
never intended to draw every eye
.
Wulf watched as he stepped back again, his eyes shifting between Rose and the door which promised escape.

Finally, with clear reluctance, he strode over to Rose.

“Forgive me, my lady.
”
He glanced around the room, his eyes darting to and fro as he tried to determine why every eye
was focused on him
.
He drew his
shoulders back and spoke, his voice low and intended only for his lady
.
“Perhaps I should not have disturbed you
.
But, there’s trouble in the nursery and Nanny indicated that you had requested to be informed immediately if . . . .”

“Is Anna alright?” Rose lost that becoming blush of color.

“No, my lady, that is to say . . .”

Whatever else Matson had to say was lost as Rose bolted from the room heading for the stairs.

Wulf started to follow,
all that mattered was checking on Anna,
but Tris stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm.

“Why don’t we listen to the rest of the story first
?
I think there are enough curious eyes with Lady Burberry rushing off the moment your engagement was announced.”

“All right
.
”
Wulf pierced the butler with a glance
.
He longed to run after Rose, but forced himself to patience.

“Ah, well, I didn’t mean to ca
use this spectacle
, thought I could just pull my lady aside
.
Seems the young miss woke up screaming
.
Nanny went to investigate and
,
well, there was a sooty foot print on the floor, a man’s
.
The maid was careless with the ash and spilled it, but there shouldn’t have been a man up there.”

Evidently exhausted with this speech Matson clamped his mouth shut
.
Wulf kept his feet planted as Tris
calmed the situation
.
One more minute and he would depart, regardless.