The Desires of a Countess (24 page)

“Your mother looks to be enjoying the party,” Noah
said as he came up beside Simon to offer him one of the drinks he
held in each hand.

“Yes. Your family’s doing.” Simon turned to the man
with a smile. “I thank you all for that.”

“Thank us for what?” Noah asked with a blank stare,
but Simon could tell he understood.

“Ladies,” Noah said as he angled his way into the
chatting group of women. “I feel the urge to dance. Marion, my
love, you won’t mind if I take Mrs. Webber out for a turn on the
floor? My mother tells me she was the most graceful dancer in her
day.”

Marion laughed. “You dance with whomever you like,
but make sure you climb into our carriage at the end of the
night.”

He placed a kiss on the inside of her wrist and
tossed her a dashing smile. “Is there any other?”

Simon grinned as his mother was swept onto the
ballroom floor by the man who’d once been considered the biggest
catch in London. It was done. With just a few words and gestures by
the Jordans, his mother had been accepted back into Society as if
nothing had happened. He had no doubt she’d be invited to balls and
parties on her own right from now on, and that she would be cut by
no one.

And it was all because of Ginny. She’d gone to her
family, the family she’d worked so hard to distance herself from,
and had asked them to accept his mother into their social
circle.

He scanned the crowd for her. She’d slipped away
during some of the chatter, and he’d lost track of her in the sea
of bobbing heads and smiling faces. His breath caught when he saw
her chatting with Audrey and her husband on the edge of the dance
floor. He straightened his cravat as he began to cross the room. He
needed to be by her side. They would dance, and he’d tell her just
how much it meant to him that she’d fought her fears and faced her
family, all in an attempt to assist his mother.

A group of giggling debutantes moved in front of
him, blocking his view of Ginny and Audrey for a brief moment. He
nodded to the girls in frustration and they dissolved into titters
of laughter as they shot him flirtatious looks before moving out of
his way. By the time they’d cleared aside, Ginny was gone and only
Audrey remained by the parameter of the dance floor, watching him
approach with curiosity in her blue eyes.

“Good evening, Mr. Webber,” she said when he’d
reached her side.

“Lady Berenger, how nice to see you again.” He
scanned the room for Ginny. “Did I see your sister here a moment
ago?”

Audrey’s gaze narrowed slightly, but her smile
remained unchanged. “Yes, she was here. I’m not certain where she
might have scurried off to, but I’m sure she’ll be back in no time
at all.” She tilted her head toward the dance floor. “As you can
see, my husband has deserted me in favor of a waltz with Mama.
Perhaps you’ll keep me company while I wait for his return?”

Simon pursed his lips. As much as he found himself
liking Audrey, who had so many qualities that reminded him of her
sister, he wanted to find Ginny. But Audrey stared at him
expectantly and he was forced to nod.

“Of course, my lady. I’d be honored to stand at your
side.”

Her eyes met his and it was clear she recognized the
truth, but despite that, she smiled. “Thank you so much. And thank
you for taking such good care of my sister. The whole family has
commented on how happy she looks. Especially when you’re
around.”

Simon arched an eyebrow. So Lady Berenger was
fishing for information about his relationship with her sister.
Once a spy, always a spy. But he wasn’t about to tell her what she
wanted to know. Without a doubt, he knew Ginny wouldn’t appreciate
that. And how could he define a relationship he didn’t really
understand himself?

“I’m pleased you sense she’s happy,” he said with a
wry smile. “She deserves to be.”

The playfulness in Audrey’s eyes faded. “Yes. Her
marriage wasn’t a good one. I hope that doesn’t offend you, Mr.
Webber. I know Lord Westdale was your cousin.”

“
If he weren’t dead, I’d hunt him
down himself,” Simon muttered under his breath. After seeing
Ginny’s scars and hearing her painful past with the man, he could
have easily ripped his cousin limb from limb.

He glanced over to see Lady Berenger’s eyes wide and
a half-smile of appreciation touched her lips. “I beg your
pardon?”

He twisted his mouth. Perhaps that wasn’t the right
thing to say in a crowded ballroom amongst mixed company. “Trust
me, my lady, I feel no affection for my late cousin.”

Audrey rested a hand on the swell of her belly and
cocked her head to one side to examine him closely. “Perhaps your
affections lie with my sister, instead.”

Simon froze. They were treading into dangerous
waters now. He had to choose each word of response carefully. “I’ve
come to care for Ginny and consider her my friend. I would never
want to see her in pain.”

“Yes.” Audrey slowly nodded her head. “I can see
that.” Her eyes softened in kindness as the music came to an end.
“I see my husband and Noah coming this way, so you needn’t hold
yourself up by keeping me company anymore. Perhaps you’ll find
Ginny out on the terrace getting a breath of air. I seem to
remember her saying something to that affect earlier.”

Simon tilted his head to look at her closer. Though
she’d pretended not to know where Ginny was when he’d approached,
it was clear she’d been aware all along. She’d wanted him to stay
in order to get to know him better, and to test him. Had the fact
that she’d revealed her sister’s whereabouts meant he’d passed that
test?

He smiled. “Thank you, my lady. Enjoy the rest of
the ball.”

She nodded. “You too, Mr. Webber.”

As he worked his way through the crowd, he smiled to
himself. He intended to do just that.

Chapter Eighteen

Ginny rubbed her bare arms as she gazed out over the
terrace to the gardens below. In the distance, the glittering
lights of London twinkled as lamps were lit or flickered out. With
a sigh, she pushed a lock of red hair off her face and tucked it
behind her ear.

She was an awful person, using her pregnant sister
to put off the man she loved. But when she’d seen Simon stalking
across the room toward her with that predatory look in his gorgeous
eyes, she’d known she wouldn’t be able to resist him, no matter how
hard she tried. Audrey’s intervention had been her only chance to
slip away.

It was the coward’s way out, yes, but being near
him, loving him when she had to push him away was just too much. It
was hard enough to think about, let alone do.

Why couldn’t things just be easy? Why couldn’t Simon
Webber have had a hunch or bad breath or no teeth? Better yet, why
couldn’t he have been the ogre she’d once believed him to be? As
cruel as his cousin, but with more power to hurt her son. Then she
could have sent him away without a second thought and gone on with
the life she’d been leading in Westdale. A life where she was
isolated but hadn’t yet realized just how lonely she was.

But no. He had to be devastatingly handsome. And
infuriating. And good. And sensual. He had to sweep her off her
feet with kisses and good intentions, and make her fall in love
with him. And now she had to make some terrible choices.

She straightened up as a shock of
awareness ripped through her.
He
was there. She felt him come up behind her before
he uttered a word or touched her. Slowly she turned and her knees
went weak.

This was the second time she’d seen him in formal
attire. The first was the night they’d made love right after her
arrival in London. Her stomach had flipped when he’d come into her
room with his eyes blazing. And now her reaction was just as
intense. There was something in her that only came to life when he
was near. And it was a part of her she loved, even though she was
loathe to admit it. She loved feeling sensual and aware, like she
was truly alive for the first time.

“H-hello,” she managed to stammer out with a weak
smile.

“Good evening.” He held out a crystal glass. “I
brought you champagne.”

“Thank you.” She reached out and a flash of memory
hit her. This was how their whole relationship had started. He’d
offered her the tumbler of sherry and their fingers had met. Ever
since that moment, she’d been obsessed with his touch. Clearing her
throat, she managed to take the glass without brushing his
hand.

Turning away, she downed the bubbly drink in one
unladylike swig.

She heard Simon’s laugh behind her and turned to
face him. He had a boyish grin on his face. “Perhaps I should have
brought you two drinks.”

“No.” She shook her head with a smile. “It would
have gone to my head.”

He arched an eyebrow. “I think I’d like to see you
just a bit tipsy, my lady. I believe it would be very
enjoyable.”

She let out a short laugh, but couldn’t deny the
tension coursing between them. He wanted to touch her, and she
wanted it too. But she had to avoid that or she wouldn’t be able to
stay away from him. She’d surrender, and there had already been
more than enough of that.

She tilted her head toward the ballroom. “Your
mother looks very happy.”

The flicker of desire in his eyes paled as he
glanced back over his shoulder. Sarah was spinning around the
ballroom floor with a man Ginny didn’t recognize. Even though they
couldn’t hear it from outside, she was laughing. He smiled.

“Yes, she’s having a wonderful time.” He turned back
to her. “And it’s all because of you.”

Despite herself, Ginny felt her cheeks fill with a
happy blush. “No.”

“Yes.” He took a step closer, and
she jumped. “You asked your family to take her under their wing
because you knew the
ton
wouldn’t dare snub a friend of the
Jordan’s.
You
did
that.”

With a shrug, she turned away. “I like your mother.
I hate to see her so alone and missing her place in Society so
much.”

Simon reached out and his fingertips brushed the top
of her arm. “I know it must have been difficult for you to reach
out to your family, but you did it anyway. Why? Surely not just
because you liked a lady you’d just met.”

She shivered as his other arm came around her, but
still didn’t turn. Feeling his body heat pressed against her back
was hard enough.

“You wanted her back in Society so much,” she
whispered as his warm breath caressed her bare neck.

“So you gave her a place for me?” he asked as he
leaned down to brush his lips along her hairline.

She caught her breath at the tingles created by his
mouth. “Y-yes.”

How was she able to talk when she could barely
breathe? And what was he doing that was making her vision blur like
that?

“You’ve given her back some of what my father took
away,” he said as he trailed his lips across her neck and gently
sucked. “So I thank you.”

Ginny found herself leaning back against Simon’s
chest with her heart pounding. She had to stop this madness. Not
only was it counterproductive to her plans, but anyone could exit
the ballroom and see the two of them locked together like this. She
could only imagine the ramifications of that impropriety.

“What happened to your father?” she asked as she
tried to catch her breath.

His mouth stilled. “What?”

“Your father.”

He took a step back and her body screamed out its
disappointment, even as she turned to face him. Now that there was
distance, she could look at him without revealing her whole
heart.

“He left, you know that. He went out to sea.”

She nodded. The light in his eyes faded and was
replaced by a dull pain.

“Yes, but you followed him. Did you ever find
him?”

His mouth thinned. “I didn’t go looking for
him.”

“Of course you did.” She cocked her
head, no longer only interested in distracting him from his
seduction, but now involved in the story of his life. “It’s clear
you went to sea in order to purge his demons. And perhaps to prove
that you, unlike him, were capable of both following your
dreams
and
keeping
up on your responsibilities.”

He paled at her assessment. “Perhaps you know me
better than I thought you did,” he muttered. “I did go looking for
his ghost. I wanted to find out why he left the way he did. But the
more I traveled, the more I loved the ocean for its own sake. It
made me wonder if I am destined to be like him.”

“No.”

She reached out to place her hand on his arm. No
longer was this discussion an excuse for her. He needed her to
listen and to understand. Her own emotions and turmoil could be put
aside until she’d done that for him. Certainly he’d done so much
more for her.

“Simon,” she said quietly. “You have proven again
and again how seriously you take the lives of those you care
for.”

His answer was a shrug and eyes took on a boyish
sadness that touched her to her very core. She moved closer.

“You’ve bent over backwards to care for your
mother’s every need,” she continued.

He nodded as he looked past her toward the gardens.
“She sacrificed everything for me.”

“And you’ve done the same for her.” His gaze came
down to meet hers again. The intensity there made her swallow hard
before she continued. “And then there’s me.”

He smiled softly.

“I put you through hell when you came to Westdale,
yet you stayed because you felt you owed it to my son.” Of course,
that had and still did throw her plans to the wind, but it didn’t
diminish the man Simon was. “Even when I fought you, you tried to
do what was best for me. And for Jack.”