Authors: Lavinia Kent
“Oh, and one more thing. I promised you something a little more lasting, something to make you think of me all this night and tomorrow.” He bent again and his lips settled again about her nipple.
She was not going to survive this. Did he not know how wrought up she already was? Did he really feel that more was necessary? Her head fell back against the wall and she gave in. Who cared what he wanted, what his purpose was? All that mattered was how she felt, how the fires grew within her. Her fingers tangled in the short blond curls, pulling him ever closer.
And then pain, one sharp all-encompassing blast of pain, of fire that licked from her breast downward, lighting every nerve in her with energy, that had her stumbling back against the wall, that had her on the brink of orgasm despite his promised withholding.
“You bit me,” she exclaimed, not even sure what emotion filled her voice.
“Yes, I did. Look.” He took a half step back.
A deep red circle was already forming about her nipple, the mark of his incisors clear. A circle of crimson on her white skin.
“What do you think?” he asked.
And what did she think? She should know this. It was her body. It was her mind. The pain had been hers also. How did she feel? What did she think? Why did being with Duldon only bring more questions, never answers? And why did her thighs feel even wetter? Her core more needy?
“Are you going to answer?” His eyes swept her face, the edge of concern filling his tone.
She shook her head, words more than she could manage. One of her hands reached up and traced the mark. It was growing redder and darker by the moment. This was not some light indent that would fade before he walked away. This would last a day or even a week. She was marked. Even getting the bodice of her dress fixed would require some explanation—or no explanation. She did not owe the maid anything, and no matter what she said, it would not matter. Nobody looking at the ripped lace and the mark upon her breast would have any conclusion but one. It would not quite be the right answer, but it would be close enough that she could not even protest.
She was marked, marked as his.
“You are blushing—now?”
Her eyes dropped. Even when she felt gentle fingers rise to softly stroke her and carefully raise her corset and fit her back into her bodice, she did not look up. The intimacy of being dressed, of being put back together, only increased her confusion.
“There, does that look right?” he asked.
She lifted her gaze just far enough to see her bodice. It looked much the same as it had before she met up with Duldon. It still needed to be repaired, but it did not reveal the happenings of the last moments—not that any maid would miss the marks upon her skin as she plied her needle.
“It is fine,” she replied.
His fingers brushed over her shoulder, then up to her hair, smoothing a few curls. “I will escort you to the retiring room and wait, then we will have that waltz I’ve promised.”
She nodded slowly.
He placed her hand upon his arm and led her back out. Her legs shook as she walked. Her entire body was still a tightly wound spring of desire. Her mind filled with confusion.
Outside of the retiring room she nodded at Miss Amy Samson and Miss Sarah Swilp. She turned swiftly as she saw Angela heading back down the stairs. Questions were the last thing she needed at this moment. There was no possibility that she could answer another when she had no answers for herself—except for that one answer, that answer she was trying so hard to avoid.
Duldon had marked her as his and she had not protested, had even delighted. Was it because deep in her heart she was beginning to think it might be true? Did she already belong to him?
Chapter Fourteen
“Lady Perse is here to see you.”
Bliss looked up as the porter’s flat voice filled the room. “To see me?”
The poor man looked like he wanted to roll his eyes. He managed to hold back. That was a relief. One never knew what to expect with her father’s servants.
She took pity on him. “Of course she’s here to see me. Who else would she call on? Perhaps father? Or one of my sisters?” Now she was rambling—and to the porter. She really was not quite herself today. All she could think of was the fullness of her breasts, the need between her thighs, the need coiled deep within her waiting for release. Every move she made brought only more awareness of her body, more want, more desire.
“Should I send her in, my lady?” The porter tried to help her get back on track.
“Oh yes. Of course. And have Cook send tea and something small to nibble in a few minutes. I would not wish Lady Perse to feel mistreated in any way.”
The porter gave her a slight glare. Oh dear, she had not meant to imply that the staff would mistreat any guest. Should she try to explain that it was only that she feared Lady Perse could take anything wrong? No, that would probably only make it worse. If only she could hide under a table until after Lady Perse’s visit. She dreaded trying to talk when her mind was fluttering about like a flock of sparrows at a field of breadcrumbs, her thoughts focused on the desires of her body, on the torture of need.
The porter left and Bliss drew in a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm herself.
She rose as Lady Perse entered the room and moved to greet her. “How good it is to see you, my dear lady.”
“I do hate it when people say things they don’t mean. You’d probably rather it was anyone but me,” Lady Perse stated, glancing about the room and settling in the most comfortable of the chairs, the one Bliss had just vacated.
What did one reply to that?
The answer, evidently, was nothing. Lady Perse continued, “I assume you’ve sent for tea so I won’t even mention it. And something to eat. I do hope your cook doesn’t use too many raisins. Horrible things, they always look like dead flies.”
Bliss crossed her fingers and hoped that there would be no mincemeat pies today. “Yes, I ordered tea. Now how may I help you, Lady Perse?”
“The question is more how can I help you?” Lady Perse opened her reticule and pulled out a cream-colored envelope with no name upon it. She set it on the table between her and Bliss, but made no move to actually offer it to her. “Do you know what this is?” she asked.
Bliss stared at the envelope, her heart starting to thud. It was the same envelope that Angela had received. Had there been a mistake? Was she about to get her invitation? “Yes, I believe I do.”
“Would you like it to be yours?”
“What young lady would not?” she replied.
“That is not as direct an answer as I would like.” Lady Perse looked at Bliss as if she were a very small girl who’d come to tea with muddy hands. “Do you want it or not?”
“Yes, I want it.” There was really nothing else she could say.
“Then what are you willing to do for it?”
Lady Perse wanted to bargain? She’d never heard of such a thing. “I am not sure that I understand you.”
Tapping a finger on the invitation, Lady Perse stared. “I am quite sure that you do.”
“What would you like me to do? Or what would you like? I have the most lovely string of pearls, yards of them. I could give them to you.” Oh, wouldn’t it be wonderful if Lady Perse actually said yes. Bliss could actually see the lady with wrapped in layers about her neck. She was probably the only one who could carry them off.
“Don’t be crass. I have more than enough jewels of my own.”
“Then what do you wish? A favor from my father? I can ask, but he’s never been good at following any type of direction, even when he means to.”
“If I needed a favor I have far better connections than your father.”
That was probably true. There were reasons that Lady Perse was so successful at matchmaking. She knew everybody in the kingdom, and Bliss did mean everybody, scullery maids as well as princes. “Then what do you want?”
“There, you do know how to be direct.” Before Lady Perse could say more, there was a scratch at the door and a maid entered with a well-laden tea tray.
Bliss nodded to the table beside her as the maid deposited the tray and after another nod left. With the grace of long practice, Bliss lifted the pot and carefully poured a cup for Lady Perse. “It is a nice China tea. Milk? Or do you prefer lemon?”
“Milk, of course, I cannot imagine lemon with such a tea.”
Bliss smiled, ignoring any possible insult. “I do agree, but a hostess must ask.”
Lady Perse did not answer.
Bliss held out the plate of sweets. “May I offer you a little bite?”
“Frightfully extravagant. I always instruct Cook that all a lady needs is a bit of black bread and butter.” Lady Perse took two biscuits and a cream tart. “Now, where were we?”
Bliss desperately wanted to say anything except the truth. “You were complimenting my directness.”
“Ah, yes, a wonderful quality if handled correctly. So many people mistake being rude for being direct. It is not a mistake I ever make.”
The answer to that was not clear. Did Lady Perse believe she was never rude, or did she simply not mistake when she was being rude? Bliss had a feeling that she wished listeners to believe the former while actually meaning the latter. “I will try to follow your example.”
“I had forgotten how much I liked you, girl.” The smallest smile played upon Lady Perse’s lips.
Lady Perse liked her? Bliss blinked, and blinked again. “So it was a mistake that I didn’t get an invitation?”
Bliss could only watch as the smile faded from Lady Perse and her lips drew thin. “No, it was no mistake.”
The words were anything but subtle. “I am back to not understanding.”
“Do you wish to find true love, to form a love match?” The question would normally have sounded like fun and fantasy. Bliss could well imagine sitting in the park with Angela, the sun beating down about them, laughing at the question and thinking up the most fantastic of answers. When Lady Perse asked the question her tone was flat and cold, but her eyes were penetrating, seeking some answer that Bliss was not prepared to give.
She almost answered,
What lady does not?
but she remembered Lady Perse’s response to her earlier answer. “I suppose.”
“You need to be more definite.”
How could she be more definite? She wasn’t even sure that she believed in love. No, she believed in it. She’d seen it enough times in others, seen its power. What she was not sure of was that it was a good thing. Love hurt. Love damaged. Love gave away power and asked for nothing in return. Love left one vulnerable. Love could leave one isolated and alone as nothing else in the world. “I would like a marriage that is more affectionate than is normal in society.” That was true, very true.
“Then why seek one of my invites? I am sure that you could manage a marriage with some affection on your own.” Lady Perse’s lips remained stretched and thin.
Bliss sensed complete honesty was called for, at least as much honesty as she ever allowed herself to consider. “I believe you are right. With time I am quite sure that I could find such a marriage. The difficulty is that for years I have avoided marriage. If it were possible I hoped to never marry at all. I like the life I lead and even think it would be great fun to be the maiden aunt to Swanston and Louisa’s children. I am content with my life.”
Lady Perse leaned forward. “That does not explain how you came to seek my help.”
No, it did not. “My brother believes I need to marry. He has given me to the end of the summer to find a husband or I must accept the one he has chosen for me.”
“Ahh, that does explain much. I have been right all along. A forced marriage is no good at all, will not lead to happiness.” Lady Perse sat back and chomped upon the cream tart. The force of the bite actually distracted Bliss from her thoughts and worries for the briefest of moments.
It was definitely a chomp and not a nibble. Nursery maids across the city would have run crying if their charges had bitten with such force, the scattering of crumbs flying. Although Lady Perse clearly did contain some magic, because not a single crumb came to rest upon the maroon silk of her high bodice. And there didn’t seem to be crumbs on the rug either. Where did they go? Did they disappear in midair? Bliss stared at Lady Perse’s mouth, waiting for her to take another bite. It was a mystery that could only be solved by close observation.
“Do you have a man in mind?” Lady Perse’s words punched through Bliss’s wall of thought, forcing her back to the moment.
“No. Yes. No.” Now, that was not an effective answer. A day ago it would have been a much more definite no. Today she was not as sure. Duldon kept pushing his way into her thoughts when he did not belong there. She was not looking for a husband who occupied her thoughts. Despite the adventures of the last days she was still sure that what she needed was a husband she simply got along with. Whether she believed in love or not she was certainly not looking for it in marriage. She wanted an easy marriage and whatever else might be true of Duldon she was sure that marriage to him would never me easy. It might be horrible. It might be wonderful. It would not be easy.
“You are a most inattentive young woman. Do not think I miss when your thoughts wander and in a most inappropriate manner if that smile is to be any judge. I want a proper answer. Do you have a man in mind that you wish to wed?”
“No,” Bliss said as firmly as she could. “That is why I want your help. I want to find a husband I can be friends with.” The simplicity of the statement almost made her gasp. That was what she wanted. Her dreams were not of a fantasy man who would love her until death them did part. No, she wanted a friend, a man she liked, who liked her. A sense of ease filled her. Now that she understood what she was looking for, perhaps she could find it.
“That is not how I normally manage, but perhaps I could make an exception.” Consideration filled Lady Perse’s voice.
“I would be most obliged.” It would be much simpler with Lady Perse’s help. “I am afraid that over the years, in my determination not to wed, I may have turned down several men who might have been possible choices. Now these men have either wed others or might be shy to approach me again. I am sure that you could be quite helpful in helping me find new choices, or smoothing the way for me to approach those I have previously rejected.”