Courtesan's Kiss (31 page)

“Oh, Lord David may say that is so, he may even think he believes it, but I find that gentlemen will protest about what they truly like the most.”

“Do you think so?” And what experience did Miss Horner have of men, Mia wondered, stuck here in this little village with no man in the house?

“Yes, most assuredly. I went to Bath for a few months, and I had plenty of time to observe; I daresay gentlemen are the same the world over.”

Mia nodded encouragingly. No doubt Mary Horner had gone to Bath because her family did not have the money or the connections for a London Season. Though Mary did not say that, precisely, it was obvious from her surroundings.

What did it say about the world that they could converse in her garden today but if Miss Horner were to come to Bath next year, they would most likely not be in the same circles?

“And then there is Mr. Novins.”

The mention of the surgeon’s name drew Mia’s attention from her musings.

“He will complain—in a very circumspect way, mind you—that I care too much for people, do too much.”

“And you do not agree with him.”

“Not at all. My responsibilities to my mother and my brothers and sisters are more important to me than my own comfort. Surely you feel the same way about those you love?”

“I do not have any family.” Except Janina, and she hoped she would do anything to keep her sister happy. But she was not completely sure.

“That must be very hard.”

“And I think that the sacrifices you make are hard.”

“Not at all. Love makes all things possible.”

“Do you think so?”

“Yes,” Miss Horner said with a laugh. “I did not say it was easy or simple, but love is the storehouse of strength.” She sipped her lemonade.

“Does Mr. Novins understand this?”

Miss Horner shook her head with the first scowl of annoyance Mia had seen. “I cannot convince him that becoming his wife, the mother of his children, his companion in all things, would be not a sacrifice but exactly what I want.”

Ah, Mia thought, “his companion in all things” was such a sweet term for lover.

“Helping him minister to others would make my life complete.” She stood up, moved to the closest bed of
flowers, and pinched some dead blooms off an otherwise thriving plant.

“Men can be so …” Mia paused, and then said exactly what she was thinking. “Men can be so stupid. There is no other word for it.”

Miss Horner pulled scissors from her apron and continued to clip off the dead flowers and cut others to use, but she was smiling at Mia’s blunt statement. “Yes, I suppose so, at least they are when it comes to matters of the heart.”

Mia pinched off some of the dead flowers, too, looked to Miss Horner for approval, and when she nodded kept on. “Why is it so impossible to convince them that women often know what is best?”

“Because, Miss Castellano, they have been raised to believe that we are mere ornaments.”

“Then why aren’t they the ones that have babies?”

Miss Horner looked shocked and then started laughing. Mia smiled at the sound. She could make people laugh, if only by stating a truth they were too genteel to say themselves.

They continued with their work in a companionable silence. How intriguing that both Mr. Novins and Miss Horner had the same problem. They were generous to a fault. Well, that was one problem neither she nor Lord David had to worry about.

Then a solution occurred to her, once again proving
no
the most useful word in any language.

“Mary,” Mia said with such intensity that Miss Horner stopped her work and gave Mia her full attention. “Did
you know that Mrs. Cantwell asked if you could come to Sandleton and help with the sick and Mr. Novins said no?”

“He did?”

“Well, I believe his exact words were ‘absolutely not.’”

“But I would have helped.”

“Of course, and he knew that if you did your mother and your family would have been neglected, or put at risk if we were ill with a contagion. So he said no for you.”

“I’m not sure if I like that or not.”

“Perhaps what you two are meant to do is say no for each other. How often is Mr. Novins called away when you think it unnecessary?”

“All the time. The Irvings call for him at least once a week for such silly things as splinters.”

“If you were married, you could say no for him when you thought it an imposition and not a medical necessity.”

“I don’t think I could do that.”

“But you could say no when it came to other things that were neither medical nor emergencies, could you not?”

“Yes, yes, I could do that.”

“Then marry him and practice saying no for each other for the rest of your lives, and you will be very happy together.”

By the time Mia walked back to Sandleton she was very pleased with herself. Mr. Novins was a fool if he did not marry this woman as fast as he could. She was a gem.

Was it true, as Miss Horner insisted, that love made all things possible? Not easy, but possible.

Maybe if David loved her enough, just maybe, marriage was a possibility. But could she love him enough to take second place to his cotton mill, his family, even his boxing? If at night, in bed, was the only time he loved her, would that be all she would need? If he never could say the words I love you?

No.

She knew from her father, her friends, and her own failed engagement that love from the heart and the mind was essential to a happy union. Even then it could be a challenge, and certainly would be for David Pennistan and Mia Castellano.

For she was just as guilty as David at hiding from the words that would set them on a path to a lifetime together. Did she love David Pennistan?

Well, it was not a decision she would have to make today. Or ever.

Unless she was with child.

A
S
M
IA MADE
the last turn on the curved drive back to the house, she saw the Meryon coach and four standing at the front door. Exactly what time was it? And more to the point, who was going to act as coachman for this part of the trip?

Hurrying up the front steps, she went into the house, dropping her pelisse and bonnet on the table nearest the door. The hall was empty, but the pile of baggage confirmed that packing was well under way.

Mia looked into the study and found it empty as well. There was no sign of Lord David or his papers. Had he dared to leave early, as he’d suggested he might?

Angry at the very thought, she hurried up the stairs, into the family wing, and into his room with the barest of knocks. It was empty. Who had packed all his things so quickly?

With a harsh breath, and half afraid that he had, indeed, left without her, Mia picked up a book and threw it at the wall. The clunk it made was not particularly satisfying; for the first time Mia understood why men liked boxing so much.

She hurried back into the hall and into her room to see if Janina knew of his whereabouts.

“Be sure to carry that right side up as the hats are fragile.”

The command in her voice reminded Mia that Janina was best avoided on travel days. She had very particular thoughts on how everything should be packed and could be quite the dictator.

Mia ran back downstairs, her feelings of panic increasing out of all proportion. He would not, could not go to Pennford without her. He would not dare talk to Elena or the duke about her before she arrived.

Outside, she broke into a run toward the stables to see if his horse was gone. Before she reached the building, Franklin came round from the side of the house.

“Whoa! Miss Castellano.” He grabbed her arm. “Stop a moment. You are just the morsel I hoped to find today.”

“Good morning, sir.” She gave him a quick curtsy and would have moved on if she could have pulled her arm from his grip.

“Slow down, my girl. I would have a word with you.”

“No! I have to go to the stables. I’m in a hurry.”

“No one there that can give you what I can.”

Mia stopped struggling. If David had left already, racing to find out would not bring him back. “What do you
want, Franklin?” Her tone of voice was hardly gracious, but Franklin did not seem to mind.

“You were much the topic of conversation this morning, with all of us trying to define what your idea of being an ‘independent woman’ means.”

“Lord Kyle was talking about me? With everyone?”

“To me, Candy, and Ettie. How flattering that you consider that everyone. Last night you seemed most interested in Lord Kyle, and he thought Ettie might have a word with you.”

Last night’s dinner seemed a hundred years ago.

“My thought was, Mia,” he used her given name quite casually and stepped even closer, “that if you wanted a little practice in dealing with gentlemen, I would be very happy to tutor you.” With that, he moved beside her, put his arm around her so that she could feel him touching the side of her breast, and urged her onto the lawn. “I found a little love nest on this side of the house. It is the perfect spot for us to become better acquainted.”

That was the last thing she wanted. His touch disgusted her, made her feel physically ill. Of course that could have come from running too fast while wearing stays, but she didn’t think so. She wanted to scratch his eyes out for no other reason than the way he was holding her.

“No!” She jerked her arm but he did not loosen his grip. “Franklin, I am not interested in becoming better acquainted with you.”

He laughed and offered her the flask he had just drunk from. “Here, this brandy will help.”

“No. Unhand me now!” She was contemplating whether to kick him in the knee or higher if he did not release her.

“Here is your first lesson: This is the point at which you should end your protests, feel faint, and allow me to lead you to someplace more private.”

“No. I will show you how faint I feel.” And with one of those deft movements that she had learned as a child when eluding a spanking, Mia escaped his hold and ran directly into Lord David.

Oh, how wonderful. He had not left
.

She grabbed David’s lapels and held on.

“N
ICELY DONE
, M
IA
,” he said, letting his lips rest on the top of her head.

“You were watching?” She leaned back to look at him.

“Yes.” David should not have been surprised by the flash of steel in her eyes. He was almost sure it was leftover rage with Franklin’s behavior and not with him.

“Yes,” he said again. “I was about to pummel him when you escaped.”

“I thought you had left,” she said, hands on hips, and now he knew her displeasure was aimed at him.

“And leave you with these randy fools? Never.”

“I say, Lord David.”

Franklin’s blustering attempt to draw his attention reminded David of one bit of unfinished business. “Would you like me to teach him a lesson?”

“Yes, my lord, I would.”

He turned around, strode over to Franklin, steadied him by grabbing the lapel of his coat, then punched him square in the face. It felt so good he was sorely tempted to do it again.

Blood gushed from Franklin’s nose. He staggered backward and screamed like a girl. “You broke it!”

“Maybe, maybe not.” David did not care one way or the other. “But if you do not leave Miss Castellano alone now and forever, I promise you I will break your jaw, your arm, and your leg.”

“You didn’t have to do that.” Franklin’s tone was man-to-man now. “Just tell me you had a claim.”

Franklin had ruined one handkerchief. David watched as he pulled his shirt from his pantaloons and used the ends to try to staunch the blood and save his coat from ruin.

“Claim?” Mia said, her voice a sure clue to her outrage. “You think a woman is something you can claim?” She would have kicked Franklin if David had not taken her hand and pulled her away.

“Mia, listen to me,” David said as he urged her toward the carriage.

She stopped and faced him.

“This is what you will face all the time if you insist on establishing yourself without a chaperone.”

She said nothing but began to turn away. “Don’t you see that eventually you will lose yourself in the demimonde? You have to listen to me.”

“No, I do not.”

Her tone provoked him beyond civility.

“I do insist.” He let go of her shoulders. The urge to shake her was too real. He raised his hand, gesturing toward Franklin, who was almost at the front door. “Is that the sort of life you want? Consorting with men who make your skin crawl?”

“My salon will not be like that,” she said with an insistence that made him want to shout. He did his best not to.

“Mia, once you make this choice, once you leave Meryon’s protection, society will reject you. You think what you feel now is hurtful. It is nothing compared to what could happen. There will be no turning back.”

“I will be discreet. My salon—”

“Damn times five freaks. Your salon is a fairy tale,” David said, cutting her off. “It’s what every courtesan wishes their world was. In truth, someone pays and then they fuck you. There is nothing elegant or discreet or charming about it.”