Authors: Cheryl Howe
He glanced away and ground his jaw
.
What did he expect
?
He was in her world now
.
Or at least the world he no doubt imagined her to occupy
.
And exactly what was she doing at such a place
?
The dairymaid
now
mounted the prone man, riding him in wild abandon
.
The
sultan had removed the lad’s breeches, leaned him over the sofa’s back and rocked against him in a slow rhythmic upward thrust
.
He had worked a hand into his partner
’
s
open
vest and massaged a surprisingly ample breast.
“That young man appears to be a woman,” she said, hating that she had caused a shadow to fall over Darien’s features
.
“That eases my mind considerably
.
I was beginning to rethink my preferences.
”
Darien turned to Ivy
.
“Then it’s settled
.
You shall go with me to the ball?”
“Why would I?
”
Ivy again searched for the door from which she came,
feeling
the sudden
and overwhelming
urge to leave
.
“Revenge.”
“I made my choice, Darien
.
You know that
.
I can only blame myself.
”
It was the closest Ivy had ever come to explaining
…o
r apologizing
.
Her admission did not even merit a blink
.
Darien’s gaze remained absorbed by the growing orgy.
“The bride is Miss Arianna Maddox.”
“Arianna Maddox
?
How do I know that name?
”
Ivy had not mingled in polite society for at least a decade
.
Marriageable young ladies from good families did not travel in her circles.
“My nephew claims a particular fondness for the girl
.
Robert mentioned you two were chummy while you were enjoying the country life in Cornwall.
”
Darien shrugged
.
“I thought he might have mentioned the girl.”
“I hope you’re not insinuating that I had a trifle with Robert.
”
Ivy tried
her best
to appear indignant in
her
nearly transparent gown
,
shadowed by strangers copulating.
“I wouldn’t dare think of it, Miss Templeton
.
You are old enough to be young Robert’s maiden aunt, at the very least.”
“And your father is no doubt old enough to be Miss Maddox’s grandfather.
”
Ivy might have been pleased that Darien did not openly accuse her of seducing his nephew if he hadn’t pricked her vanity in the process
.
An unmarried woman well into her third decade should not be teased about her age by a man only two years her senior
.
He was considered eligible while she ready to be taken off the shelf and packed in the attic
.
“The earl has wanted an alliance with Henry Maddox since
…”
H
e shrugged and looked away, obviously unable to finish his sentence
.
Ivy wondered which tragic event he mentally stumbled upon
.
T
heir broken engagement, or
perhaps
his brother’s death
?
Of course, it was hard to think of one without recalling the other.
“But what of Miss Maddox
?
She has agreed to such an inappropriate match?”
“Happens all the time
.
Family pressure is hard to resist.”
“Except for you.
”
She stared at him and wondered if he
’d ever surmised
just a bit of what had compelled her to break their engagement
.
“Not everyone is willing to disregard their own best interest as I have,” he said without looking at her.
“Some are,” Ivy said quietly
.
“And the price is always higher than one expects,” he said casually, as if they were not discussing the ruin of their youthful hopes and dreams
.
The price was indeed too high
.
He turned
to her
and held her gaze for a long moment.
A man’s loud moan drew
their gazes back to the foursome
.
The sultan’s red face signaled his passion was at a crescendo
.
He pumped the woman leaning over the couch
.
The dairymaid riding the prone man on the couch had turned to face the other woman and they kissed in wild abandon
.
The sultan gasped and collapsed against the two women, moaning his release.
“I think there is a spot available,” Darien said, his fascination clearly with the slim woman who still sported her man’s vest and
neckcloth
.
“Well then, I shan’t keep you,” Ivy said, ridiculously hurt by his preference.
“So you will accompany me to the ball
this Friday
.
”
He turned to Ivy
.
“Save a young couple from a life of emptiness and bitterness?”
Darien’s tone was joking but his direct gaze spoke a truth they both knew all too well
.
“Yes, I’ll go.
”
Ivy never intended to say no to him
.
How could she
?
Too many nights she had
laid
awake praying that one day she could do something to earn Darien’s forgiveness
.
“Robert Fitzgerald has been inordinately kind to me
.
Though, I’m not sure my appearance will change things.”
“It will certainly stir the kettle and remind Henry Maddox I’m not dead yet
.
Who knows what else I might do to destroy my father’s good name
?
Perhaps the sacrifice of their daughter might not be worth the risk after all.”
“I shall leave you to it, then.
”
Ivy glanced at the sex show and saw that the women had exchanged partners
.
“I have rented a place on Chelsea Square
.
Shall I come round for you or would you rather I meet you at the ball?”
“I know where you live
.
I shall arrive at eight so we can discuss our strategy.
”
“You know where I live?
”
She glared at him, but he just shrugged.
“After I forced you out of Cornwall, I wanted to ensure you landed on your feet
.
And I see you have, so to speak.
”
He nodded to the growing sexual fray
.
“
Are you sure you won’t stay
?
Things are getting interesting.”
“
If you have been to one of these, you’ve been to them all
.
Good evening.
”
Ivy turned to leave, something burning in her throat
.
Did he truly believe this was what she had been doing with herself since they parted?
She was unable to resist one last glance at Darien before she disappeared into the crush of people eager for the back room’s entertainments
.
He had not moved from the spot where she had left him, and remained staring at her departure
.
The grin he held moments ago had vanished.
“Darien,” she said and had to pause to clear the break in her voice
.
“Yes, Ivy?
”
The sound of her name on his lips startled her
.
Perhaps her shiver of excitement was just nostalgia, but she swore his tone rang with a hint of affection
.
At least she hoped so.
“Don’t arrive drunk or I will refuse to go with you.”
He bowed
.
“As you wish
.
Enjoy the rest of your evening.
”
He turned and strode over to join the fray.
Ivy urgently sought the nearest exit, unable to watch as he leaned into a tangle of bodies to kiss an eager woman
.
After a solid night’s sleep, Ivy
knew she
would be a braver woman in the morning
.
Despite her extreme reservations, she would stand by Darien’s side through what was sure to mark one of the most excruciating evenings of her life
.
Ivy’s
onetime
cowardliness had cost
them both
far more heartache than either could continue to endure.
She would do this for Darien
.
She must.
***
Ivy arrived at
Madame de Rachelle’s most recent accommodations
the following afternoon and they
proved
almost as
shocking
as her meeting with Darien
.
B
ut even the East End address did not begin to prepare Ivy for the change in her
beloved
mentor’s circumstances
.
Though Ivy had been in Cornwall for the last year, she had not seen Diana
for at least six months before that
.
Ivy had suspected her friend
’
s
letters telling
of a grand journey abroad had been a ruse, but never suspected Diana’s health had deteriorated so rapidly.
“Diana.
”
Ivy rested her palm upon the once famous beauty’s limp hand
.
“Why did you not tell me you were ill?”
“Appearances are everything, darling
.
Besides, I did not want to burden you until you were settled
.
So country life did not meet with your expectations?”
“Even Cornwall is not remote enough to escape my infamy. You tried to warn me, didn’t you?
”
Ivy focused on the cream silk of Diana’s embroidered gown rather than the water-stained wallpaper or the scurry of something suspicious in a dark corner.
“I did not want my dear friend to leave London.
”
Diana shrugged but her strained laugh gave away her desperation. “What happened that forced you to return to Sodom and Gomorrah?”
“I stumbled upon Darien Blackmore. It seems even the West Country is not big enough for the two of us
.
I dared to attend a small country dance at the encouragement of the last remaining childhood acquaintance who would still speak to me
.
Darien accused the host of harboring me as his mistress.”
“And were you?”
“Certainly not. I had never before met the man.”
“How dull.
”
Diana sighed and slumped against her pillows.
“But he was handsome and he did challenge Darien to a duel.
”
Though Ivy had left Cornwall because of that particular incident, she did not mind
revealing
her shame and infamy with Diana
.
They had always shared
what
no one else could understand
.
“It seems the host in question, a baron, no less, thought Darien was exposing the lady who was indeed his mistress
.
Thankfully Darien was too drunk to stand and the baron, too honorable to shoot an intoxicated man.”
“So Darien still hasn’t forgiven you?
”
Diana coughed into a lace handkerchief. She twisted the yellowed cloth in her hand before Ivy could check for signs of blood
.
“I am so sorry I did not come to see you sooner
.
I was setting up my household and
…
”
“You’ve come now and that’s all that matters.
”
Diana waved her hand in dismissal of Ivy’s excuses while gracefully letting her change the subject
.
“I knew you would not forget me even if my address is not what it once was.”
“Come stay with me for a bit
.
Let me take care of you,” Ivy implored
.