Kenneth sat beside her and flicked his napkin onto his lap.
“It pleases me to see you in such fine form, Miss Molly.” Kenneth took a sip of coffee. “I trust my brother did not keep you up all night.”
A jealous hint of envy and anger flashed across his face.
Molly shifted in her seat. She was not going to answer a question asked with ill intent. Instead, she looked over her shoulder at the entranceway but found only another couple walking into the room, their arms entwined.
“Miss Molly?” Kenneth repeated her name.
“I am sorry, did you say something?” Smothering a sigh, she forced her attention to Devlin’s brother.
His gaze held hers, then he looked away. “Never mind.” He scowled.
A kitchen servant came with a platter of meats and eggs. Kenneth piled their plates with food. He waved the servant away. “It may come as a shock, but I am still very attracted to you. Even though my brother has…” Kenneth cleared his throat, “…broken you in. Perhaps now you will do me the honor of considering me as your benefactor.”
Molly’s jaw dropped. Did everyone know Devlin took her maidenhead last night?
“Think on it,” he said. “You will have many men to choose from, but none will give you as many jewels as I.” Kenneth reached into his brown jacket, pulled out a large velvet box and opened it.
Sparkling in the morning light, an exquisite necklace encased in diamonds and pearls shone upon black velvet. “This is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever given me,” she whispered, too afraid to touch such an expensive gift.
Kenneth pulled out the necklace and leaned close to place it around her neck. He breathed deeply, his lips lightly nuzzling her neck. It tickled, and she squirmed and giggled.
The room grew quiet.
Molly raised her gaze to find Devlin sitting at the head of the table. Her spirits soared at the handsome sight he made. She opened her mouth to excuse herself from Kenneth when something in Devlin’s eyes darkened.
Was he upset with her?
A hot ache grew in her throat.
“It appears my brother is in a foul disposition today.” Kenneth peered at Devlin then back at Molly. “Or maybe, he is jealous.”
“Jealous?”
Kenneth shrugged. “I don’t know why. He usually has no problem sharing his women. Besides, everyone knows he despises courtesans.”
“He hates courtesans?”
Devlin shifted his dark gaze away and ignored her, concentrating on making polite conversation with a portly gentleman.
“Yes, I am surprised he agreed to tutor you, but then again, he had a wager with my father.”
Molly stiffened. “What wager?”
Kenneth smirked. “I should not have said anything.”
“What wager?”
“Well, if you must know. My father let it slip that he made a wager with Devlin. If you are not the chosen one at the mistress auction, he could marry Lady Audrey by spring.”
“And if I am chosen?”
“Then the duke will break the contract, and my brother will miss out on marrying his true love.” Kenneth studied her reaction. “This is probably why he took your virginity. You are less likely to earn as much at the auction.”
She blinked and shifted her gaze. A dark pit weighed in her stomach, making her feel sick. He did not want her to be the chosen one at the auction or he would lose Audrey. It all made sense now. No wonder he was surly with her when they first met. She repulsed him as a courtesan.
He did not want her. He just wanted her to lose at the mistress auction.
Oh, what does it matter now? She stabbed at the egg on her plate and shoved a hefty piece in her mouth. This was what her aunt warned her about. A courtesan could not involve her heart. Tilting her chin toward Kenneth, she smiled around the food in her mouth. Devlin’s brother was everything she needed—a wealthy benefactor who was handsome, kind and generous. What more could a poor spinster ask for?
After all, this was the reason she was here. She had to think about her aunt. Molly glanced at Devlin again. His head decidedly turned away from her as if she did not exist.
He did tell her in the beginning he was in no need of a courtesan.
Kenneth popped a piece of hen in his mouth. “My darling, I want you as my own. I will set you up in my townhouse in the fashionable Berkley Square. You will have everything you could want. Gowns, hats…everything.” After dabbing his mouth with a napkin, he picked up her hand and kissed it. “Your hands are too beautiful to soil with farm work.”
Her heart burned with betrayal while her vision blurred with unshed tears. She looked up in time to see Audrey join Devlin. The tall blonde placed a kiss on his lips and sneered at Molly.
“Come, let us leave,” Kenneth commanded, throwing the napkin across his plate.
Molly nodded, wanting to run from the room as fast as she could, but dare not make a scene. She would not show him how hurt she was. Instead, she allowed Kenneth to guide her out with his arm intimately draped around her waist.
Devlin watched Molly leave with his brother. Again, she made a fool out of him. To think he raced downstairs to find her, only to face her giggling when Kenneth kissed and fondled her. Was her heart so cold to make love to a man one night, then swap lovers the next morning? He was angry with himself for caring. She was a courtesan after all. Did they not burn for the man with the highest wealth? Judging by the diamond necklace around her delicate throat, she was easily bought. The thought twisted and turned inside of him.
Audrey’s hand snaked along his thigh, pressing her breasts against his arm. “Let us set a date for our wedding.”
“There is something I should tell you—”
“This spring would be lovely. Just in time for the roses to bloom and—”
“Spring?” Devlin studied her features. “You know of the wager?”
She opened her mouth then closed it. A sickly smile widened her lips. “There is no point in lying to you.”
“Do you not care I wish to break the contract?”
Edging closer, Audrey licked his earlobe. “No, I do not. I will be the marchioness and eventually part of the royal family as your duchess. It is what I’ve been trained for all my life.”
Devlin jerked away. “Not if Molly is the chosen one at the mistress auction.”
Audrey’s eyes flashed with anger, all pretenses vanished. “That commoner is far too ugly for our guests. All that red hair and spotty face.” Audrey shuddered.
The sting in his heart became a sick, hot gnawing. He rose to his feet, causing her hand to drop from his lap. “That red hair and freckled face grants her a wholesome quality many lack.” He pushed his chair in. “And I find her irresistible.”
The dining room buzzed with whispers when Devlin walked out. He heard Audrey calling for him, but he did not care. Why he defended Molly after her unfaithfulness, was beyond him. He stormed into the library. Dry timber crackled in the fireplace while Annie, a young, mousy maid hummed softly in the corner, dusting the shelves. She turned and bobbed a curtsey, and left in a swish of petticoats.
Upon the mantelpiece, malt whiskey glistened within a crystal decanter. Devlin twirled the lid off and poured a generous portion into a glass. He gulped a mouthful of liquor. It burned the back of his throat and settled in his empty stomach.
His eyes lifted to the reflection in the gilded mirror over the fireplace. It did not show the proud and arrogant man he used to be, but instead a man who appeared lost, hollow.
“It is all for the best,” he mumbled and raised his glass to his mirror image.
“The men will bid upon her like she is a prized mare.” He took another swig of his drink. “And my…my brother will pay highly for her.”
The muscles in his calves weakened, and he collapsed on a chair by the fire. The flames hypnotized him into their orange depths. “She will be the chosen one and I…I will be free from the marriage contract. I will have everything I desire.”
He swirled the golden whiskey in his hand, releasing a bitter, sharp aroma. A silent desolation swept over him. Instead of the secluded library comforting him, the isolation tore at his soul.
“Everything I desire, but one.”
Chapter Eleven
Weariness enveloped Molly as she walked beside Kenneth. Confusing thoughts whirled around her head. At the back of her mind, she knew there was no chance Devlin could have feelings for her. He was a marquess and she was…well she was born poor. But after last night, she had hoped.
Was she really just a means to an end? To wager her body so he could marry Audrey. He must think she was not attractive enough to win the mistress auction. She picked up a strand of her red hair and her heart sunk further. Was everything he said a lie?
“The conservatory is always quiet this time of day,” Kenneth said, his warm hand guided her into an empty room.
The warm rays of the sun filtered through a wall made of glass. Orange blossom trees lined the back wall, filling the room with a sharp scent of citrus. Ordinarily, the exotic Chippendale furnishings with dragon motifs and crystal antiques would have fascinated her, but inside she struggled to keep her composure.
Kenneth circled her and captured her face in his hands. He moved his mouth over hers, his tongue slopping saliva across the corner of her lips. She forced herself to respond, but could not muster the passion.
Unaware of her feelings, Kenneth pulled away and gave a smug smile, his gaze going to her neckline. “Do you like your gift?”
She touched the heavy diamonds around her neck. “To be honest, my lord, when I look at these gems I do not see its beauty.”
His face fell. “I beg your pardon.”
“I see extra bales of hay for our farm horse to see him through the winter months. Seeds my aunt can purchase to plant come spring.” The diamonds reflected the sunlight against her chest and she squinted. “And perhaps a cow, so we would have fresh milk when the riverbed is dry.”
“A cow.” Kenneth grabbed her hand. “Didn’t you hear anything at breakfast? I told you I would set you up in London. Do you understand what I am risking for you?”
Risking?
“What about my aunt?”
“I have no need for an older lady,” Kenneth said and edged closer to kiss her.
Molly pulled away. “I must go.”
“Yes, yes, go get ready for tonight’s auction. I plan on bidding very high for you, my dear. I hope you do not disappoint me.”
She hastened out of the conservatory with a slimy feel to every part of her skin Kenneth had touched. It was strange how she no longer found him attractive.
“Miss Molly?” a small voice called.
Molly turned to find a skinny scullery-maid waving at her. From beneath a white cap, tight brown curls swayed across her brow as she ran toward her. The beauty spot under her eye made the young girl appear sweet. Molly frowned when she noticed a red hand mark on the girl’s porcelain skin. Her clear blue eyes were moist as if she had been crying.
“Are you well?” Molly asked. “Did someone hurt you?”
“I’ve been asked to give you a message,” she said. Shifting her eyes, she wiped her hands on a water-stained apron. “Lord Devlin requests you to come down to the cellars. He wishes to show you something.”