Page 36 of The Governess’s Carnal Temptation

Lydia was dancing just a few steps away from him. His eyes fixed on her as if she were the only star in the night sky. He took in her graceful figure as she turned, her dress swaying around her, revealing only a glimpse of the figure beneath. Her hair, piled high on her head, glistened in the candlelight, and she moved so effortlessly that he was robbed of his breath. Lydia was magnificent; she was elegant; she was a woman. And what a woman she was.

Alas, she was not alone. Leading her with hands that held her too tight for Nicholas’ comfort was a tall, lanky man he could not place. His nostrils flared as he examined him. His attire, made of the finest material, made him look almost princely. A golden watch fob dangled around his hip, bouncing with each movement as if to draw attention to it. Likewise, his cufflinks sparkled as he moved, reflecting the light.

“Your Grace,” Lady Evelyn’s raspy voice invaded his thoughts, tearing him from his enchanted state. He blinked and forced his focus on her.

“Yes? I apologize.”

Lady Evelyn was no longer smiling as she had before. Instead, she looked at him with suspicion.

“Exactly who is this young lady to you?” Lady Evelyn asked. “You said she was your governess, your childhood friend, but you seem terribly taken with her.” There was no mistaking the hint of jealousy in Lady Evelyn’s voice. Under normal circumstances, he might have thought this quite endearing. For only a lady who was interested in making a future would react in such a way to a perceived rival. However, when it came to Lydia, he had no desire to explain.

“She is nobody other than what I told you,” he said though the words stung as he spoke them. For it was a lie. Lydia was the opposite. Once, she’d been everything to him. Still, he knew he couldn’t tell Lady Evelyn that. It would be a disaster. “She is a governess with whom I used to be friends when I was not a duke but a mere lad working to survive.”

“Your Grace?” she repeated. “You said she is nothing, yet you appear captivated by her.”

He shook his head. “She and I were friends when I had nothing. Her father took me in and taught me a trade. Of late, he has been unwell, so I took in his daughter and gave her a position.”

He did not want to tell her the truth, but he could not outright lie to her either.

“I see. She is here out of charity.” He bristled at the statement, for it was not true. “I thought she was rather too young to be an effective governess.”

“No,” he protested, sharper than intended. “She is not too young, and to tell you the truth, I dare say, Miss Haddington is the smartest person in this room.” He glanced at Lydia and her dance partner once more when they twirled into their vicinity, and Lydia’s clear, bright laughter drifted to his ear. It was like a punch directly to his gut because he saw that her attention was taken by her dance partner.

He spoke animatedly with a wide smile that drew Lydia in; it was easy to see. Somewhere inside, the carefully contained ball of feelings exploded into pieces, and a mixture of resentment, anger, and longing overcame him as though he were being drowned in a sea of regret and guilt. He couldn’t deny it anymore. He wanted to make her laugh, he wanted to hold her – not some stranger who stumbled into their lives.

“…plain enough, anyhow,” Lady Evelyn’s sharp voice cut into his thoughts.

“I beg your pardon?”

“I said she certainly looks the part. Of a governess, I mean. She is not elegant or charming enough to be a proper lady. She is rather flatfooted.”

Nicholas sucked in a gulp of air, ready to give Lady Evelyn a much-needed rebuke, but before he could do so, the tempo changed, and their dance slowed, indicating a partner change. Nicholas let go of Lady Evelyn, thankful not to have to touch her as if her ugliness might transfer onto him just by being too close to her. Then, the man who’d been dancing with Lydia took charge of her, and the two disappeared in a sea of dancers.

Someone tapped Nicholas on the shoulder, and he turned only to freeze. Standing before him was none other than Lydia. Seeing her up close took his breath away, as did his ability to speak. She was beautiful and smelled like her usual, familiar jasmine, which always reminded him of the past, when they were so much more and the world held so much promise.

The deep blue gown lit up in her eyes, giving them a glimmer he remembered from their younger days. Her cheeks had turned a rosy color from the rigorous twirling, and she breathed a little heavier than usual, her chest rising up against the very edge of her dress.

For a split second, he couldn't help but notice the golden embroidery on the top of her torso. It was as if her breasts wished to be free of their confinement, as if they begged him to touch them. His manhood shifted in his pantaloons, and he shook his head quickly to chase away these impure thoughts.

“Lydia,” he said though his voice was thick with sudden desire.

“Nicholas,” she replied coolly. “We are supposed to dance; we’re holding everyone up.” He realized other couples were staring at them, among them, Lady Evelyn and her partner.

“Of course,” he breathed and took charge of her. He led her as he always had when they’d dance in the alley behind the teashop to music only they could hear. However, unlike those days, neither spoke, and the only sounds were those of the revelers all around them and the orchestra’s flawless tune. They danced past Lady Evelyn and the mysterious stranger when Nicholas noticed the slight smile on Lydia’s face as the man winked at her.

Jealousy bubbled up inside him, and he swiftly maneuvered her away from the man.

“Who is he?” he asked, a tick too sharply. She squinted at him and shrugged.

“You do not know your neighbors, I take it. He is Elliot Gilbert, the son of the baron who supplies you with marmalade, honey, and lemon curd.” Her tone was snippy, and he had to wonder if Lady Evelyn’s presence here had anything to do with it.

“I see. Well, it appears you and he are getting to know one another rather well,” he said, equally snippy. She looked at him, her eyes aflame with irritation.

“I will have you know he is rather interesting and pleasant to talk to. Besides, you have a partner of your own you appear fond of.”

Having her compare her connection to Elliot Gilbert to his connection to Lady Evelyn – though she knew nothing about its details – set his bristles up.

“She…”