Page 16 of A Viscount’s Reluctant Passion

It was a gentle kiss, a kiss which spoke of how he felt about her, of his desire to wash away all memory of Winterbourne from her lips, but it quickly became deeper, until they drew apart, both breathing hard.

“Thank you, Lord Challoner. If you had not arrived when you did…”

She shuddered, and he wanted to hold her again, even began to reach for her, when a sound froze them both in place. The door was beginning to open.

Without a word said, he turned, and slipped behind the drapes, then out the door onto the terrace. Behind him, Miss Wormsley grabbed the first book she could reach, and dropped into an arm chair, to ‘read’.

~~~~~

Bea’s heart pounded, and the words on the page before her seemed to shimmer, incomprehensible. She wondered if her hair was disarrayed, and reached up to push the pins more firmly into place. The door opened slowly, and she concentrated on slowing her breathing, on looking as if she had been sitting quietly in place for the last half hour.

She counted to ten in her mind before allowing herself to look up.

Two older ladies stood framed by the doorway, peering at her suspiciously. She prayed that her hair was tidy enough, and her gown well enough in order – for it was Lady Caterton and Lady Elhough, two of the biggest gossips of the ton.

The two women looked at each other, then back at Bea, who forced a sweet smile to her face and waited. Lady Caterton raised her chin, and sniffed, as if disgusted by something.

“Miss Wormsley. Are you alone?”

“Why yes, Lady Caterton. I found myself feeling a little worn after dancing, and decided to slip away to read for some respite. The weather is so warm, now that summer is upon us, that dancing becomes rather exhausting.”

Lady Caterton sniffed again, and peered about the room, as if expecting to discover someone, or something, hidden amongst the bookshelves. When nothing was apparent, she gave a regal inclination of her head.

“I daresay you are right, Miss Wormsley. We will leave you to your book – I trust that it is something suitably edifying for a young woman of your age.”

With that, the two ladies turned, and left the room, the door still standing open once they had gone. As they moved away, Bea heard Lady Elhough muttering.

“Something scandalous going on in the library indeed! Balderdash! Whoever sent that note obviously has a far different idea of scandal than I do….”

In the silence that followed, Bea swallowed, her mouth dry. For if she had heard aright, Lady Elhough’s words suggested that Lord Walter had intended the ladies’ arrival.

For who else would have sent them such a note? And if they had walked in, when Lord Walter had been forcing himself upon her, she would have been ruined, would have been forced to marry him…

She shuddered, filled with horror at the despicable nature of the man which had been revealed. If Lord Challoner had not arrived when he did… it did not bear thinking about.

She needed to return to the ballroom, to find Lord Challoner and thank him, and to appear as unexceptionable as possible for the rest of the evening.

She still reeled at the thought of what Lord Challoner had done for her – to so casually write out a bank draft for two thousand pounds! It seemed that the rumours which suggested that Lord Travers, and probably his brother’s, pockets were to let had been very much off the mark. Still – would Lord Walter stay bought off? Or would he attempt to force himself on her again, at some point? That was a terrifying thought, but one which she could do nothing about at this stage.

Bea looked down at the book in her lap, and almost laughed out loud – it was a somewhat dog-eared copy of ‘Fanny Hill’ – a book long regarded as scandalous, and thoroughly not suitable for young ladies. Bea had not read it, but she had heard it whispered of. Apparently, it contained descriptions of the activities of the bedchamber, in significant detail…

She was certainly glad that the ladies had not seen what it was! Regretfully, she rose, and slipped it back onto the shelf from which she had grabbed it. A small mirror graced the wall near the door, and she studied herself in it – her hair was a little wispy, with some escaped from the pins.

But no more than might be expected from the act of energetic dancing. Her gown was a little crumpled, and she smoothed it as much as possible, but otherwise, she appeared just as she should. After the events of the previous half hour, she felt as if she should look different – but she did not. Inside, however…

Now she knew what it felt like to be kissed by a man whom she did not like, as dramatic comparison to the kisses she had shared with Lord Challoner. How the same physical act could differ so vastly with two different men astounded her. Her mind went to that brief kiss from Lord Challoner, just before he had been forced to slip from the room. She had not wanted that kiss to end. Perhaps there would be another chance… But no, that would be most unwise, for she still had no idea of his true feelings.

She would think on it later. For now, going back to the ballroom was most important.

~~~~~

Nash had returned to the ballroom by the main terrace doors, which let directly into it. He settled onto a chair in a quiet corner, and watched the door which led to the hallway. He would not be comfortable until Miss Wormsley came through that door, unharmed.

But he’d had no option but to leave the library as fast as possible – after Winterbourne’s attempt to compromise her, the last thing that Miss Wormsley needed was to be found, alone, with Nash. Not, he thought, that he would have truly objected, if forced to marry her.

That thought made him pause a moment. It was true – marriage to her would not be a hardship. But she deserved better than him, and certainly better than to deal with the scandal of compromise, and a marriage against her will. For he had no idea what she wished. The fact that she had welcomed his embrace, and his kisses, as she had not welcomed Winterbourne’s, did not mean that she wished to marry him!

As that thought ran through his mind, she came through the door. He released the breath that he had not realised he was holding, and rose. He reached her at the same moment that she stopped beside her sister. As if the past half hour had not existed, he bowed.