AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But she reasoned every woman was allowed one rather large error in her life. Will was hers.
What was wrong with her? Letting him make love to her in the music room in broad daylight!
She could have stopped him but she hadn’t. Nor had she wanted to stop him. In her heart, she knew she had been the aggressor, not him. She had kissed him, untied his cravat, and rubbed herself against him like a common trollop.
Yet, all day she’d wondered if the only reason she acquiesced was to make him stay in England. Could she really have been manipulating him? She clenched her hands into tight fists. That would make her a terrible person.
No other reason came to mind. She didn’t love him. His company was pleasant enough but what she felt wasn’t love. While he did seem to make her heart beat faster, lust was the answer. Her mother had warned her about that emotion.
Sometimes she wondered if lust was what had led her mother to her affair. Elizabeth hoped that it was love. She didn’t want to believe her mother would do such a thing just for passion.
Although, that was exactly what Elizabeth had done. Unless she really had thought making love with him would make him stay in England. She did not know which was worse, lust or manipulation.
“The violets are perfect!” Susan said as she stepped away.
Elizabeth looked in the mirror and agreed. “You do know how to make me look my best.” She turned to her maid and smiled. “Thank you.”
Susan bobbed a quick curtsy. “Enjoy your night, Lady Elizabeth.”
And Elizabeth decided she would enjoy tonight. Since the duke’s death, she had only attended a few balls. She missed the excitement of a party, the sense that something wonderful might happen.
She walked to the stairs and stopped. Looking down, she saw Will and her breath caught. He wore the dark brown jacket she’d secretly told his valet to suggest. The color looked magnificent on him and highlighted his hair.
As she walked down the steps, she gripped the rail tightly, hoping she could manage the stairs while staring at him. At the sound of her footfalls, he turned.
His full lips slowly lifted upward into an appreciative smile. He held out his hand to her as she reached the bottom tread.
“Good evening, Elizabeth.”
“Good evening, Will,” her voice sounded breathy to her ears.
Without a doubt, the most talked about man at the ball would be Will. As he held his arm for her, she realized she hadn’t completed certain aspects of his lessons. They must discuss this now.
“Will,” she started as she entered the carriage.
“Yes, darling.”
“Do not call me that again,” she snapped. “We must talk about a few things before we arrive.”
Will sat back against the squab and sighed. “Now what?”
“First, I, along with everyone else at the ball, will call you Kendal or Your Grace. Do not for any reason allow someone to call you Will. I am to be referred to as Lady Elizabeth.”
“Yes, dear.”
She could just make out the humor in his voice. The dratted man was taunting her. “On to the dances,” she said and paused. “You must dance.”
“Of course, sweetheart.”
“Stop that!” She breathed in the scent of his tangy soap and sighed. “You must not dance more than twice with any lady.”
“Why not?”
“It shows you favor that lady. She will get ideas, and so will her mother. You are a young unmarried duke. Everyone will want you to dance with their daughters.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “And if I don’t wish to dance with them?”
“You really should with a few. But don’t leave the ballroom with any of them.” Dreadful thoughts of young ladies attempting to compromise themselves with him crossed her mind. “Some of the ladies will try to get you into a position where you both will
