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“Go slowly,” he whispered to me. I nodded, holding on to the bedpost to move to my dresser. I meant to focus but when I turned back to him and saw him standing naked within my room I could not help but feel…warm all over again. I was not sure how he noticed but he glanced back at me and smiled.
“Verity, you must dress.”
“I am,” I whispered, turning from him.
He and I moved to dress to the sounds of the growing party outside. It was so strange, I could hear the music and the laughing but at the same time I could hear the sounds of his moans from earlier in my mind. It made dressing so much harder to focus on, and apparently, he could not bear it, for I felt his hands behind me. At his touch my eyes closed and I leaned back against him.
“You must wear perfume.”
“Do I smell bad?” I turned back to him, panicked.
“No, you smell of me…of us and what we have done,” he whispered as he helped adjust my corset and then dropped to his knees. How his tongue had kissed the private parts of me entered my mind but the thought of that happening again was gone as I felt him touch me softly. I held on to him, allowing him to dress me, trying not to laugh. Finally, when we were done, he looked me over, frowning.
“I do not believe I will be much help with your hair.”
I giggled. “I shall fix it myself. You go down first. I shall follow.”
“You following is how we got here.”
“Do you regret it?”
“I should ask you.”
“I do not.”
“Then neither do I.” He kissed my forehead. “I must go for now.”
He sighed before leaving. It was only then that I let out a deep breath. My heart was in knots. What had I done? I did not regret it but…that…that was more than I ever thought. My mind was reeling as well as my body. But still I managed to get myself together, rearrange the room, and hide the now stained sheets until I could get rid of them.
By the time I finally returned downstairs, I feared all the world would somehow know, that somehow it would be evident something had happened or at the very least that I was missing for God only knew how long. However, once I entered the gardens I was met with only pleasant smiles and loud laughter, as now nearly a hundred people were in attendance. I spotted Aphrodite greeting guests alongside my brother.
Truly no one was the wiser. The only other person who knew of this secret was Theodore…and I met his hazel eyes from across the garden as he spoke to some gentlemen. He and I stared longingly at each other…
We would have remained staring at each other had it not been for the sound of breaking glass.
We looked over, and there was Fitzwilliam, dressed in a coat so red you would have thought he was enlisted in the regiments. Beside him were a young girl and an older woman with far too much white powder on her face and a string of pearls around her neck. Aphrodite went over to them, speaking of the young girl’s stained skirt.
“Something is wrong.” I was not sure what but the looks upon their faces and the fact that Fitzwilliam was a part of it told me this would not end well.
As I moved to them, I hoped I was wrong.
But I was sure I was not.
27
Theodore
Days had passed since the ball but there never seemed to be a good time to speak to the duke about the true nature of my stay here. It appeared to be a never-ending onslaught of bad news for him, and I could not bring myself to add to his stress. I had gone back to their home to speak with the duchess about Marcella’s condition, telling her I did all I could when I had visited her home without saying more. Marcella’s mother-in-law and husband had barely allowed me to treat the poor girl. I was so dejected by the extent of all I had seen and heard that I could barely keep my spirit up to speak to Verity upon leaving. Our meeting was brief, but what could be said between us now that we had been together in such a manner?
I could not delay it any longer.
I did not wish to make Verity worry. For all the strength she had, I knew she was nervous. I was going to speak to the duke without fail today.
“That bastard! Oh, that evil bastard! See why I would not have his money.” The innkeeper gasped as she came to me, handing me a copy of the pamphlet in her hands. “To think the duke has suffered like this.”
