Accidentally Compromising the Duke (5 page)

Shocked murmurs spilled in from the hallway, and several footsteps sounded along the corridor. Seconds later Lord Gladstone framed the door, with the Viscountess of Marriot, one of the most notorious gossips in society. On a defeated sigh, Adel crumpled into the lone sofa in the chamber and buried her face in her hands.

Why, Evie?

…

I thought you were someone else.
Edmond ignored the harsh gasp of those gathered in the doorway. His host and hostess, their son, the Earl of Vale, and Lady Marriot spilled farther into his chambers. Edmond supposed he could be grateful there was not a greater audience. He directed his attention to the young lady he had been seconds away from ravishing. He was much used to scandal and rabid speculation, but Society would not be kind to the unknown lady and they would shred her to pieces. Although she
had
known they would appear. Perhaps she was more mercenary in her thoughts, and not as fragile as many of the young misses of the
ton
.

Though pale with fright and mortification, she was hauntingly lovely with a heart-shaped face dominated by enchanting almond shaped eyes, which were a stunning shade of hazel. Her hair was black as the deepest darkness of night, and her lips were wide and pouting.

Her loveliness was heart jerking. She had tested the mettle of his control and he had failed. An unusual occurrence as he had never before been so consumed by passion. She had tasted delectable, her flavor one of pure addictive temptation that had tempted him to sink his cock into a woman he had never seen.
Madness
. Utter reckless madness.

What had possessed him? The only thing he was sure of was that a prayer, even when muttered hastily, on occasion seemed to work. He had braced himself to enter the dreaded marriage mart, after surmising Lady Evelyn would reject his offer. And now a young lady was fortuitously dropped into his lap…into his
bed
.

He would need to be swift and decisive in order to stem the tide of scandal that would surely follow. She was irrefutably ruined. Edmond had become accustomed to the worst that Society could offer in regards to malicious gossiping. This young lady would be destroyed in the most absolute sense. Honor demanded that he wed her, yet he hesitated. She had roused his body before he’d even seen her, and now looking at her dark exotic beauty, the craving only stirred with more turbulence. The last thing he wanted was a wife he would desire, after all, intimacy between a man and woman always led to greater sentiment, and to love was surely the path to irrevocable heartache.
Bloody hell
.

What the hell was he to do? With the scandal that had embraced him following his wife’s death, he could walk away unchallenged from the gossip, but it would be unconscionable to leave this young lady to the vultures. Edmond would crush any man who would even think to treat his daughters with such callous disregard. Yet he could not take a woman like
her
to be his wife. Even now, with an audience, he was in the shadows fighting the lust pounding through his veins, and fervently willing his damn cock to subside. “Everyone out,” he said, rousing from the bed.

Lady Gladstone swayed and recognition dawned on her face. “I…I… Wolverton?”

Before he could confirm his identity the countess’s rounded eyes slashed to the frozen young lady and a sneer curled the countess’s lips.

“How could you, Miss Adeline? I will see you ruined for this.”

Adeline…beautiful
, an inane thought to have at this very moment, but he thought her name as comely as her face and figure.

The young girl jerked to her feet. “Lady Gladstone, I entered the wrong room. I never intended—”

“You knew full well whose chamber you were crawling into, you wanton tramp!”

Lady Marriot gasped and Miss Adeline sucked in a harsh breath. Red bloomed on her cheeks, and he detected the slight tremble of her frame.

The countess, righteous in her fury, marched farther into the chamber toward the young lady. “I will see that your family is not welcomed in any drawing room in all of London. How dare you come into my home and—”

“You forget yourself, madam, and you will hold your tongue,” Edmond said with icy disdain, sudden fury pounding through his veins at the uncalled for attack. It was evident to all Miss Adeline was already mortified. What did the countess hope to gain from besmirching her further?

His hostess flushed and tried to stammer an apology, which he waved off, impatient to be alone so he could dress and deal with the matter before it turned into a circus. “I would be obliged if everyone departed. I will be out shortly,” he said in a far milder tone.

“Miss Adeline is my fiancée, and I demand satisfaction for the insult,” Lord Vale hissed coldly. “I demand your full name so I may have my seconds call on you. This is a matter of honor.”

Edmond did not even acknowledge Vale’s asinine demand for a duel. From what Edmond knew of the earl’s character, he wouldn’t know honor if it strolled up to him and bit him on the ass.

A visible shiver went through Miss Adeline. “I am not his affianced lady.”

The earl glowered and she straightened her spine, looking past him. The spark of fire intrigued Edmond and he suppressed the flare of interest. He should not care to know why she had recklessly thought to compromise someone, and why she was not twittering with excitement at the hope of being Lord Vale’s countess.

Voices rose from in the hallway and footsteps moved closer. The vultures were already swarming. “Close the door,” he ordered flatly. Things were already beyond the pale.

Lord Gladstone flushed and complied. “Wolverton, this is insupportable,” he growled.

As if he were just hearing Edmond’s title, Lord Vale stiffened and he peered closer into the dark. Edmond did not move from his shadowy corner. He was naked. The gossip would turn into something much harsher and vindictive if they were to realize his state. “I urge everyone to depart my chamber. I would caution silence.”

Immediately the young lady took a step toward the door.

“We must repair this damage. Whatever happened must never leave this room,” young viscount Ravenswood said with a heavy sigh.

“I agree,” Lady Gladstone said, pressing a palm to her stomach.

“Surely you do not believe such a thing possible,” Lady Marriot interjected, looking too pleased. There was no doubt she was eager to depart and provide fodder for the throng. “All of society is in the hall, and they will not depart until they see who has left the chamber.”

Miss Adeline’s throat worked as she attempted to swallow. Eyes glistening with tears scanned the room, not fully settling on anyone.

The countess inhaled. “What are we to do?”

Edmond stifled a curse. “Gladstone, I will meet you in your office shortly. I will also speak with Miss Adeline’s parents if they are here. It may not have any weight, but I would like to at least assure them their daughter’s virtue is intact. You entered this chamber quite shortly after her.”

The silence was heavy. Several eyes settled on the young lady, noting her apparel, her bare toes peeking from the hem of her night rail, and the tumbled mass of beautiful silken hair. It did not escape Edmond that Ravenswood, Gladstone, and Lord Vale narrowed in on her obviously swollen and thoroughly ravished lips.

Hell
. Edmond could walk away and remained unscathed. Society was ridiculous enough where all blame for this mishap would be placed wholly at her feet. He noted the pained awareness glimmering in her eyes, a quiet desperation that hinted at her position in society.

If he walked away, she would be crushed. There was no choice but to marry her. With ruthless will, Edmond rebuilt the walls she had cracked and doused his desire. He would make an offer, but never must he allow her intimacy. He would have to be resolute in keeping away from her bed until he was ready,
if
he was ever ready.

But his daughters would have a mother.

Chapter Five

Adel’s cheeks blazed as she held her head high and rushed from the chamber and faltered. It seemed all the guests were outside. There was a moment of shocked silence in the hall as they regarded her. Belatedly she realized only about a dozen people were there, but two well-placed ladies were all that would be needed for society to learn of her folly. She identified the Countess of Livingston, the Marchioness of Deerwood, and several influential society matrons. Adel fought the tears burning to spill as the voices rose, overlapping one another so rabid they were, scenting fresh blood. The scandal sheets would be burning for weeks with this debacle.

She squared her shoulders and pushed past the many eyes heavy with speculation, some with pity, and others with scorn.

“Whose chamber was she in?”

“I do not know.”

“The duke’s.”

Her knees weakened, and she stumbled. Good Heavens!
He is
a duke?
She was caught in flagrante with a duke.
Oh…oh…oh!
They were ruined. The Viscountess of Sheffield’s daughter had claimed the Earl of Maschelly tried to seduce her. The family had not been able to bring him up to scratch and their daughter had fled to Scotland to avoid the outrage of society’s derision. The earl, of course, had been unruffled by her humiliation. What would the duke do to Adel and her family after this disgrace? Would Mr. Atwood still wish to wed her?

“Which one?”

“Wolverton.”

“The mad duke?”
Equal fascination and shock was implied.

Dread sat heavy in Adel’s stomach. How had this happened? Lady Gladstone had called him by his title, but somehow in Adel’s distress it had not truly resounded. Even she had heard whispers of Wolverton. The duke was reputed to be influential with other lords, coldly distant, frighteningly uncivil, and shockingly handsome.

“He has said he would never remarry. There is no hope for her if she was thinking to force his hand.”

“It is far more likely she succumbed to his shocking handsomeness and virility.”

A few voices laughed, though it was hard to identify who, as they all had their fans poised demurely in front of their mouths.

“Perhaps she is already with child, and it is her he attended the house party for. We know of what goes on behind closed door at these gatherings.”

“Scandalous!”

“Indeed, remember many say the true objective of a well-organized house party is to provide ample opportunities to engage in that sort of dalliance.”

Desperate to escape the unkind whispers, Adel headed for her chamber without looking behind her. With every step she felt the awful weight of their eyes boring into her back. Never had she imagined the night would end like this. Unable to walk at a sedate pace, she gripped the folds of her gown and ran down the hall until she reached her chamber. She wrenched the door open, then slammed it closed. She leaned against the frame for support, pressing the heel of her palm on her forehead.

What am I to do?
She tried to marshal her thoughts and reason around the panic rearing its head. First she needed to alert her father, then speak with Mr. Atwood, Evie, and then…

The door pushed, and Adel lurched around.

“Oh, Evie,” Adel gasped, and shocked herself by bursting into raw ugly tears. “Oh, forgive me. I fear my nerves are shattered.”

Evie’s eyes were red rimmed, and she looked broken and guilty. “Dress quickly. Mamma is coming.”

Then she hurried to the armoire and selected a pale yellow high waist gown that had already been pressed for tomorrow’s croquet match. Responding to Evie’s urgency, Adel shrugged from the voluminous nightgown and slipped on her underclothes and the dress with Evie’s aid.

The door to her chamber crashed opened once again.

The countess stormed in, lips flattened, eyes pinched in fury.
What is it?
When Adel had concocted her plan, she understood she would have earned the countess’s disapproval, despite Evie’s assurance her mother would understand. But the rage in her hostess’s steps spoke of something more.

“Sir Archibald and Lady Margaret will see you in the library. I have informed them of the situation.”

Adel was unable to imagine her father’s distraught. “Lady Gladstone, I—”

“Do not speak. We invited you into our life, and by association you and your family were greatly elevated and this is how you repaid Evie? By stealing her fiancé?” Lady Gladstone’s voice was sharp and accusatory.

Adel’s heart skipped a beat, and then another. A deep sense of foreboding traveled through her. She glanced at Evie. Guilt darkened her eyes and tears tracked down her cheeks.

“
Forgive me
,” Evie mouthed.

Adel was too numb to react. She was herded to the library despite Evie’s plea to her mother that she needed to speak with Adel. The countess all but shoved her out of the chamber, and she was grateful to see the guests had gone. A minute later Adel entered the room and the countess slammed the door on her exit.
Oh
. It did not take long for loss and betrayal to scythe through Adel’s heart. Surely the countess would prevent further association with Evie…and what had she been thinking?

Adel paced, waiting in dread for her father to arrive and voice his displeasure. How could it have gone so wrong? The door creaked and she lifted her head. Her father and stepmother entered. Lord Gladstone strolled in behind them and gently closed the door. He gave her a reassuring smile, but Adel’s stomach dipped, and fear coated the back of her throat. She had never seen her father so livid and so embarrassed. “Papa, I can explain, I—”

“Be silent,” he roared, a bit of spittle flying from between his lips. He advanced and she retreated, her hips hitting against the oak table positioned in the center of the room. “I was in the card rooms with your mother when I was summoned. Your mother is appalled at your reckless disregard—”

“Stepmother,” Adel snapped, the agitation of being reminded of how easily he replaced her mother loosening her tongue.