Desperate Measures (Regency Undone) (2 page)

‘Come back to bed, Your Grace.  It grows cold without you.’

Guy frowned, turning to look at his mistress as she spread herself lethargically across his bed.

He was beginning to regret already that he had brought her to Sheldon Hall for the weekend.  He had never done such a thing before and couldn’t help but feel it might convey the wrong idea to her regarding her place in his life.  But he had been over a month without sexual favours and yesterday had spent much of the day at his club in London catching up with friends and business matters.  By the time he had decided to come back to Sheldon with his friends for the weekend it was already eight o’clock in the evening and he still had not relieved his frustration.  Angelica of course had been only too thrilled to travel with him, to see with her own eyes the famous home of which he was so proud.  And last night when they had finally tumbled into his bed, she had shown him firsthand how impressed she was with his country residence.

Now as he prepared himself to go down for breakfast, she clambered off the bed completely naked, and sidled over to where he was attempting to button his shirt.

‘Such strong muscles,’ she breathed, standing behind him and sliding her hands softly over his shoulders.  ‘They were made to embrace a woman such as me.’  She let her hands trickle down his sides.

‘
Angelica … it is almost eleven o’clock in the morning.  I have other guests as well as you to attend to.   We do not have time for this now.’

‘
Oh but Your Grac
e
…’  Her artful fingers found their way around his waist to the front, sliding tantalisingly lower to find  the bulge in his breeches; giving a throaty little laugh as she felt that bulge starting to grow.  ‘Ooh, my - I think maybe you are more interested than you would have me believe.’ she chuckled, increasing the pressure of her hands.  Her delicate fingers trailed and trickled over his hardness until his erection was straining tightly for release. 

‘
Aah, Guy … do not deny me,’ she whispered, kissing his back through his shirt, rubbing her body sensuously against him.  ‘Let me feel you riding me again as you did last night.  I am already wet and ready for you.’

Giving into the inevitable, Guy turned round to face her, drawing her close to taste her lips.  He had been out of action too long and what man on this earth could resist the deliberate manipulations of a skilled temptress such as Angelica? 

He manoeuvred her backwards until she came to an abrupt halt against the door and heard with a satisfied smile her low husky laugh turn to a helpless moan as he slipped his fingers between her legs and slowly began to rub the sensitive spot between her luscious lips. 

He watched her eyes cloud over as she began to undulate rhythmically against his stroking.  

‘Ah, yes … yes,’ she breathed, pulling him to her, her fingers working deftly to release him.   ‘Take me, take me now.’

‘
You are greedy, Angelica.’

‘
Only for you.’

He fondled her body, enjoying the feel of her small breasts in his hands, her fingers on his cock.    He was not one of those men who lost himself in a woman, his mind was too clinical for that, but he had become used to Angelica
’s ways and she to his; and it was a relationship that worked well enough.   He dropped his breeches, and immediately she was trying to straddle him, her eagerness fuelling his desire.  He entered her where she stood, pinning her to the door as he slid into her.  Almost immediately he could feel his release building up.   Another thrust, and another.  No words were spoken, only the increasing urgency of their gasps could be heard, the sound merging with the thumping of their bodies against the door as their pleasure heightened. 

‘
Ah yes, Guy.  Ah yes.’

And finally a strangled scream from Angelica as she threw her head back and came, her greedy fingernails on his buttocks making him grunt with pain as he swiftly withdrew and spilled his seed onto her flat stomach. 

‘Oh, Gu
y
…’  She was kissing his chest, trailing her tongue down his torso, lower … lower.   She was taking him in her hands again, lifting him to her mouth.

‘
Enough,’ he grunted, covering her hand with his to stop her. 

He tried to ignore the reproach in her eyes.  In the year they had been together, he had never let her take him in her mouth
– a pleasure she told him most men would die for.

‘
Definitely enough now I think, Angelica.’   His smile as always did not quite reach his eyes as he patted her head.  ‘Time for breakfast - you have given me a different sort of hunger.’

Isabelle stood at the top of the steps listening tight lipped to the shriek of female laughter coming from within the house.  Her heart was already pounding at the thought of the interview ahead of her; it would not take much to make her turn tail and run.  But she could not afford to run she reminded herself.  She was desperate and virtually penniless.  And whilst she doubted that this would be a job she would wish to take, she owed it to Ralph and Sophia to at least explore the possibility.   

She watched the horse and carriage disappear around the side of the huge house with a sinking feeling, then drawing a deep breath she raised the brass knocker and rapped smartly on the door.

It was flung open almost immediately and a tall, dark haired lady in a state of what could only be described as
dishabille
stood staring insolently down at her.  The bodice of her dress was loosened and low, revealing a small bosom that was barely concealed at all and Isabelle averted her eyes awkwardly so that they settled instead on the spectacularly long dark hair that was free-flowing and matched the wildness of the woman’s expression.

‘
Yes?’ she enquired impudently, her gaze raking Isabelle’s high necked cloak and delicately styled soft auburn locks maliciously.

‘
I have an appointment with the Duke of Rotherham.’

‘
Do you indeed?  Well, la-de-da, I am not sure the Duke of Rotherham is expecting you.’

‘
I’ll take over from here thank you, Angelica,’ a male voice intercepted smoothly from behind her. ‘Where the deuce is Hemsworth?  Come in Lady Pennington.’

Isabelle stared in shock at the sight of the Duke also dressed in an extremely casual fashion with his shirt undone almost to his waist.  He looked thoroughly blue-devilled.  Had he forgotten their arrangement of the other night?

She eyed him disapprovingly.  ‘I am sorry, Sir.  I had not realised you were … entertaining; and obviously you have forgotten our appointment.  I will come back another time.’ 

She turned to leave, agitated by the memories that were stirring in her head.

‘No.  Wait.’  His voice was sharp, and perhaps realising it, he modified his tone.  ‘I apologise that I was not ready to meet with you, Isabelle.  I only returned from London late last night and I have been … catching up on my sleep.  Please allow my butler to show you to the library and I will join you as soon as I can.  Aah, Hemsworth, there you are.  Kindly escort Lady Pennington to the Library.’

‘
Apologies your Grace.  There was a small matter I had to attend to in the Drawing Room.  If you would like to come this way, my Lady?’

Isabelle hesitated but already the butler was leading the way.  With head held high, she followed him, trying not to watch as the wild haired siren hooked her arm possessively through the Duke
’s and they disappeared into a room together. 

The Library was large and impressive; tastefully decorated with a quiet, understated elegance that Isabelle appreciated.    She moved over to observe the books and finger them delicately.  How she would love to be able to avail herself of the wide choice of subjects contained on these shelves. 

The view from the window caught her eyes, vast rolling countryside that seemed to stretch forever.  She sighed.  Such an attractive setting - and in normal circumstances she could quite believe that she would be ecstatic living in a house such as this. 
But the man who owned it! 
She very much suspected he was as dissolute as her husband had been and nothing would force her to live in such a household as that again.

‘
An angel in our midst!’

She turned round startled at the sound of the voice and was even more alarmed to be confronted by a man in a dressing gown. 

‘I beg pardon Sir, but I would ask that you leave forthwith,’ she demanded coldly, her body stiffening in outrage as he started to walk towards her.

‘
Now why would I wish to do that my lovely?’ he asked, appraising her with his eyes as he closed the gap between them.  ‘Is this not an open house-party where everyone is encouraged to be friends?’

‘
For you maybe,’ Isabelle said haughtily.  ‘But I am here specifically to see the Duke of Rotherham and have no desire of any new friends, thank you very much.’ 

The man chuckled, his gaze raking over her in a way that made her skin prickle with distaste as he continued to draw nearer.  Before she had realised what he was about, he had reached out to pull her into his embrace and his mouth was heading for hers, his intention all too obvious.

She yanked herself back from him. 
‘How dare you, Sir.’ 

The sound of her voice and the hefty slap that followed it merged with the thunderous tones of the Duke of Rotherham as he stormed into the room and hauled the miscreant off her.  
‘Damn you Partingdale, what the devil do you think you’re at?’

‘
Steady on Rotherham, just getting to know our beautiful little friend here.  She tells me she has come particularly to see you - but I didn’t think that could be right seeing as you have the lovely Angelica doing your bidding upstairs.’  He laughed lewdly and Isabelle saw the Duke’s jaw tighten.

‘
Out.  Now.’ 

Guy didn
’t even look at him as he issued the order; his gaze fixed instead on Isabelle’s flushed countenance as she battled to maintain some level of dignity.

‘
Are you alright?’ he asked quietly, as the door closed. 

Isabelle straightened her gown with hands that were not quite steady. 
‘Perfectly,’ she said coldly, ‘although I feel you could exert a little better control over your house guests - most of whom seem to have a propinquity for wandering around the place in a state of semi-undress.’

The eyes she fixed on him sparkled with condemnation, making it plain that she would not easily be intimidated or forgive him for what she had so far suffered at his hands.  

‘I apologise for my guest’s behaviour,’ he said stiffly, ‘though it seemed to me that you handled yourself admirably.’  A hint of humour creased his eyes as he added.  ‘That was some slap you delivered.  Most ladies of quality would be swooning on a chair by now demanding their smelling salts.’

Isabelle flushed.  She could hardly tell him she
’d had plenty of practice defending her virtue over the years.  Yet something told her she didn’t need to tell him.  He was looking at her as if he could see straight through the mask she wore, and she stiffened.  It was a disconcerting sensation to feel that another person was looking into your soul.

She cast around for some safer topic of conversation and finally latched onto the issue at hand. 

‘Your son, Sir?  I cannot imagine for one minute you would have him here while this depravity is going on.  Yet my understanding was that I should meet him here today?’

‘
Depravity?  Is that what you would call it?’

‘
I am not a simpleton Your Grace.  And neither am I a simpering innocent.  I understand        perfectly what I have witnessed here today.’

The Duke of Rotherham was somewhat taken aback by this new forthright attitude he was seeing.   At his cousin
’s house the other night he had considered her to be an exceptionally good looking woman, of obvious good birth, but somewhat colourless and dull.  But her reactions today both to Partingdale’s unwanted attentions, and what she deemed to be
his
depravity,
had revealed an altogether more intriguing side to Lady Pennington that drew his interest despite himself.

He frowned, surprised to realise that he was discomfited by her disapproval.  Usually he did not give a rag what other people thought of him.  At the rather seasoned age of three and thirty years he felt he was entitled to live his life as he wished, having tried to live by the rules once.

He inclined his head stiffly, disliking the sensation that he had somehow let himself down.  ‘I apologise.  I admit I had forgotten that I had arranged to see you today and on a whim I invited some acquaintances from London to return here with me for the weekend.  Let me reassure you on one count however.  My son is currently staying with my mother a few miles from here.  She has been a little out of sorts lately and we thought he would be a cheering influence.  If you have no objection, I suggest we travel over there now in order that you may meet him.’

Isabelle tilted her chin and met his look evenly. 
‘I’m sorry Sir, but I cannot feel that there is any point pursuing this interview.  As I mentioned the other night, I feel it would be easier for me to take a post away from Hertfordshire.’  She gave a thin smile.  ‘I accept it is my own pride that is the barrier and no doubt one day, as my papa always predicted, that will be my downfall; but I’m afraid I do not think I would adapt happily to being a governess in a household such as this, or in an area where I have previously been relatively well known in better circumstances.’