One Moonlit Night (Moonlight Square: A Prequel Novella) (13 page)

Masters of the Earth. If they treated women this way as bachelors, no wonder Parliament was such a mess when they got to the House of Lords.

The tight leash she was trying to keep on her temper pulled away from her. She pivoted outside the screened door. “Can I just ask you one question?”

In the dim glow of the light coming from the kitchens, Gable seemed to brace himself. “Yes?”

“How many women have you brought to that spot before me? Or have you lost count? I mean, you knew exactly where to go.”

He blanched. “It isn’t like that.”

“Really? And why would the Countess of Pelletier be expecting you to dance with her daughter, Gable, hmm? The other one he mentioned doesn’t surprise me, of course—the married one, I mean. That’s your favorite prey!”

“Katrina—”

“What an exciting life you lead, my lord!” she flung at him in mocking humor. “How very picaresque!” She shook her head at him, turning away. “You disgust me.”

She heard him snort as she started to walk away.

“Well, you didn’t look too disgusted a few minutes ago,” he drawled.

She whirled around, astounded. “Oh, throw it in my face, why don’t you?” She could feel a burning blush flooding into her cheeks as she huffed with affront. “That was only because of the wine!”

“No, it wasn’t,” Gable said serenely.

“Yes, it was! You…you took advantage of me in my intoxicated state!”

“Ha. You wanted me,” he whispered.

“So?” Her blush deepened. She probably looked like a strawberry right now, but it seemed a little late for modesty. “Everybody wants you! What news is there in that? At least
now
I’m sober! Funny how a few choice revelations can snap a person right back to reality!”

“Please calm down—”

“
Don’t
tell me to calm down!” she thundered at him as loudly as she dared, only belatedly dropping her voice to a furious whisper. “You are
unbelievable
. Do you think I don’t know what you’re up to?”

“Uh, what am I up to?” he echoed, furrowing his brow.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t try to look innocent! There is nothing innocent about you.”

“Katrina, just because those women are looking for me doesn’t mean I care to see
them
.”

“Just stop, please!” she begged him in anguish. “I see exactly what you’re doing!”

“Then enlighten me!” he barked. “Because I have no blasted idea what you are talking about.
I
thought I was simply out here enjoying the company of the girl I want to marry.”

She flinched. “You see? There it is. Your lying, treacherous little plan!”

Gable shook his head, looking bewildered.

“Do I have to spell it out for you? That’s all this was about, and I fell for it! You don’t care about
me
. All you care about is the money a-and the castle you stand to lose! Oh, you’d
prefer
me as your countess because we usually tolerate each other’s company well enough—”

“I think we do more than tolerate—”

“But just in case you can’t charm me into doing your will,” she said, ignoring his attempt to speak, “you’ve got Lady Pelletier’s little henwit of a daughter lined up as your second choice. You’re as bad as Cecil Cooper, doing the same thing to that poor young girl as he did to me. Leading her on in case nothing better comes along. I’m not stupid!”

“Now, hold on right there,” he said, his usually unflappable expression forming into one of wrath. “I have never falsely led a woman on in my entire life! You had better watch what you’re accusing me of, my lady. There is a limit to the insults I will tolerate, even from you.”

“You two sound like you’re already married,” Sidney remarked.

“Shut up!” they both ordered him in unison.

Then Trinny fixed Gable with a withering stare. “Go, run along, and find your little bride, then. I’m sure your father will be pleased. The Pelletier girl can have you for all I care! You’re not worth the lifetime of heartache you’d inevitably bring me.”

“Why do you assume that?” he exclaimed. “What have I ever done to hurt you in the time you’ve known me?”

“Well, nothing yet—but a leopard doesn’t change his spots!”

“I am not a leopard,” he said through gritted teeth.

“You’re a rake. So how could I ever trust you? I mean, look at what you just did with me tonight! You brought me out here to try to seduce me into going along with your plan, didn’t you? Thought you’d give me a taste of the pleasure you’re so good at, just to maneuver me into place so you can get your own way.”

“That’s not true.”

But she didn’t believe him. She was too angry at him for being unwilling to offer her a proper marriage that she suddenly could hardly bear the sight of the man.

“At least now I know the sorts of things you do with those other ladies. And, as you’ve said, you have no intention of stopping. So, you see? If I agreed to your plan, I would never know when you were lying, when you were telling the truth, what game you were playing, or most importantly, who you were with on any given occasion.”

“Katrina—”

“I can never agree to that. Why on earth would I do that to myself?” She shook her head, staring at him. “Why does
any
woman ever marry a rakehell? I’d rather be alone.”

He flinched at her words. “Then you will be, and I hope it’s everything you dreamed of!” he yelled.

“Damn,” Sidney muttered in the background as Trinny sent Gable one last furious glare and blasted through the door.

Heart pounding, stomach in knots, she ducked into the pantry to grab her shoes, then peered out again only to say, “Whatever this was between us, it’s
over
. Don’t call on me again.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t!”

Then she slammed the kitchen door in his face and pounded up the stairwell, shaking from head to toe.

# # #

Gable stood there, stunned.
What the hell just happened?

His friend let out a low whistle. “Little fireball, that one.” Sid sauntered over, studying him with a curious look askance. “Wasn’t that Beresford’s eldest daughter?”

Gable nodded, in a daze.

“Hmm,” Sidney said.

“What?” Gable ground out.

Sid shrugged in his nonchalant way. “Not that it’s any of my business, but, er…
why
in the
hell
are you out here fooling around with a virgin? Have you lost your mind?”

“Apparently so,” Gable muttered.
Because I want her like I’ve never wanted anyone before.

“Careful, mate,” Sid warned. “I fear wedding madness has got to you.”

Gable glanced at him regretfully, then shook his head in distraction. “I don’t think that’s it.”

Wedding madness on its own couldn’t cause the bizarre heartache that filled him after Katrina’s shocking decree, banishing him from her life.

No, he feared the sickness was something far worse.

Bloody goddamn love.

To a rakehell, the disease usually proved fatal.

Chapter 6

A Farewell

T
he room spun when Trinny awoke the next morning. The cheery tweeting of the birds outside felt like pins being driven into her ears. Her head thumped mercilessly, and her mouth was as dry as if she’d been eating shredded paper all night long.

Oh God.
She tried to sit up but failed, and she pressed a hand to her brow as she lay back down, feeling positively awful.

It took her a moment to get her bearings.
Lud, I’d never make it as a rakehell.

And that thought suddenly recalled what had transpired last night between her and Gable. Her stomach immediately lurched, and she squeezed her eyes shut as it all came flooding back.

In an instant, the memories chased away the blissful forgetfulness of her dead drunken sleep.

Oh no…

She remembered the way he had touched her and kissed her, pressed her against the wall of the Grand Albion.

And then she remembered their fight.

She flicked her eyes open and stared dizzily at the rotating ceiling. Horrified regret paralyzed her.
How could I say those things? How could I tell him never to call on me again?

Forget that,
her better sense opined.
How could you let him put his hands up your dress? His mouth on your cleavage?

Oh God.
Her pulse was now pounding with panic.
What if that brash moment of moon madness had been found out? Was she ruined even now?

Could a spinster even
be
ruined?

The queasiness intensified. Because, right now, the only thing worse than indeed never seeing him again would be finding out their tryst had been discovered and then being
forced
to marry him—given the awful way they had left things between them.

Oh no, no, nooo.
The thought kept repeating in her mind, along with,
I’m never drinking again!

But after a momentary panic, Trinny realized her mother would not have left her sleeping the night away if Society had found out about how she and Lord Roland had slipped away together during the wedding.

She must be in the clear, for she’d have been instantly awakened and forced to face her parents’ wrath. So she was probably safe, thank God.

Still, it was hard to feel any genuine relief when she recalled her ugly fight with Gable. Had she really banished her handsome friend from her life?

She sat up in bed, feeling as though she might throw up at the memory.

Was it too late to plead innocent, blame it on the wine?
In vino veritas?
But her heart sank, because the old maxim held water. Every harsh word she’d said to Gable had been true.

That was the most sickening part of all. Knowing she had made the right decision by pushing him away. She had to stand her ground and let him go. It would hurt less that way.

She was surprised at the tears that flooded into her eyes, considering how desiccated she was from the wine. She closed her eyes and lay back down, trembling. Then she pulled her pillow over her face to muffle a sob of despair.

# # #

Across the square, Gable had also awakened, but he was not suffering any aftereffects, as he hadn’t overindulged. But he felt nearly as ill as he supposed—and hoped—Trinny did, for different reasons.

Gable was still angry. The first thought in
his
mind when his eyes flicked open was,
How dare she accuse me of such dishonorable dealings?

Who did the little quiz think she was?

He had been hurt, bewildered, indignant, and then mad as hell when she had kicked him out of her life last night. Being ordered to go to the devil, being rejected and sent away, was not exactly something he was used to from the fair sex.

Frankly, he was used to them doting on him. Treating him like he could do no wrong. But this one… Gable shook his head as he sat up.

So she refused to see the benefits to the offer he had proposed, though they were manifold. To hell with her, then. He hoped she regretted her foolishness this morning to the bottom of her vain heart.

Indeed, he hoped she came round groveling, because he couldn’t wait to tell her it was too late. That he had pledged himself to another. Which he meant to do first thing today.

Hell, he’d toss the bloody names into a hat and pick one out at random, just to spite her. Then she’d be sorry.

Except he doubted she would care.

As he rose from his bed and went about his morning ablutions with a glower, he could not help feeling a little used, frankly. The little hussy had allowed him to pleasure her, then sent him away.

He growled under his breath, raking his comb roughly through his hair. He nearly bit his valet’s head off when the man came to help him dress.

“Go away!”

“Yes, sir! Apologies, my lord.”

He dressed himself in a rage, making a muck of three cravats in a row before giving up on a neckcloth entirely, crumpling up the one he held, and throwing it aside in disgust.

It was easier to be furious than to let himself feel what lay beyond the anger.

As he sat down to put on his shoes, glaring at the floor in a brown study, he could not help wondering uncomfortably if this was how some of the women he’d dallied with had felt afterward. If so, then it seemed the proverbial boot was on the other leg.

The fitting old maxim so annoyed him that he hurled his shoe across the room, where it crashed against the wall and left a black streak, and as a consequence, he both scared the dickens out of his servants downstairs and burdened them with needless work.

But what did a selfish rakehell care?

Jaw clenched, Gable prowled downstairs, heading for the morning room and his breakfast. As he traversed the gleaming, quiet halls of his bachelor refuge, his fine terrace house seemed remarkably large this morning for some strange reason. Maybe he was merely hungry, but it seemed a longer walk today than usual from his chamber to the breakfast table.