Scarlet Kisses (6 page)

She took a step for the balcony doors. He suddenly stepped before her, blocking her path.

She stared up at her mystery man. He was dressed from head to foot in black and she could hardly see him, but she knew the feel of his hands…and his lips. She would never forget them.

“Please move,” she said more firmly, her body regaining its equilibrium.

Robert frowned. He stiffened as her commanding voice reminded him of Alyssum. He shook his head at the preposterous thought. This woman before him
was not
Alyssum.

She may have the same gorgeous midnight hair but that was it. If he kissed Alyssum or even dared to rub his body against hers she would scream in outrage and slap him. Then Harry would have to kill him. He watched as his Scarlet fisted her hands. He grinned, curious to see what she would do.

“If I reveal myself, will you tell me who you are?” He stepped closer to her, moving her back against the railing.

She stared up at him for a long moment then Robert watched as she nodded faintly, hesitantly. He raised his hand, grabbed his black mask and pulled it off, revealing his identity. His hair now disheveled, he dropped his hand to his side, holding the mask and staring down at her, waited.

 
He saw no recognition light her features as he revealed his identity. For some reason that confounded him and he found he was nervous. He stood waiting for some kind of reaction from her. Maybe she didn’t know him. He doubted it. His name was everywhere. Not being able to wait any longer to know the identity of his Scarlet, he took a step toward her and reached for her mask. She slapped his hands away, hard. He frowned and reached again. She side-stepped him and began making her way past him. She was trying to escape him. His hand whipped out and caught her before she could run. He swung her back around and reached for her mask with a newfound determination.

Dread caused Alyssum’s heart to race. She felt Robert’s hand at her mask.

Robert’s
. After years of playing cards with Harry, she had learned how to hide her expressions. Right now, as she looked up at Robert, her mind screamed in denial. But the truth was before her.

Robert
. She had kissed
Robert
. Her neighbor. The boy who used to throw mud at her and drop frogs down her dress. The man she had just kissed and wanted to kiss again.
Robert.

She couldn’t allow him to find out it was she behind the mask. She couldn’t bear to see his expression of horror when he found out that he had kissed her…and more. Remembering one of Harry’s lessons in protecting her virtue, she raised her knee hard between his legs.

Robert hit the ground with a cry of agony.

Alyssum stared down at him in shock. She lowered her knee and watched as he squirmed on the floor, cupping himself between his legs. Turning, she quickly ran back into the ballroom and began making her escape.

Robert stayed down. Groaning in agony, he listened to the sound of Scarlet’s feet run across the balcony.

She had kneed him. Right in the bollocks. He raised his head as he heard laughter.

“Guess you didn’t get her garter,” Tucker laughed as he and Jackson walked towards him.

“Saw your girl running through the ballroom.” Jackson knelt beside Robert. “Are you doing all right?” He set his hand on Robert’s back. “She kicked you in your treasures?”

“Yes,” Robert snapped while clenching his jaw against the pain.

Tucker laughed and knelt down on the other side of him. “I guess we’re all losing it,” Tucker muttered.

“I haven’t lost it.” Jackson defended himself. “Rosy and I were doing just fine until I brought my tongue out and she slapped me.”

Tucker laughed.

“Careful, that black eye is going to be more prominent tomorrow,” Jackson warned him.

Tucker stopped laughing.

“You got hit as well?” Robert asked with a grimace.

“Jackson got slapped,” Tucker pointed out.

“And Robert got kicked.” Jackson smiled.

“What about Duke?”

“Too busy playing nice with the ton. He didn’t even get a chance with all the mothers surrounding him,” Jackson told Robert.

“So no one gets the hundred pounds.” Tucker clapped his hands together.

Robert groaned and rose to his knees. He had planned to lie to his friends and say he hadn’t obtained a garter. Not after having that passionate embrace with his Scarlet, but now, after that kick… Hell, he was getting his hundred pounds. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the black garter.

Chapter Four

The morning after Lady Brook’s masquerade, Alyssum sat in the morning room with her mother and Violet, her gaze focused straight ahead at the wall beside Violet’s head.

“Are you not hungry?” Violet asked, watching Alyssum.

Alyssum didn’t answer. She was too busy staring at the wall and remembering Robert’s kiss. With an audible swallow, she shifted her gaze from the wall and noticed Violet and her mother watching her with frowns.

With her fork midway to her mouth, her mother asked, “Are you well?”

Alyssum nodded, still unable to talk.

“Are you sure?” Violet asked.

She nodded again. Violet looked worried and glanced back down to her breakfast plate. Picking at a piece of ham, she shifted her gaze up to Alyssum.

Alyssum hadn’t touched her breakfast. She sat with her hands in the lap of her light purple dress. She sat with her back straight, not a curl out of place, and stared with a faraway look.

“Sweetheart, should I call for the doctor?” Caroline asked.

“Alyssum?” Violet leant over the table and waved her hand before her sister’s face.

Alyssum came out of her trance with a frown. “What is it, Violet?”

“You look like a ghost.”

“I’ll call the doctor.” Caroline placed her cutlery down on her plate.

“No,” Alyssum quickly called before her mother stood. “I’m fine. The headache from last night still lingers, that’s all.”

“Such a pity you didn’t stay at Lady Brook’s longer. It was so lovely.”

“It was beautiful,” Alyssum agreed. “But I couldn’t handle the crowd with my headache. I’m sorry I worried you.”

“That’s all right. I’m just glad you’re well.”

“Excuse me.” Alyssum stood and then walked from the room. Caroline watched after her with frown.

“I’m going to go check on her.” Violet stood.

“Yes, you should,” Caroline agreed while staring at the empty doorway.

Violet left the room and ran after Alyssum. The skirts of her white dress swished around her legs as she dashed up the staircase.

“Alyssum,” she called. Catching up to her on the stairs, she grabbed Alyssum’s arm and stopped her. “What happened last night?” she whispered.

“What do you mean?”

“Alyssum, you tell me what happened or I’m going to Mother with the whole plan,” she warned in a low voice. She saw Alyssum’s eyes widen.

Alyssum looked around them. Violet did the same. Seeing no servants around, Alyssum leaned forward. “I got what I wanted,” she said quietly.

“You got a kiss?” Violet whispered, her eyes wide.

“Yes,” Alyssum mumbled, looking around.

“By whom?”

“I don’t know.” Alyssum cheeks flushed.

Violet frowned, noticing the blush. “Who?” she drawled.

“I don’t know,” Alyssum whispered with a snap.

“Yes, you do.” Violet nodded while watching Alyssum’s blush grow redder. “Who was it? It wasn’t someone bad, was it?”

“Yes, it was,” Alyssum gushed out. “It was horrible, horrible, horrible. I never want to speak of last night again.”

“All right.” Violet nodded, but Alyssum could see her sister was not going to give up on finding out who the man was.

Alyssum quickly stepped up the last three steps and began walking down the hall to her room.

“How about a ride?” Violet called out.

Alyssum paused then slowly turned. She tilted her head, contemplating.

“A nice ride in the park,” Violet coaxed.

Alyssum smiled then nodded. “That sounds perfect. Thank you.”

“I’ll meet you downstairs in fifteen minutes.”

Alyssum nodded and walked the rest of the way to her room.

She closed the door behind her and let out a long breath. Raising her hand, she touched her lips. She closed her eyes and saw her mystery man in black kissing her. Her eyes opened in a flash before her mind showed him revealing himself as Robert.
Robert
. With an aggravated sigh, she pushed the thought of Lady Brook’s ball from her mind and began making her way to her room to change into her riding dress. Riding always cheered her up. Nothing could upset her when she was galloping, but for now she would have to settle for a trot through Hyde Park. When she got home she would gallop over the family’s estate.

She walked to the corner of her room and rang the bell, calling Meg, her maid. She stood patiently, waiting. Her gaze turned to her wardrobe. Shoved at the back was a white box filled with a scarlet dress, black mask, black stockings, black gloves and one garter. Her brow creased as she remembered discovering one of her garters missing. She felt her cheeks heat as she remembered Robert grabbing her leg, his hand caressing over her thigh. Had he taken it? Did he have her garter?

Taking a deep, calming breath, she turned towards Meg as she walked into the bedroom.

“Yes, my lady?”

“My riding dress, please,” she instructed Meg. Meg nodded and walked over to the wardrobe.

Shaking thoughts of Robert away, Alyssum decided that the kiss was nothing.

He probably hadn’t even given the woman he had kissed on the balcony a second thought.

Life would go forth, her plans of having a family would continue and the night on the balcony would fade. All she had to do was stay away from Robert.

Sitting in his quiet study with the morning sun shining through the open window, Harry frowned at the letter he was holding. After rereading it again, he leaned back in his seat and shook his head. “He’s finally lost it.”

Leaning his elbow on his desk, he rested his chin on his fist and stared down at the letter Robert had sent him.

Harry,

I need your help. I think I’m in love. Save me.

Robert
.

“The season has just begun,” he muttered, exasperated.

“What?” Jaz asked as she stepped into his office.

“Robert’s already gotten into trouble. I think,” he muttered the last bit.

“What did he do?” She stepped up before his desk. Her hair was unbound and falling wildly about her as usual.

“He says he’s fallen in love.” He handed Jaz the letter and noticed the dirt under her nails as she took it from him. “What do you think?” he asked after she read it and handed it back.

“You should save him. He’s your best friend and he needs your help. You should go.”

Harry squinted his eyes up at his little sister. There she stood, her hair a mass of tangles. Her lady’s maid was going to growl when she saw the mud on the hem of Jaz’s white skirts.

“Are you trying to get rid of me?” he asked, suspicious.

“Of course not,” she gushed.

Harry grumbled, not believing her. “I’m not leaving you here by yourself so you can get into mischief.”

Jaz deflated. Harry smiled. “Get back to your lessons,” he instructed.

“Stupid Paris, stupid life,” she grumbled as she stomped from the room.

Harry chuckled as he watched Jaz leave. Left alone again, he reached over for a piece of paper, dipped his pen into the ink and began writing back to Robert.

Robert finished drinking the tankard of ale and then slammed the cup down on the table. Jackson and Tucker stared at him and exchanged a look.

“What?” Robert snapped over the loud crowd in the tavern.

Jackson began shaking his head when Tucker announced, “You’re no fun anymore. It’s been a week since you were kicked in the bollocks. You should be up and having fun again, but
no
, you get drunk, you grouch and grumble under your breath and then you fall asleep.”

Jackson cleared his throat. “Why don’t you go see Harry’s family? They always cheer you up,” he suggested.

“No,” Robert grumbled. “I wrote to Harry three days ago. He should be here soon.”

“Good, maybe he’ll slap some sense into you,” Jackson mumbled.

“More.” Robert waved his empty cup to the barmaid. When she came strutting over, Robert didn’t pay her any attention, didn’t even look at her. She filled his cup and left. Jackson and Tucker exchanged another worried look. “Harry better get here quick,” Tucker muttered.

“What?” Robert snapped.

“I said Harry better get here quick,” Tucker yelled across the table to him. “You bumbling tosspot.”