The Duke and the Dressmaker (The St. James Series) (20 page)

Philip and Sara turned their heads in unison to see Cora Applebey, the gossip of the
ton,
smiling at them.

“Why, who is it? Who is the lucky woman finally able to pick away at your icy exterior and cause you to feel emotion again?”
Cora beamed at them as if she just discovered the secret of the decade.

Sara
froze. How could the woman dare to speak to the Duke of Brentwood in such a manner?

“After the cruelty the
duchess inflicted on you, I did not think you would ever be able to love again. Any woman capable of making you yell that much must be quite special.”

Ph
ilip answered Cora with an icy glare.

“Oh, begging your pardon. I am interrupting. I will move on and let you finish your argument. And please do let the young lady win
. It is so good to see you involved with life again.” Cora snickered and waved as she moved on.

Sara thought about
what the busybody had said. Did she speak the truth? Had Philip shut himself away from life since his wife had left him? Is that why he was so cold all the time? Had she broken through his shell?

He did
just say that he loved and cared for her, didn’t he? How was she to interpret that statement?

“Are you sure you are not speaking of Miranda Montrose, Your Grace? She came to my
shop to warn me away from you. She said that you belong to her.” There, it was out in the open. He had to acknowledge his mistress now.

“Miranda Montrose?’ he
growled. “I am done with Miranda Montrose. You are what I want.”

She
jumped as he reached across and tugged her onto his lap. Before she knew what was happening, his mouth descended on hers in a crushing, spine-tingling kiss that spoke of possession.

He
broke the kiss and stared into her eyes as he slowly caressed her cheek. “I want you, Sara, I need you.” He kissed her again, softly tasting her. He angled his mouth over hers and swept his tongue to find hers. When they met, he groaned deep in his throat. Sara gave in and melted up against him. She kissed him back without reservation. His touch, his taste unleashed her passions and rocked her to her soul. She wanted more.

He pulled himself away and kissed her forehead.
“Do you know how you frightened me?” he whispered. “Do you know how I felt when I came upon your shop and saw the devastation inside? There was blood and chaos and you bloody well scared the hell out of me.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. “I cannot ever go through that again.”

She
could feel his heart pounding though his coat. She knew her heart was lost to him, and it frightened her. How could one man be so powerfully strong and yet gentle at the same time? She sighed as his hand massaged her neck, and she fought to control her breathing. There was no place better to be than in Philip’s arms.

“Philip, I cannot move in with you,” she whispered against his
shoulder.

Philip sighed as he ran his thumb along her jaw line. “I know
. I am not asking you to. I respect your moral conviction. Can we take one day at a time for a bit?”

She
closed her eyes. “Yes, I would like that.”

“Will you promise me to stay
with Phoebe until we can solve this?”

“Yes, Philip, I will.”

Chapter Twenty-
Eight

Phoebe fussed with Sara’s hair one last time. Sara swatted her hand away.

“Phoebe, my hair is fine. Why, you would think I
was about to get married. Why do you persist so?” She smiled at her friend.

“I cannot help myself. I am excited for you and for the evening we are about to share. You do look ravishing,
Lady Downey.” Phoebe tucked a hair behind her ear as she rambled. “It has been a long time since I was at the opera. You really have never been? Duncan never took you?”

“No, I do not think my husband was proud of me nor do I think he enjoyed my company. Of course, I did not enjoy his either.”
She smirked.

“I still cannot believe the
duke has invited us to sit in his box. I am happy for you, Sara, but please be careful,” Phoebe said.

“You do not care for the
duke?” She turned away from the looking glass.

“He certainly is a dashing man
; anyone can see that. I just worry about your feelings. Please do not misunderstand me. I believe the man has a right to protect himself. What his wife did to him was unforgivable. In fact, I worried for his sanity at the time. I am glad he and Ardleigh were such good friends. He needed someone because he adored his wife. When she walked out on him, he was devastated.” Phoebe shook her head.

“He really had no idea she was interested in another man? How could you not suspect such a thing? Even I suspected it of Dunca
n. He was very cold toward me.” Sara’s shuddered at the memory.

“Caroline was a very good actress. She was beautiful and spoiled and he always did her bidding. He was so in love with her
, but I believe it was a shallow love. He was blind to the real Caroline. I think he saw her beauty and not her character.” Phoebe pulled on her skirt to drape it better. “Sara, you are a vision in this green dress. I knew when I saw it that it was meant for you. Fortunately, Miranda’s knife missed this one in her tirade. You did make this for yourself, did you not?”

“I admit that I had hoped to wear it someday when I created it, but I never had anywhere to wear it. That is why I finally put it o
n display for my customers. I needed the money to pay Stinky. But I secretly hoped no one would notice it. You chose well for me when you returned to the shop.” She leaned over and kissed her friend’s cheek. “Thank you—for everything.”

“Just promise me you will guard your heart, Sara. Philip is a wonderful man in his heart
, but I am not sure he has healed yet. It will take time. Do be careful.”

“I am not a foolish chit in my first season. I promise to be careful, but I admit I have strong feelings for him.”

“How could you not? He is so handsome. Every female in the realm wants to catch his eye, and you are the only one who could do it.” Phoebe turned and opened the door so they could descend to the foyer. “I imagine Ardleigh is pacing while he waits. We should go down.”

Ardleigh
stood at the foot of the ornate stairway. He smiled as he gazed up at his wife. When she reached the bottom step, he leaned over and gave her a kiss, “You indeed look lovely tonight, my dear.”

“Thank you,
Ardleigh. Is the carriage ready yet?”

“Ready and waiting.
We should hurry along. You know how the line is at the opera.” The butler opened the door as Sara put her gloves on.

T
hey heard the hooves before the pair of matched grays gained the entrance.

“What the devil?”
Ardleigh turned to gawk at the interruption. “What is Brentwood doing?”

The ducal carriage stopped behind the
Ardleigh carriage. Philip stepped out and bowed.

“Ladies, you are both stunning tonight.”
Philip’s blue eyes danced as he took in both women in front of him.

Sara and Phoebe curtsied as Philip came near. He brushed his fingers on Phoebe’s gloved hand, but reached for Sara’s and tucked it into his arm.

“Ardleigh, you do not mind if we follow you?” The duke’s one eyebrow rose at his friend.

“Of course not,
Brentwood, but it really was not necessary.”

Philip’s gaze locked on
Sara’s. “To me, it was necessary. Shall we go, Lady Downey?”

She
turned and smiled at Phoebe. “Do you mind, Phoebe?”

“Of course not, go and we will see you there
.” Phoebe kissed her cheek and waved her off.

Philip escorted her to the carriage. After his footman opened the door, he wrapped his hands around Sara’s waist and lifted her into the carriage.

“Oh!” Sara stared at the duke as he assisted her. She placed her one hand on his broad shoulders, guarding her other arm, and gazed down into his eyes. When she was this close to him, she became totally unnerved. The pounding of her heart threatened to burst through her chest. Her face blushed due to the carnal thoughts she had. His attire tonight reminded her of the night they’d danced together. She had to admit that memory had become one of her favorites. He was so regal when he was in full dress. His cravat was always just so and his coat was black. His blue waist-coat and dark hair were arresting together, highlighting his blue eyes. She was surprised when he sat next to her instead of across from her.

At a loss for words, she cleared her throat to fill the silence. “This was
unnecessary, Your Grace, I would have been happy in the Ardleigh carriage.” She peeked at him shyly under her lashes. Why did this man upset her senses so?

“I wanted a few moments alone with you, Sara. Please call me ‘Philip’ when we are alone.” He reached for her chin and brushed a quick kiss across her lips.

He tasted of brandy: sweet, soft. How she loved his kisses. She watched as he reached across the seat for a small package.

“I wanted to give you this.” He held a black velvet case to
ward her. “I did not want an audience.” He opened it and held it for her inspection.

Inside sat the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. Encrusted with emeralds and small diamonds, she could not imagine the value of such a piece. She couldn’t stop herself from removing her glove and fingering the cool gems. The slight burn of tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.

“Oh, Philip, it is lovely. I have never seen anything so beautiful.”

“Do you like it
, sweetness?” He locked gazes with her in question. She could almost see the hope in them as he kissed her brow. How could she turn him down?

“Philip, I love it, but I cannot accept this. It is inappropriate. It is too much,” Sara stammered.

“Nonsense. I insist, Sara. I will not take no for an answer this time.” He turned her shoulders. “Here, let me see it on you, please.”

His fingers caressed her neck
as he fixed the clasp. He reached down and brushed a trail of kisses along her shoulder. She shivered instantly and swallowed a nervous lump in her throat. Words were not forthcoming as he set her back to see how she looked.

“I am sorry, but clearly this was meant for your skin. The emeralds match your eyes.
You are the reason I purchased this necklace, it reminded me of your eyes.” Philip brushed her cheek with his thumb.

He was so gentle with her. Why? What did this mean? She was so confused by this gesture. She reached up and rubbed her fingers across the cool gems.

“Sara, I apologize for my coarseness before. I was a desperate man. I wanted to keep you in my townhouse, hidden away from everyone. I wanted you all to myself, but when I came upon your shop, and thought something had happened to you, I realized I want more. Can we start anew? Can you forget my crassness? I really meant no insult. You helped me to realize that I would like to start my life fresh.

“I saw Caroline this week. I don’t want to ever see her again. She made me realize how shallow my feelings were for her. It is time for me to move on. I would like to spend more time with you. Will you allow me to? Can you forgive me?”

Somehow, she realized this decision would be life altering for her. Did she dare risk everything? If she accepted this necklace and forgave him, would it be worth it? Would he treat her well? Could he have strong feelings for her? Could he ever fall in love with her the way she loved him?

She knew she should have answered him by now
, but she was so confused. Philip was wonderful yet at the same time could be so cold. Was Phoebe right? Was it his ex-wife that had caused that icy exterior he had in place so often? Could Sara actually risk her heart to find out if there was something beyond the blue ice so often visible in his eyes? Would the ice ever melt completely?

She reached down to touch his hand. Her heart would only allow her one answer.
“I would like that, Philip. I forgive you. Let’s start fresh and see where it takes us.” She smiled as she nodded her head in agreement. “I will accept this as long as you agree not to give me any more jewels. This is beautiful and I will treasure it, but it is enough. Thank you.” She leaned over and kissed him full on the mouth.

Philip didn’t know how to react. No jewels? What could she possibly want then? How would he
ever be able to make her happy?

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Philip slipped his hands around Sara’s tiny waist and lifted her down from the carriage. He turned her toward the entrance where a throng of people awaited the opera. The footman at the door beckoned him to the side and ushered him past the crowd. Philip placed his hand on Sara’s waist and kept her in front of him slightly to the right. He wanted to protect her arm from being jostled.

Of course, they drew quite a bit of attention as he expected, but he was astounded as to how protective he
felt toward her and how much he resented the male stir she caused. The energy rippled through the lobby of the theater as they moved through the crowd.

Decorum stated she should be on his arm, but he wasn’t about to allow it. He needed to protect her arm. He could tell it still pained her as she tensed every time
it jostled. She moved back into him whenever it happened, and he quite liked her there. The closer she was to him, the happier he felt.

When he took the time to glance around at the myriad of faces in the lobby, a slow realization struck him. This was different. She was different. The look in the eyes of the males around him was
familiar. Any man who ever set eyes on Caroline had stared at her with desire and lust, and Caroline had luxuriated in it. She worked that lust. He had seen her bend over to give a handsome man a better view of her bosom. Why hadn’t it bothered him with Caroline? Probably because he had known she thrived on attention. Now he was upset. He didn’t particularly care for the way the men gawked at Sara. She was indeed ravishing, but must they stare at her so?

Sara took it in stride. Her posture was regal, her smile beautiful. She continued on as if she
was unaware of the stir surrounding them. He realized how difficult it probably was for her. As he glanced around the theater, he noticed a distinct difference between the reactions of the
ton
to Sara compared to Caroline: the ladies admired her. Sara was easily the center of attention, but it was a quiet command. She was a representation of a true genteel lady, and the
ton
was recognizing it. He smiled in response.

Lady
Applebey passed by and said, “Have not seen you this happy in a while, Your Grace. She is lovely.”

He
nodded to Lady Applebey and leaned down into Sara’s ear, “Just keep moving, Sara. We are almost there.” He continued to guide her lightly toward the entrances to the boxes.

“Well, Philip, so this is my replacement.”

The voice made his blood go cold. He turned and glared into Caroline’s eyes. How dare she interrupt them? He didn’t want to see her. He noticed she was on the arm of a viscount of questionable ethics.

“I see you have found another friend, Caroline. I wish you happiness.”
He nodded with a smirk to her escort.

Caroline could not bother with decorum
to introduce her escort to him. She glared at Sara and said, “I hope you have tried him out already, my dear. He is quite boring in the boudoir, if you understand my meaning. But I see you know what he is worth. He must have given you that necklace. It looks like his taste.” She chuckled as she stared into Sara’s eyes.

Sara blushed but held her head high. “Pardon me, but our relationship is none of your concern.”

Her eyes never wavered from Caroline’s and Philip could not have been more proud of her. He tightened his grip on Sara’s waist and tugged her closer. “Caroline, you wanted your freedom, you have it. Please be on your way.” As he guided Sara away from her, he could hear his ex-wife prattling on. She now rested firmly in his past.

He leaned into Sara and whispered, “You handle yourself well. Do not
allow her to disturb you.”

She
glanced back at him. “We are creating quite a stir, Your Grace.”

Philip raised one eyebrow as he ushered her into his box. “It is of no concern to me. I am more concerned about you. Are you all right? Is your arm causing you much pain? I apologize for the crowds.”

“I am fine, Your Grace, thank you.”

Sara noticed
the box was almost completely full. She expected it to be large, but she was not expecting so many people. Phoebe and Ardleigh had already arrived. When she searched past them, she was surprised to see both Philip’s mother and his sister, Emma.

Sara quickly curtsied to his mother. “Good evening, Your Grace, it is lovely to see you again.
Lady Emma, it is wonderful to see you as well.”

Emma grabbed her one hand and her exuberance spilled over everyone. “Oh, Lady Downey, I am so excited you are here with us. I was so surprised Philip
, I mean, His Grace invited us tonight. Mother doesn’t let me come very often, but I so love being out at night. Besides, don’t you love this gown on me that you created? I have had so many compliments on this already. I think it is my favorite. What do you think? This is the most beautiful shade of blue, I believe. Or do you think a more pastel shade would have looked better?”

The dowager gave her daughter a quick tug. “Emma, please, you will wear everyone’s ears out the way you prattle on. Please, allow the lady to speak
.”

Mary St. James leaned over to embrace Sara. As she came close, she whispered, “I am so sorry for all that you have been forced to deal with in your life. Please trust that we shall help you in any way we can. You can trust my son as well.”

Sara’s eyes misted as she thanked the duchess. Philip’s mother was so wonderful, she was all the things she had imagined her own mother to be. Sara was barely able to manage a quick, “Thank you.”

Philip leaned over and kissed his mother’s cheek. “Please, Mother, I would like to get Lady Downey seated. It was a bit busier than I anticipated. Perhaps we should have been here earlier. I fear her arm must be bothering her from all the jostling she suffered on our way here.”

“I assure you, I am fine, Your Grace.” She settled herself in her seat.

Phoebe leaned over and
exclaimed, “Sara, that necklace!”

S
ara blushed as she fingered the gems. “Yes, is it not stunning? A gift from the duke tonight. He would not allow me to refuse it.”

The duchess cut in.
“As you should not. It appears to have been made just for you, Lady Downey. It is quite beautiful with your green eyes.” The duchess turned to her son, “Philip, you do have exquisite taste.”

The orchestra started as they took their seats.

Emma turned to Sara. “Do you like the opera, Lady Downey? I love it; it is so romantic.”

“I shall let you know. I have never been. Surely I will love it, also.” She smiled at Philip. “I am excited to see my first opera.”

She was excited. After Philip had invited her along with the Ardleighs, she’d had trouble containing her excitement all week. She glanced at the crowd in the seats below them. Never had she expected to see such a large gathering. As the performers moved through the first act, she found herself in awe—the costumes, the lighting, the arias. She couldn’t help but smile at Philip every so often.

Of course, t
he best part of it was Philip. When she did lock gazes with him, she was amazed at the warmth in his eyes. He didn’t try to hide his concern in front of his family and friends. Philip was everything she could have imagined he would be. He was thoughtful, attentive, and friendly. She enjoyed seeing his laughter during the intermissions. He was relaxed in a way she had never seen him. His relationship with the Ardleighs was indeed a strong one.

A trifle belatedly, his brothers showed up.
They didn’t admit to where they had been, but she was pleased to see the natural affection between the brothers. Philip’s ice was gone, melted for the night at least.

***

Even though it was spring, the nights were still cool. Sara huddled up close to Philip as they made their way out front to await their carriage. Philip sent Graham and Adam off to find their carriage and their footmen. The duchess and Emma were still with them, but the Ardleighs had moved into a separate area.

“Philip, I do not understand what the problem is tonight. Why is everything moving so slowly?” Mary asked her son.

“I am not sure, Mother. There seems to be some commotion going on down the block that is holding everything up. I sent Graham in one direction and Ben and Adam in the other to see what the problem is.” Philip’s eyes searched in both directions as he spoke.

Emma beamed as her gaze ran over the throng in front of the theater. “I do not care, Mother. This allows us the chance to look at everyone. I like to see if I can guess which ladies are wearing Lady Downey’s designs. I think that red satin
gown must be yours, is it not?” Emma pointed to a beautiful lady across the street from them.

“Yes, it is mine,
Lady Emma. I so enjoyed creating for her, she is…oh!” Sara turned quickly to Philip and grabbed his lapel.

“What?” Philip searched her face. “What is it, Sara?”

“He’s here.” She buried her face into his chest.

“What’s wrong, Philip?” Mary St. James stared at her son.

Philip’s attention was completely on Sara. “Who? What are you talking about? Where?”

Sara’s voice broke as her hands trembled. “Stinky
. I can smell him. Philip, he is here.” She frantically searched the faces around her. “I don’t see him, but I smell him.” Sara’s grip tightened on him. “Please do not let him touch me!”

Philip’s gaze searched the area. “Sara, I don’t see anyone unusual here. There is no one dirty or inappropriately dressed. Everyone is with other people. I don’t see anyone that would fit his description. Are you sure?” He leaned down into her ear as he tugged her in closer. “I will not let him touch you, Sara. I am here.”
He rubbed her back to console her.

“Te
ll me again what he looks like,” he instructed.

Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. She had to get control. No one smelled like that. It could only be one person. What was he doing here? Why wouldn’t he leave her be? What could he possibly get from her here? She had no money,
and she wasn’t alone. Why would he be here? She forced herself to calm down, to regain her control. She couldn’t act like this in front of Emma and Philip’s mother.

She turned her face up to him and said, “I am all right
. I do not notice anything now. I must have been mistaken.” Sara moved a bit away from Philip, just enough to turn and smile at the dowager duchess. “Forgive me, I do not know what came over me.”

“My dear, you have had a terrible fright.
” Mary turned to her son. “Philip? Can you not see what is happening? You need to get her away from here. I am sure she is uncomfortable.”“I’m doing everything I can, Mother. Wait, just a moment. I see one of my footmen.” Philip settled Sara’s hands down away from him. “Just a moment, I see Eli.” He turned and shouted to Eli and moved a few feet away to talk to him.

Sara’s heart lunged as he stepped away.
She chided herself for her weakness. No one else had noticed the strange smell. Perhaps it was all in her head. She searched the area to make sure Stinky was not nearby.

Wanting to stay strong, she convinced herself there was no need to panic.
Don’t leave me, Philip. Please. He could be here somewhere.
Her breathing sped up as she glanced around her. Her gaze darted back to Philip. He was still there. She urged herself to take a deep breath.

Philip turned back to them. “There is something blocking everything up ahead.
Eli doesn’t know what. I told him to locate our carriage quickly and lead us to it. We will sit inside and wait if we must. Oh, my pardon.” He kissed her cheek. “I will return quickly, love.” He turned again and strode away to catch Eli.

Sara’s blood r
ushed to her head as soon as Philip left. The dowager’s hand reached for hers in an attempt to comfort her. She realized how ridiculous she was acting, but she couldn’t help it. Something was wrong.

Just as s
he turned her head away from the duchess, she was grabbed from behind and pulled away from her group. She let go of Mary’s hand as she floundered to keep her balance. His stench invaded her senses again. She heard a scream but didn’t know if it was hers or Emma’s.

She scre
amed, “Philip! Philip, help me!” There were at least four hands on her as she fought. She caught Philip’s gaze as she was being pulled in the other direction.

“Hey, there now, what is going on?”
one stranger bellowed.

Sara’s ears
rang with all the shouting going on.

“Leave her be, man. How dare you touch her?”
another stranger added.

“What are you doing? Help! The lady needs help!
” a woman yelled to everyone around her.

Voices
continued to shout, voices she didn’t recognize. She screamed. Fingernails dug into her skin, her arm twisted violently.

“I told you, gel, not to tell anyone. Y
ou’ll pay for this, you will. You went to the duke? I told you, you were gonna be mine before I sell you to me boss. And I take what I want.”