Wicked Nights With a Proper Lady (5 page)

“I am positive that Lord Castleigh and Lord Barrington are not in the least offended. After all, I only speak the truth, don’t I, gentlemen?”

“How could I ever forget that you had such a sharp bite, Miss Camden,” Leo said drolly.

Before Genny could riposte, Charlotte interjected, “I really must apologize for my cousin.” Charlotte flicked her fan open. “The heat in here has obviously gone straight to her head.”

It took everything in Genny not to make an unladylike noise. Her cousin was only trying to dissolve the fast-building tension, so Genny pinched her lips shut and narrowed her gaze on Castleigh and then Leo, hopefully making her disdain known without the necessity of words.

While the marquess watched their exchange with barely concealed amusement, Leo was so raptly attuned to Genny that she thought him angry on her behalf.

Leo stepped toward her. “Take another turn around the room with me, Miss Camden.”

“The attendees might think you intend something of a permanent nature where I’m concerned, Barrington.”

“No dancing, I promise. Just a few words shared between
friends of old.
”

“And leave Charlotte in the clutches of your friend?” She put her shoulders back and canted her chin up. “I have a great deal more sense than you seem to give me credit for.”

Leo turned back to the marquess. “Keep company with Lady Charlotte while I take Miss Camden around the room. We’ll be but a moment.”

Then Leo had the gall to take her arm and lead her away. The hold he had on her arm was so tight that the only way to escape him would be to yank harshly away, which would cause a scene. Being on his arm was enough gossip fodder for the next week, so she wisely chose to follow him.

“What is it you think you are going to accomplish with me watching and anticipating your every move?” she asked.

He had the decency to keep her in view of all party attendees, leading her to the edge of the room but far enough from any burning ears.

“Giving us some much needed space, my dear.”

“I’m not
your
anything, Leonidas Harrow.”

“You once were many things to me, Genny.”

“I suggest you hold your tongue, unless you plan to ruin me in society’s eyes after all these years of doing the right thing by staying away.”

“I don’t wish to cause you any lasting damage. I merely wanted you to myself for a moment.” He grew quiet as he studied her with a critical eye. Finally, he said, “Four years is a long time.”

“What is it you are so eager to say that you had to drag me away from my cousin?”

“I want only to know how you fare. Why is it you play the role of chaperone instead of filling some house with babes of your own?”

“A bold question from the man who practically destroyed any chance I had at marriage.”

This time he was the one to narrow his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something only to close it again as they weaved their way farther away from her cousin.

“We never agreed to anything beyond that house party.”

How right he was. There had been no promises of tomorrow, only a few weeks of mutual pleasure, and a yearning on her part for more. True, they hadn’t had
that
conversation until after their first night together. She’d wanted more, of course, but had been reluctant to broach the subject with him for fear that their time would end prematurely. How stupid she’d been.

“There was more than one way to preserve my reputation.” Why was she even having this conversation with him?

His hand tightened briefly around her arm.

“At the time, you were being courted by two other men at that house party.”

What was left unsaid was that he thought she’d choose one of her other suitors to pick up the pieces of her tender broken heart. Not that he knew he’d broken her heart.

The day Leo had left the house party, without a promise to return for her, she knew that she would never marry without love. The funny thing was, she hadn’t realized she’d really loved him until it was too late.

“They didn’t suit.” She dropped his arm and gave him a defiant glare. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have much to discuss with my cousin.”

*   *   *

He tried to keep her on his arm, but Leo eventually had to let her go or risk drawing eyes in their direction. With a polite nod at those standing near them, he followed after her, his fist clenching, itching to grab her back into the fold of his arms. Finding her here tonight felt as though he’d been given a second chance to prove himself worthy of her.

Tristan headed his way when Genny all but pulled Lady Charlotte off in another direction.

His friend grinned. “I do believe that horse will be mine before the week is out.”

“Is that so?” he asked absently, watching the women converse with Lady Carleton at the other end of the room.

The cousins were a great contrast.

While Ponsley’s daughter was all done up in the latest fashion without a care for the expense considering all her fine jewels and the diamond-studded picks in her hair, Genny wore a plain gown of navy blue. There was not one embellishment to be seen on her dress, or any piece of finery added to make it more stylish and becoming for the grand duchess’s ball. And though Genny had never been wealthy—she was a vicar’s daughter as he recalled—she’d never lacked for anything. Then again, she was far more stunning in her simple clothes than all the finery that filled the room.

Had he been the cause of her current circumstance? Guilt like nothing he’d ever felt before filled his chest uneasily.

Was this what Genny had been reduced to after their time together? Why hadn’t she married? She had been a pleasant, biddable woman.

When they’d met, he’d been young and incredibly stupid. He’d lost himself in her all those years ago, and he had felt something a lot like love for her. Yet, he’d walked away at his father’s bidding. His father had insisted that chasing after Genny would be the greatest mistake of Leo’s life, a mistake that could not be fixed. And he’d trusted his father blindly.

Their liaison had been unplanned but it had still happened. They’d been diligent about keeping their evenings together a secret. No one, not even Tristan, who was his oldest friend, knew about it. Why should he share that information? It had been a very private matter between just the two of them. He had liked her not only because she was a woman of great beauty but because she made him want more for himself. And he simply liked to spend time in her company. Had he been the right man for her, would he have left her to her own devices after taking her innocence? He thought not.

Feeling a niggling of doubt, he reminded himself again that they’d made no promises to each other. Not once had she asked that they marry, nor had she admitted to having strong feelings for him …

The prickle of doubt grew stronger.

Tristan chuckled beside him. “You can’t be serious, my friend.”

Had Tristan noticed where his focus lay?

“We agreed to help Jez,” Leo said thoughtfully. “And I have a feeling you can’t charm Ponsley’s daughter with Miss Camden standing over you, watching and noting your every move.”

Besides, Tristan was voting in Leo’s favor against the import duty. His friend could just as easily charm Ponsley’s daughter. Really, it didn’t have anything to do with him having another woman in mind altogether. Second chances weren’t meant to be squandered.

Tristan slapped him on the back. “That’s the spirit. We’ll take them both down.”

Leo glared at his friend. Swaying the Ponsley girl toward another course was officially the worst idea he’d ever had in his life, especially if it meant indirectly involving Genny. Genny had never been part of this equation.

In the end, however, they were protecting Lady Charlotte from Mr. Warren. Leo reminded himself again that Jez had endured hell for the past six years, and he would not allow another Fallon to harm a defenseless woman again. He wasn’t leading Lady Charlotte astray, he was simply helping her find a better path in life.

This was why he’d avoided Miss Camden all these years. She made him question himself: his morals, his wants, and his true desires in life. And now that Miss Camden had matured nicely and was no longer young and docile, she could defend herself against a man of his nature. She could put him in his place and keep him begging for more, no doubt.

But would she let him close again?

One thing was certain: if he was going to go along with his plan of stopping Lady Charlotte’s impending marriage, he had every intention of courting Miss Camden down a delectable path of sin once again. This time, there was nothing to make him walk away.

Chapter 4

Rumors abound about the Earl of B
^___
. I’ve not had good gossip to share about him since his torrid breakup with that actress Mrs. W
^___
of Drury Lane some nine months past. Not one attendee at the most talked about ball last night failed to see the bond between Lord B
^___
and someone not well known in the
ton
. The interest has everyone abuzz and twittering in speculation.

Could she be a relative? An old friend or acquaintance? This writer thinks not. Oh, how my hands tingle with excitement with this latest on dit. Perhaps there is a much more sordid past between these two yet to be revealed? Let it be known that this writer intends to find out the whole truth and report back to my readers’ burning ears.

The Mayfair Chronicles, May 27, 1846

Genny’s head fell back on the chaise as Charlotte’s grandmother read Scripture from the Bible. It truly was the most ungodly hour to be awake for this kind of challenge. Shouldn’t there be rules on when the Bible was read? Saved for Sundays and religious holidays? Most of all, it should never be attempted until well after the sun rose for the day.

Genny’s head bobbed forward as she focused on the gray-shrouded windows on the southeast wall in the morning parlor. Though it had to be a quarter past five, and the birds chirped and whistled out of doors, there was no sign of sunshine. Perhaps it would be a dreary, rainy day.

The amber, emerald, and aquamarine stained glass in the upper portion of the windows remained dull without the sun’s golden rays illuminating it. Only splotches of the rose-patterned paper on the wall could be made out in the dim glow of gaslights set around the room.

“Genevieve.” Her companion rapped her knuckle on the side table to get her attention. “Do keep up.”

“Yes, Aunt.” The woman insisted on being addressed as Aunt or Aunt Millicent by anyone who was not a direct blood relation. “I must apologize for my absentmindedness. The duchess’s ball was a tiring affair last night.”

“Yes, dear. I imagine so. But it’s not you who dances all evening long.”

Not normally, she supposed, but she did have to be on her feet the whole evening. “Of course, Aunt. I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.”

Genny covered a yawn that nearly overtook her face and focused on keeping her dry, tired eyes open. Half-mast would have to do; she truly did not have the energy to keep them fully open. Thank goodness Aunt Millicent couldn’t see clearly without an eyeglass firmly tucked inside the unflattering wrinkles around her eye. Said blue eye was focused on the tiny print of the Bible held open in her hands.

Genny didn’t even know which chapter they were reading from; her thoughts were occupied by very unholy images of Leo.

She’d woken twice in the short sleep she’d had, and both times Leo had been in her thoughts. The first time she’d awoken, she’d been covered in sweat, her pulse racing in excitement. The second time—she was almost embarrassed to recall what had her nearly jumping out of bed—but the juncture between her thighs had ached and pulsed in time with her frantic heartbeat. She hadn’t been able to fall asleep again and before she knew it the ringing of Aunt’s bedside bell had called her to the old woman’s side for the morning.

“I had word of your escapades at the ball.”

That had Genny snapping to attention. Her head whipped up and focused on Aunt Millicent. “I’m not sure what you mean by escapades. I can assure you that the majority of our night was passed in Lady Carleton’s company.”

“And what of the Earl of Barrington?”

First, who had told her any such thing? Second, how could she have found out details of the ball when they hadn’t arrived home till after midnight and had gone straightaway to bed? Aunt Millicent should have been asleep by the time they’d arrived home.

Would Charlotte have gone to see her grandmother before retiring for the evening? If so, it didn’t escape Genny’s notice that there was no mention of Castleigh in the veiled accusation.

Maybe Charlotte wished to have Genny sent away? Anger bloomed in her chest and made her hands shake where a moment ago they had rested calmly in her lap. Did Charlotte not understand how badly Genny needed to keep this appointment? Who would she stay on with if she were turned out of the Ponsley residence?

“I’m sure you know the type of character Barrington is, Aunt. He made poor judgment dancing with me and we wouldn’t have partnered had he not caught me unawares. I promise you, he was firmly rebuffed shortly afterward.”

“A dance, was it?” She put down the Bible and focused her enlarged eye on Genny. “You are here in the capacity of chaperone for my granddaughter. You are to make the correct judgment call in all situations.”

Genny fisted her hand in her lap. “I can’t express how thankful I am for the generosity of this family. I will endeavor never to be caught unawares again.”

“I objected to my son hiring you, since you are still too young to play the role of a proper and respectable chaperone, but he took pity on your situation and your need for another appointment after Hilda passed away.”

She had expected this type of lecture from Lord Ponsley but not from Aunt Millicent. Did Lord Ponsley have a bigger heart in his chest than she imagined after all?