An Earl to Enchant (19 page)

It was almost killing him to do it, but somehow, from somewhere, he had found his willpower. He remembered when Gibby had talked about how a pugilist had to find his bottom to know the depth of his strength, and Morgan was determined to find his inner strength, too.

He took his time, keeping his gaze riveted on her eyes, teasing her, barely touching her center, but treasuring every moment.

“Open for me, Arianna,” he whispered huskily.

She hesitated, but that didn’t surprise him. She knew what she wanted, but she was still unsure about what exactly would happen. Her thighs parted only a little.

“Open for me,” he whispered again.

When her thighs slowly relaxed against his arm, he parted the folds of her womanhood and found her soft, moist center with his thumb. He was careful not to enter her. It would give her more pleasure, but that was more than he was willing to take from her future husband. He only rubbed, circled, and explored her riches.

He took his time and was careful how, when, and where he touched her. He didn’t want this experience to go too fast for her or for him. Even though it was exquisite pain for him, he wanted her to enjoy and savor the spreading, languorous warmth of being awakened to hot, indescribable desire, and then feasting on the climax of it.

And she was getting close.

Her raspy intake of breath thrilled him. His body protested its absence of participation in what was obviously giving her so much pleasure, but he savored every minuscule touch of her. The center of her desire was where he wanted to be with the heavy thickness between his legs, but he would settle for the gentle touch of his fingers and give her what she desired.

“I’m not sure what you are doing to me, Morgan, but is it supposed to make me feel like my heart might stop beating?”

He chuckled softly. “That is exactly how you are supposed to feel.”

“I might stop breathing, too,” she whispered breathlessly.

“If your heart stops beating, you will definitely stop breathing, but I don’t think either of those things will actually happen.”

She had wanted to know how a man could make a woman feel, and he was showing her the shortcut way. By doing this, they would both be somewhat satisfied. After it was over, she would still be a virgin, and while she wouldn’t exactly be untouched, he wouldn’t feel duty bound to marry her.

Her dampness gave him the indication that she was ready, so he slipped his thumb over to the small nub of her core, and within seconds her thighs slammed against his hand and arm. She closed her eyes, threw her head back, and moaned softly, her body pumping against his hand and arm. And then slowly, slowly, she stopped, relaxed, and fell back onto the ground, gasping for breath.

Morgan looked at her and smiled even as his body protested that it too needed release. Her face was serene, beautiful. He had never pleasured a woman without taking his own pleasure, too. But tonight, it seemed the right thing for him to do, and somehow he’d managed. He felt quite good about that.

He had enjoyed giving her pleasure, and now she wanted to lie still and bask in the glow of fulfillment, but he couldn’t allow that. Dawn was fast approaching, and they would have to ride like the wind to get her back inside her room before the servants started stirring.

One thing was for sure; he now knew that he would have to see her while he was in London. There was no way he could not call on her and see that all was well with her. He didn’t know why he hadn’t told Arianna or Constance that he would be traveling to London as well in a few days. He rather liked the idea of surprising them both. He would give Arianna time to get settled, and then he would pay her a visit.

“Arianna, I hate to disturb your peacefulness, but we must go.”

She opened her eyes, pulled her nightshift over her legs, and sat up. “I’ve never felt that way before. It was as if one moment I was soaring through the air without wings, and then suddenly I exploded. What did you do to me?”

Morgan smiled, chuckled low in his throat, and started pulling on his stockings. “There are a number of different ways to explain it, but I think the best way for me to say it to you is simply to say that I satisfied you, did I not?”

“Without question. Completely.”

Hearing her say that made him feel damned good. “That is what I set out to do.”

“But what about you?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, rolling down the legs of his riding breeches.

“I have not satisfied you, and while I don’t know everything about the intimate life between a man and a woman, I do know I was supposed to do the same for you.”

He grabbed a boot and shoved his foot inside. “That is not always the case, Arianna. In some cases, such as this, it is perfectly acceptable for one person to be satisfied and not the other.”

Concern shadowed her face, and he thought he saw a touch of sadness in her eyes. She grabbed one of her shoes and slipped it on her foot.

“Why the long face?” he asked.

“Your explanation seems unfair,” she argued, putting on her other shoe.

He rose and settled his feet into his boots. “Nonsense, Arianna.”

“It’s not nonsense. I’m disappointed you didn’t want me to satisfy you. Is it that you didn’t think me capable?”

“Of course not. That’s not true.” He then bent down and took her hands in his and helped her rise. He looked directly into her eyes and said, “Hear my words: my desire for you is great, but my desire to keep you an innocent miss is far greater. Do you understand what I am saying?”

The concern on her face deepened. “Of course, I understand. I am not a simpleton. I do not agree with you.”

He frowned. “You don’t agree with what?”

“I do not agree with keeping me a maiden.”

Morgan took a deep breath, reached down and picked up his coat, and shook it. He shoved his arms into the sleeves and fitted it over his shoulders while thinking about how to respond to her.

He looked at Arianna and with blunt honesty said, “Then the only option you have is to find someone else willing to relieve you of that, Arianna. I will not.”

Fifteen

My Dearest Grandson Lucas,

What do you have to say about these wise words from Lord Chesterfield? “When evils are incurable, it may be the part of one friend to conceal them from another.”

Your loving Grandmother,

Lady Eldr

“You shouldn’t be helping me with the work, Miss Ari, it isn’t right.”

“I believe I told you I didn’t want to hear such nonsense as that again, Beabe,” Arianna said, reaching into another barrel and gently pulling out a large piece of bright red cloth. She carefully laid it on the kitchen table of her new home and opened the bundle.

“But you have more important things to do than maid’s work.”

“At the moment it is important to me that I preserve as many of my father’s vials, potions, and tonics as possible. It’s more than an hour before I have to leave to meet with Mr. Warburton. Besides, I am letting you and the other servants take care of most of the unpacking. Which leads me to ask, how are you getting along with the new staff?”

“Me?” Beabe said as she opened a small box and looked inside. “I’m getting along fine with them, but I think they are wary of me.”

“You? Why would they? You are one of the most pleasant people I know.”

“I think it’s because I’ve been with you for over ten years, and they think I will get special treatment.”

“And you will.”

Beabe’s hands went still, her eyes widened, and her mouth formed an oh. Arianna laughed at her maid’s shocked expression.

“Don’t look so surprised. Remember, you saved my life when we were put off that ship in Egypt. You found us a safe place to stay, and you took care of me. You will always be special to me.”

“It was mostly your father’s medicines that saved your life, Miss Ari.”

“But you were there to give them to me. But don’t worry, I will make sure that Lady Raceworth’s former employees know that I’m very pleased they stayed on and will now work for me. And in time they will see that I’m fair with them.”

“They should have known that when you didn’t turn off any of them after you took possession of the house.”

“I do believe they were all pleased about that. And I don’t mind earning their respect and their trust,” she answered and looked at the label on the bottle she was holding. “And you shouldn’t either.”

“I don’t. They won’t have cause to find fault with me.”

“Good, because I am so pleased to be settled, Beabe. I never dreamed we could lease a house so quickly. And that it was already staffed and had enough furniture for us to get by until I can purchase more was a godsend. And it’s the perfect size for me. I had fears of it taking weeks to get settled.”

“Mrs. Pepperfield knows how to get things done; that’s for sure.”

Arianna unwrapped another bottle from the red cloth and looked at it. Her stomach did a flip. It was the same mixture that she had given to Morgan when he hurt his hip. Suddenly, vivid memories flashed through her mind of when she was nestled with Morgan on his horse, to their passionate kisses in her room, to when she was sitting on the coast with his hands divinely working their magic on her body. She squeezed her eyes shut and lightly shook her head. Taking a deep breath, she placed the dried concoction in line with all the other small bottles with cork tops. She hoped the day would come when she could think of Lord Morgandale and not feel such overwhelming longing.

It had been a week since she’d seen him, but already it felt like years. He had been most circumspect on the morning she left Valleydale. He didn’t come below stairs until it was time for her and Constance to board the large, comfortable coach that had brought them to London. He had been the perfect gentleman when he walked them outside, chatting easily about how the remarkably good weather would make their journey shorter.

She would have loved to have seen a possessive smile from him or feel a brief squeeze of her fingers as he helped her board the coach, but he had been the perfect, distant gentleman, leaving her no doubt that he felt none of the things for her that she had felt for him. There was nothing about his manner or his words that would have suggested that only a few hours earlier, he’d awakened her womanly desires and showed them how to flourish.

Arianna took in a deep, cleansing breath, trying to clear her thoughts. She missed the earl desperately and wanted to see him again so badly that there was a constant ache in her chest. She had decided that after she finished her work for her father, she would make a visit to Valleydale to thank him for all his help.

She reached into the bottom of the barrel and pulled out a piece of dark blue fabric. In India, she had lined all the barrels with straw and then used fabrics as an extra cushion for the contents on the long voyage, knowing she could make the material into dresses when she settled in London. She ran her hand over the very fine cloth, feeling its slightly rough texture. She immediately knew the fabric would be a stunning color for Morgan. It would highlight his beautiful blue eyes.

As Arianna stared at the fabric, an idea popped into her mind. She would have a banyan made out of the fabric for Morgan. She had read somewhere that the long coat with a banded collar, that had long been fashionable in India, had become quite popular in England, too. Though the article stated that most of the gentlemen who had them wore them only in their homes and not out in Society. Presenting the coat to him for his kindness toward her would be the perfect reason to visit Valleydale and see him again.

Arianna hugged the fabric to her chest and smiled.

“What’s made you so happy?” Beabe asked.

“Oh,” Arianna said, having forgotten for a moment that her maid was in the room, “I was just thinking how delighted I am that all of these bottles and jars seem to have made the trip across the seas in perfect condition.”

“Excuse me, Miss Sweet.”

Arianna turned to see her new housekeeper, Mrs. Hartford, standing in the doorway.

“Yes?” she said with a smile for the tall, slender woman with small eyes and thin lips.

“Mrs. Pepperfield is here to see you. I hope it’s all right that I asked her to wait in the drawing room for you.”

“Yes, of course. I wasn’t expecting her, but I have time to see her before I must leave. Beabe, I’ll let you add these bottles I’ve lined up on the table to that shelf in the cupboard that I designated for healing aids.”

“Yes, Miss Ari.”

Arianna left the kitchen and headed toward the small drawing room of the house. She was indebted to Constance, too, for all the help she’d given her. Arianna knew she had packed some exquisite fabrics in the storage barrels, and after all of them had been unpacked, she would pick out a trio of the finest and present them to Constance as a gift.

Constance rose from the settee when Arianna walked in.

“How lovely to see you so soon,” Arianna said.

“I would never have called on you this early if I didn’t have good news.”

Arianna’s breaths shortened. Did she have word from Morgan?

“Nonsense. You can call on me at any time. Sit down and tell me,” Arianna said. “May I get you a cup of tea or other refreshment?”

“No, no, I can’t stay. I’m not even going to sit down again. I only wanted you to know that I’ve set up two appointments for you next week to meet prospective companions.”

“So soon. How wonderful,” Arianna said, hoping disappointment that the news wasn’t about Morgan didn’t show as much on her face as it felt in her heart.

What was she thinking?

Constance would have no reason to come rushing over to tell her anything about Morgan, even if she had heard from him. And Arianna would have loved to ask her if she had, but she didn’t.

“I wrote down the dates and times. I hope they work for you.” She handed the folded paper to Arianna.

“Thank you. I’ll make sure they do. I’m at a loss for how to deeply thank you for all you’ve done.”

Constance smiled. “I was happy to aid you for Morgan. He and his two cousins have been my friends for a long time.”

“Yes, of course,” Arianna said.

“But had I not liked you the moment I saw you, I would not have done as much as I have. There’s something about you that I find intriguing and deserving of help.”

Arianna stared into Constance’s sympathetic eyes. For a moment, she had the desire to drop to her knees and pour out to Constance what had happened to her father and the fear she had that Rajaratnum would sell the formula to someone who would make it known to the world before she could find it and present it in her father’s name. But Arianna swallowed hard and let the moment pass.

She simply said, “Finding this house for me, helping me get to the freight company, all the things you’ve done. You have been my salvation, Constance.”

“What poppycock.” Constance’s green eyes sparkled, and she laughed. “But I do like for people to lavish praise on me. It was destiny that you should have this house. I had nothing to do with it. Now I have one other thing to ask, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

Arianna smiled. “What?”

“Lord Windham and her ladyship are having a party on Saturday night, and I want you to go with me. We will be companions for each other.”

“A party? I’m not sure. I’m certain I don’t have proper clothing for a party, and I—”

“Of course, you do,” Constance said, interrupting her. “You just don’t know it yet. Why do you think I wanted to borrow your green dress with the gold threads circling the hem of the skirt?”

“I don’t know.”

“To give it to my modiste, of course, so she would have your measurements and could start making your gown.” Constance started walking toward the doorway, and Arianna followed her. “I’ll pick you up at half past eleven tomorrow to take you to your first fitting.”

“Ah—I… but you don’t understand. I have other things to do. I… my father’s papers. That is, I won’t feel right about going to parties until I have certain things completed.”

Constance stopped walking. “You seem flustered.”

“Maybe a little. I, you’ve been so kind to me. I hate to tell you no.”

“I hope I wasn’t too forward in having the gown made. I meant it as a good surprise, not a bad one.”

Arianna hesitated when she saw concern on Constance’s face. “Of course you did. All right, I will go with you to this one party. But I must get my father’s work finished before I start spending my days with a modiste and my evenings at parties. I hope you understand.”

Constance smiled kindly. “I understand. In fact, I think I rather like the idea that you attend only one party, and then you won’t be seen again for a time. That will certainly add a bit of mystery to you. Everyone will be asking about you and wondering when you’ll reappear.”

“They will?”

“Absolutely. If there is anything Londoners love, it’s a mystery. Look how the entire Town is in a dither over the twins.”

“The twins?”

“I don’t have time to explain about them or their older brother Viscount Brentwood right now, as I’m late for an appointment.” Constance headed down the corridor toward the front door. “See you tomorrow.”

Arianna slumped against the door after she shut it behind Constance. Attending a party was the last thing she wanted to do, but how could she decline after all Constance had done to help her? Arianna looked at the tall clock in the vestibule. Thankfully, it was time for her to go see Mr. Warburton.

***

An hour later, Arianna sat in the drawing room of Mr. Robert Warburton’s house, waiting impatiently for him to see her. Beabe had perched herself on the farthest window seat and was quietly working on her knitting. Arianna had already finished two cups of tea and had nibbled on an apple tart.

She wouldn’t have minded so much the man being so terribly late had she not had an appointment with him. The first day she arrived in London she had written to Mr. Warburton, asking for a scheduled time to see him. She explained that she was most anxious to meet with him but would be available for whatever time and arrangement best suited his schedule. He had given this date and time.

“Miss Sweet, pardon my tardiness,” Mr. Warburton said, walking into the drawing room. “I was rushing to get here, but the traffic in London has become ridiculously heavy. Sorry for the delay.”