Seduction (16 page)

room listened with rapt attention. Charlotte Featherstone's Memoirs were well

written, entertaining, and deliciously scandalizing.

"Lord Ashford gave Featherstone a necklace worth five thousand pounds?" a

horrified member of the group exclaimed at one point. "Just wait until his wife

hears about that. I know for a fact that Lady Ashford has been forced to

practice the most stringent economy for years. Ashford is forever telling her he

cannot afford new gowns and jewels."

"He's telling her the truth. He probably cannot afford them for his wife as long

as he is buying them for Charlotte Featherstone," Fanny observed.

"There's more about Ashford," Anne said with a decidedly wicked laugh. "Listen

to this:"

After Lord Ashford left that evening I told my maid that Lady Ashford should

consider herself very much in my debt. After all, if it were not for me, Ashford

would undoubtedly spend a great many more evenings at home boring his poor wife

with his lamentably unimaginative lovemaking. Only consider the great burden of

which I have relieved the lady.

"I would say she was well paid for her pains," Harriett declared, pouring tea

from the Georgian silver pot.

"Lady Ashford is going to be furious when she hears about this," someone else

remarked.

"And so she should be," Sophy said fiercely. "Her lord has conducted himself

most dishonorably. We may find it amusing but when you stop to think about it,

you must realize he has publicly humiliated his wife. Think how he would react

if the situation were reversed and it was Lady Ashford who had caused this sort

of talk."

"A sound point," Jane said. "I'll wager most men would call out any other man

who had written such things about their wives."

Julian, for one, would be strongly inclined to spill blood over such a scandal,

Sophy thought, not without some satisfaction as well as a chill of fear. His

rage under such circumstances would indeed be awesome and his fierce pride would

demand vengeance.

"Lady Ashford is hardly in a position to call out Charlotte Featherstone," one

of the women in the group said dryly. "As it is, the poor woman will simply be

forced to retreat to the country for a while until the gossip has run its

course."

Another woman on the other side of the room grinned knowingly. "So Lord Ashford

is a dead bore in bed, is he? How interesting."

"According to Featherstone, most men are rather boring in bed," Fanny said.

"Thus far she has not had a good word to say about any of her admirers."

"Perhaps the more interesting lovers have paid the blackmail she is said to be

demanding in order to be left out of the Memoirs," suggested a young matron.

"Or perhaps men, in general, simply do not make interesting lovers," Harriett

observed calmly. "More tea, anyone?"

The street in front of the Yelverton mansion was crowded with elegant carriages.

Julian alighted from his at midnight and made his way through the crowd of

lounging coachmen, grooms, and footmen to the wide steps that led to the

Yelverton hall.

He was virtually under orders to appear tonight. Fanny had made it clear that

this was to be Sophy's first major ball and that Julian's presence would be much

appreciated. While it was true he was free to go his own way for the most part,

there were certain occasions that required his presence at Sophy's side. This

was one of them.

Julian, who had been getting up at an ungodly hour and going to bed far too late

for the past week in an effort to avoid unnecessary encounters with his wife,

had found himself trapped when Fanny had made it plain she expected him to show

up at some point tonight. He had resigned himself to a dance with his wife.

It was akin to resigning himself to torture. The few minutes on the ballroom

floor with her in his arms would be more difficult for him than Sophy would ever

know.

If the time spent apart from her had not been easy, this past week with Sophy

living under the same roof had been hell. The night he had arrived home to find

that she had come to apologize and to take up residence in town, he had been

seized first with a glorious relief and then with a sense of caution.

But he had managed to convince himself she had come meekly to heel. She had

clearly abandoned her outrageous demands and was prepared to assume the role of

a proper wife to him. That night when he had confronted her in her bedchamber

she had virtually offered herself to him.

It had taken every ounce of willpower Julian possessed to walk out of the room

that night. Sophy had looked so sweet and submissive and tempting he had ached

to reach out and take what was his by right. But he had been shaken by her

arrival and had not fully trusted his own reactions. He had known he needed time

to think.

By the following morning he had also realized that now she was with him again,

he could not send her away. Nor was there any need to do so, he had told

himself. After all, she had humbled her pride by coming to town and throwing

herself on his mercy. It was she who had pleaded to be allowed to stay. Hadn't

she apologized most sincerely for the embarrassing events at Eslington Park?

Julian had decided his pride had been salvaged and the lesson had been taught.

He had made up his mind to be gracious and allow her to stay in town. The

decision had not been a difficult one although he had lain awake till dawn

arriving at it.

He had also determined during the course of that sleepless night that he would

lay claim to his conjugal rights immediately. He had certainly been denied them

long enough. But by morning he had acknowledged it was not that simple.

Something was missing in the equation.

Not being much given to introspection or self-analysis, he had taken most of the

next morning right up until the interview in the library to arrive at a vague

notion of what was wrong with leaping straight into bed with Sophy.

He had finally admitted to himself that he did not want Sophy to give herself to

him out of a sense of wifely duty.

It was, in fact, damned galling to think that she would do so. He wanted her to

want him. He wanted to be able to look into those clear, honest eyes and see

genuine desire and womanly need. Above all he did not like the notion that, no

matter how willing she was to please him now, she privately considered he had

reneged on their original bargain.

The realization had thrown him into a frustrated quandary. It had also left him

extremely short-tempered, as his friends had been obliging enough to point out.

Daregate and Thurgood had not been stupid enough to ask if there was trouble at

home but Julian was aware they both suspected that was the case. There had been

several hints that each was looking forward to meeting Sophy. Tonight was the

first opportunity they would have to do so along with the rest of Society.

Julian's mood lightened a bit as he reflected that Sophy would probably be very

glad to see him by this time of the evening. He knew she expected to be a total

failure socially, just as she had been five years ago. Having a husband by her

side this time would undoubtedly give her some courage. Perhaps some of her

gratitude would eventually lead her to see him in a more favorable light.

Julian had attended affairs at the Yelvertons before and he knew his way around

the ballroom. Rather than submit to having himself announced by the butler, he

found the staircase that led to a balcony, which overlooked the crowded salon.

He planted both hands against the heavily carved railing and surveyed the throng

below. The ballroom was ablaze with lights. A band was playing in one corner and

several couples were out on the floor. Handsomely liveried footmen laden with

trays wove their way through the crush of elegantly dressed men and women.

Laughter and conversation drifted upward.

Julian swept the room with his gaze, searching for Sophy. Fanny had advised him

that her charge would be wearing a rose-colored gown. Sophy would undoubtedly be

standing in one of the small groups of females that lined the wall near the

windows.

"No, Julian, she's not over there. She's on the other side of the room. You can

hardly see her because she's not very tall. When she's surrounded by a group of

admiring males, as she is at the moment, she practically vanishes from sight."

Julian turned his head to see his aunt coming toward him along the corridor.

Lady Fanny was smiling her familiar laughing smile and looked quite devastating

in silver-and-green satin.

"Good evening, Aunt." He took her hand and raised it to his lips. "You're

looking in fine form this evening. Where's Harry?"

"Cooling off with some lemonade out on the terrace. The heat was affecting her,

poor dear. She will insist on wearing those heavy turbans. I was about to join

her when I spotted you sneaking up here. So you came to see how your little wife

was doing after all, hm?"

"I know a royal command when I hear one, madam. I'm here because you insisted.

Now what's all this about Sophy disappearing from sight?"

"See for yourself." Fanny moved to the railing and proudly waved a hand to

encompass the crowd below. "She has been surrounded since the moment we arrived.

That was an hour ago."

Julian glanced toward the far end of the ballroom, scowling as he tried to pick

out a rose silk gown from among the rainbow of beautiful gowns on the floor

below. Then a man who had been standing in a knot of other males shifted

position for an instant and Julian caught sight of Sophy in the middle of the

group.

"What the devil is she doing down there?" Julian snapped.

"Isn't it obvious? She is well on her way to becoming a success, Julian." Fanny

smiled with satisfaction. "She is perfectly charming and has no trouble at all

making conversation. So far she has prescribed a remedy for Lady Bixby's nervous

stomach, a poultice for Lord Thanton's chest, and a syrup for Lady Yelverton's

throat."

"None of the men standing around her at the moment appear to be seeking medical

advice," Julian muttered.

"Quite right. When I left her side a short while ago she was just launching into

a description of sheep-raising practices in Norfolk."

"Damn it, I taught her everything she knows about raising sheep in Norfolk. She

learned it on our honeymoon."

"Well, then, you must be very pleased to know she's putting the knowledge to

good use socially."

Julian’s eyes narrowed as he studied the males bunched around his wife. A tall,

pale-haired figure dressed in unrelieved black caught his attention. "I see

Waycott has lost no time in introducing himself."

"Oh, dear. Is he in the group?" Fanny's smile slipped as she bent forward to

follow his gaze. The mischief faded from her eyes. "I'm sorry, Julian. I had not

realized he was here tonight. But you must know she was bound to run into him

sooner or later along with a few of Elizabeth's other admirers."

"I put Sophy in your care, Fanny, because I credited you with sufficient common

sense to keep her out of trouble."

"Keeping your wife out of trouble is your job, not mine," Fanny retorted with

asperity. "I am her friend and adviser, nothing more."

Julian knew he was being reprimanded for his lack of attention to Sophy during

the past week but he was in no mood to muster a defense. He was too concerned

with the sight of the handsome blond god who was at that very moment handing a

glass of lemonade to Sophy. He had seen that particular expression on Waycott's

face five years ago when the Viscount had begun hovering around Elizabeth.

Julian's hand clenched at his side. With a great effort of will he forced

himself to relax. Last time he had been a besotted fool who had not seen trouble

coming until it was too late. This time he would move quickly and ruthlessly to

head off disaster.

"Excuse me, Fanny. I do believe you are right. It is my job to protect Sophy and

I had better get on with the task."

Fanny swung around, her brows knitting in a concerned expression. "Julian, be

careful how you go about things. Remember that Sophy is not Elizabeth."

"Precisely. And I intend to see that she does not turn into Elizabeth." Julian

was already pacing down the length of the balcony toward the small side

staircase that would take him to the ballroom floor.

Once on the lower level he immediately found himself confronted with a wall of

people, several of whom paused to greet him and congratulate him on his recent

marriage. Julian managed to nod civilly, accepting the well-meant compliments on

his Countess and ignoring the veiled curiosity that often accompanied them.

His size was in his favor. He was taller than most of the other people in the

room and it was not difficult to keep the cluster of males orbiting around Sophy

in sight. Within a few minutes he had made his way to where she was holding

court.

He spotted the drooping flower ornament in her coiffure at the same instant that

Waycott reached out to adjust it.

"If I may be allowed to pluck this rose, madam?" Waycott said with smooth