The Price of Innocence (The Legacy Series) (16 page)

“600 francs,” he mumbled aloud. “You would think she’d pay me for my services.” After all, he was about to do her a service, wasn’t he?

Robert patiently waited for his guest to arrive, but couldn’t shake an underlying concern about his purchase. The girl he saw in the parlor appeared much younger than eighteen. Though he had no reason to distrust Bridgette’s assurances, he couldn’t shake a feeling of uneasiness. Her face held an innocence that made him question why she resided within these walls, even though the explanation he was given at the Jockey Club seemed quite reasonable.

The women he had enjoyed in the past—especially Nadine—were experienced and hardened to the life of prostitution. He felt no guilt whatsoever in seeking pleasure from their bodies they willing gave. They enjoyed their profession and shared his bed for whatever pittance Madame Laurent gave them. It dawned on him, as he stood pondering over his glass of Chardonnay, that he had never asked what the women were paid out of the francs he so freely spent each tryst.

He shrugged off the thought and sat down on the settee facing the fireplace to relax. The silence of the room was deafening, except for the
tick tock
of the clock on the mantel. His eagerness to take a young girl’s virginity grew by the minute, until finally a knock came at the door. He jumped to his feet in an attention stance, surprised over his foolish reaction over their arrival.

After clearing his throat and running his fingers through his blond hair, he walked over to the door and swung it open. There on the other side stood Madame Laurent with his purchase at her side.

“Lord Holland, may I introduce to you Suzette Rousseau.”

Suzette turned and looked at Madame Laurent, who gave her a little push with her hand. Robert watched the young woman, who was stiff as a board, take tiny steps inside. Before he had the opportunity to bid her goodbye, Madame Laurent grabbed the doorknobs and closed the double door behind her. The latched clicked.

Awkward and tongue-tied, he watched Suzette stare at the floor, obviously afraid to lift her eyes or take a step in his direction. He felt like an ass, so he just stood there for a moment. She didn’t appear quite as young as he had thought earlier. It was obvious by the makeup and style of hair that Madame Laurent had done her best to make the Suzette look older than her years. However, Robert was keenly aware, innocence was innocence, and it permeated the room with its stifling presence.

Still holding a glass of wine in his hand, he knew he had to do or say something to break the silence. He reached for her hand, and as with any other woman, he grasped it and brought it to his lips. Finally, her timid eyes lifted to look at his face, and he saw her astonishment.

“I believe a Frenchman would say to such a beautiful woman, ‘Enchante, Mademoiselle.’”

His English accent did nothing to help his charismatic, French-like behavior appear authentic. He kissed her tiny hand and held it for a moment until he finally glimpsed a small accepting smile rise from Suzette’s quivering lips. Her cold hand trembled in his own, so he tried to assure her. “Don’t be nervous. I won’t hurt you.”

Her eyes latched onto his, while he admired with fascination her curly auburn tresses that cascaded over her shoulders. Enticed to reach out and touch the glowing silken locks, he picked up a few strands between his fingers. Suzette flinched.

“Your hair is gorgeous,” he whispered. He smiled while looking at her flawless complexion. “And you are very attractive.”

“Thank you.”

Finally, the frightened Mademoiselle spoke! He reached for her hand again, grasping it gently, and led her to the gold velvet settee in front of the fireplace.

“Please sit down,” he said softly, hoping to relieve her fears. He walked to the side table and poured another glass of wine, refilled his own, and brought it back to her.

“Here, drink this. I insist. It will help you relax.”

Suzette reluctantly looked at the wine. Her indecision was obvious, so he moved the glass closer until she finally took it in her hand.

“Thank you, my lord.”

He couldn’t believe she called him
lord.
He sat down next to her, and immediately put a stop to formalities of any kind.

“Please, drop the titles. I’m Robert. You have my permission to call me by my first name.”

She grinned, then slowly brought the glass of wine to her lips and sipped the liquid. Her endless gaze into his blue eyes told him that she was fascinated by what she saw. Most Parisian women were taken by his fairness of skin, blond hair, and ocean-colored irises.

He leaned back at the other end of the settee. Suzette scooted in the opposite direction. Robert sat quietly for a few minutes, taking small sips of wine, while he observed the beautiful creature that he would soon know intimately. He studied every feature of her face and delicate demeanor. Her unblemished quality pained him, and he began to question why she had chosen to become a prostitute. Though he sat within a brothel, he wasn’t a brute by any means. Deep down inside, he was still an English gentleman. Surely, she deserved some respect.

“So tell me, Suzette, where are you from? Have you always lived in Paris?” By the look on her face, his question startled her. He felt somewhat offended that she perhaps thought he would take her virginity without any civility beforehand.

A meek voice answered. “I was born and raised in Paris.”

“And your family? Where are they?” Though Lord Holland knew the sad story of her father’s passing, he felt compelled to inquire further, hoping his questions were not too prying.

“My father passed away four months ago.” As soon as the words left her mouth, a sorrowful expression snatched her beauty. He felt remorse for asking and apologized.

“I’m sorry. I should not have asked such a question. Madame Laurent mentioned the matter of your father. Please forgive me for such an intrusion into your private mourning. My behavior is uncalled for, and I see it has brought you pain to think of his passing again.” A forgiving gaze met his confession.

“No, that’s quite all right. One day I know I shall answer the question and will not feel grief. It will pass.”

They both brought their glasses of wine to their lips to take a sip. Each looked at the other. Robert witnessed the flickering candlelight dance off her hair, and he admired the reddish-brown color resembling a late-autumn leaf. He desired to know more about her background and hoped that she would share on her own. To his surprise, she spoke once more, this time with more assured calmness.

“I have no other family here. My aunt and her family moved to the Americas, and when my father passed away, I found myself in a bit of a predicament.”

“Well, I’m truly sorry to hear that,” he offered. “You are a lovely young woman, and I can see you’re quite, shall we say, innocent in many ways. I’m just surprised you are here.” He paused, lowering his voice. “Frankly, my dear, it doesn’t become you.”

“It probably does not,” she responded quietly, “but I must take care of myself in some fashion. There were few options for me.”

Her attempt to justify her choice did not surprise Robert in the least. He could tell from the few short minutes they were together that her character was not that of a prostitute. He dropped the subject and took another large sip of wine. Finally, when he couldn’t control the urge to touch the softness of her perfumed skin, he took her glass in hand, along with his own, and set them on the side table. A sudden look of panic crossed Suzette’s face.

Robert noticed her demeanor change. He moved closer to her body at the end of the settee and raised his hand to meet the side of her face. With a tender touch, he softly stroked her skin. He let the warmth linger with the hope it would calm her apprehension and stop her poor knees from bobbing up and down. It was all he could do from laughing at the poor girl’s nervous response.

“You are quite beautiful,” he softly whispered. Robert slowly traced the lines of her jaw with his hungry desire. He moved his hand underneath her soft hair and wrapped his fingers tenderly around the back of her neck. Gently, he pulled Suzette toward him and leaned into her lips. Her body grew rigid, and Robert struggled whether or not to object to her resistance.

He decided not to force her in any way. Instead, he closed the distance until his lips rested upon their destination. He gently kissed her, enjoying the flavor of her moist flesh, and immediately the rush of desire flooded his body. Her lips tasted of unspoiled innocence, and the longer he enjoyed the moment, the more she trembled.

He had hoped his infamous tenderness in foreplay would eventually melt her coldness, but it was obvious he needed to do more. The kiss ended, and he stroked the side of her face with the palm of his hand, while the other moved down her back. Robert fondled the curves of her body and played with the satin buttons of her dress that he couldn’t wait to undo. The smell of her perfume drugged him, and he began to lose restraint.

His enjoyment of the beautiful creature in his grasp was tainted by Suzette’s unresponsive and frigid manner. Robert’s disappointment grew. Her fear was palpable, and he knew that she would not be a willing participant in anything that lay ahead from this point forward. It was apparent he could very well leave a virgin intact, while he throbbed unfulfilled.

He released his grasp of her body, sat up, and then leaned his back into the corner of the settee. His response to the situation startled him. As much as he wanted to take her to the tantalizing soft bed only a few feet away, he could not bring himself to do so. He desired to undress her like a beautiful flower, slowly plucking each petal until it revealed its bud for the taking. Disappointed and fighting his own animalistic urges, he abruptly stood from the chair and walked to the liquor table for another refill. As he left Suzette’s side, he heard a sigh of relief.

Silence passed between them, and Robert couldn’t speak a word. He was frustrated and confused. Hadn’t he just paid 600 francs to take the beauty that now sat alone?

“Have I done something to displease you?”

He poured the glass of wine, but didn’t turn around in response. While Robert tried to think of an answer to her question, she apologized. It sounded more like a plea for mercy.

“I’m sorry if I’m nervous. I’ve not been with a man before.”

Finally, Robert turned around and flashed a smile for her sake, though he didn’t feel like it inwardly. He saw Suzette’s distraught face. Her worrisome countenance broke his heart, and he didn’t have the desire to cause her further distress.

“Yes, I know,” he said softly in a low tone. “I am not mad. On the contrary, I’m enthralled with your presence. Perhaps soon, my tenderness will melt your resistance, but I doubt it will be tonight.”

“I’m sorry, Lord Holland. I do not wish to disappoint you,” her voice begged.

“Nonsense. It’s not you. You have not disappointed me, rest assured.”

He returned to the settee with drink in hand and sat close to her side. Robert boldly placed his arm around her shoulder, drawing her near to his chest. The least she could do was give him a hug.

“There’s something about you I find most adoring, and frankly, I don’t wish to ravish or frighten you for quick gratification.” He hesitated. “Though I must admit at this point, I’m in dire need of it.” He chuckled, wondering if Suzette even understood the meaning behind his words.

Robert decided to leave the flower intact for the moment. He didn’t want Suzette to earn her keep—not like this. Instead, tonight, he would merely settle for the enjoyment of her company. To pass the moments, he played with her silken hair between his fingertips, yearning for more but controlling his urges. If circumstances were different, and he came upon her elsewhere, she would have certainly caught his interest.

“I don’t understand.” Suzette’s voice shook as she watched his fingers playfully toy with her curls.

“You’re not ready, and I will not force myself on you,” he replied emphatically.

“Don’t I please you?”

“On the contrary, I am quite pleased, but being pleased has nothing to do with it. After paying Madame Laurent a hefty price to even be in this room, I still think it’s been worth every franc.”

“Lord Holland, I’m afraid that if I do not satisfy you this evening, I shall lose my position here with Madame Laurent, and I will be homeless again!”

Suzette’s desperation upset Robert. “She’ll never know,” he assured. “Don’t worry, my sweet.” For now, he would settle for a few moments of a petite lady held tightly in his arms. “The least you can do for me is let me hold you. That’s all I ask.”

Robert inhaled her perfume, softly stroked her cheek, and whispered tenderly in her ear words of comfort. As he continued, he could sense the tenseness release from her body, because she no longer felt pressured to perform.

For the next half hour, hardly a word was spoken. Robert held her, and Suzette sat quietly while he made occasional small talk and sipped his wine. Her only responses to his words were an occasional “uh-hum,” and Robert wondered if she even listened to anything he had to say.

When he finished his drink, he sighed. He wanted her, and each time he thought of the bed behind him, his body responded. His unsatisfied urges were becoming increasingly difficult to curtail, so he decided to proceed with the necessary deed and get the hell out of there before doing something rash.

“I’ll be right back,” he announced, standing up. He walked over to the perfectly made bed, grabbed the corner of the coverlet, and flipped it back into a heap. His hands pulled the sheets into a tangled mess, and he flung one pillow off to the floor. He then scrunched the bottom sheet until it looked as if it had been used.

He returned to the side table, opened the decanter of red wine, and poured a small amount in his glass. After returning to the tousled bed, he strategically poured a few crimson drops in order to leave feigned evidence of a woman’s lost virginity. Suzette blushed profusely, understanding the full meaning of his actions. Nadine had warned her of the possibility ahead of time. He drunk the remainder of the wine, and then set the crystal glass back down on the silver tray.