The Wedding Runaway (40 page)

Watching his antics with the English beauty
,
Lydia almost felt sorry for him. If he thought to wiggle his way into Lady Penelope
'
s good graces
,
that boat would not float. She may be amused by Oscar and his fulsome compliments
,
but she clearly wanted Victor
'
s ring on her finger
,
not a nobody American
'
s.

James appeared cornered by an older woman with a towering ostrich feather bobbing out of her turban, nearly tickling James in the nose every time she nodded her head. Lydia had been avoiding her older brother
,
because his looks in her direction seemed to indicate he did not think Victor behaved like a future husband to her.

The musicians finished the strains of the piece and the dancers drew to a halt. Lydia glanced over her shoulder to see Victor press a kiss on Amelia
'
s forehead. It was not the kind of kiss that should prompt jealousy
,
but Lydia
'
s eyes watered all the same.

Did Victor feel any affection toward her at all
,
or did he just want to seduce her when she slept in his bed?

Lydia ducked behind the potted palm
,
next to the ballroom doors. Squeezing her eyes shut
,
she wanted to run
,
but to where? To what end? Running from her problems did not make them go away. They just followed her
,
while she created bigger problems.

"
Waiting for me
,
pet?
"

She opened her eyes. Victor held back one of the fronds of the palm tree
,
an amused look on his face.

In for a penny
,
in for a pound.
"
I believe I am hiding.
"

"
This tree does not conceal you very well. Besides, I am the one who should be hiding.
"
He held out his hand.
"
I believe this is my dance.
"

Lydia stared at him
,
realizing she was hiding from the truth. Her vow to stop running away had little meaning if she meant to hide from it. She shook her head
,
and folded her arms behind her back.

"
You will not take my arm
,
pet?
"

"
Every woman here tonight has taken your arm. I thought I should be different
,"
she answered.

"
You are different.
"
He stepped closer between the tree and the wall.
"
You do not wish to dance
,
or is it just me?
"

"
Never you
,"
she whispered.

He was so close to her
,
she could breathe in his scent
,
just a waft of sandalwood and spice of his cologne along with the hint of soap and him. She pressed back against the wall
,
feeling weak-kneed.

His searching dark gaze met hers
,
and he placed his hand to her shoulder
,
over her wound.
"
Is this bothering you? Should I find a place for you to rest quietly?
"

Every grievance she had melted away to nothing.
"
No
,
I
'
m fine.
"

His gaze shifted lower to the swags of material that draped her breasts.
"
Exceptionally fine.
"

He ripped off his right glove with his strong white teeth
,
and gathered it in his other hand. His bared fingertips slid against her skin
,
just below the diamond-studded neckband.

Her breath caught in her throat.

"
We should go back into the ballroom
,"
he said.

"
Do not let me detain you.
"

"
Ah
,
pet
,
the room is empty without you.
"

"
Hardly so.
"

His fingers slid lower
,
along the edge of her dress.
"
Yes
,
so. You are the sight I seek after every moment apart
,
yet I cannot look too much because I am intoxicated at seeing this perfection.
"

His touch left a riot of sensation
,
tingles danced across her skin
,
under the edge of her dress that barely covered her tightening nipples. Would his touch reach there? She drew a deep breath as his long elegant fingers reached the upper curve of her breast.

His hand trembled and she too quivered inside, wanting him to touch her
,
to do wicked things to her.

"
Say me nay
,
this is dangerous
,"
he whispered.

"
I have no fear.
"

He leaned forward and kissed her
,
both his hands coming up to her neck as he gently pressed his lips to hers. She answered back by touching her tongue to his upper lip. His attempt at a sweet civilized kiss faded into a hungry coming together of their mouths.

He pressed against her
,
his hard lean length a wondrous thing. She had yearned for this moment for so long
,
that she did not care that it was only a stolen embrace behind a door and a potted palm.

Yet
,
he managed a measure of restraint that made her want to scream. His hands stayed at her neck
,
the left hand still gloved and holding his other glove
,
and his bare fingers of his right hand stroking her skin
,
threading through her curls at her nape
,
sending jolts of liquid pleasure flooding through her body. She willed his hands lower to the heat of her flesh
,
to her too-low décolletage
,
and lower still.

He ended the kiss and pulled back. He breathed in heavy quick bursts as though winded. She savored each of his warm damp pants wafting across her sensitized lips. His dark eyes hungrily searched hers.

She put her palms on his chest, feeling the rise and fall
,
mesmerized by the rhythm of his body
,
his thundering heart
,
his slowing breathing.

He looked over his shoulder and then back at her.
"
Bloody hell
,
I have kept away from you tonight so nothing of scandal will attach to your name. Yet
,
I am fair near to destroying all.
"

"
A stolen kiss can hardly have so much significance.
"

"
I should have made sure that Amelia knew about you.
"

A chill ran through Lydia
'
s blood. Was he even now thinking of Amelia?

"
She could have exposed your charade and ruined everything.
"
He raked his bare hand through his hair.
"
I do not know if anyone overheard her call you...
"

"
Leonard?
"

"
Hush.
"

A reputation shattered could always be redeemed by a marriage
,
yet he was too mindful of her good name.

She dropped her hands from his chest and pressed her palms back against the wall.
"
None of this will matter when I return to Boston.
"

His expression went flat.
"
Is that what you mean to do?
"

She had no choice. She did not doubt James
'
s threat to carry her kicking and screaming through the streets. He had done it before.

Besides, what did she have to stay for? To be Victor
'
s mistress while he married Lady Helena or Lady Beauly? If Trevor was right
,
Victor would never marry a commoner like her. She might be willing to be his mistress
,
but not if she had to share. She was too selfish for that. Just seeing him put his arm around Amelia was like stabbing a stake through her heart.

"
Lydia
,"
he put his hands on her shoulders.
"
Is that what you mean to do?
"

She shrugged.
"
My brothers have come to take me home.
"

He searched her face
,
then removed his hands. His gaze dropped to his hands as he drew on his glove.
"
Perhaps that is best
,
then.
"

She meant so little to him, then? She loved him
,
but he would treat her leaving as unimportant. But when he could have his pick among Lady Helena
,
Countess Beauly
,
that other dark-haired lady he
'
d emerged from the room down the hall—what was that room? or even Amelia—whom he had threatened to make love to in that letter—why on earth would he choose too-tall
,
too-mannish Lydia?

~*~

Trevor had tried to stop Helena before she said so much. He should have been prepared for her words
,
she was acting so furtive
,
but she had shocked him just the same. Then when he saw her mother approach rapidly
,
he could not offer a verbal warning for fear the Countess Caine would overhear.

"
My lady.
"
He bowed.

Helena had turned
,
so he couldn
'
t see her face
,
but she backed into him. He put his hand against the small of her back.

Helena trembled.
"
Is everything all right
,
Mother?
"

"
We must leave at once.
"
The Countess Caine
'
s face was so pinched and white
,
she looked ill.

Was she that angry? How much had she heard?

He pushed against the small of Helena
'
s back, offering her comfort and steadiness.
"
Can I assist you by calling for your coach?
"

The countess looked at him and at first her eyes were blank
,
then they narrowed
,
"
You.
"
She slapped one hand over her mouth and the other against her stomach.
"
Oh
,
please
,"
she managed in a muffled way.

"
Helena, call for your carriage and wraps.
"
He pushed Helena forward and then wrapped his arm around Lady Caine and with both his hands under her elbows he bore her weight as he walked her toward the double doors.
"
Please pardon my familiarity
,
ma
'
am.
"

She sagged against him and he knew she was ill. She never would have allowed him to help her otherwise. Any port in a storm.

Fearing she was about to toss her dinner
,
he swung her around the side of the door.

He whispered
,
"
If you need to be ill
,
ma
'
am
,
I suggest the plant pot.
"

She had shut her eyes
,
so only he saw his sister and Wedmont
,
standing behind the palm
,
engaged in a passionate embrace. Good Lord
,
did the man have his hand on Lydia
'
s breast?

"
Lydia!
"

She flattened against the wall and Wedmont sprang to the side
,
while Lady Caine leaned over the pot.

She rocked back and forth and swallowed several times. Beads of perspiration dotted her forehead. By some indomitable strength of will
,
she managed to defeat the urge to cast up her accounts and finally straightened.
"
I am all right now.
"

Trevor wasn
'
t. He was ready to kill Wedmont. He glared at the man. But what could he do? He still had his hand under Lady Caine
'
s elbow. He could not abandon Helena
'
s mother even if she was an impediment to his relationship with Helena. He handed her his handkerchief.

The man housing Lydia
,
Keene, appeared by the door. Their host for the evening
,
Tony, limped toward them.

"
Is there a problem?
"
asked Keene.

"
Lady Caine does not feel well
,"
said Trevor.

"
Oh, please, all this fuss is not necessary
,"
said Lady Caine.
"
Lord Wedmont
,
you may see us home.
"

Victor jerked his gaze from Lydia
,
who looked flushed but not terribly disheveled
,
to Lady Caine. Was insisting on his escort a ploy to get him alone with Lady Helena? The only woman he wanted to be alone with was Lydia. He had lost control after his pretense at nonchalance failed. He hated the idea that she would return to Boston
,
even though he knew it was the best thing for her.

Lady Helena appeared behind
,
Trevor.
"
Our carriage is well-back
,
it will be round in a quarter hour. The servants are fetching our wraps.
"

Lady Caine nodded and dabbed the handkerchief to her upper lip.
"
Lord Wedmont, can your carriage be had sooner?
"