Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
“ M y Lady,” Richard greeted when they came across Selina trying to leave the luncheon with her maid in tow. “It seems you are leaving. Might I interest you in a trip to town? This might be a good chance to acquire the dresses you require.”
She seemed surprised and a little discomfited by the offer. She accepted the proffered hand of the footman to board the carriage.
Once she was seated comfortably, she replied, “I thank you for the offer, Your Grace. However, I do not think you need to go to the trouble.”
“It is no trouble,” Richard said. “Besides, you asked for my aid in choosing beautiful dresses, and I intend to keep my promise.”
“If you insist. Perhaps you might join us in the carriage,” she said, gesturing to the seat across from her.
“I thank you for the offer, My Lady, but I would prefer to walk.”
“In this chilly weather?” she asked, her eyes widening in disbelief.
“The weather is precisely why I want to walk. It is… bracing…” he trailed off.
Ignoring her concerned gaze, he stared off into the distance. He had to let her stew in her confusion because there was no way he was going to tell her the reason for his newfound masochism. Even now, as he stood in her presence, he could feel the stirrings of desire.
Spending time near her would be torture of the worst kind.
“If you say so. I will meet you at Gracie’s. I hope she has the dresses I seek.”
With that, Selina pulled the carriage door closed and signaled to the driver, who tugged at the reins and led the team of horses forward.
“I have seen you do irrational things, Seymour, but I must say that your actions during the last hour are so confusing. I swear I can feel a headache coming on,” Eli said, a perplexed expression on his face.
“There is no reason to concern yourself with the matter. It is nothing more than my occasional bout of health consciousness. I heard that exercise is good for humors.”
“No sane man of my acquaintance would take on such senseless torture, braving the streets of London in this unforgiving weather—especially when they run the risk of their bollocks falling off.”
“Life is full of novel experiences—you would do well to embrace them,” Richard said, ignoring the look of disbelief on his friend’s face.
Eli seemed to have decided that he was insane because he did not bother making conversation the rest of the way to the modiste.
It was perhaps for the best because Richard could not tell him the reason for his irrational behavior. It was a novel experience for him as well because he would never have believed that, one day, he would be fighting arousal so acute that he would resort to walking down chilly roads to maintain his grip on his self-restraint.
His life had been quiet for the most part—one step away from boring. He was collected and respected, until the day he had met Selina and his life was turned upside down. Suddenly, he was thinking of her, wanting to be close to her, and longing to watch her face while she broached topics she was passionate about.
He had written it off as curiosity, since she was different from ladies her age, but recent events had proven that notion to be a fallacy because it was more than that. Selina was crawling into his veins and wreaking havoc on his carefully controlled world.
In no time, they were in front of the modiste’s shop, with the name ‘Gracie’ written boldly on its glass doors. The carriage that bore the Duke of Westalls’s crest was parked right in front of it.
“I believe I have an appointment with a gentleman in a club down the street. I will see you later,” Eli said, before continuing down the street.
Sure enough, when Richard turned the knob and opened the door, Selina was seated with her maid by her side. She tilted her chin in acknowledgment of his presence.
“Welcome, Your Grace,” a cheerful, buxom woman said, approaching them with such a wide smile on her face that he thought her lips might tear from the effort. “I am Gracie,” she added with a brief curtsey. “I must say, it is an honor to make your acquaintance, Your Grace. What might I help you with?”
“I require dresses for the beautiful lady here,” Richard said, gesturing towards Selina.
“What kind of dresses would they be, and do you perhaps have some styles in mind?”
Richard turned to take a long look at Selina, tracing the lines of her body with his eyes, and enjoying the answering flush that rose to her skin. More evidence that she was not immune to his charms.
Selina was a voluptuous beauty and that, in combination with her vivid green eyes, completed the idea swirling among the ton that she looked like a goddess of the forest and he couldn’t help but be inclined to agree.. Her curves, barely concealed by her clothes, were the stuff of dreams, and her slender neck was fodder for his fantasies, as he fantasized about nibbling on its tempting length while he made love to her.
“Your Grace?” Gracie called, jolting him out of his reverie.
He realized he had spent the better part of five minutes staring at Selina lustfully.
“Have you decided on the style, yet?” the modiste asked from beside him.
“Something that will accentuate her slender neck, I think.”
“Splendid,” the modiste said, beaming and clapping her hands with excitement. “I must confess, Your Grace, you have a good eye for fashion. I would have recommended the same.”
“Excellent,” Richard replied absentmindedly, his eyes following Selina as she talked with her maid.
“Does the young lady agree as well?” the modiste asked Selina. Her welcoming smile did not falter, but the concern in her voice was obvious.
Perhaps she was worried that Richard was one of those controlling gentlemen who chose everything for their wives even down to their underclothes. Perhaps he should have corrected her, but he did not feel the need to. If she thought he was married to Selina, then all the better. It was best to protect her reputation.
“It is beautiful. I like it,” Selina replied after taking a good look at the design, beaming with excitement.
“What colors would you prefer, Your Grace?”
“I think green, gold, and brown will do nicely.”
“Excellent choice, Your Grace.” The modiste beamed as she walked into a smaller space at the end of the shop to take down his orders.
In no time, she had returned and asked if he would like to order gloves. He chose some colors matching the dresses they had already purchased and ordered them to be made in satin. Selina was so beautiful with her stunning green eyes and glowing skin that he was positive that the colors would look good on her.
After requesting that he be billed despite Selina’s protests, he escorted her to her carriage and waved her goodbye before hiring a hackney that would take him to Eli’s townhouse.
“I wasn’t expecting you to be back so early, especially since you have taken Wilkins’ sister to the modiste,” Eli said once Richard stepped into the study of his London townhouse.
“It was a simple affair that was concluded in no time, and the lady in question was sent home to rest,” Richard said absentmindedly, moving straight to where the decanter of brandy sat.
Splashing some into a glass, he downed the shot at once, bracing himself for the inevitable heat that bloomed in his throat and chest.
“I think you have a soft spot for her,” Eli said suddenly in a matter-of-fact tone that caused Richard to choke on his drink and cough.
“Wh-Why would you think that?” Richard asked between coughs.
“Well, that might be because you follow her around with your eyes, and what man follows a woman he is not interested in to the modiste?”
“I do. Lady Selina is a dear friend of mine, and I decided to give her insight when she decided to change her wardrobe. It is my way of showing my gratitude,” he said, cradling his glass before taking a seat opposite Eli. “She recently saved me from a particularly desperate marriage-seeking debutante and her equally scheming mama. I am simply returning the favor by helping her attract a suitor.”
“Perhaps. But it might be better if you were the suitor. It would not hurt to get married soon, especially since you seem to have a good relationship with the beautiful lady in question.”
“You do realize, Eli, that I am the last person who should be planning to get married when the drama that ensued between me and Lottie is still fresh in the minds of the ton. It would be prudent to exercise care in choosing a bride who does not have hidden bloodthirsty tendencies. Besides, the lady does not seem to be interested,” Richard said ruefully.
“You are blind if you really believe that—but I know you are not. I would write off your excuses as fear of the unknown, but Selina is not like your parents or Lottie. You still have a chance of being deliriously happy with a lady that you desire.”
“I never took you for a shrink, Eli. While I’m sure it makes for good entertainment to discuss my love life, I think now is the time for a subject change. What time do you plan on visiting Gentleman Jackson’s salon?”
“In the evening, perhaps,” Eli answered, sipping brandy from the glass he cradled to his chest.
“I will accompany you. I need something to do to work off accumulated tension, do you not agree?”
“I believe I do,” Eli answered with a smug smirk, knowing that Richard’s sudden need for boxing might have something to do with the romantic feelings he was ignoring and denying every chance he got.