Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
D aniel gazed down into the lady’s face, feeling the same irresistible pull towards her, as strongly as ever.
He had no idea they were heading to her house when he and his mother and sister had set off in the carriage that morning. His mother had been tight-lipped about their destination, and Selina had her head buried in a book, not even noticing where they were going.
And his sister had lagged behind as well when they had reached their destination, snagging her gown in the carriage door. He and his mother had already entered the house and were being escorted to the drawing room by the time Selina caught up to them.
When he had seen Maddie enter the drawing room, his heart had almost stopped beating. It seemed that fate truly was bringing them together. She looked particularly beautiful today in a light green gown with a low bodice, the tops of her creamy breasts straining delectably against it. He wanted to pull down that bodice and cup those sweet breasts in both hands, drawing one of her nipples into his mouth…
His loins stirred. They were alone in the garden now. His sister had run off into the mews beyond the high wall, seeking an abandoned kitten, as she was wont to do. Selina had always had a soft spot for animals, and it seemed that nothing had changed. He thanked her silently.
“So,” he asked in a business-like tone, staring straight ahead, not meeting Maddie’s eyes, “have you reached a decision yet, My Lady?”
Maddie gasped, taking a step back. Her chest was rising and falling dramatically. He tried not to look at it, but it was hard not to.
“It seems that we might be seeing a good deal of each other,” he continued thoughtfully. “Seeing as our families are friendly with each other. So, it would probably be a good thing if you made up your mind quickly.”
“You are outrageous, Your Grace,” Maddie hissed, her honey-colored eyes shooting sparks. “Did you engineer this call? You told me that you would give me a day to think about it!”
“So I did,” he said, grinning. “But it would seem that fate had other ideas, My Lady. I had no idea we were coming here—my dear mother arranged everything, you see, and did not bother to tell either my sister or myself of her plans.” He took a step closer to her. “But I cannot deny that I am pleased with how it has turned out.”
“I do not believe you,” she whispered furiously. “It is insufferable!”
“Why do you protest so much?” he asked in an amused tone, taking another small step closer to her. “You wrote that list. You clearly wish to experience all that is written on it. All I am asking at the moment is that you experience one of those things with me. Is that too much?”
Her eyes widened. “Just the one? And then you will give me the list? It is not what you suggested last night.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Just the one… for now.”
His eyes swept over her face, taking in her full, sensuous lips, her high cheekbones, and her long, dark eyelashes. Hound’s teeth, she was a beauty! He was still fully convinced that he had never seen a woman more beautiful, and he had been acquainted with many, some of them feted for their great beauty. None of them held a candle to Lady Madeline Cole.
He took another small step, inching closer. Now, they were only a hair’s breadth away from each other. Maddie seemed to freeze, standing as still as a statue. He exhaled slowly, watching her face intently, spellbound to see a small dark curl flutter slightly at the force of his breath. Slowly, he reached out a hand, taking the curl within his grasp, and stroking it lightly.
She gasped, shuddering. He saw that she was trembling from head to toe.
He could see her hesitation. He knew she was torn. His experience told him that she was just as attracted to him as he was to her. But it seemed that the lady, despite her saucy list, wasn’t as experienced in these matters as he was. He must take the lead, and he must do it now, while he had the chance. Selina could be back at any moment.
He reached out, pulling Maddie towards him, drawing her behind a large tree where they couldn’t be seen. He gazed down at her, taking her waist in his hands.
“You wanted to kiss a rake,” he whispered, his blood thickening. “So be it, My Lady.”
He bent his head slowly to give her time to retreat if she wished to. She didn’t.
He captured those sensuous, full lips with his own, exploring her mouth. She stiffened at first, placing her hands against his chest as if she were about to push him away. He gripped her waist tighter, pulling her closer still, glorying in the kiss, tasting her fully. Her lips were every bit as sweet as he had anticipated.
Suddenly, she sagged against him, her mouth opening beneath his own. He felt a stab of pure, unadulterated desire snake throughout his entire body. He deepened the kiss, flicking his tongue into her mouth, feeling like he wanted to devour her whole. He simply couldn’t get enough of her.
He was consumed by the sensual energy that had thickened around them like a fog.
Heaven help me . Her lips are even more sublime than I had imagined!
He gripped her tighter, arching her back, pulling her closer to him. He couldn’t stop a small growl in his throat as he further explored her lips, devouring her. He was as hard as a rock, his manhood pressing against her belly urgently. His desire for her was threatening to spiral out of control. If he wasn’t careful, he would lose it, hiking her skirts and taking her quickly against the tree. And he didn’t want that. Lady Madeline Cole was to be savored, like a fine wine.
She was shaking as he abruptly pulled away. And to his surprise, so was he. He simply couldn’t remember the last time he had felt such an all-encompassing desire.
“I know you want to kiss me again,” he whispered, his hands still on her waist. “You should visit me this evening. You can cross kissing a rake off your list, My Lady.”
She was flushed and breathing heavily. “You will give me back my list if I do so?”
“We shall see, won’t we?” He wanted to kiss her again, quite desperately. But he had no intention of giving up the list. He had told her he wanted her to check off all the items on it with him, and he meant it. “You will never know if you do not come.”
“How?” she breathed, her eyes wide.
“I will send a carriage for you,” he replied. “It will be waiting in the mews, just beyond this wall. Be there at ten.”
She hesitated.
He swallowed painfully, trying not to push her any further, trying not to show her how desperate he was to hold her in his arms again. He didn’t want to scare her. But he simply had to kiss her again… and so much more if he could manage it. She was like a fever infecting his blood. One kiss wasn’t nearly enough.
“Very well,” she said, biting her lip. “I will be there at ten.”
He felt a wave of triumph surge through him, as well as exalted joy. At that moment, Selina reappeared, walking quickly up the path towards them. Daniel dropped his hands from Maddie’s waist, stepping away from her.
“Sister,” he called, trying to keep his voice steady. “Did you find it?”
Selina looked slightly annoyed. “No,” she said. “I searched and searched, but I could not find it anywhere.” She stopped walking, peering at them both. “Is everything well? You are both flushed.”
“We have just returned from a brisk walk,” Daniel explained, not looking at Maddie. “That is all.”
“I see.” Selina frowned slightly. “Well, I suppose we should return to the drawing room.”
They started walking down the path, past the gazebo, towards the house. Daniel looked down at Maddie’s hand by her side, feeling a sudden urge to hold it. He prayed she wouldn’t get cold feet and not get into the carriage tonight. His blood was already quickening again at the thought of being alone with her, once more. He could barely wait.
All was exactly as it had been when they entered the drawing room, Maddie noted. Augusta was still sitting at the pianoforte, engrossed in her music. She didn’t even seem to notice when they walked into the room. Maddie doubted very much that she had even noticed them leave.
Her mother and the Dowager Duchess were still drinking cups of tea and had eaten a fair amount of the seed cake and scones that had been placed on the table as well. Both ladies looked up at the trio, in an almost guilty fashion, their conversation abruptly halted.
Maddie sat down in the same chair she had sat in before, trying hard not to look at the Duke. Her heart was still racing, and she felt slightly ill as if she were coming down with a fever.
He just kissed me . He kissed me against the old elm tree in the gardens, while my best friend was searching for a kitten.
It was the very first time she had ever been kissed like that by a gentleman. And, oh, what a kiss it was! Never in her wildest imagination had she ever dreamt it could be so divine. She had felt like her bones were melting—as if she were dissolving into a puddle on the ground.
She knew that she shouldn’t have agreed to meet him tonight. She knew very well that she was playing with fire. She had kissed a rake—exactly as she had written on her list—and that should have been the end of it. But it wasn’t, and it couldn’t be. Because she wanted to be kissed again by him, quite desperately.
She simply didn’t know how she was going to endure the rest of the day until that moment arrived.
“Did you have a pleasant walk?” Lady Ollerton asked, turning her attention to Maddie.
“Very pleasant,” Maddie murmured, trying to ignore her flaming cheeks. “It is a beautiful day.”
The Dowager Duchess coughed into her hand. “Now that everyone is here again, I should inform you that we are hosting a house party next week at Stansgate,” she said, with a small smile. “And I am very pleased to invite you and your charming daughters for the duration, Lady Ollerton.”
Maddie jumped a little. She had never been to Stansgate, the Huxleys’ ancestral home in Kent. Selina often talked about how beautiful their country manor was and how much she missed it when she was in London.
Maddie tried not to look at the Duke. But once again, she couldn’t seem to help it. Her cheeks flamed further when she realized he was staring at her. His eyes were so grey that they were almost silver, she marveled, feeling her heart flutter in her chest.
“Oh, thank you, Mama!” Selina cried, clapping her hands together in delight. “I am so very glad that Maddie and her family will be coming!”
“You are going to be there, are you not, Your Grace?” Lady Ollerton asked, gazing at the Duke pointedly.
The Duke nodded. “I am, Lady Ollerton. It will be my first time back at Stansgate in a very long time, indeed.”
Augusta finally finished playing the pianoforte, getting up and rejoining the group. She looked a little dazed, as if she had returned from another world and wasn’t fully in this one.
“Did you hear, my dear,” the Dowager Duchess asked, smiling at her, “about the invitation to our house party in Kent?”
Augusta shook her head. “I am afraid not.”
“You are especially invited, my dear,” the Dowager Duchess added, her smile broadening. “I simply will not take no for an answer, Lady Augusta.”
Selina raised her eyebrows so high that they almost reached her hairline. She turned and looked at her brother, rolling her eyes discreetly. The Duke scowled a bit.
Maddie’s heart lurched. It was patently obvious that the older ladies were conspiring to match the Duke and her sister. It was probably all that the ladies had talked about while they had been in the gardens. And now, she recalled that her mama had received a note last night, very late, after she had returned from Grosvenor Square. It had probably been from the Dowager Duchess, telling her that they were planning to call today, and outlining exactly what the call was hoping to achieve.
Maddie felt faint.
Two birds with one stone . Both ladies hope to marry off their troublesome offspring, after all. And what better solution than to marry them off to each other?
It was still a mystery to her why the Dowager Duchess was suddenly so taken with Augusta, targeting her so obviously. The lady had always been disapproving of Maddie’s bluestocking sister, after all. Perhaps she had grown desperate, thinking she could tame Augusta.
It would be a lost cause. Augusta would never lead a conventional life.
It bothered Maddie, and she still didn’t know exactly why. She shouldn’t care in the least if her mother and the Dowager Duchess succeeded in their matchmaking endeavors, except as to how it would affect Augusta, who was violently opposed to matrimony. She wanted her sister to be happy, in any way that suited her, and if that was as a spinster, then so be it. Of course, she still had a secret wish that Augusta would find her love match, but the chances of that were slim, and growing slimmer by the day.
Maddie took a deep breath. Perhaps that was the root cause of her disquiet at the thought of the match. She just didn’t want her beloved sister forced into a loveless marriage with anyone. And especially not an acknowledged rake, who would probably never make her happy.
“I would be honored to attend your house party, Your Grace,” Augusta replied in a monotone voice, without a flicker of emotion on her face. “Thank you for the invitation.”
The Dowager Duchess nodded in satisfaction, rising to her feet. “And on that happy note, I believe we should depart!” She turned to Lady Ollerton. “I shall send details of the party so that you know what to bring, Lady Ollerton.”
“Very good, Your Grace.” The Marchioness nodded, looking very satisfied as well.
“Come along, then,” the Dowager Duchess barked to her children.
Maddie and her mother and sister curtseyed as their guests walked out of the room. Maddie tried to keep her eyes firmly on the ground. But as the Duke swept past, she couldn’t resist peering up at him. He was watching her intently, and then, to her shock, he whispered something that only she could hear.
“I will be waiting for you tonight,” he said, his grey eyes filled with desire.
And then, they were gone.
Maddie collapsed into a seat, her heart racing. She felt sick and frightened and enormously excited, all at the same time. She didn’t know how she was going to get through the day. She was certain it was going to drag interminably.
She knew she had made a deal with the devil. She couldn’t even pray for guidance. For everyone knew that if one made a deal with the devil, then the grace of God was lost, perhaps forever.
After dinner that evening, Maddie told her family that she had a headache and that she was retiring for the night. Her heart was beating frantically as Jane undressed her and she slipped into her night attire. It was only after she had dismissed her lady’s maid, firmly locking the chamber door, that she sprang into action.
Frantically, she rifled through her wardrobe, selecting her plainest, darkest gown. She didn’t want to be hampered by it, nor did she want to be seen. She was planning to slip out of the house via the back entrance to meet the carriage in the mews—if she went ahead with it, of course.
Maddie blew out her candle, getting into bed fully clothed so as not to arouse suspicion. If anyone passed her room, there would be no candle burning. They would assume she was fast asleep, and they would not disturb her. The remaining hours, until the appointed meeting time, seemed to crawl by, as if they were years instead of hours. Her mind was racing with frantic worry.
What if I am caught? What if the carriage is not waiting in the mews? But then, what if it is, and I must go through with it?
She stared up at the dark ceiling, feeling sicker by the minute. There was simply no way she could go through with it. She would simply get up and change again and this time really go to bed. She supposed that if the carriage arrived, it would just wait and then leave if she didn’t show up. The Duke would be disappointed, but he must be half expecting that she wouldn’t do it. And she didn’t owe him anything, anyway. He was a rake and must be used to women slipping out of his grasp, from time to time.
If only I had not written that infernal list!
She still couldn’t believe that she had done it, and the unexpected consequences of it. It was written in a fit of high spirits and bravado, a fit of rebellious yearning, chaffing against the chains of her repressed upbringing. She didn’t know now whether she had ever intended to go through with it. If the Duke hadn’t found the list, she would probably have ripped it up eventually, throwing it in the fire, for fear that anyone discovered it.
Be careful what you wish for, lest it come true.
The cautionary words from Aesop’s morality tale slipped into her mind. She had never quite understood it before. Why would anyone regret their wish coming true? But now, she knew. It was a double-edged sword, indeed.
Just before the appointed hour, she got out of bed, pulling the quilt high to look like she was still within it. Her heart was pounding so loudly that it sounded like a drum in her ears. She put on her cloak and slipped out the door, heading towards the back exit of the house on tiptoe.
All was quiet. It seemed everyone had retired for the evening, even the servants. She almost collided with a dresser, before quickly avoiding it. She only breathed out when she made it to the back door, entering the gardens.
It was a cool, clear night, with a bright full moon lighting the way. Maddie slipped the hood of her cloak over her head, making sure that her face wasn’t visible. She had to push and pull at the small gate connecting the house to the mews before the latch finally gave way.
The mews was quiet, too, and very dark. The only sound she heard was the faint nicker from a horse in the stables. She cast her eyes down the narrow alley.
There was the carriage, waiting at the corner, cast in shadow, looking like a giant black bug in the darkness.
Maddie stopped abruptly, staring at it. This was the point of no return. If she climbed into that carriage, her fate was sealed. She could still return to the house and forget that this had ever happened. That would be the most sensible thing.
Her heart seized with indecision. Oh, Lord, how on earth was she going to make up her mind?