Chapter 2

CHAPTER2

“The Duke of Sutterton?” Irene spluttered, choking on her own champagne. Isabella lifted a hand and patted her sister’s back, helping her, before brushing a loose lock of hair back from her sister’s face. “Isn’t he the one they always talk about in the scandal sheets?”

“Yes, that’s the one,” Isabella muttered tightly and took a rather big gulp of her champagne, finding it difficult to look elsewhere from the Duke.

Infuriatingly, he was as handsome as he had been the first night she had seen him. She’d rather hoped he’d become less so, or put on some weight, to lessen her attraction to him, but her hopes were in vain.

His tall frame, athletic figure and broad shoulders had her mouth so dry she took another big gulp of champagne and nearly knocked her sister’s glass out of her hand with the movement.

“Oops, sorry, clumsy me,” Isabella said and turned back to the table, refilling her glass.

“I thought he didn’t come to these balls?” Susan asked. “It’s what I read in the scandal sheets.”

“He’s not been for three years.” Isabella could remember it well.

Four years ago, on the night of her debut, the Duke of Sutterton had paid particular attention to her. Where she felt tall, lanky, inelegant and clumsy, he didn’t seem to notice any of that. He’d asked her to dance and set her heart fluttering so much that the night after she had barely slept, as she had kept thinking of him.

Strangely, he had not returned to another event for a year after that. She had been so nervous upon seeing him again that when she had done, her usual clumsiness had become worse than normal and she’d spilled a glass of champagne over his jacket when she’d tried to talk to him. His expression had made plain two things.

He hadn’t recognized her at all from her debut. He had also looked at her with disdain for what she had done.

Since then, the Duke of Sutterton had made a name for himself.

“He’s a rake,” Isabella said simply to her sisters. “So, it is probably wise that you both cease gawking at him so much. Irene, look away, and, Susan, close your mouth a little.” She raised a finger to her sister’s chin and closed her mouth for her.

Susan giggled. “Goodness, was I that obvious?” she asked.

“Just a little.” Isabella shrugged. “Remember what I said about men like him though—”

“We remember, don’t we, Susan?” Irene cut her off and appealed to Susan.

The two sisters began to recite Isabella’s words in unison. “‘Never give your eye, let alone your heart, to a rogue.’” They smiled.

“How long have you been telling us that?” Susan asked. “Since we first started asking about men?”

“I believe the first thing I told you was, Susan, do not stare at the footman so much,” Isabella reminded her sister, watching as Susan blushed bright red and Irene laughed.

Isabella could still remember the initially awkward conversation she’d had with her sisters about gentlemen and what happened between husbands and wives.

Their mother had died so young that she had not had the chance to tell them herself. Isabella had learnt what she knew from overhearing the courtesans with her father and what the housekeeper had blushingly told her one day when she had asked questions. Isabella had been the one to tell her sisters of such things, for she didn’t want them learning about it the way she had done, wondering why so many women went to her father’s chamber at night.

“Worry not, Sister, we will not look his way again,” Irene assured her. “No matter how difficult it is.”

When Irene playfully tried to look in the Duke’s direction, Isabella took her shoulder and purposefully kept her gazing the other way. She herself refused to look in the Duke’s direction again. Not only had she been humiliated by their last meeting, but she had been ashamed too. For she had often thought of their dance together, even to this day, and it had clearly meant nothing to him, so much so that he had no clue as to who she was.

Sighing, Isabella tried to mask her sadness by raising her glass to her lips and taking another big gulp.

“Ah, Isabella?” Susan whispered, moving to her other side.

“Yes?”

“We have a problem.”

“What is it?” Isabella put down her glass, initially alert to how she could protect her sisters.

“It’s not my problem.” Susan shook her head, evidently sensing Isabella’s protectiveness. “But your own.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look.” Susan nodded her head towards the crowd.

Isabella followed her sister’s gaze, looking to see that Lord Pine had arrived and was gazing directly at her.

The gentleman was at least twenty years her senior and had married once already in his life, though his wife had died after bearing their first child. Lord Pine seemed to spend more time at the ton’s events, with his eyes wandering towards Isabella, than he did with his son.

“Why is he looking at me like that?” Isabella muttered in fear.

“He leaves little to the imagination, doesn’t he?” Irene closed in on her other side. “His eyes can’t even stay in one place.”

Lord Pine’s eyes wandered down Isabella’s dress and back up to her face before he began to walk towards them, trying to get through the crowd to come to her.

“If he asks me to dance, what excuse shall I say tonight?” Isabella asked.

“A headache?” Susan suggested quickly.

“I’ve used that one about twenty times already!” Isabella muttered, panic beginning to make her hands tremble.

“I’m so ill I’m dying?” Irene suggested, then flushed red at the madness of her idea.

“Yes, that’s wonderful! Shall I keel over and pretend to die here too?” Isabella gestured towards the drinks table. “I might shatter all the glasses.”

“That would certainly get you out of dancing,” Irene noted with an amused smile.

“We will say you needed some air. Quick, run to the garden before he can get here.” Susan waved her hand in a rush. “Quick, go now!”

They were running out of time. He was so close that Isabella had mere seconds to escape. As reluctant as she was to leave her sisters’ sides, the last dance she had shared with Lord Pine had frightened her so much she had nearly hurt him.

“Very well, I shall go. Please, be careful whom you agree to dance with tonight,” Isabella pleaded with her sisters, just as Irene stepped in front of her and thrust herself into the path of Lord Pine.

“Lord Pine, you have just missed my sister. What a shame…”

Isabella smiled at her sisters’ protectiveness as she made her way to the door of the ballroom to head out to the garden.

* * *

“Well, Henry, I must confess I’m glad you deigned to join us tonight,” John said as he took Henry’s glass to fill it up.

“I wouldn’t have missed it, John. You know that.” Henry smiled as he took the glass and toasted his friend. “Even if I’m amazed this day has come for you.”

“Did you think it wouldn’t?” John laughed as he tipped his glass back and nearly swallowed the liquid whole.

“Part of me did, yes. Are you trying to be drunk for the announcement of your nuptials?” Henry poked fun at his friend, who merely shrugged in happiness. The Duke didn’t think he’d ever seen his friend so happy.

John Bolton, or Lord Hillson as he was known to most, had been a good friend to Henry since their university days. Yet, back then, John had been a cad. When Henry had gone about trying to ruin the dukedom’s reputation, John was the first one he’d turned to for advice.

The rake was no longer a rake though, and John was settling down.

“Sometimes I can’t believe you are marrying at all,” Henry acknowledged, watching as his friend looked around for his betrothed.

“The right woman, Henry. Turns out, that was all I was waiting for.” John smiled as he caught sight of his betrothed across the room.

Henry had to admit Lady Eloise was a beauty. With long black hair, bold blue eyes and elfin features, she and John fitted well together.

Though Henry liked to avoid the ton’s events as much as possible, he couldn’t turn this one down. He wished to attend the ball to celebrate his friend’s betrothal.

“I’m very happy for you, John.” Henry offered his hand, which John took and shook warmly.

“Thank you, truly. It’s high time we saw you with as silly a smile on your face as I have,” John said and gestured to his own smile. “Perhaps you should consider throwing off this absurd idea of yours never to marry. It could bring you happiness—”

“You know why I can’t do that.” Henry shook his head.

There was only one person in the world who knew what Henry had been through with his father, and that was John.

After Gregory had died, Henry had returned from his grand tour of the continent to run the dukedom, but he had not returned to say goodbye to his father. Henry had wanted his father to know the loneliness that his mother had known before she had passed.

The moment Henry had become duke, he changed his life to keep to the vow he had made to his father. John alone knew of the full tale.

“I know, sadly, I do know.” John clasped him on the shoulder with a friendly touch and offered a sorry smile. “Well, I am glad you have come tonight anyway. I feel lucky you have ventured out on my account.”

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” Henry promised him. “Speaking of which, someone is wanting you elsewhere.” He gestured towards Lady Eloise, who was beckoning for her betrothed to join her. “I’m guessing that means I lose the pleasure of your company for a few minutes?”

“Afraid so, Henry, afraid so.” John laughed and hurried off to Lady Eloise. As they parted, Henry chuckled and shook his head.

What must it be like to be so enamored that you feel compelled to go at the crook of a woman’s finger?

Henry couldn’t imagine a woman having such power over him. As the thought took over him, someone appeared at his side. This was a woman that he had power over… Lady Hampton. As a widow, she busied herself with having affairs these days and had no need to marry. It suited Henry very well indeed, and the two had often kept each other company late into the night, concerned only with their pleasures.

He knew so little about her. He didn’t know what she liked to drink or what made her laugh, but oh yes, he knew how to pleasure her.

“In need of a distraction, Your Grace?” Lady Hampton asked with a sultry smile on her dark pink lips. “I certainly need one tonight.”

“Then allow me to oblige.” He didn’t take her hand but nodded his head towards the door that led to the garden.

More than once, he had found himself in the corner of a garden with Lady Hampton. It seemed to add to their satisfaction, the illicitness of pleasuring one another outdoors, where they could be caught at any moment.

He slipped out of the ballroom first and heard her follow behind him. Taking a few steps down the stone terrace, the coolness of the summer air brushed over him, but it wasn’t so cold that he was worried about what they were going to do.

They passed gentlemen smoking on the stone terrace, and Henry led a path through a line of yew trees. He’d been to John’s house so many times, he knew these gardens like the back of his hand. He led Lady Hampton down the gravel path and to a circular stone bench, completely masked from the view of the house and boxed in on three sides by tall yew bushes.

Turning to face her, he sighed with excitement, feeling his body stirring.

Yes, this is how I survive.

He indulged in lust, and it had two benefits to his life. He satiated his desires, and the whispers of him being a cad spread throughout the ton, damaging the Sutterton name.

Lady Hampton turned her dark eyes towards him before she stepped closer, lifting her lips expectantly.

“We will not have long,” she whispered, “and we are at risk out here, but I cannot resist.”

“Then allow us to go straight to the greatest pleasure, Lady Hampton.” His deep whisper had her chuckling.

Henry lost himself in that kiss. Lady Hampton was good at these sorts of things, well-practiced and able to elicit the greatest stirs of desire from his body just by placing her hands in the right places. Even now, she grabbed his hip and then lowered her hand further, reaching for his manhood through his trousers.

Things moved quickly. Excited by the thought of them sharing their pleasure out here under the stars, Henry moved things even faster. His jacket was shed, his shirt unlaced so part of his chest was exposed, and then, he drew his trousers down his legs.

He was reaching beneath Lady Hampton’s skirts, pushing her back onto the stone bench, when they both heard a sound. Any pleasure they might have been about to indulge in faded as they stared at one another wide-eyed.

“Someone is coming,” Lady Hampton muttered hurriedly as the footsteps grew nearer. “Your Grace! We will be caught.”

Henry backed up from her instantly. He may have been glad to risk his own reputation, but he would never go past what the lady wanted. Lady Hampton was willing to have her affairs, but she hardly needed it witnessed.

She pushed down her skirt and ran off through a gap in the yew bushes, disappearing so fast that her skirts became a flash out of the corner of his eye, then they were gone.

“So close,” Henry muttered as he pulled up his trousers.

Indulging with Lady Hampton would have been a good way to distract himself from the curious stares of the guests in the ballroom.

Turning around, he was scarcely prepared for another lady appearing in the clearing around the stone bench. The woman moved fast and tried to skid to a halt on the gravel path, but she failed miserably. Her long arms moved through the air before she collided straight with his chest.

Henry reached out to stop her from toppling over. His hands took hold of her waist before he looked down and stared into intense green eyes. Atop high cheekbones that were red with her effort to run through the garden, she was striking.

Have I seen her somewhere before?

“Oh God… not you,” she muttered.