Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Back in her itchy wool dress, Lydia's mood soured again as she and Joseph walked together through the sunny field toward the gardens behind Winstone House.

But while she frowned and scratched at the fabric against her skin, Joseph was in grand spirits. He was so happy he felt like skipping, though he refrained from such boyish behavior in front of the woman making his belly feel like it was full of bubbles popping and bouncing about.

Not a single other woman in all of his eight-and-twenty years had ever made him feel the way Lydia did that day. First, she had managed to impress his mother by being her unique self. Then she had awakened his cravings for her even more by daring to swim naked with him in the spring.

Touching me, stroking me, and showing me more of her secret, stunning beauty without hesitation or embarrassment.

She was truly like no other woman of society. Her desire for physical exploration was as shocking as it was intoxicating. It was all Joseph could do to keep his hands to himself when his bold little nymph was near.

As they walked away from the most exciting swim of his life, he was consumed with the desire to taste Lydia's thick nipples and dip his hard and aching sex deeply between her soft nether folds. He barely noticed the many vibrant wildflowers in bloom along their path back to the house because of the sensuous images replaying in his head.

It was ridiculous to feel so strongly for a woman in such a short amount of time, but he wasn't the first man to fall for a feisty vixen so quickly. Already the thought of any other man having Lydia to himself made Joseph's throat constrict and his muscles stiffen.

Though he had no intention of admitting it to anyone yet, he knew his and Lydia's engagement was no longer a ruse. He had every intention of marrying her as soon as possible, then enjoy having his little nymph by his side for the rest of his days.

The only challenge now was helping Lydia feel the same way about him.

Yet they had time. With at least a week more to go before the roads and bridge were passable from his home, Joseph had time to woo her, romance her, and experiment with more thrilling touches and tenderness in stolen moments like they shared just now at the spring.

He couldn't wait to discover more of his fiancée's secret delights and welcome her into his world a little more each day.

"I have never seen a goofier grin on a man's face, my lord. Are you daydreaming or did you empty a bottle of port down your throat when I wasn't looking?" Lydia smirked at him as they passed the small grove of fruit trees where they'd shared tea with the countess hours before. The tent and all signs of their elegant gathering were gone and it was nearing time to get ready for dinner.

"I am dreaming of a naked nymph with soft hands and ample breasts ripe for suckling!" Joseph laughed loudly as he wrapped his arm around Lydia's waist, pulled her close, and planted a kiss on the creamy, delicate skin swelling above her bodice.

"My lord, where are your manners? I am a lady!" Lydia laughed as she playfully pushed him away and dashed out ahead of him on the path. She kept giggling as Joseph reached to pinch her bottom from behind.

"You are a lady in society but you are my nymph when we're alone. And you are quickly becoming the only woman I care to spend my time with outside of my family. Surely, you cannot deny that there is more than experimentation happening between us, Lydia." He caught up with her again and looped her arm into his.

Lydia peeked up at him from below the rim of her sunhat and smiled. "I must admit you have a certain unexpected appeal, my lord."

"Joseph, please."

"But again, Joseph, it's only been three days. There is much to learn about each other. For example, I might discover that we do not share the same passions, and then where would we be?"

Joseph stopped walking and held fast to Lydia's arm. "My lady, we got very close to making love back there at the spring, whether you know that's what was happening or not. So, I'd say we clearly share the same passions already!"

Lydia tugged on Joseph's arm to move them forward again. "Yes, we share physical attraction, but what about our interests? What if we have nothing to talk about beyond our… anatomical discoveries?"

Joseph swatted a bug off his cheek and scowled. "Here you go vexing me again, Lydia. Husbands and wives need not have similar interests. They have different roles and, in many ways, separate lives—other than when they share a bed, of course."

He stopped again and lifted the brim of Lydia's hat to see her green eyes full of fire.

"Can you be serious, my lord? Do you expect me to marry a man who won't talk to me? Who doesn't share any of my interests or share more of life with me than the hours in my bed? That is the most preposterous thing I have ever heard. If that is what your mother taught you from all those proper etiquette books, she has done you a terrible disservice. It seems you haven't learned a thing about women at all!" She released her arm from Joseph's and ran quickly up the path through the apricot trees, disappearing beyond the many branches full of leaves.

"Lydia, wait!" Joseph ran after her until he found his way back out of the trees where she had stopped at the large iron gate that led into his family's vast gardens behind the house.

On the other side of the gate, Wilhelmina Underwood stood holding her hand over the latch and grinned from ear to ear.

"Hello again, Lord Winstone. I was just telling your little nymph about my passions, since that seems to be the topic of the day. Can you guess which passion is at the top of my list? My greatest passion is to be the Honorable Viscountess Winstone, married to the heir of this grand estate. I realize it's my fault for not making that passion clear before you and your harlot went for a swim, but I've had quite enough of your secret trysts. They end now."

Lydia gasped and turned beet red. Joseph stepped in front of her to shield her from Miss Underwood's vile speech, but she refused to be hidden away. She stood by Joseph's side once more and slammed her hands onto her hips in defiance as Joseph defended her honor.

"How dare you speak of Lady Lydia in such an undignified manner. I must ask you to step away from the gate and never speak to us in such a way again, Miss Underwood. You and I will never be married. By demanding such a thing, you have overstepped and forgotten your place. This is my home and you are a guest, so please act accordingly or you will be removed from the premises immediately. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but this behavior cannot be allowed to continue. Lady Lydia and I are engaged, so whatever trysts you have witnessed are between a man and woman soon to be husband and wife. They are our business and ours alone."

Wilhelmina threw her head back and laughed, completely unfazed by his scolding. "Is that so, Lord Winstone? You truly think that your mother would turn a blind eye to your secret romps with a young unmarried lady who lured you with her desire to marry a nobleman?"

Lydia scoffed and took a step closer to the gate. "I did no such thing! We aren't even engaged for real!"

"Lydia! Please do not speak of personal matters!" Joseph grabbed at Lydia's arm as she slapped a hand over her mouth, apparently just realizing what she'd revealed.

Miss Underwood cackled again and shook her head. "Well, of course you're not, my dear. What respectable viscount would marry a woman he'd already taken liberties with in the woods? Wake up, nymph. You're nothing but his plaything while we're all stuck here together. Once the bridge is repaired, he won't even remember your name."

Lydia gasped again and stepped backward as if she'd taken a punch from Wilhelmina's fist right in the belly. She doubled over and crumpled to the ground as Joseph crouched over her to put his hands on her upper arms.

"Lydia, don't listen to this evil woman and her terrible lies. She doesn't know me or my intentions." He rubbed her arms up and down until she pulled away from him again.

"I don't know you either, my lord! This whole thing has gone too far!"

"I couldn't agree more, Lady Lydia." Wilhelmina unlatched the gate and swung it open. "Which is why I have an offer for the both of you. Lydia will call off the engagement and the viscount will begin courting me instead by the end of this confinement. Then, after a respectable courtship, you will announce our engagement, my lord, and we will marry as quickly as possible. In return, I will keep your secret and never reveal to anyone the scandalous behavior the two of you have shared. But mark my words, that behavior stops now. There will be no further private contact between the two of you. You may behave as a respectable betrothed couple among the ton for now, but share even the quickest moment of privacy together and I will spread so many rumors that your ruined reputations will take your entire families down with you. Is that understood?"

Joseph stepped up to the gate and pushed his way through it as Wilhelmina walked backwards a few steps on the other side. "You cannot blackmail us, Miss Underwood. Remember, you are an outsider in my home and you have no proof. Nobody here will believe you."

He walked around the gate and stood very close to Wilhelmina's body, staring down at her with menace in his darkened eyes. She returned Joseph's angry glare, then spun around and started walking toward Winstone House. She waved back a Lydia and Joseph as if she was walking away from dear friends.

"Oh, I have proof, my lord! And I think you know exactly where I found it. Good day!"

***

"She's a horrible person! Just horrible! Do you want me to scatter her undergarments across the front lawn, my lord? Because I'll do it!" Bridget paced back and forth in the library with her small hands clenched in fists as Lydia hung her head in the corner and Joseph kept watch at the door.

"Please sit down, Miss Kelly. And, no… do not go anywhere near Miss Underwood or her things until we have a new plan." Joseph combed a hand through his blond hair thickened by the spring water. He needed to bathe soon to be ready for dinner in time, but they had to decide what to do about Wilhelmina first.

And try not to get caught doing so by Miss Underwood and anyone from the Winstone staff or guest list she may have employed to spy on them.

"Lady Lydia, I think the best solution is for us to get married much sooner. We should tell our parents that we don't want to wait and ask if our special circumstances due to the storms would warrant a quick marriage license. It's the best way to keep Miss Underwood from spreading lies that harm our families."

Joseph took a few steps toward Lydia, then turned back again to make sure nobody was lingering in the hallway. He wanted so much to hold her and reassure her that all would be well, but she was still gazing at the floor and refusing to look into his eyes.

He also didn't want to reveal too much about their relationship that would compromise Lydia's reputation with Bridget. All Miss Kelly knew at the moment was that Miss Underwood had threatened to spread gossip about Lydia and Joseph being intimate together. Bridget didn't need to know any of the details, or that some of Miss Underwood's accusations were true.

"I'll kick her in the shins! I'll bloody her nose! How dare she threaten my mistress and, of course, you, my Lord. How dare she!" Bridget punched her fists through the air and danced around like a boxer in a ring. "That sorry lass has some dodgy porridge to look forward to in the morning, I can tell you that!"

Joseph nearly yelled at Bridget for taking things too far, but the silliness of her behavior tickled him too much to scold her further. He chuckled as Lydia lifted her head and watched Bridget punch an imaginary Miss Underwood over and over again.

"If only your flying fists could solve things in the real world and make this all go away, Bridget." Lydia sighed, then wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. She finally looked over at Joseph to address his suggestion of a quick marriage. "My lord, I cannot marry you merely to silence Miss Underwood. And I don't think rushing into marriage is a good idea in any circumstances. I appreciate your efforts to protect us, but there must be another way. Let's get ready for dinner and think about other possibilities. Maybe Wilhelmina can be stopped with a more reasonable method. Come, Bridget. Let's go find out which itchy borrowed dress I'll be wearing tonight."

Joseph stood next to the library doorway as Lydia walked through it. She avoided his gaze again and said nothing more, which made him feel even worse. As soon as she and Bridget disappeared, he leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

He silently chided himself for suggesting a quick marriage to Lydia when he knew she was hesitant to marry at all yet. He also silently blamed his mother for inviting Wilhelmina Underwood to stay for dinner on the night of the ball instead of making sure she got home safely before the bridge washed out in the storm.

"Lord Winstone, I didn't see you there. My apologies if I am disturbing you. I thought I'd browse for a book while waiting for the dinner bell. Your mother seems to have something special planned for tonight, does she not?"

Joseph's eyes fluttered open to see Lord Triton standing in the library with a book on English agriculture in his hands. He was dressed for dinner in a fine black jacket and white silk cravat with perfectly starched shirt points visible above the silk.

"Lord Triton, I beg your pardon. I was resting my eyes for a moment. I'm honestly not certain what my mother has planned for this evening, so please enlighten me, if you would." Joseph pinched the bridge of his nose to try and ease his growing headache, but it didn't help.

Lord Triton smiled and scanned Joseph's crumpled clothing and stringy hair. "By the looks of you, Winstone, you'd best take your leave of me now to avoid your mother's notice before you become more presentable. I believe the countess has arranged for a special dinner in the orangery tonight where formal dress is required. An invitation was delivered to my room this afternoon."

Joseph's eyes widened as he pulled his pocket watch from his vest and checked the time. "Thank you, Lord Triton. I do believe you just saved me from the countess's wrath. I'll see you at dinner!"

He hastily bowed, then dashed into the hallway and swerved around various guests in fine attire as he headed to his dressing room on the second floor.

Benchley was waiting with Joseph's bath already warmed and his dinner clothes pressed. "Ten more minutes and I would have been forced to seek new employment, my lord."

Joseph tore at his sweaty tunic and trousers, and threw all the rest of his garments about the room until he was stark naked. Then he eased into the steaming tub of clean water and felt some of his worries ease instantly. "Come now, Benchley! Have a little faith! Have I ever let you down before?"

Benchley sighed and held a large towel over his arm a few feet from the bathtub where Joseph scrubbed his body with a thick bar of soap.

"Many times, my lord. Many, many times."

Joseph laughed and scrubbed the soap through his hair, then dunked his head in the water to rinse away the suds. When he came back up for air and wiped his eyes, Benchley was holding a brown satchel in mid-air.

"This arrived for you about an hour ago, my lord. It came with a note attached."

Joseph stared at the satchel with wide eyes, then stood up in the bath as water sloshed over the sides. "Who delivered it?"

"A footman, my lord."

Joseph stood naked and dripping in the metal washtub as he grabbed the note Benchley had found with the bag. He opened it, read the one sentence written within, and frowned.

I believe this is what you'd call proof.

W.U.

"Open the satchel, Benchley. And don't tell me it's empty." Joseph stood in the soapy water of his bath and kept his gaze locked on the bag in Benchley's hands as his valet pulled it open and peered inside.

"It is indeed empty, my lord. And you are late for dinner. The countess will be upset if you don't join her soon."

Joseph crumpled the note from Wilhelmina Underwood in his hand and let it fall into the cloudy water. He watched it sink and felt his spirits sink with it.

"Well, we know better than to disappoint a woman, don't we, Benchley?"

"No man has ever avoided it yet, my lord. Let's get you dressed and out to the orangery. The countess has given tonight's dinner a fitting theme, by the way."

Joseph stepped out of the bath and into the towel Benchley provided. "Which is what?"

Benchley cleared his throat and smiled. "Athena, Greek goddess of war."