Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The evening had drawn to a close, and the DuPont household had settled into the quiet hum of night. In Vivianne’s bedchamber, the soft glow of candlelight flickered across the room, casting gentle shadows on the walls. Vivianne and Aurelia sat on the edge of the bed, their long hair cascading around them as they took turns braiding each other’s locks.

That had been an evening routine of theirs ever since they started considering themselves big girls, not in need of their mother or their lady’s maid any longer but preferring to have those precious moments to themselves. Vivianne sometimes wondered what that exactly entailed, and how everything seemed so much easier when they were little, while considering themselves big.

Aurelia’s nimble fingers gently worked through her hair, tenderly weaving it into a neat braid. “You know, Vivianne, you seemed different tonight during dinner. Somehow… happier. Did something happen during your walk with Lord Chesterfield?”

Vivianne sighed, a mix of amusement and exasperation in her voice. “Aurelia, you’re hopeless, do you know that? Always looking for romance in everything.”

Aurelia giggled in amusement at such an accusation. “Well, isn’t it romantic? A handsome suitor, a walk through the blossoming garden, a sudden, unexpected touch… it is the stuff of novels!”

Vivianne rolled her eyes, hating the word with every fiber of her being. She did not like romance, nor did she like such novels. She believed they filled the heads of young women with ideas that were simply impossible to achieve.

She tried to find the right words to describe her own situation. “It is not romantic at all. It is actually quite… complicated.”

“Complicated?” Aurelia lifted an eyebrow as her fingers stopped braiding.

Perhaps complicated wasn’t the word she had been searching for. Lord Chesterfield tried his best to make it all sound so simple, and in a way, it was. However, playing such games, making everyone believe one thing, was trickery.

It required effort, effort that Vivianne didn’t really want to input. However, the alternative was unthinkable. The continuation of that unbearable courting process with Lord Kinsington was out of the question. If the only way to deal with him was to divert everyone’s attention with Lord Chesterfield by her side, so be it.

“He will merely help me direct Lord Kinsington in a different direction,” she finally revealed, deciding that the moment of truth had finally arrived. She could always confide in her sister. Aurelia was not only her sister but also her best friend. She needed her compassionate ear.

“I… I don’t want to marry that man, Aurelia. I mean, I don’t want to marry any man, but especially not him.”

She gave her sister a hasty backstory to the man’s proclivities, and with every new revelation, Aurelia’s eyes widened even more. She didn’t hold back about anything, wanting Aurelia to understand everything, even those situations she could not comprehend before. Finally, when she was done, she asked, “Do you see now why I’ve been so desperate to avoid that man and his advances?”

“I do,” Aurelia was quick to agree, “but why didn’t you tell us all this before?”

“No, no.” She shook her head. “Mother cannot know. It would destroy her. You know that no gentleman wishes to court me, and again, I do not wish to be courted by any gentleman, but you know that Mother wishes to have me married before you.”

“I know why you are doing all of this, Viv,” Aurelia said, taking Vivianne’s hands into her own and squeezing them compassionately. “You cannot hold Reggie against every man forever.”

Vivianne sighed heavily. She didn’t want to talk about him. Everything she had to say had already been said. Besides, her sister’s happiness came first. Her own was less important. Far less.

“I most certainly can and will,” she said simply, the very name of that man enough to make her blood boil. “They are all the same. Well… most of them. But I have no patience to sift through the mud to find pearls. I shall leave that to you ladies who still believe that love is an achievable goal.”

“But it is,” Aurelia insisted, refusing to believe otherwise. Sometimes, Vivianne admired her for that naivety, even if it worked against her. Hopefully, the man her sister chose would be worthy of such naivety, of such charm and unconditional love. One could always hope…

“See?” Vivianne chuckled, her point so easily proven. “Pearls are for you, my dear. And I shall help you find them. Speaking of finding pearls, I do not believe that anyone who knows Lord Chesterfield would consider him that. But while we are pretending to court, we shall be joined by Viscount Russell.”

Aurelia’s eyes widened at the mention of the man’s name. She looked down at her lap, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She looked strangely flushed, and Vivianne recognized the look immediately. Her sister’s following words only strengthened her belief.

“He is my favorite of all the gentlemen I am talking to.”

“He is?” Vivianne inquired cautiously. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

Aurelia shrugged, still refusing to look up. “I… never thought it would make any difference.”

“Of course it makes a difference,” Vivianne assured her tenderly. “I noticed you speaking to him, but there are so many other gentlemen you are speaking to, I had no idea he meant something more to you.”

“Well, he doesn’t… I mean… he does but…” Her sister got lost in her own words, but Vivianne knew exactly what that meant.

She smiled. “That’s quite all right, Aurelia. He shall be accompanying us, and you two can get to know each other better without the hustle and bustle of the ball everywhere around you. Then, you can truly see if he is worth your time and more importantly, your heart.”

Aurelia suddenly looked up, musing, as if he had come up with the most wonderful idea in the entire world. “Imagine if I fell in love with him, and you fell in love with Lord Chesterfield!”

Vivianne couldn’t resist bursting into boisterous laughter at the very thought. It seemed the most ridiculous thing in the world.

“My dear Aurelia, Lord Chesterfield is not the sort of man who would ever settle down. He is an incorrigible rake, charming though he may be. The idea of him falling in love and committing to one woman is nothing short of a fantasy.”

Aurelia joined in her laughter, the sound filling the room with warmth. “Perhaps you’re right, Vivianne. But still, one can dream, can’t they?”

Vivianne shook her head, still chuckling. “You and your dreams. Let’s focus on the reality at hand. We’ll see what happens with Viscount Russell, and as for Lord Chesterfield... his only job is to get Lord Kinsington as far away from me as possible. If he manages to do that, I shall be forever grateful.”

The sisters shared one last laugh before Aurelia stood up, stretching her arms. “I suppose it’s time for me to retire to my own room. I am excited to see what the new day will bring.”

Vivianne hugged her sister tightly. “Me too, Aurelia. Let’s hope for only good things. Good night.”

“Good night, Vivianne,” Aurelia replied, smiling as she left the room.

Vivianne got ready for bed, snuggling under the covers. She closed her eyes tight, but no matter how hard she tried to fall asleep, she simply couldn’t. She tossed and turned, unable to find a comfortable position.

With a sigh, she settled on her back, staring up at the ornate canopy above. Her thoughts drifted inevitably to Edward, and the way he had almost kissed her on the balcony. The memory was vivid: the warmth of his hand, the intensity in his eyes, and the electric spark that had passed between them when their fingers brushed.

Vivianne closed her eyes, allowing herself to relive the moment. What would have happened if she hadn’t stopped him? If she had allowed herself to give in to the impulse and let him kiss her? She imagined the sensation of his lips on hers, the gentle pressure, and the way it might have made her heart race.

Her body reacted involuntarily, a shiver running down her spine. She felt her cheeks flush, and she took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She couldn’t go down that road again. She had been hurt before, and she had promised herself she wouldn’t let another man get close enough to break her heart.

But then, a small voice in the back of her mind whispered, what if just a kiss wouldn’t hurt? Just one kiss, to see if the spark was real, if the connection they felt was more than just a fleeting moment. It wouldn’t mean she was falling for him, just satisfying a curiosity.

Vivianne shook her head, trying to dispel the treacherous thoughts. She couldn’t afford to let herself be swayed by such fantasies. Edward was charming, yes, but he was also a rake, a man who could never be trusted to settle down. She needed to protect herself, to keep her heart guarded.

But even as she repeated these reminders to herself, the allure of that imagined kiss lingered. For now, she would try to find some peace in the quiet of the night. She turned onto her side, pulling the covers up to her chin, and closed her eyes once more. The memory of Edward’s almost-kiss still lingered, but she pushed it aside, focusing instead on the steady rhythm of her breathing.

As she finally began to drift off to sleep, a faint smile played on her lips. In the haze of her mind, her most secret wishes came true. Her yearning for him had culminated in the only place where she could not refuse him—her dreams. Their lips locked, hers moving slowly, soundlessly. She had read somewhere that she was supposed to close her eyes, but she wanted to look at him, to cup his face and drink in the sight of him.

His kiss inflamed her more than she ever thought possible. She was provoked to returning in the same passionate manner, as he held her in his arms, a beast that demanded all of her, and much to her shock, she was willing to give him everything he wanted.

Their kiss was a maddening dance of claiming and possession, as her hands slid behind his neck, keeping him in place almost as if he might disappear. His tongue swirled around hers with tenderness, and yet savagely. His mouth fitted against hers perfectly, their bodies like serpentines of desire, pressed together.

She had no idea how long she had been asleep, how long she had been kissing him back, but when she startled herself awake, her heart was beating like mad. With trembling fingers, she touched her lips, feeling them slightly swollen, as if she had actually been kissed. The thought thrilled her and petrified her at the same time.

“No, no, no,” she said aloud, almost in an effort to banish any remnants of the dream and refuse to allow them to have any effect on her.

But the truth was far from it. She lay back down, closing her eyes, but sleep refused to grace her with its presence. She kept tossing and turning, her lips burning with the memory of what could have happened.