Chapter Eleven

The sound of croquet mallets and voices faded into the distance as Pip and Allegra walked down grassy paths between towering bushes of ancient rhododendrons.

She caught her breath at their magnificence. Some were the purest white with just a touch of pink at their throats, others ranged in shades of palest blush to lavender purple. Then there were the deep magentas, stunning in the velvety richness of their blooms.

Each curve in the walk brought them to new vistas of colour, and she felt almost unable to take it all in. Nature was overwhelming in her abundance.

Bees buzzed lazily in and out of the flowers, and every now and again the splash of an azalea contrasted against the shiny green leaves of the rhododendrons. These azaleas would come into their own in a few weeks’ time, Lord Allenbridge had been slightly off in his assessment of the blooming schedule, but Allegra was too content to point out the error as they strolled down soft and grassy paths.

Together they observed a companionable silence, each absorbing the beauty of the day and listening to the sounds of the surrounding life that was busily engaged in doing its work regardless of the intruders.

It was as if, by mutual decision, all problems and worries had been left behind. They were now simply two people enjoying themselves.

A poignant song from a bird perched far above the couple drew their attention and occasioned a remark from Lord Allenbridge. “A tufted kingfisher, do you think?” He smiled at the woman on his arm.

“Heavens, I have no idea, and at the risk of forever disgracing myself, I have to confess I wouldn’t know a tufted kingfisher from an un-tufted kingfisher. I haven’t the foggiest notion of whether either of them flies around Falworth.” Allegra laughed apologetically back at Pip as she said this, knowing he would understand.

His appreciative grin showed he did.

Their path had led them to a small stream, beside which a thoughtful landscape architect had placed a stone bench and several appropriate pieces of statuary. A woodland nymph surveyed the waters and a carved deer peeked shyly around a deep magenta rhododendron. The gentle babble was refreshing, and provided a delightful backdrop to the rustle of leaves and the soft little sounds of nature.

Allegra bent and dabbled her fingers into the water, smiling at the cold droplets that splashed and sparkled over her hand.

“Not to worry,” said Pip reassuringly. He took her arm and guided her to the bench. “I would be hard pressed to identify any sort of kingfisher myself. Though if memory serves me correctly, they’re blue?”

“Yes, with...I think...an orange bit on them somewhere?” Allegra frowned in concentration. “I had a lovely bird book when I was little, and I’m sure there was a drawing of a kingfisher in it, but I’m unable to bring it to mind at present.”

“You read a lot as a child?” Pip asked the question casually, laying his arm along the back of the stone bench. He felt his nostrils flaring as he picked up the scent of the woman next to him on the gentle breeze. She smelled of flowers, and sunshine, and her own distinct perfume, and Pip’s body reacted like a hound scenting a fox. He shifted a little, trying to ease himself.

“Oh yes...” she turned eagerly to him. “My governess loved all kinds of literature, and we enjoyed everything from Shakespeare to Fanny Burney.”

It took Pip a few seconds to run their conversation through his mind and recapture its thread. He cursed his loins for distracting him.

“I read whatever I could get my hands on,” continued Allegra, “and then, when she left us, the local Curate was kind enough to let me use his library. It was quite extensive as he had travelled a lot before settling down in Duxcomb Minor, so I was able to indulge my desire for new reading material at my leisure.”

“And did you continue after your marriage?” The question was posed gently, but the reaction was immediate.

Allegra straightened her spine and clasped her hands together in an unnaturally calm pose. “Oh no. Falworth was not fortunate enough to possess any kind of usable library.”

The control of her voice was in direct contrast to her earlier spontaneity, and Pip cursed himself mentally for bringing about this change. But he knew that somehow, she must be prepared to hear some of the gossip that Gloriana had repeated. This seemed the kindest way.

“I’m sorry to have raised a subject which I realise might be painful for you, but there is a reason.”

Allegra turned to him, an expression of foreboding darkening her eyes.

Unwilling to watch her face as he said his piece, Pip focused his gaze on the stream that burbled a few feet away from them. “There is some unpleasant gossip going around.” He heard a soft breath indrawn next to him, and paused.

“About me, I assume?” asked Allegra, in a level tone. “I guessed as much last night, when, I must confess, I eavesdropped on a little of it myself.” Her lips twisted. “So, have I been cast as the wanton seductress or the beggar maid to your King Cophetua?”

Pip looked puzzled for a moment. “Actually, neither. This particular item concerns your—er—Falworth years.”

Allegra paled, and her hands gripped the delicate fabric of her skirt so tightly that her knuckles turned white. “What did you hear?” she whispered, not looking at Pip.

“Let me say right now, that nothing has been said to me directly, or to the twins, as far as I know. As is the way with this kind of thing, it is murmured just out of earshot or muttered behind a fan. Such distasteful nonsense cannot stand the light of honest conversation.”

“But it managed to come to your ears and concerned you enough to mention it to me,” said Allegra, sitting immobile next to him.

“My concern is that you be ready should any of this utter tripe reach you, either directly or indirectly,” responded Pip emphatically. “It has always been my belief that if one is informed, one can be prepared. That, Cousin Allegra, is why I raise this painful subject, not because I believe any of it.”

“You are so sure, my Lord. Perhaps it would be a good thing to get it off your chest for once and for all?”

“Ally, I do not want to upset you,” said Pip firmly, unaware that he had used her informal name.

“You can’t upset me, my Lord—I have been prepared for something like this ever since I made the decision to come to Bridgeford House. It was inevitable that someone somewhere would recall my late husband’s reputation. “

Her demeanour appeared more natural now, and she was able to relax a little against the stone bench.

“Well, my understanding is that Lord Falworth hosted some parties that were of a scandalous nature...” He took a deep breath and continued. “...and that you may have been present on these occasions.”

There. It was out. Pip watched his companion intently for her reaction.

Curiously, a bitter smile crossed her face, and she rose from the bench with a sigh to walk to a particularly lovely stem of dark pink flowers. He didn’t know whether to be glad or sorry that this subject was now open between them.

“Stupid how people always assume the worst, isn’t it?” said Pip, a little unsettled by her silence.

Allegra turned and looked at him. “Suppose I told you they were correct?” Her eyes never left him for a moment. “Suppose I told you of Charles’s predilection for the writings of Sappho, or perhaps I should tell you of the Covent Garden doxies he brought down to Falworth for his parties. Actresses they called themselves, and act they did.”

Allegra’s voice had not changed, but Pip could sense a growing unease inside her.

“Suppose I continued by telling you of the seventeen-year-old girl, little more than a child really, forced to wear a mask and a single piece of insubstantial silk, and told to stand on a marble column in the middle of it all...”

Pip stood up, seeing a dull red blush creeping over Allegra’s skin.

“No, don’t stop me, it’s best that you should know the truth. This young girl was made to look upon the worst behaviour imaginable on the part of her sex and then she was taken off and treated to the worst behaviour imaginable on the part of her husband.”

Allegra gave a little laugh that was close to a sob. “I wonder what the London gossips would make of that. Would they say I am tainted because of my husband’s debaucheries? Would they insinuate that I am an unfit chaperone for Grace and Penelope because of what I have seen? Would they accuse me of being a willing participant? Wouldn’t they understand...I wasn’t...”

Her voice broke and she covered her face with her hands.

Pip didn’t think twice but took Allegra in his arms and cuddled her as one might a crying child. “That’s the dream, isn’t it? That’s the nightmare that makes you cry out?” said Pip, holding her tighter as she tried to suppress her tears. “No one could look at you and accuse you of such things. Your eyes are too honest...they give you away.”

His grip plastered her body to his chest, and he felt the rapid beating of her heart.

Allegra raised her face to Pip. “Oh my God...” Her face turned white where it had been red before. “If that is true, do you think someone has recognised me? I wore a mask, but little else...supposing someone recognised my eyes and knows...and knows...”

She buried her face in Pip’s cravat as a little shudder of terror ran through her.

“That is the most absurd thought, Allegra, and I command you to dismiss it immediately,” said Pip at his most imperative. “You are not thinking logically.”

The fact that he was holding an extremely desirable woman in his arms was also preventing Pip from being the most logical person on earth at that moment, but he decided not to mention that.

Nor would he mention that he was surprised to find himself more aroused than he had been since he was seventeen, and if he held Allegra any closer, she was going to be surprised too.

“Remember. You were very young at the time—practically a child. You have grown, changed, and become the woman you are today. There can be little resemblance between the two, and anyway, the guests at your husband’s parties don’t sound as if they might be found today seated at dinner with the Ton.”

Pip’s soothing voice and feeble attempt at humour penetrated Allegra’s distress and her trembling eased. In a surprisingly touching move, she sighed, and rested her cheek against him.

“I hope you’re correct. I should hate to be the cause of any hurt to Penelope or Grace...or...you...”

Pip’s chin rested comfortably on the top of Allegra’s head, and she nestled even closer.

“This is dreadfully improper, you know...” said Allegra after a few moments of sheer bliss.

“Yes, isn’t it?” answered Pip equitably, making absolutely no effort at all to move.

“The gossips of London would have a field day with this behaviour,” she added, snuggling deeply into his arms, and ignoring her bonnet, which was by now dangling precariously down her back.

“Very true...”

“We really shouldn’t....” The face she turned toward Pip carried a mute invitation.

“I know...”

His Lordship slowly lowered his lips toward Allegra’s. “Now, what was that about a wanton seductress?”

His breath caressed her like a spell of enchantment and her heart felt the thrill of anticipation that shivered through her body as she moved to meet his embrace.

Her eyes closed, and she immersed herself in his closeness, feeling the fabric of his jacket under her fingers and breathing in his clean male fragrance. His hand rose to touch her chin, angling her mouth to precisely the perfect position while the other slipped down her back to her behind and pressed their two bodies even closer together.

The sensation of his hardness against her did amazing things to Allegra’s senses. Her abdomen tightened, her breasts felt as if they were swelling against him, and when Pip’s lips finally touched hers, she was ready to explode.

At first, his mouth caressed her, delicately moving across her own. He gently urged her lips apart and, on a gasp, she allowed him to invade the moist sweetness within.

Her mind reeled as she felt the powerful yet delicate strokes of his tongue, and could not deny her need to respond. She eased both arms around Pip’s neck and pulled him closer with a little sound that made him tremble.

Fascinated at his reaction, she gently touched his tongue with hers, only to be rewarded by his hands, both of them now, clasping and squeezing the soft mounds of her bottom even more boldly to him.

She felt the hardness of his arousal pressing against her and knew he was as involved in this moment as she was.

Thiswas what she had been waiting for, needing so badly, ever since she had first set eyes on him.

This and more.

His body felt so right against hers, as if a piece of a puzzle, missing for years, had finally been found and put in its place. Her lips clung to his, his mouth moulded to hers, their heads moved slightly to perfect the alignment between them. She had never imagined that a kiss could send her body straight to the tingling edge of passion and reduce her to a warm and wanting puddle of desire.

For his part, Pip was bordering on the edge of madness.

Never in his life had he wanted a woman so desperately. Part of his mind was already searching for a soft spot where he could lay Allegra down and lose himself deep in her body for about a month.

He was considering that the stone bench might work, or even up against the statue of the deer. Anywhere would be just fine, as long as he could sate himself with this woman who had turned him into a lusty adolescent wreck.

A moan from Allegra brought one of his hands to her breast. Tightening his hand around her softness, he sought her nipple with his thumb.

Trying to get even closer, she hadn’t realised that she had locked a leg behind Pip’s thigh, and he slid his hand beneath the silk of her gown to the silk of her flesh above her garter.

Amazed at the response from the woman in his arms, he shuddered as she clutched him tightly and gave him back the passion he was giving her with his lips.

He let go of the fabric of her skirts and reached for the delicate sleeve of her dress, intending to draw it away from her and bare her to his sight. Then...

“Cousin Allegraaa...Uncle Piiiip...where are you?”

“Hallooo...can you hear us?”

The couple sprang apart and, with a few expletives that even Richelieu the parrot might not have known, Pip threw himself down onto the bench while Allegra buried her face in a large flower.

As she inhaled the fragrance, she tried to cool her cheeks and gather her wits, which were still swimming in the sea of sensual longing upon which she had been set adrift.

Stealing a quick glance at Pip, she smothered a giggle. He had wrenched a branch of flowers from a nearby shrub and was now intently studying the blooms as they lay profusely in his lap. Clearly, he too was struggling with his desires, and his snug breeches did little to hide the visible evidence of that fact.

Grace and Penelope would have been shocked to see the hard ridge that distorted the front of his well-cut clothing.

Luckily, the significance of this polite and frozen tableau was completely lost upon the twins who erupted into the small clearing full of fresh air and chatter.

“Cousin, isn’t this the loveliest place imaginable?” said Penelope. “Ooh, Grace, look at this darling little stream. The water is so clear.”

“Uncle Pip, have you ever seen such flowers? I remember some at Wensley Hall but surely none to compare with all this...” Grace waved her hands expansively as she gazed, awe-struck, around her.

Allegra cleared her throat. “How was your croquet game? Did you win?” She did her best to fill the conversational void, since Pip seemed at a loss for words.

“Oh such fun, but unfortunately Sir Vivian was under the assumption that a good firm stroke was called for and he whacked his ball clear across a stream and into a patch of stinging nettles.”

“And we couldn’t find another ball, and were just about to go and see if anyone knew where there might be some when Sir Nigel came and told us that Gloriana was better, and we could all meet on the terrace and have some ices. Where they get ices from, I don’t know, but I suppose we’ll find out...come on...this way.”

Chattering like two colourful birds, the twins led their uncle and cousin back to the house.

Allegra couldn’t resist a quick glance at her companion, and was surprised to see a look of concentration on his face.

His eyes gazed straight ahead, and he gave the appearance of one deep in thought. His “Lordly” air was back on his shoulders, and Allegra could scarcely recognise the man who had held her so closely just a little while ago.

A small chill formed in the pit of her stomach, as she began to wonder if she had said or done something amiss. She had been so sure that Pip would understand what her plight had been as the wife of Charles Falworth—as indeed he had seemed to.

And yet perhaps her behaviour consequently had given Pip the wrong impression

How could she have burrowed her body into his like that?

Warmth spread over Allegra’s cheeks as she realised how wanton she must have seemed. She forced herself to accept the fact that, but for the twins’ interruption, she and Pip would have passed beyond any boundary of acceptable behaviour. She had been married, after all, and was quite aware that they had both been in a state of aroused sexual desire.

What amazed her was that she had been a very willing participant, even though she had firmly believed that after Charles Falworth, no man was ever going to touch her body for the rest of her life.

And yet...here she was, still vibrating from the closeness of a man and knowing she would run into his arms and do it all again if he asked.

Fortunately for their reputation, Pip didn’t ask, and they were soon back on the terrace where Gloriana was awaiting them.

“Please excuse my absence. I refused to admit that the heat may be too much for me and I should have known better.” These words were spoken prettily from the shaded depths of a cushioned loveseat. “Have you been tolerably entertained? How I wish I could have come with you to see Wandle at this time of year. Is it as lovely as always?”

The gentlemen of the party had gathered around Gloriana and busily engaged themselves in convincing her that they had missed her, not been too bored without her, and seen Wandle in all its beauty and found it wanting in comparison to Gloriana.

“How does she do that?” mused Grace, half to herself.

“Do what?” asked Allegra, absently.

“Get all the men to gravitate to her side. It’s some kind of trick.”

“Well, whatever it is, I wish she’d share it...” added Penelope, in what was for her a very acid tone of voice. “Just look, even Uncle Pip seems entranced.”

Allegra resolutely turned her head away from the subject under discussion. Losing herself in her thoughts, she permitted herself a few moments to remember—and to wonder.

How was it that his touch had set fire to her senses?

She had managed to convince herself that after her experiences with Falworth, she’d no more allow a man to touch her than she would stand on a table at Almack’s and sing German opera.

Recalling those terrible nights of pain and disgust she’d spent with her late husband, she shivered slightly and yet found herself in the strange position of wanting to do all those things and more with Phillip Allenbridge.

Would she mind if he touched her naked body? Oh no.

Would she want him to lie with her and make her his? Oh yes.

Would she enjoy it? Oh, undoubtedly.

Turning her head away from the general conversation, Allegra sighed. She was truly on the horns of a dilemma, unwilling to admit that Pip’s kisses had awoken something deep inside her that she had thought long dead.

Biting her lip, she resolved to put those thoughts away for continued perusal at another, more appropriate time. “Come on girls, let’s go and find out about those ices. I’m not going to waste time envying Gloriana something I’ll never have. That would be an exercise in futility.” She determinedly led the twins over to the refreshment table where there was, indeed, a large container holding a mound of rapidly softening lemon ice.

“We get it from London, you know,” said Nigel chattily, as he joined the ladies around the table. “It’s packed into the holds of ships coming in from the North Sea ports, then the London merchants flavour it, repack it into containers surrounded by a lot of straw, and, if we’re lucky enough to get it down here successfully—voila. Lemon ice.”

Nigel’s gentle conversation entertained the ladies and distracted their attention from the sight of Gloriana practising her wiles. Soon, they were all laughing around the table and spooning out extra helpings of the cooling treat.

“Do you like Wandle?” Nigel asked Allegra as he took a seat near her and gazed at her face under cover of the general conversation.

“How could one fail to love it?” she answered honestly, returning his look with a friendly one of her own. “It’s so beautiful now, but I am convinced that it must be lovely in any season. To be surrounded by such natural magnificence has to be a joy to wake to every morning.” Her eyes turned to the lush scene before her. “I don’t know how you can bear to leave—especially for the noise and dirt of London.”

“Truly, there are times when it is hard. I know I’m probably not supposed to say that—someone in my position is assumed to be all ‘go’ for the big City, you know, Ton parties and all that sort of thing—but this is where the heart is, unquestionably.”

Allegra smiled as she listened to this quiet confession. “Such sentiments do you proud, Sir Nigel.” she said warmly. “I believe that Wandle Park will be in good hands when yours take the reins.”

“Thank you, Lady Allegra...” he answered, “...but it is no secret that unless Gloriana marries well, I may not be able to hold on to Wandle.”

An exclamation of dismay came from Allegra. “I didn’t know...I’m sorry.”

“How should you? You have not been in London long enough to know all of its secrets, I’m sure, and ours cannot be ranked as one of the more important ones. However, it’s a fact that our parents were, shall we say, bon vivants...who knew how to enjoy themselves.”

“You don’t have to tell me this,” said Allegra with concern.

“Yes, I do. I’d rather you hear it from me than anyone else...and anyway, it may explain why Gloriana is the way she is.” He waved his hand at his sister, who was monopolising Lord Allenbridge’s attention, much too easily it seemed to Allegra.

“Anyway, they managed to whittle away almost all of our family’s disposable assets until they were both killed in a carriage accident coming home from a gambling party one night.”

She reached out and gently touched Nigel’s arm.

“Oh, it’s all right,” he said, covering her hand with his briefly. “We’re over it. It was quite a few years ago now, but it forced us to take a close look at our position and Gloriana and I realised that we needed an influx of new capital to keep Wandle. The bargain was that if one of us could marry money, the other would be free to marry for love. It didn’t take Gloriana long to learn that she would rather marry money, and I have not the slightest doubt that she will do extremely well... “

He paused, looking over at Lord Allenbridge “That’s if she can bring him up to scratch, of course.”

Allegra couldn’t help herself as she withdrew her hand from Nigel Jameson’s sleeve as quickly as she could. “Perhaps you will be fortunate enough to fall in love with a beautiful heiress and sweep her completely off her feet.” Her tone was casual as she attempted to change the subject.

“I’m afraid it’s too late for that,” said Nigel, turning to face her. “I’ve already fallen in love—and she’s more beautiful than any heiress could ever be, as I told her when we first met.”

His eyes roamed her face, and Allegra desperately searched for something to say that wouldn’t hurt his feelings.

Sensing her dilemma, Nigel took pity on her. “Don’t look so distressed—I will not upset you.”

He smiled gently at her. “I know at the present time you are wholly committed to Penelope and Grace’s welfare, and I commend you for it. But I hereby put you on notice, Lady Allegra Falworth. I am going to do everything I can to win your affections once the Season winds down.”

He rose with a mischievous smile on his face and, raising her hand to his lips, pressed a warm and lingering kiss on her palm. “You have been warned.”

She closed her eyes for a moment as he left her side and wondered what she had done to deserve this?

The nicest eligible gentleman had expressed an interest in her, and she hadn’t felt a thing, whereas a totally ineligible man had kissed her passionately and she’d been ready to give herself to him, body and soul.

Life, she mused, could be damned confusing at times. And this was certainly one of them.