Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Joseph prided himself on always being a proper gentleman, but this shocking predicament was turning into a highlight of his year.

“I didn’t see a thing, miss. I promise you.”

But that was a bald-faced lie. He’d immediately noticed the young maid’s flawless skin and silken hair floating in the subtle breeze. And he’d enjoyed seeing the obvious shape of her breasts pressed against the inside of her shift.

Joseph enjoyed gazing at her so much that it was not possible for him to leave the water yet. She would witness my lust, become irrevocably compromised, and I’d be forced to marry the nymph straight away.

As Joseph pondered his options, the young woman breathlessly side-stepped her way back into the trees while clutching her arms about her body. Once safely hidden, she demanded again that he clothe himself immediately.

“This is the most improper encounter I’ve ever experienced, sir. And you are the most disgusting man I have ever come across!”

Joseph chuckled at her exaggerated outburst, but her fiery response made his lust for her awaken all the more.

“My lady, if that’s true I cannot imagine you’ve come across many men at all yet.” Joseph reached for his drenched tunic before it sank to the bottom of the spring. Pulling it back on wasn’t easy, but he managed to yank it down over his body before the angry nymph returned to berate him some more.

This time she was clothed in a dark green velvety dress that looked as soft to the touch as her loose and lovely hair. Though he couldn’t quite tell at a distance, it appeared her eyes were nearly the same color green.

Appreciating the emerald eyes of a hot-headed beauty made for a much happier welcome home from Joseph’s long travels than he’d expected.

But I’m never getting out of this river if she keeps looking at me like that.

“Well? I’m waiting.” The young woman tapped her bare foot against the wild grass and crossed her arms beneath her full bodice.

“I encourage you to return to your hiding place while I emerge from the water, my lady. You see, despite your claims that I am disgusting, I am a gentleman and mean you no harm. And a lady should not witness my body in this state.”

She huffed out a laugh and rolled her eyes. “I will grant your request for privacy, sir, because I am a lady. But you don’t scare me. The male body is just a body like any other. I’m sure this will bruise your ego, but I am entirely unaffected by it all.”

Amused, Joseph held his hand up to shade his eyes. “Please, miss. You are not ready to see the likes of me. And you won’t be unless you finally stop talking. That spirited voice of yours is making things much worse.”

“What a surprise! Yet another gentleman who wants to silence a woman’s voice! You think yourself so different, but you are clearly like all the rest who only care about…”

Joseph had had enough. Not only did he need to get away from this angry woman, but it was time to teach her a lesson. He pushed through the warm water toward the bank. His wet tunic clung to his form as he emerged from the spring.

He didn’t wait to see the maiden’s full reaction to the view he’d just provided her, yet her astonished gasp was clear as he walked directly to the bushes where he’d dropped his clothes.

She said nothing as he dressed as quickly as possible. When he turned back around, she whirled in the opposite direction and ran.

“Wait! Do you need a chaperone to walk you home, m’lady?”

No answer. Joseph chuckled to himself again as he slowly followed the path out of the hot spring clearing toward his carriage and footman waiting on a nearby road.

The young woman had long disappeared when he discovered what she’d left behind. A cloak, a bonnet, a pair of boots, and two long white stockings topped with ivory ribbons that once wrapped around her thighs.

***

The Winstone Estate was bustling with servants preparing for the ball when Joseph finally returned from his outing. Several hours, a real bath, and a set of fine clothes later, he felt like a new man.

Though his meeting with the young woman at the hot spring would be one he’d never forget, he was certain he’d never see her again.

She claimed to be a lady, but what lady of society would have spoken with such unacceptable insolence? No, she wasn’t a lady. She was a fiery nymph from a wild and chance encounter he’d best forget.

Joseph’s valet brushed the lint from his jacket and straightened his collar for the hundredth time.

“Benchley, I think that’s enough. You’ve done a fine job making me look regal this evening. Let’s see if I can pull it off among the ton, shall we?” Joseph ran a comb through his sandy blond hair and checked his attire in the mirror again. “I think even the countess will be pleased if that’s possible.”

“Is my son speaking highly of me or should I send him back out into the world to learn more manners, Benchley?” The Countess Winstone pushed through the doors of her son’s bed chamber and immediately threw open the drapes. “There, that’s better. It’s time to show the world that the Viscount Winstone has returned to find a wife! Benchley, that will be all.”

The countess shooed the valet away. Joseph frowned at his mother.

“By all means, enter my bedchamber at your leisure, Mama! You seem to mistake me for breeding stock. I did not return home just to find a wife. That’s your mission, not mine.”

“Then I am here to scold you for ignoring my wishes and your duty to family! You know very well that my ball this evening is the finest showcase of debutantes in England every year. And my son will have the pick of the best of them!”

Joseph sighed and fastened his own cufflinks since Benchley had been sent away. “Mama, are you sure this is a ball and not a marriage market you’re hosting?

The Countess Winstone smiled as she straightened the long white gloves pulled high on her forearms. “Are you saying there’s a difference?”

She winked at her son, then combed his hair again so it was more to her liking.

The countess was a formidable force in London society and wielded her power with great joy. She’d risen through the ranks of respected ladies over the years one hard-won step at a time.

Joseph had watched it happen as he grew older and more aware of his mother’s influence. She’d gossiped and galivanted with the best of the best, eventually becoming the lady who hosted the most coveted event of the season.

And she’d married off his two younger brothers in the process.

“Where are Oliver and Henry this evening? Are they excused from your extravagant affair because they’re no longer eligible bachelors you can parade around like peacocks?”

Lady Winstone gently pushed her son away from his long mirror so she could admire her elegant gown of purple French silk and the feathered combs in her hair.

“They will be here, Joseph. But try not to shrink with embarrassment that you’re the eldest of my sons and still unwed. There’s still hope for you yet, my dear.” The countess turned to pat her son on the cheek, then motioned for him to follow her out of the room. “Come, I have something to show you.”

Joseph hesitated, not wanting to leave his room yet to get swept up in party preparations, but his mother waited outside the door until he relented.

He followed her down the main staircase, wrapped in fresh flower garlands for the occasion. Lady Winstone barked orders to various staff members along the way until she reached the drawing room and pointed at the portraits on the walls.

“Now who do we have here, Joseph?” His mother lightly touched the gilded frame of the first portrait and waited for his answer.

Joseph frowned. “This is not a fun game, Mama. Of course I know who these people are. What is your point?”

Lady Winstone put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. “Fine. That’s my brother, Oliver, and his wife, Sophia.”

Joseph’s mother smiled and pointed at the next portrait without saying a word.

“And that’s my youngest brother, Henry, with his wife, Maria. Are you growing forgetful, Mama? You might consider giving your sons name tags this evening so you can keep them straight.” Joseph laughed under his breath as his mother’s face reddened.

“I am not amused by your disrespect, Joseph! I am merely pointing out that you have yet to find your place among the family portraits, which is growing more unacceptable by the year. We have a reputation to uphold. Your father is the distinguished Earl of Winstone! It is time for you to secure an excellent bride who will strengthen our family’s place in society and provide you with an heir.”

Joseph opened his mouth to protest, but his mother was suddenly called by their housekeeper to taste test the custard or some such thing.

He watched his mother as she sashayed out of the drawing room like she ruled the world, which wasn’t far from the truth. But he had no intention of playing her game just to fill a space on her portrait wall. Or to impress the aristocracy by being a model heir to the Winstone legacy. Joseph was far more interested in intellectual pursuits that opened the mind and deepened a man’s understanding of the world.

He would attend his mother’s ball tonight as promised. After that, he planned to chart his own course whether the Countess Winstone liked it or not.

Although it was probably a good idea to steer clear of mineral springs in the future. He couldn’t risk more than one spicy maiden taking his bathing rituals to task.

Joseph smiled to himself at the memory of the young woman shouting in her shift that afternoon. She filled his thoughts as he took a few moments to walk through the gardens behind Winstone House.

In particular, he looked forward to some moments of peace in the orangery where he’d loved to spend time as a child. Its high walls of tall glass windows made it seem like another world where the trees were constant sources of various juicy fruits.

“Son! What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be following your mother around while she plans every moment of your future?”

Joseph’s father, Lord Edward Penton, the Earl of Winstone, was lounging at the back of the orangery smoking his pipe and sipping a glass of sherry.

Joseph smiled at the sight of him, knowing full well they were both in the orangery to avoid the madness of their pre-ball household.

“I could ask you the same thing, my lord. Are you hiding from Mama?”

Lord Winstone sighed. “It’s the only place I can smoke where Victoria doesn’t admonish me for the smell. Have a seat, Joseph. We’re both better off if we don’t go back in there for a while. Tell me something about your travels this past year.”

Joseph pulled up a chair next to his father and accepted his offer of a drink. “I think Italy was my favorite stop. The food, the art…”

“The women?” Lord Winstone laughed at his son’s shocked expression. “I’m teasing you, son. But I sincerely hope you got the wanderlust out of your system, because we need you here now. I know your mother is dragging you to the altar by the scruff of your neck, but she’s not wrong to say it’s time to live up to your title. The Viscount of Winstone cannot sow his wild oats forever.”

“But he can hide out with the Earl of Winstone in the orangery until the lady of the house calms down?” Joseph clinked his glass to his father’s and grinned despite wishing he could avoid more parental lectures today and every day to come.

“If you marry soon, son, you’ll have many more hiding days ahead of you! Learning how to stay clear of your wife is a husband’s rite of passage.”

The two men laughed and shared another drink. Before long, Joseph felt lighter from the alcohol and much more capable of heading back inside the main house to fulfill their roles of hosts for the evening.

But that didn’t mean he had to enjoy it.