She and Charlotte would occupy themselves with various tasks. Weekly lessons with Lady Brantford and the Duchess of Castlefield were a must, especially after Lucy discovered firsthand just how important it was to fend off the unwanted advances of men who refused to take no for an answer.
Mr. Larson had, at least, taught her that valuable lesson. He couldn’t have been more than one and twenty, and Lucy had made the mistake of thinking he was just being kind when he suggested they head out to the terrace for some air. But it seemed that all men, no matter how young or old, believed widows were easy prey.
Lucy shook off that distressing thought and focused on more pleasant ones. Holbrook would be calling today for their weekly drive in Hyde Park. It was a custom she looked forward to, primarily because it provided them with a measure of privacy. Even when they were in the middle of the park, with at least half the members of the ton either strolling along the path or in their carriages, they could lower their voices and have a private conversation.
Lucy took advantage of these weekly outings to try to tempt Holbrook into providing her with another sampling of the pleasure only he seemed capable of giving her. At this point she didn’t even care if they made love. One month had passed since he’d brought her to release, and she was beginning to think that perhaps she’d dreamed the whole thing.
At the very least, he needed to show her just why she should change her mind about marrying him. Give her another taste of what marrying him would be like.
The errant thought had just passed through her mind when he arrived for their outing and she realized he was winning. His courtship was tempting her to change her mind when she’d hoped he would be the one to reconsider the type of relationship they could have.
She waved to the butler before leaving to meet Holbrook outside the town house. It was still strange that she could be unmarried and yet allowed such freedom to come and go as she pleased.
Holbrook led her a small way up the street. “I apologize for being late. I had to do something very important before our outing today.”
There was an edge to his tone that had her glancing sideways at him. But he looked much the same as he always did. Tall, handsome, immaculately dressed. He turned to wink at her, and a thrill shot through her.
Something was different about him but she couldn’t say what.
He stopped in front of a black carriage, and she looked at him in confusion. This wasn’t his open-air carriage, the one that was appropriate for riding through Hyde Park. This carriage would enclose them while a carriage driver conveyed them to their destination. It would keep them away from prying eyes.
He smiled and opened the vehicle’s door. He bent to lower the step and then held out his hand to help her in.
Anticipation was a living, breathing thing inside her as she placed her hand in his and climbed into the carriage. Still, she tried to be practical. This didn’t mean anything—it couldn’t. Holbrook had insisted on behaving like a gentleman. Perhaps something had happened to his other carriage and he hadn’t been able to procure another open carriage for their drive today.
Was this also his carriage or had he borrowed it? She ran her fingers along the red leather interior, marveling at the plush feel of the cushions. It wasn’t nearly as luxurious as her brother’s carriages, but it was definitely of higher quality than the one her husband had purchased shortly after their marriage. With the way he’d spent money, her dowry hadn’t lasted long before they’d had to make do with more practical purchases.
“Is this your carriage? Did something happen to the other one?”
He settled into the seat opposite her, and when she met his eyes, there was something in them she hadn’t seen since their first time alone together. Heat.
Surely she was imagining things. Seeing what she wanted to see.
He didn’t reply, and the air grew heavy between them. Finally, when the carriage began to move, he shocked her by leaning forward and closing the space between them.
“Holbrook?”
Before she was aware of what he intended to do, his large hands settled on her waist and he lifted her. She let out a small squeak of surprise before he settled her onto his lap.
She didn’t chastise him since she was exactly where she wanted to be. Instead, she leaned against his broad chest, enjoying the way he circled his arms around her to keep her in place. Silly man, did he think she’d want to be anywhere else?
“What is the meaning of such shocking familiarity, my lord?”
His eyes were almost black as he stared down at her in the dim light of the carriage. Before he said a word, she already knew she’d won.
“I’ve decided to give in to temptation.”
The low rasp of his voice against her ear as he nuzzled the side of her throat caused gooseflesh to rise on her arms and desire to spear low in her belly.
She had a moment of sanity, remembering that what they were doing might be visible through the carriage windows. Anyone in a passing conveyance had only to glance through their windows and they’d be able to see exactly what was happening.
It was ironic that just as she was finally getting what she wanted, she felt compelled to put a stop to their intimacy.
“The windows are still open. And we can’t ride through Hyde Park with the curtains pulled close?—”
He grinned down at her, and her heart dipped into her belly.
“We’re not going to Hyde Park, my sweet temptress.”
