“You look tired.”
It was so true.She was tired of attending balls and dinner parties.Tired of being paraded around like a porcelain doll, waiting for the right marriage offer.
“I’m all right,” she insisted.“You needn’t worry about me.”She wanted him to leave her alone.He shouldn’t be standing behind her, not where anyone could come upon them.She was about to step away when a gloved hand touched her back.The heat of his palm warmed her skin, and she jerked away out of instinct.
“Don’t touch me,” she pleaded.
“Is that what you want?”
Her shoulders rose and fell, her breathing unsteady.Of course that’s what she wanted.A man like Michael Thorpe was nothing but trouble.
But before she could say another word, his hand moved to her shoulders.Caressing the skin, gently easing the tension in her nape.
Step away from him.Scream, her brain insisted.But it was as though her mouth were stuffed with cotton.Her limbs were frozen in place, unable to move.
Her breasts prickled beneath the ivory silk, becoming aroused.He’d removed a single glove, and the vibrant intimacy of his bare palm on her flesh made her tremble.
“Don’t do this,” she pleaded.Her voice was a slight whisper, barely audible.“You—you shouldn’t.”
Well-mannered ladies did not stand still while they were accosted by a soldier.She could only imagine what her mother would say.But she had never been touched by a man like this, and the sensation was a secret thrill.
The lieutenant’s fingers slipped beneath the chain of her necklace, teasing her neck before winding into the strands of her coiffeur.“You’re right.”
His fingers were melting her resistance, making her feel alive.She was beginning to understand how a woman might cast off propriety, surrendering to a stranger’s seduction.
“My apologies.You were too much temptation to resist.”
Her fingers clenched at her sides.“Sir, keep your hands to yourself.Or you’ll answer to my brother.”
“I’ll try.”
Then she felt the lightest brush of his mouth upon her nape, a kiss he shouldn’t have stolen.Wicked heat poured through her, and she gasped at the sensation.
Hannah whirled around, prepared to chastise him.But he’d already gone.She stared out at the gardens, but there was not a trace that he’d been there.Only the gooseflesh on her arms and the storm of churning fire upon her skin.
“Why are you out here alone, Hannah?”The Marquess of Rothburne approached, having finished his conversation with her brothers.Her father frowned at her, as though she’d transgressed by avoiding a chaperone.
She prayed he didn’t see her flushed cheeks or suspect the improper thoughts racing through her head.“I would like permission to retire,” she said calmly.“It’s been a long evening.My head hurts, and I need to lie down.”
“Do you want me to send your maid with laudanum?”he asked, becoming concerned.
Hannah shook her head.“No, I don’t think it’s going to be one of those headaches.But if you please, Papa, I’m very tired.”
Her father offered his arm.“Walk with me for a few minutes, if you will.”
Hannah was hesitant, but she suspected her father had something else to discuss with her.He led her outside the terrace and down the gravel walkway toward her mother’s rose garden.The canes held hints of new growth, though it would be early summer before the first blooms came.She raised her eyes to look out at the glittering stars, wishing she had brought a shawl.
Her skin was still sensitive from the lieutenant’s touch, her mind in turmoil.He’d awakened a restless side to her, and she didn’t like it.Even while she walked, the shifting of her legs sent an uneasy ache within her body.
What had he done to her?And did that make her a wanton for enjoying his fleeting touch?
Her father led her through the gardens toward the stables, their feet crunching upon the gravel as they walked.Hannah found herself comparing the two men.Alfred Chesterfield was every inch a marquess, displaying a haughty exterior that intimidated almost everyone except herself.Never did he stray from the rules of propriety.In contrast, Lieutenant Thorpe had a devil-may-care attitude, a man who did exactly as he pleased.She shivered at the memory.
When her father’s silence stretched on, Hannah guessed at the reason.“You turned another proposal down, didn’t you?”
He paused.“Not yet.But Baron Belgrave asked for permission to call upon me tomorrow.”
It wasn’t a surprise, but she felt it best to make her feelings known.“I don’t want to marry him, Papa.”
