‘Oh, tell me you didn’t.’
‘Well that’s done it.’
‘I’m entirely certain that you should be intimately acquainted with my father’s legendary lack of tact after all this time.’
‘Now hang on a deuced minute.’
The Duke raised his eyebrows at the sudden onslaught. ‘I…’ he muttered before trailing off with a wince.
The first carriage arrived five minutes later…
∞∞∞
Chastity could honestly say that the following seven days were the most enjoyable she’d spent in London. Indeed, she attended a rout, two dinner parties, a Venetian breakfast, a concert at Vauxhall Gardens, a ball and an opera. She even received a voucher for Almack’s.
But the reason she relished each and every occasion, she conceded, was not for the entertainments in themselves but for the company she kept. Lord Cottesmore escorted her everywhere, and each time she looked at his face or listened to him speak, she became more smitten. His brusque attitude of their earlier meetings had been replaced by an easy good-humoured manner that captivated not only her, but every other young lady who was fortunate enough to spend time in his company.
Indeed, such was his popularity that, despite her enjoyment, Chastity was nonetheless very glad to be going home. Not that the Earl had shown any kind of interest in any of the other unmarried females that flocked around him, but Chastity began to fear that should they stay much longer in London, she wouldn’t be the only one who had the temerity to wait in the Earl’s bed.
The tingling Chastity had felt during the initial stages of their acquaintance had developed into an embarrassing heat that seemed to envelope her whole body whenever he was near. Yet despite everything, they had yet to indulge in so much as a kiss. She began to wonder if he felt the same desperate need to tug off all his clothes whenever they were in close proximity. If he did, he was doing a very good job of hiding it.
The day before they were due to leave, Chastity decided it was time to take matters into her own hands. She could not leave the Earl in London at the mercy of so many unattachedladies without clearly staking her claim.
She and Christian were spending the evening with the rest of the family currently resident in Town, which meant everyone with the exception of Charity and her husband Jago.
Temperance had laughingly declared the Colbourne dining room the largest so it was agreed that the gathering would take place in the Earl of Ravenstone’s sumptuous townhouse, after which the family would go their separate ways until the wedding.
As she dressed for the evening, Chastity found herself missing her twin fiercely. She imagined Charity’s expression on hearing her sister’s latest idea. Totty-headed would be the least of her comments. But surely a kiss would not put her too beyond the pale? After all, they were betrothed. It wasn’t like she was planning to invade the Earl’s bed again. At least not this night. Chastity grinned to herself, her happiness suddenly bubbling over.
Dinner was a predictably lively affair with whoever spoke the loudest getting the rest of the table’s attention. As soon as dinner was finished, Nicholas stood up to propose a toast to the happy couple and looking round at the smiling, cheering faces, Christian had the most peculiar sense that he’d finally come home.
On this occasion, the men remained at the dining table with their port whilst their wives retired into the drawing room. As Viscount Northwood commented wryly, it gave the sisters time to discuss how best to run their husband’s affairs.
As much as she enjoyed catching up with her siblings, Chastity had been keeping one eye on the door, and as soon as it opened to admit the men, she wasted no time climbing to her feet. ‘I think Freddy needs to do his business, Father,’ she declared though the foxhound’s snores indicated no such thing. Then, before the Reverend had the chance to answer, she turned to Christian and with a wicked smile murmured, ‘Perhaps you would like to accompany Freddy and me into the garden, my lord?’
Chapter Twenty-One
It had to be said that Christian’s first reaction on being asked to escort his betrothed outside was to inform her bluntly that it was invitations like that, that had got her in the suds in the first place. The second was purely physical, and he almost groaned as his cock abruptly hardened at the thought of being alone with her for the first time.
As she looked coquettishly over at him, he could swear her eyes sparkled, and the Earl had to resist the urge to laugh. He knew exactly what she was about. Dear God, how he loved her… The voice in his head stilled. Indeed everything stopped. Even his breathing.
When the devil had that happened?
Heart slamming against his ribs, Christian looked over at her father, waiting for his comment. But the Reverend didn’t appear to think anything was remiss, and merely warned Chastity not to lose the dog like Patience did.
Abruptly impatient to explore the sudden storm of feelings that had overwhelmed him, the Earl waited for Chastity to put on Freddy’s lead, then held out his arm. She smiled up at him as they left the room.
As soon as they were in the hall, however, Chastity found herself unaccountably nervous. It was one thing to plan a seduction, but as she’d already discovered from her brief spell in the Earl’s bedchamber, it was quite another actually executing it. Stalling for time, she went to fetch her cloak, but as Christian took it from her, placing it gently over her shoulders, she shivered in a way that had nothing to do with the cold–or her nerves.
The morning room had large French doors leading to the Earl and Countess of Ravenstone’s back garden, and Freddy, having been here many times before, excitedly led the way. The candles in the room shed a soft glow over a delightful arbour with a small bench just big enough for two. Her heart now galloping, Chastity bent down to unclip Freddy’s lead before allowing the Earl to take her hand.
Once they were seated, both were gripped by an unaccustomed silence. Chastity’s stomach was roiling, and her cheeks were flushed. What was she to do now? She laid her hands across her knees, and kept her head down, purportedly admiring her gloves.
‘They are very fine,’ Christian murmured, a hint of laughter in his voice. Her head snapped up. ‘Your gloves,’ he continued. ‘Indeed, I’m uncertain I’ve ever had occasion to observe that particular shade of lilac.’
She glanced up at him for a second, then grinned. ‘Wretch,’ she whispered.
‘Indeed, Madam.’ He lifted a languid finger and traced a stray curl along her cheek. ‘But then I amyourwretch.’ Her eyes met his, and she felt the little hairs on the back of her neck stand to attention, just before he slid his fingers down to brush them along her nape.
