Oh, no, most certainly she had not expected this. His clear gray eyes were so close and intent that surely he must see her dizziness, must know that she desired to press against him, to discover if that hard body was as warm and welcoming as his lips.
There was no room in her for fear, and Diana was both relieved and bereft when he lifted his head and dropped his hand. She stepped back, wanting to put more distance between them. Grateful that her voice was steady, she smiled faintly, as if such kisses were as common as breathing. “I will set that to your account. It goes some way toward compensating for other lacks.”
There was a flash in his eyes and she wondered if she had angered him, but then he chuckled. “When you retire from your present trade, you can become a clerk in the city, keeping accounts and totaling figures.”
Amusement still in his voice, he surveyed her lazily. “You are clearly something of an expert when it comes to figures.” Before she could respond to the double entendre, he asked, “Do you ride?”
Diana hesitated. “I have, but it was some years ago and I do not keep a hack in London.”
“That is easily remedied. I can mount you if you consent to go riding with me.”
More double meanings. Diana colored faintly, but she was determined to be his equal in aplomb. “In that case, I should be delighted to join you.”
“Tomorrow morning then, at seven o’clock?”
Usually Diana breakfasted with Geoffrey before he went to school, but she had known that her new enterprise would cause changes in her domestic schedule. She would compensate by spending more time with him later. “Very well, my lord, seven o’clock tomorrow, number seventeen Charles Street.”
He gave a nod of satisfaction. “I shall bring a horse suitable for a lady who has not ridden in some time.”
“Thank you, my lord.” With a slow, teasing smile, she added, “It is not necessary that the beast be a complete slug.”
“I shall bear that in mind: one horse, gentle but not sluggish. Now, let me return you to your admirers.”
St. Aubyn offered his arm and Diana tucked her hand into the elbow of his dark blue coat. Even through the layers of heavy fabric she felt the taut power of that arm and she shivered.
Madeline had told her that the drug of sexual desire could bring a strong man to his knees, but surely that was not true of a man such as this. His strength was not merely physical; there was determination and quiet control behind those clear, icy eyes. He might desire her, but it was impossible to imagine that he would let any woman hold power over him.
Uneasily she remembered that Madeline had also said that desire might equally bind a woman to a man. Diana had not believed that could happen to her, who had lived so well without physical passion, but now she was not so sure. Glancing up at St. Aubyn’s stern profile, she thought of Lord Ridgley, with his kind eyes and obvious desire to please.
Diana shrugged fatalistically as St. Aubyn returned her to her chair, then bowed and took his leave. On one level, she had the freedom to choose whomever she wished as a lover, but on another level, she had no choice at all. There was no wisdom or calculation in her response to the dark lord.
She knew only that fate had bound them together.
Chapter Four
Some of Diana’s admirers looked reproachfully at her for having permitted another man a kiss; more attempted to lure her into a quiet corner where they could take similar liberties. Resisting their blandishments, she quickly teased them into good humor again. Getting Madeline into a good mood later in the evening was another matter. The older woman had seen the byplay with St. Aubyn, and as soon as they left in their carriage she gave vent to her feelings. “For heaven’s sake, Diana, why did you let him single you out in such a public manner?”
“I’m not a seventeen-year-old with a spotless reputation to protect. Quite the contrary,” Diana said mildly. “Besides, I was in full view the whole time.”
“Yes, and in full view of everyone, you let him kiss you.”
“I didn’t preciselylethim.”
A torch outside the carriage briefly illuminated Madeline’s exasperated countenance. “That makes it worse. If you wish to succeed as a courtesan, you must be in control of what is happening, not succumb to every passing advance.”
“I succumbed to only one.”
“But with St. Aubyn, of all people!”
“Is there something wrong with him?” Diana asked curiously. “Did you know him when you lived in London before?”
“No.” The shake of Madeline’s head was felt rather than seen in the dark. “I made inquiries this evening after he left. He was in India for some years in the army, returning home a couple of years ago when he inherited the title.”
“Well?” Diana prompted. “What did you learn? Is he a gambler who has lost the family fortune, or a scoundrel despised by honorable men?”
“Nooo,” Madeline said slowly, “nothing quite so obvious.”
“I am going riding with the man tomorrow morning, so if you wish to persuade me to avoid him, you had better speak more clearly.” Diana spoke with a trace of unaccustomed sarcasm.
