Page 10 of Tempting Her Viscount

Perhaps Kit had been right. Maybe she thought too much of her father’s words. It was just easier to believe bad things about oneself than it was to trust the good.

While she’d believed Kit and Graham when they assured her the spot was of little import, she was still happy to cover the identifying feature so she could remain anonymous for the evening.

Nettie had given only a little fuss when Celia requested her to hire a hack to take her to the party rather than use the Penbrook carriage. The conveyance didn’t boast a crest or any markings, but she wouldn’t want the driver to report back to her brother regarding her adventure.

She was handed down from the carriage by two enormous footmen when she arrived. At the entrance, another strapping footman took the invitation she offered with shaking hands and opened the door.

Inside, it was like nothing she’d ever seen. The room was crowded with men and women, all wearing masks. Her dress was modest in comparison to most. Some were cut so low they barely covered the women’s nipples.

Celia felt her cheeks heat as a bare-chested footman passed by with a tray of wine. When he paused, she quickly snatched a glass, being careful not to ogle him. Surely whatever she was about to do would be made easier with a drink to fortify her.

She edged her way around the room, noting the couples kissing and touching in the dark corners. She did her best not to stare but was rather captivated by their passionate exchanges. She wanted this. Or at least she thought she did.

Maybe not there in the crowded room where anyone could watch, but she wanted to be kissed and touched, and… whatever it was that came after that.

At the far side of the room, she stepped up a few stairs so she could better see her surroundings.

“Were you ready for a private chamber?” a woman asked behind Celia, startling her.

Celia turned on the stairs to see a lady with hair so blonde it was nearly white. Her red dress plunged extremely low, exposing the valley between her breasts. Oh, to be so comfortable in one’s skin, Celia thought.

Celia blinked and recalled the woman’s question. A private room? That would surely be easier than trying to navigate on her own in front of the crowd.

“Yes, merci,” Celia said using a convincing French accent. “I’m Lady Selene.” She hoped the woman didn’t notice the way Celia stuttered on the lie. The blonde simply nodded and turned on the steps.

Celia followed her upstairs and was led to a room with walls covered in a heavy, burgundy brocade and dimly lit by just a few candles. The light scent of roses filled the air, making the room feel more intimate.

Then she spotted the bed. It was large and immensely sturdy. Clearly designed for the very act she’d come there to experience this evening.

Suddenly she felt faint, and the only sound was that of her blood rushing through her temples. Was she really doing this? It appeared so.

She shook the dizziness away so she could better focus on the woman speaking.

“Tell me Lady Selene, what is it you desire?” Her pale brow pulled up in question.

“Oh.” Celia hadn’t expected the question so directly but didn’t need much time to answer. She knew exactly why she’d attended tonight. “The company of a man.” Did she need to elaborate on the specifics? She waited and the woman nodded.

“Very well. Do you have any preferences as to his characteristics?”

Preferences? The woman made choosing a partner for this very special evening sound like selecting a gown from a wardrobe. She hadn’t given personal characteristics a thought. She assumed she’d take whatever—or rather whomever—was offered.

To be honest, she wasn’t sure what physical characteristics she even liked in a man. Her thoughts drifted to the only man she’d ever been attracted to.

“Perhaps tall? With light hair and kind eyes, maybe green?” Celia suggested as she described Kit. Her cheeks heated and she was grateful for the dim lighting and the mask. Keeping up her accent, she giggled. “But of course, I defer to you as I am rather inexperienced in these things.”

Celia had meant relations with a man, but the woman smiled and said, “Oh, is it your first time attending one of my masquerades?”

This woman must be Lady Harrington.

Rather than risk any question of whether she’d been invited, Celia nodded and smiled. “Yes. And I thank you for including me in your festivities.”

“I don’t believe I invited you directly, but it’s no matter. I trust my invitees. Whoever shared their invitation with you must have felt you needed the experience more than they.”

Celia’s thoughts went to Edward and the risk she was taking that he might find out she was inexperienced. Not to mention the risk to her reputation. Widows were granted certain freedoms, but to be found attending such a party would leave her vulnerable to scorn by the ton.

Not that she attended many events. But she planned to in the future. What better way to make connections with suitable men for her plan to take a lover?

The woman winked. “Please make yourself comfortable.”

Lady Harrington nodded toward a dressing gown draped across the foot of a large bed. “I’ll send in a maid to help you undress. And then someone will be with you shortly.”

The woman’s smile could only be called seductive despite Celia’s limited experience with such a term. Some things didn’t need explanation.

She slid elegantly from the room and Celia nearly fell over.

Soon a man would enter the room and later when he left, Celia would no longer be a virgin. It was the time in between that was unknown, but to her surprise it wasn’t fear zipping through her veins, but anticipation.

An eager smile pulled up her lips. “Finally.”