The Sweet and Spicy Regency Collection Page 41

  Nathan’s presence had so filled the room she hadn’t heard one note of music until after the intermission. His abrupt disappearance from the tearoom was worse than his sitting far too close and tempting her senses to distraction in the first place.

  Oh, he didn’t leave the concert right away either. She had sensed his lingering presence all too easily. The bounder had stood off to one side. Having sought out the shadows, he had leaned against a cursed post as if his strength was needed to hold up the entire building. And never once had he seen fit to look her way.

  She could have stripped off her gown and he probably still would have kept his gaze trimmed on some faraway point high on the ceiling.

  It was infuriating… He was infuriating.

  She hadn’t expected to make the world come to an end with her newfound confidence. But a little recognition, a comment here or there would have been appreciated.

  And not just from Nathan. No one seemed to take any notice of her sudden change in personality. Not one brow had been raised by the reckless way she’d held her glass, or that she’d eaten a piece of teacake without first removing her gloves.

  Only Mr. Harlow seemed to be conscious of her actions and she already knew the reason for his single-minded attentiveness only too well. He wanted to seduce her. She could read the heat of his longing in the way his shifty green gaze roamed all over her body.

  She was a wealthy prize worthy to be won by him, wasn’t that what he had claimed?

  She abused her pillow some more.

  Tomorrow she would simply have to be more direct.

  Her cousin would soon be in Bath. If she didn’t learn how to express her passions in a more forceful manner she would find herself married to him in short order. Tomorrow, at the Victory Gala, she would have to do something spectacular. A stunt so daring that no one, not even Nathan, would dare think of her as the obedient daughter ever again.

  A tear slipped down her cheek. Since she’d never done anything like this before, she had no way of knowing if her family’s love could withstand the stress of her willful disobedience.

  Despite the uncertainty, she knew that if she were going to chase after her dreams, she would have to risk everything, including her family.

  A terrible gamble to be sure. But to do nothing, to continue to live a lie, she risked losing something even more vital—she risked losing herself.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The rumors were getting out of hand. Everyone in Bath seemed to be dissecting Nathan’s every move, in search of a clue, no matter how small, to this mysterious young lady he supposedly ruined.

  The worst of it came just that morning when three young ladies followed him down the street, giggling and pointing and making a general nuisance of themselves. Because of them, he was forced to cancel a discreet visit to Jane’s apartment.

  Instead he dashed off a note to her, begging her pardon and promising that he would present her with an answer to her proposal at tonight’s Victory Gala.

  What he planned to tell her, he didn’t know.

  Every reasonable bone in his body told him to accept fate and marry her. She was comely and rich and seemed fond of him.

  With his family growing more distant every day and Iona more daring, he knew he needed to make a change in his life and soon. Staying in Bath promised to become unbearable.

  Knowing that Iona was going to attend the Victory Gala, along with the rest of Bath, nagged at him like an irritating itch. She had promised to allow him to escort her.

  But now that would be impossible. Society was watching him too closely, waiting anxiously to attach a name to the mysterious young lady he reportedly ruined.

  He had ruined her. And he wanted to do the right thing. He wanted to marry her. He didn’t understand why she continued to refuse him. Perhaps she was ashamed of his reputation. She’d come to him because he was considered a dangerous rogue and because she was bored and looking for a bit of adventure. He’d obliged her only too well. She was lucky to have escaped with her good name intact, even if she had lost her innocence along the way. He should hate himself for taking that from her but, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t make himself regret the one night they had shared. He only regretted that he was going to have to face a lifetime of lonely nights without Iona.

  Any kind of future, especially marriage, appeared to be impossible for the two of them. His reputation was far too stained. He’d once thought Iona’s proper manners and pristine family name could save him. But he now understood that to link her name with his would bring her only unhappiness. He had nothing to offer a lady but social ruin.

  If he loved her, he was going to have to let her go.

  * * * *

  Nothing short of perfection would do for what Iona had planned for this evening. She’d already decided to wear her best gown, a vivid Sardinian blue crepe dress with an empire waist and a bodice studded with shimmering crystals. The neckline plunged daringly low and the back was nearly indecently bare.

  While the steely blue ribbon she owned might have gone well with the simple willow green cotton walking dress Iona was presently wearing, it lacked a certain flair.

  And flair was what she needed for tonight. Not only was she plotting to prove to society that she wasn’t a wilting flower, she also planned to attempt her first seduction.

  With that in mind, she returned to Mrs. Langdon’s Milliner and Fabric Shop on Milsom Street. Lillian and Amelia were only too happy to accompany her.

  Mrs. Langdon, a tiny woman with her white hair tucked up in a tight bun and wearing a sturdy high-collared tobacco brown dress, paused in front of Iona. She’d been rushing from one end of the counter with her arms piled with a variety of cream and blush colored laces.

  “If you are looking for something special, my lady,” Mrs. Langdon said, giving an easy smile that never failed to remind Iona of her own overly generous grandmother, “I believe I might have just the ribbon.” Much to the chagrin of the rest of the patrons, she set aside the laces in her arms and disappeared below the counter. When she reemerged, a length of iridescent silver ribbon was drawn reverently across her stiff fingers. The sight of it took Iona’s breath away.

  The ribbon glistened like nothing she’d ever seen and once seeing it, she knew no other hair ribbon would do.

  “It is lovely,” Lillian said, her bonnet bouncing as she tried to snatch the ribbon out of Mrs. Langdon’s grasp. “I will take a yard as well.”

  “I am sorry, my dear Lady Lillian, but this is all I have,” Mrs. Langdon said, spilling the metallic ribbon into Iona’s gloved hands for her to inspect.

  “But I must have it!” Lillian insisted. Her lips trembled and her eyelashes fluttered. Iona recognized the warning signs. Her sister was on the verge of throwing a royal tantrum, which was cause enough for alarm.

  Only a month ago, Lillian had shrieked like a madwoman when their father refused to purchase an expensive bolt of lavender silk she’d insisted she simply could not live without. Though the material would have made a lovely dress, her father’s refusal over the cost was nothing to lose one’s temper over.

  Nor was this ribbon.

  Unfortunately Lillian rarely shared Iona’s opinion on such matters. A nervous grin plastered itself to Miss Amelia Harlow’s thinning lips as she pretended to be engrossed in a nearby display of bonnets. The girl’s fingers trembled as she ran them over one of the bonnets’ pink-and-white-striped banding. Even Mrs. Langdon appeared to be holding her breath, waiting for what promised to be a horrendous explosion.

  With a huff, Iona started to hand over the enchanting ribbon. Perhaps it would be better to do without than to let her sister embarrass the family in front of such a large crowd. Was that not how things were expected to go?

  “No,” she said and surprised even herself. “I will purchase this ribbon. It will work well with my gown.”

  She would not give in to her sister’s terror tactics. Her adventures had taught her one thing—her desires were impo
rtant too.

  “Lillian, compose yourself,” she said sternly and gave her sister a sharp pinch. “There are plenty of other ribbons. You do not need mine.”

  Closing her eyes for a moment, she waited for the world to collapse all around Lillian’s temperamental head. What happened though, Iona could only describe as a miracle. Lillian did not shriek or scream. Though her quivery lips continued to tremble, she held her chin as stiffly as Iona had ever seen, and she kept silent.

  For the first time in a very long time, Iona reveled in the power of her own voice. She’d stood up for herself. And her wishes had been heard.

  It appeared her rogue’s lessons had indeed had a positive impact. If only she could be as forceful with her parents. Perhaps, with practice, things would change.

  Her heart fluttered as she paid Mrs. Langdon’s assistant for the ribbon and waited for the overtaxed miss to wrap it in a paper package.

  Tonight was indeed going to be spectacular.

  * * * *

  Nathan waited underneath a cedar tree across the patio from the Sydney Hotel and watched the finely garbed ladies and gentlemen as they entered Sydney Gardens.

  Two orange oriental lanterns bounced on their strings in the trees several feet above the top of his shiny beaver hat. Tiny bells attached to the lanterns tinkled in the light breeze.

  A few bright stars appeared high in the sky as twilight sank into the night. The dimming of sunlight welcomed the return of the midnight shadows where the most delicious and dangerous secrets hid.

  He inhaled the cooling air. Thanks to Iona, he’d found a renewed appreciation for the darkness. A wry smile crept onto his mouth when he spotted her. She was with her family of course. With her arm threaded through her sister’s, she strolled onto the patio, smiling and nodding to acquaintances.

  He blinked heavily. She was certainly not the same young innocent he’d taken for a dip in the King’s Bath. The gown she wore looked nothing like her usual virginal white muslins.

  The swooping back of the crystal-studded blue gown dipped lower than anything he’d seen even the most daring paramours wear to a demimonde ball.

  Her blonde hair had been swooped up off her neck to add to the illusion that her bare skin went on forever. His mouth suddenly turned dry and a searing heat beat in his chest when he noticed how other gentlemen were also being drawn to her erotic beauty.

  How in blazes, in a little more than a week’s time, had she transformed from the blushing schoolgirl he’d met in front of the Lower Assembly Rooms into this seductress gliding across the patio with a slow, confident stride?

  Perhaps the change came from her learning something about the magic of midnight secrets firsthand. It worried him how she seemed to crave the same reckless excitement he’d once let consume his life.

  From across the patio, their eyes met. Though her brows flattened and her lips thinned, she didn’t look through him or pretend he didn’t exist. Far from it in fact. After a stunned moment, she tilted her head in greeting and lifted a brow as if his humble presence somehow amused her.

  He groaned. He was right in thinking he needed to get away from Bath. The sooner the better. To be near her like this and yet not able to have her was going to drive him mad.

  Iona clutched her hands to her chest, suddenly unable to breathe. Dressed in a fashionable long-tailed coat of a deep London-smoke shade, he did just that, he took her breath away.

  A cursed nuisance.

  His coat’s cut had been tailored to conform to his body with glove-like precision. The superfine material stretched with even the barest movement, Iona was only too aware. His breeches, midnight black—a color she was beginning to consider her favorite—were just as formfitting. He wore black leather pumps, shoes appropriate for the finest celebrations and courtly visits.

  His shirt, his cascading cravat and the pearls of his teeth gleamed white, sharp contrasts to the dark colors draping the rest of his body. But it wasn’t any of these things that robbed her of her ability to breathe. He could have been dressed in rags and the seductive heat of his gaze would still have accomplished that feat all on its own.

  “Our box is ready,” Amelia said quietly, taking Iona’s hand in hers. “We wouldn’t want anyone to wonder who has brought such color to your cheeks. Not tonight, anyhow, not during the Victory Gala.”

  Flanked by her family and with Amelia holding her hand, she allowed herself to be led away. It took a basket stuffed with willpower to keep herself from glancing over her shoulder to see if his shimmering gaze followed her.

  He’d never asked for her attentions, she reminded herself. She had been the one who’d pursued him. Nor had he ever vowed to be faithful. The prickling pain beating through her heart was of her own making.

  My own making. And this was where it had started, she thought as she followed her family to the dining box her father had rented.

  Oh yes, it had all begun here, in Sydney Gardens, when she’d shamelessly cornered Nathan in the labyrinth and wrested from him an agreement to teach her how to become more like him. And tonight she was wearing the bold silver ribbon in her hair in honor of his lessons. She fingered the shimmering ribbon and tossed a parting glance over her shoulder.

  If he could read her mind, she was sure he’d be proud of her defiantly wicked thoughts.

  * * * *

  “I don’t know why you insist on staying. All this milling about is frightfully dull,” Jane murmured. Her warm breath tickled Nathan’s ear. “Activities designed for only two are infinitely more pleasurable, don’t you agree?”

  Nathan shrugged. He was struggling to pay Jane the attention she deserved tonight. If anyone asked him to describe her dress, he would have been stumped. His gaze kept trailing over to Iona.

  The ton’s newly emerged butterfly had spent the first hour with her family in their private dining box. She’d nibbled on a sandwich and sipped a drink, leaving much of her dinner untouched. Despite Miss Harlow and Lady Lillian’s efforts to engage her in conversation, Iona kept herself apart.

  Her back arched delicately when she leaned to one side to listen to something her mother was saying. While the rest of the family chuckled, Iona merely bit her deliciously full bottom lip and nodded.

  Nathan recognized the source of her distraction. The look that darkened her brow was nearly identical to the stubborn expression that had underscored her determination in the labyrinth when she’d threatened to go to either Talbot or Harlow if he refused to give her rogue’s lessons.

  What in blazes was she planning to do now?

  As if she’d somehow heard his thoughts, she glanced up and brushed him with a gaze as soft as a feathery caress against his cheek.

  Just watch, her eyes seemed to say.

  “Are you deliberately ignoring me?” Jane asked. “I said do you have an answer yet?”

  “Oh, Jane,” he said, unable to decide whether he should follow his heart or his head with this one. Both held the promise of misery.

  He took her hand in his and patted it.

  Iona stood and wandered away from her family’s dining box with her sister, Miss Harlow and the young miss’s foppish brother following along. Mr. Harlow took Iona’s gloved hand. After pressing it to his cheek in an overly possessive move, he whispered something in her ear.

  Her smile faded. She jerked away from Harlow, turned her head and glared directly at Nathan.

  I see, Nathan watched her lips say.

  Harlow said something else to her and tried to direct her toward a vacated dining box but she resisted.

  “Well?” Jane said, frost forming in her voice. “You’re not the only gentleman in England, you know. I need an answer from you. Will you or will you not marry me?”

  Take Jane as a wife and give up his impossible quest of winning Iona’s heart?

  She’s not for you. Iona’s mother’s blunt declaration still haunted him. Society didn’t believe him worthy of Iona. Hell, he didn’t believe himself worthy of her.

  Even
so, those would be hurdles he’d be willing to struggle over if he knew—really knew—that he could one day win over her overly generous heart. He wished there weren’t so many questions surrounding their relationship. And he couldn’t even get close to Iona without running the risk of ruining her.

  He sighed, his gaze traveling back to Jane. She was a lovely woman. A stunning beauty. With her, he knew where he stood. And since his heart had never been engaged in their relationship, he also knew he’d be safe.

  No risks. No heartaches. Financial freedom as an added bonus. And his father’s acceptance. What more could an unrepentant rake hope for?

  “I-I-I suppose we would be happy together,” he said.

  And then he noticed Iona, looking as dangerous as a wild filly, taking a straight path toward them.

  Her hips swayed from side-to-side and there was an angry bounce in her stride. The gaze she’d locked onto him burned so hot, so fierce Nathan considered making a cowardly retreat.

  And he might have run too if Jane hadn’t tossed her arms around his neck and, despite them standing in the middle of a crowd, pressed her lips to his.

  “I am pleased,” Iona’s voice sliced through him.

  He peeled Jane’s arms from his neck to face his tormenter.

  “Ah, here is your little emotional creature,” Jane purred into his ear. “Do you think she is going to make a scene? Perhaps she’ll have the courage to strike you this time.”

  Iona curled her hands into a pair of fists and bared her teeth with an unfriendly smile. “Not unless you force me to, Mrs. Sharpes,” she said with royal grace. “I came only to congratulate Lord Nathan on his marriage plans. I am pleased that you have found the love of your life, my lord.”

  She didn’t sound at all happy though.

  “Please, don’t do this here.” Tearing him down in front of Bath society would accomplish nothing. She would only hurt herself.

  “You played the game too well, Lord Nathan.” She stabbed at him with her voice. “Trifled with me as if you cared…as if you were…were…my friend.”