Chapter Forty-Nine
“THAT LAST ONE IS possible.”
Brooke swung around to see that Dominic had finally remembered that he had a fiancée in the room. And how businesslike he sounded. Considering what she’d witnessed, again, it took every bit of will she had not to slap him herself.
Instead she had to whisper because her mother was only two feet away. “But she slapped you, too.”
“That was so—” He had started to whisper back but shook his head and led her out onto the dance floor instead so he wouldn’t have to. “That was so her husband wouldn’t get suspicious.”
Brooke’s eyes flared wide. “D’you like dueling so much? Shame on you.”
“Really? When this was your idea?” he shot back.
“Not with married women it wasn’t.”
“You didn’t specify.”
“Now I am. No dalliances that come with husbands who will want to kill you.”
“Then the pickings are slim here. I see only one widow and I’ve already burned that bridge.”
She saw whom he’d just nodded at, Priscilla Highley, looking exceptionally beautiful tonight in her emerald ball gown. So he hadn’t dallied with Priscilla that day she’d come to visit? Brooke wished she’d known that before she let her anger get her lost and drenched that day. Then again, if she’d known, she wouldn’t have found Storm. . . .
“I miss our animals,” she said suddenly.
“Do you?”
“And I worry that Storm is going to think I abandoned her and return to the wilds.”
“Then we’ll find her again.”
What a nice thing for him to say! It didn’t quite end her bristling, but almost.
“Are we going to stay in London after your mother is fully recovered?”
“No.”
Brooke decided to be a little fanciful. “D’you think we would have met here, this very night, if none of this had happened and I’d come for my promised Season?”
“Probably not.”
“But if we did both attend, would you have sought me out?”
“A virginal debutante? My name isn’t Robert.”
She tsked. “Just imagine it for a moment and tell me you wouldn’t have at least asked me for one dance.”
“The line would have been too long.”
She laughed. “Then I guess destiny has nothing to do with us after all, and if that’s so, something will probably prevent us from marrying on Sunday.”
“Maybe one dance.”
Her eyes flared. That was quite a concession, allowing that it was destiny that had brought them together—one way or another, that they were “meant to be.”
But he spoiled the thought by adding, “But destiny isn’t always good. In our case, it could be we are destined to hate each other to the grave.”
She rolled her eyes. “Such a pessimist you are.”
“How can I not be when you are dooming this marriage from the start?”
“How can you say that when I have been nothing but accommodating?”
“Of course you are, even pointing out which bed I should sleep in. Shall I invite my mistress to the ceremony?”
That got a blush out of her and stirred the bristles again. “If you do, I’ll invite my mother and we can all glare at each other.”
He smiled. “Then perhaps you want to be both?”
She almost asked both what. But she knew. “Wife and mistress? I think you’re missing the point.”
“No. Maybe if you act like a mistress instead of a stiff dutiful wife, I will be able to tolerate you.”
“You already tolerate me,” she gritted.
“Do I? What makes you think so?”
She formed a tight smile. “You haven’t wrung my neck yet.”
He chuckled. “Give me time.” She was about to kick him for that rejoinder when he added huskily, “You might want to try it out on the way home tonight, being both wife and lover.”
Brooke was shocked by what he was suggesting, but the thought of kissing him again and maybe doing more in the coach was incredibly exciting. But she blushed just thinking about it.
A tall man tapped on Dominic’s shoulder to stop them. “I’m glad to see your humor is back, so this is a perfect time for me to insist on one dance with your lady. Give over, old boy. I promise not to abduct her tonight.”
“Go away, pest,” Dominic replied.
“Not this time.” The pest grinned. “Or do you really want all the cupids in town rejoicing and spreading the word about the greatest love of the century, et cetera, et cetera. It really will be a scandal tomorrow if you continue to monopolize her the entire night. And I’m not going away, so you might as well be gracious about it and let me save you from scandal this time.”
Dominic tsked and led Brooke and the pest to the edge of the dance floor, telling Brooke, “Archer is a friend, though tonight I’m beginning to wonder,” and asking Archer, “Why isn’t Benton keeping you occupied tonight—elsewhere?”
“Because he’s already hied himself back to the duke’s daughter. The poor sod must truly be in love!”
“You’re lucky this dance is almost over, and don’t even think of not returning her to me the moment it is,” Dominic warned.
Archer grinned again. “Absolutely!” He twirled Brooke back out onto the dance floor.
“Was any of that true, about a scandal?” she asked her new partner.
“Course not. You are affianced, after all, so not required to dance with anyone but him. Now if he had refused to hand you over just now when I obviously wasn’t taking no for an answer, that on-dit might have made the rounds.” Then with a nod of his head to simulate a bow, he added, “Archer Hamilton, third son, not that it matters since I got stuck with a title anyway.”
He was grinning again. Quite an unusual fellow. Taller than Dominic, maybe even as handsome. Golden hair in the current flyaway fashion, deep emerald eyes, an outdoorsman to go by the tan that was nearly darker than his hair. She would have had a wonderful crop of young lords to choose from this year—if she’d got her Season.
“I assume you know Dominic well to have pulled the stunt you just did?”
“Too well. I daresay I’m his closest friend . . . well, at least he’s my closest. I am delighted to meet you, Lady Brooke. As for the rest of my credentials; boringly rich, wonderful family, delightful mistress. All I lack is—you.”
“I beg your pardon? I could have sworn you just said you were his friend.”
“But friendship can’t stand in the way of fate. Elope with me. I promise to love you for eternity. And Prinny can’t very well drop the ax if a third party absconds with you.”
“So you know about the Regent’s ultimatum?”
“Certainly. Dom is my best friend, after all.”
She snorted. “Or you’re his worst enemy to even suggest it. But the Prince must love you. Quite a strategy that will let him steal from the coffers of both families instead of just one.”
“You don’t think it would work?”
“I think the Regent put you up to this.” She noticed the laughing eyes too late and rolled hers. “You’re being facetious, aren’t you? I’m not amused.”
He sighed. “I’ve been hearing that a lot lately. Very well, what can I do to help you prod the beast? I daresay he only needs a little nudge.”
“You’re on his side. Don’t pretend otherwise.”
“Exactly!” Archer exclaimed. “D’you think I don’t want him to be happy?”
“There’s no such thing in his household.”
“But you’re going to change that, aren’t you?”
It was a good thing the rest of that dance had been short. Music ended, she made her way back to Dominic’s side without Lord Hamilton’s assistance. She didn’t have an answer for Dominic’s friend, any more than she did for his mother.
Dominic hadn’t rejoined her mother, was waiting alone on the sidelines for her. When she reached him, he asked, “Did Archer behave himself?”
“He was . . . let’s say obnoxiously whimsical. Is he always like that?”
“Only when the mood strikes him. Have you had enough dancing for one night?”
“Indeed.”
“Then say good-bye to your mother and we’ll go.”
“She wouldn’t give me the same courtesy, so we can skip that. I doubt she would have approached me at all tonight if you didn’t force me on her. And Lady Hewitt is near the entrance. We need to at least have a word with her or your mother will surely hear about it.”
“Worried about such a minor faux pas?”
“Not me, but your mother might not think it so minor.”
He glanced down at her as he led her to Lady Hewitt. “Are you really concerned for her?”
“Don’t sound so surprised. Disturbances of any kind might slow her recovery.”
“You didn’t exactly take that into account when I was recovering.”
She laughed. “And where was there a choice in that?”
That somewhat normal conversation didn’t continue after they thanked the hostess and walked to their coach a little way up the street. She was still in a much better mood and was fully aware it was because he hadn’t found a mistress tonight. But anticipation was building, too. She tried to tamp it down with the thought that he might have been teasing about kissing her on the way home. But she wanted it to happen. Dare she instigate it? No, she only had a couple more days to wait until she could be that bold.
“Did you enjoy your first ball?” Dominic asked as soon as he sat down next to her in the coach.
“Yes.” She sighed wistfully. “Except I thought it might be a little more romantic with a few stolen kisses.”
He raised a brow at her. “We kissed on the dance floor.”
“That was hardly stolen, and besides, that was just to assure the Regent and other people that we were complying with the marriage ‘suggestion.’ ”
“Ah, I understand. You were expecting something more like this . . . ?”
He leaned toward her until their lips met, softly, teasingly. She was still thrilled and would have said yes, except he stopped too soon. She was about to pull him back to her when she was drawn instead onto his lap.
“Or more like this?” he said huskily.
Yes! He was kissing her deeply now, and the passion flared so fast it was already out of control. She slipped her arm around his neck and moaned deeply in her throat when the top of her gown scraped electrifyingly over her sensitive nipples as he lowered the material. And again as his warm hand fondled her exposed breast. She wanted to feel his bare skin, too, but he wasn’t accommodating her. Because it wasn’t a long ride? That stirred up a bit of desperation in her. She didn’t want this to end! But then his hand slipped beneath her gown and slid up her leg until it reached that most sensitive of places and . . .
“I’ll buy you as many horses as you want. You don’t need to push me to sleep with other women to get them.”
It took a moment for her to grasp what he’d just said, but then she smiled. “So you can tolerate me now?”
“You’re going to be my wife.”
Such a wonderful statement. Her smile widened. But he was straightening her clothes, making her realize they were home. He helped her out of the coach and walked her to the door, but then he turned to leave!
“Where are you going?” she asked with a frown.
He paused. “Not where you think. Sweet dreams, Babble.”
Her dreams were likely to be more than sweet now. They were likely to be a conclusion of what they’d been doing in that coach! She was still smiling to herself as she entered the house. Just two more days . . .