thump.
Frederick clasped her buttocks in his large hands and pulled her closer. She felt his erection against her abdomen. Its heat branded her, while its pressure frightened and intrigued her.
‘Slow down,’ she begged.
Frederick sucked in his next breath. ‘Louisa,’ he sighed. ‘I don’t want to take advantage. But Jesus, you feel good.’
Louisa looked up and saw that his pupils were wide and dark.
‘You don’t know what you do to me,’ he whispered. He unconsciously brushed his palm against his loins, and Louisa’s gaze followed the movement. After seeing Joshua, she thought she had a fair idea what effect she was having. In fact, part of her desperately wanted to touch him, to trace the length of his hard shaft, but she hardly dared. Perhaps he would think her too forward. Instead, she settled for pressing herself hard and fast against him, yearning for something and hoping he’d show her.
‘Miss Stanley,’ a voice called from the lawn. Louisa jumped and stared at Wakefield. Her heartbeat thundered against her ribcage.
‘It’s all right, Louisa. Just keep still,’ Frederick reassured her.
‘Miss Stanley.’
‘It’s Marquis Pennerley,’ whispered Louisa.
Frederick nodded. ‘I know. Just keep still, he’ll go away.’
‘But I promised him a dance. I ought to go.’ She pulled away from Frederick’s embrace, and shivered as she realised how cold the night air had become. He followed her out from the trees.
‘Captain Wakefield was showing me the swans.’
‘So I see,’ Vaughan replied with a hint of boredom. ‘You promised me a dance. I hope you’re not going to let me down for a few birds.’
‘Oh no, of course not,’ she said. She tried not to look embarrassed, despite the high colour in her cheeks and the obvious sparkle in her eyes. Something told her Pennerley knew exactly what they’d been doing. Relinquishing her grip on Wakefield’s hands, she accepted his. ‘Is it time already?’
Frederick watched them depart in annoyance, then wandered over to the fire that burned on the lawn.
‘Never mind, Wakefield. Here,’ Joshua soothed, and passed him the port bottle. ‘You can’t win them all.’
‘Tell it to that prize bastard sometime, will you?’
‘Surely. Who is he?’
Frederick spat the cork into the fire. ‘Vaughan, the Marquis of Pennerley. She’d promised him a dance,’ he said sarcastically.
Joshua smiled politely, none the wiser. ‘Bad luck. Next time, eh?’ he said, and patted Wakefield’s shoulder. Then he turned to Miranda Hayes and asked, ‘Shall we join them?’
Wakefield scowled. ‘I’ll join the card table, then.’
‘Yes, do, Milli’s there,’ purred Miranda. ‘She’d love to have you.’
4
THE DANCE WAS a lively gavotte, popular enough to draw a crowd on to the dance-floor. Louisa skipped, stepped and kissed her partner without enthusiasm. She would gladly have changed places with any of the envious ladies around her, if Marquis Pennerley had permitted it. She tried to show an interest in him, but her gaze kept drifting across the room to the card table.
Wakefield and Aubury faced off, watched by a small crowd of friendly hecklers impressively fronted by Millicent Hayes, who had already lost heavily to Charles. They bet on several rubbers while cards changed hands quickly. Charles began to sweat heavily as the game progressed and he frequently stopped to mop his brow. Wakefield was about to strip him of most of his ready cash.
Back on the dance-floor, Louisa and Vaughan completed their solo parts and rejoined the circle. As they danced the final steps, Louisa’s gaze again moved to Frederick. Charles, grumbling and red-faced, abruptly quit the table. She watched Frederick scoop up his prize money and hand some of it to the woman at his side, who was leaning close to him. She immediately threw her arms about his neck and kissed him full on the mouth.
Louisa felt a sudden cold jolt. Her perspective narrowed to where he
Frederick clasped her buttocks in his large hands and pulled her closer. She felt his erection against her abdomen. Its heat branded her, while its pressure frightened and intrigued her.
‘Slow down,’ she begged.
Frederick sucked in his next breath. ‘Louisa,’ he sighed. ‘I don’t want to take advantage. But Jesus, you feel good.’
Louisa looked up and saw that his pupils were wide and dark.
‘You don’t know what you do to me,’ he whispered. He unconsciously brushed his palm against his loins, and Louisa’s gaze followed the movement. After seeing Joshua, she thought she had a fair idea what effect she was having. In fact, part of her desperately wanted to touch him, to trace the length of his hard shaft, but she hardly dared. Perhaps he would think her too forward. Instead, she settled for pressing herself hard and fast against him, yearning for something and hoping he’d show her.
‘Miss Stanley,’ a voice called from the lawn. Louisa jumped and stared at Wakefield. Her heartbeat thundered against her ribcage.
‘It’s all right, Louisa. Just keep still,’ Frederick reassured her.
‘Miss Stanley.’
‘It’s Marquis Pennerley,’ whispered Louisa.
Frederick nodded. ‘I know. Just keep still, he’ll go away.’
‘But I promised him a dance. I ought to go.’ She pulled away from Frederick’s embrace, and shivered as she realised how cold the night air had become. He followed her out from the trees.
‘Captain Wakefield was showing me the swans.’
‘So I see,’ Vaughan replied with a hint of boredom. ‘You promised me a dance. I hope you’re not going to let me down for a few birds.’
‘Oh no, of course not,’ she said. She tried not to look embarrassed, despite the high colour in her cheeks and the obvious sparkle in her eyes. Something told her Pennerley knew exactly what they’d been doing. Relinquishing her grip on Wakefield’s hands, she accepted his. ‘Is it time already?’
Frederick watched them depart in annoyance, then wandered over to the fire that burned on the lawn.
‘Never mind, Wakefield. Here,’ Joshua soothed, and passed him the port bottle. ‘You can’t win them all.’
‘Tell it to that prize bastard sometime, will you?’
‘Surely. Who is he?’
Frederick spat the cork into the fire. ‘Vaughan, the Marquis of Pennerley. She’d promised him a dance,’ he said sarcastically.
Joshua smiled politely, none the wiser. ‘Bad luck. Next time, eh?’ he said, and patted Wakefield’s shoulder. Then he turned to Miranda Hayes and asked, ‘Shall we join them?’
Wakefield scowled. ‘I’ll join the card table, then.’
‘Yes, do, Milli’s there,’ purred Miranda. ‘She’d love to have you.’
4
THE DANCE WAS a lively gavotte, popular enough to draw a crowd on to the dance-floor. Louisa skipped, stepped and kissed her partner without enthusiasm. She would gladly have changed places with any of the envious ladies around her, if Marquis Pennerley had permitted it. She tried to show an interest in him, but her gaze kept drifting across the room to the card table.
Wakefield and Aubury faced off, watched by a small crowd of friendly hecklers impressively fronted by Millicent Hayes, who had already lost heavily to Charles. They bet on several rubbers while cards changed hands quickly. Charles began to sweat heavily as the game progressed and he frequently stopped to mop his brow. Wakefield was about to strip him of most of his ready cash.
Back on the dance-floor, Louisa and Vaughan completed their solo parts and rejoined the circle. As they danced the final steps, Louisa’s gaze again moved to Frederick. Charles, grumbling and red-faced, abruptly quit the table. She watched Frederick scoop up his prize money and hand some of it to the woman at his side, who was leaning close to him. She immediately threw her arms about his neck and kissed him full on the mouth.
Louisa felt a sudden cold jolt. Her perspective narrowed to where he
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