Scandal at Vauxhall (Pleasure Garden Follies) by Layna Pimentel Page A

sister wouldn’t mind in the least having
someone closer to her eighteen years to converse with, but his mother…his
mother would take to the vapors once she heard.
    She
will simply have to make do with my decision.

 
    * * * *

 
    “Excuse me,
miss.”
    The young lass
entered, with a shy blush sweeping across the bridge of her nose. “Your Grace.”
    “Fetch me my
dressing gown, and you may leave for the evening. I have no intention of
entertaining this evening.”
    “But, Your Grace—”
    “No need to
worry, my dear. I’m not an invalid, nor a crone in need of assistance. Enjoy
your evening. I assure you, I will be in perfect health tomorrow. I promise.”
    Without the bat
of an eyelash, the young maid retrieved her gown and held it out while Isabel
stepped from the cool bath water.
    Since their
arrival in Bath, she had wondered how long it would be before Nathaniel joined
her. Yet the overbearing man had avoided her since escorting her to the elegant
suite. What could possibly be keeping him from visiting, tending to her needs?
From the moment he had laid her upon the park green and fondled her in the most
loving and sinful ways, she had burned for him.
    Dampness pooled
between her thighs from thinking of those delicious moments. She ached to have
him buried deep within her, driving himself in until the only thing she could
see were heavenly constellations. Both would be coated in sweat and their
release, biding their time until need drove them into an all-consuming lust.
    Damnation! Of all the men to drive her to distraction. Only six months had passed since
her husband’s death. Their connection was a scandalous one, and no matter how
she tried to imagine things working out in the end, the situation would not resolve
amiably. Either she would be exiled from the haute ton , or Nathaniel would be cast out from the House of Lords.
Inevitably, their dalliance would have to stop, quickly and quietly.
    Isabelle sat by
the fire, brushing her hair dry, running through her mind what to tell him. If
the determination burning in his eyes at the gardens gave any clue, Nathaniel was
a man used to getting his way. He would not simply accept that she was not
interested in pursuing this relationship of theirs any further. No, Nathaniel
would see to it that he did his duty, marry her to preserve his family’s good
name.
    Good
grief, his family. What would they think of this mess?
    A gentle knock
at the door startled her. Isabel set down her brush and craned her neck to get
a view of who would enter. However, from where she was seated, she could only
see the sitting room.
    “Enter,” she
called out, pushing away from the vanity and walked toward the entrance to her
apartments. “Did you forget something, young lady? I am sure I gave you my
utmost assurance that I will be fine for the remainder of the evening.”
    Isabel adjusted
the wrapping of her robe without so much as glancing up, stumbling into a wall
of muscle, sweetly-scented and familiar.
    “And I am
positively convinced you should have someone with you, myself excluded, of
course,” Nathaniel drawled, making her stomach flutter with excitement and
nervousness. He lifted her chin with his fingers until their eyes met. His gaze
penetrated her soul, right down to her core, promising so much more than what
she had already tasted.
    “But excluding
you would take all the fun out of this trip, My Lord.”
    He smirked and
stepped back. “I trust you had an agreeable dinner?”
    “I did indeed, My
Lord.”
    Nathaniel walked
past her toward the fireplace and adjusted the logs to make room for more.
“That should keep you cozy until morning. In the meanwhile, your companions are
set to arrive later tonight, and I hope to enjoy breakfast with all of you. Now,
I suggest you get on to bed, and I will get back to securing our future, Your Ladyship.”
    He deliberately
swatted her derriere. While she did not understand what he meant about securing
her future, she had to