since the theme of the ball was Christmas.
“This is too much,” she whispered.
“It is perfect and will look beautiful on you.” He picked up the cloth and draped it over her shoulder. His lips turned upward.
“Somerton,” she hissed as the shopkeeper turned away. “I cannot wear something as decadent as this. What will people think?”
He arched an eyebrow at her.
She knew what they would think. That she was his mistress and as such could wear a sensual gown. Before that fateful night, she’d tried so hard not to fall into the trap that most in her situation had already done. But it hadn’t been easy. She had known the money those women made for letting a man have sex with them. Had she agreed, she might have even found a position as a mistress of a wealthy man. Nevertheless, she hadn’t wanted that for herself. Yet now, she found herself in the same position, even if it was pretence.
As always, she wondered what her mother would think of her. Victoria barely remembered the woman who died when she was only seven. After Father died when Victoria was three, her mother went to the tavern and served ale. If Victoria was truthful with herself, her mother most likely served more than ale to the customers.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked.
“Nothing important.”
She wandered the store again while Somerton gave the instructions to the woman. She wondered what it would be like if this wasn’t pretend. If she had the money to shop at a place like this. She had to stop dreaming. Only the daughters and wives of lords shopped here.
She walked back toward a bolt of plaid wool and stared at it. Lost in thought of what it would be like to be a real lady again, Somerton suddenly dragged her away and into the back of the store behind a curtain. Before she could sputter a word, he backed himself against the wall with her in front of him. His hand covered her mouth. Her heart pounded against her chest.
“Shh, or we will have something to explain,” he whispered sharply in her ear.
Victoria heard the bell on the shopkeeper’s door and then some ladies chattering as they entered. The ladies’ voices came closer as they examined bolts of fabric. Oh, dear God, he had saved her after all. Jennette and Avis had entered the shop. If they had discovered her with Somerton…she shuddered to think about the consequences.
Instead, her mind wandered to the hard chest she found herself pressed against, the calloused hand covering her mouth and the scent of sandalwood permeating the air around them.
“Do you understand?” he whispered so quietly she barely heard him.
She nodded.
He slowly removed his hand and slipped it around her waist. She prayed Avis and Jennette would finish quickly. Being this close to him caused her heart to beat erratically and warmth to spread throughout her body. How could he expect her to sleep next to him all week?
They stood there a few minutes more before she finally heard her friends leaving the store. She exhaled a long held breath and moved away from him.
“We need to leave before someone else walks in,” she said.
“I agree, but we are not done shopping yet.” He walked away to speak with the shopkeeper again.
Victoria clenched her fists. Never had she met such an exasperating man. She could not walk into another shop with him!
“All right, everything is set. The gowns will be finished by Wednesday afternoon. That should give you time to pack them.” He paused for a moment. “You do have a trunk, don’t you?”
“Yes, I have a trunk,” she retorted. There was no need to tell him it would be a borrowed trunk.
“Good, now you need new undergarments, bonnets, gloves—”
She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. “You will not assist me in buying undergarments. Besides no one will see them so what I have is serviceable enough.”
“Oh?” He cocked a brow at her. “Is that not what a man does for a mistress?”
“No.”
“I believe it is. And
“This is too much,” she whispered.
“It is perfect and will look beautiful on you.” He picked up the cloth and draped it over her shoulder. His lips turned upward.
“Somerton,” she hissed as the shopkeeper turned away. “I cannot wear something as decadent as this. What will people think?”
He arched an eyebrow at her.
She knew what they would think. That she was his mistress and as such could wear a sensual gown. Before that fateful night, she’d tried so hard not to fall into the trap that most in her situation had already done. But it hadn’t been easy. She had known the money those women made for letting a man have sex with them. Had she agreed, she might have even found a position as a mistress of a wealthy man. Nevertheless, she hadn’t wanted that for herself. Yet now, she found herself in the same position, even if it was pretence.
As always, she wondered what her mother would think of her. Victoria barely remembered the woman who died when she was only seven. After Father died when Victoria was three, her mother went to the tavern and served ale. If Victoria was truthful with herself, her mother most likely served more than ale to the customers.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked.
“Nothing important.”
She wandered the store again while Somerton gave the instructions to the woman. She wondered what it would be like if this wasn’t pretend. If she had the money to shop at a place like this. She had to stop dreaming. Only the daughters and wives of lords shopped here.
She walked back toward a bolt of plaid wool and stared at it. Lost in thought of what it would be like to be a real lady again, Somerton suddenly dragged her away and into the back of the store behind a curtain. Before she could sputter a word, he backed himself against the wall with her in front of him. His hand covered her mouth. Her heart pounded against her chest.
“Shh, or we will have something to explain,” he whispered sharply in her ear.
Victoria heard the bell on the shopkeeper’s door and then some ladies chattering as they entered. The ladies’ voices came closer as they examined bolts of fabric. Oh, dear God, he had saved her after all. Jennette and Avis had entered the shop. If they had discovered her with Somerton…she shuddered to think about the consequences.
Instead, her mind wandered to the hard chest she found herself pressed against, the calloused hand covering her mouth and the scent of sandalwood permeating the air around them.
“Do you understand?” he whispered so quietly she barely heard him.
She nodded.
He slowly removed his hand and slipped it around her waist. She prayed Avis and Jennette would finish quickly. Being this close to him caused her heart to beat erratically and warmth to spread throughout her body. How could he expect her to sleep next to him all week?
They stood there a few minutes more before she finally heard her friends leaving the store. She exhaled a long held breath and moved away from him.
“We need to leave before someone else walks in,” she said.
“I agree, but we are not done shopping yet.” He walked away to speak with the shopkeeper again.
Victoria clenched her fists. Never had she met such an exasperating man. She could not walk into another shop with him!
“All right, everything is set. The gowns will be finished by Wednesday afternoon. That should give you time to pack them.” He paused for a moment. “You do have a trunk, don’t you?”
“Yes, I have a trunk,” she retorted. There was no need to tell him it would be a borrowed trunk.
“Good, now you need new undergarments, bonnets, gloves—”
She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. “You will not assist me in buying undergarments. Besides no one will see them so what I have is serviceable enough.”
“Oh?” He cocked a brow at her. “Is that not what a man does for a mistress?”
“No.”
“I believe it is. And
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