Page 13 of Enslaved to the Seduction of a Lady
Chapter Six
“Father’s speech was wonderful, was it not?” Alison asked.
“It was,” Teresa said. “He puts such emotion into everything. He likes to pretend he is a big bad Duke, but in truth he has a soft heart.”
“A soft belly, too,” Erica said, and they all laughed, although with good humor and familial love.
As the sky had begun to darken, the candles and lanterns Alison had placed around the garden really came into their own, twinkling and flickering in the gentle summer breeze. She looked around her, pleased with the effect. It looked like a magical fairy garden, and she half-expected a sprite to pop out from between the bushes.
The music had quickened and the laughter grew louder, the chatter of ladies a gentle rhythm in the background. It was a happy place, Alison realized, and for that she was glad. This was an evening of celebration, after all.
It seemed to her that everyone in the garden was joyful, that they danced and talked and smiled as they never had. She picked out her mother’s friends, made her greetings and then disappeared quickly, knowing she had at least done her duty early, and then she had looked—and failed to find—anyone of interest to talk to, except her sister and Isabella, of course.
She glanced up at the hill where, in the distance, she could see the servants gathered together, no doubt having a party of their own as they waited to attend to the guests again. She tried to find Luke in the gloom, hoped he could see her, but she could not make him out, the candlelight too bright for her to see into the darkness.
“Are you all right?” Teresa asked, obviously having noticed Alison’s distraction.
“What? Oh, yes, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“No reason,” Teresa said, shrugging. “You just seemed elsewhere, that’s all.”
“No,” she said, laughing to hide her embarrassment at being caught out. “Enjoying myself, nothing more.”
“Good, and so you should. You’ve worked terribly hard for this, and you deserve to have a wonderful time.”
“As do you,” Alison urged. “We would not be here if it were not for you, after all.”
“We are terribly blessed, aren’t we? To have found each other again.”
“We are,” Alison said, smiling at her sister.
She marveled, as she often did, at Teresa’s resilience. Where many would bemoan their misfortunes and the terrible things that had happened to them, Teresa only appreciated that they had finally come together again. She knew she could learn a lot from her sister’s kind and forgiving heart.
“Please excuse me, Ladies.”
Alison turned her head sharply at the voice. She was unused to being interrupted, and to make matters worse, she recognized it. It was Rupert Sherriden, the Earl of Belmont. She shivered at the sound of it, and when she turned to face him, she shivered again at the sight of him.
“My Lord,” she said, dipping into the shallowest curtsy she could manage and at least attempting a smile.
He moved to stand between her and Teresa, his back to the latter as he leered at the former. Alison felt herself step backwards, unable to stop her body from reacting to his presence.
“Have you met my sister?” Alison asked, raising her eyebrows at him in disapproval. “She is standing right behind you.”
“Yes,” the Earl said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Alison felt her brow crease. She knew they had never met, and that the Earl was being purposely rude.
“I…” Teresa began, and Alison looked at her with pleading eyes. Teresa shrugged—she couldn’t help, Alison knew. “I should check on my husband,” she said finally, and turned to walk away.
“Good,” the Earl said. “We are alone. I have been looking forward to this opportunity all evening.”
Alison faltered, her jaw bobbing as she thought of what to say. Her nose wrinkled at the stench of his breath, and she wanted nothing more than to run away.
“Are you enjoying the evening, My Lord?” she said eventually, choosing to ignore his words.
“I am,” he said. “But it is better now that I have found you. I hear you remain unwed.”
Alison blinked in surprised. Even if that was his intention, it was rather unorthodox to say it out loud—brazen, even—and she didn’t quite know how to reply.
“I… I am glad you are having a good time,” she said eventually, smiling at him with bewilderment. “It’s such a lovely evening for a party.”
