Page 48 of Unmasked By a Captivating Lady
Ara smiled weakly. “I thought that I might come in, and we could…talk.” She hesitated. “Like we always used to do…”
Her cousin blinked rapidly. “I find that I am very weary, Ara, after the long trip. I am simply going to sleep tonight, I am afraid.”
Ara nodded. “Of course,” she said quickly, trying to mask her hurt. “I will leave you to it, then. Sweet dreams…”
But Ruth had already closed the door, gently but firmly.
Ara’s eyes filled with tears. She was trying so hard, but Ruth was still angry with her. Her cousin had barely glanced at her during the carriage ride from London, and they had barely exchanged two words the whole day.
She drifted back to her own bedchamber, feeling loneliness consume her. Whatever had happened in the past – no matter how angry her parents had been with her – Ruth had always been her friend. Ruth had always been her rock. But it seemed that she had pushed too far, this time, and her cousin was not willing to forgive her in a hurry.
She collapsed across her bed, pounding the pillow. There was nothing that she could do, besides toeing the line, to show everyone how truly sorry she was. Hopefully Ruth’s anger would fade in time, and they could be friends again.
She rolled over on the bed. Now that she was alone, thoughts of Lord Miles Comerford started to consume her yet again. For the thousandth time, she remembered how he had touched her in the garden. She remembered what he had done to her, and how it had made her feel. The ecstasy he had unleashed within her, by that shocking act…
She stirred restlessly. She felt unbearably aroused, just thinking about it. And she wanted him to do it to her, again. She wanted to lie in his arms, and let him touch her in that intimate way, over and over. It made her blush with shame, but she wanted him to take her, as a man takes a woman, in passion.
She bit her lip, pondering it. She had overheard the maids talk about it, how a man mounted a woman, just like all animals did, when they coupled. She had never quite believed it, but she knew now that it was true. If such things that she had experienced with Miles Comerford were possible, then it must also be true what a man did to a woman in that final moment.
She shivered. How was it possible that she wanted him to do that to her, when she hated him and never wanted to see him again in her life?
Tears pricked behind her eyes. She just didn’t understand anything anymore, and perhaps she never would again.
Chapter 24
Miles gazed out of the carriage window at the rolling green hills, spreading out as far as the eye could see. In the distance he saw a sliver of blue, beyond the high cliffs. The sea. He knew it was the sea. And he could smell salt in the air as well.
He sighed deeply, sitting back in the carriage seat. He had not travelled to the Dorset home in a very long time, and now he was wondering why he had been away for so long. It was simply stunning down here, along the Dorset coast. But he supposed that because Kent was closer, he had gotten into the habit of always going there.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He had been travelling all morning, and he was close now. Very close to his country home. He had already sent a rider ahead of him, to tell the staff there to prepare the house for his arrival.
He had made discreet enquiries before he had left London. He knew that the Nott family had abruptly left London, two days after the ball, returning to their country home. They had fled the city, anticipating the scandal that had erupted around them. He could hardly blame them.
He had brooded about what he should do for days. Should he just leave her alone? She had told him that was what she desired, and yet he knew that her feelings for him were just as strong as his were for her. He knew that the connection between them was real and true. And then there had been Lucy Edge, and what she had advised him to do.
“Pursue her,” she had said quietly, when they had spoken. Her eyes had been fierce. “Show her how much she means to you, and that you cannot live without her…”
He had sighed heavily. “But she claims that she does not want anything to do with me, Lucy. And I can hardly blame her, after what has happened…”
But Lucy had shaken her head firmly. “Yes, she will be angry, and humiliated. But she will get over that if you play your cards right.” She had paused. “Is there something that you can give her to show her how much she means to you? Something that could act as a bridge between you?”
He had stared at her, not understanding. “A gift, do you mean?”
Lucy had smiled patiently. “All women love gifts, Miles. Something that shows that you are thinking of them, and care about them.” She had hesitated. “I do not know Miss Nott, but most women usually like jewellery…”
Miles had shaken his head firmly. “Not Ara. She does not care for things like that. All that she desires to do is ride…” He had stopped abruptly, thinking it through. A slow smile had spread over his face.
In the days afterwards, he had made his enquiries, and sought out what he wanted. He knew that he must journey to Dorset to give it to her.
In the carriage, Miles smiled again. He could barely wait to see her face, when she saw it…
But then his smile faded, and his anxiety returned. She might refuse to see him, when he journeyed to her home with the gift. He mightn’t get a chance to give it to her, at all. This whole trip might be for nothing.
He sighed deeply, staring out the window again. It was just a risk he was going to have to take. Lucy had convinced him that he must try to woo Ara properly, and this was the first step towards that.
He peered back, to the rear of the carriage. Yes, the gift was still there, running alongside the carriage. He had gotten one of the stable hands from London to ride it for him.
He smiled again, his heart lifting. It had been hit and miss whether he would get it, when he had gone to Tattersall’s horse auction two days ago. There had been two other serious bidders, who had raised the price dramatically. But in the end, he had secured the winning bid.
