Page 2 of Her Wicked Longing
“Thank you.” Audrey gently shoved her into the hall, and Gillian headed down the stairs to find her bonnet and coin purse. By the time she finished her errands, the League of Rogues and their wives would have arrived for tea, and Audrey would have little chance of getting intotrouble.
Gillian smiled at Sean Hartley, the handsome young Irish footman, as he handed her a small coinpurse.
“And what errands does our lady have you running today?” Sean asked, his Irish lilt and fine looks a temptation to all the upstairs maids in the Sheridanresidence.
“I’m to collect a few dresses and a few items need to be posted. Could you have the carriage brought aroundforme?”
Sean grinned. “More dresses. One would think she has enough,” he teased and winked atGillian.
Gillian smiled back. “One would think.” She liked Sean. He was like an older brother, playfulandkind.
He left her alone in the hall as he summoned a coach. She clutched her purse and theGazettearticles to her chest, making sure she wouldn’t drop either by accident. No one was around to see, which was good because Sean knew the truth of Audrey’s double life. He could be trusted, but neither Audrey nor Gillian wanted to risk anyone elseknowing.
It was her lady’s best-kept secret. The infamous, sometimes overly critical pen of Lady Society, the anonymous social columnist for theQuizzing Glass Gazette, was none other than Audrey Sheridan. Gillian’s mistress had written articles for years now, challenging gentlemen to fall in love and publicly exposing those in society who sought to harm others, but her favorite pastime was matchmaking for the rogues shehelddear.
Her latest victory had been exposing the betting book at White’s, where a man named Gerald Langley had offered five thousand pounds to have a woman publicly ruined. But Audrey wasn’t finished with him yet; she had every intention of exposing Langley’s involvement in thehellfireclub.
And I must go along with it, or else she will get herself into real trouble.Gillian shook her head, tempted to laugh. Was she always to be the voice of reason? It was exhausting keeping her mistress out of trouble time and again. What Audrey truly needed was a man to chase after her and keep her out of harm’s way while she led her life of adventures. A man like Jonathan St. Laurent. Once Audrey was married, Gillian would have an ally in her mistress’s husband, and she could finallyrelax.
Sean returned and opened the front door of the townhouseforher.
“Don’t worry—I’ll keep an eye on her,” Seanpromised.
“Thank you.” Gillian meant it. She worried, as did all the servants, that Audrey would get into a scrape she could not get out of if they did not look after her. Gillian climbed into the coach, settled back, and closed her eyes briefly. She would be facing a long night ahead if they were to infiltrate the hellfire club aftermidnight.
By the time she reached Madame Ella’s modiste shop, she had rested and successfully dropped off the Lady Society articles to their publisher. She felt refreshed and ready to deal with the dress fittings for Audrey. Knowing her lady, it could take a while if the gowns were elaborate, and they were alwayselaborate.
She had the driver wait for her while she entered the shop. A matronly woman with silver-gray hair was kneeling by a young woman who was wearing a rose-silk gown. The young woman seemed to be around Audrey and Gillian’s age of nineteen. She had light-brown hair, professionally styled, and smiled pleasantly at Gillian, assuming by her clothes that she was likely a young woman in a similar socialcircle.
Madame Ella glanced up and smiled. “Miss Beaumont! What a treat. I have the dresses, but you will need to try them both to be sure.” The dressmaker knew Gillian would try on gowns when Audrey could not comeherself.
“Of course.” Gillian crossed the shop and set her things down in a small curtained area, then took the two gowns from Madame Ella. She quickly removed her own walking dress and tried on her simply tailored evening gown first. It had buttons up the front and was easily examined in the narrow mirror of the small fitting area. But Audrey’s evening gown required assistance to be laced up intheback.
“Madame Ella?” she called out. “I need assistance with thelaces.”
The curtain moved, and she turned halfway, glanced over her shoulder, and gasped. A handsome man with dark hair and soft brown eyes was staring at her, his lips parted. He held a pair of fawn gloves in his hands but didn’t move. Her partially unlaced back was exposed to his view. His eyes traced the length of her bared spine, and she could almost feel his gaze, like invisible fingers tiptoeing downherskin.
It made her feel dizzy to know he was seeing her like this, exposed and vulnerable in such a sensual way. His lips curved, just showing a hint of what he must be thinking about as he swept her again from head to toe. Gazing into his brown eyes, she felt like she was falling into an abyss of dark, erotic thoughts. A small voice in the back of her mind warned her she was in dangerous territory. If she’d been a lady like Audrey, she could have been compromisedbythis.
“My apologies.” The man recovered and averted his gaze, his cheeks turning a ruddy red. Gillian’s face flushed as well. Yet she still couldn’t find her voice to speak. When she stared up at the tall, dark-haired stranger, she simply couldn’tthink. Her heart fluttered wildly, and her stays were suddenly tootight.
“James?” A feminine voice called out. “Where are you? I would like to see if the gloves matchthisgown.”
James, her handsome stranger, half smiled at her and then slowly lowered the hand holding up the curtain. Right before his face vanished from view, his eyes locked on hers, and with a cocky grin he whispered, “Never be ashamed to show suchlovelyskin.”
The curtain fell back into place, and it was as though Gillian could suddenly breathe again. She clutched her arms to her chest, her breasts heaving. She tried to calm down. Who was he? Why had hadn’t he dropped the curtain at once? Surely he knew how scandaloushe’dbeen.
“Miss Beaumont? Are you ready for me to help with the lacing of the gown?” Madame Ella called outside of thecurtain.
“Yes, please come in,” she replied, her tone breathless. The dressmaker came inside and made quick work of thelaces.
“Well, how does it fit?” Madame Ella asked. Gillian hastily studied the gown and nodded at thedressmaker.
“This will do. Thank you, Madame Ella.” She tried desperately to collect her thoughts. Would she see him in the shop again? If he had been assisting a woman buying gloves, they were likely already gone, since she had taken her time finishing trying on Audrey’s gown. She hoped he was gone so she wouldn’t have to face him, yet she also didn’t want him to be gone. The two feelings pulled her in opposite directions. She redressed in her lavender gown and left the dressing room. Her slipper caught on the carpet, and shestumbled.
“Oh!” Gillian gasped, bracing herself for a fall, but instead she fell right into a hard masculine chest. Gentle hands curled around her waist, holding her. The man grasped her more firmly and she was lifted slightly up and into his arms, so that she pressed fully against him. The enticing scent of sandalwood and pine filled her nose, and she raised her head to stare up attheman.
Him.
