Page 11 of A Gentleman's Kiss
Lord Wessex raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say a word. His hands, which strangely felt so good around her waist, now came to rest at his sides, then came together behind his back as he stood at complete attention, his gaze solely on her.
Lillian twisted her hands together, perplexed at how much attention he paid her. She cleared her throat before she began. Her concentration waned. If only he would stop gazing at her like that. She blinked a few times and licked her lips in an effort to pull herself back to the present.
“Lord Wessex—”
“You may call me Dominick, Miss Whitmore.”
“All right, Dominick,” she began again, not wanting to give him permission to call her by her given name quite yet. Her hands came to sit on her hips, and she tapped her foot as if berating a child. “I am quite wondering why you would try to embarrass me in front of Sir Trenton? I am a guest at his musicale, as well as a guest of my uncle’s home. Perhaps you do not know the history of why I am here, which I do not care to explain to you. I am having a particularly hard time as of late, and am trying to live as simple a life as I can. You wandering about telling anyone who will listen that you spent the morning in my bedchamber is entirely unacceptable. You will ruin me!”
“My, Miss Whitmore,” Dominick began, his eyebrows raised and a small grin on his handsome lips. “I didn’t realize how much I offended you. I was merely jesting—and I admit, tormenting Sir Trenton. I didn’t mean to cause you distress.”
She lifted her chin. “Well, you did. Try not to do so in the future. It may not be the ruin of you, but will certainly be the end of me.”
Dominick laughed and raked his hand through his hair. “You sure are a spitfire, mademoiselle. I honestly just want to talk with you, not dash your reputation into the fire.”
“My lord, you certainly have a funny way of showing someone you would like to engage in conversation. First you come into my chamber as I sleep, and next you humiliate me in front of someone I just met? What, pray tell, should I think?”
“A thousand apologies, Miss Whitmore. I know I must have made an awful impression upon you. I have spent much of my days traveling abroad, and have forgotten myself as well as proper etiquette. Forgive me?”
The look on his handsome face was devastating to Lillian, with his brow furrowed, and his gaze registering concern. Perhaps he was telling the truth. Whether he told the truth or not, she wasn’t sure she could resist his steamy blue eyes and irresistible smile.
Why am I suddenly attracted to this man? Have I become so wanton since arriving in London, I am willing to kiss one man and then another? Perhaps my morals have lowered greatly since I caused my parents’ death…
“I suppose for the time being, but do understand, the way you have been treating me I should never speak to you again.”
“Completely and rightly so. Come let us walk back to the festivities.” Dominick grasped her arm at the elbow, and Lillian allowed herself to be guided back through the maze to the guests.
Sir Trenton was nowhere in sight and she was glad of it. Her gaze landed on her cousin Susannah, who glared at her, and made a point of looking from Lord Wessex and back to Lillian. The angry girl then headed toward Tamara who was surrounded by a number of young men as she played on the pianoforte. Lillian guessed from the determined look on Susannah’s face, she would soon be deprived of her current companion.
Was there something she didn’t know? Perhaps an arrangement made between Tamara and Lord Wessex? Her cousins were certainly protective of whatever the bond might be.
“Lord Wessex, what is your relationship with my family?”
“My father, the Duke of Cambridge, is the cousin of your dear Aunt Georgiana,” he said with a smile and a gesture toward the woman, who glared back at them.
Not so dear looking now.
He wasn’t giving her the information she needed. Lillian decided to delve a little further.
“I see, and you are staying with us now?”
“Yes, until my father and mother arrive.”
“Do you not have your own house in town?”
“My parents have a grand house on Regent Street, but since I am so often out of the country, I have not bothered to keep one for myself, nor do I really call Cambridge Estate home.” Dominick gave her a wicked grin. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”
“No, of course not,” Lillian gushed, licking her lips nervously. “Please pardon my ignorance, I am just trying to understand why you’re staying with my aunt and uncle.”
“I was invited, of course. The duchess spoke with my father and I was to be arriving in London prior to my own parents. She thought it would be nice for me to have some company. I have just come from America, the New York area to be precise. Did you not say you were from New York? We could have passed each other on the street and not known it.”
The color drained from Lillian’s face, and her breathing became rapid and shallow. Her vision grew blurry, but not from tears. She was going to faint.
Now the reason for his interest in her was clear. He wasn’t actually interested inher, more like interested in the gossip surrounding her. If he’d just left New York, then he must have heard about the accident. He must know all about her. The news had been splashed on every newspaper for days. The gossips had spread rumors about how Lillian had been the cause of it, and that young women needed to be curbed. The more reserved, and uptight citizens of New York believed young ladies should be at home reading the Bible, and attending church services, helping the sick and poor, not dressing up for parties and flirting. They deemed such activities only led to disaster, and used her tragic tale as proof of such.
Because of her parent’s accident, socializing and parties were even being pooh-poohed, many were canceled and parents were stripping their daughters of fancy dresses in place of plain grays and browns, with necklines that choked. Nearly every young woman blamed Lillian for it too.
And Wessex had known all along. Oh, the mortification! He’d been testing her morals to see if she was just as a much a shameless girl as the New York rags had made her out to be!
Dark thoughts ran through her mind, before the world turned black.
