9781618858467ASinfulEducationPimentel (5 page)

“Aren’t
you the bold one this evening, my lord. Why ever do you think I was offended?
He simply made promises—albeit shocking ones—I do not think I have ever heard
spoken so publicly.”

He
must have said something lewd, for her response left more questions than
answers. “And just what exactly did he say that was so shocking?”

She
snorted. “My lord, you’ll forgive my impertinence when I say, that it would be
improper for me to repeat such things, let alone reveal the intimate discussion
I had with my betrothed.”

Intimate my
arse
. Why, if I had to
guess, he probably scandalized her by telling her what he was going to do to
her. And now, he is surely off shagging another guest while we are dancing.
Everything about the man was detestable. One could not trust a snake while it
slithered about London, much less at his own party.

“Emily…My
lady—forgive my manners—but I am a man in every way and maybe more so than the duke
will ever be. I know the signs and the physical reactions when a person—a
woman—is repulsed at the suggestion of doing something beyond her comfort
level. What did he say?”

Her
eyes widened, and she turned away to gaze upon others dancing around them. Some
of the guests chuckled, their attentions focused on the pair.

“You
know, you do not have to marry him. Nathaniel will ensure you are well provided
for, until you are ready.”

She halted
and released him the moment the music stopped. He waited for her to scold him
over his presumptions. She would not make a scene here of all places, but if
she admitted her feelings for the duke, he would let her go on about her
business and not dare to interfere. But something about this situation did not
smell right. Avonlea was a man who followed his instincts, and his skin crawled
with a sensation indicating danger was close.

In a
time when the country’s finances were uncertain, as war had taken its toll, he trusted
his sixth sense. Emily was in danger, to put it plainly, and if she thought for
one moment the duke meant well, she was wrong. Were Charles a betting man, he would
wager his estate that Downsbury was up to something sinister.

As
soon as Wycliffe sobered up, he had to speak with the man who’d coveted the duke’s
wife. If anyone knew how evil the duke could be, it would be him.

“My lord,
I really must be leaving. His grace will wonder what is taking me so long.” She
curtsied and left him in a rush.

His
gaze lingered on the curves of her gown and settled around her bottom. He had
fantasized about her derriere since the night he had caught her in his arms. Images
of her bare
arse
sinfully occupied his thoughts more
and more. As she disappeared down the hall, another man stepped in next to him.

“She
is quite the catch, that Lady Thompson. A spitting image of her mother, too. I
envy the duke,” the tall, stout, and balding gentleman stated. “I wonder,
though, if she’ll be enough to keep him interested. The good Lord knows, the
previous duchess carried on so many affairs, it was not any wonder that she
ended up dead. All of our sins will come to the forefront, and we pay for them
in this lifetime.
Pitty
she lost the child as well.”

“What
are you talking about, and who, might I ask, are you?”

“The
duchess was with child and not of the duke’s, if you gather my meaning. And I
was the one who pulled the dilapidated carriage out of the river. Sadly, her
body was never recovered. It was just as well. The pariah would have never had
a proper burial. His grace was quite annoyed.”

Of
course, Avonlea had been uneasy that was never found. How else would Downsbury
have been able to obtain an annulment? It would be rather amusing if her grace
were to make a miraculous return from the dead. The duke would surely have an
apoplectic fit.

He was
about to respond when he caught the wisp of Emily’s skirt go by. She stopped at
the terrace, glanced back to see if anyone had followed her, and slipped out
into the shadows of the moonlight. He bowed to the stranger. “Excuse me. I have
just remembered something I must do.”

Walking
toward the terrace, Charles happened to notice the duke headed in their
direction, adjusting his cravat and walking down an empty corridor.
What
the devil has he done?
Closing the door behind him, Avonlea found
Emily sitting on the bench, sniffling. He crouched down before her and offered
his handkerchief. “There, there, sweeting. Tell me what happened.”

She
bent forward into his waiting arms and sobbed. “He…he…” She trembled.

“He
being who, love?”

“The
duke
. When I departed the ballroom earlier, I went in
search of him and found him with another woman.”

“Surely,
they were only discussing—”

Emily
released the most unladylike growl. “What could have they been discussing, when
she was on her knees with her mouth over his…?” She pointed to his groin.

The
fact that the duke was already beginning to show his true colors, before they
were even married, solidified that these two were ill-matched. The marriage was
doomed even before it started, and she would never be anything more than his
chattel.

“Are
you sure it was even him you saw?”

“I
cannot believe you are doing this to me. Stop patronizing me! Yes, it was him I
saw. And to make matters worse, he acknowledged my presence by announcing that,
in no time, I would be doing the same.”

His
heart lodged in his throat. “Emily—”

The
terrace door opened and slammed shut. “What do you think you are doing with my intended?
Alone, out here, where there is no one else? How dare you!” Downsbury
questioned, huffing and puffing.

T’was
as if the duke had slapped him. “Me?”

There
they stood behind the poplars in the darkness, silent other than the sound of
crickets chirping. The earl shielded Emily from the duke, and it took every
ounce of patience to not strike the insolent fool.

The
door opened and closed again. “Oh my. What on earth has happened?” Lady
Thompson asked. “Emily, what have you done, you impossible girl?”

“Yes,
what have you done, my dear?” Downsbury added with a hiss.

Between
her mother and the idiot, Charles was not sure he could handle much more of
these games. All he could think about was whisking her away from this madness.

“Lord
Avonlea, I believe this would be your cue to take your leave. This is a private
matter and doesn’t involve you,” the dowager countess quipped.

Oh, it involves me all right.
“While that may be true,
if I come to find out that you’ve done something to harm Lady Thompson, duke or
not, I will call you out. And do not think for one moment the Marquess of
Stoughton will not hear about this.”

Charles
turned toward Emily and bowed. “My lady, courtship to this man is a mistake,
and any notion of marrying him is even more ludicrous. I may not have the power
of a duke, but I assure you, even men of my stature would be able to provide
you a good home and be a loving husband.”

Egads
. He could not believe he
had uttered those words. But there was no way in Dante’s seven circles he would
let her fall
pray
to the coxcomb nor her mother’s
machinations.

He
focused on the older Lady Thompson. “You, as a mother, should be ashamed of
what you are putting your only daughter through. Of all the directions you
shove her in, you place your daughter’s love and happiness in a man who will never
be content with a wife, much less with one woman.”

The
earl stormed off the terrace and, ignoring the guests, he passed by while the
dowager countess followed hot on his heels.

She
managed to catch him just outside the door and pulled on his jacket. “You
should be ashamed of yourself, Lord Avonlea. This whole party was in honor of
their betrothal!” she yelled. “What were you doing with my daughter out on that
terrace? I demand you tell me this instant, you…you…
rogue
.”

Avonlea
pinched the bridge of his nose, struggling with every force in him not to shout
at the old bat. “Madame, I assure you on my father’s honor, I did nothing to
disgrace your daughter or family name. I was merely consoling her.”

The
matron scoffed at him and poked her wiry finger into his chest. “They only had
a disagreement. Couples do that. People argue all the time, and certainly do
not need rescuing of any sort from the likes of you. You, sir, will maintain
your distance from Emily and not meddle in their affairs. Secondly, you’ll not
involve my son in this, either. The
marquess
is far
too busy with the twins and that whore of a wife.”

He
could barely breathe as anger boiled beneath the surface. “You’ll not address
her ladyship in that manner ever again. Am I understood? If any harm comes to
Emily, you madam, will rue the day you were born.”

“Pray
tell, what exactly do you plan on doing? Abducting my daughter? Shipping me off
to the Americas? My lord, their union is now a legal arrangement. If anything
happens to the future Duchess of Downsbury or me, you
will
be
held accountable.”

Grinding
his teeth, the earl cracked his knuckles. “If we are quite done,
madame
, I have places to go.”

As
he was about to descend the first level of steps, his mother called out, “Charles!
Do not think you can leave this party without even stopping to talk to me.”

“I
am, and I will.”

“But
where are you going?”

“To
see a
marquess
about his sister.”

Nathaniel had to know something was not right about
this marriage, and if anyone could stop it, it would be him.

Chapter Three

“I do
not know what possessed you to wander off to the terrace by yourself, young
lady, but going forward, you’ll not embarrass me further,” the duke snarled.

Emily
could not believe he was scolding scolded her for running away after catching
him in the middle of his indiscretion. Her stomach sank as hurt swallowed her
whole. “Is this the way it will always be? For if it is, I will have you know,
I will not accept your proposal. I will not be a party to your scandalous
dalliances. Enough people have been harmed by them, and I will not stand for
it. Me, embarrass you, your grace? I was not the one whose mouth was so
indecently—”

“You
poor innocent,” he chided, closing the distance between them. He smirked at her
before pulling her into a tight embrace.

Emily
nearly lost her breath when he held her pressed against his chest.

With
his free hand, he took hers and rubbed it over his hardening member. Her knees
wanted to buckle beneath her. Rage began to consume her, and she could not help
but feel violated and repulsed by his touch.

“You
need not be afraid of this, nor be jealous of any other women. Once we are wed,
those beautiful, pouty lips will be wrapped around my cock in no time. And if
you do it right, I just may keep you around longer than I was expecting. But I
am positive, given enough time and training, you’ll even be open to the idea of
another woman joining us, or entertaining others.”

Emily
gasped at the notion of sharing her future husband and was astounded he had suggested
it with ease. Before she could speak, he freed her hand, only to pull down her
bodice and expose one of her breasts. Fear riddled her body, and she felt a
single tear drop down her cheek.

Much
to her chagrin, they were still hidden on the terrace, and no one thought to
come looking for her.

“While
your tits are not of the size I normally prefer, they will do.” He pinched her
nipple and chuckled.

A
sharp pain from his aggressive touch forced her to step back. “Your grace, you should
not be touching me like this in public. We are not even married.”

“Nonsense,
love. Many men and women before us have done far more sinful things than this
before entering the church. Perhaps I will move you into my house once our
engagement is announced, and spend some time in the evening educating you on a
subject far more carnal.”

Emily
tried to pull away, but the duke maintained his hold. “And where do you think you
are going, love? Into the arms of Lord Avonlea? I think not. That man will no
longer be permitted to speak with you.”

He
released her and gave her bottom a hard squeeze. “Now, run along and clean
yourself up. You look affright, and I will not be cuckolded by your inability
to keep up appearances. You are about to be made into a duchess, so you may want
to start acting as one and learn to do so with perfection.”

Heat
seared her cheeks. How could anyone be so crass? Her mother was marrying her
off to the devil incarnate. And the earl was right. Marrying anyone else would
be better than being paired off to his grace. He would never love her, and she
was certain he had not loved his previous duchess.

Their
marriage would only be in name, and all because her dear mother wanted to be
elevated in her status.
Mama.
She needed to find the
woman and leave. Nausea washed over her in waves.
Nathaniel, I need you.

She
picked up her skirts and left the terrace whilst the duke laughed abruptly behind
her. Haphazardly, Emily pulled the rim of her bodice up, hoping no one could
tell what had almost transpired moments ago.

“Run,
poppet, because in no time at all, you won’t even be able to do that.”

The nerve, the audacity
. She wanted to run all right.
Straight into her brother’s house and never return to London. Suddenly, the
notion of becoming a spinster did not sound so bad. Frankly, the thought was
becoming more appealing by the second.

But
then again, she had an earl practically pleading her not to court his grace any
longer. In that moment, she had seen a very different man than the boy who had
gone to university with her brother. Not only was he handsome in a devilish
way, but honorable.
La
! That trait certainly
stood out the most and made her insides warm.

Not
paying any attention to her direction, she collided with the butler.

“My
lady. Forgive me.”

“Nothing
to forgive, sir. I was entirely in the wrong. Have you seen my mother?”

“Yes,
my lady. She just came back in the front door. I believe she just finished
scolding one of the guests.”

Of
course she was.
Poor Avonlea
. She would never forget
how kind he was, nor how warm he felt when he shielded her from the duke.
“Thank you, sir.”

About
to turn down the next hall, Emily found her mother.

“There
you are, my dear. Where are you going?”

“Home.
I am unwell and very tired. I am sure all I need is some rest.”

“Why,
of course, dear, let me get my things, and I will go with you.”

“Oh,
Mama, stay and enjoy the gathering.
T’would
be a
perfect opportunity to mingle with some of the men in the duke’s circles.
Perhaps you will find yourself a randy and wealthy gentleman to take care of
you as
well.”
And
keep you from meddling
in my life.

“That
sounds like a lovely idea, dear. Are you sure you’ll be alright?”

“Yes,
Mama. Go.”

Giving
her a wary glance, her mother turned and left her alone.
Perfect.
Now
she could stop at home and pick up a few things on the way to Nathaniel’s.
This
time, I will have to find a way to stay even longer.

* * * *

“You
know…right when I think I finally have peace in my house, you show up at my
door and drag me to Wycliffe’s. What in bloody hell is keeping Wycliffe,
Avonlea?” Nathaniel asked, drumming his fingers on the wooden arm of the chair.

The earl
continued to pace by the fireplace when the bloke decided to make an appearance,
completely disheveled and clothed only in his breeches.

“What
on earth are the both of you doing here? It is after midnight.”

“I
am not quite sure either, Wycliffe, but
he
will explain.” Nathanial scoffed,
pointing at Charles.

Why do these two always make me out to be the villain?
“Wycliffe,
once you tell us the information we seek, we will be out of your sight. I want
you tell us what you know of what transpired before the duchess’s exile into
the country, and any other useful information you may have.”

The
drunkard stumbled into the seat behind his desk and propped his feet up. His
long, dark hair covered the dark circles around his eyes and hid the fact that he
had not shaved in days. “If you gents neglected to notice, I drink to forget
about
her
. The last thing I want to do is remember how vile and
despicable the duke is, let alone think of the duchess’s time spent with that
clod.”

“Why
do you say he’s vile?” Avonlea asked.

“Go
on,” Nathaniel added.

“He’s
a dirty bastard, you know. He knew all those things about Brimley were wrong,
but he led the haute ton to believe Brimley was fucking her. Then, there was
the fact he threatened to ship her to the continent and leave her in some institution.
Though, I have my doubts about where he was planning on sending her. Bah!”
Wycliffe slammed his fist down. “Enough of this interrogation. Get out of my
house now. Both of you. I want
m’sleep
,” the Earl
slurred as he rose.

“Fine,
we will leave, but I will be back in a few days to check on you. Wycliffe, this
isn’t right. You need help. I can take you into the country for a few days for
some hunting, if you wish.”

Once
upon a time, the earl would not have considered offering such assistance. Yet,
considering the man still grieved for a woman he held dear, t’was a position Charles
knew well. Wycliffe required time to heal, but he still needed to move forward,
and mayhap a hunting trip might bring the man to his senses.

“The
answer is no. Now, leave me be. I trust you’ll find your way out.”

Wycliffe
left him and Nathaniel staring at each other. “Well, you heard the man. Off we
go.”

They
had not made any progress in obtaining the information Avonlea had hoped for,
but Wycliffe’s feelings and character assessment assured him that they were
correct in their suspicions. Downsbury was the last man on God’s earth who could
be trusted.

Climbing
onto their horses, he grunted and muttered an oath. “Nathaniel, your sister is
not safe with him. I can feel it in my blood.”

“Avonlea,
I simply cannot stop anyone based on a hunch. I need proof. If Emily is in any danger,
I need something solid and significant. One doesn’t summon Bow Street on
domestic matters. Unless you can find something else, I cannot do anything to
undo the duke’s engagement to my sister.”

Frustration
mounted, and if there had ever been a moment where he felt useless, now was the
occasion. They needed more evidence, anything that would rouse the suspicion of
the magistrate.

“Listen,
we’ve known each other since Oxford, and our friendship has been tested in many
ways over this last year. I will not have you ride home alone and drink out of
anger. Come stay with me at the manor. I am sure after a good nights slumber,
we can find another way.”

“What
would your bride think of me intruding upon your abode at this ungodly hour?”
Avonlea asked.

“Hardly
anything. Hopefully by the time we slip in, the entire house, including the twins,
will be sound asleep.”

Thirty
minutes later, he followed Nathaniel in through the entrance to find his wife
napping on the dais in the hallway. When they entered, she woke with a start.
“Good grief, I had not meant to fall asleep out here.”

The
earl turned away, wanting to avoid embarrassing her in the manner she dressed.

“What
are you doing down here, my love?”

“Emily
arrived a short while ago. Quite exasperated, too. The poor dear, I fear, is
falling prey to your mother’s machinations. I am not quite sure she should be
marrying the duke, Nathaniel.”

The
marquess
sighed. “Avonlea, please make yourself comfortable
in my parlor. I will join you soon.”

Charles
meandered off in the direction of the parlor, quietly contemplating the marchioness’s
proclamation. Thank goodness, he was not the only one who could see past the
duke’s influence.

Moments
later, Nathaniel joined him by the fireplace, stoked the fire burning out, and
went to pour them some port. “You have to understand, Avonlea. I simply cannot
put an end to this nonsense without considering how it will ruin Emily’s chance
of being marriageable. Think for a moment, if you will, if we were to end this
engagement. Name one reputable gent who would offer for my sister. They’d all
think she was defective in some manner, and I will not have her name tainted.”

He
took the glass Nathaniel passed him and watched the deep, rich tones of purple
swirl by the light of the flames. “I am not saying you have to ruin her in the
process. We could simply make him go away. To be frank, if you ask me, I think
he proposed the match because of her dowry.”

“While
that may be true, it still does not mean I have the right to ruin her
reputation. I was true when I said I will stop this marriage from being
pursued, but only when we have more to go on. This isn’t some conspiracy theory
we are working on for head of state, either. We are talking about bringing down
a member of the peerage. There will be consequences to our meddling. And I, for
one, will not risk the reputation of my children and wife.”

The
earl knew all
to
well what this could do to their
family. Peace had only just returned to their lives. And what he was proposing
would disrupt things once again. “I would never ask you to do such a thing, and
I can see now that I should have never returned here.”