Page 3 of In Search of a Husband
“Do you read the gossip sheets? You made an appearance.”
“For going on a ride? I had a chaperone. That is hardly worthy of gossip.”
“You went for a ride with London’s most notorious rake. Must I remind you of his laundry list of scandals, my dear?”
“I am being careful,” Kate said, scratching her neck. She refused to look Charlotte in the eyes in case she confessed everything. Which was likely. She had the worst time keeping secrets from her.
“He is not to be trusted.”
“He is a perfect gentleman with me. It’s not like you to judge others, Charlotte.”
“I am not judging when he has a history of making a mess of things. He is irresponsible and careless with others. He has large gambling debts, and I heard a rumor that while on a trip to Bath last spring?—”
“Charlotte, there is no need to worry.”
With a sigh, Charlotte turned her back toward the rest of the room and smiled. “Very well. How are you feeling?”
For a moment, Kate almost forgot. But she wrapped her arms around her middle and declared she wasn’t feeling well.
“What’s the matter?” Lady Cranbourne asked.
“Headache,” Kate answered matter-of-factly. She would never be ready to tread the boards of Drury Lane, but she could feign a headache when needed.
“Oh,” her hostess said, standing up. She swept in and led Kate away. “If you need a carriage, please let me know. But for now, let’s go upstairs and you can lie down. Perhaps that’s all you need.”
Kate glanced behind her, cursing to herself as Charlotte stood there in the room with a look that was all too knowing.
But she would be fine. Everything would be fine.
Once settled, Kate paced the dark room, ready to make her escape. He would be waiting, and she would now be late. What if he left, and she was discovered sneaking around the garden alone? What if he grew upset with her for being late?
Thankfully, her escape happened without incident. She slipped out into the chilly March night with her shawl clutched tightly aroundher. She could see her breath in the air as her slippers sped down the stone steps into the formal gardens below.
A hand slipped around her waist, and she was hauled back into a solid wall of flesh. “There you are. I thought you wouldn’t come.”
She smiled to herself in the dark before she spun and faced him, his handsome features well lit by the moon shining bright in the night sky.
“Really? You doubted me?” She pulled on a pout for effect. To her delight, it worked. He growled softly under his breath and gripped her waist with both hands.
“I won’t now.”
She pressed her lips together, studying him. He was so perfectly stunning, and he was hers.
“As you should.”
“You look absolutely ravishing tonight. I couldn’t take my eyes off you at dinner. Remind me to send my compliments to your modiste. That dress…”
“Thank you. It was a horribly long dinner.”
“I don’t want to talk about dinner.”
She wished nothing else but to press her lips against his then. Instead, she played coy. He liked it when she did so. “Why not? I really enjoyed?—”
“I’m going to kiss you now, Princess. Shut that pretty mouth of yours.”
Desire unfurled in her body, starting in her core and racing outward toward her limbs. It might as well have been a balmy August evening with how her body burned. Except for Princess. She didn’t care for that pet name. And she would need to remind him to say something else later. Much later, after he…
The marquess’s lips pressed down against hers, and a dizzying rush buzzed through her body as she raced to match his movements. His lips were warm and soft, and she understood then how he had earned his reputation. The marquess was a skilled kisser.
