Page 21 of Winning the Wallflower's Heart
She was certain of it.
Because the light that suddenly burst before her eyes at the press of his lips against her mouth made her feel otherworldly. And she had been in love with Ellis for years. Now, with his body against hers, warm and firm, and his hand gently cradling her head—well, it was like a balm to her soul to know she could relax and fall into that moment, and he would catch her.
Because Ellis always seemed to catch her, and this was no different. And as amazing as the kiss was, she couldn’t deny the ache in her body, the subtle craving for more that overwhelmed her.
And it hadn’t disappeared nearly a week later.
She groaned as she opened her eyes, waking from a dream of kissing him once more, as she had for the past several mornings.
Romeo butted his head against her cheek and purred loudly, and she stared up at the ceiling peak, still there. She felt a need thrumming through her body. She didn’t quite understand it, but she knew it was because of Ellis—and she neededmore.
And while he hadn’t disappeared entirely after their kiss, he had withdrawn into himself the few times they ran into oneanother. He made it a point to be there for breakfast in the morning. He pored over the newspaper at the opposite end of the table and asked her about her plans for the day. She could tell he was exhausted, and he had stayed awake for her anyhow.
It didn’t make it any better.
She needed to seduce her husband.
She had let the idea tumble around in her head for a few days now, but it was time for her to take control—not only of her life, but over her own desires. The problem, of course, was that she had wanted—desperately wanted—to be wanted by someone, anyone, her entire life. She couldn’t sort out whether she had really loved Ellis and wanted to seduce him to become her husband, or if she just wanted his attention and to feel needed. If her plan went poorly, it would backfire, and she would have no one to blame but herself.
The cat rolled over, revealing his tummy for pets, and she laughed to herself, a little sad. If she was to seduce her husband, she wouldn’t know where to begin, but she knew someone who could help.
“If only he would notice me,” she said out loud to the cat. The cat merely rolled back over, turned its back, and jumped off the bed with a definitive meow.
“You’re no help,” she grumbled.
She dressed, brushed her hair, and looked at herself in the mirror, amazed at how, in only a month’s time, her appearance had changed. She hadn’t fully realized the dark place she had been in, but there was hope now, and she wouldn’t let go of Ellis so easily.
She had snuck out once, and it hadn’t gone to plan, but this time she would do it while he was asleep, when no one was sure to bother him.
She grabbed her reticule, bid farewell to Hester and Esther, and walked a few doors over to Madame Marie’s. She knockedon the door, quickly glancing over her shoulder at the passersby, determined not to let embarrassment claim the better of her.
Yes, this was a bold plan.
But if Georgiana could count on anyone, it was herself—that she knew now for sure.
A man opened the door. “Service entrance is in back.”
“I’m here to see Madame Marie,” Georgiana said. “You can tell her that Linny sent me.”
“Right, right,” he grumbled, and he waved for her to follow him inside.
She didn’t know what she was expecting. She had never been to a brothel before. Maybe it was naïve to say she thought it would be something baser than what she discovered because the entryway to the brothel looked comparable to Ellis’s club. All marble, gilded picture frames—it felt luxurious. And it was warm, and cinnamon perfumed the air. As they walked deeper into the club, darker colors surrounded her, enveloping her, drawing her near.
This is what she wanted, right? She wanted to seduce her husband. She didn’t even know what that meant, but showing up in his office had worked for a kiss. And it was a good kiss, obviously, because she couldn’t stop thinking about it. Maybe she was a little greedy, but she wanted more, and she wouldn’t let herself down. She deserved more. She’d promised that to herself.
Madame Marie had some curtains acting as a makeshift door. The rouge on her cheeks was bright, and she clapped her hands together and tilted her head, narrowing her dark eyes on Georgiana.
“Well, this is a pleasant surprise,” she said. “Linny sent you?”
Georgiana cleared her throat, a little embarrassed. “No,” she said. “No, I’ve come on my own. I’ve come for lessons.”
“Lessons?”
“Yes, I wish to seduce my husband.”
Madame Marie threw her head back and gleefully cackled. “My girl, you’ve come to the right place.” She clapped her hands again. “Let me take your things, and I’ll introduce you to someone who can help.”
Ellis groanedas he sank into the hot bath. It had been a hellish night, and he wasn’t certain there wouldn’t be gossip leaking out into the press after he had to break up fisticuffs when two men accused one another of cheating at the card tables.
