Page 25 of Only a Lyon Will Do
“So what if we are? It would allow us to marry sooner. I would not mind as long as you were the lady,” Asher said placing another quick kiss across her lips.
She rubbed her hand down his jacket. “I don’t want our marriage to begin with you being forced to marry me, Asher. I want that to happen because you willingly choose me as your wife.”
“I thought I had already proven that to you over the past several weeks. I must up my game if I have failed to demonstrate my affection,” he teased her while running a finger down her cheek.
She offered him a smile. “Youhaveproven yourself to me, my lord, in so many ways,” Patience replied forgetting all about her earlier words of doubt.
“As long as I have redeemed myself in your eyes,” he said before he kissed her again.
As much as she didn’t want this moment to end, she finally forced herself to pull away before they could be missed. They left the library and returned to the ballroom. Patience was enjoyingherself. Moriah and Josephine had introduced her to many of their friends including Lady Versey who was a delight and accepted Patience as though she was one of thetonher entire life. Overall, most of Society had been welcoming with the help of two future duchesses as friends. She had never been more grateful to Moriah and Josephine for leading the way.
The night progressed and after her second dance with Asher, he excused himself and told her he would look for her on the balcony at the Lyon’s Den. Patience had almost forgotten about her meeting with Mrs. Dove-Lyon and Asher’s departure was a reminder that she, too, should gather her cloak. The hour was later than she thought and her carriage should be waiting for her outside.
Once she retrieved her cloak, she headed outside to look for her carriage. She finally noticed it was parked several conveyances down from the entrance, almost hidden in the shadows of the night. Not seeing her driver sitting in his seat, she decided to make her way and wait for him inside. Opening the door, she stepped up and immediately regretted not waiting for her driver to bring the horses around to the front door. She was not alone!
“Mrs. Moore,” a deep voice hummed from the forward seat before a man leaned toward her. “I hope you don’t mind this intrusion.”
“I most certainly do,” she protested as she attempted to back out of the carriage.
He took hold of her wrist preventing her descent to the ground. “I only wished a private word with you. I thought perhaps we could share a ride to the Lyon’s Den,” he explained.
Recognition finally dawned on her. “Lord Pitt… this is highly inappropriate and I am certainly not about to share anything with you, let alone allow you to share my carriage with me.”
“I must insist,” he said giving her arm a yank so she was pulled inside. Luckily, he didn’t force her to sit next to him so she took the opposite seat. Once she was settled, he tapped on the roof of the carriage and the driver began to put her horses into motion.
“What do you want from me, sir?” Patience asked through clenched lips.
He watched her for several minutes before he finally began to speak his mind. “You are a very beautiful woman, Patience,” he began, but she cut him off before he could continue.
“And I have not given you permission to use my first name, my lord. I would prefer to keep this conversation you are forcing me to have… formal.”
“And it ismypreference that this conversation be more intimate…Patience,” he said emphasizing her name.
“What do you want from me?” she repeated firmly.
“I want what you’ve been giving Rowley, of course. I am well aware that you are a member of the Wicked Widow’s Club and I would like to take you under my wing as my mistress. I can provide you a handsome settlement once our association is at an end and in the meantime you will want for nothing. I can guarantee you won’t leave my bed unsatisfied,” he said telling her his terms.
Patience was at a loss for words and she took several gulps of air trying to calm herself.
A chuckle rumbled in Pitt’s chest. “Yes… I know… you are overwhelmed by such an offer but I promise you I’ll be a much better lover than Rowley.”
“I am not Asher Tyler’s mistress. He has been nothing but a gentleman toward me. What a pity I cannot say the same of you,” she shouted and hit her clenched fist on the seat.
Laugher filled the interior of the carriage. “Rowley? A gentleman? Why, he’s made his way through most of theprostitutes at the Lyon’s Den on top of all the mistresses he’s kept over the past several years.”
“His past matters little to me. We have come to an understanding, and Lord Rowley has all but offered to marry me,” Patience continued to drive her point across to this unsufferable beast of a man.
“You amuse me with your naivete, Patience. Do you really believe he will ever be faithful to one woman?” He took a glance out the window then tapped again on the roof causing the carriage to slow. “I will let you think more about what I can offer you. You won’t be disappointed with me as your lover.”
“It will be a cold day in hell before I would ever let you in my bed,” Patience declared.
As the carriage slowed and came to a halt, Oliver sat forward in his seat, coming so close to her that she could feel his breath on her face. Before she knew what he was about, he took hold of her, pulling her forward, and began his attempt to kiss her. She clenched her lips together thereby denying him what he was attempting to steal from her. When he finally let her go, he stared at her in disappointment.
“Next time, you’ll give me everything I desire from you and more, Patience,” he warned opening the door and stepping to the ground. “I’ll look forward to seeing you tonight on the balcony at the Lyon’s Den, my pet.”
He shut the door and Patience heard his call to the driver to continue onward to her destination. She swiped her hand across her lips in an attempt to wipe away the memory of Oliver’s kiss. She would never give in to his demands but now she worried just how she would protect herself from his advances.
She called up to the driver and an unfamiliar face peeked through the hatch. She gave the stranger Cassandra’s address and ordered him to take her there. She would take no further chances by traveling alone. She’d get refreshed at home and askCassandra to go with her to the Lyon’s Den. It couldn’t help to have reinforcements on whatever awaited her for the rest of the evening.
