Page 52 of A Lady's Lesson in Scandal
Something vital had shifted in Millie since her moment on the chaise with Drake. She felt awake. Aware of a whole world most women never even glimpsed. She couldn’t forget their heated promise. His body belonged to her alone, as hers belonged to him. But what if she wanted more than just his body?
I’ve always been a greedy thing.
Delicious trails of heat skated along her skin, pooling low in her belly and sparking like stars in a midnight sky. She had never imagined a man could do something so wicked and delicious with his mouth.
‘Miss Millicent, have you had a chance to explore the shops in Bedford?’ Victoria batted her large eyes and lifted her fork to her mouth, only to put it back down again without taking a bite of her turbot.
‘I haven’t, and please, call me Millie. Have you?’
‘Franklin treated me on our way here. He knows my love of Bedfordshire lace. It’s most exquisite but so dear, I never thought he would allow me to purchase any.’ Victoria’s cheeks grew pink with pleasure. ‘He’s usually quite strict with my pin money.’
‘Is he?’ Millie glanced over to Franklin. He was sitting next to her stepmother, but when he caught her gaze, he lowered his hand beneath the table. She didn’t have to guess what he was rubbing. She forced her face to remain impassive and turned quickly back to Victoria as a wave of nausea rolled through her belly.
Disgusting man. He probably spends all of Victoria’s pin money on whores who can’t refuse his hideous advances.
‘Franklin’s concern with frugality is commendable, but he must have wanted to spoil me this week because we came a full three days early just so I could shop. He sent me off with a footman and my maid every day to wander the town. It was glorious.’
‘He didn’t join you? What on earth did Lord St George do for three days in Bedford?’ Millie couldn’t imagine Franklin being so generous with his wife without some ulterior motive.
He probably drank the days away and found a house of ill repute.
‘He had business to attend to with a local merchant.’
Local merchant sounds a lot like local mistress. Didn’t Philippa say he had three?
Victoria continued, blissfully ignorant of Millie’s dark thoughts. ‘That’s the way with husbands, isn’t it? Always disappearing to do important things while we sit around and embroider cushions or paint plates.’ Victoria’s smile dimmed. ‘Still, I shouldn’t complain. I was able to buy a lovely yard of lace. I can’t imagine what I’ll do with it. I’m sure to ruin something so fine.’
Millie frowned. ‘I’m sure you’ll make something absolutely divine. You deserve some finery in your life, Victoria.’
A jelly tart had more backbone than poor Victoria. Millie could only imagine how Franklin would run circles around her. The man was probably shagging his way through town while his wife praised him for allowing her to buy a yard of lace.
Millie sent a silent prayer to the deities for saving her from such a fate. Her gaze slipped back to Drake. He was watching her, his icy eyes hot with intention.
Holy hollyhocks.
Her core tingled. She forced her attention back to Victoria. The woman blinked her wide eyes furiously. ‘I know there are whispers in the beau monde about Franklin. Unsavoury gossip about him straying, but all men do, don’t they? It’s part of married life, letting them sow their wild oats while we keep the home fires burning.’ Maybe Victoria wasn’t as ignorant as Millie thought. ‘I’m sure it will be the same for you.’ Victoria pushed her turbot around, covering the fish with cream sauce but still not eating anything. Perhaps she didn’t enjoy fish, which was a shame. Turbot in dill cream sauce was Millie’s favourite.
She would have savoured another bite, but just the idea of Drake sowing any wild oats had her reaching for the blade strapped to her thigh. A blade Drake now knew about. She was so foolish for letting him see her secret. Philippa would be furious. And what on earth would she say to Drake if he questioned her further? She would need to think of some convincing lie and quick. He was the prime minister’s investigator, after all. He certainly wouldn’t let himself be distracted from discovering her secrets for too long.
Which should terrify me. Not fill me with a sense of relief. I might trust him with my body, but only a fool would trust a man like Drake with her secrets.
But a dangerous question tickled her mind.What if?What if she could trust him? What if their relationship was based on honesty and respect instead of utility and deception?
She looked again at Nora, whose hand was inching closer to Drake’s on the table. A red haze descended as she forgot all about perilous questions with impossible answers.
She’ll touch his hand over my dead body. Or better yet, over hers.
The blade at her wrist pressed into the delicate skin. It would be so easy to release one and let it fly.
Mustn’t fillet Nora during dinner. Perhaps later, during a nice game of whist.
Drake pulled his hand away to reach for his cup as he pivoted to speak with Reynard Renquist, who sat on his right. His broad back created an impenetrable wall, blocking Nora completely.
Millie’s heart beat out of turn as warmth crept from her chest to her cheeks. He was ignoring the beautiful woman who once held his heart in her bony little hands. And taking every opportunity to scorch Millie with incendiary looks so full of lust, she felt like the most desirable woman at the table. Which never happened.
She pulled her attention back to Victoria, wanting to encourage the woman. ‘I think Franklin has no idea what he’s missing if any of the gossip is true. If he isn’t willing to please you, then perhaps you should think on ways to please yourself.’
Victoria’s eyes widened further and her mouth fell open. ‘Miss Millicent, what on earth do you mean?’
