Page 57 of A Lady's Lesson in Scandal
Drake’s impenetrable stare shifted from Millie to Franklin, then back again. He pulled her closer, his hand resting on her waist. A scandalous show of affection from a man who claimed there was no such emotion between them. More likely, he was making his claim of ownership. It didn’t really matter. Millie leaned into his warm, solid body. The band around her chest eased.
‘Really?’ His judgemental brow was up again, along with his temper based on the flush painting his high cheekbones. He pinned Franklin with a violent glare.
Franklin’s pinched lips betrayed his own anger. ‘I promised Lord Renquist a game of faro. Best not disappoint the good man.’ He nodded curtly at Drake. ‘Major General.’ Then cast his gaze once more on Millie. ‘I’m so enjoying our chance to become reacquainted,Millie. So much has changed since we were children.’
She desperately wanted to hit him in that moment. And St George knew it.
‘You will call her Miss Whittenburg, or Lady Drake if you wish, as that is the name she shall be taking in a few short days. Chances are fleeting, St George. For example, the chance of you ever being invited here again is completely gone.’ Drake’s gravelled voice brooked no argument. Millie felt his grip tighten on her hip.
‘Yes, well.’ Franklin nodded again, then turned to find Lord Renquist.
‘Thank you,’ Millie murmured, but when her eyes met Drake’s, his glacial stare held none of the earlier heat.
‘I don’t care if you have a history with that man. I don’t care if he is a family friend. You will stay away from him. Do you understand me?’
While Millie had no desire to spend time with Franklin, she also wasn’t thrilled to be commanded like a child. ‘I don’t take orders, Drake. Not from anyone.’ Except Philippa, who received them from the Queen. And no one disregarded the Queen.
‘You’ll take them from me.’ He pulled her even closer.
‘Franklin is a brute, a coward, a bully, and an arse. I have no wish to spend any more time with him than absolutely necessary. But you are acting much the same, Major General Drake. Perhaps I should stay away from both of you.’
She spun out of his grip. Ivy was sitting at one of the whist tables with Victoria and Lady Bradford. ‘Ivy, shall I be your partner?’ she called out as she walked away from her future husband, not sparing him another glance for the remainder of the evening.
Major General Drake controls many things, but he shall never control me.
Even if her heart ached from the loss of his company.
Millie slept terribly. She spent most of the night listening for the click of her connecting door opening. It never did. Which was good. She didn’t want a midnight visit from the high-handed earl, even if her whole body felt strung tight enough to snap. If he’d come into her room, she would have sent Major General Drake back to his bed with boxed ears and a blistered hide. She certainly wouldn’t have allowed him access to her person. Nor would she have allowed him to work his magic on her with his mouth, tantalise her with his tongue, thrill her with his questing fingers.
Liar.
Millie thumped her pillow and all but leapt out of bed when Penny arrived. She had called upon her maid to help her dress early and Penny was still blinking the sleep from her eyes when she arrived in Millie’s room. She felt terrible for rousing her maid so early, but if she spent one more moment in her room imagining what the man on the other side of the door was doing, she would go mad.
Penny helped her dress in Millie’s favourite riding habit with split skirts. It had been ages since she’d been on a long ride. Patricia didn’t allow her to ride in London, believing herinsistence upon riding astride to be far too scandalous for the lords and ladies trotting along Rotton Row or taking their phaetons or gigs to the south side of Hyde Park to see and be seen. Only when they retired to the country was Millie allowed to ride as she wished.
Well, I’m in the country now and no longer under Patricia’s command.
Nor was she beholden to Drake’s opinions on how or when she should ride. Yet. While she longed for freedom, there were no guarantees she would be granted an independent life once married. Drake had been correct about one thing the previous night. Chances were fleeting. If this was her one window of opportunity, she intended to savour it with the wind blowing through her hair and a powerful beast between her legs.
I can think of another powerful beast I wouldn’t mind riding.
Scandalous! Apparently, she could be angry with the man and still want to ravage him. Millie shut down such lascivious thoughts. They hadn’t helped her in the middle of the night, and she wasn’t going to waste any more time fantasising about the Earl of Tetly’s head buried between her thighs.
She strode out to the stables well before the rest of the house was even awake. If there were no stable boys around, she could saddle one of Drake’s fine animals herself.
‘Millie! Wot are you doin’ out ’ere so early? Toffs ain’t out and about till well past noon.’ Billy Bright greeted her with a cheerful grin, smudging the dust on his cheek in a hasty swipe.
‘Hello Billy, what a lovely surprise. I didn’t know you worked in the stables.’ Millie was delighted to find her little friend with a curry brush in one hand and a hoof pick poking out of his pocket.
‘I’m trying a bit o’ this and bit o’ that ’til I find summink wot suits me. Major General Drake tol’ me to do jus’ that. ’E wants me to find a livings I like and one I’m good at.’ Billy leaned closeand whispered loudly, ‘Course, it ain’t easy, as I’m right good at so many things.’ He winked.
Millie covered her smile and tried to keep her voice serious. ‘Quite a burden to bear, Master Bright. And what do you think about working in the stables?’
Billy puffed out his chest. ‘I right like brushing the ’orses and feeding ’em too. Mucking out stalls ain’t so grand, but old Jonesy, the stablemaster, says we gotta take good care o’ the horses as they can’t do it themselves, and no one wants to live in shit, does they?’
She couldn’t stop the laughter bubbling up her throat. ‘No, Billy. I dare say they don’t. Well, do you have time to help me saddle up that sweet little mare over there?’
Billy’s gaze followed where Millicent pointed. ‘Medusa? She’s a right Devil she is. Faster’n most o’ the others, even if she is a girl, but don’t much like to mind ’er riders. Major General Drake’s the only one ’oo can ride ’er wifout gettin’ thrown.’ He shook his head, biting his lip as his brows drew down in concern. ‘I don’ fink she’s a good choice for you, Millie. Himself’d ’ave me ’ide if anyfink ’appened to you.’
